In human history, the prevailing trend has never been to choose an option between God and no-God. The trend has generally been to choose between God and gods. The concept of no-God is, in fact, a sceptical category of reason in the garb of assertion. The overwhelming majority of humanity has been believing in God or associates gods and goddesses with God in one way or the other. Only a minuscule human population in all ages has inclined agnosticism. Atheists have also been found with the same intellectual proposition as agnostics but remarkably with a difference in claim and attitude from that of agnostics.

 

No-God Assertion:

Stephen Hawking was the vocal proponent of no-God theory in explaining the creation of the universe in the modern age. He proclaimed as scientific certainty that there is ‘no creator’ behind the creation of the universe - neither we need God nor does He exist. But the most he could have claimed as a scientist, based on observations applied for a scientific explanation of the mystery of the beginning of the ever-expanding universe, was that he had succeeded only partially in explaining how and when of the universe. He should have acknowledged the limitation of human reason on the question of who and why of the creation. Nobody can claim to have known the first cause of creation- whether the universe came into being instantly on its own or by the ‘omnipotent and omnipresent Creator’ who prompted ‘nothing’ to become ‘something’ as an expanding universe. Hawking would have been aware of the fact that scientific reasoning works within space-time limitations and not beyond it. Human reason can only guess and conjecture beyond the limit of space-time. As such, his real position was that of an agnostic who can’t be sure either on affirmation or denial of God like a believer whose belief emanates from the spiritual urge and is supported by observation and common sense. But Hawking chose to be a preacher-atheist exceeding the scientific limits.

 

God, no-God Alike:

For some people, God and no-God are alike. They remain in doubt and suspicion. This is the real position of an agnostic. But the agnostic’s position is that of an intellectual uncertainty away from the practical position in real life. Real life is not passed in a void, it is lived with some worldview, moral values and social behaviour, which are shaped by religion through ancestral traditions, social interactions and personal contemplation with the freewill of human beings. As such, despite intellectual uncertainty, an agnostic takes a position in practical life, consciously or unconsciously, on the issues of the First Cause of existence and the purpose of existence.

 

An atheist and an agnostic both are on the same footing of human knowledge and reason - limited, partial and workable in space-time limit - but with a difference in claim and attitude. The former is assertive as a believer in no-God proposition whereas the latter remains indecisive and doubtful about God or no-God. The former’s stand implies

 intellectual arrogance whereas the latter’s attitude is that of accepting intellectual inadequacy in solving the riddles of existence.

 

Logical Option:

Then what is the logical and practical option before human beings? A human being is driven not only by intellectual reasoning but also by intuitive understanding and spiritual yearning. The present and the past of humankind reveal that generally, the option preferred by humans has either been to believe in the Unity of God or the multiplicity of gods by associating one or the other aspect of God. The polytheistic attitude in a human being is developed due to various reasons, the basic being the cognitive limitations of human understanding. God is felt at the spiritual level. But God can’t be likened to any existence and human beings is constrained to grasp His Existence through likeness at the mental level.

 

The multiplicity of gods:

In all ages, a large chunk of the population has reposed faith in and reverence for multiple gods and goddesses which shapes spiritual orientation, individual behaviour and the social structure of humankind. However, despite believing in multiple gods and goddesses, the human being has never denied the all-powerful God having superiority over the gods, he revered and the demons, he feared. Though the multiplicity of gods doesn’t refute the existence of a unique God certainly it pulls life in different directions. The most compelling question is how to justify the contradiction of simultaneous belief in God and multiple gods without diminishing the attributes, powers and uniqueness of God. Common sense fails to justify the need of such a God Who cannot do what the lesser gods are supposed to do and if He is all-powerful to do, even creating this vast universe, what is the use of these lesser gods? Another question is whether these lessor gods are independent to act like God or subservient to the all-powerful God - all-powerfulness demands their subservience. If this is the position of lesser gods then these are merely the names with the partial reflection of God’s attributes which are pretended to be gods.

 

The All-Powerful God:

Belief in one and unique God is prominently professed in three major religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam, covering the overwhelming majority of the population. But the concept of an all-powerful, omnipresent, omnipotent God is also found in major Hindu scriptures and it is also embedded in the psyche of the general populace. The belief in God is universal, but the understanding of God is diverse. Those believing in God believe that He is the sole creator of the universe. He nourishes and sustains His creatures. He is all-powerful to command and control the affairs of the whole universe. He gives life and death. He is compassionate and merciful. He is all-knowing, super-intelligent, eternal and immortal. He is kind as well as just. These are some of the attributes by which He is known and is comprehensible to human understanding. Human intellect is unable to comprehend His Self and to encompass all the dimensions of His attributes.

Now a question arises: if God is beyond the realm of the human intellect, does He exist as believed by monotheists, or is He merely a human fascination and creation of imagination? The rationale is three-dimensional and complements each other. First, the human being has a spiritual yearning to seek solace in a divine super Being – beseeching

 for help in distress, worshipping in devotion and expressing gratitude for blessings. Second, the existence of only omnipotent, omnipresent, compassionate, just, eternal and immortal God enables human reason to explain the creation of the universe and the purpose of a human being bestowed with an innate sense of virtue and vice, intellect to judge and free- will to act implying responsibility and accountability of human being. Third, the divine message of monotheism by trustworthy persons whose truthfulness, uprightness and selflessness are verifiable with critical appreciation by the human being because it is within the reach of human reason. Acceptance of God also explains the who and why of creation without any mismatch with ever-revealing facts about how and when.

 

Diverse Positions:

An atheist proclaims no-God theory as scientific certainty despite the limitations of human reason. It is intellectual arrogance. An agnostic remains in doubt and suspicion. It is irrelevant in practical life. A polytheist associates multiple gods with God. It is an impairment in the true belief in an all-powerful God, understanding Him to be one among multiple gods, though more powerful than others. A monotheist believes in one unique God. It fully matches the very concept of God, being the First and the Last, being the Manifest and the Hidden - the Real Mystery beyond human reason.

 

Feel Thy God, Know Thy God:

The entire universe is the masterpiece creation of God. But in this divine creation, the human being is distinguished in the sense that he is a universe in himself. The three colours of this human universe are unique from and imposing over the colours of the entire universe. These three colours emerge from the three unique qualities of human beings of which the universe is entirely devoid. These characteristics of human existence give him the ability to thrive in this vast universe. The gradual discovery of the laws operating in the universe engages him in the activities of conquering the universe. But about the human experience, the universe appears to be limitless. In the same way, as the human intellect, the secrets of the universe are also unending. As much as these secrets are discovered, the signs of the Lord of the universe will be revealed to the human mind. Since human intelligence also has a limitation despite the ability to know a lot, the human being needs guidance from the omniscient, the omnipresent God Who is all aware of the facts beyond human intellect.

 

Three Colours of Human existence:

The first colour is autonomy. A human being is endowed with free will. There is no constraint on his will. But the universe doesn’t have freedom, it is bound by the laws of nature. From particles to galaxies, the universe is bound by an inviolable law. These laws of nature are intricate and extremely complex.

The second colour of a human being is his intellect. Humans can discover the laws of nature with their intellect and by applying them, they further engage in the journey of conquering the universe. In this way, human civilisation progressively marches to higher levels. A human being is an active entity and not a passive thing like the universe. Humans are empowered to handle the universe in so many ways.

The third colour is passion. A human being is not devoid of emotions like the universe. Hundreds of emotions continue to emerge within and affect his inner

 world. Sometimes kindness prompts him to help others, sometimes cruelty prompts him to oppress others.

 

But the dominating colour, among all these three colours, is the colour of human sovereignty, the colour of free will. Humans can direct their intellect to the right or the wrong path for free will. In the same way, they can turn their emotions in the right or the wrong direction. It is the freedom of will given to human beings that makes them morally responsible. If he would have been devoid of free will, like the universe and other subservient beings in it, he should not have been accountable. If human being would not having the intellect to distinguish between right and wrong, there should not have been any moral obligations to them. If he would not have been possessing the natural potential for virtue and vice in the inner core of his heart, he should not have been expected of purity and spiritual elevation at all.

 

God Speaks:

Quran is the guidance from God. This guidance is for the whole of humankind. This guidance is related to every aspect of life which is consequential to life after death. This book shows the path which enables the present life to remain on the right path and achieve success in life after death.

 

The Qur'an brings man face-to-face with the Lord of the universe. God, who is beyond the human sight and intellect, the Qur'an informs about His Self, Attributes and Majesty. God speaks about Himself in human language in a way that human beings can understand and comprehend Him to the possible extent and live with Him in heart and mind.

 

Knowing God through His Words:

The Qur'an says that the Creator, Owner and Lord of this universe is only One God. He is the First and the Last, and the Manifest and the Hidden (57:3). There is no one like Him to resemble. He is Unique. The entire universe is testifying to His Majesty, Wisdom, Knowledge, Mercy and Forgiveness. Let us try to comprehend the concept of God from these five attributes presented by the Qur'an:-

 

God, the Almighty, the Majestic One:

There was nothing and He said, 'Be done' and this universe came into being. The rational explanation, though partial, of this happening, is the Big Bang theory. The creation of the universe, the gradual formation and decay of galaxies, stars, and planets, the continuing expansion and balance in the universe, the existence of humans on earth and the abundance of sustenance of life on earth are all the charisma of His Infinite Power. If there was even an iota of deficiency in His Power in any aspect, this universe would not have come into existence.

 

God is All-Wise:

Everything in the universe was created by His Power in such a way that the human intellect and vision are amazed and bewildered. There are countless hidden pearls of wisdom behind everything. The more the human mind ponders, the more amazing wisdom

 comes out. The discovery of a few laws of nature makes human beings awe-inspiring, giving them the impetus to search for more wisdom. The Wisdom of the One Who created this universe is unlimited. As much as a man will advance in search of wisdom, the meaning of the universe will more manifest. In the system of the universe, there is no imbalance, no deficiency. God made the universe as it was meant to be. The purpose of the creation of the universe is exactly what it is. The Almighty God Who created existence is the All-Wise, His wisdom is manifested in every particle.

 

God is All-Knowing:

Every aspect of the grand universe we live in reveals His infinite knowledge. His knowledge encompasses every secret of the universe. His knowledge is free from the suffixes of beginning and end, free from the limitations of time and space. He is aware of everything; He is watchful of everything. If He were oblivious to even a particle, this universe would not have got existence. He is Eternally Existing; He is the Source of knowledge.

 

God is All-Merciful:

This universe and the existence of humans in it all depend on His mercy. If it were not for His mercy, there would have been no universe and no human life. This universe and human life are all manifestations of His mercy. His mercy is not the one that we experience in everyday life. His mercy is endless. Every passing breath on which our life is dependent and every mutual relationship we are living in is only due to His mercy. He is the Merciful and the Compassionate One. His mercy encompasses everything. His mercy covers even His wrath.

 

God is All-Forgiving:

God gave humans the freewill. Freedom of will sometimes leads to wrongdoing and sin. But God has opened the door of His forgiveness as He is the Compassionate One. He is the One Who covers our sins, as He is the Coverer. If a person sins, the door of repentance is open for him if he wants to enter it and seeks forgiveness. Whoever knocks on the door of Forgiveness is pardoned by Him. A person may commit sins a hundred times, let him knock on the door of Forgiveness, and he will not return disappointed. His Lord's forgiveness is unlimited. He is the Forgiver, the Kind. It is another matter that one persists in disobedience, wanders to the door of others besides his Lord and doesn’t heed the call of his Lord. It is all upon a person to act as he wishes and to meet whatever end he wants. God doesn’t force anyone towards repentance as He has granted free will to a human being. But He does not disappoint anyone with His forgiveness as He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.

 

These are just a few glimpses of the persona of the Lord of the Universe, which the Qur'an introduces to humanity. Along with this, the Qur'an tells us that every quality and every good attribute is attached perfectly and completely only to God, the Creator, the Sustainer of the whole universe. In this way, the Qur'an instils in man the sense of the limitlessness of God's persona, attributes and powers so that mankind bows down before God.

The Qur'an further makes it clear to man that if this universe has been created for you, if you are getting blessings every day, if everything for your life has been provided, then do not abuse your freedom and don’t act as per your whims and wishes. Keep trying to conform to the Will of your Lord. This world is your testing ground. Every moment here is a witness of your thoughts and actions. Don’t forget that the result of this test is also to come out. No doubt, success and failure are not in your hands, but you are free to strive for success and failure. In this way, the Qur'an unites the activities of human life with the ultimate reckoning. Human existence is the unity of life and its continuity after death.

 eath speaks to life People live for this destiny

The journey of life continues to Hold my hand for a new journey

 

The meaningfulness in human life lies in the consciousness of this unity. If this consciousness is blurred, the struggle and strife of human life become chaotic and meaningless and every moment of life becomes worthless.

 

Quran is the fountain of life:

Man is not only the body, not only the intellect, not only the soul. Man is a combination of all. All three aspects of human existence need sustenance for their survival and growth. Allah is the Nourisher. For the survival and growth of the body, He has provided abundant sustenance on this earth, which man uses till his last breath. God has sent down His guidance so that the intellect can think in the right direction. He sent down His Guidance in every nation, in every age and in the form of the Qur'an, He has completed and preserved His guidance until the Day of Judgment. God has made His remembrance necessary for nourishing the soul because the soul remains restless for Him and is satiated with His remembrance. Thus, every aspect of human existence needs the Lord. How can this human need be fulfilled? The Qur'an is the answer to this "how?" The Qur'an has been revealed by the mercy of God, as a mercy to mankind, to make him the embodiment of mercy. Blessed are those who are blessed by the message of the Qur'an, the mercy of God. Remembering God's message, understanding it and putting it into practice requires attention and repeated attention. Fortunate are those in favour of whom the Qur'an would become the witness on the Day of Judgment and not be the witness against them.