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Overwhelmingly Intellectual Answers to an Atheist by Dr Zakir Naik
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00:00Hello, Dr. Zakir Naik. My name is Harris. I'm from Phoenix, Arizona in the United States.
00:06I'm an entrepreneur and a marketing manager.
00:10Two of my friends in America have converted watching YouTube videos of you.
00:16One of them a Christian, one of them an atheist.
00:19One of my friends presented me with how to deal with an atheist DVD of yours, which I did watch.
00:28But that didn't answer my question.
00:30And I've asked this question to a lot of people with no satisfactory answers, a lot of intelligent people.
00:36Of all the scholars that I've ever watched on YouTube, in my opinion, you are the most rational, logical, easy
00:44-to-understand kind of scholar that I've ever come across in my life.
00:50And it is really important that this question is answered because I've never had a satisfactory answer for this question.
00:56My question is like a coin with two sides.
00:59The first side of it is this, and this is the question.
01:02I'm somewhere between an atheist and agnostic.
01:04I'm not sure where.
01:07God has created this entire universe.
01:09And the Quran speaks a lot about how it has taken so many days and mountains and this and that.
01:15And life is going to be a test and whatnot.
01:17My question is, way before God decided to create this entire universe, before He decided to put human beings, before
01:28He decided to send Prophet Muhammad or Adam and Eve,
01:31way before He even planned about doing any of this, He knew the end result of it.
01:38He knows, in the end, He will be disappointed by certain people and He will throw them in hellfire.
01:44He knows they will be burning.
01:46He knows they will be tortured and that is when they will be repenting for what they've done.
01:51Way before He created the entire universe, He knows the outcome is going to be bad.
01:57It may be good for certain people who are in heaven, but He knows that He can save those people
02:02from being in hell.
02:03Way before He even decided to go ahead with the creation.
02:06Yet, He decides to go ahead with it, with all His godly logic.
02:12Why would He want to do that?
02:14The question, if I can just put it in this manner, how can God be so sadistic that He would
02:19actually go ahead with a plan,
02:20which He knows is going to end up in that manner?
02:22That's the first side of the coin.
02:23The second side of the coin is, for some reason, if I believe that, okay, God is almighty and He
02:29understands, everything is great, God is great.
02:32Why is God insisting in the Quran that, look at the mountains, look at the protons, the electrons, this and
02:39that, everything is so synchronized, how amazing I am.
02:41Why is He forcing us to find His creation amazing when it is a piece of cake for God?
02:46I mean, He just had to say, Kun, and it was done.
02:49Then why is it a big deal if God has made this entire universe which is so amazing?
02:53Because for God, it's nothing.
02:55So, I should not be really amazed at His creation.
02:57He can do much more than this.
02:59So, I do not understand why He wants us to respect what He has done or find it amazing what
03:03He has done.
03:05The brother asked a very good question and a very intellectual question.
03:09It's a very good question.
03:11And he has seen some of my tapes on YouTube, even of atheism.
03:16And this question that is troubling him, he hasn't got the answer to.
03:20The brother asked a question that Almighty God knows everything before He created the heaven and the earth, before He
03:27created a human being.
03:29Even if one person goes to hell, he could have avoided that.
03:34I mean, he could avoid being disappointed.
03:36Of course.
03:37I'll reply.
03:38The brother said, even if one person goes to hell, it is as though God would be disappointed.
03:45Now, coming to your question, I started a school.
03:48I started a school.
03:50And you may have heard Islam International School.
03:54If a teacher takes an examination, if she's just, while she is giving the examination, she writes in the maths
04:04paper, 2 plus 2 is equal to how much?
04:06The student in front of her or him, the teacher, writes 5.
04:12She can very well tell the student, change 5 to 4.
04:17Would it be just on the teacher during the test and examination to correct the student who's writing a wrong
04:25answer?
04:26Right.
04:26But if she has an option that the student doesn't need to do any of that and still just go
04:29and get the student...
04:30I'm asking you a simple question.
04:31I'm asking you a simple question.
04:33The teacher has given the question paper.
04:35Right.
04:35All the students have informed about it.
04:37Yes, you're right.
04:37For that particular situation, it's fine.
04:39For that particular situation, the teacher can tell.
04:43Dear student, change 5 to 4.
04:45What will the other students think about?
04:47Unjust.
04:48But God can be just at the same time.
04:50He can create a completely different condition.
04:53He doesn't have to go ahead with that situation.
04:54He's not bound by any situation.
04:56Brother is saying, Almighty God can create something which is perfect and will not be mistaken.
05:01That God has already done.
05:02He created the angels.
05:04God created the angels.
05:06The angels never go against any commandment of God.
05:10But human being is a better creation than angel.
05:13The angels have got no free will of their own.
05:15If you have heard my tapes, if you have not heard, I'll tell you now.
05:18The angels are a creation of Almighty God, but not the best creation.
05:21Almighty God created the human beings.
05:24The human beings have a free will to go against God or to follow God.
05:28If you have chosen to be a human being, if you disobey His commandments, you go to hell.
05:33If you obey His commandments, you are superior than the angel.
05:36Because the angel doesn't have a free will of his own.
05:40Then he follows God.
05:41It's nothing great.
05:42The human beings are the better creation of Almighty God.
05:47Almighty God has given a free will.
05:49That's a different question that Almighty God knows.
05:52Because He has ilm-e-gayb.
05:54He has knowledge of the future.
05:56He is more superior.
05:57So He has created such a creation which has a free will.
06:01The fault is of human being, not God.
06:04No, but God has created us with that fault.
06:06And He knows He can avoid that.
06:08Not fault.
06:09It's not fault, brother.
06:10It is free will.
06:10But why has He given us a free will that He knows He's going to eventually put these many people
06:14in hell?
06:15Why is He doing something?
06:16That is a different creation.
06:18Would you want to create something which can think on its own or would you want to?
06:22Why would someone so compassionate be?
06:24Brothers, that's what I'm telling you.
06:25What you want, God has already created an angel.
06:28I'm asking you, which is better?
06:30An angel following Almighty God or a human being following Almighty God?
06:33Which is better?
06:34For me, absolutely.
06:35If I get a second chance, I would want to be an angel.
06:37Why would I risk going to hell?
06:38Correct.
06:40That's why Almighty God says in Surah Araf, chapter number 7, verse number 172,
06:45Almighty God brought all the human beings from the loin of Adam and asked them,
06:50is there one God?
06:51All agreed.
06:52Almighty God says in Surah Hashr, chapter 59, verse number 21,
06:56if Almighty God revealed the Quran on the mountain, the mountain would shudder down.
07:02Almighty God says in Surah Azaf, chapter 33, verse number 72,
07:06it is the human beings who were fools who said we want to be human beings, you and I.
07:11You and I were fools.
07:12Now you cannot backtrack.
07:14Once you said you want to appear for the test, once you read the test, paper 2,
07:18Nobody asked me.
07:19That's what...
07:20They asked Adam and Eve.
07:21No, brother.
07:22Quran says every human being was asked.
07:24And then it is washed off.
07:26This memory is washed off.
07:28If the memory is away the test, Almighty God says in the Quran,
07:31do you want to be a human being?
07:33If you become a human being, you can become superior to an angel or can get inferior.
07:39If you don't want to become a human being, just pass.
07:42Even for argument's sake, even in that condition...
07:44Please let me complete.
07:45You ask the question.
07:47All right, go ahead.
07:48If you interject, I will answer.
07:49Sure, go ahead.
07:50So Almighty God asked the human beings and the Quran says we human beings were fools.
07:55You and I both were fools who opted for the test.
08:01Now once you undergo a test, if you follow the commandment after free will,
08:05you'll be superior to an angel.
08:07If you disobey Allah, you become inferior to an angel.
08:11We wanted to pass with distinction, you and I.
08:14You and I.
08:15You told, I don't remember.
08:17Of course you will not remember.
08:19And even I don't remember.
08:20But I believe in the Quran.
08:22On the Day of Judgment, Almighty God says not a single human being will object to the justice of Allah.
08:29That will come to know on the Day of Judgment.
08:31Only thing we'll say, please give us one more chance.
08:34Almighty God will say it's too late.
08:36Because if He wants to give you a new chance, then I'll have to come back in the world again.
08:41Again everyone.
08:41So those who failed, He can't get only the failures.
08:46So the Quran says no one will ever object on the justice of Allah.
08:50They will request Allah give us one more chance.
08:53Almighty God is too late.
08:54Almighty God gives us chances in this world itself.
08:57You make a mistake, Allah gives you a chance to repent.
09:01You repent.
09:02Allah forgives you.
09:03Again you make a mistake.
09:04Once you die, it's only one.
09:06So as far as the first question is concerned, why did God create?
09:10Because it's a better creation.
09:12Any logical person, including you, has to agree that a person who has a free will is a better creation
09:18than a person who has no free will.
09:20Only a question you don't remember is perfectly right.
09:22When you die, when you're resurrected, that time you and I will meet.
09:26Then you will say, I remember.
09:28Even I don't remember now.
09:30But I have faith in the Quran that Quran cannot be wrong.
09:33Because scientifically, if you heard my lecture, 80% of the Quran is 100% matching with science.
09:4120% is ambiguous.
09:42Neither right, neither wrong.
09:43So my logic says, when 80% is 100% correct, and not even 0.1% of the 20
09:49% is wrong.
09:50So my logic says, even this 20% would be right.
09:53I'm a scientific person.
09:55I'm a logical person.
09:56So I believe in the statement of the Quran that we chose.
10:00If you wouldn't have chosen, you could have questioned God.
10:02Why did you make me a human being?
10:04Then God would have been at fault.
10:07But God says in the Quran, He asked, the mountains were afraid.
10:12Everything else was afraid.
10:14We human beings opted for this.
10:17But do you remember being asked?
10:18I don't remember being asked.
10:20Brother, if you heard my answer, even I don't remember.
10:24But if you remember, where is the test?
10:27Imagine if a teacher teaches you something.
10:30Teacher teaches you something.
10:32Teacher gives you the book.
10:33The teacher has to take away the book for the test.
10:36If the teacher says, okay, take the book and answer.
10:38Where is the test?
10:40Okay.
10:40But why?
10:42After the examination is over, you can go home and check or not.
10:46But even before the exam began, God knows.
10:48Brother, listen to me.
10:50After the examination is over, can you go and check home or not in the textbook?
10:54Absolutely.
10:54But during the examination, can you check?
10:56No.
10:57So now the examination is going on, brother.
10:59Once it's over, you can check.
11:02If you tell teacher, teacher, I want to see the textbook, I don't remember.
11:07During the examination, you cannot refer to the textbook.
11:10It will be called cheating.
11:12Correct?
11:13So once the examination is over, if you don't remember, you tell God, what is this illogical?
11:19But Quran says not a single human being will object to the justice.
11:25Let the test get over.
11:26So today, I being a scientific person, I being a logical person, based on my knowledge of science,
11:33based on my logic, when I read the other scriptures, and when I read the Quran, I find Quran is
11:39the only book,
11:40only religious scripture on the face of the earth, which passes this test.
11:44So therefore, I, being a scientific person, being a logical person, agree, okay, fine.
11:50This statement of the Quran also has to be right.
11:52I don't remember.
11:53That is the test.
11:54If I remember, where is the test?
11:56So that answers the first part of the question.
11:59First part, that saying that God was sadist.
12:04God is not sadist.
12:06For example, I start a medical college.
12:09I want the school students to go to medical.
12:12How many students who go to school, enter the medical college?
12:15Just roughly, can you guess?
12:17Few.
12:18Surely less than 5%.
12:20Less than maybe 1%.
12:23So, why did you make a college where only 1% can enter?
12:27Fine.
12:27It is for selected few.
12:29Same way God made heaven.
12:32Janna, Jannath-e-Firdaus.
12:34Everyone cannot go to Jannath-e-Firdaus.
12:36Why not?
12:37Sorry?
12:38Why not?
12:39Why can't everyone go to medical college?
12:42Because it's human capacity.
12:43If humans were capable of being able to put everyone to medical college, they would.
12:47That's the way we are made.
12:49So, same way everyone cannot become a doctor.
12:52Only those who have the capacity.
12:54Same way everyone cannot go to Jannath-e-Firdaus.
12:57The high levels of paradise.
12:58We have to strive.
12:59God has given you capacity.
13:01If you don't follow His guidance, you cannot.
13:03If you follow His guidance, to go to Janna is very easy.
13:08If you are intelligent, it's very easy.
13:10If you are intelligent.
13:12And if you are truthful to yourself, but if you are not truthful to yourself, even a non-intelligent
13:18man can go to Janna.
13:20Only thing you should be truthful.
13:22God has given you different options how to follow Him.
13:26Some people think they are smart.
13:30I tell them they are extra smart.
13:32If they were smart, they would see it as crystal clear.
13:36In black and white.
13:37That this is the word of God.
13:39You have to follow it.
13:40That's the reason Francis Bacon said.
13:43Little knowledge of science makes you an atheist.
13:47In-depth knowledge of science makes you a believer in God.
13:51So, I wouldn't say God is sadist.
13:53I said we were fools who opted to undergo the test.
13:58Not God.
13:59God gave you an option.
14:02What you want to be, we chose.
14:04So, we are responsible, not God.
14:06God is not a sadist.
14:08We are fools.
14:09That's what the Quran says.
14:10On the day of judgment, you will come to know, inshallah, you and I both.
14:15Inshallah, if I go to Janna, inshallah, inshallah.
14:18I'll pray to God, I'll thank God.
14:20You know, I was a good person.
14:21I choose to be a human being.
14:23If you pass that.
14:23If you fail, then we will curse our own self.
14:26Hope that answers the question.
14:27The second part?
14:29Sorry, what was the second part?
14:30That even if I believe how almighty he is, how knowledgeable he is,
14:34why is he so bent on convincing us,
14:36look at the mountains, look at the electrons, look at the protons?
14:39The second part of the question was,
14:42that why does almighty God give references of the mountain that has created this?
14:47For him, it is peanut.
14:48So why is he talking?
14:50You know why is he saying?
14:51He is saying, these peanut things, mountain, they would shudder.
14:55You human being who are superior, why don't you understand?
14:58Quran says in Surah Hashar chapter 59 verse 21,
15:02had the Quran been revealed on the mountain,
15:04the mountain would have fallen down to utter ruin.
15:08But to us human beings, it makes no difference.
15:11Giving these examples to show that these things which are so powerful,
15:15the mountains, etc. which he has created,
15:17would have submitted the will.
15:20Why don't you human being do?
15:22He is trying to give an example that we are fools.
15:26He is not trying to praise himself.
15:28And whenever he asks us to praise him,
15:31or when he says, we say, Allah Akbar,
15:34God is the greatest.
15:36Do you think it will change Allah? No.
15:40Whether you say a thousand times,
15:42Allah Akbar,
15:42or a million times,
15:44he cannot become greater,
15:45he is already the greatest.
15:47The reason we say these things is because,
15:50it is our human mentality,
15:52our human nature,
15:53that we follow the people who are famous,
15:56we follow the people who we praise.
15:58For example,
15:59your mother has a heart attack.
16:02There is unknown person on the street,
16:04who gives you the treatment.
16:07And you heard that the best heart specialist in the world is Dr. X.
16:12Now, will you follow Dr. X's advice,
16:15or the person on the street who you don't know?
16:17Dr. X.
16:18Why?
16:18Because Dr. X is famous.
16:20People know him.
16:21He is the best in the world.
16:22So the reason in our salah,
16:24in our life,
16:25we say Allah Akbar,
16:27Allah is the greatest,
16:28Allah is the most wise,
16:29Allah is the most intelligent.
16:30Why?
16:31If we say that it doesn't benefit Allah,
16:34it benefits us.
16:36That if we praise Him,
16:37we follow Him.
16:38If we follow,
16:39we go to Jannah.
16:40To Allah,
16:40it makes no difference.
16:43Therefore,
16:44Allah says,
16:45will you not then believe?
16:46Will you not then understand?
16:48That means the Quran is revealed to the people
16:50for understanding.
16:52So He is giving this example,
16:53not to make Himself great.
16:56He is always the greatest.
16:58Whether you say a million times,
16:59Allah is the greatest,
17:00it will not make a difference to Allah.
17:02He is telling it to you.
17:04Allah says in the Quran,
17:05Allah does not require you,
17:08you require Him.
17:09So when we praise Him,
17:11it is human psychology
17:11that the person you praise,
17:13person you talk great about,
17:16you tend to follow His advice.
17:18By following His advice,
17:19it will benefit you,
17:20it will not benefit Him.
17:21He is already the greatest.
17:23He is already the merciful.
17:24So these are rules and regulations laid down.
17:27He is our creator.
17:28He knows our mindset.
17:29You are a student of science,
17:30correct?
17:31I am also a student of science.
17:33The moment I come to know,
17:35Allah mentioned these scientific facts
17:37which we came to know today,
17:3950 years back,
17:40it increases my faith in Allah.
17:42Allah says in Surah Fusila,
17:45chapter 41,
17:46verse 53,
17:52Soon we shall show them our signs
17:54in the furthest regions of the horizons
17:56and into their soul
17:57until it is clear to them
17:58that this is the truth.
17:59So Allah is giving these examples
18:02so that it benefits us.
18:03For Him,
18:04it makes no difference.
18:07It is benefiting us
18:08so He is giving us a chance
18:11to follow Him
18:12so that we can go to heaven.
18:14Hope that answers the question brother.
18:15I recognize His power
18:17and I understand He is amazing
18:18and all that that He has done.
18:20But am I expected to be amazed
18:22at His achievements
18:23at creating this universe?
18:24Because for me,
18:25for Him,
18:25it's like a one second job.
18:27Correct.
18:27Right?
18:28So for Him,
18:29which is one second job,
18:30when He tells you not to have alcohol,
18:32if you realize...
18:33I wouldn't have alcohol,
18:33sure,
18:34but am I expected to be
18:35amazed at His creation?
18:37No, see,
18:37the thing is that
18:38He is not there
18:39to prove Himself better.
18:40If you believe that
18:41for Him it is peanuts,
18:43so will a person lie?
18:44No.
18:45So if He says
18:46don't have alcohol,
18:47you will not question Him.
18:48No.
18:49Don't have pork,
18:49you will not question Him.
18:51Yeah,
18:51but I'm not amazed
18:52at His creation
18:52because for Him it's nothing.
18:54Compared to us,
18:55it's amazing.
18:55For Him it's nothing.
18:56Right.
18:57But compared to us,
18:59a person who can create
19:00the universe,
19:01when He tells me
19:02not to have alcohol,
19:04I immediately follow.
19:06Sure,
19:06I don't mind following Him,
19:07but do I have to be amazed
19:08at His creation
19:09as is said in the Quran?
19:11See,
19:12as you ask me the question,
19:13should I be amazed
19:14at the creation?
19:15Right.
19:16I would say,
19:17if I believe human being
19:19is a better creation,
19:20then yes,
19:21I'm amazed
19:22and then I say,
19:23Alhamdulillah.
19:23He has made me
19:24better than that.
19:26So if I'm amazed,
19:27He made the mountains,
19:28He made the stars,
19:29He made the sun,
19:30ah,
19:31but He made Zakir Naik also.
19:33He made a human being.
19:35And we are the best of creation.
19:37So He gives these examples
19:38so that we realize
19:40what benefit He has given to us.
19:43All the favors He has given to us.
19:45Talking about the sands,
19:46talking about the protons,
19:47talking about the mountains.
19:49Finally,
19:49He says,
19:50human beings
19:51are the best creation.
19:52So in comparison,
19:54we have to agree
19:56that our creator
19:57has created this human body,
19:59the molecules,
20:00the DNA,
20:01the complex thing,
20:02which can never come by chance.
20:04So in this way,
20:06we are amazed
20:07at the creation
20:08of the human being.
20:09And then,
20:10we submit to Him.
20:12If you are not amazed,
20:14only by being amazed,
20:16we submit
20:17that He is our creator,
20:19He is worth worshipping.
20:21No one else can do that.
20:22This is so that
20:24we worship Him
20:25and we pass the test
20:27and we go to paradise.
20:29Hope that answers the question.
20:30If Bill Gates gives me $100,
20:33should I be amazed
20:33that he has given me that money?
20:35I believe that the question
20:36has been answered
20:36and unfortunately,
20:37we are very constricted for time.
20:39You are welcome
20:39to come back tomorrow,
20:40inshaAllah.
20:41As with all of the brothers
20:42and sisters,
20:43we have come to the end
20:44of tonight's session.
20:45So please,
20:46a very big thank you.
20:47class is that
20:48if Bill Gates
20:49gives you $100,
20:51Will you get amazed?
20:54Brother,
20:55the question is,
20:57why should Bill Gates
20:58give you $100?
21:04If you tell me,
21:06a Tom, Dick and Harry
21:07gives you $100,
21:08nothing to be amazed.
21:09Bill Gates
21:10gave me $100.
21:14It's something
21:15that he gave you,
21:16why did he give you,
21:17why not somebody else?
21:18Why?
21:19The question is,
21:20why did he give you
21:21is the question.
21:22Okay.
21:23If some Tom, Dick and Harry
21:24gives you,
21:25if a man on the street
21:26gave you $100,
21:28Bill Gates.
21:31got it.
21:31Got it.
21:32Got it,
21:33I got that.
21:34So now you're convinced,
21:35absolutely.
21:36That is the answer.
21:37So inshaAllah,
21:38I hope
21:39that you'll come closer
21:40to Islam.
21:41So I should not be amazed
21:42at the fact that
21:42he's giving me the money.
21:43I should be amazed
21:44it's him who's giving the money.
21:46Alhamdulillah.
21:47Got it.
21:47So it was worth
21:48the time extending.
21:50Alhamdulillah.