Space odyssey makes astronaut appreciate divine creation

RIYADH: Circumambulating the Holy Kaaba during tawaf may be compared to the planets going round the sun, said Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor, who has been in outer space in 2007.
In an interview with Arab News on the occasion of the 25th Annual Association of Space Explorers Congress (ASE) and the second Saudi International Space and Aeronautics Technology Conference, Shukor said that when he performed Haj two years ago, “I saw how the people circumambulate around the holy Kaaba and I felt as if I was in space again. All planets are similarly moving in the same direction. This is the reason why we perform tawaf in a symbolic act that shows Allah is the focus of the universe and also its creator. You feel the greatness of Allah while you are up there.”
Shukor is the second astronaut from Southeast Asia after his counterpart from Vietnam went up in 1990. Among Muslims he is the ninth astronaut to go into space, while Prince Sultan bin Salman was the first Muslim to have that distinction. Others were from Syria, Kazakhstan and Iran, to name a few.
“When I was chosen for the space mission, I wanted to do research in the field of medical technology. I tried to reach out to the people and spread the message of Islam in relation to science. Muslims reached the peak of their glory in the past only when they combined the study of science with other subjects in their educational system.”
Shukor said a careful study of the Holy Qur’an could help in a better understanding of science. “When I was describing this to the people in Jordan, someone said this was mentioned in the Qur’an. He said that Allah would open your heart and mind, so that you could understand and appreciate the mysteries of His creation. I felt the same way when I was traveling in outer space.”
The space odyssey changed his perspective on life and made him realize how all aspects of life are mentioned in the Qur’an. “The problem is that we don’t study Qur’an in a scientific way. We have to study it thoroughly and apply it in the field of research and in our life. We should change our perception on how we study the Qur’an.”
A space mission is a costly affair. For this reason, Malaysia is not thinking of sending another astronaut in the near future. “At the moment we are focusing on education, science and technology. But the space trip has ignited interest among the people. In the near future we expect to have thousands of scientists in our country.”
Shukor hoped Saudi Arabia would be a leader of the Islamic world when it came to science and guide Islamic countries in their exploration of outer space. “The starting point of this exercise could be the setting up of an Islamic Space Agency. To me, this would be a very important step that could help unite all the Islamic scientists around the world to work as one group,” he said.
Since the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALESCO) already exists, the world seems ready for Shukor’s proposed Islamic Space Agency.
Asked how he prayed in the outer space, he replied: “Although there is no way of knowing the Qiblah, you can pray in any direction while you are floating. After all, the whole universe belongs to Allah. Also, I had to do tayamum (the Islamic act of dry ablution using sand or dust) instead of using water.”
He continued: “I believe Islam is a way of life. You can pray standing or lying down. You can move your body and even your eyes. So there is no excuse for not doing your ibadah (worship). This is the message I am trying to send out to all Muslims: no matter where you are, you have to shoulder your responsibility as a Muslim,” said Shukor.