National Tabligh Department UK A Search Remains a search It is not blind belief it is a rational belief after having contemplated the existence that cannot be comprehended by our basic senses ID: 920803
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Slide1
Search for GodDr Shakeel Ahmad, UK
National
Tabligh
Department, UK
Slide2A SearchRemains a searchIt is not ‘blind belief’; it is a rational belief after having contemplated the existence that cannot be comprehended by our basic senses
Still a search, even after belief is established
Personal relationship with God needs to be established
Until
nafs
-e-
mutmainah
is
acheived
Slide3Helping your needy brotherTabligh is about helping our needy brothers and sistersWe must not think of them as ‘bad’
Slide4Atheism in UK populationNo religion 15% (2001) – 25% (2011)
Christian faith
72% (2001) – 59% (2011)
Practicing Christians
65% (2001) – 45% (2011)
Muslims 5%, others 4% (2011
)
Ref -
Office of National Statistics, UK, 2011
Slide5To conceptualise a creator of the universe Simple - ?
All what we see in the creation must have come from a source. All this functions well and in accordance with some laws.
Hard - ?
Where did the Creator come from? How did all this begin? How can we relate to this Being?
Slide6Believing needs self disciplineFact of nature - no discipline , no growthEqually true for moral-spiritual spectrum
Specially when used to life with self interest
Belief in God incorporates acceptance of authority of God, Who then guides us how to live our lives
Short term gains need to be given up for the sake of more substantial benefits to one-self and society – not easy for most
Hard work – ‘rather
not
believe’
Slide7Evidence for existence of GodEvidence consists of:Psychological factors
Observation of the creation
Rational deductions
At a humanistic level with social observations
Experience of individuals
What the ‘messengers’ claim
What the scriptures claim
Historical evidence
Slide81. A universal quest for God existsThroughout human history – including nowExisted
independently
in all societies
Is this just curiosity or inherent to our make-up?
Approx ¾ of world population believe
7.5b
–
2.5b
Christians, 2b Muslims,
1.2b Hindus,
0.6b Buddhists, others [including 15m
Jews
]
Pew Religious Centre’s Forum on Religion and Public Life, Global Religious Landscape, 2012
Onus
of proof on the non-believer
also
.
Absence of proof is not proof of absence.
Slide92. Our conscienceOur inner selfOur mindOur heart
We feel better with the good
We feel bad with evil
Evidence
is inherent in our creation
Godliness – the term for goodness in a person!
An atheist doing ‘good’ is acting on the ‘God’ in him
Slide103. Out of sight, is not out of mindCant see, cant hear, cant touch – is that good enough a reason to conclude there is no God?
Empty room?
Eyes closed?
Need the right instruments to recognise the existence of matter or radiation
Dark Matter – 85% of all matter in universe – still not observable directly – recognised only through its attributes
eg
its gravitational impact on light travelling from other galaxies
Same is true to perceive God –
we need the right instrument – in our psyche
As small part of the creation, our perceptions are very limited – need special preparation to perceive the Creator
Slide114. Ultimate source of all creation Previously believed that universe existed from ever – ‘no Creator’Singularity – origin of all creation including time and space –
source
?
Stephen
Hawking, Brief History of Time, 1988, Bantam Book Incorporation, NY, USA
Kalam
Cosmological argument – anything that begins to exist must have a cause
That
ultimate
source of all creation is the
ultimate
Creator (God)
Dr Abdul Salam –
two of the four
fundamental forces of nature are the same
-
Gravitation
-Electromagnetic
Electro-weak theory -Weak nuclear force Grand unified theory -Strong nuclear force Empirical evidence of unification of all creation
Slide125. Unique nature of the source of creation Socrates –
refuting local
deities, spoke
of
One Creator of all creation
– gave his life for this conviction
Aristotle
–
described the
ultimate
first cause
of
all creation that cannot
be
a
created thing itself
Science of entropy
–
loss of energy in creation of matter from matter – resultant matter is less than parent matter – loss of energy at each step – stopping the cycle of creation Creation of universe created a lot of matter
out of no matter – unique form of creationQuran (& Bible)
– origin
of all creation is
from ‘word’ –
A vision
(of the Creator) and His will for it to happen.
Hence :
1. Origin of all creation is the Creator – and is not a created thing
2. The Creator is infinite with
no
beginning, and
no
end
Slide136. Intelligent designEven a small invention or task requires planning to produce positive result - growing vegetables in your garden
- broken pottery from archaeological site implies wisdom of an ancient civilisation
Our universe is complex, immense and continuously evolving
Flawless functioning
Lots of laws that govern its
functioning
We are still discovering these laws
Hence it must have been designed with wisdom and planning
This design
requires
an ‘all wise’ creator
Fred
Hoyle, The Intelligent Universe, 1983
Slide147a. Creation of Consciousness Time line of development of life on earth Humans spread around earth
.............
Life begins Unicellular Multicellular Plants Marine animals Reptiles Mammals Land animals Genus
Homo Neanderthals
die
A J M (pbut)
______________________________________
4b 2b 1b 500m 250m 2m 100k 25k 6k 2k 1.4k
A = Adam (pbuh)
J = Jesus (pbuh)
M = Mohammad (pbuh)
Slide157b. Creation of consciousnessLaws of creation of life - Quantum Theory:
consciousness can only be created out of consciousness
Max Planck [Nobel Laureate]
and Neil Bohr, founding physicists of Quantum Theory
Lot of conscious life exists
Hence there must be a conscious creator before life existed
Denying existence of Creator is like denying
our own
existence!
Slide168a. Evolution of lifeDarwin –natural selection, survival of the fittestWallace – 3 stages of ‘spiritual ‘ evolution
i
) creation of organic from inorganic matter
ii) creation of consciousness
iii) cognitive complexity of man
Problem
: Role of ‘
chance
’ implies lack of planning and atheism
Current evolutionary biologists are
beginning to refute role of chance
Probability of Chance theory = ‘wind blowing through a scrap yard leading to making of a jumbo jet’
Slide178b. Evolution of lifeDevelopment of speech Chance theory would mean much slower evolution of ability to speak a language, going through numerous stages
W
hat we observe – It appears at the human stage,
not
before
not
after
Key role in social, psychological, moral and spiritual development
No evidence of interim variable stages of speech that gradually lost viability and survival
Hence – planned evolution, which is evidence for a conscious Creator
Slide18Science and religionMany well known scientists – past and present have recognised the bridge between science and religionFor example
Al-Haytham
Ibne
Al-
Nafis
Ibne
Sina
Newton
Einstein
Kepler
Slide19Empirical Evidence vs Trust and Probabilities
Not all knowledge is derived through empirical experimentation.
Knowledge imparted in educational institutions is accepted by students without their own experimentation and data collection.
Medicine prescribed by doctors is accepted by patients without their own research on the efficiency of the medicines.
Fathers accept their children as their own without resorting to DNA test at birth of their child.
Hence, trust and law of probability is a valid method of acquiring knowledge and basing decisions.
Slide209. Testimony of the most truthful Who are the most truthful and most trusted in any society? P
oliticians, artists, writers, sociologists, scholars, prophets
The prophets - even the adversaries recognise this
Prophets
-
lived in different times
- in different parts of the world
- no
direct
communication with each other
All prophets had one common theme:
a creator and sustainer God
Slide2110. Life account of prophetsAmazing and very similar for all prophetsRecognised as individuals with utmost moral
dignity, even before claim of
prophethood
Claim to
prophethood
is made without
any demand for worldly gains
Completely alone in the beginning
Opposition develops soon as they make this claim
Prophets are materially much weaker compared to their opposition
No vengeance against ruthlessness of opposition
Kindness and justice throughout
Ultimate victory of their mission
All prophets attribute:
-their mission to be under God’s
guidance
-their success to be God’s
blessing
-in success they become even more humble and thankful to God
Slide2211. Wisdom of Divine guidanceProphets have received guidance according to human need of the time
Perfectly suited to needs of society at the time of revelation
Quran – pinnacle of Divine guidance
–
universally
addresses problems of
contemporary society
Historical and current evidence that best solutions to our problems are found in this guidance
All prophets claimed this guidance to be from ‘God
’
Karen
Armstrong;
Mohammad: A Prophet of Our Time, 1991,
Harper One
James
Michener;
Islam: The Misunderstood Religion, Reader’s Digest, 1955
Michael H
Hart;
The 100, A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History,
2000
Michael Balter; The Seeds of Civilisation, Smithsonian Magazine, May 2005
Slide2312. Source of hidden knowledgeProphets gave mankind knowledge about times before, concurrent
and
after
the time of the revelation
Quran – contains factual knowledge about history, cosmology, biology, evolution of life, archaeology, psychology, atomic energy, presence of extra terrestrial life, geography, politics, future developments etc
What is the source of this knowledge?
Knowledge is beyond human scholarship
Prophets do not claim to be the originators of this knowledge but claim that they only act as messengers
... and that they
receive
it from God
We keep discovering the truth of this knowledge
through
our scientific learning
This provides strong evidence about the source of all this knowledge – to be from a Being that created us and is
all
knowledgeable
Prof E Marshall Johnson, Professor of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Daniel Baugh Institute, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA
Dr Maurice
Bucaille
, The Bible, The Quran and Science, The Holy Scriptures Examined in the Light of Modern Knowledge,
2003
Slide24Quran Ch 13, v 17Say, ‘Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth
?’
Say
, ‘Allah.’
Say
, ‘Have you then taken beside Him helpers who have
no power
for good or harm
even
for themselves?’
Say
, ‘Can the blind and the seeing be equal? Or, can darkness be equal to light?
Or
, do they assign to Allah partners who have created the like of His creation so that the
two
creations appear similar to them?’
Say
, ‘Allah
alone
is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Most Supreme.’
[13:17]
Slide2513a. Instruments to recognise GodObserving
evidence [God should exist
- Probability
]
-
all creation that is known to have started about 14b years ago, particularly creation with consciousness
-
complete
balance
in laws of nature
- even spontaneous
jungle fire leading to healthier soil & stronger genetic material for plants, hurricane leading to adjustment of sea water temperatures thus becoming more conducive to
life
Witnessing
act [God exists
- certainty,
but still with possible doubt] - prophets gaining victory over ‘mightier’ opposition despite lack of worldly resources - life lived in accordance with God’s guidance meets
better contentment and success than one withoutExperience [God definitely exists - Conviction, without any doubt]
–
personal communication with God
[acceptance of prayer, receiving revelation]
Slide2613b. Experiencing God - leaves no doubtThe natural quest – has a purpose
- basis for individuals to seek God and make effort towards Him
Prophets describe the method
:
Refrain from pursuing the worldly gains
Live a moral life
Life with
utmost truthfulness
Persistent prayer and meditation
Such lifestyle develops the right instrument to communicate with God - ‘psychic-radio’ to receive revelation
Communication becomes two-sided as it develops
Acceptance of prayer and receiving revelation are profound evidence
Slide27Prayer exerciseHow many have had their prayers accepted?This is evidence of immense blessings of God on a community that lends its effort to prayer in order to achieve growth and success
Slide2814. Cycle of belief and disbelief The prophet establishes unity of God in the society
Another God sent stands alone A just society is formed
Downfall of the nation Overtime they drift from the original teachings
Suffering begins
Repeat of this cycle over time in human history is strong evidence for existence of God
Slide29The illusion of ‘The God Delusion’Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion, 2006
Richard Dawkins makes the following four arguments to suggest non-existence:
1. ‘Downside’ of religion
Downside of misunderstandings or manipulations of religious teachings are
referred to
eg
conceptual distortions
,
and not the actual teachings.
Additionally,
downside
of anything
does not prove
non-existence of the source of that thing.
2. Problems due to religion
eg
divisions and conflicts
Yes, such problems do exist, but again due to distortion of teachings and not when original teachings
are followed.
On
analysis of societies where true teachings are followed – we find
peace, harmony and tolerance.
Again, if something is distorted and there is consequent suffering, it still
does not
rule out existence of creator of that thing.
3. Progress is not related to religion
Historical evidence is to the contrary. Religious principles have always been relevant to progress
eg
development of empirical sciences during the
Golden Age of Islam.
Just societies and fair governance by Muslims of that era has been universally accepted. Western progress of recent centuries is also based on religious principles of honesty, diligence and accountability. While Islamic scholars at that time applied a
rational
approach to religious principles and thus embraced both religion and science, at the time of European renaissance the Christian clergy had primarily a
dogmatic and irrational
approach to religion, hence the scientific approach was not seen to be linked to these principles that religion teaches.
4. God concept is a product of human thought over time Answer in previous slide.
Slide30The Godless voidRemove water from a glass and it fills with airRemove the real God from our mind and it fills with other gods
Edward L Deci and Richard M Ryan, The ‘What’ and ‘Why’ of Goal Pursuits: Human Needs and the Self Determination of Behaviour, Psychological Inquiry, 2000, Vol 11, No 4, 227-268
‘Let us live life to its full’
–
hedonism
‘It is my life’
–
selfishness
‘What do I get from this?’
– materialism
Our
psychological
satans
become our gods
Slide31Understanding of the Truthis only possible through Allah’s appointed people
‘To insist that mysteries of that [spiritual] world should be wholly revealed through reason is like closing one’s eyes and insisting that one should be able to perceive visible objects through sense of smell.’
‘God Almighty has created humans with great variation in their overt and covert capabilities. For example, some possess good vision while others are weak, or altogether blind… People also differ in their covert capabilities… Some have lesser degree of spiritual development and others have a higher degree and have received Divine revelation. For the former to deny the characteristics of the latter would be the same as if a blind person was to deny the 0bservations of one with good vision…’
THE PROMISED MESSIAH
HAZRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD
(may peace be on him)
Slide32Conclusion Invitation to make an open minded enquiryNot like Yuri Gagarin,
the
Russian cosmonaut - ‘did not find God in space’
... or Shelley, the English poet – ‘did not find God in underground caves’
Enquiry as recommended by the prophets
http
://www.alislam.org/allah/Search-for-God.pdf