Space and Time

In the following article we can see how ALI, the master of the universe, has hinted towards the concept of space-time as presented in general relativity.

"He(Allah) has fixed for everything a measure, for every measure a time limit, and for every time limit a document"(Nahjul Balagha, sermon 183)

He has fixed for everything a 'measure' - by measure we mean quantity, we depend on three fundamental dimensions for measuring physical quantities, those are Mass, Length and Time. The dimension of all other physical quantities can be expressed in terms of these fundamental dimensions. Mass is the fundamental property of Matter, Length is the fundamental property of space(since matter without space does not have any length, width or height; but it has mass) So, now by 'measure of every 'thing'' we mean 'measure of every matter', mass being property of matter leaves us with the conclusion that by 'measure' here we mean: spatial dimensions i.e. 3 dimensions of space'.

Therefore when Imam Ali says that 'He has fixed for everything a measure', it means that Allah has fixed for everything(i.e. mass-possessing matter) a measure(i.e. Length or dimensions of space).

Then he says that 'for every measure theres a time limit'; which applies that the length or dimensions of space are dependent on time and time is an integral part of these dimensions, hinting towards the concept of space-time and time being the fourth dimension of space.

He further says that for every time limit there is a document, here, by document is meant documentation/record of time/event as in its being fixed and predestined, which hints towards the idea of world-line for every event that occurs in the universe i.e. every event has its unique space-time coordinates.

Below, we have the other translation of the same arabic text, this one is by Askari Jafari and I prefer this one:

"He destined for everything in nature values, dimensions and properties and for each value, dimension and property He fixed a span of time and each of these span of time is predestined and fixed".

The change in translation can be seen due to vast variety of applicable meanings to the original arabic text. Since in arabic, the word used for 'measure' is 'qadr' which means value, quantity, measure, property and so on - so one really cant chose a single word in its place.

Concept of limits in space and time can be found in other sermons too, in sermon 91 Imam Ali says:

'He has destined certain limitations and circumscriptions and alloted a certain place and confines in time to everything which He has created'

In the first sermon we have, 'Allah, the Almighty destined things to be dissolved into time'

Also, 'He(Allah) surpasses the beginning of time and space. He is far beyond such numbers and figures and spaces and dimensions as the men of knowledge have discovered'(sermon 163)

'He is the Lord, Whom one thing cannot stop from another; in Whom time cannot do any change, Whom space cannot surround or encompass, and Whom no one can understand and praise'(sermon 178)

Praise be to Allah

Interpretive Cortex

Heres a paragraph from sermon 204 of Nahjul Balagha, its wonderful how Imam Ali(AS) has explained in a few words what science discovered 1300 years later. The Holy Imam said that when Allah so wills even your brain will give out what you have said and done all through your life, that is , all of your experiences. This and several other modern theories in the field of science about which he has hinted as passing remarks bear testimony to the Divine knowledge of the Holy Imam.

This capacity of human brain is named 'Interpretive Cortex'. Wilder Penfield, famous neuro-surgeon offered evidence to the National Academy of Sciences that 'Parts of the brain work like an audio-video tape recorder, preserving the minutest details of everything that a man sees and hears. He says that this area of preservation of experience is in both temporal lobes. Islam has given the name of Kiraman Katibeen to the two honorable angels, one on each shoulder of a man to record his good and bad deeds.

Imam Ali says towards the end of the sermon:

'He knows everything that you do and every thought that passes your mind. He is Omniscient. Even your mind and your limbs will bear testimony before Him to your thoughts and actions. Parts of your body are soldiers of His army, your conscience and your mind are His spies against you. Your private life is fully known to Him'

[taken from Nahjul Balagha(Askari Jafari's translation)]

Bits of Genetic Science in Nahjul Balagha

[The following quotes have been taken from Nahjul Balagha(sermon 234) and here is what I think of them]

When some people asked Imam Ali a.s. for the causes of differences or similarities in human features, habits and disposition, He a.s. replied:

"In the very origin of human body lies the causes of these differences or similarities in dispositions and features. It is like the quality of soil in which trees take root".


This statement is not ordinary although 1400 years ago it was. As we ponder on the statement we will see that this statement confirms what modern genetics says about the differences of our features. According to modern genetics, physical traits are a part of genetic information we inherit from our ancestors and this information is stored in our genes inside the DNA - which is the main constituent and 'origin' of our body. Other personality traits such as aggressiveness, intelligence, shyness,etc. are also part of our inheritance as a result of the combination of the genes which we receive from our parents.

He a.s says: "Those who are offshoots of similar dispositions and physical characteristics bear similarity in features and habits".

Although, environment plays a great role in who we are and what we are, yet initially we receive these tendencies from our genes. And I believe that in the long-run, the effects of environment are also printed on the DNA and thus, the causes of our personality traits lie in the basic source of our physical existence which is called the 'DNA'.

Now, DNA comprises mainly of sugars, phosphates and nitrogenous bases which means hydrogen, carbon, phosphorus, nitrogen and oxygen are the crucial elements required to form DNA. All of these elements are also found in soil. The structural formation and minute differences in the order and presence of these chemicals inside the DNA is responsible for the differences in our physical traits, as well as other characteristics. This is the point Imam Ali a.s has explained through the example of soil, he says that it is the quality of soil which determines what grows in it.

He says:
"There is a saline soil, then there is the most fertile soil, there is the hard and rugged land and sandy regions and also very soft soil".

We know that all kinds of fruits and plants may not be grown in just one type of sand. Depending upon the differences in the constituents of soil, a soil is able or unable to produce a certain type of plant. Similar is the case with DNA, but its just a more complex process.

Just like it can be found out from which region a certain sample of soil belongs, it can also be found out from which region of the world someone's DNA belong.

In a DNA, information regarding the person is encoded in the form of a specific sequence of chemical bases, depending upon very minute differences in these sequences, a person has a distinguished set of characteristics from other people. DNA of Asian people will have something in common. DNA of Africans or Americans will have something in common too. This tells us that a certain kind of DNA yields a certain kind of person, just like a certain kind of soil yields a certain kind of plant.

The interesting thing to note here is that a plant does not completely depend upon the kind of soil for its growth, it also depends upon a particular climate and temperature. Similarly, a person is not totally dependent upon his genes for who he is, environment plays a vital role in shaping the habits and dispositions of a human.

Avicenna & the floating man

There is a famous hadith : The one who knows himself well, knows his Lord as well too.

There is a similar saying of Imam Ali a.s also that in order to understand God one must consider the characteristics of his spirit instead of his bodily characteristics.

Keeping these sayings in mind, this topic is meant to bring people one step closer to understanding themselves. This is a thought provoking question, and everyone is welcome to express his or her views.

Imagine, a man floating in a room with zero sensory input, no sound, no sight, no gravity, no sensation of any kind, floating in complete darkness, no sensation even of his own body because no part of his body touches any other part — say the man was created this way, would he be capable of thought?
Can the human mind have thoughts without any external sensory input?
If so, what would this man be thinking? Would the floating man have awareness of anything?

Its actually a thought process Avicenna came up with in order to realize the reality of our own existence and true realization of the inner self.

And if we think carefully this concept is not so much alien to us, because we experience it every time when we are sound asleep. Although we can hear, feel, taste and smell during our sleep as the electronic signals are continuously transmitted by our sense organs to our brain, as during deep sleep the brain is unconscious and no longer converts the data into information... therefore in that state we are indifferent to any sensory input.

In that state, we see without eyes, hear without ears, taste without tongue, feel without body and enjoy fragrances without a nose...

Imam Ali a.s has said, If you want to understand the attributes of Allah, then you should ponder over the attributes of soul and overlook the attributes of the body.

He explains:
'Allah is He Who Sees everything without eyes, Hears everything without any organ, He is everywhere but His Presence is not physical!'

Why ONE God only ?

Can any of you give a satisfying and convincing answer as to why there can only be one God, not two or several ?

To say that if there will be more than one God, they will fight, is a useless argument because Gods are not like human that they'll fight, if they can do 'everything' then they can also be nice to each other.

Islam says there is one God, but still, some people believe in monotheism and some don't. If there would have been several gods, still, some would believe that there is only one and some would believe there are more, because people may never know the reality that how many gods exist.

It is only the definition of a God which either decides or rejects the concept of monotheism. The definition of God in Islam, or as given by Hazrat Ali, clearly highlights a logical reason as to why there cannot be several gods:

"To believe in His oneness is to realize that He is so absolutely pure and above nature, that nothing can be added to or substracted from Him; because one should realize that there is no difference between His Person and His attributes. Whoever accepts His attributes to be an addition to His Being abandons the concept of monotheism and beleives in duality (He and His attributes). Such a person, in fact, believes Him to exist in parts. One who holds such a belief, cannot form a true concept of Allah. He is ignorant and will always try to believe in some creation of his imagination as his god. And whoever holds such a belief accepts limitations in His Being and confines Him to a place or to particular attributes and brings Him on a level with His creatures.

To believe that He is invested with the characterstic of residing in a particular place(Heaven or earth) and to point towards Him accordingly, or to believe that He is restricted to a special position or occasion, or to consider that certain place or time can exist without Him, and can be void of His Omniscience and omnipresence is a conception which results in assigning Godhead to a numerical unity.

To assign a place to Him by considering Him within or over a place means to subject Him to the limitations of space and allot Him an importance secondary to space; it also means to believe that some place can exist outside the sphere of His Omnipresence.
His existence is eternal; He neither came into being at some period of time, nor was He created. His being did not come into existence from nonentity. He is with everything but not physically and bodily; He is away from everything but not by way of bodily distance or of being unconcerned and indifferent to it".

In short, Allah is everywhere, He is with everything, He exercises power over everything, He controls everything.

Let us suppose there are two Gods(A and B), then both of them cannot reside 'everywhere' as they are two separate existences since A cannot be within B, and B is not in A so these Gods are not everywhere. Similarly, God A exercises absolute power over the universe, but if it doesn't exercises power over God B then A is not a perfect God as it does not have power over EVERYTHING. (And in case A can be within B and they both exercise equal power over each other and have control on each other then, first of all its not possible, and secondly, it would mean that A=B which would mean that God is in fact, only One).

So, it is not said that Allah is 'everywhere in the universe only' or that he controls everything 'just within this universe'. Everything MEANS everything and Every where means EVERY WHERE (outside universe as well). While this universe is limited and Allah has confined its limits and He Alone is the God of each and everything.

Day of Judgement

The day of Judgement as described in NAHJUL BALAGHA

'Allah will resurrect them from their graves if they have been buried, or from the bodies of other animals if they have been eaten up.

They shall all assemble in groups and advancing silently and quietly in rows moving forward in obedience to the Divine Command and will hurry towards their destination.

They all will be before Allah and everyone of them shall hear the announcer calling them to their places.

Their conditions will be wretched and helpless, very undignified and pitiable.
No one will be there to help them or to come to their rescue.
No arguments and excuses will be of any use to them and no hope will save them.

Hearts sinking.....

Hopes dying.....

Voices silenced.....

Tones suppressed.......

Bodies perspiring.........

And minds petrified with astonishment and terror........

These will be the signs of that gathering!'

Understanding God

It is true that Imam ALi a.s has prohibited people to go too deep in trying to understand God or grasping the concept of His being. But isn't it true as well that as science is progressing and advancing... We can at least have a much better idea about the truth of God's existence?

For example Hazrat Ali saying 1400 years back that Allah can hear the faintest of sounds and can see the palest shades of colors could never make sense to those people 1400 years back. But today we know what this means, we know that human eye is not capable to hear sounds below 20Hz and cannot differentiate between the shade of a color below certain frequency. But Allah being the God, can see and hear it.

Or the verse which says Allah's day equals 1000 years of ours did not use to make any sense 1400 years back but today, after being aware of the special and general relativity theories, we know how it can be possible. And it is not a phenomenon hard to imagine anymore.

So, is it that as Science is progressing... we are advancing towards a better and clearer understanding of God's divine being ?

I mean the concepts which are associated with God can be understood more clearly than before... for example, how can a power be present Everywhere, or how God is not subjected to time as time is dependent upon matter and space to exist and is a part of the creation of the universe, thus to say that HE wasn't created at some point in time(nahjulBalagha) makes more sense after learning about the reality of time.

Or that how can our 1000 years are equal to one second for God; by comparing the speed of light and earth days.

These all concepts are much more clearer to us after attaining the knowledge of Science.