Riding on a Cosmic String
January 5, 2011 at 1:29 pm
(This post was last modified: January 5, 2011 at 1:36 pm by Rayaan.)
In this thread, what I'm about to explain is a well-supported evidence of divine revelation, and thus, proving that there is a greater chance for the existence of a Creator.
Even though this is something theoretical by nature, the subject that I'll talking about is pretty interesting when you look at the connections between Islam and the ideas in modern physics. The topic deals with the belief in an extremely long and narrow bridge called the Sirat (which everyone has to pass to go to Heaven) and proving the existence of such a bridge in the light of scientific knowledge.
What the Bridge looks like
First, here's a brief summary of the bridge at wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As-Sir%C4%81t
And here are some hadith narrations that were said by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) about the bridge:
Narrated by Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri: We, the companions of the Prophet said, "O Allah's Apostle! What is the bridge?" He said, "It is a slippery (bridge) on which there are clamps and hooks like a thorny seed that is wide at one side and narrow at the other and has thorns with bent ends. Such a thorny seed is found in Najd and is called As-Sa'dan. Some of the believers will cross the bridge as quickly as the wink of an eye, some others as quick as lightning, a strong wind, fast horses or she-camels. So some will be safe without any harm; some will be safe after receiving some scratches, and some will fall down into Hell. The last person will cross by being dragged over the bridge" (Sahih Bukhari- Volume 9, Book 93, Number 532).
Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri also said, "I have come to know that the bridge would be thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword" (Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0353).
In another hadith, the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Over that bridge there will be hooks similar to the thorns of As Sa'dan (a thorny tree). Didn't you see the thorns of As-Sa'dan?" The companions said, "Yes, O Allah's Apostle." He added, "So the hooks over that bridge will be like the thorns of As-Sa-dan except that their greatness in size is only known to Allah. These hooks will snatch the people according to their deeds. Some people will be ruined because of their evil deeds, and some will be cut into pieces and fall down in Hell, but will be saved afterwards, when Allah has finished the judgments among His slaves, and intends to take out of the Fire whoever He wishes to take out from among those who used to testify that none had the right to be worshipped but Allah” (Sahi Bukhari- Volume 8, Book 76, Number 577).
From these hadiths, we learn that the bridge is thin, sharp, and has hooks on it. Everyone has to go on a journey on top of this bridge and they have to make it all the way to the end of the bridge to go to Heaven. Below the bridge is Hell. So, whoever falls down from the bridge will enter Hell. Some people will get scratched by the hooks on the bridge according to their deeds (which will make it harder for them to stay on the bridge). Some of them will be cut into pieces and fall down into Hell. Others will cross the bridge as fast lightning without getting any damage from the hooks.
What a "Cosmic String" looks like
In theoretical physics, there is something called cosmic strings. Cosmic strings are said to be thinner than the nucleus of an atom. Even though they are incredibly thin, they have an immense density. Cosmic strings are under millions upon millions of gravitational pressure, which is why they are so dense. It is calculated that "A cosmic string 1.6 kilometers in length would exert more gravity than the Earth" (source). Cosmic strings are believed to be remnants left over after the Big Bang and they could still be present somewhere in the universe. Recently, scientists are finding a lot more evidence for the existence of such strings by looking at the gravitational effects on distant galaxies.
Even though cosmic strings have never been detected, physicists believe that their existence is highly probable because this idea fits well with other cosmological theories such as the expansion of the universe, higher-dimensional theories, and grand unification theories. The existence of cosmic strings is also supported by string theory. String theorist Joseph Polchinski said that the expanding universe could have stretched a "fundamental" string until it was of "intergalactic size," which would essentially be known as a cosmic string.
The physicist Brian Greene, in his book The Elegant Universe, also mentioned the possibility of detecting a long string extending across the universe sometime in the future. He writes that “the size of a string is typically the Planck length, but strings that are more energetic can grow substantially larger. The energy of the big bang, in fact, would have been high enough to produce a few macroscopically large strings that, through cosmic expansion, might have grown to astronomical scales. We can imagine that now or sometime in the distant future, a string of this sort might sweep across the night sky, leaving an unmistakable and measurable imprint on data collected by astronomers” (pg. 224).
Also, there are scientists who have designed models of time travel using the physics of cosmic strings. One of the physicists who showed how cosmic strings can be used for time travel is J. Richard Gott of Princeton University. In his book Time Travel in Einstein's Universe, he talks about his theory of time travel by taking a ride on a cosmic string and going faster than the speed of light.
"These cosmic strings, which are thinner than an atom, would generate an enormous amount of gravitational pull on any objects that pass near them. Objects attached to a cosmic string could travel at incredible speeds, and because their gravitational force distorts spacetime, they could be used for time travel. By pulling two cosmic strings close together, or one string close to a black hole, it might be possible to warp spacetime enough to create closed time-like curves" (source).
Cosmic strings also have structures on them called "kinks" and "cusps", which are both very similar to the definition of "hooks."
These so-called kinks and cusps can form at many points throughout the length of a long cosmic string. The definition of a kink is: "A tight curl, twist, or bend in a length of thin material, as one caused by the tensing of a looped section of wire" (from thefreedictionary.com). Another definition of kink is: "A short tight twist or curl caused by a doubling or winding of something upon itself" (from merriam-webster.com). And the definition of a cusp is: "A point or pointed end" (from thefreedictionary.com).
It is believed that these cusps or kinks emit powerful bursts of radiation, such as gamma rays and gravitational waves. In an article titled "Getting Vibes From Cosmic Strings," it says that "As cosmic strings oscillate, certain fast-moving parts of them called 'cusps' should produce narrow, well-directed beams of gamma rays that could give an observer crossing their path the effect of sharp bursts" (source).
In another article titled "Cosmic Superstrings and LIGO," it tells us that "The bursts we are most likely to be able to detect are produced at cosmic string cusps. These are regions of string which acquire phenomenal Lorentz boosts, and emit a powerful burst of gravitational waves in the direction of motion of the string" (source). In another article it says that two physicists, Thibault Damour and Alexander Vilenkin, figured out that "when cosmic strings oscillate, every once in a while, they crack like a whip. 'It's surprising,' said Polchinski, 'but when you write out the equations for an oscillating string, a little piece of the string snaps and moves very fast. Basically, the tip will move at the speed of light. When a string cracks like this, it emits a cone of gravitational waves, which is a remarkably intense and distinctive signal, which LIGO can detect'" (source).
Similarities between the Bridge and a cosmic string
1. They are both strings which are long and narrower than the width of a hair.
2. The bridge will have hooks on the sides. Cosmic strings also has what physicists call “cusps” and “kinks” on them which are sharp and pointed ends on a cosmic string.
3. Some people will cross the bridge as fast as lightning. Similarly, objects that get attached to a cosmic string can also travel at extremely fast speeds.
My Hypothesis
The amazing similarities that I mentioned above strongly indicate that the bridge to Heaven is a cosmic string (although it could be something else, too).
The descriptions of the bridge and that of a cosmic string are too similar to have matched with each other by a coincidence only. Therefore, it makes more sense to think that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) knew about this only through divine revelation. Most likely, nobody who lived 14 centuries ago in a desert country and was illiterate would be smart enough to know that such long and narrow "strings" actually exist in outer space (and even know that there are "hooks" on the string). To me this a reasonable evidence that such a knowledge came to the Prophet Muhammad from a greater intelligent source (or from Allah).
Even though this is something theoretical by nature, the subject that I'll talking about is pretty interesting when you look at the connections between Islam and the ideas in modern physics. The topic deals with the belief in an extremely long and narrow bridge called the Sirat (which everyone has to pass to go to Heaven) and proving the existence of such a bridge in the light of scientific knowledge.
What the Bridge looks like
First, here's a brief summary of the bridge at wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As-Sir%C4%81t
And here are some hadith narrations that were said by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) about the bridge:
Narrated by Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri: We, the companions of the Prophet said, "O Allah's Apostle! What is the bridge?" He said, "It is a slippery (bridge) on which there are clamps and hooks like a thorny seed that is wide at one side and narrow at the other and has thorns with bent ends. Such a thorny seed is found in Najd and is called As-Sa'dan. Some of the believers will cross the bridge as quickly as the wink of an eye, some others as quick as lightning, a strong wind, fast horses or she-camels. So some will be safe without any harm; some will be safe after receiving some scratches, and some will fall down into Hell. The last person will cross by being dragged over the bridge" (Sahih Bukhari- Volume 9, Book 93, Number 532).
Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri also said, "I have come to know that the bridge would be thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword" (Sahih Muslim, Book 001, Number 0353).
In another hadith, the Prophet (pbuh) said, "Over that bridge there will be hooks similar to the thorns of As Sa'dan (a thorny tree). Didn't you see the thorns of As-Sa'dan?" The companions said, "Yes, O Allah's Apostle." He added, "So the hooks over that bridge will be like the thorns of As-Sa-dan except that their greatness in size is only known to Allah. These hooks will snatch the people according to their deeds. Some people will be ruined because of their evil deeds, and some will be cut into pieces and fall down in Hell, but will be saved afterwards, when Allah has finished the judgments among His slaves, and intends to take out of the Fire whoever He wishes to take out from among those who used to testify that none had the right to be worshipped but Allah” (Sahi Bukhari- Volume 8, Book 76, Number 577).
From these hadiths, we learn that the bridge is thin, sharp, and has hooks on it. Everyone has to go on a journey on top of this bridge and they have to make it all the way to the end of the bridge to go to Heaven. Below the bridge is Hell. So, whoever falls down from the bridge will enter Hell. Some people will get scratched by the hooks on the bridge according to their deeds (which will make it harder for them to stay on the bridge). Some of them will be cut into pieces and fall down into Hell. Others will cross the bridge as fast lightning without getting any damage from the hooks.
What a "Cosmic String" looks like
In theoretical physics, there is something called cosmic strings. Cosmic strings are said to be thinner than the nucleus of an atom. Even though they are incredibly thin, they have an immense density. Cosmic strings are under millions upon millions of gravitational pressure, which is why they are so dense. It is calculated that "A cosmic string 1.6 kilometers in length would exert more gravity than the Earth" (source). Cosmic strings are believed to be remnants left over after the Big Bang and they could still be present somewhere in the universe. Recently, scientists are finding a lot more evidence for the existence of such strings by looking at the gravitational effects on distant galaxies.
Even though cosmic strings have never been detected, physicists believe that their existence is highly probable because this idea fits well with other cosmological theories such as the expansion of the universe, higher-dimensional theories, and grand unification theories. The existence of cosmic strings is also supported by string theory. String theorist Joseph Polchinski said that the expanding universe could have stretched a "fundamental" string until it was of "intergalactic size," which would essentially be known as a cosmic string.
The physicist Brian Greene, in his book The Elegant Universe, also mentioned the possibility of detecting a long string extending across the universe sometime in the future. He writes that “the size of a string is typically the Planck length, but strings that are more energetic can grow substantially larger. The energy of the big bang, in fact, would have been high enough to produce a few macroscopically large strings that, through cosmic expansion, might have grown to astronomical scales. We can imagine that now or sometime in the distant future, a string of this sort might sweep across the night sky, leaving an unmistakable and measurable imprint on data collected by astronomers” (pg. 224).
Also, there are scientists who have designed models of time travel using the physics of cosmic strings. One of the physicists who showed how cosmic strings can be used for time travel is J. Richard Gott of Princeton University. In his book Time Travel in Einstein's Universe, he talks about his theory of time travel by taking a ride on a cosmic string and going faster than the speed of light.
"These cosmic strings, which are thinner than an atom, would generate an enormous amount of gravitational pull on any objects that pass near them. Objects attached to a cosmic string could travel at incredible speeds, and because their gravitational force distorts spacetime, they could be used for time travel. By pulling two cosmic strings close together, or one string close to a black hole, it might be possible to warp spacetime enough to create closed time-like curves" (source).
Cosmic strings also have structures on them called "kinks" and "cusps", which are both very similar to the definition of "hooks."
These so-called kinks and cusps can form at many points throughout the length of a long cosmic string. The definition of a kink is: "A tight curl, twist, or bend in a length of thin material, as one caused by the tensing of a looped section of wire" (from thefreedictionary.com). Another definition of kink is: "A short tight twist or curl caused by a doubling or winding of something upon itself" (from merriam-webster.com). And the definition of a cusp is: "A point or pointed end" (from thefreedictionary.com).
It is believed that these cusps or kinks emit powerful bursts of radiation, such as gamma rays and gravitational waves. In an article titled "Getting Vibes From Cosmic Strings," it says that "As cosmic strings oscillate, certain fast-moving parts of them called 'cusps' should produce narrow, well-directed beams of gamma rays that could give an observer crossing their path the effect of sharp bursts" (source).
In another article titled "Cosmic Superstrings and LIGO," it tells us that "The bursts we are most likely to be able to detect are produced at cosmic string cusps. These are regions of string which acquire phenomenal Lorentz boosts, and emit a powerful burst of gravitational waves in the direction of motion of the string" (source). In another article it says that two physicists, Thibault Damour and Alexander Vilenkin, figured out that "when cosmic strings oscillate, every once in a while, they crack like a whip. 'It's surprising,' said Polchinski, 'but when you write out the equations for an oscillating string, a little piece of the string snaps and moves very fast. Basically, the tip will move at the speed of light. When a string cracks like this, it emits a cone of gravitational waves, which is a remarkably intense and distinctive signal, which LIGO can detect'" (source).
Similarities between the Bridge and a cosmic string
1. They are both strings which are long and narrower than the width of a hair.
2. The bridge will have hooks on the sides. Cosmic strings also has what physicists call “cusps” and “kinks” on them which are sharp and pointed ends on a cosmic string.
3. Some people will cross the bridge as fast as lightning. Similarly, objects that get attached to a cosmic string can also travel at extremely fast speeds.
My Hypothesis
The amazing similarities that I mentioned above strongly indicate that the bridge to Heaven is a cosmic string (although it could be something else, too).
The descriptions of the bridge and that of a cosmic string are too similar to have matched with each other by a coincidence only. Therefore, it makes more sense to think that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) knew about this only through divine revelation. Most likely, nobody who lived 14 centuries ago in a desert country and was illiterate would be smart enough to know that such long and narrow "strings" actually exist in outer space (and even know that there are "hooks" on the string). To me this a reasonable evidence that such a knowledge came to the Prophet Muhammad from a greater intelligent source (or from Allah).
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