In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Western philosophers such as Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900), who coined the phrase ‘God is dead’, and Sigmund Freud (1856–1939), who postulated that God and religious teachings are illusions to accommodate for human psychological and social needs, led a nascent movement promoting atheist beliefs. When Christian clerics were unable to reconcile their beliefs regarding God in light of scientific discoveries, people began to fall away from belief altogether. Gradually, the misperception that science somehow contradicted religion became widespread, infecting members of every revealed religion, including Islam.
The Holy Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as) (1835–1908), taught that the laws of nature and the laws of religion emanate from the same Source—God—and can never be in contradiction. Thus, the works of God and the words of God are always in harmony with one another. Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as), the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi, championed Islam and the Holy Quran by proving their teachings to be both rational and miraculous, while harmonizing them with the principles of science.
In the same vein, Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad(ra), M.A. (1893– 1963), in his Urdu treatise Hamara Khuda, masterfully explains that reason and science point to the existence of God. The author replies to the most common questions, doubts, and objections relating to God’s existence. He explains why and how we should investigate the existence of God, enumerates the benefits of belief in God, and addresses several arguments atheists put forward to deny God. Although intended for youth, who are easily swayed by hollow arguments that erroneously invoke science and reason, the book has earned the appreciation of a much broader readership.
Our God is an English translation of Hamara Khuda. Initial translations were prepared by Bilal Khalid and Dr. Munawar Ahmad, with assistance from Raja Ata-ul-Mannan, Zulkarnain, and Mirza Anas Ahmad, M.A., M.Litt., (Oxon.), Wakilul-Isha‘at, Rabwah, and his team, as well as Dr. Waseem Ahmad Sayed, who revised the present manuscript. Additionally, Abdul-Quddus Arif, Hassan Faiyaz Khan, Sardar Anees Ahmad, Syed Faraz Hussain, Salman Muhammad Sajid, Abdul-Wahab Mirza, and Naveed Ahmed Malik assisted in various capacities to prepare this book for publication. May Allah abundantly reward them for their efforts. Amin.
Munir-ud-Din Shams
Additional Wakilut-Tasnif
London, May 2016