The last logical argument that I would like to present as evidence for the existence of God relates to the testimony of the righteous. It is based on the principle that many people, whose truthfulness is established and whose sanity is unquestionable, testify that we do have a God whom we have seen and recognised, in the exact same way as we see and recognise other invisible things. Everyone with some sense and experience can understand that testimony is an important means of acquiring knowledge. If we review the vast field of our knowledge, we will realise that a large proportion of our knowledge was not acquired directly but by the narratives of reliable people, authentic books, or newspapers; we have never had the opportunity to personally witness or experience many things. In spite of all that, we have almost the same degree of certainty about these things as we do about information gained by our own observation and experience. There is no reason why it should not be like that. After all, we trust and regard our own observation and experience as reliable, therefore, why should we not accept the observation and experience of a person who has a heart and a mind like us and whose truthfulness is also beyond doubt. We believe in the world news given in newspapers; we accept modern scientific research about the properties of particles, though only very few of us have personally experienced these first-hand. All of the decisions in civil and criminal courts around the world are based on verbal or written testimonies and no one objects to this. Knowledge of history is largely based on verbal or written testimony, and this is accepted by all. Take the knowledge of geography. Everyone in India believes that there is a city called London, which is the capital of England, although less than one percent of the population of India has ever seen London. They believe in it on the basis of other people’s testimony. Moreover, practically, in our day-to-day life, we believe in many things only on the testimony of others, though we have no personal knowledge about them.
In short, no sane person can deny that testimony is a major means of acquiring knowledge. Such a denial would render many sciences invalid and useless for most of the world. Rejecting the principle of testimony would mean that people should only believe in matters observed and experienced personally by themselves, and deny the rest. In fact, by rejecting this principle, we cannot remain convinced of any science, because if the observation and experience of Tom, Dick, and Harry—despite being truthful and sane and in the absence of any motive for them to lie—is not acceptable, then there is no reason that our own observation and experience should be acceptable to us. If they can err in their observation, so can we. Thus, it is established that rejection of the principle of testimony can lead to nothing but opening the door for superstition.
One might say that, at times, testimony may be false or incorrect; and, sometimes, although the witness is not a liar, but because he is deemed to lack adequate intelligence and understanding, he cannot be accepted as a reliable witness. This notion is correct and we accept it; however, we cannot reject the role of testimony in the acquisition of knowledge solely because of this possibility. The overall usefulness of medication cannot be refuted if a patient experiences ill effects by using a medicine that is of poor quality or expired. Similarly, we cannot reject the value of testimony because, at times, it may be false or the witness unreliable. We need to conclude that just as it is essential to avoid substandard medicine, we should be cautious in accepting the testimony of liars or unreliable people, as mentioned in the Holy Quran:
That is, if a liar brings you any news, do not accept it without investigation, but accept it only if verified by investigation.
In short, testimony is an important means of acquiring knowledge and it cannot be ignored simply because of the possibility that some testimonies might be incorrect. If something can be rejected because of such a possibility, then nothing in the world would be acceptable. This is because no matter how certain we are about something, there is always the possibility of such kinds of doubts and mistakes. Food alleviates hunger, promotes well-being, and restores energy, but is it not, sometimes, out-of-date and contaminated, causing harm rather than good? Is there, then, anyone who would conclude, based on this possibility, that food is dangerous for the body? Everything, no matter how useful and beneficial it may be, becomes harmful if it is placed in the wrong hands or if it is used incorrectly. Thus, one needs only to be cautious not to use anything in the wrong way. The improper use of the principle of testimony is to accept a fabricated and unreliable testimony as the basis of a decision. If we safeguard ourselves against this improper application, testimony is an extremely useful and reliable means of acquiring knowledge; no wise person can deny this.
When we review the doctrine of the existence of God according to the above-mentioned principle, the doctrine appears to be established on the basis of the strongest testimony in the world. Every Prophet or Messenger who appeared in the world, regardless of his country, era, or nation, bore witness that there is a God who is the Creator and Master and Governor of this universe. They do not say so on the basis of conjecture or hearsay, but claim that they have seen and recognised God, just as they see and recognise other non-material things. They claim to have a personal bond with God and are as certain about His existence as they are certain about the existence of their father, brother, friend, town, and home. They claim that God converses with them, listens to them, answers them, and helps them when they are in need. In short, all the Prophets and Messengers bear witness in most clearly defined and unambiguous words that there is a God who is the Creator and Master of this universe. As stated above, their testimony is not based on hearsay but on their personal experience and observation and is not limited to any one country, people or age; indeed, such testimony is found in every country among every people and has been given in every age. Adam(as), Nuh(as) [Noah], Yunus(as) [ Jonah] and Ayyub(as) [ Job], Ibrahim(as) [Abraham] and Lut(as) [Lot], Isma‘il(as) [Ishmael] and Ishaq(as) [Isaac], Ya‘qub(as) [ Jacob] and Yusuf(as) [ Joseph], Musa(as), [Moses] and Harun(as) [Aaron], Dawud(as) [David] and Suleiman(as) [Solomon], Zakariyya(as) [Zachariah] and Yahya(as) [ John], all bear witness to it. Masih [the Messiah] of Nazareth bears witness to it. Zartasht [Zoroaster], Confucius, Krishan, and Ramachandra bear witness to it. Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa [the Chosen One], peace and blessings of Allah be on him, bears witness to it. In this age, the Promised Messiah, may peace be on him, bears witness to it. Moreover, all of the Founders of religions, who have come and gone, have presented their personal testimonies that this universe is subservient to an Omnipotent and Possessive God, who is the Creator and Master, and nothing is outside His authority. These are people whose truthfulness, honesty, and integrity is accepted by friends and foes. Even the enemies, who may not accept their faith, acclaimed their righteousness and truthfulness. These Prophets were not insane, inadequate, or fanatics; indeed, they were granted the best abilities of hearts and minds. Therefore, their testimony should be regarded as beyond contention and most powerful.
My dear ones! Think hard. Various people are born in different parts of the world, among different nations at different times. Their truthfulness, honesty, and integrity are beyond reproach. Their sanity is unquestionable; they are regarded as models for others on account of their outstanding truthfulness and exalted mental faculties. They are not ten, twenty, fifty, or a hundred, but number in the thousands, and are spread over different countries and different ages. They all present their personal testimony to the world that this universe and all therein is under the authority and governance of an Exalted Being. They testify that they have seen and perceived Him as they see and perceive other non-material things. They say they have a connection with Him as they have with other perceived and observed things. Is this testimony not worthy of acceptance? If this testimony is not acceptable, then surely there can be no other testimony in the world which would be found acceptable.
Only two factors can create doubt about a testimony. First, if the truthfulness of the witness is in question. Second, if the witness is unreliable, for he may not lie deliberately, but may err in his observation and experience. This is not the case with Prophets; indeed, they are regarded in the highest esteem for their truthfulness and intellectual abilities. Their evidence is not based on hearsay, but on their own personal and witnessed accounts. They lived in different ages among different nations and most of them were not even aware of the presence of other Prophets and, therefore, could not be suspected of conspiracy. Under these circumstances, their testimony is so weighty that it cannot be ignored at all.
Consider this: A lawsuit is brought to you for judgement. On one side, there is a party comprising thousands of men—each one of them such that his truthfulness and sound-mindedness are admitted to by friend and foe alike. They all submit their eyewitness accounts individually, that they saw a particular person at a particular place. On the other side is a party comprising a mixed lot, and they state that they did not see the person. In which party’s favour will you give your judgement? If you do not deem yourself competent enough to judge, consult one versed in law. Such a one will tell you that the testimony of those who undoubtedly witnessed a person is far superior, and forms the basis of the final judgement. Those who did not see anyone, no matter how many of these there be, will have no impact on the judgement. This is because it is possible for people to miss or not see something that is present; but it is not possible for a collection of wise and sensible people to see something that does not exist.
In short, the testimony presented by the Prophets and Messengers about the existence of God is extremely strong evidence that there indeed is a God. If we add the Sulaha’ [Righteous ones] and the Auliya’ [Friends of Allah] of different nations of the world to the Prophets and Messengers, the testimony becomes so weighty that rejecting it amounts to insanity. Among the followers of each Prophet there have been hundreds of thousands of Sulaha’ and Auliya’ who ruled the hearts of the people in their circles because of their righteousness, wisdom, and sagacity; their truthfulness, honesty, and integrity served as a model for the people. Like the Prophets, these people too bore witness that there is a God and the universe is operating under His governance. Their testimony is based not on hearsay but, like the Prophets, on their personal experience. Therefore, until it can be proven that millions of Prophets, Sulaha’, and Auliya’ who appeared in different ages among different people were, God forbid, liars or mad or dim-witted, their great testimony—that they have seen and recognised God and have a personal relationship with Him—will stand firm and cannot be challenged by atheists. Can an atheist summon the courage to venture forth to prove to the world that Ibrahim(as), Musa(as), ‘Isa(as), Krishan, and Zartasht were liars or insane; or the Holy Prophet(saw), the Promised Messiah, and, likewise, all other Prophets were liars or insane, not to mention all those innumerable Sulaha’ and Auliya’ in every nation? No atheist can prove this. Is it not regrettable then that you believe in the existence of London, the North Pole, and the South Pole only on the say so of others; you believe the newspaper reports of other countries as related by Reuters, Havas, or some other news agency; and you accept new scientific facts as reported by the scientists without personally being involved in these experiments; but you reject the idea of the presence of God in the face of the testimony of millions of knowledgeable and righteous persons.
One may argue, granted, I have not seen with my own eyes the things others claim [to have seen in existence], but the ability to see and observe those things is open to all. I would say: My dear naïve friends! May God grant you wisdom! The avenue for finding God is also open to you. Those who claim to have found God openly claim that if you adopt the path indicated by them—the path of reaching God—you, like them, can also find God and establish a connection with Him. This is not merely a claim; innumerable people have followed them and have indeed succeeded in attaining knowledge of God. Try, if you will. It is unfortunate that people accept that attainment of any worldly objective requires them to follow a certain method, without which the objective cannot be achieved—and that it takes time and effort—but for spiritual objectives, they hope to achieve results immediately just having wished for them! It can certainly not happen like that. And if you are wise and ponder over the matter, you will agree that this is not how it should happen. This is the truth. Accept, if you will. For achieving any purpose, be it material or spiritual, there is a definite methodology that must be followed. The greater and higher the objective, the greater the time, attention, hard work, sacrifices, and discipline it requires. But when it comes to God, you wish to find him without any effort on your part. By God, you will never find Him that way. If you tread along the path that leads to God with real eagerness, heartfelt desire, full attention, and exert due effort, and still do not find Him, then you have the right to claim that you sought Him but did not find Him. It is impossible that you should seek God the proper way but fail to find Him. Millions of men, human beings like you, who had hearts and minds like you, sought God and found Him. The history of the world records their testimony, personal and eyewitness accounts, in clear and unambiguous words. It is not possible for you to challenge their testimony. You cannot call them fraudsters, dim-witted, mad, or connivers. Thus, there is no reason to reject their testimony merely on the basis of your conjectures.
It could be suggested that they were not deceivers or dim-witted, but were themselves deceived, and anyone can be the victim of deception. Of course, even clever people can be deceived, but just because they can be deceived does not mean that they are indeed the victims of deception. This assertion can be credible only if backed up by concrete evidence proving that these people had in fact been involved in some mistake or deception. What is there in the world about which one cannot be deceived? Shall we then declare everything in the world doubtful? We will open the gate for superstition in such a way that nothing will remain certain. Therefore, the burden of proof lies with those who claim that all of these people, testifying to the existence of God, are victims of deception. Otherwise, it would be a childish attempt to refute the testimony of hundreds of thousands of righteous, intelligent personages and no wise man would take it seriously. Therefore, it is insane to turn down the testimony of hundreds of thousands of Prophets from all ages and all nations; they were recognised to be intelligent, righteous, and truthful individuals, who based their testimony on personal experience and not hearsay. To say that their testimony could be a mistaken one is irrational and would not be acceptable to any wise person.
Second, self-deception takes place in certain specific situations. An intelligent and sound-minded person may be deceived in matters relating only to opinions and ideas subject to argumentation. It is possible that two persons—both sound-minded— may differ on an academic issue, because there is a possibility of misconception in matters involving opinions and argumentation. However, for a sound-minded person with normal perception there is no possibility of deception in matters relating to observation, especially when it concerns something in which he is particularly interested. Accepting the possibility of deception in such a situation would open the gates of dangerous superstition; peace would vanish from the earth and no observation would remain certain. Can a sound-minded person deceive himself into taking a stranger for his long-standing friend, or into regarding an unknown person as his father or brother? Obviously, none other than a mad or confused person can fall into such an error.
When we look at the testimony of the Prophets and Sulaha’ according to this principle, we have to accept their testimony to be beyond the possibility of self-deception, because they do not say that they have deduced God through logical arguments. They claim they have indeed found God and established a personal relationship with Him and that they speak with Him. He hears them and answers them and helps them with His mighty help when they are in need. They do not attribute their observation to a certain period of their lives, but claim to have spent the whole of their lives with that observation ever since they found God. That is to say, their observation spans many years uninterruptedly till their last breath. The practical consequences of their observation are also before the world. This being the case, no wise man can, therefore, think that they might have been mistaken. If we accept the possibility of misunderstanding in such circumstances, all sciences in the world would be reduced to conjecture. One may say that witnesses are mentally infirm, but having accepted them to be mentally sound, one cannot then turn around and call them self-deceived.
Third, this testimony is not from one person, not from people of one nation, not from people of one country, not from people of one age, but from hundreds of thousands of people spread over all countries, over all nations and through all ages. How many of them will you declare mistaken? One or two persons may be deluded, or people of a particular age or type could be misguided, but it is strange that hundreds of thousands of sound-minded people, in different nations, different ages, and different countries, generally unaware of each other, fell prey to it. Thus, the large number of witnesses—coming from every nation, every faith, every age, and every country, presenting their testimony individually and independently of each other—constitutes a strong argument that all of these wise people could not have been mistaken or misguided. To summarise, millions of Prophets, Auliya’, and Sulaha’ from all nations, all eras, and all parts of the world openly and independently proclaim that they have seen and recognised God. The world also accepts that they are not liars, pedlars, insane, or confused. Each one of them testifies separately and independently and their testimony is based not on hearsay but on their personal observation, spanning their entire life. This compels us to accept their testimony. We draw conclusions about testimonies that pertain to worldly matters based on our knowledge and judgement; therefore, the testimony of the Prophets is compelling— that this universe is subservient to one Creator and Master, an All-Knowing and Wise, Omnipotent and Governing Being and nothing is beyond His domain.
The Holy Quran has also presented this principle of testimony and has accordingly called the Prophets ‘witnesses’:
That is, O people! We have sent Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be on him, as a Messenger, to be a witness for you even as we sent Musa to Pharaoh as a witness.
By the Grace of Allah, I now conclude the logical arguments about the existence of God. I have also briefly responded to doubts that could arise. As I stated at the outset, I have avoided complicated and intricate discussions as much as possible and stated simple points in an easily understandable manner. I hope that a good-natured and sensible person, not given to raising unnecessary doubts, will be satisfied with my brief discourse concerning logical arguments. As I stated elsewhere in this treatise, true satisfaction and utmost certainty can be achieved only through personal experience and observation. For this, it is necessary to study the lives of the Prophets and the Auliya’ and follow their footsteps. I will, God willing, present a glimpse of that in due course.
1 Surah al-Hujurat, 49:7.
2 That indeed is an unfair division. (Surah an-Najm, 53:23) [Publisher]
3 Surah al-Muzzammil, 73:16.
