1. Search for God Dr Shakeel Ahmad, UK
Tabligh Training Course
Jan 2014
Search for God Dr Shakeel Ahmad, UK

2. A Search Remains a search Blind belief is not enough
Still a search, even after belief is established
Personal relationship with God needs to be established
Until nafs-e-mutmainah

3. Helping your needy brother
Tabligh is about helping our needy brothers and sisters
We must not think of them as ‘bad’

4. Atheism in UK population
No religion
15% (2001) – 25% (2011)
Christian faith
72% (2001) – 59% (2011)
Practicing Christians
65% (2001) – 45% (2011)
Muslims 5%, others 4% (2011)

5. Atheism in Indian Context
According to the WIN-Gallup Global Index of Religion and Atheism report:
Religious population
87% (2005) -- 81% (2012)
People following no Religion
13% (2005) -- 19% (2012)

6. To conceptualise a creator of the universe
Simple?
All what we see in the creation must have come from a source. All this functions well and in accordance with some laws.
Hard?
Where did the Creator come from? How did all this begin? How can we relate to this Being?

7. Believing needs self discipline
Fact of nature - no discipline , no growth
Equally true for moral-spiritual spectrum
Specially when used to life with self interest
Belief in God incorporates acceptance of authority of God, who then guides us how to live our lives
Short term gains are to be given up for the sake of more substantial benefits to one self and society – not easy for most
Hard work – ‘rather not believe’

8. Evidence for existence of God
Evidence consists of:
Psychological factors
Observation of the creation
Rational deductions
At a humanistic level with social observations
Experience of individuals
What the messengers claim
What the scriptures claim
Historical evidence

9. 1. A universal quest for God exists
Throughout human history – including now
Existed independently in all societies
Is this just curiosity or inherent to our make-up?
Approx ¾ of world population believe
8b – 2.8b Christians, 2b Muslims, 1b Buddhists,
900m Hindus, others [15m Jews]
Onus of proof on the non-believer as well

10. 2. Our conscience Evidence is inherent in our creation Our inner self
Our mind
Our heart
We feel better with the good
We feel bad with evil
Evidence is inherent in our creation
Godliness – the term for goodness in a person!
An atheist doing ‘good’ is acting on the ‘God’ in him

11. 3. Out of sight, is not out of mind
Cant see, cant hear, cant touch – is that good enough a reason to conclude there is no God?
Empty room?
Eyes closed?
Need the right instruments to recognise the existence of matter or radiation
Same is true to perceive God – we need the right instrument – in our psyche
Our perceptions are very limited – need special preparation to perceive the Being

12. 4. Ultimate source of all creation
Previously believed that universe existed from ever – ‘no Creator’
Singularity – origin of all creation including time and space – source?
That ultimate source is the ultimate Creator (God)
Dr Abdul Salam – two of the four fundamental forces of nature are the same
-Gravitation
-Electromagnetic Electro-weak theory
-Weak nuclear force Grand unified theory
-Strong nuclear force

13. 5. Unique nature of the source of creation
Aristotle – ultimate first cause of creation cannot be a created thing itself
– loss of energy at each step – stopping the cycle of creation
Science of entropy – loss of energy in creation of matter from matter – resultant matter is less than parent matter
Creation of universe created a lot of matter out of no matter – unique
Quran (& Bible) – origin was from ‘word’ – vision (of the Creator) and His will for it to happen.
Hence :
1. Origin of all creation is the Creator – and is not a created thing
2. The Creator is infinite with no beginning, and no end

14. 6. Intelligent design This design requires an ‘all wise’ creator
Even a small invention or task requires planning to produce positive result
- growing vegetables in your garden
- broken pottery from archaeological site implies wisdom of an ancient civilisation
Our universe is complex, immense and continuously evolving
Flawless functioning
Lots of laws that govern its functioning
We are still discovering these laws
Hence it must have been designed with wisdom and planning
This design requires an ‘all wise’ creator

15. 7a. Creation of Consciousness
Time line of development of life on earth
Humans spread around earth
Life begins Unicellular Multicellular Plants Marine animals Reptiles Mammals Land animals Genus Homo Neanderthals die
A J M (pbut)
______________________________________
4b 2b 1b 500m m m k k k 2k 1.4k
A = Adam (pbuh)
J = Jesus (pbuh)
M = Mohammad (pbuh)

16. 7b. Creation of consciousness
Laws of creation of life: consciousness can only be created out of consciousness
Lot of conscious life exists
Hence there must be a conscious creator before life existed
Denying existence of Creator is like denying our own
existence!

17. 8a. Evolution of life
Darwin –natural selection, survival of the fittest
Wallace – 3 stages of ‘spiritual ‘ evolution
i) creation of organic from inorganic matter
ii) creation of consciousness
iii) cognitive complexity of man
Problem: Role of ‘chance’ implies lack of planning and atheism
Current evolutionary biologists are beginning to refute role of chance
Probability of Chance theory = wind blowing through a scrap yard leading to making of a jumbo jet

18. 8b. Evolution of life
Development of speech
Chance theory would mean much slower evolution, going through several stages
Appears at the human stage, not before not after
Key role in social, psychological, moral and spiritual development
No evidence of interim variable stages of speech that then lost viability due to lack of survival
Hence – planned evolution, which is evidence for a conscious Creator

19. 9. Testimony of the most truthful
Who are the most truthful and most trusted in any society?
politicians, artists, writers, sociologists, scholars, prophets
The prophets, even the adversaries recognise this
Prophets
- lived in different times
- in different parts of the world
- no direct communication with each other
All prophets had one common theme: a creator and sustainer God

20. 10. Life account of prophets
Amazing in a very similar manner
Alone in the beginning
Recognised having utmost moral dignity
Claim to prophethood without any demand for worldly gains
Opposition develops soon as they make this claim
Materially weak against opposition
No vengeance against ruthlessness of opposition
Kindness and justice throughout
Ultimate victory of their mission
All prophets attribute:
-their mission to be under God’s guidance
-their success to be God’s blessing
-they become even more humble in success

21. 11. Wisdom of Divine guidance
Prophets have received guidance according to human need
Perfectly suited to needs of society at the time of revelation
Quran – pinnacle of Divine guidance – to address universal complexities of contemporary society
Historical and current evidence that solutions to problems are best found in prophetic guidance
All prophets claimed this guidance to be from ‘God’

22. 12. Source of hidden knowledge
Prophets gave mankind knowledge about times before, concurrent and after the time of the revelation
Quran – knowledge about history, cosmology, biology, evolution of life, archaeology, psychology, atomic energy, presence of extra terrestrial life, geography, politics, future developments etc
What is the source of this knowledge?
Knowledge is beyond human scholarship
Prophets do not claim to be the originators of this knowledge but claim that they only act as messengers
... and that they receive it from God
We keep discovering through scientific process the truth of this knowledge
This provides strong evidence about the source of this knowledge as a Being that created us and has all knowledge about us, more than we have.

23. 13a. Prophets’ instruments to recognise God
Evidence
– all creation, particularly creation with consciousness
Witness
-balance in laws of nature
(eg spontaneous jungle fire leading to healthier soil & stronger genetic material for plants, hurricane leading to adjustment of sea water temperatures thus becoming more conducive to life, human life lived in accordance with God’s guidance meets success and one without is lacks success)
- truth of prophets gaining victory over ‘mightier falsehood’
Experience
– personal communication with God

24. 13b. Experiencing God - leaves no doubt
The natural quest – has a purpose
- basis for individuals to seek God and make effort towards Him
Prophets describe the method:
Refrain from pursuing the worldly gains
Live a moral life
Life with utmost truthfulness
Prayer and meditation
Such lifestyle develops the right instrument to communicate with God - ‘psychic-radio’ to receive revelation
Communication becomes two-sided as it develops
Acceptance of prayer is profound evidence

25. Prayer exercise How many have had their prayers accepted?
This is evidence of immense blessings of God on a community that lends its effort to prayer in order to achieve growth and success

26. 14. Cycle of belief and disbelief
The prophet establishes unity of God in the society
Another God sent stands alone A just society is formed
Downfall of the nation Overtime they drift from the original teachings
Suffering begins
Repeat of this cycle over time in human history is strong evidence for existence of God

27. The illusion of the ‘God delusion’
Richard Dawkins makes the following four arguments to suggest non-existence:
1. ‘Downside’ of religion eg conceptual abstractions
Downside of misunderstandings or manipulations, not the actual teachings
Anyway, downside of anything does not prove non-existence of the source of that thing
2. Problems due to religion eg divisions and conflicts
Yes, but again due to distortions, not the original teachings. If something is distorted and there is consequent suffering, still does not rule out the creator of the thing
Analyse societies where true teachings are followed – we find peace
3. Progress is not related to religion
Historical evidence is to the contrary
Religious principles have always been relevant to progress including Western progress
4. God concept is a product of human thought over time
Answer seen in previous slide

28. The Godless void Our psychological satans become our gods
Remove water from a glass and it fills with air
Remove the real God from our mind and it fills with other gods
‘Let us live life to its full’ – hedonism
‘It is my life’ – selfishness
‘What do I get from this?’ – materialism
Our psychological satans become our gods

29. Understanding of Truth is only possible through Allah’s appointed people
The Promised Messiah & Mehdi
HAZRAT MIRZA GHULAM AHMAD of Qadian (may peace be on him)

30. Conclusion http://www.alislam.org/allah/Search-for-God.pdf
Invite to an open minded enquiry
Not like the Russian cosmonaut - ‘did not find God in space’
... or Shelley, the English poet – ‘did not find God in caves’
Enquiry as recommended by the prophets