Are Abstract Principles Independent of Allah’s Will?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
Are abstract sciences like mathematics and computer science considered created, and are their principles universally valid—even in Paradise—unlike physical sciences, which depend on worldly conditions?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
Yes, all things besides Allah Most High, including abstract concepts like numbers, logic, and laws of mathematics, are created. Allah (Most High) says:
“Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the Maintainer of everything.”[Quran, 39:62]
Even the most universal principles are not self-subsisting; they exist because Allah (Most High) has willed and created them. This includes the foundations of mathematics and computer science. They are not eternal truths independent of Allah but reflect the consistency and harmony He has embedded in His creation.
Do These Principles Apply in Paradise?
The principles of abstract sciences, such as logic or mathematics, are generally considered universally valid, not because they are eternal, but because they describe necessary relations once Allah creates them. However, Paradise is a realm that transcends worldly limitations.
As the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“In it is what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and what has never occurred to the human heart.”[Bukhari]
Thus, while the logic of one plus one equalling two might not cease, its relevance in Paradise may change. The laws of physics, by contrast, clearly pertain to the material world and may not apply in the Hereafter.
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town. He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.
