Deism and islam (under construction)
Deism is the belief that the universe has an intelligent creator but the creator doesn't intervene with humanity and humankind, therefore, this creator does not provide revelation to humankind. Deists generally deny all revelation from God because they believe that God wouldn't do such a thing.
Humanity is so small and so insignificant. When people call out to God, they expect an answer. And when they don't get that answer, their faith in God is demolished. Deism helps to explain this by the observation that the creator does not answer us. We are insignificant to the creator, the creator is not obligated to anything. Deism also opposes many things with the attributes of the Islamic God, like God being angry for example, we will discuss this in great detail. In this blog, we will talk about the Islamic support with certain aspects of deism and where Islam and deism are incompatible.
Where is the compatibility with Deism and Islam?
The insignificance of man:
Islam teaches the God did not create the universe just for us (contrary to other religions). God has scattered much of his creation in the heavens and earth:
Quran 42:29, "Among His (God's) signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth,and the living creatures that He has scattered through them :and He has power to gather them together when He wills."
God being above his throne to intervene:
Deism compatibility with Christianity and Islam:
Christianity's relevance in Deism is apparent because Christianity is the most popular religion in the world. Most deists were usually Christian and they grew up being told that God 'loves' us so much that he came down as Jesus. Some Christians think that is absurd and in the end that leads them to deism. These deists usually just reject all revelation based on their Christian dogma.
In Christianity, the belief is that God 'loves' us so much that he came down in human form and died for all of our sins. Here, Christianity is at a complete opposition to Deism. Islam does not teach that God 'loves' us, Islam teaches that God is above his throne to do something like come down as a human being. God is too high to sink that low just for humanity.
In Islam God does not 'love' us. There isn't a single verse in the Qur'an that says God 'loves' us. The Qur'an teaches that God created us for a purpose and that purpose is to submit out will to him. If we fail at the purpose, we will be punished. If we do our purpose, we will be reworded. God can do whatever he wants with creation and punishment/reward is his decision. This is what God says, he does not say he loves us, instead he says that he is merciful-but not at the expense of justice. This implies that God does not suffer from the sadistic organic weakness that some humans suffer, instead, it is implying that God is intellectually superior enough to be merciful and just to us. He created us with flaws and he is going to be merciful with us. An intellectual being surely would exhibit such an attribute and not an organic,psychological illness. Nobody is going to enter hell fire and then say "how the hell (no pun intended) did I get in here". People who enter the supreme punishment will know they deserved it.
The Fundamental aspect of the Creator:
Since the creator has the power and the intelligence to create a universe, he can do whatever he likes with his creation. He is not obligated to anything with creation.
While it is agreeable that the creator of the universe has no obligation to do anything for humankind, it doesn't automatically rule out that the creator wouldn't do anything for humankind. The idea of deism poses a theological problem. It is a problem that the creator is limited and doesn't have time to supply us with anything because the creator has 'better things to do'. Islam opposes this concept for the following reasons:
1.) Islam believes that God doesn't have human attributes. He doesn't exist nor is limited within time and he doesn't have 'better things to do' per se. God can do everything all at once, the creator of the magnificent universe would not be limited to human attributes. God does not get 'tired'. If he was able to create the universe with amazing and precise mathematical and physical laws to allow life, he is certainly able to intervene with humankind is he chose to. If God exists outside of time, how can you assert that he doesn't have 'time' for us?
2.)Islam believes that God is all powerful. If God gave us everything we desire, he wouldn't lose any 'time' or power. The creator of the universe could surely give us everything we wanted, but he chooses not to. God is not obligated to do anything for us, this is one thing that deism and Islam most certainly agree upon.
Deist opposition to God's attributes:
Deists oppose God's attributes in scripture. They don't think that God would get 'angry' or any other human emotion.
Future:
-Evil
-Why is God in need of worship?
-Lab Rats? We are God's lab rats, he created us as an experiment. One may ask, why does the experiment last so long? Well to God (who is not bound by time), everything already happened.
Humanity is so small and so insignificant. When people call out to God, they expect an answer. And when they don't get that answer, their faith in God is demolished. Deism helps to explain this by the observation that the creator does not answer us. We are insignificant to the creator, the creator is not obligated to anything. Deism also opposes many things with the attributes of the Islamic God, like God being angry for example, we will discuss this in great detail. In this blog, we will talk about the Islamic support with certain aspects of deism and where Islam and deism are incompatible.
Where is the compatibility with Deism and Islam?
The insignificance of man:
Islam teaches the God did not create the universe just for us (contrary to other religions). God has scattered much of his creation in the heavens and earth:
Quran 42:29, "Among His (God's) signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth,and the living creatures that He has scattered through them :and He has power to gather them together when He wills."
God being above his throne to intervene:
Deism compatibility with Christianity and Islam:
Christianity's relevance in Deism is apparent because Christianity is the most popular religion in the world. Most deists were usually Christian and they grew up being told that God 'loves' us so much that he came down as Jesus. Some Christians think that is absurd and in the end that leads them to deism. These deists usually just reject all revelation based on their Christian dogma.
In Christianity, the belief is that God 'loves' us so much that he came down in human form and died for all of our sins. Here, Christianity is at a complete opposition to Deism. Islam does not teach that God 'loves' us, Islam teaches that God is above his throne to do something like come down as a human being. God is too high to sink that low just for humanity.
In Islam God does not 'love' us. There isn't a single verse in the Qur'an that says God 'loves' us. The Qur'an teaches that God created us for a purpose and that purpose is to submit out will to him. If we fail at the purpose, we will be punished. If we do our purpose, we will be reworded. God can do whatever he wants with creation and punishment/reward is his decision. This is what God says, he does not say he loves us, instead he says that he is merciful-but not at the expense of justice. This implies that God does not suffer from the sadistic organic weakness that some humans suffer, instead, it is implying that God is intellectually superior enough to be merciful and just to us. He created us with flaws and he is going to be merciful with us. An intellectual being surely would exhibit such an attribute and not an organic,psychological illness. Nobody is going to enter hell fire and then say "how the hell (no pun intended) did I get in here". People who enter the supreme punishment will know they deserved it.
The Fundamental aspect of the Creator:
Since the creator has the power and the intelligence to create a universe, he can do whatever he likes with his creation. He is not obligated to anything with creation.
While it is agreeable that the creator of the universe has no obligation to do anything for humankind, it doesn't automatically rule out that the creator wouldn't do anything for humankind. The idea of deism poses a theological problem. It is a problem that the creator is limited and doesn't have time to supply us with anything because the creator has 'better things to do'. Islam opposes this concept for the following reasons:
1.) Islam believes that God doesn't have human attributes. He doesn't exist nor is limited within time and he doesn't have 'better things to do' per se. God can do everything all at once, the creator of the magnificent universe would not be limited to human attributes. God does not get 'tired'. If he was able to create the universe with amazing and precise mathematical and physical laws to allow life, he is certainly able to intervene with humankind is he chose to. If God exists outside of time, how can you assert that he doesn't have 'time' for us?
2.)Islam believes that God is all powerful. If God gave us everything we desire, he wouldn't lose any 'time' or power. The creator of the universe could surely give us everything we wanted, but he chooses not to. God is not obligated to do anything for us, this is one thing that deism and Islam most certainly agree upon.
Deist opposition to God's attributes:
Deists oppose God's attributes in scripture. They don't think that God would get 'angry' or any other human emotion.
Future:
-Evil
-Why is God in need of worship?
-Lab Rats? We are God's lab rats, he created us as an experiment. One may ask, why does the experiment last so long? Well to God (who is not bound by time), everything already happened.
