1. Designed exclusively foruniversity students Why Are We Muslims? Tareeq-ul-Emaan 1st draft

2. Agenda Motivation: Why this Topic Rationality is Important Existence of Creator Need of Message Conclusion26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 2 3. Why this Topic? When we buy something we investigate andexhaust our minds When it comes to religion, is it also notimportant to investigate: why this religion?26, Nov., 2012 NUIG3 4. Allah Says in Quran (1/3) And verily guess is no substitute for the truth. [An-Najm:28] They have no (certain) knowledge. They follow nothing but conjecture. For surely;they killed him not (Isa). [An-Nisa:157] "These are nothing but names which you have devised, you and your fathers, forwhich Allah has sent down no authority. They follow nothing but conjecture andwhat their Nafs desire. Even though there has already come to them the Guidancefrom their Rabb" [An-Najm:23] "Do you have Ilm (knowledge) for that which you claim so that you provide uswith? You follow nothing but conjecture (Zann)." [Al-An`am:148]26, Nov., 2012 NUIG4 5. Allah Says in Quran (2/3) "Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and thealteration of night and day, these are indeed signs for men ofunderstanding." [Al-Imran: 190] "Will they not look at the camels, how they are created! Andthe heaven, how it is raised! And the mountains, how they areset up! And the earth, how it is spread!" [Al-Ghashiya: 17-20] "So let man reflect, from what he is created. He is createdfrom a gushing fluid, that is issued from between the loins andribs." [At-Tariq: 5-7]26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 5 6. Allah Says in Quran(3/3) "Were they created of nothing, or were they themselves the creators? Or did theycreate the heavens and the earth? Nay they have not firm belief." [At-Tur 35-36] Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the difference of night andday, and the ships which run upon the sea with that which is of use to men, and thewater which Allah sends down from the sky, thereby reviving the earth after itsdeath, and dispersing all kinds of beasts therein, and in the ordinance of the winds,and the clouds obedient between heaven and earth are signs (of Allahssovereignty) for people who have sense." [Al-Baqarah: 164] 26, Nov., 2012 NUIG6 7. Motivation Why are we Muslims? Some say, because I was raised in a Muslim family Some say, because I was raised in a Muslim majorityland Some say, I entered into Islam by my choice Etc., What shall be the right approach?26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 7 8. Human (1/2) Human is a composition of Mind Brain Emotion Heart Nature Biological organization Worship/Spiritual Procreation Survival26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 8 9. Human (2/2) We have five senses And Intellect26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 9 10. Rationality Thinking drives behavior Behaviors can change when thinking changes When we hate something our behavior changes according toemotion of hate When we like something our behavior changes according toemotion of likeness Examples A person born in Israeli family & Palestinian family A person born in Pakistan and a person born in India (even aninch inside) 26, Nov., 2012 NUIG10 11. How Do We Revive (Progress)? Human revives based on thinking Throughabout simple reality around them, Technology (No)such as Earning Money (No) Life Installing right thinking Humans UniverseSurely, Allah does not change the condition of apeople unless they change what is in them(nafoos) [ArRaad:11]26, Nov., 2012 NUIG11 12. A Natural Question (1/2) What was before these (i.e., before birth), what will be afterthese (i.e., after death/decay)? Life Humans (including ourselves, parents, etc.) Universe Our behavior depends upon the answer against the abovequestion An answer would define a fundamental thought about everything rest of thoughts would depend on the fundamental thought 26, Nov., 2012 NUIG12 13. A Natural Question (2/2) The answer cannot satisfy a human until itsatisfies Mind Heart Nature (Fitra) 26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 13 14. Two Possible Answers No Creator There is a Creator before everything else (i.e.,human, universe, and life) and will remainafterwards26, Nov., 2012 NUIG14 15. Refuting First Answer (No Creator)(1/3) If we look around to ourselves Everything is limited Human has size, age, height, etc., limited Other life has similar issues limited Universe contains Earth Earth has size, mass, age limited Rest of universe has size itself minus Earths size limited Humans can extend vision Using telescope (limited object) but extension would stay limited twolimited things may extend but cant become limitless Limited objects must have come to existence (because limits aredefined on them) existence requires creation requires Creator26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 15 16. Refuting First Answer (No Creator)(2/3) The world depends for its existence on something else, which inturn depends on still another thing Human depends upon organic needs e.g., food Planets and animals depends on food chains too The water cycle depends on sun Big bang depended upon what science may call nothingness Etc., Ultimately, there must be something that must be independent andunlimited in the end otherwise cycle is not going to stop It is impossible to say that cycle never stops that makes it limitless pointing to an unlimited entity different from rest of creations Creator26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 16 17. Refuting First Answer (No Creator)(3/3) Lets consider, If everything evolved from expansion (i.e., universe) andliving beings evolved from dead gases, then why cantscience produce a living creation out of dead gases now Dead human cant come to life: Why cant we evolve his/her life back, what is missing if claim ofno Creator is true and world just evolved Then science should be able to produce life out of dead Reality is science cant even produce the most basic life form; an amoeba, which is a single-cell organism medical students pay attention :) Hence, argument of no Creator is refuted 26, Nov., 2012 NUIG17 18. Hence, Creator So we can safely say there exists a Creator byusing simple rationality to refute position thatCreator does not exist26, Nov., 2012 NUIG18 19. Western Ideas Pushing Science in Wrong Direction (1/2) What is infinite? Can we say finite is very very large number? Infinite x > answer (where x is a positive number) Infinite > infinite (flawed) Can we say finite is very very small number? What is limitless? Can there be Infinite Set?26, Nov., 2012 NUIG19 20. Western Ideas Pushing Science in Wrong Direction (2/2) Set A set in mathematics is a collection of well definedand distinct objects, considered as an object in itsown right Infinite Set In set theory, an infinite set is a set that is not afinite set. Infinite sets may be countable oruncountable 26, Nov., 2012 NUIG20 21. Science & Myths Cause and effect? Existence of universe is cause, whats the effect? Difference between Theory and Law Theory cannot be treated equal to law Experiments shall be re-do able to proveconclusion Very important aspect 26, Nov., 2012 NUIG21 22. Examples Ibrahim AS belief on Allah Could be explained through proof by contradiction Imam Abu Hanifa was once asked by an atheist, "Is there any proof that God exists?" he replied, "Forget it! At the moment, I am busythinking about this ship. People tell me there is a big ship; it contains different goods onboard. There is no one to steer it, no one maintaining it. Yet, this ship keeps going back andforth; it even traverses big waves on the oceans; it stops at the locations that it is supposedto stop at; it continues in the direction that it is supposed to head. This ship has no captainand no one planning its trips." The atheist who posed the question interrupted andexclaimed, "What kind of strange and silly thought is this? How can any intelligent personthink that some thing like this can occur?" Imam Abu Hanifa said, "I feel sorry about your state! You cannot imagine one ship runningwithout some one looking after its affairs. Yet you think that for this whole world, which runsexactly and precisely, there is no one who looks after it, and no one owns it."26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 22 23. Concept of Creator Three alternate explanations of a Creator He is created by someone else, or Becoming limited creation only (then, not a Creator) He is the Creator of himself, or Cant be Creator & creation (limited) together If universe was created by another universe then cycle must terminate otherwise that becomes non-sense for the termination of cycle we require eternal and self- sustaining entity He is eternal, self-sustaining Always existed, so was never created, hence not a creation but a Creator limitless Therefore, Creator cant be limited inside objects such as idols, moon,sun, fire all such objects are limited26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 23 24. Saying about Nature Imam Shaafi said, "The leaves of Toot (berries) are all but one. Eachleaf tastes exactly the same. Insects, honey bees,cows, goats, and deer live off of it. After eating thesethe insects produce silk; bees produce honey; deergive musk (a special kind of scent), cows and goatsdeliver off-springs. Is this not clear evidence that onekind of leaf has so many qualities, and who createdthese qualities? It is the Khaliq (Creator) who we callAllah (swt)) Who is the Inventor and the Creator."26, Nov., 2012 NUIG24 25. Exercise/Test for Audience What is the weight & density of Creator? Everything is Science so why we needconcept of Creator? Principles are being followed Is Time limited? 26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 25 26. Creator, What Next? (1/2) We are limited We cannot measure or comprehend limitless object whichis beyond our senses and mental faculty Mind is limited But we can sense existence through His other creations So, we can sense presence of Creator through emotion andmind Only emotion can lead us astray can commit a shirk Thinking from mind corrects the trigger from emotion26, Nov., 2012 NUIG26 27. Creator, What Next? (2/2) Since we cant comprehend Creator eventhough we can prove His existence We cannot know more about Him until Hecommunicates with us26, Nov., 2012 NUIG27 28. Communication PossibilitiesTalks with all of us directly Dont see it happening, ruled outSends someone to talk with us (Messenger) If Messenger dies than what about rest of people? Sends a written material (Book) How will we know about the book?Sends someone to talk with us along with written material(Messenger & Book) Messenger would be reachable and understandable Book would preserve commands when Messenger is no more with us26, Nov., 2012 NUIG28 29. Look for Messenger/Book We can only find limited number of popularclaims for messenger-ship and Book fromCreator Popular is important because Creators messagecannot be unpopular since it is for everyone We dont observe an all time living messenger We dont see an independent Book either Only possibility remains Messenger along withBook 26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 29 30. Messenger Messenger must be from humans so humanscan learn We found Muhammad SAW with Book Without inconsistencies in the Book (unlike Bible) 26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 30 31. Proof of Quran The only possible sources for the Quran are: The Arabs Muhammad (SAW) himself Non Arabs Allah (SWT) 26, Nov., 2012 NUIG31 32. Not from Arab Arabs were given challenge and they couldnot counter it "Say, bring ten surahs like unto it." [Hud: 13] "Say, bring one surah like unto it." [Yunus: 38] Shortest chapter is Al-Kawthar26, Nov., 2012 NUIG32 33. Not from Muhammad SAW He was also an Arab, and if Arabs cant produce it then MuhammadSAW can not produce it too He was part of same community and learned from similar environment, ifMuhammad produced it then others can also produce similar book Even if we observe speech of Muhammad SAW in saheeh ahadith we finda different style of speech than what is of Quran At times, he SAW said verse of Quran and hadith on same occasion (but indifferent style of speech) linguists are welcome to verify this :) Even the Arabs never said it was from Muhammad SAW becausethey knew it cant be him26, Nov., 2012 NUIG33 34. Not from Non-Arab Arabs said its from from a Christian youthcalled Jabr Quran itself refuted it beautifully "We know indeed that they say it is a man thattaught him. The tongue of him they wickedly pointto is notably foreign, while this is Arabic, pure andclear." [An-Nahl: 103]26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 34 35. It is from Creator (1/2) Since other possibilities are ruled out then it must be from Allah Important points Unchanged book from many years Giving us knowledge that is only getting uncovered now such asscience (you can find works of scholars on this) Giving us complete way of life (not incomplete command) Commands on marriage, eatables, economics, politics, war, etc. Poetic in nature (even introduced poetic style that begins with singlealphabet such as Noon) Arabs used to produce poetry by taking a break in dessert26, Nov., 2012 NUIG35 36. It is from Creator (2/2) Noon walqalami wamayasturoon Ma anta biniAAmati rabbika bimajnoon [Al-Qalam: 1-2] "Do they not ponder about the Quran? If it had come fromother than God they would surely have found therein muchcontradictions." [An-Nisa: 82]26, Nov., 2012 NUIG36 37. Why Muhammad (SAW) isMessenger Since he SAW proclaimed the book proven tobe from Creator So rationally the person who brings book fromCreator would be messenger Furthermore, Quran states Muhammad SAW asmessenger 26, Nov., 2012 NUIG37 38. Now What? Since we proved Creator is Allah Muhammad is Messenger Book is Quran Now we need to follow what Quran says andwhat Messenger told and showed 26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 38 39. Exercise/Test for Audience How can we prove existence of Angels? What Ahkam (orders) can we explain usingrationality? Can we explain why Pork is Haram rationally? Yes or No, in both cases why?26, Nov., 2012 NUIG39 40. Conclusion Our belief in Allah, Messenger and Book isrational We follow what Book & Messenger say even ifour mind cant comprehend because werationally proved we are limited and we cantcomprehend every detail by our-self Our belief is totally rational and we rationallyinferred that whatever Quran & Messenger sayis true by proving both to be from Creator26, Nov., 2012 NUIG40 41. Questions??? 26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 41