ALLAH (SWT) TO AN ATHEIST

by Dr. Zakir Naik

CONGRATULATING AN ATHEIST

Normally, when I meet an atheist, the first thing I like to do is to congratulate him and say, " My special congratulations to you", because most of the people who believe in God are doing blind belief - he is a Christian, because his father is a Christian; he is a Hindu, because his father is a Hindu; the majority of the people in the world are blindly following the religion of their fathers. An atheist, on the other hand, even though he may belong to a religious family, uses his intellect to deny the existence of God; what ever concept or qualities of God he may have learnt in his religion may not seem to be logical to him. My Muslim brothers may question me, "Zakir, why are you congratulating an atheist?" The reason that I am congratulating an atheist is because he agrees with the first part of the Shahada i.e. the Islamic Creed, La ilaaha - meaning there is no God. So half my job is already done; now the only part left is il lallah i.e. BUT ALLAH which I shall do Insha Allah. With others (who are not atheists) I have to first remove from their minds the wrong concept of God they may have and then put the correct concept of one true God.

LOGICAL CONCEPT OF GOD

My first question to the atheist will be: "What is the definition of God?" For a person to say there is no God, he should know what is the meaning of God. If I hold a book and say that this is a pen, for the opposite person to say, it is not a pen, he should know what is the definition of a pen, even if he does not know nor is able to recognise or identify the object I am holding in my hand. For him to say this is not a pen, he should at least know what a pen means. Similarly for an atheist to say there is no God, he should at least know the concept of God. His concept of God would be derived from the surroundings in which he lives. The god that a large number of people worship has got human qualities - therefore he does not believe in such a god. Similarly a Muslim too does not and should

not believe in such false gods. If a non-Muslim believes that Islam is a merciless religion with something to do with terrorism; a religion which does not give rights to women; a religion which contradicts science; in his limited sense that non-Muslim is correct to reject such Islam. The problem is he has a wrong picture of Islam. Even I reject such a false picture of Islam, but at the same time, it becomes my duty as a Muslim to present the correct picture of Islam to that non-Muslim i.e. Islam is a merciful religion, it gives equal rights to the women, it is not incompatible with logic, reason and science; if I present the correct facts about Islam, that non-Muslim may Inshallah accept Islam. Similarly the atheist rejects the false gods and the duty of every Muslim is to present the correct concept of God which he shall Insha Allah not refuse. (You may refer to my article, Concept of God in Islam, for more details)

QURAN AND MODERN SCIENCE

The methods of proving the existence of God with usage of the material provided in the Concept of God in Islam to an atheist may satisfy some but not all. Many atheists demand a scientific proof for the existence of God. I agree that today is the age of science and technology. Let us use scientific knowledge to kill two birds with one stone, i.e. to prove the existence of God and simultaneously prove that the Quran is a revelation of God. If a new object or a machine, which no one in the world has ever seen or heard of before, is shown to an atheist or any person and then a question is asked, " Who is the first person who will be able to provide details of the mechanism of this unknown object? After little bit of thinking, he will reply, the creator of that object. Some may say the producer while others may say the manufacturer. What ever answer the person gives, keep it in your mind, the answer will always be either the creator, the producer, the manufacturer or some what of the same meaning, i.e. the person who has made it or created it. Dont grapple with words, whatever answer he gives, the meaning will be same, therefore accept it. SCIENTIFIC FACTS MENTIONED IN THE QURAN: for details on this subject please refer to my book, THE QURAN AND MODERN SCIENCE COMPATIBLE OR INCOMPATIBLE?

THEORY OF PROBABILITY

In mathematics there is a theory known as Theory of Probability. If you have two options, out of which one is right, and one is wrong, the chances that you will chose the right one is half, i.e. one out of the two will be correct. You have 50% chances of being correct. Similarly if you toss a coin the chances that your guess will be correct is 50% (1 out of 2) i.e. 1/2. If you toss a coin the second time, the chances that you will be correct in the second toss is again 50% i.e. half. But the chances that you will be correct in both the tosses is half multiplied by half (1/2 x 1/2) which is equal to 1/4 i.e. 50% of 50% which is equal to 25%. If you toss a coin the third time, chances that you will be correct all three times is (1/2 x 1/2 x 1/2) that is 1/8 or 50% of 50% of 50% that is 12%. A dice has got six sides. If you throw a dice and guess any number between 1 to 6, the chances that your guess will be correct is 1/6. If you throw the dice the second time, the chances that your guess will be correct in both the throws is (1/6 x 1/6) which is equal to 1/36. If you throw the dice the third time, the chances that all your three guesses are correct is (1/6 x 1/6 x 1/6) is equal to 1/216 that is less than 0.5 %. Let us apply this theory of probability to the Quran, and assume that a person has guessed all the information that is mentioned in the Quran which was unknown at that time. Let us discuss the probability of all the guesses being simultaneously correct. At the time when the Quran was revealed, people thought the world was flat, there are several other options for the shape of the earth. It could be triangular, it could be quadrangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, octagonal, spherical, etc. Lets assume there are about 30 different options for the shape of the earth. The Quran rightly says it is spherical, if it was a guess the chances of the guess being correct is 1/30. The light of the moon can be its own light or a reflected light. The Quran rightly says it is a reflected light. If it is a guess, the chances that it will be correct is 1/2 and the probability that both the guesses i.e the earth is spherical and the light of the moon is reflected light is 1/30 x 1/2 = 1/60. Further, the Quran also mentions every living thing is made of water. Every living thing can be made up of either wood, stone, copper, aluminum, steel, silver, gold, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, oil, water, cement, concrete, etc. The options are say about 10,000. The Quran rightly says that everything is made up of water. If it is a guess, the chances that it will be correct is 1/10,000 and the probability of all the three guesses i.e. the earth is spherical, light of moon is reflected light and everything is created from water being correct is 1/30 x 1/2 x 1/10,000 = 1/60,000 which is equal to

about .0017%.

The Quran speaks about hundreds of things that were not known to men at the time of its revelation. Only in three options the result is .0017%. I leave it upto you, to work out the probability if all the hundreds of the unknown facts were guesses, the chances of all of them being correct guesses simultaneously and there being not a single wrong guess. It is beyond human capacity to make all correct guesses without a single mistake, which itself is sufficient to prove to a logical person that the origin of the Quran is Divine.

CREATOR IS THE AUTHOR OF THE QURAN

The only logical answer to the question as to who could have mentioned all these scientific facts 1400 years ago before they were discovered, is exactly the same answer initially given by the atheist or any person, to the question who will be the first person who will be able to tell the mechanism of the unknown object. It is the CREATOR, the producer, the Manufacturer of the whole universe and its contents. In the English language He is God, or more appropriate in the Arabic language, ALLAH.

QURAN IS A BOOK OF SIGNS AND NOT SCIENCE

Let me remind you that the Quran is not a book of Science, S-C-I-E-N-C-E but a book of Signs SI-G-N-S i.e. a book of ayaats. The Quran contains more than 6,000 ayaats, i.e. signs, out of which more than a thousand speak about Science. I am not trying to prove that the Quran is the word of God using scientific knowledge as a yard stick because any yardstick is supposed to be more superior than what is being checked or verified. For us Muslims the Quran is the Furqan i.e. criteria to judge right from wrong and the ultimate yardstick which is more superior to scientific knowledge. But for an educated man who is an atheist, scientific knowledge is the ultimate test which he believes in. We do know that science many a times takes U turns, therefore I have restricted the examples only to scientific facts which have sufficient proof and evidence and not scientific theories based on assumptions. Using the ultimate yardstick of the atheist, I am trying to prove to him that the Quran is the word of God and it contains the scientific knowledge which is his yardstick which was discovered recently, while the Quran was revealed 1400 year ago. At the end of the discussion, we both come to the same conclusion that God though superior to science, is not incompatible with

it.

SCIENCE IS ELIMINATING MODELS OF GOD BUT NOT GOD

Francis Bacon, the famous philosopher, has rightly said that a little knowledge of science makes man an atheist, but an in-depth study of science makes him a believer in God. Scientists today are eliminating models of God, but they are not eliminating God. If you translate this into Arabic, it is La illaha illal la, There is no god, (god with a small g that is fake god) but God (with a capital G). Surah Fussilat: "Soon We will show them our signs in the (farthest) regions (of the earth), and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that this is the Truth. Is it not enough that thy Lord doth witness all things?" [Al-Quran 41:53] Reference: http://www.irf.net/irf/comparativereligion/index.htm

Ten Commandments-To Display or Not to Display

Wednesday, March 2, 2005 The case of display of the Ten Commandments is making yet one more headline. According to CNN, "A cautious Supreme Court walked a legal tightrope Wednesday, seeming to look for ways that would allow displays of the Ten Commandments on government property to continue." (http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/03/02/scotus.ten.commandments/index.html ) Last time it was on the news on Thursday, August 21, 2003: MONTGOMERY, Alabama (CNN) -Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore vowed Thursday to continue fighting to keep a massive monument inscribed with the Ten Commandments in the state judicial building even though the state's other justices overruled him and ordered it removed. (http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/08/21/ten.commandments/index.html )

Alabama Chief Justice has once again brought the debate over the public display of Ten Commandments to the forefront of hotly contested controversies. Let us address the following points relating to this issue:

1. 2. 3. 4.

What are the Ten Commandments? What do the Islams Holy texts say about these Commandments? Who really follows these Commandments? ( Our answer may surprise you! ) What should be a Muslim view on the posting of these commandments in public places (such as courts, schools,)?

Let us examine and address these one by one. 1. What are the Ten Commandments?

There appears to be different versions of the Ten Commandments. Chapter 20 of Exodus in the Bible gives us one version. See for example, The Bible, King James Version, Exodus 20:1-17 . Other versions from the other versions of the Bible can be seen at http://bible.gospelcom.net . Also check out the article, Which Ten Commandments? by Cliff Walker and Jyoti Shankar, at http://www.positiveatheism.org/crt/whichcom.htm. The article gives Protestant, Catholic and Hebrew versions of the Commandments. 2. What Islams Holy texts say about these Commandments? Islam's Holy Book, The Quran, supports the text of the Ten Commandments. Read the article written by Dr. Irshad, http://www.islam101.com/religions/TenCommandments/tcQuran.htm It is understood by all Christians and Jews that these commandments were given to Prophet Moses (peace be on him) when he went to see God, the Almighty. The Quran, Islam's Holy Book, talks about the tablets given to Prophet Moses by the Almighty God: 007.144 (God) said: "O Moses! I have chosen thee above (other) men, by the mission I (have given thee) and the words I (have spoken to thee): take then the (revelation) which I give thee, and be of those who give thanks." 007.145 And We ordained laws for him in the tablets in all matters, both commanding and explaining all things, (and said): "Take and hold these with firmness, and enjoin thy people to hold fast by the best in the precepts: soon shall I show you the homes of the wicked,- (How they lie desolate)." (The Holy Quran)

However, the Holy Quran does not explicitly speak about the Ten Commandments given to Moses. There is no record of the original words of those tablets. 3. Who really follows these Commandments? Our answer may surprise you! Judaism, Christianity and Islam have full agreement over most of the commandments which deal with murder, stealing, false witness, honoring parents and love for the neighbors. Muslims also believe that Israelites were asked to observe sabath. It is most interesting to read the first two or three commandments( depends on the version) and see who actually follows these. According to the King James Version Bible, the following are the verses 1-7 of Chapter 20, Exodus:
"1 2

And God spake all these words, saying, I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of

bondage.
3 4

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above,

or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5

Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God,

visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
6 7

And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that

taketh his name in vain." These verses clearly condemn polytheism in any shape or form. Those who make idols and worship them are condemned by God. Those who call any one god other than the Almighty God are also condemned. This includes those who say, God is Jesus or Jesus is God or God is three. The above mentioned verse 3 of Exodus states, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." Also, the verse 4 above of the Book of Exodus forbids images of God. That means those Christians who believe in the Ten Commandments should not have images of god in their churches. Under these observations, it is the Muslims not the Christians who really follow the above verses 1-7 of the Book of Exodus! 4. What should be a Muslim view on the posting of these commandments in public places (such as courts, schools,)?

It can be argued that a national committee or city-based committees with membership from different religious and non-religious groups be formed to come up with a selection of verses from different religious and non-religious books for public display. The problem appears to be more fundamental than that. First of all, the segment of Christians trying to force the display is led by extremists including hate-mongers and Islam bashers like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson. So we do have to wonder about their real motive behind this movement. Not only do they violate the commandment, "Love thy neighbor," by issuing derogatory remarks against Islam, Muslims and Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), they also violate the first commandment by worshipping Jesus as God. So we ask and invite every one to believe in the First Commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." Let us not be polytheists and hypocrites! Let us put the First Commandment on our lips and in our hearts before we worry about its display in schools and courts of Justice. Read more on the First Commandment at http://www.islam101.com/tauheed/index.htm

Islam Supports Bible

by I.A. Arshed Ph.D.
Aug 26, 2003 I have been pursuing the recent debate going on in the Press about Ten Commandments. Quran claims to testify what had been revealed before it (Torah and Gospel). I give passages in Exodus 20 (3-17) and the parallel verses of the Quran to show that Islam also testifies the Ten Commandments (which are upheld by other religions also as Universal Code of conduct.)

N.B. King James version is couched in old English. So I have chosen to quote from Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton , Illinois , 1996

Verses of the Exodus Ch. 20

Parallel Verses of the Quran

3: Do not worship any other gods besides me.

And your Lord has ordained that you should not worship anyone except Him ( 17:23 )

4-6: Do not make idols of any kind, whether in the shape of birds or animals or fish. You must not bow down to them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, who will not share your affection with any other god! I do not leave unpunished the sins of those who hate Me, but I punish the children for the sins of their parents to the third and fourth generations. But I lavish my love on those who love me and obey their commands even for a thousand generations.

And shun unclean idols ( 22:30 )

When Abraham said, O my Lord, and save me and my offspring from worshipping idols ( 14:35 )

When Abraham said to his father do you adopt idols as your things of worship? I see you and your tribe in open error (6:74)

When (Abraham said to his father and tribe,What are these images that you sit around? They said, we found our ancestors worshipping them. (Abraham) said, Verily, you and your ancestors were in open error ( 21:52 -54)

7: Do not misuse the name of your LORD the God. The LORD will not let you go unpunished if you misuse His name.

And do not make Allah a target for your oaths for doing good or avoiding evil or reconciling people (2:224)

8-11: Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it Holy. Six days a week are set apart for your daily duties and regular work. But the seventh day is the day of rest, dedicated to

And We said to them, Do not violate Sabbath, and We took from them a solemn Covenant (4:154)

the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any kind of work. This includes you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, your livestock, and any foreigners living among you. For in six days the Lord made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything in them; then He rested on the seventh day. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. Everyday He is busy in a new way (55:29) He created the heavens and the Earth in six days, and then He settled down on the Throne to administer matters. (10:3)

Neither drowsiness nor sleep overcomes HimHe is not fatigued by taking care of both (Heavens and Earth). (2:255)

12: Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God will give you. And your Lord ordains that you do not worship anyone but only Him, and do good to your parents. If they reach old age before your eyes, any one of them or both, then do not say a word of criticism to them and do not scold them, rather speak kindly to them. And lean your wing of humility towards them and pray, O Lord, have mercy on them as they had brought me up since my childhood ( 17:23 -24) 13: Do not murder. And do not kill anybody that Allah has prohibited except when you have a right to kill (6:151)

14: Do not commit adultery.

And do not even go near adultery. It is open vice and bad way ( 17:32 )

15: Do not steal.

As to the thief (man or woman) let their hands be cut off, a retaliation for what they did, a punishment from Allah. ( 5:38 )

16: Do not testify falsely against your neighbor.

And They (Servants of God) do not testify falsely. (25:72)

17: Do not covet your neighbors house. Do not covet your neighbors wife. Male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else your neighbor owns.

And do not covet what Allah has favored some of you over others.( 4:32 )

And do not stretch your eyes towards what We have provided some of them. (15:88)

My comments:

Quran claims to attest the Holy Books (Torah and the Gospels) revealed before it. But it also says that it oversees them. This means that Quran points out the alterations made by vested interests in the Holy Words. The comparison between Biblical verses and Quranic verses has been made clear above. The contrast on some points needs to be made clear.

(a) A jealous God: Bible says of God that He cannot tolerate sharing of our affection with others gods. Quran also says something similar, Allah will not forgive (your) assigning Partners with Him, and may forgive lesser sins to whom He wishes ( 4:48 ) Verily, Polytheism is a great injustice (31:13)

(b) Punishing children for sins of parents. Bible says God will punish children for the sins of parents to the 3 and 4 generations, but will shower His love on the obedient for thousand generations. Quran says, No one does any deed but its burden is on him/her alone. No one will bear the burden of another(6:161) According to Quran accountability for sins is personal and does not extend to children. However, it says, He who brings one good deed will be awarded ten times, but he who brings one Evil deed will be awarded only for that (single) and they will not be done injustice (6:160). This is out of His Mercy.
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(c) Sabbath: Bible orders Jews to hold Sabbath as a holiday (no work) just as God rested on the 7 th day after creating the Universe for six days. Quran has a different view. Jews were ordered to observe certain restrictions on fishing on Sabbath day (as a test). But they violated Gods order, so were punished by God. Quran says, He made the night for rest and the day for earning livelihood (78:11). There is no concept of a holy-day without work in Islam. Even on its sacred days (Fridays) Quran orders us to hasten for prayers but to disperse in the land for seeking livelihood after prayers are over. (62:9-10)

(d) God needs no rest: Bible says God rested on the 7 day after creating universe. Quran says: Allah is never fatigued by administrating matters of the Universe. He needs no sleep (or rest). Busy always.

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(e) Murder: Killing any one without right is prohibited both in Bible and Quran. Quran goes further, We ordained for Children on Israel that He who kills one person (but for retaliation or terrorism in the land)) is like killing a whole mankind. ( 5:32 )

(f)

Adultery: Bible prohibits only the act of adultery. Quran prohibits even its preliminaries, i.e. any acts

exiting lustful feelings. This is because once hormones are excited it is difficult to keep them under control. So why not nip the evil in the bud!

(g) Stealing: Quran prescribes a rather harsh punishment for thieves (male or female). This has been criticized by Western critics as barbarous punishment. But Quran does not care for criticism. It has public safety in view. Once a thief has his/her hands cut off it will be a most effective deterrent for others.

(h) False evidence: Quran orders Muslims not to hide evidence, but to testify truth even if it goes against self or parents or relatives (4:135). Moreover, Quran extends this order for all Believers and does not restrict it to neighbors only (as in Bible).

(i)

Coveting: Bible limits coveting to neighbors property only. Quran goes further and extends the

prohibition to all society.

Lastly let me add a sad comment. The present debate over Ten Commandments is limited to removal of a monument containing 10 engraved Commandments from one place to another. People dont care to act on these Commandments. On the contrary, the present state of morals in society is nothing but ridiculing the Ten Commandments. Who will reform us?

CATEGORIZATION OF MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS

by Dr Zakir Naik
Religions of the world can be broadly categorized into Semitic religions and non-Semitic religions. NonSemitic religions can be divided into Aryan religions and non-Aryan religions. Semitic religions Semitic religions are religions that originated among the Semites. According to the Bible, Prophet Noah (pbuh) had a son called Shem. The descendents of Shem are known as Semites. Therefore, Semitic religions are the religions that originated among the Jews, Arabs, Assyrians, Phoenicians, etc. Major Semitic religions are Judaism,

Christianity and Islam. All these religions are Prophetic religions that believe in Divine Guidance sent through prophets of God. Non-Semitic religions The non-Semitic religions are further subdivided into Aryan and non-Aryan religions: Aryan Religions Aryan religions are the religions that originated among the Aryans, a powerful group of Indo-European speaking people that spread through Iran and Northern India in the first half of the second Millenium BC (2000 to 1500 BC). The Aryan Religions are further subdivided into Vedic and non-Vedic religions. The Vedic Religion is given the misnomer of Hinduism or Brahminism. The non-Vedic Religions are Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, etc. Almost all Aryan religions are non-Prophetic religions. Zoroastrianism is an Aryan, non-Vedic religion, which is not associated with Hinduism. It claims to be a prophetic religion. Non-Aryan Religions The non-Aryan religions have diverse origins. Confucianism and Taoism are of Chinese origin while Shintoism is of Japanese origin. Many of these non-Aryan religions do not have a concept of God. They are better referred to as ethical systems rather than as religions. Reference:http://www.irf.net/irf/comparativereligion/index.htm