Avoiding Truth Will Leave You Astray

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan speech
Published in Muslim Murasu, December 2012

The concept of atheism gained currency during the sixteenth century. Some thinkers converted it into a movement in the next two centuries and it became a lifestyle. The likes of David Hume, John Stuart Mill, Karl Marx and Sigmund Freud propagated atheism.
Science did not directly deal with the subject of God. Yet scientists started expressing their opinions on this. Most scientists have been believers in God. Very few have professed atheism. Newton, Copernicus and Sir Arthur Eddington are among the believers.
In 1954, Einstein wrote a letter to an Israeli philosopher. He said there is no God, God is only an imagination out of human weaknesses. This letter recently was auctioned for three million dollars.
God has always been debated throughout the entire human history. Reason is that we are confronted by a vast, massive universe in front of our eyes. It is human nature to question and search for answers.
Einstein died at an age of 76. He spent his last thirty years researching about something called Unified Field Theory. It is an attempt to explain the entire universe with a single theory. He had a deep quest in him that came out of countless things observed through microscope and telescope. He couldn’t find a convincing answer and died in frustration.
Now scientists are pursuing the same in the name of Theory of Everything. They have spent hundred million dollar but mystery still remains. Human body is found to contain more than ten trillion cells. There is no conclusive answer. Observatories set in space are only increasing our surprise and amazement many times. New galaxies are being discovered.
A perfect order is evident in the universe. It appears well controlled and harmonious. Famous scientist Fred Hoyle opines that there is a sharp intelligence behind the functioning of the universe. He explains this in his book Intelligent Universe.
Matter was considered the building block of the universe during the time of Newton. Energy became focal point during Einstein’s period. Now during the period of Fred Hoyle, intelligence is supposed to be the main driving force. Problem still remains unsolved. Science is taking us from atheism towards Oneness of God.
Surah Yunus, 10, verse 32 – ‘fa maazaa bahdal haqqi illal Lalaal’. Apart from the truth, only error remains.