{"id":3152,"date":"2026-10-28T19:02:43","date_gmt":"2026-10-28T19:02:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bittertruth.uk\/en\/?p=3152"},"modified":"2026-10-28T19:02:43","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T19:02:43","slug":"beyond-denial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bittertruth.uk\/en\/beyond-denial\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond Denial<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Existence of God and Modern Science in Islamic Thought
\nA historical and scholarly appraisal in response to Stephen Meyer<\/strong><\/p>\n

Every age enters the world bearing its own questions; yet some questions are never obscured by the dust of time. What is man? What meaning does his life possess? And what is the ultimate ground of the existence that surrounds him? Civilisations change their outward dress, but the ardour of these questions endures. They stir in the solitude of a philosopher, in the disquiet of a poet, and in the silence of a person who possesses every comfort yet can find no resting place for the mind.<\/p>\n

Our age has bestowed extraordinary powers upon humanity. Distances have contracted within its grasp; hidden worlds have opened before its eyes. Yet an increase in power does not invariably bring an increase in wisdom. The person capable of doing so much still asks what ought to be done, and why. Here the achievements of knowledge enter into conversation with the human longing for meaning.<\/p>\n

The debate over the existence of God is a serious expression of that longing. To reduce it to a contest between religious and irreligious camps is to diminish its stature. What is required is less the triumph of a party than the integrity of human understanding. Belief wounds its own confidence when it fears to hear a question; denial narrows the compass of inquiry when it dismisses every alternative interpretation in advance.<\/p>\n

Stephen Meyer\u2019s recent essay gives this conversation a renewed occasion. For Islamic thought, it offers an opportunity to revisit its intellectual inheritance with fresh eyes and to address the contemporary world. The dignity of that exchange depends upon lucid argument, courteous language and respect for the human person. In the pursuit of truth, the loudest voice commands less esteem than the eye that can see with justice.<\/p>\n

Humanity has trained its telescopes upon the immensities of the heavens, built vast laboratories to peer within the atom, and deciphered the hereditary letters concealed in the book of life. Yet one question still confronts it in all its gravity: why does any of this exist? The discovery of natural laws has illuminated the map of the universe; illumination of the map, however, is no declaration of independence from the source of existence. From an Islamic standpoint, affirming the eternal God is no retreat into a gap in scientific knowledge. It arises from reflection upon existence itself, its dependence, its order, and the significance of human consciousness.<\/p>\n

Meyer\u2019s essay renews precisely this question. He reasons towards a Creator from the origin of the universe, the fine-tuning of physical conditions, and biological information. His account provides an occasion to argue in favour of faith. To conclude from it that science has proved God in the laboratory, however, would be to confuse distinct stages of reasoning. Science supplies observations; philosophy examines their implications; revelation offers a path to knowledge of the Creator, worship and moral accountability. Their conversation can be fruitful, provided the voice of one is not presented under the name of another.<\/p>\n

The question of God\u2019s existence is no invention of the modern West. In the seventh century, the Qur\u2019an recorded the words of those who confined life to this world and attributed death to the passage of time. It then challenged the intellectual foundation of their assertion: they possessed no knowledge of it, only conjecture (al-Jathiyah 45:24). To describe atheism solely as an imported malady is therefore to constrict the horizon of history. Across civilisations, the human mind has raised questions of existence, causation and ultimate destiny; Islam has addressed them through argument, admonition and moral invitation.<\/p>\n

Nor has the Muslim tradition spoken with a single, uncontested voice. In the metaphysics of al-Shifa, Ibn Sina argued through the distinction between contingent and necessary existence. Al-Ghazali criticised philosophical claims in The Incoherence of the Philosophers; Ibn Rushd replied in The Incoherence of the Incoherence. Their disagreements were substantial. Yet the lesson of this history is hardly that reason is the enemy of faith. It shows that Muslim civilisation sustained disciplined debate over fundamental questions. To dismiss philosophy wholesale as conjecture is itself to relinquish an intellectual inheritance that taught the distinction between assertion and argument.<\/p>\n

Observation and reflection occupy a prominent place in the Qur\u2019anic summons. The creation of the heavens and the earth, and the succession of night and day, are signs for those possessed of understanding (Al Imran 3:190). Signs do not proclaim themselves the ultimate reality; they direct the gaze beyond themselves. One foundation of the Islamic understanding of an intelligible universe lies in this conviction: it is no meaningless disorder, but the creation of a wise Creator. <\/p>\n

Intellectual honesty nevertheless forbids us to suggest that every Muslim thinker adopted the same philosophy, or that every scientific achievement followed necessarily from religious belief alone. The grandeur of history must be acknowledged together with its diversity.<\/p>\n

A firm rational foundation for affirming God lies in the question of the ultimate explanation of dependent things. The things we know subsist through particular conditions, components and relations. Their existence does not follow necessarily from their definition; their absence would entail no logical contradiction. In philosophical language, such existence is called contingent. The argument is that, if every ground of existence itself depends upon another ground, merely extending the catalogue of dependencies cannot supply an independent foundation. A heap of promissory notes does not, of itself, become capital.<\/p>\n

This is not merely an argument from a beginning in time. Suppose the history of the universe were shown, by human reckoning, to have no beginning: the question of the foundation of its existence and its laws would remain. Endless duration and existential self-sufficiency are not the same thing. Even a lamp that has always shone remains dependent if its light draws continuously upon a source. An illustration is no substitute for an argument, but it makes the distinction plain. The question is not simply when the universe began; it is also why the universe should be regarded as self-subsisting.<\/p>\n

At this point, an atheist may object that the universe is a brute fact requiring no further explanation. Here lies the true point at issue. The Muslim thinker should state the premise plainly: dependent reality calls for a sufficient explanation, and the ultimate ground of that explanation cannot itself be dependent. An interlocutor may reject this principle, but the discussion will then take place where the argument actually turns. By adopting that principle, the argument from necessary existence reaches an independent ground. Further arguments are required to establish its additional attributes and the truth of revelation.<\/p>\n

A familiar objection asks: if everything requires a creator, who created God? Yet the premise of a sound argument is not that every existent is created. It is that whatever has come into being or is dependent in its very nature, requires an explanation. By God is meant the reality free of precisely that dependence. To suppose that God, too, is created and then demand His creator is to alter the concept under discussion. Nevertheless, simply declaring something independent does not complete the argument. One must show why dependent existence requires an ultimate foundation, and why that foundation cannot itself be another link in the same chain.<\/p>\n

Surah al-Ikhlas expresses this conception with exceptional concision: Allah is One, al-Samad\u2014the One upon whom all depend; He neither begets nor is begotten, and none is His equal (112:1\u20134). The Creator envisaged here is no enlarged creature inhabiting the universe, nor a corporeal engineer. He is the ground of the entire order. The Qur\u2019an\u2019s questions\u2014whether human beings came into existence without a cause, whether they created themselves, and whether they created the heavens and the earth\u2014invite humanity to consider the reality of its own existence (al-Tur 52:35\u201336).<\/p>\n

Modern cosmology offers strong evidence that the universe expanded from an early hot, dense state. According to NASA\u2019s account, the present cosmological history extends back approximately 13.8 billion years. Important questions nevertheless remain open concerning the state preceding the initial rapid expansion and what set it in motion. It is therefore incorrect to present the Big Bang as a direct experimental picture of creation from absolute nothingness. It is a model of the universe\u2019s physical history. What precedes it, or underlies it, belongs to a separate inquiry.<\/p>\n

The celebrated paper by Borde, Guth and Vilenkin likewise demands careful treatment. Under a specified condition of average expansion, its conclusion concerns the past incompleteness of timelike and null geodesics. The authors themselves state that further physics is needed to explain the past boundary of the expanding region. This is no comprehensive proof that every possible cosmological model emerged from nothing. It does, however, make clear that a model of expansion does not, by itself, furnish a complete and ultimate explanation. Here the strength of faith lies in the persistence of the question that survives the physical account, rather than in exaggeration.<\/p>\n

Similarly, to mistake the quantum vacuum for philosophical nothingness is to stumble over words. Where fields, states, possibilities and laws are under discussion, absolute nothingness is absent. If a physical model explains the emergence of the universe, a Muslim may accept that achievement and still ask why the model\u2019s actual foundation, and the law-governed reality it describes, exist at all. To proceed from a mathematical equation to a Creator would likewise be a philosophical argument, not an experimental result of the equation. A specification written in a ledger and an actual building are different things; that analogy does not, however, invalidate all quantum theories at a stroke.<\/p>\n

Meyer\u2019s second argument concerns the suitability of physical parameters for life. Were certain fundamental parameters and initial conditions different, the prospects for stars, elements or complex chemical structures could differ greatly. Luke Barnes has offered a detailed scholarly review of the subject. Yet to claim that a slight alteration in every parameter would extinguish every conceivable form of life is an incautious generalisation. Known life, possible life, parameters varying together, and an unknown underlying theory are distinct questions. Nor is it easy to calculate a definitive probability without knowing the relevant probability distribution.<\/p>\n

Islamic reasoning regards this order as evidence suggestive of wisdom. The intelligibility of the universe, its stable relations, and the possibilities it affords for life accord with the conception of an intelligent ground. This is not, however, a mathematical compulsion after which disagreement becomes impossible. Alternatives involving a multiverse, a more fundamental physical necessity, and selection effects enter the discussion. To dismiss the multiverse merely as an escape from God is to pass judgement upon an opponent\u2019s motives. The proper questions concern its evidence, testability and explanatory power. Even if there are many universes, the foundation of their encompassing order remains open to inquiry.<\/p>\n

The structure of DNA and the processes of heredity are astonishing; wonder should not be hurried into proof. The analogy between biological information and a computer programme may be useful, but their complete equivalence has not been established. Heredity, variation and selection play a part in the transformation of living systems. The emergence of the first self-replicating system and the evolution of existing organisms are two distinct research problems. The incompleteness of the first inquiry does not abolish the evidence for the second; nor does an account of evolution, by itself, logically entail the denial of God.<\/p>\n

An experimental paper published in 2022 reported the emergence of a more complex interacting system within an already established RNA replication system, using supplied biological components and specified experimental conditions. This was no demonstration of a complete first cell arising from non-life. Yet it is also incorrect to say that there is no experimental evidence for increases in functional complexity through physical processes. A Muslim\u2019s argument will not be strengthened by bringing inquiry to a halt. If a more comprehensive physical account of life\u2019s origins is found tomorrow, the question of divine creation will remain in relation to that account\u2019s causes, laws and existential foundation.<\/p>\n

The hypothesis that extraterrestrial beings transferred life to Earth likewise relocates the ultimate question. But it is incorrect to construe a speculative discussion by Dawkins as a profession of belief in God. A possible biological designer and a necessary existent are fundamentally different.<\/p>\n

The former may itself have originated and remain dependent; the latter is considered as the
\n ground of all dependent existence. Similarly, inference to dark matter and the philosophical affirmation of God may share a general resemblance, in proceeding from effects to a cause. Their methods of testing and the nature of their claims are nevertheless different.<\/p>\n

Human beings are not merely observers of the external world; they also experience their own existence. Discovering relations between brain activity and conscious states does not necessarily dispose of the philosophical question of the full explanation of subjective experience and meaning. Yet to turn the unknown immediately into a proof of God would be to take the same frail path once again. The Islamic conception regards the human person as a bearer of responsibility, addressed by a moral summons. It gives consciousness, volition and human dignity a coherent horizon of meaning. Its strength lies in that encompassing account, rather than in any single unfinished neurological investigation.<\/p>\n

Justice is equally necessary in discussing morality. An atheist may exemplify selflessness, integrity and compassion to a remarkable degree. The question concerns the ultimate foundation of moral obligation, rather than that person\u2019s character: why is oppression wrong even when the oppressor prospers and society remains silent? The Islamic answer invokes a justice above human preference, accountability before God and the life to come. Secular moral philosophies also offer serious answers; to proclaim victory without hearing them is inconsistent with intellectual dignity. The purpose of argument is to examine the ground of moral truth, rather than to declare an opponent devoid of conscience.<\/p>\n

Against this stands the profound problem of evil. A child\u2019s pain, the devastation of war and the suffering of the innocent are more than examples for a disputation. Islam regards this world as a trial, human knowledge as limited, and the hereafter as the realm of perfect justice. It does not, however, claim to know the hidden purpose of any particular calamity. Further premises are needed to infer conclusively from the existence of evil that God does not exist. Yet this in no way diminishes the believer\u2019s responsibility. Before the afflicted, the first duty is to bring relief. Unless belief in justice finds expression in action against oppression, verbal argument loses its force.<\/p>\n

A general argument for a Creator and the case for the truth of Islam are not one and the same stage. The first may lead towards an independent ground, wisdom and meaning; the second requires a separate examination of prophethood, the Qur\u2019an, the Prophet\u2019s life and the claim of revelation. Before an interlocutor who does not already accept the Qur\u2019an\u2019s authority, reciting a verse alone cannot replace an argument founded upon shared reason. The verse clarifies the Islamic conception; the rational premises of that conception and the truth of revelation must then be presented separately. In this order, the address becomes a journey towards understanding, rather than a repetition of assertions.<\/p>\n

The valuable insight in The Retreat of Atheism is precisely that leaving a person without an answer and setting the heart at rest are different undertakings. To call every unbeliever a slave to desire or a captive of Western influence may close the doors of invitation. One person bears wounds inflicted by religious oppression; another is troubled by a scientific objection; another is simply engaged in study. In the Qur\u2019an, Abraham\u2019s request for reassurance of the heart illuminates the room afforded to questioning (al-Baqarah 2:260). A report in Sahih Muslim offers consolation to believers distressed by unwelcome thoughts; it should not be understood as an endorsement of atheism itself.<\/p>\n

The path of intellectual conversation, then, is wisdom, gracious counsel and argument conducted in the best manner (al-Nahl 16:125). A retreat from atheism is not established by a well-known person\u2019s change of religion, an expression of civilisational allegiance, or a triumphant cry over a new discovery. It becomes possible when the categorical language of denial re-examines its foundations, and the language of faith presents its reasoning honestly. Belief in the eternal God takes its strongest form when it recognises the dependence of the universe, discerns intimations of wisdom in its order, and translates understanding into justice and mercy. Then the light of knowledge does not extinguish the lamp of worship; it widens the horizon before it.<\/p>\n

After this discussion, the essential question turns back upon our own habits of thought and conduct. If a person regards himself as accountable before a wise and just Creator, that conviction should be visible in his dealings with others. Through his actions, the rights of the vulnerable should be secured; through his speech, the dignity of those who disagree should remain intact; through his strength, the helpless should find shelter. When understanding enters into character, conviction acquires a dignity that eloquence alone cannot confer.<\/p>\n

Our age needs a religious conversation in which the questioner has no cause to fear humiliation. Before they need an argument, many minds need a hearing in which they feel secure: an atmosphere where their perplexities can be expressed in full. Believers have an intellectual responsibility to foster that atmosphere, correct their own shortcomings, and refrain from presenting what they do not know as settled knowledge. An admission of ignorance is one form of fidelity to truth.<\/p>\n

Equally, the door to reconsideration should remain open to the person who stands on the side of denial. Long allegiance to an opinion does not make it the final name of truth. Freedom of mind includes the courage to examine one\u2019s preferred answer anew, and to move towards greater light without allowing a former identity to bar the way.<\/p>\n

If the journey from atheism to faith begins, its destination is an enlargement of the human spirit, rather than the defeat of an opponent. There, knowledge is accompanied by humility, and conviction by mercy. This may be the civilisational fruit of the debate: a person who seeks truth and wishes creation well, whose worship illumines the inner life, and whose light makes the path easier for others.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Existence of God and Modern Science in Islamic Thought A historical and scholarly appraisal in response to Stephen Meyer Every age enters the world bearing its own questions; yet some questions are never obscured by the dust of time. What is man? What meaning does his life possess? And what is the ultimate ground …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3153,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37,39,33,24,28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-featured-columns","category-important-columns","category-international-columns","category-islam"],"yoast_head":"\nBeyond | Denial<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If the journey from atheism to faith begins, its destination is an enlargement of the human spirit, rather than the defeat of an opponent.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/bittertruth.uk\/en\/beyond-denial\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" 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