Quantum Physics through the eyes of Imam al-Shaarani
An example from everyday life
Just as frames in a movie rapidly replace each other, reality and time cannot move smoothly. We cannot imagine a half-quantum or “half a moment”; there is only a complete renewal, like a sharp jump. It turns out that our perception of movement is an illusion woven from a series of moments.
The Predetermination of Reality: The concept of predestination (Qadar)
Understanding time as a series of predetermined moments introduces us to the concept of fate, or qadar. Time cannot exist if each subsequent moment is not foreseen. Islamic teaching states that only Allah ﷻ, the Creator of all that exists, has perfect knowledge and knows the entire course of events. Thus, the future is determined, but at the same time remains hidden from us.
The illusion of causality
Recall the example of animation, where a character kicks a ball and the ball flies away. To us, the viewers, it seems that the actions are interconnected. However, for the animator, this is just a series of separate images and he sees that the ball flies not because of the kick but because this is the intended plot. Similarly, Imam al-Shaarani describes that Allah ﷻ creates each moment of our world separately and each phenomenon is not a direct consequence of another but the result of His will.
For example, paper burns not because of the fire it was brought to, but because Allah ﷻ creates its combustion. Likewise, when the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) was thrown into the fire, he did not burn, because the Lord did not create combustion for him. The element of fire is destructive by its nature, but only by the will of Allah ﷻ – the Lord of the worlds – can it act or, on the contrary, lose this ability.
“There is no power or might except by Allah ﷻ”
From all of the above, it becomes clearer what deep meaning is embedded in the phrase “There is no power and might in anyone except Allah ﷻ”. Every power that people or things have is a manifestation of His will and every moment He gives existence to everything that exists.
Thus, the ancient knowledge of the structure of the world set out in the works of great Islamic scientists, is confirmed by modern discoveries in quantum physics.
