I would first like to remove one misconception which commonly besets people with regard to the existence of God. If there is a God, why are we not able to see Him? This is hardly a new question, and we have heard it from time immemorial. The Holy Quran tells us that the same question was put to the Holy Prophet(saw) by the non- believers of Arabia.1 Whenever I hear people raising this question, I feel sorry for them. It is such a pity that when man stumbles and his reason becomes blunted by the veils of indifference, he starts denying even self-evident truths. When this objection was raised in the past—however absurd and baseless it was—it had the potential to deceive some ignorant people. But what surprises me is that this objection should be raised in the present age! I am truly astonished at the intellect of people who use such objections to justify their denial of God. But as it is a common objection, I will proceed to answer it, albeit briefly.
There are different ways of learning about things. For instance, we learn by sight, sound, taste, smell, texture, or movement. All information we derive from the various senses, have the same degree of authenticity and credibility. We cannot demand that we must learn about something through a particular sense, or else we shall deny its very existence. The eyes, for example, are the medium for perceiving different colours; the nose is used for discerning different smells; and, the ears are for hearing sounds. Would it not be sheer insanity to insist that unless we could see a certain smell with our eyes, or smell a particular colour with our nose, or feel a particular sound with our hands, we shall not believe that it exists? Whoever makes such demands would be considered insane, and if perchance he is not sent to the lunatic asylum, he will certainly become a laughing stock for the street urchins. Strange to say, people raise such objections about God all the time and are still considered wise! Do they find nothing other than God to make the object of their mockery?
So far I have mentioned only the physical senses through which we acquire knowledge of various worldly phenomena. But there are countless other things which we cannot experience through any of our physical senses. Yet we have the same degree of certainty about them as about the others. Take the magnetic force, for instance. Can we see it with our eyes, or hear it with our ears, or smell it with our noses, or taste it with our tongues, or touch it with our hands? No, but none of us ever denies its existence. Despite not being able to perceive magnetic force through our common senses, we certainly do not refute its reality, because we can categorically observe the effects and impact of this force, and it creates the same degree of certainty as gained by direct perception. When we see an ordinary piece of iron being pulled by a magnet, and we see this happen every time, this leads us to conclude that there must be a force in the magnet. We do not see the force of magnetism, but we believe that the magnet has some additional force, besides its obvious properties, which can only be observed by its characteristics and not directly through our senses. Likewise, there is electricity, which is not visible, but commands our conviction because of its effects. With the flip of a switch, we can promptly make a fan in the room spin, confirming that the fan is driven by an external power that was there before we pressed the button. Although we cannot see, hear, smell, taste, or perceive it through any of the common senses directly, we are convinced that electricity is a great power. This is because we witness its effects and never for a moment deny its existence. We believe in it just as we believe in the sun, the moon, the mountains and the rivers. Consider the sentiment of love. Has anyone ever seen, heard, smelled or touched love? If there is any reader of this book who truly cherishes love and has felt it in his heart, I ask him whether he has not experienced in his small heart—which might weigh less than half a pound—the boundless sea of love, which, can be considered one of the most powerful and awesome of natural forces in a storm. It generates so much energy and power into the feeble human frame, that for the sake of the beloved he challenges the mountains, roams the deserts, takes on the beasts of the jungle, jumps into fires and faces the raging tempests of the sea, but never gives up. He keeps vigil during the nights, wanders about during the day like one possessed and his life ebbs from his eyes, but never wearies. Is there anyone who can deny the existence of this force, even though no one has ever seen, heard, smelled, tasted or touched it? Time, age, power, sense, lust, anger, mercy— to mention but a few—are examples of things which we believe in but they have never been directly perceived by our physical senses. It is, therefore, childish to insist that unless we obtain knowledge of something by a particular means, we will not believe in its existence. The point is to gain knowledge from whichever direction it comes. Once the purpose is attained all else is resolved.
If someone says that he will only believe that he has seen inside a room if he is led into it by breaking the roof and not if he simply enters through the door, I would suspect that he wishes to blow off the roof rather than see the room. Once he has entered the room, it matters not whether he entered through the roof or through the door. After all you can only enter through the passage specified for it. To demand a passage of one’s own choice is sheer insanity. And if we were to fulfil such a demand, others would start making similar demands. In other words, people want God to become a toy for their imagination, and keep changing His attributes like an impersonator (God forbid) so that everyone’s fancy should be satisfied.
The people have not comprehended the attributes of Allah at all.
Do try to understand that the less subtle a thing, the easier it can be observed through physical senses, and the more subtle it is, the harder it is for the physical senses to experience it. It is for this reason that when we try to learn about subtle things we have to depend on their properties and their behaviour, rather than on direct observation. How then is it possible for God—who is not only Himself the most Subtle Being but is also the Creator of every subtle thing—to be seen by our physical eyes? The objection of the critics that they will not believe in God until they see Him with their eyes is, therefore, absurd. It would imply that the critic either believes God to be a corporeal being, or at least wants God to assume a corporeal form so that he can be absolutely sure by seeing Him with his own eyes. But the trouble is that there are millions of blind people in this world. Would they too not have the right to demand that God should assume some other material form so that they may taste, smell or feel Him? Does this not amount to ridiculing God? How shameful for a man who professes to have a mind and a heart!
If someone says that he would not believe in God unless he sees Him with his own eyes, all I should say is that if God could be seen with one’s eyes, He would not be worth believing in at all. This is because in such a case many of His other attributes would be falsified. He is Incorporeal, for instance, but in this case He would become corporeal. He is Infinite but would become finite and so on and so forth. Moreover, if God were to adopt a corporeal and finite form for your sake, what is there to guarantee that you would not reject Him saying that you do not believe in a corporeal and finite God?
O God, how very Holy, Adorable and Perfect You are! Each attribute of Yours is guarded by another of Your attributes. When anyone attacks any one of Your attributes, Your other attributes—like vigilant and dutiful sentries—put such a person to shame. We have seen how a critic tried to create doubt concerning God’s attribute of being Hidden, but His attributes of being Incorporeal and Infinite came forward at once and did away with the objection.
The Beauty of God lies in His being Hidden from our physical eyes and yet being apparent to us; He is Subtle but remains more evident and perceptible than material things. Unfortunate indeed is he who does not comprehend this subtle truth, for he stands on the brink of disaster.
In summary, the perfection of God Almighty demands that He be Subtle and Hidden from the physical eyes. This should not cause any uncertainty about His existence, for there are far more certain and conclusive ways available to recognise Him.
My dear brothers, pray do not deprive yourself of the precious bounty of faith on account of such baseless misconceptions. Will you follow the footsteps of those who believed in the magnetic and electric forces though they could not see them; and accepted the sovereignty of space and time and bowed down before lust and anger; but when it came to offering their Lord and Master the tribute of their love and servitude, they refused? Surely you will not do such a thing!!
1 Surah Bani Isra’il, 17:93.
2 Surah al-Hajj, 22:75.