Yahya, I respect what you're saying (obviously from a knowledgeable position) but I find that to fall back on, 'we can't understand something so great', is all too convenient at times.[/quote]
Peace,
I apologise for my delayed reply!
We cannot understand Allah (God) but we can only understand what Allah (God) chooses to reveal to us. A finite mind cannot and will not ever fully grasp a infinite mind because a finite mind can only contemplate a limited range of thoughts. Likewise, we cannot comphrened God's infinite Will and Wisdom. This is evidently in Surah 2 verse 155:
Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. Perhaps you might've heard of the faith-air analogy.
To use a Holy Book to prove your point is meaningless as I, like many athiests, cannot accept a Holy Book as a legitimate reference as, while containing much knowledge, there is bound to be promotion of superstition & quite simply, I don't believe.
The main question here is, my friend, what are the reasons to reject the Glorious Qu'ran as an illegitimate reference. The main reason why atheists reject Holy Scriptures is 'cause it's either contradictory, or opposses established science. Now, Allah SWT said:
Will they not ponder the Qur'an? If it had been from other than God, they would have found many inconsistencies in it.(Sura an-Nisa': 82)
Here, you're challegend to find a contradiction in the Qu'ran. Perhaps you may've come across the term falsification test which basically subjects any theories to a number of tests (proposed by the theory inventor) in order to see if it's logical. Similiary, the Qur'an demands the same method. If this Qur'an is not what it claims to be, then do these certain steps in order to prove that it's false. And yet no one has been able to produce a single chapter or find a contradiction for the last 1400 years. It's in the human nature to eagerly accept such a challenge. If I claimed that this article is perfect and it doesn't contain a single error, if so, find one if you can. I'm pretty positive that you'd not sleep 'till you found a error. This is the exact same way that the Qu'ran is approaching mankind. The first Scripture to every lay such a challenge and yet no human could ever succeed.
While you talk of 'literacy', it could just as easily be the 'believers' who are so illiterate that they cannot see reality for complex superstition.
Islam repeatedly encourages mankind to reflect and use their intelligence. It directs the mind to seek out the wisdom and subtleties behind its legislations. So thus, if one studies the creation of God, he/she will be bound to accept that there is a creator, hence why many of the greatest scientists were firm believers in God and had this passion to study His creation.
I mean, while Muslims may have complete faith in God, I have complete faith in my beliefs. Too often is it implied that if you can't come to terms with 'the existence of God' then you are somehow blinded. This argument however, as I think you will well know, is one that is also presented by athiests.
I'm in no way tryin' to degrade your beliefs. You've your beliefs and I've mine, however, I'd like to present the Islamic perspective and thus would like keep this discussion in perspective. Islam is not based on fideism but allowes you to reason and use your intellect. We cannot perceive air nor can we understand it, but we strive to understand it. This is similiar to faith.
Duke wrote:
So mr. Bucaille isn't exactly 100% trustworthy.
I still cannot grasp how you came to the conclusion that Bucaille isn't credible. The site merely discusses that many Muslims mis-represent the purpose of the Qur'an by statin' that it's an scientific book while it's a book of guidance. No Muslims would deny that the Qur'an contains scientific realities but by claimin' that it's an scientific book is simply incorrect.
If a deity set things in motion (f.e. through a "Big Bang"), and then kicked back and let nature/science run it's magic to establish order, i'd have peace with that. What i am so fully against is the notion of a deity doing all sorts of magical things without a scrap of proof. Feel what i'm saying? Like, creating the Earth in X days, and then God snapped his fingers and lo and behold, man was made. That i consider bullshit. Why? Because there's no proof at all.
Unfortunaley, you're mixin' the Biblical Scripture with the Glorious Qur'an. Furthermore, you're tryin' to imagine God and his Ways by merely usin' your finite imagination. Allah (God) said he created the universe in 6 days, (the term used in the Qu'ran is epoch) but we experienced 13.5 billion years on Earth. As you may be aware, Einstein was able to prove that time is actually dependent on mass and velocity. The Qur'an included time bein' relative which also clarifies the matter that this material earth has experienced six great epochs of evolution. The Qur'anic account of creation is the most logical and sensible. I strongly urge you to read the book of Dr.Maurice Bucaille (former Christian) and try to see if it makes sense to you.
However, if God instigated a Big Bang and made a grand scheme to have little bacterias evolve into man, damn, that'd be dope! Evolutionism and creationism combined in one. Then that is something i could believe in.
Big Bang did occur as described in the Qur'an, however, it doesn't acknowledge the concept of a bacteria evolvin' in to a man. Nevertheless, the Qur'an agrees with evolution of animals.
“And Allah has created Every animal from water.” [Al-Qur’aan 24:45]
Peace
