EXISTENCE OF GOD AND RELIGION

Existence Of God And Religion



Existence Of God And Religion

Existence of God

Scholastic Muslim theologians have developed many arguments to prove the existence of God. Two of them are well known in Islamic theology: huduth (creation) and imkan (contingency) arguments. The first argument proves that the universe existed and cannot come into being without the One who originates it. Therefore it cannot be created by itself. Unlike the Aristotelian argument, which operates on the principle of causality, in this argument the world is not eternal. The Quran uses the huduth argument in various verses without referring to the term itself. Therefore, the world is originated and needs an originator. In other words, whatever exists must have a sufficient cause for its existence. The latter argument is based on the view that what exists is divided into two categories. The first category is one whose existence is necessary in itself. The other category is one whose existence depends on others. The goal of this argument is to prove that there is only one thing that necessarily exists. It argues that the world's creation is contingent (mumkin), and a contingent thing cannot be created by another contingent thing. Otherwise it would lead to an infinite series of contingent causes. Consequently, it needs the One who is necessarily existent in himself. All other causes found in the universe are contingent, thus there must be an uncaused cause or the Cause of Causes (musabbib al-asbab) to create them.

Through a sustained examination of the Quranic verses, one finds a variety of arguments to prove the existence of God. Besides the above-mentioned two arguments, the argument from universal consent and teleological argument are among those arguments found in the Quran under various names. The wonderful design of the universe, which is the basis of the teleological argument, is frequently referred to as a point of contemplation in the Quran. This marvellous and interrelated system of order cannot have been brought about by chance. As thinkers such as Nursi point out, whoever created the eye of the mosquito is the same person who created the solar system. That is because they are interrelated; the eyes of a mosquito are designed in accordance with the level of the sunlight. 'It is He who has created seven heavens in harmony. You cannot see any fault in the Beneficent One's creation; then look again: Can you see any flaw?' (67.3).

The Holy Book invites human beings to contemplate the ways of God. The Quran calls it 'signs' or ayat. Various verses condemn those who do not use their minds and reason to understand the signs of God in the universe and in their own creation. The Quran encourages people to appreciate God's signs, since they are intelligent creatures. The verse says: 'We have sent down upon you signs, clear indications, and none denies their truth save the transgressors' (2.99). The word 'sign' is repeated many times in the Quran. Everything in the heavens and the earth gives news of ...