Reply to Bill Nye - The Science Guy

THE UNSEEN

11:123 And Allah's is the Al-Ghaib of the heavens and the earth, and unto Him the whole matter will be returned. So worship Him and put thy trust in Him. Lo! thy Lord is not unaware of what ye (mortals) do.

Al-Ghaib.  Al-Ghaib is something much talked about by Muslims and others.  It has been translated as “The Hidden,” “The Unseen,” “The Invisible,” and various other such concepts.  However, to more fully understand this tasawwir (concept), we need to look at what Allah has paired it with. 

6:73 He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in truth. In the day when He saith: Be! it is. His Word is the Truth, and His will be the Sovereignty on the day when the trumpet is blown. Knower of al-Ghaib and al-Shahadah, He is the Wise, the Aware.

39:46 O Allah! Creator of the heavens and the earth! All-Knower of the Ghaib (Unseen) and al-Shahadah! You will judge between your slaves about that wherein they used to differ." 

Al Ghaib is the opposite of al Shahadah.  Al Shahadah means that which is perceivable, “witnessable,”  attainable by the senses directly.  We can detect it with our five senses, even if we do require special tools such as telescopes or microscopes to “see” it.

Al Ghaib, then, is something that is not directly perceivable.  We cannot see, hear, smell, taste or feel it and we cannot detect it with any special tools.  It is unperceivable directly.

Does this mean that humans cannot “know” anything of al-Ghaib?

Allah SWT tells us:

He is the only one who has true knowledge of al-Ghaib.

2:33 … He said: Did I not tell you that I know the secret of the heavens and the earth ? And I know that which ye disclose and which ye hide.

6:59 And with Him are the keys of the Invisible. None but He knoweth them. And He knoweth what is in the land and the sea. Not a leaf falleth but He knoweth it, not a grain amid the darkness of the earth, naught of wet or dry but (it is noted) in a clear record.

Humans, on the other hand do not have direct knowledge of Al-Ghaib, but we are capable of believing in it.  In fact, belief in the Al-Ghaib is one of the attributes of a Muslim.

2:1 Alif. Lam. Mim.

2 This is the Scripture whereof there is no doubt, a guidance unto those who ward off (evil).

3 Who believe in the Unseen, and establish worship, and spend of that We have bestowed upon them;

But Allah SWT also lets us know that He can reveal something of the knowledge of al-Ghaib to people.

3:44 This is of the tidings of things hidden. We reveal it unto thee (Muhammad). Thou wast not present with them when they threw their pens (to know) which of them should be the guardian of Mary, nor wast thou present with them when they quarrelled (thereupon).  

So Allah SWT revealed something of al-Ghaib to the Prophet Muhammad when he informed him via wahy (revelation) of the history of Mary and Jesus (AS). 

3:179 It is not (the purpose) of Allah to leave you in your present state till He shall separate the wicked from the good. And it is not (the purpose of) Allah to let you know the Unseen. But Allah chooseth of His messengers whom He will, (to receive knowledge thereof). So believe in Allah and His messengers. If ye believe and ward off (evil), yours will be a vast reward.

In response to disbelievers, Allah SWT says that He will not allow those who do evil to get away with their evil.  He will separate the wicked people from those who have believed in Him and behaved justly in this world.  He then says, He does not reveal the Al-Ghaib to those who are wicked.  But He chooses to reveal such matters to those whom He chooses, and not to just anyone who thinks he wants it.  Knowledge is in His hands, not ours.  And He does reveal it to messengers and to those who believe in Him.

27:65 Say: "None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib (Unseen) except Allah, nor can they perceive when they shall be resurrected." 

We also know in Surah al-Kahf, that Allah SWT revealed something of Al-Ghaib to the one who met Musa. 

18:65  Then found they one of Our slaves, unto whom We had given mercy from Us, and had taught him knowledge from Our presence.

The one we often refer to as al-Khidr had been given knowledge, revealed knowledge by Allah of certain matters, such as the presence of the pirate king, the evil disposition of the young boy, and the buried treasure of the orphans.  He had a more complete picture of reality than Musa (AS) and so he was able to look at the totality of the circumstances, and make judgments taking into account full equity and justice, not just the limited evidence available under Shariah.

Some have looked at this story as an illustration of the difference between Allah’s capacity as Judge to know our intent and to take intent into consideration, and a human judge’s limitation to only consider actions under Shariah, for he cannot judge intent, only evidence of actions.

SCIENCE AND THE UNSEEN

For centuries, religion dominated the Western view of the Universe.  Based on the philosophy and metaphysics of Plato and Aristotle, as well as the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament, accepted by both the Catholic Church and Rabbinical Judaism, Western thinkers held that the Universe was created by God.

In the late 1800’s Charles Darwin posited new theories regarding the creation of animals and plants that did not factor in the Hand of God.  The idea that change could occur in the Universe without the direct intervention of God caused considerable controversy, a situation that persists today. 

With the evolutionary theories posited by Darwin, and the mechanism of that theory, Natural Selection, many began to doubt the very existence of God.  Time magazine asked in 1966, “Is God Dead?”  And many turned to a new religion – the religion of materialism and science. 

This doctrine of materialism has gone by various monikers over the years.  The basic doctrine is that there is no God.  The adherents of this philosophy claim to be atheistic.  Everything is material, and has only material attributes.  Because of the Law of Causation, then many materialist hold that behavior is caused, not free.  Where no free will is possible, how can a person be held accountable for their actions?  It would be unjust. 

In the case of Leopold and Lobe, Clarence Darrow argued that the court should take determinism into consideration in determining the sentence of the two wealthy teenagers who unremorsefully killed a 14-year old.  Because of the popularity of this notion at the time, the boys avoided the death penalty.

The same materialistic philosophy provided the foundation for modern metaphysics, including the theories of the creation of the Universe.  The Universe was seen as infinite, with no beginning or end, and change within it was caused by laws of physics. 

In his rejection of the idea of Divine creation of the Universe, a scientist once posited that if the Universe was created by God, then it would have been come into being instantaneously out of nothing.

Then, in 1927, Georges Lemaître first proposed what became the Big Bang theory in what he called his "hypothesis of the primeval atom.”  As we now understand this theory, for evidence provided by the Hubble Telescope and other astronomical equipment, the Universe began 13.798 billion years ago, by a great instantaneous explosion of matter from an initial singularity, having no extension or duration.  Since that event, the Universe has continued to expand as to extent and duration.  

The scientists studying this aspect of the Universe, then began to wonder if the expansion would just continue until all was dark, or would the Universe come back together again at some point.

“In the early 1990's, one thing was fairly certain about the expansion of the Universe. It might have enough energy density to stop its expansion and recollapse, it might have so little energy density that it would never stop expanding, but gravity was certain to slow the expansion as time went on. Granted, the slowing had not been observed, but, theoretically, the Universe had to slow. The Universe is full of matter and the attractive force of gravity pulls all matter together. Then came 1998 and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations of very distant supernovae that showed that, a long time ago, the Universe was actually expanding more slowly than it is today. So the expansion of the Universe has not been slowing due to gravity, as everyone thought, it has been accelerating. No one expected this, no one knew how to explain it. But something was causing it.

“Eventually theorists came up with three sorts of explanations. Maybe it was a result of a long-discarded version of Einstein's theory of gravity, one that contained what was called a "cosmological constant." Maybe there was some strange kind of energy-fluid that filled space. Maybe there is something wrong with Einstein's theory of gravity and a new theory could include some kind of field that creates this cosmic acceleration. Theorists still don't know what the correct explanation is, but they have given the solution a name. It is called dark energy.” (NASA website -  http://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/what-is-dark-energy/)

“One explanation for dark energy is that it is a property of space. Albert Einstein was the first person to realize that empty space is not nothing. Space has amazing properties, many of which are just beginning to be understood. The first property that Einstein discovered is that it is possible for more space to come into existence. Then one version of Einstein's gravity theory, the version that contains a cosmological constant, makes a second prediction: "empty space" can possess its own energy. Because this energy is a property of space itself, it would not be diluted as space expands. As more space comes into existence, more of this energy-of-space would appear. As a result, this form of energy would cause the Universe to expand faster and faster. Unfortunately, no one understands why the cosmological constant should even be there, much less why it would have exactly the right value to cause the observed acceleration of the Universe. 

“Another explanation for how space acquires energy comes from the quantum theory of matter. In this theory, "empty space" is actually full of temporary ("virtual") particles that continually form and then disappear. But when physicists tried to calculate how much energy this would give empty space, the answer came out wrong - wrong by a lot. The number came out 10¹²⁰ times too big. That's a 1 with 120 zeros after it. It's hard to get an answer that bad. So the mystery continues.

“Another explanation for dark energy is that it is a new kind of dynamical energy fluid or field, something that fills all of space but something whose effect on the expansion of the Universe is the opposite of that of matter and normal energy. Some theorists have named this "quintessence," after the fifth element of the Greek philosophers. But, if quintessence is the answer, we still don't know what it is like, what it interacts with, or why it exists. So the mystery continues.

“A last possibility is that Einstein's theory of gravity is not correct. That would not only affect the expansion of the Universe, but it would also affect the way that normal matter in galaxies and clusters of galaxies behaved. This fact would provide a way to decide if the solution to the dark energy problem is a new gravity theory or not: we could observe how galaxies come together in clusters. But if it does turn out that a new theory of gravity is needed, what kind of theory would it be? How could it correctly describe the motion of the bodies in the Solar System, as Einstein's theory is known to do, and still give us the different prediction for the Universe that we need? There are candidate theories, but none are compelling. So the mystery continues.”  (NASA website -  http://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/what-is-dark-energy/)

What is most interesting about these new metaphysical theories, -  and here we should define metaphysics properly as the study of that which is “beyond” the physics.  It includes Cosmology, Ontology, Theory of Knowledge and other such basic philosophical foundationals, - these new theories posit something existing that is “dark.”  Dark energy and dark matter are not directly perceivable.  Their presence is confirmed, not by taste, touch, sight, smell or hearing, but by their effects on perceivable matter.

Allah SWT tells us that there is al-Shahadah, the perceivable, and al-Ghaib, the non-perceivable.  The only way we can “know” al-Ghaib is indirectly, by observing its effects upon the Universe.   Allah SWT tells us we can “know” of His presence, due to His Ayat, His Signs in the Universe and in ourselves.  Again, we cannot see, hear, taste, touch or smell Allah, but that does not mean we cannot indirectly “know” of His actuality by observing the signs in the Universe and in ourselves.  

Here also, science is showing us there signs in the Universe of something that is “Unseen.”
What is the difference between “belief” in Dark Energy and Dark Matter, and belief in Allah SWT?   Why is one rational, and the other deemed irrational?  Why is one accepted by materialists, and the other not?
Perhaps the materialists need to take a clear-headed look at their own religion, the religion of science and its beliefs.  Is the current evolutionary theory, with its fortuitous random jumps that “explain” the lack of gradual evolution, any more reasonable than “intelligence guidance?”  Is the current theory of the Big Bang any more reasonable than instantaneous creation by Allah SWT? 

ATHEISM OR ANTI-CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE

Many of the arguments of Atheists and Materialists for their positions assume only one definition or conception of God.  The Atheists and Materialists have made a theistic choice.  In refuting the existence of God, they have chosen to define God using only a Christian conception.  They assume that the only religion that could be “right”, if any are right, is Christianity.  They do not even entertain any other conception held by any other religion.  They dismiss all other religions out of hand, because only Western Christianity could possibly be right.  Therefore, if it is determined to be wrong, then all conceptions of God or other religious positions are also wrong.

The Atheists and Materialists are so blinded by Western arrogance, they are unable to remove their biases, bigoted, blinders and even consider other conceptions of God.  What about Zoroastrian conceptions, Coptic Christian conceptions, Hindu conceptions, Buddhist conceptions, Islamic conceptions.  In particular, we find their complete refusal to even consider a conception of God that many consider to not be man-made, but to have been provided by God Himself, to be the height of utter hubris.

Allah SWT revealed the Qur’an to Muhammad over 1400 years ago.  Unlike any other religious text, it is not the story of men’s experiences with God, but God’s experiences with us.  He tells us about Himself.  He is one, He is the one on whom all depend.  He begets not, nor is He begotten, and there is none like unto Him.  Muslims will recognize this as the jist of Surah Al-Ikhlas.  Here, Allah SWT says that He is singular and that everything is dependant on Him.  He is unique.  He has no beginning and no end, and He does not beget.  He does Create.  And He created the Universe in a single instant.
“And the heaven We created with might, and indeed We are (its) expander.” (Quran 51:47)
“Is not He who created the heavens and the earth Able to create the likes of them?  Yes; and He is the Knowing Creator. His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” (Quran 36:81-82)

Hey Bill Nye

Lately, Bill Nye has been hitting the airwaves, debating the teaching of evolution and science in schools.  Based on this arrogant, ethnocentric, bigotry, this practice is disrespectful and even dangerous.
First, science is based on inductive logic.  Specific instances or specific evidences are assembled to produce a probability that a particular theory is true or false.  Nothing is ever certain or “proven” in science, only more or less probable.  For more on this I would recommend reading David Hume, and some of the Pragmatic philosophers, such as one of my venerable professors, Carl Hempel. 
So, as Hume points out, scientific theories are no more “supported” than religious beliefs.  Both are probable, and often equally probable, as in the comparison between current evolutionary theory and “intelligent design.”

Second, to promote this materialistic conception of the Universe ignores evidence of al-Ghaib posited by scientists themselves.  Moreover, it ignores emotion, and ethics.  Like Clarence Darrow in Leopold and Lobe, we ask if everything is merely a bunch of swirling electrons, why should we be held accountable for our actions?  There is no good or bad, or evil.  Why shouldn’t a poor homeless man kill a rich secular humanists for his money?  Don’t they each deserve to have paradise of earth?  Why be socially responsible? Why care for the environment?  

Finally, what is the point?  Why shouldn’t youth kill themselves?  We are all just spinning electrons.  We have no “feelings,” no “life.”  What is life?  Self-replication? Why isn’t a rock alive? Is the fact that I can have sex the only purpose I have in life?  So why do anything else?  Are we but rocks that can fuck?
Allah created man and jinn to worship – amana – to love each other, and Allah.  

Allah tells us in the Qur’an that hell will be filled with men and stones.  He also says some stones gush forth water and some quake at the mere thought of Allah.  So who are these stones in hell?  Perhaps they are but men who have stripped themselves of all humanity.