Epigraph

سَابِقُوا إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا كَعَرْضِ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ أُعِدَّتْ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ ذُو الْفَضْلِ الْعَظِيمِ

So race for your Lord’s forgiveness and a Garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for those who believe in God and His messengers: that is God’s bounty, which He bestows on whoever He pleases. God’s bounty is infinite. (Al Quran 57:21)

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

In the vast expanse of the ocean, there existed a unique realm known as Lineland, a world confined to two dimensions where fish could only perceive length and width. In this linear existence, inhabitants moved forward and backward, unaware of any concept beyond their flat plane.

Among these fish was Finn, a curious and adventurous soul who often pondered the mysteries of his world. One day, while exploring the far reaches of Lineland, Finn encountered a shimmering anomaly—a portal pulsating with vibrant colors. Drawn by an inexplicable urge, he approached the portal, and with a swift current, he was pulled through.

Emerging on the other side, Finn found himself in a bewildering environment: Flatland, a two-dimensional plane where creatures possessed both length and width. Here, he met A. Square, a resident of Flatland who introduced Finn to the concept of an additional dimension—width. A. Square explained how their society functioned, with shapes determining social hierarchy, and how they navigated their plane.

As Finn adapted to this new perspective, he marveled at the possibilities that width offered. However, his journey of discovery was far from over. One evening, a radiant light enveloped Finn, lifting him out of Flatland and into an even more astonishing realm: Spaceland, the three-dimensional world.

In Spaceland, Finn encountered Spherius, a wise and benevolent sphere who revealed the existence of depth—the third dimension. Spherius demonstrated how objects possessed volume and how movement was possible in directions Finn had never fathomed. The sensation of swimming up and down, alongside forward and backward, was both exhilarating and overwhelming.

With Spherius as his guide, Finn explored coral reefs teeming with life, navigated through intricate underwater caves, and soared to the ocean’s surface to witness the vast sky above. Each experience expanded his understanding, challenging the very foundation of his previous existence.

Despite the wonders of Spaceland, Finn felt a longing for his home in Lineland. Expressing his desire to return, Spherius nodded understandingly and escorted Finn back through the dimensional layers, first to Flatland, and then guiding him toward the portal leading to Lineland.

Back in his familiar linear world, Finn’s perspective had irrevocably changed. He tried to convey his experiences to fellow inhabitants, speaking of dimensions beyond their perception. However, his tales were met with skepticism and disbelief. Undeterred, Finn continued to share his journey, hoping to inspire others to imagine possibilities beyond their limited scope.

Finn’s adventure serves as a reminder of the boundless potential that lies beyond our immediate perception and the courage it takes to explore the unknown.

There may be extra dimensions in our three-dimension universe as we know it, just like Finn we are not able to easily appreciate these additional dimensions.

The concept of large extra dimensions (LED) offers a compelling framework to address some of the most profound questions in physics, particularly the hierarchy problem, which concerns the vast disparity between the gravitational force and the other fundamental forces. Proposed in 1998 by physicists Nima Arkani-Hamed, Savas Dimopoulos, and Gia Dvali, the ADD model posits that our familiar four-dimensional universe (three spatial dimensions plus time) exists on a membrane within a higher-dimensional space. In this scenario, while electromagnetic, weak, and strong forces are confined to our four-dimensional membrane, gravity can propagate into the additional spatial dimensions. This propagation could explain why gravity appears significantly weaker compared to the other forces. Wikipedia

Arkani-Hamed, Dimopoulos, and Dvali’s model suggests that extra dimensions could be large and accessible, potentially explaining the relative weakness of gravity compared to other fundamental forces. In this framework, gravity can propagate into the extra dimensions, diluting its apparent strength in our observable universe. Wikipedia

Implications of Large Extra Dimensions

If large extra dimensions exist, they could have profound implications for both particle physics and cosmology:

• Hierarchy Problem Resolution: The apparent weakness of gravity might be a consequence of its dilution as it spreads into extra dimensions, potentially resolving the hierarchy problem. Wikipedia
• Potential for New Physics at Colliders: The presence of large extra dimensions could lead to observable phenomena at high-energy particle colliders, such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). For instance, collisions at these energies might produce gravitons that escape into extra dimensions, resulting in missing energy signatures. CERN CMS
• Microscopic Black Hole Production: At sufficiently high energies, particle collisions could produce tiny black holes if extra dimensions are present. These black holes would decay rapidly, and their detection would provide direct evidence of extra dimensions. CERN

Experimental Searches for Extra Dimensions

Despite the theoretical appeal, direct experimental evidence for extra dimensions remains elusive. Several approaches have been employed to detect their presence:

1. Collider Experiments: High-energy particle colliders, such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), have been utilized to search for signs of extra dimensions. One approach involves detecting missing energy and momentum that could indicate gravitons escaping into extra dimensions. Additionally, the production of microscopic black holes at high energies could serve as evidence for extra dimensions. CERN CMS
2. Precision Tests of Gravity: Experiments measuring gravitational forces at sub-millimeter scales aim to detect deviations from Newton’s inverse-square law, which could signal the influence of extra dimensions.
3. Astrophysical Observations: Phenomena such as the behavior of cosmic rays, gravitational waves, and the dynamics of astrophysical objects are studied for anomalies that might suggest the influence of extra dimensions.

Current Status and Challenges

To date, no conclusive experimental evidence has been found to confirm the existence of extra dimensions. The challenges are significant, as the effects of extra dimensions might manifest at energy scales or distances beyond current technological capabilities. Nonetheless, ongoing advancements in experimental physics and observational astronomy continue to refine the search, keeping the possibility of extra dimensions an open and intriguing question in modern physics.

Could paradise and hell be in different dimensions of our universe? We quoted one verse of the Quran to this effect in the epigraph and there is yet another one:

Hurry towards your Lord’s forgiveness and a Paradise as wide as the heavens and earth prepared for the righteous. (Al Quran 3:133)

There are some hadith to this effect also:

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, ‘Paradise is closer to one of you than the strap of his sandal, and so is the Hellfire.’

Al Bukhari, hadith number 6488

In the past I have suggested: Arguing for Extra Dimensions in Physics from God’s Omniscience.

In the commentary of verse 3:133 above, Seyyed Hossein Nasr has written:

It is said that the Byzantine emperor Heraclius sent an emissary to the Prophet saying, ‘You call to a garden whose breadth is the heavens and the earth. So where is the fire?’ The Prophet replied, ‘Glory be to God! Where is the night when the day comes?’

Epilogue

When we read science in the light of the Quran and then the word of God in the light of the works of God, which is our universe, new dimensions open up literally and figuratively.

Often the conservative or the traditional commentators read the Quran literally and I want to suggest a metaphorical reading. Here, the converse is true, and the conservatives have gone metaphorical, and I want to read the Quran literally, in its first and apparent meaning, in light of the suggestions of modern physics including the string theory, which proposes ten or eleven possible dimensions.

Paradise and hell could be in totally separate dimensions. It also opens up the possibility that both may be in virtual reality.

Incidentally, the Mir’aj of the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be on him, may then be both physical and spiritual if it implied travel into different dimensions and that is for another day.