Wouldn’t you love for someone to simply show you the evidence for Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa)’s existence? No telling off. No statements of, “You just have to believe”, etc. Well, here is an attempt to candidly offer some of the reasons why you should believe Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) is the Creator. Read the following 5 reasons that may help strengthen the belief in Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa).
1. Everything we can sense has been designed and made
Let’s talk about you for a little while. You are the most intelligent creature walking the Earth. You are an awesomely designed living, breathing, machine. You have a brilliant brain and 5 amazing senses. Using all 5 senses you’re going to deduce that everything around you has been deliberately designed and created.
You can divide objects around you into 2 groups:
1. Objects made by people
2. Living things you see in nature
Let’s have a closer look at things made by people. How do you know if an object was made by a person (man-made)? Let’s take your phone or tablet as an example; you know it was made because someone gave it a shape, decided how slim and shiny it would be and gave it a color. You didn’t witness the whole design process or see the Chinese factory worker who assembled it, but you know it all happened. If you took everything you sense, i.e. perfumes, YouTube clips, or smoothies, they are all made by someone and they all take time and effort: it’s indisputable.
Now, let’s turn our attention to living things in nature. So, who made them? Just like man-made objects, living things like you, sunflowers, cats, or the moon have a size, shape and color, they can grow but only to a certain height and then they stop. Living things all have a beginning and an end. You were born and one day you will die. Plants, animals, the sun, stars all have an end date. If you agree that a complex phone definitely has a designer, then it makes sense to say an even more complex ‘machine’ i.e. a human being or the Earth also has a Creator.
2. The Big Bang didn’t happen on its own
Scientists are convinced that our universe began with one enormous explosion of energy and light, which we now call the Big Bang. The Big Bang Theory states that 12-15 billion years ago, the universe came into existence from one extremely hot and dense point and something triggered the explosion of this point that brought about the beginning of the universe. The universe, since then, has been expanding from this single point.
Scientists have no explanation for the sudden explosion of light and matter. Yet, astonishingly well before telescopes were even invented, the Prophet of Islam, Hadhrat Muhammad (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) used to recite an Aayah (Verse) of the Quraan to his Sahaabah (Companions) that ultimately stated that the universe is expanding.
وَالسَّمَاءَ بَنَيْنَاهَا بِأَيْدٍ وَإِنَّا لَمُوسِعُونَ [الذاريات: 47]
”And the sky was built by Us with might; and indeed We are the expanders” (az-Zaariyaat 51:47)
At the time of the revelation of the Quraan, the word “space” was not known, and people used the word “sky” to refer to what lies above the Earth. In the above Aayah, the word “sky” is referring to space and the known universe. The Aayah points out that space, and thus the universe, happens to be expanding. That the Quraan mentioned such a fact centuries before the invention of the first telescope, at a time when there was primitive knowledge in science, is remarkable. This is more so considering that, like many people in his time, Prophet Hadhrat Muhammad (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) was not formally taught to read and simply could not have been aware of such facts by himself. He would only have known this through divine revelation from the Creator and Originator of the universe.
It is also mentioned in the Quraan: ˹He is˺ the Originator of the heavens and earth. How could He have children when He has no mate? He created all things and has ˹perfect˺ knowledge of everything.
بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ [الأنعام: 101]
“He (Allah) is the Originator of the heavens (sky) and the Earth.” (Al-An’aam 6:101)
أَوَلَيْسَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَى أَنْ يَخْلُقَ مِثْلَهُمْ بَلَى وَهُوَ الْخَلَّاقُ الْعَلِيمُ [] إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُ إِذَا أَرَادَ شَيْئًا أَنْ يَقُولَ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ [يس: 81-82]
“Is it that the One who has created the heavens and the earth has no power to create ones like them? Why not? He is the Supreme Creator, the All- Knowing. His practice, when He intends to do something, is no more than He says, “Be”, and it comes to be.” (Yaa Seen 36:81-82)
The above Aayaat (Verses) show that the universe had a beginning, that Allah was behind its creation, and all that Allah needs to do to create is to say “Be,” and it is. This is the explanation as to what triggered off the ‘Big Bang’ that brought about the beginning of the universe.
3. All living things are governed by fixed natural laws
The universe operates by uniform laws of nature. Why does it? Much of life may seem uncertain, but look at what we can count on day after day: gravity remains consistent, a hot cup of tea left on a counter will get cold, the earth rotates in the same 24 hours, and the speed of light doesn’t change — on earth or in galaxies far from us. How is it that we can identify laws of nature that never change? Why is the universe so orderly, so reliable?
We all need food, water, air, heat and sunlight to survive. We depend on these things but have no control over them. We’re not as self-sufficient as we think. Who is ensuring we get these necessities every day? You could say we’re a bit like a kitten that depends on its carer for milk and shelter. But who is beneficently taking care of our needs every day?
There are certain instincts that we share with animals. For example, no one tells us that we must have friends, we just crave company. As we get older we begin to find the opposite gender attractive and want to have a relationship. We have no control over how our bodies change during puberty, it’s like we ‘magically transform’ and suddenly we can have babies! Who put those feelings, needs and desires inside us?
Humans can clone animals, transplant hearts, fertilize eggs in petri dishes, plastic surgeons can restructure your nose and give you a tummy tuck but they can only work with an existing human body, they cannot give life to a dead person or stop a person from dying. The complexity of the laws of nature point to a deliberate designer, Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa), who not only created us with needs but then mercifully sustains and provides for us.
4. You don’t have to see your Creator to know He exists
There things you believe in but you can’t see, i.e. gravity, love, and jealousy. You can only see the effects or results of them, but you can’t touch or feel them. You can think and reason, which is the difference between us and animals, as we can understand things even if we can’t see them. An animal must see or sense danger and then it will react. We can understand something is dangerous even if we don’t see or experience it. If we see paintings without seeing the artist in action, we would not deny that the artist existed. In the same way, we can believe that Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) created everything without having to see Him (or touch, or hear, etc.). When He created us, He gave us the free will and intelligence to either acknowledge the multitudes of signs that point to Him being the designer and creator of the universe or to deny His presence.
5. Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) encourages us to mindfully believe in Him
In the Quraan, Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) encourages us to use our minds and realize He has created the world around us:
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ [آل عمران: 190]
“Surely, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are signs for the people of wisdom.” (Aale ‘Imraan 3:190)
وَاللَّهُ أَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَةً لِقَوْمٍ يَسْمَعُونَ [النحل: 65]
“Allah sent down water from the sky and revived the land with it after it was dead. Surely, in that there is a sign for a people who listen.” (An-Nahl 16:65)
هَذَا خَلْقُ اللَّهِ فَأَرُونِي مَاذَا خَلَقَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ دُونِهِ بَلِ الظَّالِمُونَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ [لقمان: 11]
“This is the creation of Allah. Now, show me what is created by those others, besides Him. Rather, the transgressors are in open error.” (Luqmaan 31:11)
أَمْ خُلِقُوا مِنْ غَيْرِ شَيْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الْخَالِقُونَ [] أَمْ خَلَقُوا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بَلْ لَا يُوقِنُونَ [الطور: 35-36]
“Is it that they are created by none, or are they themselves the creators. Or have they created the heavens and the earth? No, but they are sure of nothing.” (At-Toor 52:35-36)
يَخْلُقُ اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ [النور: 45]
“Allah creates what He wills. Surely, Allah is powerful over everything.” (An-Noor 24:45)
Once we have realized we are created and there is a Creator, Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa), than the natural question one would ask is why did He create us? What is the point or purpose of our existence? If you were born in a Muslim family, you are told Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) is there and is your Creator, but oftentimes its assumed you will just believe. Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) Himself encourages us to ponder on His signs.
How can I know for certain that Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) really exists?
Having thoughts where you seek to understand your religion or Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) is normal, and people of all religions at some point question their beliefs. Our ability to think and change is a unique quality.
A Hadeeth states: “The mother of every person gives him birth according to his true nature. It is subsequently his parents who make him a Jew or a Christian or a Magian. Had his parents been Muslim he would have also remained a Muslim.”
Every parent will teach their kids what they believe, and your parents were no different. If religion is truth, it should be able to withstand some questioning, and that’s exactly what you should do to reach the belief you need.