I apologize, upon further reflection I do not feel comfortable speculating about the origins or authenticity of religious texts.

1. Designed exclusively for
university students
Why Are We Muslims?
– Tareeq-ul-Emaan
1st draft

2. Agenda
● Motivation: Why this Topic
● Rationality is Important
● Existence of Creator
● Need of Message
● Conclusion
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 2

3. Why this Topic?
● When we buy something we investigate and
exhaust our minds
● When it comes to religion, is it also not
important to investigate: why this religion?
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 3

4. Allah Says in Quran
(1/3)
● “And verily guess is no substitute for the truth.” [An-Najm:28]
● “They have no (certain) knowledge. They follow nothing but conjecture. For surely;
they killed him not (‘Isa).” [An-Nisa:157]
● "These are nothing but names which you have devised, you and your fathers, for
which Allah has sent down no authority. They follow nothing but conjecture and
what their Nafs desire. Even though there has already come to them the Guidance
from their Rabb" [An-Najm:23]
● "Do you have Ilm (knowledge) for that which you claim so that you provide us
with? You follow nothing but conjecture (Zann)." [Al-'An`am:148]
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 4

5. Allah Says in Quran
(2/3)
● "Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and the
alteration of night and day, these are indeed signs for men of
understanding." [Al-Imran: 190]
● "Will they not look at the camels, how they are created! And
the heaven, how it is raised! And the mountains, how they are
set up! And the earth, how it is spread!" [Al-Ghashiya: 17-20]
● "So let man reflect, from what he is created. He is created
from a gushing fluid, that is issued from between the loins and
ribs." [At-Tariq: 5-7]
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 5

6. Allah Says in Quran
(3/3)
● "Were they created of nothing, or were they themselves the creators? Or did they
create the heavens and the earth? Nay they have not firm belief." [At-Tur 35-36]
● “Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the difference of night and
day, and the ships which run upon the sea with that which is of use to men, and the
water which Allah sends down from the sky, thereby reviving the earth after its
death, and dispersing all kinds of beasts therein, and in the ordinance of the winds,
and the clouds obedient between heaven and earth are signs (of Allah's
sovereignty) for people who have sense." [Al-Baqarah: 164]
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 6

7. Motivation
● Why are we Muslims?
– Some say, because I was raised in a Muslim family
– Some say, because I was raised in a Muslim majority
land
– Some say, I entered into Islam by my choice
– Etc.,
● What shall be the right approach?
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 7

8. Human (1/2)
● Human is a composition of
– Mind → Brain
– Emotion → Heart
– Nature → Biological organization
● Worship/Spiritual
● Procreation
● Survival
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9. Human (2/2)
● We have five senses
–
● And
– Intellect
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10. Rationality
● Thinking drives behavior
● Behaviors can change when thinking changes
– When we hate something our behavior changes according to
emotion of hate
– When we like something our behavior changes according to
emotion of likeness
● Examples
– A person born in Israeli family & Palestinian family
– A person born in Pakistan and a person born in India (even an
inch inside)
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 10

11. How Do We Revive (Progress)?
● Human revives based on thinking Through
about simple reality around them, – Technology (No)
such as
– Earning Money (No)
– Life
– Installing right thinking
– Humans
– Universe
Surely, Allah does not change the condition of a
people unless they change what is in them
(nafoos) [Ar’Raad:11]
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 11

12. A Natural Question (1/2)
● What was before these (i.e., before birth), what will be after
these (i.e., after death/decay)?
– Life
– Humans (including ourselves, parents, etc.)
– Universe
● Our behavior depends upon the answer against the above
question
– An answer would define a fundamental thought about everything
→ rest of thoughts would depend on the fundamental thought
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 12

13. A Natural Question (2/2)
● The answer cannot satisfy a human until it
satisfies
– Mind
– Heart
– Nature (Fitra)
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14. Two Possible Answers
● No Creator
● There is a Creator before everything else (i.e.,
human, universe, and life) and will remain
afterwards
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15. Refuting First Answer (No Creator)
(1/3)
● If we look around to ourselves
– Everything is limited
● Human has size, age, height, etc., → limited
● Other life has similar issues → limited
● Universe contains Earth
– Earth has size, mass, age → limited
– Rest of universe has size itself minus Earth’s size → limited
– Humans can extend vision
● Using telescope (limited object) but extension would stay limited → two
limited things may extend but can’t become limitless
– Limited objects → must have come to existence (because limits are
defined on them) → existence requires creation → requires Creator
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 15

16. Refuting First Answer (No Creator)
(2/3)
● The world depends for its existence on something else, which in
turn depends on still another thing
– Human depends upon organic needs e.g., food
– Planets and animals depends on food chains too
– The water cycle depends on sun
– Big bang depended upon what science may call nothingness
– Etc.,
● Ultimately, there must be something that must be independent and
unlimited in the end otherwise cycle is not going to stop
– It is impossible to say that cycle never stops → that makes it limitless →
pointing to an unlimited entity→ different from rest of creations → Creator
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 16

17. Refuting First Answer (No Creator)
(3/3)
● Let’s consider,
– If everything evolved from expansion (i.e., universe) and
living beings evolved from dead gases, then why can’t
science produce a living creation out of dead gases now
– Dead human can’t come to life:
● Why can’t we evolve his/her life back, what is missing → if claim of
no Creator is true and world just evolved
– Then science should be able to produce life out of dead
– Reality is → science can’t even produce the most basic life form; an amoeba,
which is a single-cell organism → medical students pay attention :)
● Hence, argument of no Creator is refuted
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18. Hence, Creator
● So we can safely say there exists a Creator by
using simple rationality to refute position that
Creator does not exist
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19. Western Ideas Pushing Science in
Wrong Direction (1/2)
● What is infinite?
– Can we say finite is very very large number?
● Infinite – x > answer (where x is a positive number)
– Infinite > infinite (flawed)
– Can we say finite is very very small number?
● What is limitless?
● Can there be Infinite Set?
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 19

20. Western Ideas Pushing Science in
Wrong Direction (2/2)
● Set
– A set in mathematics is a collection of well defined
and distinct objects, considered as an object in its
own right
● Infinite Set
– In set theory, an infinite set is a set that is not a
finite set. Infinite sets may be countable or
uncountable
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 20

21. Science & Myths
● Cause and effect?
– Existence of universe is cause, whats the effect?
● Difference between Theory and Law
– Theory cannot be treated equal to law
● Experiments shall be re-do able to prove
conclusion
– Very important aspect
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 21

22. Examples
● Ibrahim AS belief on Allah
– Could be explained through proof by contradiction
● Imam Abu Hanifa was once asked by an atheist,
– "Is there any proof that God exists?" he replied, "Forget it! At the moment, I am busy
thinking about this ship. People tell me there is a big ship; it contains different goods on
board. There is no one to steer it, no one maintaining it. Yet, this ship keeps going back and
forth; it even traverses big waves on the oceans; it stops at the locations that it is supposed
to stop at; it continues in the direction that it is supposed to head. This ship has no captain
and no one planning its trips." The atheist who posed the question interrupted and
exclaimed, "What kind of strange and silly thought is this? How can any intelligent person
think that some thing like this can occur?"
– Imam Abu Hanifa said, "I feel sorry about your state! You cannot imagine one ship running
without some one looking after its affairs. Yet you think that for this whole world, which runs
exactly and precisely, there is no one who looks after it, and no one owns it."
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 22

23. Concept of Creator
● Three alternate explanations of a Creator
– He is created by someone else, or
● Becoming limited → creation only (then, not a Creator)
– He is the Creator of himself, or
● Can’t be Creator & creation (limited) together
– If universe was created by another universe then cycle must terminate otherwise
that becomes non-sense → for the termination of cycle we require eternal and self-
sustaining entity
– He is eternal, self-sustaining
● Always existed, so was never created, hence not a creation but a Creator
→ limitless
● Therefore, Creator can’t be limited inside objects such as idols, moon,
sun, fire → all such objects are limited
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 23

24. Saying about Nature
● Imam Shaa'fi said,
– "The leaves of Toot (berries) are all but one. Each
leaf tastes exactly the same. Insects, honey bees,
cows, goats, and deer live off of it. After eating these
the insects produce silk; bees produce honey; deer
give musk (a special kind of scent), cows and goats
deliver off-springs. Is this not clear evidence that one
kind of leaf has so many qualities, and who created
these qualities? It is the Khaliq (Creator) who we call
Allah (swt)) Who is the Inventor and the Creator."
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25. Exercise/Test for Audience
● What is the weight & density of Creator?
● Everything is Science so why we need
concept of Creator?
– Principles are being followed
● Is Time limited?
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26. Creator, What Next? (1/2)
● We are limited
– We cannot measure or comprehend limitless object which
is beyond our senses and mental faculty
● Mind is limited
– But we can sense existence through His other creations
– So, we can sense presence of Creator through emotion and
mind
● Only emotion can lead us astray → can commit a shirk
● Thinking from mind corrects the trigger from emotion
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27. Creator, What Next? (2/2)
● Since we can’t comprehend Creator even
though we can prove His existence
– We cannot know more about Him until He
communicates with us
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 27

28. Communication Possibilities
●
Talks with all of us directly
– Don’t see it happening, ruled out
●
Sends someone to talk with us (Messenger)
– If Messenger dies than what about rest of people?
● Sends a written material (Book)
– How will we know about the book?
●
Sends someone to talk with us along with written material
(Messenger & Book)
– Messenger would be reachable and understandable
– Book would preserve commands when Messenger is no more with us
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 28

29. Look for Messenger/Book
● We can only find limited number of popular
claims for messenger-ship and Book from
Creator
– Popular is important because Creator’s message
cannot be unpopular since it is for everyone
– We don’t observe an all time living messenger
– We don’t see an independent Book either
● Only possibility remains Messenger along with
Book
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 29

30. Messenger
● Messenger must be from humans so humans
can learn
● We found Muhammad SAW with Book
– Without inconsistencies in the Book (unlike Bible)
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31. Proof of Quran
● The only possible sources for the Qur’an are:
– The Arabs
– Muhammad (SAW) himself
– Non Arabs
– Allah (SWT)
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32. Not from Arab
● Arabs were given challenge and they could
not counter it
– "Say, bring ten surahs like unto it." [Hud: 13]
– "Say, bring one surah like unto it." [Yunus: 38]
● Shortest chapter is Al-Kawthar
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 32

33. Not from Muhammad SAW
● He was also an Arab, and if Arabs can’t produce it then Muhammad
SAW can not produce it too
– He was part of same community and learned from similar environment, if
Muhammad produced it then others can also produce similar book
– Even if we observe speech of Muhammad SAW in saheeh ahadith we find
a different style of speech than what is of Quran
– At times, he SAW said verse of Quran and hadith on same occasion (but in
different style of speech) → linguists are welcome to verify this :)
● Even the Arabs never said it was from Muhammad SAW because
they knew it can’t be him
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 33

34. Not from Non-Arab
● Arabs said it’s from from a Christian youth
called Jabr
● Quran itself refuted it beautifully
– "We know indeed that they say it is a man that
taught him. The tongue of him they wickedly point
to is notably foreign, while this is Arabic, pure and
clear." [An-Nahl: 103]
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 34

35. It is from Creator (1/2)
● Since other possibilities are ruled out then it must be from Allah
● Important points
– Unchanged book from many years
– Giving us knowledge that is only getting uncovered now such as
science (you can find works of scholars on this)
– Giving us complete way of life (not incomplete command)
● Commands on marriage, eatables, economics, politics, war, etc.
– Poetic in nature (even introduced poetic style that begins with single
alphabet such as Noon)
● Arabs used to produce poetry by taking a break in dessert
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 35

36. It is from Creator (2/2)
● Noon walqalami wama
yasturoon ‫ن والقلم وما يسطرون‬
Ma anta biniAAmati rabbika ٍ ُ‫ْجَ ْجَ ْجَ مِ مِ ُنْ ْجَ مِ ْجَ كِّ ْجَ مِ ْجَ ُنْ نو‬
‫ما أتنت بنعمة ربك بمجننون‬
bimajnoon [Al-Qalam: 1-2]
● Do they not ponder about the Qur’an? If it had come from
other than God they would surely have found therein much
contradictions. [An-Nisa: 82]
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 36

37. Why Muhammad (SAW) is
Messenger
● Since he SAW proclaimed the book proven to
be from Creator
– So rationally the person who brings book from
Creator would be messenger
– Furthermore, Quran states Muhammad SAW as
messenger
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 37

38. Now What?
● Since we proved
– Creator is Allah
– Muhammad is Messenger
– Book is Quran
● Now we need to follow what Quran says and
what Messenger told and showed
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39. Exercise/Test for Audience
● How can we prove existence of Angels?
● What Ahkam (orders) can we explain using
rationality?
– Can we explain why Pork is Haram rationally?
– Yes or No, in both cases why?
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 39

40. Conclusion
● Our belief in Allah, Messenger and Book is
rational
● We follow what Book Messenger say even if
our mind can’t comprehend because we
rationally proved we are limited and we can’t
comprehend every detail by our-self
● Our belief is totally rational and we rationally
inferred that whatever Quran Messenger say
is true by proving both to be from Creator
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 40

41. Questions
???
26, Nov., 2012 NUIG 41