Why Islam Forbids Alcohol, Drugs?

ALCOHOL AND NARCOTIC DRUGS ARE NOW THE GREATEST SOCIAL PROBLEM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

It is said that Omar (later the Second Rightly-Guided Caliph) prayed: O Allah give us a decisive indication about wine, it takes away the money and the intellect. (Imam Ahmad)

Allah revealed: �They ask you (O Muhammad) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: In them is great sin, and (some) benefits for men, but the sin of them is greater than their benefit.� (2:219)

Omar continued to pray: �O Allah indicate a manifest indication about wine.�

Allah revealed� �O you who believe! Approach not As-Salat (the prayer) when you are in a drunken state until you know (the meaning) of what you utter.� (4:43)

Omar prayed again: �O Allah indicate us about wine.�

Allah revealed: �O you who believe intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), and gambling � are an abomination of Shaitan�s (Satan) handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful. Satan wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from As-Salat (the prayer). So will you not then abstain?� (5:90-91)

After hearing this revelation, Omar exclaimed: �We are refrained, we are refrained.�

The ban on the use of intoxicants was gradual. This evil was eradicated by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). He warned about the curse of Allah on all those associated with it from production to its consumption.

The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) said: �Whatever much of it intoxicates, then little of it is also prohibited.� (Abu Dawood from Jabir)

Abdullah Bin Omar is quoted to have said: �The Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) said that �Anybody who attributed to me anything which I did not say will go to Hell.� After this Abdullah Bin Omar said: �I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) saying �No doubt Allah has prohibited the wine, games of chance and the wine extracted from �Ghabeera� (a flower tree with fruit).

Narcotic drugs are also banned in Islam. This ban was enforced in 7th century for the welfare of humanity.

The latest developments in medical science have proved the consumption of alcohol and narcotics to be a social evil causing great harm not only to the society but also to human health. If we look into the expenditure incurred on drinks (intoxicants) in European and American countries we get an alarming figure of thousands of millions of dollars. France has the highest alcohol consumption. Frenchmen consume 200 million liters of alcoholic beverages every year.

Alcohol makes the man unstable and creates multifarious problems. It breaks the family ties and brings about a complete disruption in family life. The man under its influence fills the destructive bowl, gets excited with an urge to commit crimes and does not hesitate to commit adultery, incest and fornication.

Alcohol abuse presents the society with a staggering bill. In the US, somewhere between $25 billion to $40 billion are lost in terms of labor productivity, treatment and welfare. (Koffend 1979)

In 1979, the World Health Organization in a report stated that alcoholism is becoming a major problem in developing countries. In Zambia and Venezuela the abuses of alcohol are linked with increasing crimes and is the major cause of road accidents. In South Africa, 75 percent of the population is affected directly with adverse affects of alcoholism. In US, 40 percent of all road accidents are due to alcohol abuse and alcohol accounts for 50 percent of criminal arrests.

Man is a social animal. He is superior to animals by virtue of his mental faculties. If these faculties are impaired, he will act like an animal. Alcohol and narcotic drugs impair the higher centers of the brain with the result a man loses judgment, intellect, learning reason, memory and orientation. The lower centers of the brain are freed from the inhibiting influence of the higher centers causing excitement and animalistic behaviors. Owing to this, the intoxicated person behaves recklessly and become loquacious and loses self-control, totters and is led by evil desires to commit crimes.

The following are the bodily harms or diseases of alcoholism observed by the medical science.

1. Peripheral Neuritis, i.e. numbness and weakness in nervous system.
2. Wernicks Encephalopathy, causing the disturbance in consciousness and neurological problems.
3. Korsakoffs Psychosis i.e. impairment of memory delusion.
4. Delirium Tremens. The alcoholic is confused, restless, misidentifies people and places and has severe tremor.
5. Cerebella degeneration.
6. Alcoholic gastritis causes heartburn, anorexia, nausea, and vomiting.
7. Pancreatitis. It may result into hemorrhage resulting in death.

There are some other sever diseases like cardiomyopathy abnormality of the rhythm of the heart and beri beri heart disease etc., etc.

The above facts make it crystal clear that alcohol and narcotic drugs not only take away the hard-earned money of the people but also their intellect and health and leave them worthless. Caliph Omar was wise when he prayed in earlier 7th century for the ban saying intoxicants take away the money and the intellect. Allah the Omniscient, the All-Wise Who cares for the welfare of his bondmen banned intoxicants and delivered them from the pernicious evil.

Now in 20th century all the sensible world is making a lot of hue and cry to stop alcoholism only to learn that it is reaching epidemic proportions.

It is Islam which tackled all social evils and crimes and devised ways and means to save humanity from the menace of narcotics and alcoholism. ENDS.

- By Ahmad Wahaj Al-Siddiqui Al-Taimi

The Aim Of The Message

The Aim of the Message :The Aim of the Message Based on: The all-Embracing Message of Islam By Sh. El-Nayyal Abd-Alqadir Abu-Quroon

The School of Muhammad :The School of Muhammad The school of Muhammad (PBHH) is indeed the greatest school in the history of humanity, as God Almighty in His Glory and Sanctity, has Himself praised its founder in His eternal speech, for his high moral qualities and has sworn an oath on that. As God Almighty has the Supreme authoritative control over people, He is in no need to swear to them (by something) to reinforce His words or deeds! Therefore, His oath is but an assertion of the greatness of the one whom He has described and praised for his high moral qualities, and is not intended to make people believe Him.

The School of Muhammad :The School of Muhammad God Almighty says: “(I swear by) “Noon” and the Pen and what they write. By the g race of your Lord you are not mad or possessed. And you rightfully deserve and shall have a never ending reward. And indeed, you are of a great integrity of morals” [68:1-4]. Therefore, Muhammad (PBHH) is the finest and greatest teacher in the school of human life, and for that reason he has been sent, as he said: “as a teacher” Sunan Ibn Majah. He was the first of all prophets to be created and the last of them to be sent with this sealing Message as the teacher for all humanity. God Almighty says: “…and We have not sent you (O Muhammad) but as a universal Messenger to all people, a Bearer of glad tidings, and a Herald, but most people do not know.” [34:28]. Indeed, this is the aim of his Message.

The School of Muhammad :The School of Muhammad Muhammad has been sent as the divine example of humanity in its perfection, to be followed by all people, imbuing them by his great morals and behaviour and leading them to God Almighty’s path without straying or faltering. People were drawn to him immediately upon seeing him and hearing him speak, as his manners were devoid of coarseness. God Almighty says: “…had you [O Muhammad] been harsh or hard-hearted, they would have left you” [3:159]. In him , souls found all that they sought and loved. As a result, they became at peace and their anxieties disappeared as they perceived their purpose and their path was clarified by this great teacher: “… and We have sent you the Revelation (O Muhammad) to clarify to people what has been sent to them” [16:44].

The School of Muhammad :The School of Muhammad This great teacher (PBHH) has been sent to the entire human race to teach them the high moral qualities which distinguished him from the rest of all creation including Prophets, Messengers, Martyrs, and Saints. The Creator of the universe, Supreme and Divine in His domain, praised him for these moral qualities and described them as great: “And indeed, you are of a great integrity of morals” [68:4].

The School of Muhammad :The School of Muhammad Prophet Muhammad the teacher of good conduct and humility said: “Verily, I have been sent to perfect high moral qualities” Musnad Ahmad. Therefore, even those who have faith and do righteous deeds are in need of him, for without him they are in darkness as God Almighty has sent him as: “… a Luminous source of Light” [33:46], “…So that he may lead those who have faith and do good deeds from Darkness to Light” [65:11]. This is the summit of the goal of what humanity can learn. He said: “Nothing exceeds good conduct on the scale of a faithful person on the Day of Resurrection” Sunan Tirmithi, and this, indeed, is the aim of the Message.

Acts of worship are means for noble character :Acts of worship are means for noble character Therefore, one should not think that devotion to fasting and night prayers are exclusively the worship and aim of the Message, so that people may say that such a person “is the pigeon of the mosque” (i.e. a devout worshipper). The people who fast and gossip slanderously about others behind their backs have actually broken their fast as if they were eating their flesh: “… and do not spy, nor backbite one another . Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would then abhor the one (who does that)!” [49:12]. The Messenger also says: “Many are the people who fast and gain nothing from their fasting except hunger and thirst”.

Acts of worship are means for noble character :Acts of worship are means for noble character Likewise, those whose prayer has not prevented him/her from committing evil and immoral deeds remains as if he has not prayed. God Almighty has ordained prayer as a means of protecting its performer from committing evil and immoral deeds: “Surely Prayer prevents from evil and immoral deeds” [29:45]. Prophet Muhammad the most truthful of all speakers said: “With high moral qualities a faithful person reaches the status of one who is devoutly praying and fasting”. Majma’ al-Zawa’id

Moral qualities are the aim of the Message :Moral qualities are the aim of the Message As has been reiterated, high moral qualities are the aim of the Message and whoever is so described is, in fact, the closest to the Messenger of God Almighty (PBHH) on the day when one is most in need of salvation: “Indeed, the most beloved and closest to me of you in the Hereafter, are the best in moral qualities.”. “It was said to the Messenger of God Almighty Muhammad (PBHH), that a woman prays the whole night and fasts the whole day and some of her words are harmful to her neighbours, he said: “There is no good in her, she is in hell” Mustadrak.

Moral qualities are the aim of the Message :Moral qualities are the aim of the Message Good character is distinguished from fasting and night prayer by not being afflicted by boasting, conceit, and vanity that wipe out good deeds. It is also a virtue that extends to others in a manner similar to charitable spending. However, the latter might get affected by boasting and undue reminding of others of favours done, as the Almighty said: “And don’t remind others of favours (that you do), proudly boasting” [74:6]. Therefore, the benefit of prayer and fasting does not extend further than their doer even if they are safe from afflictions, while good conduct is always safe from afflictions and moreover, its benefit extends to others.

Religion is Good Conduct :Religion is Good Conduct The teacher (PBHH) continued guiding people and clarifying the ethics and the high moral qualities to elevate them from the “darkness” of misconduct, rough dealings, tense relationships, and expression of anger to the “light” of brotherhood, good conduct, love, and tolerance. He elaborated that: “Religion is interaction with good conduct”. This good conduct had been the foundation of interaction; so, coercion did not exist in religion in all aspects of life: in people’s interaction between themselves, between a ruler and his people, or between people and their Creator, and even when preaching; for the Holy Quran states: “… Would you then compel people until they become faithful?” [10:99].

Human Rights :Human Rights Here the Message shines brightly to illuminate its aim clearly, as the Master of high moral qualities expounds: “He who harms a thimmi (non-Muslim citizen in all religions) has indeed harmed me and will answer to me on the Day of Resurrection”. No one should be considered inferior or be discriminated against because of their faith, nor should they be coerced to change it and forcibly accept another. It is a religious obligation to treat human being s in accordance with their humanity, without compulsion or humiliation, as the great teacher said: “Religion is interaction with good conduct”.

Human Rights :Human Rights He exemplified this principle himself when he stood in respect as a funeral passed by. Then someone objected and pointed out that the funeral was for a Jew. In response, the Prophet (PBHH) said: “Is he not a human being?” When his companions once asked him to lay a curse upon their persecutors, he replied: “I have not been sent to lay curses, but I have been sent as a mercy.” Sahih Muslim

Mercy for people :Mercy for people A non-believer once entered the mosque of the Prophet (PBHH) and urinated in it. The Prophet’s companions rushed to him, berating and terrifying him, and wanted to beat him up. The Prophet (PBHH) stopped them, consoled him and said to him: “Arab brother, this Mosque is not intended for what you have done, but it is built for the reverence of God Almighty”. The integrity of the Prophet so captivated the non-believer, who there and then embraced Islam and prayed: “O God Almighty, have mercy on me and Muhammad but on no one else”. The Prophet (PBHH) said to him: “You have constrained what is infinite”.

Mercy for people :Mercy for people The Prophet had once been asleep with his sword cushioned underneath him, when a non-believer snatched it and said to him: “Who will save you from me Muhammad?” He said: “God Almighty”. At that moment, the sword slipped from the man’s hand and the Prophet took it and said to him: “Now, who will save you from me?” The non-believer said: “Your clemency O Muhammad”. So, the Prophet (PBHH) there and then, left him without compelling him to say: “There is no God but God Almighty” to become a Muslim. He said: “He who kills a thimmi (non-Muslim citizen in all-religions) will never smell the scent of Heaven even though its scent can be detected over the distance traversed in forty years” Bukhari.

Slide 16 :THANK YOU

The Message & The Messenger

The Message & The Messenger :The Message & The Messenger Based on: The all-Embracing Message of Islam By Sh. El-Nayyal Abd-Alqadir Abu-Quroon

Mercy & Justice :According to the Qudsi Hadith (sacred saying of God Almighty), God Almighty’s mercy preceded His anger: “Indeed, My mercy preceded My anger” Bukhari. This may raise a question: Were Messengers sent from God Almighty to deliver mercy to people or to set a scale of accountability to hunt down their mistakes for vengeance? Mercy & Justice

Mercy in Justice :There can be no doubt that what the Messengers have delivered from God Almighty is the mercy for humankind. However, setting a scale of accountability for people’s deeds is to remind and show them where these deeds place them in relation to the bountiful mercy that their Creator intended and delivered to them. Knowing this, they will abandon their errors. Hence, God Almighty will overlook their misdeeds and will not hold them for the sins they have earned: “Your Lord is the Most Forgiving, the Lord of Mercy, if He were to hold them for what they have earned (of sins), He would have hastened upon them the sufferance” [18:58]. Mercy in Justice

Terror for Mercy?! :The Message of Islam is mercy from God Almighty if we agree that what had been delivered from Him through His Messengers is mercy for all people. However, some Muslim preachers chose the second part of the opening question as the main theme of their way of preaching Islam (da’wah). So, they used the scale of accountability to frighten, terrorize, and threaten people. They even drove them to a state of despair and hopelessness from the mercy of God Almighty; and those who does not respond to their terrifying admonitions will be persecuted by the use of arms to the extent of execution! Terror for Mercy?!

Terror for Mercy?! :Therefore, they distanced people from God Almighty’s mercy, while He said in the Qudsi Hadith: “My mercy preceded My anger.” Bukhari, as he said in the holy Quran: “My mercy encompassed everything” [7:156]. Isn’t it more befitting for those preachers to present to the people this mercy which encompassed everything including anger, if anger can be considered a thing? Terror for Mercy?!

Messenger of Mercy with a Message of Mercy :The high moral qualities of Prophet Muhammad, may the Prayers and Blessings of God Almighty be upon Him and His family (PBHH), are the embodiment of The Holy Quran, and he is God Almighty’s mercy in essence: “And We have not sent you (O Muhammad) but as mercy for all the worlds.” [21:107]. In fact, Prophet Muhammad (PBHH) is inseparable from the Message he delivered, as God Almighty said “… Surely, We have been sending Mercy from your Lord; it is He who is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” [44:5-6]. Messenger of Mercy with a Message of Mercy

Messenger of Mercy with a Message of Mercy :Prophet Muhammad (PBHH) is surely a Messenger for all people, as God Almighty said: “We have not sent you (O Muhammad) but as a universal Messenger to all people” [34:28]. The Prophet (PBHH) also said about himself: “Indeed, I am a bestowed mercy (upon creation)” Mustadrak, thus confirming that he is the standard reference and that he is God Almighty’s mercy sent to all. Messenger of Mercy with a Message of Mercy

The Message is inseparable from the Messenger :Many people, however, committed the crime of separating the Message from the Messenger (PBHH), claiming the ability of interpreting the Message themselves, without the need to refer to the one who delivered it. Furthermore, they gave themselves the right to hold the Prophet accountable to their faulty scale of judgement in an attempt to find fault with his conveyance of the Message, as if God Almighty has not chosen for His Message the most befitting of all His creation in terms of knowledge, integrity of morals, and beauty of form! Little did they know that, consequent to this separation, they have grievously erred and strayed, through their misinterpretations and misconceptions, from comprehending the mercy that God Almighty has bestowed upon people! The Message is inseparable from the Messenger

The Message is inseparable from the Messenger :Little did they know that, consequent to this separation, they have grievously erred and strayed, through their misinterpretations and misconceptions, from comprehending the mercy that God Almighty has bestowed upon people! The Message is inseparable from the Messenger

Mercy in Morality :Prophet Muhammad (PBHH) also said “Verily, I have been sent to perfect high moral qualities” Ahmad. These are the moral qualities for which God Almighty had praised him and sent him to teach to all people: “ And indeed, you are of a great integrity of morals” [68:4]. Therefore, he was sent to complete and perfect the highest moral attributes, i.e.to approve and seal what has been preached by the previous Messengers (May God Almighty’s Prayers be Upon them) since they have all been sent to form virtuous communities. Mercy in Morality

The standard reference for humanity :So, he is the seal of the Messages, the first in creation (“A man asked the Prophet since when was he a Prophet; he replied: While Adam’s creation was between the soul and the body”) and the aim (Qiblah) of the prayers (of God Almighty, His angles, and the believers). Since his Message is the all-embracing of all previous Messages, God Almighty made: his throwing His own throwing: “ …and it was not thou who threw (sand into their eyes, O Prophet), when thou didst throw it, but it was God Almighty who threw it” [8:17]. obeying him is His obedience: “Whoever obeys the Prophet has indeed obeyed God Almighty” [4:80]. pledging to him is pledging to Him: “Behold, those who pledge their allegiance to you have indeed pledged their allegiance to God Almighty, the hand of God Almighty on top of their hands ” [48:10]. and his order is His divine order: “the order (you give) is not yours (but is God Almighty’s) ” [3:128]. He, thus, set him as the standard reference for humanity and the summit of the goal of those seeking human perfection. The standard reference for humanity

Part 3: The Big Bang & The Holy Quran

The Big Bang:A Muslim Perspective :The Big Bang:A Muslim Perspective Part 3: The Big Bang & The Holy Quran

Human Curiosity! :Human Curiosity! What existed then at the beginning of the universe? How did it begin, and why? Why did it take the form it did? Who are we? Where did we come from, and why for? Where are we going?

Shall we put it this way? :S. Hawking: This picture of a universe that started off very hot and cooled as it expanded is in agreement with all observational evidence that we have today. We are therefore thoroughly confident that we have the right picture, at least back to one second after the big bang. Shall we put it this way?

The Perfection of Creation? :The universe started out with so nearly the critical rate of expansion to just avoid re-collapse. If the rate of expansion one second after the big bang had been smaller by even one part in a hundred thousand million million, the universe would have re-collapsed before it ever reached its present size. On the other hand, if the expansion rate at one second had been larger by the same amount, the universe would have expanded so much that it would be effectively empty now. Roger Penrose showed that the probability of a universe like the one in which we exist, out of the array in ‘phase space’ of possible universes, is 1 in 10 to the power 123, a number too big to be written down in full even if every proton in the entire universe were used to write a digit on. The Perfection of Creation?

The Perfection of Creation? :The balance and precise strength of the fundamental gravitational, electromagnetic and nuclear forces needs to be exactly what it is if conscious life is to exist. So Peter Atkins says: If nuclei were bound together slightly more weakly, or slightly more strongly, the universe would lack chemistry. If the electric force were slightly stronger than it is, evolution would not reach organisms before the sun went out. And if it were only slightly less, stars would not have planets, and life would be unknown. Peter Atkins, Creation Revisited, p. 23. The Perfection of Creation?

The Inevitable Conclusion :Hawking: This means that the initial state of the universe must have been very carefully chosen indeed if the big bang model was correct right back to the beginning of time. It would be very difficult to explain why the universe should have begun in just this way, except as the act of a God who intended to create beings like us. The Inevitable Conclusion

Guidance is from Allah (S) :However, this conclusion was not sufficient for Stephen Hawking to acknowledge that act of God even though it is full agreement with all observational evidence available today. This is because, I suppose, he did not investigate the evidence that God provided when He claimed the creation of the universe. This evidence can be seen in His description to what He created. Here is some of this evidence: Guidance is from Allah (S)

The Evidence of God: agreement between the book of creation & the book of revelation :The Evidence of God: agreement between the book of creation & the book of revelation Allah (S) said: Soon We will show them Our Signs on the horizons (of nature), and in their own (creation), until it becomes manifest to them that it (Quran) is the Truth. Is it not enough that your Lord is witnessed (via His signs) on all things?” [41:53]

Failure of Predictability at the Big Bang Singularity :At the big bang singularity, the density of the universe and the curvature of space time would have been infinite. Therefore, the general relativity and all other physical laws including the laws of vision and perception, which are based on the assumption that space-time is smooth and nearly flat, would break down. One cannot predict what would come out of the singularity, which is the moment of creation. Allah (S) regarding this failure of predictability and lack of any scientific vision or description of that moment said: Failure of Predictability at the Big Bang Singularity

Failure of predictability at the big bang singularity :Failure of predictability at the big bang singularity “I did not make them witness to the creation of the skies and the earth or to the creation of themselves, and I would not have the misguiders as assistants.”18\51.

The Initial Distance Between Cosmic Bodies was Zero :The Initial Distance Between Cosmic Bodies was Zero At the beginning, the distance between the neighbouring galaxies was zero, therefore, the universe was one entity, and as it expanded, all cosmic structures started to take shape. This is mentioned in detail, without any metaphoric indications, by Allah (S): “Have those who disbelieved not considered that the skies and the earth were a joined entity, and We separated them and made from water every living thing? Then will they not believe?”21\30.

The Expanding Universe :The Expanding Universe The discovery that the universe is expanding was one of the great intellectual revolutions of the twentieth century, said Stephen Hawking. However, this great intellectual revolution of the last century was mentioned in the Holy Quran fourteen centuries ago. Allah (S) said: “And the sky We constructed with strength, and indeed, We are expanding it.” 51/47.

Creation of Cosmic Bodies from Clouds of Gas & Debris :Creation of Cosmic Bodies from Clouds of Gas & Debris The cosmic bodies: galaxies, stars and planets including earth were formed of cosmic clouds of gas and debris. Allah (S) mentioned that in the verse: “Then He directed His power and will to the sky while it was smoke and said to it and to the earth “come (into being) willingly or by compulsion”. They said: we have come willingly.” 41/11.

The Big Crunch :It is a fact that the universe is expanding since the moment of its creation. One of Friedmann’s models of the expanding universe is that the universe is expanding so sufficiently slowly that the gravitational attraction between different galaxies would cause the expansion to slow down and eventually to stop. The galaxies then would start to move toward each other and the universe contracts. The distance between two neighbouring galaxies starts at zero, increases to a maximum, and then decreases back to zero again. The Big Crunch

The fate of the Universe :The fate of the Universe However, the fact about the end of the universe is mentioned in the Holy Quran, Allah (S) said: “The Day when We will fold the sky like the folding of a [written] sheet for records. As We began the first creation, We will repeat it. [That is] a promise binding upon us. Indeed, We will do it.” 21/104.

Why The Universe began? The Purpose of Life :Why The Universe began? The Purpose of Life “And I did not create the Jinn and humankind except to worship Me. I don’t want from them any provision, nor do I want them to feed Me. Indeed, it is Allah Who is the [continual] Provider, the firm possessor of strength” [51:56-8]

Part 2: Development Of The Theory

The Big BangA Muslim Perspective :The Big BangA Muslim Perspective Part 2: Development of the Theory

Human Curiosity! :Human Curiosity! What existed then at the beginning of the universe? How did it begin, and why? Why did it take the form it did? Who are we? Where did we come from, and why for? Where are we going?

Development of the Big Bang Model :How did this vast cosmos, awesome in beauty and extent, come into being? The general theory of relativity provides the ideas we use to understand space, time and gravity. The theory of relativity predict that our universe should have the big bang, a beginning of time. Development of the Big Bang Model

Is the Universe Static? :Albert Einstein, who in 1915 published the general theory of relativity, was sure that the universe is static, so he introduced a so-called cosmological constant into his equations. This was a new antigravity force assumed to be built into the very fabric of space-time and gives it an inbuilt tendency to expand. This could be made to exactly balance the attraction of all the matter in the universe so that a static universe would result. Is the Universe Static?

The Expansion of the Universe :Alexander Friedmann, 1922, made two very simple assumptions about the universe: 1-The universe looks identical in whichever direction we look; 2-This would be true if we were observing the universe from anywhere else. On the basis of general relativity and these two assumptions, he showed that the universe was not static but instead expanding. Edwin Hubble, 1929, observed exactly what Friedmann predicted that all galaxies were moving away from us, the farther the galaxy was, the faster it was moving away. The Expansion of the Universe

The Hot Early Universe :At the big bang the universe had zero size and so must have been infinitely hot but as the universe expanded, the temperature of the radiation would have decreased. George Gamow, 1948 was the first to put forward this picture of a hot early stage of the universe and made a remarkable prediction that radiation from the very hot early stages of the universe should still be around today. This is the cosmic microwave background of radiation that was discovered by Penzias and Wilson in 1965 (approximately 2.7 Kelvin). The Hot Early Universe

Evidence for Early Hot Universe:The Microwave Background Radiation :Evidence for Early Hot Universe:The Microwave Background Radiation

The Birth of the Theory :Roger Penrose, 1965 showed that a star that collapses under its own gravity is trapped in a region whose boundary eventually shrinks to zero size. This means that all the matter in the star will be compressed into a region of zero volume, so the density of matter and the curvature of space time become infinite. In other words, one has a singularity contained within a region of space-time known as a black hole. The Birth of the Theory

The Birth of the Theory :Stephen Hawking (1965) assumed that if the direction of time is reversed in Penrose’s theorem so that the collapse became expansion, the conditions of his theorem would still hold. Penrose’s theorem had shown that any collapsing star must end in a singularity; the time-reversed argument showed that the expanding universe as described by Friedmann’s model must have begun with a singularity. The final result was a joint paper by R. Penrose and S. Hawking (1970) which showed that the universe started from a big bang singularity, the primeval explosion that brought all space and time, all matter and energy, into being. The Birth of the Theory

The Hot Big Bang ModelThe Big Bang Singularity :At some point in the past, between ten and twenty thousand million years ago, the distance between the neighbouring galaxies must have been zero. At this stage which is known as the big bang singularity, the density of the universe and the curvature of space time would have been infinite; therefore, the general relativity and all other physical laws would break down. One cannot predict what would come out of the singularity. The Hot Big Bang ModelThe Big Bang Singularity

One Second Old!Radiation & Sub-atomic Particles :One Second after the big the bang the temperature would have fallen to about ten thousand million degrees. At this time the universe would have contained mostly photons, electrons, and neutrinos and their antiparticles, together with some protons and neutrons. One Second Old!Radiation & Sub-atomic Particles

100 Seconds to 100 hrs Plasma of Light Elements :About one hundred seconds after the big the bang, the temperature would have fallen to one thousand million degrees where protons and neutrons would no longer have sufficient energy to escape the attraction of the strong nuclear force. They would start to combine together to produce the nuclei of atoms of deuterium or heavy hydrogen. The deuterium nuclei would then have combined with more protons and neutrons to make helium nuclei; there would also be small amounts of a couple of heavier elements, lithium and beryllium. Within only a few hours of the big bang, the production of nuclei of helium and other elements would have stopped. 100 Seconds to 100 hrs Plasma of Light Elements

Formation of Atoms :In the next million years or so when the temperature had dropped to a few thousand degrees, the electrons and nuclei would no longer have had enough energy to overcome the electromagnetic attraction between them. They would then have started combining to form atoms. Formation of Atoms

Formation of Galaxies :The universe as a whole would have continued expanding and cooling. In regions that were slightly denser than average, the expansion would have been slowed down by extra gravitational attraction. This would have eventually stop expansion in some regions and cause them to start to collapse. The gravitational pull outside these regions may cause them to rotate slightly and as the collapsing region gets smaller, it spins faster and eventually balances the attraction of gravity. In this way the disk-like rotating galaxies like our own galaxy, The Milky Way, were born. Formation of Galaxies

Formation of Stars :As time went on the gas in the galaxies would break up into smaller clouds that would collapse under their own gravity. As these concentrated, the temperature of the gas would increase until it became hot enough to start nuclear reactions. These would convert the hydrogen into more helium and the heat given off would raise the pressure, and so stop the clouds from contracting any farther. They would remain in this state for a long time as stars like our own sun, burning hydrogen into helium and radiating the energy as heat and light. Formation of Stars

Eagle Nebula: The Pillars of Creation :Eagle Nebula: The Pillars of Creation

Formation of our Solar System :Our own sun contains about 2% of heavier elements like carbon and oxygen because it is a second or third generation star. It was formed some five thousand million years ago out of a cloud of rotating gas containing debris of earlier supernovas. Most of the gas in that cloud went to form the sun or got blown away. However, a small amount of the heavier elements collected together to form the bodies that now orbit the sun as planets like the earth. Formation of our Solar System

Shall we put it this way? :S. Hawking: This picture of a universe that started off very hot and cooled as it expanded is in agreement with all observational evidence that we have today. We are therefore thoroughly confident that we have the right picture, at least back to one second after the big bang. Shall we put it this way?

Part 1: The Phenomenon: The Universe

The Solar System

The known solar system consists of 1 star which is the Sun and is at the centre of our Solar System with the 8 planets and all the other bodies in orbit around the Sun as in the diagram below, all held in their orbits by the Sun’s gravity. Our Sun is just like all the other stars you see in the night sky, some are smaller and some larger, our star being classed as medium in size.

Our solar system

Our planets are split into 2 groups, the four inner Planets known as the Rockies and the four Outer Planets known as the Gas Giants, this relates to the makeup of these planets.

The four gas giants of the outer solar system

Astronomical Units of Distance

• The astronomical unit =149,600,000km (1.00AU), which is the distance between the earth and the sun.
• The light-year is a unit of distance. It is the distance that light can travel in one year. Light travels at a speed of about 300,000 km each second. So in one year, it can travel about 10 trillion km. More precisely, one light-year is equal to 9,500,000,000,000 kilometres.
• 1.00AU = 8.3 light minutes!

Size Of The Solar System

The size of the solar system was always based very roughly around Pluto’s orbit of the Sun which is an ellipse shape that ranges from 30 AU to 50 AU. But now, if dwarf planets are included, the size must relate to the orbit of Eris which ranges from 38 AU to 97 AU. Therefore, its average diameter is 135 AU, which should be the outer reaches of our Solar System. Many people find it difficult to relate to these figures. However, our solar system is an extremely tiny part of the Milky Way galaxy. If the diameter of the solar system (about 1 light day) is reduced to 1 cm, the diameter of the Milky Way (100,000 light years) would be 365 km. Compared to the size of the universe, our solar system is near infinitely smaller. It’s safe to say a grain of sand to the size of the earth isn’t even comparable to our solar system compared to the Universe.

Orbit Of Eris, one of the moons of Pluto and one of the outermost units that defines the size of our solar system

The following maps of the universe are taken from Atlas Of The Universe a site designed to give everyone an idea of what our universe actually looks like. There are nine main maps on this web page, each one approximately ten times the scale of the previous one. The first map shows the nearest stars and then the other maps slowly expand out until we have reached the scale of the entire visible universe.

The Universe Within 12.5 Light Years - Our Nearest Stars

This map shows all of the stellar systems that lie within 12.5 light years from us. The closest star to the Sun is only 7000 times further than the edge of our solar system.

The Universe Within 12.5 Light Years - Our Nearest Stars

The Universe within 250 Light Years - The Solar Neighbourhood

• Number of stars within 250 light years = 260 000.

This map is a plot of the 1500 most luminous stars within 250 light years. All of these stars are much more luminous than the Sun and most of them can be seen with the naked eye. About one third of the stars visible with the naked eye lie within 250 light years, even though this is only a tiny part of our galaxy.

The Universe within 250 Light Years - The Solar Neighbourhood: This map is a plot of the 1500 most luminous stars within 250 light years.

The Universe Within 5,000 Light Years - The Orion Arm

• Number of stars within 5,000 light years = 600 million

This is a map of our corner of the Milky Way galaxy. The Sun is located in the Orion Arm - a fairly minor arm compared with the Sagittarius Arm, which is located closer to the galactic centre. The map shows several stars visible with the naked eye which are located deep within the Orion arm. The most notable group of stars here are main stars in the constellation of Orion - from which the spiral arm gets its name. All of these stars are bright giant and supergiant stars, thousands of times more luminous than the Sun. The most luminous star on the map is Rho Cassiopeia and is 4,000 light years away, it is a dim naked eye star, but in reality it is a huge supergiant star 100,000 times more luminous than our Sun.

The Universe Within 5000 Light Years - The Orion Arm: This is a map of our corner of the Milky Way galaxy.

The Universe within 100,000 Light Years - The Milky Way Galaxy

• Number of stars within 100,000 light years = 200 billion

This map shows the full extent of the Milky Way galaxy - a spiral galaxy of at least two hundred billion stars. Our Sun is buried deep within the Orion Arm about 26 000 light years from the centre. Towards the centre of the Galaxy the stars are packed together much closer than they are where we live. Notice also the presence of small globular clusters of stars which lie well outside the plane of the Galaxy, and notice too the presence of a nearby dwarf galaxy - the Sagittarius dwarf - which is slowly being swallowed up by our own galaxy.

The Universe Within 100,000 Light Years - The Milky Way Galaxy: This map shows the full extent of the Milky Way galaxy - a spiral galaxy of at least two hundred billion stars.

The Universe within 500,000 Light Years - The Satellite Galaxies

• Number of large galaxies within 500 000 light years = 1
• Number of dwarf galaxies within 500 000 light years = 12
• Number of stars within 500,000 light years = 225 billion

The Milky Way is surrounded by several dwarf galaxies, typically containing a few tens of millions of stars, which is insignificant compared with the number of stars in the Milky Way itself. This map shows the closest dwarf galaxies, they are all gravitationally bound to the Milky Way requiring billions of years to orbit it.

The Universe within 500,000 Light Years - The Satellite Galaxies: This map shows the closest dwarf galaxies, they are all gravitationally bound to the Milky Way requiring billions of years to orbit it.

The Universe within 5 million Light Years - The Local Group of Galaxies

• Number of large galaxies within 5 million light years = 3
• Number of dwarf galaxies within 5 million light years = 46
• Number of stars within 5 million light years = 700 billion

The Milky Way is one of three large galaxies belonging to the group of galaxies called the Local Group which also contains several dozen dwarf galaxies. Most of these galaxies are depicted on the map, although most dwarf galaxies are so faint, that there are probably several more waiting to be discovered.

The Universe within 5 million Light Years - The Local Group of Galaxies

The Universe within 100 million Light Years - The Virgo Supercluster

• Number of galaxy groups within 100 million light years = 200
• Number of large galaxies within 100 million light years = 2500
• Number of dwarf galaxies within 100 million light years = 50,000
• Number of stars within 100 million light years = 200 trillion

Our galaxy is just one of thousands that lie within 100 million light years. The map shows how galaxies tend to cluster into groups, the largest nearby cluster is the Virgo cluster a concentration of several hundred galaxies which dominates the galaxy groups around it. Collectively, all of these groups of galaxies are known as the Virgo Supercluster. The second richest cluster in this volume of space is the Fornax Cluster, but it is not nearly as rich as the Virgo cluster. Only bright galaxies are depicted on the map, our galaxy is the dot in the very centre.

The Universe within 100 million Light Years - The Virgo Supercluster: The above map shows how galaxies tend to cluster into groups, the largest nearby cluster is the Virgo cluster a concentration of several hundred galaxies which dominates the galaxy groups around it.

The Universe within 1 billion Light Years - The Neighbouring Superclusters

• Number of superclusters within 1 billion light years = 100
• Number of galaxy groups within 1 billion light years = 240,000
• Number of large galaxies within 1 billion light years = 3 million
• Number of dwarf galaxies within 1 billion light years = 60 million
• Number of stars within 1 billion light years = 250,000 trillion

Galaxies and clusters of galaxies are not uniformly distributed in the Universe, instead they collect into vast clusters and sheets and walls of galaxies interspersed with large voids in which very few galaxies seem to exist. The map above shows many of these superclusters including the Virgo supercluster - the minor supercluster of which our galaxy is just a minor member. The entire map is approximately 7 percent of the diameter of the entire visible Universe.

The Universe within 1 billion Light Years - The Neighbouring Supercluster: The entire map is approximately 7 percent of the diameter of the entire visible Universe.

The Universe within 14 billion Light Years - The Visible Universe

• Number of superclusters in the visible universe = 10 million
• Number of galaxy groups in the visible universe = 25 billion
• Number of large galaxies in the visible universe = 350 billion
• Number of dwarf galaxies in the visible universe = 7 trillion
• Number of stars in the visible universe = 30 billion trillion (3×10²²)

This map attempts to show the entire visible Universe. The galaxies in the universe tend to collect into vast sheets and superclusters of galaxies surrounding large voids giving the universe a cellular appearance. Because light in the universe only travels at a fixed speed, we see objects at the edge of the universe when it was very young up to 14 billion years ago.

The Universe within 14 billion Light Years - The Visible Universe: This map attempts to show the entire visible Universe.

Cosmic Time and Scale

• If the solar system were the size of a table, the Andromeda Galaxy would lie at 10 times the distance to the moon, and the most distant galaxies would lie at 60 times the distance to the Sun.
• If we were to compress the time since the Big Bang into one year, and make the time of the Big Bang January 1.
  • The Earth would be formed in mid-September.
  • The mammals would appear on December 26.
  • All human prehistory (from the first known stone tools) and history would have occurred in the last 1/2 hour of New Year’s Eve.

God Almighty mentioned in the Holy Quran that He created seven skies and that He adorned the sky nearest to earth with lights, i.e. stars, the basic units of the universe.

“Then He ordained them seven heavens in two Days and inspired in each heaven its mandate; and We adorned the sky nearest to the earth with lights, and made them secure: such is the ordaining of the Almighty, the All-Knowing”

[41:12]

“And, indeed, We have adorned the sky nearest to the earth with lights,”

[67:5]

Therefore, the seven skies or heavens are likely to be separate space-times beyond the limits of our universe or space-time (a sphere 14 billion light years across), the stars of which adorn the lowest of them.

Embryology in the Revelation

If God Almighty (Allah) is indeed the creator of the human being, the verses of the revelation to His messengers in which He described this creation are expected to be in harmony with the stable scientific facts about human development. Such facts are stable in the sense that they never exhibit radical changes with progress of science, rather, better understanding. Therefore, progress in science will always help better interpretation of the revelation, i.e. revelation from the Creator of nature and good scientific description of nature should always be in harmony. This is exactly what God mentioned in the verses:

“Have you (people) given thought: if this (Quran) be truly [a revelation] from God, while you deny its truth? Who could be more astray than one who places himself [so] deeply in the wrong? Soon will We show them Our Signs on the horizons (of nature), and in their own (creation), until it becomes manifest to them that it (Quran) is the Truth. Is it not enough that your Lord is witnessed (via His signs) on all things?”

[41:52-3]

In 1677, Johan Ham and Anton van Leeuwenhoek were the first to see human sperm under a microscope. They mistakenly believed that each sperm carried a tiny human, a ‘homunculus’, and that the woman contributed nothing. Almost a century later, Lazzaro Spallanzani showed (by carrying out artificial insemination in dogs) that both egg and sperm are needed to create a new life. In 1759, Caspar Wolff proposed that the different parts of a growing baby develop from different layers of cells, which we now know to be correct. However, 1400 years ago a Jewish man passed by Prophet Muhammad (S) while he was talking to His companions. Some of the disbelievers from Quraish (the tribe of Muhammad) said to him:

“This man claims that he is a prophet.”

He said: “I shall ask him a question that only a prophet will know its answer.“

So he came and said: “O Muhammad, what the human being is created from?“

He (S) said: “O Jew, the human is created from both the Nutfah (reproductive fluid) of the man and that of the woman….“

Then the Jew stood up and said: “This is what was said by those (Prophets) before you.“

Reported by Ahmad.

God Almighty revealed to Prophet Muhammad (S) the following verse about the questions of who we are and from where we did come into being:

“Indeed, We have created the human being (Adam) out of the essence of clay. And then We have made him a Nutfah (drop of gametes) in a safe lodging [the womb]. And then We have created out of the drop of gametes Alaqah ( a leach-like lump), and then We create out of the leach- like lump a Mudghah (chewed-like lump of flesh), and then We create within the embryonic lump bones, and then We clothe the bones with flesh - and then We bring [all] this into being as a new creation: hallowed, therefore, is God, the best of artisans!“

[23:12-14]

Sperm (Nutfah of the man)

A fertile young man makes around 1000 new sperm per second, in the testes. Each carries half the instructions (genes) needed to make a new person, packed into its head. The rest of the cell is a long tail, which propels the sperm towards the egg at about three millimeters per minute. The neck is crammed with mitochondria, which help make the energy needed for the journey. Once they’re released, sperm usually survive for 48 hours.

The Male Nutfah and Sex Determination

A humans’ sex is predetermined in the sperm gamete. Welshons, WJ; Russell, LB. was the first to define the role of the male Y chromosome in sex determination in his paper: THE Y-CHROMOSOME AS THE BEARER OF MALE DETERMINING FACTORS IN THE MOUSE. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1959 Apr;45(4):560-566. [PubMed] In the XY sex-determination system, females have two of the same kind of sex chromosome (XX), while males have two distinct sex chromosomes (XY). Some species (including humans) have a gene SRY on the Y chromosome that determines maleness; others (such as the fruit fly) use the presence of two X chromosomes to determine femaleness. Since sperm are the variable factor (i.e. which sperm fertilises the egg) they are responsible for determining sex. However, this system of sex determination was mentioned in the Holy Quran 1400 years ago:

“And that it is He (God Almighty) who creates the two kinds - the male and the female -out of a [mere] drop of sperm as it is poured forth“

[53:45]

Eggs (Nutfah of the woman)

A fertile young woman usually releases one egg a month, from one of her two ovaries. Unless the egg is fertilized within the next 24 hours, it dies. At its centre, the egg contains half the instructions (genes) needed to make a new person. The rest of the cell is a rich food store for the fertilized egg during the first few days of its life. A baby girl is born with around half a million eggs already formed in her undeveloped ovaries. However, only about 400 are released in her lifetime, between puberty and the menopause.

Fertilization (the combined Nutfah)

Fertilization is the moment when a sperm and egg join together, and the genes from the mother and father combine to form a new human being. For the sperm, it is the end of a long and difficult journey - the winner of a race that started out with 500 million competitors (that’s more than 16,000 times the number of runners in the 2000 London marathon). The prize is the egg, which is released from the ovary and then travels along the fallopian tube to meet the sperm Allah (SW) referred to the formation of the Zygote by the process of fertilization in this verse:

“Verily, it is We who have created the human being out of mixed gametes (of a male and a female)…“

[76:2]

Week 1

After fertilization, the genes carried by the egg and sperm combine, creating the complete set of instructions needed to make a new person as in the verse:

“And then We have made him (=copied his structural and functional characteristics in the genes of his reproductive cells) a drop of combined gametes in a safe lodging [the womb]“

[23:13]

The fertilized egg is called a zygote. About 30 hours later, this single cell starts to divide - into two, four, then eight cells, and so on. Meanwhile it travels down the fallopian tube and six days later, the resulting clump of cells burrows into the lining of the womb. Only about 75 per cent of all fertilized eggs get as far as this stage.

Week 2

At 12 days, the embryo is still just a clump of around a couple of thousand cells. The different parts of its body do not start to grow until after the first two weeks. Now completely embedded into the wall of the womb, some cells are starting to form the placenta, which will bring the mother’s blood vessels right alongside those of the baby. This phase is described in the verse above as leach-like, which is structurally and functionally typical to this phase: And then We have created out of the drop of gametes a leach-like lump. These cells begin to produce a hormone, which can be detected by a pregnancy test.

Week 3

Three weeks after fertilization, the different parts of the embryo start to form. Three layers of cells form, out of which all the different organs of the body will develop. Two folds grow along the length of the embryo - these roll up to make the neural tube which eventually becomes the brain and spinal cord. The placenta, the embryo’s life-support system, starts to work, delivering nourishment and taking waste products away.

Week 4

By four weeks, the embryo has head, tail, backbone and limb buds - which will eventually become arms and legs. This phase is described in the verse above as Mudghah (chewed-like lump of flesh), which is a morphological description typical to this phase: and then We create out of the leach- like lump a Mudghah. The beginnings of ears and eyes are also visible. Its heart is already beating, and the other organs are forming fast. An umbilical cord starts to grow between the embryo and the placenta. During this time, the embryo is especially sensitive to any drugs or infections capable of crossing the placenta from the mother.

Weeks 4 to 8

By the end of week 8 (the 10th week of pregnancy), all the different parts of the body are in place. Fingers and toes form - the embryo now has unique fingerprints. Its head is still very large compared to its body - almost half its length. The brain is growing at about 100,000 new brain cells every minute. All embryos look identical at seven weeks, before the sex-determining gene is switched on in males.

Weeks 9 to 12

From week 9 (the 11th week of pregnancy) the developing embryo is called a fetus. The size of its body catches up with the outsized head, making it look more human, although the legs are still slightly short. Protected by the amniotic fluid, the fetus can move around and flex its limbs. By 12 weeks, it can hear sounds, and its skin is sensitive to touch.

Weeks 13 to 16

The fetus grows very quickly during weeks 13 to 16 - doubling in size from 5 to 10 centimeters. The face starts to form, and by 14 weeks (the 16th week of pregnancy) the eyes can move. The eyelids stay closed until the final two months of pregnancy. Now that the internal organs are in their final positions, the bones begin to harden, although they remain flexible until after the baby has been born.

Weeks 17 to 20

By 20 weeks (the 22nd week of pregnancy), the mother can feel the fetus move. It has eyebrows and hair on its head. Its entire body is covered in fine, downy hair. A greasy substance called vernix protects the skin. The fetus practices swallowing and digesting fluid, and can even tell sweet tastes from bitter ones. An ultrasound scan may now reveal whether the fetus is a boy or a girl.

Weeks 21 to 25

During the second half of pregnancy, the fetus becomes increasingly aware of the world outside. It is startled by sudden noises, and is thought to be capable of feeling pain after 5-6 months. Rapid eye movements, associated with dreaming sleep in adults, begin at 21 weeks (the 23rd week of pregnancy). The fetus looks transparent, as it doesn’t yet have any fat under its skin.

Weeks 26 to 29

By 26 weeks (the 28th week of pregnancy), the lungs are ready to breathe air. The brain has developed enough to control breathing and body temperature to some extent. So from now on the fetus stands a good chance of surviving even if it’s born early. It has eyelashes and fingernails. It appears less wrinkled, as more and more fat is laid down under the skin.

Weeks 30 to 34

The baby’s skin is now pink and smooth, and its arms and legs are fatter. The eyes have opened, and by 30 weeks (the 32nd week of pregnancy) the pupils will dilate and contract in response to light. The mother may feel the baby hiccupping, after it has swallowed too much amniotic fluid. By 34 weeks, most babies have their heads downwards, ready for birth.

Weeks 35 to 38

The baby continues to put on weight, reaching an average of 3.4 kilograms by 38 weeks (the 40th week of pregnancy). It is outgrowing the womb, and starts the birth off by releasing hormones. The muscles of the mother’s womb start to contract, and labour begins. Most babies are born within ten days of their due date - but only 5 per cent actually arrive on the predicted day. This process of creation of the human being is stated in the following verses:

Allah (SW) said: “Verily We created man from a product of wet earth; Then placed him as a drop (of seed) in a safe lodging (womb); Then fashioned We the drop a clot, then fashioned We the clot a little lump, then fashioned We the little lump bones, then clothed the bones with flesh, and then produced it another creation. So blessed be Allah, the Best of Creators!“

[23:12-14]