12-Thinking irrationally about God and his nature-when God is an unsensed reality
(Leading to doubt of its existence
Leading to problems in life and society- fatalists – dealt with in a separate chapter)
The errors in thinking and doubt increases when discussing the reality of God. This has been a source of contention and criticism between philosophers in the western and Islamic world debating the attributes of god. For example the question of evil : whether a God that was omnipotent could prevent the evil that exists and if not then that means he is not all-powerful and unlimited; but if he could but chooses not to then that would mean he is not omnibenevolent- all loving- so if not a good god or all-powerful god then why worship him?
Similarly the mutakallimin philosophers of the Islamic world would debate how God's attributes could be understood such as His Knowledge and predestination. Famously, the Mu'tazilite school of thought believed the speech of Allah in the form of the Quran was created. They came to the conclusion of this belief through the examination of His attributes via the application of logical deduction as follows:
Major Premise: in the phenomenal (tangible) realm, the Word of God is manifest in the texts of the Scriptures (i.e. the Qur'an and other religious scriptures)
Minor Premise: these texts are composed of letters and sounds that are embodied alternately (which are part of this created universe)
Conclusion: the Qur'an -that is the embodiment of God's factual speech (Kalam)- is created
This conclusion contradicted another by their opponents built on a different premise: Major Premise: The Word of God (Kalam Allah) is a product of the speech nature which is inherent in God‟s Essence
Minor Premise: All that become the attributes of God‟s Essence are eternal as the eternity of God
Conclusion: the Word of God is eternal.
Likewise another group emerged believing that humans have no responsibility due to God controlling man’s actions , again by using logic to delve into the unseen nature of God as such:
God has no partners in creation
If man creates his actions then he is sharing creation with God
Therefore God creates man’s actions
Thus the debate over his attributes created a lot of confusion and even schisms within elements of society as these were matters of belief and used to define (and attack) one's identity as a proper believer.
Again the problem here is how the unsensed reality of God can be applied to our sensed reality; how can the infinite qualities be understood by limited beings? As already discussed, the components of rational thinking include a sensed reality linked to previous information. In this case because there is no sensed reality to study we must only rely upon (correct) previous information to give any thoughts upon an unsensed reality. Any extrapolations of how this unsensed entity operates is purely speculation because no one has ever witnessed a creator to be able to store information about it and then to be able to use that information for passing any judgements. Even when Allah the creator describes Himself through revelation to us with qualities that we have as humans, that does not mean that Allah has human attributes because we cannot rationally verify that. Rather, any description is a way of helping us to form a relationship with Him but we cannot start to equate the description to our reality. So if Allah says that He has hands we cannot assume that this also means fingers too or even literal human hands; rather the rational person will just leave the description at that and add no more or no less to the description. It was when philosophers started extrapolating from this that caused problems in their thinking. A final example to illustrate the point:
in surah (chapter) 95, verse 8, Allah (God) says: “Is not Allah (God) the most just of judges?
If we try to impose our human reality of justice upon God then we could end up contradicting other revelations. So according to the human notion of equity and justice, the one who does not fulfill their end of a contract would not expect a judge to reward them in a court of law. Also in the Quran it is mentioned many times that those who believe and do good will be rewarded by God. So according to the human notion of justice the one who does not do good should not be rewarded. However God also mentions that He can forgive those who do not obey Him to do good:
Allah says: “Say: O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Sûrah al-Zumar: 53]
and that He punishes whom He wants to:
“And Allah's is the kingdom. of the heavens and the earth; He forgives whom He pleases and punishes whom He pleases, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” [48:14]
This shows us that there can be a difference in the human concept of justice and equity, with God’s justice and so it would be incorrect to superimpose our reality upon God’s reality. This is the case for any issue that concerns God. Any discussion upon an unsensed reality will therefore be laden with doubts and speculation.
The above examples show us that it is futile trying to discuss the unseen including God’s nature whilst having no knowledge of it as it is out of our sensed reality. The most we can do is limit the discussion to any knowledge that He reveals to us.
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