Einstein's Theory of Relativity 1

(February 3, 1929)

presented to the general public, in terms that the average person could understand (or so he thought).

The History of Field Theory
("Olds and News of Field Theory")
By Albert Einstein

While physics wandered exclusively in the paths prepared by Newton, the following conception of physical reality prevailed: Matter is real, and matter undergoes only those changes which we conceive as movements in space. Motion, space and also time are real forms. Every attempt to deny the physical reality of space collapses in face of the law of inertia. For if acceleration is to be taken as real, then that space must also be real within which bodies are conceived as accelerated.

Newton saw this with perfect clarity and consequently he called space "absolute". In his theoretical system, there was a third constituent of independent reality; the motive force acting between material particles, such forces being considered to depend only on the position of the particles. These forces between particles were regarded as unconditionally associated with the particles themselves and as distributed spatially according to an unchanging law.

The physicists of the nineteenth century considered that there existed two kinds of such matter, namely, ponderable matter and electricity. The particles of ponderable matter were supposed to act on each other by gravitational forces under Newton's law, the particles of electrical matter by Coulomb forces also inversely proportional to the square of the distance. No definite views prevailed regarding the nature of the forces acting between ponderable and electrical particles.

The Old Theory of Space

Mere empty space was not admitted as a carrier for physical changes and processes. It was only, one might say, the stage on which the drama of material happenings was played. Consequently Newton dealt with the fact that light is propagated in empty space by making the hypothesis that light also consists of material particles interacting with ponderable matter through special forces. To this extend Newton's view of nature involved a third type of material particle, though this certainly had to have very different properties from the particles of the other forms of matter. Light particles had, in fact, to be capable of being formed and of disappearing. Moreover, even in the eighteenth century it was already clear from experience that light traveled in empty space with a definite velocity, a fact which obviously fitted badly into Newton's theoretical system, for why on earth should the light particles not be able to move through space with any arbitrary velocity?

It need not, therefore, surprise us that this theoretical system, built up by Newton with his powerful and logical intellect, should have been overthrown precisely by a theory of light. This was brought about by the Huygens-Young-Fresnel wave theory of light which the facts of interference and diffraction forced on stubbornly resisting physicists. The great range of phenomena, which could be calculated and predicted to the finest detail by using this theory, delighted physicists and filled many fat and learned books. No wonder then that the learned men failed to notice the crack which this theory made in the statue of their eternal goddess. For, in fact, this theory upset the view that everything real can be conceived as the motion of particles in space. Light waves, were, after all, nothing more than undulatory states of empty space, and space thus gave up its passive role as a mere stage for physical events. The other hypothesis patched up the crack and made it invisible.

The ether was invented, penetrating everything, filling the whole of space, and was admitted as a new kind of matter. Thus it was overlooked that by this procedure space itself had been brought to life. It is clear that this had really happened, since the ether was considered to be a sort of matter which could nowhere be removed. It was thus to some degree identical with space itself; that is, something necessarily given with space. Light was thus viewed as a dynamical process undergone, as it were by space itself. In this way the field theory was born as an illegitimate child of Newtonian physics, though it was cleverly passed off a first as legitimate.

To become fully conscious of this change in outlook was a task for a highly original mind whose insight could go straight to essentials, a mind that never got stuck in formulas. Faraday was this favored spirit. His instinct revolted at the idea of forces acting directly at a distance which seemed contrary to every elementary observation. If one electrified body attracts or repels a second body, this was for him brought about not by a direct action from the first body on the second, but through an intermediary action. The first body brings the space immediately around it into a certain condition which spreads itself into more distant parts of space, according to a certain spatio-temporal law of propagation. This condition of space was called "the electric field." The second body experiences a force because it lies in the field of the first, and vice versa. The "field" thus provided a conceptual apparatus which rendered unnecessary the idea of action at a distance. Faraday also had the bold idea that under appropriate circumstances fields might detach themselves from the bodies producing them and speed away through space as free fields: this was his interpretation of light.

Maxwell then discovered the wonderful group of formulae which seems so simple to us nowadays and which finally build the bridge between the theory of electro-magnetism and the theory of light. It appered that light consists of rapidly oscillating electro magnetic fields.

After Hertz, in the '80s of the last century, had confirmed the existence of the electro-magnetic waves and displayed their identity with light by means of his wonderful experiments, the great intellectual revolution in physics gradually became complete. People slowly accustomed themselves to the idea that the physical states of space itself were the final physical reality, especially after Lorentz had shown in his penetrating theoretical researches that even inside ponderable bodies the electro-magnetic fields are not to be regarded as states of the matter, but essentially as states of the empty space in which the material atoms are to be considered as loosely distributed.

Laylatul Qadr

In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful We have indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power: And what will explain to thee what the Night of Power is? The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. Therein come down the angels and the Spirit by God's permission, on every errand: Peace!...This until the rise of morn!

Surah 97 The Holy Qur’an

The Holy Qur'an contains a short surah dedicated to Laylatul Qadr. Surah Al-Qadr is the 97th surah and consists of five verses. However, these short verses carry great meaning and guidance. They tell us all we need to know about the essence and spirit of Laylatul Qadr.
Laylatul Qadr falls sometime within the last 10 days of Ramadhan.
"Seek it in Ramadan in the last ten nights. For verily, it is during the odd nights, the twenty-first, or the twenty-third, or the twenty-fifth, or the twenty-seventh, or the twenty-ninth, or during the last night." Sahih Hadith Ahmad 5:318
Laylatul Qadr is the most blessed night. A person who misses it has indeed missed a great amount of good. If an individual wants to obey his Lord, increase the good deeds in his record and have all past sins forgiven, they should take part in Laylatul Qadr.
“Whoever stays up (in prayer and remembrance of Allah) on the Night of Qadr fully believing (in Allah’s promise of reward for that night) and hoping to seek reward (from Allah alone and not from people), he shall be forgiven for his past sins.” Sahih Hadith Bukhari / Muslim
We should strive to find this night, and then pass it in worship and obedience. If this is done for the sake of Allah, with sincerity, then all past sins will be forgiven. However, if a person misses out on worship during Laylatul Qadr they truly are a deprived person.
This night is full of reward and blessing and is equivalent to a thousand nights of worship. Anyone who takes part in Laylatul Qadr will have worshipped an equivalent of eighty three years and three months. It is as if a person has spent an entire lifetime in non-stop worship.
“The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.” 97:3 The Holy Quran
"Allah's Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, looked back at the previous communities and saw that his community lived for a much shorter period in comparison to them. He was concerned about how his community would be able to gain as many rewards as those of the previous communities. So when Allah the Exalted saw the concerns in the heart of His Beloved, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, then he, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, was given Laylatul-Qadr, which is more virtuous than a thousand months." (Imâm Mâlik, Muatta)
Worship during this night can take on many forms. Here are a few suggestions to help you through Laylatul Qadr:

• Plan ahead if you are working. If you are going to spend a night awake in worship, book the following day off.

• Take regular breaks during the night to avoid getting over-exhausted. Try switching between different forms of worship instead.

• Perform Itikaaf (seclusion in a mosque for worship) – If possible, take a vacation for the last 10 days of Ramadhan. If you cannot stay at your local mosque ask family or friends to help out during your Itikaaf at home. If you cannot spend all 10 days in Itikaaf, then do as many days as you can - even if it is only one day.

• Increase the recitation of the Qur'an, and reflect on the meaning of the verses, especially the verses used in Salah. This will help you concentrate.

• Increase Salah (prayer).

• Find out if there are any events organised, and take your family along.
Doing all of the above activities may be too much to do throughout the night but is far better than social gatherings and meaningless talk that we stay awake for.
If your Arabic is not very strong then there are many good English translations of Qur'an and Hadith, which can be used instead. Other useful reading might include books of tafsir (Qura’n commentary), books on the lives of the Prophets (upon whom be peace), and books of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) as well as Du’a books.
The days of Laylatul-Qadr are an important time for worship, especially the last 10 days. We should pray sincerely from our hearts in order to be saved from the hellfire. This is a good opportunity not only to pray for ourselves but also for our fellow brothers and sisters, for if we can not do anything else then our prayers will help.
Ibn Abbas (RA) heard the Prophet (SAAWS) advising someone, saying, “Take advantage of five before five: You’re youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before you become occupied, and your life before your death.”
May Allah help us to purify our hearts, strengthen our faith, and enable us to meet every challenge, and overcome every difficulty in our lives. May Allah allow us to serve Him with sincerity in our work, study, professional, business, family and social lives. When the time comes for us finally to return to Him, may Allah admit us to the companionship of those whom He loves.


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