Classes on Theology
Sheikh Jaffer H. Jaffer
Masumeen Islamic Centre
February 14th, 2012
Proofs of the existence of God
• We previously established the necessity of
inquiring into Religion
– Question:
• Why is it necessary to inquire into Religion?
• The foundation of Religion is belief in the
Supreme Creator
– This separates the Divine worldview from the
materialistic worldview
Lecture 2/Feb 14th 2012 * Theology – Oneness of God * MIC * Sheikh Jaffer H. Jaffer
Proofs of the existence of God
• How do we acquire knowledge of the
Supreme Creator?
– Knowledge by presence ‫فطري‬
• An individual knows God through a type of inward
witnessing, without any intermediary or mental
concepts
– Knowledge by acquisition ‫ارتكازي‬
• Dependent upon something else
– Acquired knowledge is established upon intellectual
proofs and philosophical reasoning
» This is what we will be discussing!
Lecture 2/Feb 14th 2012 * Theology – Oneness of God * MIC * Sheikh Jaffer H. Jaffer
Proofs of the existence of God
• First Proof:
– ‫ – برهان النظم‬Proof based on organization/system
– Aqli Proof:
• When one ponders over the organization, connection
and harmony between things
– Ex: The body and its organs; solar system…etc.
• It proves the necessity for this organization to have
an organizer
Lecture 2/Feb 14th 2012 * Theology – Oneness of God * MIC * Sheikh Jaffer H. Jaffer
Proofs of the existence of God
– Naqli Proof:
ِ ‫اق و ِىف أَن ُف‬
ِ َ‫• سنر ِِي ِهم ءاَيتِنَا ِىف االَِف‬
ِ
‫ي ََلُْم أَنَّهُ احلْ َِق‬
‫ب‬
‫ت‬
‫ي‬
‫ت‬
‫ح‬
‫م‬
‫ه‬
‫س‬
َ
َ َََ َ ْ
ََ ْ ُ َ
َ ْ
• Soon We shall show them Our signs in the horizons and in their own souls
until it becomes clear to them that He is the Real (fusilat 53)
ِ ‫ض و اختِ ََل‬
ِ ‫السماو‬
ِ ‫ف الَّي ِل و النَّها ِر و الْ ُف ْل‬
َّ‫ك ال‬
ِ
ِ
‫تج ِْ ِرى ِىف‬
‫ت‬
‫َر‬
‫اْل‬
‫و‬
‫ات‬
ْ
ْ َ ْ َ َ َ َّ ‫• إِ َّن ِىف َخ ْل ِق‬
َ
َ َ َ ْ
ِِ‫لسم ِاء ِمن َّم ٍاء فَأَحيا ب‬
ِ َّ ‫الْبح ِر ِِبَا ين َفع النَّاس و ما أَنزَل‬
‫َر‬
‫اْل‬
‫ه‬
‫ض بَ ْع َد َم ْو ِته َِا‬
ْ
َ ْ
َ َ َ َ ُ َ َْ
َْ
َ َّ ‫اَّللُ م َن ا‬
ٍ
ِ ِ َّ ‫و ب‬
ِ ‫ص ِر‬
ِ ‫السح‬
ِ ‫يف‬
ِ ‫الس َم ِاء َو ْاْل َْر‬
‫ض‬
َّ ‫ي‬
َ ْ َ‫اب الْ ُم َس َّخ ِر ب‬
ْ َ‫ث ف َيها من ُكل َدابَّة َو ت‬
َ َّ ‫الريَ ِح َو‬
ََ
‫الَ َِ ََي ٍت لَِق ْوٍم يَ ْع ِقلُو َن‬
• Indeed in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night
and day, and the ships that sail at sea with profit to men, and the water that
Allah sends down from the sky with which He revives the earth after its death,
and scatters therein every kind of animal and the changing of the winds, and
the clouds disposed between the sky and the earth, are surely signs for a
people who apply reason (al-baqara 164)
Lecture 2/Feb 14th 2012 * Theology – Oneness of God * MIC * Sheikh Jaffer H. Jaffer
Proofs of the existence of God
• Second Proof:
– Proof of a Necessary Existent ‫واجب الوجود‬
– What is meant by Necessary Existent?
• an existent which does not need, require or depend
upon any other existent for coming into being
Lecture 2/Feb 14th 2012 * Theology – Oneness of God * MIC * Sheikh Jaffer H. Jaffer
Proofs of the existence of God
• Proof:
– All propositions have two fundamental concepts (subject and
predicate)
• Example: The sun is shining
– The establishment of a predicate for the subject (the shining
in relation to the sun) can only have three states:
• It is either impossible (‫ – )ممتنع‬ex: the number 3 is greater than
the number 4
• It is necessary (‫ – )واجب‬ex: the number 2 is half of 4
• It is neither impossible nor necessary (‫ –)ممكن‬ex: the sun is
above our head
Proofs of the existence of God
• In philosophy only existence is discussed
– Therefore that which is impossible to exist is
never discussed
• So we are left with:
– necessary - (‫)واجب‬
– neither impossible nor necessary = possible - (‫)ممكن‬
Proofs of the existence of God
• Necessary existence (‫)واجب‬
– Exists in-itself and does not depend upon
another existent
• No beginning and no end
• Possible existence (‫)ممكن‬
– Does not exist in-itself and depends on another
existent in order for it to be realized
• Summary: Existence through intellectual perception is either
necessary existence or possible existence
Proofs of the existence of God
• Therefore we have three likelihoods:
– 1) Every existent is a necessary existent
– 2) Every existent is a possible existent
– 3) Some existents are necessary existents and
some are possible existents
• #1 is impossible:
– Based on the definition of necessary existent
• All existents would have to be completely
independent
– Which is impossible.
Proofs of the existence of God
• #2 - Every existent is a possible existent
– Impossible as well – because:
• All possible existents requires a cause (‫ )علّة‬for it to
come to existence
• Therefore if all the causes were possible existents
– No existent would ever come into being
• Because it would lead to an infinite series (‫ )التسلسل‬of
causes which is impossible.
– Ex: B caused C and C caused D and D caused E and E caused F…
• If B is also a possible existent it would require a ‘cause’ – which would lead to
an infinite series of causes which is impossible
Proofs of the existence of God
• This proves:
– There must be an existence – which does not
require a cause for its existence which would be
the necessary existent (‫)واجب الوجود‬
– Ex: D caused by C and C caused by B and B caused by A
• A must be an existence which does not require a cause – making it
the necessary existent
• Therefore, it is not possible for all existents to be
possible existent(‫! )ممكن‬
– This eliminates the second likelihood
Proofs of the existence of God
• We are left only with #3
– Some existents are necessary existents and
some are possible existents
• Which is what we were trying to prove!
– Question:
• Can anyone detect a problem with this possibility?
• Any Questions?