FAQ in the category of Belief

Faith has six pillars: To have faith in God, in the Hereafter, in angels, in Holy Books, in prophets, in Qadar (Predestination and Decree). In order for somebody to be a Believer, he needs to have faith in all of these six pillars. A person who has no faith even in one of them cannot be a Believer because the pillars of faith are related with each other.

1- Faith in God:

The first of the pillars of faith is to have faith in God. A Muslim, first, believes that God does exist and is One; this universe is a work of His. He has no partner or match either in His Person, or in His attributes, and His actions. His attributes do not resemble those of the creatures.

All beings have the signs of the existence of God and of His Oneness.

He is pre and post-eternal, and is free of time, space, change, neediness, inability, and defect. There can be no beings having these qualities.

All of God’s attributes cover everything. Everything rests on His will. Just as He has names such as ar-Rahman (the Merciful), ar-Rahim (the Compassionate), al-Ghafur (the Forgiver), He also has names such as al-Qahhar (the Subduer), al-Jabbar (the Most Powerful), and al-Muntaqim (the Avenger). He treats those who have faith in Him with His grace. And He inflicts torture upon the people of unbelief and rebellion.

Only God can be worshipped. The worldly and eternal bliss of people come true only by obeying His commands and prohibitions. This is a divine law; there can be no alteration in this.

Human mind cannot grasp the person, essence and truth of God properly for the mind is a creature and limited. The person and attributes of God Almighty are infinite. That the one that is limited cannot cover the one that is infinite is a clear truth. In other words, whatever you think of God is not actually Him.

God has no partner in His Person; He has no partner in His actions, either. He is the only Creator, Possessor, and Ruler. Just as it is He who creates the causes, it is again Him who creates the results from the causes; just as it is Him who creates the tree, it is again Him who creates the fruit as well.

Praise and worship, thanks and extolling must be offered to Him. Just as believers only worship Him, they also ask for assistance from Him,

“You alone do we worship and You alone do we seek help.” (al-Fatiha, 1:5)

When they commit a sin, they directly ask Him for forgiveness, for nothing but God (SWT) can pardon the sins men commit against Him.

2- Faith in Angels:

Another pillar of faith is to have faith in angels. God Almighty has incorporeal beings called angels. These beings glorify Allah Almighty; besides, they perform other duties consigned to them. These beings, who never rebel against Allah, are not subject to testing; their natures are pure, they are sinless and their places (before Allah) are stable.

Allah Almighty, Who has made a number of feelings occur in human body, the microcosm of this material world, such as love, fear, curiosity, has not left this wonderful universe empty; He has let angels surround it.

3- Faith in Books:

One of the pillars of faith is to have faith in Divine Books. Although man knows the existence and Oneness of Allah Almighty through reason, he cannot know what His orders and prohibitions are, how he can perform his duty of worship for Him, in short, what God Almighty is pleased with, and not. For this reason, Allah Almighty sent down the Divine Books. One hundred of the Divine Books came in the form of scriptures while the four came in the form of books. These four Divine Books, in sequence, are the Psalms of David, the Torah, the Bible, and the Quran.

A Muslim is obliged to believe in those pillars completely. With the advent of the Quran, the other Divine Books have been removed from the field of practice. Having come to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the Holy Quran has come to our age without changing even a single letter. Thus, God Almighty’s undertaking, “We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption)” (al-Hijr, 15:9) has proven true.

4- Faith in Prophets:

Another pillar of faith is to have faith in prophets. That God Almighty warns people with a prophet, who is himself a human being, is a divine law.

The prophethood is an enormous necessity and a great gift for man. God Almighty showed man the ways of guidance through these guiders and leaders.

The duty of prophets is to announce the commands that they receive through revelation and inspiration to the humankind and to show them the ways of both worldly and eternal bliss. These persons have two aspects; servitude, and messengership. In terms of servitude, they obey the commands and prohibitions of God Almighty perfectly; in this respect, they set a model for humanity. In terms of messengership, they announce the truth to people.

Prophets are creatures and servants of God. Muslims are expected to believe all of the prophets. Once they deny the prophethood of any of them, they step out of the field of Islam. For example, a person cannot be a believer unless he believes in the prophethood of Moses (PBUH) and of Jesus (PBUH) etc. Their prophethood is clear in the Quran. To have faith in them is a requirement of faith in Books and prophets.

The first of prophets is Adam (PBUH) and the final one is Muhammad (PBUH). The institution of prophethood has ended with the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). In this respect, the Prophet Muhammad is called the Seal of Prophets.

As the verse, “We have not sent thee but as a universal (Messenger) to men” (Saba, 34:28) states, the Prophet Muhammad was sent not to a tribe but to the whole of the universe.

As the verse, “We sent thee not, but as a mercy for all creatures” (al-Anbiya, 107) declares, Muhammad (PBUH) has always been a bounty and an eternal mercy for all beings.

5- Faith in the Hereafter:

One of the most important pillars of faith is to have faith in resurrection after death and in the life in the Hereafter. God Almighty, who bestows both material and heavenly bounties upon them in this worldly life, will be bestowing again both material and heavenly infinite bounties upon His servants who passed the test on earth.

God, who resuscitates all dead plants in the spring, certainly will resuscitate dead people in the Hereafter. This is the requirement of his mercy and justice.

6- Faith in Predestination and Decree:

One of the pillars of faith is to have faith in Qadar (Predestination and Decree). Qadar is examined in two ways. The first; the ordaining and creation of all beings in the knowledge of God in terms of person, shape, and all features. This field is out of testing.

As for the second, it is related to man’s will power. God creates whatever man prefers and does, be it good or evil, with his will power,. The man is accountable for this second part. Paradise and Hell are the fruits of this right of preference granted to man.

Ever since the first human being Adam (peace be upon him), humanity has walked through two opposite paths and this will continue until the Day of Judgment. One of those paths is faith and conversion. The other path is blasphemy and going astray.

When looked through the light of fairness and conscience, it can be obvious that all the beauty, the good, the perfections, the tranquility, and the happiness are in the path of faith. All the ugliness, the destruction and the aggression is in the path of blasphemy.

This polarization and opposition in the outer world also takes place in the human’s inner worlds. There is conflict with feelings and emotions. The heart, the mind, and the conscience urge humans into the path of faith. The self, the desires and groundless fear lead one to the path of blasphemy. A person’s inner world is the stage to these kinds of conflicts all the time. The person leans to the side, which has more weight.

We will point out the important reasons, which can lead one into blasphemy and going astray:

1. Ignorance

The most important motive, which has led people into blasphemy, is ignorance. The most important reason is ignorance even if the person is a space scientist. The ignorance meant here is the lack of judgment concerning the reasons for the being of all things. In other words, it is thinking simple and superficial.

Another reason for ignorance is bigotry and mocking.This has been one of the biggest obstacles faced by the prophets when they were inviting people to the faith and belief in Divine Unity. They seriously struggled with the bigotry of the people and their insensible adherence to their ancestor’s perverted beliefs. The Quran has emphasized this and it stresses that it is wrong.

They asked Amr Ben As: “You are a smart person. What took you so long to accept Islam?” His answer is thoughtful and it sheds light on this topic:

“We used to live in a community where the old and experienced previous generation had the say. They followed a path between mountains facing each other. We followed them until we got there. They denied the Prophet (PBUH) and we denied him also. We never thought about what we did. We just imitated them. When they died, we were left to think for ourselves. When we looked at the prophet and saw the truth in it, the love of Islam came to our hearts…”

This has not changed today’s world. The contemporary deniers take some person whom they believe is superior to them and they blindly follow the principles, doctrines, and ideologies of that person.

2. Arrogance and Vanity

Arrogance is the second obstacle for people from going down the path of faith. It is the reason why Satan deviated from Gods path and he was expelled from God’s mercy.

Arrogance is the feeling to see oneself superior. Arrogance should be used, on behalf of God, for being superior to the deniers and not bowing for anybody to protect the glory of faith. Thoughtlessness and absentmindedness, though, causes people to go astray and rebel against God and His prophet (PBUH). Likewise, it was the arrogance of Nimrod and the Pharaohs that made them claim greatness against God. In addition, arrogance made Abu Jahal claim superiority against Muhammad (PBUH).

3. Emotional Blunders and Wrong Evaluations (Enharaf)

Another reason people go into blasphemy is the blunder of emotions called Enharaf. It is similar to seeing an object in water as broken, judging by that and basing ones opinions on that. Bediuzzaman states this in the following way:

“Since by nature man is noble, he seeks the truth. Sometimes he encounters the false, but supposing it to be the truth preserves it in his heart. Then, when delving into reality, without his willing it, misguidance strikes him on the head; supposing it to be reality, he plunges his head into it.“

There are many reasons why a person would make the Enharaf mistake that leads him to denial. Some of the important ones are:

a- Engaging constantly in the material world problems estranges people from the spirituality. It makes people blind to the faith truths.

b- An important reason to be mistaken and deny is comparing God Almighty to His creations. Everything was created by Him. The master will not look like his works and so the Creator of this universe will not resemble the universe.

c- Dismissing that mind may not be able to grasp the true nature of faith issues due to their exalted status. Knowing the existence of something is one thing, knowing its true nature is another thing. There are many things in this universe, which we do not know the true nature of them whereas we are sure of their existence. Not knowing the true nature of something does not entitle us to deny its existence. Similarly, not knowing the true nature of God Almighty, the angels, Heaven and Hell does not allow us to deny their existence.

d- The abundance of the nonbelievers and their consensus of denying on faith issues is another reason why people go astray. The important thing, however, is not in quantity. While animals are much more in numbers compared to humans, humans hold sway over them.

e- Not referring to the views of the experts in the area… No matter how well learned a person is in a certain field; his/her words are not valid in another field in which he/she is not well informed. For example, a good engineer’s opinions are not valid in diagnosing a medical illness. The same is true for spiritual concepts. The denials of certain people are not valid because they are alienated from spiritual concepts, their minds have descended to their eyes, and their perception in spiritual subjects has decreased substantially to the fact that they engaged in material things too much. The 124 thousand prophets, led by Muhammad (PBUH) and the religious scholars through the centuries are experts in the faith related issues. Their words are valid in those areas.

4. Addiction to sins

Every sin committed, makes a wound in the heart and soul of humans and it starts to darken the light of faith. As people insist on sinning, their hearts loose the light of faith altogether. Therefore, there is a path to the denial of God in every sin.

If the sin is not cleaned with repentance right away, it might cover the whole heart and lead into blasphemy.

In his work entitled “The Religious Sentiment and the Child Psychology”, the Swiss psychologist Pierre Bovet writes that all children at a certain age have a natural religion which is peculiar to them, in other words, a religion, which is in their nature innately. In the formation of these preliminary beliefs, the individual’s conscience, comprehension, and imagination play a role along with the society itself. The child himself probably determines the content of religious concepts that he acquires from the society. Yet in the course of time, he sees the discrepancies between the society and himself and adopts new ways. As our Glorious Prophet (PBUH) states,

“All children are born on the Islamic nature; afterwards, their parents make them adopt this and that religion.”

Many scientists and thinkers have made researches about “the innate religion” of children. One of them is American philosopher William James. In order to catch the natural religious senses in that child without any interference, he examined the memories and behaviors of a deaf and dumb child named Ballard, who did not receive any sort of instructions until the age of eleven. The child, who received quite a good education afterwards, summarized his pre-education “metaphysical thoughts” and feelings as follows:

“We sometimes went out for a walk with Daddy. The scenery and landscape impressed me. I was speech-impaired and did not know how to write. I asked myself:

“How did the world come into existence?”, “How did man start to live?”, “How did plants and other beings come into existence?”, “What causes the world, the sun, and the moon to exist?”, “How did this world of beings come into existence?”, “Who makes me think of all these questions?”, “How did the first human being, animal, plant without a seed, come into existence?”, “Where are we coming from and going to?”, “How was the beginning of the universe?” I was unable to find an answer especially to this question. I would think of it; then, I would give it up, and then after a while I would turn to the same matter.” (See. Pierre Bovet, the Religious Sentiment and the Child Psychology, p: 71-72).

Many other psychologists have researched this matter and reached approximately the same conclusions. Thus, it has been made clear that those children have been directing their attention to the universe and nature since early ages and asking the questions the examples of which we have given above. This is man’s nature. As is seen, these questions set not only thinkers and philosophers but also children, young people, and adults into thinking.

The Holy Quran narrates beautifully the story of the great prophet, Abraham (PBUH), how he as a child directed his attention to nature and the universe to seek his Creator in the stars, in moon, and in the sun, and then taking wings and “going beyond of beyond.”

(see Gerçeğe Doğru, Vol. III, Zafer Publications)

The word unbelief is the opposite of faith.The world of the unbeliever is full of darkness. Because unbelief severs man’s connection with God. A person severing his relation with God lives in the darkness both in his heart, in his spirit and also in his mind. The Qur’an describes the world of the unbeliever as follows:

“Or (the Unbelievers' state) is like the depths of darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with billow topped by billow, topped by (dark) clouds: depths of darkness, one above another: if a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it!” (the Qur’an, The Light (An-Nur); 40 (24: 40))

Unbelief is an insult towards all being things because every living thing worships God. Every one of them is a dominical letter, a mirror to the glory of God and a servant of God. Since unbelief veils those aspects and reduces them to the level of futility and being the playthings of chance, it is an infinite crime and it necessitates an infinite punishment.

The faculties and attributes existing in man make God known either by themselves or by their opposites. For example, man has been given the attribute of seeing and hearing. So, by that attribute it is comprehended that God is the One who sees and hears everything. However, His hearing is not like ours. By those attributes existing in us, we know that God sees and hears. However, we cannot comprehend the essence of that seeing and hearing. By their limited minds, human beings are very far away from comprehending in the strict sense the Divine attributes, which have infinite perfect.on. It is of course impossible for man who has infinite impotence to comprehend an infinite power. Mind can only approve the existence of that power and marvels at its actions.

Although man, who watches the manifestations of the infinite power with wonder, should have the same attitude towards the infinite knowledge and wisdom, it is observed that most people cannot succeed it. Soul, feelings, lack of knowledge and infirmity of mind interfere. And man may choose the way of objection and rebellion instead of submission and resignation before the Divine actions whose wisdom he cannot comprehend.

God has given man a faculty of will and has set him free in the way he wishes to go. Our will is a very important wealth for us in order to know God’s attribute of will and believe in him.

Almighty God, who is the Maker of the universe and the beings in it, has created that universe for very serious purposes. The Qur’an declares it as follows:

“Not for (idle) sport did we Create the heavens and the earth and all that is between!” (the Qur’an, The Prophets (Al-Anbiya); 16 (21: 16))

“And We created not the heaven and the earth and all that is between them in vain.” (the Qur’an, Sa’d; 27 (38: 27))

All living things glorify and benedict God through their particular tongues. They fulfill the tasks assigned to them with great pleasure and enthusiasm. For example, the sun continues its way in the orbit appointed to it without lagging even one minute. The rivers flow into seas with an exuberance. Animals put under humans’ order serve them with perfect obedience.

Human beings and jinn have a different state among those living things fulfilling the Divine orders. Indeed, as required by the verse “I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me.” (the Qur’an, The Winds That Scatter (Az-Zariyat); 56 (51: 56)), they are also responsible for worshipping. However, they are free to do it or not.

That different state of human beings and jinn arise from the will given to them. They can prefer the belief or the unbelief, the good or the bad, the favorable or the unfavorable, the obedience or the disobedience… by that will.

Almighty God states it as follows:

“Say, the truth is from your Lord: let him who will, believe, and let him who will, reject (it).” (the Qur’an, The Cave (Al-Kahf); 29 (18: 29))

“We showed him the Way: whether he be grateful or ungrateful (rests on his will).” (the Qur’an, Man (Al-Insan); 3 (76: 3))

Major or minor, every deed of man, who is the vicegerent of God on the earth, is recorded by the appointed angles. The Qur’an states it as follows:

“And most surely there are keepers over you, kind and honorable, writing down (your deeds): They know what you do.”(the Qur’an, The Cleaving (Al-Infitar); 10-12 (76: 10-12))

“It was We Who created man, and We know what dark suggestions his soul makes to him: for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein. When the two Receivers receive (him), seated on the right hand and on the left, Not a word does he utter but there is a sentinel by him, ready (to note it).”(the Qur’an, Qaf; 16-18 (50: 16-18))

The important rank of man and the fact that he will see the returns of the deeds he has performed in the world necessitate such a recording. As you see, members of the media do not go around with ordinary persons but follow a person who has a high rank like the Prime Minister like a shadow; they notice everything he does and record every word he recites; likewise, every act of man, who is the vicegerent of Allah on the earth, is written down by the angles and his every word is recorded.

Man, who realizes that everything he does on the stage of the world is recorded by the angels, says: “I am not free and independent; I am a traveler with duties.” (Said Nursi, The Risale-i Nur Collection, The Rays, The Eleventh Ray) and he tries to adopt good poses. And he always remembers those Divine reminders:

“Does Man think that he will be left uncontrolled, (without purpose)?” (the Qur’an, The Resurrection (Al-Qiyamah); 36 (75: 36))

“What! Did you then think that We had created you in vain and that you shall not be returned to Us?” (the Qur’an, The Believers (Al-Mu’minun); 115 (23: 115))

“Faith cannot be separated into parts”. In other words, the truths of faith are a whole, even not to have faith in one of them is enough to make man disbeliever. A believer who believes in God (SWT) must believe in the Holy Qur’an too, so that he may be able to know his Sustainer on the right path. Man through his mind is only able to know that there is One Who created him and this universe but is not able to know about His attributes, actions, names, His orders and prohibitions, the realm of eternity, the ways to Paradise, as long as God (SWT) does not let him know. Then it is impossible to think God (SWT) and the Qur’an apart. One who believes in the Qur’an is supposed to believe as well as in the prophethood of Muhammad (PBUH) and Gabriel (PBUH), the angel of revelation. This is the greatest step for the faith in prophets and angels. A person who believes in the Qur’an and prophets also believes in all truths and embraces every worship that the Qur’an has informed and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has taught.

The group of people who could be free from divine torment by believing in God (SWT) are the ones who lived in the Era of Chaos (Specifically this era refers to a period of time between Jesus (PBUH) and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) when no prophet came to the world but in a general sense, this term can be applied to any period when no prophet came), who were unaware of any prophets, who were not announced about revelation, and do not know how to worship. If there are this kind of people in our age, it might be enough for them to believe in that One created them. We are not obliged to make the people of our age like the ones lived in the Era of Chaos but to tell them about the true faith by looking for them.

Gerçeğe Doğru C:3 (Towards the Truth C:3), Zafer Publications

It may most often lead to false understanding and evaluation of the phenomena-taking place around us to see and take them superficially. When looked afar, mirage is seen as water in desert. When we look at the heavens, the sun is seen to be moving and the Earth to be staying still; however, in reality it is the Earth that moves and the sun that stays still. Just like that, as a star is seen as a candle light, there are untold truths that escape complete understanding when regarded afar.

Staying indifferent and not paying due attention to the divine truths also cause them to appear veiled. In a situation we define as unwariness, man cannot see the fine system, perfect order, complete accord, and the fascinating beauty that surround the Universe.

For example, he cannot understand that this Universe is maintained systematically with ease and in a precise accord just like a factory. He cannot reflect upon that the creatures lead their lives thanks to the air, that day and night, and seasons come one after another with purpose, that rain comes in drops not in buckets, and that dangerous sun lights are filtered in the atmosphere.

He cannot ponder on the artful creation of various trees from all the seeds, and on the purposeful creation of various creatures from all the sperms and eggs. He cannot realize that though thousands of leaves and flowers that are created repeatedly in every spring resemble one another in terms of form, they are different from each other with fine nuances.

He cannot comprehend the differences of animals in creation, their various feelings and organs, their systematic nourishment, their birth, development and death.

All in all, he cannot understand that the limitless power the reflections of which are seen in this world comes from a possessor of might and power, endless knowledge from a possessor of knowledge, the perfect order from an orderer, and prevailing performance, from a performer; all the beneficial sides of creatures from a possessor of wisdom.

One who superficially gazes at the Universe, which is the place of reflection of the names of God, cannot discern the divine purposes. He becomes ignorant of the existence and oneness, greatness and power of God. He cannot discover the real reasons of the entities and events in the Universe, and why they are created.

- “Believing” means to be convinced for sure of something’s trueness. A person who believes in something which is proved by certain proofs cannot have a luxury of preferring to believe or not. For example, it is impossible for a person to overlook the sun he sees in an unclouded midday; He cannot have a hesitation such as, “should I believe it or not?” Like this, hesitating to believe in an illuminating truth like the sun and which is also seen by the eye of reasoning is a sign of ignorance.

The belief of Islam is based on believing in God and the hereafter. Truly believing in them only comes to fruition by believing in that the prophet Muhammad is the apostle of God and the Qur’an is the true word of God. According to this, the primary resource is the Qur’an because’ the Qur’an is both a book that we can touch and see with our bodily eyes and also a treasure of miracles that we perceive His heavenly, divine identity with the eye of reasoning and heart. In that case, believing in Islam means believing in what the Qur’an says.

- When a student who ignores the importance of studying and the bitter consequences of failing the class, he spends his days with his friends by amusement and entertainment.  

Overlooking the truths and forgetting the phases of accounting and torture starting after by death may give temporary pleasures in this transient world. They are like “poisonous honey”.    

-The Qur’an informs the following many times in its hundreds of verses with certainty and clearly: if a person who believes in the religion of Islam acts according to his/her belief, he/she will have an immortal happy life in Paradise, which is a realm of the hereafter, and will never die and have any sorrow. On the other hand, he who does not believe in the truths that Islam puts forth will be imprisoned in Hell forever.

Is it possible for a really believing person to overlook these two truths: that is, the result of believing is going to Paradise and the result of disbelief is eternal torture and to say, “I do not care, never mind; these things do not interest me; I enjoy my life; I do not want myself to be disturbed by thinking these things”.

Is it not incredible of a person to fear from a two-day imprisonment and finding it necessary to leave the important pleasures and joys of his soul aside but to remain insensitive in the face of the imprisonment of Hell? Whose reasoning makes it possible for a person to work for this very short life by day and night and meet challenges but not to walk on the way that gains an eternal realm like Paradise?

It is an unchanging principle of human nature to evaluate and perceive events according to the judgment that rule in his heart and mind. For example, a pessimistic individual evaluates and perceives everything from a pessimistic point of view and his life is shaped according to it. On the other hand, an optimistic individual looks at everything from an optimistic point of view and evaluates the life according to it. Red glasses let us see the environment as red; similarly, black glasses also let us see the environment as black.

Since an unbeliever sees the universe as meaningless, null and as a game of coincidence, everything seems gloomy and painful to him. And since a believer knows that everything is meaningful, beneficial and under the control of God’s care and command, everything is seems lovable and peaceful to him.

If there had not been the light of belief brought by Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) and Islam, humanity would not have been able to analyze and understand the events take place in the universe. Thus, humanity would have been in extreme darkness and despair.

For example, an individual who has no belief in the hereafter sees the death as nullity and nonexistence. He also sees the grave as pit of nonexistence. On the other hand, an individual who has light of belief sees the death as a beginning of an eternal realm and the grave as an entrance of an eternal happiness. He does not see death as a terrific source of separation but as a means of rejoining with friends and relatives.

An unbeliever sees unpleasant things and poverty, which is valid in the entire universe, like a funeral house where there is mourning and grieving. He perceives everything and every creation as a hostile person and a stranger. The eye of the heart which is illuminated with the light of belief sees the universe not as a grieving and mourning funeral house but a happy soldier of a military post who has completed its duty and returning to his native land. He sees every creation as a soldier of God and an official servant but not as a stranger or a hostile person.

Besides, human is selfless by his nature. That is, human is a social creature who becomes happy with other’s pleasures and suffers by other’s torture. While everyone is in torture, it is impossible for him/her to get pleasure from life.

However, a faithless person sees everything as meaningless and poor things that are doomed to nonexistence; therefore, from his point of view, the universe is like a house of mourning. He sees everybody as crying orphans. In order to be happy in such a psychological mood, it is necessary to silence the mind and the feelings like an animal or to have a cold heart that does not heed the painful people around. Since both cases are impossible, it is not possible to reach real happiness through denial and faithlessness.

A person who feels disturbed by the sparkling lights and colors of the sun and closes his eyes, causes it to be a night only for himself.

- We should not forget that Hazrat Prophet, who could not make Abu Talib, his uncle, be a believer, was warned and consoled by Allah through the following verse: ”It is true thou wilt not be able to guide everyone whom thou lovest: but Allah guides those whom He will and He knows best those who receive guidance.” (al-Qasas, 28/56)

It is true that Paradise needs people and Hell also needs people. Paradise is not cheap; Hell is not unnecessary. We will do our best but we should not forget that it is Allah who will give people guidance.

“Everybody is ignorant”, Will Rogers says, “Yet they just have different branches.” For example, mining engineering is a branch of ignorance for a doctor, likewise, medicine for a mining engineer. As for religious branches, they constitute a common branch of ignorance for most people today. Unfortunately, most of us are inclined to ignore this fact. That is why the titles in front of some names deceive us and force us to look for crumbs of knowledge and any value in their denial. 

As the name itself suggests it, denial means not to recognize, not to know, and to reject. These are the verbs that suggest lack. Lack has no knowledge. Rejection in this respect is the expression and result of ignorance, not of knowledge. Hence, no matter how a person may be knowledgeable in any fields, it is not possible for him to compensate his ignorance, about which he does not know, for his present knowledge; for it is not possible to make judgements in biology with politics.

Denial is easy. A person closes his eyes and says “... does not exist”. In this respect there is no difference between an Aboriginal person and a chairman, between Abu Caheel (The father of ignorance; This is actually the title of one of the toughest polytheists who harshly opposed the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) lived in Mecca at the same time) and Darwin. To compare their knowledge about the things whose existence they deny is as trivial as to compare a number of zeros in order to understand which is bigger than the rest. Even it is impossible to debate over denial for you cannot reach anywhere by using the non-existing elements of something that does not exist. That is why the people of denial resist in the face of so much of evidence. As William G.McAdoo has it, “Nobody can get the better of an ignorant man in an argument.”

As for faith, whatever level it might be, it is the expression and result of knowledge. The power of faith shows a parallel increase to the level of knowledge. What do I believe in? What kind of Person is He in Whom I have faith? What are His Qualities and Attributes? How does He act around us? How does He create? How does He let us live? What does He expect from me? What can I expect from Him? and How can I get my expectations? The knowledge that these and similar questions bring gives shape to the faith. Announcing that in the Qur’an, “Those truly fear Allah, among His Servants, who have knowledge” (35/28), it is stated that faith is the result of knowledge; and many verses remind that heavens and earth are full of evidence to show God (SWT) “for those who have reason and knowledge.”

Gerçeğe Doğru, (Towards the Truth) C:3, Zafer Publications

Belief is not harmed by asking questions and learning. You can learn anything you want that stick in your mind and bother you. Doubts concerning belief do not harm belief.

Abu Hurayra (RA) narrates: Some companions of the prophet (pbuh) asked him:

Some of us have delusions (waswasa), normally we are sure that uttering these things are considered sin. “The prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

“Are you afraid of this really? Those who were there answered,

“Yes!..” then, He said:

“In fact, this (fear) comes from belief (delusions do not harm)”. (Muslim, Belief 209 (132) Abu Dawud, Adab 118 (5110))

In another narration He said: “Praise to God who turns the trick of Satan into delusion (waswasa)”.

A riwayah of Muslim that was recorded from Ibn Masud is as follows: “They said:

“O apostle of God, some of us have been hearing such inner voices that, instead of uttering them deliberately, we prefer to be burned until the coal ceases or thrown to the earth from skies. (Do these delusions harm us?) The prophet Muhammad (PBUH) answered:

“No, this (fear) is the indicator of pure belief.”

please click on the links given below;

What is Delusion (waswasa)? Could You Inform Us of its Reasons?

How can we get rid of delusion (waswasa)?

Could you give detailed information about delusion? How can I get rid of it?

How can I ease anxiety?

- Yes, a person who says la ilaha illallah muhammadun rasulullah in his last breath and dies enters grave with belief according to Shari’ah in terms of outward appearance.

What you mean by “living in unbelief” may be real unbelief or in sins; a person who utters kalima ash-shahada in his last breath and dies is regarded as a Muslim in either case; his janazah prayer is performed and he is buried in the Muslim cemetery.

The phrase “and if he repents” is a bit ambiguous. For, repentance in the last breath is not accepted. However, even if he does not repent, he is regarded as a believer after he utters kalima ash-shahada. 

To enter grave with belief saves a person from living in Hell forever. However, it does not mean he will not be punished. For, if Allah wishes, He will punish such a person in accordance with his sins and puts him in Paradise after that. Or, He puts him directly in Paradise by forgiving him and without punishing him if He wishes.  

“Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth...” (an-Nisa 4/48)

This fact is underlined in the verse above.

According to a narration, the Prophet (pbuh) said,

“If a person believes sincerely that there is no god but Allah and dies with that belief, he will enter Paradise.”

(Bukhari, h. no: 5827; Muslim, h. no:43/ see also h. no:12; Ibn Hajar, Fathul-Bari, 3/109, 7/149)

Let us give some brief information about philosophy first:

Philosophy is derived from the Greek word “philosophia”. It consists of two words: “philo” and “sophia”. In Greek,“sophia” means “knowledge and wisdom”. The word sophia was used in Greek literature for thinkers and philosophers up to Pythagoras, one of the philosophers of the First Age. That is, the philosophers before him described themselves as people with knowledge and wisdom.

However, Pythagoras said that the only being with knowledge and wisdom in real sense was God and regarded it impossible for man to have absolute knowledge and wisdom; he added the word "philo" before the word "sophia" stating that man could only be the lover of wisdom or knowledge. “Philo” means lover. Therefore, according to Pythagoras, man cannot have knowledge and wisdom in the real sense; so, he can only be the lover of wisdom.

Then, the word philosophy means love of wisdom and knowledge; a philosopher is a person who wants to be experienced and who loves and cares for knowledge. Wisdom, which is one of the basic principles of “Philosophia”, which was accepted as "love of wisdom and knowledge" in the first ages, includes the meanings of both knowledge and virtue. Accordingly, we can deduce the meanings of knowing what happens and discovering what is good from the word philosophy.

Famous Islamic philosopher, Ibn Sina (Avicenna) defines philosophy as follows: “Philosophy means man's having a grasp of objects and all truths as much as he can and trying to understand their secrets.” Philosophers thought everything about man's life based on the mind; thus, they regarded philosophy as an area that researches everything.

There are various views regarding what knowledge and wisdom are like and how to define philosophy. Therefore, it is very difficult to make one definition of philosophy.  However, it will not be wrong to define philosophy as follows by taking into consideration the general properties of philosophy:  “Philosophy is the activity of rational, critical, objective, consistent and comprehensive thinking on everything that exists.” Acting upon this definition, we can list the basic properties of philosophical knowledge as follows:

1. Philosophical knowledge occurs as a result of critical thinking based on research and examination.

2. Philosophical knowledge is knowledge in which the issues that are dealt with are interpreted in a system based on reason. 

3. Philosophical knowledge is a kind of knowledge that proceeds cumulatively.

4. Philosophical knowledge is uniting and integrating.

5. Philosophical knowledge cannot be proved through experimenting or observation like scientific knowledge. It is nor a kind of knowledge whose trueness can be determined clearly due to its continuity and including new interpretations.

The topics that philosophy deals with are divided into three main parts: They are ontology, (existence), epistemology (knowledge) and axiology (values). Accordingly, ontology deals with the existence of the universe, how it came to being and everything in the universe; epistemology deals with the definition, source, criteria, possibilities, area and scope of knowledge, along with logic and science. Axiology is the activity of thinking on the basic issues like ethics, esthetics, politics and education.

After this brief information, let us answer the question.

It is necessary to mention the importance of something: The philosophy that our religion does not find appropriate is the wrong views of life that are on the agenda in this age rather than the philosophical views of the past. They usually lead people to unbelief and irreligiousness. The word philosophy is used for the "exact sciences", which examine the universe with its "literal meaning", examining the works only, without taking the creator into consideration.

The reason why philosophy in this sense is opposed is that people deal with rational sciences only, think that they themselves and this realm are without an owner and that they only work for this world, without thinking about Allah and the hereafter.

In his work called Munazarat (Debates), Badiuzzaman Said Nursi likens the religious sciences and the exact sciences to two wings and emphasizes that “the success of the student will soar with them.” In his work called Lamaat (Gleams), he likens the religious sciences to the black part of the eye and the exact sciences to the white part of the eye; he draws attention to the fact that the eyes function when they come together but the part that actually sees is the black part. Saying, "the light of the mind comes from the heart", he draws attention to the fact that dealing with the mind only by ignoring the heart, which is the place for belief, will leave man in darkness.

The philosophy that is opposed is the philosophy that is based on the mind only, the philosophy that has only one wing and that has no light. Otherwise, no Muslim opposes exact sciences. For, one of his most distinguished features is to see the universe and the things in it as evidence for the existence and oneness of Allah and for the endlessness of his attributes and to make use of these scientific facts to the utmost in order to explain and prove his cause.

People have moved away from spirituality due to dealing with matter too much; they have seen life as only the life in this world and the purpose of life as "living comfortably in welfare". This has made people move away from the religion, attached them to the world and led them to debauchery.

The mental struggle between the prophets who view events based on revelation and the philosophers who base their views on the mind only has continued throughout history. However, in this age of science and technology, there is not a philosophy in the sense of the philosophy in the past; there is a philosophy that regards the exact sciences, which are a product of the mind, as sufficient regarding all issues. The mental discussions of this age are very different from the philosophical currents Before Christ. In this age, some scientists who have moved away from the religion use nature and matter as a means of denying spirituality and have virtually raged a war against the religion. The philosophers who found it enough to utter their philosophical views and did not interfere with others are very different from the unbelieving scientists of this age. Therefore, the meaning of philosophy in the past is very different from that of this age.

Until recently, the currents of "atheism, evolutionism and materialism" were included in the school textbooks in communist countries; they tried painstakingly to bring up an irreligious youth. In the developed countries, "interest, matter and debauchery" started to dominate the community life as a result of the fast development in technology; consequently, a debauched and irreligious generation was brought up. They all occurred because people "moved away from the revelation and adopted the wrong thoughts produced by their own minds".

Accordingly, a Muslim opposes the philosophy that aims unbelief and irreligiousness; a Muslim does not oppose the philosophy that is in good terms with the religion.

What we mean by the heart is not the organ resembling a pinecone. It is a property belonging to the spirit. The mind is not the brain; it is another property belonging to the spirit.

The concept heart used in the Quran has two meanings:

Firstly:  It is the material heart, whose duty is to pump blood all over the body and which is a roundish organ like a pinecone.

Secondly: It is a spiritual divine faculty that includes the functions of the mind, spirit and brain.

As a matter of fact, while explaining the concept of basirah (foresight/prudence) within the framework of sixth sense, Imam Ghazali states that the words like the heart, spiritual light, mind can be used interchangeably and that it is groundless to discuss about determining and identifying them. (see Ihya, 4/289)

The concept heart used by the Quran has a wide scope that includes the spiritual heart called the divine faculty along with the mind and the spirit, which is the center of lofty feelings. As a matter of fact, the word "mind" (aql) is not used in the Quran except in the form of verb. It means the word heart also expresses it. 

The definition of the word heart is not given in the Quran but Islamic scholars expressed different views about the place of the mind and the heart, and the relationship between the mind and the heart in the light of verses of the Quran and hadiths. 

- According to some scholars including Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, the mind is in the heart. That is, the heart is a spiritual mechanism that also includes the mind. Some of the evidences shown by those scholars are as follows:

a. The word heart in the following verse is used in the sense of the mind: "Verily in this is a Message for any that has a heart and understanding or who gives ear and earnestly witnesses (the truth)." (Qaf, 50/37) According to Ibn Hajar, most of the tafsir scholars interpret the word heart in the verse above as the mind. (As examples, see Tabari, Mawardi, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir, Jalalayn, Ibn Ashur, the interpretation of the verse mentioned above)

This statement of the Quran's shows that the mind settles in the heart and that it originates from the heart. (see Ibn Hajar, 1/129)

- According to a narration, Ibn Abbas explained the word heart as the mind. Farra, a famous philologist, supported this view of Ibn Abbas and said heart is used in the sense of mind in Arabic. (see Farra, Baghawi, the interpretation of the verse mentioned above)

b. Another evidence that those who claim that the mind is not in the brain but in the heart is uses is the following hadith also mentioned in the question: "There is a piece of flesh in the human body; if it is good, the whole body becomes good; if it goes bad, the whole body goes bad. Know it very well that it is the heart." (Bukhari, Iman, 39; Muslim, Musakat, 107)

According to the scholars who hold this view, the expressions in the hadith above show that the mind is in the heart. (see Nawawi, the explanation of the hadith mentioned above)

We should say that what is first understood from the apparent meaning of the hadith is the piece of flesh located in the left side of the body pumping blood. For, this heart is described clearly in this hadith. It is a piece of flesh but the healthy operation of the body/biological structure depends on its healthy operation. All of the organs are dependent on the heart. Even death takes place when the heart stops operating. In a sense, the death of the brain takes place as a result of the death of the heart. There is a close positive or negative relation between the heart and the other organs.  In general, the heart is like the sultan of the biological structure. Its orders are valid. This function of the heart's is pointed to in the hadiths. (Mirqatu'l-Mafatih)

According to some scholars like Abu Hanifa, the mind is not in the heart but in the brain. (Nawawi, ibid)

In fact, faculty is the general name given to the spiritual and subtle feelings of man. It is like the opposite of the term device. We can say that it is the general name of all of man's spiritual feelings whose nature he knows or does not know.Heart, spirit, conscience can be given as examples.

Man's material body has a map; similarly, if we liken his spirituality to a body, it also has a spiritual map.  It is difficult to exactly match this spiritual map with the material map but there are some who match them due to their importance. 

For instance, the place of the heart in the material body in terms of importance and function is equal to the heart in the spiritual body. Similarly, the place of the brain in the material body is the same as the place of the mind in the spiritual body.

Therefore, in the hadith, spiritual beings like the mind and spirit are attributed to the heart and brain, which are pieces of flesh. The brain and the heart are the most important organs and sultans of the material body; similarly, the mind and the spirit are like the sultans of the spiritual body.

In terms of representation, the heart represents the spiritual heart and the material body. The brain represents the mind. There is a spiritual connection between them; there might also be a fine material connection that we cannot perceive between them.

After all, what a person who believes in Allah and the Quran needs to do is as follows:

Whatever Allah, His Messenger and the Quran  say is true. If the apparent meanings of some verses and hadiths contradict with the data of the exact sciences, there is definitely something wrong with the interpretations of the Islamic scholars or the scientists. For, the Quran comes from Allah's attribute of speech and the universe comes from Allah's attributes of power and will. The topics of these two books do not contradict by any means. No accurate scientific discovery contradicts with the realities that are put forward by the Quran and that are understood correctly. If there is something wrong, it is because of people's insufficient viewpoints, tiny minds and little knowledge.

In fact, woe to us if we have doubts that will harm our belief due to something that we do not know. It does not comply with belief to believe in the word of a materialistic scientist without any hesitation but to doubt the words of Allah and His Messenger. 

May Allah make us have real and investigative belief.  Amin.

Kalima ash-shahadah is a statement which means to believe and to say that there is no god but Allah and that Hz. Muhammad is His slave and messenger.

Kalima ash-shahadah is the first one of the five basic principles of Islam and it means “the statement of witnessing”.

As a religious term, it is used for the statement “Ashadu an la ilaha illallah wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh”, which means “I believe heartily and state that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and messenger”.

It is also called “kalimatayish-shahada” in some resources; the first part expresses the witnessing related to Allah, who is one with His essence, attributes and deeds, and the second one related to Hz. Muhammad, who is His slave and messenger and who brings commands and news from Allah.

The word “rasuluh” expresses that Hz. Muhammad (pbuh) is Allah’s messenger and that he receives revelation from Him; the word “abduhu” emphasizes he is a slave of Allah and that he must not be deified as Christians did related to Hz. Isa (Jesus).

The verb “ashhadu” expresses knowledge and belief showing certainty. Imam Ghazzali states that kalima ash-shahadah includes four principles: Allah’s essence, attributes, deeds, and the Prophet’s loyalty. (Ghazzali, I, 143)

Kalima ash-shahadah is formed by adding the verb “ashhadu” before kalima at-tawhid, which means “There is no god but Allah”; there is no difference between them in terms of content.

However, kalima ash-shahadah expresses being a member of Islam since it expresses witnessing (belief and expressing it).

Those two sentences are mentioned in the Quran in slightly different forms.

It is stated in the chapter of Aal-i Imran (3/18) that Allah, His angels, and those endued with knowledge witness, standing firm on justice that there is no god but God Almighty.

It is stated in the chapter of an-Nisa (4/166) that Allah and the angels bear witness that what He sent to Hz. Muhammad is from His own knowledge.

Kalima ash-shahadah is mentioned in various places in hadiths. The most important of them is the hadith known as “Jibril hadith”; it mentions the five principles of Islam; the first principle is expressed as ash-shahadah. (Musnad, I, 319; Bukhari, Iman, 2; Muslim, Iman, 1)

The opposite of witnessing is denial. Unbelievers can become believers when they accept the content of kalima ash-shahadah.

Kalima ash-shahadah, which means “the acceptance of the religion of Islam as a whole”, forms the first stage of a person’s entering Islam; thanks to it, a person is regarded as a member of the Islamic ummah and receives all the rights given to Muslims; he also undertakes some responsibilities.

Kalima ash-shahadah;
- is regarded as a sign of the last religion,
- forms the second and third sentences in the adhan that is called five times a day,
- is the last statement of Amantu taxt, which virtually approves the six principles of Amantu,
- is recited into the ear of a new-born child,
- is necessary to utter for a person who wants to become a Muslim,
- is reminded to the Muslims who are about to die so that they will utter it.

References:
Musnad, I, 319; III, 135, 174, 175, 224;
Ghazzali, Iḥyau ʿUlumid-Din, Cairo 1387/1967, I, 143;
Abul-Fida Ibn Kathir, Tafsirul-Qurʾanil-ʿAzim, Istanbul 1986, II, 530;
Tajrid Translation, I, 24; V, 3, 9;
Elmalılı, Hak Dini, II, 1055-1060;
TDV İslam Ansiklopedisi, Kalima ash-shahadah item

We were sitting on a rock, looking at the flowing water...

A friend of mine sitting next to me was silent, immersed in his private world...

I glanced at him and said to myself, “What is he thinking about?”

After watching the bubbles in the water for a while, he looked up and turned to me. I looked at him and saw that a familiar expression appeared on his face. He was going to ask something...

“Tell me,” he said, by expressing all his curiosity through his voice, “Is there a limit to the universe?”

I said, “Definitely.”

“Well, what is beyond that limit?”

“Limitless space... There is no matter beyond, neither time nor space...”

“Is Allah somewhere beyond that limit?”

“No... One should not seek the master within the work... The creator cannot be in the created thing...”

“Then, He must be somewhere beyond the border...”

“Never! He is neither in the universe nor anywhere beyond the border...”

“Well, where is He then?”

In the face of that great question, I kept silent and thought for a long time... He respected my silence and waited without losing his curiosity...

I said, “You have started from a wrong point while asking the question...”

“How?”

“The question “Where” evokes a place. Taking up space is in question for material beings. The question ‘Where?’ asked about Allah is a product of thinking as follows: ‘Allah is like other beings; they occupy a place; so, He must have a place.’ If you consider the being that has endless attributes as a material being, you will make a mistake in the first place and get stuck...”

He said in an uneasy manner, “I hope you will not misunderstand me. I am a believer. That is why I am curious... Man wants to get to know the being he believes in. I am trying to imagine but it does not work...”

“Your imagination is limited. What is limited cannot encompass what is unlimited... Allah is neither matter, nor an object; He does not take up space either... The idea of ​​place is meaningless for a being that is free from matter...”

He kept silent… He looked at the sky and watched the clouds for a while. Then, he said, “We probably we rely too much on our mind ...”

An excerpt from Dr. Furkan Aydıner's interview with an atheist named Thomas:

F: I want to ask you a question I have been wondering for a long time. As an atheist, I want to learn about your perspective on life. Do you have a purpose for your life? What do you live for? What do you think of the afterlife of this world?

T: You have asked deep questions. I think it will take all of our meeting today to negotiate these questions.

For an atheist, life itself has no purpose. That is, we did not come to the earth with a mission or purpose. We emerged by chance as a result of the evolution process. We may not have emerged at all. However, because we are conscious beings, we add meaning to our lives. We set ourselves a mission and determine goals. In this sense, the goal of my life is to do something that will be useful to myself and people. To leave a great legacy when I die. Death is absolute absence for me. Everything will be destroyed for me after I die. It is an obvious truth ... Sad but true!

I have said it before. I have a desire to continue my existence eternally.[1] This desire cannot reverse the fact that one day I will die and disappear. Instead of comforting myself, I simply accept the fact of absence. That's it.

How do you define the purpose of life? What are your expectations from life?

F: Al-Hayy Al-Qayyum (the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal), who gave me life, determined the purpose of my life. He equipped me with limitless abilities and sent me to this world guesthouse for testing. Just as a farmer sows a seed in the ground so too did my Lord sow me in the field of this world so that I would give permanent crops in the eternal realm. My duty is to develop my abilities with the water of Islam, the light of faith and the soil of worship, instead of spending my abilities in the path of worldly goals and the desires of the soul, and destroying them forever. [2]

I believe that when I lead a life in accordance with my Lord's consent, I will find true, pure and permanent happiness both in this world and in the eternal world. Thanks to my belief in Allah and the Hereafter, I find meaning and beauty in everything; so, I do my responsibilities and find peace in my heart.  Honestly, I wonder how atheists, who think death as absence, get pleasure from life. 

T: Like everyone else, we get pleasure from life too. Do you think we taste grass when you get a sweet taste while eating candy? Because we're human, we get bitterness and flavors from similar things.

F: You are right. When we sit at the same table, if we are healthy, we can taste similarly because our organs that experience the flavors in foods are the same. However, the difference in the perspective of life can turn the same table into torture for a person while making the same table delicious tastes for the other. Let me explain what I mean with an example:

Let's say when you got out of here, someone grabbed you and forced you somewhere.  When you went in and looked around, you saw that there was a wonderful table set up; all the foods you liked. It was beautifully decorated. You were told that this magnificent feast was prepared for you. You could eat as much as you wanted. While you were sitting at the table and reaching out to the spoon, you also saw that there were armed men all over the palace and they aimed their gun barrels at you. When you wondered and asked the reason for it, they said to you:
 “You have been sentenced to death. We can fulfill the decision at any time. Within 60 minutes at the latest, the decision will be fulfilled and you will be killed.”
Now, in a situation like this, does the food you eat give you good taste, or is it bitter like poison?

T: You are right, it would give a taste like poison. But there is no one chasing us with a gun! What do you mean by the example you gave?

F: I want to tell you that the life executioner is constantly following us. I want to point out that it is not possible for someone who believes that death is absolute absence to enjoy his life since there is a possibility of dying at any moment. 

T: Because science can't cure death, we are almost certain to die. If death happened to only atheists, it might be difficult. Now that everyone is going to die, there is no need to worry.

F: First of all, the phrase ”we are almost certain to die” is not true. Since there is not a single person who has ever survived death, and even stars, galaxies, let alone human beings, have not survived the clutches of death, it would be more accurate to say, “we will surely die.” Death will come to us, like the certainty that spring will come after each winter, morning will come after night. As for death to come to someone else, a person who is not selfish should not be comforted by it, but suffer from it. If death only came to you, you would suffer your own pain. But its coming to all your beloved ones should make your pain even worse. A man who is sentenced to death with all his beloved ones suffers more than a man who is sentenced to death alone.

T: There is a famous saying: “When I'm alive there is no death, when death comes, I will disappear.” So, I can enjoy my life without worrying about death.

F: In my opinion, someone who loves life and realizes that death is inevitable cannot ignore the fact of death. However, the majority of people ignores this fact and lives like an ostrich.[3] Although we mentally admit that one day we will die, we live in a deception as if we will never die.

I once did a small "death survey". I asked people I met when they expected to die. First, when I asked myself, I realized that although I mentally agreed that I would die at any moment, I didn't expect to die until I became old. If the angel of death came even in an hour, a day, a week, a year, or even a few years, it would be a huge surprise to me. When I asked other people, I understood that many people, like me, lived away from the truth of death. However, if everyone knew for sure that the Doomsday would break tomorrow, I think both their priorities and their lives would change greatly. That is why the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) advised believers to remember death very often because the believer focuses on the purpose of life to the extent that he/she remembers death. 

T: I agree with you. Many people don't take death very seriously. However, I am not like that. I thought very much about the truth of death mentally. After I realize it's inevitable, I try to accept it and live my life. Besides, I don't think there's any point in constantly wandering around with the thought of death, like an obsession.

F: I do not say, “Let's think about death like a nightmare and focus on that nightmare all the time.” I say, “Let's comprehend the truth of death with our minds and determine our lives and priorities accordingly.” Anyone who observes what happens to living beings with the eyes of reason sees this world as a kind of prison set up for those who are "sentenced to death".

In the city of Gainesville, Florida, there is a prison where only those awaiting execution live. I really want to visit the prisoners there. Inshallah I will go there one day. If I get permission from the prison administration, I would like to give a seminar to all prisoners and share this message:

“Do not worry that you are sentenced to death and that you will definitely be executed". Not only you, but all the people on this planet earth, even all living beings, are sentenced to death. None of them can escape execution. The difference between them is the execution time of the death sentence. Every day, approximately 250 thousand people are executed. The number of people executed in the open-air prison outside is many times higher than in your closed prison.”

T: Interesting approach!

F: Honestly, I don't find it interesting at all. I think it's a very realistic and rational approach… Since every living creature that comes to earth tastes absolute death, everyone comes to this world prison as a death row prisoner. All who come, without exception, are taken to the gallows. First of all, everyone should know this simple and absolute truth… If I have the opportunity, I would like to remind all people that they are "death row prisoners".

T: You are right, the world is like a death row. However, unlike the actual death row prisoners, our execution date is unclear.

F: When we reach a certain age, we are almost no different from real death row inmates. If you don't mind, will you tell me how old you are?

T: I’m 57.

F: In a few years, you'll be practically the same as the death row inmates in Gainesville.

The execution of those on death row in Florida takes an average of 13 years. Some of them have been waiting for execution for 30 years. [4] The average life expectancy for the USA is 77 years. According to the latest data, the world average is 66 years. In this sense, it can be said that there is no difference between the probability of execution of a person over the age of 50 and the possibility of execution of a person waiting for his execution in Gainesville.

Do not think that we send you to death and we will stay in the world forever. In fact, the situation of relatively young people like us is not that different. We are also sentenced to death. However, our execution may possibly be later than yours. Even this is not guaranteed. Thousands of young people are executed in surprise every day.

T: I accept mentally that the world is a death row prison. But what is going to change if we think like that?

F: In my opinion, it will change a lot for us. Our priorities will be different. The biggest issue of those currently on trial is to overturn the death sentence given to them. If a prisoner who is judged by death penalty does not hire a good lawyer although he has the opportunity and does not try to win the case by following the advice of his lawyer, he is probably insane.

In this sense, prophets and their supporters are like lawyers sent to save humanity from eternal execution. And they're lawyers who don't want any fees. Our duty is to give these lawyers our power of attorney and to follow exactly what they suggest to us in order to win the case. 

T: But there are two problems here. First of all, there is not a single lawyer coming to us to save us from death; there are hundreds of lawyers. And each of them claims, "If you retain me, I'll win the case." What are you going to do? Which one will you go to?

F: There are ways of doing it. You can look at two criteria and preselect them. 

First: Check the lawyers with the most number of case files. Because lawyers who are mostly preferred by those on death row like you are more likely to win the case.

Second:  You examine whether people are satisfied with their lawyers. That is, you examine the rate at which people dislike the lawyers they hire and switch to another lawyer. In this way, after doing the preselection, you carefully examine the first few lawyers on your list and choose one of them. However, if the first lawyer you hired disappoints you, it is not reasonable to say, "I will not hire a lawyer, they are useless" and stand around and wait for your execution. As a rational person who knows for sure that you will be executed, you should search and try all the lawyers one by one if necessary and try to win the case because it's not a simple case. You're being tried in the biggest case: execution. There's nothing more important to you than winning this case. [5]

T: According to the criteria you say, everyone should first try Christianity because Christianity is the religion that has the most members in the world.

F: Christianity has a history of over 2 thousand years. For this reason, it is a religion that has the most members in total. However, although Islam emerged six centuries later, it follows Christianity very closely. If you calculate the members of the religions per unit of time, you will see that Islam ranks first. So, if you calculate the average number of members per year instead of the total number of members until now, you will see that Islam is the first religion even numerically. It is normal that a lawyer who started to work as a lawyer much later has fewer case files at the beginning compared to those who started years ago. What matters is the increasing trend in the case files of the two. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world today. [6] If you take into account the second criterion, you will see that there are hundreds of thousands of people from all religions who are converted to Islam, but there are almost no true Muslims who converted to other religions.

T: I think you ignore an important point. Rather than looking at which lawyer has how many clients, we need to look at how many cases they have won. In that sense, we can say that no lawyer has ever won a single case. Because no one has survived from execution so far. Both those who hire a lawyer and those who do not hire a lawyer have died and will die. Under these circumstances, hiring a lawyer is nothing more than self-deception. 

F: It's important what you understand from winning the case… Death means leaving this world. And the world, as I said before, is a prison for people sentenced to death. If you perceive winning the case as living in this prison forever, you're wrong. The aim of the lawyers is not to turn the execution into life, but to save us from this prison and lead us to eternal happiness.

Yes, everyone comes out from this prison using the gallows as a door. There is no door to get out of this prison except the "death" door. The whole point is what will happen after we get out of this prison.

Over a hundred thousand prophets, especially Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), like the suns and stars of the sky of humanity, who never lied in their lives and proved their truth with the miracles they showed, said that they had seen the realms of the hereafter and brought us good news from the owner of those realms. Millions of people with truthful words and good faith, whom we call awliya and asfiya, who follow the path opened by the prophets, confirm that there are palaces of permanent happiness and dungeons awaiting us after death. They verify what prophets said with their discoveries, miraculous deeds and steadfastness in faith. [7]

T: In a sense, I'm doing what you say. Until my university years, I hired Christianity as a lawyer. I believed it would save me from execution. But then, I realized that I had consoled myself with this lawyer. I dismissed my lawyer. However, my search for a lawyer continues. Studying Islam, meeting with you for months, are the parts of this quest. I'm not looking for solace, I'm really looking for a lawyer to get rid of eternal execution.

F: Honestly, you're doing the smartest thing. That's what suits a smart and honest person like you. I believe that you will understand Islam is the lawyer who will comfort you and save you and your beloved ones from eternal execution.

I would like to draw your attention to something here. When looking for a lawyer, instead of approaching negatively and trying to prove the useless lawyer, I advise you to approach positively and say, "Could this be the lawyer I am looking for?" That approach will make it easier for you. Honestly, when I try to explain that Islam is the lawyer you are looking for, I feel as if some of your persistent reactions stem from the disappointment of your first lawyer. 

T: You are right. My confidence in all lawyers was shaken when I realized that my first lawyer could not help me. But, unlike many of my atheist friends, even though they ridicule me for it, my search for a lawyer continues with hope.

F: I congratulate you for this determination.

Now let me move on to the other question I asked when starting today's conversation. I wonder how an atheist can enjoy life. Honestly, sometimes I think that, for an atheist, suicide seems like a smarter choice than living. Of course, I can be wrong. I wonder what prevents an atheist from committing suicide and connects him to life?

T: I guess you think all atheists should commit suicide. What makes you think like that?

F: Actually, I don't mean exactly that. If there is no belief in Allah and the hereafter, it seems that living has no purpose and has no taste. Let me explain what I mean with an example.

Let's suppose you are traveling on an airplane. Immediately after the flight attendants handed out delicious food and drinks, a group of armed men took control of the plane and chained you all to your seats. You have neither the ability to move nor the possibility of resistance. Then, they gave you two options. They said we will kill you all in 60 minutes. If you want, we can kill you all at once without touching any food and drinks. The other option is, you can start eating, and we'll randomly shoot each of you in 60 minutes.

As a person who knows for sure that you will be killed, which option would you choose in such a situation? To die immediately without touching the food? Or start eating with the logic of “the more I eat, the better” and get killed in 60 minutes? Can you really taste the food if you prefer the latter?

T: First of all, I would get rid of my chains and try to resist the men together with those next to me. I would rather die while struggling than give up. 

F: We made this option impossible because the attackers tied you and everybody to the seat with very strong chains; it is not possible to break those chains. 

T: As a matter of fact, this is a very difficult situation… Let me tell you that people always have a desire to live a little longer. I'd probably prefer to live a little longer, too. I would think that there is hope of getting out somehow. I think it's a feeling that exists in human nature.

I want to give an example of my daughter. My daughter is an atheist, just like me. But she has great confidence in science. She hopes that she will find a solution to aging in the future. That's why she wants to freeze her body when she dies. It will cost 100 thousand dollars. She asked us for help. We said we wouldn't help. She decided to buy this service on her own. My daughter believes that in the future, scientists will be able to restore her frozen body. Although I'm not so hopeful, I can't find anything to object to it. Because human nature wants to live eternally. Even if there is a slight possibility, people want to try their luck. 

F: Very interesting! I was very surprised when I first read about those who gave hundreds of thousands of dollars in the media to freeze their bodies. I also perceived this as a sign of the desire for eternity in human nature, just like you.

Will your daughter just freeze her head or her whole body? How long will they keep his body in the freezer?

T: She will freeze her whole body. If she just freezes her head, it will cost 60 thousand dollars. By depositing a hundred thousand dollars in a bank, they can cover the cost of freezing for centuries with interest on the money. I could not understand why you were so surprised. Religious people do almost the same thing. Maybe you do it a little cheaper, but you also spend money for religious purposes. In other words, there is no difference between spending on mosques and spending on a body freezing company. After all, both are to make the corpse eternal.

F: You confuse Islam with Christianity. You cannot buy Paradise with money in Islam. In fact, it can be said that the poor people are more likely to win Paradise in Islam. The price that every believer has to pay in order to attain eternity is five daily prayers equivalent to one hour of his daily life. If you look at it in terms of opportunity cost and calculate the monetary value of the time spent on daily worship, it may be equivalent to the amount your daughter will pay. However, for a believer, daily worship is spiritual nutrition to the body just like water and food. Instead of regarding the time we spend for eating as an economic loss, as we see it necessary to work efficiently, worshiping is not an economic loss; it turns into economic gain by increasing productivity by making us mentally healthy and strong. [8]

There is another very important difference between your daughter and a believer. Believers invest for eternal bliss based on the revelation that Allah, who has unlimited power and mercy and who does not break His word whatsoever, gave to Muhammad (pbuh). Both the miracles of the prophets and the miracles of the Quran and all the prophets, awliya and asfiya confirm the accuracy of this revelation.

On the other hand, your daughter chooses an option that even NO scientist guarantees that it will work in the future. While those who try to make money from the freezing method base their promises on science, scientists insist that this job has nothing to do with science.

Moreover, experts on the subject say that the freezing method will not work because frozen cells die as they thaw. Besides, there is no scientist who promises that a dead body can be resurrected.

T: Anyway ... Let's continue our main subject if you want. Where were we?

F: We were talking about why atheists choose between suicide and life. Socrates says, “The unexamined life is not worth living". In this sense, when we contemplate on life, we see that our life basically passes in the cycle of kitchen, bedroom and toilet. It doesn't matter how many cycles we do. Sooner or later, we'll go into the grave. If the grave is nonexistence, for what reason should an atheist choose life over death? After all, he or she will fall into the grave; so, does he need to wait? [9]

T: I am a humanist. I want to do something for humanity, not just for myself. My daughter and the next generation will benefit from what I have done. I accept the inevitable end. However, I will consider myself successful to the extent that I contribute to people living in peace and tranquility in this world through what I do. 

F: Actually, I have very bad news for you. There's an executioner called “time”, which seems to be a big obstacle to your success. It grinds everything you do between its wheels and sends them to nonexistence. Nothing can escape from the clutches of the beast called time.

Your situation is similar to this example: A man goes through a lot of hardships every day, digs the earth and extracts diamond from there. He wants both himself and others to benefit. However, every diamond he pulls out is grabbed by an executioner named "time" and throws it into the void of nonexistence. Does a man like that have any desire to work after that? More precisely, does it make sense to work? Why would he bother to extract diamonds if all the diamonds he pulled out and himself would eventually be thrown into the void of nonexistence?

Likewise, all of the diamonds that you have extracted from the treasure of life with good intentions and with great effort will be thrown into the void of nonexistence. So, why are you working?

T: It doesn't disappear right away. It is used for a while.

F: The final result matters … It doesn't matter if it is thrown into absence three days before or after. In my opinion, humanistic thinking cannot save an atheist from suicide.

You just said you were 57 years old. Don't think that you have 57 years to live. Your 57 years are GONE. Don't hope to have another 20-30 years of life because the future DOES NOT EXIST now. Your real life is just a "moment" that passes between the two nonexistent things… That "moment" also disappears every moment. So, do you have any reason to live the next "moment"? [10]

T: I admit that my real life is just a moment. However, I do not completely ignore the past. At least, it still lives partly in my and other people's memories.

F: Remember that both you and your memory are going to disappear between the wheels of time inevitably. I still don't understand why an atheist like you would prefer life to death.

Let me ask the same question again with another example. Let's suppose that someone kidnapped you and locked you in a hundred-storey apartment built in space. The kidnapper said that he would throw you through the window of the apartment into the outer space. In the meantime, he brought your favorite chocolates. He gave you two choices:

First one is being immediately thrown into outer space on the first floor without eating any chocolate… And the other one is, throwing into the outer space on any floor while eating chocolate and climbing the stairs up to the hundredth floor. Which would do you prefer? Basically, is there a difference between the two options?

T: I ponder about happiness. If the total pain I anticipate is more than the tastes, I prefer death. However, if the two are equal or the expected tastes are more, I would prefer life. Anything we do in life has a result: it either gives taste or pain, or nothing happens.

In your example, walking up the stairs and eating and drinking the things you love have a taste. However, it also hurts to think that you have someone on your back at any moment to roll you into nonexistence. I don't know which one will be dominant. I think it's a very difficult situation … I probably wouldn't see a difference between the two options. In other words, the expected pain and taste would cancel each other out.

F: Then you have to decide by lot. I think there is no need for it. If you ask economists for help, you can easily solve the problem. Because this subject is a complete example of "utility analysis"… According to utility analysts, a person decides in a way to maximize his own benefit in life. It is preferred if the benefit of something is more than its harm or its taste is superior to its pain. In the previous example, the person compares the taste of eating chocolate with the pain of thinking that he will be killed. If the pain caused by the fear of being killed at any moment is less than the taste of chocolate, he prefers to eat chocolate. He should also take into account the “separation (loss) pain” of never eating chocolate again.

Interestingly, scientific studies have found that the “pain of losing” something is higher than the “taste of winning”.[11] For example, the pain of losing $ 1,000 is more than the taste of winning $ 1,000. I think in this case, for someone experiencing the situation in the example, the total pain will exceed the total taste. So, it would be wiser for such a person to choose to die right away...

If you don't see a difference, you have to decide by lot. But remember, even if you eat the chocolate, the taste you get will DISAPPEAR when you die. So, what's the difference? Either you died on the first floor or on the hundredth floor. There will be no benefit in choosing the hundredth floor. The result will not change in any way. So, all your tastes will disappear. You won't even remember those tastes, because you'll disappear, too.

T: Anyway… What do you want me to understand with the example you gave?

F: I am sure the truth expressed by the example is clear for a clever person like you. The situation of every person who is alive now is no different from that of the unfortunate man in the example. The apartment of life looks like a hundred-storey building. The “death executioner” waiting behind us is waiting for an opportunity to throw us into the void of nonexistence at any moment. In the end, none of us will get rid of this executioner. Without exception, we will all be thrown out of this earth apartment into the deep grave.

So, is there any logic in pursuing the tastes of life that are like chocolate in the example? Does a smart person waste his life on something that ends up with "nothing"? Will he be eager to work when he sees that everything is thrown into the well of absence? 

T: I don't object to what you say. However, because we do not feel the executioner of death on our back at all times, the tastes we expect from life outweigh. We can get a taste of life without thinking very much about death. Thinking with pure reason, for an atheist, there may not be that big difference between life and death. However, life is preferred to death when feelings are involved. How do you perceive life as a believer?

F: I think there are several different perceptions of life.

First one: Calendar life. In other words, the life we perceive with reference to a certain thing. When we take as reference to the world, the rotation of the world around itself is a one-day life. Its rotation around the sun is one year of life. This is true for someone who lives on the earth. Our 250 years in earth is just one year for someone living in Pluto. Based on our planet, we calculate the average calendar life of humans and decide whether their lifespan is long or short.

Second one: Imaginary life. In other words, it is an almost infinitely wide imaginary life including everyone's past memories and future dreams. In fact, most people do not realize the shortness of life because they live in "imaginary life" rather than calendar life. They spend their lives for useless things and waste them as if they have eternal lives. They passes away without finding time for what they really need to care about.

Third one: True life. In other words, it is the "moment" the person is in. In fact, the real life of every person is just the "moment" he/she is in because all of the past time is gone now. And there's no guarantee that we'll get a split second of the future. Therefore, the only time for us is the "moment" we are in. [12] Just like a bankrupt who lost all his wealth in gambling and only has one dollar left… As in  the example, the only wealth we have is the last moment we have.

Fourth one: The other is spiritual life. In other words, by believing in Allah, the life of a person is no longer limited only to the short life of this world; it starts with the creation of spirits and turns into a life continuing to eternity. [13] In short, if anyone who finds Allah and believes in Him lives even for a second, he actually has an eternal life. Those who do not know Allah have actually lived for a second even if they live for a thousand years because man attains an eternal life through belief. The long or short life of this world does not matter much. [14] Indeed, belief connects man with Allah, who is eternal. Belief brings the love of Allah to us. Allah, who is eternal and omnipotent, makes the people who love him and who become a mirror to His great names eternal. [15]

T: I think you are consoling yourself thinking that you will have an eternal life. That is all…

F: I'm not consoling myself. Since, by the indication of almost infinite evidencess, there is a Creator with infinite power, infinite knowledge, infinite mercy, and of course there is the hereafter, too because it is infinitely easy for Him to create the hereafter, just as we are infinitely needy and desire for the existence of the hereafter. And Allah has promised the hereafter with a thousand messengers, and of course He will do it.

Resurrection is a deep subject. One third of the Quran is directly or indirectly related to resurrection. Therefore, I believe that there is an afterlife based on a thousand verses in both book of the universe and the Holy Quran... On the other hand, you decide on your own assumption that there is no hereafter, based on no evidence.[16]

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[1] Thomas honestly confessed the desire for eternity in human nature. Badiuzzaman explains the desire for eternity that exists in us as follows:

“Included in human nature is an intense love of immortality. Even, because of his power of imagination, man fancies a sort of immortality in everything he loves. He cries out from the depths of his being whenever he thinks of or sees their passing. All lamentations at separation are expressions of the weeping caused by love of immortality. If there were no imagined immortality, there would be no love. It might even be said that the intense desire for immortality arising from that passionate love of immortality, and from the spontaneous general prayer for immortality, is a reason for the existence of the eternal realm and everlasting Paradise. The Eternal One of Glory accepted man’s intense, unshakeable, innate desire and his powerful, effective, general prayer, for He created an eternal realm for him, a transient being.” (Badiuzzaman Said Nursî, The Flashes, The Third Flash, Second Point)

[2] Badiuzzaman describes this truth as follows:

“Similarly, significant members and valuable programmes have been deposited in man’s nature by Divine power and determining. If man uses those immaterial members on the desires of his soul and on minor pleasures under the soil of worldly life in the narrow confines of this earthly world, he will decay and decompose in the midst of difficulties in a brief life in a constricted place like the rotted seed, and load the responsibility on his unfortunate spirit, then depart from this world. If, however, he nurtures the seed of his abilities with the water of Islam and light of belief under the soil of worship and servitude to God, conforms to the commands of the Qur’an, and turns his faculties towards their true aims, they will produce branches and buds in the World of Similitudes and the Intermediate Realm; he will be a seed of great value and a shining machine containing the members of an everlasting tree and permanent truth which will be the means to innumerable perfections and bounties in Paradise. And he will be a blessed and luminous fruit of the tree of the universe.” (Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, The Words, The Twenty-Third Word, Second Chapter, Second Remark)

[3] Badiuzzaman states that the human soul moves like an ostrich and puts its head in the sand of heedlessness in order not to see the death hunter waiting to hunt him:

“O my wretched soul sunk in heedlessness, which sees this life as sweet, has forgotten the hereafter, and seeks only this world! Do you know what you resemble? An ostrich! It sees the hunter, but cannot fly, so sticks it head in the sand so the hunter will not see it. Its bulky body remains in the open, and the hunter sees it. Only, its eyes are closed in the sand and it cannot see him. O my soul, consider the following comparison, and see it!” (Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, The Words, Fourteenth Word, Conclusion)

[4] You can find official statistics on death row inmates in Florida at this site: http://www.dc.state.fl.us/oth/deathrow/

[5] During the Second World War, while people followed what was happening on their radios hourly, Badiuzzaman Said Nursi never followed the news of the war and did not wonder and ask others. His students, who observed his indifference to World War II for seven years, curiously asked why he was not interested in the greatest war in human history, which led to the death of millions of people. They received the following meaningful answer:

“Yes, an event more momentous than this World War and a case more important than that of world supremacy has been opened over the heads of everyone and especially Muslims, so that if everyone had the wealth and power of the Germans and English and sense as well, they would unhesitatingly spend all of it to win that single case…

The case is this: relying on the thousands of promises and pledges of the universe’s Owner, Who has disposal over it, hundreds of thousands of the most eminent of mankind, and uncounted numbers of its stars and guides, have unanimously given news —and some of them have actually seen— that for everyone the case has opened by which they may either win, in return for belief, or lose, eternal properties as broad as the earth set with palaces and gardens. If they do not secure the document of belief, they will lose. And this age, many are losing the case because of the plague of materialism. One of the diviners of reality and investigators of truth observed in one place that out of forty people who died, only a few won; the others lost. Can anything take the place of that lost suit, even rule over the whole world?” (Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, The Rays, The Eleventh Ray, The Fourth Topic)

[6] The reasons for the rise of Islam in the West, especially in the United States, can be found in our book "11 Eylül’e Rağmen Amerika’da Yükselen İslam ", published by Nesil publications.

[7] Badiuzzaman explains this truth very well in A Summary of the Second Topic from The Eleventh Ray. In fact, our lifestyle is shaped by whom we respect and trust for after death. Do we trust the prophets who tell us that there is heaven and hell after death, or the materialist and atheist philosophers who say that life is limited to this world?

[8] To be honest, I was not surprised by the daughter of Thomas, who spent the 100,000 dollars that she would earn by working a few extra hours a day for the realization of her hope of eternity, which is not possible even in a million or trillion chance. But I was surprised by my soul, which acts lazily related to prayers. “So is it that the prescribed prayers are without result, which in this guest-house of the world are sustenance and wealth for your impotent and weak heart, and in your grave, which will be a certain dwelling-place for you, sustenance and light, and at the Resurrection, when you will anyway be judged, a document and patent, and on the Bridge of Sirat, over which you are bound to pass, a light and a mount? Are their recompense little?” (Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, The Words, The Twenty-First Word, First Station, Fourth Warning)

[9] Badiuzzaman says that the divine books that bring the message that there is life after death, such as the Qur’an, are a mercy even for atheists and save them from suicide:

“When like the ostrich the unbeliever looks on death and decline as extinction, his scepticism makes him consider possible the certain tidings of the Qur’an and revealed scriptures concerning belief in the hereafter afford him a possibility. He grasps the possibility and does not suffer that ghastly pain... Thus, the All-Wise Qur’an produces a sort of manifestation of mercy for the unbelievers too that to an extent saves their lives in this world from being Hell; it induces doubt in them, so they live through doubt. Otherwise, by recalling the Hell of the hereafter they would have suffered the torments of a sort of Hell in this world too, and they would have been compelled to commit suicide.” (Badiüzzaman Said Nursi, The Flashes, The Thirteenth Flash, Eighth Indication)

[10] “O my soul! If you long for the life of this world and flee death, know certainly that the conditions you suppose to be life are only the minute in which you are. All the time previous to the present minute and the things of the world within that time are dead in the present minute. And all the time subsequent to the present minute and all it contains are non-existent in it, and nothing. That means the physical life on which you rely is only one minute. Some of the learned, even, said it was a tenth of a minute, rather, the passing instant. It is due to this mystery that certain saints stated that with regard to this world, this world is non-existent.” (Badiüzzaman Said Nursi, The Words, The Twenty-Sixth Word, Conclusion)

[11] Brett N. Steenbarger, Enhancing Trader Performance: Proven Strategies From the Cutting Edge of Trading Psychology, Wiley Trading, 2006.

[12] “O my soul! Know that yesterday has left you, and as for tomorrow, you have nothing to prove that it will be yours. In which case, know that your true life is the present day.” (Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, The Words, The Twenty-First Word, First Station, Fifth Warning)

[13] Badiuzzaman, after the First World War, was freed from Russian captivity and came to Istanbul; life's troubles were replaced by tastes. His earthly affairs went well. However, he thought about the nature of life and decided to voluntarily retreat from the world. Meanwhile, when some of his friends came and called him to worldly affairs, he asked them to give him some time. The next day, he recorded the truths that came to his heart as Two Tables. The first of these tables at the end of the Seventeenth Word describes the people who are heedless, and the second table describes the people who are on guidance. Badiuzzaman says " All the beings in existence, I saw were ephemeral, harmful" on the First Table. On the Second Table he says, " See, eternity is pure life."

[14] Badiuzzaman expresses this truth as follows:

“Yes, one second on the way of love, knowledge, and pleasure of the Truly Enduring One is like a year, otherwise a year is a second. A single second, even, on His way is immortal and many years. A hundred years of the people of neglect looking to this world are like a single second.” (Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, The Flashes, The Third Flash, Third Point)

[15] In Badiuzzaman's words, “For everything turned to that Eternal One receives the manifestation of immortality.”

The widening of time when Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) enters the presence of Almighty Allah, is a proof for this: “...The expansion of time, a tried principle among the people of sainthood and reality, also alludes to this truth. For through its mystery, a few minutes’ Ascension become many years and prove the existence of this truth and demonstrate it in fact. The few hours of the Prophet’s (PBUH) Ascension had the length, breadth, and comprehensiveness of thousands of years, for by way of it he entered the world of eternity, and a few minutes of that world comprise thousands of years of this world.” (Badiuzzaman Said Nursi, The Flashes, The Third Flash, Third Point)

[16] The Qur'an states that those who deny the hereafter, such as Thomas, are based on assumptions: “And they say: ‘What is there but our life in this world? We shall die and we live, and nothing but time can destroy us.’ But of that they have no knowledge: they merely conjecture.” (Surah Al-Jathiya, 45:24)

Real belief should be the force that drives man, brings him to the good, to the right and righteous deeds; its product should be involved in life actively and illuminate the believer and his environment. This occurs by practicing the belief in life, that is by worshiping Allah, doing righteous deeds and attaining high ethics. If worshiping and deeds are not acceptable without belief (and are regarded as signs of hypocrisy), belief which does not lead to good deeds and worshiping is not enough.

In that case, in order to consummate and mature belief, it is necessary to hang on to Allah’s orders and avoid His prohibitions; in other words, it is necessary to do righteous deeds. Only such people will attain Allah’s consent and the eternal bliss. For this reason; although deeds are not included in the truth of belief; there is no doubt that they are included in the perfection of belief.

In fact, belief is a phenomenon that we cannot feel with our five senses but arises with the co-operation of our minds and hearts.

At the beginning of Surat al-Baqara and in the whole Qur'an, we are asked to believe in “the unseen”, that is, “ to believe in Allah and other principles of belief” which we do not see or hear but believe with our minds by recognizing the infinite number of evidences about the indispensability of the existence of Allah.

Real belief is not possible only with the mind or only with the heart; these two should work together.

How about passion, fear, love, excitement, hopelessness, enthusiasm ... are they possible with the mind only?

Does our brain tremble when we fear? Do our eyes burn with love when we fall in love? Do our ears get sad when they heard bad news?

Are not all these and so many other sensations felt only in the heart?

Who taught us to experience all these feelings in our hearts to the hilt?

Do they not happen unavoidably?

Sometimes your heart gets so excited that it prevents you from doing something because you cannot control that feeling but you cannot do anything to prevent it from fluttering.

Let us deal with your situation after these determinations that we all know and have already experienced.

Firstly, you should know that the degrees of belief, whether in terms of mind or heart, are endless. So, one should never say, “I have believed, I am convinced, that is enough!” For, belief is like swimming against the tide; you go at a certain speed while swimming, but the minute you stop by deciding that the point is good for you to stop, you get dragged back, even further back from the starting point if you continue to stop.

Therefore, a Muslim should meditate as long as he or she is alive and conscious to increase his belief and should read the Qur’an, hadith, biography of the Prophet Muhammad SAW, commentaries of the Qur’an in particular and should take advantage of such lessons, even if from the internet to develop his belief. There are many lessons about them on our website.

Fortunately, you have a belief that logically convinced by the evidences, but you say you cannot find a satisfactory response from your heart.

Here are three short recommendations for you;

Firstly, please do not forget that Satan exists!

His job is to whisper suspicions and delusions to the heart and to work from there!

Therefore, take refuge in Allah from Satan first and ask for help sincerely from Allah!

Subsequently, since the problem is in your heart, listen to the Qur’an which brings a solution for that and mention Allah often (make dhikr).

“Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah; for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction.” (ar-Rad 13/28)

After that, contemplate the things happening in you, your environment, on earth and in the universe.

Contemplation is a perfect way to worship.

The less we contemplate the more heedless we get. The more we contemplate, the more satisfied we get by seeing the holy names, attributes of Allah and His manifestation in everything.

This satisfaction on the one hand will make us say “Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah, Subhanallah (Glory be to Allah)” and on the other hand it will certainly stir our hearts by flourishing the hope for heaven and feeling the fear of hell. 

As an example, let us contemplate the air;

Science tells us the following briefly:

• Air is a colorless and odorless gas which is a combination of oxygen and nitrogen atoms.
• It transmits sound, light, smell, temperature…
• It turns to be a wind which refreshes, brings the clouds and fertilizes the flowers.
• It enters into the lungs of humans and animals and cleanses venous blood.
• Plants and trees breathe in dirty air and produces oxygen which is needed for animals and humans.
• The layers of the atmosphere prevent air from diffusing through space.
• In short, there would be no living creature that we know on earth, especially no human beings!

If we contemplate and start to think who is beyond those scientific facts, we will see and understand that it is impossible for all those to be happening by themselves!

Is it possible for those, unconscious, weak, will-less, merciless, mindless, simple, ignorant, lifeless, blind, deaf… Oxygen and Nitrogen atoms to do those endless jobs simultaneously without confusing and making mess on their own?

It means those atoms and particles are the officers of someone! They work under the command of someone!

The following is stated in the surah al-Fath; 

“… And to Allah belong the soldiers of the heavens and the earth...” (48/7)

Yes! We have found the Lord, who manages all those works!

So, what does that Lord who keeps these jobs in order, says in his book as a commentary;

“I am Allah! Obey Me and attain eternal peace! Or else you will have eternal punishment!”

With the contemplation above and similar ones, we get to a point where we stay between “Fear and Hope”; on the one hand, the hope for Heaven makes us thrilled; on the other hand, while we feel the fear of Hell to the hilt. They stir our hearts.

This consciousness increases the awe we feel in our prayers; and the increased awe strengthens our contemplation on belief and the realities of belief.

Please do not forget that you can control your hands, arms, legs and eyes but you cannot control your heart.

It is possible to be alive without hands, arms, legs and eyes but impossible to be without the heart.

In summary, turn to the One with full submission who puts that heart in its place, makes it work like a clock and stops it in due time, sincerely ask help from Him and surrender to Him!

Only then Insha’Allah will you see how you feel your belief in your heart!

Faults and sins are graded; some deeds of worship, charities and good deeds cause the forgiveness of sins.

The belief of a person who believes in Allah and has good deeds and ethical faults is valuable; and if his sins are not forgiven, he will be punished.

The sin of a person who does not believe in Allah is a major sin; no good deed can replace it. He can be rewarded for these good deeds either in this world or partly in the hereafter, but still in Hell.

Ikhlas means to do everything for Allah.

To have the consciousness that Allah’s consent is the most privileged issue depends on knowing Allah, who is Rahman (the Compassionate), Rahim (the Merciful), Alim (the Knower of All), Hakim the All-Wise, Qadir (the Able) and Azim (the Great), closely.

To know Allah, who is the owner of Paradise and Hell, the only judge of the great court, who is everywhere with His endless knowledge and power, closely will make man travel between hope and fear. During this travel, man will deeply feel the necessity of obeying the orders and prohibitions of Allah, who is so great and  magnificent, who has so many boons and bounties, so much mercy and compassion, wrath and penalty and who owns Paradise and Hell in order to attain His consent.

Thus, the first condition of ikhlas is investigative belief.

The second condition is deeds of taqwa.

“A person should understand that what gains sincerity for his actions is his doing them purely because they are a divine command and that their result is divine pleasure, and he should not interfere in God’s business.” (Lem'alar,133)

The third condition is to remember death a lot and to think that the world is ephemeral and that he can die any time.

“Remember death a lot.” This hadith teaches us ikhlas and taqwa.

The following statement of Badiuzzaman is a nice answer to the question:

“O my companions in the service of the Qur’an! One of the most effective means of attaining and preserving sincerity is “contemplation of death. Yes, just as worldly ambition damages sincerity and drives a person to hypocrisy and the world, so the contemplation of death causes disgust at hypocrisy and gains sincerity.

That is, to think of death and grasp that this world is transient, and so be saved from the tricks of the soul.” (Lem'alar,163)

Man will keep his sincerity if he acts in accordance with the conditions mentioned above.

This sentence is taken from a hadith. The person who cited it as in the question may have made this hadith narration to indicate that it is mentioned in Imam Ghazali's book.

Imam Ghazali reported the following as a hadith in the Patience and Gratitude chapter of his book titled Ihya:

The following is stated in the hadith that narrated from Ibn Abbas: the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) went to Ansar (local inhabitants of Medina) and stated the following:

“Are you believers?” Ansar fell silent. Umar, who was there, replied (instead of them) " Yes! O Messenger of Allah!".

The Prophet (pbuh) continued: “What is the sign of your belief?”

They said, “We show gratitude to blessing; we are patient in the face of trouble; we show consent to qada (fate).”

Upon this, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:

“I swear by the Lord of the Kaaba that those who do so are believers. "

The hadith reported by Tabarani is as follows:

وعن ابن عباس - رضي الله عنهما - قال : دخل رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - على عمر ومعه أناس من أصحابه ، فقال : " أمؤمنون أنتم ؟ " فسكتوا ، ثلاث مرات ، فقال عمر في آخرهم : نعم نؤمن على ما أتيتنا به ، ونحمد الله في الرخاء ، ونصبر على البلاء ، ونؤمن بالقضاء . فقال رسول الله - صلى الله عليه وسلم - :  مؤمنون ورب الكعبة 

According to what is reported from Ibn Abbas (r.a), the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stopped by Umar while there were other companions with him and asked them: "Are you believers?"

Those who were there kept silent. The question was repeated three times.

Finally, Umar (r.a) said:

“Yes! O Messenger of Allah! We are believers; we believed in everything you brought us. We show gratitude to blessings; we show patience in the face of trouble; we show consent to qada (divine predestination).”

Thereupon, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said,

“I swear by the Lord of the Kaaba that you are believers.” (Tabarani, Kabir, 11/153, No. 11336)

It is stated that Yusuf b. Maimun, who is mentioned in the chain of narrators of the hadith, is weak in terms of reliability and that others are reliable. However, Ibn Hibban stated that this narrator was also reliable. (Haythami, Majma az-Zawa'id, h.no: 172)

Our Prophet (pbuh) mentioned the signs of belief in various hadiths and regarded prayer, zakah, helping each other, greeting, offering food, attending mosques regularly and many other acts as signs of belief.

The subject of belief is widely mentioned in hadith sources. In Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim from Kutub as-Sittah, Tirmidhi's Jami' as-Sahih and Nasai's as-Sunan, separate chapters titled “Iman” are included. In Sahih Muslim, 380 hadiths covering nearly 200 pages are reported.

Many narrations included under various titles in hadith sources are also related to the subject of belief. These hadiths explain issues such as the principles of belief, the signs of belief, its relation with deeds and the qualifications of a believer.

Our first duty is to believe in Allah and the other five principles of belief, that is, in His Books, Prophets, Angels, the hereafter and qadar (predestination) in the way that Allah wants.

The last part of this sentence is important in particular nowadays. For, we meet such people that they think they are Muslims but you see that they say or do things that are clearly contrary to belief and Islam today. Yes, he believes in Allah but he believes in the way his soul and his incomplete mind desire, not in the way that Allah wants and His Prophet (pbuh) teaches.

We should not forget that the Quran and the books of siyar mention the polytheists of Makkan period. In other words, they have “belief” in Allah, but in a way that their own minds and souls want. That is, they accept Allah but in the way that they want, just like the polytheists of today.  

If the first numeral of a number with a lot of zeros is not “1” but zero, that number has no value no matter how many zeros you add unless you write “1” before it.

The first numeral (“1”) of the number that will determine our eternal address in the hereafter is our belief. Our righteous deeds will form the zeros after that.

Therefore, we repeatedly and insistently say that the first thing is to believe in the 6 principles of belief in the way that Allah wants.

Is it enough?

It is definitely not enough. We have to develop and strengthen our belief all the time, every day as we live.

Belief is something like swimming against the current. If we stop, the current will push us back – God forbid.

Therefore, we should always develop our belief, which is a great boon, and try to attain investigative belief.

What is investigative belief?

Allah Almighty wants us to see His seals of existence and oneness in both materiality and spirituality, in our person, in our world, as well as in everything in the universe, to know His names and attributes as we see them, to feel satisfied about His existence as we know them and to do what He wants us to do in awe and to avoid what He prohibits in the same way.

This becomes possible only by increasing our faith.

The Quran literally orders us to increase our faith from beginning to end and wants us insistently to observe everything small-big, living-non-living in the universe and to meditate on them. That is why, the following is stated in a hadith: ”One hour of meditation is better than one year of supererogatory worshipping.” For, this meditation will increase our faith.

For instance, a tangerine.

It is a watery winter fruit with plenty of vitamin C, and with a slightly sour taste; we like it very much and it is a source of cure.

We know that Allah always does things in this universe based on causes.

Therefore, we act based on the causes and sow a tangerine seed in suitable ground and season, water the ground and add manure to eat tangerines. Thus, we also pray to Lord of the Realms so that the seed will be a sapling, a tree and then yield abundant fruits to eat tangerines 

We believe that

“It is Allah Who causeth the seed-grain and the date-stone to split and sprout. He causeth the living to issue from the dead, and He is the one to cause the dead to issue from the living. That is Allah: then how are ye deluded away from the truth?” (al-Anam 95)

And that

“For to Allah belong the Forces of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Full of Wisdom.” (al-Fath 7)

For, we know that

A tangerine seed, which consists of various lifeless, ignorant, unwise, unconscious and powerless combinations of atoms of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen does not know how to root, form the trunk, shoot out branches, have leaves, blossom, transform flowers into fruits, carry the muddy water it takes from the ground to a height of many meters, produce delicious fruits from that dirty water, form slices in the fruit, give the fruit a shape and color, cover it with a peel and place a seed that knows all those deeds in it. 

As it is stated in the verses above, Allah is behind all those deeds. “Particles” or “atoms”, which are Allah’s army act upon His order, on behalf of Him, His knowledge, His art and the causes and laws imposed by Him, transform the seed into a root, the root into a tree, the tree into a flower and the flower into a fruit, putting a seed into the fruit by saying Bismillah.

Even if man, who is ignorant and shallow-brained, goes to the most advanced laboratory and brings all scientists together, he will not be able to produce even the bitter peel of the tangerine, let alone producing a tangerine, which Allah creates with wisdom. 

As we witness endless miracles that occur in front of us with such meditation, we can see Allah, who is behind the operation of everything, and can and must develop our belief. 

As we notice and realize those endless miracles that take place in all beings, whether living or non-living, whether conscious or unconscious, that we witness all the time but that we are generally heedless about and get accustomed to and especially the miracle of “life”, it is definite that we will be more conscious and more God-fearing in all issues, from prayers we perform to zakah we give and harams we avoid.     

It is necessary to ask those who seek miracles: Which one is a bigger miracle: to fly or a tangerine tree that consists of atoms of carbon, that has no spirit, consciousness, knowledge and wisdom, that does not know us and that is actually wood but gives us sliced fruits that will be of no use to it?

The following is stated in a verse:

“Do they not travel through the land, so that their hearts (and minds) may thus learn wisdom and their ears may thus learn to hear? Truly it is not their eyes that are blind, but their hearts which are in their breasts.” (al-Hajj 46)

Let us open our hearts to Allah Almighty with full surrendering and sincerity so that we will be able to see the truth and attain guidance. Amin!

For more information, please click on the links given below;

What is Belief?

How can we strengthen our faith?

Is an increase and development in Belief in question?

We could not find any narration about the next day of a believer being better than the previous day.

However, the next day of every believer who lives in accordance with his belief will be better than the previous one. As a matter of fact, the following is stated in a hadith:

“None of you should want to die. None of you should pray to die before death comes by itself. When a person dies, he cannot do any good deeds. The believer’s survival increases his good deeds.” (Muslim, Dhikr 13)

The good news “The believer’s survival increases his good deeds” mentioned in this hadith is possible for every believer.

In that case, a good servant increases his thawabs by fulfilling his worship and avoiding sins as long as he lives; thus, the next day becomes better than the previous day.

As a matter of fact, during a conversation of the Prophet (pbuh) with Sa’d Ibn Abu Waqqas, one of the Companions who were given the good news of Paradise, Sa’d was very touched by this good news, began to sob and said, “Oh, I wish I were dead now!”

Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) warned his beloved friend as follows:

“Sa’d! If you are a person of Paradise, it is better for you to have a long life and do good deeds.” (Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 5/267)

In that case, as long as the good servant continues his good deeds, each day will be better than the previous one.

Besides, if he is a sinful servant, he will regret what he has done and repent of his sins; thus, the next day will be better than the previous day.

In his work entitled “The Religious Sentiment and the Child Psychology”, the Swiss psychologist Pierre Bovet writes that all children at a certain age have a natural religion which is peculiar to them, in other words, a religion, which is in their nature innately. In the formation of these preliminary beliefs, the individual’s conscience, comprehension, and imagination play a role along with the society itself. The child himself probably determines the content of religious concepts that he acquires from the society. Yet in the course of time, he sees the discrepancies between the society and himself and adopts new ways. As our Glorious Prophet (PBUH) states,

“All children are born on the Islamic nature; afterwards, their parents make them adopt this and that religion.”

Many scientists and thinkers have made researches about “the innate religion” of children. One of them is American philosopher William James. In order to catch the natural religious senses in that child without any interference, he examined the memories and behaviors of a deaf and dumb child named Ballard, who did not receive any sort of instructions until the age of eleven. The child, who received quite a good education afterwards, summarized his pre-education “metaphysical thoughts” and feelings as follows:

“We sometimes went out for a walk with Daddy. The scenery and landscape impressed me. I was speech-impaired and did not know how to write. I asked myself:

“How did the world come into existence?”, “How did man start to live?”, “How did plants and other beings come into existence?”, “What causes the world, the sun, and the moon to exist?”, “How did this world of beings come into existence?”, “Who makes me think of all these questions?”, “How did the first human being, animal, plant without a seed, come into existence?”, “Where are we coming from and going to?”, “How was the beginning of the universe?” I was unable to find an answer especially to this question. I would think of it; then, I would give it up, and then after a while I would turn to the same matter.” (See. Pierre Bovet, the Religious Sentiment and the Child Psychology, p: 71-72).

Many other psychologists have researched this matter and reached approximately the same conclusions. Thus, it has been made clear that those children have been directing their attention to the universe and nature since early ages and asking the questions the examples of which we have given above. This is man’s nature. As is seen, these questions set not only thinkers and philosophers but also children, young people, and adults into thinking.

The Holy Quran narrates beautifully the story of the great prophet, Abraham (PBUH), how he as a child directed his attention to nature and the universe to seek his Creator in the stars, in moon, and in the sun, and then taking wings and “going beyond of beyond.”

(see Gerçeğe Doğru, Vol. III, Zafer Publications)

​It is something related to ghayb (the unknown/unseen) whether a person will die as a believer or not at the last breath. It is not possible to acquire information about the issues related to ghayb through the mind and senses; we can know only what was informed by revelation (wahy).

As a matter of fact, Allah Almighty states the following in the Quran:

“…Nor does any one know what it is that he will earn on the morrow: Nor does any one know in what land he is to die. Verily with Allah is full knowledge and He is acquainted (with all things).” (Luqman, 31:34)

It is possible for anyone to die as a believer or an unbeliever at the last breath. It is not possible to make a decree about it.  

Belief and deeds cannot be thought of separately. It is often mentioned in the Quran that the main feature of the believers is “performing prayers”. (see al-Baqara, 2/3, 43, 45, 177, 277; al-Maida, 5/55; etc.)

“To establish regular prayers and to fear Allah: for it is to Him that we shall be gathered together.” (al-Anam, 6/72) As it can be seen in the verse above, prayer was rendered fard clearly.

It is stated that prayer, which is the most important deed of worship after belief, cannot be abandoned even in a very extraordinary state like war (an-Nisa, 4/102). The following is stated in another verse: “Nay, seek (Allah´s) help with patient perseverance and prayer: It is indeed hard, except to those who bring a lowly spirit.” (al-Baqara, 2/45) Thus, the relationship between belief and prayer is shown in another aspect.  

Therefore, a life without prayer weakens belief gradually and might lead a person to unbelief.

A person who believes that prayer is fard but who does not perform prayers becomes a sinner. It is certain that he will deserve punishment unless he repents for acting contrarily to Allah’s command and gives it up.

On the other hand, it is more probable for a person to die in the same way as he lives.

In conclusion, it is necessary for a Muslim to strengthen his belief with deeds, to pray to Allah in order to die as a believer at the last breath, to live in a way that is expected from him and to fulfill the deeds of worship as much as he can.

Such claims have no value in terms of Islam.

It is a fabricated excuse to say that Allah Almighty wants to be loved without being seen, known and having proof.

For, in terms of the universe of created beings only, the whole universe and the infinitely diverse beings in it are seen and known; and their existence is perceived definitely.

All of those beings that exist are full of knowledge and wisdom, beautiful art, and an infinite number of benefits and purposes.

The mind shows, science informs us and logic proves that all these meaningful beings must have a creator with a higher degree of knowledge and wisdom than themselves.

Nothing that exists is excluded from being produced in the course of time.

Thus, the things that are claimed to be the cause of each other are thought to be both producing and produced at the same time, which is nonsensical.  

Moreover, atheism claims to be “scientific” by adding a concept that is called 'coincidence/chance' and whose nature is not really known; it wants us not to see the magnificent beauty and the creative power that the mind sees and to deny our knowledge.

The existence of Allah Almighty is evident everywhere and in everything from a single cell or particle that is as perfect as a book, to the movement of galaxies, which is managed by perfect science.

He who closes his eyes transforms the day into night only for himself.

You know the stadiums where football is played whether YOU LOVE FOOTBALL or not. Even if you do not like football, you know how football is played since important matches are broadcast live on TV.

Two teams of eleven people each struggle to dominate the ball selected for the game on the field and try to send the ball into the goal of the opposing team. There are three referees who observe the compliance of this struggle with the rules. There are stands around the field for the spectators who watch the match to sit. The majority of the audience in those stands consists of the supporters of the two teams on the field. The supporters of both teams make various demonstrations to cheer their team up. Drums, clarions, fireworks, different musical instruments, flags, streamers, cheerleaders...

You will witness unimaginable scenes in the match played in such an environment. You can see a person both crying and laughing during the 90 minutes of the match. The audience both gets excited and excites the team according to the game of the team.

If a team scores, all of its supporters stand up without exception. Whistles, applause, hats thrown into the air, hugs and kisses... Players of the goal scoring team form a circle of love on the field. The player who scores the goal starts to run with joy; his teammates run after him to catch him and congratulate him. They take off their shirts out of joy. The players of the team that concedes the goal stand like statues on the field.

Even our elderly grandmothers, who have never been to the stadium, have seen those scenes on TV at home.

Suppose that a close friend of yours wanted to take you to a very important and challenging football match. You accepted your friend's offer and went to the match. You entered the stadium 10 minutes late because there was a long queue outside the stadium. There were nearly 40 thousand spectators in the stadium. When you entered the stadium, you first looked at the field. The players of both teams were running toward the goal. At that moment, you could not see who had the ball because you were both looking at the field and looking for a comfortable place where you could watch the match easily. In a minute or two, you found a suitable spot with a full view of the field. You started to watch the match with your friend.

The players were doing the familiar moves. Running, dribbling, tackling, etc. Sometimes, "boo" sounds were being heard from the stands, and some fanatical supporters were insulting the referee. The stands were decorated with flags and it was a truly perfect scene. However, you started to feel uncomfortable as time passed. You hid your discomfort from your friend before. Six or seven minutes had passed since you entered the stadium. You were agonizing yourself. You shyly approached your friend's ear and told him something in order to get rid of that trouble as soon as possible. Because of the noise of the fans, your friend could not understand what you said. Your friend asked you aloud:

- "What did you say? I could not get it"

You almost cried. You tried to control yourself. You gritted your teeth. You started to read Ayatul-Kursiy silently. You pulled your friend. You finished your prayer and showed your friend the field and asked him half cryingly,

- "For God's sake! Where is the ball?"

Your friend leaned very calmly and whispered into your ear:

- "This match is being played without a ball."

You thought your friend was mocking you and said to him:

- "Stop making fun of me! I am asking you seriously. I see everything here; I can read even the smallest writings but I have not been able to see the ball for six or seven minutes. I know the place where the ball is put when the goalkeepers kick. Goalkeepers quickly tap their feet toward the place where the ball should be when they take the goal kick. However, I cannot see the ball. The referee gave a free kick a minute ago. I was very careful but I could not see the ball again."

Your friend first covered your mouth with his hand to prevent you from speaking anymore; then, he spoke more seriously:

- "I have just told you that the game is being played without a ball. Please believe me. I am telling the truth: The game is being played without a ball..."

You knew from your friend's stance that he was serious but you could not believe it:

- "How can it be? Can there be a match without a ball? There are about 40 thousand spectators in the stadium; some are crying and some are laughing. The players are doing various things to outdo each other. The goalkeepers sometimes run to the corners of the goal and sometimes plunge as usual. The referee showed two yellow cards. The assistant referee showed the corner four times with his flag and touchline seven times. You say, 'The match is being played without a ball.' For God's sake! How can I believe you?"

You felt your blood pressure skyrocket. You wanted to get water from the water seller. In the meantime, you asked the water seller slowly:

- "Where is the ball? I cannot see it."

The water seller gave you the same answer:

- "Brother, this game is being played without a ball."

- "Oh my God! I wonder if my friend gestured the water seller", you thought. You did not say anything to the water seller. You drank the water in the bottle you bought in two sips; you felt a little bit cooler but you started to be afraid that you would go crazy. You began to pray again. You just did not want to believe it. Even if all of the nearly forty thousand spectators were crazy, they kept shouting. 'What do the goalkeepers try to catch when they jump? How does the referee decide for a foul? How could a match be without a ball; I do not believe it.'

Finally, you decided to ask the police near the fence. Four or five policemen were watching the match together. You preferred to ask the one with the highest rank:

- You said, "Officer! I am sorry but I cannot see the ball. I wonder if the ball..." You could not continue because you seemed to understand his answer; and the answer you feared to hear came:

- "This match is being played without a ball!"

At that moment, you felt as if hot water was running down your neck. You crouched down when you realized that you could not stand. You started to pray to Allah more willingly and more persistently. You tried to pull yourself together for five to ten minutes in the place where you crouched. Meanwhile, you drank another bottle of water. You felt as if you had been punched in the head. You had very little strength left. You decided to leave the stadium without asking your friend. And you did so. When you went out, you wanted it to be a dream. However, the traffic on the street told you that you were not asleep and dreaming. You slowly started to walk toward your home.

Dear reader! Can a football match be played without a ball?

If you allow the game to be played without a ball, how can you activate the spectators and players?

You cannot even joke about it, can you?

Unfortunately, the vast majority of people live like that. How?

We lead a life from birth to death, from primary school to university, from winter to spring, from childhood to old age. If this life does not have a purpose, an aim, a target, or a goal, it means that we are playing the game of life without a ball. If the winners do not have the excitement of receiving a trophy after the final whistle of the match of life, if there is no disciplinary board to send those who commit fouls, if those who play well in the match of life are not transferred to a better life, it means we are playing the game of life without a ball.

Oh Allah! Do not allow us to play without a ball! Do not make us live without a goal! (Amin, amin, amin...)

Partial free wills and preferences of people exist at the entrance gate of guidance and aberration. Allah creates guidance and aberration based on the preferences at the entrance since there are “aspects related to creation” in the last part of the road followed in that route.

 “Say, ‘The truth is from your Lord": Let him who will believe, and let him who will, reject (it)…” (al-Kahf, 18/29)

It is indicated in the verse above that the slave can make a preference with his free will. That preference is related to the first steps in which creating a preference does not exist.

“It is true thou wilt not be able to guide every one, whom thou lovest; but Allah guides those whom He will and He knows best those who receive guidance.” (al-Qasas, 28/56)

It is underlined in the verse above that guidance belongs to Allah. It is related to the last steps of belief in which creation exists.

“…Say: "Truly Allah leaveth, to stray, whom He will; But He guideth to Himself those who turn to Him in penitence’.” (ar-Ra’d, 13/27)

It is indicated in the verse above that guidance and aberration belong to Allah. However, it is stated in the verse that those who are guided by Allah are the ones “that turn to him”; thus, attention is attracted to the preference of the slave in the first step.

“Allah disdains not to use the similitude of things, lowest as well as highest. Those who believe know that it is truth from their Lord; but those who reject Faith say: "What means Allah by this similitude?" By it He causes many to stray, and many He leads into the right path; but He causes not to stray, except those who forsake (the path).” (al-Baqara, 2/26)

It is underlined in the verse above that the expressions of the Quran aim to keep the medium of testing alive.  

In the previous verse, it is stated that those who are guided by Allah are the ones “that turn to him”; thus, attention is attracted to the preference of the slave in the first step.

In the last verse, attention is attracted to the preference of the slave in the first step again with the expression “but He (Allah) causes not to stray, except those who forsake the path” related to those who are aberrated.  

The following statement, which can be regarded as the interpretation of the verse, is remarkable:

According to the tafsir of Sa'd Taftazani, belief is "a luminous light granted by the Eternal Sun (God Almighty) and a gleam from the endless bliss." (Said Nursi, İşârâtü'l-İ'câz p. 42)

To sum up, it can be said that Allah does not prevent anyone who “chooses belief” from it. However, as for a person who “chooses unbelief”, He fulfils his desire if He wishes, which is justice, or He does not fulfil his desire if He wishes, which is grace.

It is more difficult for a person who lives in an environment of unbelief and sins to get rid of them and to choose to become a believer than a person who lives as a Muslim in an Islamic environment; therefore, Allah rewards such a person.

When Amr b. As wanted to be a Muslims, he laid it as a condition that his previous sins be forgiven. Thereupon, the Prophet (pbuh) said,  

“Are you not aware of the fact that Islam wipes out all the previous misdeeds? Verily, migration (hijrah) wipes out all the previous misdeeds, and pilgrimage (hajj) wipes out all the previous misdeeds.” (Muslim, Iman, 192)

“Say to the Unbelievers, if (now) they desist (from Unbelief), their past would be forgiven them; but if they persist, the punishment of those before them is already (a matter of warning for them).” (al-Anfal, 8/38) That the verse above starts with the phrase “Say to the unbelievers” indicates that the issue of “the eradication of the previous sins” is valid for unbelievers, not for apostates.

The conclusion reached by Islamic scholars about the verse above by evaluating it together with other verses and hadiths is as follows:

Allah waives His rights and does not hold a person who attains guidance responsible since the state of denial, which is the basis and cause of his previous sins, has ended.

As for the violation of other people’s rights, they are compensated materially; damages are paid; the goods obtained unjustly are returned to their owners; the price of those that were consumed are paid.

Acting upon the general expression in the verse, some scholars state that all sins and all evil deeds that were committed will be forgiven after a person becomes a Muslim. (see Abu Bakr Ibnul-Arabi, 2/851 ff.; Ibn Ashur, 9/344)

YAQIN: “To know without doubt, soundly and definitely.” “To know a fact in accordance with the truth without any doubt.”

Yaqin: It lexically means knowledge without hesitation and doubt. Another definition that is more comprehensive and better is as follows: “To know something in accordance with the truth, with sound belief and without any doubt.”

In this definition, we see two important meanings of yaqin. The first one is to know something as it is. It is called “in accordance with the truth”. The other is sound belief, that is not to doubt about this belief at all.

For instance, a person who believes definitely that resurrection is only spiritual, not material, is not regarded to have attained yaqin. For, this belief does not have the first condition of belief. Wrong belief is not called yaqin.

The word yaqin has three main levels: ilm al-yaqin (knowledge of certainty), ayn al-yaqin (vision of certainty) and haqq al-yaqin (absolute certainty) …

Some people think “ilm al-yaqin” is weak belief. However, all of those levels express perfect belief. Since the word yaqin is included in all three phrases, all three levels are “in accordance with the truth” and “away from doubt.”

It is necessary to understand accordance with the truth in belief as follows: To believe in the realities of belief as the Quran expresses it. For instance, to know Allah with all His attributes related to belief in Allah. It is in accordance with the truth to know Him as wajib (necessary), pre-eternal, post-eternal and free of space and time. All believers believe in Allah like that. 

Since doubt eliminates belief, all believers are equal related to the condition of having no doubt. In that case, in what field does perfect belief and the different levels in that belief occur?

It is something to believe in a reality and it is another thing to arrange one’s deeds and attitudes according to it. Belief shows its effect on the deeds and attitudes of the people who have yaqin belief. For instance, all believers believe in angels. The belief of a person who knows angels as the Quran states is in accordance with the truth and away from doubt. However, it is one thing to remember angels when they are mentioned and it is another thing to know that they are near man as he walks and speaks. The latter is yaqin belief. It has three levels and each level has endless degrees.   

Ilm al-yaqin means to know the existence of a reality definitely like two plus two equaling four. To know that reality definitely as if seeing, hearing, in short, knowing something entering his realm of feelings is ayn al-yaqin. To know something as if knowing the existence of a reality one has experienced is haqq al-yaqin. For instance, we know that we have memory with knowledge and yaqin. We never doubt it. Similarly, we know the existence of our hands by seeing, that is, ayn al-yaqin. We have no doubt about it. We know that we are alive by experiencing it ourselves, not by thinking or seeing. That knowing is haqq al-yaqin.

Everybody who believes in the existence of the writer more than the existence of the writing must know Allah with a belief more than his own existence. That is, even if he doubts his own existence, he must not doubt the existence of his creator. A believer who reaches this understanding is regarded to have reached yaqin.

There is also iman ash-shuhudi, which occurs in a layer of saints. They see and witness most of the realities of belief. For instance, they are aware of the state of the people in graves.  

Haqq al-yaqin means to assume belief as one’s state. The high rank defined as “to make one’s mind melt in the face of His knowledge, to eliminate one’s will in the face of His absolute will and to sacrifice one’s self in the face of His divinity” is haqq al-yaqin belief.

This field is a vast sea. I find it enough to quote a sentence from Said Nursi, who had the honor of diving into that sea, regarding the issue:

“I saw and felt and experienced at the degree of ‘absolute certainty’ that the pleasure and happiness of my immortality lay exactly and in more perfect form in the immortality of the Enduring One of Perfection, in affirming my Sustainer and God, in believing in Him and submitting to Him.” (Şualar, Dördüncü Şua)

That is, “since I believe in the everlastingness of Allah, non-existence and separation cannot be thought about me any longer because I am everlasting in His knowledge. I will not feel sorry at all due to the thought that I will be deleted from this page of the world.”

He does not only discover that subtle reality but he also feels this meaning as if he sees things; he experiences the pleasure of being submerged in Him in his spirit and heart with liveliness. That is haqq al-yaqin belief in the everlastingness of Allah.

We can think of this meaning related to other attributes of Allah as well as all parts of high ethics.

A person who definitely believes that it is necessary for him to love his believing brother is regarded to have reached ilm al-yaqin in this love. When he starts to feel the pleasure of loving his believing brother in his spirit, he is regarded to have reached ayn al-yaqin.

When he reaches the point of wanting for his believing brother what he wants for himself, he is regarded to have reached haqq al-yaqin.

Ikhlas (sincerity) is like that too. There are three levels in it. When we definitely know that deeds will be accepted only when they are done with sincerity, it is ilm al-yaqin. If the pleasure one’s soul gets from a deed that a person does for Allah’s consent is much more than it gets from a deed he does for show off, it means he has reached haqq al-yaqin. When a person hates show off more than he hates the stink of carrion, he is regarded to have attained haqq al-yaqin in sincerity. We can increase the examples.

Thus, the levels of yaqin are not peculiar to marifatullah (knowledge of Allah) only. It is possible to think it for all principles of belief, all orders of Islam and all parts of ethics. 

Imam Rabbani describes reality as “the inner side of shari’ah”. When man lives in accordance with Islam in terms of his deeds, state and words, yaqin starts to occur in his heart related to the realities he believes and he experiences. In the end, he reaches the point of transforming his belief in those realities into his state. That is, he reaches the point of experiencing those realities with happiness and joy.  

To attain reality means to attain haqq al-yaqin, to enter the last phase of perfect belief. This phase has endless distances. The belief of all prophets, Companions, saints and pure ones is haqq al-yaqin but the great difference among them is clear.  

The way of attaining reality described as “esoteric (inner) shari’ah” is through obeying its apparent rules fully. The inner part of a palace cannot be reached without passing from its outer part. It is sheer imagination.    

If a person is cross with a believer with whom he performs prayers side by side and for whom he prays, it means he has not passed to reality from appearance in supplication.  

If a person thinks about matter only and his heart beats for the world only though he knows that the body is a servant of the spirit, how can he claim that he has reached reality?

If a person is interested more in what is ephemeral than in what is everlasting though he knows that the world is ephemeral and the hereafter is everlasting, it means he is in the outer part of the issue.  

If a person neglects worshipping the Creator though he knows that it is necessary to obey Lord, it means he is very far away from the reality of worshipping. 

If a person sincerely thanks somebody who gives him a lift in his car and does not prostrate before the Owner of the world in which he wanders twenty-four hours a day to thank Him, it means he has nothing to do with the reality of thanking. 

If a person acts very conceitedly though he knows that modesty is a high attribute, it means he has attained a very little share from reality. 

It is easy to mention reality but it is difficult to attain it. It is impossible to attain it by disobeying divine orders.

Allah wants everybody to be good. However, this wanting is divided into two as related to creation and related to religion.

The name of wanting related to creation is “Mashi’ah at-Takwiniyya”, the name of divine wanting sent through revelation is called “Mashi’ah at-Tashri’iyya”. 

All of the commands sent through revelation show Allah’s wishes and requests. All of Allah’s commands are good.

Thus, Allah wants everybody to be good. However, as a necessity of testing Allah’s request related to religion is not compelling; it is guiding. For instance, Allah orders all people to believe but He does not compel anyone. Therefore, there are believers and unbelievers. 

“If ye reject (Allah), Truly Allah hath no need of you; but He liketh not ingratitude from His servants: if ye are grateful, He is pleased with you...” (az-Zumar, 39/7) This fact is underlined in the verse above.

On the other hand, there is compulsion in divine request related to creation. That is, if Allah wants to create something whether good or bad, it definitely takes place. Nothing can oppose His request and will related to creation.

To sum up, Allah leaves it to man – as a necessity of testing – to prefer related to something that He wants to happen. If man wants to be an unbeliever despite the request of Allah, his free will is not prevented.    

Allah does not reject the attempts of good deed; He sometimes rejects the attempts of bad deeds, which is His grace and grant.

Become a Muslim without delaying. The possibility of sinning must never prevent you from becoming a Muslim.

Stop drinking wine (alcoholic drinks and intoxicating, narcotic substances) immediately if you can, otherwise over time.

You can do the other things you have listed as a Muslim, without being against the Islamic faith, rules and ethics.

Painting and sculpture must not be obscene, and there must be no worshipped images or figures.

a) The full meaning of verse 164 of the chapter of al-Baqara is as follows:

“Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of the night and the day; in the sailing of the ships through the ocean for the profit of mankind; in the rain which Allah Sends down from the skies, and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is dead; in the beasts of all kinds that He scatters through the earth; in the change of the winds, and the clouds which they Trail like their slaves between the sky and the earth;- (Here) indeed are Signs for a people that are wise.”

The evidences of “ikhtira” (creation) and “grace” (purpose) used by the Quran in principle for the existence and unity of Allah are included in the verse. Its summary is as follows:

- The creation of the heavens and earth is an obvious fact. Every created being has a creator. Even a needle cannot come into being without a master. Therefore, the heavens and the earth also have a Creator. The creation of the heavens and the earth as wonderful works of art shows that the Creator has not only infinite knowledge, power and wisdom but also too much dignity to have partners.

- The existence of the day and the night: On the one hand, the subtle relations between the sun and the earth are pointed out and on the other hand, it is pointed out that this solar system was designed in a way to produce the day and the night. The creation of such a programmed, planned and purposeful work of art is an indication that it cannot be the plaything of blind chance, the work of lifeless-unconscious atoms and elements. It is the proof of the existence of Allah, who has infinite knowledge, power and wisdom.

- There is also evidence in the ships’ being able to float on the sea because the construction of the first ship in a way to float on water cannot have been a product of the human mind. It is stated in the Quran that the Prophet Nuh (Noah) built the ship (ark) based on revelation. In addition;

The fact that the sea / water has buoyancy, that it is designed to carry ships like huge mountains, and that those ships provide great benefits as a means of trade and transportation for people in their operation show the existence of Allah because no cause other than Allah, no atom, no molecule of water, knows man. How can they serve man? How can they be shaped in a way to bring about that result since they have no mind? How can they manage such fine and sophisticated affairs since they have no power to do them?

- Rainfall is also a result of the purpose of benefiting people. The sun, the atmosphere, the seas, the winds and the clouds must exist for the rain to fall. It means that for the creation of a single food item for humans, the creation of the universe and the existence of a Creator with infinite knowledge, wisdom and might are virtually necessary.

So, it is emphasized in the verse that the sun, seas and other mechanisms must exist for the creation of a single loaf of bread. The issue can be viewed in a more detailed way from this viewpoint.

b) The mentioning of “dead soil” in the statement “the rain which Allah Sends down from the skies, and the life which He gives therewith to an earth that is dead” aims to draw attention to the fact that people will be resurrected after they die. A visible resurrection event is strong evidence that people will be resurrected, which is an invisible event.

It is also pointed out how the earth dies in the spring and winter seasons, and how this law of death depends on a wonderful creation because resurrection of plants in spring is as wonderful as their death in autumn and winter. Why do some trees remain green in winter while others lose their leaves?

- How is it that the grains and seeds of those dead plants can produce the same products as in the previous spring without any confusion the next spring?

To sum up, when “death” and “resurrection” come together, they generate great strength. As it is stated in the chapter of al-Mulk, death, like life, is something created by Allah because the event of death takes place depending on only Allah’s knowledge, power and eternal predestination program.

The events mentioned in those verses are not imaginary assumptions, but events that have taken place or will take place when informed by Allah, who knows everything with His infinite knowledge. For example;

“He it is Who enableth you to traverse through land and sea; so that ye even board ships;- they sail with them with a favorable wind, and they rejoice thereat; then comes a stormy wind and the waves come to them from all sides, and they think they are being overwhelmed: they cry unto Allah, sincerely offering (their) duty unto Him saying, “If thou dost deliver us from this, we shall truly show our gratitude.” (Yunus, 10:22)

That fact is underlined in the verse above.

Firstly, the addressees of those verses are Arab polytheists who believe in Allah rather than atheists. And the events mentioned in the verses have been repeated over and over again and have become common in the society.

Secondly: Today, there are also many examples of atheists taking refuge in Allah in times of distress.

a) Once, we read the following in Saçak magazine:

A professor (name withheld) was asked if he was an atheist and he replied: “I am old now; I am going to get older, and I feel lonely; so, I would rather be happy by saying that God exists than be unhappy by saying, ‘there is no God’...”

b) The anchor (istinat) point in conscience

Anyone who does not satisfy this point, which is embedded in the human nature and conscience, cannot find peace.

When Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq was arguing with an atheist, the following dialog took place:

Imam Ja’far asked: “Have you ever traveled on the sea?”

The atheist replied: “Yes.”

Imam Ja’far asked: “Have you ever encountered an event that terrified you?”

The atheist answered: “Yes, once a great storm broke out and tore the ship apart. The captain and crew were drowned. I clung to a piece of the ship, which swam through the great waves and threw me ashore.”

Thereupon, Imam Ja’far said: “It seems that you trusted the ship and the captains beforehand. After the storm, you relied on a part of the ship and finally you were saved. In the face of these dangers, you lost the ship, the crew and everything. After losing all that, did you think you would drown and die, or did you have hope that you would survive?”

“I always hoped I would be saved.”

“And what was the source of your hope?”

The man remained silent. That is to say, he accepted the truth in accordance with the maxim, “Silence gives consent.”

Then Ja’far as-Sadiq said: “The source of the hope you carry in your conscience for salvation is the one who created you. In that most troubled moment, your conscience set its hopes on Him and it was He who saved you from drowning!” And then, the man became a Muslim. In this incident, Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq showed the unbeliever the point of istinat (anchor-refuge) and istimdat (logistic support) in his conscience. His conscience showed that he bore witness to the Creator.

c) According to a narration that supports this reality, the Prophet (pbuh) asked al-Husayn, the father of Imran, who was still a polytheist: “How many gods that you worship do you have today?”

The man said: “I have seven gods, six on earth and one in the sky.”

The Prophet (pbuh) asked: “Well, which deity do you pray when a calamity, a misfortune, a hardship befalls you?”

The man said: “I pray the deity in the sky.” [It is known that the Arab polytheists believed in the existence of Allah, but they still associated partners with Him.]

Thereupon, the Prophet (pbuh) said: “If you become a Muslim, I will teach you two useful words.” When the man became a Muslim, he taught the man this prayer: “O Allah, show me the straight path and protect me from the evil of the soul.” (Tirmidhi, Daawat, 3483)

According to another narration, the Prophet (pbuh) said to him: “If only one deity meets your needs, it means that there is no god for you except Allah!”

This shows that the conscience is equipped with a sense of servitude to God as part of its creation. (see Niyazi Beki, 55 Lisanla Tevhidin işaretleri, pp. 41-43)

Choosing a religion other than Islam in matters of belief in Allah is a grave mistake and sin; it is explained in the Quran that such a person will not be forgiven unless he repents.

Why is polytheism unforgivable?

Allah states the following about polytheism in the Quran:

“Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth.” (an-Nisa, 48)

What is meant here is this: If a person dies in a state of polytheism and does not repent, this sin is unforgivable.

However, if he repents before he dies, Allah may forgive him.

Error and denial are not the same thing.

Islamic scholars divide human error into two categories:

a) An unintentional mistake

Some scholars say that a person can be excused if he has not had the opportunity to reach the truth or if the message has not been conveyed correctly to him.

As a matter of fact, the following is stated in a verse: “…Nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent an apostle (to give warning).” (al-Isra, 15)

This verse shows that there will be no punishment until the truth reaches one.

b) To reject the truth after it has reached one.

If a person knowingly rejects the truth of Islam, he is held accountable.

The following is stated in a verse: “If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him.” (Aal-i Imran, 85)

A person might think it is true.

A person might think he is on the right path from his own perspective. However, according to Islam, sincere inquiry, the intention to seek the truth, and avoiding conceit toward the truth are important.

Therefore, Allah is the one who knows best the condition of people, and He is the one who will give the final judgment about them.

“Verily thy Lord will judge between them on the Day of Judgment, in the matters wherein they differ (among themselves).” (as-Sajda 25)

Therefore, Allah is the one who knows people’s intentions, knowledge, and conditions best.

To sum up:

Polytheism is a sin that is unforgivable if one dies without repenting. However, if a person becomes a believer before death, he is forgiven.

There are scholars who say that those to whom the truth has not reached or those who have not known it correctly will not be held accountable. Allah is the one who knows best the hearts and intentions of people.

- What is emphasized here is that the attributes in the Quran and the Sunnah are accepted without interpretation. Since they are expressed in the verses and hadiths, the same expressions should be accepted because otherwise, interpreting those attributes means giving up their apparent meaning, which means disregarding the attributes. The view of Salaf scholars is generally like that. 

For example: There is “Allah’s hand”, but it is not material like the hands of other beings. Whatever Allah means is true. However, since we do not know it, we refer their reality to the knowledge of Allah.

The view of the vast majority of Salaf scholars, including Abu Hanifa, is like that.

- On the other hand, Ahl as-Sunnah scholars who have been given the title of “khalaf scholars” since the period starting with Abul-Hasan al-Ash’ari and Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, the imams of creed of Ahl as-Sunnah, argue that those attributes are ambiguous and therefore in need of interpretation.

The existence of ambiguous verses in the Quran is accepted and the way of interpretation is accepted. Since ambiguous verses are interpreted in other issues, ambiguous attributes should also be interpreted.

- We should state that both salaf and khalaf scholars unanimously agree on accepting the attributes of Allah and not resorting to ta’til (disregarding) and tashbih (simile). The only difference between them is whether ambiguous attributes are to be interpreted or not.

- There are legitimate reasons for khalaf scholars to accept that interpretation is obligatory. For example: During the period of salaf scholars, minds were pure, belief was strong, the paths of doubt were closed, and submission was a state of nature. However, later on, in a period when people’s belief in general had lost its strength compared to the past, submission was broken, and the door was opened to new questions and different cultures resulting from the translation of Greek philosophy and the intertwining with societies of different civilizations, it was inevitable to interpret such attributes that would seemingly constitute evidence for the corporeality of Allah.

Otherwise, there would be a conception of Allah that was contrary to the spirit of the Quran. The fact that aberrant sects dredged up this issue also shows that these interpretations were obligatory and true.

Let us give just one example:

According to the apparent meaning of the verse “(Allah) Most Gracious is firmly established on the Throne” in the Quran, its full explanation is as follows: “Allah sat on a chair called the Throne, which is accepted to exist above the heavens.”

This perception has no place in the religion; besides, it is incorrect in terms of reason, logic and reality because the Throne, like the earth and the sky, is a creature, and was created afterwards. It is unthinkable that Allah, who is an eternal being, would need to sit on a chair that He created afterwards. It is a well-accepted fact that the eternal being does not undergo change - even by moving from one place to another. However, “being established on the Throne” apparently means a change, a movement, a transfer from one place to another.

From this point of view, khalaf scholars’ interpretation of this verse as: “Just as Allah created the universe alone, His sultanate / administration / sovereignty is also without partners” is correct and completely compatible with the spirit of Islam’s perception of Allah.

The real purpose of the creation of the universe is to know and believe in Allah. People cannot have a greater responsibility than that. It is definitely a necessity for a person responsible for believing in Allah to believe in Him.

This responsibility and obligation is an indication that believing in Allah is fard (fard-al-ayn) for people.

It does not mean that servants are obliged to do it in this world because of what Allah has made obligatory. We learn this from the following verse above: “Let there be no compulsion in religion...” (al-Baqara, 2/256).

In other words, orders and prohibitions express an obligation on the basis of law. However, in practice, it does not imply a necessity on the basis of individuals. As a current example, wearing a MASK against the coronavirus is currently a legal requirement. However, there is no such thing actually forcing people. Whoever wishes wears it, whoever wishes does not.

According to the verse “... Let him who will believe, and let him who will, reject (it)...” (al-Kahf, 18/29), people have an obligation in terms of Sharia laws, but there is no actual obligation. Those who do not wear a mask will be fined or imprisoned, and those who do not believe will go to Hell.

So, people are free to commit crimes. However, there is a penalty for this crime. In that case, man has freedom and obligation.

It is Allah who creates water. He sends it down from clouds and makes it come out of the earth. It is Allah who creates it in both ways and gives it to us as a bounty.

Attention is attracted to the fact that “water is drawn out of the earth” in verse 31 of the chapter of an-Naziat. The first origin of water is not mentioned there. On the contrary, it is pointed out that the waters, springs, sources and rivers, which all people see with their own eyes, come out of the earth.

The information about the origin of water mentioned in the question needs researching. Even if it is true, there is no ontological and geological approach in the verse; what is emphasized in the verse is the aspect of water as a bounty.

In the verses of the Quran, it is stated that Allah sends down clean and abundant water from the sky as sustenance, means of sustenance and cleanliness, that people and animals are enabled to drink clean and fresh water, that He revives the earth after its death by making it yield all kinds of green plants, crops and fruits; thus, attention is drawn to the importance of water for the lives of the beings on the earth. (For examples, see al-Baqara 2/22, 164; al-An‘am 6/99; al-Hijr 15/22; an-Nahl 16/10-11; al-Furqan 25/48-49; as-Sajda 32/27; az-Zumar 39/21; al-Jasiya 45/5; Qaf 50/9-11)

In the verses of the Quran, the role of divine power in the sending of water to the earth with a certain taste and measure and the fact that man will fall into despair without water are emphasized and we are asked to thank for the bounty of water and to think about it by taking lessons. (al-Kahf 18/41; al-Muminun 23/18-19; al-Ankabut 29/63; ar-Rum 30/24; az-Zukhruf 43/11; al-Waqia 56/68-70; al-Mulk 67/30)

In addition, it is stated in the Quran that water
- is the main means of cleanliness for wudu and ghusl (al-Maida 5/6)
- is clean and fresh when it is sent in the form of rain (some other properties of water are also mentioned) (al-Furqan 25/48; al-Mursalat 77/27),
- is fresh and delicious in some bodies of water and salty and hard in others (al-Furqan 25/53; Fatir 35/12) .

Thus, it is necessary to know who sends water, not where it is sent from, and to thank the giver of water sincerely.

Numerous verses and hadiths state that it is fard for those who are aware of the true religion to believe in it.

If states and activities that prevent belief like doubt, lack of information, counter propaganda and suggestions interfere, it is fard to make efforts in order to eliminate them “as a necessity of the fard of believing”.

This issue is extremely sensitive and can lead to serious consequences. Therefore, when making a judgment, it is necessary to properly distinguish between belief (ʿaqīdah) and action (ʿamal).

First, let us establish the basic principle:

For a Muslim to knowingly take the side of the enemy against Muslims is a very grave sin and a serious burden. However, this act does not in every case directly entail a ruling of disbelief (kufr). What is decisive is the person’s intention, belief, and how they perceive their action.

1. A situation that constitutes disbelief (kufr)

If a person harbors enmity toward Islam in their heart, considers fighting against Muslims to be justified, rejects or denies the rulings of Islam, then the matter becomes not merely a sin but a problem of belief. Such an attitude leads to disbelief, because here it is not only the action but the belief that is corrupted.

2. A situation that is not disbelief but a very major sin

However, if the person does not deny Islam, does not bear enmity toward Muslims, but makes a wrong choice due to nationalism, fear, coercion, or personal interest, then what they have done is a major sin and a serious deviation, but a direct ruling of disbelief (takfīr) is not given.

The general principle of Ahl al-Sunnah scholars is as follows:

“An act may be disbelief; however, the person who commits it is not declared a disbeliever unless the necessary conditions are fulfilled.”

3. A case of compulsion (ikrāh)

If a person is under threat of death, is forced, and while their heart remains firm in faith is compelled outwardly to act otherwise, then their responsibility is greatly reduced. The Qur’an has granted concession in such cases of compulsion:

“Except for one who is forced while his heart is secure in faith…” (al-Naḥl 16:106)

Thus, a believer who is compelled under severe pressure (ikrāh), while his heart is full of faith, and outwardly expresses or acts contrary to his belief due to that pressure, does not cease to be a believer according to this verse.

4. The issue of nationalism

A particularly important point here is nationalism. If nationalism overrides Muslim identity and disrupts the distinction between right and wrong, it becomes a very dangerous understanding. In Islam, the معيار (criterion) is not race, tribe, or flag, but truth and justice.

For this reason, a Muslim taking a position against Muslims purely due to nationalist feelings reflects a serious weakness and deviation in faith.

In summary:

Fighting in a non-Muslim army against Muslims is a very grave sin and a heavy burden. However, this act is not in every case disbelief.

For it to be disbelief, there must be denial, hostility, or rejection of the religion.

Intention, belief, and circumstances are decisive. In such matters, the most correct approach is not to generalize, not to hastily declare people disbelievers, but also not to underestimate the gravity of the act.

May Allah make us among those who see the truth as truth and follow it, and see falsehood as falsehood and avoid it. Āmīn.