Philosophers and theologians throughout history have devised several rational arguments for the existence of the Creator, such as the ontological argument. However, many of these arguments fall short because human reasoning is limited. Rather, the proper way to demonstrate the existence of the Creator is to refer to the arguments mentioned in the Quran: that the universe must necessarily have a Creator, that signs in nature point to the Creator’s design and that human instinct accepts the existence of the Creator. Allah says:
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ ثَمَرَاتٍ مُّخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَانُهَا ۚ وَمِنَ الْجِبَالِ جُدَدٌ بِيضٌ وَحُمْرٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهَا وَغَرَابِيبُ سُودٌ وَمِنَ النَّاسِ وَالدَّوَابِّ وَالْأَنْعَامِ مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ كَذَٰلِكَ
“Do you not see that Allah sends down rain from the sky, and We produce thereby fruits of varying colours? And in the mountains are tracts, white and red of varying shades and black, and among people and moving creatures and grazing livestock are various colours similarly.” (Surah Fatir 35:27-28)
The universe must necessarily have a Creator because it is impossible for the universe to have created itself or to have been created by nothing. Therefore, there must have been a Creator who provided the initial force and energy needed to set the universe in motion. This is sometimes called the cosmological argument. Allah says:
أَمْ خُلِقُوا مِنْ غَيْرِ شَيْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الْخَالِقُونَ أَمْ خَلَقُوا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ۚ بَل لَّا يُوقِنُونَ
“Were they created by nothing, or were they the creators of themselves? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Rather, they are not certain.” (Surah At-Tur 52:35-36)
For a Muslim, it is imperative to believe in the Supremacy of Allah Almighty. He is the Creator and the Lord, therefore, whatever a Muslim wants or a Muslim desire comes from Allah Almighty. Hence, a Muslim must recognize His Authority and turn to Him in all needs. Allah says:
وَقَالُوا مَا هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحْيَا وَمَا يُهْلِكُنَا إِلَّا الدَّهْرُ ۚ وَمَا لَهُم بِذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ
“They say: There is nothing but our worldly life, and we live and die and nothing destroys us but time. They do not know, but rather they only speculate.” (Surah Al-Jathiyah 45:24)
A Muslim would consider the making of all the natural things and all the natural phenomena that occur a blessing from Allah, however, the sceptic mind would ask that although Allah has created whatever is natural, and what about the things created by man? Allah says:
إِنَّ فِي اخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَمَا خَلَقَ اللَّهُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَّقُونَ
“Verily, in the alternation of the night and the day and in what Allah has created in the heavens and the earth are signs for a people who would be righteous.” (Surah Yunus 10:6)
This hadith clearly explains that although natural things are created by Allah, however, man-made things are also a part of His creation. It is He who has created man and provided him with all the ideas and intellect required to create something. Allah says:
أَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا جَعَلْنَا اللَّيْلَ لِيَسْكُنُوا فِيهِ وَالنَّهَارَ مُبْصِرًا ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ
“Do they not see that We made the night for resting therein and the day giving sight? Verily, in that are signs for a people who believe.” (Surah An-Naml 27:86)
If it were not for Allah He would not have provided the intellect to people that make them think about things and perceive an idea. If it weren’t for Allah there would not have been situations that trigger the need for finding a solution for something and thus creating something. Hence, Allah is the Creator and all the creation whether it is directly natural or an indirect one in the form of man creating them is concerned, it all is from Allah.
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran:
- “….Allah is the creator of everything….” (Quran 13:16)
- “And God created you and what you make.” (Quran 37:96)
- “And they contrived, and God contrived, but God is the greatest of contrivers.” (Quran 3:54)
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجْنَا بِهِ ثَمَرَاتٍ مُّخْتَلِفًا أَلْوَانُهَا ۚ وَمِنَ الْجِبَالِ جُدَدٌ بِيضٌ وَحُمْرٌ مُّخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهَا وَغَرَابِيبُ سُودٌ وَمِنَ النَّاسِ وَالدَّوَابِّ وَالْأَنْعَامِ مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ كَذَٰلِكَ
“Do you not see that Allah sends down rain from the sky, and We produce thereby fruits of varying colours? And in the mountains are tracts, white and red of varying shades and black, and among people and moving creatures and grazing livestock are various colours similarly.” (Surah Fatir 35:27-28)
فَلْيَنظُرِ الْإِنسَانُ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِهِ أَنَّا صَبَبْنَا الْمَاءَ صَبًّا ثُمَّ شَقَقْنَا الْأَرْضَ شَقًّا فَأَنبَتْنَا فِيهَا حَبًّا وَعِنَبًا وَقَضْبًا وَزَيْتُونًا وَنَخْلًا وَحَدَائِقَ غُلْبًا وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا مَّتَاعًا لَّكُمْ وَلِأَنْعَامِكُمْ
“Then let mankind look at his food, how We poured down water in torrents, then We broke open the earth, splitting it with sprouts, and caused to grow within its grain, and grapes and herbage, and olive and palm trees, and gardens of dense shrubbery, and fruit and grass as enjoyment for you and your grazing livestock.” (Surah Abasa 80:24-32)
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِن سُلَالَةٍ مِّن طِينٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاهُ نُطْفَةً فِي قَرَارٍ مَّكِينٍ ثُمَّ خَلَقْنَا النُّطْفَةَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْعَلَقَةَ مُضْغَةً فَخَلَقْنَا الْمُضْغَةَ عِظَامًا فَكَسَوْنَا الْعِظَامَ لَحْمًا ثُمَّ أَنشَأْنَاهُ خَلْقًا آخَرَ ۚ فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ
“Certainly did We create man from an extract of clay. Then We placed him as a sperm drop in a firm lodging. Then We made the sperm-drop into a clinging clot, and We made the clot into a lump of flesh, and We made bones from the lump, and We covered the bones with flesh; then We developed him into another creation. So blessed is Allah, the best of creators.” (Surah Al-Muminun 23:12-14)
سَنُرِيهِمْ آيَاتِنَا فِي الْآفَاقِ وَفِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ ۗ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِ بِرَبِّكَ أَنَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ
“We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth. But is it not sufficient concerning your Lord that He is, over all things, a Witness?” (Surah Fussilat 41:53)
Thus, from the sun and the moon in the heavens to the creatures on the earth to the innermost parts of the human being – all of these point to the power and deliberate design of the Creator. It is human instinct (fitrah) to recognize these signs as evidence of the Creator’s purpose. Allah says:
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِّأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَامًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَاطِلًا سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
“Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding, who remember Allah while standing or sitting or lying on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, saying: Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You above such a thing, then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.” (Surah Ali Imran 3:190-191)
Allah Almighty is the Creator and whatever is in this world either natural or manmade is a form of creation of Allah Almighty and there can be no denying His craftsmanship.