Is there Proof —from Ilm— for Allah's Existence?
Is there any knowledge-based
evidence for the existence of Allah?
The simple and brief answer is that
what ilm (knowledge) indicates most
is the existence of Allah!
You might say, "Where? Show me Allah
or let me hear Him!"
We respond, "You didn't ask
'Do we see or hear Allah
the way we see and hear
material objects?'
For this question, we would have
answered, 'No, of course not!'
But you asked, "Does ilm
indicate the existence of Allah?"
Ilm results from mind and senses
Humans are not machines or
cameras that take pictures
look at the screen and say,
"Do we see Allah in there?"
Rather humans analyze sensory
input with their minds
and draw conclusions
This process starts in early childhood
and advances as one grows older
Even animals make conclusions
based on observations
and link cause to effect
They know by smell that there is
food closeby and look for it
Some animals like dogs follow scents
and look for their source
If you see a bitten apple
with marks of human teeth
you know that someone has bitten it
This is ilm, even though
you didn't see who bit it
If you hear a song
by a captivating voice
you know that someone is singing it
This is ilm even though
you didn't see the singer
Rather, this is necessary knowledge
and because it is so intuitive
people do not call it knowledge
'Knowledge' is associated
with contemplation and analysis
which are not needed
in such examples
Everything which begins
to exist has a cause
This is a rational, innate
and necessary concept
that requires no education
or intelligence
We apply the principle of causality
in all our actions:
We eat because food is
a cause for satisfying hunger
We drink water because it is
a cause for quenching thirst
We sleep because it is
a cause to get rest
We work because it is
a cause to earn a living
By the principle of causality
you know that you and the universe
have a Creator Who is
an Arranger of Affairs;
Who created the universe,
prepared it for life,
perfected its details
and set its laws
The signs of His Competence
are observed in yourself
and in the universe around you
Thus, the question: "Is there evidence
for the existence of Allah?"
is an imprecise question
because EVERYTHING —inescapably—
is evidence for Allah!
If you enter a house that is not yours,
sit on the couch
and eat cooked food on the table
in front of you
would you ask
—if you're a sane human—
"Is there evidence that a builder
built this house?
and that someone cooked this food?
and someone made this couch?
Is there evidence that any of these
things were caused by someone?"
Wouldn't such questions be provocative?
Allah says, what can be translated as,
"Say, 'Observe what
is in the heavens and earth.'
But of no avail will be the signs
and warners to a people who do
not believe." (Quran 10:101)
The statement, “What is in the heavens
and earth,” is general and inclusive
Everything in them indicates
the existence of Allah and His attributes
However, those who have a basic
problem with the belief in the Unseen
will not benefit from this evidence;
no matter how obvious and clear!
Allah Almighty says,
what can be translated as,
"Did they not look into the realm of
the heavens and the earth and
everything that Allah has created"
(Quran 7:185)
'into' the realm of the heavens
and the earth, not 'toward'
The preposition "into" encompasses
the contemplation and reflection
on the details
which guide you more and more
to the Creator, Glory be to Him
"And everything that Allah has created"
means that everything He has created
indicates His existence, Glory be to Him!
Everything He has created
is evidence for Him, Glory be to Him!
How odd that Allah
can be disobeyed or denied
while every movement
and every restfulness
bears withness for Him!
The correct question isn't, "Is there
evidence for the existence of a Creator?"
But, "Is there anything
that is NOT evidence
for the Creator's existence?"
and the answer is: No!
Ibn Taymiyyah spoke the truth
when he said,
"The more needy people are of something,
the more Allah provides of it."
Indeed, people's need to know
their Lord is the greatest of all needs
So He generously provides them
with overwhelming evidence for
His existence and many paths
to know His Attributes
Moreover, one of the names of
Allah Almighty is "The Manifest"
Ibn al-Jawzi wrote in "Zad al-Masir"
in interpretation of the Aya,
which can be translated as,
"He is the First and the Last, the
Manifest and the Immanent" (Quran 57: 3)
He wrote, "Allah is The Manifest with
His remarkable arguments,
His enlightened proofs, and His evidence
that show the truth of His Oneness."
Thus Allah is Manifest, and can be
known through minds and signs
At the same time, He is The Immanent
because He can't be seen
like the observable things in this world
This is the precise, simple,
clear and deep evidence!
All existing things are evidence
for the existence of Allah!
Nothing you see is random
The structure and movement of all things
show that they were created
In other words, they were made with Will
and Competence. Thus, it is impossible for
'nothing' to create them!
Or for them to create themselves
before coming into existence
when they were nothing
Thus they must definitely have a Creator
Who Has Attributes of Will, Ability
Knowledge, Wisdom, Greatness
and all other Attributes
indicated by His creation
I could have gone into details
to refute the concept of
infinite regress in causes;
that possibly-existent things
require The Necessarily-Existent
and that emergent things
must go back to an eternal cause
However, I didn't do that
because none of it is a part of
the fundamental evidence
Again, responses to objections and doubts
are not part of the original evidence
but responses to those
with flaws that obscure
this very clear evidence!
So, in the coming episodes
when I explain
infinite regress and its impossibility
emergence and eternal existence
You may say,
"I did not understand anything!"
No problem!
Who said that you need
to understand the response
to doubts in order to believe in Allah?
You can believe in the existence of Allah
with a rational innate faith based
on solid ilm foundations;
without understanding the doubts
or their responses
As they say: "The most difficult of
tasks is to explain the obvious."
That is because explaining the obvious
is only done with those who
argue over necessary truths
which leaves no common ground
for discussions and proof
If someone sees the sun
in the middle of the day
and says, "I'm not convinced that
there is a sun." Why?
"Maybe it's a flammable
artificial ball, placed in front of us."
We answer, "But how can
this ball be suspended in the air;
it must be held in place by a rope
and we don't see a rope!"
He says,
"Maybe it is a transparent rope."
So we say: "What is this rope
attached to? Who moves it?
And what type of rope can endure such
temperatures without breaking?"
He says, "Maybe there is a huge
magnet in the ball,
with the same charge as a piece of metal
hidden in the earth beneath it.
The two magnets repel each other
and keep the ball suspended."
So we start jointly calculating the
required mass for such a magnet
and calculating
the amount of gravity needed
to overcome the magnetic repulsion, etc.
Someone listening to our dialogue may say,
"O Allah! All of this is evidence
that there is a sun!
I thought the matter was obvious!"
No, this is not evidence
for the midday sun
Rather, these are responses to those
who deny obvious intuitive things
Responses which are not needed
nor are we required to
understand them to reach
the rational true conclusion
that the sun exists
The problem is not whether the sun exists
but in the one denying its existence
Denials and doubts
—no matter how numerous—
will not change the fact that the sun's
existence is an obvious intuitive truth
However, as they say,
"Nothing in the intellect is right
if evidence is required for daylight."
Yes, we will address in future episodes
the doubts raised about
the existence of Allah
but everything we'll say
will not be part of the evidence
but rather responses to objections
raised against the evidence
Mixing up these two things is a mistake
as some people with innate faith
—when they hear the
responses to doubts—
may start to think that
the truth of
Allah's existence
is mysterious and hidden
and that it needs intelligence,
philosophy and complexity
because they don't realize that such
discussions aren't part of the evidence
for Allah's existence
but rather responses to allegations
and that their complexity is not because
the truth of Allah's existence is complex
but because of the complexity
of presenting arguments with
those who doubt intuitive matters
Therefore, it is necessary and important
to separate the evidence for
the existence of Allah
from the responses to the
deniers of this intuitive truth
Moreover, repeated allegations
against something
do not necessarily mean its weakness
Actually, in the case of
the existence of Allah
the numerous repeated doubts reflect the
internal struggle of the
deniers against this truth:
which hounds them
and imposes itself upon them
so they reject it with
all sorts of allegations
to soothe their troubled souls!
"Do they not look into the realm of
the heavens and the earth
and everything that
Allah has created
and [think] that perhaps their
appointed time has come near?
So in what statement hereafter
will they believe?"
(Quran Translated Meaning 7:185)
May the Peace and Mercy of
Allah be upon you!