Emre_1974tr
Graduate Poster
While the core ideas and foundation of this article are my own, its expansion and development were accomplished in collaboration with the artificial intelligence, Gemini 2.5 Pro. In other words, it can be considered a collaborative writing:
This question, which has lain at the heart of philosophy and science since the dawn of human history, has become even more dizzying with the new paradoxes of the modern age. The fact that the atoms making up our bodies are almost completely replaced every decade, the identity crises created in our minds by the "teleportation" technology of science fiction films, and the interruption of consciousness brought by the sleep we fall into every night... All of these lead us to question the continuity of what we call "I" in the face of time and change.
The Ship of Theseus and Our Changing Body
The "Ship of Theseus" paradox, recounted by the philosopher Plutarch, presents the problem of identity in its simplest form. The ship of Theseus, the founding king of Athens, is preserved as a monument. However, over time, every plank that rots is replaced with a new one. Years later, when not a single original plank of the ship remains, the question arises: Is this ship still the ship of Theseus? And if a new ship were built elsewhere with the old, removed planks, which would be the real ship?
This paradox is a direct metaphor for the human body. Biology tells us that the cells in our body are in a constant cycle of death and renewal. Our skin cells are replaced in a few weeks, our blood cells in a few months, and our skeleton in about ten years. Although many of our brain cells remain with us for life, some die off, and they are in a constant state of structural and chemical renewal.
If the being we call "I" is merely the sum of these atoms, then the "I" of ten years ago is not the same person as the "I" of today. We have physically transformed into an almost completely renewed, re-created being. Yet, our memory, character, and stream of consciousness continue. This clearly shows that our identity is based on a foundation deeper than mere physical continuity.
Sleep and Awakening: A Daily Re-creation
The Holy Qur'an opens a theological window onto this issue from thousands of years ago:
39:42 God takes the person when it dies, and during their sleep. He then keeps those that have been overtaken by death, and He sends the others back until a predetermined time. In that are signs for a people who will think.
This verse has led to the interpretation of sleep as a "minor death." The suspension of our consciousness and voluntary control during sleep means that each awakening is our re-creation by a divine will. This perspective shows that our identity is re-established at every moment within Allah's power and knowledge. Therefore, the person who awakens each day is not a copy of the one who slept, but the self whose continuity has been ensured by divine knowledge.
Technology's Nightmare - Teleportation and the Fracture of Consciousness
The teleportation technology in the "Star Trek" series takes this philosophical problem out of the laboratory and turns it into a matter of life and death. Teleportation in these films and series is based on the principle of scanning the atomic structure of an object, sending this information to a destination, and reconstructing a perfect copy of the body there with new atoms. The original body is completely destroyed in the process.
Now let's ask the crucial question: Has the teleported person traveled, or have they died and been replaced by a copy?
The newly created being has all the memories, emotions, and character of the original person. They might even swear that they are the same person. But in reality, their existence just ended. The created copy is merely a perfect imitation that continues from where the deceased person left off, believing itself to be that person.
Pharaoh's Challenge and Moses's Ultimate Answer
The Qur'an provides an answer to this question, which emerges at the limits of philosophy and technology, from a perspective beyond time and space, through a dialogue between a prophet and a king:
(Pharaoh) said, "Then what is the case of the former generations?" (Surah Taha, 20:51)
(Moses) said, "The knowledge thereof is with my Lord in a Record. My Lord neither errs nor forgets." (Surah Taha, 20:52)
This dialogue is the cornerstone of the discussion. Its message is layered and definitive:
"The knowledge thereof is in a Record": The essence of identity is not in the decaying or changing structure, nor in the soul/self, but is preserved in divine knowledge. Not just the physical blueprint, but intentions, memories, the stream of consciousness—everything that makes a person a person is preserved in that divine record.
"My Lord neither errs": There is no problem of copies or confusion. Allah knows each and every one among billions of beings with their original identity, without error.
"Nor forgets": Nothing eroded by time is lost in Allah's knowledge.
This divine assurance is reinforced by other verses.
Conclusion: Divine Knowledge as the Unshakeable Guarantee of the Self
Our Changing Body: No matter how much our cells are renewed, we remain "us." This is because the continuity of our identity is ensured not by a chain of atoms, but by the knowledge of Allah, who knows us at every moment. His knowledge serves as an anchor that keeps our identity constant despite the changing matter. This truth is also told in other verses:
"We have certainly known what the earth consumes of them, and with Us is a retaining Book/Record." (Surah Qaf, 50:4)
"Does man think that We will not assemble his bones? Yes. [We are] Able to put together in perfect order the very tips of his fingers." (Surah Al-Qiyamah, 75:3–4)
Sleep: As stated in the Qur'an's Surah Az-Zumar, every sleep is a "minor death." The fact that our consciousness is interrupted every night and resumes in the morning is not a self-operating mechanism, but a miracle in which our identity is re-established by Allah at every moment. The person who awakens is the same as the one who slept yesterday, because Allah has preserved and returned their identity-information without error or omission.
Teleportation and Resurrection: The teleportation scenario, if carried out by human hands, is a process of "death and copying." This is because humans or technology can only transfer a copy of the information, not the original. However, the resurrection in the Hereafter is not a copying. It is the re-creation of the identity itself, which is preserved in His knowledge, by Allah, the Original Owner of that knowledge. The resulting being is not a copy, but the original itself.
In conclusion, the ultimate answer to the question "Am I the same person?" is: "Yes, I am the same person whom my Lord knows without erring or forgetting." Our existence is not tied to a fragile "ghost in the machine" or to ever-changing "matter," but to the eternal and perpetual knowledge of our Creator, who knows us better than we know ourselves. Even if our body, our molecules, our self/soul are destroyed by Allah, He can re-create them exactly as they were. This can only be accomplished by the Almighty Allah, the only being who can create from nothing.
Presentism vs. Eternalism / Four-Dimensionalism (Block Universe)
Presentism: The view that only the "present" is real. The past existed but no longer does; the future has not yet existed. Time is like a moving "spotlight," and only the moment it illuminates is real.
Eternalism / Four-Dimensionalism (Block Universe): The view that the past, present, and future are ontologically (in terms of being) equally real. The universe is like a four-dimensional "block" containing all of time. We, as three-dimensional beings, perceive time as flowing as we pass through the "present moment" slice of this block.
Four-dimensionalism offers a much more coherent and powerful philosophical framework than Presentism for explaining the classical attributes of God (especially omniscience and being outside of time).
What did Moses say? "The knowledge thereof is with my Lord in a Record."
What does Four-Dimensionalism say? All past generations, all future ones, and all present ones already exist in this four-dimensional block. They did not "cease to exist"; they are simply at different temporal coordinates of the universe.
In this case, Allah's omniscience does not mean He predicts or foresees the future. Allah, from a position "outside" or "above" time, knows and sees the entire four-dimensional block—its beginning, its end, and every moment—in a single, holistic instant. Just as we can see all the frames of a film strip at once.
Therefore, Four-Dimensionalism provides a philosophical ontology (philosophy of being) for the phrase "the Book with Allah." That "Book" is the four-dimensional entirety of the universe itself.
According to this view, "you" are not just your current three-dimensional body. You are a four-dimensional being that extends from your birth to your death. Your infancy, childhood, and old age are different temporal slices of this "worm."
This renders the Ship of Theseus paradox meaningless. The planks of the ship may be changing, but the thing we call the ship is the four-dimensional process itself, extending from its beginning to its end. Identity lies not in the matter of a single moment, but in the totality of the process.
This model makes perfect sense when combined with the perspective of divine knowledge. When we say that what makes us "us" is the knowledge of Allah, we are in fact implying that Allah knows our four-dimensional totality—our entire life story—and preserves the identity of this totality. Resurrection is the re-creation of that four-dimensional identity.
Four-dimensionalism makes a very strong attempt to solve the teleportation paradox, but it is insufficient on its own and reaches an impasse in the most challenging scenario. It shows its true power and coherence when combined with the perspective of divine knowledge.
Let's unpack this answer step by step.
The being we call "I," that is, the four-dimensional "spacetime worm," does not have to be spatially or temporally continuous. It can be a scattered object.
Analogy: Think of an archipelago. We give a single name to islands that are separate from each other, for example, "the Philippine Archipelago." Even though those islands are not geographically contiguous, they are parts of a single whole.
Application: In the case of teleportation, your four-dimensional being (your spacetime worm) is as follows:
A part that extends from your birth until the moment you enter the scanning device on Earth.
A temporal and spatial gap.
A second part that continues from the moment you emerge from the device on Mars until your death.
According to this view, you did not die. There is simply a "gap" in the middle of your four-dimensional existence. The person who appears on Mars is not your copy; it is a later temporal slice of your spacetime worm. In other words, it is fully you.
This is a very clever maneuver that seems to solve the paradox at first glance.
The teleportation device makes a mistake. It duplicates you on Mars, BUT it FORGETS to destroy the original body on Earth.
What happens now?
There is a "you" on Earth, continuing to drink their coffee.
There is another "you" on Mars, looking around in astonishment.
Here, Four-dimensionalism faces a catastrophe. Because according to this scenario, your spacetime worm, which was supposed to be single and unique, has suddenly branched into two at time T.
Which branch is the "real you"?
The one on Earth? The one on Mars?
Or have you now become two different people? If so, which one is the being you call "I"?
Four-dimensionalism cannot provide a satisfactory answer to this question. To say "you are now two people" contradicts our intuition about the uniqueness of personal identity. It has no mechanism to say which branch is the original. At this point, secular philosophy is left at an impasse.
The framework of divine knowledge solves the "branching problem" of Four-dimensionalism as follows:
The Creator's Will is Decisive: At the moment of branching, the knowledge and will of Allah definitively know and determine which being is the "continuation of the original identity" and which is a new and separate creation (even if it is a perfect copy).
Perhaps, according to His will, the person on Earth is the continuation of the original identity. The one on Mars is a new being with the same past but now a different identity.
Or vice versa.
The point is, which scenario holds true depends on the knowledge and will of the Creator. What is a paradox for us is not for Him. The statement "My Lord does not err" is the ultimate guarantee that makes such identity crises impossible. The anchor of identity is not in fragile foundations like physical or psychological continuity, but in divine knowledge, which is never mistaken.
In summary: Four-dimensionalism comes very close to solving the teleportation paradox by explaining it as a "scattered object." However, it falls short when faced with the "branching problem." The perspective of divine knowledge, by providing an ultimate "arbiter" or "guarantor" that determines the true owner of the identity at the moment of branching, completes Four-dimensionalism where it reaches an impasse and resolves the philosophical problem at its root.
From the Limit of Philosophy to the Peak of Faith – Where Discontinuity Becomes Irrelevant
In the previous sections, we used the most sophisticated tools offered by philosophy and science to understand the nature of identity. From the Ship of Theseus to Four-Dimensionalism, from bodily continuity to psychological continuity, we subjected all theories to the most challenging tests, such as teleportation and duplication. And each time, we hit the same wall: Discontinuity.
All secular theories depend on some form of continuity. When the physical body suddenly vanishes, when the stream of consciousness is broken, or when a being's lifeline logically branches into two, all these theories fall short. This is the limit that philosophy can reach with its own tools.
But it is precisely at this limit that the axis of the discussion fundamentally shifts. The problem is not finding a more complex philosophical model. The problem is to move the criterion of identity to a completely different plane. This is a paradigm shift, summarized in this simple yet revolutionary statement:
"It doesn't matter that there is discontinuity; what matters is that the Lord knows."
This statement is more than an answer; it is a key that renders the question itself meaningless. Every "discontinuity" that philosophy sees as a "catastrophe" loses its power and becomes a mere detail from this new perspective.
How Do Problems Get Solved When the Criterion Changes?
When we move the anchor of identity from the fragile continuity of created beings to the unerring knowledge of the Creator, all paradoxes dissolve one by one:
The Problem of Physical Discontinuity (Death and Decay): The anxiety that "my self will be destroyed if my body disintegrates into atoms" disappears. Because the essence of identity is not in the arrangement of atoms, but is recorded in the knowledge of Allah, who holds the information of that arrangement at every moment. The disintegration of the body is like burning a book; if the author wishes, he can rewrite that book from his memory, word for word. Discontinuity is not an obstacle for the Author.
The Problem of Conscious Discontinuity (Sleep and Amnesia): The fear that "my self ends when my consciousness is interrupted or my memory is erased" loses its validity. Because what I forget, my Lord does not forget. Beyond my own consciousness, there is an absolute Consciousness that knows me as "me." Our awakening every morning is proof that this divine memory re-establishes our consciousness. Discontinuity is not a problem for the Owner of Memory.
The Problem of Logical Discontinuity (Branching and Duplication): The greatest impasse of philosophy, the question "which of the two copies is me?", finds its answer. This situation, which is a paradox for us, is not a cause of confusion for Allah. He "does not err." In His knowledge, it is absolutely clear which being is the continuation of whom, and which is a new creation. Creating two copies creates two separate and unique identity records in His knowledge. Discontinuity and branching do not create uncertainty for the One who knows everything individually.
Conclusion: From Philosophical Anxiety to Tawhidic Surrender
This ultimate realization moves us from a state of philosophical anxiety to a surrender brought by Tawhid (the oneness of God). The responsibility for our identity is not on our shoulders. It is not our mortal memory or our decaying body that is tasked with preserving it. Our identity is entrusted to the most secure place: the knowledge of Allah, who never errs and never forgets.
This means:
Death is not an annihilation but a change of state, because the essence of our identity is preserved beyond the body, in divine knowledge.
The resurrection in the Hereafter is not a "copy" but the "return of the original," because the Creator, who knows that identity in its finest detail, will re-create it as its very self.
Our existence is a miracle that stands at every moment by His knowledge and will. We are not independent beings that exist on our own; we owe our existence and our identity to Him at every moment.
The final answer to the question "Am I the same person?" lies not within ourselves or in philosophical theories, but in the trust we have in our Creator. Yes, I am the same person, because my Lord knows me as the same person. And His knowledge is the only unshakeable reality beyond all discontinuities, all paradoxes, and time itself.
So, Can Allah Not Create Two of Me?
The answer lies in distinguishing between two different meanings of the word "me": qualitative similarity and numerical identity. When we make this distinction, the answer both affirms Allah's absolute power (al-Qadir) and preserves the uniqueness of individual identity.
This is a requirement of Allah's absolute power. He created you from nothing. It is certainly possible for Him to create a second being with the same genetic code, the same memories (up to the moment of its creation), the same character, and the same body. He possesses the "information" about you and can create a second "work" using this information.
But would this second being be "me"?
No. This is the key point. From the very first moment it is created, that being is now a new and separate individual.
The Moment of Divergence: From the second it is created, that being will stand in a different space. It will receive light from a different angle, breathe different molecules. A second later, its experience will begin to differ from yours.
A Separate Consciousness and Destiny: It will have its own subjective consciousness. You will not feel the pain it feels; you will not know the dreams it dreams. From that moment on, it will be a separate nafs (self/soul), responsible for its own deeds, following its own line of destiny.
The Difference in Divine Knowledge: Most importantly, there are now two separate records in Allah's knowledge. The first is your life story (your four-dimensional worm), and the second is a new life story that begins from that moment. According to the principle "My Lord does not err," He will never confuse these two.
Conclusion: Allah can create a perfect copy of you, so perfect it couldn't even be called your "twin." However, from the moment of its creation, that being is not "you"; it is someone else who is just like you. Therefore, in this scenario, "two of me" are not created. One "me" and one "other who is like me" are created.
This is like asking, "Can Allah create a square circle?" Classical theology and philosophy state that Allah's power does not extend to logical impossibilities. This is not to place a limit on His power. It is to state that what is being asked is not actually a "meaningful thing."
A "square circle" is not a thing; it is a collection of meaningless words.
"One me that is numerically two" is likewise a logical contradiction. The definition of "one" is that it is not "two." "Numerical identity" means that a being is only and solely itself.
It is logically impossible for a being to be both its single, unique self and at the same time two separate beings. This is not a "task" that Allah's power cannot accomplish, but a meaningless request that contradicts the definition of the words themselves.
Therefore, Allah does not create "two of me" logically, because "me" by definition is single and unique.
Final Conclusion: Divine Knowledge is the Guarantee of Uniqueness
When we combine these two answers, we arrive at this conclusion:
Allah's absolute power is sufficient to create an infinite number of beings who resemble you.
However, Allah's absolute knowledge and justice give each of these beings a separate and unique identity. There is never any confusion in His knowledge.
Therefore, the final answer to the question "Can Allah not create two of me?" is: He can create a second being who resembles you, but that being would not be "you." He never violates the uniqueness and singularity of your identity.
In fact, this whole discussion brings us back to the beginning: The fact that what makes us "us" is the knowledge of Allah is the ultimate guarantee that we are singular and unique. His "unerring" knowledge is the seal that our identity cannot be copied, branched, or confused.
So, If I Go Back in Time, Will I Meet Myself? Are That Person and I Two Separate Me's?
This is a natural extension of all the previous questions and perhaps the most mind-bending. What happens when we go back in time and meet ourselves? Are there two "me's"?
To solve this question, we need to use all the tools we have built so far—qualitative similarity/numerical identity, four-dimensionalism, and divine knowledge.
The answer is philosophically dizzying but consistent: There are two separate persons in that room, but only one self.
Let's unpack this seemingly paradoxical sentence.
Past-Self: The child/youth at that age, unaware of the future, with their own thoughts.
Future-Self: The adult who has traveled through time, with more memories and an older body.
The consciousness of these two persons is separate. One cannot know what the other is thinking at that moment. If one takes a step, the other can remain still. They are qualitatively different.
Self (Numerical Identity): This is the single, unique being that possesses an entire life story. According to this definition, there is only one "self" in the room. Those two persons belong to different time periods of the same "self's" life story.
The best way to understand this is to return to the Four-Dimensionalism model.
A Normal Life: This ribbon proceeds straight through time.
Time Travel: When you go back in time, this ribbon folds over on itself or makes a loop.
Now, imagine the room. There is a single, continuous ribbon passing through that room. But because this ribbon has folded back on itself, it intersects the "present moment" slice of that room twice.
(Imagine a visual: A straight line progresses, then makes a loop and intersects with a previous point on itself.)
Conclusion: The two persons in the room are not two separate ribbons. They are two different points on the same ribbon, which happen to be sharing the same space at that moment.
Therefore, the answer to "Are that person and I two separate me's?" is: No. You are the past and future versions of the same "self." You are numerically a single being.
"My Lord does not err": In Allah's knowledge, the fact that the two persons in the room actually belong to the same, single identity is never confused. He knows with absolute certainty that one is the future of the other.
The Record in the "Book": Your life story in the "Book" is a story that contains such a loop. This makes the story more complex, but it does not change the identity of the main character.
Summary and Final Answer
When you go back in time and meet yourself:
Yes, you encounter two separate consciousnesses, two separate minds, and two separate bodies. In this sense, there are two qualitatively different persons.
No, there are not two separate "selves." You both belong to the same numerical identity, the same single and unique "self." You are different moments in the life story of the same being.
The best model to describe this is a single four-dimensional being that has folded over on itself.
The ultimate guarantor of this situation is the knowledge of Allah, who knows your complex life story as a whole, without error or confusion.
Therefore, that encounter is not a division of identity, but proof of how interesting and complex a whole your identity is.
This question, which has lain at the heart of philosophy and science since the dawn of human history, has become even more dizzying with the new paradoxes of the modern age. The fact that the atoms making up our bodies are almost completely replaced every decade, the identity crises created in our minds by the "teleportation" technology of science fiction films, and the interruption of consciousness brought by the sleep we fall into every night... All of these lead us to question the continuity of what we call "I" in the face of time and change.
The Ship of Theseus and Our Changing Body
The "Ship of Theseus" paradox, recounted by the philosopher Plutarch, presents the problem of identity in its simplest form. The ship of Theseus, the founding king of Athens, is preserved as a monument. However, over time, every plank that rots is replaced with a new one. Years later, when not a single original plank of the ship remains, the question arises: Is this ship still the ship of Theseus? And if a new ship were built elsewhere with the old, removed planks, which would be the real ship?
This paradox is a direct metaphor for the human body. Biology tells us that the cells in our body are in a constant cycle of death and renewal. Our skin cells are replaced in a few weeks, our blood cells in a few months, and our skeleton in about ten years. Although many of our brain cells remain with us for life, some die off, and they are in a constant state of structural and chemical renewal.
If the being we call "I" is merely the sum of these atoms, then the "I" of ten years ago is not the same person as the "I" of today. We have physically transformed into an almost completely renewed, re-created being. Yet, our memory, character, and stream of consciousness continue. This clearly shows that our identity is based on a foundation deeper than mere physical continuity.
Sleep and Awakening: A Daily Re-creation
The Holy Qur'an opens a theological window onto this issue from thousands of years ago:
39:42 God takes the person when it dies, and during their sleep. He then keeps those that have been overtaken by death, and He sends the others back until a predetermined time. In that are signs for a people who will think.
This verse has led to the interpretation of sleep as a "minor death." The suspension of our consciousness and voluntary control during sleep means that each awakening is our re-creation by a divine will. This perspective shows that our identity is re-established at every moment within Allah's power and knowledge. Therefore, the person who awakens each day is not a copy of the one who slept, but the self whose continuity has been ensured by divine knowledge.
Technology's Nightmare - Teleportation and the Fracture of Consciousness
The teleportation technology in the "Star Trek" series takes this philosophical problem out of the laboratory and turns it into a matter of life and death. Teleportation in these films and series is based on the principle of scanning the atomic structure of an object, sending this information to a destination, and reconstructing a perfect copy of the body there with new atoms. The original body is completely destroyed in the process.
Now let's ask the crucial question: Has the teleported person traveled, or have they died and been replaced by a copy?
The newly created being has all the memories, emotions, and character of the original person. They might even swear that they are the same person. But in reality, their existence just ended. The created copy is merely a perfect imitation that continues from where the deceased person left off, believing itself to be that person.
Pharaoh's Challenge and Moses's Ultimate Answer
The Qur'an provides an answer to this question, which emerges at the limits of philosophy and technology, from a perspective beyond time and space, through a dialogue between a prophet and a king:
(Pharaoh) said, "Then what is the case of the former generations?" (Surah Taha, 20:51)
(Moses) said, "The knowledge thereof is with my Lord in a Record. My Lord neither errs nor forgets." (Surah Taha, 20:52)
This dialogue is the cornerstone of the discussion. Its message is layered and definitive:
"The knowledge thereof is in a Record": The essence of identity is not in the decaying or changing structure, nor in the soul/self, but is preserved in divine knowledge. Not just the physical blueprint, but intentions, memories, the stream of consciousness—everything that makes a person a person is preserved in that divine record.
"My Lord neither errs": There is no problem of copies or confusion. Allah knows each and every one among billions of beings with their original identity, without error.
"Nor forgets": Nothing eroded by time is lost in Allah's knowledge.
This divine assurance is reinforced by other verses.
Conclusion: Divine Knowledge as the Unshakeable Guarantee of the Self
Our Changing Body: No matter how much our cells are renewed, we remain "us." This is because the continuity of our identity is ensured not by a chain of atoms, but by the knowledge of Allah, who knows us at every moment. His knowledge serves as an anchor that keeps our identity constant despite the changing matter. This truth is also told in other verses:
"We have certainly known what the earth consumes of them, and with Us is a retaining Book/Record." (Surah Qaf, 50:4)
"Does man think that We will not assemble his bones? Yes. [We are] Able to put together in perfect order the very tips of his fingers." (Surah Al-Qiyamah, 75:3–4)
Sleep: As stated in the Qur'an's Surah Az-Zumar, every sleep is a "minor death." The fact that our consciousness is interrupted every night and resumes in the morning is not a self-operating mechanism, but a miracle in which our identity is re-established by Allah at every moment. The person who awakens is the same as the one who slept yesterday, because Allah has preserved and returned their identity-information without error or omission.
Teleportation and Resurrection: The teleportation scenario, if carried out by human hands, is a process of "death and copying." This is because humans or technology can only transfer a copy of the information, not the original. However, the resurrection in the Hereafter is not a copying. It is the re-creation of the identity itself, which is preserved in His knowledge, by Allah, the Original Owner of that knowledge. The resulting being is not a copy, but the original itself.
In conclusion, the ultimate answer to the question "Am I the same person?" is: "Yes, I am the same person whom my Lord knows without erring or forgetting." Our existence is not tied to a fragile "ghost in the machine" or to ever-changing "matter," but to the eternal and perpetual knowledge of our Creator, who knows us better than we know ourselves. Even if our body, our molecules, our self/soul are destroyed by Allah, He can re-create them exactly as they were. This can only be accomplished by the Almighty Allah, the only being who can create from nothing.
Presentism vs. Eternalism / Four-Dimensionalism (Block Universe)
Presentism: The view that only the "present" is real. The past existed but no longer does; the future has not yet existed. Time is like a moving "spotlight," and only the moment it illuminates is real.
Eternalism / Four-Dimensionalism (Block Universe): The view that the past, present, and future are ontologically (in terms of being) equally real. The universe is like a four-dimensional "block" containing all of time. We, as three-dimensional beings, perceive time as flowing as we pass through the "present moment" slice of this block.
Four-dimensionalism offers a much more coherent and powerful philosophical framework than Presentism for explaining the classical attributes of God (especially omniscience and being outside of time).
- Four-Dimensionalism and "The Book with Allah"
What did Moses say? "The knowledge thereof is with my Lord in a Record."
What does Four-Dimensionalism say? All past generations, all future ones, and all present ones already exist in this four-dimensional block. They did not "cease to exist"; they are simply at different temporal coordinates of the universe.
In this case, Allah's omniscience does not mean He predicts or foresees the future. Allah, from a position "outside" or "above" time, knows and sees the entire four-dimensional block—its beginning, its end, and every moment—in a single, holistic instant. Just as we can see all the frames of a film strip at once.
Therefore, Four-Dimensionalism provides a philosophical ontology (philosophy of being) for the phrase "the Book with Allah." That "Book" is the four-dimensional entirety of the universe itself.
- The Continuity of Identity: The "Self" as a "Spacetime Worm"
According to this view, "you" are not just your current three-dimensional body. You are a four-dimensional being that extends from your birth to your death. Your infancy, childhood, and old age are different temporal slices of this "worm."
This renders the Ship of Theseus paradox meaningless. The planks of the ship may be changing, but the thing we call the ship is the four-dimensional process itself, extending from its beginning to its end. Identity lies not in the matter of a single moment, but in the totality of the process.
This model makes perfect sense when combined with the perspective of divine knowledge. When we say that what makes us "us" is the knowledge of Allah, we are in fact implying that Allah knows our four-dimensional totality—our entire life story—and preserves the identity of this totality. Resurrection is the re-creation of that four-dimensional identity.
Four-dimensionalism makes a very strong attempt to solve the teleportation paradox, but it is insufficient on its own and reaches an impasse in the most challenging scenario. It shows its true power and coherence when combined with the perspective of divine knowledge.
Let's unpack this answer step by step.
- The Secular Solution Attempt of Four-Dimensionalism: The Self as a "Scattered Object"
The being we call "I," that is, the four-dimensional "spacetime worm," does not have to be spatially or temporally continuous. It can be a scattered object.
Analogy: Think of an archipelago. We give a single name to islands that are separate from each other, for example, "the Philippine Archipelago." Even though those islands are not geographically contiguous, they are parts of a single whole.
Application: In the case of teleportation, your four-dimensional being (your spacetime worm) is as follows:
A part that extends from your birth until the moment you enter the scanning device on Earth.
A temporal and spatial gap.
A second part that continues from the moment you emerge from the device on Mars until your death.
According to this view, you did not die. There is simply a "gap" in the middle of your four-dimensional existence. The person who appears on Mars is not your copy; it is a later temporal slice of your spacetime worm. In other words, it is fully you.
This is a very clever maneuver that seems to solve the paradox at first glance.
- Where the Solution Collapses: "The Branching Problem"
The teleportation device makes a mistake. It duplicates you on Mars, BUT it FORGETS to destroy the original body on Earth.
What happens now?
There is a "you" on Earth, continuing to drink their coffee.
There is another "you" on Mars, looking around in astonishment.
Here, Four-dimensionalism faces a catastrophe. Because according to this scenario, your spacetime worm, which was supposed to be single and unique, has suddenly branched into two at time T.
Which branch is the "real you"?
The one on Earth? The one on Mars?
Or have you now become two different people? If so, which one is the being you call "I"?
Four-dimensionalism cannot provide a satisfactory answer to this question. To say "you are now two people" contradicts our intuition about the uniqueness of personal identity. It has no mechanism to say which branch is the original. At this point, secular philosophy is left at an impasse.
- How the Perspective of Divine Knowledge Resolves the Impasse
The framework of divine knowledge solves the "branching problem" of Four-dimensionalism as follows:
The Creator's Will is Decisive: At the moment of branching, the knowledge and will of Allah definitively know and determine which being is the "continuation of the original identity" and which is a new and separate creation (even if it is a perfect copy).
Perhaps, according to His will, the person on Earth is the continuation of the original identity. The one on Mars is a new being with the same past but now a different identity.
Or vice versa.
The point is, which scenario holds true depends on the knowledge and will of the Creator. What is a paradox for us is not for Him. The statement "My Lord does not err" is the ultimate guarantee that makes such identity crises impossible. The anchor of identity is not in fragile foundations like physical or psychological continuity, but in divine knowledge, which is never mistaken.
In summary: Four-dimensionalism comes very close to solving the teleportation paradox by explaining it as a "scattered object." However, it falls short when faced with the "branching problem." The perspective of divine knowledge, by providing an ultimate "arbiter" or "guarantor" that determines the true owner of the identity at the moment of branching, completes Four-dimensionalism where it reaches an impasse and resolves the philosophical problem at its root.
From the Limit of Philosophy to the Peak of Faith – Where Discontinuity Becomes Irrelevant
In the previous sections, we used the most sophisticated tools offered by philosophy and science to understand the nature of identity. From the Ship of Theseus to Four-Dimensionalism, from bodily continuity to psychological continuity, we subjected all theories to the most challenging tests, such as teleportation and duplication. And each time, we hit the same wall: Discontinuity.
All secular theories depend on some form of continuity. When the physical body suddenly vanishes, when the stream of consciousness is broken, or when a being's lifeline logically branches into two, all these theories fall short. This is the limit that philosophy can reach with its own tools.
But it is precisely at this limit that the axis of the discussion fundamentally shifts. The problem is not finding a more complex philosophical model. The problem is to move the criterion of identity to a completely different plane. This is a paradigm shift, summarized in this simple yet revolutionary statement:
"It doesn't matter that there is discontinuity; what matters is that the Lord knows."
This statement is more than an answer; it is a key that renders the question itself meaningless. Every "discontinuity" that philosophy sees as a "catastrophe" loses its power and becomes a mere detail from this new perspective.
How Do Problems Get Solved When the Criterion Changes?
When we move the anchor of identity from the fragile continuity of created beings to the unerring knowledge of the Creator, all paradoxes dissolve one by one:
The Problem of Physical Discontinuity (Death and Decay): The anxiety that "my self will be destroyed if my body disintegrates into atoms" disappears. Because the essence of identity is not in the arrangement of atoms, but is recorded in the knowledge of Allah, who holds the information of that arrangement at every moment. The disintegration of the body is like burning a book; if the author wishes, he can rewrite that book from his memory, word for word. Discontinuity is not an obstacle for the Author.
The Problem of Conscious Discontinuity (Sleep and Amnesia): The fear that "my self ends when my consciousness is interrupted or my memory is erased" loses its validity. Because what I forget, my Lord does not forget. Beyond my own consciousness, there is an absolute Consciousness that knows me as "me." Our awakening every morning is proof that this divine memory re-establishes our consciousness. Discontinuity is not a problem for the Owner of Memory.
The Problem of Logical Discontinuity (Branching and Duplication): The greatest impasse of philosophy, the question "which of the two copies is me?", finds its answer. This situation, which is a paradox for us, is not a cause of confusion for Allah. He "does not err." In His knowledge, it is absolutely clear which being is the continuation of whom, and which is a new creation. Creating two copies creates two separate and unique identity records in His knowledge. Discontinuity and branching do not create uncertainty for the One who knows everything individually.
Conclusion: From Philosophical Anxiety to Tawhidic Surrender
This ultimate realization moves us from a state of philosophical anxiety to a surrender brought by Tawhid (the oneness of God). The responsibility for our identity is not on our shoulders. It is not our mortal memory or our decaying body that is tasked with preserving it. Our identity is entrusted to the most secure place: the knowledge of Allah, who never errs and never forgets.
This means:
Death is not an annihilation but a change of state, because the essence of our identity is preserved beyond the body, in divine knowledge.
The resurrection in the Hereafter is not a "copy" but the "return of the original," because the Creator, who knows that identity in its finest detail, will re-create it as its very self.
Our existence is a miracle that stands at every moment by His knowledge and will. We are not independent beings that exist on our own; we owe our existence and our identity to Him at every moment.
The final answer to the question "Am I the same person?" lies not within ourselves or in philosophical theories, but in the trust we have in our Creator. Yes, I am the same person, because my Lord knows me as the same person. And His knowledge is the only unshakeable reality beyond all discontinuities, all paradoxes, and time itself.
So, Can Allah Not Create Two of Me?
The answer lies in distinguishing between two different meanings of the word "me": qualitative similarity and numerical identity. When we make this distinction, the answer both affirms Allah's absolute power (al-Qadir) and preserves the uniqueness of individual identity.
- Can Allah Create a Perfect Copy of Me? (Qualitative Similarity)
This is a requirement of Allah's absolute power. He created you from nothing. It is certainly possible for Him to create a second being with the same genetic code, the same memories (up to the moment of its creation), the same character, and the same body. He possesses the "information" about you and can create a second "work" using this information.
But would this second being be "me"?
No. This is the key point. From the very first moment it is created, that being is now a new and separate individual.
The Moment of Divergence: From the second it is created, that being will stand in a different space. It will receive light from a different angle, breathe different molecules. A second later, its experience will begin to differ from yours.
A Separate Consciousness and Destiny: It will have its own subjective consciousness. You will not feel the pain it feels; you will not know the dreams it dreams. From that moment on, it will be a separate nafs (self/soul), responsible for its own deeds, following its own line of destiny.
The Difference in Divine Knowledge: Most importantly, there are now two separate records in Allah's knowledge. The first is your life story (your four-dimensional worm), and the second is a new life story that begins from that moment. According to the principle "My Lord does not err," He will never confuse these two.
Conclusion: Allah can create a perfect copy of you, so perfect it couldn't even be called your "twin." However, from the moment of its creation, that being is not "you"; it is someone else who is just like you. Therefore, in this scenario, "two of me" are not created. One "me" and one "other who is like me" are created.
- Can Allah Create Numerically "Two of Me"? (Numerical Identity)
This is like asking, "Can Allah create a square circle?" Classical theology and philosophy state that Allah's power does not extend to logical impossibilities. This is not to place a limit on His power. It is to state that what is being asked is not actually a "meaningful thing."
A "square circle" is not a thing; it is a collection of meaningless words.
"One me that is numerically two" is likewise a logical contradiction. The definition of "one" is that it is not "two." "Numerical identity" means that a being is only and solely itself.
It is logically impossible for a being to be both its single, unique self and at the same time two separate beings. This is not a "task" that Allah's power cannot accomplish, but a meaningless request that contradicts the definition of the words themselves.
Therefore, Allah does not create "two of me" logically, because "me" by definition is single and unique.
Final Conclusion: Divine Knowledge is the Guarantee of Uniqueness
When we combine these two answers, we arrive at this conclusion:
Allah's absolute power is sufficient to create an infinite number of beings who resemble you.
However, Allah's absolute knowledge and justice give each of these beings a separate and unique identity. There is never any confusion in His knowledge.
Therefore, the final answer to the question "Can Allah not create two of me?" is: He can create a second being who resembles you, but that being would not be "you." He never violates the uniqueness and singularity of your identity.
In fact, this whole discussion brings us back to the beginning: The fact that what makes us "us" is the knowledge of Allah is the ultimate guarantee that we are singular and unique. His "unerring" knowledge is the seal that our identity cannot be copied, branched, or confused.
So, If I Go Back in Time, Will I Meet Myself? Are That Person and I Two Separate Me's?
This is a natural extension of all the previous questions and perhaps the most mind-bending. What happens when we go back in time and meet ourselves? Are there two "me's"?
To solve this question, we need to use all the tools we have built so far—qualitative similarity/numerical identity, four-dimensionalism, and divine knowledge.
The answer is philosophically dizzying but consistent: There are two separate persons in that room, but only one self.
Let's unpack this seemingly paradoxical sentence.
- The Key Distinction: Person vs. Self (Identity)
Past-Self: The child/youth at that age, unaware of the future, with their own thoughts.
Future-Self: The adult who has traveled through time, with more memories and an older body.
The consciousness of these two persons is separate. One cannot know what the other is thinking at that moment. If one takes a step, the other can remain still. They are qualitatively different.
Self (Numerical Identity): This is the single, unique being that possesses an entire life story. According to this definition, there is only one "self" in the room. Those two persons belong to different time periods of the same "self's" life story.
The best way to understand this is to return to the Four-Dimensionalism model.
- The Four-Dimensionalism Model: A Ribbon Folding Over Itself
A Normal Life: This ribbon proceeds straight through time.
Time Travel: When you go back in time, this ribbon folds over on itself or makes a loop.
Now, imagine the room. There is a single, continuous ribbon passing through that room. But because this ribbon has folded back on itself, it intersects the "present moment" slice of that room twice.
(Imagine a visual: A straight line progresses, then makes a loop and intersects with a previous point on itself.)
Conclusion: The two persons in the room are not two separate ribbons. They are two different points on the same ribbon, which happen to be sharing the same space at that moment.
Therefore, the answer to "Are that person and I two separate me's?" is: No. You are the past and future versions of the same "self." You are numerically a single being.
- The Perspective of Divine Knowledge: Where the Paradox Vanishes
"My Lord does not err": In Allah's knowledge, the fact that the two persons in the room actually belong to the same, single identity is never confused. He knows with absolute certainty that one is the future of the other.
The Record in the "Book": Your life story in the "Book" is a story that contains such a loop. This makes the story more complex, but it does not change the identity of the main character.
Summary and Final Answer
When you go back in time and meet yourself:
Yes, you encounter two separate consciousnesses, two separate minds, and two separate bodies. In this sense, there are two qualitatively different persons.
No, there are not two separate "selves." You both belong to the same numerical identity, the same single and unique "self." You are different moments in the life story of the same being.
The best model to describe this is a single four-dimensional being that has folded over on itself.
The ultimate guarantor of this situation is the knowledge of Allah, who knows your complex life story as a whole, without error or confusion.
Therefore, that encounter is not a division of identity, but proof of how interesting and complex a whole your identity is.
