Our response for the presence of Allah (one of God’s name) is connected to our idea of existence and how we want to understand ourselves, our life, and our connection with the world and a greater being. The human mind has been given the ability to think, ponder, and reflect, a unique ability that few other species can claim, that we can use to discern the truth about Allah’s existence, rationally, in spite of any perceived notions we may carry.

People’s answer to the stated question broadly falls within three camps:

The Believer claims with conviction that Allah exists and is the One who created us and everything else that the world contains. The Naysayer and Skeptical claim that is not the case, everything began with the big bang, and as luck would have it life came into existence and evolved to who we are today.

So how does one go about to proving existence of a being whose greatness and uniqueness is equal to none?  Let’s start at the beginning… before we were born, before man, all the way till…

The Big Bang

Scientists theorize that billions and billions of years ago, the universe and all its matter was confined in a single point, squeezed and tightly packed, until an event set its expansion forming space. During its expansion it cooled allowing atomic elements spread out like smoke clouds to collide and clump together to form stars and galaxies, and eventually our solar system and then us.

Many Naysayers say that the universe and everything in it just came to be, that the earth, life, everything is a byproduct of the universe forming. Assume for a moment that is true, then another important question follows, where did all the ingridents for the universe come from? What existed before it? Something had to happen for earth to form and stars to develop. In other words what caused the 'smoke' to come together to ‘cause’ an ‘effect’ (universe formation).

The cause and effect reaction is not only observed in our day to day lives, but is implicitly active in scientific experimentation, and therefore applicable to understanding the creation of the universe. So if earth is the effect caused by universe expansion, it is only natural to ask what caused the universe in the first place.

Let’s say ‘X’ caused the universe’s creation and expansion, than the question again is asked: what caused ‘X’? The cycle will undoubtedly repeat until we recognize something or someone had to bring out the universe who is not an ‘effect’ of anything. That being will need to be eternal (has no beginning or end otherwise it will have a cause-effect relation), and powerful (creating the universe is no small task)… hmm… qualities applicable to Allah!

Random Luck!

Let’s side track for a moment and consider the transportation of choice for many around the world, cars. They are driven on an intricate network of highways by people making logical decisions on when to stop, turn, and accelerate. But even though people of intelligence are behind the wheel driving with a common set of simple rules, and travelling usually in a singular direction, straight, there are multiple instances of collisions, sometimes fatal, all with a finite number of cars. This is the case when driving is done in an organized manner; what would happen when cars are travelling at random, no rules, nothing… we can expect nothing less than chaos.

Coming back to our topic on the large expansive universe, which has distances and objects so much bigger that we do not even appear as a spec in comparison (and humility ensues). Let’s start by counting the type of motion of our lonely, humble moon has:

✓ROTATION #1:
Moon spins on its axis such that we see the same face as it rotates around the earth

✓ROTATION #2:
Moon rotates around the earth

✓ROTATION #3:
Moon goes around the sun while sticking with the earth

✓ROTATION #4:
The moon rotates along with the solar system around the center of the milky way galaxy

✓ROTATION #5:
The milky way galaxy and its inhabitants (including our moon) rotate around the center of the universe

Five broad types of motion have been identified for the moon and by comparing it against the mainly singular motion of cars, we can appreciate the complexity involved (need persuasion: try to imitate its motion with you hand, or by drawing). When we isolated the moon we did not mention its interaction with the sun and the earth, or for that matter the presence and motion of a multitude of celestial bodies, all the stars, planets, black holes, galaxies, etc. (try drawing that out…). Ponder on the motion of everything in the universe, does it appear organized or is everything in random chaos?

Take a moment to compare your answer to our transportation system. Do the sun, earth and moon similarly have a brain to help them avoid collisions despite their complex motions and interaction? If no, then why hasn’t it collapsed?

The universe is a dangerous risky place yet no one can say it is acting randomly, rather as a well-organized machine operating for billions of years. Yes from time to time there are collisions in space, but they are minor when we consider all the inhabitants of the universe, the billions of hot blazing stars and galaxies, or the gigantic and dangerously powerful black holes, and even these collisions have been given a role to play.

It would have be a great miracle for us to even exist if the universe was not being orchestrated by someone, keeping all the things in motion, driving each and every single planet and star, organizing and maintaining them, in other words the control of Allah was at play. It is by no means a random event…

Organized at the core

A brief reflection on the universe reveals that a greater being is at work, designing, making and running it. If everything came from a belieif in 'self-creation' or 'chance’, than a lot of miracles would have needed to happen, not just one or two but hundreds and millions of distinct events would have had to occur and coincide at specific times. For example, the earth is exactly the right distance from the Sun, exactly the right distance from the Moon, exactly the right tilt, exactly the right mass, exactly the right atmosphere… all due a self-created mishap? Many renowned scientists of past and present believe in an ordered universe coming into play by an organized hand, yet some do not wish to give credit where it is due.

Shifting gears from the vast cosmos to something closer to us, our bodies… If we are to similarly contemplate about ourselves and consider the human being evolved by tons of lucky chances, than a question arises that how come humans have such a perfect form. Yes from time to time we get ailments or some are born with disabilities, but for the vast majority the structure of the human being is quite remarkable. How would we function if we had another hand or leg, where would they go, what about insect like eyes or no eyes at all? Again, we have been given intelligence to ponder and reflect and need to use our faculties to understand ourselves and our relationship to Allah.

In control?

The human body likewise is being managed in an organized way, there is a whole complex system running inside us that we are oblivious about in our day to day lives, yet they are operating in controlled fashion for almost all the billions of people and animals around the world. Our bodies have trillions and trillions of cells yet we have nothing to do with how they run, what they do, and if they were to fail we fall into trouble and misery. It is like a huge country with each part harmoniously working with one another, and all individual organs, cells, atoms fulfilling their defined functions.

The complexity is mindboggling but yet everything is being managed in a controlled, organized manner, managed by none other than Allah. It is a scary thought to even consider what would be happening inside us if that were not the case. Intervention is necessary when we are ill, but any remedy is to return it to its original state, to return it back in Allah’s command so that everything operates in the best manner. In other words, when Allah is ‘driving’ us life is good.

Reflect

The goal of this discussion is not necessarily to convince you about Allah’s existence, but think of it as a guide, food for thought, offering a perspective to ‘Is there a God?’ It is up to each and every one of us to take a moment out of our lives and reflect on our amazing surroundings and all that the world has, especially since we will inevitably encroach from the existence of Allah to “What is the purpose of life?”

Reflection is the key to help us understand Allah and ourselves. To leave you with a few things to think through here are a few verses translated from the Quran, the Speech of Allah sent down over 1400 years ago and not modified in any way since revelation:

It is Allah who erected the heavens without pillars that you [can] see; then He established Himself above the Throne and made subject the sun and the moon, each running [its course] for a specified term. He arranges [each] matter; He details the signs that you may, of the meeting with your Lord, be certain. And it is He who spread the earth and placed therein firmly set mountains and rivers; and from all of the fruits He made therein two mates; He causes the night to cover the day. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought. And within the land are neighboring plots and gardens of grapevines and crops and palm trees, [growing] several from a root or otherwise, watered with one water; but We make some of them exceed others in [quality of] fruit. Indeed in that are signs for a people who reason. [13:2-4]

He sends down from the sky, rain, and valleys flow according to their capacity, and the torrent carries a rising foam. And from that [ore] which they heat in the fire, desiring adornments and utensils, is a foam like it. Thus Allah presents [the example of] truth and falsehood. As for the foam, it vanishes, [being] cast off; but as for that which benefits the people, it remains on the earth. Thus does Allah present examples. [13:17]

And a sign for them is the night: We remove from it [the light of] day, so they are [left] in darkness. And the sun runs [on course] toward its stopping point: That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing. And the moon - We have determined for it phases, until it returns [appearing] like the old date stalk. It is not allowable for the sun to reach the moon, nor does the night overtake the day, but each, in an orbit, is swimming. [36:37-40]

And like with anything, we need to be humble and acknowledge the truth when it is revealed…

And He shows you His signs. So which of the signs of Allah do you deny? [40:81]

Does man not consider that We created him from a [mere] sperm-drop - then at once he is a clear adversary? And he presents for Us an example and forgets his [own] creation. He says, "Who will give life to bones while they are disintegrated?" Say, "He will give them life who produced them the first time; and He is, of all creation, Knowing." [It is] He who made for you from the green tree, fire, and then from it you ignite. Is not He who created the heavens and the earth Able to create the likes of them? Yes, [it is so]; and He is the Knowing Creator. His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, "Be," and it is. So exalted is He in whose hand is the realm of all things, and to Him you will be returned.He [a man] says, "Who will give life to bones while they are disintegrated?" Say, "He will give them life who produced them the first time; and He is, of all creation, Knowing." [36:77- 83]