Islamic Creed and Science

Science, cosmos and faith: a contemplative exhibition

Each hall holds one tenet of the creed about the Creator and one place where science comes to stand beside it: space and time, quanta, the horizon of a black hole, the fine-tuning of the world. Not an argument and not a proof — an occasion to pause and think.

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The thread of the matn

The spine of the path is the creed of Imam al-Tahawi. Its lines run hall by hall; a touch opens the hall.

وَتَعَالَى عَنِ الْحُدُودِ وَالْغَايَاتِ وَالْأَرْكَانِ وَالْأَعْضَاءِ وَالْأَدَوَاتِ، لَا تَحْوِيهِ الْجِهَاتُ السِّتُّ كَسَائِرِ الْمُبْتَدَعَاتِ He is exalted beyond limits and ends, beyond pillars, organs and instruments. The six directions do not contain Him — as they contain all created things. Space
مُحِيطٌ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَفَوْقَهُ، وَقَدْ أَعْجَزَ عَنِ الْإِحَاطَةِ خَلْقَهُ He encompasses all things and is above them; and He has rendered His creation incapable of encompassing Him. Space
قَدِيمٌ بِلَا ابْتِدَاءٍ، دَائِمٌ بِلَا انْتِهَاءٍ Eternal without beginning; everlasting without end. Time
لَيْسَ مُنْذُ خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ اسْتَحَقَّ اسْمَ الْخَالِقِ، وَلَا بِإِحْدَاثِ الْبَرَايَا اسْتَفَادَ اسْمَ الْبَارِي Not since creating creation did He become entitled to the name "Creator"; nor by originating beings did He acquire the name "Originator". Time
وَمَنْ لَمْ يَتَوَقَّ النَّفْيَ وَالتَّشْبِيهَ، زَلَّ وَلَمْ يُصِبِ التَّنْزِيهَ Whoever does not guard against negation and likening has slipped, and has not attained tanzih. A Pattern Without a Path
مَا سَلِمَ فِي دِينِهِ إِلَّا مَنْ سَلَّمَ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلِرَسُولِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَرَدَّ عِلْمَ مَا اشْتَبَهَ عَلَيْهِ إِلَى عَالِمِهِ None is sound in his religion save one who submits to Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and to His Messenger — Allah bless him and grant him peace — and entrusts the knowledge of what is unclear to him to the One who knows it. A Pattern Without a Path
خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ بِعِلْمِهِ He created creation by His knowledge. The Tremor of Space
وَقَدَّرَ لَهُمْ أَقْدَارًا، وَضَرَبَ لَهُمْ آجَالًا …and He ordained for them measures, and appointed for them terms. The Tremor of Space
وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ يَجْرِي بِتَقْدِيرِهِ وَمَشِيئَتِهِ، وَمَشِيئَتُهُ تَنْفُذُ All things proceed by His determination and His will; and His will comes to pass. Fine-Tuning
لَا رَادَّ لِقَضَائِهِ، وَلَا مُعَقِّبَ لِحُكْمِهِ، وَلَا غَالِبَ لِأَمْرِهِ Nothing repels His decree, nothing overturns His judgement, nothing overcomes His command. Causality
وَإِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ كَلَامُ اللَّهِ، مِنْهُ بَدَا بِلَا كَيْفِيَّةٍ قَوْلًا، وَأَنْزَلَهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ وَحْيًا Truly the Qur'an is the Speech of Allah: from Him it came forth as utterance — without "how" — and He sent it down upon His Messenger as revelation. The Speech of Allah
وَلَا شَيْءَ مِثْلُهُ، وَلَا شَيْءَ يُعْجِزُهُ، وَلَا إِلَهَ غَيْرُهُ There is nothing like Him; nothing can overpower Him; and there is no deity besides Him. Oneness
حَيٌّ لَا يَمُوتُ، قَيُّومٌ لَا يَنَامُ The Living who does not die; the Self-Subsisting who does not sleep. The Necessary Being
وَأَصْلُ الْقَدَرِ سِرُّ اللهِ تَعَالَى فِي خَلْقِهِ، لَمْ يَطَّلِعْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ مَلَكٌ مُقَرَّبٌ وَلَا نَبِيٌّ مُرْسَلٌ The root of qadar is the secret of Allah Most High in His creation: no angel drawn near and no prophet sent has been given access to it. Qadar
وَنُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّوْحِ وَالْقَلَمِ وَبِجَمِيعِ مَا فِيهِ قَدْ رُقِمَ، فَلَوِ اجْتَمَعَ الْخَلْقُ كُلُّهُمْ عَلَى شَيْءٍ كَتَبَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى فِيهِ أَنَّهُ كَائِنٌ، لِيَجْعَلُوهُ غَيْرَ كَائِنٍ، لَمْ يَقْدِرُوا عَلَيْهِ We believe in the Tablet and the Pen, and in all that has been inscribed therein. If all created beings gathered against something Allah Most High had written there as coming to be — to make it not come to be — they would not be able. Qadar
وَأَفْعَالُ الْعِبَادِ خَلْقُ اللهِ وَكَسْبٌ مِنَ الْعِبَادِ The acts of the servants are Allah's creation and the servants' acquisition (kasb). Qadar
وَنُؤْمِنُ بِالْبَعْثِ وَجَزَاءِ الْأَعْمَالِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَالْعَرْضِ وَالْحِسَابِ، وَقِرَاءَةِ الْكِتَابِ، وَالثَّوَابِ وَالْعِقَابِ We believe in the resurrection and the recompense of deeds on the Day of Judgement, in the presentation and the reckoning, in the reading of the book, and in reward and punishment. Resurrection
وَالرُّؤْيَةُ حَقٌّ لِأَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ، بِغَيْرِ إِحَاطَةٍ وَلَا كَيْفِيَّةٍ The vision is true for the people of Paradise: without encompassing [by sight] and without modality. The Vision
لَا تَبْلُغُهُ الْأَوْهَامُ، وَلَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَفْهَامُ Imaginings do not attain Him, and minds do not comprehend Him. Epilogue