GOD’S GREATNESS
The realization of God is the beginning of faith in God. It is the basis of Islam—the higher one’s realization of God, the higher one’s level of faith in God. The culmination of this realization happens when one discovers God with God’s grand majesty. When a person finds God with God’s greatness, his state is reflected in these words of the Quran:
“True believers are those whose hearts tremble with awe at the mention of God.” (8:2)
A positive contribution of modern astronomy in this regard is that it has given a framework to perceive the unfathomable Majesty and Greatness of God. With the help of this framework, man can bring some idea of the inexpressible greatness of God into his mind.
Modern astronomy can be said to have begun in 1608 with the invention of the telescope. The telescopic observation of the skies then kept advancing over the years. Earlier, observatories for studying astronomical bodies were built on top of mountains. In the age of space science, man invented space observatories, through which it has become possible to observe the universe at such great distances that can be expressed only in light years. In this way, man now has access to a new and much bigger field wherein to grow in awareness of the greatness of God.
Consider a recent astronomical discovery: A massive black hole has been discovered through an electronic telescope installed in space. This black hole can swallow up the entire solar system! It is bigger than all the black holes found so far. It is said to weigh the same as 6.8 billion Suns! According to scientists, this black hole, identified as M87, is as large as the orbit of Neptune!
The following is an excerpt from an article on this subject that appeared in The Times of India on 18 January 2011.
The Black Hole Can Eat the Solar System
“Astronomers have discovered what they say is an enormous black hole that weighs the same as 6.8 billion Suns and could swallow our entire solar system.
According to scientists, the black hole, identified as M87, is as large as the orbit of Neptune and is by far the most giant and most distant galaxy in the nearby universe. As a point of comparison, the black hole at the centre of the Milky Way is 1,000 times smaller than this one, which has been observed some 50 million light years away.” (The Times of India, New Delhi, Tuesday, January 18, 2011, p. 19)
This phenomenon—and other similar phenomena—is an incredible treasure trove for realizing God. These phenomena convey some idea of God’s inconceivable power and majesty. Reflecting on these phenomena, one’s heart can be overwhelmed with awareness of God’s greatness. They remind man of his extreme helplessness and powerlessness on the one hand and of God’s enormous Might and Power on the other.
The realization of God can be described as the discovery or realization of man’s limitedness, on the one hand, and God’s limitlessness, on the other. The realization of God refers to the condition that overwhelms a person due to this discovery. If one obtains this realization, or, in other words, makes this discovery, it is as if the doors of all the blessings of the world and the Hereafter have been opened unto him. He is that fortunate person about whom it will be said in the Hereafter: You can enter Paradise through any gate you wish. From today onward, there is no fear or sorrow for you.
