The Qur’anic Argument for God’s Existence When we reflect upon our own existence we will come to the realisation, that at some point in time, we began to exist. Since we were once non-existent and are now in existence, it follows that we must have had a beginning. In light of this, the Qur’an raises some profound questions: were we created by nothing? Did we create ourselves? Or did we create the universe? “Or were they created by nothing? Or were they the creators (of themselves)? Or did they create heavens and earth? Rather, they are not certain.” Quran 52:35-36 These questions can be addressed to the existence of everything temporal, in other words the entire universe. Therefore, the exegetical implications of these verses can be logically formulated in the following way: Things that began to exist were either:- 1. Created or brought into being from nothing 2. Self caused or self created 3. Created or brought into being by something else that began to exist 4. Created or brought into being by a non-created or un-caused entity 1)Created or brought into being from nothing; We know the universe couldn’t have come out of nothing, because out of nothing, nothing comes! This is an undeniable philosophical principle. 2)Created or brought into being by something else that began to exist This is not an adequate explanation for the origins of the universe. The universe could not have owed its existence to another state of temporal physical existence. Take the following example into consideration. If the universe, U1, followed another temporal cause U2, and U2 followed another temporal cause U3, and this went on ad infinitum we wouldn’t have the universe U1 in the first place. Think about it this way, when does U1 come into being? Only after U2 has come into being. When does U2 come into being? Only after U3 has come into being. This same problem will continue even if we go to infinity. If U1 depended on its coming into being on a chain of infinite temporal causes, U1 would never exist. 3)Created or brought into being by a non-created or un-caused entity Since something cannot come from nothing, and self creation is absurd, including the unreasonableness of the aforementioned explanation, then the universe being created or brought into existence by an uncaused entity is the best explanation. This concept is intuitive but also agrees with reality: whatever begins to exist has a cause or a creator. This cause or creator must be uncaused due to the absurdity of an infinite regress, in other words an indefinite chain of causes. To illustrate this better, if the cause of the universe had a cause and that cause had a cause ad infinitum, then there wouldn’t be a universe to talk about in the first place (something we have already discussed above). For example, imagine if a Stock Trader on a trading floor at the Stock Exchange was not able to buy or sell his stocks or bonds before asking permission from the investor, and then this investor had to check with his, and this went on forever, would the Stock Trader every buy or sell his stocks or bonds? The answer is no. In similar light if we apply this to the universe we would have to posit an uncaused cause due to this rational necessity. The Qur’an confirms the uncreatedness of the creator, God, “He neither begets nor is born.” Qur’an 112:3 The cause or creator for the universe must be a single cause for several reasons. An attractive argument to substantiate this claim includes the use of the rational principle called Occam’s razor. In philosophical terms the principle enjoins that we do not multiply entities beyond necessity. What this basically means is that we should stick to explanations that do not create more questions than it answers. In the context of the cause for the universe we have no evidence to claim multiplicity, in other words more than one. The Qur’an affirms the Oneness of the creator, “Say: He is God, [who is] One.” Qur’an 112:1 The cause or creator must also be transcendent, this means that the cause of the universe must exist outside of and apart from the universe. Since this being exists apart from the universe it must be non-physical or immaterial, if it was material then it would be part of the universe. This is confirmed in the Qur’an, “There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing” Qur’an 42:11 This cause must have the power to create the universe, without this ability nothing could be created. The Qur’an testifies to God’s power, “Certainly, God has power over all things.” Qur’an 2:20 An excerpt from hamza andreas tzortzeas
Posted on: Thu, 03 Oct 2013 01:08:21 +0000
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