Your Questions Answered (volume 6)

Q1. How To Deal With Atheist and / Or Agnostic?

What is the best way to convince an atheist who claims that there is no God, or an agnostic who says that man's only recognition can be of the phenomenal world, and that man does not and cannot know anything about a spiritual existence, either of God or man or of any after-death state? How can we convince him about Islam?

How would you reply to someone who after hearing the arguments says, "Nobody really knows if this is all true! Nobody knows if there is a life hereafter"?

A: The best and safest course for such people will be to believe in a Creator and in the Day of Judgement. The following tradition of Imam Ja'far Sadiq (A.S) shows the reason Why?

Ibn Abil 'Awja' and Ibn Muqaffa' were sitting in Masjidul Haram at the time of pilgrimage, with some of their fellow atheists. (They pretended to be Muslims just to save their skins; but were always openly arguing against the belief in God).

Ibn Muqaffa' said, pointing towards the space around the Ka'bah: "Do you see this mob? None among them could be called a human being except that old man (i.e., Imam Ja'far Sadiq A.S). As for the others, they are nothing but catties and animals."

Ibn Abil 'Awja' asked him as to how could he say such a thing.

Ibn Muqaffa' said: Because I have found with him (such virtues and knowledge) which I did not find anywhere else. Ibn Abil 'Awja' said: Now it is necessary to test whether what you say is true.

Ibn Muqaffa' tried to dissuade him. But Ibn Abil 'Awja' went to the Imam (A.S). He came back after sometime and said: "O Ibn Muqaffa'! He is not just a human being. If there were in this world a spiritual thing which became a body if he wished so, and turned into a spirit if he wanted to, then it is he."

Ibn Muqaffa' said: How come?

Ibn Abil 'Awja' said: I sat near him. When all others went away, he started talking (without my asking anything) and said:

"If the fact is as they believe and He is as they (i.e. the pilgrims) say, then they would be saved and you would be in trouble. And if the fact is as you (atheists) say, and not as they say, then you and they both would be equal (and no harm would come to either group.)" I said: "May Allah have mercy on you, what is that which they say and what is that which we say? My belief and their belief is but one."

Imam (A.S) said: "How could your belief and their belief be the same? They say that there is to be resurrection, and reward and punishment; and they believe that there is a God." (And you do not believe it.)

Imam (A.S) meant that if there was in reality no God and no Day of Judgement, as Ibn Abil 'Awja' said then the believers and non-believers both will be in the same condition after death. Both will perish for ever and nobody will suffer for his belief or disbelief.

On the other hand, if their Is a God and a Day of Judgement, as the believers say, then after death the believers will be saved and will be blessed, while the atheists and non-believers will have to suffer. Therefore, it is the dictate of wisdom to have Faith and Belief in God and Day of Judgement, to save oneself from the possibility of disgrace and eternal punishment.

Q2: My teacher (A Christian) says:

My teacher (a Christian) said to me that if what the Qur 'an says about man (that he was created of clay) is true, then why do we not find any trace of dust or clay in the human body? He was referring to the verse, And certainly We created man of clay... (Qur'an, 15:26). Please enlighten me, so that I may reply to him.

A: Well, water is made of oxygen and hydrogen. Why do we not see these gases in water? Of course when water "disintegrates" then each of its components goes its separate way, and then can be "seen". Likewise, when man's body disintegrates after death, most of it turns into dust, thus proving that it was made of dust or clay.

If your teacher is really a Christian, then he must have read the following statements in the beginning of the Bible:

"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Genesis, 2:7).

(God said to Adam) ".... till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shall thou return." (Genesis, 3:19)

I think he must have heard the last sentence hundreds of times spoken by Christian priests during funeral services.

Q3: Allah and Khuda:

Why we call Allah as 'Khuda' while in His 99 names there is no 'Khuda'. Then how can we say 'Khuda'?

A: The 99 names are in Arabic language. Other languages have got their own words to refer to Allah. "Khuda" is a Persian word, also used in Urdu and some other languages. Q4: To Overcome Depression:

At times I am driven to despair. I have generally been depressed, since I rarely get what I aspire for.

A: I think the last phrase is the clue to your problem. Remember that nobody can ever get all that he aspires for. Human ambition always remains high. Man's aspirations are limitless while the provisions of this world are limited.

Naturally it results in dissatisfaction for most of the people. Its cure is found in the sayings of our Imams who have given us this advice: "In material things, do not look at those who are above you; rather look at those who are below you; while in spiritual things, you should look at those who are higher than you."

When you will look at those who are less fortunate than you, you will sincerely be grateful to Allah that He has given you so much more than many of your fellow human beings. And when you will look at those who have attained a higher spiritual status, you will be inspired to reach nearer to them. Contentment with what Allah has given you is the key to satisfaction, the cure of depression and the only way to overcome worldly worries.

Then next step will be to remember Allah Ta'ala in all conditions. In comfort and discomfort, in affluence and poverty, in health and sickness. Allah says in the Qur'an: "Those who believe and whose hearts are set at rest by the remembrance of Allah; now surely by Allah's remembrance are the hearts set at rest." (Qur'an, Sura 13, Verse 28).

Q5: Shi'a Belief About Qur 'an:

A person suggested that Shi'as are doing "Taqiyah" when denying "Tahrif" in Qur 'an. Perhaps you wouldn t mind "leaking" the "inside-secret".

A: I will advise you to get a copy of my Urdu book, Itmam-e-Hujjat, from Maulana Ahmad Ali Abidi (or from Najafi House) and read the first chapter which is on Tahreef. Also my English booklet, The Qur'an: Its Protection from Alteration, (published by Ahlul Bayt Assembly of North America, P.O.Box 76568, Super Centre Postal Outlet, Markham, Ontario, Canada L3R ON5) will prove very helpful.

From these two sources you will find that the Sunnis themselves narrate traditions of Tahreef in their Sihah Sitta and other books. They also believe that "Whatever is narrated in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim is 100% correct and it is Wajib to believe in it."

Also, you will see that many traditions in these two books mention some verses and surahs which were lost after the Prophet (S.A.W). Then you will learn that the Sunnis try to explain such traditions by saying that those verses and Surahs are mansukhut-tilawah, i.e. their reciting was abrogated (while the law contained in some of them continues.)

The very serious question arises that if those Surahs and verses were lost or eaten up by a goat after the death of the Prophet (S.A.W), then how and by whom were they abrogated? Did there come any prophet after the Prophet of Islam (S.A.W)?

While we, on our part, are not bound to accept any tradition (written in any book) as "Sahih". We put every hadith to tough tests, then either accept it or reject it on its merits. As for Taqiyah, please study my booklet on this subject; you will find it useful and interesting.

Q6: The Beacon of the Qur an:

I quote here the following sentences of Hazrat Ali (A.S), from "Guidance from Qur 'an" (p. 35): ".... For all of you there is a beacon (in the Qur 'an), try to be guided by it. Islam has its aim for each of you to aspire and to attain it... " The question is: How can one find this beacon in the Qur'an, so that one can try to be guided by it?

A: The Qur'an was revealed as the guidance for man. It guides one in matters of faith; it shows the way to reach nearer to Allah through sincere belief and worship of Allah; it helps him build noble character through its unparalleled ethical teachings. And all these aspects have briefly been described in this very book, "Guidance from Qur'an".

Q7: The Aim of Creation:

Referring to the same quotation, how can one locate this seemingly particular aim, because to attain an objective one must know and understand it and then aim at it? A: Study those verses which describe the purpose of creation, then you will be able to proceed towards it. For example:

1. And I have not created the jinn and the human beings except that they should worship Me. (Qur 'an,51:56)

2. Surely we have created man from a small drop of intermingled life-germ, in order that we test him; so we have made him hearing, seeing." (76:2). (Then it goes on describing the chastisement of the disbelievers and the blessings reserved for the righteous.)

3. And the greatest bliss reserved for man is "the pleasure of Allah", that the righteous would be pleased with Allah and Allah would be pleased with them, and they would become nearer to Him. As He says: O tranquilled soul, return to your Lord, well- pleased with Him, well-pleasing to Him; so enter among My servants and enter into My garden. " (89:27-30).

Q.8: BEGGING FROM ALLAH:

Hazrat Ali (A.S) further says in the same hadith that "One should not make the Qur 'an an instrument of beggary in society". By nature a human being is certainly in need of many things. What could the sentence mean, because we are supposed to beg Him for our reasonable wants?

A: You have not read the full sentence which goes on like this "do not make Qur'an an instrument of beggary in society because it teaches you how to seek help from God." Clearly the Imam forbids begging from people and advises man to address all his needs to Allah. What objection or ambiguity is there in this teaching?

Q. 9: Meaning of the Tablet and the Pen:

Do Shi'as believe that Tablet (lawh) and Pen (Qalam) are two angels?

A: This is what Shaykh Saduq (R.A) has written in his book, al-I 'tiqadat.