Question 40: Einstein’s theory of nothingness is definite; we understand thanks to it that time does not exist; the Quran does not accept nothingness. Is it not a contradiction?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Answer: Einstein’s theory of nothingness is as follows: The universe came into being spontaneously and at once from the realm of nothingness. It was not created by a creator.

What should not be overlooked here is this: How did the whole heap of matter that constituted the universe suddenly occur when there was nothing, even when there was no time and space? And how did incredibly delicate balances occur in a giant field as a result of a random and coincidental explosion? Most importantly, what is the will that created the entire universe, its contents and system?

Those who do not accept a creator either do not mention these questions or claim that the elements and causes brought it about. As a matter of fact, the famous American materialist Harlow Shapley expresses his belief regarding the issue as follows:

Some piously record ‘In the beginning God’, but I say ‘In the beginning hydrogen’.

Is hydrogen a smart, conscious being that makes decisions and has will? How can it make this universe come from the realm of non-existence to the realm of existence all of a sudden? Hydrogen is not something like that; no element that makes up matter has intelligence and consciousness. However, there is a design in the universe that proves the existence of a superior mind, and it shows that the Creator of this universe has metaphysical, infinite power, knowledge and will.

In short, the findings of modern science invalidate the idea that that matter is eternal, which is claimed by materialist on the one hand, and it confirms the facts stated by the verses of the Quran on the other hand. For, contrary to what materialists think, the universe exists not by coincidences, but by the creation of Allah; and the knowledge from Allah is doubtlessly the most accurate information about the history of the universe.

The Quran states that Allah created everything from atoms to galaxies. The mistake here does not belong to the Quran, but the thinking of people like Harlow Shapley. The universe did not exist in the beginning. How will something that does not exist will make itself come out of the realm of non-existence into the realm of existence? It is tried to be explained with the Big Bang theory that the universe was created later. This theory accepts that the universe began to expand suddenly all at once. There is a creator that expanded all the parts of the universe, took it from non-existence into the realm of existence, put the sun there and placed the world here. Both logical thinking and scientific approach accept it like that. This work was done based on in an infinite number of purposes and wisdoms and in a measured and planned way.

In the Quran, it is pointed out that Allah created the universe out of nothing as follows:

To Him (Allah) is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth.¹

It is stated in the Quran that the heavens and the earth were created originally, without being based on any model:

To Him (Allah) is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth ….²

When, people’s knowledge of the universe was very limited 14 centuries ago, the Quran states, as the Big Bang theory tries to show, that the entire universe emerged when it was together in a very small volume and that separated and expanded afterwards:

Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?³.

The Milky Way Galaxy, in which we are located with our solar system, is elliptical; its long axis is 100 thousand light years away and its short axis is 30 thousand light years away. As it is known, the speed of light is 300 thousand kilometers per second. Imagine the distance that a light takes at this speed in a hundred thousand years. It is estimated that there are one billion galaxies in space like the Milky Way galaxy in which we are located. On the other hand, space is constantly expanding.

The Quran stated that the universe was expanding 14 centuries ago; this fact was discovered only in the late 1920s. This fact, which was revealed for the first time when Hubble noticed that the light spectrums of the stars shifted to red, is reported in the Quran as follows:

With power and skill did We construct the Firmament: for it is We Who create the vastness of pace (extend it wide)⁴.

The closest galaxy to us is the Andromeda galaxy and it is about 15 million light years away. Although the universe is infinitely wide and long, every star and planet in space moves regularly and neatly. The moon rotates around itself, around the earth as well as around the sun. The earth rotates with a slope of 23.5 degrees around itself, causing the seasons to occur and as well as around the sun at a speed of about 110 thousand kilometers per hour. If man looks at and sees that the earth is adjusted exactly for living beings with its atmosphere, heat, water, and air, he willrealize that all this is possible only with a creator who has infinite knowledge, will and power. Thus, the Quran draws attention to them, explaining that all those beings are the work of Allah.⁵

1.al-Anam, verse 101.
2.al-Anam, verse 101.
3.al-Anbiya, verse 30.
4.adh-Dhariyat, verse 47.
5.For more detailed information, see
a-Tatlı, A. Evrim veYaratılış. Fifth Impression, 2018. ISBN:975953790-7.
b-Tatlı, A. Biyolojidenİdeolojiye Evrim. Zafer Yayınları. Istanbul, 2007.
c- Tatlı, A. Gayeli ve Planlı Yaratılış. Şehzade Yayınları, 2007.
d- Tatlı, A. İnsanlıkTarihi Boyunca Evrim. Ufuk Yayınları, Istanbul, 2010.
e-Tatlı, A. Bilimlerin Işığında Yaratılış. Üsküdar University, Istanbul, 2015.

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