Discovering the Creator’s Footprints: The Path to Faith (Thariqul Iman)
Have you ever lain down at night, gazing at the star-studded sky, and asked yourself: Who hung all these lamps? Who pulled this dark carpet so beautifully across the heavens?
If so, then congratulations—you are walking the same path that billions of humans have walked throughout history. A path that led them to the most fundamental, the most solid, and the most liberating conviction ever to exist in human life: the conviction that the Creator exists.
But this time, we will not walk in the wrong way. We will not rely on feelings alone, we will not depend on dogma that must be accepted blindly, nor will we take shelter behind scientific theories that may be revised again tomorrow.
We will walk with reason.
Islam—especially as clearly explained in the book Nizhamul Islam by Sheikh Taqiyuddin an-Nabhani—never asks you to turn off your mind when talking about God. On the contrary: Islam makes reason the primary foundation of faith. This process of seeking God through reason is what is called Thariqul Iman (The Path to Faith).
Let us walk together. Prepare your sound mind, open your inner eye, and allow the facts before our eyes to speak. Because in the end, the universe itself will bear witness to the existence of the Creator.
1. Introduction: Reason as the Foundation of Aqidah, Islam Rejects Taqlid
Before we begin proving anything, there is one fundamental principle that we must agree upon together: Islam firmly rejects taqlid (blind following) in matters of aqidah.
A Muslim is not allowed to believe in Allah simply because his parents are Muslim. He is not allowed to believe in the existence of God merely because he was born in a religious environment. Faith that arises from mere “cultural inheritance” or “family tradition” is fragile faith—like a house built on sand. The moment doubt comes rushing in, that house immediately collapses.
Allah ﷻ explicitly rebukes those who practice religion only by imitating their ancestors without using their minds:
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اتَّبِعُوا مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالُوا بَلْ نَتَّبِعُ مَا أَلْفَيْنَا عَلَيْهِ آبَاءَنَا ۗ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ
“And when it is said to them, ‘Follow what Allah has revealed,’ they say, ‘Rather, we will follow that which we found our fathers doing.’ Even though their fathers understood nothing, nor were they guided?”
(QS. Al-Baqarah [2]: 170)
This verse is not merely a rebuke. It is a methodology: Islam obliges every Muslim to use his mind in proving his aqidah. There is no compulsion to believe. There is no request to believe blindly. What exists is an intellectual assault on intellectual laziness.
And the Qur’an, throughout its 114 surahs, is filled with challenges to humanity to think. Notice how often the Qur’an uses provocative phrases: أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ (“Will you not reason?”), أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ (“Do they not reflect?”), لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ (“So that you may think”), and لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ (“For people who know”). These phrases are not mere literary ornaments—each calls upon man to use his mind: to those who refuse to think, to those who read without understanding, to those who need to be reminded of the purpose of Allah’s verses being revealed, and to those who are willing to learn.
Allah ﷻ also emphasizes that the signs of His existence are real and accessible to anyone who uses his mind:
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآيَاتٍ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ
“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding.”
(QS. Ali ‘Imran [3]: 190)
Notice the key phrase in this verse: li-uli al-albab — “for those of understanding.” Allah does not say “for the angels” or “for the prophets only.” He says: for anyone who uses his mind. This door is wide open for you, for me, for anyone.
So, what must we think about? What is the object of observation that Allah commands our minds to contemplate? We will answer this in the next section.
2. The Object of Reason’s Observation: Three Realities Spread Before Us
The human mind is an extraordinary thinking tool. But like all tools, the mind has its operational limits. The mind cannot work without facts that can be sensed. It cannot think about something completely beyond the reach of sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste.
And more importantly: the mind is incapable of thinking about the Essence of Allah ﷻ.
Why? Because the Essence of Allah cannot be seen, cannot be touched, cannot be measured, and cannot be compared to anything. Forcing the mind to think about the Essence of Allah is like forcing the eye to hear sound, or forcing the ear to smell fragrance—you are using a tool beyond the capacity of its design. The result is not understanding, but confusion and misguidance.
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ ۖ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ
“There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing.”
(QS. Asy-Syura [42]: 11)
Because the mind cannot think about the Essence of Allah, Thariqul Iman does not invite us to contemplate “what God looks like.” It invites us to do something far simpler and far more powerful: to observe His creation.
If we cast our gaze to every corner of existence—from subatomic particles to the farthest galaxies, from the smallest bacteria to the blue whale—in reality everything that exists in this universe is encompassed within three main realities. There is no fourth reality that can be reached by human senses besides these three.
These three realities are:
First: Al-Insan (Man) Ourselves. Our physical bodies that we can see in the mirror. Our minds that we can feel when thinking. Our feelings that rise and fall. Our instincts that drive us to eat, reproduce, and dominate. The entire complexity of man—from the smallest cells to the most intricate nervous system—can be sensed and observed by us.
Second: Al-Hayat (Life) The energy or “soul” that flows within humans, animals, and plants. This is what distinguishes living beings from inanimate objects. You can see a baby who initially does not move, then begins to crawl, walk, and run. You can see a small seed planted in the ground, then grow into a shady tree bearing fruit. Life is real and can be sensed.
Third: Al-Kawn (The Universe) All inanimate matter outside of ourselves. From grains of sand on the beach, dewdrops on leaves, the earth we tread upon, the sun that warms us, to galaxies billions of light-years away. This universe—with all its laws of physics, gravity, and order—is the third reality that we can observe.
Allah ﷻ separately commands us to observe each of these three realities:
Command to Observe Man:
فَلْيَنْظُرِ الْإِنْسَانُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ
“Then let man look at from what he was created.”
(QS. At-Thariq [86]: 5)
Command to Observe the Universe:
أَفَلَمْ يَنْظُرُوا إِلَى السَّمَاءِ فَوْقَهُمْ كَيْفَ بَنَيْنَاهَا وَزَيَّنَّاهَا وَمَا لَهَا مِنْ فُرُوجٍ
“Then do they not look at the heaven above them—how We structured it and adorned it and [how] it has no rifts?”
(QS. Qaf [50]: 6)
Command to Observe Life (Animals):
أَفَلَا يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى الْإِبِلِ كَيْفَ خُلِقَتْ
“Then do they not look at the camels—how they are created?”
(QS. Al-Ghasyiyah [88]: 17)
Table 1: Three Objects of Reason’s Observation in Thariqul Iman
| Object of Observation | Arabic Term | What Can Be Sensed | Concrete Example of Observation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Man | Al-Insan | Physical body, internal organs, nervous system, emotions, thinking ability | Growth from baby to adult, aging process, language ability |
| Life | Al-Hayat | Growth, reproduction, movement, response to stimuli | Seed that sprouts, kitten learning to walk, flower that blooms |
| Universe | Al-Kawn | Earth, planets, stars, water, stone, air, laws of physics, gravity | Alternation of day and night, rain cycle, planetary orbits, volcanoes |
These three realities. There is no fourth. And the task of our mind now is very simple: Observe all three honestly and carefully, then discover the fundamental attribute that binds them together. This fundamental attribute will be the key that opens the door to faith.
3. Proving the Attribute of Mahdud (Limited) in Man, Life, and the Universe
Dear reader, let us conduct the most honest thought experiment that ever existed. No laboratory needed, no telescope needed, no calculator needed. Just use your own eyes and mind.
If we observe man, life, and the universe honestly and deeply—not with prejudice, not with ideology, but with direct observation of the facts spread before us—we will arrive at one conclusion that cannot be refuted by anyone on the face of this earth:
These three realities share the same fundamental attribute: MAHDUD (Limited).
Let us dissect them one by one with concrete evidence.
A. Man is Limited (Mahdud)
Observe yourself in the mirror. Does your height keep growing endlessly through the roof of your house? Of course not. Every human has a certain height limit. Some are 150 cm, 170 cm, or 190 cm—but there is no human whose height is infinite. This is limitation in space (physical dimension).
Can you live forever? No matter how rich, how intelligent, or how strong you are—in the end, death will come for you. Human age has a limit. On average 70 to 80 years, and no one can exceed it permanently. This is limitation in time.
Do you know everything? No. No human knows the exact number of stars in the sky. No human knows what happens at the deepest ocean floor. No human can predict the future with certainty. This is limitation in knowledge and understanding.
Man is also limited in strength. You cannot lift a mountain. You cannot hold your breath for an hour. You cannot stop your own heartbeat. You cannot even refuse sleepiness when it comes. Every aspect of man screams the same word: LIMITATION.
B. Life is Limited (Mahdud)
Now observe life (al-hayat) that exists in animals and plants. Take a cat as an example. That cat is born from its mother’s womb at a specific point in time (it has a beginning). It grows, develops, has offspring, then one day it dies and is buried (it has an end).
Take a mango tree as an example. That tree begins from a small seed planted in the ground. It sprouts, grows larger, bears fruit, then at some point it withers, rots, and dies.
Life—in the form we can observe—always has a starting point and an ending point. Something that has a beginning and an end is the purest definition of limitation. The life we observe does not appear spontaneously from nothingness, and it will not last forever. It is limited.
C. The Universe is Limited (Mahdud)
“This is the hard one to believe,” you might think. “This universe is so vast! The Milky Way galaxy alone contains 100 to 400 billion stars. How can something this big be called ‘limited’?”
That is a very good question. But let us use simple logic.
The universe is merely a collection of physical objects: planets, stars, galaxies, nebulae, asteroids, cosmic dust, and so on. Every physical object has a certain shape, a certain size, and a certain volume.
- Our Earth is round with a diameter of about 12,742 km. Limited.
- Our Sun has a diameter of about 1.4 million km. Limited.
- The Milky Way galaxy has a diameter of about 100,000 light-years. Limited.
The logical rule is very simple and irrefutable:
A collection of limited things necessarily results in something that is also limited.
Imagine you stack bricks. Every brick has a certain size. No matter how many bricks you stack—a thousand, a million, or a billion—the resulting pile will still have a total size that can be measured. It remains limited.
The universe, however vast it may be, is composed of objects each of which has a limited size. Therefore the universe as a whole—as a collection of limited objects—must necessarily be limited (mahdud).
Table 2: Empirical Evidence of Limitation (Mahdud) in Three Realities
| Reality | Evidence of Limitation in Space/Form | Evidence of Limitation in Time | Evidence of Limitation in Strength/Knowledge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Man (Al-Insan) | Height stops at a certain number; body has physical limits | Age ends with death; no human lives eternally | Knowledge is limited; does not know the future; does not know the number of stars |
| Life (Al-Hayat) | Living beings have a specific physical form and size | Begins from birth/growth, ends with death | Living beings cannot maintain their own life without environment |
| Universe (Al-Kawn) | Consists of objects (planets, stars) each with a certain size | Constantly changing: stars explode, planets shift, galaxies collide | Has no will; subject to the laws of physics that govern it |
سُنَّةَ اللَّهِ الَّتِي قَدْ خَلَتْ مِنْ قَبْلُ ۖ وَلَنْ تَجِدَ لِسُنَّةِ اللَّهِ تَبْدِيلًا
“[This is] the custom of Allah which has occurred before. And never will you find in the custom of Allah any change.”
(QS. Al-Ahzab [33]: 62)
The fact that everything in this universe possesses the attribute of mahdud (limited) is the key that opens the gate of faith. Remember this word “limited” well. Write it in your heart. Because from this one word, our entire logical structure will stand.
4. The Attribute of Muhtaj (Mutually Needing) and ‘Ajiz (Weakness) of Creatures
Dear reader, our observation is not finished at the word “limited.” When we observe more deeply into man, life, and the universe, we will discover two additional attributes inseparable from the attribute of limitation: ‘Ajiz (Weak/Powerless) and Muhtaj (Mutually Needing).
These three attributes—Mahdud, ‘Ajiz, and Muhtaj—are like three sides of the same coin. They cannot be separated.
A. The Attribute of Muhtaj: Nothing is Independent in This Universe
There is not a single entity in the entire universe—from the smallest particle to the largest galaxy—that can stand alone in absolute independence. Everything depends upon and needs something else outside of itself in order to exist and survive.
Observe man: You need oxygen to breathe every second. Without air, you die within minutes. You need water to drink. Without water, you die within days. You need food. Without food, you die within weeks. You need the sun’s heat so your body does not freeze. You need Earth’s gravity so you are not thrown into outer space.
Observe animal and plant life: A cow needs grass to eat. Grass needs rainwater and sunlight to grow. Rainwater needs evaporation from the oceans. Sunlight needs nuclear reactions in the star’s core. This entire chain shows an endless interdependence.
Observe the universe: Planets need the sun’s gravitational force to remain in their orbits and not float off into the darkness of space. The sun needs hydrogen fuel that continuously burns. Even black holes need matter around them to “feed” themselves.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَنْتُمُ الْفُقَرَاءُ إِلَى اللَّهِ ۖ وَاللَّهُ هُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ
“O mankind, you are those in need of Allah, while Allah is the Free of need, the Praiseworthy.”
(QS. Fatir [35]: 15)
The word fuqara’ in this verse is the plural form of faqiir—which means “one who is in dire need.” Allah does not say “you sometimes need.” He says: you are those in need. This is an inherent attribute, a built-in attribute, an attribute that attaches to you as a creature.
B. The Attribute of ‘Ajiz: Weakness That Cannot Be Denied
Because man, life, and the universe are limited and mutually needing, automatically all three are weak (‘ajiz). They are incapable of preserving themselves from destruction, decay, or total annihilation.
Man cannot reject the coming of pain. He cannot stop the aging process of his body’s cells. He cannot prevent diseases that threaten his life—even the best doctors can die from the same disease they have treated throughout their careers.
The stars in the sky are not exempt from this weakness. A giant star that has shone brightly for billions of years will eventually run out of fuel, explode in a supernova, and collapse into a white dwarf or black hole. Nothing is eternal. Nothing is independent. Nothing is absolutely powerful.
ضُرِبَتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الذِّلَّةُ أَيْنَ مَا ثُقِفُوا إِلَّا بِحَبْلٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَحَبْلٍ مِنَ النَّاسِ
“They have been put under humiliation [by Allah] wherever they are overcome, except for a rope from Allah and a rope from the people.”
(QS. Ali ‘Imran [3]: 112)
Table 3: Three Fundamental Attributes of All Creatures
| Attribute | Arabic Term | Meaning | Concrete Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limited | Mahdud | Has limits in space, time, ability | Man has a limited lifespan; planets have a limited size |
| Weak | ’Ajiz | Unable to preserve itself from destruction and ruin | Man can get sick; stars can explode; mountains can collapse |
| Needing | Muhtaj | Cannot exist without depending on something outside itself | Man needs oxygen; plants need water; planets need gravity |
These three attributes—Mahdud, ‘Ajiz, and Muhtaj—are the absolute stamp attached to everything that exists in this universe. From the smallest atom to the largest galaxy. There is not a single object, not a single creature, not a single entity that escapes these three attributes.
And from these three attributes, our mind will leap to the most tremendous conclusion that ever existed.
5. The Rule of Reason: The Limited (Hadits) Cannot Possibly Be Azali
Dear reader, now we enter the most crucial stage of logic. This stage is the bridge that separates observation of the natural world from faith in the Creator.
We have agreed—based on facts that can be sensed by anyone—that man, life, and the universe are limited (mahdud). They have beginnings and endings. They are weak. They mutually need one another.
The logical next question is: Can something that is limited be AZALI?
What is Azali? Azali is something that does not have a starting point. Something whose existence has always been—without anything initiating it, without anything creating it, without anything bringing it into being. It is eternal. It is absolute. It is independent. It does not depend on anyone or anything.
هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ ۚ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
“He is the First and the Last, the Ascendant and the Intimate, and He is, of all things, Knowing.”
(QS. Al-Hadid [57]: 3)
This verse describes attributes that can only be possessed by One Essence: Allah ﷻ. Al-Awwal (The First)—without anything preceding Him. Al-Akhir (The Last)—without anything replacing Him.
Now, your sound mind itself will answer: Something that is limited (mahdud) is IMPOSSIBLE to be Azali.
Why? This is very simple. Everything that has a limit—whether it is a limit of physical size, a limit of temporal existence, or a limit of ability—necessarily has a starting point at which it began to exist. And something that has a starting point means it is HADITS (new, having a beginning).
- Man is not azali, because he has a starting point (when he was born, or even when he was conceived in the womb).
- Life is not azali, because it begins from a cell that starts to grow and develop.
- The universe is not azali, because it is a collection of limited objects that continuously change, shift, evolve, and undergo entropy (energy depletion).
The scholars formulated a very solid rule of reason that becomes the foundation of the entire argument of Thariqul Iman:
كُلُّ حَدِيثٍ لَهُ مُحْدِثٌ (Written: كُلُّ حَادِثٍ لَهُ مُحْدِثٌ)
“Everything that is new (hadits—has a starting point) necessarily has one who initiated it (muhdits).”
This is not dogma. This is not a Qur’anic verse that must be accepted dogmatically. This is a pure law of reason that cannot be refuted by anyone. Try to imagine one single example in the entire universe where something new appears without anyone making it. You will not be able to.
Because man, life, and the universe are not Azali (meaning they are something hadits—new, having a beginning), then absolutely reason necessitates that all three must have been created by something else outside of themselves.
Something that is created is called Makhluq (the created). And the party that created them is called Al-Khaliq (The Creator).
أَمْ خُلِقُوا مِنْ غَيْرِ شَيْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الْخَالِقُونَ
“Were they created by nothing, or were they the creators [of themselves]?”
(QS. At-Tur [52]: 35)
Notice how the Qur’an throws this question directly at the reader’s mind. He does not say “believe that I created you.” He says: “Think! Who created you? Did you emerge from nothingness without a creator? Or did you create yourselves?” Both of these options are equally absurd. And that is precisely the proof.
Table 4: From Observation to Logical Conclusion
| Stage | Question | Observed Fact | Conclusion of Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Observation | Are man, life, and the universe limited? | Yes—all have limits of space, time, and ability | All three are Mahdud (limited) |
| 2. Analysis | Can the limited be Azali? | No—the limited necessarily has a starting point | All three are Hadits (new) |
| 3. Rule of Reason | What is the law of something hadits? | Every hadits needs a muhdits (one who initiates) | All three are necessarily created (makhluq) |
| 4. Conclusion | Who created them? | There must be a party outside of them who created them | The existence of Al-Khaliq (The Creator) is obligatory |
6. Three Possibilities of Origin: Searching for Who Al-Khaliq Is
Our mind has established with certainty that this universe—along with all its contents—is makhluq (created). This is not speculation. This is not theory. This is a logical conclusion born from honest observation of facts that can be sensed by anyone.
The next question: Who is the Creator (Al-Khaliq)? What are His attributes?
By rational logic, there are only three possibilities regarding the existence of this Creator. There is no fourth possibility. There is no other way out. The human mind limits the options to only these three:
Possibility One: The Creator Himself was created by another creator who existed before Him.
Possibility Two: The Creator created Himself.
Possibility Three: The Creator is Azali—pre-eternal without beginning, not created by anyone, and He is the First Cause of everything.
Let us test these three possibilities one by one, like a judge testing three defendants in the court of sound mind.
Testing Possibility Two: “The Creator Created Himself”
Let us begin with the second possibility, because this is the easiest and quickest to refute.
Is it possible for the Creator to create Himself? Or, is it possible for this universe to create itself?
This is a logical impossibility (absurdity) that is very real. It does not require lengthy arguments to demolish this possibility. Just one simple question:
How can something that “does not yet exist” perform the act of “creating”?
In order for something to “create,” it must already exist first. Something that “does not exist” (non-existence, void, nihil) does not possess the ability to perform any action—including the action of creating itself.
Something cannot be the “creator” and the “created” at the same time. That is as absurd as saying that someone can be “the father of himself” or “the child of himself.”
If you see a wooden chair, is it reasonable to say that the chair assembled itself from nothingness? If you read a book, is it reasonable to say that the book wrote itself? Of course not. Therefore, this second possibility is rejected and absolutely dismissed by sound mind.
Table 5: Three Possibilities of the Creator’s Existence
| Possibility | Claim | Logic Test | Final Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| First: Created by another | Creator is created by Creator A, then A by B, then B by C… (Tasalsul / Chain without end) | If the chain has no end, creation will never occur. Yet the universe already exists. | REJECTED (to be discussed in detail in Section 7) |
| Second: Created itself | The Creator exists because it created itself from nothingness | Impossible for something “not yet existent” to perform an action. Something cannot be cause and effect for itself simultaneously. | REJECTED (dismissed by sound mind) |
| Third: Is AZALI | The Creator is pre-eternal without beginning, not created, He is the First Cause | The only option that contains no logical contradiction. Solves the intellectual deadlock completely. | ABSOLUTELY ACCEPTED |
Because the second possibility has already fallen, and the first possibility will be dismissed in the next section, then only one option remains. And in logic, when all options except one have been proven wrong, then the remaining option—however uncomfortable it may sound—must be the truth.
7. Refuting Tasalsul: An Endless Chain of Causality is Falsehood
Now let us test Possibility One—which is the last argument used by those who reject the existence of a Creator.
They say: “Alright, this universe may have been created. But who created the Creator? Perhaps this Creator was also created by another Creator. And that other Creator was created by yet another Creator. And so on, regressing without limit.”
In the science of logic, this condition is called Tasalsul—a chain of causality that regresses without end (infinite regress). Can the logic of Tasalsul be accepted by the mind?
Not at all. The logic of Tasalsul is manifest falsehood. And to understand it, we do not need to become philosophy professors. Just imagine the following simple illustration.
Analogy 1: The Soldier and the Commander on the Battlefield
Imagine a soldier on the battlefield. He holds a rifle and is ready to shoot. But he has a strict rule: he is not allowed to shoot before receiving a direct order from his Regimental Commander.
He contacts the Regimental Commander. But the Regimental Commander says: “I dare not give an order before receiving permission from the Platoon Commander.”
The Platoon Commander is contacted. He says: “I am waiting for permission from the Company Commander.”
The Company Commander waits for the Battalion Commander. The Battalion Commander waits for the Division Commander. The Division Commander waits for the Armed Forces Commander. The Armed Forces Commander waits for the President.
And if this chain never ends—if every party always waits for an order from the party above him without anyone being the first giver of orders—then the question is very simple:
Will the bullet from that soldier’s rifle ever be fired?
The answer is certain: IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. As long as this chain of permission has no end, as long as there is no party who gives the first order independently, that bullet will never leave the rifle barrel. The first order will never exist, because every party is always waiting for someone else.
Now return to reality: The bullet has already been fired. This universe already exists. We are all already here. Life is already running. Planets are already orbiting.
Because this universe already exists (the bullet has already been fired), then this chain of creation MUST have an end. There must be a “Supreme Commander” who does not wait for orders from anyone. There must be a “First Cause” that is not caused by anything. There must be an Essence that gives the “first order” independently, without depending on anyone.
And that Essence is what we call: Al-Khaliq Al-Azali—Allah ﷻ.
The soldier-and-commander illustration is not merely a story. It is a logical representation of the entire argument of Tasalsul. If you accept that the bullet will never be fired without a first commander, then you must accept that the universe will never exist without a First Creator.
If someone still insists that Tasalsul is possible, then he must be prepared to accept the logical consequence: that this universe will never exist. Because if the chain of creation has no end, then there will never be a “starting point” of creation that initiates everything.
أَمْ خُلِقُوا مِنْ غَيْرِ شَيْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الْخَالِقُونَ . أَمْ خَلَقُوا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ۚ بَلْ لَا يُوقِنُونَ
“Were they created by nothing, or were they the creators [of themselves]? Or have they created the heavens and earth? Rather, they are not certain.”
(QS. At-Tur [52]: 35-36)
This verse summarizes the entire debate about Tasalsul in three devastating questions. The Qur’an does not ask us to believe. It asks us to think. And when you think honestly, only one answer makes sense.
Table 6: Why Tasalsul Collapses Before Reason
| Tasalsul Argument | Rational Refutation | Analogy |
|---|---|---|
| ”The chain of causes can regress without limit” | If the chain is endless, there will never be a first cause that initiates everything | A soldier never shoots if every commander always waits for the commander above him |
| ”The universe can exist without a First Creator” | Something “new” (hadits) is impossible to emerge without an “initiator” (muhdits) | A book cannot exist without a first author |
| ”Perhaps there is an infinite chain” | A collection of limited things cannot produce something actually infinite | Adding numbers 1 + 1 + 1… still results in a number that is limited at any given point |
Now let us use one more analogy to further strengthen this understanding.
Analogy 2: The Skyscraper and Its Architect
Imagine you are walking in a city and see a magnificent skyscraper—80 floors, with very complex architectural design: automatic elevator systems, complex electrical networks, precise steel structures, and integrated air conditioning systems on every floor.
Someone says to you: “This building has no architect. This building constructed itself. The first brick laid the second brick, then the second brick laid the third brick, and so on until it was finished.”
Or perhaps he says: “This building doesn’t need an architect. Every floor was created by the floor below it. Floor 1 created floor 2, floor 2 created floor 3… and this chain regresses without end.”
What would you say? You would certainly laugh. Because your sound mind immediately knows: a complex and structured building is impossible to exist without an intelligent planner and builder. Bricks have no will. Steel has no design. Electrical cables do not know how to conduct current.
Now, look at the universe. Look at the Milky Way galaxy with 400 billion stars each positioned with precise orbits. Look at human DNA with 3 billion base pairs arranged in a very specific sequence. Look at the water cycle that connects oceans, clouds, rain, rivers, and back to the oceans—a perfect closed system.
If an 80-floor building is impossible without an architect, how is it possible for a universe that is far more complex, far more magnificent, and far more precise to exist without the Designer?
The universe is a “building” far more magnificent than anything man could ever build. And every building is impossible to exist without an Architect.
These two analogies—the soldier-commander and the building-architect—complement each other. The first analogy proves that there must be a First Cause. The second analogy proves that the First Cause must be an All-Wise Essence, not merely “blind energy” or “random matter.”
8. Absolute Conclusion: Al-Khaliq Al-Azali Must Exist
Dear reader, the journey of our mind has reached its peak.
Because the first possibility (Tasalsul / created by another) has been rationally dismissed, and the second possibility (created itself) has been dismissed by logical absurdity, then our mind is forced—absolutely, with no other way out—to submit to the only remaining possibility:
The Creator must necessarily be AZALI.
Because He is Azali, it means He was not created by anyone. Because He is Azali, it means He is not limited (ghairu mahdud). Because He is not limited, it means He is not weak—He is All-Powerful (Al-Qawiyyu). Because He is not limited, it means He does not need anyone—He is Absolutely Independent (Ash-Shamad).
This Essence—The Most Azali, The Most Creative, The Most Independent, who needs no one—is what must exist (Wajibul Wujud). He is Al-Khaliq, whom in Islam we know by the name Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala.
And there is no surah in the Qur’an that summarizes this entire rational conclusion more perfectly, more concisely, and more beautifully than Surat Al-Ikhlas—four verses that constitute the most comprehensive declaration of tawhid ever uttered by the human tongue:
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ . اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ . لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ . وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
“Say, ‘He is Allah, [who is] One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born. Nor is there to Him any equivalent.’”
(QS. Al-Ikhlas [112]: 1-4)
Let us analyze this surah and see how each of its verses directly answers every stage of the logic we have just traversed in Thariqul Iman:
| Verse of Al-Ikhlas | Tawhidi Meaning | Answer to the Stage of Thariqul Iman |
|---|---|---|
| اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ — “Allah is One” | Absolute oneness in Essence, attributes, and actions. There is no god but Him. | Answers that the Creator is ONE. There are not two or more Creators, because that would negate the order of the universe (see QS. Al-Anbiya [21]: 22). |
| اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ — “Allah, the Eternal Refuge” | Everything depends upon Him. He depends on no one. | Refutes the attribute of muhtaj (needing) in creatures. Allah is Absolutely Independent—does not need oxygen, does not need food, does not need space. |
| لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ — “He neither begets nor is born” | He has no child, no parent, no origin. | Directly refutes Tasalsul. He was not created by anyone. He is not part of the chain of causality. |
| وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ — “Nor is there to Him any equivalent” | There is not a single creature that can be equated with Him in Essence, attributes, or actions. | Proves that the Creator is totally different from creatures. He is Azali, creatures are hadits. He is ghairu mahdud (unlimited), creatures are mahdud (limited). |
Surat Al-Ikhlas is not merely a religious dogma that must be accepted dogmatically. It is the highest rational conclusion that we have just reached through a systematic, honest, and transparent method of reason. Every verse in this surah directly answers one logical stage that we have traversed together.
This is faith born from reason. Faith that is one hundred percent rational, unshaken by any philosophical doubt, and does not need scientific theories that may be revised again tomorrow. This is a conviction that stands on the most solid foundation that man can possess: facts that can be sensed and laws of reason that cannot be refuted.
اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ ۚ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ
“Allah—there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth.”
(QS. Al-Baqarah [2]: 255 — Ayat al-Kursi)
9. Rational Critique of Materialism, Atheism, and the Claim “Matter is Azali”
Dear reader, with this very solid method of Thariqul Iman, we now possess a sharp intellectual weapon to refute the claims of Materialism, Atheism, Communism, and all ideologies that deny the existence of the Creator.
Let us first hear what they say, then we will answer with clear reason.
Main Claim of Materialism/Atheism
The materialists and atheists generally say this:
“This universe was not created by God. Matter (matter/physical substance) in this universe is what is azali—eternal without beginning. Everything, including human life and consciousness, originates from matter that processes randomly (random) through evolution over billions of years. There is no Creator. There is no purpose. There is no meaning other than what we create ourselves.”
This is a claim that sounds “scientific” to the ears of laypeople. But once we test it with the method of Thariqul Iman that we have just traversed, this claim collapses like a house of cards blown by the wind.
First Refutation: Matter is Limited, Therefore Impossible to Be Azali
We have already proven in Section 3 that the universe—which is none other than a collection of matter—is Limited (Mahdud).
Let us look at facts that can be sensed by anyone:
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Matter in the universe continuously changes its form. Ice melts into water. Water evaporates into vapor. Vapor condenses into rain. Something that changes its form shows that it is subject to laws outside itself. It is not independent. It does not control itself.
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Stars in the sky explode into supernovas, then collapse into white dwarfs or black holes. Objects that can be destroyed and changed are not azali objects.
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Energy in the universe undergoes entropy—continuous depletion. The Second Law of Thermodynamics even in modern science states that usable energy in the universe is continuously decreasing. The universe is heading toward “heat death.” Something that is heading toward destruction is not something azali.
The logical rule is simple and non-negotiable:
Something that changes its form, is limited in size, and mutually needs (muhtaj) the existence of other parties—is IMPOSSIBLE to be Azali.
Because the matter of this universe is proven to be limited and changing, then the claim of the atheists that “matter is azali” is a claim that contradicts sound mind and sensory reality. Not merely wrong—but nonsensical.
Second Refutation: Matter Does Not Possess Will and Reason
The materialists also claim that life, consciousness, and human intelligence emerge from “random material processes.” That from matter without reason, suddenly a creature with reason appears.
But this contains a fatal internal contradiction. Matter does not possess will (iradah). Matter does not possess reason. Matter does not possess the ability to design.
How is it possible for something without reason (blind matter) to produce something with reason (man)? How is it possible for something without will (atoms moving randomly) to produce something with will and purpose (man who has dreams)?
The logical rule:
Something that does not possess attribute X is impossible to be the main cause of the emergence of attribute X in something else.
Something without reason cannot create very precise order without an All-Wise Regulator behind it. The order of the universe—from the precise orbits of planets to the genetic code of DNA containing information equivalent to millions of pages of books—cannot possibly be born from “blind chance.”
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَالْفُلْكِ الَّتِي تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنْفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مِنْ مَاءٍ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ دَابَّةٍ وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ وَالسَّحَابِ الْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ
“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day and the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people and what Allah has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every [kind of] moving creature, and [His] directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and the earth are signs for a people who use reason.”
(QS. Al-Baqarah [2]: 164)
This verse is the most comprehensive verse in the Qur’an that mentions nine signs of Allah’s greatness in one sequence—and closes it with the phrase li-qaumin ya’qilun (for people who reason). Allah does not ask you to believe blindly. He presents facts that you can observe yourself, then challenges you to draw logical conclusions.
Table 7: The Collapse of Atheism/Materialism’s Arguments Before Reason
| Atheism/Materialism Claim | Fact of Sensory Reason | Logical Conclusion |
|---|---|---|
| Matter in the universe is eternal (azali). | Matter is proven to constantly change form: ice melts, stars explode, energy depletes (entropy). | Something that changes and can be destroyed is not Azali. Matter is hadits (new). |
| The universe has no limit (infinite). | The universe consists of planets and stars each of which has a limited size. | A collection of limited things necessarily produces a result that is limited. The universe is mahdud. |
| Life emerges from matter that processes by chance. | Matter has no will, reason, or ability to design. The order of nature is very precise. | Something without reason is impossible to create order without an All-Wise Regulator. |
| There is no Creator, the universe exists by itself. | Every hadits (new) is impossible to exist without a muhdits (initiator). The universe is hadits. | The universe must have a Creator who initiated it from nothingness. |
If matter is not azali, then it is hadits (new/has a beginning). And if it is new, it MUST need Al-Khaliq (The Creator) who brought it into being from nothingness.
The entire ideological edifice of atheism and communism collapses before one simple fact that can be proven by anyone: The limitation of the universe.
أَمْ خُلِقُوا مِنْ غَيْرِ شَيْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الْخَالِقُونَ . أَمْ خَلَقُوا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ۚ بَلْ لَا يُوقِنُونَ
“Were they created by nothing, or were they the creators [of themselves]? Or have they created the heavens and earth? Rather, they are not certain.”
(QS. At-Tur [52]: 35-36)
The Qur’an does not attack the atheists with threats or curses. It attacks with logical questions that force them to be honest with their own minds. And when their minds are honest, they will realize that the position of atheism has no rational foundation whatsoever.
10. The Fruit of Thariqul Iman: A Conviction That Shakes and Transforms Life
Dear reader, the journey of our mind has reached its peak. Through honest observation of man, life, and the universe—which are all Mahdud (limited), ‘Ajiz (weak), and Muhtaj (mutually needing)—we have arrived at one absolute, irrefutable, and unshakable certainty:
The existence of Al-Khaliq Al-Azali—the Creator who is Pre-Eternal, Absolutely Independent, and Master of All—is obligatory. He is Allah ﷻ.
But know that the faith obtained through this process of Thariqul Iman is not passive faith. It is not faith that is merely uttered by the lips and forgotten by the heart. This is a conviction that shakes the soul, which in Islamic terminology is called At-Tashdiq Al-Jazim—a certain affirmation that changes man’s entire worldview of himself, of the world, and of his Lord.
When a person has found his Lord through his own mind—not because of parental inheritance, not because of social pressure, not because of mere fear, but because his own mind reached this conclusion—then his view of all of life will change revolutionarily.
First Impact: Liberated from Fear of Anything Besides Allah
One who has proven the existence of Allah with his mind will realize one very liberating fact: himself and all humans on this earth are equally weak (‘ajiz).
He will realize that the tyrannical ruler he fears, the boss at the office he is intimidated by, the landowner he submits to, or the military might of the superpower he admires—all are equally creatures that are limited, weak, and needy. They do not possess power of their own. They cannot reject death. They cannot guarantee their own sustenance tomorrow morning.
So he will no longer bow his head to humans. He will not sell his principles because of threats to his position. He will not change his religion because of political or economic pressure. Because he knows—with certainty born from his own mind—that only Allah is All-Powerful (Al-Qawiyyu) and only Allah is Absolutely Independent (Ash-Shamad).
الَّذينَ يُبَلِّغُونَ رِسَالَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَخْشَوْنَهُ وَلَا يَخْشَوْنَ أَحَدًا إِلَّا اللَّهَ ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ حَسِيبًا
“[They are] those who convey the messages of Allah and fear Him and do not fear anyone but Allah. And sufficient is Allah as Accountant.”
(QS. Al-Ahzab [33]: 39)