Bismi llāh, wa l-ḥamdu lillāh, wa ṣ-ṣalātu wa s-salāmu ‘alā rasūli llāh, sayyidinā Muḥammadini bni ‘Abdi llāh, wa ‘alā ālihī wa ṣaḥbihī wa man wālāh. Ammā ba‘d:
"Why are you Muslim?"
It is very important, especially in our day and age, that we be able to confidently answer this question. Answers such as "I was just born into a Muslim family", "It makes me feel good", "Well, that's what I grew up with", and the like don't quite cut it. Faith based on blind-following, emotions and feelings can very shaky. We're not saying that feeling good about the religion is blameworthy, or that following what your parents taught you about Islam is all bad. The problem arises when these become the main/only reasons as to why you are a Muslim, i.e. if you're Muslim just because of these reasons.
What is needed is an intellectually satisfying answer to this question. The answer has to make sense to the mind. It's got to be rational and logical, not merely emotional. Emotions fickle and fluctuate – one day, you might be feeling all happy and gleeful about God and religion; next day, you could be in a crisis of faith, doubting God and having hostile feelings about religion. Hence, emotions cannot serve as a solid foundation for faith – that would be like constructing a building on the edge of the sea, with all those tidal waves constantly hitting at its foundations. Rather, the foundation for faith must be intellectual and rational, because once you're rationally convinced of an idea – once you're sure that an idea just makes so much sense that following any other alternative would be an insult to your intelligence – no one can shake you away from it.
Now, the question of "Why are you Muslim?" can be split into two main parts:
1) Proof that God exists.
2) Proof of the messengership of Muḥammad (ﷺ) and how the Qur’ān is the Word of God.
In shā’ Allāh, this post will address the first part. The second part will be addressed in an upcoming post, in shā’ Allāh.
Proof of God
There are many ways to prove this. There are complex arguments such as the Kalam Cosmological Argument, the Argument from Consciousness, arguments based on quantum physics, etc. But we're not interested in that. We want a simple argument that is intellectually satisfying yet easy to remember and discuss.
Perhaps the most simple one goes like this: if every building must have had a builder, and every painting must have had a painter, and every action must have had an actor/doer, then it follows that everything in this world must have had a creator, as nothing can just create itself – everything in this awesome universe must have had someone to bring it into existence! The story of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahu Llāh) and the atheist demonstrates this well.
But for a more awesome argument, there is what is called the Argument from Dependency. It goes like this – actually, before we go into it, let's clear up one thing. Can we actually sense a creator? No. We cannot directly detect a creator through our senses. However, what we can sense is the world around us – our magnificent universe. That is where we should start in the quest for the Creator (if there is one).
Now, let's explain the Argument from Dependency (by the way, tl;dr version available below for the lazy reader):
You are limited. You can only grow to a certain size and live to a certain point in time. Not only you, but everything around you is limited. Light, the fastest thing we know, has its limit. The entire universe, with all its vastness, has a limit to its size. And the list goes on. But the point is, everything of the universe is limited and finite. This attribute of limitedness is one common attribute that we notice of everything in the universe.
Now, there's another attribute everything in the universe shares, and that is neediness and dependency. Everything, in order to exist, needs assistance from something else. Humans need food and water to survive. Our food, i.e. plants and animals, depend on a water cycle to sustain them. This water cycle is dependent on the Sun. The Sun is dependent on a whole bunch of elements and laws. And the chain continues.
Also, everything needed something to come about; things don't just create themselves out of thin air. So now, we see a chain where each limited thing is dependent on another limited thing, which in turn is dependent on another limited thing, and the chain keeps going.
But since this is a chain of limited and dependent things, it needs to stop at some point; it needs something to bring it into existence. From here, we come to the conclusion that this chain needs something neither limited nor dependent on anything to start it off. And this "something" is none other than God – Allah ta‘ālā – the one beyond all limits, the one free of all need. Thus, we prove that this universe must have a Creator, a Creator that is unlike the creation in all aspects. And this is Allah – the one beyond all limits, whether time or place, direction or space, or any other limits that exist; the one not in need anything (al-Ghaniyy) and independent from everything.
Here's an analogy: you have an army soldier who has to wait for the permission of his lieutenant to fire at the the enemy. This lieutenant, however, has to wait for his captain's permission, who in turn has to wait for his major's permission, and so on. Now, if this chain kept going, would the soldier ever fire? No. Unless there's someone at the starting point of this chain who has unlimited power and who is not dependent on someone else to give him permission to act, which in the case of our army example is the army general, the soldier would never fire. Same applies with our world.
Tl,dr: everything in the world is 1) limited and 2) dependent on something else. When you have limited things being dependent on other limited things, you're eventually going to need an end to the chain, a being who first started off the chain. That "starter of the chain" is God, who is absolutely limitless and absolutely independent of all things.
Why One God?
Well, say that two gods, both being limitless and thus all-powerful, existed. One willed for you to remain alive at this moment, while the other willed for you to die at the same moment. Whose will would take effect? See, it's rationally impossible to have more than one god.
A Fallacious Argument Some Muslims Make
Some Muslims, when trying to prove the existence of One God, will quote the Qur’an and ḥadīth. They will say, "Allah exists because that's what this ayah in the Qur’an says," or they will say, "Look, according to the ḥadīth, the size of the world and the heavens as compared to the size of the Kursiyy of Allah is like a ring thrown into the desert, and the size of the Kursiyy of Allah as compared to His ‘Arsh is like a ring thrown into the desert; look how great Allah is!" Or they will say, "Allah will bring the entire world to destruction when the Hour takes place – look at His might." And they take these to prove that Allah exists.
Now, no doubt about it, these āyāt/ḥadīths prove the greatness of Allah (ﷻ). However, we can't take them as proofs of His existence. If you told an atheist these things, they'd probably laugh at what they'll call "sweet tales" (na‘ūdhu billāh). Yes, we take these āyāt/ḥadīths to increase our awe of Allah (ﷻ) and to prove to us His greatness. But we can't use them to prove to us His existence.
It is interesting how many Muslims do this when the Qur’ān itself calls for rational argument. For example:
"Or [ask them, O Prophet]: Who is it that created the heavens and the earth? And who has sent down to you, from the sky, water, with which We cause to grow orchards of delight? It is not possible for you to cause [even one of] their trees to grow [without it]. Then is there another god [to be worshipped along] with Allah? Rather, those [who say this] are a people who [veer from the straight path and] ascribe equals to Him."
Or [ask them]: Who has made the earth a [hospitable] place of settlement [for all the living]? And [who] made rivers [flow] all through it? And [who] set in it anchoring mountains [to balance it]? And [who] placed a [seamless] divide between the [sweet and salty] waters? Then is there another god [to be worshipped along] with Allah? Indeed, most of them do not [truly] know [the greatness of Allah]".
Or [ask them]: Who answers the one in distress when he cries out to Him and He lifts the affliction? And who has appointed you [human beings] as successors [to inherit authority] in the earth? Then is there another god [who has given you of the dominion to be worshipped along] with Allah? [How very] little you remember [Allah's favour upon you]!
Or [ask them]: Who guides you [safely] through the [veils of] darkness in the land and the sea? And who sends the winds bearing glad tidings before [the rain-showers of] His mercy? Then is there another god [to be worshipped along] with Allah? Most high is Allah [far] above all that they associate as gods [with Him].
Or [ask them]: Who is it that originates creation, then causes it to return [to being after it passes away]? And who provides [sustenance] for you from the [stores of the] heaven and the earth? Then is there another god [to be worshipped along] with Allah? Say [to the unbelievers]: Bring forth your proof, if you are truthful!" (Qur’ān 27:60-64)
"Or, [if they deny God, then] were they created out of nothing? Or were they the creators [of themselves]? Or is it they who created the heavens and the earth? Rather, they have no certainty [of faith]." (Qur’ān 52:35-36)
"Have you considered the semen you emit? Do you yourselves create it, or are We the creator?" (Qur’ān 56:58-59)
"Have you considered what you till? Do you yourselves grow its [plants], or are We the grower?" (Qur’ān 56:63-64)
"Have you considered the water that you drink? Did you yourselves bring it down from the clouds, or is it We who send [it] down?" (Qur’ān 56:68-69)
"Do you see the fire that you kindle? Did you yourselves bring forth the tree [that kindles and fuels it], or is it We who brought [it] forth?" (Qur’ān 56:71-72)
If there are any doubts or confusions, please don't hesitate to express them.
We ask Allah to keep us firm upon His religion until the day we die. Āmīn.
And Allah knows best.
"Why are you Muslim?"
It is very important, especially in our day and age, that we be able to confidently answer this question. Answers such as "I was just born into a Muslim family", "It makes me feel good", "Well, that's what I grew up with", and the like don't quite cut it. Faith based on blind-following, emotions and feelings can very shaky. We're not saying that feeling good about the religion is blameworthy, or that following what your parents taught you about Islam is all bad. The problem arises when these become the main/only reasons as to why you are a Muslim, i.e. if you're Muslim just because of these reasons.
What is needed is an intellectually satisfying answer to this question. The answer has to make sense to the mind. It's got to be rational and logical, not merely emotional. Emotions fickle and fluctuate – one day, you might be feeling all happy and gleeful about God and religion; next day, you could be in a crisis of faith, doubting God and having hostile feelings about religion. Hence, emotions cannot serve as a solid foundation for faith – that would be like constructing a building on the edge of the sea, with all those tidal waves constantly hitting at its foundations. Rather, the foundation for faith must be intellectual and rational, because once you're rationally convinced of an idea – once you're sure that an idea just makes so much sense that following any other alternative would be an insult to your intelligence – no one can shake you away from it.
Now, the question of "Why are you Muslim?" can be split into two main parts:
1) Proof that God exists.
2) Proof of the messengership of Muḥammad (ﷺ) and how the Qur’ān is the Word of God.
In shā’ Allāh, this post will address the first part. The second part will be addressed in an upcoming post, in shā’ Allāh.
Proof of God
There are many ways to prove this. There are complex arguments such as the Kalam Cosmological Argument, the Argument from Consciousness, arguments based on quantum physics, etc. But we're not interested in that. We want a simple argument that is intellectually satisfying yet easy to remember and discuss.
Perhaps the most simple one goes like this: if every building must have had a builder, and every painting must have had a painter, and every action must have had an actor/doer, then it follows that everything in this world must have had a creator, as nothing can just create itself – everything in this awesome universe must have had someone to bring it into existence! The story of Imām Abū Ḥanīfah (raḥimahu Llāh) and the atheist demonstrates this well.
But for a more awesome argument, there is what is called the Argument from Dependency. It goes like this – actually, before we go into it, let's clear up one thing. Can we actually sense a creator? No. We cannot directly detect a creator through our senses. However, what we can sense is the world around us – our magnificent universe. That is where we should start in the quest for the Creator (if there is one).
Now, let's explain the Argument from Dependency (by the way, tl;dr version available below for the lazy reader):
You are limited. You can only grow to a certain size and live to a certain point in time. Not only you, but everything around you is limited. Light, the fastest thing we know, has its limit. The entire universe, with all its vastness, has a limit to its size. And the list goes on. But the point is, everything of the universe is limited and finite. This attribute of limitedness is one common attribute that we notice of everything in the universe.
Now, there's another attribute everything in the universe shares, and that is neediness and dependency. Everything, in order to exist, needs assistance from something else. Humans need food and water to survive. Our food, i.e. plants and animals, depend on a water cycle to sustain them. This water cycle is dependent on the Sun. The Sun is dependent on a whole bunch of elements and laws. And the chain continues.
Also, everything needed something to come about; things don't just create themselves out of thin air. So now, we see a chain where each limited thing is dependent on another limited thing, which in turn is dependent on another limited thing, and the chain keeps going.
But since this is a chain of limited and dependent things, it needs to stop at some point; it needs something to bring it into existence. From here, we come to the conclusion that this chain needs something neither limited nor dependent on anything to start it off. And this "something" is none other than God – Allah ta‘ālā – the one beyond all limits, the one free of all need. Thus, we prove that this universe must have a Creator, a Creator that is unlike the creation in all aspects. And this is Allah – the one beyond all limits, whether time or place, direction or space, or any other limits that exist; the one not in need anything (al-Ghaniyy) and independent from everything.
Here's an analogy: you have an army soldier who has to wait for the permission of his lieutenant to fire at the the enemy. This lieutenant, however, has to wait for his captain's permission, who in turn has to wait for his major's permission, and so on. Now, if this chain kept going, would the soldier ever fire? No. Unless there's someone at the starting point of this chain who has unlimited power and who is not dependent on someone else to give him permission to act, which in the case of our army example is the army general, the soldier would never fire. Same applies with our world.
Tl,dr: everything in the world is 1) limited and 2) dependent on something else. When you have limited things being dependent on other limited things, you're eventually going to need an end to the chain, a being who first started off the chain. That "starter of the chain" is God, who is absolutely limitless and absolutely independent of all things.
Why One God?
Well, say that two gods, both being limitless and thus all-powerful, existed. One willed for you to remain alive at this moment, while the other willed for you to die at the same moment. Whose will would take effect? See, it's rationally impossible to have more than one god.
A Fallacious Argument Some Muslims Make
Some Muslims, when trying to prove the existence of One God, will quote the Qur’an and ḥadīth. They will say, "Allah exists because that's what this ayah in the Qur’an says," or they will say, "Look, according to the ḥadīth, the size of the world and the heavens as compared to the size of the Kursiyy of Allah is like a ring thrown into the desert, and the size of the Kursiyy of Allah as compared to His ‘Arsh is like a ring thrown into the desert; look how great Allah is!" Or they will say, "Allah will bring the entire world to destruction when the Hour takes place – look at His might." And they take these to prove that Allah exists.
Now, no doubt about it, these āyāt/ḥadīths prove the greatness of Allah (ﷻ). However, we can't take them as proofs of His existence. If you told an atheist these things, they'd probably laugh at what they'll call "sweet tales" (na‘ūdhu billāh). Yes, we take these āyāt/ḥadīths to increase our awe of Allah (ﷻ) and to prove to us His greatness. But we can't use them to prove to us His existence.
It is interesting how many Muslims do this when the Qur’ān itself calls for rational argument. For example:
"Or [ask them, O Prophet]: Who is it that created the heavens and the earth? And who has sent down to you, from the sky, water, with which We cause to grow orchards of delight? It is not possible for you to cause [even one of] their trees to grow [without it]. Then is there another god [to be worshipped along] with Allah? Rather, those [who say this] are a people who [veer from the straight path and] ascribe equals to Him."
Or [ask them]: Who has made the earth a [hospitable] place of settlement [for all the living]? And [who] made rivers [flow] all through it? And [who] set in it anchoring mountains [to balance it]? And [who] placed a [seamless] divide between the [sweet and salty] waters? Then is there another god [to be worshipped along] with Allah? Indeed, most of them do not [truly] know [the greatness of Allah]".
Or [ask them]: Who answers the one in distress when he cries out to Him and He lifts the affliction? And who has appointed you [human beings] as successors [to inherit authority] in the earth? Then is there another god [who has given you of the dominion to be worshipped along] with Allah? [How very] little you remember [Allah's favour upon you]!
Or [ask them]: Who guides you [safely] through the [veils of] darkness in the land and the sea? And who sends the winds bearing glad tidings before [the rain-showers of] His mercy? Then is there another god [to be worshipped along] with Allah? Most high is Allah [far] above all that they associate as gods [with Him].
Or [ask them]: Who is it that originates creation, then causes it to return [to being after it passes away]? And who provides [sustenance] for you from the [stores of the] heaven and the earth? Then is there another god [to be worshipped along] with Allah? Say [to the unbelievers]: Bring forth your proof, if you are truthful!" (Qur’ān 27:60-64)
"Or, [if they deny God, then] were they created out of nothing? Or were they the creators [of themselves]? Or is it they who created the heavens and the earth? Rather, they have no certainty [of faith]." (Qur’ān 52:35-36)
"Have you considered the semen you emit? Do you yourselves create it, or are We the creator?" (Qur’ān 56:58-59)
"Have you considered what you till? Do you yourselves grow its [plants], or are We the grower?" (Qur’ān 56:63-64)
"Have you considered the water that you drink? Did you yourselves bring it down from the clouds, or is it We who send [it] down?" (Qur’ān 56:68-69)
"Do you see the fire that you kindle? Did you yourselves bring forth the tree [that kindles and fuels it], or is it We who brought [it] forth?" (Qur’ān 56:71-72)
If there are any doubts or confusions, please don't hesitate to express them.
We ask Allah to keep us firm upon His religion until the day we die. Āmīn.
And Allah knows best.
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