Dialogue with an Atheist

By: Dr. Manea Al-Hazmi

www.islamic-invitation.com

In the Name of Allah the Most Gracious the Most Merciful

Muslim: Do you believe in God?

Atheist: No.

Muslim: Then who created the universe?

Atheist: The universe created itself or came by a chance.

Muslim: According to the science of cosmology the universe was a compressed elementary body with size of almost zero. This elementary body exploded (Big Bang) to form a cloud of smoke. This means that all bodies of universe including the earth were one connected entity. This means also that the universe had a start and invalidates that the universe is constant without beginning. The science of modern cosmology sates clearly that the origin of the whole universe was a cloud of smoke composed of highly dense and hot gases and particles. New stars are still formed from the remnants of that smoke. Since the universe had a start, it did not create itself thus it was created.
When we use reasons and analysis, it is impossible for the universe to come by chance or accident or coincident. This is because we are talking about vast universe with millions of galaxies that have been running in a precise system for millions years. Galaxies with billions stars move in their paths in perfect balance. No collisions occur despite the fact that billions of stars move across each other’s paths. No collisions occur despite the fact that billions of stars move in their orbits in huge speeds that exceed the bounds of reason.
The huge spaces between celestial bodies are essential for life on Earth. Michael Denton affirmed in his book “Nature’s Destiny” that the distances between supernovae and between other stars are critical for life on Earth. In our galaxy, if the distances were less than the existing ones, planetary orbits would be destabilized and if the distances were more, planetary systems would not form. The distance between the Earth and the Sun is precisely fixed for normal life on the Earth. If the Earth and the Sun were any closer, living beings would burn up. If they were any farther, living beings would freeze. So in both cases life would be impossible. The distance between the Earth and the Moon is precisely fixed for normal life on the Earth. If the Earth and the Moon were any closer, the tides would increase and ocean waves would flood low-lying land and the temperature would increase to a dangerous level. If they were even little closer, the Moon would collide with the Earth. If the Earth and the Moon were any farther away, the Moon would be lost in space. If they were even little farther away, the tides would decrease and the oceans would become less mobile thus reducing the oxygen level and endangering life in both the sea and the land.
The right attraction between the Earth and the Moon is essential for normal life on the Earth. Greater attraction would cause serious changes in the rotation of Earth around its own axis, in the ocean tides and in atmospheric conditions. Less attraction would cause serious climate changes.
Atmosphere layers play different roles in protecting the Earth. The atmosphere destroys meteors and prevents them from falling to the Earth. Meteors can destroy cities. The atmosphere filters harmful radiation too. Harmful ultraviolet radiation is filtered by the ozone layer in the stratosphere, infra-red radiation is filtered by water vapor in the troposphere and X-ray is filtered in the ionosphere. The magnetosphere layer called Van Allen Belts protects living beings from the harmful radiation, celestial bodies and particles coming from the Sun and other stars. The atmosphere allows useful light rays that are essential for living beings. Terrestrial radiation is trapped by the atmosphere to keep the earth warm. The atmosphere prevents the cold temperature, -270 degree C, of the space. Can the chance put the whole universe in such magnificent order? The answer is absolutely no.
When we come down to the Earth we find it well established for living beings. All essential elements such as water, air, light, land etc. are found in amazingly equilibrium for plants, animals, and human to live and grow. Like the dogma of chance in the creation of the universe, again chance can not create such equilibrium among the creatures of the earth.
Finally we can present a clear example for the people of thought. Suppose that you traveled to a far remote area and you found a high tech computer with one of the indwellers of that area and you wondered how he got this computer. Then he answered you saying that while he was sitting at home all of sudden computer's parts came flying through the windows and started to gather to each other by themselves until a whole computer was formed. Do you believe this story? Surely, you would not believe it. If you could not digest the formation of a computer by a chance, would you digest the creation of the magnificent universe by a chance?

Muslim: Who created all creatures of the Earth?

Atheist: All creatures came to existence through evolution.

Muslim: Evolution theory or "Darwinism" is a desperate try to explain the existence of life in earth. This theory serves as the scientific foundation for the philosophy of "Materialism" that rejects the existence of God the Creator and call for no God and life is nothing but matter which is the essence of every thing, organic or inorganic. The evolution theory depended mostly on the person's powers of imagination due to the lack of high technology at that time. After the discovery of inheritance laws by Gregor Mendel in 1865 and the discovery of the DNA in 1950s, the evolution theory collapsed. This is because DNA molecule and cell construction are so complex that it is impossible to believe that such complexity could happen by chance through the evolutionary mechanisms proposed by Darwinism. Thousands of scientists around the world refuted the evolution theory and many books have been written to clarify its invalidity. Nowadays evolution theory is nothing but a history.

Muslim: If the universe and creatures did not create themselves nor came by a chance, then who created them?

Atheist: They must be created by a supreme being?

Muslim: Know you are coming closer to the truth. We can replace the title "supreme being" with "God"

Atheist: Who is God?

Muslim: God is One with no son or partner. He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He perfected every created thing. He is the All-Knowing of everything visible or invisible in the whole universe and His knowledge comprehends all things. He accomplished all affairs with wisdom. He is the Most Gracious and the Most Merciful whose mercy encompasses all things. He is the Powerful and the Exalted in Might and no one shares His domain and power. He is just in all His decrees and far removed from injustice and tyranny. God is Ever Living. He is above the seven heavens, above His throne in the manner that suits His majesty. He is the First before whom there is none and the Last after whom there is none and the Most High above whom there is none and the Internal nearer than whom there is none. God neither begets nor is He begotten and there is none like unto Him. He is the All-Hearing All-Seeing and none equal to Him. He hears and sees us. God never indwells in any of His creatures nor do they indwell in Him. All His creatures stand in need of Him and He stands in need of none. God loves good deeds and hates bad deeds. Creation, sovereignty and authority belong exclusively to Him.

Atheist: But why did God create the universe and all creatures?

Muslim: When we think about manmade machines, tools, instruments, devices, systems etc. we understand that they are certainly made for a specific purpose. Then should not we understand that the universe and all beings were created for a noble purpose? Certainly they were created for a great purpose. According to Islamic teaching all creatures, animate and inanimate, in the universe were created to submit to God the Creator.
God gave many creatures in the universe the inflexible and innate inclination to submit to Him. Their amazing precise function is a great indication of their submission to God. They glorify God day and night by a manner that we do not understand. God stats in the Qur'an 3:83:
So is it other than the religion of Allah they desire, while to Him have submitted [all] those within the heavens and earth,
willingly or by compulsion, and to Him they will be returned?
In addition, God created the heavens and the earth with the excellent system to serve mankind. God stats in the Qur'an 14:32-33:
It is Allah who created the heavens and the earth and sent down rain from the sky and produced thereby some fruits as provision for you and subjected for you the ships to sail through the sea by His command and subjected for you the rivers. And He subjected for you the sun and the moon, continuous [in orbit], and subjected for you the night and the day.
However, God created human and gave him the free will to submit to Him. God did not leave human with the free will alone. Indeed, He guided him to the way of submission. The guidance of God is clear and easily understood so that no one has any justification of misunderstanding. God made it clear that whoever submits to Him will be saved and whoever does not submit to Him will be the loser. Therefore, every human is responsible for his choice.

Atheist: How did God guide human?

Muslim: God created Adam and instructed him how to submit to Him. Then Adam instructed his descendents to submit to God. Then God sent messengers and prophets with scriptures to their nations to guide them to the right path. At last, God sent the last messenger, Muhammad peace be upon him, with the last scripture the Holly Qur'an to be the guidance for all mankind until the Day of Judgment. God stats in the Qur'an 16:36:
And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], "Worship God and avoid false gods." And among them were those whom God guided, and among them were those upon whom error was [deservedly] decreed. So proceed through the earth and observe how was the end of the deniers. Also God states in the Qur'an 4:163:
Indeed, We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him. And we revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, the Descendants, Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, and Solomon, and to David We gave the book [of Psalms].

Atheist: How can we know that the messengers or prophets and the scriptures are from God?

Muslim: This is an important question because there have been many false prophets who claimed to be from God and many religions that are considered by their followers true religions. God sent His messengers and prophets and supported them with miracles to distinguish them from false prophets. For example, God saved Noah and his followers from the flood by the Ark. He the Almighty made the fire cool and peaceful when the infidels threw the prophet Abraham into it. Prophet Moses was supported by many miracles such as his stick that turned to a huge real snake by the will of God. Prophet Jesus brought some dead back to life by the will of God. Finally, the prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him and upon all prophets, was supported by the Holly Qur'an the everlasting miracle for all mankind until the Day of Judgment. The most important message that confirmed the truthfulness of all prophets and messengers was the Oneness of Lordship and the Oneness of worship which they conveyed to their people. The Oneness of Lordship means that God is the only Lord for the universe and all creatures and the Oneness of worship means that God is the only One Who has the right to be worshiped. Since the most important message brought by the true prophets and messengers was one, their religion was one too but with different law that fulfill the need of every nation.
However, the common concept of other religions with regards to God is that specific men are god or God has partners. Believing in false gods is against logic and those who believe in them have no reason to prove the truth. They follow after their parents or tribes blindly even when they see clear signs. But those who build beliefs according to logic and reason reject false gods once they see the signs. For example, while a young man was prostrating to an idol claimed to be his god, a dog walked into the temple and passed urine on the idol. He was angry toward the dog at the beginning but after that he realized that the idol could not be the lord of the universe.

Atheist: What is the religion of prophets and messengers that they conveyed to their people?

Muslim: Islam is the true religion of prophets and messengers. Islam means total submission to God in all aspects of life with no objection. The Qura’n states:
Say (O Muhammad the Prophet of Islam) my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for God, the Lord of mankind, jinn and all that exists. The Qura’n 6: 162.
Islam was not named after a person like Christianity, which was named after Jesus Christ, Buddhism after buddah, nor was it named after a tribe like Judaism after the tribe of Judah and Hinduism after the Hindus. Islam is the universal religion for all mankind from Adam until the Day of Judgment. All Prophets of God came to call people to Islam (to submit to God who created them). The prophet Muhammad peace be upon him said ((The prophets are brothers and their religion is one)). Also all Prophets admitted that they are Muslims because they had full submission to God. The Qura’n stressed the Prophets' submission to God in many places such as:
The Qura’n 2:132:
And this (submission to God, Islâm) was enjoined by Ibrâhim (Abraham) upon his sons and by Ya'qûb (Jacob), (saying), "O my sons! God has chosen for you the (true) religion, then die not except in submission to God (as Muslims - Islâmic Monotheism.
The Qura’n 2:133:
Or were you witnesses when death approached Ya'qûb (Jacob)? When he said unto his sons, "What will you worship after me?" They said, "We shall worship your Ilâh (God), the Ilâh (God) of your fathers, Ibrâhim (Abraham), Ismâ'il (Ishmael), Ishâque (Isaac), One Ilâh (God), and to Him we submit (in Islâm).
The Qura’n 3:52:
But when Jesus felt (persistence) in disbelief from them, he said, “who are my supporters for (the cause of) God?” The disciples said we are supporters for God. We have believed in God and testify that we are Muslims (submitting to Him).
Therefore, Islam is not a new religion brought by Muhammad peace be upon him to Arabs only; rather it is the true religion of God for all mankind from Adam until the end of this world re-expressed in its final form through the message of the Qura’n and the Prophethood of Muhammad peace be upon him. The following are some verses that confirm the universality of Islam and prophet Muhammad peace be upon him:
The Qur'an 3:19:
Indeed, the religion in the sight of God is Islam. And those who were given the Scripture did not differ except after knowledge had come to them - out of jealous animosity between themselves. And whoever disbelieves in the verses of God, then indeed, God is swift in [taking] account.
The Qur'an 3:85:
And whoever desires other than Islam as religion - never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.
The Qur'an 34:28:
And We have not sent you (Muhammad) except comprehensively to mankind as a bringer of good tidings and a warner. But most of the people do not know.

Atheist: Now it is clear to me that the universe and all creatures must have One Creator and Islam gives me convincing answers to my questions about the essence of God and His religion that all messengers and prophets followed. Therefore, the last question is: How can I become a Muslim?

Muslim: You can become a Muslim by pronouncing the testimony of Islam: "Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulu-Allah" which means: I bear witness that there is no true god but Allah (God) and Muhammad is His messenger.

Atheist: "Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan Rasulu-Allah"

Muslim: Praises and thanks are due to Allah.

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