THE SCIENTIFIC COLLAPSE OF THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION

THE SCIENTIFIC COLLAPSE OF THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION

Charles Darwin

When the theory of evolution was first advanced by Charles Darwin in the middle of the 19^th century, it was not taken so seriously. The ideological meaning of the theory, however, caused it to become wide-spread in a short time. This ideological meaning lied with the theory of evolution coming forth as an alternative to the belief of creation, which constitutes the essence of all divine religions. Atheist, materialist and positivist movements immediately claimed ownership of Darwin's theory and began to use it as a propaganda tool against the religious beliefs. It was discovered in the 20^th century that the theory is in fact a complete fallacy and is not based on any scientific evidence. The evolutionist propaganda, however, did not cease.

The Birth Of Darwinism

Darwinism originated with the book of Charles Darwin, an amateur biologist, titled The Origin of Species published in 1859. In this book, which he defined as a "long argument", Darwin argued that all living species have a common ancestor and they evolved from one another by means of natural selection.

Darwin argued that, by natural selection, only the individuals that adapted to the habitat in the best way transferred their qualities to subsequent generations. These advantageous qualities accumulated in time and transformed the individual into a species totally different from its ancestors. Man was the most developed outcome of this mechanism. Darwin thought he had found the "origin of species": the origin of one species was another species.

However, Darwin was unaware of the science of genetics when he advanced his theory.

While the echoes of Darwin's book reverberated, an Austrian botanist by the name of Mendel discovered the laws of inheritance in 1865. Not much heard of until the end of the century, Mendel's discovery gained great importance in the early 1900s. In the first quarter of the 20th century, the structure of the genes and the chromosomes was discovered.

These developments were in fact refuting Darwin's "long argument". Nevertheless, those who were determined to follow Darwin somehow revised the theory of evolution, which fell out of favor because of the science of genetics. Consequently "The Modern Synthetic Evolution Theory" was put forward in 1940. According to this theory, the cause of the variations in Darwin's theory, in other words, the power that supposedly caused living organisms to evolve, was "mutations".

This neo-Darwinism, however, was not enough to save the theory of evolution. Each development in genetics dealt new blows to Darwinism and neo-Darwinism. The discovery, in the 1950s, of the structure of the DNA molecule that incorporates genetic information threw the theory of evolution into a great crisis.

IMAGINARY MECHANISMS OF EVOLUTION

The Neo-Darwinist model argues that the origin of evolutionary modifications are random mutations that take place in the genetic structure of living beings. The traits brought about by the favorable mutations are selected by the mechanism of natural selection and therefore the living things evolve. According to this model, as a result of the accumulation of the beneficial features which bring advantages to the living being in its habitat, these modifications, after a while, take such a form that they can even cause the being to change in species. The living being that undergoes evolution "promotes" from a certain species to a more advanced species.

Therefore, the neo-Darwinist approach, which we shall take as the "mainstream" theory of evolution today, puts forward two basic mechanisms to explain how living beings evolved: "natural selection" and "mutation". Either mechanism, however, has the capacity to make a living being evolve into another being.

Does Natural Selection Have Evolutionary Power?

Natural selection only selects out the disfigured, weak, or unfit individuals of a species. It cannot produce new species, new genetic information, or new organs.

According to the theory of evolution, the magical mechanism that formed the first living beings, that brought together the first single-celled organisms, that taught the eye to see, that developed organs such as hand, foot, ear and kidney, that inspires birds to migrate to thousands of kilometers away every year is natural selection. It is absolutely impossible for a mechanism such as natural selection that lacks consciousness and wisdom to accomplish all these things. On the other hand, it is also scientifically established that natural selection does not have the power to cause living beings to evolve and to equip them with new features.

Natural selection holds that those living beings that are stronger and more suited to the natural conditions of their habitats will prevail. For example, in a zebra herd under the threat of lions, naturally those that can run faster will survive. But survival of fast running zebras will not transform these zebras into another living species, for example into horses. Natural selection only selects out the disfigured, weak, or unfit individuals of a species. It cannot produce new species, new genetic information, or new organs.

Stephen Jay Gould

Stephen Jay Gould, Harvard paleontologist and a world-wide famous evolutionist, refers to this deadlock of natural selection as follows;

The essence of Darwinism lies in a single phrase: natural selection is the creative force of evolutionary change. No one denies that natural selection will play a negative role in eliminating the unfit. Darwinian theories require that it create the fit as well.1

However there has not been a single shred of evidence observed showing that natural selection causes living beings to evolve. Colin Patterson, a British paleontologist, who is also a prominent evolutionist by the way, acknowledges this fact as follows:

No one has ever produced a species by mechanisms of natural selection. No one has ever got near it and most of the current argument in neo-Darwinism is about this question.2

Why Can't Mutations Cause A Living Being To Evolve?

Mutations cannot transform a living organism into a more advanced form and into another creature. They only cause harm to that being or cause its death.

We have stated above that the neo-Darwinist theory presented natural selection and mutation as two complementary mechanisms. After examining the invalidity of the first part of this bilateral mechanism, that is natural selection, we can now examine mutations.

Mutations are defined as breaks or replacements taking place in the genetic information. They affect the DNA molecule, which is found in the nucleus of the cell, and modify its structure.

When the structure of DNA is studied, it is clearly understood that random effects can only cause harm to such a complex mechanism. Consequently, mutations do not have the ability to cause a living being to make progress by evolving. Researchers expert on this subject confirm this opinion. B.G. Ranganathan states:

First, genuine mutations are very rare in nature. Secondly, most mutations are harmful since they are random, rather than orderly changes in the structure of genes;any random change in a highly ordered system will be for the worse, not for the better. For example, if an earthquake were to shake a highly ordered structure such as a building, there would be a random change in the framework of the building, which, in all probability, would not be an improvement.3

Mutations result in irreversible damages and the organism whose genetic structure is modified, depending on the extent of the genetic damage, undergoes changes that cannot be pre-estimated. If the damage caused by the mutation has happened in the reproductive cells of the organism, it is also transferred to the next generation. Eventually, random mutations cannot transform a living organism into a more advanced form and into another creature. They only cause harm to that being or cause its death. All hereditary diseases such as cancer, anemia, and Down syndrome are the results of mutations.

THE DEADLOCK OF INTERMEDIATE TRANSITIONAL FORMS

Despite all the researches conducted and all the expenditures made in the last 150 years, no evidence to support the theory of evolution has yet been uncovered. However, if evolution had really taken place, millions of evidence should have been found.

These "evidences" that the evolutionists should have found in millions are the fossils of beings called "intermediate transitional forms". According to the evolutionary theory, living beings have evolved from each other. For example, according to this claim, man evolved from apes. Since this evolutionary period did not last only one day, but millions and even hundreds of millions of years, millions of half ape-half man creatures should have existed. The same principle applies also to transition from water to land or from land to air. Millions of half fish-half reptile or half reptile-half bird creatures should have lived. These "fantastic" creatures that allegedly display transformations in the evolutionary process are called intermediate transitional forms.

If evolution had occurred, hundreds of thousands of these transitional forms should have reached our day by being fossilised.

This is the deadlock of evolution: evolutionists have been making feverish investigations in order to find the fossils of these transitional links for more than a century, however there is not even a single trace of the fore-mentioned transitional forms. Some confessions of the evolutionists on the subject are very striking. For example, the famous nature scientist A. H. Clark says, "Since we have not the slightest evidence, either among the living or the fossil animals, of any intergrading types following the major groups, it is a fair supposition that there never have been any such intergrading types."4

After confessing that there is no such thing as transitional form, Richard B. Goldschmidt, a well-known geneticist and evolutionist goes on to accept that the species "emerged suddenly" by saying, "In the fossil record, all present animal species emerge suddenly without any known transitional forms."

Evolutionists also accept the meaning of the absence of transitional forms. Living things emerged "suddenly" and it is evident that to "emerge suddenly" means to be created.

The fact that living beings emerged "suddenly", that is the fact that they were created, however, are unacceptable to evolutionists because of "ideological" reasons. Although some scientists, whose statements are quoted above, admit this, evolutionists in general do not accept the fact that "no intermediate transitional forms exists".

EVOLUTION FIASCOS

There is only one thing the evolutionists do against the absence of transitional forms. They find fossils of some extinct species that lived millions of years ago and claim that these fossils are "transitional forms". These so-called transitional forms are presented to the whole world as "great evidences to evolution". However, none of the several living beings presented as transitional forms by the evolutionists bear such a quality and this reality has been unveiled in the course of time.

Darwin asserted that "living beings evolved gradually." If this were the case, then innumerable intermediate species should have lived during the immense period of time when these transformations were supposedly occurring. Yet there was no trace of these theoretical creatures in the fossil record.

Fossil Whose "Living" Prototype Is Found

When they only had fossils of coelacanths, evolutionary paleontologists put forward a number Darwinist assumptions regarding them. When living examples were found, all these assumptions were shattered.

For example a fish called Coelacanth (Rhipitistian Crossopterigian), which was presented as an extinct living species that disappeared 70 million years ago and shown as the transitional form from water to land by the evolutionists, was found alive in the coast of Madagaskar in 1939 to the great astonishment of the evolutionists. The same fish was later caught nearly fifty times in the open seas and it was seen that its inner ear alcoves, head typed backbone, and swimming pouch, which are the organs which caused it to be presented as a transitional form, did not at all carry qualities that would cause the being to be called as a "transitional form". Furthermore, this fish, which was introduced as "a reptile candidate getting prepared to pass from sea to land", was in reality a fish that lived in the depths of the oceans.

Imaginary Ancestor Of Birds

Archaeopteryx

The second living being presented as a great evidence by the evolutionists was a 135 million year old fossil of a bird named Archaeopteryx. Because of its claw-like organs on the edge of its wings, small teeth and backbones in its tail, this animal was presented by the evolutionists to be a "transitional form from reptiles to birds". But in the following years, a 225 million year old bird fossil was found in the Western Texas desert in 1984 which refuted this claim. This animal called Protoavis was a complete bird although it was 75 million years older than Archaeopteryx which is claimed to be the "ancestor of birds". Besides, the claw-like paws of Archeaopteryx, which caused it to be designated as a transitional form, do not mean anything neither. Today, a bird species living in South America called Opisthocomus Hoatzin has similar paws.

These claims of the evolutionists definitely collapsed against the fossil of Archaeopteryx found in 1997. In this fossil, the "sternum", that is the chest bone, which is utterly peculiar to birds and enables flight actually existed. This discovery invalidated the claims of evolutionists that Archaeopteryx was a half-bird / half-dinosaur, but verified that it was a flying bird in the real sense.

In addition to this, the fossil of a bird has been recently unearthed in China, which lived in a much earlier period than Archaeopteryx and had the complete features of a modern bird. According to the discovery that was announced by famous scientific magazines such as Science and Nature, this 220 million-year-old bird shared the same features as today's birds. Even evolutionist publications announced this discovery saying "The ancestor of birds proved to be a bird; not dinosaurs".

EVOLUTION FORGERIES

Piltdown Man

As evolutionists were unable to find even a single fossil to prove evolution which they allege to have continued for millions of years, they decided to produce them themselves. Through television, press and textbooks, they deceived millions of people by producing false evidence which they pretended to have acquired after a long research. Here are some of these frauds:

1- Piltdown Man Fraud

A British researcher, Charles Dawson came out with an assertion that he had found a jawbone with two teeth and some cranial fragments in South England in 1912. The jawbone was more ape-like, and the skull was like a man's. It was thought to be an important evidence of human evolution. Alleged to be 500 thousand years old, the fossil was displayed in British Museum for 40 years.

It could be revealed only in 1949 that this was indeed a big evolution forgery. In 1949, Kenneth Oakley from the museum's paleontology department tried the method of "fluorine testing", a new test used for determining the date of some old fossils, on the jawbone and the skull. The result was astounding. The jawbone had remained buried no more than a few years. The skull was only a few thousand years old. This showed that the fossils were unearthed from different locations, were brought to Piltdown, and that the jawbone and the skull by no means belonged to the same creature.

It was clearly a forgery. Moreover, it was determined that that the primitive tools-alleged to be discovered with the fossils by C. Dawson-were simple imitations that had been sharpened with steel implements. The joints of the jawbone had been filed in order to conceal the difference between the jawbone and the skull. The two teeth in the jawbone had been worn down artificially.

Another forgery of Charles Dawson was to stain the fossils to give them a dated appearance. In 1953 the researches of Le Gros Clark and J.S. Weiner from the Anatomy Department of Oxford University, on the skull and the jawbone revealed that the fossils had been artificially stained with a chemical (potassium dichromate). These stains began to disappear when dipped in acid.

In the chemical analysis made in 1953 to precisely date the bones, scientists discovered that Piltdown Man was a huge forgery. The skull belonged to a modern man, and the mandibular bone belonged to a modern orangutan.

But evolutionists did not give up. They attempted to support the theory, which they wanted to prove no matter how, by committing further forgeries.

2- Nebraska Man Fraud

In 1922, based on a fossil tooth found in the USA, Nebraska, it was declared that this tooth had belonged to an intermediate creature between man and ape. For five years, this fossil was presented as an important evidence of evolution. Well known magazines and newspapers made imaginary drawings with the inspiration they drew from a single tooth. The Illustrated London newspaper even pictured Nebraska Man with his wife. However, in 1927, it was revealed that the fossil belonged to an extinct pig species!

False Drawings

The biased interpretation of fossils and outright fabrication of many imaginary reconstructions are an indication of how frequently evolutionists have recourse to tricks.

All we have told so far are false evidences put forward by the evolutionists. However, all those experiences demonstrated that these false evidence were not of much use and that the reality is always uncovered in the course of time. For this reason, many evolutionists preferred smaller forgeries rather than venturing into such dangerous tricks.

"Reconstruction" drawings are an example to this deceit. When we look at evolutionist publications, we frequently come across with such drawings. In these drawings, half man-half ape figures are usually pictured along with their family. These creatures with hairy bodies, a bent posture, and a face in between a man and an ape are claimed to have been drawn by evolutionist scientists supposedly by relying on the fossils available.

However, these drawings bear no meaning, because the fossils found only yield information about the bone structure of the living being. Neither any information can be obtained from these fossils about the nose, the ears, the mouth, and the hair of the living being. However, in the drawings, the evolutionists depict the organs such as the nose, the mouth, and the ears shaped as half-man half-ape.

CONCLUSION

What have been told so far are only a few of the evidence proving the invalidity of the theory of evolution and that it is a non-scientific theory. All the facts proclaimed by modern disciples of science such as microbiology, biochemistry, and anatomy prove that the world of living things has an extremely complex structure and that even the simplest living being has outstanding features that could in no way come into being by chance. In addition to invalidating the coincidence theories of evolutionists, these developments also point out a crystal-clear fact: the fact that life is the work of an intelligent design and God has created it flawlessly.

1. Stephen Jay Gould, "The Return of the Hopeful Monsters," Natural History, vol. 86, July-August 1977, p. 28.
2. Colin Patterson, "Cladistics," Interview with Brian Leek, Peter Franz, March 4, 1982, BBC.
3. B. G. Ranganathan, Origins?, Pennsylvania:The Banner of Truth Trust, 1988, p. 12.
4. A. H. Clark, The New Evolution, Zoogenesis Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, 1930, p. 196.

CHAPTER II REFUTATION OF DARWINISM THE SCIENTIFIC COLLAPSE OF M

CHAPTER II
REFUTATION OF DARWINISM

THE SCIENTIFIC COLLAPSE OF MATERIALISM

Materialism can no longer claim to be a scientific philosophy. Arthur Koestler, 20th-Century British Social Philosopher (Arthur Koestler, Janus: A Summing Up, New York: Vintage Books, 1978, p. 250.)

How did the endless universe we live in come into being? How did the equilibrium, harmony, and order of this universe develop? How is it that this Earth is such a fit and sheltering place for us to live in?

Questions such as these have attracted attention since the dawn of the human race. The conclusion reached by scientists and philosophers searching for answers with their intellects and common sense is that the design and order of this universe are evidence of the existence of a supreme Creator ruling over the whole universe.

This is an indisputable truth that we may reach by using our intelligence. Allah declares this reality in His holy book, the Qur'an, which He inspired as a guide for humanity fourteen centuries ago. He states that He has created the universe when it was not, for a particular purpose, and with all its systems and balances specifically designed for human life.

Allah invites people to consider this truth in the following verse:

Are you stronger in structure or is heaven? He built it. He raised its vault high and made it level. He darkened its night and brought forth its morning light. After that He smoothed out the earth… (Surat an Naziat: 27-30)

Elsewhere it is declared in the Qur'an that a person should see and consider all the systems and balances in the universe that Allah has created for him and derive a lesson from his observations:

Galileo Galilei, Isaac Newton, Johannes Kepler

He has made night and day subservient to you, and the sun and moon and stars, all subject to His command. There is certainly Signs in that for people who pay heed. (Surat an-Nahl: 12)

In yet another verse of the Qur'an, it is pointed out:

He makes night merge into day and day merge into night, and He has made the sun and moon subservient, each one running until a specified time. That is Allah, your Lord. The Kingdom is His. Those you call on besides Him have no power over even the smallest speck. (Surah Fatir: 13)

This plain truth declared by the Qur'an is also confirmed by a number of the important founders of the modern science of astronomy. Galileo, Kepler, and Newton all recognised that God created the structure of universe, the design of the solar system, the laws of physics and their states of equilibrium and they arrived at that conclusion as a result of their own research and observations.

Materialism: A 19^th-Century Fallacy

The reality of the creation of which we speak has been ignored or denied since the earliest times by a particular philosophical point of view. It is called "materialism". This philosophy, which was originally formulated among the ancient Greeks, has also made an appearance from time to time in other cultures and has been advanced by individuals as well. It holds that matter alone exists and that it has done so for an infinity of time. From these tenets, it claims that the universe has also "always" existed and was not created.

In addition to their claim that the universe exists in an infinity of time, materialists also assert that there is no purpose or aim in the universe. They claim that all the equilibrium, harmony and order that we see around us are merely the product of coincidence. This "coincidence assertion" is also put forward when the question of how human beings came into being comes up. The theory of evolution, widely referred to as Darwinism, is another application of materialism to the natural world.

We just mentioned that some of the founders of modern science were faithful people who were in agreement that God created and organised the universe. In the 19^th century, an important change took place in the attitudes of the scientific world with respect to this matter. Materialism was deliberately introduced to the agenda of modern science by various groups. Because the 19^th century's political and social conditions formed a good basis for materialism, the philosophy gained wide acceptance and spread throughout the scientific world.

The findings of modern science however undeniably demonstrate how false the claims of materialism really are.

The Findings Of 20^th-Century Science

Scientists are certain that the universe came into being from nothingness as the result of an unimaginably huge explosion, known as the "Big Bang". In other words, Allah created the universe.

Let us recall the two assertions of materialism about the universe:

The universe exists in infinite time and, because it has no beginning or end, it was not created.

Everything in this universe is merely the result of chance and not the product of any intentional design, plan, or vision.

Those two notions were boldly advanced and ardently defended by 19^th-century materialists, who of course had no recourse other than to depend upon the limited and unsophisticated scientific knowledge of their day. Both have been utterly refuted by the discoveries of 20^th-century science.

The first to be laid in the grave was the notion of the universe existing in infinite time. Since the 1920s, there has been mounting evidence this cannot be true. Scientists are now certain that the universe came into being from nothingness as the result of an unimaginably huge explosion, known as the "Big Bang". In other words, the universe came into being-or rather, Allah created it.

The 20th century has also witnessed the demolition of the second claim of materialism: that everything in the universe is the result of chance and not design. Research conducted since the 1960s consistently demonstrates that all the physical equilibriums of the universe in general and of our world in particularly are intricately designed to make life possible. As this research deepened, it was discovered each and every one of the laws of physics, chemistry, and biology, of the fundamental forces such as gravity and electromagnetism, and of the details of the structure of atoms and the elements of the universe has been precisely tailored so that human beings may live. Scientists today call this extraordinary design the "anthropic principle". This is the principle that every detail in the universe has been carefully arranged to make human life possible.

To sum up, the philosophy called materialism has been utterly refuted by modern science. From its position as the dominant scientific view of the 19^th century, materialism collapsed into fiction in the 20^th.

How could it have been otherwise? As Allah indicates "We did not create heaven and earth and everything between them to no purpose. That is the opinion of those who are disbelievers." (Surah Sad: 27) it is wrong to suppose that the universe was created in vain. A philosophy so utterly flawed as materialism and systems based on it were doomed to failure from the very beginning.

THE BELIEVERS ARE THE GUARDIANS OF ONE ANOTHER

THE BELIEVERS ARE THE GUARDIANS OF ONE ANOTHER

And (as for) the believing men and the believing women, they are guardians of each other. They command what is right and forbid what is wrong... (Qur'an, 9:71)

There are several verses in the Qur'an that relate to us of believers as the guardians of one another. The following is one of them:

And (as for) the believing men and the believing women, they are guardians of each other. They command what is right and forbid what is wrong, and establish prayer and pay alms, and obey Allah and His Messenger. They are the people on whom Allah will have mercy. Allah is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat at-Tawba: 71)

The word "guardian" means intimate, protector, helper and supporter. In this sense, believers, honest, sincere and conscientious people with high moral values, should support each other, and be helpers and protectors of one another. Our Beloved Prophet (pbuh) also stated this in his following saying:

A believer is a mirror to another believer. A believer is a brother to another believer. He saves him from losses. He safeguards his interests in his absence. (Hadith of Abu Dawud, On the Authority of Abu Hurayrah)

The stories related in the Qur'an about the prophets provide many examples about this practice. Moses, for instance, killed a man by mistake when he sided with a man who was in trouble. Then, he had to run away from the city to save himself from the cruelty of the Pharaoh and the leaders of the city. This is related in the verses as follows:

A man came running from the furthest part of the city, saying, 'Moses, the Council are conspiring to kill you, so leave! I am someone who brings you good advice.' So he left there fearful and on his guard, saying, 'My Lord, rescue me from the people of the wrongdoers!' (Surat al-Qasas: 20-21)

The Prophet Moses (as) managed to leave the city through a man who helped him as a favour to him. He then reached a watering place in the land of Madyan and helped two women who kept back their flocks because they did not want to mix with the shepherds near the water. Upon their return home, the women mentioned to their father, the Prophet Shu'ayb (as), the help Moses had offered them. Upon this, Prophet Shu'ayb (as) invited prophet Moses to his home. This is revealed in the verses as follows:

One of them came walking shyly up to him and said, 'My father invites you so that he can pay you your wage for drawing water for us.' When he came to him and told him the whole story he said, 'Have no fear, you have escaped from wrongdoing people.' (Surat al-Qasas: 25)

Because Prophet Shu'ayb (as) recognized the inherent goodness and trustworthiness of the Prophet Moses (as), he helped him in his difficult time and allowed him to stay in his household and to work for him. Shu'ayb's manner sets an example for the good in protecting and guarding other good people who encounter hardship. Unless the good offer help and support to one another in times of adversity, then they will leave each another alone and unable to defend themselves against the cruel people. In a verse of the Qur'an, Allah commanded our Prophet (pbuh): "...take the believers who follow you under your wing" (Surat ash-Shu'ara': 215). Taking believers under one's wing, protecting them against dangers and difficulties is a command of our Lord, and also a Sunnah of our Prophet to follow.

Unity, cooperation, solidarity, friendship, self-sacrifice, support, and similar other qualities are some of the beautiful attributes which are the underlying foundation of the Qur'anic morality. This is stated in many sayings of Our Prophet (pbuh). One of them reads:

'Believers are like the different parts of a building, each one supporting the other.' Then he demonstrated what he meant by interlocking his fingers. (Hadith of Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

The religion of Islam ensures the establishment of a better world where there is love, peace, tolerance and understanding to one another. Societies possessing these features experience rapid development and achieve greater power. Once unity and cooperation are attained, individuals of such a society could channel their strength and energy towards goodness and good deeds rather than into disputes, fights, conflicts and wars. Essentially, a cause to which people commit themselves and devote all their effort, power, zeal and support, both material and spiritual, results in an ultimate success and beauty. What is more important is that Allah gives glad tidings that individuals working in unity and solidarity for good will receive Allah's help, support and power. In the Qur'an He says:

Allah has promised those of you who believe and do right actions that He will make them successors in the land as He made those before them successors, and will firmly establish for them their religion with which He is pleased and give them, in place of their fear, security. 'They worship Me, not associating anything with Me.' Any who are disbelieving after that, such people are deviators. (Surat an-Nur: 55)

THE PROPHET'S (SAAS) PATIENCE

THE PROPHET'S (SAAS) PATIENCE

Be patient. But your patience is only by Allah... (Qur'an, 27:127)

Throughout the period of his mission, the Prophet Muhammad (saas) experienced all manner of difficulty. Deniers and polytheists, from among his own people, insulted him most terribly, even calling him a magician or a madman. Others wanted to kill him and even schemed to do so. Despite all that, the Prophet (saas) tried to teach people of all backgrounds and cultures about the Qur'an, and therefore about proper morality and good behavior.

As Allah revealed in the verses of the Qur'an, some people had not the slightest idea of the basics of good manners, for which reason it never entered their minds that they might appall someone who possessed superior morality. The Prophet (saas) displayed the greatest patience in this circumstances, turning to Allah and asking for His help in all situations and encouraging believers to patience and submission.

In many verses in the Qur'an, Allah advises the Prophet (saas) to be patient despite the words of unbelievers:

So be patient in the face of what they say and glorify your Lord with praise before the rising of the sun and before it sets. (Surah Qaf: 39)

Do not be grieved by what they say. All might belongs to Allah. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. (Surah Yunus: 65)

We know that your breast is constricted by what they say. (Surat al-Hijr: 97)

Perhaps you are leaving aside part of what has been revealed to you and your breast is constricted by this because they say, "Why has treasure not been sent down to him or an angel not accompanied him?" You are only a warner and Allah is Guardian over all things. (Surah Hud: 12)

Believers must remember the kind of things Allah's Messenger (saas) was patient for, and take him as a model when dealing with their own difficulties. Those who despair at the slightest problem, who are unable to bear the smallest objection, who stop preaching the religion of Allah, or who lose hope when their business dealings go wrong, must be aware that such behavior is incompatible with Allah's holy book and the sayings and deeds of the Prophet (saas). Believers must always be patient, take Allah as their helper and give thanks to Him, adopt the superior morality of the Prophet (saas), and hope for the mercy, compassion and Paradise of our Lord.

And (as for) the believing men and the believing women, they are guardians of each other.They command what is right and forbid what is wrong... (Qur'an, 9:71)

There were people with varying characters and ideas that surrounded the Prophet (saas). Throughout his life, however, he showed an interest in each and every one, warned them about their mistakes and failings, and tried to educate them in all matters, from cleanliness to matters of faith. That compassionate, tolerant, understanding and patient attitude of his was the means by which many peoples' hearts warmed to Islam and developed a genuine love for the Prophet (saas). Allah describes this pleasing attitude adopted by the Prophet (saas) towards those around him in the Qur'an:

It is a mercy from Allah that you were gentle with them. If you had been rough or hard of heart, they would have scattered from around you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them… (Surah Al 'Imran: 159)

In another verse, Allah told the Prophet (saas) how he should behave towards those around him:

We know best what they say. You are not a dictator over them. So remind, with the Qur'an, whoever fears My Threat. (Surah Qaf: 45)

The Prophet (saas) never pressured those around him to accept the religion, nor imposed conditions on them. Instead he always used the pleasantest ways to tell them about it.

He always supported the community of the faithful with his strong conscience, and was a benefactor to them at all times. On account of these traits, the Prophet (saas) is described in many verses as "your companion." (Surah Saba': 46: Surat an-Najm: 2, Surat at-Takwir: 22).

Those believers who were able to comprehend the conscientiousness of the Prophet (saas) regarded him as closer to them than all others, and humbled themselves towards him. In one verse, Allah states:

The Prophet has closer ties to the believers than their own selves, and his wives are their mothers… (Surat al-Ahzab: 6)

Imam Ghazali, the great Islamic scholar, summed up the Prophet (saas)'s treatment of those around him in light of the information found in the hadiths:

"... Everyone thought that the Prophet honoured him more. Whoever came to him could see his face.

... He used to call his companions by their surnames with honour and he used to give one surname who had no surname.

... He was very affectionate and kind in dealing with the people.

... Nobody could speak loudly in his assembly."

The Prophet (saas)'s human love, kind thought and compassion, which turned those around him to true religion and warmed their hearts to faith, is that superior morality which all Muslims should seek to reproduce.

HE WHO OBEYS THE PROPHET (SAAS) ALSO OBEYS ALLAH

HE WHO OBEYS THE PROPHET (SAAS) ALSO OBEYS ALLAH

A Messenger has come to you from among yourselves. Your suffering is distressing to him; he is deeply concerned for you; he is gentle and merciful to the believers. (Qur'an, 9:128)

Allah charges everyone with obeying the prophets He has sent. These messengers were blessed men who abided by Allah's commands, communicated His revelations, represented the human model most pleasing to Allah by means of their words and actions, in short by their whole manner of living. Allah reveals in the Qur'an that those who abide by His messengers will be saved. For that reason, obedience to the Prophet (saas) is an obligation of the very greatest importance. Allah reveals the importance of obedience in the Qur'an:

We sent no messenger except to be obeyed by Allah's permission. If only when they wronged themselves they had come to you and asked Allah's forgiveness and the Messenger had asked forgiveness for them they would have found Allah Ever-Returning, Most Merciful. (Surat an-Nisa': 64)

Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger will be with those whom Allah has blessed: the prophets and steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and righteous. What excellent company such people are! (Surat an-Nisa': 69)

In several verses of the Qur'an, Allah states that those who obey His messengers are in truth obeying Allah. Those who rebel against these messengers, on the other hand, rebel against Allah. Some of these verses are:

Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah. If anyone turns away, we did not send you to them as their keeper. (Surat an-Nisa': 80)

Those who pledge you their allegiance pledge allegiance to Allah. Allah's hand is over their hands. He who breaks his pledge only breaks it against himself. But as for him who fulfils the contract he has made with Allah, We will pay him an immense reward. (Surat al-Fath: 10)

The Prophet (saas) has also stressed the importance of obedience in the hadiths:

"Whoever obeys me, obeys Allah, and whoever disobeys me, disobeys Allah, and whoever obeys the ruler I appoint, obeys me, and whoever disobeys him, disobeys me." (Sahih Bukhari)

In the Qur'an, Allah describes the Prophet (saas) as a protector and guide for the faithful. Muslims, therefore, referred to him in all matters, and sought his permission and opinion before engaging in anything. On subjects they were unable to agree upon among themselves, though even on matters they were able to solve by themselves, or when they received news concerning the security, health or economy of the community of the faithful, they immediately took them to the Prophet (saas) and abided by the sure and trustworthy advice or solution he recommended.

This is a most important aspect of morality that Allah commanded in the Qur'an. In one verse, for instance, He orders all news to be forwarded to the Prophet (saas) or those representing him. The verse reads:

Say: "I have only been ordered to worship Allah and not to associate anything with Him. I summon to Him and to Him I will return." (Qur'an, 13:36)

When news of any matter reaches them they spread it about, whether it is of a reassuring or disquieting nature. If they had only referred it to the Messenger and those in command among them, those among them able to discern the truth about it would have had proper knowledge of it. If it were not for Allah's favor to you and His mercy, all but a very few of you would have followed Satan. (Surat an-Nisa': 83)

That, of course, is a most beneficial and wise command. For one thing, Allah had guaranteed each order and rule of the Prophet (saas). Furthermore, the Prophet (saas) was the wisest and cleverest member of the community of the faithful. Usually, most look to consult the most intelligent person and the one who best obeys his conscience, that is, the person they trust the most in any matter, in order to establish a decision.

As well as all these characteristics of the Prophet (saas), another wisdom in all news being gathered together in one person is that this will provide the best and most intelligent response because all the aspects of the event will be known by one person. In another verse, Allah commands the faithful to make the Prophet (saas) their judge in any disagreements between them. It is a command from Allah that all such disagreements should be taken to the Prophet (saas) at once, and that is therefore the most fitting course of action in terms of reason, morality and conscience. It is also most important to obey the rules set out by the Prophet (saas), with all one's heart and with no reservations. Even if his decision conflicts with the interests of an individual, true believers will feel no doubts at all, and will immediately obey the command of the Prophet (saas).

Some hypocritical people, or people whose faith is weak, have failed to realize that Allah assured the decisions of the Prophet (saas) and opposed informing him of every situation, thus causing dissension. Allah describes the condition of such people in the Qur'an:

Among them are some who insult the Prophet, saying he is only an ear [only a hearer]. Say, "An ear of good for you, believing in Allah and believing in the believers, and a mercy for those among you who believe." As for those who insult the Messenger of Allah, they will have a painful punishment. (Surat at-Tawba: 61)

Since these people failed to grasp the essence of faith, and were unable to appreciate the merit of the Prophet (saas), they adopted the wrong approach with regards to informing him about every matter. The ignorant are unable to use what they know for beneficial ends, for the good and security of mankind. They use it for gossip and to try to spread dissension, to turn people against one another and to plot against them. The Prophet (saas), however, used all the information that was brought to him for the peace, security and health of Muslims and other groups under his protection, to avoid possible dangers and to thwart plots against believers. Identifying those whose faith was weak, he took measures to strengthen that faith, and prevented anything that might have weakened the faithful or damaged their morale. He brought in measures that would bring them good and lead to desirable outcomes. That is why Allah refers to him as "an ear of good" in one verse. All of the Prophet (saas)'s words, decisions and measures have led to good and positive results for believers as well as mankind.

THE TRUE WISDOM THAT COMES FROM FAITH

THE TRUE WISDOM THAT COMES FROM FAITH

... A Light has come to you from God and a Clear Book. By it, God guides those who follow what pleases Him to the ways of Peace. He will bring them from the darkness to the light by His permission, and guide them to a straight path. (Qur'an, 5:15-16)

...But only people of intelligence pay heed. (Qur'an 3: 7)

The important difference between a wise person and an intelligent person is often missed. This is a critical error. The word "intelligence" is generally used in our society to refer to the quality of mere mental acuity, and is very different from wisdom.

Wisdom is the quality of a believer who has the ability to recognise the subtle signs of God in everything that He has created, allowing him to understand the world around him. But, any attempt to consider these things, that relies only on the brain's ability to calculate cause and effect, is bound to end in a mechanistic and narrow perception of reality. Intelligence is a quality of a believer who has a firm faith in God, and who lives his life in accordance with the teaching found in the verses of the Qu'ran. Intelligence is a physical characteristic possessed by all individuals in varying degrees, but wisdom is a quality that belongs only to believers. Those who do not have faith also are not possessed of the "virtue" of wisdom.

Wisdom allows a believer to properly employ his mental abilities, judgement, and logic, thus making the best use of his virtues. An individual without wisdom, no matter how intelligent he may be, is bound at some point to veer into faulty thinking or into bad judgement. If we examine unbelieving philosophers throughout the course of history, we will recognise that they have put forward different and sometimes even diametrically opposed views on the very same subject. Despite the fact that they were people of high intelligence, they had no faith; and because they had no faith, they also were not sufficiently wise and were therefore incapable of arriving at the truth. Some of them, indeed, drew humanity into numberless errors. We can find several such examples in recent history: Many philosophers, ideologues, and statesmen, such as Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky, despite the fact that they were very intelligent, caused disaster to fall upon millions of people, because they were unable to use their minds effectively. Wisdom, however, assures peace, well-being, and happiness, and shows the way to attain them.

You who believe! If you have fear of Allah, He will give you discrimination and erase your bad actions from you and forgive you. Allah's favour is indeed immense. (Qur'an, 8:29)

Intelligence makes it possible for us, among other things, to think, form perceptions, focus our attention, and engage in practical activities. But, in addition to all these, a wise person also possesses a deep understanding unattainable by mere intelligence, and by means of which he is able to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Therefore, a wise person possesses insight far superior to that of an intelligent person.

The source of wisdom, as we said before, is a deep-seated faith and fear of God. Those who fear God, heed His commandments and proscriptions, become naturally possessed of this superior insight as a blessing from God. But, though this virtue is easily acquired, very few are endowed of wisdom. This condition, that God makes known in the Qu'ran, saying, "Most of them do not use their reason." (Qur'an, 5:103), arises from the fact that most people do not have the proper faith, having left no room for the Qu'ran in their lives.

The wisdom that God has granted to those who fear Him, and who live their lives in conformity with the Qu'ran, renders the devout believer superior to the unbeliever in many ways. The basic components of this wisdom are the believer's knowledge that God controls all things all the time, his consciousness of the fact that everything in its every detail comes into being according to the fate which God has predetermined, and his awareness that he is with God at every moment. In addition, wisdom makes it possible for the believer to adapt himself easily to changing conditions and situations.

A Messenger has come to you from among yourselves. Your suffering is distressing to him; he is deeply concerned for you; he is gentle and merciful to the believers. (Qur'an, 9:128)

The keenness of the believers' insight and understanding, their attentiveness and awareness, their superior analytical ability, good morals, strong character, and their wisdom in word and action, are all natural products of their wisdom.

Consider if the extraordinary characteristics belonging to an individual were to belong to society as a whole. Think of the benefits incurring to a society formed of individuals who use their minds in every thing they say, in every action they take, in every decision they make, and in every problem they undertake to solve; think of the kind of environment that would exist in a society formed of wise individuals... Indeed, we all need people of wisdom around to ensure our comfort, health, security, and peace of mind. Furthermore, the existence of wise individuals is indispensable in order to prevent chaos, confusion and anarchy, and to discover solutions to the problems from which these things arise. Taking these matters into consideration, it is clear that the key to every problem is the recognition of a need tempered with wisdom.

Undoubtedly, wisdom is the most important quality a person can have. With it, he brings benefit to others more than anyone else, because, by the morality that faith instils, there is no greater aim for him than to gain the approval of God. Throughout his life, such a person displays the qualities of the true believer as described in the Qu'ran: he protects the oppressed, he cares for the homeless, the lonely, and the needy, he feels responsibility for the fair application of justice and will not tolerate anyone going hungry. His wisdom allows him to apply what he has learned from the Qu'ran in his own life, and to develop a conscientious sense of social responsibility. We all seek such people, who use their minds to find solutions to problems, to apply the appropriate measures, in giving advice and recommendations, and who show wisdom in what they say and in what they write. Therefore, there is much benefit to be gained from the words and actions of such a person.

Once we recognise the importance of wisdom, it is not difficult to realise the seriousness of the danger posed by its opposite. This danger is a threat to both individuals and to society in general.

EVERYTHING IS PART OF YOUR DESTINY

EVERYTHING IS PART OF YOUR DESTINY

We have created all things according to a fixed decree. (Surat al-Qamar: 49)

As is stated in the verse above, Allah the Almighty ordained everything. For Allah, Who needs only to command "Be" and it is, has not only ordained the fate of people, but also of all beings. Those who truly believe in this absolute truth unconditionally submit to the destiny Allah has ordained for them with His infinite wisdom. Either willingly or unwillingly, everything is under Allah's control and is subject to Him.

However, people hold many errant opinions about fate. These opinions, mainly inspired by various deviant outlooks, are voiced without giving much thought to them. Moreover, they ignore that this is something that displeases Allah. They do not avoid using common catch phrases, lyrics or poems that imply a rejection of destiny. Evidencing this flawed understanding, nonsense phrases such as "to overcome destiny" or "to change destiny" come about. People who believe such notions consider their expectations and aspirations as "destiny," and, in their failure to realize that these are mere expectations, they assume that destiny has failed to proceed as ordained and thus been altered. Such irrational reasoning is typical of those who fail to have a true grasp of destiny.

Destiny is Allah's creation and infinite knowledge of all events, either past or future. Allah creates time and space from nothing, keeps them under His control, and is not Himself bound by them. Moment by moment, every detail of everything that occurs, or has or will occur, are predetermined in the sight of Allah.

We created man and We know what his own self whispers to him. We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. (Qur'an, 50:16)

Allah creates time and thus is not bound by it. Therefore, He does not merely watch what is happening and wait to see their consequences. In His sight, the beginning and conclusion of every event, and its respective position on the timeline of eternity, is known. Everything is determined and comprised in destiny. Therefore, man lacks the power to make any changes to it. Conversely, destiny is a decisive efficient factor over man. Every moment of his life is bound within it. A person cannot even step out of the boundaries of fate, let alone change it. This is similar to the case of an actor, who slips outside of a video-cassette, acquiring a separate existence to make deletions or additions to the scenes of the film in which he is an actor. This is certainly an illogical and impossible situation to expect.

Evidently, phrases such as "overcoming destiny " or "changing the course of destiny" are but fallacies. A person who says he has changed his destiny is actually uttering something he was destined to say.

For example, there may not be a ray of hope that a patient be restored to health. But, his unexpected recovery would neither mean that he overcame his fate, nor that it had been changed by his doctors. It just reveals that the time determined for him was not yet due. Like everything, this is, too, determined in the sight of Allah and a part of destiny:

... And no living thing lives long or has its life cut short without that being in a Book. That is easy for Allah. (Surah Fatir: 11)

No self can die except with Allah's permission, at a predetermined time... (Surah Al 'Imran: 145)

We created you so why do you not confirm the truth? Have you thought about the sperm that you ejaculate? Is it you who create it or are We the Creator? (Qur'an, 56:57-59)

Being bound by time and space, it is unlikely for us to have a full grasp of fate because Allah creates us and our destinies, and He is unbounded by anything. Whatever happens to you, believe that Allah is entirely unbounded by time and space.

There is yet another fact you need to keep in mind: Allah plans all events in a way to benefit the religion and believers. This being the case, a person of faith always shows deference to the events he encounters. Forgetting or ignoring the fact that Allah ordains all situations in life is the greatest harm one can ever do to oneself; bringing nothing but deep distress. In any case, whether one acknowledges this fact or not, it does not change what is predestined for him; ultimately the course of all affairs is predetermined by fate:

Nothing occurs, either in the earth or in yourselves, without its being in a Book before We make it happen. That is something easy for Allah. (Surat al-Hadid: 22)

As is also evident from this verse, whatever happens to someone is definitely predestined, and whether one believes in it or not does not alter this fact. All affairs taking place on the face of this earth, including the birth and death of every person, occurs by Allah's Will at just the predetermined time-not a moment before or later.

It is He Who created you from clay and then decreed a fixed term, and another fixed term is specified with Him... (Surat al-An'am: 2)

Nothing occurs, either in the earth or in yourselves, without its being in a Book before We make it happen... (Qur'an, 57:22)

Since nothing happens either on earth or within people's souls without Allah's Will, always putting one's trust in Allah is a disposition that Allah demands from His servants. Also, this is what man is inherently inclined to:

Say: "Nothing can happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is Our Master. It is in Allah that the believers should put their trust." (Surat at-Tawba: 51)

As Allah states in the verse "... We test you with both good and evil as a trial. And you will be returned to Us." (Surat al-Anbiya': 35), He puts believers to test in a number of ways. To this end, besides things that they deem good, other things that seem harmful to believers happen to them. Since everything is created by Allah's Will, they always yield the best results:

... Know that Allah knows what is in your selves, so beware of Him! And know that Allah is Ever-Forgiving, All-Forbearing. (Qur'an, 2:235)

... It may be that you hate something when it is good for you and it may be that you love something when it is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know. (Surat al-Baqara: 216)

Those who have faith in Allah and follow His path always enjoy the security and peace of mind of being submissive to destiny. Nothing frightens or distresses a person who submits himself to his destiny. Allah will grant His believing servants a good life both in this world and beyond, and keep them under His protection as long as they seek His pleasure. However, Allah may not always reveal the good of something that happens in this world. Yet, it remains that which may be seemingly adverse may lead a believer attain a better reward in the hereafter. A believer who is seriously ill, for instance, does not feel grief for what he experiences. On the contrary, he sees his disease as a way to get nearer to his Lord. The most important thing to remember is that Allah plans all events to protect His true servants and to enable them to earn Paradise.

My Protector is Allah Who sent down the Book. He takes care of the true believers. (Surat al-A'raf: 196)

Those who never forget that there is a divine purpose in whatever happens to them feel the nearness of Allah's company in every step they take. Wherever they are, or whatever they are doing, they never forget that Allah knows it all very well.

Therefore, never forget that everything, past and future, in all its detail, is recorded in Allah's sight, that nothing happens to man except for what Allah wills, that Allah is knowledgeable about our actions wherever we are or whatever we are doing, and that we are all bound within the destiny ordained for us.

THE INFORMATION BEHIND MATTER AND LAWH MAHFUZ

THE INFORMATION BEHIND MATTER AND LAWH MAHFUZ

Information… This concept today means a lot more than it did even a half century ago. Scientists are developing theories to define information. Social scientists speak of "the information age." Information is becoming a very important concept for humanity.

The discovery of information in the origin of both the universe and life itself is what makes this concept so important in the modern world. Scientists today are realizing that the universe is formed by "matter, energy and information," and this is replacing the materialistic philosophy of the nineteenth century which defined the universe as being made up entirely of "matter and energy."

So, what does this all mean?

Let's explain through an example, that of DNA. All living cells function according to the genetic information in the double helix structure of DNA. Our bodies are also formed by trillions of cells each with its own DNA, and all the functions of our bodies are registered in this giant molecule. Our cells use protein codes inscribed in the DNA to produce new proteins. The information that our DNA possesses is so large that if you wanted to write it down, it would fill up 900 volumes of encyclopedias, cover-to-cover!

Certainly there is no hidden thing in either heaven or earth which is not in a Clear Book. (Qur'an, 27:75)

And truly, it is in the Mother of the Book, in Our Presence, high in dignity, and full of wisdom. (Qur'an, 43:4)

So what is DNA made up of? Fifty years ago, scientists would have replied that DNA is formed by nucleic acids called nucleotides and the chemical bonds holding these nucleotides together. In other words, they used to list only the material elements of the DNA. But today, scientists have a different answer: DNA is composed of atoms, molecules, chemical bonds and, most importantly, information.

It's just like a book. We would be quite mistaken to say that a book is only made up of paper, ink and binding for, alongside these materials, it is the information that truly makes it a book. It is information which separates a volume of the Encyclopedia Britannica from a book formed by randomly arranged letters like ABICLDIXXGGSDLL. Both have paper, ink and binding, but one has information while the other does not. The source of information is the author of that book, a mind with consciousness. Therefore we can't deny that the information in DNA was placed there by an intelligent being.

The Information Dead End Of Evolutionary Theory And Materialism

The discovery of this fact has sent materialist philosophy and Darwinism, its application to the natural sciences, into a dead end, because materialist philosophy claims that all living things are formed by matter alone and that genetic information appeared somehow by "chance." This is like saying that a book could be formed from a random assemblage of paper and ink.

Materialism subscribes to the theory of "reductionism," which claims that information can ultimately be reduced to matter. For this reason, materialists say that there's no need to look for any source of information besides matter. But this assertion has been proven to be in error, and even materialists have started to owe up to this truth.

One of the leading defenders of the theory of evolution, George C. Williams, pointed in a 1995 essay to the mistake of materialism (reductionism), that is, assuming everything to consist of materials:

Evolutionary biologists have failed to realize that they work with two more or less incommensurable domains: that of information and that of matter… These two domains will never be brought together in any kind of the sense usually implied by the term "reductionism." … The gene is a package of information, not an object... In biology, when you're talking about things like genes and genotypes and gene pools, you're talking about information, not physical objective reality... This dearth of shared descriptors makes matter and information two separate domains of existence, which have to be discussed separately, in their own terms.1

Those who disbelieve say, "The Hour will never come." Say: "Yes, by my Lord, it certainly will come!" He is the Knower of the Unseen, Whom not even the weight of the smallest particle eludes, either in the heavens or in the earth; nor is there anything smaller or larger than that which is not in a Clear Book. (Qur'an, 34:3)

Stephen C. Meyer, a philosopher of science from the Cambridge University and who is critical of the theory of evolution as well as materialism, says in an interview:

One thing I do in classes to get this idea across the students is that I hold up two computer disks. One is loaded with software, the other one is blank. And I ask, "What is the difference in mass between these two computer disks as a result of the difference in the information content that they possess"? And of course the answer is zero, none, there is no difference as a result of the information. That is because information is a massless quantity. Information is not a material entity.

Then how can any materialistic explanation explain its origin? How can any material cause explain its origin?... This creates a fundamental challenge to the materialistic evolutionary scenarios.

In the 19^th century, we thought that there were two fundamental entities of science: Matter and energy. At the beginning of the 21st century, we now recognize that there is a third fundamental entity, and it is information. It is not reducible to matter; it is not reducible to energy.2

All theories put forward in the twentieth century to reduce information to matter-like the random origin of life, self-organization of matter, the biological theory of evolution that has tried to explain species' genetic information through the mechanism of mutation and natural selection- have failed. Professor Phillip Johnson, a leading critic of Darwinism, wrote:

The real duality at every level of biology is the duality of matter and information. The philosophers of mind-science fail to understand the true nature of information because they assume that it is produced by a material (i.e. Darwinian) process and hence is not something fundamentally different from matter. But this is merely a prejudice that would be swept away by unbiased thinking.3

As Johnson states, "information is not matter, although it is imprinted on matter. It comes from elsewhere, from an intelligence...." Dr. Werner Gitt, a director and professor at the German Federal Institute of Physics and Technology, expressed much the same thought:

A coding system always entails a nonmaterial intellectual process. A physical matter cannot produce an information code. All experiences show that every piece of creative information represents some mental effort and can be traced to a personal idea-giver who exercised his own free will, and who is endowed with an intelligent mind.... There is no known law of nature, no known process and no known sequence of events which can cause information to originate by itself in matter...4

As we discussed above, a book is formed by paper, ink and the information it includes. The source of this information is the mind of the author.

And there is one more important point: This mind comes prior to the material elements and it decides how to use them. A book first appears in the mind of the person who will write that book. The author makes logical connections and comes up with sentences. Later, in the second stage, he gives these ideas a material form. By using a typewriter or computer, he turns the information contained within his mind into letters. Later these letters go to a printing house and they make up a book.

So here, we can reach the following conclusion: "If matter includes information, then that material has been pre-organized by a mind possessing that information. First there was a mind, and then the owner of that mind turned that information into matter and thus created a design."

The Mind That Existed Before Matter

[Luqman told his son]: "My son, even if something weighs as little as a mustard-seed and is inside a rock or anywhere else in the heavens or earth, God will bring it out. God is All-Pervading, All-Aware." (Qur'an, 31:16)

Therefore, the source of the information in nature cannot be the matter itself, as the materialists claim. The source of information is not matter, but rather a supra-material Mind. This Mind existed before matter. The Mind created, shaped and organized the entire material universe.

Biology isn't the only branch of science leading us to this conclusion. Twentieth century astronomy and physics also demonstrated the existence of an astonishing harmony and design, pointing to the existence of a Mind that existed before the universe and created it.

Israeli scientist Gerald Schroeder, who studied physics and biology in universities like the Massachusettes Institute of Technology (MIT), and the author of the book The Science of God, makes some important remarks on this subject. In his new book entitled The Hidden Face of God: Science Reveals the Ultimate Truth, he explains the conclusion reached by molecular biology and quantum physics as follows:

A single consciousness, a universal wisdom, pervades the universe. The discoveries of science, those that search the quantum nature of subatomic matter, have moved us to the brink of a startling realization: all existence is the expression of this wisdom. In the laboratories we experience it as information that first physically articulated as energy and then condensed into the form of matter. Every particle, every being, from atom to human, appears to represent a level of information, of wisdom.5

According to Schroeder, the scientific results of our age lead science and theology to meet at a common truth. This is the truth of Creation. Science is now re-discovering this truth that divine religions have actually taught to humanity for millennia.

Lawh Mahfuz (The Preserved Tablet)

So far, we have looked at science's conclusions about the universe and the origin of living things. The conclusion is that the entire universe and life itself were created using a blueprint of magnificent information that existed before.

Allah eliminates what He wills or confirms, and with Him is the Mother of the Book. (Qur'an, 13:39)

This conclusion reached by modern science is strikingly in agreement with a secret that was laid out in the Qur'an some 14 centuries ago. In the Qur'an, a book sent to people as a guide, God announced that the Lawh Mahfuz (the Preserved Tablet) existed before the creation of the universe and that it furthermore explained all creation and events in the universe.

The Lawh Mahfuz was "guarded" (mahfuz) so the things written there were not changed or spoiled. In the Qur'an, this is called "Ommu al-Kitabi" (The Mother of the Book), "Kitabun Hafeethun" (All-Preserving Book), "Kitabin Maknoonin" (Well-Protected Book) or just the book. It is also called Kitabin min Qabli (The Book of Decrees) since it also tells of the events that humanity will face.

In many verses, God tells about the characteristics of the Lawh Mahfuz. First of all, there is nothing missing from this book:

The keys of the Unseen are in His possession. No one knows them but Him. He knows everything in the land and sea. No leaf falls without His knowing it. There is no seed in the darkness of the earth, and nothing moist or dry which is not in a Clear Book. (Qur'an, 6: 59)

One verse says that all life in the world is recorded in the Lawh Mahfuz:

There is no creature crawling on the earth or flying creature, flying on its wings, who are not communities just like yourselves-We have not omitted anything from the Book-then they will be gathered to their Lord. (Qur'an, 6: 38)

In another verse, it is stated that "on earth and in the heavens," in the entire universe, all creatures and things, including the smallest speck, are known by God and recorded in the Lawh Mahfuz:

You do not engage in any matter or recite any of the Qur'an or do any action without Our witnessing you while you are occupied with it. Not even the smallest speck eludes your Lord, either on earth or in heaven. Nor is there anything smaller than that, or larger, which is not in a Clear Book. (Qur'an, 10: 61)

It is indeed a Glorious Qur'an preserved on a Tablet. (Qur'an, 85:21)

All information concerning humanity is in the Lawh Mahfuz, and this includes the genetic code of all people and their destinies:

Nonetheless they are amazed that a warner should have come to them from among themselves and those who disbelieve say, "What an extraordinary thing! When we are dead and turned to dust . . . ? That would be a most unlikely return!" We know exactly how the earth eats them away. We possess an all-preserving Book. (Qur'an, 50: 2-4)

The following verse states that God's words in the Lawh Mahfuz are endless, and this is explained through an example:

If all the trees on earth were pens and all the sea, with seven more seas besides, was ink God's words still would not run dry. God is Almighty, All-Wise. (Qur'an, 31: 27)

Conclusion

The facts that we explored in this article prove yet again that the findings of modern science confirm what religion teaches to people. The materialist dogmatism that has been imposed on science is in fact rejected by science itself.

The conclusions of modern science about information serve to objectively demonstrate who is right in a dispute that has been raging for thousands of years. This dispute has been waged between materialist thought and religion. Materialist thought claims that matter is without beginning and that nothing existed before matter. Religion, on the other hand, states that God existed before matter, and that matter is created and ruled by God's endless knowledge.

The fact that this truth, which has been taught by divine religions-like Judaism, Christianity and Islam-since the dawn of history, has been proved by the findings of science, is an indication of the impending post-atheist age. Humanity is getting closer to realizing that God truly exists and He is the "All-Knowing." Just as reminded to people in the following verse of the HolyQur'an:

Do you not know that God knows everything in heaven and earth? That is in a Book. That is easy for God. (Qur'an, 22: 70)

1. George C. Williams, The Third Culture: Beyond the Scientific Revolution, (ed. John Brockman). New York, Simon & Schuster, 1995, pp. 42-43
2. Stephen Meyer, "Why Can't Biological Information Originate Through a Materialistic Process", Unlocking the Mystery of Life, DVD, Produced by Illustra Media, 2002
3. Phillip Johnson, The Wedge of Truth: Splitting the Foundations of Naturalism, Intervarsity Press, Illinois, 2000, p. 123
4. Werner Gitt, In the Beginning Was Information, CLV, Bielefeld, Germany, pp. 107, 141
5. Gerald Schroeder, The Hidden Face of God, Touchstone, New York, 2001, p. xi

SATAN STRIVES TO LEAD YOU ASTRAY -II-

SATAN STRIVES TO LEAD YOU ASTRAY -II-

They are like Satan when he says to a human being, "Disbelieve," and then when he becomes disbeliever, says, "I wash my hands of you. Truly I fear Allah, the Lord of all the worlds." (Qur'an, 59:16)

Satan will employ different methods for different people, and will target people's weaknesses in order to lead them astray. Throughout history, Satan has approached each person with a different tactic. He ensures that a person who is already distant from religion distances himself still further by making the life of this world seem alluring to him. He makes him forget about the Day of Judgment, and thus, manages to keep him far from the true religion all through his life.

All the while, he does not neglect to approach the believers. In order to hinder believers from worshipping Allah sincerely, he strives to stop them from engaging in deeds done to earn Allah's consent. He endeavours to weaken their values. Disguising the true nature of their evil, he tempts believers into succumbing to arrogance, selfishness, forgetfulness, carelessness, conceit, and irascibility.

In order to distract them, Satan encourages people to make long-term plans with which to keep their minds busy. He strives to prevent them from keeping their minds occupied with the remembrance of Allah. For this purpose, he makes people immerse themselves in everyday problems, or inspires them with excuses to justify their negligence in remembering Allah.

Believers who are submissive to Allah, who remember Him night and day, who are aware that everything takes place under His control, and who sincerely turn towards the Lord, are less susceptible to the influence of Satan. As the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) also said, "When a group of people assemble for the remembrance of Allah, (Allah's) mercy envelops them, and tranquillity descends upon them.'' Satan especially strives to make people neglect remembrance of Allah. Indeed, he has a particular influence over those who do not fear Allah:

Satan has gained mastery over them and made them forget the remembrance of Allah. Such people are the party of Satan. No indeed! It is the party of Satan who are the losers. (Surat al-Mujadala: 19)

Disbelievers are the people who have taken Satan as their friend and adopted his system. With such a mindset, adherence to Satan and the hatred and hostility they feel for one another become unavoidable. However, Satan also strives to stir up hatred among believers. In doing so, he aims to weaken the believers' will and deter them from obeying Allah. Allah has warned His servants against this danger and showed them the ways to avoid it:

Say to My servants that they should only say the best. Satan wants to stir up trouble between them. Satan is an outright enemy to man. (Surat al-Isra': 53)

Contrary to the common perception, Satan is not a being that appears now and then. He follows you wherever you go, or in whatever you do. He is resolved to this struggle so long as you live.

A person who forgets the existence of Satan is apt to misidentify his temptations. Therefore, he may be easily deceived into believing that these temptations are his own thoughts. He may simply fail to grasp that this cunning inner voice is the voice of Satan. However, true believers are granted with the wisdom and insight to distinguish the voice of Satan from that of their conscience. Allah has informed them how to protect themselves from the whispers and provocations of Satan:

If an evil impulse from Satan provokes you, seek refuge in Allah. He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. As for those who perform their duty, when they are bothered by visitors from Satan, they remember and immediately see clearly. (Surat al-A'raf: 200-201)

If an evil impulse from Satan provokes you, seek refuge in Allah. He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. As for those who guard against evil, when they are bothered by visitors from Satan, they remember and immediately see clearly. (Qur'an, 7:200-201)

One of the most effective methods which Satan frequently resorts to in order to lead people astray is to make them "forget." Satan's main strategy, therefore, is to make people forget about their responsibilities to Allah. He strives to hinder good deeds by making us forget that Allah encompasses us from all around, that we are subject to fate, and that we will die and have to give an account of our actions in Allah's presence.

Satan does not want people to be thankful to Allah. That is why he tries to make them forget that everything around us is a favour from Allah. By making the life of this world seem alluring, and making them forget the existence of the hereafter, he strives to deceive people. He endeavours to make people forget that there is an absolute good in everything that happens, and especially in unexpected events. The reality of fate and the need of putting one's trust in Allah are other key factors he tries to make people forget.

In the Qur'an, Allah draws our attention several times to the fact that with his inculcations, Satan can affect a human's mind and thus make him to forget:

When you see people engrossed in mockery of Our Signs, turn from them until they start to talk of other things. And if Satan should ever cause you to forget, once you remember, do not stay sitting with the wrongdoers. (Surat al-An'am: 68)

"... No one made me forget to remember it except Satan. It found its way into the sea in an amazing way." (Surat al-Kahf: 63)

... but Satan made him forget to remind his lord, and so he stayed in prison for several years. (Surah Yusuf: 42)

Despite all these acts of Satan, he is a being entirely under Allah's control and he has no power over true servants of Allah. After all, Allah created Satan and, willingly or not, he is subject to Him. He can perform his acts only with His permission. Unless Allah wills, he is incapable of doing any of them. No matter what Satan does, he can mislead only deniers. On the other hand, his actions against those with faith only help to reinforce their commitment:

… so that He can make what Satan insinuates a trial for those with sickness in their hearts and for those whose hearts are hard-the wrongdoers are entrenched in hostility-and so that those who have been given knowledge will know it is the truth from their Lord and have faith in it and their hearts will be humbled to Him. Allah guides those who have faith to a straight path. (Surat al-Hajj: 53-54)

Allah has revealed to us that Satan actually has no power. It is only the disbelievers that he can capture under this influence. This is made clear in the Qur'an:

Iblis was correct in his assessment of them and they followed him, except for a group of the believers. He had no authority over them except to enable Us to know those who believe in the hereafter from those who are in doubt about it. Your Lord is the Preserver of all things. (Surah Saba': 20-21)

On the other hand, believers do not lend an ear to the temptations of Satan but immediately take refuge in Allah, as they are commanded in the Qur'an:

If an evil urge from Satan eggs you on, seek refuge in Allah... (Surah Fussilat: 36)

SATAN STRIVES TO LEAD YOU ASTRAY -I-

SATAN STRIVES TO LEAD YOU ASTRAY -I-

Did I not make a contract with you, tribe of Adam, not to worship Satan, who truly is an outright enemy to you, but to worship Me? That is a straight path. He has led numerous people among you into error. Why did you not use your intellect? (Surah Ya Sin: 60-62)

You have an enemy whose only aim is to keep you far from Allah, His religion and the Qur'an. He does not relent from his plot even for a moment; lying in ambush, he awaits the opportunity to fulfil his task. He is able to see you from where you cannot see him and tries thousands of methods to entrap you. One of his characteristics is that he is stealthy. His methods, tactics and tricks may vary from one person to next. The tactics he employs may also depend on the time, place and conditions. This enemy of ours is Satan, the being who was driven from the sight of Allah.

Contrary to what the majority of people think, Satan is not an imaginary being. As a part of the test in this world, one needs to be always watchful against Satan. Because, revolting against Allah, Satan swore to lead His servants astray. Allah relates the rebellious behaviours of the devil in the Qur'an as follows:

We created you and then formed you and then We said to the angels, "Prostrate before Adam," and they prostrated-except for Iblis. He was not among those who prostrated. He (Allah) said, "What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you to?" He (Satan) replied, "I am better than him. You created me from fire and You created him from clay." He (Allah) said, "Descend from Heaven. It is not for you to be arrogant in it. So get out! You are one of the abased." He (Satan) said, "Grant me a reprieve until the day they are raised up." He (Allah) said, "You are one of the reprieved." He (Satan) said, "By Your misguidance of me, I will lie in ambush for them on Your straight path. Then I will come at them, from in front of them and behind them, from their right and from their left. You will not find most of them thankful." He (Allah) said, "Get out of it, reviled and driven out. As for those of them who follow you, I will fill up Hell with every one of you." (Surat al-A'raf: 11-18)

Satan is your enemy so treat him as an enemy. He summons his party so they will be among the people of the Searing Blaze. (Qur'an, 35:6)

As is made clear in the above verses, Satan is the most avowed enemy of mankind. This being will also try to mislead you by arousing in you sinful desires. However, an important point should be noted here; as is stated in the verses above, the major goal of Satan is to make you, along with the rest of mankind, follow him. The accursed Satan will not relent until you enter Hell.

There is yet an even more important fact to remember: Satan does not possess any power independent of Allah. Allah created him, and he is completely under His control. He is a servant of Allah, and can only act with His permission. He is charged with the task of helping to distinguish those who truly believe from those who do not. He can only act under Allah's Will. When the time granted to him expires, he will be thrown into Hell together with those he had led astray:

(Allah said): I will fill up Hell with you and every one of them who follows you. (Surah Sâd: 85)

Therefore, Satan does not actually have any power over believers. As Allah stresses in the following verse, he has power only over those who do not truly and sincerely believe:

He (Satan) said, "My Lord, because You misled me, I will make things on the earth seem good to them and I will mislead them all, every one of them, except Your servants among them who are sincere." (Surat al-Hijr: 39-40)

Satan cannot lead a man, whom Allah created as a believer, to go astray from the right path. Of course, believers are always prone to make mistakes. However, they never despai r of Allah's mercy, but immediately take refuge in Him and repent with sincerity. Allah informs us in the Qur'an of those over whom Satan can exert his power:

He has no authority over those who believe and put their trust in their Lord. He only has authority over those who take him as a friend and associate others with Allah. (Surat an-Nahl: 99-100)

It is written of him [i.e., Satan] that if anyone takes him as a friend, he will mislead him and guide him to the punishment of the Searing Blaze. (Qur'an, 22:4)

Satan wishes to lead you to become insolent, arrogant and disobedient to Allah, just as he himself is. He commands you to do evil, to perform acts that are not pleasing to Allah and to say of Allah that about which you have no knowledge. He tries to hinder you from assessing Allah's true grandeur and might. Allah draws attention to this danger in the Qur'an as follows:

Mankind! Eat what is good and lawful on the earth. And do not follow in the footsteps of Satan. He truly is an outright enemy to you. He only commands you to do evil and indecent acts and to say about Allah what you do not know. (Surat al-Baqara: 168-169)

His main endeavour is to fill mankind with constant fear of poverty, a goal which he is able to accomplish once he has made them forget about the hereafter. Unaware that everything is under Allah's control, and that no one can prevent any good if Allah wills it, these people live completely irresponsibly, leading them to commit all sorts of offences against Allah:

Satan threatens you with poverty and enjoins you to be niggardly, and Allah promises you forgiveness from Himself and abundance; and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing. (Surat al-Baqara: 268)

Satan's primary tactic is deviousness. Indeed, Allah describes this stealth "... the insidious whisperer who whispers (evil) in people's breasts." (Surat an-Nas: 4-5) As the verse makes clear, Satan, who approaches people deceptively, busies people with idle and trivial matters and makes their wrongdoings seem fair to them:

If only they had humbled themselves when Our violent force came upon them! However, their hearts were hard and Satan made what they were doing seem attractive to them. (Surat al-An'am: 43)

More importantly, these people, whose hearts are hardened and who assume themselves to be on the right path, though in fact they are misled, lead themselves still further from Allah's revelations. Forsaking Allah, they hold Satan dear, follow his path, and thus, grow even more insolent.