I was reading a brief article entitled "What is the speed of time?"
by Mohamed Qasem(http://www.themodernreligion.com/index2.html).

It is an interpretation of two verses in the Qur'aan in light of Einstein's theories of Special and General Relativity. The verses are as follows:

"He arranges [each] matter from the heaven to the earth; then it will ascend to Him in a Day, the extent of which is a thousand years of those which you count."(32:5)

"The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a day, the measure of which is fifty thousand years." (70:4)

There appears to be a contradiction in that a "day" is 1000 years in one verse and 50,000 years in another verse. However, Qasem argues that these verses can be given a rational interpretation in the context of Einstein's theories of relativity.

I'm not trained in physics and so i would appreciate the opinion of someone who is trained in physics:

Is Mohamed Qasem's application of Einstein's theories in any way flawed?

Is Qasem correct to argue that the verses are not contradictory in the context of Einstein's theories of relativity?

You can find a number of translations of the same verses here: http://quran.com/32, but they are pretty much the same.

grateful

After that DISGUSTING stunt you pulled claiming your sister had been murdered I'm surprised you have the "chutzpah" to show your face here!

See:

Posted by grateful, Monday, 20 September 2010 10:02:43 PM

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=10962&page=0

As it happens I am a physicist.

To quote another well known physicist, Wolfgang Pauli, I have this to say about your post:

"Das ist nicht nur nicht richtig, es ist nicht einmal falsch!"

(Not only is it not right, it's not even wrong!)

And if you want to know what I mean by that expression see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Pauli

>>However, this was not his [Pauli's]most severe criticism, which he reserved for theories or theses so unclearly presented as to be untestable or unevaluatable and, thus, not properly belonging within the realm of science, even though posing as such. They were worse than wrong because they could not be proven wrong. Famously, he once said of such an unclear paper: Das ist nicht nur nicht richtig, es ist nicht einmal falsch! "Not only is it not right, it's not even wrong!">>

But of course anyone whose brain has not been addled by Islam already knows that.

In case posters don't get it grateful is playing the game of "scientific miracles in the koran".

Muslims believe the koran, as disgusting a compendium of seventh century garbage as has ever been assembled, was transmitted verbatim to their probably non-existent "prophet", Muhammad, by an "angel", Gibril. It is supposedly a message straight from "Allah".

The problem Muslims have is that the koran reflects seventh century scientific thinking which was often wrong. How could the creator of the universe get the facts about mammalian reproduction and geology so wrong?

The answer was to claim there are “scientific miracles” in the Koran – ie scientific information that was not known in the 7th century but has since been discovered by science. This occasionally fools the scientifically illiterate.

I can do no better than point to Ziauddin Sardar’s comments on this attempt to read scientific miracles into the koran. Sardar is a Muslim scientist. His comments were in response to a question I posed.

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/quran/2008/06/answers_to_questions11.html

Sardar called this a “pestiferous fad”.

>>I think Bucaillism, as I call it, or ijaz (miracle) obsession as it is known in the Arab world, serves as psychotherapy. It confirms the faith of those in desperate need of reassurance, who refuse to accept that faith, by its very nature, requires a leap. It also serves as a substitute for real science. Science is conspicuous in the Muslim world largely by its absence. Bucaillism fills this empty space as emotional fulfilment. It is also a product of the recent emergence of creationism in certain Muslim circles.>>

As Sardar points out, the koran is no more “scientific” than the bible and the alleged miracles of the sort grateful has allowed himself to be bamboozled by is as much junk science as creationism.

To think I actually felt compassion for this guy!

AAAAAAAAARRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHH

On lighter note two amusing videos illustrated the quality of "science" in the ahadith and koran

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvMEe_GHOXs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p5nK2L1i7E

The first is an example of how Muslim fanatics twist science. Yes, flies, like many organisms, produce natural antibiotics. No, they won't cure AIDS.

In case OLO posters want to know the specific con grateful is trying to pull, here it is.

IT'S QUITE A COMMON ONE.

There are various inconsistencies (surprise, surprise!) about times and dates in the koran. For example the days of creation vary.

Now one of the astounding discoveries to come from special and general relativity is that TIME AS NOT ABSOLUTE. Time passes at different rates for different observers.

Viola! IT'S A MIRACLE! We see this in the holy koran. These apparent inconsistencies are really Allah’s way of showing us that time is not absolute. TAKE THAT YOU INFIDEL. Even your kafir Jewish scientists demonstrate the truth and beauty of the holy Koran!

THIS CON IS NOT EVEN ORIGINAL TO MUSLIMS. I have heard Christians use it in relation to Psalm 90 verse 4

For a thousand years in your sight
are like a day that has just gone by,
or like a watch in the night.

And not even the hint of an apology, grateful?

For shame.

DOH!.

Kinda makes the topic abit 'meh'.