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The creation

Is it not in the very nature of every human to look to the sky when he is in need and desperate for help? When there is a loss for him to cry out to a Lord, when he is in despair to raise his eyes for help from a superior being, it is a very innate nature of the whole of mankind. Every human has within him a natural inclination to ask certain questions about the purpose of life; what are we doing here? What is the purpose of life? Is there a creator or did this all appear by random chance? Until these questions are answered, a person’s soul can never find peace and life will seem to be a futile and meaningless labour. The soul will be in constant turmoil in the uncertainty of what will happen next. The Qur`an invites man to travel the earth, make his own observations and reflect on how creation was originated: “Say [O Mohammad], “Travel through the land and observe how He began creation. Then Allah will produce the final creation [i.e., development].Indeed Allah, over all things, is competent.” (Qur`an 29, 20)

CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE:

Just by reflecting on the vast and wonderful creation around us, every single human being can sit and contemplate about the world around him, and come to the conclusion that there must be one designer, one creator to this magnificent universe. When you read this poster, look at this hall, look at this building, you may wonder about their designers. You may think about the time each person took in choosing each letter carefully, picking the colours, choosing and placing each brick to have an overall effect on you – the visitor. What about YOU, the reader? What about YOUR design? Your intricate organs, the function of your eyes to take in this beautiful poster, your heart that gets excited reading each word, the brain you are utilising; faster and more powerful than any man-made computer that is available. Who designed this? What about the earth you stand upon, every one of the laws of biology, chemistry and physics, from the fundamental forces such as gravity and upthrust, to the structure of the atoms and elements that have been precisely tailored to make life possible? Look at the Earth within the solar system, life would be unsustainable if the Earth’s rotation wasn’t exactly correct. Our solar system is one of many solar systems. Our galaxy The Milky Way is only one of the 100 million galaxies in the universe. They are all in order and they are all precise. Instead of conflicting with one another they are swimming along in an orbit that has been set for them. Did human beings set that into motion and are human beings maintaining that precision? Could this just have come into being by a complete coincidence, a big bang without a designer? “Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, and We separated them and made from water every living thing? Then will they not believe?” (Qur`an 21, 30) “Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding.” (Qur`an 3, 190) “And He has subjected for you the night and day and the sun and moon, and the stars are subjected by His command. Indeed in that are signs for a people who reason.” (Qur`an 16

CREATION OF MANKIND

Once we have accepted that there can only be one designer of all, we must look for an answer for our existence. The Qur`an explains the creation of man in the following verse: “O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them all men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the kinship. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer.” (Qur`an 4, 1) If you were to receive a gift, for no reason, a simple drink or book, I’m sure you would be inclined to say thank you. Surely the designer who gave you your eyes, heart and lungs should be thanked, acknowledged and praised. Allah tells us that this is the purpose of life; to acknowledge Him, worship Him and obey Him. “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” (Qur`an 51, 56) By acknowledging Him in all that we do, we thank Him for the food He provides, the drink to quench our thirst, the clothes we wear; everything should have some recognition for Him. When it comes to the creation of man, it was made very clear in the beginning that when Allah created man it was not in vain, that he was created as God’s vicegerent on earth. Man has been entrusted with the task of cultivating, maintaining and ruling the earth according to divine guidance with justice amongst all that exists. “And [mention, O Mohammad], when your Lord said to the angels, Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority.” (Qur`an 2, 30) Also in the creation of mankind some of the divine attributes of mercy, forgiveness and kindness are manifest.

IS THERE LIFE AFTER DEATH?

Muslims believe that this life is a transitory stage, a preparation for the eternal life in the hereafter. Life on this earth is not the ultimate goal. Death is not the end but a mere change of worlds, a stepping stone to the hereafter; eternal bliss in heaven or torment in hell. Allah will resurrect all on the Day of Judgment and mankind will be held accountable for their actions in accordance to them being honored with intellect and free will. Mankind has been given the choice to follow divine guidance and reap its everlasting rewards in this life and the hereafter. A belief in life after death in Islam is a pillar of faith. “Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion.” (Qur`an 3, 185)

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THE ONENESS OF ALLAH

he very foundation of Islam is the belief in this one God. Allah was not born and will never die for it is a direct contradiction that the creator of all must have been created himself. Allah does not look like anything our minds, sights and thoughts can imagine as explained to us in the following chapter of the Qur`an: “Say, “He is Allah, [who is] One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, Nor is there to Him any equivalent.” (Qur`an 112, 1-4) It does not make rational sense to bow down and prostrate to something that man has created with their own hands. In the beginning of time, one of the very first sins was that of associating partners with Allah by making idols to worship, saying that this was Allah, a child of Allah, or an intermediary to Allah. “Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allah has certainly fabricated a tremendous sin.” (Qur`an 4, 48) Fundamental to the belief of Islam is that Allah has no sons or intermediaries. He sent prophets only to guide humanity, and they themselves were only men. Allah guides us to pray to Him directly, without the need of hierarchy in the religion. Praying to anyone else for example a priest or a saint to ask for help or support, is alien in Islam. Instead, prayer and supplication is a very personal thing between a believer and his Lord, Allah. “Nor could he order you to take the angels and prophets as lords. Would he order you to disbelief after you had been Muslims?” (Qur`an 3, 80)

ATTRIBUTES OF GOD

To worship something that one has created with his own hands or to worship a fellow human being can never bring peace to the soul, yet the need to worship or revere is deep within every human. In Islam we choose to worship one God, Allah and in His wisdom He has chosen to inform us of some of His names and attributes, so that we may understand Him better. Here are some examples of some of His attributes: Allah is The Creator of all, The Sustainer of all that He has created, the All-hearing, All-Seeing and All-Knowing. His knowledge is all perfect, including that which is in the past, the present and the future, whether a secret or not; He is the Most Gracious, Most Merciful and Most Beneficent. He is The Self Existing One and The Ever Living One, never needs sleep or takes any rest. He has no partners, sons or parents and all worship must be directed to Him alone. He is the Shaper of Beauty, the Creator of Good and He is The Light and The Guide. “He is Allah, other than whom there is no deity, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Perfection, the Bestower of Faith, the Overseer, the Exalted in Might, the Compeller, the Superior. Exalted is Allah above whatever they associate with Him. He is Allah, the Creator, the Inventor, the Fashioner; to Him belong the best names. Whatever is in the heavens and earth is exalting Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.” (Qur`an 59, 23-24) AR-RAZZAAQ (The Provider) ”Say: Come I will recite what your Lord has prohibited to you. [He commands] that you not associate anything with Him, and to parents, good treatment, and do not kill your children out of poverty; We will provide for you and them..” (Qur`an 6, 151) AL-GHAFOOR (The Forgiving) ”But indeed, I am the Perpetual Forgiver of whoever repents and believes, and does righteousness and then continues in guidance.” (Qur`an 20, 82) AL-QAYYUM (The Sustainer) ”Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of existence.” (Qur`an 3, 2)