FROM MAULANAS DESK
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, born in 1925, in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh, is an Islamic spiritual scholar who is well-versed in both classical Islamic learning and modern disciplines. The mission of his life has been the establishment of worldwide peace. He has received the Padma Bhushan, the Demiurgus Peace International Award and Sayyidina Imam Al Hassan Peace award for promoting peace in Muslim societies. He has been called ’Islam’s spiritual ambassador to the world’ and is recognized as one of its most influential Muslims . His books have been translated into sixteen languages and are part of university curricula in six countries. He is the founder of the Centre for Peace and Spirituality based in New Delhi.
MARVELS OF MAN
AS I STOOD in front of India Gate in New Delhi, I thought what a
beautiful specimen of architecture and sculpture it was. It is a
structure which bears witness to man’s unique creative faculties.
For man to conceive of a thing like ‘India Gate’, he must think creatively
before it can come into existence. He must make plans and then give
them a concrete shape.
On observing this, the thought came to my mind that even if all the
stars, planets, trees and animals were told to build an India Gate, they
would fail to do so, even if all of them put their heads together.
This is the case with all other human matters too. All of man’s
extraordinary and exemplary feats are unique, and are his exclusive
prerogative. No other being in the known universe is able to do the
things which man is capable of doing by exercising his physical and
mental faculties, be it the construction of India Gate or the operating
of a complex industrial machine.
God desires that man should realize Him on the level of consciousness,
that he should recognize Him through his intellect. That is why God created man with such distinctive
faculties. Just as man is superior
to all the creation of the universe,
so is God a superior being as
compared to man.
If man were to reflect on the
difference between him and the
rest of the universe, he would
be able to comprehend the
difference between God and
himself. God is the ultimate form
of this superiority which man
experiences over the rest of the
universe. To understand God is as
simple a matter as understanding
oneself.
The truth is that to believe in God
is to believe in something in which
we already believe. To see God is to see something which is already
there for us to see. An intensification of what man is experiencing
every moment is belief in God. The human being is not the ’full-stop‘ in
this universe. When a higher state of existence is present in the form of
man, then why should the existence of another higher state in the form
of God not be a possibility?
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
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Follow Maulana at http://www.speakingtree.in (The Times of India)
FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
Prof. Farida Khanam is an author, editor, translator, public speaker and former
professor of Islamic Studies at Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Among her books are
‘A Simple Guide to Sufism’ and ‘A Study of World’s Major Religions’. She has translated
into English many books authored by Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. Currently the
chairperson of CPS International, she is a regular contributor of articles to various
publications. Prof. Khanam has edited Maulana’s English translation of the Quran
and has also translated his Urdu commentary of the Quran into English. She can be
reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
IN SEARCH OF MEANING
THE AUSTRIAN neurologist and psychiatrist Viktor Emil Frankl
(1905–1997) authored a book in 1946, called Man’s Search for
Meaning. Many authors over the years have written books with
similar titles. During more than three hundred years of the printing
press, millions of books have been published in different languages. If
a common title were to be suggested for these books, it would, without
doubt, be: In Search of Meaning.
A human being, by nature, is a seeker of meaning. Everyone is born
with an enquiring mind. Everyone tries to find the answer to the quest
of finding the truth and meaning behind their existence. And, it is this
quest which has resulted in the writing of so many books, both fiction
and non-fiction. All are directly or indirectly related to the subject of
the quest for truth.
When a person reaches the age of maturity, his first concern is
earning his livelihood. He opts for various kinds of jobs or engages
in different types of economic activity. When he becomes engaged in
some work, he goes through a period of satisfaction. Then, gradually,
a time comes when he realizes that his job is not giving him what he
had been in search of. Certainly, he gets his “bread”, but as Jesus Christ
rightly said: “Man does not live by bread alone.” (Matthew 4: 4) To earn
one’s “bread” is everyone’s first need. But bread can satisfy only one’s
physical requirements; it fails to give any intellectual satisfaction, or
add meaning to one’s life. This is the main cause of frustration and
despair experienced by almost everyone today.
Every person, consciously or unconsciously, yearns to know how he
came into existence. Everyone tries to understand the meaning of
his existence in this world. There are few who have not frequently
reflected on existence. When a person is born, he immediately finds
himself in a world with a life-support system
which he did not bring into existence. He then
thinks that nature potentially had an entire
technology hidden in it. Man later discovered
and developed this technology to create the
civilization we see around us.
Thus, man questions himself: Who is behind
this living drama? What is the relationship
between me and that super-artist? Then, there
is the question of death, the most enigmatic
question of all: Why does man die and what
lies beyond?
Man’s search for
meaning and truth,
questions about
death and beyond
can find fulfilment
under a single
phenomenon that in
religious terms may
be called “God”.
Man’s search for meaning and truth, questions about death and
beyond can find fulfilment under a single phenomenon that in religious
terms may be called “God”. If we accept this term, we can say that, in
fact, everyone is in search of God. It is God who gives meaning to all
phenomena, because, after finding God, everything falls into place.
Everyone, knowingly or unknowingly, is in search of God. During this
search he runs towards various things, but when they come within his
reach, he very soon realizes that he has not found the answer to his
search.
‘God’ is not something which one finds from external sources. It is a
matter of self-discovery. God can only be discovered by an individual
himself. It is only the self-discovered God that can give you conviction.
If you want to make your life meaningful, you have to take up this
question on a priority basis. It is your own study and contemplation
through which you can discover God. The sign of truly discovering God
is that when you find Him, you will feel at peace with yourself and with
the universe, like a little boy in the arms of his mother.
The process of search has only one condition to it, and that is, sincerity.
Jesus Christ has said: “The one who seeks finds.” (Matthew 7: 8) This is not
a religious saying; rather it describes a law of nature. One who is truly
sincere in his search will certainly reach his goal.
Prof. Farida Khanam
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LIMITATIONS OF HUMAN KNOWLEDGE
Realizing a Limitless God
SINCE the past five hundred years, the scientific study of the
universe has been underway. Numerous great minds have been
involved in research and findings related to the universe. The
final outcome of these studies has revealed that the cosmos is so vast
and expansive that it is well-nigh impossible for the human mind to
fully encompass it. A recent study estimates that human knowledge
has been able to fathom only 4 percent of the universe. All the stars,
planets and galaxies that can be seen today make up just 4 percent
of the universe. The other 96 percent is made of stuff that cannot be
seen, detected or understood.
With respect to this 4 percent, a scientist has acknowledged that the
more we discover, the more we come to understand that even those
phenomena we have discovered are yet fully undiscovered. In other
words, it is said that we know more and more about less and less.
Knowledge of God is equivalent to knowledge
of the Creator. However, experience shows
that humans have been able to discern
only a meagre 4 percent of the creation of
this Creator. In this scenario, for a person
to demand that he be provided absolute
knowledge of the Creator is undoubtedly
unscientific. If humans have not been able to
acquire thorough knowledge of the creation,
how can they have conclusive knowledge
about the Creator?
If the mind is so
confined as to be
unable to encompass
that which lies within
space and time, how
can it comprehend
that which lies
beyond the realm of
space and time?
Creation lies within space and time, while the
Creator exists beyond space and time. If the
mind is so confined as to be unable to encompass that which lies within
space and time, how can it comprehend that which lies beyond the
realm of space and time?
The truth is that in this world a person can discover God only at the
level of his helplessness and not at the level of absolute knowledge.
A MOST EVIDENT MYSTERY
Existence Explained
IT IS STRANGE to believe that there is a God, but not to believe in God
is even stranger. Therefore, it is better to prefer the less strange to
the more strange.
What everyone is most convinced of, is their own existence. Despite
this, in purely scientific terms everyone is a mystery. For man is not
what he physically appears to be, but consists of what he calls “I”, and
the “I” is not observable.
Philosopher Rene Descartes (1596-1650), to give proof of his own
existence did not say: “I consist of a body that is observable, therefore
I exist.” Instead he said: “I think, therefore I am.” By applying the same
logic, one can say, ‘I am, therefore, God is.’ That is, one can say that
when a creature exists, the application of simple logic is enough for
one to believe that there is a Creator.
Man undoubtedly has an observable
existence. We all know that man exists. But, in
fact, this existence is at the level of “I”, and the
cognizance of “I” is at the level of perception
or comprehension, and not at the level of
observation.
The truth is that
God’s being
comprehensible is an
undeniable proof of
His existence. If we
deny God, we shall
have to deny our own
selves.
Exactly the same is true of God. It is as if God
is a greater “I”. God at the level of His creation
is directly observable. But God at the level of
His Being is not directly observable by man.
We shall have to believe in God on the basis of
the same logical principle which Descartes employed to know himself,
and on the basis of which all of us believe in our own existence.
I can comprehend God; therefore God exists.
The truth is that God’s being comprehensible is an undeniable proof
of His existence. If we deny God, we shall have to deny our own selves.
Since we cannot countenance our own denial, we cannot countenance
God’s denial either. Everyone who believes in his own existence is
logically compelled to say, “I exist; therefore, God exists.”
WHO CREATED GOD
Reasons to Believe
A COMMON argument from sceptics and atheists is that if all
things need a cause, then God must also need a cause. They
question, “Who made God? Something does not come from
nothing, so if God is a “something”, then He must have a cause?”
Another form of the argument is: “If we believe that the universe was
created by God—a Creator, then we must believe that God also has
a Creator, and so on.... In this way there will be an endless series of
Creators. Hence, isn’t it better to believe that this universe came about
without a Creator?”
Such questions are inherently flawed because
God, by definition, is not in the category of
things that are created or caused. God is
uncaused and uncreated—He simply exists.
If we are ready
to accept and
acknowledge creation
or the universe
without a creator,
then why can we not
accept a God without
a creator?
How do we know this? We know that from
nothing, nothing comes. So, if there was ever
a time when there was absolutely nothing
in existence, then nothing would have ever
come into existence. But things do exist.
Since there could never have been absolutely
nothing, something had to have always been
in existence. That ever-existing thing is what we call God. God is the
uncaused Being that caused everything else to come into existence.
God is the uncreated Creator who created the universe and everything
in it. God is beyond space, time and the principle of causation.
People who reject God, however, continue to acknowledge and
appreciate the universe we live in. If we are ready to accept and
acknowledge creation or the universe without a creator, then why can
we not accept a God without a creator?
Direct observational evidence for a Creator is impossible like for many
other scientific facts. It is neither with those who believe in a God
nor with those who deny God. However, indirect evidence of God is
ubiquitous in nature and the universe is a valid reason and argument
for belief in God. Some of those evidences are presented briefly here.
Origin of Matter, Space and Time
It has been established that time and space had a coincident beginning.
The universe was created from nothing through or after a ‘Big Bang’.
The discovery of the ‘Big Bang’ is proof that time, space and matter are
temporal and not eternal. The universe appears to be an effect and,
thus, is seemingly dependent upon something outside of and beyond
itself (a transcendent causal agent). The universe therefore, implies the
need for a Creator or Originator outside of space-time. The following is
a very interesting paragraph from a lecture by Stephen Hawking:
“Events before the Big Bang, are simply not
defined, because there’s no way one could
measure what happened at them. This kind
of beginning to the universe, and of time
itself, is very different to the beginnings that
had been considered earlier. These had to be
imposed on the universe by some external
agency. There is no dynamical reason why the
motion of bodies in the solar system cannot
be extrapolated back in time, far beyond
four thousand and four BC, the date for the
creation of the universe, according to the book of Genesis. Thus, it
would require the direct intervention of God, if the universe began at
that date. By contrast, the Big Bang is a beginning that is required by
the dynamical laws that govern the universe. It is therefore intrinsic to
the universe, and is not imposed on it from outside.” (The Beginning of
Time)
God is the uncaused
Being that caused
everything else to
come into existence.
God is the uncreated
Creator who created
the universe and
everything in it.
Even if we refuse to accept a ‘God’, reason demands that we acknowledge
a Prime Mover or a power that caused the universe to happen. How
can we acknowledge the universe and fail to acknowledge the cause of
the universe? Feigning ignorance like many people do is turning a ‘blind
eye’ or ‘looking the other way’.
Order and Design in the Universe
After the Big Bang, the delicate balance of uniformity and irregularity in
the inflationary expansion of the universe, the balance of matter, dark
energy and dark matter that is responsible for keeping the universe
stable as it expands, the perfectly tuned cosmological constant,
hydrogen and carbon formation, the sun’s luminosity, the forces and
laws in nature, the value of the various constants that determine
the nature of nature, and a million other features of the universe
demonstrate order and intelligent design.
This in itself establishes direction and purpose in the formation of the
universe and consequently these are evidences for a Designer, Director
and Prime Mover.
Many physicists, cosmologists and scientists have acknowledged this
fact. For instance, Paul Davies says, “I concede that the universe at least
appears to be designed with a high level of ingenuity. I cannot accept
these features as a package of marvels which just happen to be, which
exist reasonlessly. It seems to me that there is a genuine scheme of
things—the universe is ‘about’ something.”
Fine-tuning for Life
Our unique planet Earth has been fine-tuned and custom-designed for
intelligent life—the Earth’s atmosphere, the Earth’s magnetosphere,
Earth’s geophysical history, water, vegetation, its position in the solar
system, its galaxy, its orbit, rotational axis, its satellite and a million
other features evidently prove this.
How can such a formidably complex system
of the universe come about without a creative
intelligence behind it? How can we refuse
to believe in an Organizer of an organized
universe? The most elegant, comprehensible
and simple explanation for this reality is
only possible by accepting an intelligent
mind responsible for it. This intelligent
mind designed a rational, ordered universe
that produces intelligent beings capable of
understanding that universe.
Many physicists,
cosmologists and
scientists have
acknowledged
that direction
and purpose in
the formation of
the universe are
evidences for a
Designer, Director
and Prime Mover.
God especially designed and crafted, through
miraculous means, planet Earth, so that it
would support life and human beings. The
Earth is a product of divine design.
Physicist Lawrence Krauss in his book, A Universe from Nothing: Why
There Is Something Rather Than Nothing, treats the question of “First
Cause” as a serious argument against God:
Ultimately, many thoughtful people are driven to the apparent need for
First Cause, as Plato, Aquinas, or the modern Roman Catholic Church
might put it, and thereby to suppose some divine being: a creator of
all that there is, and all that there ever will be, someone or something
eternal and everywhere.
Nevertheless, the declaration of a First Cause still leaves open the
question, “Who created the creator?” After all, what is the difference
between arguing in favour of an eternally existing creator versus an
eternally existing universe without one?
Krauss’s argument is not a very good objection because God, unlike the
universe, is the sort of First Cause that accounts for His own existence.
God is an infinite being, the Creator of time and space. It makes sense
to say that He always existed, since He’s necessarily infinite. But the
universe is not infinite, it is bound by time and space, and it had a
beginning.
Now, what if the questioner accepts that
the universe had a beginning, but not that it
needs a cause? Nevertheless, it is self-evident
that things that begin have a cause—no one
really denies it in his heart. All science and
history would collapse if this law of cause and
effect were denied. The universe cannot be
self-caused. It did not become a reality all by
itself. Nothing can create itself, because that
would mean it existed before it came into
existence, which is logically not possible.
God especially
designed and crafted,
through miraculous
means, planet Earth,
so that it would
support life and
human beings. The
Earth is a product of
divine design.
As Aristotle cogently argued, there must be a
reality that causes but is itself uncaused (or,
a being that moves but is itself unmoved). Why? Because if there is
an infinite regression of causes, then by definition the whole process
could never begin. And nothing is explained.
In conclusion, the choice before us is not between ‘the universe with
God’, and ‘the universe without God’. We must choose between ‘the
universe with God’ and ‘no universe at all’. As we cannot opt for the
proposition “no universe at all”, since the universe is too obvious a fact
for us to deny its existence, therefore we have no option but to accept
the proposition of “the universe with God.”
LIKENESS OF GOD
Towards Realization of God
A LIKENESS of God is to be found in man, for is not the existence
of man a proof of the existence of God? What is the nature of
God? He is a living, self-sufficient Being, with a mind that is allknowing, eyes that are all-seeing and ears that are all-hearing. His
power is of such infinitude that it reaches every corner of the universe,
and no object of His will is too great or too small to escape its force.
And quite independent of all objects of creation, God has His ego.
Man may not, like God, be omniscient and omnipotent, but he certainly
thinks, sees, hears, has a will, acts of his own volition and understands
quite precisely what is meant by the ‘ego’—the ‘I’. To believe in God is
to have faith in a higher form of the ‘I’. Man’s experience of himself, his
attributes, his characteristics, make it possible for him to apprehend the
eternal Being who possesses these very attributes and characteristics,
but to a superlative degree. This is the Being whom we call God.
If one is sure of one’s own existence, why should one not be sure of
the existence of God? Here am ‘I’, sitting in one place, observing the
universe. Why, then, should there not be a Being greater than I am,
situated elsewhere in the universe, watching over it? We, ourselves
direct the movements of machines in outer space by means of remote
control, so why should we have any difficulty in accepting that there is a
God who controls the universe by His own invisible system? Man metes
out punishments and gives rewards according to his own concept of
justice, so why should there not be an all-powerful God who administers
reward and retribution according to his own, unique concept of justice?
This is alluded to in both the Christian and Islamic traditions:
God created man in His own image. (Genesis 1: 27)
The Prophet of Islam said:
God created man in His Own image. (Sahih al-Bukhari)
Indeed, believing in God is no different from believing in one’s own
self. It is no more difficult for man to accept the existence of God than
it is for him to accept his own existence. Belief in God is doubtless an
extraordinary feat of the intelligence, but it is no more extraordinary
than believing in man. Once one has accepted one such extraordinary
phenomenon, what is there to prevent one from accepting another?
THE GLORIOUS GOD OF A GLORIOUS UNIVERSE
Expression of God’s Existence
STUDIES in astronomy show that the stars in the universe are more
numerous than all of the sand grains on all the seashores of our
planet. Many of the stars are vastly greater in size than our sun,
some even being of such enormous girth that they could accommodate
hundreds of thousands of suns inside them and still have room to
spare. There are many other mysterious objects in the universe more
massive than a million suns. The universe is not static, but is expanding
at an incredible rate, every moment in all directions. Man has yet to
comprehend the vastness of the universe.
Research has found that the laws of nature
within our universe are perfectly ‘fine-tuned’
for life on Earth. The meaning and significance
of the universe, the planning behind it
and the incomparable design within it, all
point towards the existence of a supremely
intelligent God that created the universe and
who controls, sustains and cherishes it.
By nature, man
desires an absolute
and perfect God.
Our universe does indeed declare the glory of God.
When we ponder upon the realities of our existence and the glorious
universe around us, then two intense emotions develop within us:
• The emotion of gratitude and indebtednes
• Humility and the acknowledgement of our helplessness
By nature, man’s condition demands that there must be a benefactor
to him in this universe. If we were only to open our eyes and observe
the incredibly vast universe around us, then we will find that we are an
extremely insignificant and helpless creation within it.
In such a universe, when man observes his own petty self, he feels
totally helpless; more helpless than the ant that struggles to save
itself when caught between ocean waves. Man, involuntarily desires
that someone, who can be a benefactor to him in this vast universe.
He seeks the refuge of a Being more powerful than the powers of the
universe so that he could come under His protection and feel safe and
secure.
In the present day, nationalism, political power, ethnicity and other
such affiliations are nothing but different projections presented to
satisfy this innate desire of Man. But this is just like presenting a statue
to satisfy the desire of one who is seeking a life partner.
Man is in search of one such Being who has power and control over
the entire universe. The answer to this desire cannot be found in any
geographical location. To be the focus of his affections, man desires
only such a Being who is the Creator of the heavens and the Earth. By
nature, man desires an absolute and perfect God.
Although, God does not appear before us, His
creation in the form of this glorious universe
is spread all around us. We can see it; we
can experience it. In such a case, man can
only be satisfied with a God so exalted that
this glorious universe testifies to His glory. A
God who in reality is found to be the Creator
and Lord of this glorious universe. A God any
lower in stature than this can never appeal to
the mind of man. Until man finds such a God,
his search will continue. Any other object can
never satisfy this desire.
Man desires a God
he can trust, who will
grant him success
after every disaster,
who can remove all
difficulties from his
path.
A sense of deprivation human beings feel in the midst of abundance is
due to the fact that they have disconnected themselves from God. Man
experiences a shortcoming in his quest for subsistence. Today, we fail
to find true happiness on the face of man in spite of the accumulation
of all his desires. Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) begins his book, The
Conquest of Happiness, with the following lines:
Animals are happy so long as they have health and enough to
eat. Human beings, one feels, ought to be, but in the modern
world they are not, at least in a great majority of cases.
This is because modern civilization with its grand successes has
only been able to garner a small portion of what man desires. It has
accumulated the requirements of the ‘body’, but has failed in garnering
anything for the ‘soul’.
Man seeks meaningfulness, but modern civilization can only offer him
material structures made of steel and stone. Man desires life, but
modern civilization can only give him a lifeless statue in the mould of
a man. Man desires satisfaction for his heart and mind, but modern
civilization places him in a soulless, mechanical vehicle. Man desires to meet the Creator of this universe so that he could prostrate before his
Benefactor, but nowhere can he find this Benefactor in the world that
modern science and technology has created. Unable to find his true
God, he bows down before assumed, fabricated gods. But this is just
like a mother, who unable to bear a child takes a plastic doll and holds
it close to her bosom. In the words of the Quran:
All those you worship instead of Him are mere names you
and your forefathers have invented, names for which God has
sent down no authority: all power belongs to God alone, and
He orders you to worship none but Him: this is the true faith,
though most people do not realize it. (
Man’s need for a supreme God is so intense that it is acknowledged
by even those intellectuals who in accordance to their tastes do not
approve of the existence of God and religion. For example, Bertrand
Russell writes:
If life is to be fully human, it must serve some end which seems
in some sense outside human life, some end which is impersonal
and above mankind such as God or truth or beauty. (Principles
of Social Reconstruction)
This is an acknowledgement of the innate urge for a God embedded
in human nature. By denying the existence of God, modern man has
forsaken his Creator. His salvation now lies only in once again finding
God, his Creator. The concept of God is interwoven in man’s nature.
The instinct of eating grass in a goat and of
eating meat in a cat cannot be suppressed; in
the same way, God cannot be detached from
man’s nature.
By nature, man's
condition demands
that there must be a
benefactor to him in
this universe.
Man’s life has been fashioned in such a way
that he continuously lives in a feeling of
dependency. This feeling of helplessness is
characteristic of every human being. It forces
man to clutch onto a support that is more
powerful than him; one that can deliver him
from his weakness. It is this feeling of helplessness that drives man in
his search for God. Man needs such a God before whom he can pour
out his feelings of gratitude; to whom he can entrust all his affairs; in
whose faith he will find succour even at times when there is no one to
help him. Man desires a God he can trust, who will grant him success
after every disaster, who can remove all difficulties from his path. Man’s feeling of helplessness can never be overcome unless he discovers this
God.
There are some religions that present many Gods; but this runs
completely against the natural desire of man. This is because the desire
for a God, is the desire for such a Being that can be made the focus of
his affection, and the focus of his affection can only and always be one,
not more than one. Some other religions present God in the form of a
vague spirit; but man desires a God who can see; a God who can hear
and one who answers.
Some religions present a man in the form of God; but the God that man
desires, can only be that God, who is greater than his own kind. A God,
who is just like man, cannot be a God worthy of worship. A God like this
is very small in comparison to this glorious universe.
An American scientist and professor, Walter Oscar Lundberg, has
presented an interesting example. In the book ‘The Evidence of God in
an Expanding Universe’, he writes, ‘’The professional scientist has one
special advantage over others, if he will but use it, in understanding the
reality of God. The fundamental principles on which the methodology
of his profession is based, are, in essence, an expression of God’s
existence.”
In spite of this why do people with a scientific education deny God?
According to the American professor, this is because of two reasons,
the primary one being:
In organized Christianity, there is instilled
deeply in young people a concept of God
created in the image of man, rather than
of man created in the image of God. When
such minds are later trained in science, this
reversed and limiting anthropomorphic
concept gradually becomes more and more
incompatible with the rational, inductive
attitude of science. Ultimately, when all
attempts at reconciliation fail, (….), the concept
of God may be abandoned entirely. The accompanying disillusionment
and other psychological consequences discourage any thought of
embracing a new concept.
Our universe does
indeed declare the
glory of God. Now it
is for man to discover
this glorious God.
Islam is not a new religion. In reality and in their origins, Islam and
all other religions were the same. However, due to changes over long
periods of time, the original and true concept of God could not be preserved in other religions. In contrast, the Quran is an authentic
and preserved book. This is the very reason that it presents God in
an authentic and true form. The God that the Quran introduces us to
is the One God. He is the Lord of all forms of powers. He was always
there and will always remain. He has no partners. He alone created the
whole universe. He is the glory of this universe and He alone controls
and supports the entire universe. He sees, hears and speaks. He is
always ready and present to stand by anyone that calls Him; man can
communicate with Him at all times and at all places. Everything is in His
power and control; He is the succour for man in his life before death
and also in man’s life after death.
Our universe does indeed declare the glory of God. Now it is for man to
discover this glorious God.
GOD THE GREATEST
Artistry and Precision in the Universe
THE DISTINGUISHED British-Lebanese mathematician, Sir Michael
Francis Atiyah (d. 2019), said that God is a mathematician.
Similarly, Nobel Prize winning physicist, Paul Dirac has said,
‘God is a mathematician of a very high order.’ This idea is not new.
Over fifty years ago, English physicist and mathematician, Sir James
Jeans suggested that the universe was handiwork of a mathematician.
Centuries before him Pythagoras said that all things are numbers. To
Picasso, God was an artist. ‘God is really another artist,’ he said. ‘He
invented the giraffe, the elephant and the cat.’ Einstein once said that
‘the Lord is subtle and – though not malicious – is very clever.’
One who observes the universe is confronted
with the awesome feeling that there is a
being greater than himself at work here. A
mathematician comes across such complex
mathematics as to make him aware of the
triviality of his grasp of the subject. ‘God is
a great mathematician!’ he exclaims. To an
artist, the art displayed in the universe appears
so sublime as to make his art seem worthless
and he spontaneously cries out, ‘God is the
greatest artist!’ The wisdom prevailing in the
universe is such as to astonish a genius; he
in turn discovers that there is a genius far
greater than him at work.
God’s might is
indeed manifest in a
thousand ways, but
it is only those who
open their minds and
hearts to Him who
can be truly aware of
His blessings
The truth is that God is the greatest mathematician, the greatest artist
and the greatest genius. When one observes the sublimity of the details
in the grand design of the universe, they are wonder-struck. One, then,
cannot fail to recognize God’s wisdom, knowledge and infinite might.
One who fails to find the manifestations of God in the universe is blind.
One who does not believe in God after having seen Him is insensate.
God’s might is indeed manifest in a thousand ways, but it is only those
who open their minds and hearts to Him who can be truly aware of His
blessings.
GOD A SOURCE OF CONVICTION
Compensation for One’s Weakness
THE MOVEMENT of the stars and planets in the endless space
appears astonishingly strange to behold. An unbelievable
number of vast balls of fire called stars are moving with great
speed. Amidst these astral bodies, the Earth appears no more than a
grain of sand.
It is an awesome experience to witness this constant motion of the
stars and planets. One can also see unbelievably enormous masses of
heavenly bodies countless in number, racing about amidst which the
planet Earth appears like a little speck. All of this so astounds us that
compared to this, our own existence appears to be totally insignificant.
This spectacle of the universe leads to the discovery of two important
things. First, the existence of an All-Powerful God, who is its Creator
as well as its Sustainer. If one can bring to mind this scene of the
massive universe, one’s heart will testify that the universe itself is a
proof of its Creator. And, secondly, the utter helplessness of man. God
is an indispensable need of man. Without God, man’s very existence is
impossible. When one discovers this reality, one would race towards
God and call out wholeheartedly, “God! Please help me! Without You,
nothing is possible for me.”
In this vast universe, it is God who is man’s
support. He alone can help us cross this river
of life and lead us to the other shore safely.
Belief in God is everything for man. Without
this belief, man is nothing at all.
In this vast universe,
it is God who is man’s
support. He alone
can help us cross this
river of life and lead
us to the other shore
safely
Each one of us, in our daily life, feels the
same utter helplessness that we experience
when we observe the vast universe. Each one
of us repeatedly goes through experiences
that lead us to realize our severe limitations.
Very often, we do not get what we want. Situations arise in our lives
that compel us to feel completely helpless. In addition to this, fear of
loss, sickness, accidents, old age and death tell us that we are utterly
dependent on a force that is infinitely greater than us, and that without
the help of this infinitely superior power, we simply cannot succeed.
This realization is a psychological proof of God’s existence. Every
person necessarily encounters this psychological experience. Every
person finds within, a firm proof of God’s existence.
For each one of us, our nature is continuously calling out to us, telling
us that we need God, that without God, our life cannot be complete,
and that without God’s help, we can never be truly successful. Man’s
position is further illustrated by the following example.
Our nature is
continuously calling
out to us, telling us
that we need God,
that without God,
our life cannot be
complete, and that
without God’s help,
we can never be truly
successful
A hundred years ago, a ship sailed from the
coast of America towards Africa. When the
ship was far out in the open sea, a severe storm
broke out, making it heave and shudder. The
passengers were all shaken and in a state of
great fear and anxiety. At this time of crisis,
one of the passengers noticed a little girl in
a corner on the deck playing with her dolls,
quite undisturbed by the storm. Seeing her,
he got curious and asked, “Do you know what
is happening to our ship?”
The girl asked, “What is the matter?”
The passenger told her that the ship was caught in a dangerous storm.
The girl calmly replied: “You know, my father is the captain of this ship.
He is not going to let it sink.”
The girl’s faith in her father saved her from being a victim of fear at this
crucial moment. The same is true of a person of faith. He has the same
childlike faith in his Creator, God Almighty. But this is a faith of far
greater intensity. When catastrophe threatens, he can say with much
stronger conviction that God Almighty is the captain of the ship of his
life. He will never let it sink under any circumstance.
THE GALAXY SPEAKS ABOUT ITS CREATOR
How Great Thou Art!
ACCORDING to a recent study, the Milky Way is at least 50%
bigger than previously estimated. Research conducted by an
international team at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the
US has established the presence of a bulging ring of stars beyond the
known plane of the Milky Way. Their findings show that the features
previously identified as rings are actually part of the galactic disk,
extending across the known width of the Milky Way from 100,000 light
years1 to 150,000 light years.
Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is a unique astronomical phenomenon of
which our Solar System is only a tiny part. Until the early 1920s, most
astronomers thought that the Milky Way contained all the stars in the
universe. Edwin Hubble in the early 1920s with his new telescope was
able to produce astronomical photographs that resolved the outer
parts of some spiral nebulae as collections of individual stars. A nebula
is a giant cloud of dust and gas in space. He was also able to conclusively
estimate the distance to the nebulae and found that they were far too
distant to be part of the Milky Way.
1 Light year = distance that light can travel in one year = 9,500,000,000,000 kilometres.
The Milky Way, a disc-shaped barred spiral galaxy, is estimated to
contain 100–400 billion stars. The Solar System is located within the
disk, about 27,000 light-years from the Galactic Centre, on the inner
edge of one of the spiral-shaped concentrations of gas and dust called
the Orion Arm. The Sun is 25,000–
Centre. The Galactic Centre is marked by a concentration of mass best
explained as a supermassive black hole with an estimated mass of 4.1–
4.5 million times the mass of the Sun.
There are billions of other galaxies in the
universe. The Milky Way has several satellite
galaxies and together with the neighbouring
Andromeda galaxy, it is part of the Local Group
of galaxies, which is a component of the Virgo
Supercluster, which is itself a component of
the Laniakea Supercluster of galaxies.
The Creator is truly
great! He made such
a vast universe, of
which our galaxy is
only a tiny part!
If a person could be far away in space and have a telescope with which
he could view the entire Milky Way, he would be able to see a mindboggling spectacle. He would see that, in the vastness of space, there
is a magnificent starry galaxy. It would take more than 3000 years to
count the stars in the Milky Way at a rate of one star per second. On
one spiral arm of this galaxy, our Solar System is situated. The planet
Earth is part of this Solar System which, along with other planets, is
continually revolving around the Sun. The Quran says: “God’s throne
extends over the heavens and the earth; and their upholding does not
weary Him.” (
Such a spectacle of stunning proportions will compel the gazer to
exclaim in wonderment: The Creator is truly great! He made such a
vast universe, of which our galaxy is only a tiny part!
FROM THE SPIRITUAL TREE
There is a tree beside my house. I call
it the 'Spiritual Tree'. I derive spiritual
inspiration from it. A tree is an evergrowing being that was initially a seed
possessing the potential of becoming a
full-grown tree. A seed takes food from the
universe around it and then grows into a
tree. The same is true with spirituality,
the desire for which is intrinsic to, and an
integral part of, the very nature of every
human being. To realize this spirituality,
man must derive spiritual food from the
universe around him. A tree converts
carbon-dioxide into oxygen; a spiritual person is one who can take positive lessons
from negative situations. From this perspective, a tree is an embodiment of a
spiritual personality. —Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
LOVE OF GOD
LOVE of God is not simply a philosophical issue; it is rooted in
the very nature of human beings. Love means a strong feeling
of deep affection for somebody or something. Love is a natural
phenomenon, an elevated kind of positive response towards someone.
Love cannot be created in a vacuum, it requires a strong base of
affection.
Love of God is this same kind of strong affection. The basis of this love is
quite natural when one discovers that one was created by God and that
it was God who has given humankind all such bounties as the planet
Earth, the life-support system, oxygen, water and food. All these things
were not created by man. They are precious gifts bestowed by someone
else. When one discovers this fact, one naturally feels a profound love
for God. Thus, love of God is the outcome of one’s discovery of God’s
munificence.
Every sincere person reaches a stage in life when he faces some basic
questions such as, how did I come into existence? How is it that I find
myself in a world that is extremely favourable to me? One realizes
that this compatibility between man and the rest of the universe is so unique that science has observed that the universe has been custommade for man. Love is in fact an acknowledgement of this fact. When
we endeavour to acknowledge our super-benefactor, we call it love of
God.
Although love is an inner feeling, it comes
naturally to human beings to give it an
external expression. It is said that man is a
social animal, so it is but natural that one’s
inner love should also find some expression
in terms of social relationships. It is this social
expression of one’s inner feeling that is called
peace. In terms of God, love is a psychological
acknowledgement of the Creator, and in terms
of society, love is manifested in peaceful living
among other members of society.
When a person has
love in his heart
for his Creator, at
the same time he
cannot resist showing
his love to his
neighbours.
It is not relevant to ask, if we cannot see God, how can we express our
love towards Him? This contention may have been valid in the era before
nuclear science, but after the emergence of nuclear science it is totally
invalid. Nuclear science has successfully established that the physical
world, in its last analysis, consists of unobservable subatomic particles.
For example, everyone loves his mother, but in terms of modern science,
no one is able to see his mother. One’s mother, as well as other things,
are nothing but a combination of numerous unobservable subatomic
particles. In fact, ‘mother’ is an unobservable inner being whom we see
with reference to her external body. Similarly, God is an unobservable
being whom we see through His creation. In such a world, it is irrational
to say that one cannot love God because one cannot observe Him. The
fact is that if you receive some good things from anyone, you cannot
do other than acknowledge his generosity. In this sense, love of God is
a natural phenomenon.
It is also a law of nature that if you add a pinch of dye to a glass of water,
the dye pervades all of the water. This principle is also applicable in
the case of love. When a person has love in his heart for his Creator, he
cannot resist showing his love to his neighbours. And in this electronic
age, the whole world is one’s neighbour.
One can say that love has two dimensions: theoretical and practical. In
terms of the theoretical dimension, love means deep affection for and
gratitude to God and in terms of the practical or social dimension, love
means feelings of fraternity and peace for all human beings.
WONDER OF WONDERS
Non-replicable Masterpiece
LOOKING at the human body from a purely physical point of view,
one finds that it is just made up of water, carbon, oxygen and
some other chemical elements.
body is made up of six elements: Oxygen, Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen,
Calcium and Phosphorus. One can even work out the price of material
constituents of the human body. According to calculations performed
by DataGenetics, the market value of all the elements of a human body
is about $160.00, about `
Yet out of 12,000 rupees worth of matter, God has created a human
being so wonderful that no price can be set upon him. No amount
of money can buy the priceless masterpiece that God has fashioned
within the human frame.
One can appreciate the pricelessness of the human body when some
part of it is lost. If one loses a hand, for instance, millions of dollars will
not buy a new one like it. If one loses one’s sight, all the wealth in the
world will not win it back. If one’s power of speech fails, there will be
no tongue in the shops of the world which will put one’s thoughts into
words.
How incredible it is that God should fashion something so wonderful
out of things of least monetary value. It is only God who can bring the
dead to life; only He who has the power to convert insensate matter
into conscious life, to make something out of nothing.
If a magician were to cast a spell on a stone,
making it break into speech, everyone would
be spellbound at this extraordinary feat.
The feat which God has performed is one
of much greater complexity. He has made
the inanimate matter that constitutes man’s
body into a moving, talking, thinking human
being. Yet God’s feat does not cause people
to wonder. How blind are those who can see
the skill of a conjurer’s magical feats, but
not the infinitely greater feats of God. How
ignorant are those who rush to become devoted disciples of anyone
who performs tricks, without feeling any adoration for or attachment
to the One who performs truly wondrous acts of creation.
If only man were to
truly discover God,
he would become
totally absorbed in
the Lord’s wondrous
feats of creation.
If only man were to truly discover God, he would become totally
absorbed in the Lord’s wondrous feats of creation. Everything in the
world would appear to him as a remarkable sign of God’s power and
perfection. While dwelling in an earthly abode, he would see and feel
nothing but the Lord on high.
GOD A RESPLENDENT BEING
Source of Beauty and Goodness
GOD is the source of all goodness. He can be seen everywhere. His
existence is manifested in His creation throughout the universe.
His power is evident in the form of light and heat. He converts
matter into greenery and flowing water. His glory is made manifest in
colour, taste and fragrance. Motion and magnetism are evidence of His
strength.
Belief in a God of such perfection is more than just a dogma. It illuminates
man’s soul and enraptures his heart. If one relishes a delicious fruit,
and goes into ecstasy on hearing a melodic tune, how then can one fail
to be moved by the discovery of God, who is the fountainhead of all
goodness.
When one truly discovers God, He becomes
like a fragrance which one savours, a delicious
taste which one relishes, a spectacle which
captivates one’s vision, a melody which never
ceases to thrill. God has created all these
exquisite delights. His being is their treasurehouse. Drawing close to God is like entering
Paradise. It is like dwelling in a garden of
exquisite beauty and fragrance, like being in
the neighbourhood of the source of all light.
The Quran says:
God is the light of the heavens and the
earth. His light may be compared to a niche containing a lamp, the
lamp inside a crystal of star-like brilliance lit from a blessed olive tree,
neither of the east nor of the west. The [luminous] oil is as if ready to
burn without even the fire touching it. Light upon light; God guides to
His light whom He will. God draws such comparisons for humankind;
God has full knowledge of everything. (
EXPERIENCING THE PRESENCE OF GOD
From Creation to Creator
ONE of the three astronauts who travelled in the Apollo 15
American spacecraft was Colonel James Irwin. In August 1972,
he described the magic of that moment, when he set foot on
the moon. It was an ecstatic experience, he said, to feel oneself in God’s
presence, to feel so close to Him that His greatness appeared before
one’s eyes.
Colonel Irwin did not look on his voyage to the moon as a voyage of
mere scientific discovery; it had given him new spiritual life as well.
He left NASA in 1972 to start the High Flight Foundation, a Colorado
Springs based religious organization.
The moon was a new sight for Colonel Irwin.
That is why, struck by its magnificence, he was
able to experience there the presence of God.
When he saw Earth from space he expressed
his feelings saying, “Seeing this has to change
a man; has to make a man appreciate the
creation of God and the love of God.”
There is no greater
discovery than the
discovery of God, no
greater realization
than to feel Him
everywhere. When
this realization is
awakened, everything
becomes a reflection
of His glory.
Colonel Irwin’s experience was not a unique
one, for in truth all that God has created is
so wonderful that one has only to gaze upon
it to become lost in the wonders of what He
has fashioned. The face of the Creator shines
continually in the perfection of His creation.
In order to see God in His creation, we too have to look at everything—
not as old and familiar—but as something new and exciting. We have
to look at things as if we are seeing them for the first time.
There is no greater discovery than the discovery of God, no greater
realization than to feel Him everywhere. When this realization is
awakened, everything becomes a reflection of His glory. The sunshine
will portray His light, the trees His beauty. One will feel His gentle touch
in the winds as they caress one’s body. As one prostrates oneself before
Him, it will be as though one has cast oneself at His feet.
God is, indeed, everywhere, but only those who are blessed with vision
can behold Him.
THE UNIVERSE DECLARES
Arguments for the Existence of God
THE CHRISTIAN Mission of Kerala published a booklet titled Nature
and Science Speak about God. In this 28-page newspaper-sized
book, scientific discoveries about the universe are mentioned to
bring home the point that the existence of God is a fact that cannot be
denied in any way.
The greatest evidence of God before us is His creation. Nature itself
and our study of nature, both proclaim that there is one God who, in
the infinity of His wisdom, has created and continues to sustain the
universe.
Scorpions, fleas, and many other similar creatures of land and water
combat and control their enemies by making use of their stings. At
the tip of their sting is a very small aperture
through which they inject a type of poison
into their enemy’s body. If this aperture was
at the very end of the sting, it would be closed
when the sting was inserted into the body.
Moreover, the sting would not efficiently
pierce the skin of the target. That is the
reason the aperture is always a bit slanted
like the hole in the doctor’s syringe. This is
to cite just one example of intelligent design.
Whatever object you see in nature manifests
such design. The universe is not a random pile
of garbage, but rather it exhibits tremendous
purpose and discipline. Could this come about
without a conscious plan?
Whatever object
you see in nature
manifests intelligent
design. The universe
is not a random
pile of garbage, but
rather it exhibits
tremendous purpose
and discipline. Could
this happen without
a conscious plan?
Termites build for themselves houses that are thousand times bigger
than their size. If we try to build our homes in the same proportions,
we will need to erect a mile-high wall. Termites can live in the wood and
carve their homes inside. Studying their lives reveals many wonderful
occurrences. To take just one example: Termites eat wood. After stone,
wood is the most indigestible of all known materials, but it does not
pose a problem for termites. They have specific jaws for the purpose,
which not only serve as a saw and but also function as grinder.
However, no matter how much the wood is ground, it will still remain
wood, and will only induce indigestion rather than satisfy the need
for food in the stomach. What is it, then, that helps termites? There are many microorganisms in the intestines of the termite to facilitate
this function. These microorganisms make certain alterations to the
swallowed wood so that they can be digested and provide nourishment
to the body. Who brings about this amazing arrangement?
Consider the structure of eggs. Each egg has seven different
characteristics, all of which are so important that even if one of them
is missing, the egg would not survive as an egg. The outer-shell made
of limestone, the pores inside the shell that provide passage to the air,
the thin membrane that surrounds the insides of the egg, the yolk and
egg white forming the food of the hatching chicks inside the shell, the
germ of the baby, the ligament that keeps the germ fixed in the right
direction. Remove any one of these, and the egg will never become a
nourishing place for the chicks. Is this aggregation of seven different
things simply a coincidence?
“Coincidence” cannot explain the presence of these seven different
things, which are found to be in precise and perfect condition. What
is even more baffling is why are only these things accumulated in the
egg by “coincidence”. Why not a leaf of a plant, some form of wood,
a piece of stone, and thousands of such things that could have been
contained inside, enter the shell? If any of such
things were inside the shell, they would have
destroyed the egg. The most perplexing thing
is that when the chick is ready to get out of
the egg, a small hard horn appears on its beak
with which this ‘lump of flesh’ is able to break
through the walls of its shell. After fulfilling
its purpose, the horn falls off automatically a
few days after the chick is born. How did such
precision come about in the egg?
There are numerous
things in the universe
that would require an
entire library just to
name them, whereas
in proportion, current
human knowledge
of the cosmos is
minimal compared
to the vastness of
the universe. What
we have yet to see,
is much more than
what we have seen.
Ponder upon your own existence. How
wonderful the human body is! Look at the
brain. A telephone exchange that connects all
the men, women and children of the planet at
every moment; that continuously exchanges
messages with them. If you can conjure up
such a telephone exchange, you have only
estimated a tiny bit of the incredibly complex
system of the brain.
There are about a hundred billion nerve cells inside your brain. There
are very fine wires coming out of each nerve cell and they are spread all over the body. They are called nerve fibres and function to conduct
information in the form of electrical impulses to other cells, muscles
and glands in the body. A system of information transmission on these
thin fibres runs at a speed of about hundred kilometres per hour.
Look at the heart, a small organ about the size of the fist. It weighs
no more than 200 grams, but this little pump of the human body runs
continuously day and night. It pumps 100,000 times a day and sends
about six litres of blood to the entire body every minute. The heart has
been endowed with extraordinary capability for achieving this amazing
performance.
There are numerous things in the universe
that would require an entire library just
to list them. On the other hand, current
human knowledge of the cosmos is miniscule
compared to the vastness of the universe.
What we have yet to see, is much more than
what we have seen.
The term ‘law of
nature’ simply
expresses that things
always come into
existence under a
certain principle
and will always
come into being in
the same way. This
does not indicate
why something is
happening?
Did this brilliant workmanship, this complete
planning, and this perfect intelligence happen
by chance? Of course, sometimes an incident
does happen by chance. For example, a gust
of wind sometimes blows up a pollen of a red
rose and puts it on a white rose, resulting in
a yellow flower. But this kind of coincidence
can produce only partial and subtle changes. It can only account for
this particular colour of the rose, not for the entire existence of the
rose. Coincidence does not always explain why a particular type of
system continues to be consistent. It does not explain why there is
regularity and organization in our world. The process of “coincidence”
will not keep repeating itself. It is not possible for coincidence to bring
into existence today what transpired yesterday. Then why do all things
always appear in the same form with total uniformity? Why are natural
systems and laws so methodical, mathematical and regulated?
If some pieces of metal are tossed into the air, what are the probabilities
that they would fall to the ground in the form of moulded typeface
letter and upon falling, form some meaningful text on a page? If this
cannot happen simply by chance, then why is it assumed that such a
large world with such amazing features has come into being by chance?
What academic argument could be put forth to prove a theory that
could not be proven in a laboratory?
Another justification that materialist thinkers rely on is the term ‘the
law of nature’. “Why do chicks come out of the hen’s egg in 21 days,
whereas from the egg of the ostrich, the
babies take 45 days to hatch?” There are a
number of questions of this nature which
are answered by the materialist simply as:
“It is a law of nature.” This does appear to
be a justification, but in fact this answer only
describes one incident. By using the words
‘law of nature’, we only acknowledge the
order and function of the universe. These
words do not explain why this discipline and
performance is established in the first place.
The term ‘law of nature’ simply expresses that
things always come into existence under a certain principle and will
always come into being in the same way. This does not indicate why
something is happening? It does not state the cause of the incident, but
only presents the picture of the event.
Science has furnished
us with many
new insights. But
whatever it offers is
only a detail of a few
events. Science has
no answer for why
they are happening.
If you ask a doctor why the blood is red, he will reply that the blood
contains minute red particles called red blood cells.
“True, but why are these particles red?”
“These particles contain a special substance called haemoglobin, which
turns red when it absorbs oxygen in the lungs.”
“Okay, but where do the red blood cells carrying haemoglobin come
from?”
“They are prepared in your spleen.”
“That’s wonderful, doctor, but tell me how is it that blood, red blood
cells, spleen and thousands of other things are organized in such a
coherent way and act so unitedly that I can breathe, run, speak, and
live.”
“Ah! That is the law of nature.”
“What is it that you call law of nature?”
“When I say ‘nature’, I mean the interplay of blind physical and chemical
forces.”
“But doctor, what causes these blind forces in nature to always act in a
direction that leads them to a definite end? How do they organize their
activities in such a way that a bird can fly, a fish can swim and a human
being comes into existence with his unique abilities?”
“Don’t ask me, my friend. A doctor can only tell what is happening.
He does not have the answer for the question: Why something is
happening?”
This conversation aptly illustrates the reality of science. Indeed, science
has furnished us with many new insights. But whatever it offers
is only a detail of a few events. Science has no answer for why they
are happening. How do the delicate organs of a fly work? Of course,
science has told us a lot in this regard, but who is the one who thought
that bees needed these delicate organs, and provided them with such
fine skilfulness? To explain the order of the
universe and its appropriateness, and to show
why various kinds of blind forces act towards
a particular end—what we need is something
other than the presence of these powers. The
description of a bed is not enough if we just
throw a few words such as mattress, pillows
and bedstead. A castle is the name given to
a structure of millions of bricks and other
things installed in their proper and ordered
place. For any small organ of the human body
to come into being, it is necessary that millions of atoms come together
in a unique and special setting. Blind forces cannot always express
this kind of purpose, they cannot create meaning and harmony within
events.
The law of nature is
a phenomenon of the
universe. It is not a
justification of the
universe. It seeks
justification for its
own existence.
Science does not tell us how or why the laws of nature came into being,
how or why they continue to exist or why they cause the Earth and
the heavens to function with such unfailing precision that, simply by
observing them, it was possible to establish immutable scientific laws.
The fact is that the law of nature is a phenomenon of the universe. It
is not a justification of the universe. It seeks justification for its own
existence. As Cecil Boyce Hamann says, ‘Nature does not explain, she
is herself in need of an explanation.’
What this means is the existence of meaningfulness in something is
clear evidence that there is a mind behind it. The germ of life (sperm
cells) that is nourished in a male’s body is very similar to the other
cells in the body, but it has a unique and remarkable feature very
different from other cells. By attaching itself with a special egg cell of
a female, it has the ability to bring into existence a completely new
human being. How is it possible that two cells, each of which are raised
in two completely different bodies, are capable of acting so amazingly together? Can this event be explained without acknowledging the
involvement of a creative mind?
Acknowledging the existence of a creative mind in the universe is
not like accepting a baseless tradition. In fact, many of the inevitable
conclusions from the discoveries of science
lead us to this belief. Numerous scientific
facts compel us to accept the existence of a
driving force behind the universe. Just like the
sound from the radio compels us to recognize
the presence of radio waves, even though we
do not see them. When sugar is added to the
glass of water, it will dissolve in such a way
that it will not be visible to the eyes. But by
tasting it with your tongue, you can detect
the presence of sugar in water. Similarly, God
is not visible to the eyes, but when we study
the world of our surroundings, our instinct
and intuition cry out that there is God here,
without whom the universe could not exist.
The greatest evidence
of God before us is
His creation. Nature
itself and our study
of nature, both
proclaim that there
is one God who, in
the infinity of His
wisdom, has created
and continues to
sustain the universe.
The fact is that the stupendous increase of human knowledge has not
distanced man from God, but has brought man closer to Him. To doubt
God’s existence is merely to declare our ignorance. How definitive then
are Pasteur’s words:
A smattering of science turns people away from God.
Much of it brings them back to Him.
BELIEF IN GOD
Form Vs Spirit
ONE manner of seeing a tiger is in the museum as a dead, stuffed
tiger. The other tiger is the one that you see in the jungle. The
tiger in the museum is only the skin of a dead tiger that has
been prepared, stuffed with cotton and mounted for display. It only
appears to be a tiger, but is not the real animal. People only see this
museum tiger for entertainment or for study. Nobody would feel the
need to fear or run from such a tiger.
But the tiger in the jungle is a live tiger. It is a symbol of boundless
power and majesty. When the tiger walks in the jungle, all other
creatures stand in awe. When the tiger roars, the animals fall down in
terror. Anyone who sees a live tiger in the jungle would tremble from
head to toe losing all sense of awareness except fear. Such a person
would not be anything like he was before seeing the tiger.
This example can be used to understand the
matter of belief in God. Belief in God also can
be of two types. One is a traditional belief in
God. The other is a conscious, living belief in
God.
A conscious belief
in God arises from
discovering God in all
His powers. One who
discovers God in such
a manner cannot
remain like he was
before finding God.
A traditional belief in God is a lifeless belief.
Such a belief does not move the soul of man. It
does not cause any tremor in the personality.
It does not create any palpitation in the heart.
In a traditional belief in God, there is an
admission of God, but there is no fear of God.
On the other hand, a conscious belief in God is a completely different
matter. A conscious belief in God arises from discovering God in all His
powers. One who discovers God in such a manner cannot remain like
he was before finding God. After discovering God, his whole personality
is shaken. His very soul is stirred with the intensity of fear. All other
matters vanish from his mind leaving him concerned with only the
issue of God.
A conscious belief in God and the fear of God are two integral concepts.
You cannot separate the fear of God from a conscious belief in God.
Where these two have been disconnected, then know that it is not a
conscious belief in God but only a traditional belief, and a traditional
belief in God is of no value.
QUEST FOR LIFE IN SPACE
A Misplaced Quest
FOR SEVERAL decades now, scientists have been carrying out an
extraordinary kind of research—listening for life in space. SETI
or The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence is a collective term
for scientific searches for intelligent extraterrestrial life, for example,
monitoring electromagnetic radiation for signs of transmissions from
civilizations on other planets. In 2015, the noted theoretical physicist
Stephen Hawking announced a 100 million dollar hunt for alien life that
would comprise of a 10-year international search effort for intelligent
civilizations beyond our solar system.
Mr. Hawking said at the same conference, “We believe that life arose
spontaneously on Earth, so in an infinite universe there must be other
occurrences of life.” Space flights, therefore, also aim, among other
things, at contacting those forms of life. Such an assumption has led
to the conviction that an extraterrestrial civilization exists. In addition
to space flights, huge antennas have been set up in the USA and other
developed countries. These antennae are
called radio ears. They serve to send and
receive signals from outer space. Extremely
sensitive instruments have also been installed
with an aim to receive the expected signals.
It appears that the modern theory of evolution
has given rise to this quest. The explanations
furnished to prove the evolutionary concept
of life presuppose the existence of life forms
in some parts of outer space resembling the
life forms on Earth.
The truth of the
matter is that the
existence of a living
man is evidence of
living God.
The cell is the fundamental unit of life, and the DNA of a single-celled
animal contains enough information to fill a volume of an encyclopedia
while the information in the RNA and the rest of the cell can fill an
entire library. All that information has to be in the right order for the
cell to function. Carl Sagan, one of the founders of SETI said that “A
single message from outer space would prove there was intelligent life
on other planets,” but how is it that an entire library of information
inside the most simple cell doesn’t prove that intelligence put it there?
The existence of life and consciousness is a unique and exceptional
phenomenon in the whole universe. Since this consciousness could never have come into being by itself, it
necessarily involves, therefore, the existence
in space of life and consciousness on a
greater plane—the source of life on Earth. In
this way, modern science clearly indicates the
possibility of a Creator.
How is it that an
entire library of
information inside
the most simple cell
doesn't prove that
intelligence put it
there?
Yet, man’s existence is being sought to be
explained away in terms simply of there being
some life forms in space—forms resembling
ours but not necessarily superior, just another
form of civilization, and not a Lord or Creator. Whereas the truth of the
matter is that the existence of living man is evidence of living God.
TOWARDS GLOBAL PEACE
We often talk of peace in the context of war. But this is
a very narrow and restricted notion of peace. Peace is
deeply linked with the entirety of human life. Peace is
a complete ideology in itself. Peace is the only religion
for both—man and the universe. It is the master-key
that opens the doors to every success. Peace creates a
favourable atmosphere for success in every endeavour.
Without peace, no positive action—small or big—is possible.
SPEAKING OF GOD TODAY
NATURE is a creation of God, and as such is a divine mirror. It
serves as a reflection of divine attributes. In ancient times,
man’s knowledge of nature was very limited. It was, therefore,
not possible for man to have a profound understanding of God. In
modern times, the position is quite different.
The known facts about natural phenomena
have increased exponentially, and with the
spread of education man has far greater
access to information than was ever hitherto
possible. That is why today the possibility
of the intellectual realization of God has
increased manifold. A philosopher once aptly
summed up this changed state of affairs with
the observation, “A smattering of knowledge
turns people away from God. Much of it brings
them back to Him.”
Nature is a creation
of God, and as such
is a divine mirror. It
serves, therefore, as
a reflection of divine
attributes.
It is the same point which was expressed 1400 years ago in the form of
a prophecy in the Quran:
“We shall show them Our signs in the universe and within
themselves, until it becomes clear to them that this is the Truth.”
(
This prediction has been entirely fulfilled in modern times. It has
been demonstrated by the scientific revolution of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The discovery of facts today by scientific research
is akin to removing the veil of ignorance which prevented humankind
from seeing the face of God. This has been expressed by a scientist in
these words:
“Nature and science speak about God.”
The world discovered by science is so unique that it cannot be explained
without accepting the existence of God. In former times, people used
to ask, “If God created the universe, who created God?” Questions such
as these have now become meaningless, because they are irrelevant.
In view of the new scientific findings it has become possible for us to
assert that, in this world, the option is not between the universe with
God and the universe without God. The real option is between the
universe with God, and no universe at all.
We cannot refute the existence of the universe;
therefore, we cannot refute the existence of
God as well. It has to be conceded that the
concept of God is linked with the universe
exactly as the concept of an engineer is linked
with the concept of a great machine. If we
believe in the existence of the machine, we
shall inevitably have to believe in the engineer
who created it.
The world discovered
by science is so
unique that it cannot
be explained without
the acceptance of
God.
God is a reality, albeit invisible. He does
not come under our direct observation and
experience. Hence His existence can be proved only by inferential or
indirect argument, for direct argument in this case is not possible.
It was previously held that the subject of God was a matter of dogma,
pertaining only to accepted creeds. Therefore, it was a topic neither for
academic debate nor for logical, scientific analysis. Now, however, the
situation has totally changed. Scientific discoveries have shown that
the atom is not a material entity at all, but waves of electrons, waves
which are invisible. We cannot observe the electrons themselves, but
only their indirect effects.
Advances in human knowledge of the material world brought about a
number of changes, one of these being a revision of the principles of
the science of logic. In the age of Newton, only direct argument was
held to be valid in logic. But in the new age ushered in by Einstein, it
came to be established that indirect argument or inferential argument
was logically as acceptable as direct argument.
The objections raised by atheists to the holding of religious beliefs
seemed to carry any weight only so long as human knowledge was
confined to the level of the macroworld. But when human knowledge,
making a great leap forward, made its entry into the microworld,
atheistic suppositions were totally demolished. It was because, unlike
the macroworld, the microworld was unobservable. Now a whole
range of realities had come within the scope of man’s knowledge which
are neither observable nor measurable. Therefore, the only kind of
argument which was applicable to them was the indirect argument.
This academic revolution brought about a paradigm shift in the science
of logic. By admitting that indirect or inferential argument was logically
as valid as direct argument, it became possible for the concept of God
to be proved by exactly the same kind of reasoning as is applied in the
various branches of science.
One of the ineluctable features of this world
is its uncertainty. That is why every individual,
young or old, rich or poor, finds oneself
helpless at one time or another in the face of
the circumstantial and environmental factors
which are pitted against him. This uncertainty
has not decreased, but has rather increased
in the wake of modern revolutions. That
is why the unrest found in the peoples of
ancient times is greatly on the rise today. It
is significant too that, as compared with the
past, the number of suicides is greatly on the
increase.
The real option is
between the universe
with God, and no
universe at all. As
we cannot refute
the existence of the
universe, we cannot
refute the existence
of God as well.
To be able to stand fast in this world, every person requires a concept
which, at all times and in all places, will be an unending source of hope
and confidence to him. Such an eternal concept cannot be other than
that of God. Indeed, since ancient time, the only solution for man has
been to have faith in an all-powerful Supreme Being. Throughout the
ages this has served as a fountainhead of courage and strength for
human beings, and will remain so forever.
The greatest and most basic social requirement of humankind is
peace. This is vital for any kind of human progress, for without peace
viable social structures cannot be erected. So far as human beings are
concerned, they all appear to be equal. And it is a fact that peace is most
difficult to establish among equals. For the establishment of peace in
society, therefore, an Agent is required who has a status immeasurably
superior to that of human beings—in effect, a Supreme Being.
The only factor that
can be effective
in ensuring
peace between
human beings
is the universal
acknowledgement
of the concept of a
superior God—a God
who is held to be
great by all and to
whom all surrender
in equal measure
A Being of this kind—a grand regulator
of human affairs—can only be God. The
only factor, indeed, that can be effective in
ensuring peace between human beings is the
universal acknowledgement of the concept of
a superior God—a God who is held to be great
by all and to whom all surrender in equal
measure. As the old adage has it.
“Peace, thy name is God.”
According to a Hadith:
O God, You are Peace, peace comes from You,
Blessed and most High are You, O Possessor
of glory and honour. (Ibn Majah)
The importance of God is as great for the
individual as it is for society. No part of our individual or social life is
complete without God. Undoubtedly the concept of God is as relevant
today as it was in ancient time, for God is man’s greatest asset.
THE WONDERS OF CREATION
Look through the Eyes of a Child
IN order to enjoy God’s creation to the full, man must shed his
indifference. He must look at the sunrise with the eyes of the very
young, and listen to the glad outpourings of the birds as if they sang
for the first time.
“When opened it was like a small tent, and when shut, it was all
curiously jointed and would fold up to the length of a man’s hand.”
Nowadays we would have some difficulty in recognizing the ubiquitous
umbrella from this description, but that is how it appeared to an early
observer when it first appeared in London in 1749. When a hand pump
was first installed in an Indian village at the
beginning of the century, it was an object of
great astonishment and curiosity. One old
woman, on seeing it, exclaimed: “Only death
has defeated man!”
In order to enjoy
God’s creation to
the full, man must
shed his indifference.
He must look at the
sunrise with the eyes
of the very young
and listen to the glad
outpourings of the
birds as if they sang
for the first time in
creation.
Thus, a long time ago, newly invented
umbrella and the handpump appeared quite
extraordinary. Nowadays, however, they have
become so commonplace, that people do not
even give them a second glance. Regrettably,
our attitude to the objects of God’s creation is
very similar. They had lost their novelty for us
even before the handpump and the umbrella
had come on the scene. Yet, everything that
exists in this world, be it the budding trees or
the birds on the wing, is quite wonderful beyond words. Because man
sees these lovely things every day, he ceases to have any regard for
their beauty and he loses his sense of wonder at their very creation.
But, were he to see them for the first time, like a blind man who has
suddenly regained his sight, his amazement would be unbounded. He
would marvel at every leaf and every petal, and at every little feather
on the wings of the birds.
THE WORD OF GOD
From The Scriptures
The Quran is the book of God. It has been preserved in
its entirety since its revelation to the Prophet of Islam
between AD 610 and 632. It is a book that brings glad
tidings to humankind, along with divine admonition,
and stresses the importance of man’s discovery of the
Truth on a spiritual and intellectual level.
Translated from Arabic and commentary by
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Alif Lam Mim. This Book has beyond all doubt been revealed by the
Lord of the universe. Do they say, ‘He has invented it himself.’? No
indeed! It is the truth from your Lord to warn a people to whom,
before you, no warner came, so that hopefully they may be rightly
guided. (
On the face of it, this is an ordinary statement consisting of just a
few words. But this is a very serious and portentous claim, which in
the entire history of religion, nobody has had the courage to profess,
except those chosen few to whom the Book of God was in actuality
revealed. Other than the appointed person, anyone who mustered the
audacity to utter these words, was either a trifler or a madman.
The Quran is a proof in itself. Its miraculous style, its claims that have
not been proved wrong even after centuries have elapsed,—all these
and similar considerations prove that it is a book sent by God. And since
it is a book of God, it is absolutely necessary that everybody should pay
heed to its warnings and gives serious thought to them.
It was God who created the heavens and the earth and whatsoever
is in between in six Days, and then He established Himself on the
throne. You have no patron nor any intercessor besides Him. So will
you not pay heed? He directs all affairs from heaven to earth. Then all
will again ascend to Him on a Day whose length is a thousand years
by the way you measure. Such is the Knower of the unseen and the
visible, the Powerful, the Merciful, who gave everything its perfect
form. He originated the creation of man from clay, then He made his progeny from an extract of a humble fluid. Then He moulded him; He
breathed His Spirit into him; He gave you hearing, sight, and hearts.
How seldom you are grateful! (
The gradual creation of the universe, in six days meaning six stages,
along with the system full of wisdom governing it, is indicative of the
fact that the Creator has some special purpose behind this creation.
Moreover, numerous processes are incessantly going on in the universe.
This further proves that its Creator is running it in a well-planned
manner. The human being is a wonderful living organism, but if his
body is analyzed, it will be found that it is composed of earth elements.
Then this creation does not end there, but continues eternally through
the process of procreation and regeneration.
If the individual gives deep and serious consideration to these facts, his
mind will be free of feelings of awe for anything except the Majesty of
God. He will become a grateful subject of God. But there are very few
who give deep consideration to anything. That is why there are very
few people who offer praises to God and are grateful to Him.
They say, ‘When we are lost in the earth, how can we then be recreated?’
Indeed, they deny they will ever meet their Lord. Say, ‘The Angel of
Death who has been given charge of you will gather in your souls.
Then you will [all] be returned to your Lord.’ If only you could see the
evil-doers hanging their heads in shame before their Lord, ‘Our Lord,
we have seen and we have heard, so send us back again and we will
act rightly. For we do indeed now believe.’ Yet had We so willed, We
could indeed have imposed Our guidance upon every human being:
but My word shall come true: ‘I will fill Hell with jinns and men all
together.’ We shall say to them, ‘Taste this—for you forgot you would
ever meet this Day. We too will forget you—taste the chastisement of
Eternity for your [evil] deeds!’ (
Man’s creation for the first time is enough to convince humankind of
the possibility of creation for the second time. But when a man does
not believe in his accountability before God, he ridicules the possibility
of a second creation, and he talks flippantly of it.
But, this amounts to taking liberties throughout the period of freedom
given for the purpose of putting man to test. And when this period
expires and a man dies and is made to stand before Almighty God
for the purpose of giving an account of himself, he will find himself
speechless. At that time, the arrogant will say that they now accept the
reality and will request that they be sent back into the world, so that
they may perform righteous deeds. But this admission at that stage will be useless. Had God desired that people should accept reality in this
way, He could have compelled them to accept it in the present world
itself.
Before God, that acceptance carries weight which is made without the
reality being visible. Acceptance after seeing the reality has no value.
The people who truly believe in Our messages are those who fall to the
ground in prostration when they are reminded of them, and glorify
their Lord with praise and are not arrogant. They forsake their beds,
calling upon their Lord in fear and in hope, and spend out of what We
have provided them with. No soul knows what joy is kept hidden in
store for them as a reward for their labours. (
For an individual to avail of guidance, his willingness to accept the
Truth is the most important factor. Only those who, by temperament,
are ready to accept the Truth whenever it presents itself before them—
whether it be revealed through a person of lesser importance, whether
such acceptance be a tacit admission of one’s own error, or whether
such acceptance leads to upsetting the existing system of one’s life—
are capable of availing of guidance. Only those who have such a capacity
will find the Truth. Those who want to accept the Truth, but at the same
time want their ‘greatness’ to remain intact, will never find it.
A man who sacrifices his greatness for the sake of Truth actually finds
the greatest thing, namely, the greatness of God. God enters his life
in such a way that he sleeps thinking about Him and wakes up with
memories of God. His hopes and fears are all linked with God. He
surrenders all his possessions to God to the point of not keeping back
anything for himself. Such people will forever relish the bounties of the
eternal Gardens of Paradise.
ASK MAULANA
Your Questions Answered
The remedy for ignorance is asking questions. (Prophet Muhammad)
The spirit of enquiry is the hallmark of an open society and the above
saying of the Prophet aptly illustrates this principle. A culture of
curiosity and open-mindedness will foster development in any society
by motivating its members to learn enthusiastically and enrich their
knowledge. This is because awareness of one’s ignorance is half of
knowledge, as it becomes a stepping-stone to seeking and finding
answers. A questioning mind is like a flowing river that is replenished
with fresh thoughts and ideas and continues on its journey.
Given the current state of the world, how could we see God as Most
Kind and Most Merciful, Most Powerful and Most Loving?
This is a very important question. I feel it is a very short-sighted approach
to look at some events transpiring in the world and hastily formulate
an opinion based on them. We should first develop an understanding
of the creation plan of God and then evaluate events in the light of this
plan.
History shows that difficulties and hardships have also played a vital
role in the progress of many countries. Hardships and challenges have
brought out the best from individuals and communities. The so-called
adverse and negative events in the world have culminated in setting
successful examples of re-planning. It has taught people the way forward
after having incurred losses and defeat. Any disadvantageous situation
creates a compulsion, which leads to new and positive developments.
Arnold Toynbee, a noted historian, has termed this phenomenon as
‘Challenge-Response Mechanism’. God creates compulsions to guide
people in the right direction, for people to learn and take heed. Many
communities have risen to great heights starting from utter distress.
Thus, God’s love, kindness and benevolence towards human beings
can be found in the way that this catastrophe has awakened man to
change his ways for better, before it is too late.
Take the present coronavirus pandemic. It is a situation which calls
humankind to realize, repent and return to nature, to respect nature
and to change its ways. Nature has been warning us in the form of
pollution, depletion of ozone layer, increase in atmospheric CO2, global
warming, floods, earthquakes, wildfires, disease, etc., which should have been enough to make us realize our irresponsible use of the
blessings of God. The warnings should have motivated us to change
our attitude towards nature. We neglected these signs and continued
heedlessly towards materialism and today we are facing a most difficult
and unprecedented situation in human history.
Still there is hope for humankind, if all of us choose to bring about
changes immediately and be steadfast irrespective of whether or not
they are imposed on us by the authorities. In this struggle, individual
responsibility is the only thing which can give the right results. As has
been rightly said, the soul of all reformation is the reformation of the
individual soul.
Maulana Wahiduddin Khan (1925-2021) was an Islamic scholar, spiritual guide, and an Ambassador of Peace. He authored over 200 books and recorded thousands of lectures giving the rational interpretation of Islamic concepts, prophetic wisdom, and the spiritual meaning of the Quran in the contemporary style. His English translation, The Quran, is widely appreciated as simple, clear and in contemporary style. He founded Centre for Peace and Spirituality (CPS) International in 2001 to re-engineer minds towards God-oriented living and present Islam as it is, based on the principles of peace, spirituality, and co-existence. Maulana breathed his last on 21 April, 2021 in New Delhi, India. His legacy is being carried forward through the CPS International Network.
What God most earnestly desires from human beings is worship. The Quran says: “I have not created jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” ( 51:56 )
