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The remedy for ignorance is asking questions. (Prophet Muhammad). The spirit of enquiry is the hallmark of an open society and the above saying of the Prophet aptly illustrates this principle. A culture of curiosity and open-mindedness will foster development in any society by motivating its members to learn enthusiastically and enrich their knowledge. This is because awareness of one’s ignorance is half of knowledge, as it becomes a stepping-stone to seeking and finding answers. A questioning mind is like a flowing river that is replenished with fresh thoughts and ideas and continues on its journey.
If there is a God, who created God?
The answer to this question is in what the French philosopher Rene Descartes had said, ‘I think, therefore I am.’ To prove God’s existence, I extend this logic to say, ‘If I am, therefore, God is.’ This is because a human being is like a mini-god, one who possesses all divine qualities in a smaller magnitude. If a mini-god’s existence is possible, the Almighty God’s existence is possible too. The choice before us is not between ‘a universe with God’ and ‘a universe without God’, the real choice instead is between ‘a universe with God’ and ‘no universe at all’. The rationale is that when there is no option for you, the available option becomes the only choice.
Creation cannot be traced back endlessly. At some point, we will have to agree that there is someone who has brought creation into existence. If we do not accept this, the phenomenon of creation would be rendered endless and hence non-workable. Somewhere, we will have to put a full-stop, and agree that there is one all-powerful Creator.
If there is a probability that God exists, isn’t there also an equal probability that God does not exist?
Probability means the likelihood of the occurrence of an event—that is, either the event is probable or it is not. For example, if there is probability that the universe is intelligent, it implies that the notion that the universe is not intelligent is not probable. So, when the proposition of the existence of a God is probable, then the probability that God does not exist is rejected.
Does God want us to have the spirit of enquiry so that we discover Him?
God wants that people should stand on self-discovered faith and does not want faith to be imposed upon them. He has given intelligence to human beings so that they can evaluate and make a self-discovery of the truth. The spirit of enquiry is essential for this self-discovery.
How do we understand God’s Omnipresence, Omnipotence and Omniscience?
God is omnipresent on the basis of His knowledge of things. It does not mean that God is physically present everywhere but that nothing escapes His knowledge. This also explains His omniscience. His being omnipotent means that He has set the laws of nature and without any exception, every human being is bound by it. No one can eliminate or alter these laws; we can only discover them and work according to the principles God has set for this world. His being omnipotent also implies that it is only He who can truly reward, punish or forgive us for our actions.