Where did the Universe come from:
100 years ago, Albert Einstein published
three papers that rocked the world. These papers
proved the existence of the atom, introduced the
theory of relativity, and described quantum
mechanics.
His equations for relativity indicated that the universe
was expanding. This bothered him, because if it was
expanding, it must have had a beginning and a beginner.
Since neither of these appealed to him, Einstein introduced
a 'fudge factor' that ensured a 'steady state' universe,
one that had no beginning or end.
But in 1929, Edwin Hubble showed that the furthest
galaxies were fleeing away from each other, just as the
Big Bang model predicted. So in 1931, Einstein embraced
what would later be known as the Big Bang theory, saying,
"This is the most beautiful and satisfactory explanation
of creation to which I have ever listened." He referred
to the 'fudge factor' to achieve a steady-state universe
as the biggest blunder of his career.
Einstein's theories have been thoroughly proved and
verified by experiments and measurements. But there's
an even more important implication of Einstein's discovery.
Not only does the universe have a beginning, but time
itself, our own dimension of cause and effect, began
with the Big Bang.
That's right -- time itself does not exist before
then. The very line of time begins with that creation
event. Matter, energy, time and space were created
in an instant by an intelligence outside of space
and time.
About this intelligence, Albert Einstein wrote
in his book "The World As I See It" that the harmony
of natural law "Reveals an intelligence of such superiority
that, compared with it, all the systematic thinking and acting
of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection."*
He went on to write, "Everyone who is seriously
involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced
that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the Universe--
a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in
the face of which we with our modest powers must feel
humble."*
These are proven quotes. Nothing is permanent. Given the kind of constant evolution of human mind, things would keep changing. The progress in science and technology could neven transcend the boundaries of natural laws and that's where lies the very question of supernatural being. All kinds of isms have been propounded including Atheism but at the end of the day a human being has to toe the line of natural laws which and the spirit that makes it work in harmony.
The desire to conquer the mortality has been burning in human breast since time immemorial but law of the nature has thwarted it so far, though the longivity has been prolonged to an extent thanks to wonders in Medical Science.
At the end of day, you may however much scream that belief in something supernatural is nothing but superstition one cannot help but accept the fact that there is something that governs this universe which has made life possible.
OPEN LETTER TO PROGRESSIVE DAWOODI BOHRAS
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khurshid ali DK
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Fri Jan 15, 2010 4:27 am
Re: OPEN LETTER TO PROGRESSIVE DAWOODI BOHRAS
Actually the scientists haven't come up with a single piece of evidence that the quran is man made. At the end of the day, there are far far more people who didn't think the quran is the word of God and have now been convinced that it is the word of God, than the other way around. Which simply means that the scientists have failed miserably. Even today, far more people accept Islam and become muslims than those who accept science and become morons!!
Re: OPEN LETTER TO PROGRESSIVE DAWOODI BOHRAS
Al Zulfiqar,
I completely understand the point you are making & where you are coming from. When I first visited this website, I was (and still am) really impressed by the amount of information available and the progress made by the reformists in the exposing and limiting the abuse of kothar all over the world. I personally had long ago rejected the shallow and fraudulent supreme authority of Syedna and could see it for the money making racket it is. I have too much self-respect to let someone else think for me, make personal decisions on my behalf & become a obedient servant of some kind who never questions his master. Among other things, I cannot tolerate the idea of caste system or any sort of hierarchy that is based on race, gender, family or financial background. And this was bothering me from the time I reached the age of reason when I saw blatant discrimination and preference based on such superficial, non-relevant factors. Syedna touts himself as the 'bava' of the whole bohra community but demands no skin contact when his followers are hysterically pushing each other to do salaam to him. What type of father is he when he doesn't want to be even touched by his apparently own children?
Questions like these and many more have been raised by reformists way before they came into my mind. It was this intellectually honesty & courageous inquiry against blind faith & indoctrination on this website that made me raise the questions I did. As I had expected, I found a wide spectrum of opinions & worldviews, some of them being very interesting and thoroughly mind stimulating. I genuinely agree with you that this thread should end here (and will) as this topic is out of scope of the whole social reform movement. I am sure it has been a long, difficult and exhausting journey and I do not want in anyway to hamper or damage the credibility & reputation gained by the true progressive reformists here. So keep fighting the good fight and I will try to spread the word about the reform movement as much as I can.
Once again, thank you for time and posts...always enjoyed them & will continue to read. Hope to continue this debate in person someday over a cup of coffee:)
I completely understand the point you are making & where you are coming from. When I first visited this website, I was (and still am) really impressed by the amount of information available and the progress made by the reformists in the exposing and limiting the abuse of kothar all over the world. I personally had long ago rejected the shallow and fraudulent supreme authority of Syedna and could see it for the money making racket it is. I have too much self-respect to let someone else think for me, make personal decisions on my behalf & become a obedient servant of some kind who never questions his master. Among other things, I cannot tolerate the idea of caste system or any sort of hierarchy that is based on race, gender, family or financial background. And this was bothering me from the time I reached the age of reason when I saw blatant discrimination and preference based on such superficial, non-relevant factors. Syedna touts himself as the 'bava' of the whole bohra community but demands no skin contact when his followers are hysterically pushing each other to do salaam to him. What type of father is he when he doesn't want to be even touched by his apparently own children?
Questions like these and many more have been raised by reformists way before they came into my mind. It was this intellectually honesty & courageous inquiry against blind faith & indoctrination on this website that made me raise the questions I did. As I had expected, I found a wide spectrum of opinions & worldviews, some of them being very interesting and thoroughly mind stimulating. I genuinely agree with you that this thread should end here (and will) as this topic is out of scope of the whole social reform movement. I am sure it has been a long, difficult and exhausting journey and I do not want in anyway to hamper or damage the credibility & reputation gained by the true progressive reformists here. So keep fighting the good fight and I will try to spread the word about the reform movement as much as I can.
Once again, thank you for time and posts...always enjoyed them & will continue to read. Hope to continue this debate in person someday over a cup of coffee:)
-
Al Zulfiqar
- Posts: 4618
- Joined: Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:01 am
Re: OPEN LETTER TO PROGRESSIVE DAWOODI BOHRAS
mustansir,
this site has been a source of great benefit for me. benefits in terms of learning about islam and our deen, informative in terms of knowing about our past history and the background behind many of the evils being perpetrated against us, and pleasurable to realise that there are kindred souls out there who feel the same way i do.
it has also been a very humbling experience when i have met the likes of far more intelligent people than myself, like porus, humsafar, kaleem, biradar, accty, arif, omabharati, like minded, and many others, too many to mention, each of whom has made sterling contributions here. bhai saifuddin insaf's personal sacrifices for the reformist cause and his knowledge of our history which he conveys here in the simplest and most humble manner are a constant and living reminder of the struggles which people have faced, god-fearing people who want justice and social reform, who want to have their legitimate rights recognised.
coffee? yes, of course! but what would be even more satisfying would be for me and my wife to open our abode and share our food, which anyone from here is most welcome to anytime, irrespective of their beliefs. just send me a pm.
this site has been a source of great benefit for me. benefits in terms of learning about islam and our deen, informative in terms of knowing about our past history and the background behind many of the evils being perpetrated against us, and pleasurable to realise that there are kindred souls out there who feel the same way i do.
it has also been a very humbling experience when i have met the likes of far more intelligent people than myself, like porus, humsafar, kaleem, biradar, accty, arif, omabharati, like minded, and many others, too many to mention, each of whom has made sterling contributions here. bhai saifuddin insaf's personal sacrifices for the reformist cause and his knowledge of our history which he conveys here in the simplest and most humble manner are a constant and living reminder of the struggles which people have faced, god-fearing people who want justice and social reform, who want to have their legitimate rights recognised.
coffee? yes, of course! but what would be even more satisfying would be for me and my wife to open our abode and share our food, which anyone from here is most welcome to anytime, irrespective of their beliefs. just send me a pm.
-
ghulam muhammed
- Posts: 11653
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:34 pm
Re: OPEN LETTER TO PROGRESSIVE DAWOODI BOHRAS
Bro Mustansir and some others have raised a question about the Quran being the word of Allah and also tried to prove otherwise by arguing in a somewhat scientific manner. Although there are scores of people who believe the Quran as being the revelation from Allah and there are others who refute the claim. This, as can be seen would result in a long debate. I quote below the statements of some renowned scientists accross the globe who have ultimately concluded that Quran is in fact definately the word of Allah and Rasul Allah (s.a.w.) is His Messenger:-
1) Dr. T. V. N. Persaud is Professor of Anatomy, Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health, and Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
When he was asked about the scientific miracles in the Quran which he has researched, he stated the following:
“The way it was explained to me is that Muhammad was a very ordinary man. He could not read, didn’t know how to write. In fact, he was an illiterate. And we’re talking about twelve [actually about fourteen] hundred years ago. You have someone illiterate making profound pronouncements and statements and that are amazingly accurate about scientific nature. And I personally can’t see how this could be a mere chance. There are too many accuracies and, like Dr. Moore, I have no difficulty in my mind that this is a divine inspiration or revelation which led him to these statements.”
2) Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson is the Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Professor of Molecular and Human Genetics at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Professor Simpson studied the following two sayings of the Prophet Muhammad :
{In every one of you, all components of your creation are collected together in your mother’s womb by forty days...}
{If forty-two nights have passed over the embryo, God sends an angel to it, who shapes it and creates its hearing, vision, skin, flesh, and bones....}
He studied these two sayings of the Prophet Muhammad extensively, noting that the first forty days constitute a clearly distinguishable stage of embryo-genesis. He was particularly impressed by the absolute precision and accuracy of those sayings of the Prophet Muhammad . Then, during one conference, he gave the following opinion:
“So that the two hadeeths (the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad ) that have been noted provide us with a specific time table for the main embryological development before forty days. Again, the point has been made, I think, repeatedly by other speakers this morning: these hadeeths could not have been obtained on the basis of the scientific knowledge that was available [at] the time of their writing . . . . It follows, I think, that not only there is no conflict between genetics and religion but, in fact, religion can guide science by adding revelation to some of the traditional scientific approaches, that there exist statements in the Quran shown centuries later to be valid, which support knowledge in the Quran having been derived from God.”
3) Dr. E. Marshall Johnson is Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Conference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Professor Johnson said in the presentation of his research paper:
“Summary: The Quran describes not only the development of external form, but emphasizes also the internal stages, the stages inside the embryo, of its creation and development, emphasizing major events recognized by contemporary science.” Also he said: “As a scientist, I can only deal with things which I can specifically see. I can understand embryology and developmental biology. I can understand the words that are translated to me from the Quran. As I gave the example before, if I were to transpose myself into that era, knowing what I knew today and describing things, I could not describe the things which were described. I see no evidence for the fact to refute the concept that this individual, Muhammad, had to be developing this information from some place. So I see nothing here in conflict with the concept that divine intervention was involved in what he was able to write.”
5) Dr. Gerald C. Goeringer is Course Director and Associate Professor of Medical Embryology at the Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
“In a relatively few aayahs (Quranic verses) is contained a rather comprehensive description of human development from the time of commingling of the gametes through organogenesis. No such distinct and complete record of human development, such as classification, terminology, and description, existed previously. In most, if not all, instances, this description antedates by many centuries the recording of the various stages of human embryonic and fetal development recorded in the traditional scientific literature.”
6) Dr. Yoshihide Kozai is Professor Emeritus at Tokyo University, Hongo, Tokyo, Japan, and was the Director of the National Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan. He said:
“I am very much impressed by finding true astronomical facts in the Quran, and for us the modern astronomers have been studying very small pieces of the universe. We’ve concentrated our efforts for understanding of a very small part. Because by using telescopes, we can see only very few parts of the sky without thinking about the whole universe. So, by reading the Quran and by answering to the questions, I think I can find my future way for investigation of the universe.”
7) Professor Tejatat Tejasen is the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
“During the last three years, I became interested in the Quran . . . . From my study and what I have learned from this conference, I believe that everything that has been recorded in the Quran fourteen hundred years ago must be the truth, that can be proved by the scientific means. Since the Prophet Muhammad could neither read nor write, Muhammad must be a messenger who relayed this truth, which was revealed to him as an enlightenment by the one who is eligible as the creator. This creator must be God. Therefore, I think this is the time to say La ilaha illa Allah, there is no god to worship except Allah (God), Muhammadur rasoolu Allah, Muhammad is Messenger (Prophet) of Allah (God). Lastly, I must congratulate for the excellent and highly successful arrangement for this conference . . . . I have gained not only from the scientific point of view and religious point of view but also the great chance of meeting many well-known scientists and making many new friends among the participants. The most precious thing of all that I have gained by coming to this place is La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah, and to have become a Muslim.”
After all these examples we have seen about the scientific miracles in the Holy Quran and all these scientists’ comments on this, let us ask ourselves these questions:
Could it be a coincidence that all this recently discovered scientific information from different fields was mentioned in the Quran, which was revealed fourteen centuries ago?
Could this Quran have been authored by Muhammad or by any other human being?
The only possible answer is that this Quran must be the literal word of God, revealed by Him.
1) Dr. T. V. N. Persaud is Professor of Anatomy, Professor of Pediatrics and Child Health, and Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
When he was asked about the scientific miracles in the Quran which he has researched, he stated the following:
“The way it was explained to me is that Muhammad was a very ordinary man. He could not read, didn’t know how to write. In fact, he was an illiterate. And we’re talking about twelve [actually about fourteen] hundred years ago. You have someone illiterate making profound pronouncements and statements and that are amazingly accurate about scientific nature. And I personally can’t see how this could be a mere chance. There are too many accuracies and, like Dr. Moore, I have no difficulty in my mind that this is a divine inspiration or revelation which led him to these statements.”
2) Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson is the Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Professor of Molecular and Human Genetics at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Professor Simpson studied the following two sayings of the Prophet Muhammad :
{In every one of you, all components of your creation are collected together in your mother’s womb by forty days...}
{If forty-two nights have passed over the embryo, God sends an angel to it, who shapes it and creates its hearing, vision, skin, flesh, and bones....}
He studied these two sayings of the Prophet Muhammad extensively, noting that the first forty days constitute a clearly distinguishable stage of embryo-genesis. He was particularly impressed by the absolute precision and accuracy of those sayings of the Prophet Muhammad . Then, during one conference, he gave the following opinion:
“So that the two hadeeths (the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad ) that have been noted provide us with a specific time table for the main embryological development before forty days. Again, the point has been made, I think, repeatedly by other speakers this morning: these hadeeths could not have been obtained on the basis of the scientific knowledge that was available [at] the time of their writing . . . . It follows, I think, that not only there is no conflict between genetics and religion but, in fact, religion can guide science by adding revelation to some of the traditional scientific approaches, that there exist statements in the Quran shown centuries later to be valid, which support knowledge in the Quran having been derived from God.”
3) Dr. E. Marshall Johnson is Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Conference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Professor Johnson said in the presentation of his research paper:
“Summary: The Quran describes not only the development of external form, but emphasizes also the internal stages, the stages inside the embryo, of its creation and development, emphasizing major events recognized by contemporary science.” Also he said: “As a scientist, I can only deal with things which I can specifically see. I can understand embryology and developmental biology. I can understand the words that are translated to me from the Quran. As I gave the example before, if I were to transpose myself into that era, knowing what I knew today and describing things, I could not describe the things which were described. I see no evidence for the fact to refute the concept that this individual, Muhammad, had to be developing this information from some place. So I see nothing here in conflict with the concept that divine intervention was involved in what he was able to write.”
5) Dr. Gerald C. Goeringer is Course Director and Associate Professor of Medical Embryology at the Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.
“In a relatively few aayahs (Quranic verses) is contained a rather comprehensive description of human development from the time of commingling of the gametes through organogenesis. No such distinct and complete record of human development, such as classification, terminology, and description, existed previously. In most, if not all, instances, this description antedates by many centuries the recording of the various stages of human embryonic and fetal development recorded in the traditional scientific literature.”
6) Dr. Yoshihide Kozai is Professor Emeritus at Tokyo University, Hongo, Tokyo, Japan, and was the Director of the National Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan. He said:
“I am very much impressed by finding true astronomical facts in the Quran, and for us the modern astronomers have been studying very small pieces of the universe. We’ve concentrated our efforts for understanding of a very small part. Because by using telescopes, we can see only very few parts of the sky without thinking about the whole universe. So, by reading the Quran and by answering to the questions, I think I can find my future way for investigation of the universe.”
7) Professor Tejatat Tejasen is the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
“During the last three years, I became interested in the Quran . . . . From my study and what I have learned from this conference, I believe that everything that has been recorded in the Quran fourteen hundred years ago must be the truth, that can be proved by the scientific means. Since the Prophet Muhammad could neither read nor write, Muhammad must be a messenger who relayed this truth, which was revealed to him as an enlightenment by the one who is eligible as the creator. This creator must be God. Therefore, I think this is the time to say La ilaha illa Allah, there is no god to worship except Allah (God), Muhammadur rasoolu Allah, Muhammad is Messenger (Prophet) of Allah (God). Lastly, I must congratulate for the excellent and highly successful arrangement for this conference . . . . I have gained not only from the scientific point of view and religious point of view but also the great chance of meeting many well-known scientists and making many new friends among the participants. The most precious thing of all that I have gained by coming to this place is La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah, and to have become a Muslim.”
After all these examples we have seen about the scientific miracles in the Holy Quran and all these scientists’ comments on this, let us ask ourselves these questions:
Could it be a coincidence that all this recently discovered scientific information from different fields was mentioned in the Quran, which was revealed fourteen centuries ago?
Could this Quran have been authored by Muhammad or by any other human being?
The only possible answer is that this Quran must be the literal word of God, revealed by Him.
Re: OPEN LETTER TO PROGRESSIVE DAWOODI BOHRAS
Ghulam Muhammed,Mustansir,
If for argument sake I accept your above point , how do you explain the incredible mathematics in quran , the science which explains earth's gravitational force, the birth of a human being , the moon's orbit to name a few ?
Do you reckon a tribalistic human being can discover these and ask some one else to write it...like ghostwriting !
I asked Mustansir( who claimed Quran to be written by a tribalistic human being ) earlier in this thread to explain the above , but I am yet to see a reply from him.
Re: OPEN LETTER TO PROGRESSIVE DAWOODI BOHRAS
I think the long post of GM is answered by Mustanshir in his erlier post many times in plain English. how come the people scholar in English who argues for a divine book written in alien language does not understand written in simple English and raise the same arguments again and again!!
By the way dear GM what you have mentioned in your post, all scientist seems to be non Muslims, how many are converted to Islam after discovering that the book is divine!!
How scientist cheat the gullible people is described here http://robertpriddy.wordpress.com/2009/ ... -sai-baba/
By the way dear GM what you have mentioned in your post, all scientist seems to be non Muslims, how many are converted to Islam after discovering that the book is divine!!
How scientist cheat the gullible people is described here http://robertpriddy.wordpress.com/2009/ ... -sai-baba/