Editing Sultan Bashiruddin Mahmood (section)

== Mahmood-Hoodbhoy debates ==
Mahmood has written over fifteen books, the most well-known being "''The Mechanics of Doomsday and Life After Death''", which is an analysis of the events leading to [[Global catastrophic risk|doomsday]] in light of scientific theories and Quranic knowledge. However, his scientific arguments and theories have been challenged by some prominent scientists in Pakistan. His religiosity and eccentricity began troubling the [[Pakistan Physics Society]]; his peers often quoted him as "a rather strange man".<ref>{{harvtxt|Bergen|2011|pp=215–216}}</ref>

In 1988, Mahmood was invited to the [[University of Islamabad]] to deliver a lecture on science. During his lecture at the university's 'Physics Hall' he and several other academicians debated his book. While debating, a well known Pakistani nuclear physicist, Dr. [[Pervez Hoodbhoy]], and Mahmood, had an acrimonious public debate.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hoodbhoy |first=Pervez |title=A dismal Present (See page 19) |website=Muslims and the West after 11 September |year=2002 |url=http://www.variant.org.uk/pdfs/issue15/Pervez_Hoodbhoy_15.pdf |access-date=6 March 2006 |archive-date=16 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716100026/http://www.variant.org.uk/pdfs/issue15/Pervez_Hoodbhoy_15.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last =Hoodbhoy |first =Pervez |title=Islam and Science—Religious Orthodoxy and the Battle For Rationality |publisher=Zed Books |isbn =978-1-85649-025-2|year =1991}}</ref> Hoodbhoy had severely criticised Mahmood's theories and the notion of [[Islamic science]] in general, calling it ''ludicrous science.''<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/02/world/nation-challenged-nuclear-fears-pakistani-atomic-expert-arrested-last-week-had.html?sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all |work=The New York Times |title=A NATION CHALLENGED: NUCLEAR FEARS; Pakistani Atomic Expert, Arrested Last Week, Had Strong Pro-Taliban Views |first1=Dennis |last1=Overbye |first2=James| last2=Glanz |date=2 November 2001| access-date=24 May 2010}}</ref> Mahmood protested that Dr. Hoodbhoy misrepresented his views, quoting: "''This is crossing all limits of decency,'' he wrote. ''But should one expect any honesty or decency from anti-Islamic sources?''"<ref name="nytimes.com"/>

=== Literature and cosmology ===
{{Main|Physical Cosmology|Sun spot cycle}}

In his writings and speeches, Mahmood has advocated for [[nuclear sharing]] with other Islamic nations which he believed would give rise to Muslim dominance in the world.<ref name="AQKhan-Osama">{{cite news |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/pakistan/A-Q-Khan-offered-Osama-N-weapons-before-9/11-Book-/articleshow/3835350.cms|access-date=14 December 2008|url-status=live|archive-date=11 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811051650/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2008-12-14/pakistan/27923183_1_al-qaida-leader-bin-sultan-bashiruddin-mahmood|title=A Q Khan offered Osama N-weapons before 9/11: Book |date=14 December 2008|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]}}</ref> He has also written a [[tafseer]] of the [[Quran]] in English.

Mahmood is reported to be fascinated "with the role [[sunspot]]s played in triggering the [[French Revolution|French]] and [[Russian Revolution (1917)|Russian Revolution]]s, [[World War II]] and assorted anti-colonial uprisings."<ref name=NYT/><ref name="sacredcows">Benjamin, Daniel & Steven Simon. "The Age of Sacred Terror", 2002</ref> According to his book "''Cosmology and Human Destiny''", Mahmood argued that sunspots have influenced major human events, including the French Revolution, the Russian Revolution, and World War II. He concluded that governments across the world "''are already being subjected to great emotional aggression under the catalytic effect of the abnormally high sunspot activity under which they are most likely to adapt aggression as the natural solution for their problems''". In this book, first published in 1998, he predicted that the period from 2007 to 2014 would be of great turmoil and destruction in the world.{{citation needed|date=January 2022}} Other books written by him include a biography of the Islamic prophet [[Muhammad]] titled "''First and the Last''", while his other books are focused more on the relation between Islam and science like ''Miraculous Quran'', ''Life After Death and Doomsday'', and ''Kitab-e-Zindagi'' (in [[Urdu]]).{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}

One passage of the book reportedly states: "''At the international level, terrorism will rule; and in this scenario use of mass destruction weapons cannot be ruled out. Millions, by 2020, may die through [[Weapon of mass destruction|mass destruction weapons]], [[hunger]], disease, [[Street fighting|street violence]], [[terrorist attack]]s, and [[suicide]].''"

Mahmood's lifelong friend, Member of Parliament [[Farhatullah Babar]], who is currently serving as a spokesperson for the President of Pakistan, while talking to media, said: ''Mahmood predicted in ''Cosmology and Human Destiny'' that "the year 2002 was likely to be a year of maximum sunspot activity. It means upheaval, particularly on the [[South Asia]], with the possibility of nuclear exchanges".''

Mahmood has published papers concerning [[jinn]], which are described in the Quran as beings made of fire. He has proposed that jinn could be tapped to solve the [[energy crisis]].<ref name=djinn>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9501EEDB1E30F931A35752C1A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all Pakistani Atomic Expert, Arrested Last Week, Had Strong Pro-Taliban Views], New York Times, 2 November 2001.</ref> "''I think that if we develop our souls, we can develop communication with them'' ... ''Every new idea has its opponents,'' he added. ''But there is no reason for this controversy over Islam and science because there is no conflict between Islam and science''", Mahmood said to the [[The Wall Street Journal|''The Wall Street Journal'']] in a 1988 interview.<ref name="nytimes.com"/>