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Spirit of Islam Issue 35 November 2015
In comparison to the
universe our earth
is infinitesimally
smaller than a grain
of sand.
expanding at an accelerating rate, that even with the use of the most
powerful telescopes its total dimensions have yet to be accurately
estimated. In this immeasurably vast universe, the earth is an extremely
tiny planet, a grain of sand.
Across the universe, our earth is a very rare exception, the only place
where exceptional things such as water, vegetation, an atmosphere of
air and oxygen are present. If life on earth prevails, it is because of
these impeccable life support systems that are functioning on it. On
earth, there exist all those valuable elements using which man can, if
he wills, build a civilization. It is, and has been, the task of humanity to
convert this potential into reality.
It is quite evident that civilization, passing continuously from one stage
to another, is moving from its initial state of development to progressive
higher levels altogether. Many studies of human history and civilization
will confirm this fact.
As the Quran puts it:
You will surely move from one stage to another stage.
(THE QURAN 84: 19-21)
The evolution of history shows that human
civilization is continuously advancing along
the path of progress and development. The
final result of such focused progress and
sustainable development could be called a
‘Spiritual Civilization’, or Paradise.
The history of civilization shows that it has
passed through three major phases, and
now all the indications suggest that it is in
the fourth and final stage of its journey. The three major phases of
civilization are: the Stone Age; the Agricultural Age; and the Industrial
Age.
It is a matter of common knowledge that these phases of civilization
have already taken place. In his bestseller
Future Shock
(published in
1970), Alvin Toffler says that the fourth phase, probably the last period
of civilization, will take place in the near future. He calls this fourth
phase the Super-Industrial Age, a much more advanced civilisation. In
religious terms, it would be appropriate to consider this fourth phase
as a spiritual civilization.