Reasons_To_Believe
The following are three rational reasons for believing in a creator.
1. #Beginning_of_the_Universe
The first evidence that points to the existence of a Creator relates to understanding the origin of the universe. Imagine walking in a desert and finding a watch. We know a watch consists of glass, plastic and metal. Glass comes from sand, plastic from oil, and metal extracted from the ground – all these components are found in the desert. Would you believe that the watch formed itself? That the Sun shone, the wind blew, lightning struck, the oil bubbled to the surface and mixed with the sand and metal, and over millions of years the watch came together by random or natural coincidences?
"Were they created from nothing, or did they create themselves?"Quran 52:35-6
According to modern science, the universe is finite and has a beginning. Where did the universe ultimately come from? Human experience and simple logic tell us that something that has a beginning does not simply come from nothing, nor can something create itself. We can reason that a higher "being" created the universe. This "being" must be powerful and intelligent as it brought the whole universe into existence and created the 'laws of science' which govern it. We can also reason that this "being" is timeless and spaceless, because time, space and matter began at the creation of the universe. All of these attributes make up the basic concept of God, the creator of the universe.
Some may ask, "Who created God?" God, the Creator, is different to His creation. Unlike the universe and the rest of creation, God is eternal, has always existed and has no beginning.
2. #Perfection_of_the_Universe
The second evidence of a creator is the order and perfect balance of our complex universe. Could a large complex universe form by coincidence, without supervision?
Many features in the universe clearly indicate it to be specially designed to support life, such as the earth's distance from the sun; the thickness of the earth's crust; the speed at which the earth revolves; the percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere; and even the earth's tilt. If these measurements were slightly different to what they currently are, life could not exist.
In the same way that a watch has an intelligent maker to keep accurate time, so too must the earth have an intelligent maker to keep accurate time around the Sun. Could this occur by itself?
When we see the order, the precise laws and systems within ourselves and throughout the universe, is it not rational they have an organiser? This 'organiser' is again best explained by the existence of God – the one who brought about this order. It should be noted that Islam encourages scientific research and reflection. The role of science helps us describe the many observed patterns that God places in His creation and appreciate the extent of His power and wisdom. Advances in scientific discoveries, just like any mechanism or process we find in the natural world such as the water cycle or gravity – provides signs of an organiser and designer, not an argument against God.
, God says:
"Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, and the great ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what Allah has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every kind of moving creature, and His directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and the earth, are signs for a people who use reason."
3. #Revelation_from_God
The third evidence is the actual revelation that has been sent by God to humankind as a sign of His existence.
One of the main purposes of the book of Islam, the Quran, is to invite people to reflect and appreciate God's creation as a way of believing in Him. Throughout the Quran, God calls our attention to His marvelous designs and complexities in the universe and within ourselves, which are sufficient to indicate that we are a product of design, purpose and intelligence.
For example
God says:
"Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, and the great ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what Allah has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every kind of moving creature, and His directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and the earth, are signs for a people who use reason."
Moreover, there are clear signs that the #Quran is the word of God.
The Quran:
Is free from errors or contradictions.
Has been preserved, word-for-word, since its revelation in its original Arabic language, unlike other scriptures.
Is memorised cover-to-cover by millions of people.
Has a simple, pure and universal message, which appeals to Man's intellect and inherent beliefs about Almighty God.
Is over 1400 years old with many scientific facts that were unknown to people of that time and have only been discovered recently by scientists. Examples include: water being the origin of all living things (Quran 21:30); the expanding universe (Quran 51:47); and the individual orbits of the sun and moon (Quran 21:33).
Contains many historical facts that were unknown to the people of that time as well as numerous predictions, which have proven to be correct.
Has a deep and moving effect on people.
Was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who was known to be illiterate, yet contains a unique style of language that is universally known as the pinnacle of Arabic eloquence and linguistic beauty.
The most rational explanation for the many unique and miraculous aspects of the Quran is that it can only be from God