Issues of Ijtihad

DIVINE REASONING It is God who made the earth a stable home for you (in spite of the continuous double movement of the earth). Based on the example of the Hadith, in the initial stage of the “rain,” a person would simply see the earth as a sign of God’s mercy—because it was a peaceful place to dwell. However, in the second stage of the “rain,” he should feel even more grateful to God. This is because, even though the earth is constantly moving in two different ways, God has still made it a place of peace and stability for him. The Initial Explosion of the Universe Here is an example of divine reasoning. In chapter 21 of the Quran, a cosmic event is mentioned. The verse is translated as: “Do not those who deny the truth see that the heavens and the earth were joined together and that We then split them asunder? And that We have made every living thing out of water? Will they still not believe?” (21:30) This verse uses the words ratq and fatq. Ratq refers to a combined or fused state, describing the original matter of the universe, which initially existed in a tightly unified form. Fatq, on the other hand, signifies the parting of these elements—an event in which an explosion occurred within this original mass, after which its components dispersed throughout the vast expanse of space. Following a long process, the present universe came into being. Earlier commentators of the Quran interpreted this verse based