Aliens in the Quran

Introduction
On 7th August 1996,NASA (1) scientists made an announcement that made front page headlines throughout the world.Within a Martian meteorite,they had found evidence of a microscopic lifeform that may have existed on Mars more than three billion years ago. (2) Although other studies were later published which challenged this conclusion, (3) numerous recent discoveries,for example,the discovery by the Galileo spacecraft, (4) in February 1997,of a possible red-coloured sea under the ice crust of Jupiter's moon,Europa, (5) are raising hopes that we may soon be able to get an answer to one of the oldest and most interesting questions asked by humans-"Is anyone out there,or are we alone in the universe?"
However,it may be that none of us may live to see the day when scientists will give us a definitive answer to this question.For Muslims,that should not be a problem.We already have the answer.Although many Muslims are unaware of the fact,the Quran (6) explicitly mentions the existence of extraterrestrial life.
The existence of creatures of a spiritual nature,such as angels,in the universe,is accepted as a fact by all Muslims,as well as people of other religions, such as Christians.The point that generates excitement among the public,and scientists is the question of whether material lifeforms like ourselves,which can be found by science,do actually exist outside the earth. (7) The objective of this article is to present evidence from the Quran for the existence in the universe,of MATERIAL lifeforms ("Life as we know it").
"Dabbatun"
In Sura 42,Verse 29 (42:29) of the Quran,we are told, "Among His (God's) signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth,and the living creatures that He has scattered through them :and He has power to gather them together when He wills." (8) Before proceeding further,a point or two must be noted.The word "sama",translated "heavens",is also the Arabic for "sky".One may object that the verse refers to creatures in the sky (which would be birds),not in the heavens.However,birds are mentioned seperately from creatures of the heavens in 24:41, "Seest thou not that it is God Whose praise all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate,and the birds (of the air) with wings outspread?..." (9) In a note to 42;29,Muhammad Asad states,"In the Quran,the expression "the heavens and earth" invariably denotes the universe in its entireity." (10) The Quran mentions that inanimate objects also worship God:"Do they not look at God's creation, (even) among (inanimate) things- how their (very) shadows turn round,from right to left,prostrating themselves to God..."(16:48). (11) Therefore,may not the creatures spoken of in 42:29 in the heavens,be inanimate creatures of God.No.The next verse,16:49 goes, "And to God doth obeisance all that is in the heavens and earth,whether moving (living) creatures or the angels...". (12) The word translated "living creatures" here is the same as that in 42:29- "Dabbatun".Comments Asad,"The word dabbah denotes any sentient,corporeal being capable of spontaneous movement and is contrasted here with the non-corporeal,spiritual beings designated as "angels" ". (13) In other words,42:29 is referring to precisely the type of lifeforms that science is searching for,not some metaphysical entities.Yusuf Ali says,"Dabbatun:beasts,living,crawling creatures of all kind." (14) This is the same word used in 2:164,"...in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth...are signs for a people that are wise," (15) and in 24:45,"And God has created every animal from water:of them are some that creep on their bellies;some that walk on two legs;and some that walk on four. God creates what he wills..." (16) Commenting on 42:29,Allama Shabbir Ahmad Usmani says,"From the verse it appears that like on the earth,there are some kinds of animals- living creatures- in the heavens also." (17) On the same verse,Yusuf Ali comments, "Life is not confined to our one little Planet.It is a very old speculation to imagine some life like human life on the planet Mars...it is reasonable to suppose that Life in some form or other is scattered through some of the millions of heavenly bodies scattered through space." (18) From such remarks,the reader will realize that Muslim scholars are well aware of the fact that 42:29 clearly mentions the existence of aliens.
Is there any alien intelligent life ?
Although the discovery of any form of life outside the earth would be dramatic,humankind is especially interested in knowing whether there is any alien intelligent life in the universe.NASA previously had a program on the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI).Although now scrapped due to budget cuts, private SETI organizations (19) have now been made which continue the search.The Planetary Society, (20) a private organization,in which the film director Steven Speilberg (21) is a member of the Board of Directors,has the largest SETI program in the world.So far, no sign of alien intelligent life has turned up.Can the Quran provide an answer?
Sura 27:65 commands,"Say:None in the heavens or on earth, except God,knows what is hidden:nor can they perceive when they shall be raised up (for Judgement)." (22) This shows that,like humans,there are other creatures in the universe that will also be raised from the dead.We are told in 19:93-96,"Not one of the beings in the heavens and the earth but must come to (God) Most Gracious as a servant.He does take an account of them (all),and hath numbered them (all) exactly.And everyone of them will come to Him singly on the Day of Judgement.On those who believe and work deeds of righteousness, will (God) Most Gracious bestow love." (23) From these verses we learn that there are alien lifeforms that,like us,will also be judged according to the works that they do during their lives.Among them are the believers.Therefore,naturally,there will also be those aliens who are unbelievers.The believers will be rewarded.The lifeforms being descibed in the above verses can hardly be expected to be microorganisms.The Quran is referring to creatures of a level of development that makes them morally accountable beings.They must be organisms possessing qualities which we would ascribe to intelligent lifeforms.
In Sura 72:14-15,jinn (a type of spiritual lifeform,which the Quran mention as living on the earth) say,"Amongst us are some that submit their wills (to God),and some that swerve from justice.Now those who submit their wills- they have sought out (the path) of right conduct:But those who swerve- they are (but) fuel for Hell-fire." (24) The Quran mentions that good jinn will be rewarded with Paradise.Summing up from all the above verses,it is clear that Judgement Day is for creatures in the whole universe (Sura 39:68-"The Trumpet will (just) be sounded when all that are in the heavens and on earth will swoon, except such as it will please God (to exempt).Then will a second one be sounded,when,behold,they will be standing and looking on!") (25) and like jinn,aliens will also be sharing Paradise and Hell with humans.In fact,the Quran mentions that Paradise is of a size like that of our present universe- 57:21,"Therefore (vie) with one another for the pardon of your Lord,and for a Paradise as vast as heaven and earh, prepared for those who believe in Allah and His apostles." (26) Therefore, it is not surprising that when we are sharing this universe with aliens,we should share Paradise and Hell with them too.The Quran shows us,therefore,that not only do aliens exist,but among them are also intelligent beings.
Where can aliens be found?
Knowing that aliens,including intelligent lifeforms exist elsewhere, our next question would be,"Where do they live?"Scientists naturally expect them to live on planets.They look for other planets around other stars- planets that have the right conditions to harbour life- in other words,other earths.In October 1995,scientists announced the discovery of the first extrasolar planet around the star 51 Pegasi. (27) Since then,there have been a string of discoveries of other planets.At the time of writing of this article,fifteen planets have been claimed to have been discovered. (28) Although some of these objects have been dismissed as brown dwarfs (including the object around Pegasi 51) by some scientists, (29) at least some of the fifteen objects are agreed upon as being planets.Scientists believe that on potential moons around planets found to be orbiting two stars, the right conditions may exist for life to be present. (30)
In Sura 65:12,we are informed,"God is He Who created seven heavens and of the earth a similar number..." (31) This verse,although usually translated properly,is very commonly misinterpreted by commentators.They give their interpretation that space is divided into seven zones,and likewise,as Yusuf Ali puts it,"the crust of the earth is built up of geological strata one above another". (32) This interpretation arises due to a misunderstanding of what a "heaven" is as mentioned in the Quran.Before continuing further about the topic of aliens,it is necessary to clear up this confusion.The answer can be deduced from verses in the Quran itself and comparing them with our current scientific knowledge about the universe.
Sura 21:30 asks,"Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation),before we clove them asunder?..." (33) Sura 41:11-12 tell us,"Then turned He to the heaven when it was smoke,and said unto it and unto the earth:come both of you,willingly or loth...Then We ordained them seven heavens...and inspired in each heaven its mandate;and We decked the lowest heaven with lamps..." (34) and Sura 71:15-16,"See ye not how Allah hath created seven heavens in harmony,and hath made the moon a light therin,and made the sun a lamp?" (35) Sura 51:47 informs us,"And it is We who have built the universe with (Our creative) power;and,verily,it is We who are steadily expanding it." (36) Asad,comments on the above verses as follows:about 21:30,"...the above unmistakable reference to the unitary origin of the universe- metonymically described in the Quran as "the heavens and the earth"- strikingly anticipates the view of almost all modern astrophysicists that this universe has originated as one entity from one single element,namely,hydrogen,which became subsequently consolidated through gravity and then seperated into individual nebulae,galaxies,and solar systems,with individual parts progressively breaking away to form new entities in the shape of stars,planets and the latter's satellites"; (37) about 41:11,he explains the word "smoke" as,"a gas- evidently hydrogen gas,which physicists regard as the primal element from which all material particles of the universe have evolved and still evolve..." (38) and says about the verse,"explaining this passage,Zamakhshari observes:"The meaning of God's command to the skies (heavens) and the earth to "come"... is this:He willed their coming into being..."";for 41:12,he explains "seven heavens" as,"a multiplicity of cosmic systems"; (39) about 51:47 he says,"the phrase "inna la-musi'un" clearly foreshadows the modern notion of the "expanding universe"- that is,the fact that the cosmos,though finite in extent,is continuously expanding in space." (40) Finally,three more verses need to be referred to- 50:38,"And verily We created the heavens and the earth and all that is between them...and naught of weariness touched us" (41) ,21:104,"The Day when We shall roll up the heavens as a recorder rolleth up a written scroll.As We began the first creation,We shall repeat it.(It is a promise binding) upon Us.Lo!We are to perform it" (42) ,and 14:48, "One day the Earth will be changed to a different Earth,and so will be the heavens..." (43)
From the verses above,we learn this from the Quran:a heaven is a material entity which arose from the same material as the earth originated from.Initially,there was one gaseous mass.A cleavage process occured resulting in the making of the "seven heavens" and "all that lies between them".The sun,moon and earth are constituants of a heaven.Therefore,a heaven must be larger than a star (sun).When the end of the universe is at hand,the heavens,which till then were in an expanding universe (51:47) will come together.Then,the way our present universe came into being,in a similar manner,a new creation will come into being,containing other heavens and another earth.Any astronomer reading these verses can tell you that there is only one entity that fits the description of a heaven in the Quran- a "heaven" in the Quran must be referring to a "galaxy".According to modern science,the universe arose from a singularity,at the Big Bang,and has since,been expanding.From a primordial gas cloud arose hugh fragments from which the galaxies and their clusters arose.Today,the galaxies are moving apart from each other in space.They are seperated by intergalactic space in which may lurk invisible dark matter,making upto 90% of the total mass of the universe.if there is sufficient dark matter,at some time in the future,the universe will stop expanding and enter a contraction phase in which the galaxies will finally come close together in a Big Crunch marking an end to the present universe.The universe would have returned to a singularity state similar to that from which the present universe arose.Then,once again,scientists predict,a new universe may rebound from the singularity of the Big Crunch,as another Big Bang gives rise to a universe with its own galaxies and planets etc.Verses in the Quran agree amazingly with our current ideas about the universe!
The purpose of our lengthy divergence from the main topic of this article was to prove that the "seven heavens" are not zones into which the universe is divided,but large astronomical entities, the galaxies.Some people have interpretted a heaven as being a solar system.However,while this view may seem appropriate for some verses,it does not tally with all the verses.
The Quran mentions the creation of seven heavens.Asad explains that,"...as regards the "seven heavens",it is to be borne in mind that in Arabic usage...the number "seven" is often synonymous with "several"." (44) I have shown that the heavens are the galaxies and we can see that millions of them exist.Even if we assume that the heaven are some other astronomical objects that arose from the primary gas cloud,they definitely are not literally seven in number,but in the millions.
The relevance of this to our discussion on aliens is that the Sura 65:12 tells us that,as God has created "seven Heavens",He has created,"of the earth a similar number..." Therefore,as there are millions of galaxies,God has also created millions of earths scattered throughout the universe.Usmani comments on 65:12,"The earths as well,He created seven (Usmani thinks literally seven.We know it actually means "many"),as given in the Tradition of Tirmizi etc.It is possible they are not visible, it is possible they are visible,but people think them to be stars or planets,as the scientists of today have predicted the possibility of life on Mars etc..." (45) An important thing to point out in 65:12 is that God does not use the word "worlds",but specifically,"earth".An 'earth' would be a planet that harbours life.Scientists also often speak of looking for other earths.They mean not just any planet,but one sustaining or capable of sustaining life.In his book,The Bible,The Quran and Science, Maurice Bucaille writes,"...it comes as no small surprise to the reader of the Quran to find that earths such as our own may be found in the Universe..." (46)
We have finally arrived at the Quran's answer as to where aliens can be found.They inhabit the millions of earths that God has created among the millions of heavens (galaxies) in the universe. The Quran therefore,gives us a magnificent view of the universe- a universe teeming with life,a place that the late astronomer Carl Sagan described as a "cosmic fugue,with themes and counter- points,dissonances and harmonies,a billion different voices playing the life music." (47)
Will we ever discover aliens?
So far,we have learnt from the Quran that extraterrestrial life,inclucing intelligent life, exists throughout countless earths in the universe.But this is not sufficient to satisfy our curiosity.We want scientists to actually discover aliens.Only after we have found incontrovertible scientific evidence that aliens exist,will our (unbelieving) hearts see that the Quran was correct all along.We actually won't be satisfied till we meet an alien face to face.Is there any chance that in the future we will actually discover,through science,the existence of aliens and establish some kind of contact with them or even meet them?
To get some idea on this matter,we must return to Sura 42:29.We are told over there that the scattering of living creatures in the heavens and the earth is a "sign".What is a sign?Sura 6:104 says,"Momentous signs have come to you from your Lord.He that sees them shall himself have much to gain,but he who is blind to them shall lose much." (48) Sura 6:109,"They solemly swear by Allah that if a sign be given them they would believe in it." (49) Sura 7:73,"A clear proof has come to you from your Lord.Here is Allah's she-camel:a sign for you." (50) Clearly,a sign is something which we can see,or at least,experience with our senses.Otherwise,it would not be a sign.Some signs are those that God showed to humans in the past.Other signs remain for God to show us in the future-"Soon we will show them Our Signs in the (furthest) regions,and in their own souls,until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth" (41:53). (51) THERFORE,SURA 42:29 CONTAINS A PROPHESY THAT A TIME WILL INDEED COME IN THE FUTURE WHEN HUMANS WILL DISCOVER ALIENS.
In Sura 55:33-34,we are addressed,"O ye assembly of Jinn and men!If it be you can pass beyond the regions of the heavens and the earth,pass ye!Not without authority will ye be able to pass!Then which of the favours of your Lord will ye deny?" (52) Why does God ask us to go into space? There must be some purpose.Maybe it be for us to fulfil some grand destiny in store for our species- maybe to become a galactic race,a respectable part of the galactic community of civilizations.Maybe,it is our travels in space that may lead to our encounter with aliens and fulfil the prophesy in 42:29.Only time will tell.In anticipation of the time when we become space-travellers,we are told in Sura 29:22, "Neither on earth nor in heaven shall you be beyond reach:nor have you any guardian or helper besides Allah." (53)
To reach other civilizations,we must be capable of feasible interstellar transport. Might we one day be capable of undertaking such a voyage?Sura 16:8 says,"And (it is He Who creates) horses and mules for you to ride...and He will yet create things of which (today) you have no knowledge." (54) The latter part of this verse is often translated in the present tense but as Asad points out,"The use in this context,of the aorist "yakhluqu" implies the future tense ("He will create") ...Since this reference to God's continuing creation comes immediately after a mention of primitive means of transport,it obviously relates to other- as yet unknown- things of the same category:that is to say,to new means of transport which God unceasingly creates through the instrumentality of the inventiveness with which He has endowed man's mind." (55) Therefore,it is possible that we may one day make the spacecraft required for interstellar travel.After all,God Himself has encouraged us to,"pass beyond the regions of the heavens".Sura 42:29 ends with the statement that God has the power to gather the creatures of the heavens and earth together if He wills.This also points to the possibility of our meeting aliens in the future.However,this gathering may well refer to that which will occur on Judgement Day as mentioned in Sura 19:93-96 (see above).
Man's position among creation
The most revolutionary discoveries in history have been those which altered the way humans perceived themselves in the universe.We discovered that the earth was not at the centre of the universe.We discovered that our Sun was a very ordinary star located in an insignificant part of an ordinary galaxy,which was only one of millions of galaxies.These discoveries should have humbled us.Yet,even today,many of us triumphantly proclaim ourselves as being the most supreme creation of God.It is common to ascribe our cherished position among all living things to our higher intellectual abilities.If we were to find out that there are other intelligent beings in the universe,and that some may be intellectually more superior to us,where would that leave us ?Would we finally be dethroned?
Sura 17:70 informs us,"Verily We have honoured the children of Adam...and preferred them above many of those whom We created with a marked preferment." (56) Many translations fail to mention the "marked preferment" in the verse,although the verse contains the Arabic "tafzelan" which conveys this.Note that the verse mentions that there are other creatures besides humans,who have also been given a position of distinction,and humans have been preferred above many,not all,of these creatures.Usmani states in a comment on this verse,"Under this verse a debate is opened:Who is superior- Man or Angel?But logically this verse does not decide the issue." (57) Another scholar has written,"From this (verse) it is evident that whatever superiority humans have got over other creatures is not whole.Allah's creatures contain such creatures upon which humans have got no superiority."It must be remembered here that while so far we have been discussing material alien lifeforms,the debate of man's position in creation includes both material and spiritual creatures of God.Some early authorities,such as Hasan,have not accepted the word "akser" mentioned in 17:70 as meaning "many".Hasan maintains that the word "akser",as used in 17:70, should be understood as meaning "all",since the same word is used in 26:233 and 10:36,where it would be inappropriate to take its meaning as "many" but rather as "all".With such a substitution in verse 17:70,the meaning would be altered to mean that man is preferred by God over all creatures.
The debate on man's status continues among scholars and also among the public.Let us make an analogy to the debate of whether man is superior to woman.Suppose for a moment that we hand the trophy to man and let him enjoy his "superior" position.On the Day of Judgement,it will only be deeds that count and good women will go to Paradise and bad men will burn in Hell.Who would have been more superior?As you can see,in the final analysis,any debate on the status of a race,or species is useless.From earlier verses mentioned in this article,the reader will remember that,according to the Quran, God will judge humans as well as aliens on the basis of their deeds and reward them accordingly.Many humans will be sent to Hell for their wrongdoings. At the same time there will be aliens who will be rewarded for their good deeds.Who would be more superior- the unbelieving human or the faithful alien?The answer is obvious.Therefore,what's the use of debating this point?Status of a creature is relative to its moral conduct.Sura 95:4-5 states, "Surely We created man of the best stature,then We reduced him to the lowest of the low." (58)
Islam and the geocentric universe
It is the fanciful idea of religion-bashers that the discovery of extraterrestrial life will undermine any remaining credibility that religion may have.In the case of Islam,as one can see from this discussion,that can hardly be the case.On the contrary,such a discovery would verify the truth of the statements contained in the Quran relating to the subject of alien life,and strengthen the position of Muslims.The vision of Islam is that of a truly universal religion.It is far removed from the exclusiveness of Judaism ("We are the Chosen Ones for God's message").It is a pity that the image of all religions has suffered a setback from the great scandal of the Church- its treatment of Galileo,for (rightly) challenging their views of a geocentric universe,in which Man was The Central Figure in God's Plan of Creation,living on a planet around which all the rest of creation revolved.
The Quran gives us a picture of our place in the universe that is quite different.In Sura 40:57,God says, "Assuredly the creation of the heavens and the earth is a greater (matter) than the creation of men:yet most men understand not." (59) Comments Yusuf Ali,"Man is himself a tiny part of creation.Why should he be so ego-centric?" (60) No one race of humans was chosen to be the exclusive custodians of the truth.Sura 16:36 tells us,"For We assuredly sent amongst every People an apostle,(with the command),"Serve God,and eschew Evil":of the people were some whom God guided,and others on whom Error became inevitably (established).So travel through the earth,and see what was the end of those who denied (the Truth)." (61) According to some Traditions of The Prophet (pbuh), 124,000 messengers have been sent into the world by God,throughout the ages to people all over the world.No nation was denied access to the Truth.Even on earth,guidance was provided not only to humans,but also the Jinn who co-habit this planet with us- 6:130:"(Then He will say):"Jinn and men!Did there not come to you apostles of your own who proclaimed to you my revelations and warned you of this day?" (62) .God's bounty,according to Islam,is not confined to creatures of the earth because He is,"...Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth,the Lord of the Worlds" (45:36). (63) To the people were sent revealed Books also,the last of which is the Quran.About the Quran itself,we are told in 43:4,"It is in the Mother Book with Us,sublime and full of wisdom." (64) About other planets,S.Bashir-ud-din Mahmood has this to say,"On the basis of the interpretation of verse 65:12 by Ibn-e-Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him),we can say that inhabitants of these worlds must have their religion like ours and so the Holy Books.They all come from the same "Supreme Source" of revelation from where the Holy Quran originated for us on the Earth.It is evident from the verse of the Holy Quran" (ie.43;4.All Books come from the "Mother Book with Us"). (65) The very first verse of the Quran begins,"Praise be to Allah,Lord of the Worlds." (66)
Summing up,while the Quran does point out that man has a favoured position on earth, (2:30-"Behold,thy Lord said to the angels:"I will create a vicegerent on earth.""; (67) 2:34- "We said to the angels:"Bow down to Adam..."" (68) 95:4- We have indeed created man in the best of moulds." (69) ) there are other creatures of God who have also been favoured in the universe (17:70).Humans are just a small part of God's creation (40:57).When they act wrongly,they are reduced to the lowest of the low (95:5).Salvation is not only for some race of humans, but for all humans and creatures throughout the universe.There is a grand destiny planned by God for all of them.All humans as well as aliens who follow the guidance that God sent to their respective planets,will be rewarded (19:96)."...it is God Whose praise all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate..."(24:41). (70) All will return to Him.How far the picture of the universe that Islam paints is from that of a geocentric universe!
Conclusion - a "secret" waiting to be told
If the Quran is so explicit in stating the existence of living organisms in the universe (42:29),we would suppose that the Muslim population would generally be aware of the fact that the Quran mentions extraterrestrials.Unfortunately that is not the case.A significant proportion of Muslims have no idea that this exciting piece of information is provided in their Holy Book.I have quoted a number of scholars in this article,who have commented on the verses relating to extraterrestrials.Among them are those such as Yusuf Ali and Muhammad Asad,whose works are known to Muslims throughout the world.Allama Shabbir Ahmad Usmani was a prominent figure in the Freedom Movement of Pakistan.All scholars quoted are from the mainstream of Islam. So,at least,Muslim scholars are aware of the Quran mentioning aliens.Yet,there are scholars also who have no idea about this subject.Surprisingly,even Maurice Bucaille,whose brilliant book, The Bible,The Quran and Science is extensive in its coverage of scientific topics in the Quran,completely overlooked the mention of aliens.
How aware were the early Muslims,about the existence of extraterrestrials,or verses in the Quran on this topic?Bashir-ud-Din Mahmood writes,"The idea that there is life elsewhere in the universe also,was derived from the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) when he told Muslims,"When you sit down in the prayer for the Attahiyat and say: "Peace be upon us,and the righteous servants of Allah" you actually send peace on all the righteous people living on the Earth and in the heavens."This clearly implies that all type of people,good and bad live in the other worlds as they live on our Earth." (71) He also writes,with reference to the Rasial Imam Ghazali,"According to Imam Muhammad Ghazali (11th Century),people in some of these planetary worlds have learnt to travel and communicate with each other." (72)
The case of Ibn-e-Abbas is interesting.He was one of the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh).The Prophet (pbuh) had prayed to God specially to endow Ibn-e-Abbas(73) with knowledge of the Quran,and he became one of the great scholars of the Quran.Maulana Maududi writing in his Tafhim-ul-Quran,tells us that,"Ibn-e-Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him)...believed with confidence that there are many more earth-like bodies in the heavens. ...He not only thought that such earths are inhabited by intelligent beings but also that their people are exactly like the inhabitants on the Earth.He even went so far as to say that they may have a Prophet like Muhammad (pbuh),and had a Adam,like our Adam,a Noah,like our Noah,an Ibrahim like our Ibrahim,and a Jesus like our Jesus (pbut)." (74) The knowledge of the existence of aliens and that they are mentioned in the Quran, has been present among Muslims from the earliest days of Islam!
There is something else that we know about Ibn-e-Abbas.He did not widely publicize his views about aliens. Rather,he was quite secretive about this matter.The reason is that he was afraid that his ideas would confuse people.In fact,he was afraid that people would be in danger of becoming unbelievers by not accepting the truth of this matter,which the Quran itself attested to.Perhaps it was such considerations that lead Muslim scholars of later times not to touch on the topic of aliens much,and so today,also,so many Muslims remain unaware about this matter.But times have changed.We've come a long way in our voyage of discovery of the wonders that surround us.The recent discoveries of extrasolar planets,of ice on the moon (75) ,of microbes deep beneath the earth's surface and around thermal vents in the oceans (76) ,of water on the sun (77) and many other amazing findings are setting the stage for a grand finale.The public is mentally prepared to hear soon about the discovery of life outside the earth.
In recent times,Muslims have missed golden opportunities of propagating their religion to the peoples of the world.For example,the Quran mentions the expansion of the universe.This phenomenon was discovered by scientists only in 1929.If Muslims had let the world know beforehand,that the Quran mentioned this fact, then upon its discovery,a big impact could have been made on the non-Muslim world.We would have shown the world the power,the miracle,of the Quran.Of course,even today,the miracle remains that the Quran mentions the expansion of the universe,but non-Muslims tend to say,"Now you tell us,after science has already discovered this!You must be construeing the meaning of Quranic verses to suit your wishes."
Today,as we stand at the threshold of making the most revolutionary discovery in the history of humankind,we Muslims should ask ourselves,"Hasn't the time finally come for the "secret" that Ibn-e-Abbas held to be made known to the whole world?"Yes,the time is ripe.Let the world know,before it discovers for itself,that 1400 years ago in the deserts of Arabia,a prophet received revelations,mentioning the existence of extraterrestrial life through countless heavenly bodies in the universe,and prophesying that one day, humans will indeed discover aliens.
The Quran contains many amazing statements relating to science.There is no reason to believe that it has finally yielded all of its scientific secrets and as we enter the next century,we can be confidant that the Quran will continue to shed light on some of the most enduring and intriguing scientific mysteries of our times.
REFERENCES AND LINKS
Introduction 1.NASA Home Page 2.Medline citation --Ref:Search For Past Life On Mars:Possible Biogenic Activity In Martian Meteorite 2.ALH84001.McKay et al. in Science,Vol.273,pages 924-930;August 16,1996. --Scientific American:The Case For Relic Life On Mars.December 1997. 3.Ref:Scott,Edward R.D. et al,Petrological evidence of shock melting of carbonates 3.in the martian meteorite ALH84001.Nature,387,377-379(22 May,1997). 4.Galileo Home Page 5.Water on Europa: --NASA Space Science News:The Frosty Plains of Europa 6.The Quran: --Translations by Yusuf Ali,Pickthall and Shakir.Muslim Students Association site --(MSA-USC),containing the entire translated text by three scholars. --Quran Search Engine.Search for verses in the Quran by key words. --Transliteration of the Quran.The complete transliterated text of the Quran. --Listen to the Quran.The complete text recited in Arabic.Files can be downloaded and saved too. --Quran Reciter.Learn how to recite the Quran. 7.The Astrobiology Web.Information on space life science.Highly recommended.
"Dabbatun" 8.Sura 42:29.The Holy Quran.Text,Translation and Commentary.Abdullah Yusuf Ali. 9.Sura 24:41.Yusuf Ali. 10.Note 33 on Sura 42:29.The Message of the Quran.Muhammad Asad. 11.Sura 16:48.Yusuf Ali. 12.Sura 16:49.Yusuf Ali. 13.Note 55 on Sura 16:49.Asad. 14.Note 4568 on Sura 42:29.Yusuf Ali. 15.Sura 2:164.Yusuf Ali. 16.Sura 24:45.Yusuf Ali. 17.Note 43 on Sura 42:29.The Nobel Quran.Tafseer-e-Usmani.Allama Shabbir Ahmed 17.Usmani. 18.Note 4569 on 42:29.Yusuf Ali.
Is there any alien intelligent life ? 19.SETI organizations: ---The SETI Institute. ---SETI@home.Now you can participate in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence ---from your own home by installing a screen saver.Check it out. 20.The Planetary Society.This has the world's largest SETI program. 21.Steven Spielberg. 22.Sura 27:65.Yusuf Ali. 23.Sura 19:93-96.Yusuf Ali. 24.Sura 72:14-15.Yusuf Ali. 25.Sura 39:68.Yusuf Ali. 26.Sura 57:21.The Meaning of the Quran.Dr. Mahmud Y. Zayid.
Where can aliens be found ? 27.A planet around 51 Pegasi: ----Mayor,M. & Queloz,D.A Jupiter-mass companion to a solar-type star.Nature ----378,355-359.(1995). 28.The Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia.The main internet catalogue of all extrasolar planets 28. discovered so far. 29.Challenge to a planet around 51 Pegasi: ----Walker,Gordan.One of our planets is missing.Nature,385,775-776.(27 Feb 1997). ----Gray,David F.Absence of a planetary signature in the spectra of the star 51 Pegasi. ----Nature,385,795-796.(27 Feb 1997). ----Update:- New evidence for a planet around 51 Pegasi: ----Marcy,Geoffrey.Extrasolar planets:Back in focus.Nature,391,127.(8 Jan 1998). ----Gray,David F.A planetary companion for 51 Pegasi implied by absence of pulsations in the---- stellar spectra.Nature,391,153-154.(8 Jan 1998). ----Hatzes,Artie P. et al.Further evidence for the planet around 51 Pegasi.Nature,391, ----154-156.(8 Jan 1998). 30.The possible earths are potential moons of planets orbiting 16 Cygni B in the Swan ----and 47 Uma in Ursae Majoris. ----Chyba,Christopher F.Exobiology:Life on other moons.Nature,385,201.(16 Jan '97). ----Williams,Darren M. et al.Habitable moons around extrasolar giant planets.Nature, ----385,234-236.(16 Jan 1997). 31.Sura 65:12.Yusuf Ali. 32.Note 5527 on Sura 65:12.Yusuf Ali. 33.Sura 21:30.Yusuf Ali. 34.Sura 41:11-12.The Glorious Quran.Text and Explanatory Translation.Muhammad ----Marmaduke Pickthall. 35.Sura 71:15-16.Pickthall. 36.Sura 51:47.Asad. 37.Note 38 on Sura 21:30.Asad. 38.Note 12 and Note 13 on Sura 41:11.Asad. 39.Note 14 on Sura 41:12.Asad. 40.Note 31 on Sura 51:47.Asad. 41.Sura 50:38.Pickthall. 42.Sura 21:104.Pickthall. 43.Sura 14:48.Yusuf Ali. 44.Note 20 on Sura 2:29.Asad. 45.Note 32 on Sura 65:12.Usmani. 46.Ref:Bucaille,Maurice.The Bible,The Quran and Science.Section:The Quran and 46.Modern Science.Chapter III:The Creation of the Heavens and the Earth. 46.Subheading:The Basic Process of the Formation of the Universe and the Resulting 46.Composition of the Worlds. 47.Ref:Sagan,Carl.Cosmos.Chapter II. ----Read the classic article:The Quest for Extraterrestrial Intelligence.By Carl Sagan.
Will we ever discover aliens ? 48.Sura 6:104.Zayid. 49.Sura 6:109.Zayid. 50.Sura 7:73.Zayid. 51.Sura 41:53.Yusuf Ali. 52.Sura 55:33-34.Yusuf Ali. 53.Sura 29:22.Zayid. 54.Sura 16:8.Asad. 55.Note 6 on Sura 16:8.Asad.
Man's position among creation 56.Sura 17:70.Pickthall. 57.Note 105 on Sura 17:70.Usmani. 58.Sura 95:4-5.Pickthall.
Islam and the geocentric universe 59.Sura 40:57.Yusuf Ali. 60.Note 4431 on Sura 40:57.Yusuf Ali. 61.Sura 16:36.Yusuf Ali. 62.Sura 6:130.Zayid. 63.Sura 45:36.Pickthall. 64.Sura 43:4.Zayid. 65.Ref:Mahmood,Bashir-ud-din.Doomsday and Life After Death.Chapter 18, 65.Sub-heading:The Quran in Other Worlds.Ta-Ha Publishers. 66.Sura 1:1.Pickthall. 67.Sura 2:30.Yusuf Ali. 68.Sura 2:34.Yusuf Ali. 69.Sura 95:4.Yusuf Ali. 70.Sura 24:41.Yusuf Ali.
Conclusion - a "secret" waiting to be told 71.Ref:Mahmood,Bashir-ud-din.Doomsday and Life After Death.Chapter 18, 71.Sub-heading:Life in Other Worlds. 72.Ref:Mahmood,Bashir-ud-din.Doomsday and Life After Death.Chapter 18, 72.Sub-heading:Life in Other Worlds. 73.Ibn-e-Abbas- a short biographical note 74.Maududi,Abul Ala.Tahfhim-ul-Quran. 75.Ice on the Moon: ----NASA Press Release:Ice on the Moon.76.Subterranean microbes: ----Wellsbury,Peter et al.Deep marine biosphere fuelled by increasing organic matter ----availability during burial and heating.Nature,388,573-576.(7 Aug 1997). ----Scientific American:Article:Microbes Deep Inside the Earth.October 1996. 77.Water on the Sun: ----Polyansky,Oleg L. et al.Water on the Sun:Line Assignments Based on Variational ----Calculations.Science,Vol.277,pages 346-348;July 18,1997. ----Science magazine
Other Online Sources on Aliens in the Quran: 78.Aliens- an article on aliens in Islam. 79.Extra-terrestrial Life: Religious & Scientific Findings- an article on aliens in the Quran. 80.The Quran and Extraterrestrial Life- another article on aliens in the Quran. 81.Does Islam believe in extra-terrestrial life?- this question is answered in a seven minute audio file.
Note: Muslim and Non-Muslim visitors to the web sites AskIslam.com and AlIslam.org, on which Links 83 and 84 above lead, respectively, must take note that both these sites belong to the Ahmadiyya/Qadiani community. The overwhelming majority of Muslims do not recognize them as Muslims. Therefore, visitors who decide to roam around in these sites must be cautious that some material on these sites may not reflect the beliefs and views of mainstream Islam. However, as the contents of the links given above do not contain any such material of a conflicting nature, I have retained them.
Other Online Sources Mentioning Aliens in Islam: 82.ET and God- an article by Professor Paul Davies. One paragraph refers to aliens in the Quran and 83.Islam.
Free Online Video on Islam & Science: 83.The Quran and Space Sciences- by Zahir Abbas- watch this 30 minutes movie online for free,78. using Real Player! The movie also discusses aliens in the Quran.
Free Online Books on Islam & Science: 84.The Bible, The Quran and Science- by Maurice Bucaille- read the entire book online! 85.Harun Yahya.com- read numerous books by the author,all free! Site also contains free videos!
Other Links on Islam and Science: 86.Islam and Science- a list of sites to visit 87.Science in Islam- contains links to articles on science and Islam 88.Twin Sisters- an article on science and Islam with links to other articles on science and Islam. 89.Islam- The Modern Religion- contains information on science and other Islamic topics 90.The Quran and Science- contains articles on Islam and evolution, anthropology, relativity and90. other interesting topics 91.It is the Truth- a site containing information on some of the scientific topics discussed in the 91.Quran.
General Islamic Sites: 92.Islam-QA:Islam Questions and Answers- contains answers to many questions asked 92.about Islam. 93.Islam Online.net- contains news,review articles, forums and Islamic rulings. 94.IslamiCity- contains news, articles, audiovisual material and much more. 95.Islamic Interlink- the directory of Islam on the internet. A search engine.
Islamic Clubs on Yahoo!: 96.Scientific Community for Muslims- discuss Science and Islam online 97.Islamic Community
Aliens: 98.Alien-Ufos.com- includes photographs and pictures, conspiracy theories, links, and forums about 98.UFOs, extraterrestrials, aliens, flying saucers, and other paranormal activity. 99.Unexplainable.net- contains articles and news updates on UFOs and other paranormal 98.phenomena.
Other Links: 100.Planet Quest - the search for another earth- NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory web site keeps 100.you up to date with the news.
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Launched by Samir Khalid Munir (exobiologist@aliens-in-quran.com) on 29th March 1999 (10th Zul Hijjah,1419).
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Islamic Society of North America's Louay Safi brainwashing Muslims to be Nationalists first and cooperate with zionists

ISNA Executive Director spoke on Tuesday, January 30, at George Washington University on the question of the relationship between religious commitments and the moral obligations of citizens. The talk was part of the Islamic Awareness Week organized by the Muslim Student Association.
Dr. Louay Safi examined the basic values relevant to loyalty to a multi-religious society and concluded that Islam places a moral responsibility on a person to be committed to the general wellbeing and common good of the larger society to which he or she belongs, regardless of the ethnic and religious affiliation of that society. He pointed out that the Muslim highest moral commitment is not to a specific religious or ethnic community, but to the principles of good, right, and justice which form the general foundation of loyalty for Muslims.
Taking historical Muslim experience as the background of his discussion, and using the example of the Medina society which was founded by Prophet Muhammad, Dr. Safi argued that the Prophet of Islam based the fist political society on the universal principles of equal dignity, freedom of religion and movement, and mutual help and support among all segments of the Medina society, many of whom were followers of Judaism. He illustrated how the Covenant of Medina placed mutual help among the members of Medina society over and above any other considerations. Dr. Safi stressed that Muslims' commitment to the covenants they entered into with people of other faiths overrides religious solidarity.
Louay Safi further argued that American Muslims have displayed a great commitment to the constitutional principles of freedom of religion, equality of citizens, freedom of speech and assembly, and the due process of the law. These after all , he insisted, are principles intrinsic to Islam's concerns with free choice and open and pluralistic society. The talk was followed with a life discussion with members of the audience.

Islamic Society of North America's Louay Safi teaching American Nationalism and Cooperation with Zionists

Al Qaeda declares war on Musharraf

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden called on Pakistanis to rebel against President Pervez Musharraf in a new recording released on Thursday, saying his military's siege of a militant mosque stronghold makes him an infidel.
The storming of the Red Mosque in Islamabad in July "demonstrated Musharraf's insistence on continuing his loyalty, submissiveness and aid to America against the Muslims ... and makes armed rebellion against him and removing him obligatory," bin Laden said in the message.
"So when the capability is there, it is obligatory to rebel against the apostate ruler, as is the case now," he said, according to a transcript released by Laura Mansfield, a U.S. terrorism expert who monitors militant message traffic.
Bin Laden's voice was heard over a video showing previously released footage of the terror leader. It was posted Thursday on Islamic militant Web sites.
Maj. Gen. Waheed Arshad, a Pakistani army spokesman, said the army will continue its fight against terrorism, regardless of any threats it faces.
"We have the aim and objective, as our national duty, to eliminate terrorists and eradicate extremism. The Pakistan army will continue to carry out its role against terrorists wherever they are found, whether in the tribal areas (of northwest Pakistan) or elsewhere."
"Such threats issued through videos or in any other way cannot deter us from fulfilling our national duty," he said.
Bin Laden's new message came as al Qaeda released a video in which his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, boasted that the U.S. was being defeated in Afghanistan, Iraq and other fronts.
The messages are part of a stepped-up propaganda campaign by al Qaida around the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Earlier this month, bin Laden released two messages -- including his first new appearance in a video in nearly three years.
The sophisticated 80-minute video of Al-Zawahri released Thursday was in the style of a documentary, intersplicing his speech with scenes of the Sept. 11 attacks, interviews with experts and officials taken from Western and Arab television stations, and old footage and audio of bin Laden.
Al-Zawahri began by also condemning the Pakistani military's assault on the Red Mosque, and he paid tribute to one of the militants' leaders, Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who was killed in the fighting.
The siege "revealed the extent of the despicableness, lowliness and treason of Musharraf and his forces, who don't deserve the honor of defending Pakistan, because Pakistan is a Muslim land, whereas the forces of Musharraf are hunting dogs under (President) Bush's crucifix," al-Zawahri said.
"Let the Pakistani army know that the killing of Abdul Rashid Ghazi and his male and female students ... has soaked the history of the Pakistan army in shame and despicableness which can only washed away by retaliation," he said.
Bin Laden and al-Zawahri are thought to be hiding in the lawless Pakistan-Afghanistan border region, where many analysts believe they have rebuilt al-Qaida's core leadership.
Al-Zawahri called for attacks on French and Spanish interests in North Africa and on U.N. and African peacekeepers expected to deploy in Sudan's Darfur region.
The video also included footage of al Qaeda's leader in Afghanistan, Mustafa Abu al-Yazeed, meeting with a senior Taliban commander. In contrast to past videos that showed al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters in rough desert terrain, Abu al-Yazeed and the commander were shown sitting in a field surrounded by trees as a jihad anthem played, extolling the virgins that will meet martyrs in paradise.
Abu al-Yazeed said al-Qaeda's ties with the Taliban were strengthening. The Taliban commander, Dadullah Mansoor, said: "We shall target the infidels in Afghanistan and outside Afghanistan: inside all the infidel countries oppressing the Muslims. And we shall focus our attacks, Allah willing, on the coalition forces in Afghanistan."
Another clip showed Abu Musab Abdulwadood, the leader of Algeria's main Islamic insurgency movement, addressing bin Laden and vowing that "our swords are unsheathed."
Al-Zawahri called on supporters in North Africa to "cleanse the Maghrib (western region) of Islam of the children of France and Spain. ... Stand with your sons the mujahedeen against the Crusaders and their children."
The video also included what IntelCenter said appeared to be old, but previously unreleased footage of bin Laden. The images show the terror leader, with a beard streaked with gray and a white cloth draped over his head, in front of a map showing the Middle East and parts of Asia.
He condemns Arab Gulf governments that have allied themselves with the United States, saying they have "sold the Islamic nation, colluded with the enemies of Islam and backed the infidels. And this is the greater form of being an infidel ... But Allah permitting, they shall leave the Gulf under the blows of the mujahedeen," bin Laden said.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says Bush is Obedient to Satan

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- The nuclear issue in Iran is "now closed," Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said in an address Tuesday loaded with broadsides against "selfish and incompetent" powers that have "obedience to Satan."
An agreement reached last month between his country and the International Atomic Energy Agency over its disputed nuclear program has, in the Iranian view, settled the matter, he said. The IAEA is the world's central nuclear technology governing body.
"Iran decided to pursue the issue through its appropriate, legal path, one that runs through the IAEA, and to disregard unlawful and political impositions by the arrogant powers," Ahmadinejad said in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
"I officially announce that in our opinion, the nuclear issue of Iran is now closed and has turned into an ordinary agency matter."
Under the deal brokered in August, the Iranian government agreed to a timetable for resolving outstanding issues with the IAEA over its nuclear program, which the Iranians have said is solely for peaceful power generation. The deal received a tepid reception from the United States and other Western countries that fear Tehran is trying to develop nuclear weapons.
Ahmadinejad said Tuesday the IAEA has taken the "correct approach," as opposed to the U.N. Security Council, which has been "influenced by some bullying powers and failed to uphold justice and protect the rights of the Iranian people." See some of Ahmadinejad's controversial remarks »
The Security Council has repeatedly demanded that Iran suspend enrichment of uranium and has imposed limited sanctions on Tehran for refusing to comply.
Ahmadinejad charged in his speech that the Security Council "ranks first" among ineffective international bodies because it is influenced by "monopolistic powers."
A senior State Department official in Washington, however, said it was "safe to say he is the only one who thinks the file on Iran's nuclear weapons program is closed."
White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said Iran "knows what the international community is demanding regarding its enrichment and reprocessing programs, and we are going to work with our allies to ensure they do. We believe this can be solved diplomatically."
The outspoken Ahmadinejad also offered veiled but unmistakable criticism of the United States -- not mentioning Iran's long-time adversary by name, but offering blunt critiques of the Iraq war and Washington's larger war on terrorism.
"Human rights are being extensively violated by certain powers," he said in his U.N. address. "Setting up secret prisons, abducting persons, trials and secret punishments without any regard to due process, extensive tappings of telephone conversations, intercepting private mail and frequent summons to police and security centers have become commonplace and prevalent." Watch what Iran's president had to say about human rights »
Ahmadinejad also said Iraq "was occupied under the pretext of overthrowing a dictator and the existence of weapons of mass destruction."
"The Iraqi dictator, who had been supported by the same occupiers, was disposed of, and no weapons of mass destruction were discovered," Ahmadinejad said. "But the occupation continues under different excuses."
Ahmadinejad repeatedly criticized unnamed "powers" that he charged were responsible for insecurity, division and moral decline across the world. "Is it not high time for these powers to return from the path of arrogance and obedience to Satan to the path of faith in God?" said Ahmadinejad, who also invited "all independent, justice-seeking and peace-loving nations" to join Iran in a "coalition for peace."
The Iranian leader did make one specific reference to the United States, saying "the rights and dignity of the American people are also being sacrificed for the selfish desires of those holding power."
U.S. diplomats, however, were not on hand to listen to Ahmadinejad's analysis. The chairs where the American delegation sits were unoccupied, except for one woman taking notes.
Ahmadinejad's visit to the United States has generated controversy and sparked demonstrations. Eighteen protesters were arrested Tuesday outside U.N. headquarters.
One day earlier, the firebrand Iranian leader spoke at Columbia University and challenged the audience to look into "who was truly involved" in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Hundreds gathered to protest Ahmadinejad's appearance, incensed that a leader who has publicly denied the Holocaust and called for the destruction of the state of Israel was given a prestigious forum to espouse his beliefs

Bush Exercising his right to Arrest Protestors

Anti-Bush Protesters Arrested Near UN
Tuesday, September 25, 2007 5:29 PM EDT
The Associated PressBy KAREN MATTHEWS Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — About a dozen war protesters were arrested Tuesday morning during a peaceful demonstration against President Bush's speech before the U.N. General Assembly.
They were among about 400 protesters opposing the Bush administration's war in Iraq and its incarceration in Guantanamo Bay of more than 300 men on suspicion of terrorism or links to al-Qaida or the Taliban. Many in the crowd wore orange jumpsuits in solidarity with the Guantanamo detainees.
Police took the arrested demonstrators into custody by police after they knelt on the sidewalk in an act of civil disobedience at the rally near the United Nations. One of them, 58-year-old Bill Ofenloch, said they were trying to serve an "arrest warrant" on Bush for "high crimes against humanity."
Members of the anti-war group Code Pink performed a bit of street theater where a person wearing a Bush mask was arrested.
"What do we say?" shouted Code Pink's Medea Benjamin. "Arrest the criminal!"
The crowd picked up the chant. Once the arrests were made, the rest of the group began marching downtown. The demonstrators, in orderly fashion, walked along the sidewalks because they lacked a permit for a street march.
In his speech, Bush announced sanctions against the military dictatorship in Myanmar, accusing it of imposing "a 19-year reign of fear" that denies basic freedoms of speech, assembly and worship.
A White House spokesman did not immediately return a call seeking comment on the protest.

Blind Faith or Reason

Blind Faith or Reason
By Abdullah Hashem

God has been portrayed in many religions including Christianity and Islam as a God of faith. Faith is arguably the main virtue stressed in Christianity and Islam by many Christian and Muslim scholars, writers and leaders. When something doesn’t make sense or when you do not understand God’s plan you should blindly accept because faith equals blind acceptance according to many of the teachings and writings of these religious scholars however when you examine God in the Bible and Qu’ran you will see that God does not require blind faith but rather requires faith by reason. God does not want or expect humans to believe blindly but rather he created us with reason and a mind to use it and that is why we are a special creation and unlike so many of God’s other creations. Not only did he give us a mind to reason with but he also requires us to use it. None of the prophets sent by God in the Bible or the Qu’ran were blind believers. They all spoke to God, received revelations from God and were instructed by God to commit certain acts or carry out certain missions. Not one of the prophets described in the Bible or the Qu’ran had traveled around preaching the word of God on their own or based on their own understandings of previous texts by faith alone but rather by receiving teachings from God and often challenging God on his teachings, instructions or decisions.
In Genesis 1:26 God states “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea…..and over all the earth.” A popular interpretation of this verse in Christianity is that God made man to look like him physically. Why would God need to create a creature that looked like him? God clearly hates anything that takes his place of glory and worship as he demonstrates throughout the Bible and the Qu’ran when he repeatedly destroys cities with idol worshippers and repeatedly forbids the worship of anything in his place or anything of his likeness? He is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5; Deuteronomy 4:24.) It would seem that he would not create man in his likeness for the simple fact that he would not want another God, or another creature that looked like God; that would take away God’s unique look or form. Rather it would make sense that he might create humans in his likeness by a specific trait. The important likeness that was given to humans by God was reason. These are traits of God as he has reason but having the trait of reason does not mean that a person would ultimately become God or even be like God as people reason in different ways and make different choices based on their reasoning. However having the trait of reason that God has ultimately gave humans dominion over all other creations on Earth and it makes sense why humans would have dominion over all the rest of God’s creations, because none of God’s other creations have reason. They make choices to survive and not because of any sort of reasoning.
God’s first test of Adam or instruction to Adam, his first human creation as told in the Qu’ran 2:35-2:36 and in Genesis 2:16-2:17 was not a test of Adam’s faith as Adam already knew God existed but it was a test of reason. God warned Adam in both the Qu’ran and Genesis about the consequences of eating from the forbidden tree and then he left Adam with a choice that he had to make using his reason. The choice was to disobey God and eat from the tree knowing the consequences in order to become like Gods as the serpent tells Eve in Genesis 3:5. God wanted to watch the outcome of human choice and see how humans would use their reason. It was never to test whether Adam believed in God. The consequences of this choice was now that humanity would fall to Earth and all of Adam and Eve’s descendants would have to use their reason to make the right choices and save themselves from hell. This is described in the Qu’ran in versus 2:38-2:39 where God tells Adam that humans shall dwell on Earth and whoever chooses to follow God’s ways shall see paradise and whoever doesn’t shall receive hell. It’s important to stress that God does not say he who has faith in me or believes in my existence shall enter heaven but rather he says “Whoever follows my guidance.” You can’t have faith in guidance but rather you must choose to follow God’s guidance by your reasoning and realizing that God’s guidance makes sense and is best for you. Once again it does not seem that God would want blind followers but rather those who use their reason to realize God exists.
Throughout the Bible and the Qu’ran God gives us signs of his existence and his creation. He does this so that we may read his messages or texts and come to the conclusion that God exists through using our reason. Then and only then can we truly appreciate God’s might and glory. Blind faith does not give God the satisfaction or credit he deserves. A person who blindly believes in God without any reason believes because he was told to believe and might live his life according to God’s laws but will never truly appreciate God fully unless he uses his reason to reach God. That is why God has hidden many scientific facts throughout the Qu’ran and the Bible. In Job 26:7 for example when Job is talking about God he says “He hangeth the earth upon nothing.” As everyone knows now the Earth is not attached or held up by anything. It floats freely in space rotating around the sun however back when the Bible was written this knowledge obviously didn’t exist. I think this was a perfect way to show how God intends for us to find him by reason. An individual through using his reason might come to the conclusion that because this scientific fact was available in the Bible way before we discovered it as a fact there must be a God and the Bible is proof of it. The same type of scientific proof or signs are revealed in the Qu’ran for example in the Quran 10:61 “Not even an atom's weight eludes your Lord, either on earth or in heaven. Nor is there anything smaller than that, or larger, which is not in a Clear Book.” This verse talks about Atoms and smaller particles than atoms which are believed now to be protons and neurons which compromise the Atom. The Atom and its smaller particles were not discovered until this last century. A person who believes blindly will not care so much about these signs as he believes anyway just because he was told to unlike a person who uses his reason to seek these signs and then is mind blown and truly appreciates God’s might and wisdom. He sees that not only is God real but he also sees proof of God’s ability. It gets a person who uses reason to think about how complicated the structure of matter is and how God created it all and designed it all. You may seek a complete list of these scientific proofs of the Qu’ran and the Bible by reading the E-Text of the book Miracles of the Qu’ran by Harun Yahya at http://harunyahya.com/miracles_of_the_quran_01.php and by reading Science and the Bible by Henry Madison Morris.
If God expected or required humans to accept him by faith blindly surely he would punish those who would challenge his existence or his messages. However this does not happen when God is challenged numerous times throughout the Bible and the Qu’ran. A perfect example of this is in Genesis 18:25 where God decides to destroy Sodom and Abraham challenges God saying “That be far from thee to do after this manner, slay the righteous with the wicked…Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?” Why does Abraham challenge God? Abraham comes to the conclusion through reason that a just God would never destroy an entire city, giving the righteous and the wicked the same punishment. If God has prophets so that they may guide humanity and be an example to humanity for what is right then why would God allow Abraham to challenge him and why would this part of the story be included in the Bible so that humanity may see Abraham challenging God? If Abraham believed blindly in God he would not have asked or challenged God because he would just know that God is right. However blind faith is not enough for Abraham and he uses his reason and challenges God. What’s more striking about this story is that God does not get angry at Abraham for this challenge. He accepts it and even negotiates with Abraham. He does not see Abraham’s question or challenge as a sign of Abraham losing faith in God but rather as an opportunity for him to engage Abraham in a negotiation on the outcome of Sodom. God didn’t have to accept Abraham’s challenge or even negotiate with him but it seems like God took the opportunity to negotiate with Abraham and get him using his reason even more and thinking about the situation.
God accepts Mohammed’s challenge in Islam in Mohammed’s ascension to heaven as alluded to in the Qu’ran 17:1. Mohammed ascends to heaven where God tells him to tell his people to pray fifty times a day. Mohammed leaves God’s presence and encounters Moses who asks Mohammed about what God instructed him to do. Moses then tells Mohammed that fifty prayers a day is too much and his people would never be able to complete it. Mohammed to returns to God several time each time reducing the number of daily prayers more and more until he reaches five. God never gets angry at Mohammed for challenging his commands but rather just as he did with Abraham accepts Mohammed’s challenge and negotiates with him repeatedly. Through the above two stories and there are many others throughout the Bible and Qu’ran, it seems like God will give out harsh commands or come to harsh decisions to get us to think and use our reason. If God is all mighty and all knowing he obviously knew that Abraham and Mohammed were going to challenge him so if he wanted us to accept faith blindly and never challenge it or use our reason to come to conclusions why would he have picked those two prophets to be examples for humanity? Why would he emphasize these stories in the Bible and Qu’ran? The only answer is to show humans that it is ok to challenge and it is a good thing to use reason to come to conclusions and seek truths. Reason is the only thing that will keep a person from knowing total and complete truth. People can join any religion, cult, belief or organization even though it might not be truth by blind faith but with reason a person will know and discover eventually the truth.
As said in the Matthew 7:7 “Seek and ye shall find” and in the Quran 33:29 "But if you are seeking God and His messenger, and the abode of the Hereafter, then God has prepared for the righteous among you a great recompense." As just shown God says seek and you will find me or seek me and ye shall be rewarded. How may one seek God? How may one seek anything? Not by blind faith but rather you seek anything by reasoning things out. Reasoning is the virtue that should be stressed in Christianity and Islam rather than just faith. If you have reason behind your faith, your faith will be strong, if you don’t have any reason behind your faith, your faith will collapse.