Wahhabi Contention: Neither the ‘Proof from Accidents’ nor the Ashari belief in atomism are ‘Quranic’ proofs.
Sunni Response: First of all, if an argument is valid, then it is a proof, and it does not matter if you feel it is “Quranic” or not, whatever that means. A valid argument is a valid argument and a proof. If you start rejecting some valid arguments for no reason, then you have destroyed the bases for human knowledge beyond what the senses provide. You have sunk to the level of dumb animals. You have taken the view of the Baraahimah, the philosophers of ancient India and Persia. They rejected the idea that knowledge can be achieved beyond what is strictly sensory. This is the heritage of your cow-worshiping neighbors back home.
The belief that there is an indivisible element is clearly stated in the Quran, because it unequivocally implies that created things are not infinitely divisible. Rather, they are finite in size:
وما من غائبة في السماء والأرض إلا في كتاب مبين
Meaning: “there is nothing hidden to creation in the skies or earth that is not in a clear book.” (Suuratu-l-Naml, 75)
As you know, the book is not infinite in size, therefore, the created things in the sky and earth are limited in number, and not infinite.
Another aayah:
لا يعزب عنه مثقال ذرة في السماوات ولا في الأرض ولا أصغر من ذلك ولا أكبر إلا في كتاب مبين
Meaning: “Nothing is hidden from Him, not what has the size of the smallest ant in the Skies or Earth, and nothing smaller or larger than that, and it is all recorded in a clear book.” (Suuratu Saba’, 3)
This aayah tells you very clearly that everything smaller than the smallest ant is recorded, this means that it is not infinitely divisible, because the book is not infinite in size. Further to this is another aayah:
وأحْصَى كُلّ شَيْءٍ عَدَدا
Meaning: “Allah knows the number of all things.” [Al-Jinn, 28]
Another aayah:
وكل شيء أحصيناه كتابا
Meaning: everything has been recorded in a book. (An-Naba’, 29)
At-Tabari said: “It means that all things have been counted and recorded in a book, that is, its total number, amount, and value.” Clearly then, they are not infinite, because that would make all the numbers infinity.
Denying that creation has an indivisible element is also against ijma, for Abdul Qahir al Baghdadi stated in his “Usul al Din” regarding it : “This is the saying of most Muslims, except An-Nattaam (a Mutazili leader.)” And the disagreement of someone like An-Nattaam is certainly not considered for ijma.
Author: Shaykh Abu Adam al Naruiji
Assalam u Alaikum,
I didn’t know where to put it, so I am asking this question here. Sorry!
If some scientist claims that he has produced something out of nothing in an experiment, how is it to believe in him with keeping in mind the belief that what he has produced out of nothing is in reality the creation of Allah Almighty and is not produced without Allah Almighty’s Will?! Like water sprinkled out of Rasool Ullah’s (SallaL’lahu Alaihi Wasallam) blessed hands out of nothing. It was definitely Allah Almighty’s creations and abide by His Will!
Wa-Salam,
Rashid
An experiment cannot be done on nothing!
You are right… but what I am saying is like, if someone claims colliding two ultra-accelerated electron layers into one another, and says that as a result some matter other than the original was produced!
It does not make any difference to us what people do or find in the lab, because our proof is based on the existence of events or change, regardless of their nature. Read “Foundations of the Religion,” found in the table of contents.
And he calls that “matter” antimatter.