HARUN YAHYA
The cartoon caricature recently published in Denmark, which has caused such distress throughout the Islamic world, has once again raised the claim of a “clash of civilizations,” whose flames have been so persistently stoked by certain circles. The caricature in question and the idea of a clash of civilizations are nothing more than reflections of the dark mental framework, tending towards violence, of Darwinist and materialist circles.
Certainly a great intellectual struggle is taking place today, dividing the world into two camps. However, these two sides do not represent Muslims on the one hand and Jews and Christians on the other. On the one hand are those who believe in the existence and oneness of God, and on the other, those who deny His very existence. To put it another way: on the one hand are devout believers in the divine God-inspired religions. And on the other are atheists, and the supporters of Darwinism, and materialists who stand opposed to religious moral values.
This intellectual struggle between believers and deniers has been going on since the dawn of history. Believers in all eras have spoken to others of the existence and oneness of God and called on them to abide by the true religion. Deniers, meanwhile, have made great efforts to turn people away from God and His religious moral values and towards amorality and wickedness. This philosophical struggle is still going on today, between believers in the one God and the materialistic Darwinist mindset that forms the basis of all atheistic ideologies.
Islam Commands Peace and Tolerance
Darwinists’ efforts to encourage a clash between the Islamic and Judeo-Christian civilizations are all in vain. Islam is a religion that commands peace, that calls on people to resolve their differences by way of reconciliation, and that enjoins them to behave with justice and benevolence. Nobody who sincerely abides by the Qur’an and the Sunnah of our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) can ever choose a path of conflict. Devout Muslims are tolerant, forgiving, modest, understanding, gentle, sincere and honest individuals, in line with the moral values commanded by God. A believer who lives by these values is also tolerant towards members of other faiths and belief systems.
One of the finest examples of this is the status of Jews and Christians under Islamic rule in the earliest years of the Islamic period. Anyone looking in an unbiased manner at this period in history will discover that the People of the Book always lived in peace and security under Islamic rule. Indeed, Christians and Jews who were oppressed by rulers of different faiths and sects of the time sought shelter in Islamic lands and found the security they sought in Muslim countries. The chief reason why the People of the Book could live in such peace and comfort is that the behavior that Muslims adopted toward them was determined by Qur’anic moral values.
Past Disagreements Result from Practices Incompatible with Religious Moral Values
At certain times in the past, disagreements between the two civilizations stemmed not from the societies’ respective religious faiths and cultures, but on practices, interpretations and decisions incompatible with religious moral values. The cruelty inflicted during the Crusades was the activity of an aggressive group who claimed to be acting in the name of Christianity, but actually had not the slightest religious morals—and even destroyed Byzantine churches on their way. Their savagery was not the product of authentic Christianity, but of a materialist mindset whose origins go back to pagan Sumerian myths. The Knights Templars, who wreaked such misery in Muslim lands, were a society totally distanced from Christianity, and their perverted beliefs perpetuated some of the Ancient Egyptians’ superstitious traditions.
One of the common goals of all three monotheistic religions is for all peoples to live in peace, security and happiness, and any conflict opposed to this ideal is regarded as an error by all three. Therefore, sincere Muslims, Jews and Christians can never be in conflict with one another.
On the other hand, it is a fact that Darwinists and materialists have targeted religion and religious moral values and combined the many means at their disposal to act together against true believers. To eradicate the negative, destructive effects of atheistic, materialist indoctrination and bring about societies in which proper moral values, happiness, peaceful security and welfare prevail, what needs to be done? An intellectual struggle must be waged against Darwinism and all materialist philosophies, which represent the foundations of atheism. The end of Darwinism will also spell the end of materialism and atheism, and all the problems that distance people from religious moral values can be resolved.
The System of the Dajjal (Antichrist) Is Also Based on Darwinism
Because Darwinism targets all communities and leads mankind into terrible tragedies, the intellectual struggle waged against it should be performed on a wide-ranging, global level. In the teeth of Darwinist propaganda waged intensively in newspapers and magazines, in documentaries and television programs, everyone must be informed that this perverted ideology has absolutely no scientific value—and of the kind of dangerous assumptions it poses. The more people realize that the theory of evolution is in a state of scientific collapse and that Darwinism consists of hollow indoctrination, the less effect its propaganda will exert. Once Darwinism ceases to wield any intellectual influence and no longer encourages populations towards atheism and lack of faith, religious moral values will spread rapidly along with peace and security on Earth.
The great Islamic scholar Bediuzzaman Said Nursi, who concentrated on the intellectual struggle to be waged against Darwinist and materialist philosophies, underscored the fact that in the end times, this intellectual struggle would assume an even greater importance. Bediuzzaman stated that the Dajjal—the worst corruption of the end times—would assume the leadership of Darwinist and materialist movements. He warned Muslims of this specifically:
A tyrannical current born of Naturalist and Materialist philosophy will gradually become strong and spread at the end of time by means of materialist philosophy, reaching such a degree that it denies God. . . . And the greatest of them, the Dajjal, who will come to lead them, will manifest awesome wonders, a sort of spiritualism and hypnosis; he will go even further, and imagining his tyrannical, superficial rule to be a sort of dominicality, he will proclaim his godhead. (Letters, "Fifteenth Letter")
As Bediuzzaman suggests, Darwinism is the main vehicle, and indeed the religion, of the Dajjal. The system of the Dajjal leads people towards denial, atheism and immorality, using Darwinism as a supposedly scientific rationale for doing so. Thus for some Muslims to say that there is no need for an intellectual campaign against Darwinism is much like saying that there is no need to fight against the system of the Dajjal, which ill befits any Muslim. Asking, “Why fight Darwinism?” is equivalent to saying, “So what if the Dajjal spreads corruption to his heart’s content? It is of no concern to us.” Saying, “Darwinism is hardly that important,” means ignoring the activities of the Dajjal. No sincere Muslim can cover up or conceal the actions of the Dajjal. On the contrary, Muslims must seek to expose the Dajjal’s plots and frauds, and to eradicate his system on a systematic, intellectual basis.
The Struggle against Darwinism Must Be an Intellectual One
Darwinism cannot be eradicated with weapons, or acts of violence or aggression. It can be neutralized only by emphasizing the scientific evidence. In one hadith, our Prophet (may God bless him and grant him peace) has revealed that in the end times, the system of the Dajjal will melt away “like salt in water,” comparing the system that would intellectually eradicate it to water:
When the enemy of God [Dajjal] sees him [Jesus, son of Mary], he will [disappear] just as salt dissolves in water. (Sahih Muslim)
The “water” that will dissolve the system of the Dajjal in the end times is knowledge. Salt cannot be dissolved by burning or bombing it; it can only be washed away. Darwinism will also disappear when the invalidity of the theory of evolution is explained in high schools and universities. Aggressive and radical movements such as communism, fascism, racism, terrorism and anarchism will lose all support once Darwinism is defeated. The system of the Dajjal, the cause of chaos and corruption upon Earth, will vanish intellectually.
Why Do Some People Seek to Avoid the Intellectual Struggle Against Darwinism?
Some are ill-informed, imagining that Darwinism is based on scientific foundations and supported by countless proofs. Such people erroneously believe that evolution is a powerful hypothesis and imagine that no one can oppose ideologies that seem so strongly scientific. They believe that this theory, unfounded and outdated, which has sought to deceive by means of lies and fraud for almost two centuries, is actually based on an unshakeable foundation.
The fact is, however, that the theory of evolution, which has long been kept alive solely through intense propaganda and fraud, is only a deceptive speculation. Science does not support the theory of evolution at all. No scientific findings whatsoever support evolution; on the contrary, they refute it. The reason why the theory of evolution is kept constantly in the spotlight, despite its being deceptive, is because it’s undertaken for ideological reasons, providing the foundation for atheism and materialism.
Some Muslims, taken in by its entirely speculative methods which magnify it in their eyes, imagine that they can never overcome it, and thus seek to give the theory an Islamic slant. Not wanting to oppose science, they try to chart a middle way between the theory of evolution, which they assume to be scientific, and Islam—and to back up these claims, use pagan beliefs left over from societies as old as the Sumerians, quoting people they regard as great scholars to give the impression that “this is what the religion says.” Yet this passive, conciliatory approach is a clear excuse for not engaging in an intellectual struggle against Darwinism.
Since they fear they cannot overcome Darwinism on the intellectual level, such people engage in a defeatist campaign. Yet for a true Muslim with a sincere belief in God and who appreciates His great might, such a method is utterly humiliating to wage a passive, defeatist campaign. There can be no question of opposing Darwinism by saying “we actually believe the same thing.” Muslims believe the truth that God has created all things. Therefore it is impossible for a Muslim to share the same beliefs as a Darwinist. It is not possible for a Muslim who fears God as he ought to advocate the same ideas and ideology; a Muslim must engage on a clear, optimistic intellectual struggle against Darwinism.
People unaware of this fact and claiming that man developed through evolution may be asked how the jinn and angels were created. They will of course reply, “God created them.” Surely, any Muslim who knows that God created the jinn and angels must be able to reason that God created Man in the same way. They are so confused that they cannot realize that our Almighty Lord, Who created the angles with the simple command “Be!” created Man in the exact same way.
For people who fail to perceive the danger of Darwinism and the struggle it wages against faith in God, it would be much better to say nothing at all rather than employ mistaken methods. Resorting to incorrect and irrational methods out of a concern that they are not strong enough to prevail in the struggle is a mistake. It is a grave error and lack of responsibility towards God not to perceive that Darwinism is a terrible danger that must be opposed with all one’s might and completely eliminated.
What Can People Do to Support the Intellectual Struggle against Darwinism?
Every Muslim who hopes to neutralize the corruption of the Dajjal must strive against Darwinism on the intellectual plane. The evidence that undermines the theory of evolution must be explained, copied and disseminated. It is impossible for even a single protein to come into existence by chance. Life cannot emerge from inanimate matter. The complex structure of the cell and its organelles cannot be explained in terms of coincidence. And not a single fossil indicates that living things are descended from one another. Mutations and natural selection cannot give rise to any new species—all of which refute the deceptions of Darwinism.
The technological means presently available are a great blessing for Muslims, making the intellectual struggle against Darwinism and materialism a great deal easier and faster. There are hundreds of articles, books, documentaries, CDs and web sites that present full supporting evidence for the invalidity of Darwinism. Everyone who wants to take part in the intellectual campaign against Darwinism can make use of these by copying and distributing them.
If you wish to participate, there’s a great deal you can do. You can analyze the hundreds of works already published on the subject. You can read books on the subject, then pass them on to others, and ask them to do the same once they have read them. You can photocopy a great many books and hand them out. There are hundreds of books and articles on the Internet available free of charge that you can download, print out, and distribute to neighbors and colleagues. You can copy extracts from these works to Internet chat rooms and forums, thus revealing the facts about Darwinism to hundreds of people at once.
You can obtain documentaries on the subject to watch at home, at work or in school. You can then copy them and enable even more people to watch. You can get hold of audiocassettes and listen to them, and have others do the same.
You can prepare posters for school or at work, displaying evidence that the theory of evolution is invalid. Posters, stickers and pictures for that purpose are available for free over the Internet. Or you can photocopy illustrations from books and summaries of articles and use these as well.
You can donate these books to local libraries and set up a book club, giving many people access to the truth.
If people genuinely wish to become involved, there is much that they can do. The important thing is not to fall into the error of thinking “What good can I accomplish by myself?” What matters is how much everyone makes use of the genuine means available, whatever they may be. It is Almighty God Who will bring about the results, Who will reward those who make sincere endeavors. It is revealed in the Qur’an that everyone will enjoy the full reward for his efforts:
. . . That man will have nothing but what he strives for;that his striving will most certainly be seen;that he will then receive repayment of the fullest kind;that the ultimate end is with your Lord. (Qur’an, 53: 39-42)
Conclusion
Muslims have a responsibility to wage an intellectual struggle until no corruption remains on Earth. Today’s most serious and dangerous form of corruption is Darwinism. Instead of erroneously thinking, “Darwinism is a matter for scientists, of no concern to me,” Muslims need to intellectually neutralize this ideology that is still responsible for so much oppression. Anything less would mean turning a blind eye to cruelty—a grave responsibility that no true believer would ever wish to assume.
Remember also that the intellectual struggle of true believers has already been won! Believers will inevitably overcome all atheistic ideologies, Darwinism included. God imparts these glad tidings in the Qur’an:
As for those who make God their friend, and His messenger and those who believe: it is the party of God who are victorious! (Qur’an, 5: 56)
Therefore, the faithful must act in the confidence that their struggle against atheism will be victorious, and strive for the honor of defending the truth. By the will of God, the corruption of Darwinism will come to an end, and our Lord’s truth will triumph over superstition. But believers must work to reap the rewards of this intellectual victory.
No comments:
Post a Comment