Einstein’s God

লিখেছেন লিখেছেন রেজাউল হক ২৩ জুলাই, ২০১৪, ০৮:১০:২৭ রাত

Einstein’s belief in God, like his theory of relativity was time dependent; passed through a process of metamorphosis all over his life - a phenomenon true for us all. Faith cannot be built or changed overnight.

Even at an early stage of life Einstein could not conceive the idea of a personal God - a God in human image and attributes. Hence he rejected totally the idea of God. Islamic perception of God is clearly expressed in the Quran in the Verse below:

“Say: He, Allah, is One. Allah is He on Whom all depend. He begets not, nor is He begotten. And none is like Him”. (Ikhlas-114:1-4)

While working on his theory of relativity and subsequent discovery of Hubble’s telescope, he was convinced that universe had a beginning and hence there must be a creator God behind the creation. But due to his earlier notion as a nonbeliever he replaced the factor in his equations by a cosmological constant, which he later regretted as one of his greatest mistakes. His experience is beautifully expressed in his famous sayings below:

“What I see in Nature is a grand design that we can comprehend only imperfectly, and that must fill a thinking person with a feeling of humility…”

“My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble minds.”

“That deep emotional conviction of the presence of a superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the incomprehensible universe, forms my idea of God...”

"In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views."

Those who ponder deeply about the mystery of creation find the ‘signs of God’; Einstein had asserted in his famous quotation below:

"Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a ‘Spirit’ is manifest in the laws of the Universe - a spirit vastly superior to that of man..... In this way the pursuit of science leads to a religious feeling of a special sort, which is indeed quite different from the religiosity of someone more naive."

Similar is said in the Quran:

“Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, - there are indeed Signs for men of understanding” (Surah Al-Imran 3:190).

Since Einstein had felt the existence of Creator God he began to evolve in a different dimension never ventured before – to understand the purpose of life. He began responding in a way - rarely seen and heard from a heart and soul physicist.

Contrary to the animosities in earlier times between churches and science, he said, all the branches of knowledge are interlaced - including science and religion; He said:

“Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”

“All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man's life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom.”

He sensed a purpose behind all the creations and our existence on earth - a divine purpose. He said:

“Strange is our situation here on earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to divine a purpose.”

More significant than his equation E=mc*2, he seemed to have solved the equation of life - purposed our existence on earth. Einstein’s philosophies of life expressed in his amazing quotations below, as if are the teachings of sages of religions of ages, paraphrased, rather than the discovery of a physicist:

“The most important endeavor is the striving for morality in our actions. Our inner balance and even our very existence depend on it. Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity for life.”

“Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.”

“The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive.”

“Try to become not a man of success, but try rather to become a man of value.”

“A life directed chiefly toward the fulfillment of personal desires will sooner or later always lead to bitter disappointment.”

More to wonder, Einstein had a very high regard for the prophets and sages of religions. He said:

“Our time is distinguished by wonderful achievements in the fields of scientific understanding and the technical application of those insights. Who would not be cheered by this? But let us not forget that human knowledge and skills alone cannot lead humanity to a happy and dignified life. Humanity has every reason to place the proclaimers of high moral standards and values above the discoverers of objective truth…. “

Interestingly, still both the believers and the nonbelievers quote Einstein equally in support of their views without taking into account - the time dimension.

Rezaul Haque

Toronto, Canada

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