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What do you think about atheism as a Muslim?

Q:

What do you think about atheism as a Muslim? I would like you to answer your thoughts with your nationality.

I am Japanese and currently studying about Southeast Islam at the university. I’ve heard that it’s prohibited to be an atheist in Indonesia. I was born and raise in Japan so it was very surprising for me. I would like you to have your opinion on atheists and atheism and why you think that way as a Muslim.

A:

Salamun Alaykum

I am glad to see your query and would like to carry on until we reach some conclusion.

Atheism is denial of Allah as the Creator. Atheism usually leads to replacing theism with some sort of -ism such as nationalism, tribalism, communism, secularism, etc. One of the reasons for being an atheist is lack of knowledge and lack of acceptance of the truth and the reality surrounding us. Once a person learns, he gradually accepts the existence of God. God has bestowed us with intellect hence we should use this intellect to learn about Him because what if the world ends and at that time you come to know about the existence of God? There will be no way to come back. This world is the world where we can harvest and the Hereafter is the world where you get the fruits for what you have harvested. So it is never too late to learn and accept the reality.

God is Beyond Sensory Perception. One of the main reasons that people deny the existence of God is due to their inability to “see” Him. If we cannot see Him then how do we know that He even exists? God is beyond our sensory perception as our senses are very limited in ability, sometimes even weaker than other animals. God is not a body or a physical form that our vision can perceive Him.

The question requires a long discussion face to face but unfortunately, that is not possible, and the same way it requires long writing regarding this issue. I will write in short but give you the links so you can listen to the whole discussion for atheism being wrong. I will also provide some of the other links where you can easily read or listen to learn about God’s existence.

You can google “Does god exist” and get hundreds of links that have information, proves and evidences on God’s existence and God being the Creator of the universe.

Nationality doesn’t affect the Muslim’s view for atheism. We know and see the atheists’ view of the world and existence as wrong.

Please watch the whole video from the following link: Debunking Atheism 01 – God Of The Gaps https://www.al-islam.org/media/debunking-atheism-01-god-gaps

The link has the other two parts of the same discussion which will really help you get your answer in detail and increase your knowledge regarding the Creator of this world.

Do we think this world came into existence without any planner, designer with a great systematic order where the orbit, planets and all are moving on their own without collision?! If yes, then why are there so many things in this world that cannot come into existence until they are created? Even a small existence in this world requires a cause, as every cause has an effect on it, like poetry on a piece of paper shows that there was someone who had written it otherwise it wouldn’t come into existence, then how can we say that this world doesn’t have any creator?

We need God, as without Him a human cannot reach their spiritual and material perfection. Wealth and position are not perfections for a human, but wisdom, knowledge, and purity are. Our need for Him is based on an internal yearning, which is not always sensed, but a person will feel that yearning within them at certain times strongly. That yearning stems from the natural connection we have with Him as His creatures. Without God life loses purpose and meaning. We need Him because without Him we live a life of falsehood and we will bear the consequences of that falsehood when we leave the blindness of the material realm and the overwhelming truth of God is manifest.

As for why this should be God rather than any other creator, it is because God possesses every beautiful attribute. We worship and serve Him because He is worthy of that, and His Unlimited nature doesn’t leave room for glory to belong to anything else. Any perfection that you see attributed to any person or being, belongs to God. He is the origin of all and unlimited in His perfection. Therefore, it stops at God because in truth God encompasses all. All created beings finally need a creator who is not created, and that is God.

https://www.al-islam.org/ask/topics/1527/questions-about-Atheism

One minute clip on “Does god exist”: https://www.al-islam.org/media/does-god-exist

Let’s learn about God: https://www.al-islam.org/lets-learn-about-god-naser-makarem-shirazi

God’s existence: https://www.al-islam.org/tags/existence-god

In any case, the Qur’an addresses both atheism and shirk with the main message that God exists and is present and involved in our lives, that the universe is meaningful, that our existences are meaningful, that we are part of a broader picture, and that theism is part of the road to success.

Please go through the links and if still there are ambiguities then feel free to get back to us for clarification.

Wassalam,

Syed Haider