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PART B - Pattern of Manifestation of Divine Realities
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I - How Heavenly Realities are Reflected in Science
As we stated in the introduction, the heavenly realities manifest themselves in the material life according to a particular pattern. This pattern of manifestation is what scientists call the fundamental laws of nature. In order to interpret these laws, we need to have some knowledge of the heavenly realities. There exist three ways through which mankind may know about these realities:
- Through the Words of God
- Through the sayings and the messages of His messengers
- Through the actions of His messengers
In fact, God has infinite ways of informing us about His heavenly principles. One may cite for instance heavenly inspirations, spiritual guidance from the saints and divine miracles. However, all these infinite ways are coming from one of the three ways mentioned above.
Let us look at an application of a heavenly principle being reflected in the material world through a fundamental law of nature.
The Blue Sky of the Earth: An Example of a Heavenly Principle Being Reflected on Earth
In the introduction we listed a series of simple questions that may be answered through a correct application of the principle of eternity. One of such a question is “Why is the sky blue?” According to the principle of eternity, the blueness of the sky must be the scientific manifestation of a heavenly principle or spiritual reality.
Moreover, we know that there exist three ways through which we are able to know about the heavenly principles: through God’s Speech, through the sayings of His prophets or through their actions. Let us therefore analyze one of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). In of his most famous traditions called hadith qudsi, he relates the following saying of God:
“My Mercy has overcome My Anger”
Hadith Qudsi
This statement means that God’s Mercy encompasses His Severity or Majesty. Consequently, His signs must reflect this Mercy. In Islamic spirituality, the sun is the symbol of God’s Divine Presence; the blue hue is the color of spirituality and mercy (called rahma in Arabic) and the red hue represents the divine Attribute of Majesty. Therefore, the reality of the statement “My Mercy has overcome My Anger” is metaphorically appearing in this world as the sun (representing God) that is constantly sending more blue rays (Mercy) than red rays (Majesty) on the earth (representing creation).
From a scientific viewpoint, we know that the sun’s light is made up of all colors, from red to blue. However, when this light hits the earth, the blue rays scatter a lot more than the red ones, to the extent that the red hue is overwhelmed by the blue hue. Consequently, more blue rays hit the earth than red rays. These blue rays are then reflected back in the sky, forming the beautiful ceiling that we observe in daylight. We see from this example how the scientific laws are forced to somehow “obey” the heavenly principle of divine mercy overcoming divine anger.
It is worth noting that the sun’s red rays also hit the earth. However, they are “lost” in the myriad of blue rays. The sun will always send a majority of blue rays on earth because the heavenly principles are timeless in nature and the pattern of manifestation eternal. This is what is referred to as principle of eternity.
It is also worth noting that the link between the sun (the symbol of God) and earth (the symbol of creation) is the sun’s light which is the symbol of all prophets and particularly that of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as it is explained in the verses of the Holy Quran that were mentioned earlier.
II - The Principle of Eternity and Einstein’s Discoveries
Einstein’s special theory of relativity is one of the most important scientific discoveries of modern times. This theory states that the speed of light is the same for all inertial reference frames. This statement lead to his famous mass-energy formula (E = mc2) as well as to miraculous scientific phenomena such as time dilation and length contraction, which are both discussed in this book.
When Einstein discovered his special theory in 1913, he instantly knew that he had found something revolutionary and particular. In fact, it was so revolutionary that he was himself very skeptical about its implications.
He wrote:
“When the Special Theory of Relativity began to germinate in me,
I was visited by all sorts of nervous conflicts…
I used to go away for weeks in a state of confusion.”
Einstein spent the last years of his life trying to find a logical and rational explanation to the implications of his newly found theory. Indeed, the enormous power of Einstein’s discovery cannot be downsized to a simple scientific interpretation that is subject to this universe’s created laws.
Einstein’s law of relativity is perhaps the most important law of the material world. But it is not the most important law of the heavenly realm. In fact, it is an incomplete scientific representation of the spiritual knowledge that is contained in the heavenly principles. The key is to establish a connection between these principles and the physical ones in order to better understand the world and its meaning.
The spiritual incompleteness of the special theory is the reason why Einstein had so much trouble with its scientific implication. Einstein restrained his special theory to relativity and did not consider the concept of the Absolute. It is precisely why he found himself in conflict with his discovery’s implications, for to really understand the fundamental laws of nature, one must first consider the fundamental laws of spirituality.
The principle of eternity is based on the following approach: first, one has to consider the eternal absolute Truth that is contained in the spiritual and heavenly realities. Then one needs to analyze the physical world in a methodical, scientific and investigative way. The fundamental laws of nature are the key to a better understanding of the heavenly world only if we interpret them within the notion of the Absolute.
In the Holy Name of God, the All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful,
With peace and blessings upon His Prophet Muhammad SAW
upon his holy family, and upon his blessed Companions.
THE PRINCIPLE OF ETERNITY
Bridging the Gap between Spirituality and Science
