The Meaningfulness of the Universe
Science is the study of nature. Nature comprises of everything we call the universe. The study of science began initially with very few discoveries, however, as research in the subject increased and advanced knowledge was gained, it became clear that the universe is extremely meaningful. Any explanation of the universe which does not take into account its meaningfulness contradicts the findings of science.
Consider, for instance, that scientific knowledge has revealed that our vast expanding universe is characterized by intelligent design in its every aspect. Now if it is not accepted that the universe has an intelligent designer behind it, then this extraordinarily meaningful universe and all of its phenomena become strange and inexplicable. Similarly, research on the universe has shown that it is custom-made for human beings, or in other words, the universe is completely in accordance with the requirements of sustaining a creature like man. If we do not believe in the existence of a Creator who created such remarkable consonance between the universe on the one hand and human beings on the other hand, then there would not be any other coherent explanation for this harmony between two distinct entities.
Moreover, discoveries in various scientific disciplines indicate that there is meticulous coordination among the numerous components of the universe. An aspect of the universe which has astonished scientists is the presence of fine-tuning in the constants of nature. For example, the cosmological constant is responsible for the acceleration of the universe at its current rate. This constant has a very precise value, a value it had to have for galaxies to form, for stars to form, and for us to be here. Such features of the universe are truly mind-boggling.
Science is not a religious subject and its concern is certainly not the discovery of God. The subject of science is simply the objective study of creation. However, the study of creation naturally includes the study of the Creator as well. This is why scientific research into creation has become a means for revealing aspects of the Creator. The findings of study on nature are, in other words, discoveries of the signs of God, which have been called ayatullah in the Quran (51:20). From this perspective, it would be right to say that the discovery of the meaningfulness in creation is essentially the discovery of an intelligent Creator.
