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

When we look at the big picture, in the last century, cosmologists have discovered that our universe is bigger than our past wildest imaginations. The current thinking is that there are as many as two trillion galaxies. According to NASA and most astronomers, the Milky Way galaxy, which is our galaxy, is estimated to contain around 100 billion stars. However, estimates can range from 100 billion to 400 billion stars depending on the model used. According to current estimates based on data from the Kepler space telescope, there could be anywhere between six and ten billion potentially habitable Earth-like planets in our Milky Way galaxy, meaning there could be that many “possible Earths” within our galaxy.

Given the Infinite nature of the God of the Quran and His creativity, I believe that our universe will be teaming with intelligent life. But, today I intend to examine one of the miracles at the small scale, our quantum world.

In 1900, German physicist Max Planck introduced the concept of “quanta” to address anomalies in black-body radiation that classical physics couldn’t explain. He proposed that energy is emitted or absorbed in discrete units, which he called “quanta.” The energy (E) of each quantum is directly proportional to the frequency (ν) of the radiation, expressed mathematically as E = hν, where h is Planck’s constant. This groundbreaking idea laid the foundation for quantum theory, revolutionizing our understanding of energy and matter.

The Quran says that everything in the heavens and on the earth glorifies God. This idea appears in multiple verses, including 57:1, 24:41, and 17:44:

“Whatever is in the heavens and earth exalts Allah, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise” (57:1)

“Have you not seen that all who are in the heavens and the glory Allah and so do the birds spreading their wings?” (24:41)

“The seven heavens and the earth and whatever is in them exalt Him. And there is not a thing except that it exalts [Allah] by His praise” (17:44)

“Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth glorifies Allah; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.” (61:1)

Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon in quantum mechanics where two or more particles become interconnected such that the state of one particle cannot be fully described without considering the state of the others, regardless of the distance separating them. This interconnectedness implies that measuring the state of one particle instantaneously influences the state of its entangled partners, a concept that Albert Einstein famously referred to as “spooky action at a distance.”

Historical Context and Theoretical Foundations of quantum entanglement

The concept of entanglement emerged from the early debates on the completeness of quantum mechanics. In 1935, Einstein, along with Boris Podolsky and Nathan Rosen, presented the EPR paradox, challenging the notion that quantum mechanics could provide a complete description of physical reality. They posited that if quantum mechanics were complete, it would allow for instantaneous effects over arbitrary distances, which seemed paradoxical.

In response, physicist John Bell formulated Bell’s theorem in 1964, providing a way to test the predictions of quantum mechanics against those of local hidden variable theories. Bell’s inequalities offered measurable criteria to determine whether the correlations predicted by quantum mechanics could be explained by any local theory.

Experimental Evidence Supporting Entanglement

Over the decades, numerous experiments have been conducted to test the reality of quantum entanglement:

• Aspect’s Experiment (1982): Alain Aspect and his team conducted experiments that provided strong evidence against local hidden variable theories. By measuring entangled photons and rapidly changing the settings of their detectors, they closed the “locality loophole,” reinforcing the non-local nature of quantum correlations.
• Satellite-Based Entanglement (2017): Researchers in China achieved entanglement over a distance of 1,203 kilometers using the Micius satellite. This experiment demonstrated that entanglement could be maintained over vast distances, with measurements violating Bell’s inequality under strict conditions, thereby closing both the locality and detection loopholes.
• High-Energy Entanglement at CERN (2024): Experiments at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider observed entanglement between top quarks at unprecedented energy levels. This achievement not only confirmed entanglement in high-energy particle interactions but also marked the highest energy at which entanglement has been observed. CERN
• Quantum Teleportation Between Processors (2025): Scientists at the University of Oxford successfully transmitted a quantum algorithm between two separate quantum processors using quantum teleportation. This breakthrough demonstrated the practical application of entanglement in quantum computing, effectively linking processors without physical connections. Wired

Implications and Applications

The confirmation of quantum entanglement has profound implications:

• Quantum Computing: Entanglement is a cornerstone of quantum computing, enabling qubits to exist in multiple states simultaneously. This property allows quantum computers to perform complex computations more efficiently than classical computers.
• Quantum Cryptography: Entanglement ensures the security of quantum communication channels. Any attempt to eavesdrop on an entangled system would disturb the system, revealing the presence of the intruder and thereby safeguarding the information.
• Fundamental Physics: Observations of entanglement challenge classical notions of locality and realism, prompting ongoing discussions about the nature of reality and the completeness of quantum mechanics.

In summary, quantum entanglement exemplifies the counterintuitive and miraculous nature of quantum mechanics. Extensive experimental evidence has not only validated its existence but also opened avenues for technological advancements that leverage this unique quantum phenomenon.

Epilogue

Above I quoted four verses that everything in the heaven and the earth glorifies Allah. So, in that sense we can celebrate God for every beauty or miracle that we discover in physics, chemistry and biology.

Now, I want to bring out a verse that gets to be more specific and closer to quantum mechanics.

The holy Quran talks about pairs in biology and every known and unknown thing that the first addressees in Arabia could not conceive. The Quran says:

Glory be to Him who created all the pairs of things that the earth produces, as well as themselves and other things they do not know about. (Al Quran 36:36)

And:

We built the heavens with Our power and are expanding it, We spread out the earth – how well We smoothed it out – and We created pairs of all things so that you might reflect and ponder over it. (Al Quran 51:47-49)

Now, we go to verses where Allah not only mentions pairs but swears by them and also other different aspects of his creation:

وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَىٰ

وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّىٰ

وَمَا خَلَقَ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنثَىٰ

By the enshrouding night, by the radiant day, by His creation of male and female! (Al Quran 92:1-3)

When Allah swears by any of His creation, He is presenting it as testimony of His truth and the Quran as His final message. Divine claim is that all aspects of His creation, the night sky, the bright sunny day and the pairs in all aspects of His creation are exhibits for God’s divinity and the Quran’s truth. The pairs in quantum mechanics are examined in detail in a separate article: The Holy Quran and the Pairs in Quantum Physics.

Taking strength from all these verses I see the hidden hand of God in every discovery in physics, cosmology, chemistry and biology, not only for creating everything, but also making His creation coherent and giving us the faculties to discover them.

Praise and glory be to Allah!