Thoughts on the death of Stephen Hawking

It is sad to hear that Stephen Hawking has passed away, as he contributed much towards our understanding of the modern physics. And it is sad to hear his death, as I wish he knew.... (36:26-27)

He was smart and a genius but has passed away on disbelief (Kufr), so I want to remind people how Allah defines smartness in the Qur'an.

Allah stated:

(وَعْدَ اللَّهِ لَا يُخْلِفُ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ (6) يَعْلَمُونَ ظَاهِرًا مِنَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ عَنِ الْآَخِرَةِ هُمْ غَافِلُونَ (7) [الروم/6، 7])

[It is] the promise of Allah. Allah does not fail in His promise, but most of the people do not know. They know what is apparent of the worldly life, but they, of the Hereafter, are unaware. (30:6-7)

Shaikh Ameen Ash-Shinqiti said in Adwaa Al-Bayaan:

Know that it is an obligation on every Muslim with regards to Qur'an to contemplate a lot the ayaat in Suratur-Rum.

And he said:

"From the greatest of trials of the last days which has affected the weak minds among the Muslims is the excellence of the French in matters of the worldly life and their expertise in multiple fields of various types and incapability of Muslims in it.

So, they think that the one who is able to do those things is the one on the truth, and the one who is incapable is not on the truth. This is pure ignorance, and completely wrong. And in this verse is the clarification of this trial, and for this reason, Allah revealed it much time before it even occurred, so holy is the Most-Wise and the Most-Knowledgeable for what He knows, for His glory, and for how excellent is what He taught.

This aayah has already clarified that most people do not know and included in it are these people of worldly knowledge, for He has negated them to have knowledge in its correct sense because they do not know anything about who has created them, who brought them from nothing to existence, and gave them provision, and will then make them die and then make them alive and reward them according to their actions. They do not have any knowledge of their final destination in which they will stay forever in the continuous dreadful punishment. The one who is heedless to all this is not considered to be from the ones who know, as proven from pre-mentioned Qur'anic ayaat...

And He reprehended that type of knowledge for having two major flaws:

First of them: It being little and narrow, as it (this knowledge) does not cross anything more than the peripheral appearance of the life of the world. And the knowledge limited to the peripheral appearance of the life of the world is ultimately insignificant and limited compared to the knowledge of the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and the knowledge of (His) commands and prohibitions, and what brings the slave close to Him and what takes him away...

And the second one: The lowliness of the benefit of that knowledge and it being not capable to reach the objective, as it does nothing more than the (benefit) in the life of the world...

And (however) know that it is obligatory for the Muslims to study these worldly sciences, as we have clarified that clearly in Surah Maryam... And these worldly sciences which we have explained to be inferior compared to the (knowledge) the kuffar are heedless of, if the Muslims were to study and use it in accordance to what Allah has commanded through the tongue of His prophet: It would become the best of sciences and most beneficial one, because it would be helpful to raise the word of Allah and what He is pleased with, and in rectification of the world and the Hereafter. So, there would be no blame in that case, as Allah stated: "And prepare against them whatever you are able of power." (8:60)"

End quote from the Shaikh's commentary.