Are We Seeing the Past? Science, Time Perception and Quranic Reflections on Reality

Science says that we are always seeing the past, because light takes time to reach us, right?

Then if we look from the perspective of the Quran, we ourselves may currently be in what could be understood as a “past state.”

Of course, the event of Miraj already points toward something beyond normal human perception, but since science does not accept it in the same way, why not search for the answer through science itself and then compare it with the Quran as well?

For this, we may need to move from physics toward biology.

The Fly's Perception of Time

Flies process visual information much faster than humans.
Their brains detect movement quickly, making fast actions appear slower to them.
This is why a fly can easily avoid a human swat.
Scientists use the critical flicker fusion rate to measure this ability.
Humans process about 60 visual flashes per second.
Flies process around 200–300 flashes per second.
This gives flies a more “detailed” perception of fast motion.

For the fly, its life is completely normal, just like ours is normal for us. But the way our hand appears to move slowly to the fly, in the same way we see the Sun moving in a kind of slow motion. But in the vast reality of space, the Earth is hurtling around the Sun at over 67,000 miles per hour, and the Sun itself is traveling through the galaxy at roughly 448,000 miles per hour.

From a fly’s perspective, one human year may feel like 4–6 years because flies process time and movement much faster than humans.

Something similar is also reflected in the Quran.

Quranic Verses on Time Dilation

— Surah Al-Hajj (22:47)

﴿ وَإِنَّ يَوْمًا عِندَ رَبِّكَ كَأَلْفِ سَنَةٍ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّونَ ﴾

“And indeed, a day with your Lord is like a thousand years of what you count.”

— Surah Al-Ma'arij (70:4)

﴿ تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ ﴾

“The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a Day whose measure is fifty thousand years.”

— Surah As-Sajdah (32:5)

﴿ يُدَبِّرُ الْأَمْرَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ يَعْرُجُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ مِّمَّا تَعُدُّونَ ﴾

“Allah governs every matter from the heaven to the earth, then it ascends to Him in a Day whose measure is a thousand years of what you count.”

The Reality of Time After Death

These verses reflect the same kind of reality: when we die and enter other realms, we may realize what the true nature of time actually is.

How?

The Quran says that on the Day of Judgment, people will be asked how long they remained in the world:

— Surah Al-Mu’minun (23:113)

﴿ قَالُوا لَبِثْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ ﴾

“They will say: We remained a day or part of a day.”

The Transformation of Sight

Now think of it this way: if that fly were suddenly given human eyes, then those same 4–6 years would appear to it as only one year.

And the fly would say the same thing.

Why?

Because what seemed slow to it was actually happening very quickly in reality.

About this too, the Quran says that on that Day human sight will become sharp:

— Surah Qaf (50:22)

﴿ فَبَصَرُكَ الْيَوْمَ حَدِيدٌ ﴾

“Today your sight has become sharp.”

The same thing that would happen to the fly if its eyes were changed.

Dimensions of Time and The Event of Miraj

So what if we are currently within time in a kind of “past state”?

And perhaps the event of Miraj was different because Allah opened all dimensions of time for Prophet Muhammad ﷺ . 

something an ordinary human being may only experience after death.

As long as we are in this world, we can still correct our future by correcting our actions, because Allah does not wrong anyone.

Important Note:

These verses teach us that time flows differently in different realms. Allah also introduced Himself to us through "Light", so it is possible that the speed of light may differ across different realms as well. We also do not know whether the “day” mentioned refers to the measure of light traveling in our realm, a normal day and night cycle, or something entirely beyond human understanding. 

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

"A place in Paradise as small as a bow is better than all that the sun rises and sets upon. A journey in the cause of Allah in the morning or evening is better than the world and whatever is in it."

Reference: Sahih al-Bukhari 2793

This Hadith also supports the idea that realities beyond our world may operate differently, just as the Quran points toward differences in time and realms. Many possibilities may exist, but their true reality is known only to Allah.

Allah knows best.

If you to know how time influence final destiny? 

Read The Article:

       👉  HOW TIME INFLUENCES OUR FINAL DESTINY? QUR’AN & SCIENCE