KNOW THE TRUTH

 

lmagine a situation where a person travels in a bus. The bus conductor comes to him and the two have the following conversation:

Bus conductor : Ticket please!

Traveller : I don't have one.

Bus conductor : Where are you going?

Traveller : l don't know.

Bus conductor : What? Don't you have an address 

where you want to go?

Traveller : Should I have an address or know my 

destination? Actually I have no idea 

where I need to go.

Bus conductor : Why did you board the bus if you do 

not know where you wish to go?

Traveller : I don't know.

Bus conductor : ??? (Confused and puzzled look)

lf you were travelling in the same bus, what would you think of this person? lf we now imagine the same conversation in the context of human life and ask a similar set of questions: Who created us? Why do we exist? What happens after we die? Do we live and then die all without a purpose? Or is there a purpose behind our existence? How many of us are aware of the true answers to the questions raised above? The bottomline is that we are alive today and we will die one day, but what do we know beyond that!

Dear reader, we sincerely hope that this booklet will stimulate your thoughts and persuade you to reflect about your life and your purpose of existence on this earth.

ls there a Purpose for our Existence?

To begin with, let us look around ourselves. Unless we live in a cave, we are surrounded by things we humans have made with our own hands. Now, why did we make these things? ls there a purpose associated with the man made things? The answer is obviously yes. Next let us look at the organs of our own body. Do we find an organ without a purpose? Let us look at the natural things around us like trees and mountains. Do they too exist without a purpose!

We realise that everything we create has a purpose. Also our organs have a purpose, as do natural things like trees, and mountains. Is it logical to assume that the whole human race exists without a purpose? Well, then why do we exist? To amass fame and fortune? To have fun? To become the richest person in the world? No, there must be more to life than that, so let's think about the real purpose!.

Who Knows the Purpose of our Existence?

Who decides the purpose of our existence? You might say, "l decide my purpose of existence". Let us take an example of a pen. What is the true purpose of a pen? The true purpose of a pen is to write. Who decided the true purpose of the pen - the user or the manufacturer? The answer is: the person who first manufactured it. Although, a user may use the pen to scratch his back, we would never conclude that the pen was manufactured for scratching backs. lt is the inventor or the manufacturer who decides the true purpose.

Similarly, we as human beings may imagine our own reasons for our existence in this world, but this in no way will become the true purpose of our existence. We can get to know the true purpose of our existence only from our Creator!

Is there a Creator or did we come into Existence through blind Evolution?

Many people have been brought up more on science than religion, and so they believe in evolution rather than in a creator. Let us analyze the issue. When you see a bridge, a building or an automobile, you will not deny that it has a maker, a person or a company behind its existence.

What about the human body with its vast and intricate control systems? Contemplate about the brain: how it thinks, functions, analyzes, retrieves, stores, distinguishes and categorizes information in a millionth of a second. (And don't forget the fact that you are using your brain to read this too!). Think about the heart. Imagine how it pumps continuously and maintains steady precision throughout the life of a person. Think about the kidneys and the liver and the various functions they perform. The purifying instruments of the body perform hundreds of chemical processes simultaneously and also manage the level of toxicity in the body within acceptable limits.. Think about human eyes, the unparalleled cameras that adjust, focus, interpret, evaluate and discern color automatically, naturally receiving and adjusting to light intensity and distance.

Can random mutation or evolution ever develop these beautiful, efficient and intricate systems? Can this design come about by itself? For example, throwing tubes of paint of different colors on a wall randomly might create some design like a hand or a bird, but it can never create Mona Lisa! The design in our body is much more complex and intricate than Mona Lisa. So how rational is it to believe that this design came into existence without a designer?

Next let us think about the universe. Our planet earth is one of the several planets in our solar system, and our solar system is one of a vast multitude of solar systems in our galaxy. Our galaxy, the Milky way, is one of the billions of galaxies present in the universe. We can observe an excellent order and precision in the universe. To give an example, solar and lunar eclipses can be calculated well in advance. lt is possible to calculate the time of sun-rise and sun-set for the next hundreds of years. These calculations are possible because of the synchronization, balance and harmony that exist amongst the planets and stars in the universe. This is a wonderful example of the presence of excellent design and remarkable pattern in the universe.

Did this beautiful and perfect design come into existence by chance or by a mere explosion? Let us consider an example of how things happen by chance. Ten marbles numbered 1 to 10 and of different colors are put in a bag and the bag is shaken violently to mix the marbles. Then, closing your eyes, you try to pull out the marbles in order of 1 to 10. What are the chances of pulling out the marbles in that order? lt is twenty six million to one (26,000,000 to 1) and this is just for 10 marbles. What is the probability for the millions of stars and planets to come together with the exact precision, synchronization and harmony by mere chance? The answer is certainly zero. This shows that it is not rational to deny the existence of a Creator for this grand universe.

lf a creator created everything then who created the creator?

According to popular cosmology, the universe had a beginning some 14 billion years ago with a cosmic event commonly known as the 'Big Bang'. Along with the beginning of universe, time - the factor we use to measure beginning and end, also came into existence. All things created in this world are dependent on time; they all have a birth (beginning) and death (end). The creator who created the universe was present even before time came into existence and is therefore independent of it. Hence the creator can neither have a beginning nor an end and has always existed. Think about the booklet you are reading right now. lf this booklet had always existed, it wouldn't need a creator or an author.

Now, imagine a soldier who has found his target, but needs the permission of a higher official to fire. The official tells the soldier that he is dependent on another higher official and needs to get his permission to open the fire. The higher-higher official then says that he needs the permission of still another higher-higher-higher official, as he is dependent on him. lf this chain of  'dependency' goes on forever, will the soldier ever get to shoot the target? The obvious answer is no. The soldier can shoot only if there is someone along the chain, who is independent of all others and can take a decision on his own, without consulting anyone else.

When we apply this principle to the universe, we can safely conclude that the very existence of the universe points to the Existence of a Being who is not dependent on anyone else and takes lndependent Decisions. This lndependent Being is referred to as the Creator or God.

Who is God?

The word God has been used in different meanings, depending on language, faith, philosophy, and culture. For some people, anyone who helps them in need is their God, and for others, their parents are their gods. Popular and successful human beings are often taken to be God. Money is god for the greedy and for some the natural elements are gods. Anything and everything is God, for the gullible.

But actutally it is easy to understand the correct meaning of God. If we are asked, who is a mother? The obvious answer will be: One who gives birth to a child. We may address Mother Teresa as 'mother'. However, it does not give Mother Teresa the same status as our real mother. We don't have the choice to choose someone arbitrarily to be our mother; our mother is the one who gave birth to us.

Similarly, God is the One who created us and this whole universe. People may call anyone, or anything as God, but nothing can be our true God, except the One who created us and the entire universe. We don't have the choice to choose someone we like, to be our God. The one who created us alone can be God. None of God's creation, regardless of how great the creation is, can ever be God !

What is the Purpose of life?

We were created to worship, obey and serve our Creator alone (and not the creations). The purpose of our existence is "to live our life according to the guidance of God", a life that is led by fulfilling all the divine commandments of God and to attain God's pleasure and Success in the after life.

Why does God expect us to Obey Him?

Parents expect their children to obey them in routine matters, because parents have the natural right to be obeyed. Similarly a teacher expects his/her students to obey him in matters of education. God, who is our Creator, expects us to obey Him because He being the Creator deserves to be obeyed.

Vehicles work best with the quality of oil, spare parts, tyre pressure etc. recommended by the vehicle manufacturer. We do not try to change these parameters to our liking because we trust that the vehicle maker knows what is best for the vehicle. Similarly, our Creator knows exactly what is good for us and has prescribed a way of life which is submission and obedience to Him.

Did God send His Guidance to Mankind?

God did not leave us without guidance. lf we compare human beings to a machine, we are the most complex machine on earth due to our emotions and thoughts. To properly use a complex machine, we need an instruction manual and an instructor.

God chose righteous human beings to convey his guidance to humanity on how to live a good life. These teachers were the Prophets and Messengers sent by God. The instruction manuals given by God are the revealed books.

Who are the Prophets?

God chose the best men amongst us and made them His Prophets. These Prophets were only human and they did not have any divine quality. They stand tall as the role models and leaders for human beings.

Every nation in this world received the message of Prophets. Some of the Prophets are: Noah, Abraham, David, Solomon, Moses, Jesus (peace be upon them all).

Why did God Himself not come to Earth?

God and man are distinct; indeed there is no comparison between them. lf God becomes a man, then He cannot be God. 

For example :

1. God will not die, Man will die.

2. God is not bound by time and space. Man is bound by time and space. There is a huge contradiction when someone says that God became man.

3. Moreover, man has severe limitations. For example: Man cannot hear what dogs can hear. Man cannot see what the owl  may see. lf God becomes a man, it would mean that God has all these limitations, which does not befit the qualities of God.

So the conclusion is, a being may be God or may be human but not both simultaneously.

One might argue, God can do everything and hence He can be God and human at the same time.

What does this assertion mean that "God can do everything"? Would God be unjust? Would God lie? The answer is no, He will not. The reason: the acts of injustice and lying do not befit the qualities of God. We can conclude that God will only do things that befit His divinity. We can understand that "God becoming man" does not befit His divinity, as it ascribes limitations to God.

Even if we assume that God can come down to the earth, then it would not serve the purpose of guidance at all! How will He be a role model for human beings? The common man  might then argue that God could do virtuous deeds but we humans are not capable of such acts. This proves that "incarnate god" cannot be role model for us. They do not suffer from the limitations we have. Moreover they easily overcome problems with their divine powers, while we humans have to strive and struggle to tackle them. All these points suggest that the best role-models for humans can be human beings themselves i.e. Prophets.

Who was Prophet Muhammed (peace be on him)?

The last and final Prophet in the chain of Prophethood was Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him). He was sent for the whole of humanity, till the end of time. All the previous Prophets of God were sent only for a particular people and for a particular time span.

What were the Teachings of the Prophets?

The crux of the teachings of all the prophets sent by God can be summarized as follows :

1. Pray to God, submit to Him, obey and worship Him only because He is the Creator who created us (Worship the Creator and not the creations). Do not elevate anyone else or anything to the status of God. Do not deny the existence of God. Do not associate anyone with God.

2. We are accountable to God in the Hereafter, for whatever we do in this world.

What is the Quran?

Quran is the last and final revelation (Guidance Manual) given to the last and final Messenger of God, Prophet Mohammed (peace be on him). The whole Quran is word of God. In particular, Quran is not the word of Prophet Mohammed (peace be on him). Quran serves as guidance for the whole of mankind.

What are the Attributes of God?

Some of the attributes of God are:

1. God is only one.

2. God does not need anything. He is free of all limitations.

3. God does not have parents, wife or children.

4. There is none equal to God in any of His attributes like power, knowledge, wisdom, mercy etc.

5. God is never tired or exhausted.

6. God does not forget or overlook things.

7. God does not commit any mistakes.

8. God bestows His mercy on all humans and does not differentiate between them on the basis of color, race or descent.

Can there be more than One God?

Let us say three people go for a job interview. There is just one vacancy for the job. Each of the three persons worships their own God with sincerity and prays to his God for the job. lf we assume that indeed there are several gods, then each of them would be inclined to grant the job to the person who prayed to him. We have just one vacancy with three people expecting the job and three gods inclined to give the job to their respective worshipper. Who will then get the job? A trivial thing like this will trigger a fight amongst gods. There are billions of events happening in this world and they all require the approval of God. The whole universe will be full of chaos if we imagine more than one God.

Can God be in need of anything? Can God have wife or children? Can God have parents?

lf we imagine that God is in need of something, there should be someone to fulfill those needs. This would mean that the person who fulfills God's needs has something that God does not have. Then God becomes incomplete without that person. For example, we humans need a spouse because we are in need of a companion. lf God needs a wife, it would mean that He requires a wife to satisfy Him. This makes God needy and dependent on His spouse. The idea goes against the very nature of God. Hence, God having a wife, is an absurd contention.

Since God has no wife, He does not have any children. lf God has parents, then it would mean that He did not exist before He was born to the parents. This would mean that God did not exist at one point of time and this is impossible as it goes against the very definition of God. So God does not have parents.

Can God get Tired or exhausted? Can God Forget or make Mistakes?

God is All Powerful. Hence He cannot get tired. God is the All Knower. Hence He cannot make mistakes or forget any thing.

lf there is anyone equal to God, then that being can also claim to be God and this would mean that there is more than one God, but that is impossible and irrational as we have seen above.

ls there a Life after Death?

Ownership is always associated with accountability. An employee is accountable to his boss for the work he does. Everyone in this world, irrespective of his position is accountable to someone. This is a basic fact of life. Similarly, our Creator who is the real, supreme and ultimate authority will surely hold us accountable for what we do in this world. lf there is no accountability, justice can never be established.

The world will come to an end one day. All the human beings, from the very first man to the last will be brought back to life (Resurrection) on the Day of Judgment and will be questioned for their deeds. People who have worshipped the one true God, have done good deeds and lived their life in accordance with God's guidance,  will receive their reward. Others who have disobeyed God will be punished. The reward will be Paradise and the punishment will be Hell. The life in Paradise or in Hell will be eternal and never-ending.

Do we really need Resurrection and the Day of Judgment?

Each and every human being desires justice. Even if he does not want justice for others, at least he wants justice for himself. Every person who has suffered injustice, almost certainly wants the perpetrator of injustice to be punished. Every normal person would like the robber or the rapist to be taught a lesson. Can we have perfect justice through the system of punishments in this world? It is said that Hitler killed many during his reign of terror. Even if the law had arrested him, what punishment can the human law give him? The most they can do is to send him to the gallows. But that will be punishment only for killing one human being. What about the punishment for killingothers!

We have heard of judges writing multiple life imprisonments which can go up to 100 years for the convicted criminals. This is because the criminal deserves so many years of punishment. But will the convict actually complete his term of punishment if it is 100 years or will death intervene?

True and perfect justice would mean that the victims are also compensated. What compensation can we give to those innocent people who were killed by tyrants? We will not be able to compensate them because they are already dead. Several righteous people have been tortured and some even killed. Don't you think those righteous people should be rewarded for their righteousness?

Rational thinking will lead us to conclude that there is definitely a need for an eternal life after death to compensate people for what they did in this world. God who is most just will not let people go without being rewarded or punished for what they did. 

Since the life in Paradise or Hell is eternal and never ending, God can give just reward or punishment. Similarly, God can compensate the righteous and the innocent people who were victimized in this life.

Is Resurrection possible after we Die?

We all know that creating something for the first time will be difficult. Repeating the same creation again is simple. When God did not have any difficulty creating us the first time, why will He find it difficult to give us life after we die? Bringing us back to life, after our death is indeed very easy for God.

What is the meaning of the word lslam?

lslam is an Arabic word whose root words are silm and salam. Salam means "peace" and silm means "submission". Thus, lslam means attaining peace through submission to God - the Creator of this universe.

Who founded lslam?

Contrary to what many people think, lslam is not a new religion. lt was not founded by Prophet Mohammed (peace be on him). lslam is the way of life given by God, our creator, to the first man Adam and to all of us who came after him. This can be well understood from the fact that all the prophets sent by God like Noah, Abraham, Moses, Solomon, David, Jesus, etc (peace be on them all) taught the same way of life which was sincere submission to God Almighty. We call this way of life as lslam in Arabic.

ls Allah a Muslim God?

Contrary to what many people think, Allah is not a "Muslim God". Allah is the Arabic name for God Almighty who created everything, including you and me. Even the Arab speaking Jews and Christians use the word "Allah" to refer to God.

Water (English), Paani (Hindi), Neeru (Kannada) and Ma'a (Arabic) all denote the same entity. A glass of water is not going to differ just because of the language that is used to denote it. God (English), Prabhu (Hindi) and Allah (Arabic) all denote the same creator who created this universe including you and me.

Which is the grave sin God will not forgive?

God has announced that He does not forgive a person who after knowing the truth chooses to :

1. Associate partners with God or makes equals with God in worship, obedience and submission.

2. Disbelieve in God's existence.

God Himself considers this sin to be unforgivable unless a person repents for it before his death.

How does one make equals with God in worship, obedience, submission?

A person makes equals with God by doing the following acts :

1. Praying, adoring, bowing and worshiping the natural objects like air, water, fire and things which are man-made viz. stone carvings, statues, images, graves of saints or pious men, etc.

2. Ascribing divinity to humans by calling them God's son or wife or claiming that they possess qualities similar to those of God.

3. Worshiping angels or imaginary devtas Agni, Vayu, or planets (grahas). They are in fact just God's creations like many of His other creations. Angels sincerely obey Him and have no desire for disobedience.

Why is associating partners with God such a Great Crime?

God Almighty stands in no need of man's gratitude or prayers. God is free of all wants and needs. lt is we humans who are in need of God and His mercy. The question now arises, "What does He care if people believe or not?" The answer is the following:

1. God does not approve of disbelief. As we have explained earlier, God created us to worship and serve Him alone. Associating partners with God or to put anyone/anything equal to God or to reject the truth of His existence would make us go against the very purpose of our existence. It would be the highest form of disrespect to our Creator.

2. Disbelief in God jeopardizes the whole life system and causes evil and corruption in the world. When a person disbelieves in God or associates partners with God, he chooses to reject God's sovereign authority and divine guidance. Such people ultimately follow their desires. They forget that they are accountable to God. This becomes the root cause of all evil in the world.

3. Associating partners with God is the highest degree of injustice and ingratitude. lf we look around us and at ourselves we will find the blessings of God bestowed on us - our loving family, our children, our ability to walk and see. There is such a great beauty in all of His creation.

Would it not be ungrateful on our part to ascribe all this to someone other than God! How then, can we be so ungrateful to Him and associate partners with Him? ls this not ingratitude and injustice, inspite of Mercy which God has showered upon us? How can we become pious men and women when we pay no regard to God's laws and commandments and when we make images not befitting His Majestic Personality?

What is the Proof?

God does not expect blind faith from us. The proof for whatever mentioned above is the last and final revelation from God, The Quran. Quran is the preserved word of God.

The Quran speaks about various disciplines like geology, embryology, astronomy, oceanography, law, psychology, botany, physics, zoology etc. Quran gives an open challenge to all who disbelieve in it. The Author of this book (God) says "Do they not consider the Quran carefully? Had it been from others beside God, then it would have contained many errors and inconsistencies" 

(Quran - Chapter 4: Verse 82).

Amazingly, the Quran hinted about future discoveries centuries ago with pristine accuracy. It was impossible for a human being like Prophet Mohammed to know the future knowledge on his own. So the Quran has to be the Word of God.

Conclusion

This booklet does not aim to hurt anyone's feelings, nor do we wish ill to anyone. Our mission is only to communicate the message of God and to make people realize the purpose of their existence. We believe that the only way to reform society is to realize the purpose of our existence. We should lead a life of obedience to our creator- God Armighty. If we do so, then there is no doubt that the world will become a much better place.

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