Signs of the Reappearance of Imam Mahdi (Part 2)

 Modern science supports these ideas

1- The prolongation of days and years during the time of reappearance of Imam Mahdi does not contradict modern science, and in fact it is supported by modern science.

Given the fact that gravity can affect all heavenly and cosmic bodies as well as the earth substances, it also affects the gravity of the moon, water of the seas, soil and land, and halting  of the earth.

Since long time back people have known that there is a relationship between the moonrise, moonset, and high tide and low tide of the waters of seas. However they did not know how it happens and what makes these things happen until Isaac Newton, the great genius of the world of science solved this mystery for the first time and explained perfectly how these phenomena happen. The phenomenon of pulling (high tide and low tide of the water) is principally produced by the force of gravity of the moon. Obviously sea waters are more flexible compared to the terrain of the earth. So, naturally waters can have lesser resistance against the pulling force of the moon. Due to this reason, certain amount of water is collected under the moon (on the earth) and will form the phenomenon of ”high tide”‌ which means pulling up.

At the time of creation of the ”high tide”‌ facing the moon, another ”high tide”‌ shall be created on the other side of the earth, so the waters of the other side of the earth that are far from the moon are lesser affected and they lag behind and form a huge volume of water, thus, every part of the surface of the sea gets affected twice a day by the ”high tide”‌ and twice a day by the ”low tide”‌ which means pulling inward.  So, the average time between two consecutive tides is 12 hours and 25.5 minutes. Exactly half the time it takes to complete one orbit around the earth which is 24 hours and 51 minutes.

The high tide and low tide follow the apparent motion of the moon from the eastern horizon of the observer towards the western horizon. The effect of the gravity of the Sun on the tide comparing to that of the moon is of the second degree in importance, since its distance from the earth is more (about one hundred and fifty million kilometers); because of this fact the power of the Sun for creating tide is only about seven percent of the moon’s power.

 When these forces act in coordination, the tides are in their maximum force, like when the crescent is new and both are on one side of the earth, and they are called spring tides, the other is when the Sun and the moon together make an angle of 90° (quadrature), at this time the tides are at their minimum force, which are called Iveap tides.

 The proximity of the moon has also an effect on the height of the tides. When the moon is close to the earth, the force of gravity is 20% higher than normal situation.

The gravity of the moon not only creates swelling on earth waters but it also creates swelling on the lands, which are intangible compared to the swelling of waters.

The study of the growth of coral fossils shows that 350 million years ago the length of day and night was shorter by about 3 hours compared to today’s normal day and night, and the length of solar year was about 400 days.

Study of the records of the past solar and lunar eclipses indicates that the increasing trend of the earth day’s length has been about 0016% of second per century. (2)

2-  Probably the following verse of the Holy Qur’an has pointed to One Who has created this fundamental and foundational force which is called gravity that prevails throughout the universe (in all things, bodies and the cosmic bodies):  ”Allah is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that you see, and He is firm in power and He made the Sun and the moon subservient (to you); each one pursues its course to an appointed time; He regulates the affair, making clear the signs that you may be certain of meeting your Lord.”‌ [The Holy Qur’an,13:2]

The Almighty God has the power to reduce the duration of days and years (the time of revolution and rotation of the earth), make the Earth’s rotation ten times faster to reach 240 hours and increase the speed of the earth revolution ten times faster. In other words, He can reduce the speed of the earth which is about 30 kilometers per second to about 3 kilometers per second.

 In order to dismiss the astonishment of Abu Basir, Imam Sadiq (A.S) stated: ”As the moon was split for the Prophet (PBUH) [there are a lot of Hadithes from Sunni and Shia sources about its authenticity], and also prior to that God opened the Sun for Yusha bin Noon [most probably for few hours the earth changed its original rotation from right to left (from west towards east).

 Today, astronomers who are expert in the Venus planet believe that unlike that of the earth, the rotation of the Venus is from east towards west. Thus, in Venus the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east. So it is very much possible to create such condition for the earth for a few hours as it was created for Venus during the time of Yusha bin Noon. And above all, it is about the Day of Judgment about which  the Holy Qur’an states: ”And they ask you to hasten on the punishment, and Allah will by no means fail in His promise, and surely a day with your Lord is as a thousand years of what you number.”‌[The Holy Qur’an, 22:47]

Translated by: Sadroddin Musawi

2) Patrick Moore, Gary Hunt, Atlas of the Solar System, translated by Abbas Jafari, p. 94, Gitashenasi Publishers, summer 1995.

Other links:

The Beginning of the Belief in the Mahdi

The Mahdi from among the Descendants of the Prophet

The Sunni hadith on the Subject of the Mahdi

Ibn Khaldun and the Traditions about the Mahdi

Responding to Some Points Raised By Ibn Khaldun (Part 1)

Responding to Some Points Raised By Ibn Khaldun (Part 2)