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The Scientific World Is Turning to God

| Thursday, November 11, 2010 |

"As people have certainly been influenced by me, I want to try and correct the enormous damage I may have done." (Anthony Flew)
The newspapers these days are echoing with these regret-filled words by Anthony Flew, in his time a well-known atheist philosopher.
The decisive factor in this radical change of view is the clear and definitive evidence revealed by science on the subject of creation. Flew realised, in the face of the information-based complexity of life, that the true origin of life is intelligent design and that the atheism he had espoused for 66 years was a discredited philosophy.
Flew announced the scientific reasons underlying this change in belief in these terms:
"Biologists' investigation of DNA has shown, by the almost unbelievable complexity of the arrangements which are needed to produce [life], that intelligence must have been involved." (1)
"It has become inordinately difficult even to begin to think about constructing a naturalistic theory of the evolution of that first reproducing organism." (2)
"I have been persuaded that it is simply out of the question that the first living matter evolved out of dead matter and then developed into an extraordinarily complicated creature." (3)
The DNA research which Flew cites as a fundamental reason for his change of opinion has indeed revealed striking facts about creation. The helix shape of the DNA molecule, its possession of the genetic code, the nucleotide strings that refute blind chance, the storage of encyclopaedic quantities of information and many other striking findings have revealed that the structure and functions of this molecule were arranged for life with a special design. Comments by scientists concerned with DNA research bear witness to this fact.
Francis Crick, for instance, one of the scientists who revealed the helix shape of DNA admitted in the face of the findings regarding DNA that the origin of life indicated a miracle:
An honest man, armed with all the knowledge available to us now, could only state that in some sense, the origin of life appears at the moment to be almost a miracle, so many are the conditions which would have had to have been satisfied to get it going. (4)
Based on his calculations, Led Adleman of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles has stated that one gram of DNA can store as much information as a trillion compact discs. (5) Gene Myers, a scientist employed on the Human Genome Project, has said the following in the face of the miraculous arrangements he witnessed:

"What really astounds me is the architecture of life… The system is extremely complex. It's like it was designed… There's a huge intelligence there." (6)
The most striking fact about DNA is that the existence of the coded genetic information can definitely not be explained in terms of matter and energy or natural laws. Dr. Werner Gitt, a professor at the German Federal Institute of Physics and Technology, has said this on the subject:
A code system is always the result of a mental process… It should be emphasized that matter as such is unable to generate any code. All experiences indicate that a thinking being voluntarily exercising his own free will, cognition, and creativity, is required… There is no known natural law through which matter can give rise to information, neither is any physical process or material phenomenon known that can do this. (7)
Creationist scientists and philosophers played a major role in Flew's acceptance of intelligent design, backed up by all these findings. In recent times Flew participated in debates with scientists and philosophers who were proponents of creation, and exchanged ideas with them. The final turning point in that process was a discussion organised by the Institute for Metascientific Research in Texas in May, 2003. Flew participated together with author Roy Abraham Varghese, Israeli physicist and molecular biologist Gerald Schroeder, and Roman Catholic philosopher John Haldane. Flew was impressed by the weight of the scientific evidence in favour of creation and by the convincing nature of his opponents' arguments, and abandoned atheism as an idea in the period following that discussion. In a letter he wrote for the August-September, 2003, edition of the British magazine Philosophy Now, he recommended Schroeder's book "The Hidden Face of God: Science Reveals the Ultimate Truth" and Varghese's book "The Wonderful World."(8) During an interview with the professor of philosophy and theology Gary R. Habermas, who also played a major role in his change of mind (9), and also on the video "Has Science Discovered God?," he openly stated that he believed in intelligent design.
The "Intelligence Pervading the Universe" and the Collapse of Atheism
In the face of all the scientific developments outlined above, the acceptance of intelligent design by Antony Flew, famous for defending atheism for many years, reflects a final scene in the process of collapse being undergone by atheism. Modern science has revealed the existence of an "intelligence pervading the universe," thus leaving atheism out of the equation.
In his book "The Hidden Face of God," Gerald Schroeder, one of the creationist scientists who influenced Flew, writes:
"A single consciousness, a universal wisdom, pervades the universe. The discoveries of science, those that search the quantum nature of subatomic matter, have moved us to the brink of a startling realization: all existence is the expression of this wisdom. In the laboratories we experience it as information that first physically articulated as energy and then condensed into the form of matter. Every particle, every being, from atom to human, appears to represent a level of information, of wisdom." (10)
Scientific research into both the functioning of the cell and the subatomic particles of matter has revealed this fact in an indisputable manner: Life and the universe were brought into being from nothing by the will of an entity possessed of a superior mind and wisdom. There is no doubt that the possessor of that knowledge and mind that pervade the universe at all levels is Almighty Allah. Allah reveals this truth in the Qur'an:
Both East and West belong to Allah, so wherever you turn, the Face of Allah is there. Allah is All-Encompassing, All-Knowing." (Qur'an, 2:115)



Harun Yahya
___________________________________________
i Richard N. Ostling, "Lifelong atheist changes mind about divine creator," The Washington Times 10 December 2004; http://washingtontimes.com/national/20041209-113212-2782r.htm
2- Antony Flew, "Letter from Antony Flew on Darwinism and Theology," Philosophy Now; http://www.philosophynow.org/issue47/47flew.htm
3- Stuart Wavell and Will Iredale, "Sorry, says atheist-in-chief, I do believe in God after all," The Sunday Times, 12 December 2004; http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1400368,00.html
4- Francis Crick, Life Itself: Its Origin and Nature, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1981, p. 88
5- John Whitfield, "Physicists plunder life's tool chest", 24 April 2003; http://www.nature.com/nsu/030421/030421-6.html
6- San Francisco Chronicle, 19 February, 2001
7- Werner Gitt, In the Beginning Was Information, CLV, Bielenfeld, Germany, pp. 64-7, 79
8- Antony Flew, "Letter from Antony Flew on Darwinism and Theology," Philosophy Now; http://www.philosophynow.org/issue47/47flew.htm
9- "Atheist Becomes Theist: Exclusive Interview with Former Atheist Antony Flew;" http://www.biola.edu/antonyflew/index.cfm
10- Gerald Schroeder, The Hidden Face of God, Touchstone, New York, 2001, p. xi


From "Timelessness and the Reality of Fate" :

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A general review of historical trends reveals that all anti-religionists base their philosophy on materialist thought. As is known, materialists deny the fact of creation. Instead, they maintain that matter has existed since time immemorial and will remain as an absolute entity for all eternity. In other words, they deify matter. Materialism is thus defined in materialist sources:  
Materialism accepts the eternity and everlastingness of the universe (its having no beginning or end), that it is not created by God, and is infinite in time and place.1 
He is the Originator of the Heaven and the earth...
(Surat al-An'am:101)
The reason why materialism so deifies matter stems from its categorical refusal to accept the existence of a Creator. That matter is not absolute implies that it had a beginning: that it had a beginning means that it was brought into being from nothing, that is, it was created.

 
Not surprisingly, the consensus reached by the world of science at the end of the 20th century verifies the fact that matter is not absolute and that it had a beginning: the whole universe originated from nothing approximately 15 billion years ago with the explosion of a point with "zero" volume and took its present shape by expanding over time. The authenticity of this event, which is called the Big Bang, is proved by many substantial observations and experiments as well as by the calculations of theoretic physicists.  
The latest point reached by science today verifies the fact that "the universe was created out of nothing," as is maintained by the Qur'an and all other divine religions. In addition, modern science has disproved materialism and all its sub-ideologies, destroyed the matter-dependent world of materialists, and defeated them in the war they waged against creation.

 

Materialists, however, cannot accept the fact that matter is not absolute but was created, even at the cost of conflicting with science. To accept this fact would require them to accept the existence of Allah, and to believe in Allah would require them to accept religion and lead religious lives. As religion primarily requires definite obedience and submission to Allah, this would prove to be troublesome for such people as are blinded by their own arrogance. In the Qur'an, the state of those who escape realities because of their arrogance — though the truth is quite apparent — is explained as follows:

 

And they rejected those Signs in their iniquity and arrogance, though their souls were convinced of their truth. Consider the fate of those who acted corruptly! (Surat an-Naml, 14)

 

Materialists believe that time, just like matter, is absolute, i.e., it comes from eternity and goes on to eternity. Adhering to this misapprehension, they seek to deny fate, the day of resurrection, paradise and hell. However, today, modern science has proven that just like matter, time, which is a derivative of matter, has also been created from nothingness, and that it also had a beginning. At the same time, that time is a relative notion, that it is not static and unchanging as materialists have long believed, and that it is a changing form of perception were also discovered in this century. The relativity of time and space has been proven by Einstein's Theory of Relativity and this fact has today laid the basis of modern physics. 

 

To sum up, time and space are concepts that are not absolute, that have a beginning, and that were created by Allah from nothing. Allah, Who has created time and space, is certainly not dependent on them. Allah has defined, determined and created every moment of time in timelessness. This is what underlies the essence of the reality of "Fate," which materialists fail to comprehend.

 

All of the events that have been experienced in the past and that will be experienced in the future by us, are within the knowledge and control of Allah, Who is not dependent on time, and Who created time from nothing. 

 

Today, modern science verifies facts announced by the Qur'an 1400 years ago, which are unequivocally believed in by the believers. This bears witness that the Qur'an is the word of Allah. On the other hand, materialist thought, which has been denying Allah's existence and the fact of creation for centuries, is refuted in every field by science, a discipline to which it never stops referring and in which it takes refuge on all occasions. In this book, we will produce evidence to show that the claims of materialists have no scientific and logical basis, and that on the contrary, materialism is totally demolished by contemporary science. The subjects covered here include very important pieces of evidence about the essence of matter and the relativity of time and space. Thus, you will encounter some facts which you have never pondered upon so far, and will understand that the essence of matter is in truth very different from what materialism puts forward or what you have previously been taught. 


The Universe is Created From Non-Existence

 
Materialism is a system of thought that holds matter to be an absolute entity and denies the existence of anything but matter. Having its roots in ancient Greece and gaining increased acceptance, particularly in the 19th century, and becoming famous with the dialectical materialism of Karl Marx, this system of thought claims that matter has existed forever and that it will exist for all eternity. Since it maintains that matter is not created, it does not accept the existence of a Creator.
 


The founder of dialectical materialism: Karl Marx
As we have just stated, materialism became popular mainly in the 19th century. One of the principal reasons for this is the "static universe" model that was then produced in response to the question of "how the universe had come about". This model answered the question by stating that the universe had not come about, it had existed forever and would continue to exist forever. The universe was accepted to be a stable, constant and unchanging collection of matter and the notion was promoted that such a universe did not require us to believe in a Creator.
 


 

The confirmation of the opposite of this universe model, that is, the discovery that the universe had a beginning and that it was alterable, unquestionably proved the existence of a Creator. In his book "Principes Fondamentaux de Philosophie", renowned materialist philosopher Georges Politzer accepted this fact in his denial of creation on the basis of this "boundless universe" model: 

 

The universe is not a created object. If it were, then it would have to have been created instantaneously by God and brought into existence from nothing. To admit creation, one has to admit, in the first place, the existence of a moment when the universe did not exist, and that something came out of nothingness. This is something to which science cannot concede.2

 
At the end of a period that started in the second quarter of the 20th century, modern science, however, proved the fact admitted by materialists when they said: "If it was so, then we would perforce agree that a Creator existed,"—that is, that the universe had a beginning. This fact was revealed after a number of stages. 

The Expansion of the Universe

 

In 1929, in the California Mount Wilson observatory, an American astronomer by the name of Edwin Hubble made one of the greatest discoveries in the history of astronomy. While he observed the stars with a giant telescope, he found out that the light from them was shifted to the red end of the spectrum and that this shift was more pronounced the further a star was from the earth. This discovery had an electrifying effect in the world of science, because according to the recognised rules of physics, the spectra of light beams travelling towards the point of observation tend towards violet while the spectra of light beams moving away from the point of observation tend towards red. This meant that the stars were constantly moving away from us. 

 


Edwin Hubble, next to his giant telescope.
  Before long, Hubble made another very important discovery: Stars and galaxies moved away not only from us, but also from one another. The only conclusion that could be derived from a universe where everything moves away from everything else is that the universe constantly "expands." To elucidate, the universe may be thought of as the surface of a balloon being blown up. Just as the points on the surface of a balloon move apart from each other as the balloon is inflated, so do the objects in space move apart from each other as the universe keeps expanding.

 

In fact, this had been theoretically discovered even earlier. Albert Einstein, judging from the calculations which had led him to formulate the Theory of Relativity in 1915, had concluded that the universe could not be static. Greatly taken by surprise at his own discovery, Einstein added a factor called the "cosmological constant" to his equations, simply to eliminate this unbecoming conclusion. Convinced by astronomers that the universe was static, he did not want his theory to conflict with this model. This view, which was later withdrawn by Einstein himself — who confessed that it was "the greatest mistake of his career," — was thrown on to the scrap heaps of history in view of developing scientific discoveries. 

 

For the first time in 1922, Russian scientist Alexander Friedmann discovered on the basis of the Theory of Relativity that the universe was alterable and that even a slight change caused it to expand or shrink. While Friedmann reached this conclusion, he also corrected the mistake (of the cosmological constant) in Einstein's article dated 1917. 

 

The first person who used the solutions discovered by Friedmann was the Belgian cosmic scientist, Georges Lemaitre (1894-1966). Relying on these solutions, Lemaitre maintained that the universe had a beginning and that it had been constantly expanding since then. In addition, he stated that the radiation remaining from this starting moment could be detected (this radiation, given the name of 'cosmic background radiation' was indeed later detected by observations).

The Discovery of the Big Bang

 

The fact that the universe expands proposed a model very different from that of the "static universe" that had gained general currency. The expansion of the universe implied that, when travelling backwards in time, the universe would prove to have originated from a single point.

 

The calculations showed that this "single point" that harboured all the matter of the universe should have had "zero volume" and "infinite density." The universe had come about by the explosion of this single point with zero volume. This explosion was named the "Big Bang" and the theory came to be so called. 

 

EVIDENCE FOR THE BIG BANG: THE SHIFT TO RED IN THE LIGHTS OF GALAXIES

An observer who views the spectra of a distancing object will see that this become increasingly redder. Observations made from the earth have shown that the spectra of light beams of the galaxies and stars in the sky increasingly tend towards red. This means that heavenly bodies constantly move away from us. The discovery of this fact by observations made in the 1920's has proved that the universe has an expanding structure and that it originated in the Big Bang.
  You may wonder how a point with no volume, that is, occupying no space, and with infinite density can exist. Actually, "a point with no volume and infinite density" is a theoretical from of expression. Scientifically, a point described as having "zero volume" means a point with no volume. In fact, a point with no volume means that it is "nonexistent". Therefore, the universe has been brought into existence from non-existence. This fact invalidates the hypothesis of materialism that "the universe has existed since time immemorial". 



"Steady State" Trial


 

Astronomers devoted to the materialist philosophy sought to resist the Big Bang and uphold the steady state theory. The cause of this effort was revealed in A.S. Eddington's words "Philosophically, the notion of an abrupt beginning to the present order of Nature is repugnant to me."3

 

World renowned mathematician and astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle was one of those who were disturbed by the Big Bang theory. In the middle of the century, Hoyle championed a theory called the "steady-state," which was similar to the "constant universe" approach of the 19th century. Though he accepted that the universe was expanding, Hoyle argued that the universe was both infinite in size and eternal in duration. According to this model, as the universe expanded, matter was suddenly starting to come into existence on its own and only to the extent that it was needed. With the sole ostensible aim of supporting the dogma of "eternally existing matter" — the basis of the materialist philosophy, — this theory was totally at variance with the "Big Bang" theory, which held that the universe had a beginning.
 

Those who defended the steady-state theory opposed the Big Bang for a long time. Science, however, was working against them.

New Evidence for the Big Bang: Cosmic Background Radiation

 

In 1948, George Gamow came up with another idea concerning the Big Bang. He stated that after the formation of the universe by a big explosion, a radiation surplus left over from this explosion should have existed in the universe. Moreover, this radiation ought to be uniformly diffused throughout the universe.

 


George Gamow
  This evidence which "ought to have existed" was soon to be found. In 1965, two researchers by the name of Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson discovered these waves. This radiation, called "cosmic background radiation", was very different from just any haphazard radiation coming from a particular direction in space. It was extraordinarily uniform. In other words, it did not seem to radiate from a particular source but rather pervaded the whole of space. Thus, it was understood that the 3 degrees Kelvin heat waves that were uniformly radiated from all around space had been left over from the initial stages of the Big Bang. Moreover, this figure was very close to the figure previously foreseen by scientists. Although they were able to make measurements only at a single wave length (microwave), Penzias and Wilson were awarded a Nobel Prize for being the first persons to show this original evidence of the Big Bang by experiment. 

 

In 1989, George Smoot and the NASA team under his leadership sent the Cosmic Background Radiation Discovery Satellite (COBE) into space to do research on cosmic background radiation. It took only eight minutes for the sensitive scanners on this satellite to confirm the measurements of Penzias and Wilson. The scanners accurately identified the remains of the big explosion that had taken place at the outset of the universe. 

 

Defined as the greatest astronomic discovery of all times, this finding did not stop there. Where the COBE 1 satellite had given information on the temperature at a certain point in space, the COBE 2 satellite went further, discovering that there is a temperature difference between  two points in space. This showed that the heat generated after the big bang increasingly diminished. After this event, many scientists commented on COBE's success as the "Big Bang's confirmation in an extraordinary way." 

Further Evidence: Hydrogen-Helium Concentration

 


A photograph taken by the Hubble telescope. Every luminous point in the picture is a galaxy. It is estimated that there are approximately 300 billion galaxies in the entire universe. It is predicted that there are on average 250-300 billion stars in each galaxy. All of the matter and energy making up this giant universe is created from nothing and this is very clear evidence for creation.
  Another important piece of evidence for the Big Bang was the amount of hydrogen and helium in space. From the latest calculations, it was understood that the hydrogen-helium concentration in the universe tallied with the theoretical calculations of the hydrogen-helium concentration remaining after the Big Bang.

 

As is generally known, stars produce energy by transforming their hydrogen constituents into helium through a nuclear reaction. If the universe had not had a beginning and if it had existed forever, then all the hydrogen in the stars should have been consumed and transformed into helium. However, the fact that the hydrogen gas in the stars has not yet been consumed and that the stars still continue to produce energy by constantly turning this gas into helium is certain evidence that the universe is not infinite and had a beginning. 


The Big Bang's Victory

 

All of this compelling evidence caused the Big Bang theory to be embraced by the scientific community. The Big Bang model is the latest position reached by science on the formation and beginning of the universe. Defending the steady-state theory alongside Fred Hoyle for years, Dennis Sciama described the final position they had reached after all the evidence for the Big Bang theory was revealed. Sciama stated that he had taken part in the heated debate between the defenders of the steady-state theory and those who tested that theory with the hope of refuting it. He added that he had defended the steady-state theory, not because he deemed it valid, but because he wished that it were valid. Fred Hoyle stood out against all objections as evidence against this theory began to unfold. Sciama goes on to say that he had first taken a stand along with Hoyle but, as evidence began to pile up, he had had to admit that the game was over and that the steady-state theory had to be dismissed.4

 

Prof. George Abel from the University of California also states that currently available evidence shows that the universe originated billions of years ago with the Big Bang. He concedes that he has no choice but to accept the Big Bang theory. 5
 


 


Fred Hoyle
  With the Big Bang's victory, the concept of "eternal matter" that constituted the basis of the materialist philosophy has been thrown on to the trash-heap of history. What, then, came before the Big Bang and what was the power that brought the universe into "being" with this big explosion when it was "non-existent"? This question certainly implies, in Arthur Eddington's words, a "philosophically unfavourable" fact for the materialists, that is, the existence of a Creator. The renowned atheist philosopher Antony Flew comments on the issue: 

 

Notoriously, confession is good for the soul. I will, therefore, begin by confessing that the Stratonician atheist has to be embarrassed by the contemporary cosmological consensus. For it seems that the cosmologists are providing a scientific proof of what St. Thomas contended could not be proved philosophically; namely, that the universe had a beginning. So long as the universe can be comfortably thought of as being not only without end but also without beginning, it remains easy to urge that its brute existence, and whatever are found to be its most fundamental features, should be accepted as the explanatory ultimates. Although I believe that it remains still correct, it certainly is neither easy nor comfortable to maintain this position in the face of the Big Bang story.6

 
Many scientists who do not blindly condition themselves to be atheists have admitted the role of an almighty Creator in the creation of the universe. This Creator must be a being Who has created both matter and time, yet Who is independent of both. 

 

Roger Penrose, a physicist who has done extensive research on the origin of the universe, has also stated that the universe rests where it is not by mere coincidence, and this shows that it definitely has a purpose. For some people, "the universe is just there" and it just goes on being there. We just happened to find ourselves right in the middle of this whole thing. This viewpoint would probably not help us in understanding the universe. According to Penrose's view, there are many deep affairs going on within the universe whose existence we cannot today perceive.7

Facts Announced By The Qur'an 14 Centuries Ago

 

To sum up, the definite conclusion reached by astrophysics was that the entire universe, with its matter and time dimensions, came into being at a moment of zero with a big explosion (Big Bang). Before the Big Bang, there was no such thing as time. Matter, energy, and time came into existence out of a state of nothingness where neither matter, nor energy, and nor time was existent this event can be defined as entirely metaphysical. However, this great reality discovered by modern physics only at the end of this century was announced to us in the Qur'an 14 centuries ago. 

 

To Him is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth. (Surat al-Anaam, 101)

 

The Big Bang theory showed that, in the beginning, all the objects in the universe were of one piece and then were parted. This fact, which was postulated by the Big Bang theory was stated in the Qur'an 14 centuries ago, when people had a very limited knowledge about the universe: 

 

Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of creation), before we clove them asunder? We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe? (Surat al-Anbiya, 30)

 

As stated at the beginning of this chapter, the expansion of the universe is one of the most important pieces of evidence that the universe was created out of nothing. Although this fact, which has existed since the universe was created, was not discovered by modern science until the 20th century, Allah informed us of this reality in the Qur'an which was revealed 1,400 years ago:

 

It is We who have built the universe with (Our creative) power, and, verily, it is We who are steadily expanding it. (Surat adh-Dhariyat, 47)

The Explosion That Brought Order

 

In reality, the Big Bang caused much greater trouble for the materialists and atheists (those terms being almost synonymous), than the above confessions of the atheist philosopher, Antony Flew. The Big Bang proved not only that the universe was created out of nothing, but also that it was brought into being in a very planned, systematic and controlled manner. 

 

Perfect order arose after the Big Bang, which was an explosion. Explosions, however, never bring about order. All of the observable explosions tend to harm, cause to disintegrate, and destroy what is present. For example, the atom and hydrogen bomb explosions, fire-damp explosions, volcanic explosions, natural gas explosions, solar explosions all have destructive effects. 

 

If, however, we are introduced to a very detailed order after an explosion, we then conclude that there is a "supernatural" intervention behind this explosion and that all the pieces dispersed by the explosion are made to move in a very controlled way.

 

The following statement made by Sir Fred Hoyle, who accepted his mistake after many years of opposition to the Big Bang Theory, expresses this situation very well:

 

The big bang theory holds that the universe began with a single explosion. Yet, an explosion merely throws matter apart, while the big bang has mysteriously produced the opposite effect - with matter clumping together in the form of galaxies.8
While stating that the Big Bang's giving way to order is contradictory, he surely interprets the Big Bang with a materialistic bias and assumes that this was an "uncontrolled explosion." In reality, however, he was the one who contradicted himself by making such a statement simply to dismiss the existence of a Creator, Who is Allah. If great order has arisen as the result of an explosion, then the concept of an "uncontrolled explosion" must be set aside and it must be accepted that the explosion was extraordinarily controlled.

 

This order holds true for all stages after the Big Bang. The matter that has emerged with the Big Bang is in the form of the particles we call "atomic particles". But these – as Hoyle stated, have "mysteriously" come together and formed atoms everywhere and in every part of the universe. Being composed in great order, these atoms have formed galaxies by concentrating in certain parts of the universe. In these galaxies stars have formed stars, and around these stars, star systems and planets have come into existence. All these vast heavenly bodies are extraordinarily organized. If we think that there are approximately 300 billion galaxies in the universe, and 300 billion stars in each one of them, we can better understand the degree of the extraordinariness of the order and balance in question. 

Delicate Balances

 

Another aspect of this amazing order formed in the universe following the Big Bang is the creation of a "habitable universe". The conditions for the formation of a habitable planet are so many and so complex that it is almost impossible to think that this formation is coincidental. 

 

 

Eta Carinae star is destroyed by a supernova explosion. This and similar explosions always cause disorder. However, the Big Bang, known as the most drastic explosion ever to have taken place, has given way to a space based on extremely precise balances and all the systems therein. This extraordinary balance and order can by no means be explained away by coincidences and it all proves that the entire universe has been created by an exalted and mighty Creator Who is Allah.
  Paul Davies, a renowned professor of theoretical physics, calculated how "fine tuned" the pace of expansion after the Big Bang was, and he reached an incredible conclusion. According to Davies, if the rate of expansion after the Big Bang had been different even by the ratio of one over a billion times a billion, no habitable star type would have been formed:

 

Careful measurement puts the rate of expansion very close to a critical value at which the universe will just escape its own gravity and expand forever. A little slower and the cosmos would collapse, a little faster and the cosmic material would have long ago completely dispersed. It is interesting to ask precisely how delicately the rate of expansion has been "fine-tuned" to fall on this narrow dividing line between two catastrophes. If at time I S (by which time the pattern of expansion was already firmly established) the expansion rate had differed from its actual value by more than 10-18, it would have been sufficient to throw the delicate balance out. The explosive vigour of the universe is thus matched with almost unbelievable accuracy to its gravitating power. The big bang was not, evidently, any old bang, but an explosion of exquisitely arranged magnitude.9
The amazing balance in the universe is thus explained in a scientific magazine:

 

If the density of the universe matter had been a little more, then the universe, according to Einstein's Theory of Relativity, would never expand due to the attraction forces of atomic particles, and have would have recollapsed to turn into a spot. If the density had initially been a little less, then the universe would have expanded at the highest speed, and the atomic particles would not have been able to attract and capture one another and stars and galaxies would never have been formed. Naturally, we, too, would not have existed! According to the calculations made, the difference between the initial real density of the universe and the critical density beyond which there is no likelihood of its formation is less than a quadrillion of a hundredth. This is like placing a pen on its sharp end so that it can stay so even after one billion years. Moreover, this balance gets more delicate as the universe expands.10 
 
The famous physicist Prof. Stephen Hawking makes this comment on the balance in the speed of expansion in his book A Brief History of Time:

 

If the rate of expansion one second after the big bang had been smaller by even one part in a hundred thousand million million, the universe would have re-collapsed before it ever reached its present size.11
As regards this interesting situation Paul Davies states:

 

It is hard to resist the impression that the present structure of the universe, apparently so sensitive to minor alterations in the numbers, has been rather carefully thought out… The seemingly miraculous concurrence of numerical values that nature has assigned to her fundamental constants must remain the most compelling evidence for an element of cosmic design.12

 
In relation to the same set of facts, an American professor of Astronomy, George Greenstein, writes in his book The Symbiotic Universe:

 

As we survey all the evidence, the thought insistently arises that some supernatural agency–or, rather Agency–must be involved (in the formation of the universe).13
 
We must conclude, when we examine the glorious system in the universe, that the existence of the universe and its workings rest on extremely delicate balances and an order too complex to be explained away by coincidental causes. As is evident, it is by no means possible for this delicate balance and order to have been formed on its own and by coincidence after a great explosion. The formation of such an order following an explosion such as the Big Bang could only have been possible as a result of conscious interventions at each step. This is the creation of Allah, Who created the universe out of nothing and Who at every moment keeps it under His control and guidance. 

The End of Materialism


 

Modern science proves the reality of the creation of the universe by Allah, contrary to what outdated materialists philosophy maintains. Newsweek made "Science Finds God" the cover story of its July 27th 1998 issue.
  All these facts indicate that the claims of the materialist philosophy, which is simply a 19th century dogma, are invalidated by 20th century science. By deeming everything to consist of nothing but matter, materialism made the great mistake of denying the existence of a Creator Who brought matter into being and ordered it. By exposing the great plan, design and order prevalent in the material sphere, modern science has proved the existence of a Creator Who rules over the material sphere, that is, Allah. The design we encounter in the universe is also revealed in the world of living beings, causing the greatest support of materialism, Darwin»s theory of evolution, to be demolished. 

 

Materialism could have held sway over a great number of people for centuries, having even disguised itself with the mask of "science" in the 19th century. Yet it seems that in the 21st century, it will be remembered as a superstitious belief opposing science. Humanity has rid itself of such superstitious beliefs as that the world stands on the horns of an ox, or that it is flat, and so will it rid itself of materialism.


 

1. Materyalist Felsefe Sozlugu (Dictionary of Materialist Philosophy), Istanbul: Sosyal Yayinlar, 4th Edition, p. 233
2. George Politzer, Principes Fondamentaux de Philosophie, Editions Sociales, Paris, 1954, pp.62-63
3. S. Jaki, Cosmos and Creator, Chicago: Regnery Gateway, 1980, p.54
4. Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time: A Reader's Companion (edited by Stephen Hawking ; prepared by Gene Stone.), New York, Bantam Books, 1982, p. 62-63
5. George O. Abel, Exploration of the Universe, Holt Rinehart and Winston, 1975, pp. 665-667
6. Henry Margenau and Roy Abraham Varghese, eds., Cosmos, Bios, Theos, La Salle, IL: Open Court Publishing, 1992 p. 241
7. Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time: A Reader's Companion (edited by Stephen Hawking; prepared by Gene Stone.), New York, Bantam Books, 1982, p. 143
8. W.R. Bird, The Origin of Species Revisited, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991; originally published by Philosophical Library in 1987, p. 462
9. W.R. Bird, The Origin of Species Revisited, Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991; originally published by Philosophical Library in 1987, p. 405-406
10. Bilim ve Teknik magazine, vol. 201, p. 16
11. Stephen W. Hawking, A Brief History of Time, Bantam Books, April 1988, p. 121
12. Paul Davies, God and the New Physics, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1983, p. 189
13. Hugh Ross, Ph.D., The Creator and the Cosmos, Navpress, 1995, p. 76 
 


Dialogue with an Atheist Professor

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"Let me explain the problem science has with God.", The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

Professor:  "You're a Muslim, aren't you, son?"

Student: "Yes, sir"


Professor: "So you believe in God?"
Student: "Absolutely"
Professor: "Is God good?"

Student: "Sure! God's good"

Professor: "Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"
Student: "Yes"
The professor grins knowingly and considers for a moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help them? Would you try?"
Student: "Yes sir, I would"
Professor:  "So you're good...!"
Student: "I wouldn't say that"
Professor: "Why not say that? You would help a sick and maimed person if you could in fact most of us would if we could... God doesn't"
[No answer]

"He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Muslim who died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. How is this God good?  Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"

[No answer]
The elderly man is sympathetic. "No, you can't, can you?" He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax. "In philosophy, you have to go easy with the new ones"

"Let's start again, young fella"

Professor: "Is God good?"
Student: "Er... Yes"
Professor: "Is Satan good?"
Student: "No"
Professor: "Where does Satan come from?"
Student: "The student falters. From... God..."
Professor: "That's right. God made Satan, didn't He?"
The elderly man runs his bony fingers through his thinning hair and turns to the smirking, student audience. "I think we're going to have a lot of fun this semester, ladies and gentlemen". He turns back to the Muslim.

"Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?"
Student: "Yes, sir"
Professor: "Evil's everywhere, isn't it? Did God make everything?"
Student: "Yes"
Professor: "Who created evil?"
[No answer]
Professor: "Is there sickness in this world? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All the terrible things - do they exist in this world?"
The student squirms on his feet.
Student: "Yes"
Professor: "Who created them?"
[No answer]
The professor suddenly shouts at his student. "WHO CREATED THEM? TELL ME, PLEASE!"
The professor closes in for the kill and climbs into the Muslim's face. In a still small voice: "God created all evil, didn't He, son?"

[No answer]
The student tries to hold the steady, experienced gaze and fails. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace the front of the classroom like an aging panther. The class is mesmerized. "Tell me, he continues, How is it that this God is good if He created all evil throughout all time? The professor swishes his arms around to encompass the wickedness of the world. All the hatred, the brutality, all the pain, all the torture, all the death and ugliness and all the suffering created by this good God is all over the world, isn't it, young man?"

[No answer]

"Don't you see it all over the place? Huh?" Pause. "Don't you?" The professor leans into the student's face again and whispers, "Is God good?"

[No answer]

"Do you believe in God, son?"

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor. I do"

The old man shakes his head sadly. "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. You have never seen God, Have you?"

Student: "No, sir. I've never seen Him"

Professor: "Then tell us if you've ever heard your God?

Student: "No, sir. I have not"

Professor: "Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God or smelt your God...in fact, do you have any sensory perception of your God whatsoever?"

[No answer]

Professor: "Answer me, please"

Student: "No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't"

Professor: "You're AFRAID... you haven't?"

Student: "No, sir"

Professor: "Yet you still believe in him?"

Student: "yes..."

Professor: "That takes FAITH!"
The professor smiles sagely at the underling. "According to the rules of empirical, testable,
demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Where is your God now?"

The student doesn't answer
"Sit down, please"
The Muslim sits...Defeated.
Another Muslim raises his hand. "Professor, may I address the class?"
The professor turns and smiles. "Ah, another Muslim in the vanguard! Come, come, young man. Speak some proper wisdom to the gathering"

The Muslim looks around the room. "Some interesting points you are making, sir. Now I've got a question for you. Is there such thing as heat?"

Professor:  Yes, the professor replies. There's heat.

Student: "Is there such a thing as cold?"

Professor: "Yes, son, there's cold too."

Student: "No, sir, there isn't"

Professor: The professor's grin freezes. The room suddenly goes very cold.
The student continues. You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold, otherwise we would be able to go colder than 458, You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it"

Silence. A pin drops somewhere in the classroom.
Student: "Is there such a thing as darkness, professor?"
Professor: "That's a dumb question, son. What is night if it isn't darkness? What are you getting at...?"

Student: "So you say there is such a thing as darkness?"

Professor: "Yes..."

Student: "You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something, it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word. In reality, Darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker and give me a jar of it. Can you... give me a jar of darker darkness, professor?

Despite himself, the professor smiles at the young effrontery before him.
"This will indeed be a good semester. Would you mind telling us what your point is, young man?"

Student: "Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with and so your conclusion must be in error...."

The professor goes toxic. "Flawed...? How dare you...!

Student: "Sir, may I explain what I mean?"
The class is all ears.

Professor: "Explain... oh, explain..."
The professor makes an admirable effort to regain control. Suddenly he is affability itself. He waves his hand to silence the class, for the student to continue.

"You are working on the premise of duality", the Muslim explains. "That for example there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science cannot even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism but has never seen, much less fully understood them. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, merely the absence of it"
The young man holds up a newspaper he takes from the desk of a neighbor who has been reading it. "Here is one of the most disgusting tabloids this country hosts, professor, Is there such a thing as immorality?"

Professor: "Of course there is, now look..."

Student: "Wrong again, sir. You see, immorality is merely the absence of morality. Is there such thing as injustice? No. Injustice is the absence of justice. Is there such a thing as evil?" The Muslim pauses. "Isn't evil the absence of good?"
The professor's face has turned an alarming color. He is so angry he is temporarily speechless. The Muslim continues.
"If there is evil in the world, professor, and we all agree there is, then God, if he exists, must be accomplishing a work through the agency of evil. What is that work, God is accomplishing? Islam tells us it is to see if each one of us will, choose good over evil"
The professor bridles. "As a philosophical scientist, I don't vie this matter as having anything to do with any choice; as a realist, I absolutely do not recognize the concept of God or any other theological factor as being part of the world equation because God is not observable"
"I would have thought that the absence of God's moral code in this world is probably one of the most observable phenomena going", the Muslim replies. "Newspapers make billions of dollars reporting it every week! Tell me, professor, do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"
Professor: "If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do."
Student: "Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"
The professor makes a sucking sound with his teeth and gives his student a silent, stony stare.

Student: "Professor, Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a priest?

Professor: "I will overlook your impudence in the light of our philosophical discussion. Now, have you quite finished?" the professor hisses.
Student: "So you don't accept God's moral code to do what is righteous?"
Professor: "I believe in what is - that's science!"
Student: "Ahh! SCIENCE!", the student's face splits into a grin, "Sir, you rightly state that science is the study of observed phenomena. Science too is a premise which is flawed..."
SCIENCE IS FLAWED..? the professor splutters.
The class is in uproar. The Muslim remains standing until the commotion has subsided.

Student: "To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, may I give you an example of what I mean?"

The professor wisely keeps silent. The Muslim looks around the room.

"Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen air, oxygen, molecules, atoms, the professor's brain?"
The class breaks out in laughter. The Muslim points towards his elderly crumbling tutor, "Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain... felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain?"

"No one appears to have done so", The Muslim shakes his head sadly.  "It appears no one here has had any sensory perception of the professor's brain whatsoever. Well, according to the rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science, I declare that the professor has no brain!"
The Muslim sits...Because that's what a chair is for!!!


The Most Extraordinary Incident Ever!

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I was reading a book in the dining room when the printer started to print. Strangely, my computer was in ANOTHER room and I was the only person in the house. I picked up the message which read:



"The oceans, the insects, the planets and their orbits, the light and the darkness, the air and the water, the perfect flow of the universe, the life, how did it all begin? By accident?"
 
I quickly went to check who was using my computer. To my surprise, I found my cat playing on the keyboard and just by hitting different keys of the keyboard it produced this message! Unbelievable! I came back to read the message again. It was in plain human language and there was no chance that a cat could have produced it. I have tried to solve this riddle but to no avail, but I remembered later that I was taught at school that this whole universe itself is the result of an accident, the Big Bang! The Big Bang was an explosion that formed the earth, the sun and the planets, and consequently the water, air and the life. Yes it was an accident as said by the scientists. Scientists also agree that every single element in the nature has a purpose and essential role in the smooth flow of the universe. For example if one star leaves its orbit or if the composition of the atmosphere changes slightly it will not support the life as we know it.
But, if an accident produced this perfect universe, why can't I reward my cat as it became the first ever cat that could WRITE (accidently though)? If my cat can’t write one paragraph in an accident, how can this faultless universe come out of an accident when there was not even a cat on the keyboard? How can I believe the scientists while I cannot believe my own eyes?


Abdulqadir Diriye


Chance Or Intelligence? (ANALYS )

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This Universe, indeed displays a remarkable vista of order and consistency. We can observe, for example, the great regularity with which the celestial bodies follow precise orbits, and marvel at the way in which water from the seas is brought to the land by wind-driven clouds, which are in turn formed by the evaporation of water: without this replenishment, life would be impossible. We are also amazed by the migration patterns of many species, including newborn eels, that trek through thousands of miles of ocean, to nestle in their own local streams, and of bees, who use sunlight for navigation in their quest for nectar. We may ponder as to why all living things exist in pairs, and contemplate on the optimality of the processes which comprise the whole universe. Even incredibly minute changes would disrupt the balances in nature: after all, had the earth's orbit been slightly offset in either direction, water and the resulting forms of life would not have emerged. In fact, we observe great unity in the laws of the cosmos; through the spectrum of life and non-life ranging from the microcosmic subatomic particles to the macrocosmic expanse of the universe itself, integration is manifested on every level.
Reflection may lead us to pertinent questions: Could such encompassing order have arisen purely by unintentioned accident? Or could there be an intelligent originator to this spectacular array of living and non-living forms —a designer that may have developed them through processes which have yet to be fully determined? What conclusions are evidential?
Is it probable that all the letters on this page unscrambled themselves by chance to form these meaningful and structured sentences? How then, could a human being - with ears, eyes and a mind - have been formed by chance? Is it credible that such a vast universe with an inestimable billions of galaxies could have evolved by accident? Does not the integration and complexity of a single cell far exceed that of a mere piece of paper with some intelligible writing on it, let alone this universe and all that it contains? (Especially since the universe also contains this piece of paper . . .!)
We know that we are not the cause of ourselves, for embryonic development is organized and directed in stages under natural laws. But directed by what and by whose laws? Chance? Or Intelligence? What about a multiplicity of infinite beings? Could such have been responsible for this cosmological fabrication? Would not the resulting state of this universe have then been disordered and chaotic due to the conflicting commands of these infinitely powerful entities, who would have been trying to accede to the throne of authority in rivalry? Indeed, in such a regime, we would expect to see inconsistency in the universe as opposed to consistency. Instead of rain, we might conceivably have received a heavy downpour of elephants from the skies. (An umbrella would certainly not be terribly useful in such a universe!) Such a scenario would also give rise to the question: which of the infinite beings came first? And why? On the other hand, if such a multiplicity of infinite beings were in perfect agreement for all time, then there would not be any need for more than one - nor is there any evidence.
If our response to the chance (unintentioned creation) and multiplicity (creation by two or more beings) hypotheses is negative, then our answer has to lie between zero and two. In other words, there can only be one unique governing intelligence - unique by the virtue of having no demigods, intermediaries, mystical incarnate beings, or any other human or nonhuman associates. This vast singular intelligence, then, must have created and developed all living and non-living things, as well as space-time itself, and must therefore be independent of it.
If this is our conclusion, then it means that the myriad forms of matter and energy as well as the physiological structure of the human being must be subject to the natural laws of this singular and independent governing intelligence.
 In addition to this involuntary physiological dependence of human beings to the prescribed natural laws, we are also endowed with a mind which has the capacity to voluntarily question and reason. A reasoning person would be naturally drawn to the logical conclusion of the existence of a unique originator, and therefore of a meaningful purpose to this existence. Such a person would live with this awareness, in peace with himself or herself and the rest of nature.
Indeed reasoning people live, and have been living throughout the ages in all parts of the world. They can be found dwelling in the midst of exuberant jungles or in our large, populous and crowded cities. What would distinguish such individuals would be the employment of reason as a foundation for life. If such a people are to be given a name which linguistically denotes 'voluntary peaceful submission' to this unique Intelligence, and which includes all of these attributes, a suitable term in one language would be the word Muslim.

For further correspondence, you may write to:
A N A L Y S
University of Toronto
P.O. Box 572
Postal Station P.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5S 2T1






A Quick Introduction To Islam

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The word "Islam" is an Arabic word which means "submission to the will of God". This word comes from the same root as the Arabic word "salam", which means "peace". As such, the religion of Islam teaches that in order to achieve true peace of mind and surety of heart, one must submit to God and live according to His Divinely revealed Law. The most important truth that God revealed to mankind is that there is nothing divine or worthy of being worshipped except for Almighty God, thus all human beings should submit to Him.
The word "Muslim" means one who submits to the will of God, regardless of their race, nationality or ethnic background. Being a Muslim entails willful submission and active obedience to God, and living in accordance with His message. Some people mistakenly believe that Islam is just a religion for Arabs, but nothing could be further from the truth. Not only are there converts to Islam in every corner of the world, especially in England and America, but by taking a look at the Muslim World from Bosnia to Nigeria, and from Indonesia to Morocco, one can clearly see that Muslims come from many various races, ethnic groups and nationalities. It is also interesting to note that in actuality, more than 80% of all Muslims are not Arabs - there are more Muslims in Indonesia than in the whole Arab World! So though even though it is true that most Arabs are Muslims, the large majority of Muslims are not Arabs. However, anyone who submits completely to God and worships Him alone is a Muslim.

Continuity of the Message:

Islam is not a new religion because "submission to the will of God", i.e. Islam, has always been the only acceptable religion in the sight of God. For this reason, Islam is the true "natural religion", and it is the same eternal message revealed through the ages to all of God's prophets and messengers. Muslims believe that all of God's prophets, which include Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, brought the same message of Pure Monotheism. For this reason, the Prophet Muhammad was not the founder of a new religion, as many people mistakenly think, but he was the Final Prophet of Islam. By revealing His final message to Muhammad, which is an eternal and universal message for all of mankind, God finally fulfilled the covenant that He made with Abraham, who was one of the earliest and greatest prophets. Suffice it to say that the way of Islam is the same as the way of the prophet Abraham, because both the Bible and the Qur'an portray Abraham as a towering example of someone who submitted himself completely to God and worshipped Him without intermediaries. Once this is realized, it should be clear that Islam has the most continuous and universal message of any religion, because all prophets and messengers were "Muslims", i.e. those who submitted to God's will, and they preached "Islam", i.e. submission to the will of Almighty God.
The Oneness of God:
The foundation of the Islamic faith is belief in the Oneness of Almighty God - the God of Abraham, Noah, Moses and Jesus. Islam teaches that a pure belief in One God is intuitive in human beings and thus fulfills the natural inclination of the soul. As such, Islam's concept of God is straightforward, unambiguous and easy to understand. Islam teaches that the hearts, minds and souls of human beings are fitting receptacles for clear divine revelation, and that God's revelations to man are not clouded by self-contradictory mysteries or irrational ideas. As such, Islam teaches that even though God cannot be fully comprehended and grasped by our finite human minds, He also does not expect us to accept absurd or demonstrably false beliefs about Him. According to the teachings of Islam, Almighty God is absolutely One and His Oneness should never be compromised by associating partners with Him - neither in worship nor in belief. Due to this, Muslims are required to maintain a direct relationship with God, and therefore all intermediaries are absolutely forbidden. From the Islamic standpoint, believing in the Oneness of God means to realize that all prayer and worship should be exclusively for God, and that He alone deserves such titles as "Lord" and "Savior". Some religions, even though they believe on "One God", do not make all of their worship and prayers for Him alone. Also, they also give the title of "Lord" to beings that are not All-Knowing, All-Powerful and Un-Changing - even according to their own scriptures. Suffice it to say that according to Islam, it is not enough that people believe that "God is One", but they must actualize this belief by proper conduct. In short, in the Islamic concept of God, which is completely based on Divine Revelation, there is no ambiguity in divinity - God is God and man is man. Since God is the only Creator and continual Sustainer of the Universe, He is transcendent above His creation - the Creator and the creature never mix. Islam teaches that God has a unique nature and that He is free from gender, human weaknesses and beyond anything which human beings can imagine. The Qur'an teaches that the signs and proofs of God's wisdom, power and existence are evident in the world around us. As such, God calls on man to ponder over the creation in order to build a better understanding of his Creator. Muslims believe that God is Loving, Compassionate and Merciful, and that He is concerned with the daily affairs of human beings. In this, Islam strikes a unique balance between false religious and philosophical extremes. Some religions and philosophies portray God as just an impersonal "Higher Power" who is uninterested, or unaware, of the life of each individual human. Other religions tend to give God human qualities and teach that He is present in His creation, by being incarnate in someone, something - or even everything. In Islam, however, Almighty God has clarified the truth by letting mankind know that He is "Compassionate", "Merciful", "Loving" and the "Answerer of Prayers". But He as also emphasized strongly that "there is nothing like unto Him", and that He is high above time, space and His creation. Finally, it should be mentioned that the God that Muslims worship is the same God that Jews and Christians worship - because there is only one God. It is unfortunate that some people mistakenly believe that Muslims worship a different God than Jews and Christians, and that "Allah" is just the "god of the Arabs". This myth, which has been propagated by the enemies of Islam, is completely false since the word "Allah" is simply the Arabic name for Almighty God. It is the same word for God which is used by Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians. However, it should be clarified that even though Muslims worship the same God as Jews and Christian, their concept of Him differs somewhat from the beliefs of other religions - mainly because it is based completely on Divine Revelation from God. For example, Muslims reject the Christian belief that God is a Trinity, not only becaue the Qur'an rejects it, but also because if this was God's true nature, He would have clearly revealed it to Abraham, Noah, Jesus and all of the other prophets.
The Qur'an:
The Arabic world "Al-Qur'an" literally means "the recitation". When used in regards to Islam, the word Qur'an means God's final message to mankind that was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. The Qu'ran, sometimes spelled Koran, is the literal the word of God - as it clearly says time and time again. Unlike other sacred scriptures, the Qur'an has been perfectly preserved in both its words and meaning in a living language. The Qu'ran is a living miracle in the Arabic language; and is know to be inimitable in its style, form and spiritual impact. God's final revelation to mankind, the Qur'an, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad over a period of 23 years. The Qur'an, in contrast to many other religious books, was always thought to be the Word of God by those who believed in it, i.e. it wasn't something decreed by a religious council many years after being written. Also, the Qu'ran was recited publicly in front of both the Muslim and non-Muslim communities during the life of the Prophet Muhammad. The entire Qur'an was also completely written down in lifetime of the Prophet, and numerous companions of the Prophet memorized the entire Qur'an word-for-word as it was revealed. So unlike other scriptures, the Qur'an was always in the hands of the common believers, it was always thought to be God's word and, due to wide-spread memorization, it was perfectly preserved. In regards to the teachings of the Qur'an - it is a universal scripture, and it is addressed to all of mankind, and not to a particular tribe or "chosen people". The message that it brings is nothing new, but the same message of all of the prophets - submit to Almighty God and worship Him alone. As such, God's revelation in the Qur'an focuses on teaching human beings the importance of believing in the Unity of God and framing their lives around the guidance which He has sent. Additionally, the Qur'an contains the stories of the previous prophets, such as Abraham, Noah, Moses and Jesus; as well as many commands and prohibitions from God. In modern times in which so many people are caught up in doubt, spiritual despair and "political correctness", the Qur'anic teachings offer solutions to the emptiness of our lives and the turmoil that is gripping the world today. In short, the Qur'an is the book of guidance par excellence.
The Prophet Muhammad May the Peace and Blessings of God be upon him:
Unlike the founders of many religious, the final prophet of Islam is a real documented and historical figure. He lived in the full light of history, and the most minute details of his life are known. Not only do Muslims have the complete text of God's words that were revealed to Muhammad, but they have also preserved his saying and teachings in what is called "hadith" literature. This having been said, it should be understood that Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad was only a man chosen by God, and that he is not divine in any way. In order to avoid the misguided wish to deify him, the Prophet Muhammad taught Muslims to refer to him as "God's Messenger and His Slave". The mission of the last and final prophet of God was to simply teach that "there is nothing divine or worthy of being worshipped except for Almighty God", as well as being a living example of God's revelation. In simple terms, God sent the revelation to Muhammad, who in turn taught it , preached it, lived it and put it into practice. In this way, Muhammad was more that just a "prophet" in the sense of many of the Biblical prophets, since he was also a statesman and ruler. He was a man who lived a humble life in the service of God, and established an all-encompassing religion and way of life by showing what it means to be an ideal friend, husband, teacher, ruler, warrior and judge. For this reason, Muslims follow him not for his own sake, but in obedience to God, because Muhammad not only showed us how to deal with our fellow human beings, but more importantly, he showed us how to relate to and worship God, worship Him in the only way pleasing to Him. Like other prophets, Muhammad faced a great deal of opposition and persecution during his mission. However, he was always patient and just, and he treated his enemies well. The results of his mission were very successful, and even though his mission started in one of the most backward and remotes places on earth, within a hundred years of the death of Muhammad, Islam had spread from Spain to China. The Prophet Muhammad was the greatest of all of God's prophets, not because he had new doctrines or greater miracles, but because the results of his mission have broght more human beings into the pure and proper belief in the One True God than any other prophet.
The Islamic Way of Life:
In the Holy Qur'an, God teaches human beings that they were created in order to worship Him, and that the basis of all true worship is God-consciousness. Since the teachings of Islamic encompass all aspects of life and ethics, God-consciousness is encouraged in all human affairs. Islam makes it clear that all human acts are acts of worship if they are done for God alone and in accordance to His Divine Law. As such, worship in Islam is not limited to religious rituals. The teachings of Islam act as a mercy and a healing for the human soul, and such qualities as humility, sincerity, patience and charity are strongly encouraged. Additionally, Islam condemns pride and self-righteousness, since Almighty God is the only judge of human righteousness. The Islamic view of the nature of man is also realistic and well-balanced. Human beings are not believed to be inherently sinful, but are seen as equally capable of both good and evil. Islam also teaches that faith and action go hand-in-hand. God has given people free-will, and the measure of one's faith is one's deeds and actions. However, human beings have also been created weak and regularly fall into sin. This is the nature of the human being as created by God in His Wisdom, and it is not inherently "corrupt" or in need of repair. This is because the avenue of repentance of always open to all human beings, and Almighty God loves the repentant sinner more than one who does not sin at all. The true balance of an Islamic life is established by having a healthy fear of God as well as a sincere belief in His infinite Mercy. A life without fear of God leads to sin and disobedience, while believing that we have sinned so much that God will not possibly forgive us only leads to despair. In light of this, Islam teaches that: only the misguided despair of the Mercy of their Lord. Additionally, the Holy Qur'an, which was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, contains a great deal of teachings about the life hereafter and the Day of Judgment. Due to this, Muslims believe that all human beings will ultimately be judged by God for their beliefs and actions in their earthly lives. In judging human beings, Almighty God will be both Merciful and Just, and people will only be judged for what they were capable of. Suffice it to say that Islam teaches that life is a test, and that all human beings will be accountable before God. A sincere belief in the life hereafter is key to leading a well-balanced life and moral. Otherwise, life is viewed as an end in itself, which causes human beings to become more selfish, materialistic and immoral.
Islam for a Better Life:
Islam teaches that true happiness can only being obtained by living a life full of God-consciousness and being satisfied with what God has given us. Additionally, true "freedom" is freedom from being controlled by our base human desires and being ruled by man-made ideologies. This stands in stark contrast to the view of many people in the modern world, who consider "freedom" to be the ability to satisfy all of their desires without inhibition. The clear and comprehensive guidance of Islam gives human-beings a well-defined purpose and direction in life. In addition to being members of the human-brotherhood of Islam, its well-balanced and practical teachings are a source of spiritual comfort, guidance and morality. A direct and clear relationship with Almighty God, as well as the sense of purpose and belonging that ones feels as a Muslim, frees a person from the many worries of everyday life. In short, the Islamic way of life is pure and wholesome. It builds self-discipline and self-control thought regular prayer and fasting, and frees human-beings from superstition and all sorts of racial, ethnic and national prejudices. By accepting to live a God-conscious life, and realizing that the only thing that distinguishes people in the sight of God is their consciousness of Him, a person's true human dignity is realized.


Followers