Part 2: Proofs of faith and establishing argument against mankind
In order to establish the wholeness of blessing, the perfection of grace, the guidance of creation to The Creator, and in order to know the goal for which man was created upon this earth: the mercy of Allaah established for him sure proofs, manifest signs, and a conclusive argument, that he may know the path connecting him to Allaah The Almighty, as indeed Allaah Demanded that he populate the earth.
Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):
{He brought you forth from the earth and sought that you inhabit it.}
[Quran 11:61]
, i.e. He Obliged you to populate the earth, which is only done through establishing justice and civilized construction, bringing harmony between the material society and between religion, moral values, ideals, mercy, and love among mankind. As such, the only choice left for man in this world is Allaah or ruin: either the course of Allaah that results in all goodness and the benefit of humanity as a whole, or deviation that contributes to man's demise, which is what we have witnessed throughout the history of man’s existence on the face of the earth.
The first proof: Innate sense (Fitrah)
Fitrah linguistically means: The state of something at the onset of its existence. According to Sharee‘ah terminology, it means: The innate knowledge about Allaah which mankind was provided with.
Abu al-Haytham said: The Fitrah is the design upon which the fetus was formed in the belly of his mother; as in the words of Allaah, quoting Ibraaheem (‘as) {except who 'fatara-ni', then surely He will guide me}means: “formed me”.
Our Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, uncovered this matter for us, saying,
“Every babe is born upon the Fitrah, then his parents make him a Jew, Magus or Christian.”
[Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
The Fitrah is thus the basis of formation. This is a truth in which Muslims believe, as Allaah created man as something pure and clean, believing in the existence of a living creator who raises and maintains him. When he happens to deviate, it is due to outside influences instigated by whims and desires, like the love of one's ancestors and their traditions; or due to doubts. If man follows faith, he then follows the Fitrah upon which Allaah formed him. But if he follows something else, his path will be at odds with this Fitrah. Faith in Allaah is thus implanted in the depths of the human psyche. This internal sense of Allaah's existence is a type of evidence firmly set in the cells of which man is comprised. Further to this point, even the corrupted Fitrah is quickly revived when a person is faced with hardships; actually, whenever the affliction or disability tightens, certainty in Allaah is even more abundant and firm. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):
{If harm touches you, unto Him your voices rise.}
[Quran 16:53]
and: {If harm touches you at sea, astray go those whom you call except Him; then when He delivers you to land, you turn away; and man is ungrateful.}
[Quran 17:67]
Knowledge gained in times of need is more firmly-rooted than the product of thought in times of free will.
As such, knowing Allaah does not require intellectual evidence or theoretic proof. The Fitrah itself, by necessity, testifies of the wise maker.
Thus, we find that the believer lives in an equilibrium between spiritual demands and corporeal needs, between the basis of his design, and between his behavior, legislation and living. The likes of this accord, harmony and consistency are only found beneath the shade of Islam.
If then we look at the life of a Muslim, we find that it is happy, sociable and tranquil. It is much different from the life of a non-Muslim, characterized by having split personalities, lacking harmony between body and soul, and lacking equilibrium between the Fitrah and its outside influences.
This is why we believe that all people were born upon the Fitrah, which is the first gift given to us by Allaah, proving His existence. In reality, all people believe in Allaah through their Fitrah, as the knowledge of His existence is set in their souls. Even the non-believer recognizes this, but he covers the truth. This is the meaning of disbelief in Arabic: kufr, i.e. “covering”. The cause of this cover comes from desire—and it is said that “sins lead to kufr”—or from suspicions which are adorned by the devils of men and Jinn alike. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):
{Who whispers into the hearts of men; of the Jinn and of men.}
[Quran 114:5-6]
Scholars of Islam have said that the causes of man's mistakes are four: greed, envy, anger and desire. It was reported that the Caliph ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab, may Allaah be Pleased with him, said to his governors,
“Do not strike the Muslims as to humiliate them, and do not restrict their rights as to make them non-believers.”
[Ahmad, al-Musnad, 1/384/286]
Restricting another's right to a dignified life and what it entails, of food, clothing, shelter, marriage, or medical treatment, could make him angry, which could lead him to cover the truth out of mere spite.
