Is it impossible to prove God’s existence?
Agnosticism was formed from the Greek agnōstos (meaning “unknown, unknowable”). For an agnostic, ‘doubt’ is always an active emotion. Because the human mind is limited and the existence of God exceeds the limit of the human mind according to this approach. For this reason, Agnostics believe that it is not possible to have any definite knowledge about Him or to prove His existence. According to agnosticism, the non-existence of God, whose existence is said to be unable to be proven, cannot be proved either because there is also no proof positive of His non-existence.
While discussing the non-existence or existence of Allah is the subject of atheism and theism, Agnostics argue that this knowledge is something that cannot be known with the limited knowledge of man. However, according to Islam, every particle of the universe points to His existence. [1]
How is the existence of Allah to be comprehended?
According to the Islamic belief, every living and non-living being is a proof that Allah exists. It is possible to see His works in everything created. The existence of Allah is not that kind of knowledge that can be proven in a laboratory setting. If Allah made his existence definitively demonstrable, then He would nullify the freedom of belief and disbelief that He has given to man, and would devalue the man’s ability to come to a conclusion by reasoning and thinking. However, in the Qur’an, man has been invited to think many times, and it is almost like Allah has asked people whom He has given a very equipped mind to be able to find His hidden existence by ‘thinking’ with this “mind” device. Because this is what “adds value” to human beings: thinking about the beings they witness in the world and thus being able to solve the mysteries related to the creator who brought them into existence.
For example, when a human being is created, various flavors that their tongue needs, flowers in many different colors and shapes that their eyes need, many different sounds and types of harmony that their ears need, and various scents that their nose needs are created with them. He who created human beings with all their details has also created things that will meet all their needs; and in order to show His own art and talent, He did not limit it to a single variety and made it available to all living things.
Is it impossible to know the existence of the Creator?
Many separate components are brought together with the smallest calculations for the formation of a medicine. If all the components were placed on a table, those quantities would not be able to form that medicine coming together in the measurements they should be, ‘spontaneously’ or ‘coming together uncontrolledly and in an unplanned manner’. [2] In the Islamic belief, as in this example, the possibility of anything happening ‘spontaneously’ is not accepted. The fact that the galaxies, stars, day and night, seasons, very delicate functioning of the human body, etc. is this measured and balanced is not seen possible without a creator. [3] Yes, the existence of the creator cannot be ‘proven’ within the physical limits, in the dimension of matter according to the limited human mind. However, this key-lock harmony seen throughout the universe makes the existence of the creator “knowable”.
Why did God create existence?
Just like a poet wants to write a poem or an architect-engineer wants to build, every talented person wants to reflect their talent and make themselves known. According to the Islamic belief, Allah created the universe and man so that He made all His perfect attributes known to the creatures. Allah does not need to show Himself in order to declare His existence. He gave the human beings the power of reason and thinking and guided them to think ‘if there is a universe created with such art, then there is also a creative artist who makes this art.’
No master or no architect is of the kind of their work. Such a thing has never been seen in the universe. Just like the architect who builds is not of the kind of that building, the bee that makes the honey is not of its kind, either. Therefore, the fact that Allah is the creator does not necessitate His resemblance to or being like those He created. However, He introduces himself in accordance with the minds of those He created and reflects His own attributes from the mirror of the universe.
Summary:
1. Agnostics believe that it is impossible to know whether or not there is a God because it cannot be demonstrated in a laboratory.
2. According to the Islamic belief, Allah did not purposefully and intentionally manifest himself physically. Because man’s ability to reason, willingness, and belief would all be worthless if that were the case.
3. However, the existence of Allah can be understood by reasoning and thinking about His creations. Every being is clear evidence of this. 4. Any meaningful, useful, or systematic creature can only have come into being knowingly by someone with “will and power,” and there can be no other logical explanation. Just as there is someone who consciously creates a meaningful, useful, and systematic camera, the same is true for an eye or a bird or a star that is meaningful, useful and systematic.
[1] Ra’d/2-5
[2] Bediüzzaman Said Nursi, The Flashes, the 23rd Flash
[3] Yasin/37-44