Blind Devotion to Sensory and Empirical Science

Empiricists maintain that the world is confined to the physical and sensible. Citing the advances of empirical science as a vindication of their position, they arrogantly deny the truth and validity of anything that lies beyond the scope of empirical investigation. Blinded by this scientistic hubris, they vehemently reject the existence of fitrah. But it is important to note that not all scientists entertain such blind scientism. There are many scientists who, citing the amazing design and order in the world, affirm that there must be an intelligent, supernatural agent at work. Just as the design in a human invention or artistic work points to the existence of an intelligent creator.

Heeding One's Divine Nature

Have you ever been in a situation where you lose hope in everything and everybody? Imagine yourself stranded on the high seas in a ship that is about to drown. You know there is no one around you to hear your calls for help. 

Your electronic communication devices are all broken. How would you feel in such a situation? Would you, lost in utter despair, surrender yourself to death or would you instead invoke the infinite power and mercy of God? 

When on the brink of a devastating calamity, from which no human or natural cause could extricate him. The human being often experiences a peculiar source of hope glimmering within his heart. In the moment of utter despair when there is no longer any hope in natural causes, the human being impulsively turns lo a higher power that can save him. This intuitive and impulsive inclination lo beseech a supreme savior is for the existence of God.

Proving God’s Existence by Recourse to Our Divine Nature (Fitrah)

The human being is endowed with a divine and spiritual nature that intuitively grasps his dependence on God without having to formulate rational reasoning. It is possible and intellectually tenable to appeal to this profound and inherent acquaintance with God to prove His existence. In other words, we can employ this intuitive knowledge to formulate a philosophically fruitful argument for God’s existence. Western and Eastern philosophers alike have invoked the human being’s divine nature (fitrah) in proving God’s existence. They have diverged, of course, in the precise formulation of their arguments. Yet, the main substance of these arguments is the same as they all cite humankind’s nature and innate inclinations. 

Divine Nature Argument

One of the important arguments presented by Muslim theologians and philosophers is the argument from divine nature. Several different versions of this argument have been articulated. Here we will consider only one articulation.

There is a clear and discernible inclination embedded in human nature toward infinite existence and absolute perfection, All human beings partake of an innate tendency to seek a superior being and to draw near to it so as to better fulfill their inward and outward needs and to be able to successfully stave off all the threats and dangers they may encounter. As such, the human being is innately inclined to adore and worship such a superior being. This superior being we call God. And God must of necessity exist, for if God lacks an objective reality, the innate human inclination is rendered futile.

In other words, human beings possess an innate inclination toward God. Innate inclinations must of necessity have a corresponding objective reality (just as the eye requires that there be light in the world and the ear presupposes the existence of sound). Therefore, there must be a corresponding objective reality that is the object of the innate inclination toward God. 

Human inclinations invariably presupposes two sides, both of which must enjoy objective reality: the inclined subject and the object toward which the inclination is directed. Without these two sides, there can be no inclination. In other words, human inclination is a correlation, requiring two sides in order to come about. All correlations in fact presuppose two objective sides. The father-son relationship, for instance, is a correlation, and therefore it cannot be without either father or son. The term son is meaningless unless a correlative father is presupposed. In a correlation, therefore, if one side is objective, its correlative must also be objective.

The same truth holds in relation to human inclinations. Where there is a genuine and objective human inclination, there must be a corresponding object that is also real. This applies not only to the loftier inclinations but also to the animal instincts. The feeling of hunger indicates that there must be corresponding reality that satisfies this urge, that reality being food.

When one experiences the feeling of love and passion, there must be an objective correlative that can satisfy this feeling. The precise nature of that correlative is irrelevant; what we mean is that there must be a correlative for this feeling in objective reality.

It is the same truth that we intend when speaking of the God-seeking inclination in human nature. Since the human being partakes of a natural inclination toward God and since inclinations are correlational, there must be a corresponding objective reality that answers to this  innate inclination. In short, the innate inclination and God are correlatives: The innate inclination is real; therefore. God must also be real.

Based on the theory that there is a common nature that all human beings share, there are certain innate inclinations and intuitions that people of all times and cultures partake of. These inclinations and intuitions may be highlighted as follows:

• Human beings are innately aware of God, God-loving, God-worshipping, and God-seeking, albeit subconsciously.

• Our ultimate beloved and final purpose is God, there is no substitute that can fully satiate this subconscious passion for God. It is only with God that the human being can achieve enduring peace and serenity.

• The human being is by nature a monotheist: His very nature despises polytheism.

• Human beings are incessantly seeking God without knowing it. They are intuitively drawn to the truth, the just, the beautiful, and the perfect. We are captivated by beauty and perfection in whatever form it may appear. We respect and praise virtue on account of the innate inclination within our nature.

• Knowledge of God is embedded in the fabric of our very nature. We are intuitively aware of God in the depths of our souls. As such, unbelief, agnosticism, atheism, and any other form of doubt in God are symptomatic of the corruption and deviation of human nature.

Running Match

Imagine that you were called on to participate in a running match that had a grand prize that would entice even the frailest of people to try their fortune. Yet, to participate you must meet one bizarre condition: To start the race, you must wait for the other runner to start, and he must also wait for you to start running. Each of the two contestants can start running only after the other one starts. Obviously. the race would never take place and the two runners would never start running.