Question: In the book Endless Bliss the following is written: “To create means to make from nothing, or to turn existing things into things with other properties through laws of physics, chemistry, physiology or metaphysics.” Accordingly, is it jâiz (permissible) to say creation for a new work developed by scientists through the laws of physics and chemistry?
ANSWER
No, it is not permissible. This quotation conveys the fact that Allahu ta’âlâ’s creating is of two kinds:
1. When He wants to create a thing, He says to it “Be!” and it exists right away. That is, He makes existent from nothing. So is the case with His creating the universe, the gasses of hydrogen and oxygen from nothing.

2. The second one is His creating through causes. He has given these causes the effect, the power to act. Such powers are called natural powers, laws of physics, chemistry, and biology. For example, water is a compound composed of two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. His creating humans, animals, and plants is as such, too.

Scientists cannot make existent from nothing such gasses as hydrogen and oxygen, such substances as mercury, copper and petroleum. No matter how much technology and science advance, it is not possible to make an ant or a grain of wheat.

Creating and bringing into being belong to Allahu ta’âlâ alone. Scientists can never bring a thing into being from nothing. They can only unite together the existing things by means of the laws of physics, chemistry and biology, which were created by Him before, and thus make new scientific discoveries. This cannot be termed creating, but termed discovering, finding.

Now let us cite some examples that testify to Allahu ta’âlâ’s omnipotence and that are impossible for humans to achieve:
1. Although people have been trying for centuries to make a machine that runs without energy or fuel, this effort of theirs has resulted in failure. This, in turn, is impossible according to physics and chemistry because the law of conservation of energy states that energy, though it can change form, cannot be made existent nor annihilated by people.

2. All solids, liquids, and gasses expand in volume and decrease in density when they heat up. However, water is an exception to the rule because its density decreases when it turns into ice and it floats on water. If its density did not fall and if ice sheets sank to the bottom, all living things in the sea would die.

3. Two metals cannot combine with each other. In order for them to combine, it is a condition that they should carry different electric charges.

4. The distance between the Sun and the Earth is 149.5 million kilometers. If this distance were very short, the living things would be burnt to death. If it were much longer, then they would freeze to death. Humans cannot move the Sun at will.

5. The speed of light is 300,000 kilometers per second. This speed cannot be exceeded by humans. If this speed were exceeded, then according to theory of relativity the mass of matter would continue to infinity. [The reason why it is so is that when 1 is divided by 0 the quotient is infinite.]