Belief in God

Note: The following text is an English rendering of the Urdu essay Khuda Par Imaan by Javed Ahmed Ghamidi. It aims to capture the logical flow and specific arguments used by Ghamidi to explain the rational basis for belief in the Creator.

The Evidence Within Us

The case for religion begins with a single, undeniable truth: Man is a created being. This is not a philosophical abstraction but a tangible reality we observe with our own eyes.

Consider the physical origin of a human being. We are formed from lifeless elements found in the earth. Through our food, these elements enter the body, yet we know they contain no "human seed," nor do they possess the spark that turns matter into life or life into consciousness. However, when this nourishment reaches a specific stage, it transforms into the biological vessel capable of sustaining human life.

From a microscopic particle—invisible to the naked eye—this seed evolves over nine months. It shifts from a droplet to a clot, to flesh, and finally to a structure of bone and muscle. From the darkness of the womb emerges a being capable of reason, intellect, craftsmanship, and wisdom.

The very structure of our consciousness compels us to ask: Where did this come from?

While not everything requires a creator, every created thing does. The act of creation forces us to seek an agent. We are born with this intellectual anxiety; we cannot rest until we find the cause for the effect. Just as we cannot deny the act of creation, we cannot deny the nature of the act. It displays immense power, intentional will, and unparalleled wisdom. Therefore, we are forced to acknowledge that man’s Creator is All-Knowing, Wise, and possesses a Will.

The Two Historical Answers Man’s intellect is sufficient to realize he has a Creator, but it cannot name Him. Throughout history, humanity has primarily debated two answers to the question of the Creator's identity.

1. The Answer of Atheism: The Universe as Creator The first answer claims that the universe itself is the creator. It argues that matter possesses its own consciousness and that the cosmos is a self-sustaining factory of cause and effect.

However, this answer is merely guesswork. First, the universe is composed of matter, and matter is devoid of will or intellect. These qualities are found only in the creature (man), not the creator (the universe). Second, the "power" we observe in nature is simply the manifestation of physical laws—much like the power seen in automated machines or Artificial Intelligence. It is a display of properties, not creative will. The universe is a world of laws and methods, but it lacks the conscious intent required for creation.

2. The Answer of Revelation: The God Beyond The second answer, presented by the Prophets since the dawn of humanity, is that the Creator is a Being beyond this universe—All-Knowing and Wise.

This answer explains that man’s biological creation began from the earth, evolving from clay to a refined animal existence. However, a "breath" of spirit was then instilled into this biological form, granting it a human personality. This answer found its final and most complete expression in the Quran.

The Criterion of Truth The Quran claims to be the direct speech of the Creator. To verify this claim, the Quran offers a criterion based on the nature of human knowledge versus divine knowledge.

Absence of Trial and Error: Human genius—whether Socrates, Newton, or Einstein—is the product of evolution. Humans learn, make mistakes, refine their views, and slowly mature. This is human destiny. Yet, the presenter of the Quran lived among his people for forty years before revealing this message. There was no "drafting" phase, no gradual development of these complex ideas, and no history of such discourse in his life. He did not become a genius through trial and error; the message appeared fully formed.

Absence of Contradiction: Human works inevitably contain inconsistencies, reflecting the changing emotional states and maturing views of the author. The Quran, however, is a singular, cohesive structure. Its beliefs, laws, and morals are so tightly interwoven that removing one concept would collapse the whole. It is free from the contradictions that plague human thought.

Absence of Falsehood: Human knowledge is always a mix of truth and error. Eventually, the mistakes of even the greatest philosophers are exposed. The Quran, however, has been under scrutiny for fifteen centuries. Despite the immense advancement of science and philosophy, no reality has been discovered that refutes a Quranic fact. What it calls truth has never been proven false.

The Witness of the Universe and the Soul Once the intellect accepts this evidence, the eyes open to the external world. We see that the universe—from the geometry of the galaxies to the rhythm of the rain—mirrors the wisdom of the same Creator.

But the most powerful witness lies within. The Quran speaks of a primordial covenant (Alast), a memory of God etched into the human soul. Though we have forgotten the event, the "nostalgia" remains. When man is reminded of his Creator, he rushes toward Him like a child to its mother, realizing that this belief answers a deep, innate need.

Light Upon Light To believe is to step out of darkness. For the one who denies God, the universe is a "confusing city." He does not know where he came from, why he is here, or what constitutes good and evil. He wanders like a blind man in the dark.

But for the believer, the world is illuminated. He knows his origin, his purpose, and his destination. As the Quran beautifully describes, Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. When the light of revelation meets the light of the human intellect, it is "Light upon Light." This is the straight path, where every step is taken in the clarity of day.