Page 900 - Atlas of Creation Volume 1

Relativity maintains that the speed of time changes depending on the speed of the object and its distance from
the centre of gravity. As speed increases, time is shortened—compressed—and slows down until it approaches
to the point of stopping entirely.
Einstein himself gave an example. Imagine two twins, one of whom remains on Earth while the other goes

into space at a speed close to the speed of light. On his return, the traveller will find that his brother has grown
much older than he has. The reason is that time flows much more slowly for the person who travels at near-
light speed. What about a space-travelling father and his son who stays behind on Earth? If the father were 27
years old when he set out, and his son was only three, the father, when he comes back 30 years later in Earth

time, will be only 30, whereas his son will be 33 years old! 209
This relativity of time is caused not by clocks slowing down or running fast. Rather, it's the result of the dif-
ferentiated operational periods of the entire material system, as deep as sub-atomic particles. In such a setting
where time stretches out, one's heartbeat, cell replications, and brain functions all operate more slowly. The per-

son continues with his daily life and does not notice the slowing of time at all.

Relativity in the Qur'an

The conclusion to which we are led by the findings of modern science is that time is not an absolute fact as
supposed by materialists, but only a relative perception. What is more interesting is that this fact, undiscov-
ered until the 20th century by science, was imparted to mankind in the Qur'an 14 centuries ago. There are var-

ious references in the Qur'an to the relativity of time.
It is possible to see the scientifically-proven fact that time is a psychological perception dependent on
events, setting, and conditions in many verses of the Qur'an. For instance, the entire life of a person is a very
short time as we are informed by the Qur'an:

On the Day when He will call you, and you will answer [His Call] with [words of] His Praise and Obedience,
and you will think that you have stayed [in this world] but a little while! (Surat al-Isra': 52)

And on the Day when He shall gather them together, [it will seem to them] as if they had not tarried [on earth]
longer than an hour of a day: they will recognise each other. (Surah Yunus: 45)
In some verses, it is indicated that people perceive time differently and that sometimes people can perceive
a very short period of time as a very lengthy one. The following conversation of people held during their judge-
ment in the Hereafter is a good example of this:

He will say: "What number of years did you stay on earth?" They will say: "We stayed a day or part of a day:
but ask those who keep account." He will say: "You stayed not but a little, if you had only known!" (Surat al-
Muminun: 112-114)
In some other verses it is stated that time may flow at different paces in different settings:

Yet they ask you to hasten on the Punishment! But God will not fail in His Promise. Verily a Day in the sight
of your Lord is like a thousand years of your reckoning. (Surat al-Hajj: 47)

The angels and the spirit ascend unto him in a day the measure whereof is
[as] fifty thousand years. (Surat al-Ma'arij: 4)
He directs the whole affair from heaven to Earth. Then it will again
ascend to Him on a day whose length is a thousand years by the
way you measure. (Surat as-Sajda: 5)

These verses are all manifest expressions of the relativity of
time. The fact that this result only recently understood by sci-
ence in the 20th century was communicated to man 1,400 years
ago by the Qur'an is an indication of the revelation of the

Time is a concept entirely contingent on the perceiver. While a certain time
period seems long for one person, it may seem short for another. In order to
understand which one is right, we need sources such as clocks and calen-
dars. It is impossible to make correct judgments about time without them.

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