𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐬 𝐃𝐨 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐊𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐃𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐡: 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝑛𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐷𝑎𝑤𝑎ℎ 𝑡𝑜 𝑎 𝑁𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑎𝑟𝑦

This is a refutation of a meme (see video below) that some "Kalam Bros", i.e., Ashʿarī and Māturīdī trolls, have been spreading around, lying about the nature of the arguments used by Salafi Duʿāt when calling non-Muslims to Islam.

Firstly: The argument to establish a necessary being, while logically sound, is flawed in affirming the existence of Allah because it only proves the existence of something that must exist necessarily without specifying what that being is.

Shaykh al Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله (d. 728H) said:

"For this method—despite it being sound without a doubt—its outcome however, is the affirmation of an obligatory existence, and this has not been disputed by any of the intelligent people whose [views are] given consideration. Nor is it from the lofty objectives [in matters of creed], 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵—this being the way traversed by the theologians among the Islāmic Philosophers who followed the Greek Philosophers such as Aristotle and his peripatetic followers... 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 [𝗮𝗿𝗴𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁] 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘆 𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿, 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗿ʿ𝗮𝘂𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗽𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 [𝗕𝗮̄𝘁̣𝗶𝗻𝗶̄] 𝗤𝗮𝗿𝗮̄𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀. And they say: ‘This existence is obligatory in its existence by itself.’ And the statement of the people of the unity [of existence]—those who say that existence is one—also leads to this outcome, for they say, at the end of the affair: ‘There is nothing that exists separate from the heavens and earth, and there is nothing except the existence of the possible existence.’"

📚 Sharḥ al-Aṣbahāniyyah (1430H) pp. 49-50.

Atheists can agree with the conclusion of a necessary existence without conceding to the existence of Allah. They might argue that the universe itself or some aspect of it is the necessary existence, thus bypassing the need for a creator.

The argument does not specify any attributes or characteristics of the necessary being. It merely affirms an abstract existence that is necessary. This lack of specificity means that it does not confirm any particular qualities that would align with Allah as he described Himself in the Quran and Sunnah.

Relying solely on this argument can lead to confusion and misguidance. As Ibn Taymiyyah points out, such arguments were used by past philosophers and led to erroneous conclusions such as the eternity of the universe or the unity of existence (waḥdat al-wujūd), which equates the creator with the creation, which are views of disbelief.

Philosophers like Ibn Sina tried to complete the argument with additional reasoning about composition (tarkīb) and specification (ikhtiṣāṣ), but these augmentations are also flawed. They attempt to differentiate the necessary being from the universe by arguing it must be simple and uncomposed, but this approach still fails to conclusively point to a creator distinct from the universe 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗴𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳.

Secondly: The method Salafis use to give Dawah to Atheist is the arguments we find in the Quran and Sunnah which is to emphasize that the order, complexity, and harmony in the universe are indicative of an intelligent and purposeful Creator. They aim to demonstrate that belief in a Creator is a rational and natural conclusion drawn from the observation of the world. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿. They usually quote these verses:

"𝑂𝑟 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔, (𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡), 𝑜𝑟 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 (𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠)? 𝑂𝑟 𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡ℎ? 𝑅𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑛 (𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑙𝑒𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑔𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒)."

[Surah aṭ-Ṭūr (The Mount), chapter 52:35-26]

Salafis also use analogies like the one Abū Ḥanīfa رحمه الله (d. 150H) uses to established proof of a creator with the Atheists who argued with him;

Some Atheists asked Abū Ḥanīfa:

"What is the proof for the existence of a Maker?

He asked them:

"What do you say about someone who tells you that he had seen a loaded ship without a captain and a crew amidst a raging storm, but sailing well towards a safe harbor (thereby saving itself)? Do you intelligently accept this"?

They said:

"Our reasoning cannot accept this."

Abū Ḥanīfa then commented:

"If your reasoning cannot accept this story of a ship without a leading crew, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗮 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘃𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲?"

📚Darʿ at-Taʿāruḍ al-ʿAql wa-n-Naql 3/127

Ibn Kathīr رحمه الله (d. 774H) says in his Tafsīr for the verse 2:21:

"Indeed, whoever ponders over the things that exist, the higher and lower creatures, their various shapes, colors, behavior, benefits and ecological roles, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗼𝗺, 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲, 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗷𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿.

Once a Bedouin was asked about the evidence to Allah's existence, he responded,

"All praise is due to Allah! The camel's dung testifies to the existence of a camel, and the track testifies to the fact that someone was walking. 𝗔 𝘀𝗸𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀, 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝗲𝗮 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗱, 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀?"

Hence, whoever gazes at the sky in its immensity, its expanse, and the various kinds of planets in it, some of which appear stationary in the sky - whoever gazes at the seas that surround the land from all sides, and the mountains that were placed on earth to stabilize it, so that whoever lives on land, whatever their shape and color, are able to live and thrive - whoever reads Allah's statement: And among the mountains are streaks white and red, of varying colors and (others) very black. And likewise, men and Ad-Dawāb (moving living creatures, beasts), and cattle are of various colors. It is only those who have knowledge among His servants that fear Allah. (35:27-28) Whoever thinks about the running rivers that travel from area to area bringing benefit, whoever ponders over what Allah has created on earth; various animals and plants of different tastes, scents, shapes and colors that are a result of unity between land and water, 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿, 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗼𝗺, 𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝘆, 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗵, 𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝗶𝗺, 𝘂𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝗺 𝘄𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗶𝗺 𝘄𝗲 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲."

We shall now watch (video below) examples of these two approaches in giving Dawah to Atheist:

1. Dawah to a necessary being and the argument of Ibn Sina, employed by the pseudo philosopher 𝗠𝘂𝗵𝗮𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗱 𝗛𝗶𝗷𝗮𝗯, which 𝗗𝗢𝗘𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗔𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗠 𝗔 𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗢𝗥.

2. Dawah to ponder the origins and workings of the universe and the characteristics one observes within their own creation, employed by the Salafi 𝗨𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗱𝗵 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗺𝘀𝗶, which 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿.

For more information on this topic please read this PDF refutation of Muhammad Hijab by Shaykh Abū ʿIyāḍ Amjad Rafīq:

Title: An Argument That Proves Neither a Creator nor the Tawḥīd of the Messengers But Necessitates Rejection of the Attributes, and the Creator Himself:

 🔗https://aqidah.com/creed/assets/docs/hijab-kalam-falsafah-07.pdf

And listen to this lecture also by Shaykh Abū ʿIyāḍ Amjad Rafīq:

Title: Atheism Causes and Cures

🔗https://youtube.com/watch?v=FM0sgnpQUOM