Quantum Physics through the eyes of Imam al-Shaarani
Until relatively recently, science was not divided into secular and religious: knowledge was transmitted in its entirety without division into the “worldly” and “spiritual”.
Sciences that we would call secular today were taught in Islamic educational institutions.
Let us talk about one of the most modern and fascinating areas of science - quantum physics. Attentive researchers often notice amazing intersections of quantum science with Islamic views, with ideas set out in the works of great Muslim scientists and sages. One such work is the book of the outstanding Sufi scholar-imam Abd al-Wahhab al-Shaarani “Al-Yawakiit wal-Jawahir”, where he describes a most interesting concept of discrete time.
Discrete time in the teachings of Imam al-Shaarani
Imam al-Shaarani, continuing the teachings of his predecessors, in particular Ibn Arabi, asserted that our world is not a continuous and smooth flow of events. On the contrary, everything that exists is created by Allah ﷻ in the form of a series of individual moments that disappear and reappear many times in every split second. This process can be compared to “flickering”, an eternal renewal indicating the unchanging nature of the Creator.
What is quantum time?
To understand quantum physics, it is worth examining the very concept of “quantum”. A quantum is a smallest indivisible part that cannot be divided further. Thus, a “quantum of time” is a minimal unit that cannot be further divided. Let us say this unit is a millionth of a second; it has no smaller divisions.
It seems to us that the world is moving continuously but if we imagine that reality is constructed as if in frames, like in a movie projector, where images change at high speed, the picture becomes different.
In our world, apparent movement is an illusion, consisting of constant appearances and disappearances. Allah ﷻ recreates the world anew every moment. Modern physicists have abandoned the concept of “movement” and talk about the position of objects in space, because everything that exists does not move smoothly but appears in leaps and bounds.
To be continued…
