The concept of the holographic universe first emerged from the study of black holes in the 1970s, when physicists like Jacob Bekenstein and Stephen Hawking began exploring the relationship between entropy and the surface area of a black hole’s event horizon. Their groundbreaking work revealed that the amount of information contained within a black hole could be proportional not to its volume but to its surface area. Building on these insights, Gerard ‘t Hooft and Leonard Susskind later proposed the holographic principle, suggesting that all the information that makes up our three-dimensional universe might actually be encoded on a two-dimensional boundary. This revolutionary perspective implies that our universe, with all its complexity, might essentially be a projection of information residing on a distant, cosmic “screen.”
In exploring the profound implications of this concept, one can draw interesting parallels with the following verse from the Quran.
GOD is the light of the heavens and the earth. The allegory of His light is that of a concave mirror behind a lamp that is placed inside a glass container. The glass container is like a bright, pearl-like star. The fuel thereof is supplied from a blessed oil-producing tree, that is neither eastern, nor western. Its oil is almost self-radiating; needs no fire to ignite it. Light upon light. GOD guides to His light whomever He wills. GOD thus cites the parables for the people. GOD is fully aware of all things. – Quran 24:35
In this verse, the Quran provides an allegory of God’s light as if it is a projector that manifests reality, where the concave mirror amplifies God’s light. This imagery resonates with the holographic idea that light is essential for our reality’s physical and spiritual construction. The description of a concave mirror, a lamp, and a glass container layered with self-radiating oil evokes an image of intricate, interdependent elements that reflect a deeper, unified structure—a structure not unlike the encoded two-dimensional information that might give rise to our three-dimensional experience. The recurring motif of “light upon light” suggests a recursive, layered quality, similar to the notion that every point within the universe holds a reflection of the whole.
Additionally, the following verse informs us that God is the One who is bringing reality into manifestation, and if God removes Himself from the equation, it will all vanish.
GOD is the One who holds the heavens and the earth, lest they vanish. If anyone else is to hold them, they will most certainly vanish. He is Clement, Forgiving. – Quran 35:41
This verse emphasizes that the coherence and stability of the entire cosmos rest solely with God, mirroring the idea that the underlying structure of our universe—if indeed it is holographic—rests upon God’s presence. Just as the two-dimensional boundary in the holographic model holds together the complexity of our three-dimensional world, the verse suggests that only God’s sustaining power can preserve the universe and the simulation we find ourselves in. This indicates that every part of the cosmos is intrinsically linked to our Creator, and without God the Sustainer, all would vanish and disappear.
Have they not looked at the sky above them, and how we constructed it and adorned it, without a flaw? – Quran 50:6
He created seven universes in layers. You do not see any imperfection in the creation by the Most Gracious. Keep looking; do you see any flaw? Look again and again; your eyes will come back stumped and conquered. – Quran 67:3-4
While the Quran is not a science book, it offers glimpses into the mysteries of existence, guiding us to see that both scientific discovery and divine revelation ultimately point to the same fundamental truth. It calls upon us to look beyond surface appearances and recognize the deep, interconnected principles that govern both the physical and spiritual realms. Time and again, the Quran reminds us that this world is but an illusion, with true reality existing in the Hereafter with God. These verses suggest that our universe is not a random collection of matter but a deliberately ordered, interdependent system. While the Quran does not explicitly affirm the concept of the holographic universe, its verses seem to align with such a perspective.
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