The Struggle Against ’The Religion Of Irreligion’

Religions Of Irreligion:
Materialism And Darwinism

Materialism is an ideology that has existed since time immemorial and holds that the only absolute being is matter.  According to this false belief, matter has existed from the infinite past and will remain forever.  The most significant feature of materialism is its rejection of the existence of a Creator and other religious beliefs.  There are many movements and ideologies in the world that hold irreligion as their main dogma, and materialism is the foundation of a great majority of them.  To put it another way, the most effective influence in irreligion is materialism.

Since the time of the Sumerians and ancient Greeks, materialist thinking has permeated human history.  However, it was mainly in the 19th century that this superstitious belief made its way to a well-established system of thought.  But one obstacle to materialist understanding as it gathered momentum was the question, "How did the universe and living beings come into existence?"

It was within the same century that the theory of evolution, presented by Charles Darwin, provided an answer (which actually had no scientific validity) that the materialists had sought for so long.  According to this baseless theory, lifeless materials came together coincidentally due to random forces to form the first cell.  And according to Darwinism, all living beings on the earth subsequently developed thanks to the evolution of that very first cell.

Through these claims Darwin quickly became the architect of the greatest falsehood in the history of science.  His theory, grounded on not a speck of scientific finding, is but fallible reasoning, as he himself admitted.  Indeed, Darwin confessed in his book The Origin of Species that the evolution theory was lacking in the face of many important questions. 

Still, he expected that advances in science would make it possible to overcome those difficulties and that new scientific findings would consolidate his theory.  He often mentioned this in his book, but contrary to what Darwin hoped, advances in science actually disproved the fundamental assumptions of the theory, one by one.  Indeed, in spite of all the evolutionist propaganda, the theory of evolution is, as stated by Michael Denton, an Australian biologist, "a theory in crisis."

Throughout the 19th century scientific facts pertaining to the theory of evolution were totally unknown.  Meanwhile, for materialists in search of scientific support, this theory was seized as an unprecedented opportunity since what Charles Darwin presented was denial of the existence of a Creator.  At that period the assertion that human beings had developed from inanimate materials by pure chance was exactly what the materialists wanted to hear.
Phillip Johnson, a professor at the University of Chicago, renowned and well respected in academic circles for his books and criticisms of the theory of evolution, makes clear what the theory represents for irreligious systems of thought:

...The triumph of Darwinism implied the rejection of God and set the stage for replacing biblical religion with a new faith based on evolutionary naturalism.  That new faith would become the basis not just of science but also of government, law and morality.  It would be the established religious philosophy of modernity.¹

The words of Phillip Johnson indicate the real aim of the advocates of this philosophy of irreligion.  Materialists, driven to form an irreligious society that rejects the existence of Allah and His law, claim that there is no one to whom human beings must feel responsible.  The misguided rationale satisfies their desire for a kind of human being who is not accountable to anyone.  Their ambition is summed up by one of their scientists as follows:

Man stands alone in the universe, a unique product of a long, unconscious, impersonal, material process, with unique understanding and potentialities.  These he owes to no one but himself, and it is to himself that he is responsible.²

Any person of sound mind and conscience can see, without difficulty, the senseless reasoning inherent in the statements above.  The author of these statements, a scientist with a material outlook on life, attributes man's existence to his own success.  However, it is obvious that at no stage of this process did man exercise his own faculty of decision-making or authority.  It was Allah who created man on earth in perfect form, but the passion for being "accountable to no one" led materialists to expect that unconscious and mindless matter could form conscious and intelligent beings.

It should be remembered that the longing of disbelievers for freedom from accountability is not peculiar to materialists and evolutionists of the 19th and 20th centuries.  In the Qur’an, Allah informs us about the existence of previous peoples who shared the same mind-set:

“Does man think that he will be left neglected? Had he not been a sperm from semen emitted? Then he was a clinging clot, and [Allah] created [his form] and proportioned [him] and made of him two mates, the male and the female? Is not that [Creator] able to give life to the dead?”³

As the verse points out, Allah created man from a drop containing sperm and proportioned him.  By no means could man have had any authority to exercise over his own creation because he himself was created.  However, despite the explicit description by Allah, some people still dare to attribute their existence on earth to themselves and claim to be "unaccountable" beings.

The concept of man's unaccountability, encouraged by materialist thinking and supported by the theory of evolution, dominates modern social structure and the scientific and ideological world of today.  This deviant understanding which wages war against the moral values that provide order and unity to society has resulted in generations exposed to ever increasing decline.

Today, science has proved that materialist conceptions as well as the theory of evolution are false, that they are not based on any scientific evidence whatsoever, and that they continue to be refuted by scientific findings.  Yet, under the persistent social inculcation of the last 150 years, materialism and the theory of evolution are still being advocated by many people as though they were proven facts.  That is because the advocates of irreligion desperately need them both to deny the existence of Allah and to distance people from religion and moral values.  Otherwise, they would be deprived of any grounds on which to defend their irreligion.

Defending a Theory Abandoned by Science

Many scientists of our day clearly admit why they continue to defend the concepts of evolution and materialism despite more recent scientific facts.  For instance, Phillip Johnson quotes and comments on statements by Richard Lewontin, a geneticist from Harvard University and fervent advocator of the evolution theory with blind faith in materialism:

"The primary problem is not to provide the public with the knowledge of how far it is to the nearest star and what genes are made of...  Rather, the problem is to get them to reject irrational and supernatural explanations of the world..."  What the public needs to learn is that, like it or not, "we exist as material beings in a material world, all of whose phenomena are the consequences of material relations among material entities.  In a word, the public needs to accept materialism, which means that they must [reject] God..."⁴

These statements clearly indicate the materialists' outlook on life based on misguided rationale.  Facts introduced by science today reveal that the claims asserted are contrary to logic and reason.  But despite all scientific data, they are blindly committed to their beliefs and continue in efforts on behalf of their cause.  Dr. Michael Walker, an anthropologist from the University of Sydney, explains why the theory of evolution is still being promoted:

One is forced to conclude that many scientists and technologists pay lip service to Darwinian theory only because it supposedly excludes a creator.⁵

Phillip Johnson, who refuses the scientifically unjustifiable claims of Darwinism, elaborates on why it has had such an "irreplaceable" importance for the unbelieving leaders of science and why they maintain it at all costs:

Leaders of science see themselves as locked in a desperate battle against religious fundamentalists, a label which they tend to apply broadly to anyone who believes in a Creator who plays an active role in worldly affairs...  Darwinism plays an indispensable ideological role in the war against fundamentalism.  For that reason, the scientific organizations are devoted to protecting Darwinism rather than testing it, and the rules of scientific investigation have been shaped to help them succeed.⁶

The prominent advocates of materialist and atheist philosophies committed to promote them throughout the world have, as stated by Johnson, embraced Darwin's theory of evolution solely because it provides a so-called scientific basis for their own ideologies.  This was observed from the time the theory of evolution was first put forward.  Karl Marx, the founder of dialectic materialism who harbored enmity against religion, often stressed the significance of the theory for his ideology.  And in a letter Marx wrote to his close friend Engels, he made clear his thoughts on Darwinism:

...This is the book which contains the basis in natural history for our views.⁷

And after having read Darwin's book, The Origin of Species Friedrich Engels commented:

Our theory is a theory of evolution, not a dogma to be learned by heart and to be repeated mechanically. ⁸

An American botany professor, Conway Zirkle, explains why the founders of communism, Marx and Engels, adopted Darwinism:

Marx and Engels accepted evolution almost immediately after Darwin published The Origin of Species… Evolution, of course, was just what the founders of communism needed to explain how mankind could have come into being without the intervention of any supernatural force, and consequently it could be used to bolster the foundations of their materialistic philosophy.  In addition, Darwin's interpretation of evolution – that evolution had come about through the operation of natural selection – gave them an alternative hypothesis to the prevailing teleological explanations of the observed fact that all forms of life are adapted to their living conditions.  Actually, natural selection made it possible to drop teleology completely and, as a result, the scientists could explain the organic world in materialistic terms.⁹

As these statements make clear, the sole reason why Marx and Engels supported Darwin was the aversion they felt for religion.  That is why they held on to mechanisms which had no scientific value and were merely figments of the imagination.  Indeed, Friedrich Engels explains in his book why he considers the theory of evolution important:

He [Darwin] dealt the metaphysical conception of nature the heaviest blow by his proof that the organic world of today – plants, animals, and consequently man too – is the product of a process of evolution going on through millions of years.¹⁰

Obviously, Engels also made the mistake of assuming that the theory of evolution gave an explanation for how the millions of different types of living beings on earth came into existence.  It was not only Engels who assumed that Darwin's theory was a verified fact, but Joseph Stalin, the bloodiest communist leader of history, also stressed the significance of the theory in his autobiography:

In order to disabuse the minds of our seminary students, of the myth that the world was created in six days, we had to acquaint ourselves with the geological origin and age of the earth, and be able to prove them in argument; we had to familiarize ourselves with Darwin's teachings.¹¹

Clearly, the common point between the materialist systems of thought and Darwin's theory of evolution is, without doubt, irreligion, and the sole purpose of their advocates is to make people deny the existence of God.  In the Qur’an, Allah informs us about the efforts of those who strove in the past to lead people to denial:

And We made them leaders inviting to the Fire, and on the Day of Resurrection they will not be helped.¹²

In other verses He points to the end of those who deny and lead people to denial:

Then who is more unjust than one who denies the verses of Allah and turns away from them? We will recompense those who turn away from Our verses with the worst of punishment for their having turned away.¹³

The refutation of materialism will bring an end to the disbelief which is presently in rapid social ascent with each passing day.  Toward this end, it is essential to make people aware of the fact that matter is not of an eternal nature and that, in terms of science, the theory of evolution is entirely unjustifiable.¹⁴ Thus, all ideologies that reject the existence of God can be eliminated, and this will be the inescapable end of materialist thought.  As Allah stated:

What those [people] are engaged in is destined for destruction, and worthless is what they have been doing.¹⁵

The Significance of Darwinism for Irreligion

Some readers may well think that Darwinism and materialism cannot be the most important basis of disbelief because a vast majority of people are totally unaware of these concepts and are neither irreligious nor lead a life completely divorced from religion. At first sight the statement might seem reasonable; in our time people tend not to lead lives based on thought. Goals such as making money and living life to the full saturate every aspect of the prevalent unsophisticated culture, especially among young people. This superficial culture leaves little room for questions such as, "How did I come to exist?" or "Who created me?" People think neither about their creation by Allah nor about the deception of evolution. The vast majority are far more preoccupied with such trivial issues as the lives of celebrities and juicy scandals of pop stars, which irreparably disqualifies them from focusing their interest on deeper subjects, such as how they came to exist. Ordinary concerns, such as making one's living and daily problems, occupy their minds entirely.

Consequently, people who put their faith in Darwinism and consciously embrace materialist philosophy never comprise a majority in society; people live apart from the whole question of religion largely because they do not think.  At this point the query might emerge, "Are Darwinism and materialism really so important?"

Closer scrutiny reveals that Darwinism is, in fact, the most important force upholding irreligion because those embracing it, despite the small portion of society they represent, are the people who are in the intellectual forefront of that society.  For example, in one social survey in the USA only nine percent of the society said they were atheist evolutionists.  However, this section of society holds sway over universities, media, official scientific institutions, and the film industry.  The members who direct the entire society, establish education policy, and shape the minds of people through the media are generally the atheist evolutionists.

When considered globally, one observes that this situation is prevalent in many countries.  Here, an interesting indication is the cultural and ideological effort put forth by the advocates of communist ideology.  It is known that with the exception of a few countries, communism as a political system has collapsed.  Despite this, however, communism is still being upheld by some in certain circles because the materialist philosophy, which is the ideological groundwork of communism, is still alive.  Meanwhile, communists convey the message, "Marx had some failings in his economic theory, yet materialism is very much alive."  Indeed, in many countries communists are still highly organized, having great influence over the realms of science, arts and philosophy.  They control the majority of publishing houses, and in book fairs their opinions are extensively voiced.  A majority of the columnists and executives in the popular media, generally referred to as the "60s generation," have a Marxist background.  Although convinced of the economic failings of communism, they still adhere to the materialist philosophy and consider religion to be the opium of the masses.

Darwinism is the real religion of these people.  They believe adamantly in Darwinism and make every effort to revive his theory.  It may well be that a significant section of society never concerns itself with the question, "How did I come into being?" but the majority of those who do consider this question have been deceived by Darwinism, thanks to the communist organizations mentioned above.  In college a student is exposed to indoctrination by Darwinist instructors, encounters Darwinist and atheist books in exhibits, and receives similar messages when he visits an art gallery or a theater.  That is how the culture of disbelief is upheld and influences the educated and urban section of a society.  Those who are under its influence assume Darwinism to be a scientific reality and view religion as "a traditional belief held by rural people."  Similarly, in the Qur’an when people are asked, "What has your Lord sent down?" the disbelievers reply, "Legends of the former peoples." ¹⁶

Nevertheless, religion is an explicit and absolute reality which has nothing to do with tradition.  Religion is a relationship with one's Creator, a fact ignored by the blind evolutionists.  To eliminate the culture of unbelief and lift the veil of heedlessness from society, it is essential that Darwinism and materialist philosophies be demolished by scientific means.

The False Religions Formed
By Materialism

As mentioned in the previous section, materialism is a dangerous ideological movement that destroys spiritual values and distances people from religion.  A vast majority of the societies of our day, consciously or not, remain under the influence of the materialist mind-set.  However, one point deserves special mention:  adherence to the materialist outlook does not necessarily mean rejecting the existence of God.  A large majority of people accept His existence yet adhere to a materialist outlook.  The Qur’an provides many verses about those who have such a rationale:

“Say, 'Who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? Or who controls hearing and sight and who brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living and who arranges [every] matter?' They will say, 'Allah,' so say, 'Then will you not fear Him?' For that is Allah, your Lord, the Truth. And what can be beyond truth except error? So how are you averted?”¹⁷

“Say, 'To whom belongs the earth and whoever is in it, if you should know?' They will say, 'To Allah.' Say, 'Then will you not remember?' Say, 'Who is Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the Great Throne?' They will say, '[They belong] to Allah.' Say, 'Then will you not fear Him?' Say, 'In whose hand is the realm of all things – and He protects while none can protect against Him - if you should know?' They will say, '[All belongs] to Allah.' Say, 'Then how are you deluded?' Rather, We have brought them the truth, and indeed they are liars.”¹⁸

 “And if you asked them, 'Who created the heavens and the earth?’ they would surely say, 'Allah.' Say, 'Then have you considered what you invoke besides Allah? If Allah intended me harm, are they removers of His harm; or if He intended me mercy, are they withholders of His mercy?' Say, 'Sufficient for me is Allah; upon Him [alone] rely the [wise] reliers.'”¹⁹

As seen in the verses above, these people claim that they believe in God and His religion.  However, they fail to show due appreciation of His might and ascribe equals to Him.  Such people are the members of false religions formed through outlooks on life far removed from the true religion.  As it was in the past, many today also adhere to artificial religions and keep themselves distant from the true religion based on Allah's revelations.

Apart from the people mentioned above there are some who openly deny Allah and the Hereafter.  They exert effort to influence others to disbelief and call on others to join them.  The methods employed by materialists in societies embracing a traditional understanding of religion (in which people acknowledge the existence of God yet fail to appreciate His attributes) differ from those employed in societies that are more inclined to atheism.  Materialists lead people away from the religion revealed to Allah's messengers by means of invented religions tailored to each society and mixed with inspirations derived from the belief that matter is absolute.

It is surely unimaginable that those who adhere to a religion far removed from its original teachings can struggle against disbelief and render it ineffective.  An erroneous religious understanding would, intentionally or not, provide further support for disbelief.  That is why, if one wants to enter a serious contest with disbelief, he must acquire both a precise knowledge of Allah's religion and an accurate understanding of the aspects of false religions established on the basis of materialistic views and become conversant with these deviant religions.

In the following pages some attributes of the materialist and evolutionist religions will be discussed.  The striking similarities between the structures inherent in the beliefs of these false religions and those of idolatrous beliefs related in the Qur’an will be dealt with in particular.

Idolaters of the 20th Century

Allah informs us in the Qur’an about people who worshipped beings other than Him and took statues as deities, giving detailed accounts of His prophets' struggles with those people.  Many assume that societies of the past that worshipped idols had a primitive lifestyle and therefore held such a religious view.  Consequently, they think that some African tribes currently worship totems because of their primitiveness.

However, on closer examination of the beliefs and viewpoints of societies identified as idolatrous in the Qur’an, it is noticed that those societies bear striking similarities to some contemporary ones.  Just as the peoples of the past took lifeless statues or wooden and stone objects as deities, the rationale that accepts lifeless matter as a form of deity is also prevalent in our day.  Before proceeding with comparisons between past and contemporary rationales, some information provided in the Qur’an about idolatrous societies should first be reviewed.

One of the communities identified in the Qur’an is that of Prophet Abraham:

“[Mention] when he said to his father, 'O my Father, why do you worship that which does not hear and does not see and will not benefit you at all?”²⁰

 “When he said to his father and his people, 'What are these statues you are devoted?' they said, 'We found our fathers worshipping them.' He said, 'You were certainly, you and your fathers, in manifest error.'”²¹

As stated in the verses above, Prophet Abraham's father and people embraced lifeless matter as deities which they themselves made with their own hands and which lack any power to create.  Considering anything to be a deity means the attribution to it (either in part or in full) of the powers of creation, sustenance, blessing, healing, reckoning, and controlling natural occurrences.  The idolaters at the time of Prophet Abraham believed that the lifeless statues carved by their own hands possessed such faculties and prostrated before them in worship.

The Idolatrous Belief That Dominates Societies of Today

Idolaters of the past claimed that lifeless statues carved from wood and stone, unable to speak or move, possessed power and even that they created the universe and exercise control over it, so they bowed before them and called on them for health, sustenance and blessings.  In light of these facts, it is obvious that people in our day hold the same idolatrous rationale as did idolaters of the past who worshipped lifeless statues.  Materialists and evolutionists believe that inanimate substances formed of unconscious atoms possess power.  They claim that as a result of chance, lifeless matter organized itself to create complete and complex living beings.

Furthermore, they attribute all occurrences in the universe to lifeless and unconscious atoms in nature.  For example, materialists and evolutionists imply that a tornado or an earthquake (which they call "the wrath of mother nature" or "a calamity of nature") occurs at the discretion of "nature."  However, they fail to explain what this force called "nature" is or from where it springs.  The elements they call "mother nature" or "nature" are actually no different from deities of past idolatrous societies called "earth mother" or "fertility goddess."  Only their symbols have been removed; divinity is now attributed to invisible, inanimate matter and to coincidence, which are believed to possess the power of creation.

Pierre Paul Grassé, a French zoologist and fervent evolutionist, explains the hidden gods of evolutionists and materialists as follows:

Chance becomes a sort of providence, which, under the cover of atheism, is not named but which is secretly worshipped.²²

Attribution of the power of creation to inanimate materials and unconscious atoms is surely a serious defect in logic.  Just as idolaters believed that lifeless idols created all beings, evolutionists and materialists of today believe that lifeless matter spontaneously evolved into living beings, meaning that inanimate substances are beings of mind and consciousness and that they can decide and act upon decisions.  From this standpoint they consider everything divine.

For example, evolutionists consider a rose blooming in its vivid red color out of muddy soil divine because they believe that the rose came into being all by itself or that the inanimate elements constituting a rose can spontaneously design and form the flower.  Similarly, the evolutionists view oranges, apples, strawberries, bananas, grapevines, flowers, deer, lions, elephants, ants, honeybees, flies, marine animals, melons, and parsley, in brief, all living as well as non-living beings to have been capable of creating themselves since they claim that all of these beings and millions of others developed to their current physical states through their own will and consciousness.

In another example the evolutionists' claim is that a honeybee, previously "another" living being, somehow at one point in time decided to become a honeybee and thereafter started forming mechanisms in its body capable of producing honey.  They claim that flies were initially unable to fly, but then they formed a pair of wings for themselves and simply started to fly.  Furthermore, these flies equipped themselves with perfect flight mechanisms superior to modern technology employed in the airplanes and helicopters of today.

Evolutionists can tell countless similar stories about the billions of living beings dwelling on earth.  All of them have one striking point in common:  that the lifeless atoms constituting living beings or "nature" in which they dwell have consciousness and wisdom.  Terms such as "natural selection," "random mutation," and "geographical isolation," which provide a so-called scientific touch, embellish the scenarios produced by evolutionists.  What they ultimately advocate, in fact, is that lifeless matter in nature can spontaneously form perfect living beings:  a banana, an orange, a fly, a stem of parsley, a cat, a carnation, a whale, a giraffe, an ostrich, a butterfly, a spider, an acacia, a mandarin, an ant, an elephant, a violet – as well as their next generations.
According to evolutionists, the unconscious atoms making up various elements designed the atmosphere perfectly, organized and produced it.  Thus, the atmosphere was able to become a protective ceiling for the world and formed whatever was essential for life on earth.  That is to say, those who idolize matter attribute to it particular powers.  According to them, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and iron are all deities.

Again, according to this ridiculous belief, blind atoms first came together, then somehow organized themselves to form an eye that can see.  Their behavioral pattern was so calculated and conscious that it ensured the organization of other atoms which would form the eye cavity and patiently waited for the coincidences which would shape the eye cavity before forming the eye.  Evolutionists see the atoms that constitute the eye as deities because they assume them "capable" of creating such a perfect organ.  Just as peoples of the past adopted deities associated with rain, the evolutionists also adopted deities – the atoms making up an eye.

From this standpoint one may conclude that the religion of materialists and evolutionists has more than billions times billions times billions of gods to revere.  To claim that every being in the universe came into existence spontaneously through coincidence is to accept each one of those beings and forces as a creator.  This is no different from the failure of logic which makes one prostrate himself before totems or call on wooden statues for health and prosperity; however, with one difference – the age in which the idolaters happen to live.

The False Gods of Evolutionists: Unconscious Atoms

Whatever we step on, whether a rock, soil or asphalt, a chair in which we rest, the air we inhale, the food we ingest to survive, water constituting more than two thirds of our bodies, and everything inside and outside of our bodies, both animate and inanimate, is all made up of atoms.  In addition, galaxies, stars, suns, and the earth we live on are made up of atoms just like ourselves.  There are atoms everywhere, in every corner you rest, in every building in the city, in particles of dust, and the air you breathe.

Living beings including man are made up of atoms of various elements such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, calcium, magnesium and iron.  Darwinism asserts that the atoms gathered together as a result of unconscious coincidences.  That is, the evolutionist rationale commands that heaps of unconscious atoms exercised a decision-making mechanism and formed, for instance, a nuclear engineer who is specialized in atoms.

A closer examination of this senseless assertion leads to the following conclusion:  under the effect of a force of unknown origin, various atoms came into existence, which later coincidentally gathered together to generate stars and planets, in brief, all celestial bodies.  Then, through a coincidental conglomeration of the same atoms, a living cell of an extremely complex structure was generated.  This living cell then went through a process of evolution and formed many living beings with extraordinary systems, and ultimately a man of ultimate consciousness.  A human being, owing his existence solely to coincidences, again discovered the atoms making up his body by means of tools, an electron microscope, for instance, which were also invented by coincidence.  This is exactly what Darwinism asserts as a scientific thesis, and the theory of evolution, then, evidently accepts each atom as a "god."

Atoms making up a man who has wisdom and intellect have no consciousness or will of their own.  However, evolutionists somehow assert that these inanimate atoms came together to form a human being, and then this "conglomeration of atoms" decided to go to school or to graduate from college.  According to the same assertion, atoms possess very interesting skills as well; these atoms eat foods that are also made up of atoms and taste them; they smell a rose made up of atoms and enjoy smelling.  The very same atoms can also sense the warmth of the air surrounding them.  Meanwhile, atoms also listen to the sound waves transmitted from an audio tape and tune to the rhythm of the music.  According to evolutionists, numerous atoms randomly coming together can think, miss someone, become happy or sad, and can laugh while watching a comedy film.  The idolaters of the past claimed that pieces of wood possessed particular powers, whereas evolutionists of today attribute these powers to unconscious atoms.

However, it is plainly obvious that nothing in the universe can be attributed to coincidences, that a superior consciousness and will is responsible for the life on earth.  Every detail of the human body and of nature itself abounds with signs of a great wisdom.  The owner of this wisdom is Allah, Lord of the heavens and earth.

Allah informs us that He will render the acts of those who worship false gods void and that their ways are destined to destruction:

And We took the children of Israel across the sea; then they came upon a people intent in devotion to [some] idols of theirs. They [the Children of Israel] said, 'O Moses, make for us a god just as they have gods.' He said, 'Indeed, you are a people behaving ignorantly. Indeed, those [worshippers] – destroyed is that in which they are [engaged], and worthless is whatever they were doing.' He said, 'Is it other than Allah I should desire for you as a deity while He has preferred you over the worlds?' ²³

Worship of the Sun

Another similarity between today's materialists and evolutionists and the idolaters of ancient societies is a doctrine based on worship of the sun, which has existed from ancient times.  As the source of light and energy, people often assumed that they owed their existence to the sun and deified it accordingly.  Throughout history this perverted belief has kept many societies away from the true religion of Allah.  The Qur’an addresses this issue and introduces us to the people of Saba’ at the time of Prophet Solomon, who were worshippers of the sun:

[The hoopoe said], ‘I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allah, and Satan has made their deeds pleasing to them and averted them from the [right] way, so they are not guided. Should they not prostrate to Allah, who brings forth what is hidden within the heavens and the earth and knows what you conceal and what you declare.²⁴

As shown, worship of the sun is a consequence of ignorance and thoughtlessness.  It is true that the sun sends out heat and light to the earth, but one must offer gratitude not to the sun but to Allah, who created it.  The sun is but a mass of matter without consciousness that Allah created from nothing.  One day it will consume its energy and die, or perhaps Allah will reduce it to insignificance before that.  Because Allah created the sun and all other celestial bodies from nothing, it is He who should be praised for those beings.  This fact is stated as follows:

And of His signs are the night and day and the sun and moon. Do not prostrate to the sun or to the moon, but prostrate to Allah, who created them, if you should worship Him.²⁵

Interestingly, evolutionists of today recite the very same fundamental tenet of this ancient religion of sun-worship by claiming that we owe our existence to the sun.  According to evolutionist sources, the origin of life on earth is attributed to the sun, and rays emitted from the sun sparked life on earth.  Solar energy was also claimed responsible for the generation of other living species and solar rays for mutations producing change.  This approach was described by Carl Sagan, the famous American atheist astronomer, who wrote in his book, Cosmos:

Our ancestors worshipped the Sun, and they were far from foolish...  If we must worship a power greater than ourselves, does it not make sense to revere the Sun and stars?²⁶

Harlow Shapley, the evolutionist astronomer who was a mentor of Carl Sagan, is known for his words:  "Some piously record, 'In the beginning God,' but I say, 'In the beginning hydrogen.'"  That is, Shapley believed that with time hydrogen gas evolved into animals, trees and human beings.  As is seen, the deification of matter and nature underlies all the senseless views put forward by evolutionists.  The "religion" of evolutionists is based on worship of matter and nature.

On the other hand, a man of wisdom comprehends that the universe and nature cannot be the works of inanimate and unconscious materials.  On the contrary, he sees an awesome consciousness, precise plan, and artistry in every detail and perceives the grandeur of Allah's creation.  Nonetheless, many people in our day remain blind to this fact and continue to worship matter.  That is because, like the people of Saba’, “Satan has made their deeds pleasing to them and averted them from the [right] way, so they are not guided.”

The Disease of Materialism and Naturalism

In the Risale-i-Nur collection, a Qur’anic commentary by Said Nursi, known as Bediüzzaman (Wonder of the Age) and one of the greatest Islamic scholars of the 20th century, there is extensive reference to the defects of materialism and naturalism.  Materialism can be defined as "accepting the existence of matter as the only reality."  Naturalism, on the other hand, is the worship of nature.  With these terms Bediüzzaman draws attention to materialism and Darwinism, the foundations of disbelief, and gives a detailed account of defects in the logic of these irreligious movements:

Or do they imagine as did the pharaoh-like materialists that "they came into being by themselves, feed themselves, and by themselves create everything they need" so that they refrain from belief and worship?  That means they all suppose themselves to be the creator, whereas the creator of one thing has to be the Creator of everything.  That is to say, their pride and conceit have made them so utterly stupid that they imagine someone to be a possessor of absolute power who is absolutely impotent and can be defeated by a fly or a microbe.

The materialists, whose use of reason is limited to what is immediately apparent to them, have, in their nonsensical philosophies which are based on foundations of futility, taken the transformation of particles, which they regard as the result of coincidence, to be the fundamental basis of all their principles and have shown that divine works and creatures result from those transformations.  Anyone with a grain of intelligence would know how unreasonable it is to attribute creatures adorned with infinite examples of wisdom to something based on a purposeless, meaningless coincidence, which is quite without order.²⁷

In the statement above Bediüzzaman draws attention to the fact that it is sheer nonsense for a person to attribute divinity to himself and stresses that as a feeble and helpless being, man's attributing his own existence and that of the flawless universe to "coincidences" and his denial of Allah's existence is a great ingratitude on his part.  Bediüzzaman remarks that there will be an extensive embrace of such irreligious movements in our time and that people must be saved from this religion of irreligion:

A tyrannical current born of naturalist and materialist philosophy will gradually become strong and spread toward the end of time... reaching such a degree that it denies God...  It is clear just what foolish buffoonery it is for impotent man, who can be destroyed by a fly and cannot create even a fly's wing, to claim godhood.²⁸

As stressed by Bediüzzaman, it is beyond reason and logic to believe that lifeless matter created the universe and life by itself.  It is impossible to say that a man of such belief has wisdom and faculty of reason.  Indeed, Prophet Abraham expressed the foolish attitude of those who prostrate themselves before idols carved of wood:

He said, 'Then do you worship instead of Allah that which does not benefit you at all or harm you? Shame on you and what you worship instead of Allah. Then will you not use reason?'²⁹

False Religions Formed by the Materialist and Evolutionist Outlook on Life

The foregoing exposition should have given a clear conception of the ambition of materialists to raise masses of people who deny Allah and His religion and produce a type of man who assumes he is not accountable to anyone.  At the root of materialist philosophy lies the desire for a society that rejects not only the existence of Allah but spiritual and moral values, so they must implant atheist ideology into people's minds and spread it within society.  While rejecting Allah's religion, they can still accept an altered form of religion compatible with materialist views.  George Gaylord Simpson, one of the leading names in the Neo-Darwinist movement, describes the sort of religion which is acceptable to evolutionists:

Of course there are some beliefs still current, labeled as religious and involved in religious emotions, that are flatly incompatible with evolution and therefore are intellectually untenable in spite of their emotional appeal.  Nevertheless, I take it as now self-evident, requiring no further special discussion, that evolution and true religion are compatible.³⁰

Simpson, an evolutionist, states that religion can be reconciled with the materialist outlook on life as long as it fits their definition. However, it deserves mention here that what he referred to as "true religion" is surely not religion based on the revelation of Allah but something far removed from the revealed truth, the fabrication of "irreligious" religion which is based on materialist thinking and satisfies people emotionally. In our day the majority of people who claim to have faith actually live by the false religion which is alleged by materialists to be "true religion."

In the following section some of the attributes of false religion will be outlined. It will be shown to be inclusive of distorted beliefs held extensively under the name of religion. Unaccustomed to thinking deeply, however, people often fail to notice the faults inherent in those beliefs. It is an important responsibility for sincere believers in Islam to warn people against humanly devised false religions and convey to them the message of the Qur'an, which is the unique source of wisdom that Allah sent down to guide His servants.

1. A false religion holds that God is in the sky.

Despite having faith in the existence of Allah, many people hold extremely erroneous convictions about where He is.  The materialistic outlook on life accounts mainly for these convictions.  Because the materialist maintains that nothing really exists except matter, he inevitably assumes that Allah has to be within the material universe yet fails to imagine the kind of space He might inhabit.

The Qur’an relates that people of the same mentality existed in the past.  In order to see Allah the Pharaoh ordered a tower to be built which would extend to the heavens.  His erroneous belief was the result of a failure to understand Allah's attributes and his presumption about absoluteness of matter:

And Pharaoh said, 'O eminent ones, I have not known you to have a god other than me. Then ignite for me, O Haman, [a fire] upon the clay and make for me a tower that I may look at the God of Moses. And indeed, I do think he is among the liars.'³¹

But Allah is the Creator of space, and He is unbounded by it.  It is only created beings that are bound by space, and Allah is exalted above all creation, while He encompasses all of it in knowledge.³²

People under influence of the materialist view of life fail to grasp this obvious truth, assuming that Allah resides in the heavens.  Some people look up into the sky while praying, but a person who knows that Allah is all-aware feels His presence wherever he turns.  Allah informs us of this reality:

And to Allah belongs the east and the west. So wherever you [might] turn, there is the Face of Allah. Indeed, Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.³³

Vision perceives Him not, but He perceives [all] vision; and He is the Subtle, the Acquainted.³⁴

2. A false religion is one that holds that God created the universe, including man, and then left them to their own devices.

False religion holds that Allah first created the entire universe with all its living beings and then left them on their own, simply watching from a distance.  According to this understanding, people determine their destiny by themselves alone.

However, Allah is not only unbounded by space but also by time.  Therefore, when He created the universe and man, He created them together with their past and future, as if in a single moment.  That is to say, Allah created everything with its individual destiny.  Without having experienced it, a person can never know his future.  But Allah knows the future of every person and every single moment he will experience.  That is because Allah creates every moment experienced, every word uttered, and every move made.  So He certainly did not create the entire universe and then leave it to its own devices; rather, He created every moment of the lives of all beings from their beginnings to their ends.  Everything, whether the fall of a single leaf or the events a person experiences throughout life, takes place in accordance with the destiny predetermined by Allah, who conveys this fact to man in numerous verses:

And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darknesses of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record.³⁵

And Allah created you and that which you do?³⁶

3. A false religion is one without belief in the existence of Paradise and Hellfire.

Some people under the influence of materialist thinking do not believe in Paradise and Hell although they might believe in Allah.  The major reason for this is the claim that they cannot be sure about the existence of anything they are unable to see with their eyes or touch with their hands.

For a man of wisdom and intellect there are countless signs pointing to the existence of Allah and the Hereafter, such as the present heavens and earth, created with flawless design and unique harmony, and the cell, building block of all living beings.  Nature, which sustains all living beings, abounds with the signs of Allah's creation.  Any person of sound mind can readily understand that Allah created all living beings initially and thus He is able to bring them to life again after their death.  Those who refuse to grasp this reality are described in the Qur’an as follows:

And they say, 'When we are bones and crumbled particles, will we [truly] be resurrected as a new creation?' Say, 'Be you stones or iron or [any] creation of that which is great within your breasts.' And they will say, 'Who will restore us?' Say, 'He who brought you forth the first time.' Then they will nod their heads toward you and say, 'When is that?' Say, 'Perhaps it will be soon - on the Day He calls you and you will respond with praise of Him and think that you had not remained [in the world] except for a little.'³⁷

The failure of disbelievers to conceive of resurrection after death and the doubts they harbor about this reality is again a consequence of their biased materialist beliefs.  The materialist sees the distinctive formation of a human being as a result of interaction among elements.  He asserts that the metaphysical aspects of man (his mind and emotions) are also generated by such interactions.  Accordingly, such people interpret resurrection as the self-rebuilding of matter and thus can never imagine the possibility of this process.  That is to say, they cannot accept that annihilated matter can reappear and reassemble.

Nevertheless, if what they cannot grasp is how a decomposed body can return from death, they should consider that human beings were initially created from nothing.  This being the case, to question restoration after death or harbor doubts about how it could be possible shows great imprudence.  In the Qur’an, Allah addresses the matter of resurrection:

Did We fail in the first creation? But they are in confusion over a new creation. And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein. ³⁸

It is actually the soul and not the body that makes a person what he is.  It is not the heap of flesh and bones that constitutes a man; it is his soul.  Death puts an end to the body, while the soul continues to live for all eternity.  Death is only an experience of transition for the soul to the life of the Hereafter.  Allah says:

Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His [created] soul and made for you hearing and vision and intellect; little are you grateful. And they say, 'When we are lost [i.e., disintegrated] within the earth, will we indeed be [recreated] in a new creation?' Rather, they are, in the meeting with their Lord, disbelievers. Say, 'The angel of death will take you who has been entrusted with you. Then to your Lord you will be returned.³⁹

The prejudice held by disbelievers hinders them from comprehending even the most obvious reality.  In numerous verses Allah states that people who deny the Hereafter and assume that death is their end do not exercise reason:

Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allah has sent him astray due to [His] knowledge and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allah? Then will you not be reminded? And they say, 'There is not but our worldly life; we die and live, and nothing destroys us except time.’ And they have of that no knowledge; they are only assuming.⁴⁰

In contrast, believers are described as follows:

[They are] those who establish prayer and give zakah, and they, of the Hereafter, are certain [in faith]. Those are on [right] guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are successful.⁴¹

They are] those who believe in the Unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them, and who believe in what has been revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter are certain [in faith].⁴²

Regarding the struggle against the religion of irreligion, there are two important matters that need to be dealt with. One is to disprove the theory of evolution from a scientific perspective so that people will know they have not come into existence as a result of coincidence but through an act of Allah's creation.  The other is to inform people about the real essence of matter and thus help their understanding of the true religion.  A person who understands that he is more than mere matter also comprehends the infinite ability of his creator, Allah.

That Allah encompasses all things and is unbounded by time and space, that all beings are created with their individual destinies, that Paradise and Hell already exist, and that all acts of human beings are ultimately created by Allah are facts introduced by the true religion which are easy to comprehend.  However, some people are unwilling to accept these realities and try to portray it as a difficult task.  This tendency stems from the fact that they, knowingly or unknowingly, act under the influence of conditioning toward the materialist outlook on life.  So they need to free themselves from their prejudices and learn about the actual facts about matter.  The final sections of this book, "The Truth That Defeats the Religions of Irreligion" and "The Evolution Misconception" reveal the real essence of matter and show that what have so far appeared to be complex secrets are actually simple and obvious realities.

Leaders Of Irreligion Who
Call People To The Fire

In the Qur’an, Allah relates that there have been cruel and tyrannical leaders who drew people away from Allah's path and ordered them to reject His religion.  Allah defines them in one verse as "leaders summoning to the Fire."⁴³ This type of leader is best illustrated by Pharaoh's character as described in the story of Moses, but similar types have existed throughout history.  Employing the same methods, these leaders carried out atrocities against their peoples, distanced the masses from true religion, and dragged them to destruction in both this world and the Hereafter.

In our century leaders such as Adolph Hitler (known for his merciless and bloody massacres throughout Europe), Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin and Mao Tse Tung, and their mentors, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, can be compared with Pharaoh.  Charles Darwin nurtured the cruel views of those leaders and supported disbelief with his theory of evolution.

As declared in the Qur’an, Allah's messengers and pious believers always encountered cruel leaders as fierce enemies whenever they came to warn a society.  Therefore, the messengers always presented an ideological argument to the imperious elite of societies rather than to the people themselves because convincing the leaders means winning over the peoples that follow them.  The messengers spoke first to the leaders of nations and conveyed their message to them.  The Qur’an points out that Moses was sent first to Pharaoh:

And We did certainly send Moses with Our Signs and a clear authority to Pharaoh and his establishment, but they followed the command of Pharaoh, and the command of Pharaoh was not [at all] discerning.⁴⁴

Then, We sent after them Moses with Our Signs to Pharaoh and his establishment, but they were unjust toward them. So see how was the end of the corrupters.⁴⁵

In our day the most important fronts of disbelief and irreligion have been communism and anarchism, both of which are based on materialism and the theory of evolution.  The founders of these ideologies were the main leaders of disbelief in our time.  That they are no longer alive has not reduced their influence; rather, it still persists and is being further intensified by some circles.  In the conflict with irreligion it is vitally important to reveal the true faces and goals of such leaders.  For a better understanding it might be beneficial to examine the attributes and methods of leaders who "call people to the Fire."

1. They are enemies of religion who hinder their peoples from faith by resorting to oppression.

The major motive of leaders such as Lenin, Stalin, Trotsky and Mao, who adopt materialism and apply it to their political systems, is the elimination of religion.  Karl Marx, the mentor of communism, shows how materialists view religion:

It [religion] is the opium of the people.  The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness. ⁴⁶

In an essay entitled The Attitude of the Workers’ Party to Religion, Lenin explains the stance of communism:

Marxism is materialism.  As such, it is as relentlessly hostile to religion as was the materialism of the eighteenth-century Encyclopaedists or the materialism of Feuerbach.  This is beyond doubt.  But the dialectical materialism of Marx and Engels goes further than the Encyclopaedists and Feuerbach, for it applies the materialist philosophy to the domain of history, to the domain of the social sciences.  We must combat religion:  that is the ABC of all materialism, and consequently of Marxism.  But Marxism is not a materialism which has stopped at the ABC.  Marxism goes further.  It says:  We must know how to combat religion, and in order to do so we must explain the source of faith and religion among the masses in a materialist way. ⁴⁷

Enmity towards religion, having a concise expression in the statements above, was sparked by Marx and has become the most common attribute of all communist regimes.  Although Marx did not live long enough to realize his ambitions, Lenin embraced his evil heritage and established a regime based on irreligion.  And the cruel regime of Stalin practiced it very strictly.

In pursuit of this goal during the course of the communist revolutions carried out in Russia, China and elsewhere, mosques and houses of worship were closed down and people who opposed communist revolution were brutally murdered.  Joseph Stalin carried out the bloodiest massacres in world history, ordering the execution of more than 20 million people.  Pol Pot, the communist dictator of Cambodia, who was responsible for the murder of three million people out of a population of only nine million, is also among the most notorious of irreligious leaders.  And Enver Hoxha, Albania's communist leader, ordered heavy penalties for every kind of religious belief and worship and declared that he "had founded the first entirely atheist state in the world."

These "pharaohs of the 20th century," bereft of mercy, compassion and love, harbored bitter enmity towards religion as did the ancient Pharaoh, punishing and torturing those who believed.  His oppression is depicted in the Qur’an:

But no one believed Moses, except for some offspring [i.e., youths] among his people, for fear of Pharaoh and his establishment that they would persecute them. And indeed, Pharaoh was haughty within the land, and indeed, he was one of the transgressors.⁴⁸

[Pharaoh] said, 'You believed him [i.e., Moses] before I gave you permission. Indeed, he is your leader who has taught you magic. So I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will crucify you on the trunks of palm trees, you will surely know which of us is more severe in [giving] punishment and more enduring.⁴⁹

[Pharaoh] said, 'You believed him [i.e., Moses] before I gave you permission. Indeed, he is your leader who has taught you magic, but you are going to know. I will surely cut off your hands and your feet on opposite sides, and I will crucify you all.⁵⁰

2. Defenders of disbelief follow the religion of their predecessors.

It seems incomprehensible that tyrants who carry out pitiless massacres against thousands of people including women and children are followed by so many; however, it is not only true of our own age.  In the Qur’an there is extensive mention of societies refusing to give up perverted beliefs, which they referred to as "the religion of our ancestors."  Every time disbelievers were invited to the religion of Allah, they responded to the messengers by saying that they could not abandon their previous practices since their ancestors had observed them.  One passage states:

And when it is said to them, 'Follow what Allah has revealed', they say, 'Rather, we will follow what we found our fathers doing.' Even though their fathers understood nothing, nor were they guided? The example of those who disbelieve is like that of one who shouts at what he hears nothing but calls and cries [i.e., cattle or sheep] – deaf, dumb and blind, so they do not understand.⁵¹

The situation of modern disbelievers who reject every kind of religious and moral value is accurately depicted in the verses above.  The religions they follow are, in fact, religions of irreligion.  Indeed, the disbelievers of our time are determined not to abandon their "religion" because their ancestors, Darwin, Lenin, Stalin and Mao, had put their faith in it and worshipped its gods.  Their ancestors believed that life came into existence from lifeless matter, that living beings evolved from one another as a result of mutations, and that there is no Creator who created everything from nothing.  The advocates of this concept held nothing but superstitious beliefs:  that coincidence and nature were the creators, that these two powers (having neither consciousness nor wisdom) could make intelligent selections, and that only matter is absolute and eternal.

Today, many people who still have faith in "the religion of their fathers" blindly believe these fallacies which have now been repeatedly disproved by science.  Furthermore, without any understanding of the actual meaning of their claims, they are fervently defending them in magazines, newspapers and conferences simply because that is what they inherited from their ancestors.  Allah draws attention to the fact that disbelief is passed down from one generation to another:

Similarly, there came not to those before them any messenger except that they said, “A magician or a madman.” Did they suggest it  to them [i.e., their descendants]? Rather, they are a transgressing people.⁵²

Even when books of scientific evidence are presented to such people and abundant explanations provided regarding their erroneous mind-set, they would not abandon it.  Being so blindly attached to their ancestors' "religion," they have lost their faculties of thought, reason and wisdom and fail to see facts obvious even to children.  The loss of one's abilities to see and comprehend is described in the Qur’an as follows:

And We have certainly created for Hell many of the jinn and mankind. They have hearts with which they do not understand, they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. Those are like livestock; rather, they are more astray. It is they who are the heedless.⁵³

Illustrating the Falsehood of Their Ancestorsi

To set materialists and evolutionists free from their bigoted attitude and attachment to "the religion of their fathers" and to counteract the influence this erroneous understanding exerts on people, the true identities of its leaders and their goals have to be disclosed.  The most effective way to achieve this is to provide all the evidence and prove that the ideas advocated by these people are actually bereft of any scientific grounds, not to mention wisdom and insight.  It has to be exposed that these leaders, who are seen as role models, are not the ideal ideologists or heroes they are assumed to be and that they have actually incorporated immorality into their lives, and thus it is unlikely that their views could be adopted by people of sound mind.

The followers of those misguiding leaders who "call people to the Fire" should never forget one important fact:  Lenin, Stalin, Darwin, Mao, Engels and others who are no longer alive today became certain of the truth when they saw the angels of death.  They witnessed that all power is relinquished to Allah, that humans are not left unaccountable, that all creation submits to Allah who created them from nothing, that death is not annihilation but rather the beginning of a difficult reckoning and great penalty which will last for all eternity, and that they will never escape from what they had earned.

Those who follow the aforementioned leaders may be unwilling to accept these facts.  However, when the angel of death takes their souls, pounding their backs and faces, they will realize the great truth as clearly as Pharaoh and their own leaders did.  However, it will be too late; their plea for return to the world to correct their mistakes and sins will be to no avail.  They will then blame those who led them to the Hellfire and call for a grievous punishment for them.  Not having heeded the warnings of Allah's messengers, they will suffer deep regret.  In the Qur’an, Allah gives an account of what they will endure in the Hereafter unless they turn away from the religion of irreligion:

And those who disbelieve say, 'We will never believe in this Qur'an, nor in that before it.' But if you could see when the wrongdoers are made to stand before their Lord, refuting each others’ words… Those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant, 'If it not for you, we would have been believers' Those who were arrogant will say to those who were oppressed, 'Did we avert you from guidance after it has come to you? Rather, you were criminals.' Those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant, 'Rather, [it was your] conspiracy of night and day when you were ordering us to disbelieve in Allah and attribute to Him equals.' But they will [all] confide regret when they see the punishment; and We will put shackles on the necks of those who disbelieve. Will they be recompensed except for what they used to do?⁵⁴

[It will be said], 'This is a company bursting with you. No welcome for them. Indeed, they will burn in the Fire.' They will say, 'Nor you! No welcome for you. You, [our leaders], brought this upon us, and wretched is the settlement.' They will say, 'Our Lord, whoever brought this upon us- increase for him double punishment in the Fire' And they will say, 'Why do we not see men whom we used to count among the worst? Is it [because] we took them in ridicule, or has [our] vision turned away from them?' Indeed this is reality- the quarreling of the people of the Fire.⁵⁵

And we appointed for them companions who made attractive to them what was before them and what was behind them [of sin], and decree has come into effect upon them among nations which has passed on before them of jinn and men. Indeed, they [all] were losers. And those who disbelieve say, 'Do not listen to this Qur'an and speak noisily during [the recitation of] it that perhaps you will overcome.' But We will surely cause those who disbelieve to taste a severe punishment and We will surely recompense them for the worst of what they had been doing. This is the recompense of the enemies of Allah - the Fire. For them therein is the home of eternity as recompense for what they, of Our verses, were rejecting. And those who disbelieved will [then] say, 'Our Lord, show us those who misled us of jinn and men [so] we may put them under our feet that they will be among the lowest.'⁵⁶

Allah gives glad tidings to the believers who have faith in Him and devote their lives to communicating the message of Islam and living by the Qur’an:

Indeed, those who have said, 'Our Lord is Allah' and then remained on a right course- the angels will descend upon them, [saying], 'Do not fear and do not grieve but receive good tidings of Paradise, which you were promised. We [angels] are your allies in worldly life and [are so] in the Hereafter. And you will have therein whatever your souls desire, and you will have therein whatever you request as accommodation from a [Lord who is] Forgiving and Merciful.' And who is better in speech than one who invites to Allah and does righteousness and says, 'Indeed, I am of the Muslims'?⁵⁷

Conclusion

It might be that all through his life a man has lived by the religion of irreligion and even carried out subversive activities against the true religion.  Nonetheless, if he should contemplate sincerely and follow his conscience, he will see that the essentials of the true religion, Islam, are quite correct, straightforward and simple.  Furthermore, provided that he repents, he may expect Allah's mercy and forgiveness.  One should bear in mind that no leader of irreligion will ever be able to intercede for someone in the presence of Allah, and no person will be of help to another.  The only real guardian, friend and helper of man is Allah, Lord of the worlds.  The words of a believer who understood this truth are conveyed in the Qur’an:

You invite me to disbelieve Allah and associate with Him that of which I have no knowledge, and I invite you to the Exalted in Might, the Perpetual Forgiver. Assuredly, that to which you invite me has no [response to a] supplication in this world or in the Hereafter; and indeed, our return is to Allah, and indeed, the transgressors will be companions of the Fire.⁵⁸

A Nation Without Religion Cannot Survive

A large majority of people wrongly assume that religion is merely a series of rituals.  However, apart from rituals Islam, the true religion, covers every aspect of life and provides a Qur’anic viewpoint and moral values.  A sincere believer who is committed to his religion strives to earn mercy, blessings and salvation from Allah by living the high moral values of the Qur’an every moment of his life.  He never deviates from righteousness, sincerity, moderation, respectful and merciful conduct – in brief, good morals.  That is why societies practicing the moral values of the Qur’an will enjoy benefits desired by everyone.

For instance, a family living by the moral values of the Qur’an will not face many of the problems experienced in today's societies.  But children in our day often rebel against their parents, fail to discriminate between right and wrong, and assume aggressive attitudes.  Meanwhile, there are parents who do not feel the necessity to teach their children what is right and good and who do not provide proper guidance.  These parents cannot even manage to get along well with each other.  There are quarrels and abuse rather than love, respect, understanding and mercy.

But in a home where family members live by the Qur’an, children obey their parents and even avoid complaining, since Allah commands them not to express irritation.⁵⁹ From early ages they learn to follow conscience, to discriminate between right and wrong, and to avoid evil.  Parents strive to raise their children in accordance with religious values, giving them conscience and a sense of responsibility towards their people and country.  Such parents become ideal role models for their children.  In brief, love, respect and solidarity surrounds the family.

The family is the basic unit of the state; a strong family structure strengthens society.  Conversely, families with weak structure, bereft of spiritual values, love, respect, solidarity and loyalty, are a threat to the welfare of a state.  Especially in those countries where some evil circles make it their goal to establish a disbelieving society, the process of spiritual corruption is accelerated and moral degeneration reveals itself at all levels.  In such societies relationships are established primarily on material benefits.

When material considerations blind even immediate family members to the merits of spiritual values like love, brotherhood, solidarity, self-sacrifice and loyalty, the existence of an upright nation becomes almost impossible.  That is because degeneration not only affects the family but also spreads to the entire society.  In schools and among friends evils such as envy, deception, ridicule and gossip replace love and respect.  The business world, too, is riddled with people with vested interests.  Hardly anyone defends the rights of others, seeks justice, or shows mercy and understanding for those who are disadvantaged.  In short, living in harmony and peace becomes impossible for the members of such a community.

This is why the responsibility to defeat the religion of irreligion ideologically lies with faithful people.  In addition to the destruction of family values and social relationships, other harmful effects of disbelief throughout the land are increasingly evident.  Every individual must give serious opposition to disbelief if he declares allegiance to his state and the love of his people.

Terrorists Are a Product of Darwinism

In all corners of the world today there is widespread terror, massacre and genocide taking place.  Innocent people are brutally killed, and for superficial causes countries are pitted against one another resulting in bloodbaths.  Different reasons might be stated for the events occurring in countries of different histories, cultures and social structures, but a deeper examination reveals that each of them has suffered the endemic spiritual degeneration false belief triggers in society.

One of the common aspects of unbelieving ideologies is that they train their members in accordance with Darwinist views.  As mentioned earlier, the theory of evolution denies the existence of a Creator to whom people should feel responsible and accountable.  A person who has been indoctrinated with Darwinist views believes himself totally unrestricted, which makes him highly inclined toward various forms of immorality, cruelty and unscrupulousness.

Another reinforcement the theory of evolution provides for anarchy is that it presents man as merely a species of developed animal.  Consequently, those who believe in Darwinism find the idea of murdering a person as simple as hunting an animal.

Here, the importance of informing people about Darwinism and making them aware that this ideology is nothing but a fallacy gains more urgency.  Those who assume Darwinism is a scientific fact and who are remote from religious values with no faith in God are prone to accept Darwinist indoctrination which turns them into persons who can easily kill innocent people or rebel against their state, although they were previously peaceful citizens.  Reverence for Stalin, Lenin, Mao (leaders infamous for bloody massacres) and for Darwin's theory (which views man as an animal) replaces love for God, religion, country and people.  In the words of the Qur’an:

And when he goes away, he strives throughout the land to cause corruption therein and destroy crops and animals. And Allah does not like corruption. And when it is said to him, “Fear Allah”, pride in the sin takes hold of him. Sufficient for him is the Hellfire, and how wretched is the resting place!⁶⁰

But those who break the covenant of Allah after contracting it and sever that which Allah has ordered to be joined and spread corruption on earth- for them is the curse, and they will have the worst home.⁶¹

However, once proofs from the Qur’an of Allah's existence and sovereignty are conveyed to people, it becomes impossible for them to be vulnerable to ideologies that make enmity, war and chaos their way of life.  A person who believes in Allah and knows he will one day have to account for his deeds in His presence cannot do harm to his state or his people.  One who fears Allah meticulously avoids every act that would anger Him and every deed that would result in eternal retribution in Hell.  But a person who does not believe in Allah and the Day of Judgement, assuming that he is not responsible to anyone, can commit any evil without hesitation.  Bediüzzaman Said Nursi described how unbelieving ideologies, especially communism, effect the emergence of anarchy:

Yes, socialism sprang up in the French revolution from the seed of libertarianism.  Then, after socialism destroyed certain sacred matters, the ideas it inculcated turned into bolshevism.  And because bolshevism corrupted even more sacred moral and human values and those of the human heart, as a matter of course the seeds it sowed will produce anarchy, which recognizes no restrictions whatsoever and respects nothing.  For if respect and compassion quit the human heart, those with such hearts become exceedingly cruel beasts and can no longer be governed through politics.⁶²

Bediüzzaman'ın bu sözlerinin de işaret ettiği gerçek şudur: Anarşi, terör ve kargaşa belasının kökeninde insanların saygı, sevgi, merhamet gibi güzel duygulardan uzaklaşması, ahlaki ve insani değerlerini kaybetmesi yatmaktadır. Bu beladan kurtulmak için öncelikle yapılması gereken ise, dinsizliğin ortadan kaldırılması ve insanlara Allah korkusunun ve Kuran ahlakının öğretilmesidir.

One needs to remember that as well as those who encourage insurrection against their states and peoples, those who remain silent in the face of such divisive acts, doing nothing to contribute to their nations (when they have the means), hold the same materialist outlook on life.  Their only aim is to gain the greatest advantage.  Nothing bothers them as long as the happenings around them do not affect their interests; they are people devoid of such values as honesty, brotherhood, sacrifice and righteousness, and lack honorable goals.  They seize any benefits the state provides and strive solely to satisfy their baser desires.  Of such people Allah states the following:

And Allah presents an example of two men, one of them dumb and unable to do a thing, while he is a burden to his guardian. Wherever he directs him, he brings no good. Is he equal to one who commands justice, while he is on a straight path?⁶³

As described in the verse, a righteous person who is on a straight path, fears Allah, attaches importance to spiritual values, and is enthusiastic to serve his country and nation is sure to bring goodness to his society.  That is why it is so important that people learn about the true religion and live by the Qur’an.  Allah describes those of elevated morals as follows:

[And they are] those who, if We give them authority in the land, establish prayer and give zakah, and enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong. And to Allah belongs the outcome of [all] matters.⁶⁴

Methods Of Fighting Against
The Religion Of Irreligion

The total eradication of disbelief from the face of the earth is essential for the salvation of all people, both in this world and the Hereafter.  As stressed throughout this book, it is the responsibility of all believers to eliminate disbelief by communicating the message of the Qur’an.  To say, "I have faith but others have to take care of themselves" is not the conscientious attitude of a true believer.  The following verse lays responsibility directly upon all believers as a divinely ordered duty, and Allah holds every believer responsible for safeguarding himself, his close relatives, and humanity in general from the torment of Hell:

O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what he commands them but do what they are commanded. ⁶⁵

Some people belittle themselves by thinking, "Am I strong enough to oppose disbelief?"  This is but a negative suggestion from Satan to make people lose time and hinder the spread of the Qur’an's message.  As already explained, fighting irreligion requires exposing the invalidity of irreligious philosophies and ideologies by providing actual scientific evidence to the contrary.  In such an important endeavor some service may be rendered by every person.  Those unable to participate actively must at least support and aid people who have committed themselves to this kind of work.  For example, finding ways to distribute books or articles about the struggle against irreligion, explaining the ideas expressed in these books, and spreading the facts that will demolish disbelief worldwide are in themselves ways to oppose disbelief.

It should be remembered that, as stated by Bediüzzaman, "the consent given to ignorance is no different than ignorance; the consent given to error, ignorance and cruelty is erroneous, ignorant and cruel."⁶⁶Hence, those who remain silent, those who do not strive against disbelief although they have the means, and those who obstruct the efforts of others who fight disbelief instead of providing support to them are either knowingly or unknowingly supporting disbelief themselves and facilitating the accomplishment of evil goals.⁶⁷ No person of sound conscience can ignore the dismal facts, and all Muslims must work together to remove the tyranny of disbelief over mankind as Prophet Muhammad (saas) stated:      

Anas bin Malik  narrated that Allah’s Messenger  said: “Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one. People asked, “O Allah’s Messenger! It is all right to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor? The Prophet said: “By preventing him from oppressing others.”⁶⁸

The following subjects pertain to this important duty and the method to be followed in the light of Qur’anic verses.

Breaking the Idols of Irreligion

The most effective method in fighting disbelief is, without doubt, that employed by Prophet Abraham.  People at the time of Abraham worshipped idols they made with their own hands and then expected help from these so-called deities.  (The same has been practiced by various communities throughout history.)  Prophet Abraham reminded the people that these "deities" before which they prostrated were inanimate beings lacking ability to do a single thing.  Just like those who idolized lifeless statues at that time, the disbelievers of our day take lifeless atoms, unconscious nature, and coincidence as deities.  They believe that unconscious atoms came together by themselves and organized themselves into a flawless and perfect system.

The method used by Abraham to save his tribe from their erroneous beliefs and to awaken them is related in the Qur’an as follows:

When he said to his father and his people, 'What are these statues to which you are devoted?' they said, 'We found our fathers worshipping them.' He said, 'You were certainly, you and your fathers, in manifest error.'⁶⁹

“…‘And [I swear] by Allah, I will surely plan against idols after you have turned and gone away.' So he made them into fragments, except a large one among them, that they might return to it [and question].” ⁷⁰

When Abraham saw that his father and tribe were completely blinded to reality, he plotted a scheme for their idols as indicated in the verse above.  When his people were away, he broke the idols they worshipped and showed them the obvious fact that these lifeless statues were incapable of doing anything at all, much less creating something.

Upon the people's return they questioned Prophet Abraham.  His response is quite significant because it demonstrates their inconsistent attitude:

“They said, 'Have you done this to our gods, O Abraham?' He said, 'Rather, this- the largest of them- did it, so ask them, if they should be able to speak' So they returned [blaming] themselves and said [to each other], 'Indeed, you are the wrongdoers.' Then they reversed themselves, [saying], ‘You have already known that these do not speak.'” ⁷¹

Abraham's people admitted awareness of the reality: “You have already known that these do not  speak.”  They well knew that the idols were incapable of any act or giving life to an inanimate being and that they could not have created the flawless order sustaining the whole universe.  But they continued to accept those lifeless beings as deities solely because of their commitment to the beliefs of their ancestors and rejection of Allah.

The materialists and evolutionists of our day possess a very similar mentality.  When considered with an open mind, any evolutionist would have to agree that life is much too complex and perfect to have been formed by mere coincidence.  These scientists would also agree to the fact that life must have had a beginning, that is, it was not eternally existent.  But despite these realizations they keep their bigoted attitude, like the idolaters at the time of Prophet Abraham, and deem it impossible to abandon their false deities and place faith in Allah.  To understand this point it is sufficient to consider a few of the evolutionists' confessions:

Richard Lewontin, an evolutionist and materialist geneticist from Harvard University, explains his own and other materialists' prejudiced attitudes as follows:

It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel us to accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world, but on the contrary, that we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how counter-intuitive, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated.  Moreover, that materialism is absolute, so we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door.⁷²

D.M.S. Watson, the famous British zoologist and evolutionist, also explains why evolutionists still defend this theory despite the lack of any scientific evidence in support of it:

If so, it will present a parallel to the theory of evolution itself, a theory universally accepted, not because it can be proved by logically coherent evidence to be true, but because the only alternative, special creation, is clearly incredible.⁷³

Chandra Wickramasinghe, a famous British scientist, explains how people are conditioned to denial of Allah:

From my earliest training as a scientist, I was very strongly brainwashed to believe that science cannot be consistent with any kind of deliberate creation.  That notion has had to be painfully shed.  At the moment, I can't find any rational argument to knock down the view which argues for conversion to God.  We used to have an open mind; now we realize that the only logical answer to life is creation and not accidental random shuffling.⁷⁴

The examples above clearly illustrate that evolutionist scientists must believe in the theory of evolution based on materialism in order to be able to reject Allah, although they know the theory is false.  And these individuals are but a few of the leading materialist evolutionists of our day.

The answer to these people is the same as that given by Abraham to his tribe, described in the Qur’an.  His response was intended to shock them and invite them to reason:

He said, 'Then do you worship instead of Allah that which does not benefit you at all or harm you? “Woe” to you and to what you worship instead of Allah. Then will you not use reason?'⁷⁵

Just as Prophet Abraham broke the idols of the idolaters and removed the basis of disbelief by exposing their foolishness, believers of today must break the idol of today and render disbelief ineffective.  The methods can be listed as follows:

1. Being knowledgeable about the ideas and ideologies advocated by irreligious movements

It is very important for everyone to know about irreligious movements that destroy moral values, about the ideologies of those movements, and the concepts they advocate.  That enables one to expose the flawed logic and perverted rationale contrary to both science and reason which are damaging to countries and nations.  The feeble grounds upon which these ideologies are based along with their inconsistencies can easily be displayed, and people of conscience who acquire profound knowledge about irreligious ideologies can predict the possible harms they will bring to nations and take the preventative measures which are of support and help to the nation.

2. Proving the invalidity of materialism and evolution with scientific evidences

Earlier in this book materialism was cited as the most dangerous religion of irreligion.  What makes it distinctive and more effective than other false ideologies is its presentation under a "veil of science."  While idolatry has been labeled as primitive, materialism and the evolution theory (although basically no different) have acquired a fake "scientific" aura.  Accordingly, it is imperative to disclose that materialism and the theory of evolution actually contradict science and logic.

It is essential to examine each of the assertions stemming from the theory of evolution and to show that the arguments put forth are actually designed to manipulate public opinion.  To accomplish this one must follow closely the findings of recent scientific research and to refute scientifically the assertions based on the theory of evolution in every corner of the world, providing ample evidence.  The final sections of this book present examples of such evidence.

In reality there are a limited number of arguments that evolutionists claim as their "evidence," and these are refutable from the very outset.  Because they are often elaborated with scientific terminology by authors or speakers and presented to the public under the guise of "science," they might seem to be new evidences.  But all these papers, filled with incomprehensible expressions and Latin terms, basically provide not a single scientific proof.  Since a majority in the world today cannot see the irrationality of Darwinism and assume it to be scientific fact, it is an important service to inform, educate and warn people against this threat.  Obviously, this task demands serious effort; one should strive to shoulder his share of this historic responsibility.

3. Communicating the true religion related in the Qur'an

While materialist circles impose their ideologies upon society, they assume an aggressive attitude towards religion.  In order to discredit it, they make use of distorted and deviant understandings, which they pass off as Islam.  These are far removed from the original teachings, bigotry and superstition having been incorporated into them.

True Islam is very different from the stagnant understanding of religion portrayed by these circles; therefore, the message of the true religion outlined in the Qur’an has to be communicated to people effectively and explained in detail.  Prophet Muhammad (saas) reminded the believers of the benefit of such knowledge, saying, "He for whom Allah intends good, He will give understanding of the religion." ⁷⁶

The Qur’an is a revealed scripture containing no contradictions whatsoever, a fact that must be conveyed to people explicitly and with evidence.  It is also essential that people acquire knowledge about the events connected with revelations of the Qur’an.  Said Nursi emphasized on numerous occasions that the most effective way of refuting the philosophies of materialism and naturalism is to explain the realities of the Qur’an:

Against the greatest threats of our times – disbelief, anarchism and materialism, there is only one remedy:  to embrace the realities of the Qur’an.  Otherwise, the curse that converted such a great country as China into communism within a short period of time cannot be overcome solely by political and material measures.  It can only be eliminated by the truths of the Qur’an.⁷⁷

Those who want unshakable belief and seek an unbreakable sword with which to combat irreligion and anarchy should refer to "The Supreme Sign."⁷⁸

Freemasonry, communism and disbelief result directly in anarchism.  The one and only thing that can stand firm against this horrifying situation is the integrity of Islam built upon the facts of the Qur’an. ⁷⁹

4. Explaining evidences pointing to the existence of Allah

The existence of Allah is obvious to anyone who employs his intellect.  In every created being Allah displays signs of His infinite wisdom and power.  However, for many years most people have been indoctrinated toward the denial of Allah, and many harbor doubts.  Hence, it is vitally important to point out the signs of Allah's existence to people in order to remove ingrained prejudices.  When each living being is individually examined down to its tiniest components, people can witness therein the glorious creation of Allah.  Every effort should be made to show that such precisely calculated designs in living beings could not have come into existence by chance.  This can be done through publications and visual means.

Many individuals have become so spiritually weak that they fail to see even the most obvious facts.  But they can be awakened from their unawareness through serious efforts.  A person who is made to realize that the flawless beings surrounding him could not have evolved by chance is no longer in danger of disbelief; and once he believes in Allah, he comprehends that he is responsible to Him and that he should live his life in such a way as to earn His acceptance and approval.

In many verses throughout the Qur’an, Allah summons man to contemplate created beings and derive lessons from them:

Have they not looked at the heaven above them- how We structured it and adorned it and [how] it has no rifts? And the earth- We spread it out and cast therein firmly set mountains and made grow therein [something]  of every beautiful kind, giving insight and a reminder for every servant who turns [to Allah]. And We have sent down blessed rain from the sky and made grow thereby gardens and grain from the harvest and lofty palms trees having fruit arranged in layers- as provision for the servants, and We have given life thereby to a dead land. Thus is the emergence [i.e., resurrection].⁸⁰

A most effective method of fighting the religion of irreligion is to enable people to see the innumerable signs of Allah's glory and might around them.  In the Qur’an, Allah commands:

But as for the favor of your Lord, report [it]. ⁸¹

In compliance with this verse believers should continuously explain the favors granted by Allah to humankind through the most effective methods of communication.  Prophet Muhammad (saas) encouraged Muslims to carry out this important duty by saying, "Allah and the angels invoke blessings on those who instruct people in beneficial knowledge."⁸²

5. Explaining the kind of life and morality taught in the Qur'an

Throughout the Qur’an man is urged to have values:  to be just, to have kindness, affection and mercy for others, to consider the needs of others rather than his own wishes, to respect, love and hold allegiance to his country, to maintain peace and security, to settle conflicts among people, to protect the poor and disadvantaged, to be hardworking, and to serve in order to earn the pleasure of Allah.  The superior welfare and security apparent in any society guided by these virtues is obvious.

Because the majority are unaware of the true religion taught in the Qur’an, they need to be shown the adornment it gives to life.  Believers must inform people that living by the true religion is the easiest way and that it is the lifestyle most suitable to man's natural tendencies.  Subsequently, they will see that the Qur’an presents solutions to all the problems of the world.  Allah has stated why the Qur’an was revealed:

And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things and as guidance and mercy and good tidings for the Muslims.”⁸³

6. Uniting men of conscience

Believers must not only devote effort to the struggle against disbelief but unite to protect their countries and peoples from its danger.  The more of them committed to serve this cause, the faster disbelief will be eradicated, as well as discord and dissension on earth.

Unity brings both material and spiritual benefits to people of faith.  In numerous verses Allah commands believers to unite and not dispute:

And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute and [thus] lose courage and [then] your strength would depart; and be patient. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.⁸⁴

In another verse Allah warns believers that the world will be corrupted when there is discord among them:

And those who disbelieved are allies of one another. If you do not do so [i.e., ally yourselves with other believers], there will be be fitnah [i.e., disbelief and oppression] on earth and great corruption.⁸⁵

As noted in this verse, Muslims can be held accountable for engaging in conflicts among themselves and thereby hindering others from good deeds instead of struggling against the arrogant who deny Allah's religion and lead societies to destruction.  Prophet Muhammad (saas) drew attention to the importance of unity in many hadiths such as the following:

Abu Musa al-Ash’ari reported that the Prophet (saas) said, “Believers are like  parts of a building, each supporting the other.” Then he demonstrated what he meant by interlocking his fingers.⁸⁶

When supporting one another, believers should motivate other believers to do good deeds and appreciate beneficial services rendered.  Bediüzzaman pointed out that believers should encourage one another with feelings of brotherhood:

O people of faith!  If you do not wish to enter a humiliating condition of slavery, come to your senses and enter and take refuge in the citadel of “Indeed, the believers are brothers” (Surah al-Hujurat: 49:10) in order to defend yourselves against those oppressors who would exploit your differences!  Otherwise you will neither be able to protect your lives nor defend your rights.  It is evident that if two champions are wrestling with each other, even a child can beat them.  If two mountains are balanced on the scales, even a small stone can disturb their equilibrium and cause one to rise and the other to fall.  So, O people of belief, your strength may be reduced to nothing as a result of your passions and biased partisanships, and you can be defeated by the slightest forces.  If you have any interest in your social solidarity, then make your guiding principle in life the exalted principle, "The believers are together like a well-founded building, one part of which supports the other."  Then you will be delivered from humiliation in this world and from wretchedness in the Hereafter..⁸⁷

The Method Advised by Bediüzzaman for Opposing Disbelief

In many of his works Bediüzzaman Said Nursi informed believers about the methods that should be employed in their struggle with disbelief.  In one he states:

Our enemy is ignorance, stipulation and disagreement.  We will stand up against these enemies with ingenuity, skill and unity.⁸⁸

Against the first enemy, ignorance, it is important to ensure that people become aware of the threats surrounding them.  In an Islamic society the majority of people are religious, i.e., they believe in Allah and His religion.  However, many Muslims are unaware of the threats posed against religion and spiritual values.  For instance, some are so ignorant about the theory of evolution and its objectives that they do not hesitate to say, "I am religious and also believe in the theory of evolution."  There are other people who believe that superstitious beliefs such as reincarnation can be reconciled with Islam.  Such fallacies have to be eliminated and the lack of knowledge compensated in the shortest time possible.

The second enemy identified by Bediüzzaman, stipulation, is the imposition of some non-faith-related thoughts and lifestyles upon people as obligations.  For example, the theory of evolution is imposed through television, textbooks and schools and is presented as a statement with no alternative.  As Bediüzzaman shows, the theory of evolution has been adopted on the basis of a dangerous stipulation, justified by the misleading phrase, "Evolution is science."  Indoctrination has worked so well that denial of evolution is perceived as the denial of science.  In the face of this assertion by evolutionist and materialist circles, it is essential that people be informed of the invalidity of this dangerous ideology.  This can be realized through the publication of books and various communication and media tools presenting the harms of the theory of evolution and materialist philosophy.

The last enemy addressed by Said Nursi is disagreement, which is no less of a threat today when so many issues among people are in controversy.  When people fail to reach a consensus, many issues lapse into disputes and conflicts.  Against the dangers posed by chaos and conflict, the truth must be stated clearly in the light of scientific evidence.  Regarding the origins of life, the facts have to be explained explicitly.  This can lead many materialists and evolutionists to turn to their consciences and proceed towards the truth and the straight path.

While advocating measures against these threats, Bediüzzaman also stresses some factors contributing to success.  The first of these is ingenuity, which plays an important role in the struggle with disbelief.  In this context the word "ingenuity" has various connotations.  Making known the precision in Allah's creation is among the most important issues, so explicitness and simplicity of style as well as the use of pictures in various publications are important and reveal the highly refined taste of believers.  Wisdom in oral explanations is also a manifestation of artistry.  Words, examples and effective usage of one's language are essential to influence people.  Contrary to evolutionists, who employ highly complicated and ambiguous terminology in describing the so-called "scientific" theory of evolution, simplicity in language renders it possible for people to easily understand faith related issues.  The skillful conveyance mentioned by Bediüzzaman is an attribute Allah grants to His sincere servants, and their sincerity and honesty is manifested in the way they speak.  Identifying subjects that should be explained to people according to their needs and the methods to inform them are all noble concerns peculiar to people of conscience.

The last measure advocated by Bediüzzaman is unification, necessary to secure welfare and security in one's homeland.  It is vitally important that believers unite against those who deny the existence of Allah and strive to demolish spiritual values.  Various attempts made to destroy this unity will reduce its effect.  Negative excuses such as "Darwinism has already become ineffective" or "Is there still a need to refute Darwinism?" actually harm the ideological struggle against it, unwittingly creating disputes.

Sincere people who consider the good of their country and its citizens must continue their struggle until Darwinism is completely eradicated because it has not yet been entirely defeated.  Even though the evolutionists are putting forth their last arguments in a state of great anxiety, there is still much to be done.  When terror, anarchy and enmity against religion no longer exist, one can then conclude that those erroneous beliefs have been completely eliminated.  In the Qur’an, Allah commands believers to fight disbelief “until there is no more dissension and the religion, all of for Allah”⁸⁹

The Truth That Defeats
The Religions Of Irreligion

This chapter reveals a crucial life secret. It should be read attentively and thoroughly, for it is concerned with a subject that is liable to make a fundamental change in one's outlook toward the external world. The subject of this chapter is not merely a point of view, a different approach, or a traditional philosophy. It is a fact which everyone, believers and non-believers, must admit to and which has been proven by science today.

As previously stated, one of the most important reasons disbelievers assume a negative attitude towards religion is their assessment based on purely worldly criteria.  The assumption that life is limited to this world and their fervent attachment to it accounts for this, as shown in the Qur’an:

It [i.e., life] is not but our worldly life- we die and live, but we will not be resurrected.⁹⁰

Due to their obsession with worldly standards, disbelievers fail to have a true perception of things around them.  They see events as unconnected to Allah and cannot comprehend that everything exists by His will.  Allah describes the world view of disbelievers as follows:

They know what is apparent of the worldly life, but they, of the Hereafter, are unaware.⁹¹

There is another important truth disbelievers fail to grasp throughout their lives.  While they commit all kinds of immorality to derive personal benefit and satisfaction for themselves:  tell lies, belittle religion, spread slanders against believers, try to harm them, etc., they are unaware that they are actually in a state of great ignorance, as will be shown in the following pages.

The Mystery Behind Matter

All of man's sensory faculties – sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch – function in the same way.  The stimuli (such as light, sound, smell, taste, texture, etc.) coming from objects assumed to exist in the external world are carried through nerves to the sensory centers in the brain.  All these stimuli that reach the brain consist of electric signals.  For example, during the process of seeing, light rays (photons) radiating from a source in the exterior world reach the retina at the back of the eye and are transformed into electric signals through a series of processes.  These signals are transferred along nerves to the center of vision in the brain.  Thus, a colorful, bright and three-dimensional world is perceived within this center of a few cubic centimeters.

The same system also applies to other senses.  Tastes are transformed into electric signals by some cells on the tongue.  Smells are transformed into electric signals by cells in the epithelium of the nose.  Special sensors lodged under the skin are responsible for transforming impulses of touch (such as feeling hardness or softness) into electric signals, and a special mechanism in the ear transforms sounds into electric signals.  All these signals are sent to related centers in the brain and are perceived therein.

The following example will clarify the point:  assume that you are drinking a cup of coffee.  The hardness and hotness of the cup you are holding is transformed into electric signals by special receptors under your skin and sent to the brain.  Simultaneously, the strong smell of the coffee, its taste, and dark brown color all become signals reaching the brain.  The sound heard when the cup touches the table is perceived by the ear and sent to the brain as an electric signal.  All these perceptions are interpreted in the relevant centers in the brain, which work harmoniously with one another.  As a cumulative result of these impulses, you sense that you are drinking a cup of coffee.  That is, while everything takes place in the sensory centers of the brain, you assume that what you sense has a solid existence.

However, you are wrong, because you have no evidence that the feelings you perceive in your brain have any existence outside of your skull.  No doubt, this is an important reality which deserves careful pondering.  So far, it may well be that you believe everything you see around you has absolute existence.  However, as science has now revealed, it is impossible to prove that objects in the exterior world have any real existence.
What is briefly outlined here is among the great truths you can observe in your own life.

What Exists in the External World?

What has been discussed so far shows that we actually live inside our brains and that we cannot perceive anything other than what our senses convey to us.  To proceed one step further:  Does what we sense really exist, or is it only illusions?  And is there a need for the external world in order for us to see and hear?

Actually, no.  In order to perceive, there is certainly no need for the existence of an external world.  Given the right kind of stimulation directed to the brain, sensations of touch, sight, sounds, etc. can be formed in the brain.  The best example of this fact is dreams.

During dreams, your body usually remains still and motionless in a dark and quiet room, and your eyes remain shut.  There is neither light nor sound nor any other stimuli from the exterior world reaching your brain for it to perceive.  Still, in your dreams, you perceive experiences very much similar to real life.  In your dreams you also get up and go to work, or you go on vacation where you enjoy the warmth of the sun.

Furthermore, in dreams you never feel doubts about the reality of what you experience.  Only after you wake up do you realize your experiences were only dreams.  You not only experience such feelings as fear, anxiety, joy and sadness but also see different images, hear sounds and feel matter.  Yet there is no physical source producing these sensations and perceptions; you lie motionless inside a dark and quiet room.

Descartes, the renowned philosopher, offered the following reasoning on this surprising truth about dreams:

In my dreams I see that I do various things, I go to many places; when I wake up, however, I see that I have not done anything or gone anywhere and that I lie peacefully in my bed.  Who can guarantee to me that I do not also dream at the present time, further, that my whole life is not a dream?

Just as we experience our dreams as real and only realize that they are dreams when we wake up, we cannot be certain that what we are experiencing right now is real.  This suggests that we may well be awakened from this life on earth, which we feel we are living right now, and begin to experience a genuine life.  We have no evidence whatsoever proving otherwise.  On the contrary, science provides serious findings suggesting that what we experience may actually have no material existence.

The fact that surfaces at this point is obvious:  while we assume that the world we live in exists, or when we think that we live in that world, there are in fact no substantial reasons for us to claim that such a world has a material reality.  It may well be nothing but perceptions with no material reality which are artificially stimulated.

Is Our Brain Distinct from the Outside World?

As discussed so far, if everything we know is but internally produced perceptions, what about the brain which we think sees and hears?  Is it not made up of atoms and molecules as everything else?

Just like everything we call matter, the brain is also a perception.  It is a piece of meat that we perceive through our senses.  Like everything else whose existence we assume in the external world, the brain is also an illusion.  This being the case, what is it that perceives everything – that sees, hears, touches, smells and tastes, if not the brain?

At this point we face an obvious fact:  man, a being of consciousness who can see, feel, think and exercise reason, is much more than a mere heap of atoms and molecules.  What makes a human being is the "soul" granted to him by Allah.  Otherwise, it would be extremely unreasonable to attribute his consciousness and other faculties to a three-pound piece of meat, which is in essence a perception:

[It is Allah] who perfected everything He created and began the creation of man from clay. Then He made his posterity out of the extract of a liquid disdained. Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His [created] soul and made for you hearing and vision and hearts [i.e., intellect]; little are you grateful⁹²

The Nearest Being to Us Is Allah

Since a human being is not merely a heap of matter but a "soul," then who is it that makes the soul feel the sum of perceptions which we call the external world?  Who continues to create all these perceptions ceaselessly?

The answer is obvious.  Allah, who breathed the spirit He created for man into him, is the Creator of all things.  He is also the real source of all perceptions.  The existence of anything is only possible through Allah's creation.  Allah informs us that He creates continuously and that everything will disappear whenever He halts creation:

Indeed, Allah holds the heavens and the earth, lest they cease. And if they should cease, no one could hold them [in place] after Him. Indeed, He is Forbearing and Forgiving. ⁹³

A person may tend not to accept the reality because of the inculcation he has received for so many years.  However, no matter how he strives to ignore this fact or avoids it, the truth is obvious.  All the perceptions presented to a human soul can exist only by the creation of Allah.  Furthermore, not only the external world but all actions one takes on his own come into existence by the will of Allah.  It is simply impossible for man to have any power or will independent of Allah.  In the Qur’an it is stated as follows:

And Allah created you and that which you do ⁹⁴

And you threw not when you threw, but it was Allah who threw. ⁹⁵

Such facts make one conclude that the only real absolute being is Allah.  Nothing exists except through Allah, who encompasses everything in the heavens and the earth:

Unquestionably, they are in doubt about the meeting with their Lord. Unquestionably He is, of all things, encompassing.⁹⁶

And to Allah belongs the east and the west. So wherever you [might] turn, there is the Face of Allah. Indeed, Allah is All-Encompassing and Knowing.⁹⁷

And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Allah, of all things, encompassing.⁹⁸

And [remember, O Muhammad], when We told you, ‘Indeed, your Lord has encompassed the people [in knowledge]⁹⁹

His chair encompasses the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. He is the Most High, the Magnificent.”¹⁰⁰

Allah's knowledge and ability surrounds us from the front, back, right and left; that is to say, He encompasses us completely.  He observes us everywhere, at every moment.  He holds absolute control over us, from inside and out.  He, the Owner of Infinite Might, is closer to us than our own jugular veins or hearts:

We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein.¹⁰¹

And know that Allah intervenes between a man and his heart and that to Him you will be gathered.¹⁰²

This is the point about which disbelievers carry a great misconception; they take a world which is essentially illusionary to be real.  While they make a mockery of religion and believers and reject the revelations of Allah, they assume that they can escape, while they are, in fact, totally engulfed by Allah.  This is indeed one of the greatest realities about which arrogant disbelievers are heedless.  Not only that, but the life of this world, to which they are so ambitiously attached, slips away through their fingers.

Everything Possessed Is Intrinsically Illusory

It may be seen clearly as a scientific and logical fact that the external world has no materialistic reality and that it is a collection of images perpetually presented to the soul by Allah.  Nevertheless, people usually do not include, or rather do not want to include, everything in this concept.

If you contemplate this issue sincerely and boldly, you will come to realize that your house, the furniture inside it, your antiques, your summer home, your car, your office, your jewels, your bank account, your wardrobe, your spouse, your children, your colleagues, and all that you possess are in fact included in the imaginary external world projected to you.  Everything you perceive with your five senses is a part of this "illusionary world":  the voice of your favorite singer, the hardness of the chair upon which you sit, a perfume whose scent you enjoy, the sun that keeps you warm, a flower with beautiful colors, a bird flying in front of your window, a speedboat moving swiftly on the water, your fertile garden, the computer you use at the office, or your hi-fi with the most advanced technology in the world...

This is the reality, because the world is only a collection of images created to test man.  People are tested all through their limited lives with perceptions bearing no reality.  These perceptions are intentionally presented as appealing and attractive.  This fact is mentioned in the Qur’an:

“Beautified for people is the love of that which they desire- of women and sons, heaped-up sums of gold and silver, and fine branded horses, and cattle and tilled land. That is the enjoyment of worldly life, but Allah has with Him the best return [i.e., Paradise].¹⁰³

Most people cast their religion away for the lure of property, wealth, heaped up hoards of gold and silver, dollars, jewels, bank accounts, credit cards, wardrobes full of clothes, latest model cars, etc. – all forms of prosperity which they either possess or strive to possess, and they concentrate only on this world while forgetting the Hereafter.  They are deceived by the fair and alluring face of the life of this world and fail to keep up prayer, give charity and perform the worship that will make them prosper in the Hereafter, saying, "I have things to do," "I have ideals," "I have responsibilities," "I do not have enough time," "I have things to complete," and "I will do it in the future."  They consume their lives trying to prosper in this world.  This misconception is described in the Qur’an:

They know what is apparent of the worldly life, but they, of the Hereafter, are unaware.¹⁰⁴

The fact outlined in this chapter, namely that everything is an image, is very important because of its implication that all lusts and acquisitions are meaningless.  The verification of this fact makes it clear that everything people possess or strive to possess – wealth acquired through greed, children of whom they boast, spouses whom they consider closest to them, friends, their own dear bodies, ranks of supposed superiority, the schools they attended, the holidays they enjoyed – are nothing but mere illusion.  Therefore, all their efforts, time spent, and greed prove to be in vain.

This is why some people unwittingly make fools of themselves when they boast of their wealth and properties, their yachts, helicopters, factories, holdings, manors and lands as if they really existed.  Those well-to-do people who ostentatiously saunter up and down in their yachts, show off their cars, and keep talking about their wealth suppose that this ranks them higher than everyone else and that they are successful should actually think about what state they will find themselves in once they realize that their success is nothing but an illusion.

In fact, such scenes are often seen in dreams as well.  In their dreams they also have houses, fast cars, extremely precious jewels, rolls of dollars, and loads of gold and silver.  In dreams they are positioned in a high rank, own companies with thousands of workers, possess power to rule over many people, and wear clothes that make everyone admire them.  Just as boasting about the possessions one has in a dream would cause a person to be ridiculed, he is sure to be equally ridiculed for boasting of the images he sees in this world.  After all, both what he sees in his dreams and what he relates to in this world are mere images in his mind.  Surely this fact deserves deep contemplation.  As stated in the Qur’an, those who perceive this fact will be victorious:

There has come to you enlightenment from your Lord. So whoever will see does so for [the benefit of] his soul, and whoever is blind [does harm] against it.¹⁰⁵

Similarly, the way people react to the events they experience in the world will make them ashamed when they realize the reality.  Those who fiercely fight each other, who rave furiously, who swindle, who accept bribes, who commit forgery, who lie, who covetously withhold their money, who wrong others, who beat and curse others, who rage aggressively, who are full of passion for office and rank, who envy, who show off, and who try to sanctify themselves or others will be disgraced when they realize that they have committed all of these deeds in an illusion.  Since it is Allah who creates all these images, the ultimate owner of everything is Allah alone.  This fact is stressed in the Qur’an:

And to Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And ever is Allah, of all things, encompassing.¹⁰⁶

It is great foolishness to cast away religion for imaginary passions and thus lose contentment in the eternal life, obtaining instead everlasting deprivation.  Allah describes this situation:

And lost is what they did therein, and worthless is what they used to do.¹⁰⁷

As stated in this verse, all their ambitions and passions will be proved to be in vain.  Furthermore, all those things they thought to possess will have slipped out of their hands and brought them no benefit.

At this stage one point should be well understood.  It is not stated that all the possessions, wealth, children, spouses, friends and rank you have will vanish sooner or later and therefore have no meaning; rather, that all the possessions you seem to have in fact do not exist at all but are merely an illusion composed of images shown to you by Allah in order to test you.  There is a big difference between these two statements.  In the first case a person, for a temporary period, may be deceived into believing that possessions really exist and thus have the ambition to possess them.  But in the second statement, that is, that everything is illusionary, a deliberate attempt to monopolize everything will not only humiliate that person but cause unprecedented loss for him.

Although one might not want to acknowledge this fact right away and would rather deceive himself by assuming everything he owns truly exists, he will finally die, and when he is recreated in the Hereafter, everything will become clear.  On that day his vision will be sharp, and he will see everything clearly.  If he had spent his life chasing after imaginary benefits, he will wish he had never lived and say:

I wish it [i.e., my death] had been the decisive one. My wealth has not availed me. Gone from me is my authority.¹⁰⁸

What a wise man should do, then, is to try to understand the greatest reality of the universe here in this world while he still has time.  Otherwise, he will spend all his life running after dreams and face a grievous penalty in the end.  In the Qur’an the final state of people who run after illusions of this world and forget their Creator is stated as follows:

But those who disbelieved- their deeds are like a mirage in a lowland which a thirsty one thinks is water until, when he comes to it, he finds it is nothing but he finds Allah before him, and He will pay him in full his due; and Allah is swift in account.¹⁰⁹

Materialists Have Fallen into the Biggest Trap in History

That matter is simply a perception has been proven by modern science and has been put forward in a very clear, straightforward and forceful way.  It only remains for materialists to see and acknowledge the collapse of the entire material world in which they blindly believe and on which they rely.

Materialist thought has always existed throughout the history of humanity.  Being very assured of themselves and the philosophy they believe in, they revolt against Allah who created them.  The scenario they formulate maintains that matter has no beginning or end and that it could not possibly have a creator.  Because of their arrogance, they deny Allah and depend upon matter, which they deem to have real existence.  They have been so confident in this philosophy that they thought it would never be possible to prove the contrary.

That is why the facts in this chapter regarding the real nature of matter surprised these people so much.  What has been presented here destroys the very basis of their philosophy and leaves no ground for further discussion.  Matter, upon which they had based all their thought and livelihood, their arrogance and denial, has vanished all of a sudden.  How can materialism exist when matter does not?

One of the attributes of Allah is His strategy against the unbelievers:

But they plan, and Allah plans. And Allah is the best of planners.¹¹⁰

Allah entrapped the materialists by making them assume that matter exists, and in doing so, humiliated them in a subtle way.  Materialists, sure that their possessions, status, society, the world and everything else really existed, grew arrogant against Allah by relying on these things.  They revolted against Allah boastfully and increased their unbelief, totally dependent upon matter.  Yet, they were so lacking in understanding that they failed to see that Allah encompasses them completely.  Allah announces the state to which the unbelievers are led as a result of their thick-headedness:

Or do they intend a plan? But those who disbelieve- they are the object of a plan.¹¹¹

This is probably their biggest defeat in history.  While growing more and more arrogant, materialists have been tricked and have suffered a serious defeat in the war they waged against Allah by lying against Him.  The following verse announces how unaware these people who revolt against their Creator are, and how they will end up:

And thus We have placed within every city the greatest of its criminals to conspire therein. But they conspire not except against themselves, and they perceive it not.¹¹²

In another verse the same fact is related:

They [think to] deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive not except themselves and perceive [it] not.¹¹³

While the unbelievers plot, they do not realize something very important which is stressed by the words "they deceive not except themselves and perceive it not."  It is the fact that everything they experience is an image designed to be perceived by them, and the plots they devise are also images formed in their brains like every other act they perform.  Their folly has made them forget that they are actually alone with Allah, and hence, they are entrapped in their own devious plans.

No less than the unbelievers who lived in the past, those living today face a reality that will shatter their devious plans at the foundations.  Allah says that these plots are doomed to end with failure the day they are hatched:

With the verse "…feeble indeed is the cunning of Satan"¹¹⁴

He gives good tidings to the believers, by stating:

Their plot will not harm you at all.¹¹⁵

And Allah has said:

But those who disbelieved- their deeds are like a mirage in a lowland which a thirsty one thinks is water until, when he comes to it, he finds it is nothing.¹¹⁶

Materialism, too, becomes a mirage for the rebellious, just as stated in this verse.  When they seek security therein, they find it to be nothing but an illusion.  Allah has deceived them through this mirage and beguiled them into perceiving a whole collection of images as real.  All those "eminent" people – professors, astronomers, biologists, physicists and others – regardless of their rank and post, are simply deceived like children and will be humiliated because they took matter as their god.  Assuming a collection of images to be real, they based their whole philosophy and ideology on it, defended it, and adopted a so-called "intellectual" discourse.  They deemed themselves wise enough to offer an argument about the reality of the universe and, more importantly, to dispute about Allah in spite of their limited intelligence.

And they [i.e., disbelievers] planned, but Allah planned. And Allah is the best of planners.¹¹⁷

It may be possible to escape from human plots; however, Allah's plan against the unbelievers is so firm that there is no way of escape from it.  No matter what they do or to whom they appeal, they will never find a helper other than Allah:

And they will not find for themselves besides Allah any protector or helper.¹¹⁸

Materialists never expected to fall into such a trap.  Having all the means of the 20th century at their disposal, they thought they could grow obstinate in their denial and lead everyone to unbelief.  Allah describes this everlasting mentality of unbelievers and their end in the Qur’an:

And they planned a plan, and We planned a plan, while they perceived it not. Then look how was the outcome of their plan- that We destroyed them and their people, all.¹¹⁹

No doubt, confronting this truth is the worst possible situation for materialists.  The fact that everything they possess is only an illusion is tantamount, in their own words, to "death before dying."  This leaves them alone with Allah.  Allah brings to attention the fact that each human being is, in truth, alone in His presence:

Leave Me alone with the one I alone¹²⁰

And all of them are coming to Him on the Day of Resurrection alone.¹²²

On another level the verses indicate that those who take matter as their god have come from Allah and will be returned to Him.  Thus, they submit to Allah whether they want to or not.  Even now they await the Day of Judgement when everyone of them will be called to account, however unwilling they may be to understand it.

Conclusion

This book has been written to make the reader realize the danger of religions of irreligion and the responsibility he bears.  Enjoining good and forbidding evil is an important aspect of worship commanded by Allah of believers, who are protectors of one another, and the book is a reminder of this noble responsibility.  Anyone who reads or hears the reminder has one of two choices:  sitting back and saying, "Someone else will do it anyway," or shouldering the responsibility Allah has bestowed upon him and starting to work immediately.

In their struggle against disbelief the prophets and true believers set a good example.  All of the prophets whose stories are related in the Qur’an and the true believers who followed them fought against disbelief and strove throughout history to eliminate irreligious ideologies and convey to people the oneness of Allah.  They used many different methods to spread this message to people, and nothing stopped them.  Their ambition, commitment, patience and courage should be an example to all believers.

Prophet Muhammad (saas) stated that there will be a reward for inviting people to righteousness:

Abu Hurairah narrated that Allah's Messenger (saas) said, “He who calls people to right guidance will have a reward  like the rewards of those who follow it without their rewards being diminished in any respect. And he who calls (people) to misguidance  will carry (the burden) of its sin as much as  those who committed it without their sin being diminished in any respect.”¹²³

In recent history there have been numerous scholars of Islam whose lives were exemplary in this sense.  For instance, Bediüzzaman Said Nursi was a noble person who all through his life struggled against the religions of irreligion under very trying circumstances.  He displayed an unyielding patience and made many sacrifices in an effort to protect his country and people from this threat.  The following statements of Bediüzzaman inspire great zeal to those of conscience and sound mind:

I have only one aim.  At this time as I approach the grave, I hear the hooting of the Bolshevik owls in this country, which is a Muslim land.  The sound is damaging the bases of belief of the Islamic world.  Weakening their belief, it binds the people, and particularly the youth, to itself.  Struggling against it with all my strength, I am calling the youth and all Muslims to faith.  I am opposing these unbelieving hoards.  I want to enter the divine presence with this struggle of mine.  This is all I do.  As for those who would prevent me from doing this, I fear they are communists.  For me it is a sacred duty to cooperate with the forces of religion who have embraced the struggle against these enemies of belief.  Release me!  Let me work to reform the youth poisoned by communism and for this country's faith!  Let me serve tawheed.¹²⁴

A conscientious person is duty bound to follow the voice of his conscience and immediately seek ways to serve Allah's religion.  Allah will distinguish His servants who have true faith from those who merely say "I have faith" yet avoid the struggle that faith demands.  Allah states in the Qur’an:

Do people think that they will be left to say, 'We believe,' and they will not be tried? ¹²⁵

In another verse Allah states that believers cannot attain true faith and Paradise unless they struggle against irreligion:

Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while Allah has not made evident those among you who struggle and made evident those who are steadfast?¹²⁶

Conclusion

This book has been written to make the reader realize the danger of religions of irreligion and the responsibility he bears.  Enjoining good and forbidding evil is an important aspect of worship commanded by Allah of believers, who are protectors of one another, and the book is a reminder of this noble responsibility.  Anyone who reads or hears the reminder has one of two choices:  sitting back and saying, "Someone else will do it anyway," or shouldering the responsibility Allah has bestowed upon him and starting to work immediately.

In their struggle against disbelief the prophets and true believers set a good example.  All of the prophets whose stories are related in the Qur’an and the true believers who followed them fought against disbelief and strove throughout history to eliminate irreligious ideologies and convey to people the oneness of Allah.  They used many different methods to spread this message to people, and nothing stopped them.  Their ambition, commitment, patience and courage should be an example to all believers.

Prophet Muhammad (saas) stated that there will be a reward for inviting people to righteousness:

Abu Hurairah narrated that Allah's Messenger (saas) said, “He who calls people to right guidance will have a reward  like the rewards of those who follow it without their rewards being diminished in any respect. And he who calls (people) to misguidance  will carry (the burden) of its sin as much as  those who committed it without their sin being diminished in any respect.”¹²³

In recent history there have been numerous scholars of Islam whose lives were exemplary in this sense.  For instance, Bediüzzaman Said Nursi was a noble person who all through his life struggled against the religions of irreligion under very trying circumstances.  He displayed an unyielding patience and made many sacrifices in an effort to protect his country and people from this threat.  The following statements of Bediüzzaman inspire great zeal to those of conscience and sound mind:

I have only one aim.  At this time as I approach the grave, I hear the hooting of the Bolshevik owls in this country, which is a Muslim land.  The sound is damaging the bases of belief of the Islamic world.  Weakening their belief, it binds the people, and particularly the youth, to itself.  Struggling against it with all my strength, I am calling the youth and all Muslims to faith.  I am opposing these unbelieving hoards.  I want to enter the divine presence with this struggle of mine.  This is all I do.  As for those who would prevent me from doing this, I fear they are communists.  For me it is a sacred duty to cooperate with the forces of religion who have embraced the struggle against these enemies of belief.  Release me!  Let me work to reform the youth poisoned by communism and for this country's faith!  Let me serve tawheed.¹²⁴

A conscientious person is duty bound to follow the voice of his conscience and immediately seek ways to serve Allah's religion.  Allah will distinguish His servants who have true faith from those who merely say "I have faith" yet avoid the struggle that faith demands.  Allah states in the Qur’an:

Do people think that they will be left to say, 'We believe,' and they will not be tried? ¹²⁵

In another verse Allah states that believers cannot attain true faith and Paradise unless they struggle against irreligion:

Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while Allah has not made evident those among you who struggle and made evident those who are steadfast?¹²⁶