CAUSALITY AND THE QUR’ANIC WORLD-VIEW

The universe has been made in the form of a book, intelligible, so as to make known its Author. The book addresses man. The aim is to make him read the book and its parts, and respond with worship and thanks to the will of the Author. Man attains to that worship by uncovering, through scientific study, the order in the book of the universe, and displaying the functioning of beings and the workings of the universe. The universe is not passive. It is not neutral. We cannot interpret it as we wish. There is only one correct way of looking at the world, one universal world-view which is common to all humanity. This view is taught to us in the Qur’an as well as in the book of the universe by our Creator. This does not mean that the Qur’anic world-view does not recognize that the perception of the world differs from one person to another. It allows for plurality within unity so that a universal dialogue is possible. In this world-view there is no fragmentation and no conflict. There is only harmony, assistance, peace and compassion.

The materialist scientific world-view is based on radical fragmentation.

The materialist scientific world-view is based on radical fragmentation. Materialist science takes nature to mean a mechanism with no inherent value and meaning. It isolates an object by cutting off its connections with the rest of the world and studies it within its immediate environment. Whereas our perception of ourselves tells us that we are meaningful and part of the whole universe; and everything must have a meaning and must be part of the whole universe. Materialist science has left the subject, i.e. man, out of the universe and insofar as this science is taking over, people feel that they have no place in this world. They are isolated from other people. Their lives have no meaning, except in a very limited, egoistic sense. Man is alienated from his environment and from himself. In the light of modern physics, the mechanistic view is an incoherent description of nature. The developments of modern physics call for a radical revision in our concept of reality. They shattered all the principal concepts of classical physics. Many concepts, like the causal nature of physical phenomena and the ideal of an objective description of nature, changed with the advent of the new theories of modern science, quantum, relativity and, more recently, chaos theory. However, these changes have not been matched by parallel changes in the world-view of science. The modifications took place only on a mathematical level. Because all that counts for scientists is the development of mathematical formulations of the behavior of physical phenomena. Such a goal is not regarded merely for its technical utility; rather most scientists believe that prediction of this kind is all that knowledge is about. They claim that our concept of reality is of little or no importance. However, it is clear that our concept of reality has a tremendous effect on how we behave in relation to nature and to other people, and also on the meaning life has for us as individuals. We cannot dispense with a world-view. This attitude of the scientists is in contradiction with modern science. Classically it was thought that science could describe and explain everything in the world ‘objectively’ i.e. as it actually is in reality and that the ‘observer’ i.e. the scientist himself, could describe the world by means of mathematical models which were independent of his judgment. The discoveries of modern physics, however, point towards the unity of all things, an unbroken wholeness which denies the classical fragmentation of the world into separate and independent parts. In the quantum theory, every particle is linked to the rest of the universe and cannot be isolated from it. This oneness of the universe includes human beings as well. The quantum theory, together with abolishing the notion of fundamentally separate objects, has introduced the concept of ‘participator’ to replace that of the neutral observer. Modern science therefore restores man to his central position. It puts an end to the notion of neutral, objective description of nature and thus to impartial objective science.

Materialist science has been based on a deterministic, causal view of the world.

Up to the present, materialist science has been based on a deterministic, causal view of the world. Although the latest theories like the quantum and chaos theories are leading to a world-view where there is no room for fragmentation and determinism, materialist scientists still insist on following the fragmented and causal approach. They have to be reductionist because they believe in causality. At the same time they do realize that their materialist world-view is collapsing. Theoretically they understand that, in order to explain one thing, they need to know its connections to all other things. This is obviously impossible because these connections extend in time and in space beyond human capacities; they are infinite and cannot be embraced by human beings who are also parts of those connections. The materialist scientists understand that the unity of the universe points to an Absolute Creator. For the things we study do not bear meanings limited to themselves but testify to the Absoluteness of their Creator. But in order to be able to claim that their scientific studies produce knowledge, the scientists insist on denying the Absolute Creator. And, because their scientific method is based on causality which cannot accommodate the unity of the universe, they ignore that unity and compartmentalize the universe so that they can study each compartment as the product of a limited number of causes. In this way, they can pretend the universe has no Creator and its meaning is limited to what they tell us about it. They thus claim their science to be the source of knowledge. There have been many controversies over the conceptual foundations of modern physics. The mechanistic model of reality is not appropriate to modern science. Scientists avoid this issue by adopting the attitude that the paradoxes and contradictions of their science are inherent in nature, thus implying that those paradoxes and contradictions have nothing to do with the inadequacy of their world-view. But how one can apply the reductionist scientific reasoning to the inseparable universe? It has been widely discussed by scientists and philosophers, but what hasn’t yet been realized is that the nature of the materialistic approach to scientific reasoning is incompatible with the unity of the universe. Therefore, either that approach to scientific reasoning or the concept of the unity of the universe has to be reconsidered. The universe is an inseparable whole That the universe is an inseparable whole is not in dispute. Indeed, the unity observed in the totality of the universe including man is so manifest that no one can deny it. Therefore the materialistic approach to the scientific method has to be reconsidered. This method is reductionist. It reduces every thing to fragments then attributes each fragment to causes. However, in reality, all things are interconnected and interdependent. For this reason it is impossible to attribute anything, however small it is, to causes which are themselves transient and contingent. Because whatever is responsible for one thing must be responsible for everything. We cannot have one thing without the whole. Why can we ascribe a thing to its antecedents in time, but not to its neighbors in space? Why should a thing be able to produce another thing just because it happened before? All modern scientists know that space and time are fully equivalent. They are unified into a four-dimensional continuum in which ‘here’ and ‘there’ ‘before’ and ‘after’ are relative. In this four-dimensional space the temporal sequence is converted into a simultaneous co-existence, the side by side existence of all things. Thus causality appears to be an idea which is limited to a prejudiced experience of the world. Causality leads to the vicious chain of cause and effect. For each cause is also an effect. Also the effect is totally different from the cause. Things and effects are usually so full of art and beneficial purposes that let alone their simple immediate causes, even if all causes gathered they would be unable to produce one single thing. In short, in order for a cause to produce an effect it has to be able to produce the whole universe in which that effect takes place, for that effect cannot exist without the whole universe. They cannot exist separately. Causality is therefore the antitheses of ‘There is no god but God’, the core of the Qur’anic world-view. Materialist scientists imagine powerless, dependent and ignorant causes to be responsible for the existence of beings and things and thus fancy them to possess absolute qualities. In this way they are implying (tacitly believing) that each of those causes possesses qualities which can only be attributed to God. However, the latest discoveries of modern science, like the unity of the universe and the inseparability of its parts, exclude the possibility of all the explanations put forward by materialistic science. They demonstrate that all entities, whether in nature or in the laws and causes attributed to them, are all devoid of power and knowledge. They are contingent, transient and dependent beings. But the properties attributed to any of such entities need infinite qualities like absolute power and knowledge.

Causality is by no means necessarily to be linked with ‘objective’ study.

This shows that causality is by no means necessarily to be linked with ‘objective’ study, ‘neutral’ scientific investigation. It is no more than a personal opinion. Moreover, it is an opinion that is irrational, a non-sense. Nevertheless, there is still a widespread conviction that science can do without a Creator. This seemed possible in classical physics, but in quantum mechanics the situation is untenable. Physics is full of examples of ingenuity and subtlety that exclude the causal interpretation and make known the All-Powerful, All-Knowing One. A few illustrations will, I hope, suffice to convince us that the universe with all that is within it is His product. The idea that the universe began with a Big Bang is something of a paradox. Of the four forces of nature, only gravity acts systematically on a cosmic scale, and in our experience gravity is attractive, a pulling force. But the explosion which marked the creation of the universe required a very powerful pushing force to set the cosmos on its still continuing path of expansion. It is puzzling that the expanding universe is dominated by the force of gravity which is contracting, not expanding. Careful measurements show that the rate of expansion has been ‘very fine-tuned’ to fall on this narrow line between two catastrophes: a little slower, and the cosmos would collapse, a little faster and the cosmic material would have long ago completely dispersed. The materialist scientists can see that such a precisely calculated explosion requires infinite power and knowledge, and yet deny the act of creation. Therefore they are compelled to say, ‘It just happened; it must be accepted as a special initial condition.’ The initial condition, however, had to be very special indeed. And the rate of expansion is only one of countless cosmic miracles. But in their misguidance, they fancy those miracles of the Absolute Power to be ‘remarkable’ coincidences, and imply that the universe is a random accident. So, strikingly, the most fundamental theory of recent modern science is totally compatible with the notion of the Absolute Creator. Moreover, it is not compatible with causality. Thus, the need for God, the Causer of causes, enters science in a fundamental way. Classically, it is believed that a measurement performed in one place cannot instantaneously affect a particle in another, very distant place. The basis for this belief is that interactions between systems tend to decline with distance. For according to causality a cause has to be in the immediate vicinity of its effect. Otherwise how can two particles several meters, let alone light years, apart, influence each other’s position and motion?

Quantum mechanics predicts a greater degree of correlation.

Quantum mechanics, by contrast, predicts a greater degree of correlation, as though the two particles are co-operating by telepathy. This forces us to ask how it is possible to explain this remarkable degree of co-operation between different parts of the universe that have never been in communication with each other without mentioning their Creator. How can they achieve this miracle? Divine Unity is obviously the only reasonable, consistent and acceptable, to the point of being necessary, explanation of this miracle and indeed of the universe and all that is in it, including man. To the materialists this situation is a paradox because it cannot be explained with causality. But to the believer in God, this is a beautiful aspect of His Unity. It envisions a universal coherence and points to all-encompassing principles that run throughout the cosmos. When we break the vicious chain of cause and effect, the meaningless world of materialism gives way to a world illumined with meaning and purpose. The universe becomes like a vast book addressing man and making known its Author so that its readers take lessons and constantly increase in knowledge of their Maker and strengthen their belief and certainty in the fundamentals of faith.

Everything is full of art and is being constantly renewed.

In short, everything is full of art and is being constantly renewed, and, like the effect, the cause of each thing is also created. For each thing to exist there is need for infinite power and knowledge. Thus, there must exist a Possessor of Absolute Power and Knowledge Who directly creates the cause and the effect together, which together demonstrate the Attributes of their Maker. They are proclaiming the Divine Power and Perfection through their own powerlessness and deficiency. They are all announcing, ‘There is no god but God’. Just as the universe points to this truth of Divine Unity so does the Owner of the universe teach us this truth in the sacred books He has revealed. The phrase ‘There is no god but God’ is the fundamental of Revelation and it is confirmed by the testimony of beings. It is the key to the Qur’an. A key that makes it possible to know the riddle of the creation of the universe, a riddle that has reduced materialist science and philosophy to impotence. The path of Unity is the path of Revelation. It is the only path that shows man his Master and Owner, and causes him to recognize his True Object of Worship Who possesses an absolute power that will guarantee all his needs.

The Qur’an is the only source that teaches us that the universe and the beings within it do not bear a meaning limited to themselves but testify to their Maker’s Unity.

The Qur’an is the only source that teaches us that the universe and the beings within it do not bear a meaning limited to themselves but testify to their Maker’s Unity. It teaches what the universe is and what duties it is performing. For this reason, every Muslim should study the universe and see that all beings, through their order, mutual relationship and duties, utterly refute the false claims of materialist and atheistic reasoning. They affirm that they are nothing but the property and creatures of a Single Creator. Each rejects the false notions of chance and causality. Each ascribes all other beings to its own Creator. Each is a proof that the Creator has no partners. Indeed, when the Creator’s Unity is known and understood correctly, it becomes clear that there is nothing to necessitate that causes should possess any power. So, they cannot be partners to the Creator. It is impossible for them to be so. Then the Muslim scientist will say through his investigations and discoveries, ‘There is no god but God, alone and without partner’. The universe is a document to be used by the believers. Believing in God is, as the Qur’an informs us, to assent with one’s heart to the Creator with all His Attributes supported by the testimony of the whole universe. The true affirmation of God’s Unity is a judgment, a confirmation, an assent and acceptance that can find its Owner present with all things. It sees in all things a path leading to its Owner. It does not regard anything as an obstacle to His presence. For, otherwise, it would be necessary to tear and cast aside the universe in order to find Him, and that is impossible for us. The universe is not the property of materialistic science which has used the universe in a destructive way precisely because it has been unable to find the meaning of the universe.

There is no dichotomy between true science and Revelation.

There is no dichotomy between true science and Revelation. Rather, true progress and happiness for mankind can only be achieved in the way of the Qur’an. All scientific and technological advances are merely the uncovering of the way the universe is created. When the universe is seen to be a vast and meaningful unified book describing its Author and the beings in it as signs of their Creator, all these discoveries and advances reinforce belief rather than causing doubt and bewilderment. The most serious disease afflicting modern man in his search for happiness and the meaning of life is to regard science, the study of the created world, as separate and irreconcilable with Revelation, the Word of the Creator. But as man learns to heed the universe and his senses, rather than the materialist scientists, he will wake up to the contradictions of their scientific reasoning. More and more people are beginning to realize that scientific reasoning is no longer valid. Faced with beauty, awesomeness and purpose, attempts to explain creation with causality are becoming increasingly untenable. Then they will feel the need and importance for true science and knowledge which yield knowledge and belief in God.

Allah : The one and only God

"To God ( Allah ) belongs 99 names"

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It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not the case with Allah. Allah is the personal name of the One true God. Nothing else can be called Allah. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word god which can be made plural, gods, or feminine, goddess. It is interesting to notice that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic.

The One true God is a reflection of the unique concept that Islam associates with God. To a Muslim, Allah is the Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing and nothing is comparable to Him. The Prophet Muhammad was asked by his contemporaries about Allah; the answer came directly from God Himself in the form of a short chapter of the Quran, which is considered the essence of the unity or the motto of monotheism. This is chapter 112 which reads:

"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
Say (O Muhammad) He is God the One God, the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, nor has been begotten, and equal to Him is not anyone."

Some non-Muslims allege that God in Islam is a stern and cruel God who demands to be obeyed fully. He is not loving and kind. Nothing can be farther from truth than this allegation. It is enough to know that, with the exception of one, each of the 114 chapters of the Quran begins with the verse: "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate." In one of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) we are told that "God is more loving and kinder than a mother to her dear child."

But God is also Just. Hence evildoers and sinners must have their share of punishment and the virtuous, His bounties and favors. Actually God's attribute of Mercy has full manifestation in His attribute of Justice. People suffering throughout their lives for His sake and people oppressing and exploiting other people all their lives should not receive similar treatment from their Lord. Expecting similar treatment for them will amount to negating the very belief in the accountability of man in the Hereafter and thereby negating all the incentives for a moral and virtuous life in this world. The following Quranic verses are very clear and straightforward in this respect:

"Verily, for the Righteous are gardens of Delight, in the Presence of their Lord. Shall We then treat the people of Faith like the people of Sin? What is the matter with you? How judge you?" (68:34-36)

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Islam rejects characterizing God in any human form or depicting Him as favoring certain individuals or nations on the basis of wealth, power or race. He created the human beings as equals. They may distinguish themselves and get His favor through virtue and piety only.

The concept that God rested in the seventh day of creation, that God wrestled with one of His soldiers, that God is an envious plotter against mankind, or that God is incarnate in any human being are considered blasphemy from the Islamic point of view.

The unique usage of Allah as a personal name of God is a reflection of Islam's emphasis on the purity of the belief in God which is the essence of the message of all God's messengers. Because of this, Islam considers associating any deity or personality with God as a deadly sin which God will never forgive, despite the fact He may forgive all other sins.

[Note that what is meant above applies ONLY to those people who die in a state wherein they are associating others with God. The repentance of those who yet live is acceptable to God if He wills. - MSA of USC]

The Creator must be of a different nature from the things created because if he is of the same nature as they are, he will be temporal and will therefore need a maker. It follows that nothing is like Him. If the maker is not temporal, then he must be eternal. But if he is eternal, he cannot be caused, and if nothing outside him causes him to continue to exist, which means that he must be self-sufficient. And if the does not depend on anything for the continuance of his own existence, then this existence can have no end. The Creator is therefore eternal and everlasting: "He is the First and the Last."

He is Self-Sufficient or Self-Subsistent or, to use a Quranic term, Al-Qayyum. The Creator does not create only in the sense of bringing things into being, He also preserves them and takes them out of existence and is the ultimate cause of whatever happens to them.

"God is the Creator of everything. He is the guardian over everything. Unto Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth." (39:62, 63)

"No creature is there crawling on the earth, but its provision rests on God. He knows its lodging place and it repository." (11:6)

God's Attributes

If the Creator is Eternal and Everlasting, then His attributes must also be eternal and everlasting. He should not lose any of His attributes nor acquire new ones. If this is so, then His attributes are absolute. Can there be more than one Creator with such absolute attributes? Can there be for example, two absolutely powerful Creators? A moment's thought shows that this is not feasible.

The Quran summarizes this argument in the following verses:

"God has not taken to Himself any son, nor is there any god with Him: For then each god would have taken of that which he created and some of them would have risen up over others." (23:91)

And Why, were there gods in earth and heaven other than God, they (heaven and earth) would surely go to ruin." (21:22)

The Oneness of God

The Quran reminds us of the falsity of all alleged gods. To the worshippers of man-made objects, it asks:

"Do you worship what you have carved yourself?" (37:95)

"Or have you taken unto you others beside Him to be your protectors, even such as have no power either for good or for harm to themselves?" (13:16)

To the worshippers of heavenly bodies it cites the story of Abraham:

"When night outspread over him he saw a star and said, 'This is my Lord.' But when it set he said, 'I love not the setters.' When he saw the moon rising, he said, 'This is my Lord.' But when it set he said, 'If my Lord does not guide me I shall surely be of the people gone astray.' When he saw the sun rising, he said, 'This is my Lord; this is greater.' But when it set he said, 'O my people, surely I quit that which you associate, I have turned my face to Him Who originated the heavens and the earth; a man of pure faith, I am not of the idolaters.'" (6:76-79)

The Believer's Attitude

In order to be a Muslim, i.e., to surrender oneself to God, it is necessary to believe in the oneness of God, in the sense of His being the only Creator, Preserver, Nourisher, etc. But this belief - later on called "Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah" - is not enough. Many of the idolaters knew and believed that only the Supreme God could do all this, but that was not enough to make them Muslims. To tawhid ar-rububiyyah one must add tawhid al'uluhiyyah, i.e., one acknowledges the fact that is God alone Who deserves to be worshipped, and thus abstains from worshipping any other thing or being.

Having achieved this knowledge of the one true God, man should constantly have faith in Him, and should allow nothing to induce him to deny truth.

When faith enters a person's heart, it causes certain mental states which result in certain actions. Taken together these mental states and actions are the proof for the true faith. The Prophet said, "Faith is that which resides firmly in the heart and which is proved by deeds." Foremost among those mental states is the feeling of gratitude towards God which could be said to be the essence of 'ibada' (worship).

The feeling of gratitude is so important that a non-believer is called 'kafir' which means 'one who denies a truth' and also 'one who is ungrateful.'

A believer loves, and is grateful to God for the bounties He bestowed upon him, but being aware of the fact that his good deeds, whether mental or physical, are far from being commensurate with Divine favors, he is always anxious lest God should punish him, here or in the Hereafter. He, therefore, fears Him, surrenders himself to Him and serves Him with great humility. One cannot be in such a mental state without being almost all the time mindful of God. Remembering God is thus the life force of faith, without which it fades and withers away.

The Quran tries to promote this feeling of gratitude by repeating the attributes of God very frequently. We find most of these attributes mentioned together in the following verses of the Quran:

"He is God; there is no god but He, He is the Knower of the unseen and the visible; He is the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate. He is God, there is no God but He. He is the King, the All-Holy, the All-Peace, the Guardian of Faith, the All-Preserver, the All-Mighty, the All-Compeller, the All-Sublime. Glory be to God, above that they associate! He is God the Creator, the Maker, the Shaper. To Him belong the Names Most Beautiful. All that is in the heavens and the earth magnifies Him; He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise." (59:22-24)

"There is no god but He, the Living, the Everlasting. Slumber seizes Him not, neither sleep; to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. Who is there that shall intercede with Him save by His leave? He knows what lies before them and what is after them, and they comprehend not anything of His knowledge save such as He wills. His throne comprises the heavens and earth; the preserving of them oppresses Him not; He is the All-High, the All-Glorious." (2:255)

"People of the Book, go not beyond the bounds in your religion, and say not as to God but the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only the Messenger of God, and His Word that He committed to Mary, and a Spirit from Him. So believe in God and His Messengers, and say not, 'Three.' Refrain; better is it for you. God is only one God. Glory be to Him - (He is) above having a son." (4:171)

DECISIVE ARGUMENTS FOR GOD’S EXISTENCE AND UNITY

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

God is the Creator of all things, and He is guardian and watcher over everything. To Him belong the keys of the heavens and Earth. (39:62-3)

Glory be to Him in Whose hand is the kingdom and inner dimensions of all things. (36:83)

There is nothing but with Us are the stores thereof. (15:21)

There is not a moving creature but He has grasp of it by the forelock. (11:56)

The role of material or natural causes in creation

O you who attribute all things and events in this world to the law of causality. The causes to which you ascribe creativity are only veils covering the operation of Divine Power, for God’s Dignity and Grandeur require such veils. However, the Eternal Divine Power, absolutely independent of everything, is ever-active and creates, for Divine Unity and Glory require that it be so.

The Eternal Monarch has officers, but they have no authority of their own to execute His orders independently. Thus they are not partners to His Sovereignty; rather, their only functions are to serve as media through which His Lordship’s acts and executions are watched and known, and as observers and witnesses. By doing so, they obey His laws and commands of creation and thereby perform their duty of worship, which is required by their nature and disposition. In short, they exist because they must manifest the dignity of Divine Power and majesty of Divine Lordship and Sovereignty. Human monarchs, on the other hand, need officers and other means to help them enforce their rule. There is no resemblance or relation between these two kinds of officers.

Since most people cannot discern the beauty and wisdom behind events, they complain and object. In order to divert such complaints from God, causes are placed as an intervening veil (between people and God’s acts). However, those who see the real beauty and wisdom in events know the truth of what is going on. A parable clarifies this point: The Angel of Death complained to God that His servants would complain of his role as the taker of souls. God answered him: “I will put illness and misfortune between you and them so that they will complain of them, not of you.”

In sum, God’s Dignity and Grandeur require apparent causes to prevent complaints and to hide, from those who reason superficially, the hand of Power’s involvement in certain seemingly insignificant or vile things and affairs. At the same time, God’s Unity and Glory require that these apparent causes have no part in either the creation or disposition of things.

Belief in God’s Unity has two degrees

Belief in God’s Unity has two degrees. The first degree is believing superficially that God has no partners, and that the universe belongs only to Him. Such believers may be susceptible to deviation and confusion. The second degree is being firmly convinced that God is One, that everything belongs to Him exclusively, and that only He creates. Such believers see His seal and observe His stamp on all things. Free from all doubt, they feel themselves always and everywhere in His Presence. Their conviction cannot be diluted by deviation or doubt.

For you to acquire such conviction in God’s Unity, consider the following arguments:

ARGUMENTS

Life is the brightest evidence of God, Who makes everything out of one thing and makes one thing out of many things

God Almighty sets a special seal on each thing He makes, showing that He is the Creator of all things. He sets a special stamp on each creature, demonstrating that He is the Maker of all things. On each “letter” that the Power “writes,” there is an inimitable signature specific to the Eternal Monarch.

For example, look at the seal He has put on life. Consider how, through life, one thing is made into many, and many things are made into one. For example, God transforms the water we drink into a means for forming innumerable animal organs and systems. Through His command, a single entity becomes “many.” Conversely, He changes many varieties of foods into a particular body or skin, a whole system or subsystem. Thus “many” things become, by God’s command, a single entity. Whoever has an intellect, consciousness, and a heart must conclude that making a single, simple entity from many things and using a single entity to make many things is a seal special to the Creator of all things.

The one who made the honeybee an index of most things, and who inserted in human nature most parts of the Book of Creation, must be the same and single Creator.

Being complex and inclusive in character, a living thing is a miniature universe, a shining fruit of the tree of creation, a nucleus of creation made by the Creator as a sample or pattern for most species. It is as if that living thing is a drop filtered through wisdom from creation with absolutely exact measures, an all-inclusive point extracted from existence through knowledge with absolutely precise calculations. As one who does not have the supreme disposition of creation cannot create anything, the one who made the honeybee an index of most things, and who inserted in human nature most parts of the Book of Creation, must be the Creator. He encoded the future life of a fig tree in its tiny seed, and made the human heart a small-scale copy of thousands of worlds, as well as a window opening onto them. He recorded humanity’s past life and everything related to it in human memory. The One Who has done these and many similar things can only be the Creator of all things, and His doing so is a stamp specific to the Lord of the Worlds.

He: a point of Divine Unity demonstrated by a molecule of air

It is a fact that a handful of soil serves as a flower-bed for hundreds of flowers one after another. If this process is attributed to ‘nature’ or ‘causality’, then it is necessary either for there to exist in such a handful of soil hundreds of the tiniest machines or factories [to produce the flowers] and also an immaterial ‘factory’ [to determine and govern their whole lives in place of the Divine Knowledge and Destiny], or for each particle of that small amount of soil to know how to make all those different flowers in their different characteristics and with their living elements. To put it simply: each particle would have to possess infinite knowledge and limitless power such as only God truly owns.

In just the same way, in each molecule of air (which is a conductor of Divine Will and Command) in each gust, each shift of air such as can be identified making the sound He, there must either be present, on the minutest scale, the centers, exchanges, receivers, and transmitters of all the telephones, telegraphs and radios in the world, so that each molecule of air could perform those countless acts at the same time; or each particle or molecule must dispose all the relevant faculties (of mind, spirit, personality, etc.) of all the different users of the telephones, telegraphs, radios, and must know all their different languages, and transmit them to the other particles at the same time. Just such an impossibility is required by the ways of the unbelievers, naturalists and materialists, in which not one impossibility, but impossibilities and difficulties to the number of particles of air are apparent.

If attributed to the Majestic Maker, however the air together with all its particles becomes a ‘soldier’ under His Command. Through the leave and Power of its Creator, and through connection to and reliance on Him, and through the manifestation of its Maker’s Power, in an instant with the speed of lightning, and with the ease of uttering the word He and the movement of air, its innumerable universal duties are performed as easily as the single duty of one individual particle. That is, the air becomes a ‘page’ for the endless, wonderful, orderly inscriptions of the Pen of Power; its particles become the ribs of the Pen, and the duties of those particles, the points inscribed by the Pen. It works as easily as the movement of a single particle.

If a few other points are jumbled around one point on a piece of white paper, it will be almost impossible to distinguish that point; and if a man does several different jobs at the same time he will be confused: and if a living creature is loaded with many burdens at the same time, it will be crushed; and if a man were to give ear to or utter numerous different words all at the same time, those words would be confused and muddled.

Despite this being the case, although thousands of different points, letters and words are deposited in each molecule, even in each particle, of the air, they are conveyed without any confusion and irregularity. Also, although the air performs a great many different duties at the same time, it carries them out without any confusion; each molecule or particle of the air is loaded with very heavy burdens, yet bears them without lagging or displaying any weakness at all. Again, thousands of different words of all different sorts and meanings enter into ears and issue out of mouths with perfect order and without being muddled. By carrying out all of its extraordinary duties, each particle and molecule of air proclaims in the tongue of its being and functioning and in ecstasy and perfect freedom, and through the testimony of the above truth: there is no deity but He, and, Say: He is God, the One. It travels among air-clashing waves like storms of lightning and thunder in perfect order without confusing its duties, not one of which prevents any other.

The deduction must be: either each particle or molecule of air necessarily has infinite wisdom, knowledge, will, and power, and other qualities through which to be absolutely dominant over all the other particles so that it can perform all those functions-a notion that is absurd and inconceivable to the number of particles, and no devil can ever conceive it-or else (and this is evident to the degree of certainty based on knowledge, certainty based on eye-witnessing or clear observation, and certainty based on personal experience) that the element of air functions in the world of transformations and changes as a changing ‘page’ for the Pen of Power and Destiny used by the All-Majestic One with infinite knowledge and wisdom, and as a signboard, known as the Tablet of Abrogation and Confirmation, on which a changeable copy of the Divine decrees on the Supreme Preserved Tablet are reflected.

Thus, just as air demonstrates the above-mentioned wonders and manifestation of Divine Oneness in only the duty of transmitting sound and images and shows the infinite impossibility of the way of misguidance, so also does it perform such other important duties as transmitting subtle forces like electricity, light, and the forces of attraction and repulsion all at the same time as it performs the duty of transmitting sound. Also, with perfect order and without any confusion it carries out duties essential for the lives of all plants and animals, such as respiration and pollination. Air decisively proves that it is a very important means of conveying the Divine Will and Command, and that there is no way or possibility of random chance, blind force, deaf nature, confused, aimless causality, and powerless, lifeless, unknowing matter, taking part in or having any influence on the performance of the air’s duties. Also, each particle, each molecule proclaims in the tongue of its being and functioning: There is no deity but God, and, Say: He is God, the One.

Beings coming to life and being revived demonstrates God’s Unity

Look at the signature put on the acts of bringing to life and reviving. Out of innumerable possible examples, we mention only one: In each transparent or apparently transparent thing, from planets to drops and glass, there is a stamp-an image or reflection-specific to the Sun.

The Unique, Eternal Sun¹ also sets on each living thing a seal, a stamp, of reviving and bringing to life, which reveals itself by manifesting all of His Names on that thing. If all material causes-supposing they had power and will-came together to produce the like of that stamp, they could not do so, even if they helped each other (The Quran, 17:88).

Assume that the images of the Sun reflected in drops, glass, or any transparent thing are not attributed to the Sun. If this were the case, one would have to accept that there is a real, tiny Sun in each drop facing the Sun, in each piece of glass reflecting the Sun’s light, and that every transparent thing has become a Sun.

Assume that every living thing and life, and every act of bringing to life, is not attributed to the manifestation of the Divine Names. Assume that the belief that life is the focus of the Divine Names’ manifestations, which could be regarded as the rays of the Eternal Sun, is not acceptable. If this were so, each living thing would have to have an infinite power of creation, all-encompassing knowledge, and absolute will, and attributes that it is impossible to be found in anything other than the Necessarily Existent Being.² Also, each atom would have to have divinity, for the existence of everything would have to be ascribed to itself. Likewise, if the existence of everything is ascribed to causes, absolute divinity would have to be attributed to each cause. Thus there would be countless partners in Divinity, which necessarily requires absolute independence and rejection of any partnership.

Consider an atom or a seed. See how astonishing its well-arranged composition and relationships are. It has relationships with all parts of the living thing of which it is a part, as well as relationships with all members of its species and all other creatures. Its relationships and duties resemble those of a private with respect to military officers. If the atom’s or seed’s connection to the Absolute Power were severed, it would have to be admitted that it has eyes to see all things and an all-comprehensive consciousness.

In summary: If the Sun’s reflection in a drop is attributed to the actual Sun, many Suns would have to exist in the smallest things. It is the same with the Absolutely Powerful One, in relation to Whose Power all things that exist, without exception, are the same. Accepting the above assertion requires accepting countless divinities.

P.S: ^{1 & 2}. God Almighty should be ­considered from five perspectives. One is His Essence as Divine Being­―Zāt, in Islamic terminology. His Essence cannot be known by anyone except God Himself. A Prophetic Tradition says: Do not reflect on God’s Essence, instead, reflect on His works and acts. For God has no partners, likes and resemblance, which is pointed to by the verse: There is nothing like or compared unto Him. The second perspective is God’s Essential, “Innate” Qualities as being God. These are the source of the Attributes. The third perspective is His Attributes. The Attributes have three kinds: one is His Essential Attributes, which are: Existence, Having No Beginning, Eternal Permanence, Being Unlike the Created, Self-Subsistence. The second is the Positive Attributes, which are: Life, Knowledge, Power, Speech, Will, Hearing, Seeing, Creating. The third is the “Negative” Attributes. The Negative Attributes are innumerable but can be summed up in a definition: God is absolutely free from any defective and shortcoming. The Attributes are the sources of Names. Life gives rise to the All-Living, Knowledge to All-Knowing, Power to All-Powerful, etc. God has many Names, about one thousand of which are known by human beings. The Names are the sources of the Acts. For example, giving life has its source in the All-Living; knowing everything down to the smallest originates in the All-Knowing, etc. God is “known” by His acts, Names and Attributes. Whatever exists in the universe, in the worlds, material and immaterial, is the result of the manifestation of God’s Names and Attributes. For example, the universal and individual provision points to His Name, the All-Providing; the All-Healing is the source of remedies and patients’ recovering from illnesses. Philosophy has its source in Wisdom, etc. The acts, Names and Attributes are the “links” between God and the created, or the “reflectors” with which to have knowledge of God.

Although we try to know or recognize God by His acts, Names and Attributes, since there is nothing resembling Him, we must refrain to think about Him in the terms associating likeness or comparison unto Him. First of all, He is absolutely One, Single, that is, He is God without any resemblance what or howsoever. In this sense, His Oneness is not in terms of number. However, He has also Unity. He has relations with the created. In order to have some knowledge of Him through His acts, Names and Attributes, some comparisons are permissible. This is pointed to in the verse: For God is the highest comparison. The writer’s using the Sun as a unit of comparison to understand God’s acts, Names and Attributes should be considered from this perspective.

All things in the universe are interrelated with one another

The universe resembles a tree, which has grown from a seed containing the program of the future full form of the tree. So, all things in the universe are closely interrelated with one another. Each particle in the body, for example, a particle in the pupil of the eye, has relations with the eye itself, as well as with the head, and the powers of reproduction, attraction and repulsion, with the veins and arteries, and with other veins, and motor and sensory nerves, which serve the circulation of blood and the working of the body, and with the rest of the body, and it has also duties in relation to each. This evidently shows one who is not blind that the whole of the body, including every particle, is a work of an Eternal, All-Powerful One and operates under His command.

Everything is in its exact place in creation and in close co-operation with everything else

The seeds of all flowering and fruit-bearing plants are the same in composition: they are all composed of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen. They only differ on account of and in respect of the program of their progenitor deposited in them by Divine Destiny. If we put the seeds of various flowering and fruit-bearing plants one after another in a flower-pot filled with earth, which is composed of particular or certain elements, each plant will appear in the wonderful form and shape, the amazing members, peculiar to it. If those particles were not subjugated to, and under the command of, One Who knows each thing with all its features, structures, and life-cycles, and the conditions of its life, and is capable of endowing everything with a being suitable to it and everything necessary for it, and to Whose Power everything is subjected without the least resistance, then either there would have to be in each particle of the earth ‘immaterial factories’ determining all the future lives of the plants, and workshops to the number of all the flowering and fruit-bearing plants, so that each could be the origin for all those various beings, differing in form, taste, color, and members, or each of those plants should have an all-encompassing knowledge and a power capable of forming themselves. That means, if the connection of beings with Almighty God is severed, then it becomes necessary to accept gods to the number of the particles of earth. This is the most inconceivable of superstitions.

Every particle testifies to God in two ways

Also, in each particle are two further true witnesses to the necessary existence and Unity of the Maker: despite its absolute powerlessness, each particle is able to do a great variety of significant duties, and despite its lifelessness, by acting in conformity with the universal order, each particle displays a universal consciousness. That means, each particle testifies, through its impotence, to the necessary existence of the Absolutely All-Powerful One, and through acting in conformity with the order of the universe, to His Unity.

Attributing existence to One God is the easiest way to explain it

Writing a book requires only a writer and a pen. However, if it is printed on a printing press, there would have to be as many iron letters as actual letters in the book. Also, many people would be needed to make those letters and arrange them for printing the book. Sura Ya Sin is written in very small letters inside the two Arabic letters “Ya” and “Sin.” If a book is written in small, fine letters within a single word, then one would need as many iron letters as actual letters in the book to print that single word.

If you say that the universe is a book written with the pen of a Single One, then you are following the easiest and most reasonable path. If, by contrast, you attribute the universe’s existence to nature or material causes, you are following the most unreasonable and difficult way. In such a case, “printing” a single living thing would require as many instruments as printing most of the universe would demand. This seems to be an impossible supposition.

Suppose different kinds of seeds have been buried in a soil-filled pot. Empty the pot and fill it with soil taken from the Earth’s surface. In both cases, the result will be almost the same. The same result can be observed all over the Earth. Despite the variety in shape, color, taste, and appearance, any soil can be used to produce all flowers and fruit-bearing trees. Thus each seed, despite their physical simplicity and similarity to each other, would have to have special machines or workshops to form the entire plant or tree.

Every created letter of the Book of the Universe points to God in many ways

Any letter in a book points to itself as a letter and in one respect only. However, it points to its writer in many respects. Similarly, every “created” letter of the Book of the Universe points to itself only as a letter. However, it points to its Maker in many respects, both individually and in the words and sentences in which it is included, and manifests its Maker’s titles, describing them as if it were a long, fine poem.

Absolute balance, orderliness and distinguishing despite things being almost infinitely mingled

The Glorious Maker puts His special stamp on each particular or individual thing, and His specific seal on each part of a whole. Likewise, He puts His special stamp on each species and each whole. He puts the stamp of His Unity on the whole of the universe, as well as on any part of it, thus demonstrating His Unity. By concentrating the manifestations of all or some of His Names on a single entity, He displays His Oneness.³

P.S. ³. Unity and Oneness are used to denote two different meanings. The original word which we translate as Unity is Wahidiya, meaning God’s manifesting all His Names throughout the universe or on any part of it. Oneness, the original of which is Ahadiya, means God’s concentrating all or some of His Names on a single entity. This second manifestation¾the manifestations of Oneness¾causes differentiation among species and individuals. In this book, we have used them sometimes interchangeably and sometimes each with its specific meaning.

Look at the stamp pointed out in: Look at the prints of God’s Mercy, how He revives the Earth after its death. He verily is the Reviver of the dead in the same way, and He is powerful over all things (30:50). The revival of the Earth is an astonishing “resurrection” or coming to life again. Hundreds of thousands of animal and vegetable species are raised to life. There are far more members of many non-human species than there are human beings. Nevertheless, to fulfill certain subtle purposes, most plants are not raised in their exact former identities, but in forms bearing a substantial and close resemblance to their previous ones. However they are revived, their revival indicates the ease of Resurrection [that will occur at the end of time after the universe’s destruction].

Despite their being infinitely mixed with each other, reviving those innumerable species without any confusion and with exact differentiation is a special stamp of the One of infinite Power and all-encompassing Knowledge.

Species are infinitely mixed and intermingled, and there is great similarity among them. On the “page” of the Earth, hundreds of thousands of “books” are written without confusion or mistake, with infinite order, and with absolute accuracy in distinguishing among them. This is also a special seal of the One in Whose hand are the kingdom and keys of all things. He is not prevented from doing one thing while simultaneously doing something else.

During spring, there is an exalted, subtly embroidered seal belonging to the Lord, one showing itself in absolute accuracy and orderliness, abundance and extensiveness, and with absolute speed and ease. You see that completely mixed things are perfectly distinguished and separated. This seal is particular to the One Who can do many things at once, from Whom nothing is hidden, and for Whom nothing is difficult.

In this same season, we see extraordinary art and activity on the Earth based on purposefulness, insight, wisdom, and munificence. This occurs everywhere, in exactly the same way, orderliness, and abundance. This art and activity are seals of the One Who, despite being nowhere, is present everywhere through His Power and Knowledge, Whom nothing wearies, and Who never needs help.

Mutual helping and cooperation in the universe

As the stamp of the Oneness of Him Who is Eternally Besought-of-All, is observed on the “page” of the Earth and throughout the heavens and the Earth, so also is the stamp of His Unity observed on the universe as a whole. The universe is like a magnificent palace, a well-ordered factory, a well-planned city, all of whose elements or parts work together for great purposes. Even over long distances, elements hasten to help each other when needed and do not get lost. Those who discern this truth see how some parts help other parts to meet their needs. It is as if they respond to each other’s requests for help and, in close cooperation and obedience to a single manager, work in orderliness and serve living beings for specific purposes.

Look at this principle of mutual helping and cooperation. The Sun and the moon, day and night, and summer and winter work with plants to help animals and to convey their food to them, which they take from the treasury of Mercy. Animals hasten to help human beings. For example, honeybees and silkworms take honey and silk from the treasury of the All-Merciful and carry them to humanity. Particles of soil, air, and water help fruits and vegetation, each of which have a different taste and quality of nourishment. In turn, they help the body’s cells in perfect orderliness and for great purposes.

This perfect, purposeful, and well-arranged mutual helping is manifested by all of those things, especially inanimate objects. It is also an evident proof and clear argument that they are servants of an All-Wise Sustainer, workers of a Munificent Manager who work by His command and leave, and by His Power and Wisdom.

Providing each being just on time and according to its need

The food needed by living things is distributed among them on time and according to their need. This well-arranged universal providence, contained in an all-encompassing mercy, implies love for and knowledge of those being supplied. Such all-encompassing mercy combined with perfect graciousness implies favoring and gratifying. Such graciousness combined with universal wisdom implies a certain purpose and consciousness. Such universal wisdom combined with a perfect arrangement makes all things dependent on each other. Such dependence requires mutual helping and solidarity among all parts of existence. All of this is a special stamp of the One Who is the Lord, Sustainer, Provider, and Director of all things. It is also a seal particular to the One to Whose Command the sun, the moon, and the stars are subjugated. He is the One Who has made all things good which He has created (32:7). When He wills a thing, He only says: “Be,” and it is (36:82).

One who cannot create, own and administer the universe cannot create, own and administer an atom

The stamp of Oneness is seen on all individual things and species, on the earth and the universe, and is distributed throughout the world on such universal elements as air, water, and soil.

Planting seeds in an arable land indicates that the land is controlled by the owner of the seeds, and that the seeds belong to the one who controls the land. All those universal elements [like water, air and soil implying an all-encompassing knowledge and wisdom] through their simplicity, uniformity, and comprehensiveness, and all the things “planted” in them-these fruits of Mercy, miracles of Power, and words of Wisdom-through their world-wide distribution for certain purposes, are evidence that the comprehensive and comprehended, as well as the “land” and the “seeds” planted in it, are at the disposal of a single Maker. Each species and element testifies that it belongs to the One Who owns everything. Each flower or fruit, each animal or micro-organism, is a seal proclaiming, a stamp pronouncing, a signature declaring in the tongue of perfect harmony, orderliness, and purpose: “The One Who owns me owns this space. Whoever created me created it. Whoever uses me as a letter “wrote” it. Whoever made me a stitch wove it.”

The One Who disposes of the smallest creatures and manages the life of the weakest beings has the supreme disposition of all elements. The One Who employs all elements manages the lives of all animals and plants, and holds them in His hand of Lordship. This is a stamp of Unity that is seen by anyone whose eyes are not blind and whose heart is not sealed.

Can you claim absolute ownership and disposal of anything in the universe? Ask an individual being, and it will reply: “Whoever is the absolute owner of my species can claim to own me; otherwise he or she cannot.” Ask the species, and they will reply: “Whoever has the absolute ownership of the Earth, both its exterior and interior, can claim to own me; otherwise he or she cannot.” Ask the Earth, and it will reply: “Whoever has the absolute ownership of the whole universe can claim to own me; otherwise he or she cannot.”

The extraordinary ease of creating so many species distributed world-wide comes from the Oneness of their Creator

We have pointed out some stamps of Unity put on parts, individual beings, and wholes; on the universe; and on life, living beings, and bringing to life. Among these innumerable seals of Oneness on species and wholes, let us look at another one.

The difficulty or ease of creating a tree and a fruit is the same, as both depend on the same law of growth and issue from the same center. Depending on the same law of raising and upkeep diminishes difficulty and expenditure, so much so that there is no difference between one person growing a tree with abundant fruit and many people raising a single fruit tree. A single fruit grown by many people requires as many tools as does growing a tree with abundant fruit. Similarly, the instruments, machines, and factories needed to equip an army would be the same if only a single soldier were to be equipped. The difference is only qualitative. Also, printing thousands of copies of a book is not much more expensive than printing a single copy. If each copy were printed on a different printing press, the amount paid would be thousands of times greater than that paid for thousands of copies from the same press.

In sum: If innumerably multiple things are not attributed to a single source, then-besides having to attribute a single thing to innumerably multiple things-the number of difficulties would equal the number of those things. So, the extraordinary ease of creating so many species distributed world-wide comes from the Oneness of their Creator.

The essential similarities among members of a species and species of a class

The essential similarities among members of a species and species of a class show the oneness of the stamp and the singleness of the “pen,” and testify that such similarities are the work of a Single One. Also, the absolute ease [of their creation in such abundance] and the small expenditure spent on them demonstrate that they are the work of a Single Being. If this were not so, their creation would be impossibly difficult. This observed ease and economy of means also shows that God has no partners in His Essence and acts, for such a condition would destroy the order, which, in turn, would ruin the universe.

Just as life proves Divine Oneness and the necessity of His Existence, death proves His Permanence and Eternity.

The images of the sun reflected in bubbles floating on a river and the sea, as well as in transparent things on the earth, bear witness to the sun. These images disappear when the sun sets or the river enters a tunnel, and new ones appear when the sun rises again or the river comes out of the tunnel. This testifies to the permanence of the sun’s light and demonstrates that these images are the work of a single sun. Their existence shows the sun’s existence; their disappearance shows that there is only one “eternal” sun.

Similarly, the existence of creatures shows the necessary existence of the Necessarily Existent Being. Their disappearance, together with the causes of their existence and their replacement with new creatures, bear witness to His Permanence, Eternity, and Oneness. For along with the alternation of day and night, seasons and years, beautiful beings are renewed, and fine creatures are replaced as they “set” while their likes “rise.” All of this testifies to the existence of an Eternally Beautiful One Who continuously manifests Himself, and to His Permanence and Oneness. The disappearance of causes and their effects, along with the succession of years and centuries and their being followed by their likes, bear witness that causes and their effects are created for subtle purposes. All of those fine beings coming in successively are creatures of the All-Majestic, All-Gracious, and Beautiful One, all of Whose Names are beautiful and holy. All of this activity testifies that they are His changing works, moving mirrors, and successive stamps and seals.

Just as creatures testify to the All-Glorious One’s necessary existence and Oneness, they also testify to His Attributes of Majesty, Beauty, and Perfection

Just as creatures testify to the All-Glorious One’s necessary existence and Oneness, they also testify to His Attributes of Majesty, Beauty, and Perfection; the perfection of His Essence; and the fact that His Being, essential “Qualities,” Attributes, Names, and acts have no defect or deficiency.

A work’s perfection points to the act’s perfection. The act’s perfection points to the title’s perfection. The title’s perfection points to the attribute’s perfection. The attribute’s perfection points to the being’s essential capacity or indispensable quality. The being’s perfection of the essential or indispensable quality points to the being’s perfection.

A palace’s perfect structure and decoration manifests the perfection of the engineer’s work. The work’s perfection shows the title’s perfection, meaning that the engineer is skillful, expert, and capable. The title’s perfection displays the perfection of the engineer’s qualities, meaning that the engineer is knowledgeable, intelligent, capable, and efficient. The perfection of the qualities displays these essential capacities, meaning that the engineer has fully realized his or her superior capacities and distinguished potential. The perfection of the capacities reveals one’s perfection as an engineer.

Similarly, the perfection of the works we observe in the universe bears witness to the perfection of the activity behind them, which, in turn, bears witness to the perfection of the titles of the one doing the work. The perfection of the titles testifies to the perfection of the qualities or attributes, for names or titles issue from attributes. The perfection of attributes reveals the perfection of the essential capacities that are the attributes’ sources. The perfection of the essential capacities testifies to the perfection of the All-Glorious Being.

Actually, compared to His glorious Perfection and majestic Beauty, all perfection or beauty in the universe is only a dim or vague shadow.