The Reality of “Qaba Qawsain”

Fourteen hundred years ago, traversing the seven heavens and reaching the highest celestial plane within an instant was beyond the scope of human imagination. Even today, despite our advancements, covering billions of light-years without the necessary technological means seems impossible.

While significant progress has been made in overcoming the challenges of air travel, making it relatively safe, space exploration presents even greater complexities. It is not only a technical and engineering challenge but also a psychological one. Space travel is fraught with risks, yet the desire to conquer the universe drives humanity forward. After planting its flag on the Moon, humankind is now devising strategies for even greater space missions. In the 20th century, humanity accomplished what once seemed unimaginable.

Is it then surprising that, with divine power, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was able to undertake a celestial journey beyond the limitations of time and space? Science may continue to advance, but divine miracles will forever remain unparalleled.

Under the ten-year Apollo mission initiated by the American space agency NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) to conquer the Moon, Apollo 11 successfully landed on the lunar surface in July 1969. The American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first humans in history to set foot on the Moon, while their third companion, Michael Collins, remained in orbit around the Moon, piloting the command module like an artificial satellite.

During this historic event, scientists stationed at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida maintained constant communication, guiding the astronauts through every step of their mission. Apart from conducting essential experiments, they collected various rock samples from the Moon’s surface before beginning their return journey. Merely two days later, this pioneering team safely returned to Earth.

Every moment of this mission was broadcast live on television and radio, allowing people across the world to witness humanity’s remarkable achievement in real-time. However, this monumental feat of space exploration and mankind’s conquest of the Moon had already been foretold fourteen centuries ago in the ultimate divine revelation—the Holy Qur’an. The Almighty states in the sacred scripture:
وَالْقَمَرِ إِذَا اتَّسَق، لَتَرْكَبُنَّ طَبَقًا عَن طَبَقٍ، فَمَا لَهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُون۔(الانشقاق، 84: 18 – 20)
And [by] the moon when it becomes full, [That] you will surely experience state after state. So, what is [the matter] with them [that] they do not believe.

The Lesson from the Ascension of the Prophet (PBUH)
سبق ملا ہے یہ معراج مصطفی سے مجھے
کہ عالم بشریت کی زد میں ہے گردوں
“I have learned from the Ascension of Mustafa (PBUH) That even the heavens are within the grasp of humanity.”

Among all religious scriptures—including the Bible and other divine books—only the Holy Qur’an provides such precise scientific references. The verse mentioned above contains a clear indication of the conquest of the Moon, which humanity in the 20th century witnessed with its own eyes.
Mankind has made countless advancements, reaching new heights of success and knowledge. Modern sciences continue to expand human understanding, unravelling mysteries and bringing the universe’s eternal truths to light. Yet, despite all material progress, humans have not yet mastered travel at the speed of light. Light moves at a staggering 186,000 miles per second (approximately 300,000 km/s), and according to the principles of science, achieving such a speed for any material object is considered impossible.

However, modern science has now reached the point where it acknowledges a fundamental cosmic reality: time and space can contract and expand in accordance with changes in velocity. This principle aligns perfectly with the divine laws of nature. Through the revelation of His final divine scripture—the Holy Qur’an—Almighty Allah disclosed to humanity the reality of time compression (Tayy-e-Zaman) and space compression (Tayy-e-Makan), long before human intellect could grasp these concepts in the 20th century.

In scientific terms:
The phenomenon where vast cosmic distances, spanning millions of miles, are traversed in a single moment is known as Tayy-e-Makan (Compression of Space).

The phenomenon where time, spanning across centuries, is condensed into mere moments is known as Tayy-e-Zaman (Compression of Time).

Allah, the All-Powerful and All-Knowing, has bestowed upon His chosen prophets miraculous abilities—some have been granted mastery over time, while others have been blessed with mastery over space. However, the Miraj (Ascension) of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) stands as the pinnacle of both Tayy-e-Zaman and Tayy-e-Makan. His journey encapsulated the compression of both time and space, manifesting the perfection of divine miracles.

The Qur’an and Hadith provide indisputable evidence of these miracles during the Night Journey and Ascension (Isra wa Miraj). For those who believe, there is no room for doubt or deviation.

A glimpse of such miracles is also seen in the story of Prophet Solomon (AS), who once asked his courtiers about bringing the throne of Queen Bilqis before him:
قَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِينِي بِعَرْشِهَا قَبْلَ أَن يَأْتُونِي مُسْلِمِينَ۔(النمل، 27 : 38)
[Solomon] said, “O assembly [of jinn], which of you will bring me her throne before they come to me in submission?”

The throne of Queen Sheba, Bilqis, was situated approximately 900 miles away from the court of Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him). Prophet Solomon (PBUH) desired that before Queen Sheba, who had already set out from her kingdom to present herself in his court, arrived, her throne should be brought and placed before him. The Holy Qur’an states
قَالَ عِفْرِيتٌ مِّنَ الْجِنِّ أَنَا آتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَن تَقُومَ مِن مَّقَامِكَ وَإِنِّي عَلَيْهِ لَقَوِيٌّ أَمِينٌ(النمل، 27 : 39)
A powerful one from among the jinn said, “I will bring it to you before you rise from your place, and indeed, I am for this [task] strong and trustworthy.

This verse of the Holy Qur’an clearly demonstrates that a jinn in the court of Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) possessed the ability, under the principle of Tayy al-Makānī (folding of space), to bring the throne of Queen Bilqis from a distance of 900 miles before the court was adjourned. However, even this delay was not acceptable to Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him). At that moment, one of his companions, Asif bin Barkhiya, who had knowledge of the Divine Book, presented himself before the Prophet. The Holy Qur’an describes this event as follows:
قَالَ الَّذِي عِندَهُ عِلْمٌ مِّنَ الْكِتَابِ أَنَاآتِيكَ بِهِ قَبْلَ أَن يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ فَلَمَّا رَآهُ مُسْتَقِرًّاعِندَهُ قَالَ هَذَامِن فَضْلِ رَبِّي(النمل:40:27)
“The one who had knowledge of the Book said: ‘I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you.’ And when Solomon saw it placed before him, he said, ‘This is by the grace of my Lord.’” (Surah An-Naml, 27:40)

A distinguished companion of Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him) was able to present the throne of Bilqis at his feet within the blink of an eye. This was an undeniable Qur’anic example of Tayy al-Makānī, where distances collapsed, and this extraordinary feat was attributed to a follower of Prophet Solomon. If such an extraordinary miracle could be performed by a follower of Prophet Solomon (peace be upon him), one can only imagine the unparalleled spiritual achievements of the exalted personalities within the Ummah of the Seal of Prophets, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). A true believer, with a mere gesture, can traverse thousands of miles in an instant, and before he even lifts his foot, the lands of the East and the West lie beneath him. As Allama Iqbal eloquently states:
دو نیم اُن کی ٹھوکر سے صحرا و دریا
سِمٹ کر پہاڑ اُن کی ہیبت سے رائی
“With a single kick, deserts and seas split apart,
Mountains shrink into mere specks before their awe.”

The Qur’an is the ultimate source of all knowledge, wisdom, and enlightenment, unveiling the hidden secrets of the universe to the human intellect and illuminating countless paths of awareness. The concept of Tayy al-Zamānī (folding of time) is also explicitly mentioned in the final divine revelation of the Lord of the heavens and the earth. The accounts of Ashab al-Kahf (the People of the Cave) and Prophet Uzair (peace be upon him) serve as remarkable examples of this phenomenon. The common element in both these miraculous events is that they occurred on this very planet without any travel at the speed of light through the celestial cosmos, and yet, divine power manifested in such a way that time stood still, material bodies remained preserved, and centuries passed in the blink of an eye.

The Holy Qur’an presents Tayy al-Zamānī through the example of the People of the Cave, stating that they lay asleep in a cave for 309 years, yet when they awoke, they felt as though they had only slept for a day or part of a day. The Qur’an describes this astonishing event in the following words:
قَالَ قَائِلٌ مِّنْهُمْ كَمْ لَبِثْتُمْ قَالُوا لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ(الکهف:19:18)
“One of them asked, ‘How long have we stayed (here)?’ They said, ‘We have remained a day or part of a day.’” (Surah Al-Kahf, 18:19)

Despite the passage of 309 years, they felt as if only a single day had passed, and their bodies remained fresh and unharmed. What an extraordinary example of Tayy al-Zamānī! For centuries, the People of the Cave and their dog resided in the cave, yet they remained unaffected by the passage of time. A deep study of this Qur’anic passage reveals that the People of the Cave rested in their cave for 309 years, completely detached from food and drink, in a state similar to the grave. Their bodies were entirely shielded from the effects of the changing seasons. The sun itself, as a manifestation of divine mercy, altered its course to protect them from climatic changes.

Interestingly, 309 lunar years are equivalent to 300 solar years. This implies that three centuries passed over them in earthly time, yet their bodies remained intact. This span of time, covering three entire centuries, seemed to them like no more than a single day. This was a divine sign and a manifestation of Allah’s supreme power, where the conventional parameters of time collapsed. The Qur’an declares:

وَتَرَى الشَّمْسَ إِذَاطَلَعَت تَّزَاوَرُعَن كَهْفِهِمْ ذَاتَ الْيَمِينِ وَإِذَاغَرَبَت تَّقْرِضُهُمْ ذَاتَ الشِّمَالِ وَهُمْ فِي فَجْوَةٍ مِّنْهُ(الکهف، 18: 17)
And [had you been present], you would see the sun when it rose, inclining away from their cave on the right, and when it set, passing away from them on the left, while they were [laying] within an open space thereof. That was from the signs of Allah. He whom Allah guides is the [rightly] guided, but he whom He leaves astray – never will you find for him a protecting guide.

One of Allah’s special signs, manifested as a miracle for the People of the Cave (Ashab al-Kahf), was that He altered even the principles of sunrise and sunset for 309 lunar years to protect His chosen ones from the tyranny of a cruel king. In accordance with ” ذَلِكَ تَقْدِيرُ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَلِيمِ (Such is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing), the established celestial system was modified for a long period spanning 300 complete solar revolutions of the Earth around the Sun, disrupting the natural order of things.

By His special mercy, the Most Compassionate and Merciful Lord put the People of the Cave into a deep and tranquil slumber, immersing them in a state of spiritual ecstasy. They were absorbed in such a profound realization of the Divine that centuries seemed to pass like mere moments. This concept of time compression (Tayy al-Zaman) will also be evident on the Day of Judgment, where, for the righteous, the 50,000-year-long day will pass in the span of performing four units of Asr prayer, whereas for others, it will be an unbearably long and agonizing experience. In the state of Divine realization, time contracts, and centuries transform into fleeting moments:

“Months of union fly like hours, But moments of separation stretch into months.”
Another example of Tayy al-Zaman is found in the story of Prophet Uzair (peace be upon him), as narrated in the Holy Qur’an. Seeking absolute certainty (Haq al-Yaqeen), he inquired about the concept of time compression. In response, Allah Almighty caused him to die for a hundred years and later resurrected him to witness the truth firsthand. The Qur’an states:
فَأَمَاتَهُ اللّهُ مِئَةَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُ قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتَ(البقره، 2 : 259)
“So Allah caused him to die for a hundred years, then brought him back to life. (Then He) said, ‘How long have you remained (in this state)?’” (Al-Baqarah, 2:259)

After sleeping in the embrace of death for a century, when Prophet Uzair (peace be upon him) was revived, he was asked how long he had remained in that state. He replied:
لَبِثْتُ يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ قَالَ بَل لَّبِثْتَ مِئَةَ عَامٍ(البقره، 2 : 259)
“I have remained (in this state) for a day or part of a day.” Allah said, “Nay! You have remained for a hundred years.” (Al-Baqarah, 2:259)

Prophet Uzair (peace be upon him) was then made aware of the reality that he had actually been in a state of death for an entire century. Yet, astonishingly, the food and drink he had carried with him remained fresh and unspoiled. To draw his attention to this miraculous event, Allah said:
فَانظُرْ إِلَى طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمْ يَتَسَنَّهْ. (البقره، 2 : 259)
“Now look at your food and drink; they have not spoiled.” (Al-Baqarah, 2:259)

It was a manifestation of Divine Power that while Prophet Uzair’s provisions remained unaffected by time, his donkey had completely decomposed, its bones scattered and reduced to dust. Then, by Allah’s command, its bones were gathered together, clothed in flesh, and the donkey was miraculously revived before his very eyes.

Modern scientific research also affirms the concept of time compression and is attempting to artificially induce a state of suspended animation in terminally ill patients. The aim is to preserve them in a state of artificial death for an extended period in cold storage, and once a cure for their disease is discovered, to revive them and restore them to normal life. It is conceivable that by the time such a patient awakens, several generations of their descendants would have passed away. This human dream is no longer merely an aspiration.

With its continuous evolution, modern science is increasingly validating the scientific truths embedded within the Holy Qur’an. Despite their biases, Western scientists are compelled to acknowledge the Qur’an as a divinely inspired book. If not today, then in the near future, rational minds will lead the way in recognizing the truth of Islamic teachings. This is why every coming century belongs to Islam. The Western world will ultimately have no choice but to acknowledge the authenticity of Islamic teachings and seek refuge under its compassionate shade. The sun of the Mustafaic revolution will rise over the West with all its creative brilliance. Every passing moment on this Earth bears witness to the Oneness of Allah and the Prophethood of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

The example of Tayy al-Zaman, as illustrated in the story of Prophet Uzair (peace be upon him), is truly remarkable: a hundred years passed, yet his physical body remained untouched by the effects of time and remained immune to seasonal transformations. Time compressed so dramatically that even his food and drink remained fresh, while the same period completely erased his donkey’s physical existence. However, Allah, in His infinite power, resurrected the donkey before Prophet Uzair’s eyes. In the blink of an eye, he witnessed the miracle of time compression and the revival of the dead, affirming the boundless power of the Almighty.

If the Almighty can display His divine marvels to a prophet of the Israelites, then why would He not manifest even greater miracles for His beloved, the Seal of the Prophets, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ? There is nothing astonishing about the fact that on the Night of Ascension (Shab-e-Mi’raj), the Pride of Creation, the Mercy to the Worlds ﷺ, was taken across the dimensions of time and space, and thereafter, the Eternal Lord granted him boundless blessings of divine proximity and union. At the sacred station of Qāb Qawsayn, he was honoured with intimate discourse and an unveiled vision of the Divine.
How beautifully Allama Iqbal expressed this:
وہ دانائے رسل ختم الرسل مولائے کل جس نے
غُبارِ راہ کو بخشا فروغِ وادیِ سینا
نگاہِ عشق و مستی میں وہی اوّل، وہی آخر
وہی قُرآں، وہی فُرقاں، وہی یٰسیں، وہی طٰہٰ
سنائیؔ کے ادب سے میں نے غوّاصی نہ کی ورنہ
ابھی اس بحر میں باقی ہیں لاکھوں لُولوئے لال
“He is the knower of the Messengers, the Seal of the Prophets, the Master of all,
Who bestowed the dust of the path with the radiance of the Valley of Sinai.
In the eyes of love and ecstasy, He is the First and the Last,
He is the Qur’an, He is the Furqan, He is Yaseen, He is Taha.
I did not dive deep, out of reverence for Sanai,
Otherwise, countless pearls still remain in this ocean

(Lecture on the topic of the Ascension of the Prophet and scientific achievements on Saturday, 16 Shaban, 15 February 2025, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)