Qur’anic Pictures of the Universe: The Scriptural Foundation of Islamic Cosmology

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 62-62
Author(s):  
Gowhar Quadir Wani
Keyword(s):  
Modern Science ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Synthetic Approach ◽  
Self Disclosure ◽  
Islamic Studies ◽  
Epistemological Principle ◽  
The Many ◽  
Entire Cosmos ◽  
Qur'anic Exegesis ◽  
The Universe

The Qur’an, the divinely revealed scripture of Islam, is not merely a book of commandments and prohibitions. Rather, the bulk of the Qur’an is related to faith: divinely communicated answers to existential questions about the origin of life and universe, the place of humankind in the cosmos, the relation between human, cosmos, and Creator, and more. The Islamic viewpoint regarding the nature, origin, and destiny of the universe in relation with the Creator forms the subject matter of Islamic cosmology, and of this book.This book is part of the author’s larger, yet-unpublished project on the scientific exegesis of the Qur’an. Maintaining that the Qur’an presents multiple pictures of the universe, instead of a single monolithic picture, the author has divided the main content of the book into seven chapters among which the last five elaborate such “pictures”. These include the astronomical picture (chapter three), the architectural picture (chapter four), the picture of the cosmos as a divine kingdom (chapter five), the universe as a world of lights and darknesses (chapter six), and the human microcosm in the Qur’an (chapter seven). The first two chapters are concerned with Qur’anic definitions of the universe (chapter one) and an explanation for the multiplicity of Qur’anic pictures of the cosmos (chapter two). The book also includes an introduction, a bibliography (short but inclusive of the indispensable references), and a helpful index. The author’s method of arriving at a particular picture of the universe consists of a synthetic approach to the related verses dispersed in the different chapters of the Qur’an but unified thematically in a coherent way. The author himself argues that “the Qur’an features the Universe and its numerous pictures and images as one of its most attractive and interesting themes for human reflection and contemplation and scientific study” (4). Preferring the thematic and synthetic approach that is reflective of Islam’s holistic epistemology to the “piecemeal exegesis of one or two so-called cosmic or creation verses” as usually inspired by the reductionist epistemology of modern science, the author has blended revealed metaphysical data with empirical scientific data to portray different harmonious images of the universe. The author’s thematic engagement of the related Qur’anic verses and their synthesis into a coherent portrait of the Universe is intellectually stimulating and spiritually enlightening. In all this, the author has employed, as the central epistemological principle, the concept of “God’s Self Disclosure” as propounded by the celebrated esoteric exegete of Islam, Ibn ‘Arabi. According to this principle, the diversity in creation is actually reflective of God’s numerous attributes. Hence, the multiple pictures of the universe. In the first chapter of the book, the author elaborates Arabic terms (e.g., ‘ālamīn, khalq, kawn) used in the Qur’an in relation to the cosmos.The author engages their linguistic (lexical/semantic) details, their frequency in the Qur’an, and the relation between their first and last occurrence in the Qur’anic text. The chapter is loaded with insightful information on these verses from linguistic, thematic, and theological-philosophical perspectives; he seeks to arrive at metaphysical conclusions from etymological discussions, bridging a simple science with a complex one. In the following chapter, the author grapples with the cosmic unity in diversity, the multiple human visions of the universe despite its single divine vision, and the many subsystems of the universe (the angelic world, the human world, etc.) in order to justify the multiplicity of the Qur’anic pictures of the universe. In my humble opinion, this chapter is too short to satisfy this question; further, the reader may get confused regarding the relationship between the arguments and the conclusion. For example, while the author draws mainly on the Qur’anic word ‘ālamīn—interestingly, a morphological plural—to substantiate the multiplicity of the images of the universe in the Qur’an, he himself accepts that the Qur’an uses this word to mean the entire cosmos (27). The remaining five chapters of the book detail different Qur’anic terms and verses related to the cosmos, yielding the five “pictures” enumerated earlier. The discussion largely comprises thematic treatment of different related verses coupled with linguistic, theological/metaphysical, and scientific explanations. Yet what remains unanswered and intriguing is how far the Qur’anic pictures of the Universe correspond to modern scientific cosmology. What accounts for the Qur’anic style of allusive, cursory mentionof such cosmic terms? Are there layers of meaning in these verses which obtain variously for different audiences? How did the earlier generations of Muslims—especially the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him—understand such verses? In sum, the book is a welcome contribution to the genre of scientific Qur’anic exegesis in general, and Qur’anic cosmology in particular. In my humble opinion, it is a must read for the students and scholars of Islamic Studies as well as those of other related fields. Gowhar Quadir WaniPhD candida Islamic Studies,ligarh Muslim University

scholarly journals Qur’anic Pictures of the Universe: The Scriptural Foundation of Islamic Cosmology

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 62-62
Author(s):  
Gowhar Quadir Wani
Keyword(s):  
Modern Science ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Synthetic Approach ◽  
Self Disclosure ◽  
Islamic Studies ◽  
Epistemological Principle ◽  
The Many ◽  
Entire Cosmos ◽  
Qur'anic Exegesis ◽  
The Universe

The Qur’an, the divinely revealed scripture of Islam, is not merely a book of commandments and prohibitions. Rather, the bulk of the Qur’an is related to faith: divinely communicated answers to existential questions about the origin of life and universe, the place of humankind in the cosmos, the relation between human, cosmos, and Creator, and more. The Islamic viewpoint regarding the nature, origin, and destiny of the universe in relation with the Creator forms the subject matter of Islamic cosmology, and of this book.This book is part of the author’s larger, yet-unpublished project on the scientific exegesis of the Qur’an. Maintaining that the Qur’an presents multiple pictures of the universe, instead of a single monolithic picture, the author has divided the main content of the book into seven chapters among which the last five elaborate such “pictures”. These include the astronomical picture (chapter three), the architectural picture (chapter four), the picture of the cosmos as a divine kingdom (chapter five), the universe as a world of lights and darknesses (chapter six), and the human microcosm in the Qur’an (chapter seven). The first two chapters are concerned with Qur’anic definitions of the universe (chapter one) and an explanation for the multiplicity of Qur’anic pictures of the cosmos (chapter two). The book also includes an introduction, a bibliography (short but inclusive of the indispensable references), and a helpful index. The author’s method of arriving at a particular picture of the universe consists of a synthetic approach to the related verses dispersed in the different chapters of the Qur’an but unified thematically in a coherent way. The author himself argues that “the Qur’an features the Universe and its numerous pictures and images as one of its most attractive and interesting themes for human reflection and contemplation and scientific study” (4). Preferring the thematic and synthetic approach that is reflective of Islam’s holistic epistemology to the “piecemeal exegesis of one or two so-called cosmic or creation verses” as usually inspired by the reductionist epistemology of modern science, the author has blended revealed metaphysical data with empirical scientific data to portray different harmonious images of the universe. The author’s thematic engagement of the related Qur’anic verses and their synthesis into a coherent portrait of the Universe is intellectually stimulating and spiritually enlightening. In all this, the author has employed, as the central epistemological principle, the concept of “God’s Self Disclosure” as propounded by the celebrated esoteric exegete of Islam, Ibn ‘Arabi. According to this principle, the diversity in creation is actually reflective of God’s numerous attributes. Hence, the multiple pictures of the universe. In the first chapter of the book, the author elaborates Arabic terms (e.g., ‘ālamīn, khalq, kawn) used in the Qur’an in relation to the cosmos.The author engages their linguistic (lexical/semantic) details, their frequency in the Qur’an, and the relation between their first and last occurrence in the Qur’anic text. The chapter is loaded with insightful information on these verses from linguistic, thematic, and theological-philosophical perspectives; he seeks to arrive at metaphysical conclusions from etymological discussions, bridging a simple science with a complex one. In the following chapter, the author grapples with the cosmic unity in diversity, the multiple human visions of the universe despite its single divine vision, and the many subsystems of the universe (the angelic world, the human world, etc.) in order to justify the multiplicity of the Qur’anic pictures of the universe. In my humble opinion, this chapter is too short to satisfy this question; further, the reader may get confused regarding the relationship between the arguments and the conclusion. For example, while the author draws mainly on the Qur’anic word ‘ālamīn—interestingly, a morphological plural—to substantiate the multiplicity of the images of the universe in the Qur’an, he himself accepts that the Qur’an uses this word to mean the entire cosmos (27). The remaining five chapters of the book detail different Qur’anic terms and verses related to the cosmos, yielding the five “pictures” enumerated earlier. The discussion largely comprises thematic treatment of different related verses coupled with linguistic, theological/metaphysical, and scientific explanations. Yet what remains unanswered and intriguing is how far the Qur’anic pictures of the Universe correspond to modern scientific cosmology. What accounts for the Qur’anic style of allusive, cursory mentionof such cosmic terms? Are there layers of meaning in these verses which obtain variously for different audiences? How did the earlier generations of Muslims—especially the Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings upon him—understand such verses? In sum, the book is a welcome contribution to the genre of scientific Qur’anic exegesis in general, and Qur’anic cosmology in particular. In my humble opinion, it is a must read for the students and scholars of Islamic Studies as well as those of other related fields. Gowhar Quadir WaniPhD candida Islamic Studies,ligarh Muslim University

scholarly journals About Distinction Between Conditions of the World Before and After the Fallin Works of Russian Theologians and Religious Thinkers XIX - Early XX Century

2020 ◽  
pp. 26-48
Author(s):  
Николай Серебряков
Keyword(s):  
Natural Science ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Critical Assessment ◽  
Biblical Narrative ◽  
Philosophical Literature ◽  
The World ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Entire Universe ◽  
Entire Cosmos ◽  
The Universe

В статье рассматриваются мнения русских богословов и религиозных философов XIX - начала ХХ в. о характере и масштабах влияния грехопадения первых людей на состояние всего мира. Показано, что для русского богословия указанного периода характерно признание катастрофического влияния грехопадения по отношению ко всему мирозданию. Это влияние объясняется теснейшей связью человека со всем космосом. Однако эта очевидная богословская истина практически не была учтена в естественнонаучно-апологетической литературе этого периода при обсуждении проблемы соотнесения библейского повествования о творении мира и человека с научными данными. Более того, в начале ХХ в. появляются представления, что грехопадение в объективном плане никак не повлияло на состояние мира, а только изменило человека и его взгляд на мир. Лишь в русской религиозно-философской литературе начала ХХ в. идея о теснейшей связи человека и космоса нашла свой отклик, и на основании этой идеи была дана критическая оценка способности естественных наук проникнуть в мир до события грехопадения. The article describes the views of the Russian theologians and religious philosophers of XIX - early XX centuries about a character and scales of influence of the fall on a condition of the world. We show that the Russian theology of this period recognizes the catastrophic influence of the fall on the entire universe. This influence is due to the close connection of man with the entire cosmos. However, this obvious theological truth was practically ignored in the discussion of the problem of the correlation of the biblical narrative about the creation of the world and man and scientific data in the natural science and apologetic literature in this period. Moreover, at the beginning of the ХХ century there are ideas that the fall in objective terms did not affect the state of the world, but that it changed only the nature of a man and man's view of the world. Only in the Russian religious philosophical literature at the beginning of the XX century the idea about the closest connection of a man and the universe got the response. On the basis of this idea religious philosophers gave a critical assessment of the ability of sciences to get into the world prior to the fall.

НАУЧНЫЕ ОТКРЫТИЯ КАК УДАРЫ ПО САМОЛЮБИЮ: ТРАДИЦИЯ ПРОДОЛЖАЕТСЯ

1970 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-77
Author(s):  
Леонид Левит
Keyword(s):  
Modern Science ◽  
Negative Attitude ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Dual System ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
The Third ◽  
Theoretical Construction ◽  
The Universe

В статье рассматривается значение трех главных «ударов», которые, по утверждению З. Фрейда,  современная наука нанесла по представлениям человека о себе и своей роли во Вселенной. Показано, что  разработанная   автором   двусистемная   и   многоуровневая   «Личностно-ориентированная   концепция  счастья»  (ЛОКС)  не  только  выявляет  скрытые  доселе  смыслы  предыдущих  научных  «ударов»,  но  и  наносит новые. С учетом современных научных данных ЛОКС обосновывает и развивает идеи Ч. Дарвина  (второй «удар» человечеству) и  взгляды З. Фрейда (третий «удар»), чем усиливает значение обоих – точно  так же, как учение Фрейда в свое время подчеркнуло силу открытий, сделанных Дарвином. Теоретическая  конструкция  ЛОКС  оказывается  способной  объяснить  причину  болезненного  восприятия  предыдущих  открытий  современниками,  универсальный  эгоизм  которых  стал  более  очевиден.  В  то  же  время  продемонстрированы и сохранившиеся возможности традиционных взглядов, не поддающиеся в настоящее  время аргументированному научному опровержению.     The article under consideration analyzes the meaning of the three great «blows»,  which the modern  science, in Z. Freud’s opinion, has given to people’s main beliefs about themselves and their role in the Universe. It  is shown that the dual system and multilevel «Person-Oriented Conception of Happiness» (POCH) elaborated by  the author not only discovers the meaning of the previous blows, but produces new ones. Taking into account  modern scientific data, POCH substantiates Ch. Darwin ideas (the second blow to human vanity) as well as Z.  Freud views (the third blow). Thus POCH strengthens both of them - as well as Freud’s discoveries strengthened  Darwin’s theory at a certain time. The theoretical construction of POCH is able to explain the causes of the  negative attitude towards the abovementioned discoveries by the contemporaries, whose universal egoism became  more evident. At the same time, the author shows the preserving possibilities of the traditional views, which cannot  be refuted from the scientific point of view nowadays.

"Marketocentric" Economics Is Obsolete

2004 ◽  
pp. 36-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Buzgalin ◽  
A. Kolganov
Keyword(s):  
Economic Theory ◽  
Middle Ages ◽  
Modern Science ◽  
Economic Systems ◽  
Main Mode ◽  
Post Market ◽  
Market Relations ◽  
Post Industrial ◽  
The 19Th Century ◽  
The Universe

The "marketocentric" economic theory is now dominating in modern science (similar to Ptolemeus geocentric model of the Universe in the Middle Ages). But market economy is only one of different types of economic systems which became the main mode of resources allocation and motivation only in the end of the 19th century. Authors point to the necessity of the analysis of both pre-market and post-market relations. Transition towards the post-industrial neoeconomy requires "Copernical revolution" in economic theory, rejection of marketocentric orientation, which has become now not only less fruitful, but also dogmatically dangerous, leading to the conservation and reproduction of "market fundamentalism".

Causality Then and Now

1993 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 165-177
Author(s):  
Karen Harding
Keyword(s):  
Quantum Theory ◽  
Common Sense ◽  
Mechanical Model ◽  
Physical World ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
The World ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Universe ◽  
The Way

Ate appearances deceiving? Do objects behave the way they do becauseGod wills it? Ate objects impetmanent and do they only exist becausethey ate continuously created by God? According to a1 Ghazlli, theanswers to all of these questions ate yes. Objects that appear to bepermanent are not. Those relationships commonly tefemed to as causalare a result of God’s habits rather than because one event inevitably leadsto another. God creates everything in the universe continuously; if Heceased to create it, it would no longer exist.These ideas seem oddly naive and unscientific to people living in thetwentieth century. They seem at odds with the common conception of thephysical world. Common sense says that the universe is made of tealobjects that persist in time. Furthermore, the behavior of these objects isreasonable, logical, and predictable. The belief that the univetse is understandablevia logic and reason harkens back to Newton’s mechanical viewof the universe and has provided one of the basic underpinnings ofscience for centuries. Although most people believe that the world is accutatelydescribed by this sort of mechanical model, the appropriatenessof such a model has been called into question by recent scientificadvances, and in particular, by quantum theory. This theory implies thatthe physical world is actually very different from what a mechanicalmodel would predit.Quantum theory seeks to explain the nature of physical entities andthe way that they interact. It atose in the early part of the twentieth centuryin response to new scientific data that could not be incorporated successfullyinto the ptevailing mechanical view of the universe. Due largely ...

scholarly journals I Hear Islam Singing: Shahab Ahmed's What Is Islam? The Importance of Being Islamic

2016 ◽  
Vol 110 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-165
Author(s):  
Michael E. Pregill
Keyword(s):  
Celestial Body ◽  
Islamic Studies ◽  
Untimely Death ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
The Many

At the time of Shahab Ahmed's untimely death on 17 September 2015, he left behind many admiring colleagues, students, friends, and family, as well as a weighty tome of monumental significance—What Is Islam? The Importance of Being Islamic. It is tragic when an author's first book is published posthumously, perhaps even more so in this case given that Ahmed's work is poised to have a pervasive influence on the field of Islamic Studies and has already garnered numerous accolades. Like a supermassive celestial body, this dense book exerts an irresistible attraction and alters the intellectual trajectory of those drawn into its orbit. What Is Islam? poses difficult questions no one in the field can ignore, even if one disagrees with its premises, methods, or conclusions. We are collectively the poorer for being unable to engage directly with the author in the many discussions that are sure to be provoked by the book's meteoric impact.

scholarly journals Atlas of Yellowstone, 2nd Edition: Celebrating 150 Years of the World’s First National Park, 1872–2022

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
W. Andrew Marcus ◽  
James E. Meacham ◽  
Justin T. Menke ◽  
Aleathea Y. Steingisser ◽  
Ann E. Rodman
Keyword(s):  
Key Management ◽  
Yellowstone National Park ◽  
National Park ◽  
Scientific Data ◽  
Light Pollution ◽  
Natural Setting ◽  
The World ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Many ◽  
Management Issues

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> The Second Edition of the Atlas of Yellowstone will celebrate the 150-year history of the world’s first national park – and reflect on the future of Yellowstone and its evolving place in the world. Like the first Atlas of Yellowstone published in 2012, the Second Edition will provide a comprehensive view of the human and natural setting of Yellowstone National Park. Also like the First Edition, the new edition will portray variations over space and time, explore human-nature interactions throughout the region, document connections of Yellowstone to the rest of the world, and &amp;ndash; ultimately &amp;ndash; guide the reader to a deeper appreciation of Yellowstone.</p><p>Beyond that, the new edition will provide much expanded coverage of the park’s history. Readers will better understand the many different ways in which the creation of Yellowstone National Park has preserved and altered the landscapes and ecology of Yellowstone and conservation thought and practice, both locally and around the world.</p><p>The new atlas will also reflect advances in scientific data collection, knowledge, and insight gained since publication of the first edition. New topic pages will address key management issues ranging from increased visitor impact to wildlife disease to light pollution. In addition, many of the 850 existing graphics will be updated, reimagined, or replaced by new graphics that capture the remarkable wealth of data that has become available since the First Edition. Whether it be tracking of individual wolves, ecosystem imagery from space, or detailed visitor surveys &amp;ndash; new data provide insights that could not be graphically displayed before.</p><p>The Second Edition celebrates 150 years of America’s best idea and what that has meant to the world. The significance of Yellowstone National Park to conservation, scholarship, and the human experience is enormous, and deserves a volume that captures that importance.</p>

scholarly journals Teologi Posmodern: Menimbang Konsep Naturalisme-Teistik

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Ghozi Ghozi
Keyword(s):  
Modern Science ◽  
Direct Influence ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Islamic Theology ◽  
Indirect Influence ◽  
Postmodern Theology ◽  
External Dimension ◽  
The Law ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Universe

<p>This article will briefly discuss the problems of postmodern theology in the context of the relationship between God and nature. In this case, the author brings the conception of theistic naturalism in the view of classical theology of Islam. Theological conception of postmodernism (theistic naturalism) can be useful contributions to the refreshment of Islamic theology, particularly in the case <em>a</em><em>f</em><em>‘</em><em>â</em><em>l</em><em> </em><em>al</em><em>-</em><em>‘</em><em>ibâd</em> and its derivation. The concept of direct influence and indirect influence may help explain the intervention of God toward human beings without denying the law of causality, as the law that becomes standard of modern science. Nevertheless there are some things that need to be considered in this concept: <em>Firstly</em>, God is only the spirit of the universe, God has entrusted His power to the nature, and all the events occurred due to the co-creativity of God and nature. <em>Secondly</em>, God has no a direct influence on the external dimension, rather He is merely a Spirit of things who has influence on inner dimension.</p>

scholarly journals Concept of the development of nature and society in the works of P. Teilhard de Chardin and comparison of his views with the ideas of globalization of Z. Bauman

2021 ◽  
pp. 67-74
Author(s):  
Egor Sergeevich Shushakov
Keyword(s):  
Social Development ◽  
Modern Science ◽  
Evolutionary Development ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Key Characteristics ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Nature And Society ◽  
Physical Phenomena ◽  
The Universe

The object of this research is the concept of evolutionary development of the universe of P. Teilhard de Chardin and the concept of &ldquo;liquid&rdquo; reality&rdquo; of Z. Bauman. The subject is the methodology of P. Teilhard de Chardin and his idea of the future of social development, as well as Z. Bauman&rsquo;s description of the key characteristics of globalization. Emphasis is placed on the methodology of P. Teilhard de Chardin (interaction of tangential and radial energies), as within the framework his concept, the social, biological and physical phenomena do not have fundamental differences and abide the general universal laws. In broad outlines, the article reconstructs the idea of P. Teilhard de Chardin on social development and the theses of Z. Bauman about the key characteristics of modern globalization. The novelty of the research lies in the attempt to present the methodology of P. Teilhard de Chardin as acceptable for modern science and highlight its predictive power; as well as in comparative analysis of the ideas of Z. Bauman and P. Teilhard de Chardin on the processes of global social integration. The following conclusions are made: both scholars advance the idea on the progressing polarization of society; 2) globalization in their works correlates with the process of individualization of social actors, and defense of own identity.

scholarly journals Chaos and Order: Contemporary Cosmology and Myth

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Milan Tomašević
Keyword(s):  
Modern Science ◽  
Cultural Dimension ◽  
Main Task ◽  
Stephen Hawking ◽  
Modern Cosmology ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Creation ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Universe ◽  
Concise Definition

The paper offers a definition of cosmology and its connections with mythology, and presents contemporary theories as a secular mythical narrative suitable for anthropological analysis. The paper is dedicated to emphasizing the folklore characteristics of modern cosmology and points to the importance of popular cosmological narratives as reading that contains culturally, philosophically and even religiously relevant elements. Special attention is paid to cosmogonic myths that describe the state of the universe before the creation of space and time. A parallel has been drawn between modern cosmology and conventional cosmogonic myths. In the end, the paper offers a concise definition of popular cosmology and recalls the most important authors and popularizers of modern theories. The main task of the paper is to present the basic concepts that can contribute to a complete understanding of the anthropological character of the presentation of contemporary cosmology that we encounter in popular narratives. The aim of such an analysis is to observe the depth of the significance of modern science for creating a philosophical picture of the world that inherits secular worldviews. By treating popular cosmology as a modern myth, the paper presents a new dimension of the significance of scientific theories for today's civilization. Such an approach unravels the strictly positivist halo of cosmology and points to its anthropological character. The concepts highlighted in the paper serve as an illustration of the significance that the image of the universe and the position of the Earth has for the history of civilization. By presenting the cultural dimension of cosmology, it opens a space for dialogue between different branches of scientific research, i.e. it contributes to the communication of philosophy and science. Equally important, by illuminating the folklore character of the narrative of the origin and history of the universe, a training ground is created for philosophers and theologians who, in their own ways, interpret the creation of everything around us. By drawing attention to authors such as Neil deGrasse Tyson, Lawrence Kraus, Stephen Hawking, Michio Kaku and others, as contemporary bards and narrators, the paper seeks to contribute to the understanding of popular cosmology as an expression of modern man's need for great stories, for narratives that transcend the spatial and temporal frames of one generation, and that is exactly what myths do.

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