The belief in life after death is universal; it is reflected in the teachings of all the major religions of the world, permeating culture and time. Despite tremendous scientific and technological advancement of the twentieth century, we have no answers to many questions that have plagued the minds of people from time immemorial. What happens to us on dying? What is soul? Does it leave the body to enter the spiritual world, which is beyond human perception in some other dimension? Are the souls reincarnated entering some other body to be recycled again as in the beliefs of some eastern religions? Is the soul captured and kept somewhere until the Day of Judgment to be reunited with the body that rises from the grave? How can a body that had decayed and disappeared into dust, regain its original shape and form? We can believe what we wish; however the modern world is based on truthful pursuit of science and technology. Truth cannot be decided on wishful thinking or majority vote, if that was the case then Columbus would have surely fallen of the earth in 1492.”
We live in a world that demands proof and is not just content with belief. The belief or even the proof however, is only for the believer, and belief comes from within our hearts. The greatest of proofs will not satisfy the non-believer, while the slightest evidence can be a great source of satisfaction for the believer. In this context let us look at the story of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be on him) given in the Quran. (Chapter ii verse 260.) Prophet Ibrahim wanted to know how God gives life to the dead. He had the faith of a man who was willing to sacrifice his own son for the sake of God, yet he wanted reassurance; which then was given to him in the form of a great miracle. Ordinary people like us are also in need of reassurance in a world where science and technology have assumed greater importance than religion.
There is only one version of the Quran. It is the only religious book that even the critics of Islam admit was never altered since its revelation to Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him: Pbuh) fourteen hundred years ago. Scientific advancements have provided better understanding of many Quranic verses that appeared obscure in the past. The Quran accurately describes a variety of scientific facts that were discovered in the last one hundred years. This is one of the reasons that the Quran stands far above other religious books in its authority as a truly revealed book.
The Quran in many verses describes the future of the universe and The Day of Judgment. The verses appear to depict some great final catastrophe that will affect the whole universe. Many chapters mention the final earthquake, the opening of gates in the sky and "a time" in which mankind will see what they had done before so that they will become witnesses against their own selves.
In this article I explore the similarities between the Quranic description of The Day of Judgment and some theories of cosmology that predict reversal of time in the future with the beginning of the contraction phase of the universe. You will be surprised to learn that the religious contention that man will rise from the grave is not a myth or wishful thinking but is based on real scientific principles. I would like to however caution the reader that scientific ideas keep on changing, and my presentation here does not in any way mean that this is the only way for mankind to come back alive. God has absolute power and when He wishes something to happen IT IS.
We live in a world that demands proof and is not just content with belief. The belief or even the proof however, is only for the believer, and belief comes from within our hearts. The greatest of proofs will not satisfy the non-believer, while the slightest evidence can be a great source of satisfaction for the believer. In this context let us look at the story of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be on him) given in the Quran. (Chapter ii verse 260.) Prophet Ibrahim wanted to know how God gives life to the dead. He had the faith of a man who was willing to sacrifice his own son for the sake of God, yet he wanted reassurance; which then was given to him in the form of a great miracle. Ordinary people like us are also in need of reassurance in a world where science and technology have assumed greater importance than religion.
There is only one version of the Quran. It is the only religious book that even the critics of Islam admit was never altered since its revelation to Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him: Pbuh) fourteen hundred years ago. Scientific advancements have provided better understanding of many Quranic verses that appeared obscure in the past. The Quran accurately describes a variety of scientific facts that were discovered in the last one hundred years. This is one of the reasons that the Quran stands far above other religious books in its authority as a truly revealed book.
The Quran in many verses describes the future of the universe and The Day of Judgment. The verses appear to depict some great final catastrophe that will affect the whole universe. Many chapters mention the final earthquake, the opening of gates in the sky and "a time" in which mankind will see what they had done before so that they will become witnesses against their own selves.
In this article I explore the similarities between the Quranic description of The Day of Judgment and some theories of cosmology that predict reversal of time in the future with the beginning of the contraction phase of the universe. You will be surprised to learn that the religious contention that man will rise from the grave is not a myth or wishful thinking but is based on real scientific principles. I would like to however caution the reader that scientific ideas keep on changing, and my presentation here does not in any way mean that this is the only way for mankind to come back alive. God has absolute power and when He wishes something to happen IT IS.
