[Al-Quran 50:6-8] Have they not looked at the heaven above them - how We structured it and adorned it and how it has no rifts? And the earth - We spread it out and cast therein firmly set mountains and made grow therein [something] of every beautiful kind, Giving insight and a reminder for every servant who turns [to Allah].

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

The Observer & The Existence of Reality

 قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

Say, "He (is) Allah, the One.
Allah, the Eternal, the Absolute.
Not He begets and not He is begotten.
And not is for Him equivalent any [one]."
[Al-Quran 112]


... Our Lord (is) the One Who gave (to) every thing its form, then He guided (it). [Al-Quran 20:50]
And of His signs is that the heaven and earth remain by His command... [Al-Quran 30:25]
... Allah eliminates falsehood and establishes truth with His Words... [Al-Quran 42:24]


Abstract 
Scientists are realising that there must be an All-Seeing Observer constantly observing for matter to behave like a particle. One of the names of Allah is Al-Baseer, the All-Seeing. Another name of Allah is Al-Haseeb. It is Allah who upholds the skies and the earth, and that no one other than Him can uphold it. The most important point is that Allah is the only Ilah, the only one who is worthy of worship. He is also constantly watching everything that everyone of His creations is doing.


Full Text 

أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا إِلَى الطَّيْرِ فَوْقَهُمْ صَافَّاتٍ وَيَقْبِضْنَ مَا يُمْسِكُهُنَّ إِلَّا الرَّحْمَٰنُ إِنَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ بَصِيرٌ

Do not they see [to] the birds above them spreading (their wings) and folding? Not holds them except the Most Gracious. Indeed, He (is) of every thing All-Seer.
[Al-Quran 67:19]

Surah Al-Mulk (The Kingdom) ayaat: 3,4 & 23 draw attention to our ability to see / observe {root: bā ṣād rā (ب ص ر)}. Q67:3-4 challenge us to find any flaw in the creation of Allah. Q67:23 lists our ability to see / observe as one of the three special abilities which should evoke gratitude in us. Alas, we give little thanks! 

Quantum physics postulates that matter behaves as both a wave and a particle. Some scientists are realising that there must be an All-Seeing Observer constantly observing for matter to behave like a particle. One of the names of Allah is Al-Baseer, the All-Seeing. However, quantum physics imagines the All-Seeing External Observer as passive, while from The Quran, we know that Allah is actively involved and busy (Q55:30), being not only Al-Qadeer (able to do all things), but also Al-Muqtadar (the One who does all things). Allah is actively involved in the management of His Kingdom, which has been created by Him. He has created non-living and living states to test who is the best in deeds. This leads to another function of the Observer: measurement and its record. Another name of Allah is Al-Haseeb:  


وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّوا بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَا أَوْ رُدُّوهَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ حَسِيبًا

And when you are greeted with a greeting, then greet with better than it or return it. Indeed, Allah is of every thing an Accountant.
[Al-Quran 4:86]


وَعِندَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا إِلَّا هُوَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْأَرْضِ وَلَا رَطْبٍ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ

وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَتَوَفَّاكُم بِاللَّيْلِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا جَرَحْتُم بِالنَّهَارِ ثُمَّ يَبْعَثُكُمْ فِيهِ لِيُقْضَىٰ أَجَلٌ مُّسَمًّى ثُمَّ إِلَيْهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

وَهُوَ الْقَاهِرُ فَوْقَ عِبَادِهِ وَيُرْسِلُ عَلَيْكُمْ حَفَظَةً حَتَّىٰ إِذَا جَاءَ أَحَدَكُمُ الْمَوْتُ تَوَفَّتْهُ رُسُلُنَا وَهُمْ لَا يُفَرِّطُونَ

ثُمَّ رُدُّوا إِلَى اللَّهِ مَوْلَاهُمُ الْحَقِّ أَلَا لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَهُوَ أَسْرَعُ الْحَاسِبِينَ

And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darknesses of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record.
And it is He who takes your souls by night and knows what you have committed by day. Then He revives you therein that a specified term may be fulfilled. Then to Him will be your return; then He will inform you about what you used to do.
And He is the subjugator over His servants, and He sends over you guardian-angels until, when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him, and they do not fail [in their duties].
Then they His servants are returned to Allah , their true Lord. Unquestionably, His is the judgement, and He is the swiftest of accountants.
[Al-Quran 6:59-62]


Surah Fatir begins with the statement that Allah is The Separator of the skies and earth. Ayat 19 mentions Al-Baseer, contrasting it with the blind. The next ayat contrasts the darknesses with An-Noor. As discussed in another post, if anyone had gamma vision, nothing would be hidden from them. Allah describes Himself in Q24:35 as the Noor of the skies and earth.

Later on in Surah Fatir, we read:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُمْسِكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ أَن تَزُولَا وَلَئِن زَالَتَا إِنْ أَمْسَكَهُمَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِّن بَعْدِهِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا

Indeed, Allah upholds the heavens and the earth, lest they cease. And if they should cease, not can uphold them any one after Him. Indeed, He is Most Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving. 
[Al-Quran 35:41]

If reality exists due to the observation of the observer, then if the observer ceases to observe, reality should collapse. In the above ayat, attention is drawn to the fact that it is Allah who upholds the skies and the earth, and that no one other than Him can uphold it. Also, attention is drawn to Allah being the Most Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving, which is why Surah Fatir concludes with the statement that:

وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ بِمَا كَسَبُوا مَا تَرَكَ عَلَىٰ ظَهْرِهَا مِن دَابَّةٍ وَلَٰكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِ بَصِيرًا

And if Allah (were to) punish the people for what they have earned, not He would leave on its back any creature. But He gives them till a term appointed. And when comes their term, then indeed, Allah is of His slaves All-Seer.
[Al-Quran 35:45]


This Observer is able to do all things, for example, instantaneous transportation:

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ

Exalted (is) the One Who took His servant (by) night from Al-Masjid Al-Haraam, to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa which We blessed its surroundings, that We may show of Our Signs. Indeed He, He (is) the All-Hearer, the All-Seer
[Al-Quran 17:1]

The above ayat begins with the declaration that Allah is free from all imperfections. So, He could and did indeed transport His servant in reality, and not in illusion. In this ayat, we are again being introduced to Allah's All-Seeing and All-Hearing attributes. The Quran informs us that when Allah wills to do anything, He simply says His Command, and it gets done.

Allah, the Best of All Creators, has given everything its form and guidance:

قَالَ رَبُّنَا الَّذِي أَعْطَىٰ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلْقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَىٰ

He said, "Our Lord (is) the One Who gave (to) every thing its form, then He guided (it)."
 [Al-Quran 20:50

Scientists are debating about consciousness and the existence of reality as dependant upon the observer. If reality is relatively constant regardless of whether we are looking at it or not looking, then there must be the external observer who is the cause of creation and the sustained existence of reality. Also, there must be only one such external observer, otherwise there may have eventually arisen conflicts and power struggles between the observers, such that each would have taken his creation away:

قُل لَّوْ كَانَ مَعَهُ آلِهَةٌ كَمَا يَقُولُونَ إِذًا لَّابْتَغَوْا إِلَىٰ ذِي الْعَرْشِ سَبِيلًا

Say, [O Muhammad], "If there had been with Him [other] gods, as they say, then they [each] would have sought to the Owner of the Throne a way."
[Al-Quran 17:42; Translation: Sahih International]


لَوْ كَانَ فِيهِمَا آلِهَةٌ إِلَّا اللَّهُ لَفَسَدَتَا فَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَرْشِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ

Had there been within the heavens and earth gods besides Allah , they both would have been ruined. So exalted is Allah , Lord of the Throne, above what they describe.
[Al-Quran 21:22; Translation: Sahih International]

Allah, established on His Throne, is constantly observing all creation, and what they are observing as well:

لَّا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الْأَبْصَارَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ

(Can) not grasp Him the visions but He (can) grasp (all) the vision, and He (is) the All-Subtle, the All-Aware.
[Al-Quran 6:103]


The most important point is that Allah is the only Ilah, the only one who is worthy of worship. This not only refutes atheism, all forms of polytheism and dualism, but also monotheist beliefs in anyone other than Allah, be it the god-self, or the Pharaoh, or Nimrod, or anyone other than Allah.

As defined in Surah Yusuf:


مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءً سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُم مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

You worship not besides Him except [mere] names you have named them, you and your fathers, for which Allah has sent down no authority. Legislation is not but for Allah . He has commanded that you worship not except Him. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know.
[Al-Quran 12:40; Translation: Sahih International]


Allah has promised the final reckoning on The Day of Judgement. The very fact that the Sky and Earth stand according to Allah's command is from His Signs:  

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَن تَقُومَ السَّمَاءُ وَالْأَرْضُ بِأَمْرِهِ ثُمَّ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ دَعْوَةً مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ إِذَا أَنتُمْ تَخْرُجُونَ

وَلَهُ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ كُلٌّ لَّهُ قَانِتُونَ

وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيْهِ وَلَهُ الْمَثَلُ الْأَعْلَىٰ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

And of His signs is that the heaven and earth remain by His command. Then when He calls you with a [single] call from the earth, immediately you will come forth.
And to Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and earth. All are to Him devoutly obedient.
And it is He who begins creation; then He repeats it, and that is [even] easier for Him. To Him belongs the highest attribute in the heavens and earth. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
[Al-Quran 30:25-27; Translation: Sahih International]

After presenting examples from our own experience, ayat 30 of Surah ar-Rum defines the religion (universal standing law of recompense) as: 

فَأَقِمْ وَجْهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفًا فِطْرَتَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي فَطَرَ النَّاسَ عَلَيْهَا لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِخَلْقِ اللَّهِ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُون

مُنِيبِينَ إِلَيْهِ وَاتَّقُوهُ وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَلَا تَكُونُوا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

مِنَ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا كُلُّ حِزْبٍ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ فَرِحُونَ

So direct your face toward the religion, inclining to truth. [Adhere to] the separation of Allah upon which He has separated [all] people. No change should there be in the creation of Allah. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know.
[Adhere to it], turning in repentance to Him, and fear Him and establish prayer and do not be of those who associate others with Allah
[Or] of those who have divided their religion and become sects, every faction rejoicing in what it has.
[Al-Quran 30:30-32; Translation: Sahih International; edited in italics for clarity; typo removed]


The word ad-Deen (الدِّينُ) is generally translated as the religion, and so we tend to think of it as different for each religious group. The Quran negates that concept and informs us that the deen, that is, the standing universal laws of recompense are the same, preached by all prophets and messengers of Allah:

شَرَعَ لَكُم مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا وَصَّىٰ بِهِ نُوحًا وَالَّذِي أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ وَمَا وَصَّيْنَا بِهِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ أَنْ أَقِيمُوا الدِّينَ وَلَا تَتَفَرَّقُوا فِيهِ كَبُرَ عَلَى الْمُشْرِكِينَ مَا تَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَيْهِ اللَّهُ يَجْتَبِي إِلَيْهِ مَن يَشَاءُ وَيَهْدِي إِلَيْهِ مَن يُنِيبُ

He has ordained for you of the religion what He enjoined upon Nuh, and that which We have revealed to you, and what We enjoined upon Ibrahim and Musa and Isa. To establish the religion and not be divided therein. Is difficult on the polytheists what you call them to it. Allah chooses for Himself whom He wills, and guides to Himself whoever turns.
[Al-Quran 42:13]

Allah is not only maintaining the skies and earth through constant observation, He is also constantly watching everything that everyone of His creations is doing. He allows the exercise of free-will, but when the corruption of the criminals exceeds certain bounds, He does visit the criminals with annihilation. Many mighty civilisations have indeed passed away! Our promised time is The Hour (السَّاعَةُ). Meanwhile:


إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَبِالْمِرْصَادِ

Indeed, your Lord (is) surely Ever Watchful.
[Al-Quran 89:14]


Allah, Al-Khaliq, Al-Baseer, Al-Haseeb, has everything written down precisely. Many calendar systems exist within the world religions, and some religious leaders make calculations and adjustments or even changes in it.  The first of the three standing laws of recompense defined in The Quran is:

إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِندَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَقَاتِلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ كَافَّةً كَمَا يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ كَافَّةً وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ

إِنَّمَا النَّسِيءُ زِيَادَةٌ فِي الْكُفْرِ يُضَلُّ بِهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُحِلُّونَهُ عَامًا وَيُحَرِّمُونَهُ عَامًا لِّيُوَاطِئُوا عِدَّةَ مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ فَيُحِلُّوا مَا حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ زُيِّنَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ أَعْمَالِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ


Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong your nafs during them. And fight against the disbelievers collectively as they fight against you collectively. And know that Allah is with the righteous [who fear Him].
Indeed, the postponing [of restriction within sacred months] is an increase in disbelief by which those who have disbelieved are led [further] astray. They make it lawful one year and unlawful another year to correspond to the number made unlawful by Allah and [thus] make lawful what Allah has made unlawful. Made pleasing to them is the evil of their deeds; and Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.
[Al-Quran 9:36-37; Translation: Sahih International; edited in italics for clarity]







Last updated on: May 7, 2020

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