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

The concept of extra dimensions in physics, though currently theoretical, offers intriguing possibilities that could align with theological notions of an omniscient deity. In various religious traditions, God is described as being omnipresent and omniscient, possessing the ability to know the innermost thoughts and intentions of individuals.

In physics, the idea of extra dimensions extends beyond our familiar three-dimensional space and one-dimensional time framework. Theories such as string theory and M-theory propose the existence of additional spatial dimensions to reconcile inconsistencies in fundamental physics. These extra dimensions are often posited to be compactified or hidden at scales beyond current observational capabilities. 

Often I try to demonstrate the truth of the holy Quran based on the discoveries of science in the last two centuries. Arguing how could a book revealed more than 1400 years ago anticipate these realities or was even interested in them? But, sometimes I can reverse the paradigm and take the presumption that God exists and the Quran is the literal word of All Knowing God. With these assumptions what can we learn from the Quran about the latest science, especially physics.

With this paradigm let me read the opening of Surah Sheeba:

Praise be to God, to whom belongs all that is in the heavens and earth, and praise be to Him in the life to come. He is the All Wise, the All Aware. He knows all that goes into the earth and all that comes out of it; He knows all that comes down from the heavens and all that goes up to them. He is the Merciful, the Forgiving. Still, the disbelievers say, ‘The Last Hour will never come upon us.’ Say, ‘Yes, by my Lord, [it will], by Him who knows the unseen! Not even the weight of a speck of dust in the heavens or earth escapes His knowledge, nor anything smaller or greater. It is all recorded in a clear Record so that He can reward those who believe and do good deeds: they will have forgiveness and generous provision.’ But as for those who work against Our Revelations, seeking to undermine them, there will be a torment of painful suffering. (Al Quran 34:1-5)

Einstein sometimes did thought experiment that if he were God how would he make the universe? Along the same lines, if God is to know each and every speck, atom or quark of the universe, He needs to have some presence there, either personally or through some agents like angels.

One might argue that just as extra dimensions could exist beyond our perceptual reach, an omniscient God could operate within or beyond such dimensions, facilitating a mode of existence that transcends human understanding. This transcendence could theoretically enable the divine to access all aspects of reality, including human thoughts and intentions, without being constrained by the limitations of our observable dimensions.

While this analogy is speculative and resides at the intersection of theology and theoretical physics, it provides a framework for contemplating how divine omniscience might be conceptualized in relation to the potential existence of extra dimensions. However, it’s important to note that current scientific evidence for extra dimensions remains inconclusive, and such discussions are largely philosophical.

Drawing a parallel between these concepts, one can see that Omniscience of God demands Omnipresence of some sort and from these attributes of Allah from the Quran one can easily conclude that physics should include extra dimensions.

If we are absolutely sure about our theology then it definitely has implications and offers ideas for physics and cosmology.

So based on the truth of the Quran I can predict that eventually humanity will discover large extra dimensions in physics.

With that background let us learn some more about extra dimensions:

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