Rediscovering the Intergalactic Portals

Do intergalactic portals exist? Let’s discover together. Human knowledge about the world around us is expanding rapidly. As Deeper we go into space, our canvas grows bigger and bigger. There was a time when our knowledge was confined to the solar system and we thought that this is the entire picture of the universe.

Then we moved out of the solar system and took our galaxy as the whole story. Later on, we came to know that the universe is a complex structure consisting of billions of galaxies. Now our observational data suggest the existence of multi-universes or parallel universes and intergalactic portals. Muslim Cosmology gives an interesting idea of intergalactic portals.

Though the concept of parallel universes has been a subject of philosophy and religion, since ancient times, observational data forced cosmologists and theoretical physicists to reflect on parallel universes. Scientifically, the existence of parallel universes is still debatable, however, most religions of the world believe in parallel universes with different titles. Islam describes these parallel universes in terms of the seven heavens. All the Abrahamic religions agree on the existence of seven heavens, though, they assign their different attributes. However, this paper will elaborate on the stance of Islam on parallel universes and intergalactic portals.

The Qur’an, whenever, mentions the creation of the earth, accompanies the creation of the heavens. According to Islamic cosmology, there are seven heavens arranged in the form of seven layers; while the lowest heaven has been adorned with stars and constellations.

 Blessed is the One in Whose Hands rests all authority. And He is Most Capable of everything. He created death and life so that He might test you, and find out which of you is best in conduct. He is the Mighty, the Most Forgiving One. He created seven heavens one above the other in layers. You will not find any flaw in the creation of the Gracious One. Then look once again: can you see any flaw? Then look again and again. Your gaze will come back to you confused and exhausted. We have adorned the lowest heaven with lamps, and We have made them for driving away devils (Jinns). For them, We have prepared the punishment of the blazing Fire. [1]

The Qur’an mentions that the metaphor used in the Ayat mentioned above of Surah Al-Mulk,, ‘lamps’ stands for stars and constellations.

Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything between them; Lord of the Easts. We have adorned the lower heaven with the adornment of the stars.[2]

We have placed constellations in heaven and have beautified it for beholders.[3]

All such narratives in the Qur’an prove that the seven heavens exist beyond the stars and constellations. Though the term galaxy has not been used in the Qur’an, however, it has been indicated in another term: Mawaqi an-Nujoom.

Nay, I swear by the positions of the stars; and, indeed, that is a most mighty oath, if you only knew.[4]

Now, we know that stars exist only within galaxies. So the connotation ‘positions of stars’ refers to the galaxies.

The Qur’an not only mentions the existence of intergalactic portals, but it does not deny the possibility of using these gateways by human beings in certain conditions. The 70^th Surah(chapter) of the Qur’an is known as Al-Ma’arij which denotes the pathways of ˹heavenly˺ ascent.

A challenger has demanded a punishment bound to come—for the disbelievers—to be averted by none; from Allah, Lord of pathways of ˹heavenly˺ ascent, ˹through which˺ the angels and the ˹Holy Spirit^’ will ascend to Him on a Day fifty thousand years in length.[5]

‘Ascending Stairways’ is another connotation for Al-Ma’arij used by the translators of the Holy Qur’an.

These pathways of heavenly ascent are nothing but intergalactic portals. These intergalactic portals can be used not only for ascending but for descending as well. As the father of human beings—Adam— (Peace be on him) and his wife Hawa (Peace be on her) descended from Paradise to the Earth through these portals or gateways.

We said, ‘O Adam! live with your wife in Paradise and eat freely from it anywhere you may wish. Yet do not approach this tree lest you become wrongdoers.’ But Satan caused them both to slip through this and thus brought about the loss of their former state. We said, ‘Go down from here as enemies to each other; and on earth, you shall have your abode and livelihood for a while!’ [6]

According to mainstream Muslim scholarship, Adam and Hawa (Peace be on them) stayed in Paradise located above the heavens before descending to the earth. If it would be an earthly Paradise, then there is no room for such a statement:

‘Go down from here as enemies to each other, and on earth, you shall have your abode and your livelihood for a while!’

If Adam (Peace be on him) was already living on earth and enjoying earthly livelihood, then this statement does not make sense. So definitely, he and his spouse stayed in a particular heavenly Paradise, from where they descended to the terrestrial surface through an intergalactic portal.

The Qur’an accepts that not only a true Prophet but a disbeliever can ascend through the intergalactic portal.

And even if We opened for them a gateway to heaven, through which they continued to ascend, still they would say, “Our eyes have truly been dazzled! We must have been bewitched.[7]

If a disbeliever can travel through intergalactic portals by the grace of Allah Almighty, why not our beloved Prophet Muhammad (May Allah shower His blessings and peace on him) do it?

Surely, the Chief of the Prophets Muhammad (May Allah shower His blessings and peace on him) traveled through space when he went on his Glorious Journey to the heavens by the Grace of Allah Almighty. Interestingly, this Glorious Journey is entitled al-Me’araj which means ‘ascending staircase’.

Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that Abu Dhar (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated:

Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “While I was at Mecca the roof of my house was opened and Gabriel descended, opened my chest, and washed it with Zamzam water. Then he brought a golden tray full of wisdom and faith and having poured its contents into my chest, he closed it. Then he took my hand and ascended with me to the nearest heaven, when I reached the nearest heaven, Gabriel said to the gatekeeper of the heaven, ‘Open (the gate).’ The gatekeeper asked, ‘Who is it?’ Gabriel answered: ‘Gabriel.’ He asked, ‘Is there anyone with you?’ Gabriel replied, ‘Yes, Muhammad is with me.’ He asked, ‘Has he been called?’ Gabriel said, ‘Yes.’ So the gate was opened and we went over to the nearest heaven and there we saw a man sitting with some people on his right and some on his left. When he looked toward his right, he laughed and when he looked toward his left he wept. Then he said, ‘Welcome! O pious Prophet and pious son.’ I asked Gabriel, ‘Who is he?’ He replied, ‘He is Adam and the people on his right and left are the souls of his offspring. Those on his right are the people of Paradise and those on his left are the people of Hell and when he looks towards his right he laughs and when he looks towards his left he weeps.’ Then he ascended with me till he reached the second heaven and he (Gabriel) said to its gatekeeper, ‘Open (the gate).’ The gatekeeper said to him the same as the gatekeeper of the first heaven had said and he opened the gate. Anas said: “Abu Dhar added that the Prophet (ﷺ) met Adam, Idris, Moses, Jesus, and Abraham, he (Abu Dhar) did not mention on which heaven they were but he mentioned that he (the Prophet (ﷺ) ) met Adam on the nearest heaven and Abraham on the sixth heaven. Anas said, “When Gabriel along with the Prophet (ﷺ) passed by Idris, the latter said, ‘Welcome! O pious Prophet and pious brother.’ The Prophet (ﷺ) asked, ‘Who is he?’ Gabriel replied, ‘He is Idris.” The Prophet (ﷺ) added, “I passed by Moses and he said, ‘Welcome! O pious Prophet and pious brother.’ I asked Gabriel, ‘Who is he?’ Gabriel replied, ‘He is Moses.’ Then I passed by Jesus and he said, ‘Welcome! O pious brother and pious Prophet.’ I asked, ‘Who is he?’ Gabriel replied, ‘He is Jesus. Then I passed by Abraham and he said, ‘Welcome! O pious Prophet and pious son.’ I asked Gabriel, ‘Who is he?’ Gabriel replied, ‘He is Abraham. The Prophet (ﷺ) added, ‘Then Gabriel ascended with me to a place where I heard the creaking of the pens.” [8]

The event of this Glorious Journey has been mass transmitted through well-established chains of narrators. The point to be noted concerning this paper is that when the Prophet (May Allah shower His blessings and peace on him) reached the gateway of the lowest heaven (nearest to our solar system) the Arch Angel Gabriel said to the gatekeeper of the heaven, ‘Open (the gate)’. This phrase was repeated on reaching the gateway of every heaven. This marvelous event proves that there are gateways (portals) in the heavens. Nobody can travel through the heavens (including the lowest one) except through the portals. Our beloved Prophet (May Allah shower His blessings and peace on him) successfully traveled through these portals without any manmade inter-spatial teleporting unit.

Thanks to cosmological observational data, scientists have started to discuss Intergalactic Portals. We are not talking about sci-fi movies, but about reasonable scientific data. Scientists have derived certain mathematical equations based on data, showing intergalactic portals. Most proponents of the ‘parallel universes’ also support intergalactic portals. Even some scientists are boasting to open an intergalactic portal that may open into a parallel universe. [9]

People are not only concerned but scared if the scientists have found a way to open a portal to another universe. What will happen next?

Watch the following video to see what the scientists are striving for.