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Chapter - I
THE IDEOLOGICAL FOUNDATION OF ISLAM
Allah (God)
Knowledge of God and belief in Him constitute the very foundation of Islam. The
question of God’ s existence has preoccupied the great minds for many centuries.
Those who believe in God seem to agree that the limited finite human intelligence
cannot prove the existence of the infinite Boundless God Who is. It can only illustrate
or demonstrate His existence to the satisfaction of the curious human mind. Those
who deny God claim to rely on science, philosophy, or special theories of knowledge.
Their arguments are sometimes inapplicable, sometimes irrelevant, always complex,
and often incomprehensible. However, the developed free mind will find its way to
God. Failure to find the way does not mean that there is no way. Denial of reality does
not make it unreal. The subject is so vital that it calls for a thorough and clear
discussion. For the purpose of clarity some simple demonstration will be used. This
may sound boring or too simple for those who already know something about the
subject. Such informed persons are invited to have patience and show appreciation of
the importance of the matter.
There are individuals who like to doubt the concept of God in the name of science, or
because of a lack of experience and understanding. The attitude of such people
reflects an uneasy mentality, although they claim to be learned intellectuals. My
concern will not be with their claim; rather it will be with their true position. This will
explain why a great deal of the discussion is designed in a simple shape as if it were
directed mainly to children, and not to adults. On the other hand, a major objective of
this work is to convey the true concept of God in Islam to the young Muslims.
Another consideration here is that the concept of God in Islam is distorted in the
minds of many non-Muslims who are so-called believers in God and advocates of
religion.
For these reasons some simple and perhaps elementary demonstrations are used in this
presentation. Yet the simplicity of some arguments here may provoke profound
thinking in many adults. If it does so, it will prove to be a desirable and creative
simplicity, which itself is a distinct characteristic of Islam.
As we look around in our environments, we see that every family has a head; every
school has a principal; every city or town has a mayor; every province state has a
premier governor; and every nation has a head of state. Moreover, we know beyond
doubt that every product is the work of a certain producer, and that every beautiful art
is the creation of some great artist. All this is obvious, yet it does not satisfy the
hunger for knowledge and the curiosity of man about the great things in the world.
One often wonders at the beauties of nature with its scenic charms and marvels; the
almost endless horizon in the sky and their far-reaching expansions; the ceaseless
succession of day and night in the most orderly manner; the course of the sun, the
moon, and the great stars; the world of animate and inanimate objects, the continuous
process and evolution of man generation after generation. One often wonders because
one would like to know the maker and maintainer of all these things with which we
live and which we immensely enjoy.
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