Third of my Impossible Questions: Are we alone?

Society Religion & Philosophy
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The more our scientists advance in space-reearch, the more we realize how insignificant our planet (Earth) is in the whole scheme of things.

We are part of a solar system of a bunch of planets which revolve around a Sun. The Sun is part of a galaxy and this is one of the many million of galaxies in this universe. Come to think of it, Earth is probably one of the smaller planets compared to many others our scientists have discovered. There are, in all probability, many millions of suns and millions of galaxies and solar systems, and what not, out there. This is the place we naively refer to as ‘space’.

It is our firm belief that all of this Universe is created by Allah Ta’llah. He populated human beings (many billions of us through the ages) on this planet, we call ‘Earth’. He created animals, birds, marine life and plants of all sorts on this Earth.

With our limited knowledge we only search for signs of organic life in the planets we can research on. But surely Allah Ta’llah is not restricted by such naive scientific theories.

Do you think He kept all other planets and stars empty?

What is your opinion if someone asks you, that out of many billion of planets, do you think there is intelligent life in any of them?

Is this whole big Universe created just for us, the man, to explore, or is there a greater purpose for all this?

ps. To use words of ‘Dr Ellie Arroway’ - Jodie Foster (in the 1997 movie: Contact) “If we are the only (populated planet) in this universe, then its a pretty aweful waste of space”! What do you think?*

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[This message has been edited by Pristine (edited September 10, 2001).]

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I dont know the reply to your questions but i certainly know someone who can explain everything in the light of Quran and Hadeith.He lives in Pakistan so I cant get answers myself otherwise I would have done so. His name is Professor Ahmad Rafique Akhtar and he lives in Gujar Khan. You can ask him at his phone no: +92 571 510718 and +92 571 510899.He will be rational to you and atleast you can enjoy the real taste of classic english and persian quotes too. You can talk to him in english too as he was a Professor in english literature. It is not to advertise him but just to help finding answers.He doesn't charge you for anything.

** A Stranger But Not **

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aaho Pristine call Professor sahib in Gujar Khan...jab $1.25 per minute bill hone laga you will get 'roshni' in first 5 mins:). Internet pe mufat mein roz naya se naya sawal le aata hai. logoN ko aur koi kaam nahi? hain?

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ajj kal kuch ziada hi curiosity ka junoon cherha hua hai kaka-pristine ko…Allah khair keray…

waisey i’ll suggest that NASA shud put kaka-pristine in 1 of their ship and launch him into space…app khud hi daikh laina kahan kahan life hai..

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/ok.gif

..don’t 4get to bring their auto-graphz te presentz from them…

God bless u all…

DerVaisH

muhabatein theen kabhi apne dermian kitni…
bicha gaye hai anna hum mein doorian kitni…
abhi to toota hai dil hi teri judai mein…
girein gi hum pe abhi aur bijlian kitni…

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Well, you guys want to side-track the thread, haan?

http://www3.pak.org/gupshup/smilies/smile.gif

Get back to the topic with your thinking caps on.

Anyway, I am not looking for a huge scientific explanation or scholarly input. I am more interested in what you folks (the members) feel about it. Your gut-feeling. You don’t even have to justify your thinking or provide reasons or quotes or anything. Just think about the question and provide a simple answer, on what you think.

And RIMKAHN1, thank you for the referral. I hope you got my answer up there.

Chann… You are paying way too much. If I call Pakistan, I just pay 53 cents. You better talk to me and switch your calling plan, quick!

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[This message has been edited by Ibrahim (edited September 10, 2001).]

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Hi Pristine,

By posing impossible questions you are looking for impossible answers?

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Anyway explore this…

Ibrahim says: Man by nature was created to be inquisitive and hence man would be ever wondering about matters that are least his concern, on the other hand mankind have been repeatedly warned and advised that he/she should be more concerned about his/her own actions , which will be judged accordingly and the ONE THING THAT MAN CAN BE CERTAIN OF, ( for sure on this planet or any other planet or place) is “DEATH” .

In other words this planet was created as a testing ground for man and jinn’s that have to undergo testing. In this respect many other things (planets , space, universe and everything we see and see not are also created to fulfill this test and they can remain just that or can be occupied by other creations of Allah (swt) ( Allah (swt) knows best))

How do we understand this better?

Read!

24: 37 By men whom neither traffic nor merchandise can divert from the Remembrance of Allah nor from regular Prayer nor from the practice of regular Charity: ** their (only) fear is for the Day when hearts and eyes will be transformed (in a world wholly new) **

38 That Allah may reward them according to the best of their deeds and add even more for them out of His Grace: for Allah doth provide for those whom He will without measure.

39 ** But the Unbelievers their deeds are like a mirage ** in sandy deserts which the man parched with thirst mistakes for water; until when he comes up to it he finds it to be nothing: but he finds Allah (ever) with him and Allah will pay him his account: and Allah is swift in taking account.

Ibrahim says; In other words it is like an illusion for the unbelievers to wander and wonder in their unbelief and finally realize the TRUTH after all the fiasco’s and return to accepting Allah (swt) as his Master and Creator.

We can further comprehend this by reading:

3: 185 ** Every soul will taste of death. ** And ye will be paid on the Day of Resurrection only that which ye have fairly earned. Whoso is removed from the Fire and is made to enter Paradise, he indeed is triumphant. ** The life of this world is but comfort of illusion. **

57: 20 ** Know that the life of this world is only play, and idle talk, and pageantry, and boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after rain, whereof the growth is pleasing to the husbandman, but afterward it drieth up and thou seest it turning yellow then it becometh straw. ** And in the Hereafter there is grievous punishment, and (also) forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure, ** whereas the life of the world is but matter of illusion. **

Ibrahim says ; In other words whatever we may be able to see on this planet is limited to what has been allowed by our Creator and in some instances even animals have been given more capabilities than us . Take the dog for instance it can hear and see things which we may not be able to achieve or the snake or other animals which uses their sense of smell, sound and other faculties that man have little understanding of.

Our limitations are such that we can ONLY survive on this planet and on LAND ONLY and even the occupants of the oceans , we are not fully aware of .

Thus the Creator can create and sustain whatever HE chooses on any of HIS planets and NONE can cross over into their territory as the boundaries are set by Allah (swt) . This is confirmed by what Allah (swt) had already placed on this very planet. The Jinn’s occupy this planet too, but the partitions that have been erected between man and jinn , which would be rather obvious .

For that matter even the oceans have partitions such that water itself can remain separate even though they are basically water.

Read!.

25: 53 It is He Who has let free the two bodies of flowing water: one palatable and sweet and the other salt and bitter; ** yet has He made a barrier between them a partition that is forbidden to be passed.**

Ibrahim says: Hence no matter what is living or have been allowed to live in any of the planets by Allah (swt), man will not be able to interact with such creations as such things are forbidden to man. This is just like we cannot live in space ( as we live on earth) because we are not designed as such.

But man have been given free will to do as he so chooses and even challenged to explore the planets and travel into space, for a surety man will eventually have to accept the fact that man was a created being and have to submit to his Creator.

Hence in order to meet what had already been conveyed in the scriptures , we have before us the vast universe which, no matter how far one travels can ONLY lead back to Allah (swt) .

Read!

38: 10 Or have they the dominion of the heavens and the earth and all between? If so ** let them mount up with the ropes and means (to reach that end)! ** 4157

4157 Weak and puny creatures though they are, they dare to raise their heads against the Omnipotent, as if they had dominion over Creation and not He! If they had any power, let them mount up to heaven and use all the means they have to that end, and see how they can frustrate Allah’s Purpose!

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Ibrahim saheb...

In all of the above wonderful post, did you try to give a reply or were you merely giving the excuse and justification on why you don't want to or can't give a response on this simple question.

I just asked for your gut-feeling opinion on a question that has been asked by man since ages. I am amused at what are you on and about.

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**What is your opinion if someone asks you, that out of many billion of planets, do you think there is intelligent life in any of them?

Is this whole big Universe created just for us, the man, to explore, or is there a greater purpose for all this?

**<<<

Yes, there can be intelligent life as we already know from Quran that there are jinns who exists. This life can be intelligent but not "ashraf ul makhlooqat" as this is only attributed to humans.

For the second question, I really don't know what Allah has in his mind nor do I care.

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[quote]
Originally posted by Pristine:
In all of the above wonderful post, did you try to give a reply or were you merely giving the excuse and justification on why you don't want to or can't give a response on this simple question.
[/quote]

Ibrahim says; I am sorry to note that you were unable to understand my reply which was NOT an opinion BUT a confirmation of what Allah (swt) had conveyed to mankind concerning the issue you raised.

First I quoted surah 24: 37 to 39 to establish the fact that Allah (swt) can create illusions, as such what we may see and feel can all be an illusion and that is what unbelievers are seeking for in the sense that they have rejected the truth and are led to deceive themselves by such wanderings and wonderings.

Second I quoted 3: 185 & 57: 20, which further established this fact and confirmed that ONLY death is a certainty for mankind on this planet .

Third I quoted 25: 53 to establish the fact that whatever partitions that are established, even on this very planet between created matter cannot be visualized by man. This is further established by the fact that Jinn’s exist amongst us but are kept separate from us , so much so that we may feel that they do not exist at all and deceive ourselves by such notions.
Lastly I quoted 38: 10 to expose the challenge Allah (swt) had given to mankind , that is, that they can take up space travel and try to disprove his revelations .

What I was conveying is that

1) Allah (swt) can hide what ever He wants to hide even if it was closer to you than your jugular veins . meaning there is a partition on matters that we are not suppose to know.

2) Second everything we see for the present can be an illusion and It is Allah (swt) who determines what we may see and see not. Since life and death is in his hands and the purpose of our presence on this planet is to comprehend the fact that we are created beings and subject to Allah’s absolute will.

3) As such , whatever Allah (swt) has created on other planets will not be able to cross over into our territory and neither can we transgress into theirs. Even if we landed in their midst and they landed in our midst , we may not be able to cross over , sense , see or feel their presense. ( just a conjecture for you understand what I am saying) Provided they are not an illusion in the first place , that had been created for our greater understanding.

Now you may want to read the story of the sleepers, who had slept in an open cave for 300 years , let me quote

18:18 ** Thou wouldst have deemed them awake whilst they were asleep and We turned them on their right and their left sides: their dog stretching forth his two forelegs on the threshold: if thou hadst come up on to them thou wouldst have certainly turned back from them in flight and wouldst certainly have been filled with terror of them. **

Ibrahim says: The above verse tells us that these people were actually sleeping and very much alive for 300 years and people who came across them were in fear of them and would run away because such an illusion was created by Allah (swt) about them.

Which means a partition was set between them and the present such that they woke up 300 years later to find that Allah (swt) had saved them as they had asked.

My point being when a partition is set NONE can transgress it, unless Allah (swt) has so willed and so far as mankind is concerned Allah (swt) had Not conveyed in any of His revelations ( those conveyed to earlier Prophets or that conveyed to the Final prophet) that there are other creations living on other planets. Hence our wondering and wandering is Only meant for the unbelievers to delude themselves and NOT for believers to worry about.

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i think allah has other forms of live that we do not know about...because in quran he has stated that and mohammed SAW is a blessing for all aalms, aalm means world, and all aalms means all the worlds so it clearly suggests that there are more than two worlds (earth and heaven/hell) so if there are more than 2 worlds there must be more than humans and jinns.....so i thik it proves the existance of other ppl....but it doesnt effect us so i really dont care that much but i believe allah has created more than one or two creatures....that can reason...(angels dont count since they cant' reason)does it answer your question? if u would like i can search it out in more detail and give u places in quran where i believe references to other ppl have been mentioned

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Ibrahim, I have no idea how you are able to fit-in totally unrelated stuff in this thread… what has ashaab-e-kahaf has to do with presence of living beings in other planets…? Are you feeling ok? And pls don’t give another long, unrelated response. If you don’t have a reply, or don’t want to, then just stay away or do something useful. I am sure there are plenty of other threads here in Religion forum, where you can post the 20+ ayat you are quoting again and again. Or if not, then open a new thread to enlighten us. Thank you.

ThandyMazaq: Upto you if you want to provide more research. At this point I just asked for your personal opinion, which you already did.

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[quote]
Originally posted by Pristine:
Are you feeling ok? And pls don't give another long, unrelated response. If you don't have a reply, or don't want to, then just stay away or do something useful.

[/quote]

Ibrahim says; What you are saying is that you lack the capacity to comprehend what I have conveyed so far. Most of all, it should be you who should be doing something useful since by your very words/actions that you are asking “impossible questions”, you are playing the devils advocate and even though I gave you answers based on what had been revealed by Allah (swt) you have rejected them and want Muslims to wonder and wander around like the unbelievers. Great keep it up ! you will be sure to amuse yourself with your follies.