“Behind them lies the intervening (Barzakh) barrier (stretching) to the day of their resurrection” (23:99-100). (It’s interesting that Allah says the barazh stretches to the day of judgment and not across space, this reference to time rather than location has significance in physics, relating to relativity, time (time dilation), the nature of the barrier (Barzakh) or field between the seen and unseen quantum world, and the nature of existence in that world.)
(Source: “Time in Islamic Kalam”)
Time is connected with change of state. Natural time units are taken from the periods of motion of astronomical objects like the Sun and Moon. It was realized by ancient scholars that time is very much connected to motion. In fact, time was considered to be a measure of motion.
In Islamic Kalam (Theology) time was regarded as being always related to space, space and time where considered to be relative measures. Both space and time were considered to be discrete. Some Muslim theologians and Mutakallimun detailed these aspects of time to such an extent that one can figure-out a whole theory of space and time. Their views concerning the relationship between space and time are in good agreement, conceptually, with contemporary conception of relativistic time.
Two leading Islamic thinkers about time, where Ibn Hazm Al-Zahiri and Imam Al-Ghazali. Both are thinkers, who may be considered good representatives of Kalam (Theology), they refuted the notion of absolute space and absolute time, they always considered space and time to be inter-related. Imam Al-Ghazali talked specifically about the “time-dimension” and considered it to be on equal footing with spatial dimensions. In fact many of the properties of time in Islamic Kalam agree conceptually with the description of time in relativity theory. Furthermore, Islamic Kalam assumes that time (like space) came into being with the creation of the universe, and therefore they consider the question: ‘what was God doing before the creation of the universe?’ meaningless. Most of the Mutakallimun considered time (and space) to be discrete, being composed of finite, non-divisible moments called ‘Ana’. In accordance with the Islamic creed, the Mutakallimun considered Allah to be outside of (not bound or limited by) space and time (if your not bound by time you can see all Time at once, which is the perspective of that observer, hence Allah’s actions are not be bound by sequential events occurring in time).
The sources of Islamic Kalam are quite different from those of classical natural philosophy, including the philosophy of the Greeks. The Mutakallimun considered the Qur’an to be the prime source for their knowledge of the world, and accordingly they sought to achieve an understanding of the world based on the stipulations of the Qur’an. The Mutakallimun had the understanding that space has no meaning on its own.
Without having a body we cannot realize the existence of space. So too with time, which cannot be realized without the existence of motion which, in turn, needs a body to be affected.
According to Ibn Hazm, time is defined to be “the duration within which a particle would exist motionless or in motion, and if it (the time) is separated from the body, then the body will seize to exist and thus time will seize to exist too.”
In this definition, time is directly connected with motion and the existence of a body that is the subject of the motion. This is why Ibn Hazm repeatedly referred to this definition of time throughout his discussion of the creation of the world.
Ibn Hazm says, “Time is the duration through which an object stays at rest or in motion, and if the object is to be deprived of this
(In modern physics time and space are woven together in what is called space-time, this was established after it was first theorized that large objects must affect the flow of time as the earth must drag on the fabric of space as it moves, this was then measured with satellites and it was found the earth does drags the fabric of space and time around it, hence time and space where established to be connected together).
Bodies themselves would not exist without motion; rest itself was considered by some of the Mutakallimun to be a kind of simultaneous motion in two opposite directions, two opposing forces. This is not unlike Newton’s First Law of Motion which states that a body at rest will remain at rest unless an outside force acts on it, and a body in motion at a constant velocity will remain in motion in a straight line unless acted upon by an outside force. Or the Normal Force (N, Fn) – The force between two solids in contact that prevents them from occupying the same space (sliding into each other).
Space and time were both considered to be dependent on the relative position of the observer, forward and backward, “above” and “below” are all considered to be spatial assignments that depend on the reference. Likewise “before” and “after” were considered to be relative.
Imam Al-Ghazali expressing his views on this point and said “All this is due to the inability of the estimative [faculty] to comprehend an existence that has a beginning except by supposing a (before) for it. This (before) from which the estimation does not detach itself, is believed to be a thing realized and existing, namely, time. This is similar to the inability of the estimation to suppose the finitude of body overhead, for example, except in terms of a surface that has an above, thereby imagining that beyond the world there is no place, either filled or void. Thus, if it is said that there is no “above” above the surface of the world and no distance more distant than it, the estimation holds back from acquiescing to it, just as if it is said that before the world’s existence there is no (before) which is realized in existence, [and the estimation] shies away from accepting it”
Imam Al-Ghazali treated space and time on an equal footing in respect of being both relative in extension, and being observer dependent, he said: “Similarly, it will be said that just as spatial extension is a concomitant of body; temporal extension is a concomitant of motion. And just as the proof for the finitude of the dimensions of the body prohibits affirming a spatial dimension beyond it, the proof for the finitude of motion at both ends prohibits affirming a temporal extension before it, even though the estimation clings to its imagining it and its supposing it, not desisting from [this]. There is no difference between temporal extension that in relation [to us] divides verbally into (before) and (after) and spatial extension that in relation [to us] divides into (above) and (below). If, then, it is legitimate to affirm an “above” that has no above, it is legitimate to affirm a (before) that has no real before, except an estimative imaginary [one] as with the (above)”
Discreteness of time was one main principle, among several others, that the Mutakallimun proposed as being a basic feature of the physical world. The discrete structure was applied to everything in nature. Specifically time was thought to be composed of tiny units, each of which was called “Ana”. The Mutakallimun, believing that the age of the universe was finite, assumed that the number of instants is denumerable. Ibn Hazm says: “And every period of time is composed of finite instants that have beginnings” While other Mutakallimun contributed to the concept of discrete time, Imam al Ghazali did not have much to say on this point, perhaps because overall he had little interest in the principle of discreteness.
Today physical time is considered to be continuous; however, the known laws of physics are valid only to a limit defined by the so-called Planck time of about 10^-43 seconds. Moreover, unifying quantum theory with general relativity may require some sort of time quantization.
The Mu’tazilite Al-Nazzam believed that motion on the microscopic level takes place in discrete jumps called “tafra”. It appears that Al-Nazzam was driven to this conclusion because although he believed in a non-discrete space, he believed in discrete time, so he had to explain motion by assuming that the particle is covering space through jumps or leaps. Some academics considered this understanding of al-Nazzam to be the oldest realization of a quantum motion, it was said: “In fact Al-Nazzam’s notion of leap, his designation of an analyzable inter-phenomenon, may be regarded as an early forerunner of Bohr’s conception of quantum jumps”
Quantum mechanics is establishing that time in the universe is born out entanglement, in this manner the existence of time is approaching discreetness in moments, attached to motion and action (“events”) of and in the universe.
The Prophet (saws) in the Hadith of Tabari said: If you wish to have this made clear, look to the circulation of the sphere alternately here and there. It is the circulation of Heaven and the circulation of all the stars together with it except those five. Their (referring it seems to heaven and stars) circulation today is what you see and that is their Prayer (Prayer is an act of obedience). Their circulation to the day of resurrection is as quick as the circulation of a mill because of the Dangers and tremors of the Day of Resurrection (so the end of the universe is tied to its movement, which has scientific implications). This is meant by Allah’s word: “On a day when the heaven sways to and fro and the mountains move. Woe on that day unto those who declare false (the Devine message). (52:9-11). (History of al Tabari vol 1, Pg 235-236).
In this way Islam holds (as entanglement suggests) the end of the universe is bound by its motion, and ultimately as the smallest being of consequence the actions of man will have a role in determining this, as Imam ibn Arabi said time will not end until there is no one left on earth who remembers Allah.
The Prophet (saws) said, “The Hour will not come until no-one on earth says ‘La ilaha illa Allah’.” (Ahmad.) It was also reported from Anas that the Prophet (saws) said: “The Hour will not come until no-one on earth says, ‘Allah, Allah’.” (Ahmad)
“For each person, there are angels in succession, before and behind him. They guard him by the Command of Allah,” (Al Ra’d 13:11).
Angels govern the universe from the unseen quantum world, the most abundant particle in the universe is the photon they are created from, and the electromagnetic force is one of the four fundamental forces in the universe, the relationship between the end of the universe and mans actions is understood in the prostration of the Angels to Adam (Mankind) directing there focus to what man is doing on earth. Before creating Adam (as), Allah informed the angels that He was going to create a human being, Allah says in Surah al-Baqarah (2: 34), “And (remember) when We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate yourselves before Adam.’ And they prostrated” (2: 34)
This prostration of the angels before Adam was out of obedience to the command of Allah. Qatadah commented, ‘The obedience was for Allah and the prostration was before Adam. Allah honored Adam (with their focus) and commanded the angels to prostrate before him.’ [at-Tabaree (1): 512]
Israfil is the angel who will blow the trumpet to begin the end of the universe this will not occur until Man has forgotten his creator entirely and the function the universe served has ended, the Qur’an says in chapter 69 (Al Haqqah) that the trumpet’s first blow will spread through out creation, it will have an effect of breaking the bonds (and forces) of matter until the sky is seen like molten brass and we will see the mountains passing in front of us like clouds of dust, the first blow of the trumpet will cause the destruction of everything, it is also called the “shout” in the Quran and is a sound that will travel through the universe, and in chapter 36 (Ya Sin) the second blow will begin the Day of Resurrection.