ISLAM Q&A

How can you say gravity is a theory? It is proven mathematically to be 9.8m/s

Overview of the history of gravitational theory

The first mathematical formulation of gravity was Isaac Newton's law of universal gravitation, published in his 1687 work Principia Mathematica. Professor William Whewell of Cambridge University, author of History of the Inductive Sciences (1837) stated:

"The law of gravitation is indisputably and incomparably the greatest scientific discovery ever made, whether we look at the advance which it involved, the extent of the truth disclosed, or the fundamental and satisfactory nature of this truth." [In A Treasury of Science ed. Harlow Shapley et al, Harper & Bros. NY: 1946]

Although the law of universal gravitation was first clearly and rigorously formulated by Isaac Newton, the phenomenon was observed and recorded by others. Even Ptolemy had a vague conception of a force tending toward the center of the Earth which not only kept bodies upon its surface, but in some way upheld the order of the universe. Johannes Kepler inferred that the planets move in their orbits under some influence or force exerted by the Sun; but the laws of motion were not then sufficiently developed, nor were Kepler's ideas of force sufficiently clear, to make a precise statement of the nature of the force. Christiaan Huygens and Robert Hooke, contemporaries of Newton, saw that Kepler's third law implied a force which varied inversely as the square of the distance. Newton's conceptual advance was to understand that the same force that causes a thrown rock to fall back to the Earth keeps the planets in orbit around the Sun, and the Moon in orbit around the Earth.

Newton was not alone in making significant contributions to the understanding of gravity. Before Newton, Galileo Galilei corrected a common misconception, started by Aristotle, that objects with different mass fall at different rates. To Aristotle, it simply made sense that objects of different mass would fall at different rates, and the ancient Greeks relied more on reason and philosophy than experimentation. Galileo, however, used experiments that actually observed falling objects of different mass released simultaneously. Most of Galileo's work was done with objects on inclined planes. Aside from differences due to friction, Galileo observed that all masses accelerate at the same rate. Newton's equation, F = ma, (see Acceleration due to gravity) showed insight into gravity's proportionality to mass that was missing from Galileo's law of inertia. However, both the work of Johannes Kepler and Galileo influenced Isaac Newton's formulation of the law of gravity.

Newton's law remained the standard theory of gravity until it was replaced by Einstein's theory of gravitation.

Do we need to sticky a post containing the defintion of a scientific theory here? I think we have to, because I constantly see people not understanding what a theory is.

It is a model, an idea, that has been proven through experimentation that yields empirical evidence to be valid and more true than its antithesis.

Raul-7,

Are you saying that if one does not become a Muslim they will face a painful torture? Can you tell me what that torture is? Can you give me scripture to back this claim up?

They had to be killed? The CIA kills anyone who they suspect is a spy? Do you have proof of this assertion?

If you are a muslim, how do you view atheists?

I am asking this because I think it is uncomfortable if people think I deserve eternal damnation and suffering.

I consider myself a good person, even if I do not belive in god.

I have talked to many muslims and my current best friend is a muslim. But I have never met a muslim that was not raised by minimum one muslim parent or born in a muslim country (I know that there are some, just like there are some that can be found believing in just about anything). I belive that this is a strong indication that people become muslims because of influence by their parents, or the influence that comes by living in a muslim country. Therefore I have little doubt that I or anyone else could resist becoming a muslim in the ideal circumstances. That is also why I don't think that any muslim is acting illogical by believing what they do.
I don't know how much that last part relates to the topic of the thread, but maybe I can get a comment on this from some muslims?

And thank you for the great initiative it is starting a thread like this, because I am very fascinated by Islam.

I will congratulate you because you have accepted the first part of the "Shahada" (you can read the Shahada in my signature), because you believe in the first part of the Islamic creed "there is no god". Our job is to prove "but Allah" to you.

Steve: If I'm not mistake every worshipper God (the three monotheistic religions) will become Muslim before the day of Judgement Day. The rest of the non-believers will have to face a painful torture.

Raul-7 wrote:

Steve: If I'm not mistake every worshipper God (the three monotheistic religions) will become Muslim before the day of Judgement Day. The rest of the non-believers will have to face a painful torture.

You know this is what I really like about Islam, tolerance, understanding, empathy and general goodwill to mankind. not.

Here is your big test. Prove 'but allah'

First, I have a question to the atheists on this forum: "What is the definition of God?" For a person to say 'there is no God', he should know what is the meaning of God. If I hold a book and say that 'this is a pen', for the opposite person to say, 'it is not a pen', he should know what is the definition of a pen, even if he does not know nor is able to recognize or identify the object I am holding in my hand. For him to say this is not a pen, he should at least know what a pen means. Similarly for an atheist to say 'there is no God', he should at least know the concept of God.
So, for you, what is the definition of God?

My sense of awe and wonder when I (try) to contemplate the majesty of the Cosmos. By definition, my sense of wonder belongs to me and me alone. I do not claim it exists outside of myself, let alone as a discrete physical entity.

Doktor S wrote:

Here is your big test. Prove 'but allah'

The existence of God (Allah in Arabic) can be proved in several ways, depending on the person who asks for it.
Here are a few:

1) Imam Abu Hanifa (one of the eminent Islamic scholars of the seventh century) was asked by an atheist: "Is there any proof that Allah exists?" and he replied, "Forget it! At the moment, I am busy thinking about this ship. People tell me there is a big ship, it contains different goods on board. There is no one to steer it, no one maintaining it. Yet, this ship keeps going back and forth; it even traverses big waves on the oceans; it stops at the locations that it is supposed to stop at; it continues in the direction that it is supposed to head. This ship has no captain and no one planning its trips."

The atheist who posed the question interrupted and exclaimed, "What kind of strange and silly thought is this? How can any intelligent person think that some thing like this can occur?"

Imam Abu Hanifa said, "I feel sorry about your state! You cannot imagine one ship running without some one looking after its affairs. Yet you think that for this whole universe, which runs exactly and precisely, there is no one who looks after it, and no one owns it."

The Universe runs according to natural laws of gravity, thermodynamics, quantum theory, etc etc. That it should be able of interpretation, i.e not just a random mush of energy is the real mystery imo. As for it running exactly and precisely, there is enough chaos on earth at any one time to challenge that statement. The earth stays in its orbit around the sun because of gravity, not because someone is sailing it around in a big circle.


2) Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (one of the distinguished Islamic scholars of the eighth century) reflected on the question in the following way. He said, "There is an incredibly strong fort, it has no doors, there is no way to get in. In fact, there is not even a hole in it. From outside it glows like the moon and from inside it shimmers like gold. It is sealed from all sides, matter of fact it is air tight. Suddenly one of its doors breaks down, a living thing with eyes and ears, a beautiful looking animal appears yelling and wandering all over. So is not there a creator who made it possible for life to take place in this secured and closed fort? And is not this Creator better than humans? This Creator has no limit." Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal was referring to an egg which is closed from all sides but Allah almighty The Creator puts life in it and a chick pops out.

But then Iman Hanbal knew nothing about genetics, gestation, DNA fertilisation, proteins, microbiology, and probably chickens except how to eat one. If a chick came from an egg shaped stone, I might be impressed.


3) Once, a Bedouin (nomadic desert man) was asked what made an unsophisticated man like him believe in Allah.
Bedouin: "Do you see these marks in the sand?"
Man: "Yes."
Bedouin: "What do they tell you?"
Man: "A camel went by."
Bedouin: "Did you see the camel?"
Man: "No"
Bedouin: "How did you know then?"
Man: "These footprints in the sand suggest that a camel made them."
Bedouin: "Ok. Do you see these mountains?"
Man: "Yes."
Bedouin: "They are indicative to me that Allah made them."

and the Bedouin clearly had never heard of thermodynamics, plate techtonics or indeed geology


4) A more sophisticated proof can be found in page 48 of this same thread.

I will have a look and comment


And Allah knows best.

) Imam Abu Hanifa (one of the eminent Islamic scholars of the seventh century) was asked by an atheist: "Is there any proof that Allah exists?" and he replied, "Forget it! At the moment, I am busy thinking about this ship. People tell me there is a big ship, it contains different goods on board. There is no one to steer it, no one maintaining it. Yet, this ship keeps going back and forth; it even traverses big waves on the oceans; it stops at the locations that it is supposed to stop at; it continues in the direction that it is supposed to head. This ship has no captain and no one planning its trips."

The atheist who posed the question interrupted and exclaimed, "What kind of strange and silly thought is this? How can any intelligent person think that some thing like this can occur?"
Imam Abu Hanifa said, "I feel sorry about your state! You cannot imagine one ship running without some one looking after its affairs. Yet you think that for this whole universe, which runs exactly and precisely, there is no one who looks after it, and no one owns it."

2) Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (one of the distinguished Islamic scholars of the eighth century) reflected on the question in the following way. He said, "There is an incredibly strong fort, it has no doors, there is no way to get in. In fact, there is not even a hole in it. From outside it glows like the moon and from inside it shimmers like gold. It is sealed from all sides, matter of fact it is air tight. Suddenly one of its doors breaks down, a living thing with eyes and ears, a beautiful looking animal appears yelling and wandering all over. So is not there a creator who made it possible for life to take place in this secured and closed fort? And is not this Creator better than humans? This Creator has no limit." Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal was referring to an egg which is closed from all sides but Allah almighty The Creator puts life in it and a chick pops out.

3) Once, a Bedouin (nomadic desert man) was asked what made an unsophisticated man like him believe in Allah.
Bedouin: "Do you see these marks in the sand?"
Man: "Yes."
Bedouin: "What do they tell you?"
Man: "A camel went by."
Bedouin: "Did you see the camel?"
Man: "No"
Bedouin: "How did you know then?"
Man: "These footprints in the sand suggest that a camel made them."
Bedouin: "Ok. Do you see these mountains?"
Man: "Yes."
Bedouin: "They are indicative to me that Allah made them."