|
THE
STATEMENTS “THINGS ARE FORMED BY
THEMSELVES”; “CAUSES HAVE BROUGHT IT
ABOUT”, AND “NATURE REQUIRES IT TO BE SO”
ARE ALL FALSE
Those
who say: “things are formed by themselves,”
“causes have brought it about,” or “nature
requires it [to be so]” cause much
confusion, for such statements are false.
You exist. So, according to the first
statement, you are your own creature.
According to the second one, [material]
causes have brought you about. According to
the last one, some unconscious, deaf and
blind laws or forces [attributed to nature]
or lifeless things called “nature”
required your existence. But the truth is
that you are a creature of God, the
Almighty.
Things
cannot be formed by themselves
As
for the first statement: Things cannot be
formed by themselves, because each particle
or atom forming your body would have to have
an eye to see your whole body and all of
creation, as well as consciousness [to be
aware of all requirements of life and
existence]. This is what your perfect
composition, the perfection of art in you,
requires, for all particles of existence are
in vital and substantial relations with each
other and with all creation.
To
print a book, a printing house must have as
many iron letters or keys as required to
print it. If you made yourself, you must
contain as many molds as the number of atoms
in you, for they are in conscious relation
and communication with each other. Your
composition is uniform, meaning that all
parts are in close interrelation with each
other. Therefore, like the stones forming an
arch or a dome, all your atoms or building
blocks should be both dominant over and
dominated by each other. They also should be
like the manifestations of the Names and
Attributes of the One Who rolls up the
heavens like a scroll rolled up for books,
both opposite and complementary to each
other.
Causes
cannot create anything by themselves
Causes
cannot create anything by themselves. For
example, if bottles containing medical
ingredients fall off the shelf and mix
together on the floor, would the desired
medicine be produced? Using the same
analogy, could you be formed by chance or
random causes? How could innumerable deaf,
blind, and unconscious causes come together
and create something that has perfect order?
By coming together they only increase in
deafness and blindness. Each human being is
a perfect work of art [intelligent,
conscious, and equipped with endless and
extremely complex feelings, senses, and
faculties, and feeling infinite need]. How
can that which is deaf, blind, and
unconscious bestow hearing, sight, and
consciousness on something else?
Assume
that innumerable causes come together in a
most orderly fashion and in exact measure to
create a cell in your eye. With the same
amount of effort, then, the universe’s
basic parts or elements, including huge
heavenly objects, should be able to assemble
themselves in your palm or in each of your
cells. Why? Because if one works in a house,
this means the house contains him. All parts
and contents of the universe are related to
humanity. So if causes created you, the
entire universe should be able to operate
within each part of your body and be
contained by one of your cells. This is a
most inconceivable sophistry.
Again,
all parts of the universe should know you
with all the particles of your body in their
relations with one another be able to
co-operate to give existence to you. If one
affirms this, then that one must be the most
stupid of people. Unfortunately, this is
what those known as scientists claim.
Nature
cannot create
Nature
cannot create because it is something
supposed to exist, a name bestowed by those
who do not know the real facts of the
matter. However, in its true meaning, it is
a Divine art, a painting by the
All-Merciful.
“Natural
forces” are only manifestations of the
Power of the All-Merciful, All-Knowing,
All-Aware, All-Willing. “Chance” is only
a mistaken supposition put forward by those
who are unaware of or deny the Single Maker.
This wonderful art [that constitutes the
essence of what they call nature] is really
the work of the Power of All-Aware,
All-Seeing, having all the attributes of
Perfection.
Could
something restricted, solid, inanimate,
whose existence or non-existence is equally
possible (meaning that it needs one who
prefers its existence and so creates it),
have woven the garment of the universe?
Could a gnat have participated in weaving
these perfectly designed and adorned
garments in which those words are dressed?
The only explanation for your existence and
that of creation is that everything that has
been created is a creature of an Eternal
Maker, and that they all testify to this
fact. Among these witnesses is the visible,
corporeal universe, with all its particles
and compounds, that testifies to Him in many
tongues.
There
are other witnesses: the Quran and all other
revealed books; the writings of saints and
believers in God’s existence and Unity;
all that exists and happens in the universe;
the lord of creation and all other Prophets,
saints, and angels; Prophet Muhammad, upon
him be peace and blessings; humanity and
jinn with all their “natural” needs, and
God-all of these testify that there is no
god but He (3:18).
The
falsehood of attributing creation to
things themselves, nature, or causes can
be explained through the example of a
fruit-bearing tree
The
falsehood of attributing creation to things
themselves, nature, or causes can be
explained through the example of a
fruit-bearing tree. If you attribute this
tree to God, the One and Single, you
attribute it to its seed, and to the laws of
germination, creation, and growth issuing
from the Necessarily Existent Being, the One
and Single, and on which that seed depends.
The tree is dependent on the laws issuing
from a Single Creator, All-Knowing,
All-Willing and All-Powerful, because of the
ease coming from the Oneness of Him Who
governs its germination, growth, and life.
It is just as easy for that Single Creator
to grow that seed into a large coconut palm
bearing countless fruits or into a very
small one with only a few fruits. If you
attribute a tree to itself, causes, or
nature, then each fruit, blossom, leaf,
branch, and twig on it would need whatever
the whole tree does, for each part is an
epitome of a whole. Thus, whatever is needed
by the whole is needed by each part.
Consider
these two alternatives. The first one, which
is done by God with perfect ease, makes
creation necessary and inevitable, whereas
the second one is so unbelievably difficult
that it renders the creation of anything
inconceivable.
In
short: If you attribute creation to things
themselves, you must accept that every cell
of your body can encompass the universe. If
you attribute creation to material causes,
you must affirm that every cell is like a
room where all causes operating in the
universe are included, for all cells are the
same and display the same structure. This
uniformity leads you to unity in diversity,
to the interrelatedness seen in the
universe, and therefore to the Maker’s
unity. Something unified, displaying
uniformity, composed of countless
interrelated parts in basic relationship
with each other cannot have been created by
more than One Creator. How can a cell in
which even a gnat’s two wings cannot be
included contain the many material, bodily
causes needed for it to function?
Solid,
material, and corporeal things are acted on
and affected by immaterial things or things
of light. Look at sunlight and a mountain.
The former comes from the sky and operates
on the earth freely, while the latter,
despite its huge size, can do nothing and
has no effect on its environment. The
subtler and more composed of light something
is, the more effective and active it is; the
more material and solid something is, the
more susceptible it is to being acted upon
and affected. We can conclude from this that
the Creator of causes and effects is He Who
is the Light of Lights: Nothing is like Him,
He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. (42:11)
Vision comprehends Him not, but He
comprehends all vision. He is All-Subtle,
All-Aware. (6:103)
|
|
