Epigraph:

He created the heavens without any visible support, and He placed firm mountains on the earth––in case it should shake under you––and He spread all kinds of animals around it. We sent down water from the sky, with which We made every kind of good plant grow on earth: all this is God’s creation. Now, show Me what your other gods have created. No, the disbelievers are clearly astray. (Al Quran 31:10-11)

These are the signs of the Scripture. What your Lord has sent down to you [Prophet] is the truth, yet most people do not believe. It is God who raised up the heavens with no visible supports and then established Himself on the throne; He has subjected the sun and the moon each to pursue its course for an appointed time; He regulates all things, and makes the revelations clear so that you may be certain of meeting your Lord; it is He who spread out the earth, placed firm mountains and rivers on it, and made two of every kind of fruit. (Al Quran 13:2-3)

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Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD, Chief Editor of the Muslim Times

We experience gravity so ubiquitously in our daily life that we take it for granted. It is called anesthesia of familiarity. Allah has alluded to it at least in two places in the Quran in the verses quoted above as a miracle or a Sign of Allah. The Quranic understanding of miracles is within the laws of nature and not in their violation.

The expression the Quran uses for gravity is that Allah has created the heavens with pillars that we cannot see. The Quran includes gravity with other amazing creations as Signs of Allah. In the verses quoted from Surah Luqman above, chapter 31, Allah claims that such are His creations and challenges the nonbelievers to show any creation of gods that they worship, be they chance or science. The verses from Surah Raad, chapter 13, suggest that the miracles of God’s creation should convince humanity of Afterlife. After all One who created everything in the first place is certainly very capable of recreating them.

Gravity, the force that governs the motion of planets, stars, and galaxies, has intrigued scientists and philosophers for centuries. Despite its omnipresence, gravity remains one of the most enigmatic forces in the universe.

Historical Perspectives

In the late 17th century, Sir Isaac Newton formulated the law of universal gravitation, describing gravity as an attractive force between two masses, proportional to their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them. This groundbreaking work provided a mathematical framework for understanding celestial motions and terrestrial phenomena.

However, Newton’s theory did not explain the underlying cause of gravity. This conceptual gap persisted until the early 20th century when Albert Einstein introduced the general theory of relativity. Einstein proposed that gravity is not a force but a manifestation of the curvature of spacetime caused by mass and energy. Objects follow geodesic paths in this curved spacetime, resulting in what we perceive as gravitational attraction.

Modern Mysteries

Despite the success of general relativity in describing large-scale gravitational phenomena, several mysteries remain:

• Quantum Gravity: General relativity excels at explaining gravity on macroscopic scales, but it is incompatible with quantum mechanics, which governs the microscopic realm. Developing a theory of quantum gravity that unifies these two frameworks is a significant challenge in modern physics. Proposed approaches include string theory and loop quantum gravity, but a complete theory remains elusive.
• Dark Matter and Dark Energy: Observations of galactic rotations and the universe’s accelerated expansion suggest the presence of dark matter and dark energy, which interact gravitationally yet remain undetected through electromagnetic means. Their true nature and relationship with gravity are subjects of ongoing research.
• Gravity’s Relative Weakness: Gravity is significantly weaker than the other fundamental forces. For instance, it is approximately 10^38 times weaker than the strong nuclear force. The reason for this disparity is unknown and prompts questions about whether gravity operates differently at various scales or dimensions.

Recent Developments

Recent studies have provided more precise tests of gravity’s behavior over cosmological scales. For example, findings from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) support Einstein’s general relativity, indicating that gravity acts as predicted over the past 11 billion years. However, these observations also suggest that dark energy may be dynamic rather than constant, potentially influencing future cosmic expansion. Reuters

Conclusion and the Argument for a Creator

Gravity remains a profound mystery at the intersection of classical and quantum physics. While theories like general relativity have deepened our understanding, they also reveal the limitations of our current knowledge. Ongoing research aims to unravel these mysteries, promising to shed light on the fundamental nature of gravity and its role in the cosmos.

The intricate nature of gravity has long captivated both scientists and philosophers, leading to profound discussions about its implications for the existence of a creator. Central to this discourse is the fine-tuning argument, which posits that the precise values of the universe’s fundamental constants, including gravity, suggest intentional calibration conducive to life.

Gravity, though the weakest of the four fundamental forces, plays a pivotal role in the universe’s structure and the emergence of life. Its strength is finely balanced; even slight deviations could render the universe inhospitable. For instance, if gravity were marginally stronger, stars would burn out rapidly, precluding the development of life. Conversely, a slightly weaker gravitational force would prevent star formation, leading to a lifeless universe. This delicate balance is often cited as evidence of fine-tuning. Catholic Answers

Proponents of the fine-tuning argument assert that the precise calibration of constants like gravity is improbable under random chance. They argue that such specificity points to intentional design by a creator. Philosopher Robin Collins illustrates this by comparing the gravitational constant to a radio dial spanning 93 billion light-years, where life can only exist if the dial is set to a specific inch. The improbability of this precise setting occurring by chance suggests deliberate design. Cerebral Faith

Additional reading

How Electron and Positron Enhance My Belief in the Quran and God’s Providence?