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161 The Objectives for Creating this Universe

Dear Friends,
Assalamu Alaikum,
Alhamdulillah, there are literally hundreds of Madrasahs or schools of religious learning for
Muslims; you may even refer to them as the seminaries of the Muslims. There is this observable
trend where more and more Muslims are opting for Madrasah learning, as against secular
education. This is not merely a social or a community trend confined to Sri Lanka only, but it is
an observable global phenomenon.
It is common knowledge that Islam does not encourage or does not have room for a priestly class
of Muslims. All Muslims are required to be seekers and every Muslim is required to help others to
seek and to learn.
However a thought that disturbs me is that I find that those students who pass out of the Madrasah
rather than becoming seekers of knowledge, they are sucked in to a system that transforms them
to vociferous teachers and preachers.
As I have mentioned, this is disturbing. Therefore the gist of all these talks in this series Pleasing
Madrasah Reforms is to encourage or to motivate the administrators of the Madrasahs as well as
the students to becoming seekers and learners lifelong seekers and learners.
The research and the emerging answers are truly exciting!
In my last two talks, I first brought up the rather perplexing puzzle Is GOD just or unjust? and
then followed that talk up with a talk titled Opportunity to be forgiven
I now continue the drift of the earlier talks and I am now trying to find out what happened before
we arrived on or was placed on this Earth. The evidence or the pointers would be from what we
observe and from the Aayaths of the Quran.
There are two ways of observing this Universe.
The first way could be described as the view of an Atheist.
The Atheists view would be that everything in this Universe happens by random chaos, but there
is an order to that chaos, a sort of a balancing of a multiplicity of elements, objects and forces.
The second way would be to view the observable Universe and to reach a conclusion that there is
too much order in the Universe or this to be just a series of cosmic coincidences arising out of
random chaos. There is compelling evidence to demonstrate design in everything and that
design is not just hodgepodge design but brilliantly and meticulously planned design.
Now out of the two ways of viewing the observable Universe, obviously the second way or the
viewing with the belief that there has to be a planner a designer a creator a manager a sustainer etc
and all these are roles or attributes of one beneficent and gracious GOD is really the more
interesting one. It is the more intellectually stimulating premise.
So when we believe that there is an all-powerful God there automatically arises many questions.
If there is a GOD, then there has to be a purpose or even many synchronized purposes to
everything.
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So then we begin to seek out these purposes or these objectives.

Let me voice a few of them;
Why has God created this whole universe?
Is there really a plan for this Universe and for everything in it?
On a more personal level, Is there a plan for my life?
Are these not the most important question I can ever ask?
Then there are other questions.
Is the future yet to be written, or is it already written?
Do I have free will?
Who am I?
Am I just a biological machine?
Then why do I have consciousness?
What is consciousness?
How do I find out?
Would I learn all these answers after I die?
Then what is the use of learning these answers after I die?
Is it not more useful if I knew the answers to these questions whilst I am alive, whilst it could be
useful to me, useful to fulfilling the purpose of my life?
Oh, there are so many questions!
We are seeking out these answers from the Aayaths of the Quran.
In my last talk titled Opportunity to be forgiven (this was talk No 160) I was able to point out
Aayaths of the Quran that instructed us about a future life after death and also some Aayaths of
the Quran that instructed us about events that took place before we arrived on this Earth or were
placed on this Earth.
So today let us try to work out through the Aayaths of the Quran what happened in the past.
Let us try to work out as to what happened before we arrived on Planet Earth or the events that led
to us being sent to or being placed on Planet Earth.
Exciting isnt it?
It is an adventure that is more exciting than some popular science fiction because now it is not
fiction it is reality, it is the truth. The really exciting part is that we are involved not just as
participants but actually as stakeholders!
We have to work it out through the evidence pointed out to us in the Quran.
From where do we begin our seeking?
Let us begin with the creation of the Heavens and the Earth or in other words the creation of the
Universe.
Let us study the pointers or the Aayaths of the Quran, along with the evidence from the world of
science.
We have all heard about the Big Bang theory.
This is how Wikipedia describes the Big Bang theory.
The Big Bang is the scientific theory that is most consistent with observations of the past and
present states of the universe, and it is widely accepted within the scientific community.
It offers a comprehensive explanation for a broad range of observed phenomena
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According to this theory the Universe began around 13.7 Billion Years ago.
Before this Big Bang this Universe was just not there.
From an infinitesimal dot, referred to as a singularity, suddenly this whole Universe exploded into
being so we call it the Big Bang however there was no noise.
Where did this take place?
Now that too is a big puzzle. If there was no universe then there was no space.
So in other words there was no space for it to happen.
Ever since that Big Bang, over these 13.7 Billion years, the Universe is undergoing changes and is
continuing to expand.
It is predicted that this expansion cannot continue indefinitely and at one point in the future the
Universe would reach its limits of expansion and then it would implode or would roll back to its
original condition. This future event is termed the Big Crunch
Now the Quran describes these developments. The Big Bang, the continuously expanding
Universe and the final Big Crunch is pointed out to us in 3 Aayaths, as follows;
In the past or in the beginning there was this Big Bang;
S Al Anbiya

(21:30) Did the disbelievers not observe that

the heavens and the earth were closed,

then We opened them?

The main phrases from that Aayath in this case would be:

(
) means the heavens and the earth were closed


( ) Kaanathaa RathQan - means a closed entity, and

(
) FafathaQnaa Humaa - means, we opened them.

After this Big Bang there is continuous expansion we could call this the present state;
S Adh Dhaariyaath
(51:47) And the sky was built by Us with
might; and indeed We are the expanders.

(

)Was Samaaa banaiynaaHa bi aiydhin

and the sky we constructed it with might

(
) wa innaa lamoosighoon

and definitely (or surely) we (are) surely (its) expanders

This expansion would reach its limits and in the future there would be this Big Crunch or the
rolling back
S Al Anbiya

(21:104) - the Day when We roll up the

sky like a scroll rolls up the writings.
(

) Yauwma naTHwis Samaaa

the day we fold up the skies

) KaTHaiyyis sijilli lil kuthubi

(

like (the) folding (of) the scrolls for records

Is that not how the Big Bang theory describes what would happen when the limits of this
expansion is reached?
So now comes the interesting part;

The Universe or what Allah describes as the (

) As Samaawaathi Wal Ardhla has

been created and according to scientific evidence that event took place around 13.7 Billion years
ago.
Now I believe in God I believe in Allah, so I ask the questions;

Why was this Universe created?

Why is this Universe going to be destroyed?
Surely there has to be purpose for this massive universe containing a multiplicity of mind
boggling processes and phenomena?
What was there before this Universe was created?
What happened in the pre Universe days for God or for Allah to plan, design and create
this Universe?
Let me explain my thoughts.
God has always been there. He has no beginning nor does He have an ending.
So though the Universe came in to existence 13.7 Billion years ago, God had been present even
before that event.
So if before this Big Bang or prior to 13.7 Billion years ago, this Universe was not present or not
even created, and this space the Universe is now occupying was also just not present, then where
was GOD?
Surely He has to have been somewhere?
Then what happened or what was happening in that somewhere?
Surely something very dramatic must have taken place in that somewhere for God to decide and
then to plan and design and create and sustain this amazing Universe?
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So what happened before the Big Bang?

What were the events that led to God creating this Universe?
Now let us read some of the Aayaths of the Quran or some of the Pointers in the Quran as to the
objectives of creation.
First let us read those Aayaths that point out to us the objectives or the purpose of the creation of
the Heavens and the Earth or the Universe. Allah describes the Universe
as a combination of the (
) Ardhlu
) Samaawaathu and the (

I have counted 129 Aayaths in the Quran where the Samaawaath and the Ardhlu are mentioned.
Out of which I have selected a few Aayaths that describe some of the objectives.
Objective No 1
S Al Jaathiya
(45:22) Allah has created the heavens and the
earth with just purpose, and so that
everybody is recompensed for what he (or
she) earned, and they will not be wronged.

So the objective of creating the (

) As Samaawaathi Wal Ardhla is to give

recompense for what everyone has earned (
) .

Now this phrase is in the past tense or the perfect tense which means that the action is already
completed or in other words we are going to get recompense for what we have already earned.
So I ask earned where?
Does it not indicate that we have earned something, good or evil, (which we do not know), and it
is to give recompense to those earnings that this entire Universe has been created?
Does that not indicate that we have been present in some other Universe before this Universe was
created?
You may ask What other Universe or Universes?
It does not surprise me to now read and learn that physicists have collected formidable volume of
evidence to demonstrate the possibility of the existence of Multiple Universes or what they refer
to as the Multiverse. The String Theory is the new chapter of scientific knowledge that explains
the evidence and the many theories that explain the presence of these Multiple Universes and the
phenomena surrounding them.
Suddenly, I begin to discern some sense in the story of creation as described in the Aayaths of the
Quran but then there is so much more to learn so many more questions.
So let us look at another objective read some of the other Aayaths.
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Objective No 2
Aayath No 10 of Surah Ibrahim actually lists more than 1 objective.
Let us read one out of them;
(14:10)- Part a - Their prophets said, Is it in
Allah that you have some doubt,
who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth?

(14:10)- Part b He calls you,

so that He may forgive you of your sins
and give you respite up to a specified term.

In this Aayath Allah instructs us about another objective of creating the Heavens and the Earth
(
) so that He may forgive you of your sins.

(
) Min Zunoobikum means of your sins

Does this not indicate sins already committed or accumulated?

Does this not indicate that these sins were committed or accumulated before the creation of this
Universe?!!
So I ask What sins? Committed when and where?
So does this not also indicate that we are being placed on Earth to give us an opportunity to get
our sins forgiven? Interesting isnt it?

Objective No 3
S Al Hijr
(15:85) We did not create the heavens and
the earth and all that is in between them
without a truthful purpose.

In this Aayath we find an objective of creating the (

) As Samaawaathi Wal

Ardhla the Heavens and the Earth and everything in between is for Haqq.

Now this is translated as a rightful purpose, but when reading this along with the objective of
giving recompense for what we earned, do we not realize that the purpose of this creation is to
establish the truth? Establish the Haqq?

Actually there are more than one Aayath in the Quran that indicates that this Universe has been
created for establishing the Haqq. I have counted 5 such Aayaths.
So does this not indicate that we have earned good or evil in some Universe before this Universe
was created and the purpose of creating this Universe is to establish the truth of what has
happened and to recompense us all for what we have earned?
Makes sense doesnt it?
But then the idea is so fantastic, so wonderful and so absorbing.
There is so much to learn.
Let us now read another objective of the creation of the Heavens and the Earth or the creation of
this Universe.

Objective No 4.
S Al AhQaaf
(46:3) We did not create the heavens and
the earth and all that is between them

but with true purpose and for a specified

term.

There are two Aayaths in the Quran that instructs us that the Heavens and the Earth was created

) and this objective is combined with the words ( ) Wa Ajalim

for Bil Haqq (

Musamma translated as a specified term or a specified time

What is (
) Ajalim MuSsamma?

It appears 16 times in the Quran and refers to a specified time period.

This Aayath from Surah Nuh gives us more insight.
(71:4) and Allah will forgive you your sins,
and will respite you to an appointed term.

What is interesting here is that in the Quran Allah instructs us on two time periods or two terms
The first is the term or the time period of respite granted to Shaithaan, which Allah refers in Surah
Swaadh S No 38

(38:79) He said, O my Rabb, then give me

respite till the day they are raised again.

(38:80) He said, Then, you have been given

respite,

(38:81) until the Day of the Appointed Time.

So Allah uses the phrase (

) Ajalim MuSsamma, and when referring to the period of

time for the existence of the Heavens and Earth and even us Humans whilst Allah uses the phrase
(
) Yauwmil Waqthil Maghloom, which is translated as the day of the appointed

time when referring to the period of time for which Shaithaan is given respite.
When we read this do we not wonder why or what could be the difference?

These are the areas or the questions to which we should seek the answers Insha Allah!

We have now read and identified 3 objectives for the creation of the (

) As
Samaawaathi Wal Ardhla the Heavens and the Earth or the Universe.

So that everybody is recompensed for what he (or she) earned

No 1

(
) .

so that He may forgive you of your sins

No 2
No 3

Establish Haqq or to Establish the Truth (

With true purpose and for a specified term

No 4

Objective No 5
To Test Us.
(11:7) He is the One who created the
heavens and the earth
in six days, while His throne was on water,
so that He might test you as to who among
you is better in deed.

So another objective of creating this Universe or the Heavens and the Earth (

)
As Samaawaathi Wal Ardhla is to test who amongst us is better or good

in their deeds (
) Ahsanu Amala

Let us chart out the objectives and see could be the reason or what is being pointed out by these
objectives
So that everybody is recompensed for what he (or she) earned
No 1

(
) .

so that He may forgive you of your sins

No 2
No 3

Establish Haqq or to Establish the Truth (

With true purpose and for a specified term

No 4
No 5

so that He might test you as to who among you is better in deed. (

Objectives No 6
Here is another objective that is read from Aayath No 10 of Surah Ibrahim;
(14:10)- Part a - Their prophets said, Is it in
Allah that you have some doubt,
who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth?
(14:10)- Part b He calls you,
so that He may forgive you of your sins
and give you respite up to a specified term.

In this Aayath Allah instructs us about the creation of the Heavens and the Earth and then He
instructs us (
) which is translated as He calls us.

Does this not indicate that He calls us to observe the creation of the Heavens and the Earth the

(
) and through observe His signs or His Aayath to recognize Him and to

respond to His call?

So that everybody is recompensed for what he (or she) earned

No 1

(
) .

so that He may forgive you of your sins

No 2

10

No 3

Establish Haqq or to Establish the Truth (

With true purpose and for a specified term

No 4

No 5

so that He might test you as to who among you is better in deed. (

No 6

He calls us (

Alhamdulillah, there would be many more objectives, however these few Aayaths do make us
think about other Universes and the possibility that we had been present even before the creation
of this Universe. This question actually opens up a plethora of other related questions.
Insha Allah I hope to continue with this rather interesting and exciting topic next week too.
I sincerely pray and hope that all of you benefit from these articles as much as I benefit from
preparing and then presenting these articles to you.
May Allah Taaalah guide us all and accept us all.
Jazza Kalla Khairan.
Assalamu Alaikum
Imtiaz Muhsin
Colombo Sri Lanka
crescent786@hotmail.com
You Tube Channel - HaneefanMusliman

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