The Quran’s Computational Universe: A 1400-Year-Old Belief that Predates Modern Science
The Quran’s Computational Universe: A 1400-Year-Old Belief that Predates Modern Science
Exploring the Islamic understanding of the computational nature of reality and its relationship to the Preserved Tablet.
Exploring the Islamic understanding of the computational nature of reality and its relationship to Qadar and the Preserved Tablet.
“and We have computed everything in a record.“
- Qur’an 78:29
The idea that the universe can be explained as a vast and complex computation, known as the computational universe hypothesis, is gaining attention within the scientific community. However, this new idea bears a striking resemblance to the Islamic description of reality recognized by Muslims for centuries. The Qur’an describes the universe as being precisely calculated in a pre-eternal record, known as the Preserved Tablet or “Lawh al-Maḥfūẓ.” This article explores the Islamic belief of the Preserved Tablet through our modern understanding of computation, its relationship to the computational substrate, and how Islamic scholars expressed this understanding of nature before modern science.
What is the Computational Universe?
The computational universe hypothesis suggests that the fundamental building blocks of the universe, such as subatomic particles and the laws of physics, can be seen as data or information that is processed by a system, similar to how a computer processes data according to a set of instructions. Seth Lloyd summarizes the computational view in his book “Programming the Universe”:
The computational universe is not an alternative to the physical universe. The universe that evolves by processing information and the universe that evolves by the laws of physics are one and the same. The two descriptions, computational and physical, are complementary ways of capturing the same phenomena. — Seth Lloyd¹
Variations of this idea have been put forth by numerous figures in the fields of physics, computer science, and philosophy, including Elon Musk, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Brian Cox, Brian Greene, Ed Fredkin, Stephen Wolfram, David Chalmers, and many more.
The Computational Universe in Islam
Both the computational universe and the Islamic description of reality propose that the universe follows a set of rules or instructions, the computational universe refers to the laws of physics as a set of algorithms and the Islamic belief, refers to the laws that govern the universe as Qadar, a set of predefined rules written within the Preserved Tablet. Allah (ﷻ) says:
Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments of all things before their creation, as written in the Book of Decrees). — Qur’an 54:49
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Verily the first of what Allah created was the Pen. So He said: ‘Write.’ It said: ‘What shall I write?’ He said: ‘Write Al-Qadar, what it is, and what shall be, until the end.’”²
This Hadith is supported by the following verse in the Qur’an:
No calamity ˹or blessing˺ occurs on earth or in yourselves without being ˹written˺ in a Record before We bring it into being… — Qur’an 57:22
Computation refers to the “action of mathematical calculation.”³ In the Qur’an, the Arabic word “aḥṣā”⁴ encompasses both calculation and computation depending on the context. While some translators use the words “calculate” or “enumerate,” others use the word “compute.” For example:
Every thing is fully computed by Us in a manifest book of record. — Qur’an 36:12
At-Tabari, a renowned Islamic scholar from the 9th century, provided insight on the concept that everything that exists or will exist has been computed and recorded in the Preserved Tablet. The Preserved Tablet is also known by other names and descriptions such as the “Mother Book”, “Clear Imam” and “Clear Record” among others.
And every thing that was or is to be, We recorded/calculated/computed it, so We established it in the Mother Book, and it is the clear Imam. And it is said “clear” because it reveals the reality of all that is settled in it.
- al-Tabari, Jāmiʿ al-bayān, 36:12⁵
The Qur’an presents a perspective of nature that aligns with the idea of a computational universe, as evidenced by several verses throughout the text.
and We have computed everything in a record. — Qur’an 78:29
Not even a leaf falls without His knowledge, nor a grain in the darkness of the earth or anything — green or dry — but is ˹written˺ in a perfect Record. — Qu’ran 6:59
Nothing is hidden from your Lord even the weight of an atom on the earth or in the heaven. Neither anything smaller than that nor larger, but is written in a Clear Record. — Qur’an 10:61⁶
And He encompasses all that is with them and He computes the number of everything. — Qur’an 72:28
Al-Qurtubi, a 12th-century scholar, comments on this verse that Allah (ﷻ) “has calculated everything in a numerical state.”⁷ This aligns with the computational universe, which suggests that everything in the universe is fundamentally made of numbers, similar to how a computer runs machine code. This interpretation is supported in the following verse:
He has indeed enumerated and computed them. — Qur’an 19:94
At-Tabari comments on this verse: “Indeed, the Merciful has calculated/computed the entirety of His creation, and their numbers, so nothing is hidden from Him…”⁸
The idea that the universe is created through computation aligns with the Islamic understanding of the divine name of the Creator, Al-Muhsi, meaning “The One Who computes and preserves.”⁹ This concept is further reinforced by the idea of the Preserved Tablet, which contains all the written computations of physical reality, analogous to a computer’s storage device. In the computational universe hypothesis, this concept is known as the computational substrate.
The Preserved Tablet as the Computational Substrate
The term “substrate” refers to a “material that provides the surface on which something is deposited or inscribed.”¹⁰ The Arabic word “al-lawh,” commonly translated as “tablet” or “slate,” also carries the connotation of a surface on which something is written.¹¹ Similarly, the Qur’an describes the Preserved Tablet as “kitab,” which can be translated as “book,” “record,” or “register,” which describes “a thing in which, or on which, one writes.”¹²
These definitions emphasize the idea of al-lawh, or kitab, as the substrate, a written or recorded surface. The Preserved Tablet as the computational substrate is consistent with both the literal meaning of the term “substrate” and the technical interpretation of the belief of the Preserved Tablet as a divinely-preserved surface on which our reality is written.
Some have suggested that it might be possible to hack or modify this substrate, similar to a computer simulation.¹³ However, this idea is rejected in Islam as the Preserved Tablet is believed to be “maḥfūẓ,” protected from any alteration, change or manipulation. According to the commentator, Ibn Kathir, the term “maḥfūẓ” means “guarded from any increase, decrease, distortion, or change.”¹⁴ The inviolability of the Preserved Tablet is an important aspect of Islamic theology and the concept of the universe as a computational system offers a deeper understanding and appreciation of this belief.
Conclusion
The Qur’an and Hadith contain descriptions of reality that align with the emerging understanding of a computational universe. This concept is present throughout Islamic texts, predating and surpassing the technological and mathematical understanding of the time. It serves as a powerful reminder of the intricate design and purpose behind all of creation, and it is possible that it is a sign from Allah (ﷻ) revealing the underlying order and structure of our reality. This serves as an invitation for further exploration and deeper understanding of the Qur’an and the creation of Allah (ﷻ).
And those who were bestowed Al-Ilm (‘The Knowledge’) and Faith said: “Surely, indeed you stayed, (as is written) in Kitabullah — until the Day of Resurrection…” — Qur’an 30:56
For more on this topic, watch the following documentary:
Lloyd, S. (2011). The Computational Universe. In Programming the universe: A Quantum Computer Scientist takes on the cosmos. Vintage Digital.
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2155 https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:2155
The New Oxford American Dictionary (p. 353): Computation.
“aḥṣā” (أَحْصَىٰ), He numbered, counted, calculated, reckoned, or computed…
http://lexicon.quranic-research.net/data/06_H/115_HSw.htmlat-Tabari, https://tafsir.app/tabari/36/12
The word “dharrah” (ذرة), which is translated as “atom” in English, was not used in the context of the atomic theory as we understand it today. The word “dharrah” in Arabic originally referred to a small ant, or a small particle of dust according to ibn al-Jawzi in his work Zaad al-Maseer fi ‘ilm at-Tafseer, 4:40. The atomic theory was first proposed by the ancient Greek philosopher Democritus in the 5th century BCE. When the atomic theory was introduced to Islamic scholars during the Golden Age, the word “atom” was translated as “dharrah” as it corresponded to their understanding of the smallest unit of matter.
al-Qurtabi, https://tafsir.app/qurtubi/72/28
at-Tabari, https://tafsir.app/tabari/19/94
Aneesuddin, M. (n.d.). Al-Muhsi (The One Who computes and preserves). In Attributes of Allah — Know your Creator (pp. 115–116).
https://archive.org/details/AttributesOfAllah-KnowYourCreator.BookByLateDr.Mir.AneesuddinM.scThe New Oxford American Dictionary (p. 1696): Substrate.
Abu Nasr al-Jawhari, Taj al-Lugha wa Sihah al-Arabiya. https://shamela.ws/book/23235/793
“kitāb” (كِتَابٌ) A thing in which, or on which, one writes:
http://lexicon.quranic-research.net/data/22_k/023_ktb.htmlHow to hack the simulation? — researchgate.net. (n.d.). Retrieved January 11, 2023, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/364811408_How_to_Hack_the_Simulation
Tafseer Ibn Katheer, https://www.recitequran.com/tafsir/en.ibn-kathir/85:22