Book Review: God Arises – Evidence of God in Nature and in Science
*Muhammad Nadeem and Umar Bashir
Book Name: God Arises; Evidence of God in Nature and in Science
Publisher: Goodword Books
Introduction of the Book:
The author has tried to build a Paradigm/Framework for a rational argument in favour of (unseen) Religious beliefs. The author has brilliantly delineated the scope of Religion and Science. The author writes: “The scope/role of religion is to discuss life and its origin (reality) while as scope of science is to observe/ discuss /experiment material (external) processes/phenomenon. When science indulges into discussing life, it also forced to create a model or set of beliefs like religion, so that the phenomenon could be explained. For example, ‘The theory of Evolution’ is widely accepted by scientists as the basic theory/dogma about the origin of life on earth but it is unobservable and unprovable in a scientific lab. But since it fits in the Modern Scientific mind, it is accepted and rather imposed on masses, which proves this point that when it comes to prove the origin of life both Religion & Science follow an unseen set of beliefs i.e. ‘Explanation without demonstration.’
According to the author, the debate between Religion and Science is essentially about the validity of the arguments i.e. epistemological in nature. The author writes that the basic argument of Atheists against religion is that religion is based on non-observable and un-provable beliefs (dogma) while as science follows an experimental (demonstrative) /Empirical Scientific Model to find the reality or to understand the natural phenomenon. The author in his counter argument writes that in the scientific model, an observed fact is not in reality a fact in itself but only an interpretation/inference of the observation. And no observation/experiment is absolute (final), thus interpretation by scientists changes with every new developed experiment. Likewise, religion is not based on blind beliefs, rather driven by interpretation of ‘’Natural Evidences (Aayaat)” by intellect (Aql) but under the guidance of Revelation (Wahi).
Infact, man’s desire to find meaning (interpretation) of the universe is itself a proof that without a Creator everything is senseless. Nature is a fact, not an explanation. If we will turn down the contribution of scientists who believed in God, the scientific achievements left out will be nothing but mere absurdity. It is religion which points towards the real causes of the creation of the universe, whereas the findings of physicists are confined to determining the outward structure of this universe as it appears to exist before us:
‘Science doesn’t tell us how or why the laws of nature came into being, how or why they continue to exist or why they cause the earth and the heavens to function with such unfailing precision that, simply by observing of them, it was possible to establish immutable scientific laws.
Every fact that we believe in is always, in the beginning, a simple assumption. Yet what is perceived by the eye is nothing more than an object of a certain size and certain shade of color. And a true scientific theory merely means a successful working hypothesis (or assumption). This is what makes atheism a materialistic approach towards life. And why should we simply reject this approach, author writes:
‘Just as the Corpuscular Theory of light propounded by Newton was rejected by the twentieth-century scientists because its explanation of the phenomenon of light was found unsatisfactory, we likewise reject the materialistic theory of the universe because it does not offer a satisfactory explanation for the phenomenon of life and the universe.’
What we today apprehend as a probability; no wonder tomorrow we shall witness as a fact. Intellectual inconsistency is bound to afflict any theories conceived by man. Without taking Creator into account, one cannot give a valid explanation of life. The Maker of the world has fashioned life in such a way that it just cannot be explained by any mechanical interpretation.
‘Man is like a river. And the human personality is like an island in it, unaffected by the ceaseless flow of the cells.’
“Soon We will show them Our signs in all the regions of the earth and in their own souls, until they clearly see that this is the truth”–41:53
The author has brilliantly underscored why Revelation (Wahi) is imperative for human civilization. He writes that advancement of material science has reached its apogee but science has failed to find the reality and purpose of life. Even brilliant minds have failed to describe how law and justice could be established in society without religious and moral values. World has seen Capitalist and Communist models of economy but both have failed to maintain the economic balance in the world which is enough to conclude that humans have failed to find a code of living without religion. And only divine guidance (revelation) can rescue humans from the crisis of modern world.
Atheism, nowadays has become a fashion, a trend. As humans, we incline towards to be unique and different from the rest. As media has pictured religion as monstrous and somehow unaccepted, folks think being an atheist might bring them into lime light. But both science and nature prove atheism illogical and idiotic. Kids get fascinated by Darwin, Dawkins, Hawkins, Hitching, Nietzsche, Anton Flew and Mary Daly but miserably fail to benefit from Sina, Rushd, Kindi, Farabi, Qurtubi, Suyuti, Razi and Ghazali.
We don’t always understand art and music in order to get enchanted by it. In the same way it is not necessary Unseen and The Divine should make sense always in order to make one feel spiritual and enlightened. If you don’t believe in mind and consciousness doesn’t mean you don’t possess it.
As said in the beginning, this book does not refute atheism by religion but by nature and science itself. I urge those who consider themselves atheists to read this book with open heart and mind. The book shall certainly serve as a guide for people who are in doubt about the religious beliefs and will help them in regaining their lost faith in GOD (Allah). The book stands out among the books which call towards Allah (GOD) in this modern age and is a must read in this Modern Scientific era. I will call this book an Atheists’ Guide to GOD.
