Very often, atheists respond to the evidence proving God’s existence by throwing in the question: Who created God? This question is essentially false and cannot be accepted. It is akin to equally false questions, such as: Does man’s pregnancy last nine months as a woman’s pregnancy? What is the weight of a certain temperature? This question about the Creator is delivered in terms that cannot be, and which mean that He should be a created being. The Creator cannot be created so as to ask about who created Him.

Another problem with the question is that it is based on equating the Creator with His creation, and equating the rule, ‘Whatever occurs must have something or someone to cause its occurrence’, with the statement, ‘Whatever exists must have someone that brings it into existence’. Both equations are false.

This question is also false because it leads to the conclusion that the universe does not exist. The question, ‘Who created the Creator?’, has no more validity than either, ‘Who created the Creator’s creator?’, or ‘Who created the Creator’s creator’s creator?’, and so on.

To follow this sequence means that the universe does not exist, because if the existence of the Creator of the universe depends on the existence of the creator before him, and the existence of this one depends on the existence of the one before, and so on, this means that the creator who created the universe did not exist. This sequence means that there is no ‘first’ creator where the sequence stops and who starts the process of creation. The sequence is infinite, and the universe would not occur unless there is a first source without a beginning.

We can then appreciate the uniqueness of the Qur’an and the grace God has bestowed on us as He sent us His final Messenger, Muhammad (peace be upon him). One of the fine names of God mentioned in the Qur’an is ‘the First’, and it occurs in the third verse of Surah 57, Iron. A hadith related by Muslim mentions that the Prophet used to say in his supplication:

‘My Lord, You are the First and there was nothing before You’. This shows the wisdom of the Prophet as he dealt with this misconception. An authentic hadith quotes the Prophet: ‘Satan may come to any of you and say: “Who created this? Who created that?” until he says:“Who created your Lord?” If one reaches this point, one should seek God’s refuge and desist’. Related by al-Bukhari,

This hadith makes clear that the very question is wrong and thinking about it will not lead to a positive result. The only proper way is to go back to what Islam states about God’s attributes.

Ibn Taymiyyah said:‘If a man reaches the ultimate end, he must stop. If he is to seek something else, he must desist. The Prophet orders us to stop and seek God’s refuge from the obsession of sequence, just like everyone who attains the final purpose and reaches the absolute end must stop’. Ibn Taymiyyah, Dar’ Ta‘arud al-Aql wal-Naql’,

The rule that says: ‘Whatever exists must have someone who brings it into existence’ is wrong. The correct approach is ‘Whatever occurs must have someone or something to cause its occurrence’. This universe has occurred and, therefore, someone must have caused it to occur.