SPEAKING OF GOD TODAY
Man’s Greatest Need
THE sun, one of God’s creations, is an eternal reality. Vital to all forms of life, its importance has never been underestimated nor will it ever be in future. Then God who is the Creator of sun and all other objects, is, of necessity, deserving of a far higher degree of recognition, without the slightest diminution in His importance. God’s relevance to man and the universe is eternal in nature.
Nature is a creation of God, and as such is a divine mirror. It serves, therefore, as a reflection of divine attributes. In ancient times, man’s knowledge of nature was very limited. It was, therefore, not possible for the common man to have profound conception of God. In modern times, the position is quite different. The known facts about natural phenomena have increased exponentially, and with the spread of education man has far greater access to them than was ever hitherto possible. That is why today the possibility of the intellectual realization of God has greatly increased. A philosopher once aptly summed up this changed state of affairs with the observation: “a smattering of knowledge turns people away from God: much of it brings them back to Him.”
It is the same point which was expressed 1400 years ago in the form of a prophecy in the Quran:
“We will show them Our signs in the universe and within themselves, until it becomes clear to them that this is the truth.” (41: 53) This prediction has been entirely fulfilled in modern times. It has been demonstrated by the scientific revolution of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The discovery of facts today by scientific research is akin to removing the veil of ignorance which prevented mankind from seeing the face of God. This has been expressed by a scientist in these words:
“Nature and science speak about God.”
The world discovered by science is so unique that it cannot be explained without the acceptance of God. In former times, people used to ask, “If God created the universe, who created God?” But questions such as these have now become meaningless, because they are irrelevant. In view of the new scientific findings it has become possible for us to assert that, in this world, the option is not between the universe with God and the universe without God. The real option is between the universe with God, and no universe at all.
As we cannot refute the existence of the universe, we cannot refute the existence of God as well. It has to be conceded that the concept of God is linked with the universe exactly as the concept of an engineer is linked with the concept of a great machine. If we believe in the existence of the machine, we shall inevitably have to believe in the engineer who created it. Exactly the same applies in the metaphysical sense, to God and the universe.
God is a reality, albeit invisible. He does not come under our direct observation and experience. Hence His existence can be proved only by inferential or indirect argument. For direct argument in this case is not possible.
In ancient times it was held that the subject of God was a matter of dogma, pertaining only to accepted creeds. Therefore it was a topic neither for academic debate nor for logical, scientific analysis. In modern times, however, the situation has totally changed. Scientific discoveries have shown that the atom is not a material entity at all but as waves of electrons, waves which were invisible. We could not observe the electrons themselves, but only their indirect effects.
The world discovered by science is so unique that it cannot be explained without the acceptance of God.
Advances in human knowledge of the material world brought about a number of changes, one of these being a revision of the principles of the science of logic. In the age of Newton, only direct argument was held to be valid in logic. But in the new age ushered in by Einstein, it came to be established that indirect argument or inferential argument was logically as acceptable as direct argument.
The objections raised by atheists to the holding of religious beliefs seemed to carry any weight only so long as human knowledge was confined to the level of the macro-world. But when human knowledge, making a great leap forward, made its entry into the micro-world, atheistic suppositions were totally demolished. It was because, unlike the macro-world, the micro-world was quite unobservable. Now a whole range of realities had come within the scope of man’s knowledge which were neither observable nor measurable. Therefore, the only kind of argument which was applicable to them was the indirect argument. As a result of this academic revolution, the science of logic witnessed a great change. With the admission that indirect or inferential argument was logically as valid as direct argument, it became possible for the concept of God to be proved by exactly the same kind of reasoning as is applied in the various branches of science.
One of the ineluctable features of this world is its uncertainty. That is why every individual, young or old, rich or poor, finds oneself helpless at one time or another in the face of the circumstantial and environmental factors which are pitted against him. This uncertainty has not decreased, but has rather increased in the wake of modern revolutions. That is why the unrest found in the peoples of ancient times is greatly on the rise today. It is significant too that, as compared with the past, the number of suicides is greatly on the increase.
To be able to stand fast in this world, every person requires a concept which, at all times and in all places, will be an unending source of hope and confidence to him. Such an eternal concept cannot be other than that of God. Indeed, since ancient time, the only solution for man has been to have faith in an all-powerful Supreme Being. Throughout the ages this has served as a fountainhead of courage and strength for millions of human beings, and will remain so for people in all ages.
The real option is between the universe with God, and no universe at all. As we cannot refute the existence of the universe, we cannot refute the existence of God as well.
The greatest and most basic social requirement of mankind is peace. This is vital for any kind of human progress, for without peace no viable social structures can gain in place. So far as human beings are concerned they all appear to be equal. And it is a fact that peace is the most difficult to establish among equals. For the establishment of peace in society, therefore, an Agent is required who has a status immeasurably superior to that of human beings—in effect, a supreme being.
A Being of this kind—a grand regulator of human affairs—can only be God. The only factor, indeed, that can be effective in ensuring peace between human beings is the universal acknowledgement of the concept of a Superior God—a God who is held to be great by all and to whom all surrender in equal measure. As the old adage has it.
Nature is a creation of God, and as such is a divine mirror. It serves, therefore, as a reflection of divine attributes.
The importance of God is as great for the individual as it is for the whole of society. No part of our individual or social life is complete without God. Undoubtedly the concept of God is as relevant today as it was in ancient time, for God is man’s greatest asset.