Universe in Quran

Some Principles Relating
to the Universe
Although we make use of electricity
for warming up, medical treatment, lighting, automation, driving locomotives and
cars, etc., yet our knowledge of the nature of electricity is incomplete. Similar
is the case with light and heat. To all of them, we give a vague name, energy, which
is hidden in the universe and which can change into one another, but nobody can
create it from nothingness. Normally, all scientific theories attempt to interpret
the origin of the universe on the basis of certain assumptions which could not be
proved, or on the basis of certain points beyond which nobody could go. The science
of physics does not touch the subject of creation from a state of nothingness. It
only concentrates on a study of the characteristics of the existing, whether it
is matter, energies or life.
But before we proceed to discuss the greater world represented in existence as a
whole, it is better to talk first about the smaller world as represented in the
smallest elementary particles which go to make the material, which is the atom.
Atoms are made of the smallest possible non-matter particles. One could only define
the nature of each matter or element by the number of particles existing in each
atom. The most simple of all atoms in construction is the hydrogen atom. It is known
as the universal gas or the gas which brought the existence into being, from which
all other known matters have developed. The hydrogen atom is composed of a nucleus,
which is a proton of positive nature, around which revolves an electron, which is
negative. l The construction of atoms gets more and more complicated as we proceed
to know other material elements.
It was generally believed until recently, that atoms could not be further divided
into elementary particles. The methods used for splitting them were useless. But,
once the methods for splitting the atom were discovered in this age, it became certain
finally that huge energy was inherent in it. The basis of the energy was the same
which was used originally in uniting its elementary particles, particularly the
constituents of the nucleus which came into being for the first time in the stars
under tremendous pressure and heat, the degree of which is beyond description and
imagination.
In most elements, the nucleus is not restricted to the positive proton.
Instead, there are neutrons, which are elementary particles, having no distinguishing
charge. It is understood that the nucleus is the first thing which determines the
atom. Helium, for example, produced by the explosion of hydrogen atoms, is composed
of two neutrons and two protons. When we proceed with nuclii till we reach the heavy
elements represented in uranium, for instance, we find that the nucleus of this
element is composed of 92 protones with 146 neutrons. Normally, negative charges
inside any atom are equal to their positive charges. This is why the electrical
charge of an atom equals zero.
The helium atom is composed of one nucleus and two electrons (or negative electricity)
which produce electrical equilibrium. But as regards the uranium atom, ninety two
nuclii revolve around it. Electrons go round nuclii in different orbits which increase
with the rise in electrons, as each orbit will be saturated with a certain number
of them. The nearest of orbits to the nucleus has no room but for two electrons.
The following orbit has eight electrons, and so on. What is left over from the saturation
of the inner stratas remains in the outer ones. This is which could be easily separated
and reorganised.
It is possible that one electron or more may be separated from the atom. This will
release two charges, one positive and the other negative. This process is scientifically
called ionisation". The most simple apparatus in which the process of ionisation
takes place is the electric discharge tube used in lighting or advertising in which
the gas glows under very low pressure resulting from the collision of electrons
with gas atoms. This collision with some particles results in adding energies which
are released in the form of light, which in its turn is the source of the glow known
to us; while some other atoms are ionised.
A few years ago, new discoveries had been made in the material world as regards
the formation of the atoms. These discoveries were of much importance to scientists,
particularly astronomers. The most important of them was the discovery of the negative
proton (the opposite to the proton known to us) and the positive electron (the opposite
to the one familiar to us). This means that there are two different kinds of matter
of which stars, the sun, planets and other various bodies are formed. If one of
these two kinds meets the other or collides with it, atomic destruction takes place,
the result of which will be the disappearance of the whole matter from existence
and the release of huge energies. We, for instance, may describe the first kind
of these two matters, that of positive protons and negative electrons, as "M"; the
second and opposite kind, of negative protons and positive electrons, could be named
as `S".
Astronomers have benefited from those discoveries in the potentialities and the
different applications involved in them, which explained the mysteries of a number
of this universe's phenomena. Due to these discoveries, astronomers were able to
explain completely dark parts in galaxies, especially in the spiral nebulae, and
were also able to know something about noval and supernoval; There are some electrically-charged
particles in the nuclii of heavy atoms. These are called masons. If a proton is
transferred to a neutron, the former loses its positive charge, which will be separated
with the separation of a positive mason. But if a neutron changes into a proton,
the mason, in this case, will have a negative charge. When a positive proton collides
with an other of a negative nature, or if a negative electron collides with a positive
one, one completely destroys the other. The total energy will be released in this
case.
From this we can easily realise that when one atom of matter "M" enters the orbit
of matter "S", or vice versa. electrons become extinct or vanish first, then the
protons. However, we do not know, even approximately, whether the number of positive
protons contained in the universe is completely equal to the negative protons of
it. But a host of scientists believe that such a case should exist in a world created
from nothingness. It will be the same result to be got if it happens that galaxies
meet and collide with each other. This discovery may cast light on the exalted verse:
"Surely Allah upholds the heavens and the earth lest they come to naught. And if
they come to naught, none can uphold them after Him. Surely He is ever Forebearing,
Forgiving." (Surat Fatir : The Originator).
Anyhow, the possibility of the disappearance of heavens and the earth is a problem
which science can not deny as we have already seen. This could be stated despite
the fact that we are unable to confirm that positive and negative protons had come
into existence as big numbers of pairs which became separated into single ones of
which the total charge did not exceed zero, or that all such things had been formed
as separated and single particles. It is also a fact that nobody had admitted that
protons and electrons were regularly distributed among all parts of the universe.
The possibility of securing electrical equilibrium, by the passage of time and at
a certain place, between negative and positive charges, could be proved by witnessing
it. There are other verses which have rather the same meaning.
These verses reveal the secret of the beginning and the end of this universe. Of
them are the following: "On the day when the earth will be changed into a different
earth, and the heavens (as well)." (Surat Ibrahim: Abraham). "The day when We roll
up heavens like the rolling up of the scroll of writings." (Surat Al-Anbiya: TheProphets
). "And when the heaven has its covering removed.' (Surat Al-Takwir: The Folding
Up).
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