What Is the Relation between the Quran and Rational Arguments for the Existence of God?

Answered by Ustadh Sufyan Qufi

Question

I’m very fond of rational proofs (especially Dalil Imkan and Huduth). Please enlighten me whether the Quran’s evidence indicates His existence or Oneness.

Some scholars say that Dalil Huduth is Quranic. Others advocate for a “Qur’anic contingency argument”.  Did the salaf use them (if they weren’t then surely these are greek extrapolations?) Why don’t the Muslim scholars use the Design argument for God?

Answer

I pray this finds you in the best of states.

Both the argument from first cause (dalil al-huduth) and the contingency argument (dalil al-imkan) are valid arguments to establish with rational certainty the existence of God. [Farhari, Nibras ]

The argument from first cause explains that the physical objects of the universe have a beginning in existence and that anything that has a beginning in existence must have an originator. This originator is God. [ibid]

The contingency argument goes back to the fact that the contingency of the universe entails the existence of a being whose existence is rationally necessary. This necessary being is God. [ibid]

Both of these arguments are pointed to in the Qur’an. [Maydani, Al-Aqida al-Islamya was Assassuha]

Verses pointing to the contingency argument (dalil al-imkan)

Allah, Most High, says: “Have you not seen how your Lord extends the shade—He could have simply made it ˹remain˺ still if He so willed—then We make the sun its guide,” [25.45]

Allah, Most High, says: “Ask ˹them, O  Prophet˺, “Imagine if Allah were to make the night perpetual for you until the Day of Judgment, which god other than Allah could bring you sunlight? Will you not then listen?  Ask ˹them also˺, “Imagine if Allah were to make the day perpetual for you until the Day of Judgment, which god other than Allah could bring you night to rest in? Will you not then see?” [28.71-72]   

Allah, Most High, says: “Have you not seen that Allah created the heavens and the earth for a reason? If He wills, He can eliminate you and produce a new creation.”

[14.19]

Through these verses, and many others, Allah, Most High, explains to us that the shapes and arrangements that we see in the universe are not necessary but merely possible and that these shapes and arrangements change and evolve from one specific layout to another.

Through reflection upon such verses, rational human beings are led to understand that this universe is merely possible and that its creator must have a necessary existence. This understanding has been organized and codified by Muslim scholars through Dalil al-Imkan.

Verses pointing to the argument from first cause (dalil al-huduth)

Allah, Most High, says: “And ˹it is˺ Allah ˹Who˺ created you from dust, then ˹developed you˺ from a sperm-drop, then made you into pairs. No female ever conceives or delivers without His knowledge.” [35.11]

Allah, Most High, says: “Do you not see that Allah gently drives the clouds, then joins them together, piling them up into masses, from which you see raindrops come forth? And He sends down from the sky mountains ˹of clouds˺ loaded with hail, pouring it on whoever He wills and averting it from whoever He wills. The flash of the clouds’ lightning nearly takes away eyesight. Allah alternates the day and night. Surely in this is a lesson for people of insight. And Allah has created from water every living creature. Some of them crawl on their bellies, some walk on two legs, and some walk on four. Allah creates whatever He wills. Surely Allah is Most Capable of everything.” [24.43-45]   

These verses, amongst many others, indicate to us that all the changes we see in the universe must have a cause and that its real cause must be an act of creation which cannot be other than an attribute of God.

This understanding has been organized and codified by Muslim scholars through the argument from first cause (dalil al-huduth).

Allah’s Oneness

In order to establish Allah’s unicity, Muslim scholars simply explain and build upon the following verse:

“Had there been other gods besides Allah in the heavens or the earth, both ˹realms˺ would have surely been corrupted. So Glorified is Allah, Lord of the Throne, far above what they claim.” [21.22]

For example, Imam Juwayni (may Allah be pleased with him) explains in Kitab al-Irshad that if there were two gods and that one of them would have chosen to create movement in a stone and the other stillness in this same stone, then it is rationally impossible for the two wills to pass because it is impossible for a stone to be still and moving at the same time. Thus the real God is the one who has seen His will affecting the stone, and He can be only one because the other “god” has been shown to be powerless and thus not god.

Use of the Salafs of Logic

Several companions of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him) had to use the rules of logic in order to argue with innovators or disbelievers. Sayyiduna Ali, Ibn Abbass, and Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with them all) are among those who debated sects such as the Khawarijs or the Qadariya. When you read their arguments, you can see that they clearly and beautifully follow the rules of logic as known by human beings before and after them. [ Abdul Qahir ibn Tahir Al Baghdadi, Usul al-Din]

As for the direct use of arguments to establish the existence of Allah, Most High, it was rare in their time because it was a given for everyone that God exists. Rational arguments were used mainly to establish the truthfulness of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings be upon him). And sometimes, seeing his blessed face was enough for people to realize that he was truthful. Rational arguments were also used to debate and convince to come back to the truth deviant sects such as the Khawarij and the Qadirya.

In short rational arguments are to be used to the extent necessary, not more than that. But, with the passing of time and the contact of the Muslims with other civilizations, the rational challenges against Islam kept increasing, and the need to answer them could not be met except by developing more and more the corpus of rational proofs for the truth of Islam. [Ghazali, Ihya Ulum al-Din]

Allah, Most High, commands us to use our minds to conclude that Islam is true. But, as you can witness it every day, people often make mistakes through its use. Just look at your grades in mathematics throughout your time in school. Logic is a science developed by Muslim scholars to teach us to use our minds to reach rational conclusions without mistakes. [Katibi, Shamsya]

The fact that people, such as Aristotle, put much effort into developing this science before the Muslims is of no consequence regarding its soundness, especially when Muslim scholars have improved and corrected Aristotle’s legacy in numerous instances. Logic is one of the instrumental sciences in Islam and we have no choice but to learn and use it in order to fulfill Allah’s command to think properly about us and the universe.

Allah, Most High, says: “Indeed, the worst of all beings in the sight of Allah are the ˹wilfully˺ deaf and dumb, who do not understand.” [8.22]

Allah, Most High, says: ” Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “I advise you to do ˹only˺ one thing: stand up for ˹the sake of˺ Allah—individually or in pairs—then reflect. Your fellow man is not insane. He is only a warner to you before ˹the coming of˺ a severe punishment.” [34.46]

Design argument for the existence of God

The design argument for the existence of God has been used extensively by Muslim scholars and is also pointed to in the Qur’an. Indeed, the perfection, the beauty and the many wisdoms that we can witness inside and around us are a clear proof that God exists.  [Maydani, al-Aqida al-Islamya was Assassuha]

For example, Imam Ghazali (may Allah be pleased with him) uses it in Ihya Ulum al-Din before introducing the reader to more complex proofs. For him, the design argument should be more than enough to convince anyone that God exists. He directly quotes verses of the Qur’an to clarify this argument as the Design argument is also a huge components of the rational arguments for the existence of God found in the Qur’an.

From the verses Imam Ghazali quotes:

Allah, Most, High says: “Did We not make the earth a cradle? And the mountains pegs? And created you in pairs? And made your sleep for rest? And made the night a cover?

And made the day for livelihood? And built above you seven strong ones? And placed a blazing lamp? And brought down from the clouds pouring water? To produce with it grains and vegetation? And luxuriant gardens?” [78. 9-13]

Rational Argumentation is not the only way

As Imam Ghazali explains in al-Munqidh min al-Dalal, rational argumentation does not work for everyone, and there are other ways to reach full certainty. Amongst them is the company of living Sufi Scholars, which can often lead to a kind of spiritual certainty for the existence of God that renders any rational proof mere child play.

Nonetheless, the safe way, the trodden path remains for us first to have some rational basis for our belief, even very basic (such as: “this world is too beautiful and complex for it to exist without God.”), in order to secure our faith as a beginner on the path to Allah before ascending to higher spiritual levels through one’s practice. [Sanussi, Sharh Um Al-Barahin; Qushayri, Rissala Qushayrya]

Even Shaykh Al-Akbar, Ibn Arabi (May Allah be pleased with him) advocates for rational investigation and introspection in order to go back to certainty regarding the teachings of Islam when one starts questioning the validity of one’s faith, rather than to stick blindly to some kind of spiritual struggle without any rational basis for getting out from those doubts. [Sha’rani, Kibrit al-Ahmar]

And Allah knows best.

[Ustadh] Sufyan Qufi
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani 

Ustadh Sufyan Qufi is an advanced seeker of knowledge, originally from Algeria, who grew up in France. He began searching far and wide for answers to the fundamental questions of life and was disappointed at the answers he found.

Then he connected with various traditional teachers and gradually connected with SeekersGuidance. He embarked on his journey of learning through the various teachers at SeekersGuidance, including his mentor Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.

He studied numerous texts in Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith, and other areas with Shaykh Faraz Rabbani and other teachers, including Shaykh Abdurrahman al-Sha‘ar, Shaykh Ali Hani, and others.

He is an active instructor at SeekersGuidance and answers questions through the SeekersGuidance Answers Service.