The fine tuning the Universe

He Who created the seven heavens in layers. You will not find any flaw
in the creation of the All-Merciful. Look again—do you see any gaps?
Then look again and again. Your sight will return to you dazzled and
exhausted!(Qur'an, 67:3-4)
He to Whom the kingdom of the heavens and the earth belongs. He does
not have a son and He has no partner inthe Kingdom. He
createdeverything and determined it most exactly.(Qur'an, 25:2)
Materialist philosophy emerged with the claim that all the systems in
nature and the universe were like machines that functioned on their
own, that the flawless order and balance within them were the work of
chance. However, today, the false nature of materialism and of
Darwinism, its so-called scientific foundation, has been
scientifically demonstrated. (See Harun Yahya, The Evolution
Deceit,and Darwinism Refuted)
The scientific discoveriesof the 20th century that followed swiftly,
one after the other, in the fields of astrophysics and biology have
provedthat life and the universe were created. As the theses of
Darwinism collapsed, theBig Bang theory has shown that the universe
was created from nothing.
Discoveries have revealed that there is a great design and fine-tuning
in the material world and this has categorically demonstrated the
groundless nature of theclaims of materialism.
Considering the conditions necessary for life, we see that only the
Earth meets these particular conditions. For an environment suitable
for life, there are innumerable conditions taking place simultaneously
and unceasingly all around us. There are some hundred billion
galaxies,each with-on average-a hundred billion stars. In all the
galaxies, there are perhaps as many planets as stars. 1In the face of
such overpowering numbers, one can better comprehend the significance
of the formation of such an exceptional environment on the Earth.
From the force of the BigBang explosion to the physical values of
atoms,from the levels of the four basic forces to the chemical
processes in the stars, from the type of light emitted by the Sun to
the level of viscosity of water, from the distance of the Moonto the
Earth to the level of gases in the atmosphere, from the Earth's
distance from theSun to its angle of tilt to its orbit, and from the
speed at which the Earthrevolves around its own axis to the functions
of the oceans and mountains on the Earth: every single detail is
ideally suited to our lives. Today, the world ofscience describes
these features by means of theconcepts of the"Anthropic Principle" and
"Fine-Tuning." These concepts summarise the way that the universe is
not an aimless, uncontrolled, chance collection of matter but that it
has a purpose directed towards human life and has been designed with
the greatest precision.
Attention is drawn in theabove verses to the measure and harmony
inAllah's creation. The word "taqdeer," meaning "to design, measure,
create by measuring," is employedin Qur'anic verses such as Surat
al-Furqan 2. The word "tibaaq," meaning"in harmony," is used in Surat
al-Mulk 3 and Surah Nuh 15. Furthermore, Allah also reveals in Surat
al-Mulk with the word"tafaawut," meaning"disagreement,
violation,non-conformity, disorder, opposite," that those who seek
disharmony will fail to find it.
The term "fine-tuning," which began to be used towards the end of the
20th century, represents this truth revealed in theverses. Over the
last quarter-century or so, a great many scientists, intellectuals and
writers have shown that the universe is not a collection of
coincidences. On the contrary, it has an extraordinary design and
order ideally suited to human life in its everydetail. (See Harun
Yahya, The Creation of the Universeand A Chain of Miracles) Many
features in the universe clearly show that the universe has been
specially designed to support life. The physicist Dr. Karl Giberson
expresses this fact thus:
In the 1960s, some physicists observed that our universe appears to
have beenfine-tunedforthe existence of human life. 2
The Speed of the Big Bang Explosion:
The balances establishedwith the Big Bang, the instantaneous
formationof the universe, are one of the proofs that the universe did
not come into being by chance. According to the well-known Adelaide
University professor of mathematical physics Paul Davies, if the rate
ofexpansion that took place following the Big Bang had been just one
in a billion billion parts different (1/1018), the universe could not
have come into being. 3
The Four Forces:
All physical motion in theuniverse comes about thanks to the
interactionand equilibrium of the four forces recognised by modern
physics: gravity, electromagnetic force, strong nuclear force and weak
nuclear force. These forces possess extraordinarily different values
to one another. 4
The Distances between Celestial Bodies:
The distribution of celestial bodies in space and the enormous spaces
between them are essential to the existence of life on Earth. The
distances between celestial bodieshave been set out in a calculation
compatible with a great many powerful universal forces in such a way
as to support life on Earth. 5
Gravity:
- If gravity were stronger, excessive ammonia and methane would
collect in the Earth's atmosphere, which would have a most damaging
effect onlife.
- If it were weaker, the Earth's atmosphere would lose excessive
quantities of water, making life impossible.
The Earth's Distance fromthe Sun:
- If this were any greater, the planet would grow very cold, the water
cycle in the atmosphere would be affected, and the planet would enter
an ice-age.
- If the Earth were any closer to the Sun, plants would burn up, the
water cycle in the Earth'satmosphere would be irreparably damaged, and
life would become impossible.
The Thickness of the Earth's Crust:
- If the crust were any thicker, then an excessive amount of oxygen
would be transferred to it from the atmosphere.
- If it were any thinner, the resulting amount of volcanic activity
would make life impossible.
The Speed at which the Earth Revolves:
- If this were any slower,the temperature difference between day and
night would grow enormously.
- If it were any faster, then atmospheric winds would reach enormous
speeds, and cyclones andstorms would make life impossible.
The Earth's Magnetic Field:
- If this were any more powerful, very strong electromagnetic storms
would arise.
- If it were any weaker, then the Earth would lose its protection
against the harmful particles given off by theSun and known as solar
winds. Both situations would make life impossible.
The Albedo Effect (The Fraction of Light Reflected by the Earth):
- If this were any greater, an ice-age would rapidly result.
- If it were any less, the greenhouse effect would lead to excessive
warming. The Earth would first be flooded with the melting of the
glaciers, and would thenburn up.
The Proportion of Oxygen and Nitrogen in the Atmosphere:
- If this were any greater, vital functions would be adversely accelerated.
- If it were any less, vital functions would adversely slow down.
The Proportion of Carbon Dioxide and Water in the Atmosphere:
- If this were any greater, the atmosphere would overheat.
- If it were any less, the temperature of the atmosphere would fall.
The Thickness of the Ozone Layer:
- If this were any greater, the Earth's temperature would fall enormously.
- If it were any less, the Earth would overheat and be defenceless
against the harmful ultraviolet rays emitted by the Sun.
Seismic Activity (Earthquakes):
- If this were any greater, there would be constant upheaval for living things.
- If it were any less, the nutrients at the sea bottom would fail to
spread into the water. This would have a damaging effect on life in
the seas and oceans and all living things on Earth.
The Earth's Angle of Tilt:
The Earth has a 23 degree angle of inclination to its orbit. It is
this inclination that gives rise to the seasons.If this angle were any
greater or any less than it is now, the temperature difference between
the seasons would reach extreme dimensions, with unbearably hot
summersand bitterly cold winters.
The Size of the Sun:
A smaller star than the Sun would mean the Earth would freeze and
alarger star would lead toits burning up.
The Attraction between the Earth and the Moon:
- If this were any greater, the powerful attraction of the Moon would
have extremely serious effects on atmospheric conditions, the speed at
which the Earth revolves around itsown axis and on the ocean tides.
- If it were any less, this would lead to extreme climate changes.
The Distance between the Earth and the Moon:
- If they were just a little closer, the Moon would crash into the Earth.
- If they were any further, the Moon wouldbecome lost in space.
- If they were even a little closer, the Moon's effect on the Earth's
tides would reach dangerous dimensions. Ocean waves would inundate
low-lying areas. The friction emerging as a result of this would raise
the temperature of the oceans and the sensitive temperature balance
essential to life on
Earth would disappear.
- If they were even a little further away, the tides would decrease,
leading the oceans to beless mobile. Immobile water would endanger
life in the seas, and the level of the oxygen we breathe would be
endangered. 6
The Temperature of the Earth and Carbon-Based Life:
The existence of carbon, the basis of all life, depends on the
temperature remaining within specific limits. Carbon is an essential
substance for organic molecules such as amino-acid, nucleic acid and
protein: These constitute the basis of life. For that reason, life can
only be carbon-based. Given this, the existing temperature needs to be
no lower than -20 degrees and no higher than 1200 Celsius (2480 F).
These are just the temperature limits on Earth.
These are just a few of the exceedingly sensitivebalances which are
essential for life on Earthto have emerged and to survive. Yet even
these are sufficient to definitively reveal that the Earth and the
universe could not have come into being as the result of a number of
consecutive coincidences. The concepts of "fine-tuning" and
the"anthropic principle" thatbegan to be employed inthe 20th century
are further evidence of Allah's creation. The harmony and
proportiontherein were described with magnificent accuracy fourteen
centuries ago in the Qur'an.