Some people reject God because they can find no evidence for Him, which satisfies both their hearts and minds simultaneously. Then there are others who accept God on the basis of emotional or irrational reasons, which satisfy their hearts, but leave their minds unsure. These two groups of people have never found a satisfying answer to the question of their relationship with God. Then there are yet others who have found the correct path which God intended for us: to accept Him and His message to us using our minds first and foremost, and the heart follows easily and naturally as a consequence.
Instead of searching for the answer, there are also some people who chose to simply brush the question aside and ignore it unfortunately. This is the easy way out of what appears to be a very difficult, mysterious question which may seem to have no final solution. Most of these people are unaware of a very powerful message, which completely and unequivocally establishes the correct path to God. This message squares with both the mind and the heart, and it has no equal since it comes to us straight from God Himself.
The message comes in the form of a book. In fact, God has given us several Books of guidance through the years, but each one was ultimately corrupted and changed by dishonest people. Each Book essentially contained the same fundamental message as the previous Books. Mankind was expected to guard these Books from harm, but unfortunately failed to live up to this expectation. Slowly but surely, each Book was edited and tampered with, destroying its authenticity. This is partly why God kept sending us more revelations.
However, almost 1400 years ago, God sent us another Book with the same basic message as the earlier ones, but with a small but very important difference. This time, God decreed that this Book would be the last Book sent down to us because God would protect it Himself. Regarding this Final Book, God said,
“Behold, it is We Ourselves who have bestowed from on high this reminder: and behold, it is We who shall truly guard it”
(Qur’an 15: 9)
Today, if we compare the 114 chapters in every copy of this Final Book with each other, we will find they match perfectly word for word – from the oldest copies made 1400-plus years ago to the ones printed just a few hours ago. No human hand has changed it.
The rational person has every right to be doubtful, of course, if he or she has never read this book. For such people, here is a small sample of what the Final Book contains. Suppose we wanted to ask God several questions about Him and about ourselves. Short of Him speaking to us directly (such a privilege has been granted to only one person out of all humanity), the Book has the best answers one can find. It is on the strength of these answers that an honest person may be struck with the conviction that the Final Book is from none other than God Almighty. Again, here is only a small part of the information one might find.
1. ON THE NATURE OF GOD:
Who is God? God explains in His Final Book that it is quite simply impossible for us to completely understand Him. We cannot pinpoint a definition of the Creator,
“Glory to the Sustainer of the heavens and the earth – the Sustainer, in Almighty enthroned – from all that they may attribute to Him by way of definition”
(Qur’an 43:82)
Our inability to completely understand God does not mean that He is completely remote from us. In spite of our limited understanding, we are all quite capable of turning to God, and He is not unaware of our efforts,
“…and unto thy Sustainer turn with love.”
(Qur’an 94:8)
“Behold, for those who stand in awe of God although He is beyond the reach of their perception, there is forgiveness in store and a great reward”
(Qur’an 67:12)
God has not left mankind entirely in the dark regarding His Nature. He refers to Himself by approximately 100 names in various places throughout the Final Book. Each name is a descriptive attribute of God, and they are all meant to help us understand the Creator. To gain this understanding involves simply thinking about God and reflecting on His names and this type of awareness is a central pillar of faith (i.e. when one actively remembers God and is conscious of Him). A second benefit of these names is that some of them provide mankind with ideals to try to attain. For example, since God is the Most Forgiving, Most Patient, and Most Knowledgeable, we should each strive to be forgiving, patient, and knowledgeable (educated in our case).
Of all His attributes, God emphasizes a single one above all others in His Final Book: that HE IS ONE. God is not two, three, four, or more beings. There is only one deity, and He is Allah,
“Say: `He is God, Unique
God the Eternal, the Independent.
He begets not, and neither is He begotten.
And there is nothing that could be compared to Him.'”
(Qur’an 112:1-4)
In other places of the Final Book, God emphasizes His Greatness and the impossibility of fully grasping Him by using the plural sense of pronouns for Himself – but He is strictly One and Unique with no other partners or deities.
After this aspect of Unity, Allah chose to emphasize two of His other names more often than the rest in the Final Book: “the Most Merciful, the One who acts Mercifully.” In fact, each chapter but one in the whole Book starts with, “In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the One who Acts Mercifully.” These two names cannot be emphasized enough. They are meant to stress we should not let our sins keep us from coming back to Allah and calling to Him at all times, in joy or sadness. The Creator is more aware of our imperfections than we are, and so when we stumble and feel bad, Allah is far more likely to be kind than angry.
The Last Messenger and Prophet of Allah, Muhammad (SallAllahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) (i.e. the person whom Allah chose to deliver the Final Book to the rest of mankind) commented on Allah’s mercy by informing us that,
“When Allah decreed the Creation He pledged Himself by writing in His book which is laid down with Him: `My mercy prevails over my wrath.'”
“Allah says: I am as My servant thinks I am. I am with Him when He makes mention of Me. If he makes mention of Me to himself, I make mention of him to Myself; and if he makes mention of Me in an assembly, I make mention of him in an assembly better than it. And if he draws near to Me a hand’s span, I draw near to him an arm’s length; and if he draws near to Me an arm’s length, I draw near to him a fathom’s length. And if he comes to Me walking, I go to him with speed.”