IS THERE ANY RELIABLE WAY TO KNOW GOD?

Science is not telling us anything about the existence or non-existence of God with any conclusive evidence. The philosophical method of rational reasoning has also not provided a universally accepted conclusion about God's existence or nature. The same is true for the esoteric inspirations of the mystics. Religions are also numerous, with wide variations in the concept of God. So, what can we do now? How to reach the truth? Is there any other way? God should have devised a reliable mechanism to show us the right way to know Him. If not, how would the people be guided towards the true God? Shouldn't God help us in this matter?

The answer is that God has already devised a reliable mechanism for our guidance. This mechanism is the institution of prophethood. Anyone serious about God must consult this source to know the truth.  Otherwise, people will always remain confused and misguided due to the conjectures of the human mind or the blind following of the wrong religions, faiths, and ideologies. Such misguidance is mentioned in the Holy Quran by God Himself, “Most of them follow nothing but conjectures. Surely, conjectures are of no avail in the matter of truth at all….” (Surah Yunus, Ayat 36). Thus, we require information directly from God via His prophets for our guidance. So, what is this institution of prophethood? Who are prophets, and why are they so sure about God? Can we trust them? The answers to such questions are discussed in the following text.

PROPHETS OF GOD

Prophets are individuals who are chosen by God to receive His messages and deliver them to humanity. Prophets of God act as intermediaries between the divine and the human world. God mostly sent His messages to prophets through the Angel Jibrail AS (Gabriel), who is a powerful and majestic angel. Thus, Angel Jibrail AS (Gabriel) usually acted as a special messenger chosen by God to communicate with prophets. Apart from Angel Jibrail AS, God at times has also directly communicated with His prophets. God sent numerous prophets to various parts of the world at various times to guide mankind. The following are some key duties of the prophets of God:

Delivering Messages: Prophets conveyed to people instructions, teachings, or warnings from God. The messages can be about morality, upcoming events, or the nature of God. That is why prophets are also called the messengers of God.

Social Reform: Many prophets acted as agents of social change, calling for justice, righteousness, and adherence to God's will.

Spiritual Guidance: Prophets offered spiritual leadership and inspired people to live a more faithful life.

Foretelling the Future: Prophets foretold some future events to come so that the people would be prepared for those events.

According to Islamic traditions, throughout history, 124,000 prophets were sent by God Almighty to various people and nations. Out of these, only 25 prophets are mentioned in the Holy Quran by name as mentioned in Figure 1. Whereas there were numerous other prophets whose details, including their names are not known to us.

All the prophets were human beings and men. The first man in this world was also the first prophet, Prophet Adam AS. Whereas, the last prophet was Prophet Muhammad PBUH who was not only the last prophet sent by God but also the greatest of all prophets. The institution of prophethood not only ended upon the Prophet Muhammad’s PBUH arrival but also reached its climax. Unlike previous messengers of God, Prophet Muhammad PBUH was not sent specifically toward a particular nation and for a particular time. Instead, he was sent with the final message from God to the whole of mankind and for all time to come. God's guidance to mankind sent through various prophets was ultimately completed during the prophethood of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH.

Why trust prophets?

The institution of prophethood is the only valid and reliable mechanism to know about God, His nature, and His attributes. This is because God has Himself devised this mechanism for the guidance of mankind. It is a direct way to know God, as it is from God Himself. I have already discussed the shortcomings of other indirect methods to know God, like pure reasoning, esoteric inspiration, science, and religions. Here I am not talking about religions that purely follow the teachings of prophets, rather I am talking about religions that are either non-prophetic or are prophetic religions that have been tampered with over time. Thus, following the teachings of the prophets, who were chosen and guided by God Himself, can only guide us toward God and can help us to earn His favors.

All the prophets had the same source of information about God, which is God Himself. In this way, all the prophets were linked with each other due to this common source. This association is quite evident from the following facts:

1. All the prophets of God provided the same information about God.

2. Religious scriptures of prophetic religions Islam, Christianity, and Judaism discuss the stories of the same prophets of the past like Adam AS, Ibrahim AS (Abraham), Musa AS (Moses), Nuh AS (Noah), Dawud AD (David), and Sulayman AS (Solomon).

3. Religious scriptures of Christianity, Judaism, etc. correctly foretold about the coming of the last and the greatest prophet of God that is Prophet Muhammad PBUH.

These points clearly illustrate the link between all the prophets of God as they provided identical information about God, mentioned the same prophets from the past, and foretold the coming of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH in the future. So, did all the prophets really provide the same information about God? What about the Trinity in Christianity? The answer is yes; as far as prophets are concerned, they all, including Prophet Esa AS (Jesus) provided the same information about God. This point, however, requires some discussion to fully comprehend. 

There are three prophetic religions present today in this world: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. These are also called Abrahamic Religions because they trace their roots back to the Prophet Ibrahim AS (Abraham). The following are some key similarities in the concept of God in Islam, Christianity, and Judaism:

Monotheism: These prophetic religions are strictly monotheistic. They believe in one, All-Powerful God Who is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. There are no other gods alongside this Supreme Being.

Same God of all Prophets: While each of these three prophetic religions has its preferred name for God (Yahweh or Jehovah in Judaism, Allah in Islam, and God the Father in Christianity), they all refer to the same Ultimate Being. According to these religions, the same God was followed by all prophets, including Adam AS, Ibrahim AS (Abraham), Musa AS (Moses), Nuh AS (Noah), Dawud AD (David), and Sulayman AS (Solomon). The holy scriptures of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are full of the stories of these prophets.

Attributes of God: These religions share many characteristics of God, including omnipotence (All-Powerful), omniscience (All-Knowing), omnibenevolence (All-Good), and eternal (Existing outside of time).

Separate from the universe: Unlike pantheistic beliefs of some religions, prophetic religions believe that God exists as a separate entity from the physical universe. God is not made of matter or energy and is not bound by the laws of physics that govern the universe. Prophetic religions see God as the creator of the universe, bringing it into existence from nothing. This indicates that God existed before the universe and is independent of it.

Source of Morality: In these religions, God is seen as the ultimate source of morality and law.

Prophets: All three religions believe that God communicates with humanity through His prophets who play the key role in revealing God's will and teachings.

Thus, the prophetic religions share a core belief in one, supreme God Who is the source of all creation and the foundation of morality. This concept comes from the teachings of their prophets. According to the Holy Quran: “He (God) has ordained for you people the same religion as He had enjoined upon Nuh (Noah), and that which We have revealed to you (O prophet,) and that which We had enjoined upon Ibrahim (Abraham) and Musa (Moses) and Esa (Jesus) by saying, establish the religion, and be not divided therein. Arduous for the mushriks (polytheists) is that to which you are inviting them. Allah chooses (and pulls) toward Himself anyone He wills, and guides to Himself anyone who turns to Him (to seek guidance).” (Surah Shura, Ayat 13)

However, Christianity later erroneously introduced and adopted the concept of trinitarian monotheism. According to the concept of the Trinity - Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit – are seen as three aspects of the one God. Islam and Judaism fully reject this concept of the Trinity. This wrong concept has resulted in other wrong concepts, like the concept of the incarnation of God.

The Trinity: A Later Ecclesiastical Construct 

Christians believe God incarnated Himself in  Jesus Christ. However, Prophet Esa AS (Jesus) never claimed divinity. He always separated himself from God and considered himself a prophet of God. The following verses of the Bible show that Prophet Esa AS (Jesus) was not God but separate from God:

“My father is greater than I.” (John 14:28)

“…. I cast out devils by the Spirit of God ….” (Mathew 12:28)

“… and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.” (John 14:24)

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent.” (John 17:3)

“And behold, one came and said unto him, ‘Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?’ And he said unto him, ‘Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.’” (Mathew 19:16 – 17)

“Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.” (Acts 2:22)

“One of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, ‘Which is the first commandment of all?’ Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.’” (Mark 12: 28 & 29). Please note that the first “kalima” (Islamic oath of allegiance) similarly emphasizes the oneness of God. It is, “There is no god but Allah (God), and Muhammad is the Messenger of God."

"And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." (Mathew 26:39). Two points are clear from this verse. Prophet Esa AS (Jesus) is praying to God. How can a God pray to a God, himself being that God? Secondly, Prophet Esa AS (Jesus) prayed on his face after falling down. The same is done by Muslims during five obligatory prayers, and this practice of putting the face down on the floor is known as “Sajda”. Thus, the prayer of Muslims is very similar to the prayer of the Prophet Esa AS (Jesus).

Some of these verses of the Bible refer to God as a father. This may confuse some people. Actually, the term “Father” for God is used to emphasize God's compassion and care for the people and not as a biological father. And the Bible has used the term “father” for other prophets as well. This does not mean that all those prophets were the sons of God. The primary concept behind God being called the "Father" of Israel is the covenant established between God and the prophets Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This special relationship involved God choosing the Israelites and promising to protect and bless them. The fatherly role often emphasizes God's role as protector, provider, and disciplinarian for the Israelites. Just as a father cares for his children, God guides and corrects them. Following are some examples from the Bible in which God is referred to as the father of some people other than Prophet Esa AS (Jesus):

"Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: Israel is my firstborn son.’ I said to you, ‘Let my son go, that he may serve me.’ But you refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your firstborn son.” (Exodus 4:22-23). This verse is related to Prophet Musa AS (Moses) in which God tells Moses "Israel is my firstborn son".

"Is he not your father who bought you? Who made you and established you?" (Deuteronomy 32:6) Within this chapter, Prophet Musa AS (Moses) is reminding the Israelites of their history with God and urging them to remain faithful.

"Doubtless you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us; you, O Lord, are our Father, the Redeemer of our from everlasting is your name." (Isaiah 63:16). These words are of Prophet Isaiah AS.

"Yet you, Lord, are our Father. We are the clay, and you are our potter; and we all are the work of your hand." (Isaiah 64:8). This verse is part of a longer passage in Isaiah where the Prophet Isaiah AS is lamenting the people's sinfulness and pleading with God for forgiveness and restoration.

So, if Prophet Esa AS (Jesus) never proclaimed his divinity and separated himself from God, then who made him God? And how was Trinity introduced? Prophet Esa AS (Jesus) was never sent to establish a new religion. He was sent by God towards the Jewish people for their reformation. He did not cancel the previous commandments of God for the Jews. Even after he departed from this world, his followers were like a sect within the Jewish community who were persecuted by other Jews. The Holy Quran mentions that the following conversation will take place between God and Prophet Esa AS (Jesus) on the day of judgment. “And (on Judgment Day) Allah will say, ‘O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you ever ask the people to worship you and your mother as gods besides Allah?’ He will answer, ‘Glory be to You! How could I ever say what I had no right to say? If I had said such a thing, you would have certainly known it. You know what is (hidden) within me, but I do not know what is within You. Indeed, You (alone) are the Knower of all unseen.’” (Surah Maidah, Ayat 116)

Later, people like St. Paul transformed this small Jewish sect into a new religion of Christianity. St. Paul, in this process, introduced many alien concepts to the religion, including the concept of the divinity of Jesus. He also started preaching outside the Jewish community; thus, he is known as “Prophet of the Gentiles”. The following passages of the book ‘The 100’ by US historian Michael Hart reveal these facts: 

“The apostle Paul, who was a younger contemporary of Jesus, became the foremost proselytizer of the new religion of Christianity. His influence on Christian theology proved to be the most permanent and far-reaching of all Christian writers and thinkers.”

“Christianity, unlike Islam, was not founded by a single person but by two people - Jesus and St. Paul - and the principal credit for its development must therefore be apportioned between those two figures. Jesus formulated the basic ethical ideas of Christianity, as well as its basic spiritual outlook and its main ideas concerning human conduct. Christian theology, however, was shaped principally by the work of St. Paul. Jesus presented a spiritual message; Paul added to that the worship of Christ. Furthermore, St. Paul was the author of a considerable portion of the New Testament, and was the main proselytizing force for Christianity during the first century.”

“… he (Jesus) left behind a limited number of disciples. … his followers simply formed a small Jewish sect. It was due in considerable measure to Paul’s writings, and to his tireless proselytizing efforts, that this small sect was transformed into a dynamic and much greater movement, which reached non-Jews as well as Jews, and which eventually grew into one of the great religions of the world. For these reasons, some people even contend that it is Paul, rather than Jesus, who should really be considered the founder of Christianity.”

“Paul’s immense influence on the development of Christianity rests upon three things: (1) his great success as a missionary; (2) his writings, which constitute an important part of the New Testament; and (3) his role in the development of Christian theology.”

“Of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, no fewer than fourteen are attributed to Paul. Even though modern scholars believe that four or five of those books were actually written by other people, it is clear that Paul is the most important single author of the New Testament.”

“Paul’s influence on Christian theology has been incalculable. His ideas include the following: Jesus was not merely an inspired human prophet, but was actually divine.”

“All subsequent Christian theologians, including Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, and Calvin, have been profoundly influenced by his writings. Indeed, the influence of Paul’s ideas has been so great that some scholars have claimed that he, rather than Jesus, should be regarded as the principal founder of the Christian religion. Such a view seems too extreme. However, even if Paul’s influence has not been on a par with Jesus’, it has been vastly greater than that of any other Christian thinker.”

Thus, the concept of the trinity was never proclaimed by the Prophet Esa AS (Jesus). This concept actually developed gradually over the first few centuries after him. Prophet Esa AS (Jesus) never proclaimed to be God nor did he instruct to be worshipped. Second-century theologians like Justin Martyr wrestled with how Jesus, a distinct person, could be divine if there was only one God. They used terms like "Logos" (Word) to describe Jesus' divine nature. In the late 2nd century, Theophilus of Antioch is credited with being the first to use the word "Trinity", though his specific meaning differed from the later understanding. By the 4th century, disagreements arose among Christians about the nature of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Council of Nicaea in 325 AD was a pivotal moment in the history of Christianity. The council established that the Son (Jesus) was "homoousios" (of the same substance) as the Father, a key concept in Trinitarian doctrine. The concept of the Trinity is, however, not accepted by all Christians even today. Nevertheless, Trinity is a core tenet of most major Christian denominations.

God addresses Christians in the Holy Quran, “O people of the Book! Do not go to extremes regarding your faith; do not say about Allah (God) anything but the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Maryam (Mary), is only a Messenger of Allah, and His Word that He had delivered to Maryam, and a spirit from Him. So, believe in Allah and His Messengers. Do not say “Three”. Stop it! – for your own good. Allah is the only One God. He is far too pure to have a son. To Him belongs what is in the heavens and what is in the earth. And Allah is enough to trust in.” (Surah Nisa, Ayat 171)

Qualities of prophets

All the prophets of God, irrespective of their time, place, and nation of arrival, provided the same concept of God. Isn’t it surprising? From Prophet Adam AS to Prophet Muhammad PBUH, numerous prophets appeared in various parts of the world at various times, and they informed identical things about God. Plus, they were all honorable people of high character who never lied on any matter. Their people knew this fact very well. There was no possibility for them to meet each other in this world and to jointly decide what to say about God. Then how is it possible that they said identical things about God? It is only possible because their source of information was the same, that is, God Himself Who is present at all time.

There are some other commonalities as well among the prophets which show their genuineness and linkage with the true One God. Table 1 shows a comparison of prophets with other people who talked about God, like thinkers, philosophers, scientists, etc. Isn’t this comparison demonstrating truth in the teachings of prophets? 

Validity and reliability of research

During my Ph.D. studies, I came across the two terms that are validity and reliability of research. In research terminology, validity and reliability are two central concepts that assess the quality of a study's methods and findings. Validity inquires whether the research truly measures what it sets out to measure. Simply, it tells us whether our research is on the right track. For example, a survey designed to measure depression that ends up gauging anxiety would have low validity. The reliability of research deals with the consistency of the measurements. It tells that if you were to repeat the research under similar conditions, would you get the same results? For example, imagine a weighing scale that fluctuates wildly between readings - that scale would be unreliable. I remember, during my Ph.D. thesis defense, I spent quite some time proving the validity and reliability of my research to the Ph.D. dissertation defense committee consisting of highly learned professors from the USA.

This concept can also be somewhat applied to our current research on God. If I apply this concept to our current inquiry, then it can be concluded that, in terms of validity and reliability, prophethood is a valid and reliable method to know God. It is the most valid method because prophets are being directly informed by God about His nature and attributes. So, they have direct access to God. It is the most reliable method as from prophet to prophet, it has consistently provided the same knowledge on the subject of God. Other methods discussed earlier lacked such validity and reliability in their approach to knowing God. None of those methods have any direct access to God implying their low validity. Wide variation in their output in terms of information about God implies their unreliability. This result is summarized in Table 2.

Miracles of the Prophets

My point must be very clear now that the prophets can be fully trusted in matters like knowing God, His nature, and His attributes. Any wise person can easily understand this. That is a person who can objectively analyze and understand things. However, not everyone is so wise, and some people may require additional affirmation regarding the truthfulness of prophets. For such people, God sent his prophets with various miracles as additional support to recognize their truthfulness. For example, Prophet Esa AS (Jesus) could treat the blind and the lepers and could give life to the dead with the help of God. Similarly, Prophet Musa AS (Moses) had a staff that used to turn into a serpent when thrown to the ground. But these miracles were helpful only to those people who were serious about reaching the truth. The people who took God seriously. But what about us? Is there a miracle present today that we can witness? The answer is yes. There is a timeless miracle of the Quran that can even be witnessed today. It was given to the last prophet of God, that is, Prophet Muhammad PBUH whose prophethood continues till the last day of this world.    

Some naïve people might think that why doesn’t God directly appear in front of the people to prove His existence. Some atheists say this during debates with theists. This is not part of God’s great scheme. There are some valid reasons for God to remain unseen. This topic is, however, discussed in detail in Chapter 4 of my book (There is no God but Allah) under the heading of “challenges to overcome.” Nevertheless, God shows His signs to us and has sent His prophets with miracles for our guidance. These things are enough for any person who is serious about knowing the truth.