Epigraph:

الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ طِبَاقًا ۖ مَّا تَرَىٰ فِي خَلْقِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ مِن تَفَاوُتٍ ۖ فَارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ هَلْ تَرَىٰ مِن فُطُورٍ

ثُمَّ ارْجِعِ الْبَصَرَ كَرَّتَيْنِ يَنقَلِبْ إِلَيْكَ الْبَصَرُ خَاسِئًا وَهُوَ حَسِيرٌ

He is the Mighty, the Forgiving; Who created the seven heavens, one above the other. You will not see any flaw in what the Lord of Mercy creates. Look again! Can you see any flaws? Look again! And again! Your sight will turn back to you, weak and defeated. (Al Quran 67:3-4)

Presented by Zia H Shah MD

Introduction

The term fine-tuning in cosmology refers to the observation that many fundamental features of the universe lie in a very narrow range of possible values that permit the existence of complex structures, planets, and life. Scientists have found that if the universe’s basic constants or initial conditions were even slightly different, life (as we know it) would likely be impossible plato.stanford.edu plato.stanford.edu. This remarkable fact has raised profound questions: are these precise cosmic parameters a lucky accident, an outcome of many universes, or the result of purposeful design? Fine-tuning has become a focal point for interdisciplinary dialogue, engaging physics, philosophy, and theology in exploring whether the universe’s life-friendly conditions might “cry out” for explanation plato.stanford.edu beyond chance. In this article, we examine current scientific evidence of cosmological fine-tuning, discuss philosophical arguments about whether fine-tuning is best explained by random chance or by a theistic designer, and offer theological reflections from a broad, interfaith perspective on how a fine-tuned universe could be interpreted as pointing to a Creator.

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