Primer: Do Muslims believe that the universe is a simulation?

The word simulation is laden with modern connotations which Muslims can do without.

Muslims have their own lingo which they can use to good effect.

There exist such a thing as intuition which Muslims - and everyone possess it - use as our personal guide.

Using pictures in the mind is very much encouraged: “Worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you don’t see him, nonetheless He sees you” according to a well known tradition.

Allah encourages us to increase our knowledge (Rabbi zydni ‘ilma).

There exist a spiritual connection between the entire cosmos and Allah the Creator (al Khaliq), the Designer or one who bestows form (al Mussawir) that is intimate. How?

We observe that there exist measure and proportion that pervades throughout the cosmos.

We study the forms of natural objects and we come to the conclusion that they conform to a certain geometrical pattern. All processes in nature are to deliver this geometrical pattern.

Allah uses a definite geometrical pattern to set the universe in motion.

Below shows the basic motivation behind the geometrical pattern.

The image below illustrates the rudimentary plan view of the cosmic blueprint.

 

Once set into motion, things will carry on moving until they reach their limits.

Once a certain limit has been reached, it will stop moving. If one were to look carefully at the picture above, one can feel immediately that the basic pattern does not change at all but is moving.

All of nature conforms to this basic pattern.

Actions that can be ascribed to “free will” exists but its reality lie within the realm of manifestation.

Actions reflect principle.

For the Muslim, prayers in all its approved forms, which includes fasting, alms-giving and hajj - all these actions - have as its underlying principle the idea of “revolving around one single central point”, participation in or reflecting one principle.

This is the underlying philosophy of Islam.

The terminology that Muslims use to describe Islam is the Arabic word, fitrah, which gives the idea of “original purity” or “primordiality”.

In Islam, we believe that all our actions are to conform to primordiality.

From the Qur’an: Surah Fussilat [41:11]

Then He turned towards the heaven when it was smoke, saying to it and to the earth, ‘Submit, willingly or unwillingly.’ They both responded, ‘We submit willingly.

The heavens and the earth conform to certain immutable primordial principles.

The muslim is to understand this principles: free will is to be used to conform or submit willingly to the built-in rhythm that is found into nature.

Islam addresses the will and intelligence directly.

In order that one may gain deep understanding of the nature of things, one has to conform to the primordial rhythm.