The science of astronomy

                                                                                                                                                                                                  By heaven furnished with paths;”(Surat adh –Dhariyat, 7)   The Arabic word “alhubuki,”translated as “furnished with paths” in verse 7 of surat adh –Dhariyat ,coms from the verb “hubeke, ”mesning” to weave closely ,to knit, to bind together.” The use of his word in the verse is particularly wise and represents the current state of  scientific knowledge in two aspects . The first is this :The orbits and paths in the universe are  dense and intertwined that they constitute intersecting paths ,just  like the threads in a piece of fabric. The solar system we live in is made up of the sun ,the planets and their satellites and heavenly objects in constant motion such as meteors and comets .The solar System moves through the galaxy know as the milky way, which contains 400 billion stars .It is estimated that there are billions of galaxies .Celestial bodies and system revolving at speeds of thousands of kilometers an hour move through space without colliding with one another.

  The science of astronomy was developed with the aim of mapping the positions and course of  star s ,while astro-mechanics was developed in order to determine those complex motions .Astronomy used to assume that orbits were perfectly spherical . The fact is however ,that heavenly bodies are known to follow mathematical shapes ,such as spherical ,elliptical, parabolic ,or  orbits .Dr. Carlo Ravalli of the university of Pittsburgh says, “Our space in which we lives just this enormously complicated  spin network .”

   The second aspectis that the description in the Qur’an of the sky using  a word meaning  “woven” may be a reference to the string theory of physics .(Allah known the truth.)According to this theory ,the basic elements that comprise the universe are not being like  loops in appearance .It  is assumed that the origin of all the diversity in the universe  lies in the way these strings vibrate at different vibration ,in the same way that violin strings produce different sounds with different vibrations.

   Although it is not possible to see the size of the threads in the String Theory ,the only theory of general relativity and quantum mechanics together in a coherent way ,it can still be calculated mathematically .These strings which scientist regard as the material from which space and time and woven ,are just 1.6

 in size. This known as Plank’s length ,is the smallest known ,being just 10-20 of the protons that make up the nucleus of that atom 6. If an atom were to be magnified to the size of the solar system ,each one of these strings would be no bigger than tree .Bearing in mind that  an atom is 100,000 times smaller than the smallest thing that can be seen with the naked eye, the minute scale of these strings can be more easily grasped.

   Professor of Physics Abhay Ashteker from the University of Pennsylvania and Professor of Physics Jerzy Lewandowski from the University of Warsaw interpret the woven appearance  of  space as follows in an article titled “Space and Time Beyond Einstein”;

 In this theory ,Einstein wove the gravitational field into the very fabric of space  and time .....The  continuum we are all used to is only an approximation .Perhaps the simplest way to visualize these ideas is to look at a piece of fabric. For all practical purpose ,it represents a 2-dimentional continuum ; yet it is really woven  by 1- dimensional threads. The same is true of the fabric of space –time .It is only because the “quantum threads” which weave this fabric are tightly y woven in the region  of the universe we inhabit that we perceive a continuum . Upon intersection with a surface ,each thread ,or polymer excitation ,endows it with a tiny “Plank quantum” of area of 10-66cm2.Soan area of 100 cm2  has about 1068 such an such intersections are very closely spaced and we have the illusion of a continuum.

  An Article in the New York Times seeking  an answer  to the question “How Was the Universe Built ?”contained the following lines :Even the tiny quarks that make up protons, neutrons and other particles are too big to feel the bumps that may exist on the Plank scale . More recently ,though ,Physicist have suggested that quarks and every thing else are made of far tinier objects : superstrings vibration in 10 dimensions. At the Planck level the weave of space –time would be as apparent as when the finest Egyptian cotton is viewed under a magnifying glass exposing the warp and woof .

  In his book Three Roads to Quantum  Gravity , the theoretical quantum Physicist Lee Smolin devotes one chapter to “How to Weave a String” and says this on the subject : ...space may be ‘woven’ from a network of loops ...        just like piece of cloth is woven from a network of threads.

 In his book Our Cosmic Habitat the cosmologist and astrophysicist proof  . Martin Rees says :According to our present concepts ,empty space is anything  but simple ... and on an even tinier scale ,it may  be a seething tangle of strings .

 The way that Allah describes the universe as being woven paths and orbits in verse 7 of surat  adh-Dhariyat shows that the Qua’un is in extraordinary agreement with science .As can be seen in a great many other instance ,the way that all the information revealed in the Qur’an 1400 year ago is confirmed by modern scientific data is highly thought provoking . This perfect harmony between the Qur’an and scientific developments clearly reveals that the Qur’an is the word of our lord ,the creator of and He who knows best about all things. In one verse Allah states:

“Will they not ponder the Qur’an ? If it had been from other than Allah ,they would have found many inconsistencies in it.” (Surat an –Nisa.82)

                                                    Source:miraclesofthequran.com