Islam and the Simulation Hypothesis by Mr Rizwan Virk
The Simulation Hypothesis, a contemporary philosophical and technological proposition, suggests that our reality might be a highly sophisticated computer simulation, akin to an advanced video game. Popularised by figures like Nick Bostrom and Elon Musk, and brought into mainstream culture through films like The Matrix, this hypothesis challenges traditional views of reality, bridging the gap between materialistic science and spiritual worldviews. In a recent discussion, Rizwan Virk, a computer scientist and video game designer teaching at Arizona State University, explores how the Simulation Hypothesis intersects with Islamic theology, drawing parallels with Quranic metaphors, Islamic cosmology, and concepts like the soul, the Scroll of Deeds, and the Day of Judgement. This essay examines Virk’s arguments, highlighting the overlaps between the Simulation Hypothesis and Islamic teachings, and evaluates its potential as a modern theological metaphor, using British English conventions.
The Simulation Hypothesis: A Modern Metaphor for Reality
The Simulation Hypothesis posits that what we perceive as physical reality is a digital construct, rendered within a high-fidelity, interactive simulation. Virk, drawing from his experience as a video game designer, recounts a moment of playing virtual table tennis so immersive that he momentarily forgot the table was not real. This experience led him to question how long it would take for technology to create simulations indistinguishable from reality. The philosophical underpinning comes from Bostrom’s Simulation Argument, which suggests that if advanced civilisations can create perfect simulations, and do so multiple times, the statistical likelihood is that we are already living in one. Elon Musk has famously stated that the odds of us not being in a simulation are “one in billions.”
The hypothesis manifests in two forms: the NPC (Non-Player Character) version, where all entities are artificial intelligence, and the RPG (Role-Playing Game) version, where some entities are avatars controlled by external players. These distinctions resonate with theological questions about free will, consciousness, and the nature of existence, providing a framework to reinterpret religious concepts in a technological context.
Quranic Metaphors: Life as a Game
Virk identifies striking parallels between the Simulation Hypothesis and Islamic theology, particularly in the Quranic depiction of life as a transient, game-like experience. Several Quranic verses describe the world (dunya) as a “sport,” “pastime,” “distraction,” or “delusion.” For instance, Surah Al-Ankabut (29:64) states, “The life of this world is nothing but a distraction and a game, while the home of the hereafter is the true life.” Similarly, Surah Al-Anam (6:32) refers to the world as “play and amusement.” These descriptions align with the Simulation Hypothesis’s view of reality as a temporary, constructed environment, akin to a video game where players engage in roles before returning to a “real” existence.
This metaphor of life as a game is not unique to Islam. Hindu traditions speak of Lila, the divine play, and Shakespeare famously wrote, “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” However, the Quranic emphasis on the ephemeral nature of the dunya compared to the eternal akhirah (hereafter) mirrors the Simulation Hypothesis’s distinction between the simulated world and an external reality. Virk suggests that video games, familiar to younger generations, offer a relatable analogy for understanding these theological concepts in a technological age.
The Scroll of Deeds and Recording Angels
One of the most compelling parallels Virk draws is between the Islamic concept of the Scroll of Deeds and modern data recording in simulations. In Islamic theology, the Kiraman Katibin (recording angels) document every individual’s actions, intentions, and experiences on a Scroll of Deeds, which is presented on the Day of Judgement (Yawm al-Qiyamah). Surah Al-Isra (17:13-14) describes this process: “We have made every man’s actions to cling to his neck, and We will bring forth to him on the Resurrection Day a book which he will find wide open. Read your book; your own self is sufficient as a reckoner against you this day.”
Virk reinterprets this metaphor through the lens of simulation theory, suggesting that the Scroll of Deeds could be akin to a digital log or a holographic replay of one’s life. He draws on accounts of near-death experiences (NDEs), such as that of Dannion Brinkley, who described a “panoramic holographic life review” during a clinical death in 1975. In these reviews, individuals reportedly relive their lives, experiencing the consequences of their actions from others’ perspectives—a process Virk compares to replaying a video game session. Modern games like Counter-Strike or Apex Legends allow players to rewatch matches from different viewpoints, and Virk envisions future technology enabling sensory immersion, simulating the emotional and physical impact of one’s actions.
This technological analogy updates the traditional metaphor of a physical book, which would be impractical for documenting an entire life. Instead, a digital or holographic record aligns with both Islamic theology and contemporary experiences like NDEs, reinforcing the idea that the Scroll of Deeds serves as a mechanism for self-accountability and moral growth.
The Soul as a Player in the RPG Version
The concept of the soul (ruh) in Islam is another area where the Simulation Hypothesis offers a fresh perspective. Islamic texts describe the soul as a divine breath infused into the body, but the exact nature and timing of this infusion (e.g., at 40 or 120 days) remain metaphorical. Virk proposes that in the RPG version of the Simulation Hypothesis, the soul is analogous to a player outside the game, controlling an avatar (the body) within the simulation. This aligns with the Islamic view that the soul exists independently of the body and persists after death.
Virk illustrates this with the example of The Matrix, where a brain-computer interface immerses the player so fully that they lose awareness of their external reality. Similarly, the soul’s “insoulment” could be the moment when a player’s consciousness becomes fully engaged with the simulated body, experiencing the dunya as real. This metaphor provides a technological framework for understanding the soul’s transcendence, resonating with Islamic teachings about the soul’s journey to the akhirah.
Creation Stories and AI-Driven World-Building
Virk also explores parallels between Islamic and Abrahamic creation narratives and the Simulation Hypothesis. In both the Quran and the Bible, creation is initiated through divine speech: God says, “Be,” and it is. The Genesis account describes a sequential process—light, waters, land, plants, animals, and humans—culminating in a world populated by beings in God’s image. The Quran similarly describes the creation of the heavens and earth over “six days,” with a vault or dome separating them.
Virk compares this to modern AI-driven world-building, where creators speak commands to generate virtual environments. He references tools like BuilderBot, which can construct scenes (e.g., a beach with clouds) based on verbal instructions, mirroring the divine act of creation. In simulations, time operates differently due to clock speed, allowing a thousand years to pass in hours. This addresses theological debates about the “six days” of creation, as the Quranic term for “day” (yawm) can mean a period, and Surah Al-Hajj (22:47) notes that “a day with your Lord is like a thousand years of your reckoning.” Thus, the Simulation Hypothesis provides a framework for reconciling religious creation stories with scientific timelines.
Islamic Cosmology and the Multiverse
Virk connects Islamic cosmology, particularly the concept of seven heavens and seven earths, to the quantum multiverse theory. A saying attributed to Ibn Abbas, a companion of the Prophet, suggests that each earth has its own prophets and figures analogous to Adam, Noah, Abraham, and Jesus. Virk interprets this not as physical planets but as parallel realities, akin to the multiverse hypothesis in quantum mechanics, where every quantum decision branches into new timelines.
In simulation theory, a single simulation could spawn multiple instances, creating a multiverse of virtual worlds. This aligns with the idea of numerous “earths” in Islamic cosmology, where the number seven may symbolise multiplicity. Virk references popular media like Marvel’s Loki, which depicts branching timelines, to illustrate how simulations could generate diverse realities, each with its own historical trajectory.
The Simulation Hypothesis as a Theological Bridge
Virk argues that the Simulation Hypothesis serves as a “new kind of religion” or a technological theology, particularly for younger generations familiar with video games and virtual reality. By framing God as the simulator, angels as algorithms, the soul as a player, and the dunya as a temporary game world, it offers a vocabulary that resonates with a scientific, tech-driven society. Unlike materialistic atheism, which denies a transcendent reality, or traditional religion, which may feel abstract, the Simulation Hypothesis bridges these worldviews, providing a relatable metaphor for spiritual concepts.
This approach also engages with classical theological arguments. The cosmological argument (the universe has a cause, e.g., God), the intelligent design argument (the universe exhibits purposeful complexity), and the fine-tuning argument (physical constants are precisely calibrated for life) find echoes in simulation theory. A simulator could be the cause, the designer, and the tuner of the universe, offering a scientific veneer to age-old questions about existence.
Conclusion
Rizwan Virk’s exploration of the Simulation Hypothesis through the lens of Islamic theology reveals profound parallels between ancient religious metaphors and modern technological concepts. The Quranic depiction of life as a game, the Scroll of Deeds as a record of actions, the soul as a transcendent entity, and creation as a divine act of speech all find analogues in the language of simulations, video games, and AI. By drawing on near-death experiences and quantum multiverse theories, Virk further enriches these connections, suggesting that the Simulation Hypothesis can update and contextualise Islamic teachings for a contemporary audience.
As a theological metaphor, the Simulation Hypothesis does not replace traditional faith but complements it, offering a framework to explore spiritual questions in a way that resonates with a digital age. While it raises philosophical challenges—such as the nature of free will in a simulated reality or the identity of the simulator—it also opens new avenues for dialogue between science, technology, and religion. For Muslims and others, it invites a reimagining of timeless truths through the lens of the virtual, where the dunya is but a stage, and the akhirah awaits beyond the screen.