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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Rationality of Islam Belief in Allah It is worth emphasizing that among human thinkers there exists no difference of opinion on the point that this universe has a self-sustaining First Cause. At the most, materialists call it matter, while the religious philosophers call it Allah.

It is essential to acknowledge the existence of the First Cause, for a sequence of causes and effects cannot go on indefinitely and we must reach a point where we should come to a cause which is not the effect of any other cause, i.e. the ultimate cause or the Unmoved Mover, which is self-existing and which has always been and shall always be. It is this Self-Sustaining First Cause which not only makes our intellectual life possible but also quite meaningful.

Suppose for a moment that there is no such First Cause. Where does this lead us? Surely this cause and effect pursuit lands us in what is known in Philosophy as a continuum ad infinitum. This brings our investigation to a blind alley. It marks the beginning of intellectual wilderness, a wild goose chase. You go on piling cause upon cause and effect upon effect only to find still another cause and effect staring you in the face.

Of what earthly use is it to put zero after zero when the result is zero or to place nil after nil when the result is nil? Such is the deception of a certain mental activity and such is its misguidance. It will thus be seen that the only way to get out of this mire is the acknowledgement of the Self- Sustaining First Cause. Belief in the existence of an Eternal and First Cause is the common ground between the believers in God and the materialists.

The only controversial point is whether the First Cause has knowledge and intellect or not. That is the real point of difference. The materialists deny that the First Cause has any intellect. They hold that the first cause is matter, which lacks any intellect or knowledge; whereas the believers in God maintain that the First Source of the universe has limitless knowledge, wisdom and rationality.

How to Recognize God The Universe Now let us cast an eye on the various phenomena of the universe to find out which one supports which of these two theories and to see whether the things existing in the universe indicate that the First Cause has intellect. It will be better to begin with our own body.