WEEK (1)

Learning outcomes
Students understand that individuals must adopt thoughts to navigate through life.
Students understand the elements required for thought.
Students understand the difference between superficial, deep and enlightened thought.

Introduction to Thought

In a world of increasing globalisation and integrating cultures, a person is subjected to a far

greater spectrum of thoughts and perspectives than ever before. This can be both a boon and a
bust, as mankind progresses through thought, however mankind can also be destroyed by
thought.
The most important factor affecting our actions in life is the thoughts we believe in and carry.
Without thought man drifts aimlessly from situation to situation, waiting for things to happen,
rather than initiating action and progressing. Without a set of beliefs or thoughts to keep a
person grounded on a clear path, a person would continually change their morals and
perspectives based on their desires, resulting in a degradation of society as a whole.

The Cognitive Triangle

Thoughts

Feelings Behaviour
As seen in the example above a person’s thoughts, feelings and behaviours constantly interact
and affect each other. If a person feels anger it would both affect their thoughts and their
behaviour, however through our intellect, Allah has provided us with a device for control, so that
we do not have to act upon impulse. There by our thoughts, feelings and behaviours would
generally be regulated by our minds and intellect. This form of regulation is what differs between
people and thus you can have two people react differently to the exact same situation.

In short man needs an ideology or complete way of life to believe in and to regulate his affairs.
There are answers available to these most fundamental of questions of who we are, why we are
here and how do we relate to life not only now but life before us and life in the future. The
challenge facing us is to exercise our minds to their full capability in finding the correct solution,
a solution that can be tested against reality, and ration, and will be comprehensive for all
circumstances. Only in the adoption of a comprehensive thought and ideology will mankind both
individually and collectively have peace of mind and a solid foundation upon which he is freed
up to truly progress. Society needs a way of life to which all problems can be referred and
solutions readily given. It is not acceptable to let life pass, without contemplating and deciding
the basis upon which life itself is built and organized.

Thoughts and perspectives

As our thoughts greatly dominate or decide our actions, we should be aware of how the process
of thought works. Through our five senses of Sight, Touch, Hearing, Smell and Taste man is able
to receive information. The mind once it has received the reality or information can then
distinguish it, provided it has previous information about it to link with what it has received. So
four elements are required for thought

1. The current reality

2. Sensations from the environment
3. A distinguishing / functioning mind
4. Prior information about reality

So a person may come across a plant which he recognises as a plant from his previous
information about what plants look like. Through sight, touch and smell he will perceive the
reality of the plant, but without previous information about the type of plant he cannot decide
if it is poisonous or edible. We should always keep these elements in mind when thinking, as
without correct previous information we cannot make correct informed decisions. Just receiving
information is not enough, people receiving information become educated not thinkers, the
process of linking to previous information and distinguishing it is the process of thought. The
search for comprehensive and truthful previous information to relate to today’s reality is critical
to man’s success.
 Reality

Sensing Thought Mind

Previous
Information

The prior information a person has about reality, along with their sensations from the
environment can be considered to be a person’s perspective. With the interaction of these two
elements, people can come to different conclusions about a similar situation.

Take the example of three people in a forest. Person A sees a green object shaped like a leaf,
connected to what seems to be a stick and thus concludes that this is part of a tree.
Person B sees the same object, however his view of the object allows him to see a pair of eyes
attached to what looks like the stick, thus he concludes that the object is a stick insect.
Person C sees the same object, with a similar view to person A, however his part experience tells
him that this object may be more than it seems, so he waits for a moment and thus manages to
see the object move, thus concluding that the object is a stick insect.

Classwork:
1. What is the difference between the three people in the example?
2. Which processes of thought impacted on their differing perspectives?
3. How can this example help us to deal with real-world scenarios?

The way man approaches thought differs, thought can be relatively superficial, deep, or
enlightened. The superficial thinker tends to judge based upon a brief look and makes decisions
without understanding. Deep thought, on the other hand, examines the reality in great detail;
once it is understood it is then judged. Through enlightened thought man not only understands
the reality, but also all that relates to it, and only then does he judge it.

Superficial Thought → Deep Thought → Enlightened Thought

The person that buys the first colourful table that appeals to his sense of fashion is thinking
superficially, whereas the man that studies the type of wood, veneer and construction of the
table thinks deeply. It is only the man that takes into account these factors and his use of the
table, the size of room it will fit, and his budget that uses enlightened thought. Man will satisfy
his needs and instincts through use of any of the three types of thought, but it is use of
enlightened thought that considers the reality, previous information and all that relate to them
that holds the future success for us. The view that any man holds all answers and can decide all
for himself is shallow in that it does not recognise man’s limitations or does not take into account
all in man’s environment or links with the past and future.

The bridge from thought to action

When we become convinced of the correctness of a thought, that thought or idea becomes a
concept which we carry, and as such it affects our behaviour. If we carry a concept of dislike
about a person, that will affect our behaviour towards that person. If we feel responsible
towards our husband/wife or family that will motivate us to support them. Concepts are
important in that they can be changed to change degenerative behaviour. Man should
constantly challenge the concepts that he carries. Any error in accepting the truth of an idea
which is wrong has a serious implication not only for the individual, but also for society,
especially if the false ideas are carried widely.

Man cannot progress at all unless he carries a comprehensive concept which explains fully our
situation. Such a concept must explain the relationship between man, life and the universe, and
all that was before this and all that is after it. Without previous knowledge covering this most
important question and enlightened thought we are in no position to deal with the questions
and challenges we constantly face in life. The man that does not know who he is, where he is
from and where he is going is in a sorry state.

Mankind’s greatest question

Where did I come from, and where am I going? is the question on every child's lips at some
stage. What is the relationship between man, life and the universe? What is the link between life
and what was before life, and what is after life? These are all the most natural of questions
which man wants an answer to, and indeed needs an answer to, to form a basis for all actions.
Without an answer, we are simply running with a limited view of life, i.e., what is here and now
with no regard to the past and future. Such a view of life is comparable to applying for a job
without asking the interviewer what the history of the company is, who they will be working for,
why the previous person left, what the job is, how the job is likely to develop, what the prospects
for promotion are and so on. To simply ask for the job without any reference to the past and the
future and how they are related is superficial and naive.

Should a person be drugged and wake up in a darkened room, he will naturally ask; who put me
here? why am I here? and what will happen next? (or what is outside the room?). Questions of
what happens after death evoke in many an uneasy feeling, a feeling that many shy away from
if they do not have a convincing answer. If we look upon existence before our birth as unknown,
one might say is doesn’t concern us, but we all return to a situation of seeming uncertainty after
death. The truth of the matter is that we want and need answers, and we want answers with
absolute clarity and certainty.
Classwork / Homework

1. What is the interaction between thoughts, feelings and behaviours called?

2. Give an example of each of the following:
• Superficial thought
• Deep Thought
• Enlightened Thought
3. Draw in your books the process of thought graphic on page 2 (reality, mind, previous
information & Sensing). Next to each concept, give an explanation & an example.
4. What previous information do you think would be required to answer Mankind’s greatest
question?
 WEEK (2)
Learning outcomes
Understanding the process to solving The Great Question
Understanding logical proofs to the existence of a creator
Understanding some attributes of The Creator
Learning Islam’s answer to The Great Question

Solving The Great Question

A comprehensive answer to the question of man, life and the universe and their
interrelationships through enlightened thought will provide the solution to all problems. This
greater problem will act as a base or point of reference to any matter or problem relating to
man and life. This is so because all problems are either partial problems related to the main
problem or an outcome of the main problem. Armed with an answer to this most basic question,
mankind individually and collectively is in a position to progress, freed up from the constant
worry of finding a correct reference point for any problem.

We are looking for the basis or creed of the ideology (way of life) for our lives. The basis or
comprehensive answer must agree with reality and be categorically proven as correct, otherwise
any answer stemming from the basis could be false.

Before solving the question, we should set some ground rules:

1. Firstly, any answer should be comprehensive. We must have the answer to the whole question
of man, life and the universe. Without this any related questions or problems stemming from
life, may be left unanswered

2. Any answer must agree with the reality and be a verifiable fact, to meet this criterion the
answer must agree with man’s nature and satisfy our mind or intellect.

3. To answer a question rationally requires that we limit ourselves to what we can perceive and
sense. We cannot rationally assess something which is hypothetical or beyond our capacity to
perceive it.

With these ground rules in mind, we can proceed to challenge ourselves in this most important
of questions. A challenge which can solve this issue with 100% certainty, or else we remain in the
dark with the constant inefficiency and worry that doubt brings.

Starting point

To solve the question of man, life and the universe let us start by observing what we know in
certainty about these three. All the previous information we have of these three, tells us that
they have certain similarities and unchanging rules. Man, life and the universe are limited,
indeed all that we can perceive is limited. What we mean by limited is that it all has a starting
point and an end point, and is not unlimited and infinite. We can see that man is born and dies,
and man cannot grow beyond a certain size in height and weight. All of life is similarly limited,
and the earth, moon and stars likewise have a starting and end point. The life of a star or galaxy
may be a very long period of time, but they are definitely limited in that they all have a starting
and ending.

The universe is a very large place, but it is a finite space, and is not unlimited. No scientist has
been able to bring definite evidence that suggests the universe has no limits. So to suggest that
it is infinite means we are going beyond the bounds of what we can rationally assess. Such a
thought requires us to challenge ourselves to find any example in our world of perception that
is unlimited, no matter how hard we search we cannot find such an example. All we can perceive
is limited, finite.

A second attribute of man, life and the universe is that all of these are needy and dependant.
Needy in that to exist, they must have assistance from something else, they are not self-
sustaining. Man needs food and water to survive. Plants and animals similarly are dependent
on a water cycle which in turn is dependent upon the sun, which is dependent upon the
relationship with the galaxies, and burning mass. Nothing that we can perceive can survive
independent of other things, there is nothing in our perception that is self-subsistent. So things
exist but do not have the power of existence. The fact that is inextricably interwoven with these
facts of being limited, finite, dependant, and needy is that ultimately there has to be a Creator
or initiator for it all.

The sum of all finite and dependant things is something that is finite and dependent, dependent
on what? Dependent upon something to start, and sustain life, and something to plan and
develop the complex interrelationship between all living things. Nothing exists of its own nature
as independent and in complete control of its own creation, or able to sustain itself. There can
only be one solution to the question of Creation, that an unlimited Creator has accounted for all
we see and perceive.

Anything that is finite must have a dynamic force to create it, otherwise it cannot come into
existence. All limited things depend upon something for their sustenance. There can be no doubt
over these points, challenge yourself to bring any example, all limited and dependant things are
created.

A second way of looking at this argument shows that if we contemplate about all we perceive
as being limited and dependant we can only explain it in two ways;

1. All we perceive depends for its existence on something else, which in turn depends on still
another thing, ad infinitum

OR

2. All we perceive derives its existence from something else that exists by its own nature and
that is accordingly eternal, unlimited.

The first notion is false because it does not provide an explanation of how anything came into
existence to begin with, it simply puts off giving a reason. It does not provide a reason why finite
and limited things exist, or from whence they came, it is therefore illogical, incomplete and
without an answer for us. Therefore, we deduce that all limited and dependant things depend
upon something that exists by its own nature. The arguments start when a description or
perception of the Creator is desired.
Alternative argument

Another approach to the question can be through the nature of the universe around us. In any
society we see that there are sets of rules that govern how that society function. It can range
from road signs to business laws, however the underlying processes that led to these rules being
established are intelligence and wisdom. A society has to have intelligence to create rules and
show signs of patterns. They also must be wise enough to determine why such rules need to be
set up.

We now apply this logic to the nature around us. We see in around us that atoms of a certain
type have the same size, there are protons and neutrons and electrons in set positions and orbits.
We see in our own bodies how our DNA is in essence a set of instructions akin to a programming
language, with instructions determining the colour of our eyes, our height, the shape of our
bodies, etc – all the while we do not have any conscious control over any of it.

These examples show proof of intelligence in design. It is not possible for something random to
have a set of rules and instructions bringing order to chaos.

If we were to imagine ourselves in a desert with lighting and rain and all the necessary
ingredients to create an electronic device, we could never imagine a functioning electronic
device like a phone to be created in such an environment regardless of how much time passes.
This is because such a device would require intelligence to control the temperatures and
scenarios in the environment in the process of each stage of development. It would also require
intelligence to program the device to function in a set pattern. Thus, if you discover a device like
this in a desert, you will never imagine that this came about by some accident, rather your first
thought would be ‘who did this belong to’? or something along those lines.

Thus, we apply this example to the universe around us and we can determine that this universe
has a creator with intelligence and wisdom.

There are many other logical arguments that can be presented, all of which point to the same
result. The existence of a ‘cause’ for the ‘effect’ of the world around us, and that ‘cause’ is a
creator with wisdom and intelligence.

Attributes of The Creator

When we contemplate upon the Creator, we deduce that it can only be either of three things;
Created by something else, Creator and created at one and the same time, or eternal self-
subsisting. To be created means that it is limited and therefore part of the creation and therefore
not the ultimate Creator. It is absurd that something can be creating itself and exist at the same
time. Therefore, the Creator can only be eternal and not dependant on anything in any time or
space. This attribute of eternity, or of infinity cannot be fully perceived by us, man is limited and
cannot perceive everything.

If we hear a knock at the door, we have a strong feeling that there is someone behind the door,
but we do not know who, we can only speculate. To speculate upon the essence or description
of the Creator is not necessary and can only be unproductive. We are concerned to prove the
existence of a Creator, rather than speculate upon that Creators detailed description which is in
any event beyond us.
The desire for greater understanding of something so important in our lives is only natural. To
gain greater understanding of something we cannot perceive, and we cannot perceive
something that is infinite and totally independent, requires that we seek only verifiable data
from that Creator. To speculate about the Creator can only lead to misery and error as the
unknown cannot be deduced by our limited minds.

Further, we have not yet addressed the comprehensive question, of what is man, life, and the
universe, what was before the life and what was after it, and what is the relationship between
them all. The answer to this comprehensive question will act as the basis, or creed for all sub
problems relating to life, and act as the reference for all the complex systems of life that man
implements, social systems, economic, political, foreign policy, judicial, etc. In short this will
explain man’s very purpose in life and give us direction for true progress. So far we have
examined the existence of a Creator, what is the relationship with the Creator? and
interrelationships with man, life, and what is after creation?

The Islamic answer to man’s greatest question

Islam has answered this question, by stating that man, life, and the universe are all created by
a one and only Creator (God in English, Allah in Arabic) and that before the life of the world was
God, God is beyond this life and the universe, and is eternal, and self-subsistent. After this life
there will be an ending and day of reckoning or judgement, in which man will return to his
Creator, to be followed by an everlasting existence in paradise or hell.

Islam has made the intellectual acceptance of this view a prerequisite for entering it. We
therefore should examine closely, intellectually, these points in order to assess them, and decide
upon their correctness or otherwise. Before we continue, we complete the Islamic basis or creed
(Aqedah in Arabic) upon which all problems and further questions in life will be referred. The
creed of Islam is that there is only one God that created man, angels and jinn, Muhammad (may
God’s peace be upon him) is the last in the chain of Prophets sent from God to guide mankind,
the Qur’an is the word of God sent as guidance for all of mankind, that after this life man will
be resurrected to face judgement concerning his actions, that after judgement follows paradise
or hellfire.

The Muslim (who submits to the will of God) should be intellectually convinced of these points
as irrefutable facts, if this is the case the Muslim will guide all actions and refer all problems
great and small to this basis or creed. Islam as an ideology or complete way of life (deen in
Arabic) has this basis as given by God, and all of life’s systems emanate and are directed from
this basis. We recall the ground rules that we need to apply to our assessment of this or any
other creed or comprehensive solution.

Classwork / Homework
1. What ground rules are needed before attempting to answer man’s greatest question? List all
three.
2. Explain what is wrong with the following statement: “All we perceive depends for its existence
on something else, which in turn depends on still another thing, ad infinitum”
3. Think of 3 examples of intelligent design that can be found in the world around us and list
them and explain them.
4. What is Islam’s answer to man’s greatest question?

WEEK (3)
 Learning outcomes
Understanding the process of thought and logic leading to the existence of God
Arguments mentioned in The Quran for the existence of God
Differences between The Creator and The Created
Discovering a discourse between Muslim and Atheist perspectives

The existence of God

Questions of the nature of God, and the existence of Hell, Paradise, or Angels, cause us some
difficulty, because we cannot perceive them, one of the criteria listed in the previous chapter. Is
it possible to prove their existence despite our non-perception of them? Let us start with the
existence of God.

As outlined earlier the existence of God can be proven by contemplating upon all known things
and deducing that they are all limited and dependant. The sum of all limited and dependant
things is limited or finite and all finite things have a beginning and end. All finite things must
have been created, as an external force is required to move something into a state of existence.
All dependant things are not self-sustaining, they therefore require a force to sustain them, they
do not exist of their own accord. The force we have identified, through rational proof, we have
called God or Allah. This proof has come through examining all within our perception therefore
meets our limit of perception criteria. The fact that God is infinite and self-subsistent, and we
cannot perceive God’s nature or description is not of concern in proving God’s existence. And to
spend time trying to perceive what we cannot is counterproductive and will not lead to ‘peace
of mind’.

We have intellectually brought a convincing argument for the existence of God. We must also
examine if this agrees with man’s nature. Man has certain instincts and organic needs, the
satisfaction of which he constantly strives for. The organic needs are for food and drink, without
which man will die. Instincts can be categorised as three: Survival or self-preservation,
Procreation or sexual, and Religiousness. We can see clearly certain manifestations or traits in
man reflecting his desire to satisfy these instincts. Thus, man acquires goods and nice objects,
likes to own property, wants a job and income, can be greedy, and may save for the future, in
attempting to satisfy his instinct for survival.

Similarly, compassion, affection, love, marriage, and sexual tendencies are expressions of the
procreational instinct in man. The desire to worship, sanctify, revere or approach something of
greater power or influence are part of man’s instinct of religiousness.

In a highly material and secular world many would deny the instinct of religiousness in man. The
facts disagree with this opinion. Even in the most avowed of atheist societies, such as
Communist Russia, where the creed of Communism denies the existence of a Creator, we find
busts and statues of men prominently displayed in order to satisfy man’s desire to look up to
something greater than him. Man has gone in some societies from the worship of the Creator to
the worship of men like Lenin or Marx.

In the West the situation is no different with man often worshipping or revering politicians,
influential businessmen, celebrities, Royalty, or even sports personalities. Such a situation of
human worship is not ultimately satisfying as all men are equally limited and dependant and
man cannot affect man’s ultimate destiny. We see politicians and philosophers making
mistakes, businessmen at times failing, and no sportsman could alter his destiny. If man is to
satisfy his instinct for religion, he should only revere that which has control over him, and to
which he will ultimately return. To worship or sanctify the relationship with God means man has
a particular focus in life, that of acknowledging his shortcomings, and seeking guidance for all
matters in life from the only source with absolute knowledge and understanding.

To worship only the Creator, the one with absolute knowledge and control can be the only truly
satisfying form of worship, in full agreement with man’s instinct for religion. Worship, or looking
up to other men or material things like money is intellectually weak and doesn’t satisfy our
instincts. Whilst man may believe in the existence of God through use of his instinctive emotions,
this can be unreliable and dangerous as emotions change and can add errors to one’s beliefs
and actions.

In history we see many examples of men going far astray in believing fantasies or superstitions,
or attributing human qualities to God, talking of a son of God, God reincarnates etc. all of which
is false and can lead easily to disbelief. For this reason, it is obligatory for the Muslim to believe
in the existence of God not solely through instinctive emotion, but with use of the mind.

The believer must be intellectually convinced of the existence of God or else emotions of belief
could be adversely changed. Concepts which people are convinced of will not change unless a
stronger intellectual argument is brought, so use of the mind is required for a lasting
understanding and belief.

"Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alteration of night and day, these
are indeed signs for men of understanding"
(Quran 3:190)

The Qur’an includes hundreds of verses directing man to look and contemplate deeply upon the
universe and creation, to look at its interrelationships, and attributes which guide one to belief
in the Creator, through use of the mind and ration.

"Lo in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of night and day, and the
ships which run upon the sea with that which is of use to men, and the water which Allah sends
down from the sky, thereby reviving the earth after its death, and dispersing all kinds of beasts
therein, and (in) the ordinance of the winds, and the clouds obedient between heaven and earth:
are signs (of Allah’s sovereignty) for people who have sense."
(Quran 2:164)
Arguments for the existence of God

When presenting the argument for the existence of God, four main points should be remembered:

1. The law of causation: “Everything must have been brought into existence through an efficient
cause or creator.”
2. Nothing exists by chance: “If we believe in the law of causation, then we know that nothing
is here by accident.”
3. Creator can’t be created: “A true creator has to be some kind of being that is not created by
anything or anyone.”
4. Creator is not bound by his own rules: “A true creator has to be above all the laws of
creation.”

The arguments for the existence of God are not limited to the four points above, however other
points of discussion are often subcategories of, or in some way linked to the points mentioned
above. Some examples of which are:

- Nothing comes from nothing: If there was nothing to begin with, then nothing can come from
it.
- Everything dependent must be reliant on something independent: For something to be
dependent, it must rely on something thus causing an infinite domino effect when trying to
say that the dependent universe came about on its own

The Quran approaches the issue of arguments about the existence of God by encouraging
rational discourse. In fact, this is clearly evident in the life of Prophet Abraham, who is addressed
in the Qur’an as ‘leader of the God conscious’. He travelled to a place in Palestine where he
found people who did not believe in God but worshiped celestial bodies. In his dialogue with
these people, Abraham employed reason to demonstrate the existence of God. He stood before
the people, and observed a star, the moon and then the sun. Every time each of them came up
he said, “this is my Lord” – as a method of teaching. However, when each disappeared, he
announced his dissatisfaction with such deities, and declared his freedom from polytheism as
an example to his people.

[When] he saw a star. He said: “This is my Lord.” But when it set, he said: “I like not
those who set.” When he saw the moon rising up he said: “This is my Lord.” But when
it set, he said: “Unless my Lord guides me, I shall surely be among those who err.”
When he saw the sun he said: “This is my Lord. This is greater.” But when it set, he
said: “O my people! I am indeed free from all that you join as partners in worship
with God.

Quran, Surah Al-An’am, 6:76-78

To his father and all other idol worshippers of his time, Ibrahim argued:

“O my father, why do you worship that which can neither hear nor see nor benefit you at all?”
(Quran Surah Maryam, 19:42)

Do you worship…that which neither benefits you nor harms you? … will you not be reasonable?
(Quran Al-Anbiya, 21:66-67)
To see how reason and logic is employed in dealing with arguments on the existence of God,
read Dr. Ansari’s article involving two friends and their debate about God. It gives an idea not
only on the myths and beliefs atheists have about God, but it also provides a starting point on
why we have to believe that God exists.

Source 1.0
My friend is a man who likes to argue and delights in talking. He thinks that we, naïve believers
as we are, feed on illusions and miss the pleasures and attractions of this world deceiving
ourselves with paradise and houris. He studied in France where he got a Ph.D. degree,
consorted with hippies, and came to disbelieve in everything. He addressed me sarcastically:

You say that God exists. The chief among your proofs is the law of causation which stipulates
that every artifact, creature, or existent must have been brought into being by a maker,
creator, or efficient cause: a piece of fabric points to the weaver, a painting to the painter,
and an engraving to the engraver. The universe, according to this logic, is the most convincing
proof of an almighty God who created it. Granted that we believe in this creator, aren’t we
entitled, according to the same logic, to ask, “who created the creator; who created that God
you talk about?” Doesn’t your own reasoning and in keeping with the same law of causation
lead you to this question? Now, what have you to say about this dilemma?

I replied to him by making it clear that his question was meaningless. There is no dilemma or
anything of that sort. You admit that God is a creator and then you ask about who created
Him making him both creator and created. This is a contradiction. The other side of your
question’s meaninglessness is that you imagine the creator as being subject to the laws that
govern his creatures. Causation is a law for us who live in space and time. God, who created
space and time, is beyond and above these two and it is an error on our part to think that He
is bound either by them or by their laws. It is God who created the law of causation and we
cannot consider Him as subject to the law He created. In this sophistry of yours you are like
those dolls that, seeing they move by strings, imagine that the human who made them must
also derive his motion from the action of strings. If they were told that he is self-moved, they
would retort that it is impossible for anything to move spontaneously since everything in their
world is moved by a spring. Just like them, you cannot imagine that God exists in His own
Essence with no need of an efficient cause; and this is because you see everything around you
of such a cause. God is infinitely exalted above such conceptions.

The German philosopher, Immaneul Kant realized, in his Critique of Pure reason, that the mind
cannot comprehend infinite realities and that it is by nature fitted only to apprehend
particulars. It is incapable of apprehending such a universal or total existence as that of the
divinity. God was known by conscience not reason. Just as our thirst for water is a proof that
it exists, our yearning for justice is proof to us that a just Being exists. Aristotle followed the
chain of causality tracing the chair from wood, wood from the tree, the tree from a seed, and
the seed from the planter. He had to conclude that this chain which regresses into infinite time
must have begun with an “uncaused” cause, a creator has no need to be created. This is the
same thing we assert of God.

Nothing exists by chance. If we allege that all this came into being by chance, we would be
like a person who believes [that a book can exist without an author]. The Quran spares us all
these arguments with a few, expressive words. It says without sophistry and in a decisive
clarity:

“Say that God is One, the eternal. He begot none nor was He begotten. Nothing is like Him.”

My friend continued to question me in his sarcastic tone: “Why do you say that God is one?
Why shouldn’t there be many gods sharing the „work‟ among themselves?” I chose to reply
 to him not with the aid of the Qur’an but with the logic he accepts, that of science. My answer
was that God is one because the entire universe is built according to a unified plan… All forms
of life are built according to one anatomical plan. Whether we are dealing with plants,
animals, or humans, we meet with the same features; they all breathe, breed, die in a similar
way. What is so strange, then, in asserting that the creator is one? Does He suffer from a
deficiency to need completion? It is the imperfect only who multiply. If there were more than
one God, they would fall among themselves; each taking his own creation to his side and the
world would be ruined.

My friend mocked the concept of divinity (Rububiyyah) that we believe. He wondered at that
god who created everything big or small, master all creatures. No leaf falls but He knows of
it and no fruit grows out of its bud, but He takes count of it. No female conceives and gives
birth without His knowledge. It is He who causes the foot to stumble over a hole and the fly
to fall in a plate of food. Even if the land is dead or the rain doesn’t fall or, conversely, if it
pours down, He is behind all these events. “Don’t you keep your god busy”, asked my friend,
“with too many trivial things under such conception of Him as that?”

I don’t really understand my friend. Would God, in his opinion, be more of a divinity if He
relieved himself of all responsibility and, turning his back to the world he created, left it
unattended to destroy itself in conflicts? Is the true divinity in his estimation that idle,
unconscious being who does not hear, see, or respond to his creatures and look after them? It
is to be further asked: from what quarter did he know that certain affairs are important and
serious enough to deserve such attention? The fly, which appeared to the inquirer so
insignificant that it doesn’t matter whether it falls in a plate of food or not, can change history
with such an unimportant fall. It could thus infect an army with cholera giving victory to the
other side and consequently, totally altering the course of history. Wasn’t Alexander the Great
killed by a mosquito? The most trivial premises can lead to the most serious consequences,
whereas the most important beginnings can result in nothing. The knower of the unseen alone
realizes the value of everything. It remains to be asked whether my friend has set himself up
as a trustee over God defining his prerogatives for Him. Our Lord is most holy and high above
such naïve conception. He is the only one worthy of divinity, His knowledge comprehends all
and nothing in the universe escapes Him.

Adapted from an article by Dr. Ansar pp: 6-9

The existence of God has now been covered using intellectual and instinctive arguments and by
utilising all evidence within our perception. From this position we need to question the rest of
the creed (aqeeda) and challenge the correctness of its articles. We start by examining the
question of divine guidance. What has God given us, what is the mechanism for man to solve
his problems?

Classwork / Homework
1. Refer to the information in the text and identify major questions atheists use to argue against the
existence of God.
2. Refer to source 1.0.
(a) How did the Greek philosopher Aristotle follow the chain of causality?
(b) What did the German philosopher, Immanuel Kant realise about the mind in his Critique
of Pure Reason? What were his conclusions about the existence of God?
3. Using the information from the Quran, indicate five instances in which reason is invoked to explain
the existence of God.
4. List down the major reasons mentioned in the article above as arguments for the existence of
God.
5. Write a letter to an atheist colleague. You need to include a brief summary of what you have learnt
in explaining the existence of God through the use of logic and reason.
6. Write down what you understand by the words (i) Creator and (ii) Created.
7. As a creator, how is God different from other beings? List down four things that highlight this
distinction.
 WEEK (4)
Learning outcomes
- Understanding the origins of the universe through the GORAP method
- Determining the logical process to ascertain the truth behind the origins of the universe
- Understanding some hypothetical examples to determine the logical proofs of The Creator
- Understanding the oneness of God through logic and Islamic concepts
- Understanding Monotheism and Polytheism

GORAP

One way of better understanding the proofs of the existence of God and the truth of Islam is to
go through the methods used to invite people to Islam. There are many methods used to invite
people Islam, ranging from question & answer sessions to lectures to open mosque days.
However, when discussing Islam through a logical and structured way one method seems to
have resounding success and it has been dubbed “GORAP”.

The anacronym itself preserves the sequence of topics that should be discussed and agreed
upon throughout the discourse. The reason for their order lies in the fact that one cannot move
onto another topic without first agreeing on the former, just as one cannot talk about the
oneness of God without first agreeing that there is a God, one cannot talk about prophethood
without first agreeing that God sent down revelation.

There is however, one fundamental topic that must be agreed upon before even beginning to
study the above method, and that is to agree to use common sense and reason to understand
the world around us. Often a person will be swayed by personal feelings or preconceived notions,
thus preferring blind belief over rational thought. Thus, it is important for us and anyone we may
be speaking with to first agree to adhere to reason, common sense and rational thought when
approaching the above topics.
A typical example of reasoning can be made from the following scenario: A man wearing only
red underpants knocks on your door asking to read your gas or electricity meter. Would you let
him in? A logical person would deny him entry and would reason that the person who reads the
meter usually comes in a company uniform. They may have some equipment with them to read
the meter. They may also have identification or a name badge to prove themselves, whereas
this man in red underpants has none of these things.

The point behind this scenario is that we use our reasoning for even the most mundane of
everyday tasks. Some tasks may take time to think about than others, however if we rely on our
reasoning for everything in our lives, then how important should it be to apply reason when
dealing with what religion we should follow and what we should believe in. It follows from this
that simply ‘believing’ in something without any evidence behind it is a recipe for disaster rather
than success – as can be seen in the above example, simply believing a person based on what
is said, rather than taking into consideration the other proofs in front of you could end in you
inviting a psychopath into your home.

God

The first topic of discussion would be to agree upon the existence of a creator for everything.
Since we have already spoken extensively about proofs of the existence of God in the previous
chapters, we will only touch on it again briefly here.

The argument most often given when speaking logically starts with the proof of the world and
universe around us, as everything we see and interact with, and everything we study in science
seems to work in consistency with a complete set of laws. Everything seems to operate around
a set of patterns ever repeating.

Look for example at the alternation of night and day. If we think about something really simple
like that we find that if the Earth was spinning at a faster rate than it is, then the sun would be
unable to heat the Earth to an appropriate degree for life to exist, and if it were spinning at a
slower rate than it is, it would heat up too much for life to exist, and if it were spinning at a
slower rate than it is, it would heat up too much also causing an issue for life to exist.

We can also consider the size of our planet. A larger or smaller sized Earth would mean a change
in the level of gravity, perhaps making things unfeasible for life to exist. Even when considering
the composition of gasses in the atmosphere, the right combination and balance of oxygen,
carbon dioxide and nitrogen is essential for life to exist. If the Earth was closer or further to the
sun, then it would affect the tides and the temperature and entire swathe of systems that we
rely on to exist.

Even more amazing perhaps are the roles

of the planets around us which also help
maintain life on earth. Researchers from
NASA were able to discover that gas
giants such as Jupiter and Saturn can
prevent Earth from experiencing major
asteroid impacts. Based on their
findings, these gas giants seem to
balance out the solar system and
protect other planets from getting hit by
massive asteroids through their large
gravitational effect.

All these arguments point to an undeniable fact – that this planet has been very finely tuned for
life on it to exist. We find this underlying concept of fine-tuning repeating in all the systems
around us. And when we consider the vastness of the galaxy, this kind of precision and fine-
tuning which stems right down to the smallest possible particles, makes all of this even far more
amazing.

These kinds of examples also show within ourselves, like the function of our organs, how the
kidneys can selectively remove harmful toxins, how our DNA is akin to a code programmed to
perform a set task. Or within the animal kingdom and how the food chain keeps everything in
balance. Or through perhaps the water cycle that is a system in and of itself, maintaining the
flow of water through the earth to the sky and back – an example which is even made mention
of in The Quran. Or perhaps even most amazing of all, the forces which were present when the
universe was supposed to be forming, of what is referred to as the strong and weak nuclear
forces, were in such a delicate and perfect balance that it was possible for the universe to form;
should their ratio have been of by the slightest of amounts, then life as we know it would simply
not exist.

All of these arguments seem to suggest that there is a type of precise engineering, a great
intelligence and precision behind this universe and this world in which we live. Thus, shouldn’t
common sense dictate that should we see things working according to laws, systems and
patterns, that there is something that made those systems and laws and patterns?

Or does it make sense that everything discussed is a product of randomness? Did we create the
universe? Did the universe create itself? None of these arguments make rational sense.

A hypothetical example for the existence of God

If we take the example of an archaeologist digging in the sand and coming across a piece of
pottery. The archaeologist does not need to see the civilisation that made the piece of pottery.
For him or her, the existence of this piece of pottery is conclusive proof and evidence of the
civilisation that brought it into existence. The archaeologist can often also tell us many things
about the level of sophistication and technology of that civilisation simply by examining that
piece of pottery. For example, he can determine where the clay came from, what temperature
the clay was baked at, to reach the level of consistency it is at. This also tells the archaeologist
can then determine the level of sophistication of the ovens used to bake the clay. If there is
writing on the pot, then that would add an even greater level of detail that can be studied. All
of these things are evidence of the intelligence behind that piece of pottery. An archaeologist
would never claim that the piece of pottery came into existence through the course of random
events, as this goes completely against logic.

When applying this logic to the universe around us, it becomes impossible for us to dismiss the
fact that there is an intelligent designer behind everything. Surely all of these perfectly co-
existing and finely tuned systems were put into place by a being of great intelligence and
wisdom. This is the inevitable conclusion of the rational mind and common sense.

In response to the above argument a person can claim that systems of design stemming from
civilisations or companies are made from the combined effort of multiple people. Why then does
there only have to be one God? The answer to which leads us to the next element in GORAP,
which is proof of God’s oneness.

The Oneness of God

If we were to say that there are multiple Gods or a consortium of Gods, then yes, intelligence
would still be at play when talking about the afore mentioned systems, however there is a major
oversight occurring. The oversight stems from the fact that this universe is dependent on
something else, everything which is created is dependent on that which created it – an argument
mentioned in the previous chapters. If we were to say that there were multiple Gods who worked
together to create the universe, then that would necessitate their combined need for each other
– thus throwing us back into the never-ending domino effect of the need for dependence. The
creator of the universe must be different from his creation. He must be independent of his
creation, depended upon by his creation, but not dependent on anything or anyone himself.

This can be further examined through the example of a person wishing to lift a table. Imagine a
person wishes to lift the table, however they require help to do so, so they ask another person
to come and help lift the table. The person who responds says “I can help lift the table only if I
have help from someone else as well”. Thus, the person you sought for help, seeks help. Then
the person that responds to that call for help, also seeks help, ad infinitum. The table, in the
end, will never be lifted, due to the impossible scenario that is required to first lift it. This problem
is referred to as “The Chain of Causality”. Thus, we must conclude that there can only be a single
independent creator who is unique.

The uniqueness and oneness of God is clearly described in Surah Al-Ikhlas in The Quran:

Say, ˹O Prophet, ˺ “He is Allah—One ˹and Indivisible˺; Allah—the Sustainer ˹needed by all˺. He
has never had offspring, nor was He born. And there is none comparable to Him.” (Quran: 1-
4:114)

This chapter in The Quran mentions the same points we have made in our logical explanation,
wherein it mentions that The Creator – Allah – is one. There can only be one independent being,
while everything else must be dependent on him and thus, Allah mentions that he is The
Sustainer. Finally, Allah mentions that there is none comparable to Him, this further drives home
the point that the creation can never be like the creator himself, as he is uncreated.

It is amazing how sura AL-Ikhlas so perfectly answers the question about the creator, in that
the one who has no beginning and no end, the one who is totally self-sufficient, the one who is
free from all needs and wants, does not need a creator by definition, because he is the one who
has no beginning and no end and is the eternal creator of all things. Thus, the question “Who
created Allah?” is a question with no meaning, as logic and reason leads us inevitably to the
understanding that there must be a being whose nature is different to that of the creation. If the
creation is temporary, finite and needy, then the creator should be eternal, infinite and self-
sufficient.

In fact, posing the question “Is it possible to have two self-sufficient, eternal, infinite beings?”
should always lead the logical mind to the fact that there can only be one such being.

The case against polytheism

The definitions and logical arguments given above alone should assuage any doubts about
monotheism (beliefs that there is only one God), and thus firmly counter any claims to
polytheism (beliefs that there are multiple Gods). Some religions however make claim to
monotheism while in the same breath divide the concept of God into different parts or even
claim to God deficient human-like attributes. Some examples of these claims include claims
that Jesus (pbuh) is God, or that God, Jesus (pbuh) and Jibreel (Gabriel / The holy spirit) are a
part of a trinity – The Father, The Son & The Holy Ghost.

Often, during a discourse with an individual who ascribes to one of the above beliefs, calling
into question the logical fallacy of applying human-like attributes to God, or dividing the concept
of God, the claimant would defend by saying that it is perhaps impossible to understand God.
This is why we began this chapter with a discussion about the importance of logical reasoning
and adhering to rationality with the example of the man in the red underpants. If we cast aside
our rationality and reasoning in the course of determining who our lord is, then we would
inevitably come to strange conclusions.

One should take note however, that even claimants to the belief of the trinity or the divinity of
Jesus (pbuh) would prove the existence of God following the same rational given in this chapter.
They would apply the same logical proofs that God needs to be eternal and infinite and self-
sufficient, however due to their casting aside of logic for blind faith, they fail to see the problem
that Jesus (pbuh) was temporary – in that he was born and will die, and that he was finite - in
that he was limited to his capability as a human and that he was needy – as even their holy
books make note that Jesus (pbuh) used to eat and required sustenance. Thus, the issue remains
that Jesus (pbuh) cannot be both infinite and finite at the same time, nor can he be temporary
and eternal at the same time, nor can he be needy and self-sufficient at the same time.
Classwork / Homework
1. What does the GORAP anacronym stand for?
2. Explain in your own words the importance of adhering to logic in any discourse about our
origins or the origins of the universe?
3. Give a hypothetical example of your own to show the importance of using our logic in daily
situations.
4. What does surah AL-Ikhlas tell us about the nature of God?
5. Define Monotheism and Polytheism.
6. Explain in your own words why the beliefs of a human being God or God being a part of a
trinity are logically incorrect.
 WEEK 5
Learning outcomes
Understanding the role of Prophets & Messengers
Determining the author & authenticity of The Quran
Determining the way through which progress can be made in society

The claim that Jesus (pbuh) is the “son” of God

Some claimants of the trinity – discussed in the last chapter – would claim that Jesus (pbuh) is
not God himself, rather he is the “son” of God. This claim should first be analysed based on the
intention of the claimant. In the English language, when a person claims that another is their
“son”, then a person would immediately conclude that two people came together to perform a
physical act that resulted in a child being born to them. If this is their claim, then we can easily
see the logical fallacy involved with such a concept.

Take the example of a person claiming that they are getting a goldfish and they are going to
adopt that fish as their biological son.

Jack: “This is Fred, The Goldfish, my son.”

Jamie: “Well, excuse me… That’s a fish, and you’re a human being, what do you mean that’s
your son?”
Jack: “No, no, no, he is my son. He has a room in the house, we have dinner together and the
adoption papers are coming through next week.”
Jamie: “Look, you can’t have a fish as a son. It doesn’t mean anything, it’s crazy.”

This example would be the general response to a such a crazy claim of a human taking some
other type of creation as their own son. However, it should be noted that the concept of taking
a fish as your own biological child is far more plausible than God taking a son for himself. We
have far more like fish than we are to God.
The claim that God has taken a human being as a son should be considered an extreme insult
against The Creator as Allah is far removed from such needs and imperfection. In fact, this very
concept was mentioned by Allah in The Quran and The Prophet (pbuh) in a hadith:

A Segway into Revelation & Messengers

At this point we have established two important facts:

1. There is a creator
2. There can only be one creator

This now leads us on to the next logical issue and that is one of revelation. The fact that we
were created leads us back to mankind’s greatest question about our purpose in life and why
are we here.

When asked these questions, most people – who do not believe in a creator - would not know,
or attempt give an answer similar to: “I exist to do this job” or “I exist to love this person”.
However, in reality, these answers are simply what a person may wish to do with their life and
is not an answer to why humans exist. When we look to the world around us, we see that each
type of creation has their own special purpose. Every bird, every animal, every insect, has a
special function and purpose for which Allah has created it. Thus, we should ask, as human
beings, what purpose do we have in the world and why do we exist?
The answers to these questions can only ever come from the one who placed us here and gave
us everything we have. But how can we determine that the creator has provided us with
revelation in the first place? And where or what is that revelation?

A good way to look at this is to consider the fact that as humans we all have needs, but not only
has our creator instilled within us certain
needs, but he also provided the means
to satisfy those needs. For example, a
person feels a need to drink when they
are thirsty, and thus, we have been
provided with water. A person feels
hunger, and so we have been provided
with food and provision to satisfy that
need. We also feel the need for
companionship and love and thus our
creator has provided us with a means
through which we can get married and
procreate.

Since The Creator has already fulfilled our needs for our daily functions, it also stands to reason
that our creator would fulfil our existential need to understand what the purpose of our life is
and what the reality of our existence is.

So, the question now, is how would God provide for our existential need? In what way can he
fulfil that need?

Some people would suggest that God should speak with each person individually. They would
claim that it is not appropriate to speak with only one person or certain individuals, rather God
should speak with each member of humanity to tell them about their purpose in life.

There is a very big problem with this argument however, and that is, if God spoke to every person
individually, it wouldn’t take long before people start making false claims about what they heard
from God. People would start laying claim to their neighbours’ houses and property, saying that
this was God’s decision, and they are simply acting on divine instruction. We can see the disaster
of social media in our own lives, with people falling lying and deceiving for views… Imagine then
how people would conduct themselves with such a large potential for gain.

A far better method would be a select few or perhaps even a single person, who was known for
certain qualities earning them the trust of their people and for God to reveal things to them,
having them as his messengers to their own communities. In this way, mankind would be free
from the evil desires in their hearts as the guidance from God is known to only be revealed to a
certain person, thus, any other claims to divine guidance would be rejected.

The message given to these people, or the selected person should also be of a transparent
nature, so that everyone can analyse for themselves the validity of their claims by checking the
claimed revelation. Each person can make up their own minds about the truth or lack thereof,
contained in the ‘revelation’ as it becomes a reference point, something we can all go back to if
we have a disagreement to check what God wants from us.

Therefore, we find that this is the method chosen by The Creator for delivering his message. The
Messengers He chooses are living manifestations of how best to act upon that guidance that
God has given us. So, The Messengers are not only those tasked with passing on the message,
but they also live the message. This is one of their most important tasks, as if the messengers
were angels or supernatural beings, then it would be an excuse for mankind to not live up to the
expectations in the message, because the message bearer themselves is of a different nature to
those receiving the message. People would say “It’s easy for you to say pray and fast, because
it’s easy for you as an angel, or as some other being, but for us it’s too hard.” However, since
the message bearer is a human like themselves, they have no option for complaint as they feel
the same difficulty as everyone else and thus serve as practical examples for the implementation
of God’s commands.

The need for Messengers and Prophets

Mankind is driven to satisfy his organic needs and his instincts, and without any form of criterion
for right and wrong surely, he will go astray. The annals of history are full of man’s oppression
of man. Greed, selfishness, killing, monopoly, and vice are manifestations of man fulfilling his
survival instinct. If man is prepared to go as far as killing others in satisfaction of his needs, then
surely man needs control over his actions. Without a criterion for action the striving for
satisfaction of man’s needs will lead him to constant conflict with others. One man’s freedom is
another’s slavery.

Man is always subject to bias, disparity, differences, contradictions, and the influence of his
current environment, hardly a basis for complete impartiality and absolute truth. Any man-made
system will suffer from these same bias, disparity, differences, contradictions, and influence.
The example of modern-day politicians and their links with the business community serves as a
reminder of how the supposedly impartial nature of the political function can be abused.

The religiousness instinct within man serves as a reminder to us of how mankind can be diverted
from his true goal in life. History shows us many instances of man worshipping the Sun, Stars,
Fire, Stone idols, and more recently books, writers, leaders, and material things. Faced with this
strong instinct of dependence/sanctification man strives to satisfy this need, but without a
system or clear guidance in this matter, purely intuitive or instinctive acts of worship have led
man astray. Man must use his mind to establish the source of the correct form of
sanctification/worship. It is not possible for a limited being to comprehend an unlimited being,
therefore the Creator has given mankind communication through a channel that is clear for him.

God has sent Prophets and Messengers (Messengers with the divine law) to mankind to give
guidance in all our affairs. The Prophets were each given miracles which proved to mankind the
authenticity of their Prophethood. We see that Musa (Moses) was given the miracle of his staff
turning into a snake which devoured the staffs of the magicians. Similarly, Isa (Jesus) was given
the ability to cure the sick and raise the dead. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was given the Quran,
the word of God, split the moon but the will of Allah, multiplied food and water, etc.

These measures are in place to prove to the people the authenticity of the prophet’s truthfulness.
Any person can claim prophethood, however unless they are receiving revelation from God, then
they are simply liars. These miracles are given to them by God to prove their status. As one of
the miracles given to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was The Quran, we need to examine the text
to determine its authenticity as well.
Classwork / Homework

1. Explain the logical problem of claiming that God has a son.

2. In what ways are mankind more akin to fish than we are to God?
3. How did the son of Adam lie and abuse God according to the Hadith in Sahih Bukhari 4212?
4. Explain what an “Existential Need” is and why God would provide a way to satisfy it?
5. Why would God send mankind humans as messengers instead of angels?
6. What purpose do miracles serve in relation to messengers? And name some miracles given
to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)