PHYSICS AND METAPHYSICS OF ISLAMIC ESCHATOLOGY IN THE LIGHT OF SURAH-AL-RAHMAN

• Published date: 30 June 2021

In the light of Surah al-Rahman, this article encompasses only the major discussions regarding eschatology and the end of the universe. This study also finds some scientific and metaphysical stances concerning Lord's Omnipresence and His Might and Power. These are the mutually linked discourses showing a fact that how the whole system is being governed with good-looking hierarchy and a fine-tuned mechanism that ultimately invigorate and strengthen one's thought towards the Ultimate Reality. It may be called an Islamic philosophy regarding Absolute Reality to whom human nature is deeply concerned with.

The predictions concerning future events have been an interesting discussion in human history. In this article, the religious data regarding the ultimate end of the universal system, as well as some scientific and metaphysical investigations have been constructed to investigate the real purpose of life. This study has been divided into two main spheres along with religious Scripture, especially from Surah Al-Rahman.

The first part of the study is charged with the scientific aspects in which some advancement regarding a concept of the end of the universe like the second law of thermodynamics, entropy, Big Crunch and Cosmic Background Microwaves Radiations are the main topics of elaboration. The second part of the article incorporates is metaphysical concerns in which the ends of universe and man have been mentioned in the light of philosophical and mystical data offered by different scholars, where Quranic Scripture, especially Surah Al-Rahman has also been discussed regarding Barzakh, heavenly bodies and human creation etc.

Some relevant discussions of Eschatology have also been excluded like data regarding the appearance of al-Dajjal (The Antichrist), Gog and Magog, the descent of Jesus (A.S) from heaven and even the last chapter of Surah regarding paradises and their descriptions are also out of the domain of the article.

What was unknown to humanity before is being exposed because of the development and advancement of knowledge. There are some elaborations scientifically and metaphysically regarding the eschatological domain, which are not so obvious apparently. But their existence cannot be denied either rationally or from the viewpoint of Scripture. To proceed further, we may visit the fundamental concept of eschatology from Islamic perspectives.

What is meant by Islamic Eschatology?

The word Eschatology has been taken from the Greek words ‘eschtos' meaning ‘last' or ‘end' and logos means ‘study'. It is also called as ‘return' or ‘place of return' like the word is used for ‘origin' or the ‘place of origin'. Dr Jamal Sliba stated about eschatology that it is the study of the ultimate end of the system and it includes the question of death, judgment, Paradise and Hell, also known as or i.e. ‘Resurrection'.1

So, it is the study of the life of the Hereafter, the final destiny of the soul and humankind. Eschatology is the doctrine of the final and ultimate end of things, either the end of an individual life or the end of the world. It indicates the appearance of some events before the occurrence of Hour. Noticeably, after the concept of Oneness of Allah Almighty and finality of Prophethood, Resurrection is the central Islamic belief.

Surah Al-Rahman: An Eschatological Study

Observing eschatological data, anthopo-cosmic end will be discussed delimiting study to macrocosmic and microcosmic domains. There are scientific shreds of evidence that the universe had a beginning and is therefore finite. It is important to note that statement of Surah Al-Rahman , that is: “And the Firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the Balance (of Justice)”.2

In which to raise the heaven or the stability of the system is mentioned while in Surah Al-Anbya (21:104), the eschatological aspect of the universe is stated as:

The Day when We shall roll up the heaven as recorder rolleth up a written scroll. As We begin the first creation, We shall repeat it. (It is) promise (binding) upon us. Lo! We are to perform it.3

From these references, scientists may comparatively observe that the raising of heaven as well as it's rolling up in relation to the eschatological process of the universe. We may contemplate, how beautifully mentioned in the Holy Quran fourteen hundred years ago. Likewise due to the establishment of the balance Surah Al-Rahman (55:05) states, ‘Abdullah Yusuf ‘Ali translated: “The sun and moon follow courses (exactly) computed.”4

It expresses the punctuality of the heavenly bodies and the Hadith quoted in Bukhari again communicates the eschatological trend from heavenly bodies as stated in the verse. Imam Bukhari transmitted:

According to Dr Muhammad Tahir ul Qadri, it indicates the scientific eschatological data. The word Mukawaran mentioned in the Hadith signifies three meanings. First, stars will collide with each other and overlap. Second, their light will be extinguished and thirdly, not only the sun and moon but all of the heavenly bodies would undergo a gravitational collapse. He further adds that we find an incredible similarity and congruity of the modern knowledge of science with Holy Quran in respect of the catastrophic collapse of the universe.6 Surah Al-Rahman further narrates:

Every thing that is thereon will pass away. There remaineth but the countenance of thy Lord of Might and Glory. 7

It is also argued scientifically regarding Macrocosm that unknown physical forces will cause the Big Crunch to stop the system at some unbelievable density, causing the Universe to ‘bounce' back again into another cycle of expansion and contraction, followed by next, next and next, so on up to infinity as added by Sultan Bashir Mahmood. Regarding the concept of Pulsating Universe. However, this type of repetition is not acceptable by the Holy Quran. He further added that, according to Quranic Scripture, after the end of the universe, a new universe will be created, which will remain forever.8

The phenomenon of two easts and two wests has also been stated in the Surah Al-Rahman: i.e.” (He is) Lord of the two Easts and Lord of the two Wests”

It can be noticed that the sun does not always rise and set in the same point, therefore, with the change of seasons we do not have one east and one west but relatively several points from which the sun rises and several places from which the sunsets. We may correlate the verse with Prophetic Saying.

Hadith of Prophet (Peace and mercy be upon him) regarding the major sign of the Hour and Resurrection also indicates the sun will change it course that is the rising of sun from its setting place,10 east will change with west and vice versa, the verse of two easts and two wests may also be read with the concept of eschatological sign stated in the Hadith.

In the case of the Microcosmic study, the chemical composition of the human body demonstrates the relation between man and clay. Plants are the major food resources of man, which shows the link between humans and clay. Dr Zaghloul El Najjar stated the percentage of different elements in the human body giving an important comparison of the sounding clay to that of decomposed body constituents. According to him, the process continued when soil mixed with water and then it becomes mud, where the water of mud dissolves the substances of the soil then a more special extract can be found in the unit of that clay. He proceeded with the following Quranic references.12 By the process of vaporizing, we found the ‘sticky clay' Quran states in the Surah Al-Safat (37:11):

“When Just ask their opinion: are they the most difficult to create, or the other being We have created out of sticky clay!”13 When this clay turned to dry gradually, it turns black and rotten as stated in Surah Al-Hijr (15:28), i.e., “Behold! Thy Lord said to the angels: “I am about to create man, from sounding clay from mud moulded into shape.”14 That is ‘sounding clay of altered black smooth mud' after that when dryness process increases it develops into ‘Sounding Clay' or i.e, “He created man from sounding clay like unto pottery.”1

For final human's shape, God breathes into it His soul after that it has...