Maulana Wahiduddin Khan has made it his mission to present Islamic teachings in the style and language of the post-scientific era. Rediscovering Islam himself from its original sources, he has authored over 200 books on Islam, prophetic wisdom and peaceful co-existence in a multi-ethnic society. Some of which are In Search of God, Islam Rediscovered, Man Know Thyself, Islam: The Voice of Human Nature, Quran: An Abiding Wonder, Islam and Peace, The True Jihad, etc. [see]. Most of his books and articles are available below Excerpts of the books with their downloadable formats are being provided herein. Read these and share them with others. Like any big scholar he is also not without some controversies, however keeping the human limitations, one may benefit from his knowledge and views on the main issues confronting the Muslims at present time. [ cpsglobal.org ]
The Beginning of the Universe and God
Let us begin from the beginning. Science tells us that 25 billion years ago there was a Big Bang in space. After this Big Bang our universe came into existence. Scientists have found evidence to believe that in the beginning there was what they call a cosmic ball. All the particles now present in the universe were tightly bound to each other in this cosmic ball in a highly compressed state. According to the known physical laws, only an inner journey was possible for these particles. Physically, there was no possibility of their outward journey in space.
Let us begin from the beginning. Science tells us that 25 billion years ago there was a Big Bang in space. After this Big Bang our universe came into existence. Scientists have found evidence to believe that in the beginning there was what they call a cosmic ball. All the particles now present in the universe were tightly bound to each other in this cosmic ball in a highly compressed state. According to the known physical laws, only an inner journey was possible for these particles. Physically, there was no possibility of their outward journey in space.
The Proof of the Existence of God
When a human being exists, why cannot God exist? When air and water, trees and stones, moon and stars exist, why should the existence of their Creator be doubted? The truth is that the existence of creation is the proof of the act of creation. And the presence of man is proof of the fact that there exists such a Creator as can see and hear, think and bring things into existence. God, of course, is not visible to the naked eye. But there is no doubt about it that many of the things existing in this world cannot be seen either.
When a human being exists, why cannot God exist? When air and water, trees and stones, moon and stars exist, why should the existence of their Creator be doubted? The truth is that the existence of creation is the proof of the act of creation. And the presence of man is proof of the fact that there exists such a Creator as can see and hear, think and bring things into existence. God, of course, is not visible to the naked eye. But there is no doubt about it that many of the things existing in this world cannot be seen either.
Scientific Proof of the Existence of God
Human knowledge has two different phases—the pre-Einstein period and the post-Einstein period. In the pre-Einstein period, knowledge was confined to the macro or material world, which was observable and measurable. So, it was generally held that everything, which has a real existence, should also be observable. Anything, which could not be observed, had no real existence. This meant that only the seen world was real and what was unseen was unreal or some kind of fiction. This concept created the theory that is generally called logical positivism.
Human knowledge has two different phases—the pre-Einstein period and the post-Einstein period. In the pre-Einstein period, knowledge was confined to the macro or material world, which was observable and measurable. So, it was generally held that everything, which has a real existence, should also be observable. Anything, which could not be observed, had no real existence. This meant that only the seen world was real and what was unseen was unreal or some kind of fiction. This concept created the theory that is generally called logical positivism.
Does God Exist?
Does God Exist? This question often comes into our minds. Let us rationally try to find an answer to this question. My answer to this question is in the affirmative. Based on my study and my experience, I can say with full conviction that God exists. There is no doubt about it. When I say that God exists, I say this in the scientific sense and not in the popular sense. People generally believe that they are in a position to prove or disprove anything. But this is not the scientific position.
Does God Exist? This question often comes into our minds. Let us rationally try to find an answer to this question. My answer to this question is in the affirmative. Based on my study and my experience, I can say with full conviction that God exists. There is no doubt about it. When I say that God exists, I say this in the scientific sense and not in the popular sense. People generally believe that they are in a position to prove or disprove anything. But this is not the scientific position.
Religion and Scientific Reasoning
Many people are under the impression that religious truths cannot be proved scientifically. But inferring truths from things, as religion does, is the very reasoning which scientists employ in their everyday deductions. In ancient times water was just water. Then, in the 19th century, the microscope was invented. When water was looked at under a micro¬scope, it was discovered that water was not just water; it also contained countless live bacteria. In the same way man used to think that there were no more stars in the sky than those which can be seen with the naked eye.
Modern Theological science is a substantiation of religious dogmas with due regard for contemporary intellect; or a presenta¬tion of Islamic teachings according to modern rational methods. First of all, we must ascertain exactly what this contemporary intel¬lect is. Contemporary intellect is synonymous with scientific intellect, or that intellect which emphasizes the importance of the essential nature of things. The scientific revolution has had a profound effect on human thought.
One of the consequences of the intellectual revolution based on monotheism was that man began to look at nature as a powerless creature, and that man had the right to investigate it and bring it to his service. The beginning of this tendency came from the Umayyad period (661-750) in Damascus. To ancient Greek philosophers alchemy was the name of a craze to turn silver into gold. KhaIid bin Yazid bin Muawiya is probably the first person who attempted to develop alchemy into physical science.
Robert Boyle (1627-1691), devoted himself entirely to the study of science, and, in time, became a scientist of repute in London. But his studies did not distance him from religion. They had the effect rather of bringing him closer to it, and, in his later years, he became a staunch and zealous protestant Christian. He did not marry and could, therefore, devote his entire life and earnings to the propagation of the Christian faith. “Robert Boyle believed in the existence of God.
If a tree is planted with its roots severed, it will look as green as any other plant to start with, but, on the very next day, its leaves will start drying up, and will goon drying up, for very soon the tree will die. This is exactly what has happened to atheism and disbelief in religion. In the beginning it looked as if atheism was flourishing, religion had become a thing of the past and the world had entered an age of irreligion. But this was a short¬-lived phenomenon, principally because it was rootless. And now religion has bounced back with renewed vigour.
It has generally been held, since the time of Charles Darwin (1809 -¬1882), that the present earth came into existence in the form of lifeless matter and that life began on it later through an evolutionary process. It is on this assumption that the theory of evolution has been based. It has thus been postulated that the emergence of life on earth dates back 570 million years. Since World War II this theory has come in for sharp criticism. Numerous researchers have demonstrated that, had life evolved gradually, the estimated period of 570 million years would have been grossly inadequate.
Charles Robert Darwin is famous for having given the concept of evolution to the world. He wrote two books on this subject:The Origin of Species and The Descent of Man. The Origin of Species is merely, an attempt to interpret the origin of species. Therefore, a more appropriate name for it would have been ‘The Interpretation of the Origin of Species.’ After the publication of Darwin’s book, the Christian church bitterly opposed his interpretation, as people had come to regard Darwinism as the negation of the existence of God. But that is not true.
Sir Fred Hoyle, a distinguished contemporary scientist, has written a 250-page book, The Intelligent Universe, in which he has shown that modern scientific studies of the universe have, surprisingly, contradicted the trend of thought which dominated people’s minds in the 19th century. The universe had come to be considered a blind interplay of unconscious matter, but research conducted in various departments of science in the latter half of the 20th century explicitly demonstrates that the universe is not simply a material thing.
Maurice Bucaille, who came from a Christian background in France, wrote a book on the Quran which was first published in French in 1976. This was later translated into 10 languages, the title of the English version being: The Bible the Qur’an and Science. Dr. Bucaille has shown in this book that the statements of the Qur’an on matters of science are astonishingly accurate when compared with modern findings. Although the Qur’an was presented to the world long before the scientific age, it contains exact descriptions of academic truths which were not discovered until much later.
There are two kinds of knowledge: knowledge of things and knowledge of truth. So far as “things” are concerned, they display no attribute which cannot be elucidated by direct argument. But where truths are concerned, it is only indirect argument which can throw any light upon them. Indeed, in the case of scientific truths, the validity of indirect, or inferential argument is a matter of general acceptance. Since religious truths are proved by the logic of similar inferential argument, it may legitimately be argued that they fall into the same intellectual bracket as scientific truths.
It is both disturbing and puzzling that while Muslims them¬selves have been intent in recent years on publicizing the Islamic cause from political and nationalistic platforms, it has been left to non-Muslims to throw light upon the true relevance of the teachings of Islam. Two scientists of considerable eminence in the field of biology, Dr. Maurice Bucaille, the author of The Bible, The Qur’an and Science and Dr.
The emergence of modern science has meant the de-establishment of shirk in all its aspects. In modern times, scientific discoveries have forever destroyed the myth that there is any inherent diversity in the manifestations of nature or that they have any greatness of their own.
Modern science, through observation and experimentation, has proved in the last analysis that all the phenomena of nature, despite their seeming diversity, were composed of atoms. And the atom is a component of electric waves. This discovery has dealt a death blow to the myth of diversity in nature.
The greatest evidence of God before us is His creation. Nature itself and our study of nature, both proclaim the fact that there is one God who, in the infinity of His wisdom, has created and continues to sustain this universe. By ignoring or rejecting this truth, we plunge ourselves into an abyss of murky incomprehension and its attendant evils. The very existence of the universe, with its superb organi¬zation and immeasurable meaningfulness, is inexplicable except as having been brought into existence by a Creator – a Being with an infinite intelligence – rather than by a blind force.
According to scientific accounts, about 15 billion years ago, at the behest of the Creator, a big cosmic ball came into existence in space. This contained all the particles from which the various parts of our universe have been formed. Again, at the command of God, there was an explosion in this great cosmic ball which scientists refer to as the ‘Big Bang’. After this explosion, all its particles were scattered throughout the vastness of space. Later, according to the Creator’s plan, they began to assemble themselves in different forms.
More books & articles by the authror: http://freebookpark.blogspot.com/2014/03/articles-of-maulana-wahiduddin-khan.html
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