In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful
A Quranic Aya:
It is taken for granted that this incredibly vast universe is endless; and every time astronomers discover a new distant galaxy that is tens of thousands of millions of light-years away, man gets to know how endless this universe is. Nevertheless, it is all governed by one and the same Divine Law, namely that of gravity.
Each and every object in this universe pulls other objects to itself in proportion with its mass and the distance between them. If such law of gravity were the only law that exists, the whole universe would be one single mass. But the question is:
what prevents the universe from becoming one single mass or countless randomly dispersed objects?!
The answer is referred to in Allah’s Book, the Glorious Quran, in which Allah, Most Gracious, says,
“By the heaven of return!”
[Al-Tareq; 11]
All heavenly objects move around one another in orbits, i.e. they turn back to the same point over and over again. Such circular movement produces centrifugal forces that are equal to forces of gravity, which, in turn, produces what is called “motion balance”, which is one of Allah’s Signs that bespeak His Infinite Divine Might and Power.
What do these ayat mean? Allah, All-Mighty, says,
“(It is) Allah Who has set up the heavens without any pillars that you can see.”
[Ar-Ra'd; 2]
This Verse denotes clearly that there are pillars, but such pillars are invisible….
“without any pillars that you can see”;
and some scientists say that such invisible pillars are forces of gravity among galaxies, heavenly objects and masses.
As for gravity of the Earth, Allah, All-Mighty, says,
“It is He (Allah) Who has made the Earth a fixed abode.”
[An-Naml; 61]
What makes things on the Earth’s surface stable and firm?
It is certainly the force of gravity, which makes all things pulled to the Earth. In other words, if someone flies up into outer space to a point called “Zero G.”, where there is no gravity, he will become weightless:
“It is He (Allah) Who has made the Earth a fixed abode.”
Another Quranic Verse also refers to gravity on the Earth. Allah, All-High, describes what will happen to the Earth on the Day of Resurrection, saying,
“And when the Earth has been stretched forth and has cast out all that is in it and has become empty, ….”
[Al-Inshiqaq; 3,4]
In other words, when gravity on the Earth is rendered inoperative on the Day of Resurrection, it will throw out all things in it, and it will spread them away from itself with no return.
The central point of the lecture:
There is another Quranic Verse which is the pivot of this brief idea, namely Allah’s Words,
“Verily, Allah grasps the heavens and the Earth lest they should move away from their places.”
[Fatir; 41]
Allah, the All-Knowing, the All-Aware, swears by the heaven saying,
“By the heaven of return!”
[Al-Tareq; 11]
This means that every heavenly object goes round another along an oval or circular orbit and then goes back to its original place in orbit. Whose work is it to keep each and every heavenly object in orbit?! If the Earth went out of its orbit, it would soon be pulled by another heavenly object than the Sun and life on it would become impossible. So who keeps the movement of heavenly objects in orbit?! Who keeps the Earth in its orbit round the Sun?! It is Allah, All-Mighty, Most Gracious, Who says,
“Verily, Allah grasps the heavens and the Earth lest they should move away from their places.”
[Fatir; 41]
A comet called Halley visited the Earth in the years 1910 and 1986. For thousands of years, this comet has had its fixed orbit from which it has never deviated; and it has had its fixed time of appearance. Who keeps it in its accurate orbit and at its fixed speed?! Undoubtedly, this comet, together with all other comets, the Earth, the solar system and all other heavenly objects follow Allah’s Divine Laws, just like the Sun, which
“Runs along its fixed course for a term (appointed by Allah)”.
[Ya sin; 38]
Beyond a shadow of doubt, the whole universe runs along courses and according to certain Divine Laws from which it never deviates. It is Allah’s Infinite Divine Power and Might. It is He, Alone, Who created the whole universe,
“Verily, Allah grasps the heavens and the earth lest they should move away from their places. And if they were to move away from their places, there is not one that could grasp them after Him. Truly, He is Ever Most Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving.”
[Fatir; 41]
Could all forces of the Earth ever return the Earth to its orbit if it were to move away from it, or return the Sun to its orbit if it were to move away from it?!
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of Creations