Islam and Space Exploration

Abstract

ABSTRACT Today, the space race has resumed where it left off in the 1970s. The first race threatened Christianity. This time the race threatens Islam. The potential settlement of planets, like in the atmosphere of Venus where the “sun rises from the west” and on Mars, threatens Islam. Anti-religious forces may use space exploration and future human settlement off-Earth to undermine Islamic doctrines. For these reasons, Muslims need to settle on other planets and create an artificial Islamic habitat. The widespread opinion among Muslims is that the world is unique and that there is no concrete biology outside the world. It is possible to encounter “intelligent beings” on other planets, and anti-religious forces may use these discoveries to undermine Islamic teaching. If Islam is to thrive in the context of humans as a spacefaring species, traditional Islamic teaching needs to be moderated and be ready for new situations that differ from planet Earth.