A Journey To The Fact

This book tries to answer some serious questions and respond to related doubts concerning faith and belief in God. It also discusses the reasons why some religious people let others go astray.

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Translator’s Preface

This book tries to answer some serious questions and respond to related doubts concerning faith and belief in God. It is recommended for those suffering from unacceptable interactions with religious people and those who would like to be more familiar with the true nature of religion. It also discusses the reasons why some religious people let others go astray.

This book provides answers to the following questions:

• Has the universe been created for nothing? Has it been created by someone for a purpose? Or was it merely an accident?

• Is there any aim beyond the creation of the world?

• Who governs the world? Nature, superpower or God?

• Why should some people ask the youth not to query too much about the Creator? Is there a lack in the Creator that the youth shouldn’t know about? Or do we have difficulties in making this misunderstanding clear?

• Is the Creator cruel, or kind and merciful? How and why?

• Why should some people suffer from many problems while we emphasize that the Creator of the universe is ‘kind’? Is there any ambiguity with this expression? Or is there something we don’t know?

• Why do we always see the traditional religion in places where cruelty and poverty are noticeable?

• Are we going to believe in a traditional religion or are we going to discover a religion that covers nowadays’ requirements?

• Why are those preaching for religion always keen on motivating people to pray and perform religious duties while they themselves are not so keen to inform those people about their social, economic and political rights?

Last but not least, when we see all the problems in the religious societies, can we say that there is a problem with the religion itself; or should we say that there are problems with the believers but not the religion?

In brief, this book tries to present an easy-to-understand text to be followed by the youth as well as parents in order to be able to answer questions and queries pertaining to religion and faith.

S e p tem b e r 2 0 0 6
M a j e e d M uh a mm a d

Obligation.. Doubt.. Who Is God?!

The son was watching TV when his father came home late at night. He knew that there was something serious his father wanted to say. The family had just finished supper when the father asked his son to go into a quiet room nearby to have their conversation. The son was very curious to know the subject to be discussed with his father.

F Do you know why I wanted to see you tonight, son?

S No Dad. But I guess it is something serious.

F I have been thinking and planning for this meeting and the coming ones for a while.

S Since when, Dad?

F Since your puberty, about a year ago. I’ve been preparing a special program for you.

S What is this program? And what does it have to do with my puberty?

F Puberty is the transition period between childhood and manhood, fun and seriousness, unlimited freedom and responsibility, as you know. In this program, I’m going to have a series of discussions with you about religion, beliefs, faith, life, mankind, society, the universe and many other things that you should know the true meaning of and develop an opinion and attitude suitable to your state of maturity and adulthood.

S Thank you, Dad, for trusting me.

F Son, first of all, this trust is God’s trust. And if you didn’t have the capacity, He wouldn’t entrust you with obligations. It is an honor that humans alone, of all the creatures of the earth, are entrusted with obligations.

S Quite right Dad, what you say makes me feel proud, and love God even more because He obliges me with responsibility. I hope to be a good servant of God and to love and obey him.

F Well-said. A righteous servant loves God and obeys Him.

Love and obedience are inseparable. A poet said “A lover obeys the beloved.”

S It seems to me that those who disobey God do this because they don’t have the love of God in their hearts.

F Exactly, even some of those whose faith is weak don’t feel the love for God; so, when they perform their religious duties, they do so with reluctance, and when they pray, they pray with laziness.

S Yesterday, I read this in the Quran: “If ye do love Allah, Follow me: Allah will love you.”

F What do you understand from this verse?

S I infer that there is a mutual love between God and the believer.

F And that love means obedience and enduring hardship for the sake of the beloved.

S I liked the supplication that Mom read yesterday in the al- Sahifah al-Sajjadiyyah1 and I’m trying to memorize it.

F Which supplication, son?

S The supplication that says: “.. I ask for your love and the love of those who love you; the love of every task which brings me closer to You, to be my strongest love rather than any others’, and to make my love towards You as a lead to your Heaven, and my eagerness to You as a prevention of disobedience.”

F This supplication also sheds light on the relationship between love and obedience.

S But Dad, how can we find God’s love in our hearts?

F It is simple: by knowing Him. If you truly know Him, you’ll get the ultimate love.

S So, the first step is: knowing God.

F “The first thing in religion is to be aware of it”, mentioned in Nahj al-Balaghah2.

Knowing God is the first thing in religion, and this knowledge is a prerequisite for loving Him. Therefore, knowing God is a prerequisite for religion and for loving Him. This is a mathematical equation, son, or something similar to a math equation.

S How?

F In math, there is something called substitution when dealing with equations.

S Yes, you remind me of that. When we apply it, we say: Knowledge = Religion. Knowledge = Love; and by substitution we find that religion is love, don’t we, Dad?

F And this is what Imam al-Sadiq (Peace be upon him) said.

S What did he say?!

F He said “Is religion anything other than love!” Son, love is the most beautiful thing in the world.

S God is great.3 You are speaking with me in the youth language, the language of...

F An adolescent?

S Well, Dad, I was shy to say this.

F Yes, I spoke to you using the teenagers’ language, as God’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) commands us to speak with people according to their way of thinking. God sent each Messenger to speak to people in their own language. So why shouldn’t I speak with you like a teenager?

S Exactly Dad, unless someone hears something in his own language, he won’t understand it and hence won’t interact with it. One of our teachers had given me a religious book as a present. I struggled when I tried to read it, and after a while I gave up because of its language which sounded like that of our ancestors who lived ages ago; therefore, it had nothing to do with our life today.

F This is the reason why some youth turn away from religion because they find no representation of religion in a language that they can understand. This time is the time of computer and internet, and it’s impossible to present Islam through very old books written long time ago.

S How nicely you speak, Dad! I feel I love you more than ever and love God and thank Him for giving me such a wonderful father.

F And I love God more for giving me such a son.

S Praise be to God!

F Praise be to God!

S We wandered away from the subject, Dad.

F On the contrary, we have reached the core of the subject... we reached the subject of love. My love for you and my love for God lead me to talk to you about religion, life, God, human beings, the world and the hereafter... I want you to have a comprehensive review of all thoughts related to religion after you have reached your maturity.

S But Dad, you have discussed with us almost all of our religious issues, explained many ideological problems, clarified the principles and the components of the religion and showed us the path of guidance. Do you see a shortcoming in my faith, or defect in my behavior?

F It’s not about a shortcoming in faith or misbehaviors, son.

It is something else, completely different and extremely dangerous. That’s why I want you to be prepared and informed about some issues without being shocked.

S OK, Dad! What’s that important and dangerous matter which I should know after my puberty?

F I wanted to tell you that what you have learnt from me about religion was incorrect.

S What?! Dad! What are you saying?!

F As I said, all that you have heard from me about religion was completely wrong.

S Dad! What are you saying?! What do you mean? Which aspect of religion was wrong? The ideology? The manners? Please Dad, be frank with me.

F I mean the basics of religion, the ideology: the faith in God, the hereafter, the Prophet and the Messengers and all what you have learnt about is incorrect.

S Seek God's forgiveness. Dad, what happened to you? Sorry Dad for being impolite. How can believing in God, the hereafter and the Messengers be wrong? I cannot believe what I’m hearing.

F I will answer this question tomorrow.

S Dad! Please be frank about your intentions, for you made me feel uncertain. How can you leave me in this state? And how can I pray then, while I’m in a state of uncertainty.

F Who asked you to pray?

S Didn’t you ask me to pray and to perform it patiently?

F Then your prayer is not accepted at all.

S Not accepted? What does that mean? Shall I abandon praying then?

F It is up to you whether you want to pray or not.

S That’s strange. I’m going crazy. How can my father ask me to give up praying? How? My father, who taught me how to pray, is asking me to give it up now!

F I am not asking you to give it up. I am telling you that you may give up or continue praying, as you wish.

S This is strange too. Didn’t you say that praying is the pillar of religion and the first thing I’ll be asked about in the hereafter? And that God says: “Establish regular prayer for celebrating My praise.”

F I told you that all you’ve heard from me before your puberty was wrong.

S Dad, it’s forbidden to say so!

F What is the meaning of forbidden?

S Forbidden means that God doesn’t allow it.

F God? Who is God?

S O God... this is madness!

F Don’t be mad. I asked you a question; answer me or say “I don’t know’.

S But you asked me “Who is God?”

F What’s wrong with this question?

S Dad, please! What is going on? Is this real that you, my father, are saying what you’re saying? I cannot believe it.

F Yes, I’m your father saying this. If I didn’t do so, then I wouldn’t be your father.

S My God! What happened?

F We’ll continue this discussion tomorrow. Now go to bed. Good night!

- 1. Al-Sahifah al-Sajjadiyyah (also called the Psalms of Islam) is a famous book comprising a collection of prayers said by Imam `Ali ibn al- Husayn al-Sajjad (A.S.).

- 2. Nahj al-Balaghah is a book comprising a collection of sermons, epistles, and aphorisms of Imam `Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s) compiled by al- Sharif al-Razi (406/1015).

- 3. In the original text, the author wrote, “allahu-akbar.” In Muslim heritage, this phrase is used to express surprise.

Anxiety And Prayer

The father left his son in a state of shock and went to his bedroom where his wife was waiting anxiously for the result of the meeting. He asked her with a smile on his face:

It seems that you have heard the discussion, haven’t you? She answered: “Yes, but can he handle this shock?”

“I think so”, he said, “like his brother had done before”, he continued.

The mother sighed praying: “O Lord, guide him, lead him to obey You and assign him to serve You.” Then she addressed the father: “I remember his brother when he reached puberty. I was very worried that day when I told you that you’re playing a dangerous game that may lead to the deviation of your son. But you reassured me and explained the necessity of that process. And now we can see the outcome. He is currently one of the prominent figures in Europe who leads people to God. Ignorance has never reached or contaminated our son and couldn’t lead him astray from the right path.”

The father thought for a moment and then said:

If we had left him with his traditional way of worship, the usual prayers and the inherited ideology derived from home and society, he might have deviated when facing different ideologies, social trends or traditions while living abroad.

“My dear son! How are you going to spend this night?” The mother sighed and glanced towards the room of her son.

The father had a meaningful glance as he said: “How did Abraham spend the nights as he was thoughtfully looking at the skies and the earth until he believed. This was only resolved when he turned his eyes to the Originator of the skies and the earth as a true Muslim and monotheist.”

After the father closed the door of the teenager’s room, the boy stood still in a state of shock, and then he felt dizzy and threw himself on the bed. Ongoing and conflicting thoughts continuously roamed in his mind, but he couldn’t understand what was happening and how to deal with it. He felt that his head was about to explode, but then he remembered what his mother usually does in tough times; she sits down on her prayer rug towards the kiblah1,1 raising her hands and saying with a humble voice: “O God, whom I have no one but You to turn to and ask for help and guidance, put me on the right path.”

Hurriedly, he stood up and went to the sink to perform ablution and get ready to pray. With conflicting thoughts in his mind and sense of fear and worry roaming over him, he was praying while he was thinking of his father’s words:

“All you have learnt about religion before your puberty was wrong.”

He had a pause during his prayer and was about to terminate it, but he continued his efforts in focusing on what he was saying. His father taught him to concentrate in his prayer and to pay attention to the meaning of what he says. His father’s statement had interrupted his thoughts:

“Who is God?”

He was shaking, but he tried to control himself until he reached the Qunut2. Then he raised his hands and uttered the following words strongly and meaningfully:

“God... the Leader of the confused, the Guide of the misguided, the most Merciful, it is You Who is closer to me than my jugular vein; please save me from my confusions and guide me to the right path.”

He stopped for a few moments. He had conflicting thoughts and his heart was beating rapidly. After a while he felt better when he remembered the verse that he had always read in the mosque and suddenly felt confident:

“ W h e n M y s e rv a n t s a s k t h e e c o n c e r n i n g M e , I a m i nd e e d cl o s e ( t o t h em) : I li s t e n t o t h e p r a ye r o f e v er y s u pp li a n t w h e n h e c a ll e d o n Me : L e t t h e m a l so , w i t h a w ill , L ist e n t o M y c a l l , a n d b eli e v e i n M e : T ha t t h e y m a y w a l k i n t h e r i g h t w a y . ”

- 1. Kiblah is the direction of the Kaaba that Muslims must turn their faces to during prayers.

- 2. Qunut is a part of prayers in which a person raises his/her hands towards the heavens, supplicating the Lord.

The Conscientious Reason

F How are you, son?

S You know Dad, it’s obvious. I’m not the same as before at all.

F Why? Are you sick?

S I wish I am sick!

F Don’t say that, son! What happened?

S You’re asking me “What happened?” It was me who asked you this question last night.

F Everything is alright.

S What do you mean alright? You threw me into a sea of doubt; the huge waves drifted me away from the coast. Neither swimming nor riding a boat could save me.

F Thank God, thank God. It was exactly what I wanted.

S Dad, why did you do that? Please tell me.

F I’ll tell you, but first tell me where you have finally reached after you’ve been thrown away by the waves where neither swimming nor riding a boat could help you.

S I felt weak and lost. There was no way and no one who could be of assistance. I began looking for an absolute power to save me from this rough sea and help me reach the coast safely. Suddenly I felt that this power is near me, so I exclaimed profoundly: “O God the greatest”, and then a feeling of reassurance and certainty submerged me and made the doubts go away. Then I departed the sea of the awful doubt to the coast of faith.

F Well-done son. God be praised. This was exactly what I wanted for you. I wanted you to find God by yourself and to suffer in this trip, so you know the value of what you have found. I wanted you to experience the trip from doubt to faith in order to believe in the God that you have found, not the one that you’ve heard of from your father. There is a big difference between this and that.

S You are right Dad. My heart is filled up with confidence after that painful experience. And now I do feel the difference between my former faith and the new one I gained after this conscientious experience.

F This experience is called the conscientious reasoning of God’s existence. It’s neither based on rational reasoning nor on intellectual analysis and theological inference. It’s the reason for the pure nature, simple and genuine experience that leads naturally to God after dusting off the heaps of misunderstanding that concealed the truth.

S Explain more, Dad!

F Look son, human nature instinctively believes in God and it doesn’t need a reason. Have you ever seen how a thirsty person moves directly towards water? If you stop him/her while he/she is raising the glass to drink and ask whether he/she is sure that what he/she is drinking is water, what will he/she reply?

S So, why don’t most people believe in God if their innate nature is their guide?

F Son, an eye sees but if you put a thick headband on it, then it won’t. An ear can hear, but it cannot if it gets stuffed. Human nature works in the same way but it should be unrestricted and free. Lust must not control it and satanic temptations should not conceal it.

S Yes, Dad. Please continue your interesting talk.

F The conscientious reasoning of God’s existence says that if human beings get used to living in a deviating society that inherited aberration from its ancestors, the innate nature of the members of that society will be impaired. The following is a quotation from the Quran: “But long ages passed over them and their hearts grew hard? For many among them are rebellious transgressors.” Also read about the inheritance of straying and aberration: “We found our fathers following a certain cult, and we do guide ourselves by their footsteps.”

If a human being continues with life full of lust and extravagance, his nature will be dull, as God Says: “But after them there followed a posterity who missed prayers and followed after lusts soon.”

The Quran expresses regret for those unbelievers who are greedy, take over other people’s inheritance unjustly, and love being wealthy.

Another verse mentions that innate nature can remain impaired until the end of life if love of wealth and offspring overcomes the human nature: “The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good things of this world) diverts you. Until ye visit the graves.”

If you read history, you’ll find that the desire for life left its impacts on historical events. That’s why [the tribe of] Quraish was afraid that their political and financial powers would collapse after the emergence of Islam. Another case was when some of the companions of the Prophet came to `Ali son of Abu-Talib to congratulate him on assuming the post of caliphate. He blew out the candle to show that he would not spend even what a candle would worth from the public money to have their support. Soon they joined the enemy’s camp, and they fought him in the Jamal (The Camel) battle.

Also, as you know the sexual desire instigated Ibn Moljam to kill Ali to marry a beautiful woman named Qotam. Omar ibn Sa`d Killed Imam al-Husayn1 to be the ruler of Ray province. The `Abbasid dynasty grasped the power even though they had already known that they have no right to assume power. Harun al-Rashid, an `Abbasid ruler, once addressed his son: “If you compete with me for the power, I’ll issue an order to behead you.”

S So, it’s the desire that kills the innate nature.

F No, it doesn’t kill nature, but impairs it. Nature never dies.

S So, how can we re-activate its power?

F By giving it a shock.

S That was exactly what you have done with me, wasn’t it?

F Yes, son.

S Well-done Dad!

F Good for you, son. You have successfully passed the test. Your mother was worried about you but I wasn’t. I had confidence in your pure nature, you know.

S Did Mom know about it?

F Yes, I let her know, in order not to spoil the plan, I mean... to help me with it.

S Oh! So, you involved her in order not to spoil the plan... you mean to help you. Do you think both of these sentences have the same meaning?

F Son, you know she is a mother and she is full of kindness and mercy for her son. Thus, it was not easy for her at all to see you in that situation without disclosing the secret.

S Well Dad, let’s go back to the main subject, I mean our discussion about conscientious reasoning of God’s existence or the innate reasoning. I have a question for you.

F Go ahead.

S Who taught you how to perform such a plan to awaken my static nature and allow me to live the conscientious experience?

F Who taught me? Don’t you know that knowledge and delivering of knowledge is a blessing?

S Quite true.

F “ A n d y e h a v e n o g o o d t h i n g b u t i s f r o m A l l a h ”

S God be praised!

F Isn’t it true that having knowledge comes after the fact that one didn’t know anything before?

S Yes.

F “Taught man that which he knew not”

S So, it was God that showed you how to awaken the static nature through shock. But how did God show you that?

F “Verify this Qur’an guides to that which is most right (or stable)”

S Oh, now I understand. There is a verse. I guess it’s from the Meccan2 chapter, narrating an experience about sailing in the sea while the climate was good. Then the ship reached the high seas where tempest raged and waves were overwhelming. The passengers were terrified and looked for someone to save them from an inevitable death. With all the anguish, they turned to God and God saved them... Glory to God... this is the same experience that I went through yesterday, but instead of a real sea it was a sea of doubt.

F I didn’t wish to throw you in a real sea. I have not been told to do so.

S Is it rational that you have been instructed to do so?

F Why not?

S How can it be sensible for a father to throw his son in a sea?

F What if you see a mother is ordered to throw her son in the sea.

S I can’t believe it.

F You forgot the Quran...

S Oh, yes, right... “So We sent this inspiration to the mother of Moses: “Suckle (thy child).”

F “but when thou hast fears about him, cast him into the river, but fear not nor grieve: for We shall restore him to thee, and We shall make him one of Our apostles.”

S It was a great tribulation for this forbearing mother!

F Your God afflicts everyone with trials according to his endurance. Human beings must suffer on earth. The Mulk Chapter explains that tribulation is one of the reasons behind the creation of the human beings. O son! Don’t assume that tribulation only means trouble, disaster or something of the sort. It means trial and test. God tests human beings in various situations. “He Who created death and life, that He may try which of you is best in deed.”

Notice the following holy verses:

“We have tried them with both prosperity and adversity.” “and We test you by evil and by good by way of trial” “Now, as for man, when his Lord trieth him, giving him honor and gifts, then saith he, (puffed up), “My Lord hath honored me.” “But when He trieth him, restricting his subsistence for him, then saith he (in despair), “My Lord hath humiliated me!”

S So God tests all His servants anyway. He grants them something to see what they will do. On the other hand, God sometimes prevents his servants from something in order to see their response.

And the most severe afflictions are specified for prophets, and the next are the virtuous believers.

F Yes son. Because they have the strongest endurance for bearing troubles. But the principle that you should bear in mind is that it is impossible for God to afflict human beings greater than their ability. God is fair and merciful and doesn’t afflict a person with something beyond his capacity.

S But Dad, we see some people suffer from a severe affliction and they say that they cannot endure it.

F This is impossible, son. God doesn’t charge a person with something more than his power and ability. Those people are able to overcome their troubles with strength and forbearance unknown to them. Remember your experience yesterday, could you imagine that you would have borne that doubt which shocked all your indisputable religious ideologies?

S You’re right Dad. I couldn’t imagine that I’d bear that. I thought that I’d become a disbeliever or turn mad.

F Now you are neither disbeliever nor mad. You were able to endure that tribulation, but you were not aware of your ability. God made that clear to you and to those who think that they’re unable to bear certain difficulties.

S While reading Quran, I sometimes pass by the story of Abraham and how God commanded him to sacrifice his son. He woke up and told the dream to his son Ishmael, who instantly agreed and said: “O my father! Do as thou art commanded: thou will find me, if Allah so wills one practicing Patience and Constancy!” At that Moment, I shake humbly for this submissiveness to God, Glory be to Him, especially when Abraham held the knife on his son. Dad!

When I visualize this scene, I shudder. The son was on the ground, the father was holding a sharp knife in his right hand onto his son’s neck and his son’s head was in his left hand. Ishmael surrendered to his father who was passing the knife on the neck of his dear one, but the knife didn’t hurt the son. The father thought that this maybe because of his fatherly passion, so he pressed more on the knife to slaughter his son, but O God! The knife didn’t harm him. You know Dad, my body trembles when I talk about this.

F Me too. I believe that this is a true holy love. Don’t you see my voice is wavering and my eyes are pouring tears while I’m listening to you? Two great loves competed, but the greater love (the love and obedience to God) overcame the lesser one (the father’s love for his son and the son’s love of life)!

S How great is the patience of Abraham and Ishmael on this tribulation! God says: “And We shall try you until We test those among you who strive their utmost and persevere in patience; and We shall try your reported (mettle).”

F O son, prophets suffered much more than this. God tested them with wives who hurt them, sons who disobeyed them and tribes who deserted them but they were patient and strong. So that God compensates them. You know that God rewards those who endure ultimately.

S I wish I could have lived during the time of prophets to believe in them, support them and strive with them for the sake of God. But, unfortunately this is a wish that will never come true.

F Why not son?

S How could it be, while we are many centuries away from them?

F My son. God, be He exalted, said: “All who obey Allah and the Apostle are in the company of those on whom the Grace of Allah is, of the prophets (who teach), the sincere (lovers of Truth), the witnesses (who testify), and the Righteous (who do good): Ah! What a beautiful fellowship!”

S So the way is clear, it is by obeying God and His prophet[s].

F You can fulfill your wish in his way, so don’t get disappointed. One more thing; don’t you love them?

S Yes, I do Dad.

F So you’ll meet them in the hereafter. There, people will be with those whom they love.

S You don’t mean superficial love, do you?

F Of course not. The true love is the one which leads us to follow prophets’ way.

S Well Dad, here you go back to the subject of love!

F Is religion anything but love? OK son... now go to bed early so that you can wake up for the morning prayers. Good night

S OK Dad, good night.

- 1. Imam al-Husayn, son of Imam `Ali, is buried in Karbala, a city in Iraq. Imam al-Husayn’s tragic story is one of the most famous and impressive stories in Islam, especially amongst the Shi`ah. He is considered the first hero of Islam who sacrificed himself and his sons for the sake of God and religion. I recommend you to read his story. You’ll find it really impressing and worthwhile.

- 2. According to the place of their revelation, the Chapters (Surah) of the Holy Qur'an are divided into Meccan (those revealed at Mecca) and Madanite (those revealed at al-Madinah).

Doubt… Certainty

S I apologize, Dad, if sometimes my frankness is considered impolite.

F Not at all. I really urge you to be frank, particularly in such discussions. Don’t feel embarrassed or uneasy so that we can discuss ideological subjects freely in order to reach solid views which have immunity against deviation. Views which are held just to please others will not survive against uncertainties and desires.

S Thanks a lot Dad. I really feel comfortable with this warm, friendly atmosphere although this atmosphere is not new to me. You’ve always treated me like a friend in addition to being my father.

F Having a strong friendship with teens is a necessity. Being an unapproachable father or not being easy to get along with can do nothing but to grow the seeds of separation and distance. This distance might lead teenagers to look for an alternative relationship to fill in this gap. In some situations a bad fellow with evil thoughts might come across the son’s way and take him away from home. Then that friend will follow an alternative road to mould the son’s character; the father often notices the problem when it’s too late.

S God bless you Dad, for treating me with such a friendly spirit.

F So now, in this friendly atmosphere, I urge you to be as frank as possible and to discuss all the religious matters that you have doubts about, even objections or denial. Feel free. You know son, keeping doubts and uncertainties unsolved in your mind along with shyness and fear from the narrow-minded will have bad effects on you. In the future, you might encounter someone who would answer your doubts with erroneous answers which may result in pushing you away from religion. Then you may not find the right person to consult and to resolve the problem. Hence, God forbid, you’ll be in Satan’s domain of vices which will divert your way to God.

S Glory to God. It seems that you know what’s on in my mind. I’ve been suffering from some doubts about different aspects of religion for sometime and I wanted to discuss them with you, but I couldn’t. I won’t hide it that I tried to approach several people seeking for answers and then finally found a clergyman, representative of a religious institution who was in his eighties. When I asked him a question, he pointed to his ear. I repeated my question louder ,but he couldn’t understand my question and I couldn’t grasp his reply; it seemed that he’s living in another era talking about some prehistoric things that I couldn’t understand. Afterwards I realized that he only answered with yes or no, forbidden or not forbidden. As far as I’m concerned my question required more than a short answer with yes or no, I was not granted much attention. When I looked around, I didn’t see anyone close to my age. I couldn’t comprehend what was going on around me, except the discussion of some businessmen compromising some religious dues to be levied as if Prophet Mohammad was sent to be a levy collector, not a guide for people! Then I heard that this money was intended to be spent on the affairs of the religion about which I came enquiring but found no answers

F Wait a minute, son. You can’t talk like this. Choose your path calmly and follow those who turned to God without repentance. Don’t be hateful to such people; they are helpful in their regions; they have done a lot to their people. So it’s not fair to compare the old style services to the current needs.

S But Dad, can you believe that the Prophet was only answering enquiries?! Were his relations and responsibilities restricted to merchants only? Had he ignored the youth?

F No! Never! He answered all enquiries about ideologies, ethics or rules. He was advising and preaching without seeing it as degrading or having any drawbacks. Generally speaking, all prophets paid attention to youth who constituted the forefront of the believers in bearing heavenly duties.

Didn’t you read that: “But none believed in Moses except some children of his people, because of the fear of Pharaoh and his chiefs, lest they should persecute them” This offspring was the youth who were enthusiastic and sacrificed sincerely. That was what the Cave Companions (Seven Sleepers of Ephesus) did and as you know they were not old people, but they were young “We relate to thee their story in truth: they were youth who believed in their Lord, and We advanced them in guidance.”

S We need a clergyman to meet people and join them, pray with them and deliver lectures. A clergyman who answers questions directly and solves people’s problems, follows up with them in different parts of the world, follows the world’s events and understands their impact on people. We need a clergyman who makes appropriate decisions and doesn’t feel content with publishing few hard-to- understand books which require interpretation where an educated person or a university student won’t be able to understand. We need someone to write for the ordinary public. Religion concerns all people and is sent as guidance for all.

God sent a Prophet who is merciful to the world, to talk with people in accordance with their level of understanding in order to grasp what he says. He was responsible for demonstrating skilful and clear preaching. It wasn’t only preaching but also the prophet made sure that people understood what he had said and sometimes he asked, “Have I delivered what should be delivered?”

F Quite right, son. As stated in the Quran: we didn’t dispatch a prophet unless he is able to communicate in his people’s language.

S Will we see the day when all barriers between the clergymen and the nation, particularly the youth, are removed and it becomes possible to communicate with them through the Internet and enquire about religion issues?

F They find it far away, but we think that it’s not. When this happens, you can ask any question and express your doubts without any problem. The Prophet and his descendents taught us that there is no shame in tackling religious issues, as they say: “Ask, because asking is the key to knowledge.” Our religion is the religion of logic and intellect, so why should we fear teen’s questions? Don’t we have rational responses? Ask any question you wish, son. Ask about everything; don’t keep any doubt concealed in your heart about religion.

S Well, my first question is why did you say in our last meeting that my prayer is unacceptable?

F Because you said: you prayed because I ordered you to pray. Then all your prayers were performed only to obey me; therefore, they lacked the correct intention and were invalid. If you had prayed for the sake of God not for me, then it would have been correct.

S But I prayed as obedience to God and you both.

F Am I a partner to God?

S No.

F Let me clarify this: it is a must that a Muslim obeys God only, not anyone else other than God unless:

First, he urges other to obey God.

Second, his command doesn’t contradict God’s commands.

By looking at the verse: “Obey Allah, and obey the Apostle”, you deduce that obeying the Prophet is the same as accomplishing God’s commands. So if we comply with the Prophet’s orders, then we are obeying God. God said: “He who obeys the Apostle, obeys Allah.”

S When you ordered me to pray, my obedience to you was a result of the first rule. That’s obeying the One, who’s commanding to obey God.

F Hence, it’s obedience to God and not to me.

S Dad, would you please give me a clear idea about obeying others. When it is considered acceptable and when it is considered as polytheism?

F The criterion, son, is quite easy. You can find it by yourself. Man is aware of himself. Apply it on yourself. Whenever you face anything, ask yourself whether it’s allowed by God. If it is against God’s commands, then it’s considered sin and disobedience.

S Quite clear.

F And if what you’re doing isn’t against God’s content, ask yourself: if it was going to upset God, would you do it? If so, then it would be forbidden

S So I have to be always aware of God’s existence in my conscience, and work hard to please Him. I have to remember this as a criterion for all my actions.

F And to think of everything in order to carry out what God approves and to abandon which He disapproves.

S Wonderful.

F Therefore, if your prayers were performed to please me and if I had asked you to quit, you would have done so, then this kind of prayer would not be only unacceptable, but also it would be a kind of polytheism.

S A kind of polytheism?!

F Yes, because you were seeking my content not God’s.

Your intention was obeying me not God.

S Hence I must think carefully and thoroughly about my actions to keep them away from polytheism.

F That’s right son, polytheism penetrates the human soul quietly and destroys it as vinegar does with honey.

S I’ve read that polytheism penetrates slower than a black ant crawling on a soft rock in a dark night.

F Yes, that is the way polytheism follows. In addition, it may penetrate while performing our duties without feeling it. Haven’t you heard of the tradition (Hadith), which says: “Those, who lend their ears to a speaker, will obey him; if the speaker speaks about God, they will obey God, and if he speaks about Satan, they will obey Satan”?

S O God! How many followers of Satan are out there?

F And they don’t even know it!

S How can a person purify his/her actions from hidden polytheism?

F He should free his/her heart from love of wealth and life desires, and abandon all materialistic matters then save pleasures until the hereafter. One should disregard all except God’s satisfaction. This means loosening his tight relations with offspring, wives, relatives, wealth and home and establishing a firm relation with the One Who grants us offspring, wives, relatives, wealth and home.

It is He Who gives and takes away and gives again. So if human beings turn away from the universe to the source of it, direct their wishes and love to the creator instead of the creatures and do not think of the livelihood and wealth but of the provider of the livelihood and wealth, it is then when a human being can become a divine person, who honestly speaks to God saying: “Thanks are due to You for purifying my heart from polytheism.”

S What’s greater than such a rank and who is more fortunate than the one who reaches this position!

F Haven’t you heard what Imam Ali once said: “O God!

Those who lost you, found nothing, and those who found you, lost nothing.”

S Tell me more, Dad.

F A person devoted to God describes the joy of leaving all life joys and turning towards God by saying: “Where are the kings and their offspring to feel this joy?” Another one said: “We are in a joy, that if kings hear about, they will fight us with swords to grasp.”

S I, indeed, experienced the joy of supplication to God, especially during overnight prayer, while people are sleeping and no sounds except the voice of a humble servant addressing God, looking at the sky with the twinkling stars. It seems as if those stars are glorifying God and the servant saying: “the Most Holy, the Most Divine...”or as if they are just witnesses in the conscience court. They witness that there is no god but God, no creator but God, and no provider but God. Humans join these creatures to inspire the following holy verse: “Whatever beings there are in the heavens and the earth do prostrate themselves before Allah.”

So one feels the integration with all these creatures in their humble joyful, long prostration and when he raises his head and looks around, he sees all those who have fallen into deep sleep, feeling sorry for those who have missed this opportunity! How unfortunate they are.

F Calling God at midnight is a training course and a condensed lesson in knowing Him. It’s a cup full of love to God and it is joy that only fortunate ones can get. So congratulations son, on your closeness to God.

S But Dad, how can I be close to God when I still have some enquiries which you have encouraged me to ask you about?

F O son! Your interest in exposing and pursuing those doubts and questions proofs your seriousness about your religion and your ideology.

S Dad, you’re encouraging me and making me feel relaxed.

I will start with a simple question?

F Go ahead.

S You said that the conscientious reasoning or innately proof is the main guide that leads us to prove God’s existence.

F That’s right, I said so.

S Is this the sole reason and proof of God’s presence and existence?

F No, but this is an easy-to-reach, available, and ready-to- use reason when it is needed. But it’s not the only reason. It is just like the mother’s breast for a baby; he turns to it whenever he feels hungry .The number of evidences of God’s existence equals to the number of His creatures’ breath, and the number of stones and sand.

S The comparison of conscience reasoning to a mother’s breast for a baby is a nice one. I remember my younger brother on his first day of his life when he was crying and seeking mother’s breast and he didn’t calm down until Mom nursed him; it seemed as if he already knew this; it was just then that he calmed down and felt contented with what he was given. I asked myself that day: who taught this weak creature who had just come to the world where to get food from?

F He was directed to his need by instinct. Instinct relates a human to his natural needs, and this doesn’t require having knowledge as you noticed with this newly born baby. The same thing applies to God’s existence innate reasoning. Human beings instinctively feel the need to God and search for Him like a baby seeking his mother’s breast. Once he/she gets it, he feels content and comfortable. There is no rational proof in innate reasoning of God’s existence as you cannot find out the reason why a baby seeks his mother’s breast. It’s just the instinctive feeling of the need to God that everyone has in moments of human weakness when he detaches himself from all the materialistic concerns and turn truly to God without being able to give you any theoretical justification or ideological analysis to his action.

S So why don’t all people believe in God? Isn’t it true that nature exists in all human beings? Isn’t it true that nature never dies?

F But it can be impaired temporarily.

S Yes, sometimes it is impaired, but it does exist, so why many or most people don’t believe in God, while this is a tangible reality and we see it in many verses: “Yet most people are disbelievers, although you may be keen to guide.”

F Good question. I’m very glad that you’re asking such questions to build your faith on a firm, doubtless basis in a sound environment far away from imitating the parents and intimidating ideology. Listen to the answer now:

The verse said: “Yet most people are disbelievers, although you may be keen to guide.”

This verse and the other similar verses talk about a general concept of faith and its different parts which cover wide areas such as believing in God, Prophets, the hereafter and commitment to God’s obedience. True believers who have this sense of belief are minority. However, believing in God’s existence is a common belief which prevails in all areas and times. You know that believing in God is privilege to human societies throughout history.

From a scientific point of view, when something is associated with humanity at all times and places then it is considered an integral part of human lives not just a phenomenon. If it was a phenomenon, it would disappear at times and reappear in different places at different times. As you see, believing in God was in the past and present and will continue into the future. Thus, belief in God is associated with human instincts and it can not be considered an abnormal case in history. This means that believing in God is something like “Allah’s handiwork according to the pattern on which He has made mankind: no change (let there be) in the work (wrought) by Allah: that is the standard Religion: but most among mankind understand not.”

S So why doesn’t this minority believe in God?

F Because their nature is corrupted .Haven’t you seen how a baby’s taste turns unpleasant when he gets sick; he would turn away from his mother’s breast? Natural instincts can be corrupted in this way and hence one abandons worshipping God. Like the baby who goes back to his mother’s breast after getting better, so is the instinct. It turns back to God after remedy.

F And this remedy could be a shock or inevitable danger one cannot deal with.

F Well-done! This remedy helps even the most perverted people and those who are farthest from God. Imagine a person who did not only perform all acts of polytheism, but also claimed to be god. Pharaoh once said: “I’m your greatest god.” The nature of such a person, when faced with death, awakened and only then he manifested his faith when he said: “At length, when overwhelmed with the flood, he said: “I believe that there is no god except Him Whom the Children of Israel believe in.”

So you see the one who claimed to be god returned to his nature when facing serious crisis, so it is very natural for those who are less corrupted with infidelity and polytheism to do the same.

S Thanks for this lesson Dad, but I have another question.

F Go ahead.

S You said: faith is associated with human beings’ nature, and the evidence is that people at all times and places believe in God.

F Yes.

S But we see paganism spreading throughout history. How do you explain this?

F This is construed through the action of your baby brother when he is hungry.

S What? My infant brother! How? I can understand monotheism through my baby brother, but how can paganism be construed?

F Have you ever seen him sucking his finger instead of his mother’s breast?

S Oh! Yes... yes. He searches for the source of food, and if he mistakes it or cannot find it; he sucks his finger as an alternative.

F Just like paganisms, the innate nature mistakenly finds the wrong alternative. This mistake happens because of some external reasons, such as the unavailability of the mother for her baby who is driven to suck his finger. As you know, after a while the baby refuses the alternative (finger) when hunger bites him and sucking his finger won’t provide him with milk. Similarly, an idolater may also leave his/her idol when he/she faces a serious situation which forces the innate nature to reappear once again when idols fail tosatisfy the innate demands of reuniting with a real god- that is God.

S Thank God and thank you Dad. Please let me summarize what I’ve understood from our talk. The innate reasoning is the natural feeling that everyone has as a guide to God. This type of proof is a spiritual, instinctive attractiveness, not a rational, intellectual proof .It is the ultimate, unseen power to which humans resort when they are helpless. This instinctive attractiveness to God diminishes as a result of committing sins and corruption repeatedly. But it’s restored soon when people face overwhelming crisis. Thus, nature guides people and brings them back to God.

F This is a great summary. Do you have another question, or shall I add another one?

S Please go ahead.

F There was an ideology which appeared in the twentieth century. It appeared and lasted for about eighty years, but finally collapsed because of its failure to appeal to human nature. This phenomenon, particularly during its failure, is strongly related to our subject.

S What is it, Dad?

F It is the Leninist- Marxist ideology or Communism, which appeared in the early twentieth century and ruled half of the Eastern World. Around one third of the whole world’s population yielded to that Power. It had dominated for about three quarters of the last century and it was supported by huge political, economical and military power. Threats and inducements were intensively used to spread atheism. But what was the result?

The result was a complete crash and clear failure to all the tremendous efforts which lasted for all that long time and involved two generations who were dominated and raised on communism. Atheism could not survive, and people did not accept the deviating communist ideology. Despite of all those efforts, people retained their relation with God. Now, atheists are minority and believers are the overwhelming majority in the world. That proofs that faith is inherent in human’s nature and is not acquired through nurture and society.

S If faith had been acquired, it would have vanished as a result of the new ideological education practiced by communists for three quarters of the last century and didn’t spare any aspect of religion without being destroyed. Communism was injecting atheistic thoughts in schools, streets, radio, television, stadiums, military camps and wherever there is a mouth to speak, an ear to listen and an eye to see. Despite all that, faith in God remained unshaken and atheism was defeated. “That is because Allah - He is the Reality; and those beside Him whom they invoke,- they are but vain Falsehood”

F “The Almighty God is true.” Well-done son.

S “Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god;- the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace (and Perfection), the Guardian of Faith, the Preserver of safety.”

F Thank God for leading us to this way, which we couldn’t otherwise find without His mercy. OK son go to bed now, good night!

God Or Nature

F Have you thought of yesterday’s talk about nature?

S Certainly Dad, I thought deeply. That talk has left a great impact on my heart and mind. I have thoroughly reviewed my concepts. In my deep spirit I am searching for that evidence or innate proof as you named it. I suffered a lot at the beginning as I was examining that huge amount of thoughts that I have learned throughout my life. And then I have had to get rid of all that I’ve inherited from the past and acquired from people. Then I went deeper and deeper as if I wanted to find out a small valuable ring that had fallen in a deep well as if I had to empty that well of water completely to find that ring which rests at the bottom.

F Well done...

S Finally when I reached the bottom of the well after removing all the things which I’ve inherited or gained through my life, I faced my soul bare from all the social habits and cultural teachings and instructions. I met a genuine inclination, but a very strong one. Yet that genuine inclination is attached to an ultimate Power, which is capable of doing everything and knows everything. I also felt that this Power is very close to me, can hear my inner deep thoughts and even feel my heart beat.

Also Dad, I felt that this Power loves me and I love this power too. I recognized that Power. It was that Power which saved me from those high waves of uncertainty where I was about to drown into when you started talking to me. So I’ve found it father, I’ve found it... found it...

F What you have reached through this journey of diving into the depth of your nature is the unshakable faith which is firmly tied into the depth of every human being.

S Then how can some people deny His existence glory to Him?

F They do this through falsification or deceit, which the Holy Quran refers to as follows: “And they rejected those Signs in iniquity and arrogance, though their souls were convinced thereof.”

S Woe to those people!! Alas! What a pity!!

F Don’t feel sorry for those people.

S Denial of God needs a lot of falsification, and shameless boldness. It also needs boldness to turn away from the call of both soul and mind and away from nature and conscience of human beings.

F Nobody can deny the existence of God, my son. But they give God other names, or describe Him differently.

S How is that, Dad? How do you say that? The official textbooks are full of talking about nature. Yes, nature ñ as they call it ñ dominates the entire universe and organizes its rules very wisely and perfectly.

F They give God another name. They call Him “Nature” either unconsciously or obstinately. Therefore, when you ask them about nature, they will say, “It is the power which dominates the universe, has an ultimate capability, absolute knowledge and great wisdom.”

As you see, all these characteristics cannot be found but in

the Creator of the universe. The difference between them and us is only in the terminology. They call the Creator, “Nature”, while we call him “God.”

S There is another difference father.

F What is it?

S We worship God, but they don’t worship nature.

F I think they do worship nature, son.

S How is that Dad?

F Sanctifying something and submission before its greatness is the core of worship. Those people sanctify nature and get humble before its greatness, thus, they worship it. Devil has embellished their deeds and turned them away from the real path.

S And what turned them away from God, who created them?

F If they admit to His existence, glory be to Him, they would oblige themselves to obey Him. But they don’t want this. They only go after their desires. Therefore, they worship their desires, while we worship God.

S Would you mind explaining this in detail Dad? You have just said that the meaning of worship is sanctifying the worshipped.

F And the other meaning is the obedience to the worshipped. So, if we obey, we worship Him. And if we obey our desires, we worship them. Haven’t you read in the Holy Quran: “Then sees thou such a one as takes as his god his own vain desire?”

So the person who obeys his/her desires makes these

desires his/her god. It means that he/she worships his/her vain desire. Everyone or everything obeyed (except God) is a god in this perspective.

S Then there are many meanings for the word ‘worship’, and the word ‘God’, aren’t there?

F Yes, there are. We shall come to this subject in detail later.

S Now, let’s go back to the main issue about the innate proof which leads every human being to God, glory to Him. I’ve searched the Quran for the verses which talk about the innate proof particularly the paragraph which relates to the sea journey.

F Have you found this proof in this verse about the trip in sea?

S Yes, Dad. I found it in a certain paragraph in Younis sura.

In verse No.22, God says: “He it is Who enabled you to traverse through land and sea; so that ye even board ships;- they sail with them with a favorable wind, and they rejoice thereat; then comes a stormy wind and the waves come to them from all sides, and they think they are being overwhelmed: they cry unto Allah, sincerely offering (their) duty unto Him saying, “If thou dost deliver us from this, we shall truly show our gratitude!”

F In the dictionary of Quran you find all verses that talk about traveling by sea on the same page. Most of them talk about monotheism in one way or another.

S I will come back to the subject of the Quran index at another time, but now I have some inquiries.

F Go ahead. Ask about everything you like, because the key to knowledge is inquiry.

S Now, I have two questions;

First: Has the Quran presented any evidence other than the innate reasoning to proof the existence of God?

Second: How does the Quran argue with the disbelievers? And a third question has just jumped into my mind, no... no, two questions are enough for me now.

F No, No, son. Don’t leave any queries about religion hidden in your mind without seeking answers. Let it out.

S But, Dad, there are so many questions, some I have heard from my friends, and some from my teachers in school, those who don’t believe in God. I also read some of them here and there in different books and magazines, or I heard them in the media, and much more which raise suspicions about different aspects of the religion and, frankly, can shake the faith.

F That’s why I encourage you to ask questions and keep those queries outspoken without any hesitation, shame or fear.

S But, Dad, I heard that the habit of asking many questions is not recommended, and God had prohibited this habit in the Quran. Haven’t you heard of this verse: “O ye who believe! Ask not questions about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble.”

Moreover, there was the story of the Cow and the people of Israel and how they were put to the test and stricken because they were importunate with queries.

F Listen to me, son. This is a completely different subject.

Queries are forbidden if they cause harm; queries which are not about the ideology of the religion, but are details that would be of no help to anyone, if not damaging. An example of that is the story of the cow in Surah of al- Baqarah. God asked the people of Israel to sacrifice a cow. It was sufficient to obey the command and to sacrifice any cow available. If they had done what they were commanded, it would have been for their own good, but they started asking question after question about the cow’s features, color and nature. So when God saw their hesitation, disobedience, and delay in performing the command, which revealed their deviation and desire to postpone and disagree, He narrowed the choice scope as a penalty for their disagreement and delay of fulfilling God’s command, glory and praise be to Him. These types of questions are forbidden.

However, questioning about the religion and especially the ideological aspects that originate from a person’s concern to know, understand and perceive instead of following others blindly, is one of the holiest tasks that human beings can adhere to. So ask anything you want, my son, and don’t hesitate. There is nothing we are afraid of in our religion whether addressed by youth or old.

S OK Dad! Will you answer my former two questions or shall I present the third one?

F As you like, I don’t want to put any pressure or restrict your thoughts even with the types of questions you ask or with their sequence. You know that influencing your thoughts is not good and rejected by human’s natures. It represents a weak weapon against the different intellectual streams and is not any longer possible in the twenty first century where accessing all kinds of information is feasible now even to a little boy living in any part of the world. One can get any sort of information about anything by a single click. So how do the narrow-minded apply their intellectual tutelage on youth? Ask and don’t be afraid.

S First of all, answer my first two questions, please.

F OK! Your question was: has the Quran presented any proof other than the innate reasoning to prove the existence of God? The answer is that it leads to other proofs too. The most important ones are:

(1) The organization proof. (2) The purpose proof.

The response to the other question which was about the way Quran argues with infidels about God:

Most of the infidels didn’t explicitly deny belief in God.

They disclaimed Heavenly religions. The discussion about God’s existence was very rare. For example, Pharaoh and Nimrod were among those who claimed to be gods. There were some interesting discussions between them and the prophets about this subject. Apart from that, most of the discussions with the prophets were about prophecy and its legitimacy; there were debates about what the prophet brought of laws and instructions that should be obeyed by people in order to be granted Paradise and be saved from hell in the hereafter. The infidel’s attitude was denying the prophecy to free themselves of responsibilities and disclaiming the hereafter to hide their nature, which fears God’s punishment.

S Dad, I’d like to hear the discussion that took place between Pharaoh and Moses about monotheism.

F Pharaoh said to his people “I am your great lord.” But Moses and his brother faced Pharaoh fatefully and defeated him thoroughly when they addressed him as ‘God’s servant’. They were commanded to deliver a specific message from God:

“Verily we are apostles sent by thy Lord: Send forth,

therefore, the Children of Israel with us, and afflict them not: with a Sign, indeed, have we come from thy Lord! And peace to all who follow guidance!”

Pharaoh was shocked by falsifying his claims about being the great lord. So he tried to change the course of discussion by asking them: “Who is your God, Moses?” Moses replied:

“Our Lord is He Who gave to each (created) thing its form and nature, and further, gave (it) guidance.” This way Moses gave his ideology a comprehensive universal dimension. Thus Pharaoh tried to change the subject again so he queried about the past generations: what about the first generation?

These type of questions attempt to lead the discussion to an endless maze because they were about unknown topics that no one had ever heard of. Also, answering such questions wouldn’t be useful to the actual debate. So Moses replied with a gently and wisely and brought him back to the main subject when he said:

“The knowledge of what you have asked only God knows about, in a Book where my God neither goes wrong nor forgets.” Then Moses continued his talk about God as follows: “has made for you the Earth like a carpet spread out; has enabled you to go about therein by roads (and channels); and has sent down water from the sky.” With it have We produced diverse pairs of plants, each different from the others.”

When Pharaoh, just like anyone who fears for his worldly life, found no way to escape that embarrassing situation, he turned to his audience, shouting cheap accusations calling Moses names: liar, magician, saying: “(Pharaoh) said to the Chiefs around him: This is indeed a sorcerer well-versed.”

He also added: “Truly your apostle who has been sent to you is a veritable madman!”

Refuting the accusation, Moses responded politely and in a prophetic eloquence: “Lord of the East and the West, and all between! If ye only had sense.”

And then he addresses the audience: “Your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers!” That means if you believe that Pharaoh is your god then who was your God before the birth of Pharaoh? Who was your ancestors’ god?

S How nice is this talk! It is a combination of simplicity and depth, power in inference and conciseness in style.

F This is the language of prophets and those who follow their ways. While the followers of Pharaoh chose the language of accusations, discrediting, and lying they also mobilized the general public to make them enemies of prophets and pious people. You can find the same debate between Nimrod and Abraham (Peace Be Upon him)

S Dad! Please tell me more about the dialogue between Nimrod and the father of all prophets (Abraham).

F Abraham stated the domination of God over all mankind and His control of their lives and death, as follows: “My God is the one who grants life and bring death, and this is a rational proof of His Lordship (Praise and glory be to Him). It is He Who possesses all that concerns human beings from the beginning to the end.” No liar pseudo-god can survive against this powerful rational proof by false pretence and fabrication. He could only cheat simple public by claiming that he’s able to bring life and death.

To prove that Nimrod called for two prisoners who were sentenced to death; he pardoned one and set him free; then he said: I granted him life because I saved him from death. Then he killed the other and said: I killed this one so I’m the one who grants life and death. When Abraham found himself in front of a great humbugger who used forgery and falsification to keep his control over public’s minds, he resorted to a different way that revealed Nimrod’s deception before the nation: “But it is Allah that caused the sun to rise from the East: Do thou then cause him to rise from the West.” Thus was he confounded who (in arrogance) rejected faith.” So this process uncovered the fact that leads to believe in the real God and displays Nimrod’s lies.

S Peace be upon the Father of Prophets. I feel special love for this great Prophet, who destroyed the idols, hung the hatchet on the neck of the biggest idol, and said: “Nay, this was done by him- this is their biggest one.” I’m very fond in his style of enlightening the public about the true facts of faith.

F But you know that guiding and enlightening people about true faith is a dangerous process for those who are practicing it. You’ve seen how that led them to throw Abraham in fire but God saved him by His will.

S Also it led Pharaoh and his soldiers to pursue Moses and his followers. But death overtook Pharaoh and his soldiers who were drowned in the sea.

F Yes son. Prophets and their followers bear hardships for the sake of God, and God in return disgrace their enemies. Eventually, the fruitful outcome is to the believers.

S And Abraham’s name remains dear to me

F Do you like the name “Abraham” very much?

S Yes! By all means, Dad!

F So, do you like to be called “Abu Abraham?”

S Ah... well, actually I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but...

F But what? It’s preferred to call a person with “Abu...” So you are Abu Abraham from now on.

S Thank you Dad, but...

F But what? What about Um Abraham you mean?!

S No, No... I didn’t mean that.

F I mean that son... you’ll find Um Abraham yourself at the right time.

S May God bless you Dad, but I don’t mean this. I’m still young.

F You’re not young... anyway; we’ll leave this subject to another time. Generally the Quran urges marriage and the Prophet’s Sunnah recommends early marriage too. But this doesn’t mean a hasty marriage at all. It definitely means not to delay marriage without a good reason. Getting married is fulfilling half of one’s religious duties. And if one delays his marriage because of fear of financial difficulties, it means that he has misunderstood God’s will. God, praise and glory be to Him, said: “if they are in poverty, Allah will give them means out of His grace: for Allah encompasseth all, and he knoweth all things.”

S I have another question.

F About a wife and a son?!

S No! About the One who has neither wife nor son.

F Postpone this subject to another time.

Organization Proof

F Today, I’d like to talk to you about another proof of God’s existence. I mean the organization proof because we’ve had enough on the innate reasoning.

S I do like this subject, as I seem to live with the monotheism concept every minute of my life. When I wake up or when I go to bed, I keep thinking of God and I feel that I got into a new stage of knowing God. I really enjoy being close to God and even feel deeply humble during meditation. I can also feel the connection to Him while reading His Chapters. I do sense His care and protection in my journey from traditional faith to the real faith. Now I do value myself as a divine human who links to the origin of the existence and creation. I see the world very small and unworthy compared to the greatness and magnificence of its Creator. I just want to hasten my life cycle and reach the time where I stand before God. My prayers have become meaningful; my kneeling has become purposeful and my prostration before God has become significant. Dad! Please tell me about the organization proof to know my God better.

F I will, son. First of all, tell me how do you study Physics, Chemistry, Botany and Zoology sciences?

S Well, there are theoretical lessons in the form of lectures and practical lessons in the laboratory where we watch applications or do experiments based on what we’ve learnt in the classroom.

F It is the same way with the organization proof. We’ll take theoretical lessons and also practical ones.

S Where will our practical lesson be carried out? I mean in which laboratory?

F You’ll see where the laboratory is then.

Now, let’s begin our theoretical lesson about monotheism and the title is “Organization Proof.” Give me one of the monotheistic books you study at school.

S Monotheistic book? But Dad! We don’t have such kind of books in school.

F That’s quite strange. Don’t you study monotheism?

S Oh, I got it. You mean our religious books?

F No, that’s not what I meant because most of religion books don’t teach monotheism as they are supposed to. By monotheistic books I mean the following books: Physics, Chemistry, Botany, Zoology, Geography, etc.

S What do you want to say Dad? How can my Physics textbook and textbooks of other sciences be monotheistic books?

F I’ll tell you why science books are monotheistic books.

But first tell me what the science of Physics is? Or what does it mean?

S Well, it’s a science that studies the laws which control material both in quality and quantity.

F Excellent, what about Chemistry?

S It is the science of matter that studies the structure, and composition of substances as well as their transformations and interactions to become new compounds. Also it refers to chemical decompositions where chemical compounds are fragmented into elements or smaller compounds.

F How do all these interactions occur? Do the interactions take place randomly or they follow laws which govern the process?

S Well, definitely they follow rules.

F Now, what are Botany and Zoology?

S I think I got your point. They also study the rules that govern plant life and animal life.

F Does this apply to the rest of sciences?

S Yes, of course. They all follow rules.

F Therefore, the whole universe is governed by rules, and sciences try to find out these rules.

S Yes, that is it.

F Now tell me if the law of gravity functions occasionally or it is always constant and applicable?

S It always works; it is a law. If it only worked sometimes and turned disable in other times, it would not be called a law.

F What about other laws of Physics, Chemistry and other sciences?

S Similarly, they are also fixed; they never change.

F What about Psychology, Anatomy, Biology, Astronomy and Agricultural sciences?

S They are the same. The whole universe is controlled by rules.

F Now, tell me if certain parts of the universe can escape the rules or are they all forced to follow those rules precisely and literally?

S They are all forced to follow those rules precisely.

F So all the subjects you are studying at school lead us to the following fact: the universe is governed by specific rules which organize its relations and interactions and that there is no way for contradiction.

S That’s right.

F Now we raise two questions:

First: is there any rule without a rule maker, code without a codifier, an organization without an organizer, a plan without a planner, and a decision without a decision maker?

Second: what are the characteristics of the one who puts the rules for the whole universe?

S You are magnificent Dad! That is truly concise understanding of all kinds of sciences. All sciences lead human beings to God. That’s really magnificent. We are studying how to know God in all subjects without actually feeling it. How inattentive we are! As if we are in a deep sleep without even being aware! You’ve opened my eyes.

F That’s why God says: “Those truly fear Allah, among His servants, who have knowledge.”

S So all our subjects are considered chapters of monotheism...

F And they all lead to God if they are delivered properly and if the misleading terms are replaced by the correct ones. But unfortunately the authors of the textbooks follow the western ideology which talks about the rules of nature when meaning “Divine rules.”

S You’re right Dad. In spite of the fact that all the authors of our books believe in God and the hereafter, I cannot see even a single indication to the word “God” in any book.

F This is a Western education and policy, which separates life from religion. It aims at freezing our religion in old books and restricting teaching programs in mosques. It also aims to confine praying to the prayer niche and religion to the ceremonies of marriage, divorce and death. Let’s go back to the two important questions:

The first one: Are there any rules without a rule maker or an organization without an organizer?

And the second question is modified a little bit: Does this organized world, which is based on an infinite number of rules, proves that the Creator of this universe has an absolute knowledge and power? Or is he weak and ignorant?

We can also ask whether the Organizer of the universe is one of the living creatures in this universe or not. In other words, is the creator of time and space is outside of time and space or is he in the dimensional physical world in which we live.

S It seems that I’ve began to understand what monotheism means and what real belief in God is... that’s magnificent! This idea is extremely rational and simple. It leads to peace of mind and soul. God is great! God is great! Glory to God! Thanks God for guiding me to know you better. You’re right Dad! The universe is governed by rules which reflect a highly precise and accurate system and means that this universe is controlled by the One who created that system. God created the system with all its components and has controlled all its functions. He is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Almighty; there is no lord except God. Praise the Lord, praise be to God of the whole universe!

F The arrogant submitted to Him, kings yielded to Him and they have all obeyed Him and followed His rules.

S What is it worth for the kings to rule a small part of this small planet? That is like a dot in comparison to the infinite world? What is the value of those kings compared to the King of all kings?!

F “Blessed be He in Whose hands is Dominion; and He over all things hath Power; He Who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed: and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving; He Who created the seven heavens one above another: No want of proportion wilt thou see in the Creation of (Allah) Most Gracious. So turn thy vision again: seest thou any flaw?”

S Praise to the Lord... and thank you God of the universe... Thanks for guiding me to know You better. Thanks God. Dad! I feel great happiness... a unique joy. I feel my heart is filled with love of God. I wish I could fly to the highest Supreme Kingdom.

F “Those whom Allah (in His plan) willeth to guide,- He openeth their breast to Islam; those whom He willeth to leave straying,- He maketh their breast close and constricted, as if they had to climb up to the skies.”

S Thanks God for guiding us, and thank God for all that He has granted us.

Dad! Please continue speaking about the design proof which leads to knowing God.

F I have given you the key and now you should make use of it. All parts of the universe and all aspects of life are organized precisely. There is no place or time that doesn’t follow the rules and every system or process reminds us of God, His Greatness, His Absolute Knowledge, and His ultimate Power. This is the key. So wherever you set your eyes, you would find a perfect sign of God’s existence. If you look at yourself and at the skies, you’ll find the sign of God spreading everywhere in nature. “Soon will We show them our Signs in the (furthest) regions (of the earth), and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth.”

S Dad! You’re right. You provided me with a significant concept. I’ll keep thinking about this new concept of faith.

The concept of the organization in every thing and the related evidence that there should be a Wise Creator.

F Well, this way we put an end to our theoretical lesson under the title of “Organization Proof.”

S Sorry Dad! But my theoretical lesson has just begun and it will never be finished. I’ll keep learning monotheistic lessons in every thing I set my eyes on leading me to the universe organization, throughout my life. So the lesson has just begun and will never end.

F Well-done son! God bless you and may God lead you to the position of the truthful righteous people. My son, go to bed now.

S What, Dad? Sleep! You’ve opened the heaven’s gates for me, how can I sleep? I’ll stay up with the beloved; I’ll speak with Him till dawn so I won’t miss the morning prayers. I shall remain with the beloved all night, the One who took heed of me, while I was heedless of Him.

Can Chance Be Considered A Proof?

The young son did not sleep that night. Instead, he spent the night praying and prostrating. He was raising his hand to call God, and forgot that his arms got tired. He recited different parts from various supplications he had memorized, kept repeating some sentences, raised his head and glanced at the sky with the moon in the middle with its amazing gentle silver rays, in a way that no star could be seen.

As if the stars let the moon which is greater and stronger to take its place while they surrounded the moon in a magnificent view. At that moment the boy remembered verses from the Quran: “Whatever beings there are in the heavens and the Earth do prostrate themselves to Allah.”

All the stars and planets prostrate before God. “They are all praying”, he said. “They are all doing what I’m doing, or maybe I’m doing something similar to what they are doing.” Then he stared at the kneeled moon and stars in its vicinity. He imagined the sky as a huge mosque in which the moon was acting as a leader for those stars in their majestic prayers to God. He wished he could be in the place of one of the stars, even a small one, to participate in that holy and impressive prayer behind the moon.

He wished that all creatures could participate in that universal prayer. Suddenly he remembered a verse from the holy Quran, in chapter of Haj, he memorized by heart that verse and began reciting: “Seest thou not that to Allah bow down in worship all things that are in the heavens and on Earth,- Sun, Moon, stars; hills, trees, animals; and a great number among mankind? But a great number are (also) such as are fit for punishment.”

He felt that the prayer ceremony he was looking at is much greater than what he could imagine! There were mountains, trees and animals participating in this prayer. There were also a lot of people and he has joined them at that night. He was repeating the following while prostrating:

Glory to the Exalted God!

Glory to the One Who deserves Glorification that no one else does!

Glory to the most Mighty and most Generous!

The son’s prostration took a long time while he floated with his thoughts. He visualized the leader of the group in his mind, the luminous moon, and the galaxies and meteors behind. He extended his vision to reach millions of millions of trees lined for prayer and the humble hills and mountains, which seemed to be nearly cracking before God’s Magnificence. He went with his imagination further and passed the mountains to reach the animals and groups of fish and birds, different in types and colors. They were all praying and glorifying.

Then he visualized the picture of Kaaba surrounded with millions of praying people occupying all places in order to complete the universal prayer. Thus everything and everyone in the universe was prostrating to God, the Creator of the skies and earth. Looking at another part of that picture, on a small corner, there were small groups of people scattered each prostrating to something like an idol. Those deviated groups seemed like ill spots in a beautiful portrait.

The young man got up late. He didn’t sleep much, but he didn’t feel like sleeping more. He was happy that he didn’t miss the Morning Prayer because he slept after performing the prayer. He has felt spiritual satisfaction because of the previous night and his participation in the universal prayer with the rest of creatures that were worshiping God. He compared his feelings to those of the ones who are suffering from emptiness. He also compared his feelings to those that he had before he found God himself following the lessons that he received from his father.

He got up from his bed to find out that his books, which he had left scattered, were organized on his desk and his clothes, which he had left everywhere, were put in their proper places. “Who did that?” He asked.

His mother greeted him and told him that breakfast was ready. He greeted his mother and said: “Who has tidied up my room and clothes and put everything into its place?”

“No one”, she replied.

S No one? How could this be?

M No one. Did you leave the window open before you went to bed?

S Oh... yes... yes!

M Maybe the wind is the one that moved your books and clothes and then they got organized without intending to be so.

S Mom! Are you kidding? What are you saying?

M This might happen. You know that powerful winds may do something like that.

S This is impossible, Mom! It must be you who did it.

M No! Never! I didn’t enter your room since yesterday. Well, come on son to have your breakfast.

He left his room while still thinking of what has happened. Once he entered the living room, he got shocked by something even stranger. Papers were scattered throughout the living room, covering everything including the rug and the furniture! When he looked closely, he found out that it was the address book’s sheets were scattered everywhere. “O God! What has happened?” Before asking his mother, who was in the kitchen, about this chaos, the phone rang. It was his father on the phone saying:

F Son! There is an urgent matter and you must go to see the printing press owner, Abu Ahmed. He needs you for something important.

S OK Dad! But there is something you should know about.

F I don’t have time right now. Call Abu Ahmed before you leave home just to make sure that you find him there.

S What’s his phone number?

F Look for it in the phone book.

S But the phone book is torn and all the sheets are scattered around in a strange way. Do you know who did that? And why?

F I don’t have time right now. You think of your problem and solve it Good-bye for now, son.

The son looked right and left and thought for a while then rushed to the kitchen started questioning his mother about what was going on.

S Who had torn the phone book and who scattered the sheets around? Why did it happen? Where were you at that time? And how can I find the phone number of Abu Ahmed now?

His mother looked at him calmly with sympathy and then said kindly:

M Son! Calm down. There is no need to be agitated. Your father was angry about something, and he couldn’t find anything to calm his rage except the phone book, which was at his reach. He tore its sheets and then opened the window before he left.

S Why did he open the window?

M He opened the window; so that the wind may possibly rearrange the sheets of the phone book. He also left a bottle of good glue for the wind may spill it on the book and glue the sheets together to have the book rearranged as before.

S Oh! Yes, now I understand! This is the laboratory where I should experience the practical lessons of the “Organization Proof.”

M Don’t you think that this experience is worth the loss of this copy of the phone book?

S It is really worth it. This scene will never be wiped out of my mind. I’ll have this picture in my collection with other pictures. Please wait I’ll fetch my camera to take a photograph before colleting these sheets. I want to take a laboratory-based photo for the Organization Proof.

He took a photograph (for the Organization Proof), carried the camera and went to Abu Ahmed’s place without calling him. He reached the building in a hurry and went straight into the office of Abu Ahmed. The man wasn’t the usual Abu Ahmed whom he knew; he found Abu Ahmed busy reading some papers with hundreds if not thousands of scattered papers here and there in the office. He was completely absorbed in reading the papers as if he was looking for something specifically. When he saw the young man, he cheerfully came to greet him and said:

A You arrived just on time. I remember that your talent in literature and your good knowledge of poetry made you the closest person in the area who is capable of helping me to win the prize.

S Which prize do you mean?

A The prize of the Arab Authors Association for the best poem celebrating the golden jubilee for the association’s establishment.

S Are you a poet...?

A No...

S So how do you intend to win the prize when you compete against the most prominent Arab poets in the field?

A My son! It is so simple. I’m using a practical method.

S What is this so-called practical method that will lead you to wining the prize of the Arab Authors Association?

A Well! Come in, I’ll show you.

He opened the back door and proceeded towards the main hall. The son found this place different from what it was before when he used to come with his father. He used to see the place in good order, where the hall was surrounded with shelves full of books with ordered letters located in a beautiful manner in front of each one of them. The employees stood in front of each shelf to take the letters and put them in the frames positioned in front of each according to the text mentioned above each frame.

When they have finished one page, they started with the next one. Everything takes place around the hall, while its center was almost empty. But today there was a very big container at the center of the hall. All the contents of the shelves were removed and placed in that container, which was now full of letters.

Employees were shaking the container strongly left and right and sometimes circulating it in order to mix the letters. Then from time to time one of the employees came to have a handful of letters and place them randomly and then pass them to a printing machine. Afterwards Abu Ahmed would take the printed page to read carefully. He would then append the sheet to the rest of papers that the young boy saw when he first entered.

The young boy didn’t understand what was going on around him. He turned to Abu Ahmed and tried to say something but his tongue stammered and didn’t know what to say then Abu Ahmed said.”

A Have you learned how to create a poem in a practical way?

The young boy nodded his head to mean no, without speaking a word and Abu Ahmed continued:

A The strategy is based on the probability and chance. We mix the letters randomly in order to get a sample poem by chance. And of course we may not be able to have such a poem in the first, second or even the hundredth times but by repeating the process, there is a possibility and probability of creating a great and wonderful poem to win the first prize and to give the master poets an overwhelming defeat after competing with our artificial poem, which is created in this way.

The young boy felt he was getting dizzy because of what he was hearing from that sensible man, who was talking madly. He wished he could say to Abu Ahmed:” poor mad” but the boy controlled his nerves and asked a question:

S Are these workers crazy?

A No, I asked them to do so after consulting with your father. Actually your father asked me to do that because of our long friendship. He also said that he was ready to pay the salary of these workers during this period. We also agreed that you should come and help us read those heaps of papers that you saw in the office to find the poem that wins the first prize.

A funny smile appeared on Abu Ahmed’s lips as well as his workers, who stopped the work after they have finished what was agreed upon. The face of the young boy lit with a big smile after being taken by surprise. He hugged Abu Ahmed, kissed him and said:

S How great are you and how great is my father who planned this experiment to prove the organization proof to me?!

Then he turned his face towards the workers and said:

S Let me take a photograph of you while you’re busy mixing the letters. I’ll make an album of those photos and will name that album “ The Illustrated Monotheistic Book”

Before leaving happily, he stopped by Abu Ahmed’s office and took a photograph of that heap of sheets, which were printed by putting the letters randomly. He didn’t bother reading a single sheet for he was totally confident that a good rhythmic poem could never be created by following a blind and random structure even if the workers continued mixing the letters for the rest of their lives

He rushed to the street without having any clear idea of where to go. The echoes of the last experience preoccupied his mind and imaginations. He was thinking about how his father clarified to him practically that any organization cannot be accomplished without an organizer and that a perfect task has to have a task planner. This means an organization without an organizer can never exist and...

“Stop!”

He turned his face and saw a police officer shouting at him because of jay walking

The police officer asked him: “Which village you came from? Aren’t you familiar with the traffic laws, don’t you like complying with the system?”

He answered him while the word “system” was banging in his head:

S Neither... I’m from this city.

“Great! So, you are a rebellious young villain... go to that officer sitting in the car” the police officer said.

He turned his face towards the direction where the officer pointed and saw another officer wearing the same uniform... he noticed a system in the uniform of the officers which distinguishes them from others. He also glanced at the stars on the shoulders of the officers which indicated the policemen’s rank.

When he reached the other officer, he explained to him that he should adhere and respect the traffic laws which had been set by regional and international experts in the field so as to save the lives of motorists and pedestrians. The officer also mentioned that ignoring the law would incur him certain punishment ordained by law if he is over 18 years old.

The young boy thanked the officer for his kindness and before leaving him he asked with a smile:

S Why don’t you leave cars to run at random; maybe they’ll order by coincidence without the need for laws or experts?

The officer laughed and didn’t respond; he didn’t know what was behind the young boy’s question. But the boy turned to the officer and asked him:

S Would you allow me to take a photograph of your traffic organization? “A photo of the traffic organization?! How?” The officer exclaimed.

S “You and the police officer will stand near the traffic light close to the pedestrians crossing where cars and pedestrians can appear.”

The officer didn’t oppose and accepted the young man’s request. So the young man added a new sheet to his “Illustrative Monotheistic Book.”

In his way back home, he saw a sign-board on a building; it said “World Health Organization.” He repeated this phrase in his mind, organization... World Health Organization, Agricultural and Food Organization, United Nation Organization... International Organization... Regional Organization... Information and Knowledge Organization... Management Organization... Judiciary Organization... Organization... organization.

Organization is spread in all aspects of human’s life, and every organization is set by an organizer, either a group or an individual. Nobody can ever believe that the organizers of these organizations have no knowledge and expertise in their fields. So how come some ignorant people say that the Universal Organization had been created by chance, accidentally and blindly without the existence of a Wise, Knowledgeable, Powerful Creator?!

He returned home after walking around the city seeing the sign of organization in every place in the city. That was a very practical lesson for him in the “Monotheistic Laboratory”, which exists everywhere. He now understands what his father meant when he said he’d find out where this laboratory was located. Thus wherever he sets his eyes, a sign of “Monotheism Laboratory” is found if he could infer its meaning.

He arrived at home hungry and found that food was ready. It was his favorite meal. His younger sister said with a beautiful smile: “I cooked this meal especially for you because Mom told me that you like it and because she was tired and could not cook it herself. So I’ve prepared the meal for you.”

He thought for a moment of what his younger sister who couldn’t even boil an egg had said. After a moment, he laughed in a meaningful way when saw his mother standing close, waiting to see his reaction. Then he said:

S Excellent! Splendid! My young sister! Even you have participated in giving me practical lessons about “Organization Proof”...

Then he looked at his mother and said:

S God bless you Mom! I know that my young sister cannot even boil an egg. But I’ve never thought before of the relationship between the food I eat and knowing God through the “Organization Proof” that my father showed me theoretically and practically. Anyway, I thank you all for this wonderful scheme.

His mother answered: “Taste the food first; try this here.”

When he ate the first morsel of food, he found it tasteless but he was shy to reject it. So he swallowed it and asked his mother:

S Mom! Did you forget to add salt to the food?

“No son” she replied. “I did add salt. Try this side of the dish.

He took a morsel from the side where his mother pointed to, but as soon as he put that morsel in his mouth, he couldn’t control himself, so he immediately threw that morsel out of his mouth.

“What happened?” His mother asked. “Aren’t you hungry?”

S Mom it is extremely salty... it’s too salty to be eaten.

M So eat from the middle. Try to eat from here.

He then took a morsel from the middle of the dish and put it in his mouth carefully. It was delicious. So he raised his head and said:

S Mom! What is the meaning of this lesson?

M It means that quantities also have their own role in organization, you can’t use salt randomly, but the quantity should be reasonable. The Quran stated: “Every single thing is before His sight, in (due) proportion.” So if this quantity is increased or decreased, it will spoil the food or its arrangement completely. Isn’t it the case, son?

S Well-done! Thank you Mom; thank you my little sister, and thanks Dad!... Also thank you God for making me part of this family organization which lead me to the right path.

Monotheistic Proof

In the evening, the young boy was eager for the theoretical lesson. He has experienced the practical applications of that lesson in the laboratory and learnt that those experiments which his dad had planned would have not been absorbed if he had only thought of them theoretically. The sign of the books and clothes scene in the his room then the torn phone book which was waiting for the wind to be rearranged as before and the scene of Abu Ahmed who was deeply engaged in looking for a great poem to be created randomly; and the scene of workers who tried hard to mix up letters and take a handful of them for printing hoping to create a nice poem; also the scene of his younger sister who was proud of cooking a delicious meal and the scene of tasting a morsel with no salt from the dish and the next one with too much salt and the third morsel with the right amount of salt, which means that his tongue could also participate in finding out about the “Organization Proof.”

All these scenes were like illustration tactics and procedures used to have those experiences everlasting in his mind without using a camera. However, the son was thinking about publishing a detailed monotheistic encyclopedia to assist young people who are overwhelmed by doubt. Yes, he’ll write a book and give it to Abu Ahmed to have it published. But not in the way he wanted to compose a poem!

Thus, the teaching method is very important in teaching faith. What he could achieve in just one day would not be achieved through many years in school receiving religious lessons. Religious lessons are insufficient to reveal religious facts in practical ways.

He wondered why there was a huge disparity in the teaching methods in school curriculum. Physics was taught through the most modern teaching method, while it’s not the case with religion. Why religious lessons were not based on the recent techniques in teaching too although they are both taught in one school and there is one ministry of education and one minister? Is it Intentional?

Are the Ministries of Education and the teaching cadre incapable of doing what his father did in teaching the religious ideas in a theoretical and practical way, accompanied with interesting experiments which respect the learner’s mind and encourages powerful and scientific inference?

Why are religious books ignored, while it’s not the case with, say, Chemistry books?

Also, why is religion taught at schools, but not at universities? Does that mean that university students do not need religious education or had they already had enough religious knowledge and there is no more to learn or discuss?

If this is the case, then why do we see different ideological currents in the universities which divert students’ minds away from their religion and put them astray in all directions?

Maybe students have studied religion before reaching the universities and now turned away from it and are no longer feeling the need to engage in religious discussions.

The fact that the educational system avoided religion shocked the young boy. He remembered that the term “God” is missing from all textbooks. He also remembered that the state’s law punishes whoever stands against the leader’s law but doesn’t punish those standing against God’s laws. He thought that all citizens were forced to obey the leaders, but not obligated to obey God. That’s why whoever curses the leader is imprisoned but the one who curses God is not. He was terrified by the fact that he’s living in a society where people turn away from God and do not obey His laws while they have to submit to the leader and his laws.

This society worships the leader but not God. This society assigned the leader to be worshiped instead of God. He remembered a story that his father once narrated: One day some Christians called on the Prophet while he was reciting the following verse: “They take their priests and their monks to be their lords in derogation of Allah.”

The Christians objected that they didn’t take their priests and monks as their lord in derogation of Allah. The Prophet replied: “The priests have allowed Christians what is forbidden and for bided what is allowed and people obeyed them.” Thus, they worshipped the priests not God.”

The young boy concluded that the society worshipped the leader instead of God which made him shout: There is no god but God and we don’t worship anyone other than Him. Our trust is in Him, even if polytheists disagree. He suddenly stopped thinking and asked himself: “Isn’t it true that those people say: There is no god but God? So how come they don’t fear saying it? And why doesn’t the leader hold them responsible for saying there is no god but God?” So they don’t know the importance of this phrase because they don’t know its meaning.

If people knew that this phrase means that there is no one to worship and obey except God, there is no canonization except for God, no power and authority except for God, no one to fear but God, and there is no law but God’s law, they would fear its danger, both rulers and the ruled. And you’d find that saying “there is no god but God” is a crime that deserves a life imprisonment because that endangers the national security and destabilizes the government.

Arabs truly understood the meaning of “There is no god except God” when the Prophet publicly declared it and he suffered so much from the enemies of Islam who refused to accept it. If they had not understood its meaning, they would have let him and his followers say whatever they wish to say. But they truly perceived the danger of this simple phrase.

In the evening, the family gathered around the dinner table reviewing the events of the day and the experiences resulting from each one. The father was happy and commented with a smile: “We all have participated in giving you monotheistic lessons: myself, your mother....” His young daughter interrupted him saying: “And me Dad! Me!”

“And of course you, my daughter” The father said, “no one left except my dear young baby, who is unable to speak and can just suck and cry.” The son answered:

S Even this baby gave a monotheistic lesson without even noticing that.

F How, son?

S I looked at him while mother was breast-feeding him. He opened the book of knowing God and I started going through it page by page. This weak creature feels hunger and shows it by crying; crying moves Mother’s emotion. If this emotion was not created with mothers, they would ignore their babies ñ the mother then hugs the baby and puts him close to her warm breast and he begins sucking; he is not aware of anything but he knows where to get food. That breast pours out milk and the baby ceases crying to get food. He carries out until he gets full. The baby stops sucking when he is full. If he stops before getting enough, he will starve. On the other hand, if he doesn’t stop, he will get fat. But the equation had been set in a way to fulfill the balance; the baby takes the amount necessary for his growth and to overcome his hunger. As you know, mother’s milk is rich with all the necessary nutrients a baby needs. No one could ever make anything similar to this milk with all its characteristics such as nutrient elements, taste, temperature, and not to forget the emotional side for breast feeding; they would not be able to succeed. Father! My baby brother gave me a good lesson in monotheism.

F Monotheistic lessons can be found everywhere. The Quran names every lesson a sign. So God’s signs are numerous and countless. They are as many as the number of stones and grains of sand. But every sign requires wariness and a sound innate. “Verily in this is a Message for any that has a mind and understanding or who gives ear and earnestly witnesses (the truth).”

God’s signs and the innate nature simulate to radio signals and radio transmission. The atmosphere around us is full of signals from many hundreds broadcasting stations, either radio or television based stations. But there should be a device that is capable of receiving what those stations are transmitting. The more modern the device is, the better signal quality we get and the more channels are available to hear and see. The human innate nature is similar; if it is pure, modest, sin free and not affected by society’s traditions, it will receive and perceive the lessons available in all places. Haven’t you heard what [Imam] Ali ibn Abi- Talib said: “I haven’t seen anything but perceived God before, during and after it”?

S God is great!... Dad! I’ve approached one third of the position that Ali son of Abi-Taleb had achieved.

F How?

S While experiencing your theoretical and practical lessons, I found God myself. Since then I’ve always felt the existence of God in whatever I see, but I cannot feel Him before and after that. And you know that this is the third of what we try to reach.

F Take it easy, son! All who follow the path will reach a destination. A human being is capable of reaching the greatest things with the least of effort.

S The greatest thing is God.

F And the least effort is the intention. I mean the honest intention. So if you have a sincere intention to reach God, praise and glory be to Him, He will help you in your journey. Haven’t you read the following verse: “And those who strive in Our (cause), We will certainly guide them to our Paths” If a servant of God moves toward him a span, God will come forward to his servant hundred spans. Also, if a servant walks towards God, God will rush towards him.

S This is the most possible divine kindness for a servant wishing to be as close as possible to God. Father! I’m eager to pursue the monotheistic lessons. Will you please give me another lesson today?

F No, not now. You’d better fully understand what you’ve learnt first and see if you have any questions. Then after grasping the main idea, we will proceed to the next lesson.

S I’ve got a question now.

F Go ahead.

S Would you please tell me whether the method which you’ve chosen to apply in my case, is your own idea... or...?

F “We didn’t leave anything in the Book.”

S It is from the Quran then?

F Yes. The Quran has illustrated many examples for the necessity of calling people to God in practical ways. For example, Abraham’s story, when Abraham argued with his people to cease worshiping the idols, which could neither hear nor think, he couldn’t motivate his people to abandon the idols’ worship. So he changed his tactics by planning a practical lesson. He carried his ax and smashed the idols to pieces and destroyed them all. However, he left the biggest idol intact and hanged the ax around its neck.

When the people came to worship their idols, they found

them destroyed...

They said, ‘Who has done this to our gods? He must indeed be some man of impiety!’

Th e y s a i d , ‘ W e h e a r d a y o u t h t a l k o f t h em : H e i s c a ll e d

Abraham.’

Th e y s a i d , ‘ T h e n b ri n g h i m b e f o r e t h e e y e s o f t h e p e op l e , t ha t t h e y m a y b e a r w i t n es s . ’

Th e y s a i d , ‘ A r t t h o u t h e o n e t ha t d i d t h i s w it h o u r g od s , O A b r a h a m ? ’

H e s a i d : ‘ N a y , t h i s w a s do n e b y t h a t - t h e b i gg es t o n e a m o n g t h em ! A s k t h e m , i f t h e y c a n u tt e r! ’

S What was the result?

F They thought to themselves and said: “So they turned to themselves and said, “Surely ye are the ones in the wrong!””. All the former theoretical and ideological arguments didn’t give any acceptable solution, but this practical lesson made them return back to their innate senses and confess frankly that they were wrong.

S So, you’ve learnt the practical method from Prophet

Abraham?

F Yes, Abu Ibrahim!

Accident…Again

The son prepared a few questions for his father that night. Some of the questions were collected from some books he had previously read and the rest were the result of discussions with his friends and teachers at school. His father was late, so he began writing down his questions on a piece of paper so that he won’t forget them. When his father came later on, he was carrying a sack made of cloth, but the son could not figure out what was inside it.

When the time came for his lesson, the son asked the following question:

S Dad, I feel astonished: How do some people deny the existence of the Creator while the entire world is filled with proofs of His existence?

F I’d like you to be more precise in presenting your question. Does your question concern their denial of the Creator or it is about their disbelief in Him, glory and praise be to Him?

S What is the difference?

F The difference between denying God’s existence and not having faith in God is that the denier has a reason about non-existence of God. But the one who doesn’t believe in God doesn’t have proof of God’s existence.

S Which group is the majority? Those who deny God or those who don’t believe in His existence?

F Those who deny God do not exist. Denial requires a reason, and how can they get one? Of course, there are people who deny His existence but when you discuss it with them, you’ll find out that in fact they do not deny the facts but they just don’t believe.

S But there are many people who deny God’s existence because they are not convinced with the evidences of His existence.

F These are not called deniers. A denier is a person who has convincing and solid reasons for the non-existence of God. And you see that this is different from the one who doesn’t believe in Him (Glory and praise be to Him). So, son, distinguishing between these two groups is necessary.

S What about the group that doesn’t believe in God?

F Those are creeds and trends...Why are you looking at this sack son? What are you thinking of?

S I’m listening to you. I was looking at the sack because I don’t know why you’ve brought it here?

F You’ll see that this sack has a close link to one of the creeds that doesn’t believe in God.

S I’m listening to you, Dad!

F There are different types of those who don’t believe in God; they are usually named materialists because they solely believe in materials and deny anything immaterial. The most two important ideas they believe in are: First: the universe doesn’t need a Creator as materials do exist since ever. And this is what we call the eternity of materials.

Second: The universe is organized and this fact can’t be denied except that this organization has no organizer and has been created accidentally along the years. This is called creation by chance, the probability theory so if you ask the infidels: who has created the universe? They would reply: Nobody has created the universe; the universe is eternal. Also, if you asked: How do you interpret the organization in every aspect of the universe? They would answer: The organization is there by chance.

The father noticed that his son kept having a glance on the sack whenever he has an opportunity so he smiled and the son understood the reason behind this smile. Then the son laughed and said:

S How does the content of the sack reply to the materialists?

Is it a reply to the eternity of the universe or to the accidental creation of it?

F The second one... it’s a reply to the idea which says that organization is created by an accident or chance. Take the sack and look what is inside...

The father emptied the sack; there was ten metal pieces that have the same size, numbered from one to ten. He continued:

F In the past, there were some people who used the word “chance” to justify their ignorance. It is just like a cave that they turned to in order to deny the existence of God because chance doesn’t have rules and it’s not ruled by a specified pattern... chance means that there will be no place for law and rules. However, today things are different... modern mathematics worked around the case and discovered governing laws to the contrary of what some would think that there are no regulations that govern this operation.

S One time, our mathematics teacher spoke about the probability law but he did not explain it for us.

F What you’re talking about is called the Probability Theory. It has been evolved and it’s now considered as one of the important theories used in many fields where the old mathematical laws are not functional.

S Will you explain it for me?

F Yes! Look at the ten numbered pieces... put them in the bag and mix them well.

S OK!... Well... Is that enough?

F Mix them more. Hold the sack from both sides and move it well.

S Well... I’ve mixed the pieces very well

F Now, without looking, get me the piece with number one.

Can you do that?

S I’ll try... OK! Number one; please come out... Well...

Oh! No, it’s number seven.

F Put it back in the bag, mix the pieces in the bag once again and then try fetching another piece. Maybe number one will come out.

S The second attempt... First I mix the pieces and then get one piece... It is number four.

F Try for the third time!

S Well!... It’s number two. I’m going to be closer to number one. May I repeat once again?

F Yes, go ahead and do one more attempt.

S Number ten comes out this time. I’ve got far away. How long should we repeat this for the piece with number one to come out?

F Look, son! The probability theory says: the probability that number one comes out is one to ten which means you have to repeat the process randomly ten times so that you may get number one.

S Ok!

F But if you want to get two pieces say, number one and two sequentially, the probability will be 10 x 10 which means you have to repeat your attempts randomly a hundred times in order to find those numbered pieces sequentially. If you want to have three pieces sequentially, then you have to perform 1000 attempts. Therefore, the possibility of getting the three pieces in order is one to thousandth.

S What if I want to get out all the ten pieces sequentially?

F In this case you have to perform 1010 operations. That’s ten billion attempts.

S This probability seems to be impossible.

F Actually it is.

S Well, now how can we infer that what materialists say about the accidental creation of the universe is invalid?

F We show the invalidity of what they rely upon with the following method: The number of organized things and particles in the universe is countless. All aspects of the universe are controlled by a law or a system of rules. Each organization involves a number of units which far exceeds the ten pieces you saw in the sack. The possibility of these countless things being randomly organized to create an organization is almost zero in Mathematics. So the universe’s organization could not be created randomly or accidentally. Thus, there is planning, knowledge, will and power gathered to establish the universal organization. All constituents of the universe follow a system and blind chance doesn’t play any rule in this highly organized system.

S Well-done Dad! This is very convincing scientifically

F I’ll give you a practical example of this.

S Please go ahead, Dad.

F The example is based on the protein elements which are the basic constituents of any living substance. I’ve extracted this section from a book called “The Manifestation of God in Modern Science.” This is a valuable book and I advise you to read it, but I’m not sure if you can find it in libraries or not. Anyway I borrowed it from a friend and copied the parts I needed. Take these few sheets and read them.

S Give them to me, please!

Protein is one of the essential components of all living cells. It constitutes of five elements: Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen and Sulfur. The number of atoms in each single protein is 40,000. If we say that the 92 chemical elements in the world are distributed randomly, then the possibility of mixing these five elements together to make one single protein component can be calculated to know the quantity that should be mixed in order to make this component and to know the duration of this process. The Swiss mathematician, Charles Yujengay, has calculated the probable time required for the above- mentioned processes. He found out that the probability of having the opportunity for the random formation of protein is 1/10160 which means that the process may have to be repeated over and over 10160 times in order to end with the formation of one protein component.

This number is not expressible in simple words. Another interesting fact is that the amount of substances required for the formation of one protein component by chance far exceeds all the substances currently available in the world by millions of times. The duration involved in the random formation of this single protein element on the surface of the Earth is endless billions of years. The Swiss mathematician estimated the period as 10243 years. Proteins are formed of long chains of amino acids. So how does the constituents match?

If they were formed in an alternative way, they would not be suitable for living and sometimes they turn into toxins. The British scientist, J. B. Leathes, has calculated the number of reactions necessary in one of the simple proteins and he found out that it would be 1048. Therefore, it’s rationally impossible for the entire reactions to occur randomly just to form one single protein component.

Interestingly, proteins are lifeless chemical components.

They don’t come alive unless they acquire that strange secret which we don’t know the real essence and nature of, yet. It is the unlimited brain. It is God solely Who is able to know the fact that the protein component is capable of being the basic component of life. So He built it, visualized it, and favored it with the secret of life.

S Dad! What a great scientific reasoning! Indeed “Those truly fear Allah, among His Servants”

F All what you’ve read was about the formation of a single component of protein! Can you guess the number of protein components in the universe? What about the non- protein elements? How many infinite systems are there in the world? Thinking of that makes the accidental creation of the world a sort of madness or intentional obstinacy based on irremediable complex personality.

Rational And Evaluation Reasoning

S Dad! I’m still overwhelmed by the scientific reasoning of refuting accidental creation of the world. Certainty of God’s existence is something that is open to discussion, glory and praise be to Him. I’m now familiar with the error of materialists. Dad! Would you please tell me about the other theory of materialists and their idea of the eternal material existence which claims that there is no Creator for the universe?

F Of course, son! They claim that the universe has been in existence since ever so there is no point of asking who the creator is because, as they assume, that there was no time where there was nothing existent. This allegation is just some kind of assumption for they have no evidence that the universe has been in existence since ever!

S Right Dad! What’s their evidence?

F I told you; they have no evidence; on the contrary, the evidence they forward is against their allegation. Scientifically, the age of the universe is around billions of years which means that at the beginning it wasn’t inexistence and later was created. What does this mean other than: “It is X years old”?

S Quite correct... If we pinpoint an age for the universe, it means that there should be a beginning.

F It also means that it’s not eternal

S Of course! And according to that there should be a Creator and He is the Almighty God. But Dad! Is there any scientific proof that the universe is not eternal?

F Yes son! Physics will provide us with the reason. Thermal Dynamics proves that the constituents of this universe lose their energy gradually and this leads towards a day when all creatures are approaching the temperature of absolute zero. At that time, there won’t be any energy and there will be no movement at all. There is no get away from this situation because of the gradual loss of energy as time passes. This proves that the universe is not eternal. If it was so, then it would have reached the temperature of absolute zero long time ago. The burning Sun, the shining stars and the Earth, which is full of different forms of lives, are clear evidence that the universe is originally related to a time started at a specific moment. Thus it is an event amongst the events and this means that there should be a beginning for the universe and there should be an Ageless, Eternal, Wise Creator, Who encompasses everything. His Power is unlimited and He must have created this universe.

S Mighty... Great... Glory be to God... “Truth has (now) arrived”

F “and Falsehood perished”

S Actually the progress in science serves faith and brings human beings closer to God... Where did you find this reason, Dad?

F From the same chapter of the book “The Manifestation of God in Modern Science.” Frank Alen had written this chapter.

S May God reward him the best! What a great service he has delivered in refuting the materialists’ claims about the eternity of the universe and its accidental creation. But Dad! Did this book deal with the Organization Proof?

F Yes... The same author discussed aspects of the universal organization and concluded that there has to be a Creator to the universe. He said:

“The Earth provides a suitable environment to life which cannot be attributed to mere chance. The Earth is a sphere hung in the space rotating around itself which results in the succession of days and nights; it also rotates around the sun once a year which results in the succession of sequential seasons that expand the livable regions of our planet and increase the types of different vegetables far more than if the Earth being static. The Earth is enveloped by gases which are necessary for all forms of life, more than 500 miles above the earth.

The thickness of the gas- cover protects us from the deadly meteorites which possess an approximate speed of more than thirty miles per second by preventing them from reaching the surface of the Earth with such deadly speed. Also the gas-cover keeps the Earth’s temperature within a range suitable for life. It also carries water vapor from the oceans to far regions flourishing life in those lifeless regions. Rain is the source of fresh water without which the Earth would be a desert without any sign of life. In conclusion, the oceans and the atmosphere complement each other to create a balance in the universe.

Water is characterized by four significant properties that protect lives in the oceans, lakes and rivers, especially when winter becomes long and extremely cold. Water absorbs great amounts of Oxygen when its temperature is low. The density of water reaches its maximum at four degrees Celsius. We also know that the density of ice is less than that of water which makes the ice formed in lakes and rivers floats over the water surface because it is lighter than water. Thus the water maintains its temperature making life possible underneath water in extremely cold regions.

When water freezes, a great amount of heat is liberated which helps protect the living creatures in the seas. The dry parts of the Earth are suitable for many creatures. The soil contains several elements that plants absorb and transform into various types of nutrients which animals lack and need. There are also a large number of minerals close to the surface of the Earth.

It was the reason behind the creation of the current civilizations and the emergence of the available industries and arts. In conclusion, the Earth is created in the best way for living. It’s doubtless that all this is arranged by a Wise and Expert Creator. It’s not sensible that it is a mere coincidence or a random mixture of things. Asheia (one of the Jewish prophets) was right when he said the following and this is aimed at God: “He didn’t create it aimlessly; it has been created and visualized for the creatures.”

Some people mock the size of the Earth compared to the infinite space surrounding it. If the Earth was smaller than it is now, e.g. equivalent to the size of the moon or its diameter is quarter of the Earth’s current diameter, it would be unable to keep the surrounding atmosphere and water vapor; the temperature would have reached a degree that no living creatures would be able to survive. On the other hand, if the Earth’s diameter was double its current one, the surface would expand four times the current size and this would result in doubling its gravity. As a result, the height of the atmospheric envelope would decrease and the atmospheric pressure would increase from 1Kg/cm2 to 2Kg/cm2 which would highly affect life on earth. In this situation the area of the cold regions would highly expand and the area of the livable regions would greatly decrease. Therefore, people would have group and live separately far from each other; the isolation would grow and traveling and communication would become impossible.

If the Earth’s size was the same of the sun (assuming that it should have the same density), its gravity would be 150 times more than what it is currently. Also, the height of the atmospheric envelope would be four miles less and as a result water vaporization would become impossible. The atmosphere pressure would be more than 150 Kg/cm2; so an animal of a one-pound weight would weigh 150 pounds. The size of a human being would shrink to the size of a weasel or a squirrel and their intellectualism would be impossible to develop.

If the Earth’s orbit moved to double the distance from the sun, the quantity of heat received from the sun would decrease to one fourth of its present level; the rotation time around the sun would take longer and the winter would become longer and all living creatures on Earth would freeze. On the other hand, if the distance of the Earth from the sun was half of the current one, the heat received would be four times greater; the rotation velocity would increase; the duration of the seasons would shrink to the half if we call them seasons at all; and living on Earth would become impossible.

In conclusion, the current size of the Earth, its distance from the sun and its velocity within its orbit provide the living conditions and the prerequisites for human beings to live, think and enjoy life the way we see it.”

S O God! This is the best useful knowledge I’ve ever heard.

I must look for this book and read it carefully. If I find it, I would buy it for any cost.

F Also look for the book “The Faith Story” written by Sheikh Nadim Al-Jeser. You’ll find excellent discussions and useful experiences about faith.

S Would you please tell me about it?

F We will continue our discussion tomorrow, son!

Mind and Freedom

Tonight the son was eager to hear his father’s experiences with the materialists and he didn’t prepare any question in advance. He was ready to hear his father:

F My first experience with the materialists was before reaching puberty. I acquired my religious personality from the social environment where I grew up; my parents were honest believers; the school atmosphere was religious; and the city where I lived when I was young generally followed religious culture and practices. That’s how I passed my childhood and was about to reach adolescence. I was a good believer in theory and practice, but... What kind of belief and faith? I followed and did what others did. I didn’t know that such kind of faith wouldn’t endure or last against the first encounter of doubt. This actually happened when I was thirteen years old; I was given a lot of attention from my geography teacher who was a communist and was planning to draw me closer to his beliefs and then enroll me in the communist party.

That was after he noticed my excellence at school and my ideological interests which were different and distinctive from those of my peers at that level of junior high school. The preliminary discussions between us were about simple insignificant religious matters. He intended to influence my thoughts while I intended to influence his. I was unaware of his plan of changing my ideology. After a few meetings, I noticed that he was avoiding direct clash with my religious thoughts. After a while he manipulated the discussion from simple cases to deeper concepts over ideology, the creation of the universe and monotheism. He gradually moved to discussing the existence of God but in a gentle way avoiding any direct clash which might end up with a strong reaction from me because of what I carried from my environment.

He had profound knowledge about the psychology of dealing with youth who have just begun to shape their own ideologies, and at this age, they also feel so confident and bumptious. Young people at this age deny what they don’t believe in even if all mankind have unanimity upon.

This attitude might finally result in revolt and disobedience which is the basics for building new thoughts and ideologies. That’s why missionaries and messengers try to attract the youth who make up a large proportion of people in adolescence in order support their thoughts and ideologies. The youth would sacrifice themselves without caring for the harm they may get afterwards (as the cave companions did). You can see in the Arab world that the [political] parties originate among young students in schools and these thoughts become part of their daily lives until their graduation from university. It’s extremely rare that an ideological stream chooses men in their forties or businessmen, or those who have large families.

S That’s right Dad! I also noticed that most of the parties form students’ unions which become the most powerful and active of all unions.

F But this is before getting the authority in their hands

S And after getting the power?

F Afterwards, they don’t give people a chance to live at ease unless they show unconditional support. It’s an opportunity for those to seize power in an illegal way and be in a position to crush people, deny them their basic rights and transform the government apparatus into a fearful tool against people.

S Do you think, Dad, that it is better to keep the authority in the hands of ideologists or in the hands of dictatorial and opportunists

F First of all, the question should be about the ideology. If the ideology is not Islamic, then it should not be considered as the best option. It should be rejected whether it’s been carried by the ideologists or opportunists. If the ideology is Islam, the believers are responsible for protecting it. Neither rich nor those who believed in Islam after its victory are eligible for this responsibility. For, if we won, they would say: Weren’t we with you? And if the infidels won or had a share, they would say to them: didn’t we support you and prevented the believers from hurting you?

S OK Dad! Will you please continue about the teacher of geography?

F Yeah! This man utilized his knowledge about the psychology of the youth and discovered my love for reading just like your love for reading so he encouraged me to solve the problem of God existence by reading books. Thereby he advised me to read the book “The Origin of Kinds” written by an Egyptian unbeliever called Salama Mousa. But when he saw that I couldn’t find the book, he lent it to me. Soon I started reading it.

S As far as I know, the book “The Origin of Kinds” is written by Darwin the one who established the theory, isn’t it?

F Yes! The original book was written by Darwin and he was the one who formulated the theory of evolution and development. He has said: “All kinds of animals are from one origin and later they evolved and varied through natural selection according to the law of survival of the fittest, which assumes the survival of the fittest and death of the weak ones.” Darwin chose this title for his book but the Coptic author (Salama Mousa), who was a representative of the Western ideology in the Islamic world, tried to publicize these thoughts amongst Muslims.

He also named his book “The Origin of Kinds” and extracted his concepts from Darwin’s book. The book was written in a simple style to attract young people and to turn them away from religion much more than the original book of Darwin did.

S Why did Salama Mousa do that?

F Darwin did believe in God while Salama Mousa was not only an unbeliever but also a propagandist of the disbelief in God. Salama Mousa presented the theory in an attractive way avoiding the principal weak points. These weak points were mentioned by Darwin in his original book, which if one reads, he would feel that the author didn’t try to find an alternative for the faith in God, while Salama Mousa tried to mislead young people by claiming that the Darwin theory is an undisputable scientific fact and that this fact is the alternative of the myth which says that God is the creator. God is far greater than what those ignorant ones claimed.

S Well! What else?

F I read the book carefully... My belief started to crack... What is happening here? I’m facing scientific facts that said: Human species are not created by God, they evolved through a number of random steps; those steps were repeated many times and provided a countless numbers of types and species with different properties and characteristics; the weak species became extinct while the stronger ones survived during their evolution; therefore human beings are created in the same way. He claimed that science was supported by many facts and undeniable evidence and archeological discoveries. Should I respect my mind and accept those so-called scientific facts? Or respect my parents and society and accept what they taught me?

S It must have been a hard choice for you then!

F The information in the book was supported by striking photos which consolidated those facts. But he organized the information in a misleading way as to perplex and confuse simple minded readers. I was like a villager who has just come to the capital of his country wondering about everything with a feeling of awe, daze and happiness.

It was the first time I’ve read a book that destroys religion completely; it showed how what my people, society, family, everyone I knew including myself believed in was wrong; All traditions, religious practices, prayers and social relationships were false. What we believed in or practiced was either derived from religion or related to religion somehow and because the whole religion is based on faith of God, then everything would collapse if what this book claims turns to be true.

S This was a terrible feeling for anxiety could tear a human being and turn him into a feather in a blowing wind. I experienced this condition when you started your program with me. When you separated me from the school of traditional faith to get me enrolled with a free will in the school of real faith. You’ve done well, Dad!

F Anyway, I decided to choose between my mind and my social environment... It’s true that my social environment was precious to me but my mind was more precious. I was a young man who respected his mind which was capable of showing me the right path. So should I choose my mind but then... No... No... If I followed my mind then I would be disobeying my parents whom I loved and respected and respecting them was a moral and religious obligation...

What? Moral obligation? And religious obligation? What is moral? What is religion? God’s law? What’s God’s law? Who is God? What is God? Is He the One, my mother told me about, or the one Salama Mousa called a myth? Should I follow women’s opinions or the opinions of authors, intellectuals and prominent scientists? O God! What should I do? O God... Did I say “O God”? How can I call God when I doubt him? What was inside me that made me say “O God”... Was it myself, or part of myself, or what? A wind stormed inside my mind; I started reviewing everything... I decided to swim against the current but if I couldn’t, I would rest on the bank to find out the right direction then swim again.

S What happened after that?

F After a long deep thinking, I decided to deal with the case rationally as well as morally. The rational approach means that I had decided to investigate the problem by research and rational examination and to judge the case accordingly. And if I reached a conclusion ñwhatever it wasñ I would believe in it and follow it whether it matched the inherited thoughts or not and whether the social environment agreed with it or not. However, from the moral point of view, it was fair not to show any hostility and conflict with the society because I was still in the investigation stage of ideology. So conflicting with the inherited and traditional customs was not rational before reaching the correct final conclusion.

S This was quite a sensible and rational decision.

How long did it take you to study the ideological issue?

F It took about two years. I was in doubt all the time and was trying to find a way out.

S What about your religious obligations during those couple of years... I mean did you, for instance, abandon prayers?

F Good question... I didn’t make the mistake that young people usually commit during the doubt period... The majority of young people who encounter this stage, which is full of doubts about their religion, leave their prayers. After they pass this difficult period, however, they find it too hard to start praying again because they’ve quit calling God and “By no means! But on their minds is the stain of the (ill) which they do!.” But I rationalize the problem this way :I thought after the doubt period I would reach one of two conclusions:

o Either I would believe in God and the fact that religion, Heaven and Hell are reality,

o Or I would discover that all the above-mentioned concepts are myths.

After considering both approaches, I thought which one was safer and better for my future: stop praying or continue it? The answer was quite clear... So I decided not to cease praying.

S You were like a student studying for an exam. But he/she is in doubt about whether a chapter is included or not in an exam and then he decided to study that chapter anyway to be on the safe side.

F Yes, exactly! In our Islamic history, there were many ideological streams posing doubts about the religious principles. Scholars and Imams confronted them with intellectual arguments and provided reasoning for every case. Those who are doubtful sometimes submit to rational proof and sometimes they wander away. Imam Jaafar al Sadeq has solved this problem when he tried the “precaution method” with Ibn Abi al-Ojae

S Who was this person, what did he say to him?

F Ibn Abi al-Ojae did not believe in the hereafter. So Imam Sadeq argued and said to him: “You see, if the truth was what you say, then we would all survive. But if the truth was what we have said - and it truly is, then we would be saved while you would be doomed.”

So, if the case is what you say (there is no God, Heaven or Hell), then we all will be saved from punishment. But if the case is what we say (the existence of God, Heaven and Hell), then we’ll be saved, while you’ll be punished. In both conditions, a believer will always be safe, but unbelievers would have 50% chance of survival. Thus, what does a sane person do when there is a possibility of danger?... And what kind of danger?... The danger of being in Hell. This method (precaution method) is what we adhere to in our daily life, and it is what I applied concerning the prayer, as I didn’t cease to pray throughout the doubt period.

S Dad! God was supporting you.

F That’s how I continued my prayers as I was looking for God, in order to find Him myself as you found Him yourself.

S But I found Him in no time.

F O Son! This is because of the program that God helped me to prepare for you... But in my case, I was navigating without any guide or compass.

S May God help you Dad! Please tell me how you spent your journey from doubt to faith?

F After I decided not to follow the inherited and traditional ideology and thoughts, I considered the fact that every single idea (without exception) might be either true or false and that the sole reasoning is the mind. As I avoided following the ancestors, I decided not to be deceived by the superficial concepts, as well. So it wouldn’t be rational to accept and confirm Western ideologies just because they came from the West and from technologically and industrially advanced countries.

The Western civilization has both the good and the bad. It’s not wise to adopt what is bad through guidance to good aspects. Should we, for instance, import AIDS as we import medical sciences from the West? Or should we be selective and take science and leave the disease? Is it acceptable to follow their footsteps in everything because we respect their progress in technology? It’s not wise to admire everything in the Western society. It is necessary to question every idea even if it’s presented by someone who claims that it is a scientific concept. That’s how I found out that Salama Musa had deceived me by presenting Darwin’s theory as a confirmed scientific fact when later I found out that Darwin himself didn’t fully believe what Salama Musa advocated. Salama was simply misleading his readers by leading them to Hell.

S So you started your research by rejecting both the imitation of traditional customs and the dazzle of every new or modern thing.

F Yes! It was so. I began reading books which were either proving the existence of God or denying His existence. In the beginning, I read the books, which were written by those scholars or semi-scholars, that were available in the bookstores... I found sincere attempts and honest intentions for guiding people to the right path but they addressed the older generation. Those sincere ones know neither today’s language nor today’s culture. Therefore, if the youth read those books, they will neither understand the language nor the content. Hence, the reader would abandon reading such books after just looking at the strange style of writing and the content of the first page. On the other hand, books which propagate atheism follow another strategy. Such books don’t provide the reader with a direct and frank infidelity.

They usually provide the reader with information which is genuinely true but follows a wrong track. So when the reader pursues reading, he/she will find him/herself following a track that takes him/her far away from religion. He will neither be given an infidel’s concept nor asked to publicly declare his deviation from religion, but he’s inspired as if he had chosen freely to devalue religion without being asked to. The declaration of infidelity was a very rare concept that was adopted by the Eastern Bloc and the Soviet Union who were controlled by communism. It was just when the political parties began spreading the materialistic ideology, known as Dialectics Materialism.

It was a necessary step to penetrate politically inside the Soviet Union. Hence, Materialistic concepts, in this situation, were a conspiracy against Muslims to make them join the Eastern Bloc. The Western culture, which I carefully studied for many years, is not an atheistic one; it has an anti-religious attitude which means that it doesn’t deny the existence of God frankly but it tries to create a kind of religious doubt as if it attempts to weaken human faith in God without fully destroying the concept of the Creator.

S What is the secret behind this, Dad?

F The same as the one in the communist concept... This is also some kind of preparation to encourage joining the Western policy because Christian people in the West do believe in God but they don’t want Muslims to comply with their religion. This is because they know that Islam doesn’t allow its followers to be enslaved by others “And incline not to those who do wrong”, so they are bound to create suspicions about our religion and to separate Muslims from Islam to facilitate their politicians’ intention. The colonization masters had utilized this condition in recent centuries. The Christian’s missionaries were the first ones who involved in colonizing Muslims’ countries. If you wish to know more details, you can read the book entitled “Missionaries and Colonization” to be more familiar with the facts.

S What is about Zionism?

F Zionism is a political-religious movement. In the last century, Western policy was dominated by Zionism. American Jews control 95% of the political and economic fields in America, while they don’t make more than 5% of the American society. This new emerging force has played more decisive role in opposing Islam and alienating Muslims from their religion in order to attach them to the Western culture. They started by occupying Palestine which acted as nucleus for their greater vision of establishing greater Israel that spreads between the Nile and Euphrates rivers and using the whole world to serve their intentions as God’s chosen people, as they claim. The Western powers have proved their enmity towards Islam during the last century.

This attitude can be proved through the double standard they have adopted towards Judaism, Christianity and Islam. They have extended their assistance and an unconditional support to Israel, the only country with religious system in the Middle East, while they have declared an open war against Iran and Sudan because of their inclination towards Islam. If the West is against religion, why do they support Israel? And if they are not against Islam, why are they against Iran and Sudan?

S Father! Do you remember Salman Rushdy’s crisis?

F May God bless you. Salman Rushdy is an example of what I am saying. He did not claim that God is a myth. He mocked of the personality of the Prophet of Islam, his conduct and thoughts. The whole Western World, with its political and cultural institutions, moved to defend the intellectual freedom which was, according to them, demonstrated in Salman Rushdy’s personality.

This paradox was carried further to the Western judicial system when a group of Muslims filed a lawsuit against Rushdy in the UK. The case was rejected! They found out that British law stands against slandering Christianity and Judaism but does not do the same for Islam! Therefore, according to the British law Rushdy cannot be punished for offending thousands millions of Muslims in the UK and across the world.

Can you see, son! If someone slanders Christianity or Judaism he would be persecuted but not if he slanders Islam. So freedom of expression works on one direction only, when it is alright to slander Islam and Muslims!

Similarly, it is the freedom of the dress code. If a woman in a western country decides to walk in the street nearly naked, no one will interfere with her individual personal freedom which should be protected by law. She is only using her right to choose the way she dresses! But when Muslim female students wear head scarves in France as their choice to dress, the French Minister of Education approved personally of expelling them from school! No personal freedom was practiced or protected!

S What vulgar bias they have practiced against Islam. It is an obvious fight against Islam under the name of freedom! Women have the right to reveal their bodies but are not permitted to wear head scarves! A writer has the right to slander Islam but not allowed to criticize Judaism!

F Another striking example is the case of Rogieh Garouy, the Marxist French philosopher who has embraced Islam after deep study and scrutiny. He was a respected cultural figure in France and enjoyed freedom of expression before embracing Islam. But, this freedom was taken away after he became a Muslim. He was persecuted for his research regarding the actual number of Jews killed by Nazis during the Second World War

S Is it a crime to discuss and question a historical event? Where is the freedom of intellect, then?

F Because it was about Jews.

S It is Zionism, then, that stands behind mottos of personal and intellectual freedom to serve its intentions and attack Islamic ideology.

F And the freedom of trade; it was intended to lift the boycott of Israel. Upholding free trade meant not mixing politics with trade. When Libya, Iran, or Sudan policies were not acceptable to the West, they applied economic sanctions on them and freedom of trade did not exist anymore for Muslim countries.

S Father! The same thing happened with democracy. They uphold democracy when it goes along with Western interests. They advocate people’s right to choose their leaders through ballot voting while they support dictatorships against people’s will when they choose Islam. This has happened in Turkey and Algeria in recent years. Democracy is not meant to be for Islam or to be a choice for Muslims, for example, Nixon, a president of the U.S.A., in his book “The Leaders” said: “If democracy was applied in Egypt or Saudi Arabia, it would be a catastrophe!”

Western deceit and double standard have been disclosed to the whole world.

The Impossibility of Succession

S Dad! What do you intend to talk about tonight?

F What do you want to hear about? You decide.

S I’d like to know more about the rest of your journey from doubt to faith.

F OK! I’ll give you a brief of what happened to me during the two years of uncertainty and doubt which I spent mostly in reading, discussing with many believers and infidels, meeting some scholars and corresponding with others. This had opened new and wide intellectual horizons for me I also made several relationships that were too much for me at that age...

At the end of the second year of uncertainty, I was gradually approaching the coast of safety and comfort; the huge waves of doubts were subsiding and the boat of reason has directed me to the coast of faith. There, I tied my boat and took some rest after that enjoyable hard work. I looked at the sea and its waves; I imagined its depth, vastness and was astonished to find how I could have passed that journey safely!! I thanked God so many times as I felt that the sea, waves and sands, echoing glorification with me.

S What happed after that?

F After that I packed my belongings and was ready for the second stage of my journey but this time in the sea of faith, not that of doubt.

S Where was this sea of faith?

F It was at the university... I’ve been accepted at the Medical College. I was interested in studying the creation of human beings with the signs of God, the marvelous creation in every cell and the effects of His Power on the performance of different parts of the body. Those years, at the medical college, were absolutely interesting; an experience that satisfied my mind and soul. I also had some nice memories with certain poor deceived students burdened with the influence of the materialists.

S Dad! Would you please tell me about some of them?

F I remember that there was a student who met an atheist one at the dormitory. The believer tried to discuss faith with the unbeliever to guide him to the right path, but he discovered that his opponent atheist was equipped with ideological background based on Dialectal Materialism. Anyway there was an interesting debate between them. He used to meet me in order to exchange views and get prepared for the next round of debate.

One day, he came and said: “Our fellow refused to believe in anything that cannot be conceived by our five senses. He also added: “the sole resource of knowledge is the five senses; as these senses cannot prove the existence of God, then there is no God.” Thereby, I replied: “The senses are responsible for receiving primary data and transfer it to the brain and have it collected, combined and analyzed in order to reach secondary results.

Many things are not conceivable by the senses such as electricity and magnetic waves. Even the brain is not detectable by senses. We know that all scientific discoveries are based upon the brain’s analyses of the data and arrive at to get the results which the senses deliver.” but he refused and said: “I shall not believe in something that my eyes cannot see overtly.” After the student had finished his talk, I noticed that he was weak in his debate with the atheist student. He invited me to their room in order to engage his colleague in another turn of over discussion.

I didn’t find it appropriate to have that meeting. But I feared the influence of that atheist on those believers at the residence. Also, he might think that his evidence cannot be defeated! This might result in weakening those people with shaken faith. Thus I decided to go. There, I found the atheist and we had a discussion. He was challenging... I maneuvered around in a practical way but he was not rational. He insisted that anything cannot be seen is not a fact. At that moment I found it necessary to use another method in manipulating the discussion. So I wittingly asked him: “Would you please tell me, who is your father?” He replied “My father? My father’s name is...” Then I said “How can you prove that he’s your father? Did you see with your own eyes that...?” I wish you were there to see how he stuttered trying to answer in front of his colleagues.

S Good debate! But it was offending, Dad!

F Should I respect him, while he didn’t respect God or even respect his mind?

S No... No... Well-done Dad! According to his theory, his mind doesn’t exist because his mind is not visible... Anyway it was a good discussion!

F This is called contradiction method which says “Make them abide whatever they are abiding by willingly.” It’s an easy-to-apply principle and proven to achieve good results. This rule can be applied to defeat many ill- supported ideas and put of disarray feeble minded people with weak reason.

S Would you please give me an example?

F For instance, skepticism... Its followers question everything and they believe that there are no facts. They see everything questionable and uncertain. So there is not a single case to be trusted. They deal with faith in a skeptical manner and hence spread doubt to those who believe in God. You know that if a human being is skeptical about God, praise and glory to Him, and doesn’t bother looking for the faith seriously, he will be overwhelmed by Satan and he will forget God.

The skeptic principle can be defeated by one question: “Are you sure your principle is right or are you in doubt of it?”

Therefore, if they were completely sure about their principle, then their principle would be defeated because of their “absolute affirmation.” On the other hand, if they were doubtful about their principle, it wouldn’t be possible to believe in something which we’re doubtful about.

S I’ve read about the skeptic philosophy which spread in different periods throughout history, but it does not exist anymore.

F It’s not the case, son! In recent history there are skeptical philosophers and skeptic streams that have followed this principle. The most significant ones are those enshrouded with science. For instance, the one which was posed by Marxism when they claimed that the material is the base of existence and there is no existence except for material. It’s the origin of all conditions, situations and concepts. Material development leads to the development of intellect because intellect is the reflection of material. Since material is in continuous development, intellect keeps up with the same pace and with each step of material development new ideas come up. Those ideas get their value from the harmony and consistency with the materials from which they are derived.

According to this theory, truth and falsehood, reality and unreality are taken by the same measurement. So there is no absolute reality, but it’s related to the condition from which it has originated. The material is in continuous development and so is intellect which follows material progress. Thus there is no absolute reality to be believed in at all times.

S This is an extremely dangerous idea because it destroys religion and all its concepts such as the existence of God glory to Him.

F Exactly! The Marxist creed says: The idea of God’s existence is an outcome of the religious thinking which is a reflection of means of production. Monotheism is a more advanced stage of religious ideas which passed through a period of polytheism. The development of means of production has led mankind into abolishing the concept of God. “Satan has made their deeds seem pleasing in their eyes, and has kept them away from the Path.”

S Dad! I see that you are calling Marxism a religion...

F Yes. It’s a religion with ideological, economic and political organizations. It has basics for personal and social relationships too... It is a religion, but not a religion from God. I know that this word surprised you, but I’ll talk to you some other time about the meaning of religion for there is no human being without a religion. Even those who fight religions have a religion or some sort of a religion. But I prefer to postpone talking about this subject and continue our discussion about the relativism of reality that Marxism had preached. So how do you respond to their religion and how do you reject their ideology?

S It is obvious, Dad! If there is no absolute reality, their ideology is nonsense. According to what they say; the relative reality is a result of a specific materialistic condition, therefore, it won’t exist when the materialistic conditions are changed.

F And this was the case when the Soviet Union collapsed with Marxist religion and became history.

S Dad! I’d like you to speak more about your debates with the unbelievers.

F OK! No problem. But let me think of a story that could be suitable for you... Ah... Nice story... happened when I was in my second year at the medical college.

S Was it with another student?

F No... With one of the professors.

S WOW!... What subject was he teaching?

F The professor of Physiology, the study of the functions of organs.

S And wasn’t he an atheist?!

F Yes, he was an atheist and he didn’t believe in God... But as I told you before when a human innate is inactive, he/she would forget God until a moment when a shock strokes, then the innate nature is reactivated once again.

S How come a professor in the field of Physiology disbelieves in God, while he sees the magnificent signs of God in the human body? Didn’t he feel amazed by the well-organized body and the interaction of its organs and cells?

F There is a group of people “On their hearts is the stain of the (ill) which they do!” and another group “Even if We opened out to them a gate from heaven, and they were to continue (all day) ascending therein.” “They would only say: “Our eyes have been intoxicated: Nay, we have been bewitched by sorcery””, also another group are those who “Whenever the signs of (Allah) Most Gracious were rehearsed to them, they would fall down in prostrate adoration and in tears.”

Son! It’s not enough for God’s signs to be magnificent and clear in order to lead people to believe. God wants faith to be an optional process “And verily Allah is He Who heareth and knoweth (all things).” Haven’t you heard this verse of the Holy Quran:

“If it had been thy Lord’s will, they would all have believed,- all who are on Earth! wilt thou then compel mankind, against their will, to believe!”

S You’re quite right, Dad! What I could understand from your talk is that there are people with active innate nature who believe in God upon seeing a sign of God and another group, whose innate nature is impaired, will need a shock to have their innate nature reactivated again. However, there is another group who know the fact very well, but they stubbornly reject it... “And they rejected those signs in iniquity and arrogance, though their souls were convinced.”

F Well-done son! That was a good classification.

S Which group did your Physiology professor belong to?

The one with impaired innate nature or a stubborn denier?

F Listen to the story and you’ll find out yourself.

S OK Dad! I’m eagerly waiting to hear the story from you.

F We were waiting for the Professor to come to the class.

The lesson was about the Physiology of the nervous system... He was a well-known and experienced lecturer in his field. His teaching style was excellent too... He illustrated on the blackboard the neural system and how it is connected. He also explained the symbols he used in the sketch elaborately. He described the way neural cells work, their different types, their interactive and interconnected functions and the resulted systematic and harmonious coordination with commands coming from the front part of the brain, which represents the central sensation section that issues orders to the muscles and moving organs.

In turn, it would receive the sensed information from all parts of the body. The collected information is transmitted to the sensing section where an intentional function is required. The majority of the information is also sent to different parts the brains, which are far away from the sensing section, in order to activate the necessary reactions according to a comprehensive and precise system that saves time and effort for a human being and compensate to his inability to manage the internal functions of his body.

While the Professor was absorbed in his scientific endeavor, doing his best to deliver a great amount of information, I was contemplating what he said and getting more certain of my faith while feeling humble before the magnificence of the Creator Who has created all these organizations in the nervous system of human beings. At the end of the lecture, I followed the professor to his room and asked him: “I have a question unrelated to the lecture, but it’s related to the subject.”

He said: “Go ahead”

I said: “This was an amazing system and incredible organization with a high magnificence and precision. According to your lecture, is it possible that this system was created accidentally? Or has it been designed and planned by a Wise and Knowledgeable Creator?” He responded: “This depends on the human’s belief.” Then he continued “Some believe in a Wise God while others don’t.”

I said: “I’m seeking your opinion. What do you think based on your knowledge in Physiology? Is it possible that this system is created randomly or has it been planned and designed?”

He paused for a moment and then said: “The probability of the wise creation of the system is higher than its accidental creation.” I waited to allow him to grasp the situation and to see his reaction, and then he commented: “This is a religious matter and it is not related to our study. You are a medical student and you know that religion contradicts science.”

I replied: “With all due respect, I have a different opinion regarding the irrelevance of the case. This case has a fundamental relation with us, because it can dangerously affect our future.” He was surprised by what I said, especially about the ‘future danger’.

So he asked: “How?”

I said: “If the so-called belief in God, Heaven and Hell are reality, but we deny or refuse it, then what will be our future after life?”

He said: “The modern science contradicts religious theories.”

I said: “How?”

He replied: “Don’t you see - as a medical student - the obvious contradiction between the scientific facts and the religious theories?”

I replied: “No! I’ll be grateful, if you can guide me to see the conflict between science and religion.”

He responded: “The same idea of the eternal life in Heaven, while no disease or death is able to put an end to it. How can this information be compatible with your knowledge about diseases and the withering of cells, which contradicts the idea of eternal life in Heaven?” I said: “Can’t we assume that the other life has different rules to this life. As we see difference in the rules related to plants and the ones for animals also the different rules for aquatic and terrestrial animals? Where is the problem in having different rules in the other life?”

He said: “Maybe...”

I felt that he began oscillating like a pendulum between what he used to think and the new horizon that I have opened for him now.

Then he continued: “Why don’t you worry about your lessons instead of these issues?”

I said: “This is a dangerous problem and is related to our future?”

He didn’t respond, so I continued: “Professor! I have all the respect towards you and because I respect you, I ask you to think about this seriously, and I hope you do that.”

I didn’t want to put more pressure on him because he may feel inferior by yielding to one of his students. So it was sufficient to let this seed grow in his mind which eventually might activate his innate nature .Then I said good-bye and left his room.

S Have you met him again?

F No, I didn’t meet him again. He didn’t give lectures anymore because he retired, and I don’t know anything about him.

S It’s very unfortunate that a professor of Physiology doesn’t believe in God. This is like a swimmer in a sea who denies the existence of water! The science of Physiology is entirely about the signs of God! So how come he didn’t see these signs?

F “Many are the Jinns and men we have made for Hell: They have minds wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not. They are like cattle,- nay more misguided: for they are heedless (of warning).”

S Dad! There are some questions I gathered during discussions with some friends to which I have tried to find answers myself... I could find answers for some, but not all. I couldn’t find a clear answer, which could be understood by the youth at my age... For instance, who created God? This is a question posed by some unbelievers to beat the idea of ‘Everything has a maker’. They say: if there is a Creator for everything, who might have created God? I’m unable to elaborate on the philosophical aspects of this case.

F OK! Listen son! Let me simplify it to you.

We don’t say: There is a creator for everything; but we say: For every created thing there is a Creator because God, praise and glory be to Him, is also a thing, but there is nothing similar to Him.

S So the discussion is about creatures. But how can we know that those are created? How can we know that they have been created after a time when they were not in existence? How can we know that this is what happened?

F Simply; look around you at everything... look at yourself and others, human beings, animals, plants etc... You’ll find that there is a beginning and an end for everything which means it is created. In philosophers’ terminology, it is called: an event but not eternal... There is nothing among the living and non-live creatures that is eternal and ageless. Therefore every living thing was formed out of a former living thing, and every inanimate thing was formed from a previous inanimate matter... until we reach the primary material for all beings. It is what Frank Allen discussed when he described the second law of Thermodynamics. He proved that the universe has a specified age. That is, it existed at a specific time. Therefore, every single part of the universe is created and there should be a Creator who should be ageless or eternal, not a result of an event.

S Here you are. The question is... Why there is no Creator for God?

F Let’s assume that God has a Creator too... The question will be repetitive. Isn’t it?

S Yes... assume that we ask: who has created this Creator?

F Well... Let’s look profoundly into this repetitive question.

If this question was repeated millions of times, would we reach a Creator that no one has created and His existence is ageless and eternal and Who doesn’t have to be created for His existence (or as philosophers state “a compulsory existence”)?

S What if we reached that point?

F That Creator we name God... But those “intermediaries or agents” are created like everything in this universe. So they are not God because they need to be created. They have not existed except in our imagination, which couldn’t easily accept that there is something that has no creator in the first place. But, finally, this fact is accepted.

S What if we continue with the question and say: we won’t reach a Creator who has not been created, and who created himself and wasn’t created by someone else.... Or do we say: it’s not possible to reach an independent existing entity, at the end of this series... what is wrong with this argument?

F In this case, there would be no existence at all.

S Why?

F Because all the parts of this sequence do not derive their existence from anyone... So there is no existence at all... this is not common sense and we know that the universe exists. Therefore it’s not possible for this sequence to continue endlessly. On the other hand, it’s not possible to say that the universe is being created by a Creator and then assume that the Creator is created by another creator and so on. In conclusion, the existence of such a sequence is impossible.

S Dad! Would you please give me an example for the impossibility of such a sequence in order to get a better understanding?

F Give me a cent?

S Do you want a reward?!

F No! I’ll get the reward from the One Who created me...

Give me a cent and you’ll see.

S Here it is, Dad! This is one cent.

F Where have you got this cent from?

S I got it from my mother.

F Where did your mother get it from?

S She took it from you.

F Where did I get it from?

S I don’t know, maybe from a shop keeper.

F Where did this shopkeeper get it from?

S Maybe from one of the customers?

F And the customer?

S From another person.

F Well! Now continue with this succession... Is it possible for the sequence to continue forever, or should there be an end point somewhere?

S This sequence will come to an end at the Central Bank which doesn’t get money from anywhere; rather, it makes and gives money to others and permits money to be circulated.

F Excellent! If someone told you: “This cent has not come from the bank. It moved from one person to another in an infinite sequence. Would you believe that?

S Well-done Dad! That was quite a practical example. Thus eternal succession is rationally impossible, and if it was feasible then we could say that the coins which people use were not made by the Central Bank and we know that this is quite a silly idea.

F Son! The impossibility of this series taking place means that there should be faith and belief in a Creator whose existence doesn’t depend on anything; and that He is no one but God, praise and glory be to Him.

S Here is another question that arises: Why don’t we say the same (the impossibility of the eternity of materials)? Or, why don’t we say that material is ageless and nobody has created it?

F Because all evidence confirm that material is created and will vanish one day... as we mentioned that the universe itself was created at a specific time which is scientifically proven.

S Right!

F There is another matter to consider; if there have to be an eternal existence, is it logical to believe that it is a static, limited material which is unwise and without willpower; or to consider it as an eternal, divine, knowledgeable, wise and with absolute willpower?

S Of course the Wise, Knowledgeable, Wise and Powerful God is a more likely choice to believe in than an eternal unwise material.

F That’s why we say that faith is much easier to be accepted than atheism because having faith is common sense but atheism involves many layers of doubts, uncertainty, suspicions, and pretensions which won’t end at a specific point as “a mirage in sandy deserts, which the man parched with thirst mistakes for water; until when he comes up to it, he finds it to be nothing.”

S Dad! I learnt a lot from your talk... The problem of succession was ambiguous to some extent but this example made it completely clear.

F I remembered a nice story about this matter. Once a friend of mine, a Muslim activist, narrated the following story to me:

When he was at high school, he debated with a classmate over the subject of ‘believing in God’, but his classmate refused to believe and he continued to assert that if God exists, then who has created God? The believer went on explaining the idea of the “Impossibility of Succession”, but his classmate didn’t believe and said: Where is the problem? It’s possible for the succession to go forever and it’s unnecessary for the succession to end at a specific point.

Years passed by and the believer was admitted to the College of Technology, while the atheist colleague joined the ruling party. After a while the believer found himself arrested and placed in a cell by the security forces with a number of other Muslim activists. They were arrested because of distributing leaflets anti-Baathist Regime leaflets which were found with one of activists. The interrogator wanted to find out who published these leaflets. The Secret Police believed that the suspect was one of the arrested but could not identify him. When it was the engineer’s turn to be interrogated, he learnt that the interrogator is the same class- mate atheist student with whom he had had a debate over the existence of God. During the debate, the former refused to accept the Impossibility of Succession. Their relationship was not smooth at school. So how would it be when one of them was among the opposition party and the other supported the government?

The Engineer said to the Intelligence Officer: “What do you want to know exactly? Who distributed the leaflet or who published it?”

The Officer said: “What is important is to know who has typed it.”

The Engineer replied: “Let me talk with the brother prisoners and I’ll inform you tomorrow.”

At that night the Engineer and his friends agreed upon a plan each one of them had to play an assigned role. So when the Engineer was called, he said to the Officer: “I had found the main planner, it is Ahmed.” When the Officer asked Ahmed about who has typed the leaflet, he responded: “I don’t know; I got it from Hasan.” When the Officer asked Hasan about the one whom he got the leaflet from, he replied: “Khalid had handed the leaflet to me.”

Khalid had passed the Officer to Nabeel, Nabeel to Sa’ad, Sa’ad to Amjad, and Amjad said: “I got it from the Engineer.” The Officer turned to the Engineer and said: “So it was you who typed the leaflet?” But the Engineer replied: “Never, Ahmed had given that leaflet to me.”

The Officer said: “But Ahmed had got the leaflet from Hasan.”

The Engineer said: “He’s right.”

The Officer said: “And Hasan had got it from Khalid, Khalid from Nabeel, Nabeel from Sa’ad and finally it reached you.”

The Engineer replied: “And I got it from Ahmed... What is wrong with this?”

The Officer said: “Are you mocking me? Do you think that I’m a fool? There must be someone who didn’t get the leaflet from anyone else and he is the one who typed it.” The Engineer responded: “No my friend... What you said now contradicted what you were saying before...It’s possible for the operation of succession to continue endlessly. Thus there is no need for someone to type the leaflet!”

S Excellent, Excellent Dad! What was the result?

F God had his mercy on the Officer and guided him to the right path and he helped to set free the Muslim activists.

The Evidence of Intention

F Do you have any questions tonight?

S No, but I was thinking about our conversation yesterday. I was reviewing the previous lessons to understand them better but I see that you have brought some photocopied papers.

F These are from the book “The Faith Story”, written by Sheikh Nadim Al-Jesr. I found it in one of the public libraries. So I had photocopied those pages, in which the author attempted to summarize the materialists’ theories objectively and discussed them rationally. I think you can read and understand them, and if you have any question, I’m ready to help you.

S Please hand them to me Dad! “The main theme of the origin of the world has filtered now into two principles: the material and its energy, or its motion. They are both old and associated with each other since eternity. This self- propelled motion is the cause of all forms of living and non living things. They are created through a cause and effect process from those two factors: material and motion. Both factors lack the will and intention to create all what exist in the world. You know that it is proved by geological discoveries that animals and plants were created after a span of time when they weren’t existent and that was known after investigating the layers of the Earth.

You found out that the last layer was empty of any living sign. Thus, there was a time when there were no living creatures. Then, through the reaction of the elements and motion, certain compounds were formed. Such compounds were mixed in specific proportion, which formed the living subject. The first formed living material is called protein. The creation of living beings was a result of emerging of such living materials into one living being which possess the ability of division, reproduction and assimilation. Such a material is called protoplasm. Thus, through this process simple plants and animals were formed. Hence, those living creatures have evolved to reproduce, spread and diversify according to the four laws governing nature as stated in the theory of evolution of Natural Selection.

Therefore, all living beings have originated and developed through this process over millions of years. Then, what we see as animals and plants is the fruit of such reactions. A human being is also one of the animals, which the development of this evolution process has produced. Human beings are similar to other animals in every respect except in their higher rank of evolution and level of mental development.”

F After the author completed his screening of the materialists’ theory, he started his rational argument:

“After an honest investigation, I found that the cornerstone of this theory is your belief in the agelessness of material. Therefore, if you believe that material is ageless, you won’t believe in God who created it and you won’t consider the different types of materials, then motion was necessary to compliment such phenomenon. Otherwise, creation of different materials would be difficult to furnish. Thus, material and motion were the two factors which brought about all the creation in the world.

On the other hand, if you assumed the creation of material, then you have no choice but to believe in God Who has brought about all materials’ vast varieties, and you won’t go into a course of denying the existence of God and attributing the creation to an accident based on the probability theory. Such a theory assumes that there is no intention, planning or aim in all what we witness in the world, living and non- living!

In order to refute this theory, it is necessary to prove that matter is not eternal but created. An investigator of your theory will find three main points which are difficult to be proven at the same time. If one or two points were proven the third one would be disproved. The first point is the assumptions of eternity of material and its motion which are associated since ever. The other point is the onset of the living creatures that were discovered through archeological work on the layers of the Earth. Those creatures which included all animals, plants and human beings that were created at the end of the evolution process and the human being is the most recent.

The third point is that material and motion are associated and eternal which have produced all things in the world whether living or non-living. Such martial, motion and the result of diverse forms of life and lifeless entities were brought about with intention, planning and will. This entails that material and motion have given creation in the form of cause and effect. Those are the three points which are presented as pillars of this theory can be critically reviewed as follows:

It is evident that a rational mind makes clear-cut decisions for cause and effect processes. So, if something is taking place, then it is imperative that there is a cause for its existence. There is a natural sequence of the process in the cause and effect which has to follow a time-table and cannot deviate there from. And if the cause is eternal, the effect would be eternal too. While it is recognized that living beings and materials are not eternal. Consequently, there will be three options. The first is to assume that all created things are eternal following the eternal cause. But this assumption would contradict the scientific archeological discoveries. Otherwise, you would assume that material and its motion are wise and willful. But, obviously this is denied. The other alternative is to admit that material and its motion are not eternal and are created.

S “Dad! I’ve had a nice time reading the extracted text from the book “The Faith Story.”

F Have you found any difficulty in understanding the concepts?

S In the beginning, there were some difficulties, but after meditation and review, I could fully grasp it. Then I began reviewing the main points that we’ve gone over in the program so I remembered the “Innate proof”, “Organization proof” as well as the scientific theories that emphasize the creation of the universe and denies its agelessness. I have comprehended the reasons behind rejecting the idea of accidental creation of the universe and the experience you prepared for me in the library and printing office of Abu Ahmed had helped a lot, as well as what happened at home, such as the address book and the cooking story... I also reviewed the idea of the “Impossibility of Succession with respect to the case of the Creator and creatures”, and then I found out that the idea of ageless and eternal God is more logical than the ageless material... At last, I felt that I have a solid base of faith which shows that God, glory and praise be to Him, is the Creator of the entire universe, and there is no God but Him Who is far away from what infidels associate Him with.

F Thanks to God who guided you to the way, which you would not find without His will.

S Dad! There is another case that you mentioned but haven’t discussed yet.

F There are too many subjects we haven’t discussed... We just worked on a few simple topics that were necessary at that stage. But the favorite educational method to follow with people, specifically the clever ones like you who do read a lot, is to give them leading points and leave them to do their research freely. They can resort to their mind and intact innate nature... You see that the Quran follows the same way more than once without having to use instructions and demands strategies, for instance:

“Travel through the Earth and see how Allah did originate creation”; and it leaves readers to investigate what they see from their experience in the world and what they infer from the way in which the creation has started. Also His Magnificence says:

“Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the Earth, and the alternation of night and day,- there are indeed signs for men of understanding.” Those gifted with good reasoning will understand without any explanation just by referring them by simple signs. You can also find many verses in the Holy Quran dilating over this concept: “Behold, verily in these things there are signs for those who consider!”, “Behold, verily in these things there are signs for those who understand!”, “Verily in this is a Message for any that has a mind and understanding or who gives ear and earnestly witnesses (the truth)”, “And We have indeed made the Qur’an easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive admonition?”, There is also a Prophetic saying (hadith) which shows how Islam respects the mind; it stated: “The first thing that God created was the mind, and He said to the mind: come forward so it came; afterwards He continued: go forward and it went.” [This is to check its understanding]

God, glory and praise be to Him, said: “By My Might and Majesty, I haven’t created anything dearer to Me”

S What a nice Prophetic tradition it is? Allah has created the brain to obey God innately as it comes and goes according to God’s will. God has assigned the mind as the center of God’s love for His creatures...

F Of course, the mind is the tool of worshiping God and ignorance is the tool of disobeying God.

Hadith that states: “The sleeping of a scholar is better than the worship of an ignorant.” This Hadith is in agreement with the meaning of the following holy verse: “Those truly fear Allah, among His servants are the scholars.”

F O son! Knowledge leads to real faith. But worship without knowledge would be easily overwhelmed by a passing doubt resulting in the destruction of years of prayers, fasting and other good deeds. This could be the case if faith was not based on solid grounds of science and knowledge... Look at yourself and see when have you been closer to God, after years of worship? Or after few nights of gaining knowledge?

S Quite clear, Dad! Your teachings during those few nights have transferred me to the world of faith. It is not comparable to years of my worship! I’ve felt submission in my prayers and I have enjoyed increased praying time. Being conscious of God, His presense and guidance has given me a nice feeling within my heart which is indicated by the following verse: “And He is with you wherever you may be.”

Dad! Your method has given me the main leading points that have benefited me a lot. It made me carry out my own research and refuse to accept theories or ideas without giving it a critical look. In this way I could find solutions to several complex problems which were without answer. But I have a question which I couldn’t find a suitable answer from available references.

F What is it?

S You’ve told me that there are many proofs for the existence of God, glory and praise be to Him, such as: “innate proof”, “organization proof” and “aim proof”... But I haven’t understood your explanation about the last point, the aim proof.

That is correct! I haven’t read about this point in a book, but I formed an opinion at the preliminary stages of my studies at the Medical College and then more specifically when I was studying for the specialization. There, I discovered what I couldn’t perceive before. The brief explanation of the aim proof is: you’ll find everything around you exists for a reason or purpose. You will never find a thing or a single element of that thing to be created without purpose.

This demonstrates that there is a Strong, Wise Power beyond the creation of the universe which put everything in its rightful place and allocates each single element within a specified position and determined a limit for everything. These all signify the characteristics of that Power, which is:

First: Wisdom. That is, the aims and intentions are entirely rational and are not aimless.

Second: Mercy. That is, the aims are all intending to help human beings and are seen as mercy.

Third: Power, The one who designed the universe and determined the purpose of each part of it has definitely absolute power.

Fourth: Knowledge, which is quite clear here.

The importance of the purpose proof is that it gives you lessons every day through what you see. Soon, with no doubt you will find out that there should be a Wise, Merciful, Mighty and Knowledgeable Power beyond all of this. For instance, look at this glass of water, water quenches your thirst, irrigates plants, cleanse, cools, heats and is used for several other applications. So, you feel that there must be a purpose behind the creation of water to help human beings facilitate their life as a sign of mercy. If you think further and have an overall view of water distribution on Earth, you’ll find that salty water covers three quarter of the Earth’s surface. The evaporated water from seas is condensed at the upper layers of the atmosphere and falls as rain or snow.

Then water would flow into streams and rivers in order to meet human beings needs, irrigate plants and then it flows into the seas. The water cycle in the nature clearly indicates that there is a purpose and the One behind this purpose is God, the Wise, and the Merciful. This knowledge is derived from your glance at the glass of water, which you see here in front of you.

You may look at the window, feel the blow of the wind and think about its content. It contains gases, such as oxygen which constitutes one fifth of the air to help you as well as all other creatures that need to breath. You may also think of the winds’ movements and its role in balancing the temperature, carrying clouds and cleaning the atmosphere from poisonous and harmful gases. When you think of all that, you’ll reach the same result... The intention of the One Who is Wise, Knowledgeable, Merciful and Powerful.

Think about your eyes which you use to see and the way eyelids protect them, the way the eye lashes protect the eyes, the way tears glands wash them continuously, and how the front parts of the eyes are transparent to allow light to pass through, and the way the lenses change their focal points as needed and the retinas that catch the image and transfer it to the brain through the optical nerves... If you think of these aspects deeply, you’ll reach the intention of the One Who is Wise, Knowledgeable, Merciful and Powerful.

Think about your ears, which allow you to hear, your tongue, which you use to speak, your hands, legs, stomach, heart, liver, kidney, nerves, bones, muscles and all your cells are evidence that there is no god, but God... Yes son! There is no god, but God Who is One and only One.

S It’s absolutely right that, there is no god, but God.

F My ears, eyes, muscles, bones, skin, nerves and hair are all evidence of this fact.

S My mind has admitted to this fact. My heart has become full with love of God, Who is the sole Designer of the universe. He is the One Who bestowed mercy to human beings, created the skies and the Earth... But Dad! I noticed similarities between the organization proof and the purpose proof. Are they the same?

F No son! The organization proof implies proficiency which implies Knowledge and Power. But the purpose proof signifies specifically the mercy upon human beings, because the purpose explains the aim or purpose of every organization... do you understand my point?

S To be honest... No!

F Well! Let’s have an example, the rotation of the Earth around itself and around the Sun... When we study them, we find complicated movements and based on extremely sophisticated rules and highly precise calculations. As a result of this rotation around the Sun we have the succession of the four seasons... This is a well-designed organization which proves that the Creator is aware of all these laws and He is able to make the Earth submit to His will; this is what the organization proof is about. The purpose proof is something different...

After recognizing the existence of the organization, the purpose proof explains the intention behind this organization. It explains the wisdom and the benefit of the organization. Thus, finding the purpose is another dimension of the organization proof which is a proof of God’s mercy upon all human beings. Listen, son when you see an organization, you’ll ask: Why is this organization created? The answer will be the purpose proof. To simplify the matter, let me give you an example, the earth rotation

S Yes Dad! Give me the example please. Examples really provide better understanding.

F This is the method of the Quran. If you look at the Quran, you’ll find many verses starting with: “Set forth to them, by way of parable”, or “The parable of those who...” The Quran is full of parables. If there were no parable, it would be impossible to explain many cases.

S Dad! Please give me your example.

F We said: The rotation of the Earth around itself and the around the sun represents the organization proof; and now if we ask: why does the Earth rotate around itself and around the sun? I mean is the aim? What is philosophy? What is the benefit of the Earth’s rotation organization? The answer is to have the succession of day and night which will regulate and organize the human’s daily routine. “And made the night as a covering. And made the day as a means of subsistence?” and to have the four seasons taking place sequentially which will result in the various agricultural products and human activities. In addition, it enables measuring the time by days and years.

All of this serves human beings as a sign of God’s mercy. If we take another example about the water cycle in nature and ask: why is this organization ever created? The answer is: this organization put the water under the control of human beings to serve them for the purpose of drinking, cooking, cleaning, agriculture, industry and other kinds of human activities.

If we take the human eyes structure as an example and ask: why is the cornea transparent? The answer is: to allow light to pass through. If we ask: why is the lens placed there? The answer is: in order to allow the image to be focused on the retina. If we ask: why is the iris located before the lens and is supplied with special muscles? The answer is: in order to control the intensity of light which gets into the eye ball. Also, why is the color inside the eye ball black? to allow an image to be focused clearly on the back of the retina... and so on. So whenever we find an organization (the organization proof), we will ask: why is this organization created (the purpose proof)?

The answer will always be a kind of reasoning explains the aim and the divine purpose of the organization of the universe; this aim or purpose presents the merciful aspects toward mankind.

S Now I understood!

F Now, you can ask thousands of questions about everything you see around or hear... All the questions begin with “Why?” You will find out the answer implies wisdom, benefit, aim and purpose, which all for human beings own good. Try to experiment this tomorrow from early morning by asking: why do I wake up from sleep? You’ll find out that the divine wisdom requires you to wake up, because rest time is over and it’s time for being active. When you sit to have breakfast, you’ll see that you’re there because of the urge of hunger. Why do I feel hungry?

Because the body needs food, and hunger stimulates a person to recognize this need. When you eat food, ask yourself: why do I enjoy eating food? Because if eating was not pleasure, a person would feel eating is a burden that he wants to get rid of and difficult. You may continue asking “Why?” in everything; you’ll always find the justified and rational answer demonstrating the aim and the purpose of the Creator of the universe and the organization planner Who is Kind to His servants.

S This is a new practice which I’ll begin.

F Why do you want to practice?

S In order to have more insight into” purpose Proof”, to increase my faith in God and my love to Him and to my father whom God has granted me to guide me so I know my God better.( and this is an answer of “ why”)

The Philosophy of Contradiction

F O son! Is there anything new?

S Yes Dad! I’ve thought too much about the purpose proof, which we talked about... I’ve tried the a question “why”, but that led me to many questions, which I couldn’t find answers to, and I fear that I would disturb you by asking you for more explanation.

F No, it’s not disturbing at all. Ask whatever you want and don’t hesitate.

S So, Dad... Why has God created both Heaven and Hell and didn’t create Heaven only? Why have He created pain, evil, death, disasters and disease? Why have He created tyrants, wicked people to hurt innocent and weak people?

F Do you know son, that you’ve answered your questions in your question unintentionally?

S How is that, father?

F You said: why were the Heaven and Hell created? You also said: why were evil, tyrants, diseases and disasters created? Didn’t you?...

S Yes Dad! This is the question, which preoccupied my mind recently.

F OK! Let me describe the problem or the problems on condition that you fully pay attention to what I say.

S I’m attentively listening now, my dear father.

F First of all, listen to the following poem and memorize it by heart:

If there was no ugly, there would be no beauty If there was no imperfection, there would be no perfection.

S Yes Dad! I’ve memorized it. It’s easy-to-memorize, but what do you mean? Or what do you want to convey by this poem? It’s a nice verse of poetry.

F Of course! Don’t you believe that if all the ladies were beautiful and charming to the same extent, there would be nothing called beautiful on the Earth at all and there would be no beautiful and charming lady!

S How is that, Dad? Let me think... Yes!... Right! If all the ladies were beautiful... Or, if there were no ugly (or less attractive) lady, none would be more beautiful or beautiful at all...

F Exactly! If, say, blue eyes were beautiful and all ladies on Earth had blue eyes, there would be no preference for having blue eyes over those who have black eyes (or vice versa). The same rules apply for height, nimbleness, countenance, nose or any other feature that is beautiful in a human body.

S Yes, if all ladies were beautiful, there would be no meaning for beauty at all.

F On the other hand, ugliness makes beauty beautiful... Also, imperfection means that there should be perfection, shouldn’t it?

S But Dad! What is the fault of a poor one who is ugly or less beautiful?

F She has no error... The reward will be given in the hereafter, when she will be granted with the most beautiful eyes. That is if she takes good care of her role and submits to God’s will... On the other hand, other ladies who are proud of their beauty [insulting other less beautiful ladies, directly or indirectly] will be given ugly eyes or less attractive eyes in the hereafter. It’s on that Day, justice will be applied, when each one will be held responsible for their conduct, intentions and activities... There would be no injustice, oppression or impartiality...

S Yes! It’s correct philosophy... and the same rule applies to those who are brave, noble, generous etc... we can say that: if there was no greediness, there would be no generosity; also if there was no cowardice, there would be no bravery; similarly, there would be no nobility, if there was no lowness... the same logic continues for all contradictions...

One poet said:

A n t i t h e si s u n v eil s t h e m a s k f ro m it s a n tit h es i s

I t ’ s w i t h c o n t r a d ict i o n s t h a t t h i ng s a r e d i sti n g u is h e d

F So it’s the battle of noble antithesis to unmask the imperfection from perfection and ugliness from beauty... Human beings are happy with this unveiling process. By this process, they feel proud if they are worthy of real success, not a false success or pretension.

The same rule applies for the rest of imperfections and

pains... an hour of patience could result in years of happiness and pleasure... Everything could be endured if compared with another thing which has superior value. So disease is a way to have a better health; danger is a way to have better appreciation of security; recognizing the necessity of existence of these diseases for employing doctors, chemists and nurses and the necessity of buying clothes to have textile companies functioning; the perishable property of plants and absorption of nutrients enables agriculture to live and grow, bear fruits etc.

The demolition of the old gives birth to the new which takes over. This process continues in all aspects of life. If the laws were not so, life would not function in way we are familiar with. Then there would be no meaning to death, pleasure, hope, wonder, taste and surprising events...

S Tell me more, Dad! Your speech is nice and the talk about philosophy is more interesting...

F O son! The subject of contradiction, ugliness and beauty is so wide that a mind can easily scout through and hardly touch that concept. It’s from there that the philosophy of Heaven and Hell came... or the world and hereafter. Without the difficulties of worldly life, we won’t be able to taste the pleasure of the hereafter... if there was no hereafter and Heaven, life would be completely meaningless.

The existence of this two-sided concept (that is ugliness and beauty; Heaven, life and Hell; world and hereafter) has a very useful meaning. The taste of, say, fresh water is known; the taste of hunger; the pleasure of sleeping; the suffering of thirst; the pleasure of being healthy and so forth can be experienced when there is its opposite...

How pleasant is sleep after spending many hours without sleep, and how pleasant is fresh water when feeling very thirsty.

S God bless you, Dad!

If there were no black eyes, then blue eyes would not look beautiful!

F Maybe on the contrary... If there were no blue eyes, then black eyes would not seem beautiful; if there were neither, then yellow eyes would not have seemed beautiful and vice versa. So ugliness is relative as well as beauty...

The son went on repeating the following verses of poetry in rhythm:

S I f t h e r e w a s n o u g li n es s , t h e r e w o u l d b e n o b e au t y .

I f t h e r e wa s n o i m p er f ect i o n , t h e r e w o u l d b e n o p er f ect i o n .

Thank you, for these nice verses of poetry, wise proverbs and rational philosophy.

F It’s better to say: Thanks God for His high Wisdom, beautiful creation and magnificent Will...

The End

More than a week passed from the last discussion between the father and his son. This inactive time period was intentional in order to give the son time to grasp monotheism lessons and to review the concepts already discussed and to perform some experiments on them. The son was preoccupied during the day... Things that were not important before are now catching his eyes and attracting his attention.

He went out towards the garden, looked at each specific section specified for each plant and took one of the fruits without cutting out... He watched and then he pondered over this fruit when it was little seed thrown on the earth and covered with soil... How magnificent and grown up it is now! A strong tree giving odoriferous, nice and delicious fruit “It is Allah Who causeth the seed-grain and the date-stone to split and sprout.”

Suddenly, a sound coming from the henhouse disturbs his stream of thoughts... This is a sound of a hen announcing the coming of a new egg... He goes towards the henhouse thinking about the creation of an egg from the hen which lay down... “How does God create this animal with this precise organization?” he asked. “How did He supply this transparent white material of the egg, which is important for feeding human beings? The Hen eats seeds, which are made up of starchy materials, and then strangely enough, these materials are transformed into a transparent material with high nutritious value in eggs... or in the meat itself... Glory and praise be to God... You have created the most expensive food from the least expensive materials...

You have created the eggs from seeds; milk from grass; and meat from clover... All those excellent food stuff are all chemically coming from cheap materials... seeds or grass, which grow in the earth... these seeds or grass are nothing other than sucrose materials at the final analysis stage... Glory be to God, Who creates transparent materials from sucrose!!”

“Where did these sugary materials come from?” he continued.

“Plants create them from simple raw materials; that is water and air through photosynthesis... How great this is! How magnificent is the Creator of this huge factory in the leaves of plants, which mix water that is absorbed through the roots from the ground as well as Carbon Dioxide from the air and by getting assistance from the Sun’s rays that are coming from millions of miles away? Who taught these tiny leaves to perform all these sophisticated chemical operations that provide food for human beings and animals?”

“The aim, purpose and wisdom are apparent here. The proof of the organization, the aim and the purpose are all addressing sound minds with the following: “Such is the Creation of Allah: now show Me what is there that others besides Him have created”, he added.

He had the feeling of submission and humility... a pleasant sense of having a relation with a Powerful, Wise, Knowledgeable, Merciful and Gracious Creator. He couldn’t express his feeling at that very moment except with prostration and kneeling (with the forehead touching the ground). Falling immediately to prostration and kneeling on the soil and repeating: There is really no creator, except God; the deniers of God have lost; “they have verily strayed afar, far away from the Path” and they are really lost. He goes on kneeling till sunset.

When the Sun has disappeared behind the clouds, his imagination goes into the way that clouds were created... the role of the water cycle appears at this moment and he remembers the “Organization Proof” in the construction of this cycle, as well as the “Aim Proof.” He remembers the lessons given by his father and then recites: “It is Allah Who sends the Winds, and they raise the Clouds.”

He found himself taking monotheism from the soil and what grows on it; from the hen and what it produces; from the cloud and what it carries; from the shining Sun and the blowing winds. He used to take science from the school of the universe; and his teachers are all the creatures too... the nature; the day and night; the Sun and the Moon; the water and air; animals and plants; humans and minerals... these are all lecturers in monotheism; and every part of the universe is his school leading him to faith. How magnificent! How pleasant! Where are the kings and their sons to feel this enjoyment?

The son could now understand the meaning of the sentence that he has heard from his father at his prostration:

“What did the one, who found You, lost? And what does the one, wholost You, find? Be blind the eyes which don’t see Thou! “

“O God, those who lost you, found nothing, and those who found you, lost nothing”

He met his father at that night to let him know about his new sense that had just born and said:

S Dad! I feel that I’m a student at the monotheism school...

F Where is this school located?

S Everywhere, Dad.

F Who are the teachers at that school?

S Every creature, every phenomenon and everything are teachers there.

F What about the working hours?

S Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The lessons are falling just like a torrent rain in a thunderstorm.

F What about the teaching language?

S All languages are supported.

F The teaching level?

S The simplest ones can understand the lessons; and the greatest thinkers can deeply meditate.

F What is the final awarding degree and certificate?

S The degree carries the following title: “There is no creator, but God”

Topic Tags:

- Beliefs and Doctrine [7]

Author(s):

- Fakhri Mashkoor [1]

Translator(s):

- Majeed Muhammad [6]

Publisher(s):

- Ansariyan Publications - Qum [2]

Source URL: https://www.al-islam.org/journey-fact-fakhri-mashkoor

Links
[1] https://www.al-islam.org/person/fakhri-mashkoor
[2] https://www.al-islam.org/organization/ansariyan-publications-qum
[3] https://www.al-islam.org/printpdf/book/export/html/37647
[4] https://www.al-islam.org/printepub/book/export/html/37647
[5] https://www.al-islam.org/printmobi/book/export/html/37647
[6] https://www.al-islam.org/person/majeed-muhammad
[7] https://www.al-islam.org/tags/beliefs