Milad un Nabi Special| Atheism Debunked1

In the dynamic discussion of the existence of God, one

fundamental issue stands out: the profile with which one
approaches the search. Atheism, as a position, often critiques
the notion of God from a limited perspective, using a profile
that Islam does not align with. This essay aims to present the
Islamic perspective on God, as presented by Prophet
Muhammad (Saww) and how understanding this might have
changed the views of atheism.
The teachings of Prophet Muhammad (Saww) provided an
unmatched understanding of Allah. As Imam ʿAlī (as)
beautifully stated, "No one has ever given us information as
accurate and as precise and as veracious about Allah as the
information that Prophet Muhammad (Saww) has given us
about Allah." This profound knowledge, which flows like a
pure river of Maʿrifah, offers a perspective that seals the doors
to all forms of atheism.
However, the debate with atheism often arises from the
fundamental misunderstanding of what God is. Atheists,
driven by scientific materialism, tend to perceive God as a
tangible entity, similar to a superhuman located somewhere in
the physical universe. This notion, which might partly arise

1
. This is a summarised transcript of a lecture on this topic delivered by Dr. Syed Ali Hur
Kamoonpuri. It can be accessed from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhGFOPxYQ_o
from specific religious teachings or cultural depictions,
fundamentally differs from the Islamic conception of God.
Islam describes God as a metaphysical entity, a transcendent
reality that cannot be encapsulated by mere human senses.
Allah is not a physical entity that one might discover with a
telescope or detect in some remote part of the universe. This
idea mirrors other metaphysical realities, like love and hate,
which are real but cannot be physically touched or seen. This
is the essence of the argument: if you start your search with a
misconceived profile, you're unlikely to find what you're
looking for.
The atheist's contention that there's no evidence of a
purposeful universe stems from their materialistic approach
to understanding the cosmos. While scientific discoveries have
expanded our understanding of the universe, the scientific
method, by design, does not address 'why' questions,
especially the ultimate why questions about purpose.
The assertion that "there is not a shred of evidence that the
universe is purposeful" is rooted in the same problem. From
an Islamic perspective, the universe brims with signs of Allah's
oneness, greatness, and grandeur. However, if one approaches
these signs with the wrong profile in mind, they might pass by
them without acknowledgment.
This conceptual difference underscores the importance of
approaching the question of God's existence with the right
framework. The teachings of Prophet Muhammad (Saww)
provide this framework, detailing an understanding of God
that surpasses any other. Had the teachings of Prophet
Muhammad (Saww) been widely understood and internalized,
atheism might not have held the ground it does today.
In conclusion, the dialogue between atheism and belief is not
merely about the existence or non-existence of God but about
understanding the nature of God. The teachings of Prophet
Muhammad (Saww) in the Quran provide a deep,
comprehensive, and clear perspective on God, which, if
approached with an open mind, offers profound spiritual and
intellectual insights. It is imperative to approach such
discussions with the right profile in mind and recognize that
physical lenses might not capture metaphysical truths.

Our response to the atheist's challenge is this: it's like

comparing someone searching for a fugitive using the wrong
profile. If you genuinely want to discover God, you first need
to have an accurate profile of who He is.
According to the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (Saww), the
first and foremost thing revealed about God is that He is not a
physical entity. He is a transcendent, metaphysical entity. He
is not confined to any specific location in the universe that can
be viewed with a telescope. Even prophets, such as when Mūsā
(as) asked to see God, were told that it's impossible because
God is beyond sensory perception. Thus, the atheist's
expectation of seeing a sign of God when looking at the
universe is flawed from the beginning. They are starting their
search with an incorrect profile and, consequently, they set
themselves up for failure. It's like someone trying to identify a
person with a completely wrong description.
Take, for instance, if someone were to search for me with a
mistaken profile, like considering me to be a white American
in his 70s without teeth, they would never find me. Similarly,
the atheist has a misconstrued profile of God. To truly
understand and find God, one must approach the matter with
the right lens.
Imam ʿAlī (as) once stated that he wouldn't worship an entity
he hasn't seen. This doesn't mean seeing God with physical
eyes, because that's impossible as mentioned in the Quran.
Instead, it's about a spiritual recognition and understanding.
The atheist's approach, expecting a clear, physical sign of God,
is a childish and flawed one.
Consider the conference anecdote where scientist Stephen
Weinberg challenged the existence of God by demanding a
supernatural act – for a flaming sword to strike him down. This
demand, while seemingly grounded in the empirical method,
is rather naive. It assumes that God would comply with such
trivial and childish demands just to prove His existence.
However, reality is more nuanced. The universe isn't designed
to be a Utopia; it is designed as a test. Evil is allowed to exist
not because of God's inability to prevent it, but as part of this
grand test. If every potential evil were eliminated, it wouldn't
be a test at all. And some might argue, if God prevented every
form of evil, certain segments of humanity, including some
atheists, might not even exist.
A key issue with atheism is the insistence on concrete,
scientific evidence of God's existence. They expect God to
manifest in a detectable, physical way. But there are numerous
realities in our life that aren't physical yet undisputed, like
love, hatred, and fear. We know of their existence not through
direct physical interaction but through their effects and
manifestations.
In conclusion, atheists who demand a scientific proof of God's
existence are missing the broader picture. They need to
recognize the Divine not in the physical realm but in the
experiences, effects, and self-revelations through scriptures.
Rejecting God because He doesn't appear in a telescope or any
scientific equipment is, frankly, a misguided approach.
Theologians often present a compelling example to elucidate
the problem with atheistic arguments against Islam and other
theistic religions. Atheists frequently assert that belief in God
is unscientific, arguing that there's no concrete evidence for
the existence of God. But according to their definition of
what's scientific, they're correct. They believe that for
something to be scientifically established, it must be
perceivable by one of the five senses. However, this is a
misconception. What they're describing isn't science, but
scientism, scientific materialism, or scientific reductionism.
While science is a humble human effort to understand the
universe, scientism combines science with an atheistic
ideology. Scientism asserts that all of reality can be explained
by scientific observation, which in itself is an unscientific
premise. There are aspects of reality that science cannot
perceive, such as emotions, ideas, and concepts like love,
hatred, and truth.
An illustrative story highlights this. An atheistic heart surgeon
claimed that after numerous surgeries, he'd found no evidence
of God's existence. In response, a theistic neurologist noted
that despite conducting many brain surgeries, he'd never
come across a single thought or idea. Just as one cannot find
ideas or emotions in physical brain matter, the existence of
concepts like love can only be inferred by their effects.
This leads us to an important distinction: the conflict isn't
between science and religion, but between religion and an
atheistic ideology that misinterprets science. To demonstrate
this, let's consider an analogy. If one were boiling water in a
kettle, a scientist would explain the physical process behind
the boiling. However, they wouldn't be able to explain the
intention behind boiling the water – perhaps to make tea for
guests. This intention is metaphysical and cannot be measured
scientifically.
Similarly, when religion claims that the universe has a
purpose, science cannot confirm or deny this claim, as purpose
is an abstract, metaphysical concept. Trying to judge religious
truth claims using the scientific method is like trying to hear
a sound with your eyes. Atheists often make the mistake of
demanding a tangible, physical representation of God, which
contradicts the theistic understanding that God is a
metaphysical entity.
In essence, while believers search for God using the
descriptions provided by their holy scriptures and prophets,
atheists often search for a God of their own flawed
understanding. When they don't find this caricature, they
claim God doesn't exist. However, just as someone might miss
a person at the airport if they have the wrong description,
atheists fail to find God because they're searching for the
wrong image.
In conclusion, Muslims are grateful for the precise
descriptions of God provided in the Quran and through
Prophet Muhammad (Saww). These teachings prevent them
from doubting and falling into atheism. The accurate
understanding and belief in God are seen as significant
blessings in Islam.