ISLAM TO RESCUE ATHEISTS: ALL ATHEISTS WELCOME

"So I say to my atheist friends, and they are indeed friends, noble and good hearted, that if you have been 'burned' by religion, Islam understands your pain."

Ahmadiyya Times | News Staff | Science & Faith
Source & Credits: Chicago Islam Examiner
Qasim Rashid | Chicago, IL | September 28, 2009

WHY ATHEISTS ARE ACTUALLY CLOSET MUSLIMS

To address the 800 pound gorilla, Islam teaches that God exists in all His Omnipotence and Omnipresence while Atheism teaches that blind chance created everything that was and will be.  Yes, that proves to be a big difference between Islam and atheism.

However, Islam has exactly what every atheist claims religion doesn't have.  As rock-star atheist Richard Dawkins states, "I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world."  Mr. Dawkins may be well pleased to know that Islam also teaches to never be satisfied with not understanding the world.  The fundamental arguments atheists make revolve around "If God exists, why can't I see him, " and, "If God exists, why can't He make a religion that doesn't contradict science?" 

Let us address the latter of these two questions for now, with a promise to address the first question in detail toward the end.  Islam teaches that at no point can there exist a contradiction between the Work of God and the Word of God.  In other words, a true God would never allow Science and Religion to conflict.  To support this notion the Holy Qur'an proposes a challenge to all mankind to try to find a flaw in God's creation.  "Who has created seven heavens in harmony.  No incongruity canst thou see in the creation of the Gracious God.  Then look again: Seest thou any flaw?  Aye, look again, and yet again, thy sight will only return unto thee confused and fatigued." (Holy Qur'an Chapter 67:4-5)  This profound proclamation is one that no other religion in the history of mankind has ever approached.  God declares unequivocally in the Holy Qur'an that His creation has no contradiction what-so-ever.  Compounded with the following verse, "There is no compulsion in religion.  Surely the right has been made distinct from the wrong," (2:257), a religion that fits the exact requirement of many atheists is formed.  That is, a religion that teaches complete harmony between science and religion, as well as a religion that teaches complete autonomy in belief.  Every person is free to believe as they believe without any compulsion one way or another.

The Holy Qur'an goes on to teach that evolution is in fact a reality of life.  However, the Qur'an also states, and science supports, that blind evolution has nothing to do with the progress of life.  Rather, evolution is a guided and calculated progression.  Here we must digress for the sake of brevity.  However, our atheist readers may be pleased to know that Islam affirmed evolution 1400 years ago, when such a concept was several hundred years from even reaching the nascent stage of Darwin's mind.

In fact, Richard Dawkins would do himself justice if he held fast to logic when forming his beliefs.  Dawkins himself admits the improbability and sheer impossibility of all creation coming into existence on its own.  He states, "The fact that life evolved out of nearly nothing, some 10 billion years after the universe evolved out of literally nothing, is a fact so staggering that I would be mad to attempt words to do it justice."  The most fundamental law of physics teaches that every action has a reaction.  The fact that Dawkins believes that not only life on Earth, but the Universe itself 'evolved out of literally nothing' contradicts the most basic tenant of physics.  While the Islamic explanation of the creation, evolution, and culmination of life cannot be described in this brief article, we offer a response to Dawkins' book, "The Blind Watchmaker," at the bottom of this page.  This will also answer the first question proposed at the onset of this article.  Suffice it to say that Islam does in fact offer a completely logical, coherent, and scientific explanation to God and the creation of the Universe.

So I say to my atheist friends, and they are indeed friends, noble and good hearted, that if you have been 'burned' by religion, Islam understands your pain.  Islam offers an ointment to the damage done by asking you to believe on "faith," though it did not make sense.  Islam offers the explanation you sought but never received.  In this regard, every atheist is a closet Muslim in that they, albeit unknowingly, agree with Islam that true religion and true science cannot conflict.

If blind chance brought us all to our present state, then take one more chance and put Islam to the test.  If you choose not to, that is fine as well for Islam strictly forbids compulsion.  However, that would mean that atheism, like Dawkins' concept of religion, also teaches us to be satisfied in not understanding the world.

For more info: Read the detailed response to Richard Dawkins' book, "The Blind Watchmaker" at the link below.   http://www.alislam.org/library/books/revelation/part_5_section_13.html

This response to Dawkins was published and distributed worldwide over a decade ago.  Dawkins has yet to issue a response.

Note: While this short Examiner article is not designed to explain Islamic beliefs in full detail, readers can find a full explanation and proof of Islam's cohesion with science, and the first question proposed at the start of this araticle, via the above linked article.

Qasim Rashid is a contributing member of Majlis Sultanul Qalm, USA (MSQ USA) and regularly writes for Examiner.com and various other publications on topics ranging from Islam to human rights. Leave your thoughts and comments, or email Qasim at 1muslim.examiner@gmail.com