From the Wooden House to the Rest of Creation: An Exploratory Journey to Prove the Existence of the Creator
Key Questions
1. How can reflection on creation lead to belief in a Creator? 2. What is the principle of causality, and how does it relate to belief in God? 3. Why is the question "Who created God?" illogical? 4. How does the Qur’an explain the reality of creation and faith in the Creator? 5. What is the relationship between human fitrah and belief in a Creator of the universe?
Article Summary
This article presents the argument of creation and existence. Through the story of two brothers exploring a forest and discovering a miniature wooden house, a fundamental question arises: if such a simple structure requires a maker, how much more so the universe and all its intricate creations? The principle of causality is used to strengthen this argument, affirming that everything that came into existence after not existing must have a Creator. The article also addresses the objection, "Who created God?" explaining that God, being the eternal and uncreated Creator, is not subject to this question. It highlights how understanding our innate fitrah and the evidence surrounding us leads to belief in the Creator, deepening our appreciation for existence and strengthening our connection to the faith in a magnificent Creator.
Introduction
In the quiet corners of tranquil forests, where humans meet nature and contemplate the mysteries of existence, our story begins. Two brothers—one a believer and the other an atheist—were walking together along familiar forest trails. One day, in a seemingly ordinary moment amidst the fleeting beauty of nature, they came across a miniature wooden house nestled among the trees.
The house, though small, was meticulously crafted and appeared to be a hidden masterpiece of artistry within the embrace of the forest. The atheist immediately remarked, “Surely, this house was made by someone—perhaps a passerby or a forest dweller.”
The believer responded with a thought-provoking question: “If you acknowledge that this finely crafted house could not have appeared out of nowhere and must have a maker, then what about everything else around us? What about the flower that gently unfolds in the morning light? Or the butterfly that undergoes a miraculous transformation from a caterpillar into a vibrant, flying creature? Or the spider that weaves its intricate web with flawless precision? Are these too mere products of chance, or do they require a knowledgeable and wise Creator?”
Deeply moved by his brother’s words, the atheist began to contemplate the essence of life and the universe in a new way. He realized he had overlooked a crucial perspective that could reshape his entire view of existence. Just as the small house in the forest requires a maker, everything in the universe—from flowers that greet the sun with open arms to stars that light up the night sky—testifies to the presence of a Creator.
The answer lies in human fitrah, the innate spiritual compass that guides us to affirm that every creation has a Maker. The simplicity of the wooden house inspires belief in a creator, and the vast wonders of the universe point even more profoundly to the existence of an All-Powerful Creator. This introduction invites you to explore how the evidence rooted in our fitrah and supported by divine texts affirms the reality of creation and the necessity of a Creator.
The believer successfully guided his atheist brother to recognize the principle of causality, an integral part of human fitrah. This principle asserts that every event must have a cause, and every creation must have a creator. Observing the wooden house, the atheist acknowledged that it must have been crafted—despite not seeing its maker. The same logic, the believer argued, should apply to all other creations. If it is inconceivable for the wooden house to be a product of chance, how much more so for the far more intricate creations surrounding us?
From Fitrah to Faith: The Proof of the Creator in Islam
When contemplating the world around us, we are surrounded by diverse creations that testify to their Maker. This is illustrated by the story of the atheist walking through the forest with his believer brother. Upon seeing a small wooden house, the atheist instantly recognized it as the work of a craftsman. How, then, can the mind accept that all other creations lack a Creator? This intuitive acknowledgment of the Creator when observing creation is at the heart of this discussion.
This argument can be summarized in two premises and a conclusion:
- Premise One: Creations came into existence after not existing.
- Premise Two: Everything that comes into existence after not existing must have a Creator.
- Conclusion: Therefore, creations have a Creator.
The beauty of this argument lies in its simplicity and reliance on premises that are self-evidently true.
The beginning of existence of animals, plants, minerals, rain, clouds, and similar phenomena is known by necessity and is observable; it requires no proof. Evidence is only needed for what cannot be known through sensory perception or necessity. Knowledge of the occurrence of these events is necessary and does not require evidence because it is either known through sensory experience or indisputable information. The occurrence of humans from sperm is akin to the occurrence of fruits from trees and plants from the earth. It is known through sensory perception that the fruit itself is a new occurrence, coming into being after it was not, as is the case with humans and others. As Allah says: ‘Does man not remember that We created him before, while he was nothing?’ [Maryam: 67], and ‘He said, “So it will be; your Lord says, ‘It is easy for Me, for I created you before, while you were nothing.’” [Maryam: 9].[15]
The second premise delves into the depths of the principle of causality, one of the fundamental concepts ingrained in the human mind and impossible for sound reason to deny. This principle, which we are naturally attuned to from childhood, confirms that every occurrence must have a cause.
Ibn Taymiyyah further elaborated on this principle: “That an occurrence can happen without a cause is known to be false by necessity of reason. This understanding is ingrained in human nature, even in children. If a child is struck and asks, ‘Who hit me?’ and is told, ‘No one hit you,’ the child’s mind will not accept that the strike occurred without a cause. Similarly, if one were to claim that writing, construction, planting could occur without a doer, they would be deemed either insane or a sophist denying self-evident truths and necessary knowledge.[16]”
Based on the preceding premises, we reach an inevitable and self-evident conclusion: creations must have a Creator. This conclusion is not only the result of logical reasoning but is also affirmed by the Qur'an, which emphasizes this truth through rhetorical questioning, inviting every sound mind to reflect on the origins of existence and the universe. Allah says:
Were they created by nothing, or were they the creators [of themselves]? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Rather, they are not certain.
Al-Tur: 35–36
This is an comprehensive division. Were they created without a Creator? This is impossible according to the most basic rational principles. Or did they create themselves? This is even more impossible. Thus, it is known that they have a Creator who created them. Allah mentions this argument in the form of a rhetorical question to indicate that this conclusion is innate, self-evident, and firmly established in human nature. No one with sound fitrah can claim that an occurrence happened without a cause or that it created itself.[17]
These words resonate deeply within anyone seeking to understand existence, affirming that denying the Creator contradicts both reason and human nature. Just as the story of the small wooden house in the forest compels the mind to recognize the presence of a designer, so too do all the wondrous creations in the universe lead us to affirm the existence of a great Creator.
But If Everything Has a Creator…
When engaging in discussions about creation and existence, some people ask, “If everything has a Creator, then who created God?” While this question may seem logical to some, it contains a fundamental conceptual error regarding the nature of existence and creation.
The argument presented states: “Everything created—meaning everything that came into existence from nothing—must have a Creator.” It does not claim that “everything that exists” requires a Creator. Allah is eternal and everlasting, the First and the Last, without beginning or end. He exists by Himself and is the Creator of all that is created.
If this question were valid, it would lead to an infinite regress of creators, where each creator would require another creator, and so on indefinitely. Such infinite regress is logically untenable. The idea of an infinite sequence of creators contradicts reason and necessitates the existence of an uncreated, eternal, and self-sufficient Creator who is the source of all creation and existence. This is Allah, the Almighty.
To illustrate this concept, consider the example of a soldier receiving an order from another soldier in a chain of command:
Imagine a chain of orders where every soldier needs to be commanded by another soldier to act. If this chain continues infinitely without a supreme commander at the start of the sequence, there would be no clear beginning for the orders, and thus no action could ever be carried out.
This scenario reflects the necessity of a “supreme commander” at the top, who does not rely on anyone else to give orders. This supreme commander represents the original source of authority from which all subsequent commands flow. In a religious context, this parallels the concept of Allah as the First Creator, who requires no creator for His existence, and from whom all creation originates.
Conclusion
In light of the discussion presented, it becomes clear that human fitrah and sensory perception lead us to an undeniable conclusion: every creation must have a Creator. The evidence from nature and the intricate complexity of the universe proclaims, in a voice that cannot be ignored, that behind every created thing lies deliberate intent and will.
Logical reasoning further supports this innate understanding, affirming that every event or creation must have a cause, and that blind chance cannot account for the precise order we observe in the universe. From the smallest flowers to the celestial bodies in space, everything testifies to the existence of a knowledgeable and wise Creator.
This journey ends with a firm affirmation that a deep understanding of our fitrah and reflection on the surrounding evidence confidently leads to belief in the existence of a Creator. This truth is not merely the outcome of abstract reasoning; it is an innate recognition that deepens our appreciation of the world around us and strengthens our connection to the Creator, granting every moment and every aspect of life a profound meaning and a higher purpose.
References
- 15 Dar' al-Ta’arud Bayn al-‘Aql wa al-Naql (7/ 209 - 210)
- 16 Al-Jawab As-Sahih Liman Baddala Din Al-Masih, 3/203
- 17 Al-Radd ‘ala al-Mantiqiyyin, p. 253