Faith in the Unseen: How we know Allah is Lord of creation

Abstract

This paper answers the misconceptions of those who claim there is no proof for the existence of Allāh (God) as the uncreated Creator. The mistaken epistemology, or theory of knowledge, at the root of this misconception is identified as materialism, naturalism, and scienticism. These approaches to knowledge are flawed because they exclude valid non-scientific sources of acquiring true knowledge, such as perception, consciousness, and memory. Human nature intuitively accepts the existence of the Creator, and faith in Him is consolidated by the religious experience, or the ‘sweetness of faith.’ Logical and rational ways of thinking support what is known by human nature. The cosmological argument, or argument from existence, establishes the existence of the Creator as the uncreated necessary being (wājib al-wūjud), and the teleological argument, or argument from design, confirm the Creator’s perfect attributes of Will, Knowledge, Power, and Wisdom. Each of these arguments will be presented as referenced in the Qur’ān, the Sunnah, and the writings of classical Muslim scholars, with some additional material for the modern context. The most common objections to these arguments that Muslims are likely to encounter are also sufficiently rebutted. Concluding remarks will summarize the arguments in abridged, simplified form.