So... Don't get me wrong but... Why Earth?

[Pegg]

So what is the rest of the wide out universe for?

i dont know

I think the stars and planets are quiet beautiful to look at, perhaps God likes beautiful things

he may have a plan to have them inhabited by living things in the future

 

[tariqkhwaja]

why then do many muslims pray in the direction of mecca? or why did jews pray toward the temple in jerusalem? they face in one direction and away from another.

(qiblah = direction of prayer = mecca)

[2:143] The foolish among the people will say: ‘What has turned them away from their Qiblah which they followed?’ Say: ‘To Allah belong the East and the West. He guides whom He pleases to the right path.’

Turning face towards the Qiblah is only to point towards the Unity of God and the objective of Islam ... i.e. to unify mankind as brothers. That should not suggest that the East and West don't belong to Allah or that he doesn't care about them. But one point was chosen on our planet to be the unifying point for mankind.

And the millions from all walks of life converge on that point daily whether in their homes or by travelling to that point.

 

[Gaura Priya]

As has been pointed out by Gaura Priya, some scriptures do indicate other planets, and some even other universes.

:takeabow:

Om tat sat!

 

[vnct]

(qiblah = direction of prayer = mecca)

Turning face towards the Qiblah is only to point towards the Unity of God and the objective of Islam ... i.e. to unify mankind as brothers. That should not suggest that the East and West don't belong to Allah or that he doesn't care about them.

so what does Islam do with the other religions then? for example, hunduism, buddhism, judaism, christianity? are these accepted/integrated into Islam?

But one point was chosen on our planet to be the unifying point for mankind.

And the millions from all walks of life converge on that point daily whether in their homes or by travelling to that point.

how was this one point/location for the unity of humankind selected? why not alaska, africa, asia or australia as the one point? does the koran suggest this one point? how do we know?

 

[Photonic]

Assalamualaikum.

The second verse in the first chapter of Islam reveals:
"All Praise Belongs to Allah; The Lord of All the Worlds"

As the complete religion which was meant for all mankind and not a certain people Islam very early eliminated any ideas that God was limited to a certain people (Jews, Hindus, etc.), humans, animals, organisms or even Earth. Rather it is stated early on that God is the Lord of ALL the Worlds. And even if aliens were to be contacted in the future (as some believe they already have been) this statement and many others of the Quran would have already covered that possibility.

It is also interesting to note to your reply that Muslims' holy Black Stone in Kaaba, Mecca, Saudi Arabia is a meteor as explained in the Qura'an and agreed upon by many scientists.

Meteorite* and I didn't know that the most holy object of Islam was a meteorite.

Also note that the Qu'ran was written at a time where it was understood that there was more than one planet. So yea...


So in light of that, those aliens must also must have a faith that is similar to Islam in their society or else your statement would no longer stand. Best hope we never come into contact with aliens.

 

[tariqkhwaja]

Meteorite* and I didn't know that the most holy object of Islam was a meteorite.

Also note that the Qu'ran was written at a time where it was understood that there was more than one planet. So yea...


So in light of that, those aliens must also must have a faith that is similar to Islam in their society or else your statement would no longer stand. Best hope we never come into contact with aliens.

Really? I didn't know it was understood as such 1400 years ago. I thought they still believed the sun revolved around the Earth back then.
And even if it was understood in some advanced laboratories I doubt that information was published and spread.
And even if it was published and spread I doubt it reached the backward lands and tribes of Mecca.
And even if it reached Mecca I seriously doubt Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who was an unlettered human being had any knowledge of it. To think people in that time could envisage the concept of aliens is really a huge leap of faith. And to think a man who was not divinely guided would have foreseen such a possibility and made it part of sacred text is really a huge leap of faith into atheism.

In any case no I doubt the religion of aliens would be Islam. God belongs to All the Worlds. Islam however is for human beings of planet Earth. That is what I think at least.

 

[tariqkhwaja]

so what does Islam do with the other religions then? for example, hunduism, buddhism, judaism, christianity? are these accepted/integrated into Islam?

Their original versions are accepted and integrated. But their corrupted versions, of course, can not be accepted or integrated into perfection.

how was this one point/location for the unity of humankind selected? why not alaska, africa, asia or australia as the one point? does the koran suggest this one point? how do we know?

Quran suggests this point (it is in the verses following the one I quoted).

Why this location was selected as opposed to others? That is a question I can't really answer.
But the need for a single point to be selected for mankind to turn to as a display of unity and brotherhood ... that I hope I have answered.

 

[Breathe]

Islam very early eliminated any ideas that God was limited to a certain people (Jews, Hindus, etc.),

Let me be clear:

Hinduism has never said God was limited to a certain people.
Nor just people.
Nor that life is only on Earth.

 

[Photonic]

Really? I didn't know it was understood as such 1400 years ago. I thought they still believed the sun revolved around the Earth back then.
And even if it was understood in some advanced laboratories I doubt that information was published and spread.
And even if it was published and spread I doubt it reached the backward lands and tribes of Mecca.
And even if it reached Mecca I seriously doubt Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who was an unlettered human being had any knowledge of it. To think people in that time could envisage the concept of aliens is really a huge leap of faith. And to think a man who was not divinely guided would have foreseen such a possibility and made it part of sacred text is really a huge leap of faith into atheism.

In any case no I doubt the religion of aliens would be Islam. God belongs to All the Worlds. Islam however is for human beings of planet Earth. That is what I think at least.

*Sigh* Ok I will educate you, though I have a feeling it will fall on deaf ears.

Babylon
Main article: Babylonian astronomy
The first civilization known to possess a functional theory of the planets were the Babylonians, who lived in Mesopotamia in the first and second millennia BC. The oldest surviving planetary astronomical text is the Babylonian Venus tablet of Ammisaduqa, a 7th century BC copy of a list of observations of the motions of the planet Venus, that probably dates as early as the second millennium BC.[11] The Babylonian astrologers also laid the foundations of what would eventually become Western astrology.[12] The Enuma anu enlil, written during the Neo-Assyrian period in the 7th century BC,[13] comprises a list of omens and their relationships with various celestial phenomena including the motions of the planets.[14]
The Sumerians, predecessors of the Babylonians who are considered as one of the first civilizations and are credited with the invention of writing, had identified at least Venus by 1500 BC.[15] Shortly afterwards, the other inner planet Mercury and the outer planets Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were all identified by Babylonian astronomers. These would remain the only known planets until the invention of the telescope in early modern times.[16]

Also, the Hindu's have you beat by several hundred years too. Wouldn't that make THEIR religion the true one, in your eyes?

Planet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[9Westy9]

Because humans like to think of themselves as important. For instance we used to believe that the earth was the centre of the universe

 

[BruceDLimber]

So waht is the rest of the wide universe for?

The scriptures I endeavor to follow say it's all for our training (presumably sooner or later).

Peace,

Bruce

 

[BruceDLimber]

so what does Islam do with the other religions then? For example, hunduism, buddhism, judaism, christianity--are these accepted/integrated into Islam?

Some are accepted; some are not.

And the Baha'i Faith in particular is explicitly rejected (by many Muslims) and indeed, persecuted in a few countries such that it's worth your life to be a Baha'i! Many have been imprisoned, and hundreds executed over the past 30 or so years, solely for their religion.

Peace,

Bruce

 

[tariqkhwaja]

*Sigh* Ok I will educate you, though I have a feeling it will fall on deaf ears.


Also, the Hindu's have you beat by several hundred years too. Wouldn't that make THEIR religion the true one, in your eyes?

Planet - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The following is from Lane Arabic to English dictionary:

Ayn-Lam-Miim = to mark/sign/distinguish, creations/beings, world, science/learning/knowledge/information, aware/know. By means of which one knows a thing, hence it signifies world or creation, because by it the Creator is known. alim (pl. ulama) - one who is learned/wise or knows.

http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume5/00000426.pdf

So if you are right and our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) knew about planets still the definition of the word "Aalam" includes universes and more.

To suggest Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) anticipated these possibilities that are being discovered by science today ... huge suggestion.

 

[Photonic]

The following is from Lane Arabic to English dictionary:

http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume5/00000426.pdf

So if you are right and our Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) knew about planets still the definition of the word "Aalam" includes universes and more.

To suggest Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) anticipated these possibilities that are being discovered by science today ... huge suggestion.

Yet so many people have beaten him to it without direct observation. Why are their views any less prominent than his? Because you do not wish it to be so.

We are not discovering that which is in the Qu'ran, we are discovering more of that which was discovered long before Islam existed.

Is Hinduism less valid? It postulated that the universe expanded from a single event. Why are they wrong?

 

[tariqkhwaja]

Yet so many people have beaten him to it without direct observation. Why are their views any less prominent than his? Because you do not wish it to be so.

We are not discovering that which is in the Qu'ran, we are discovering more of that which was discovered long before Islam existed.

Is Hinduism less valid? It postulated that the universe expanded from a single event. Why are they wrong?

Firstly, I'd like to see Vedic references to what you claim.

Secondly, since I believe Hinduism to be originally a true religion it really does not bother me that some of its true teachings are preserved today. Including prophecies about there being other planets or the expansion of the universe.

So really what is the argument you are making here? Islam is correct in its conclusion of other universes. So is Hinduism (if it is indeed so). Where lies the problem?

 

[Hawkins]

The Bible itself has already provided an answer.

Planet earth is God's field of harvest. He planted seeds here and thus He will keep an eye on earth. And the Bible used "this creation" to describe us (i.e. humans and planet earth and a 3D space containing both). The Bible also said that because we can't even believe earthly things He taught, He thus won't tell about heavenly things. So if your question is if there's some other creations exist in other parts of this universe or in other spaces of this creation or in other universes, those are heavenly things instead of earthly things.

 

[IsmailaGodHasHeard]

Okay if you are sticking with your "I don't know" answer, I'm just looking for opinions.

I am sorry if I made you mad. I tried my best to answer you. Sometimes these things are a mystery.

 

[IsmailaGodHasHeard]

The universe...(one word)...is the reflection of a declaration..."I AM!"

The earth is a place wherein spirit and substance can be joined...(flesh).

Amen to that!

 

[Gaura Priya]

Firstly, I'd like to see Vedic references to what you claim.

Secondly, since I believe Hinduism to be originally a true religion it really does not bother me that some of its true teachings are preserved today. Including prophecies about there being other planets or the expansion of the universe.

So really what is the argument you are making here? Islam is correct in its conclusion of other universes. So is Hinduism (if it is indeed so). Where lies the problem?

"That supreme original Personality of Godhead, Lord Shri Krishna, expanding His plenary portion as Maha-Vishnu, the first incarnation, creates this manifested cosmos, but He is unborn. The creation, however, takes place in Him, and the material substance and manifestations are all Himself. He maintains them for some time and absorbs them into Himself again."

-- Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.6.39

If you scroll through the thread earlier, I have given quotes showing that there are several universes already besides this one in our Vedic literatures. We believe that God is personally creating, maintaining, and destroying the universes constantly, and thus this cycle is never ending. Just like inhalation and exhalation, God at the same time creates the universal cosmic manifestion, maintains it for some time, and then it goes into dissolution.

This knowledge has been written down 5,000 years ago, but we believe that such knowledge extended further beyond thousands of years. It is eternal knowledge.

 

[tariqkhwaja]

"That supreme original Personality of Godhead, Lord Shri Krishna, expanding His plenary portion as Maha-Vishnu, the first incarnation, creates this manifested cosmos, but He is unborn. The creation, however, takes place in Him, and the material substance and manifestations are all Himself. He maintains them for some time and absorbs them into Himself again."

-- Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.6.39

If you scroll through the thread earlier, I have given quotes showing that there are several universes already besides this one in our Vedic literatures. We believe that God is personally creating, maintaining, and destroying the universes constantly, and thus this cycle is never ending. Just like inhalation and exhalation, God at the same time creates the universal cosmic manifestion, maintains it for some time, and then it goes into dissolution.

This knowledge has been written down 5,000 years ago, but we believe that such knowledge extended further beyond thousands of years. It is eternal knowledge.

Very interesting. I am forced to acknowledge that the Hindu sages had quite a view of the cosmos. As far as the Quran is concerned here are a few examples:

And the heaven We built with Our own powers (aydin) and indeed We go on expanding it (musi'un).51:48

Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were a closed-up mass (ratqan), then We clove them asunder (fataqna)? And We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?21:31

Remember the day when We shall roll up the heavens like the rolling up of written scrolls ...21:105

... As We began the first creation, so shall We repeat it; a promise binding on Us; that We shall certainly fulfil.21:105

And the sun is constantly moving in the direction of its ultimate abode of rest. This is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing.36:39

If this interests you feel free to go to The Quran and Cosmology for more.