Go out into Outer Space

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Excerpt from Chapter 22 of QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir, wherein Allah Almighty dares man to travel out into outer space, and see if he can sustain himself without the security and necessities divinely provided to him on this earth:

15. Man kana yathunnu an lan yansurahu Allahu fee alddunya waal-akhirati falyamdud bisababin ila alssama-i thumma liyaqtaAA falyanthur hal yuthhibanna kayduhu ma yagheethu

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15. If anyone thinks that Allah does not help him in this life and the Hereafter, let him reach out to the heavens by means available to him, then (study its functions meticulously by) cutting himself off (his earthly connection), and then see if his obstinacy gets rid of its severity.⁵

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5. This Verse is addressed more to the modern man than to the man at the time of revelation of the Qur’aan. Mankind then did not have adequate means to study earth’s atmosphere and to go beyond into outer space and study the heavenly bodies there. Mankind now has better knowledge of these things. So, Allah Ta’ala addresses the modern man here (remember the Qur’aan gives guidance to all generations till the Last Day) and tells him that He has provided enough evidence in the man’s own person and in the world around him on this earth itself that it is impossible to live without His help. And yet man remains obstinate in thinking that there is no such thing as divine help. So, Allah asks him to ponder on the protective and facilitative atmosphere around the earth. He (man) can then come to know how the atmosphere is so ingeniously regulated to provide a constant supply of oxygen and water, the two vital things facilitating life on this earth. Man does not regulate it – he helps only in spoiling it. He can come to know that the atmosphere also acts as a protective shield straining out harmful rays from the sun. There are many more functions that the atmosphere does in the service of human and other lives on this Earth. Man can now go beyond into outer space and come to know that the limitless number of heavenly bodies out there do not have such atmosphere as the earth has and therefore there is no life there. It is obvious then that the earth and its atmosphere are tailor-made to sustain human and other lives here. This knowledge ought to help man in mitigating his blind and illogical obstinacy in denying the vital divine help.

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May we have the wisdom to recognize the Truth that there can be no life without Your Help, Allah!

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 17^th March, 2017.