In the Rainbow City in the Silk Province in the Star Kingdom, Mohammad Azzumurrud, the Arab and Muslim Koran memorizer, is still sharing his knowledge with his twenty Chinese friends (Yueliang Jian, Taiyang Jian, Junjie Song, Liling Heng, Mei Shun, Ji Biming, An Bo, Chang Dequan, Cong Fai, Jiang Qi, Wen Yu, Zhong Ming, Guotin Chuanli, Baozhai Aiguo, Chyou Bolin, Daiyu Chaoxiang, Fen Huizhong, Ju Jianyu, Nuo Park and Shu Qianfan) in regular knowledge sharing sessions held at the Merlin School. After Mohammad explained Islam in detail to his friends, he called his non-Muslim Chinese friends to convert to Islam in this beautiful conversation:
Mohammad: Huang, Xiuying, Dingbang, Liling and Mei have already embraced Islam. Dear Ji, An, Chang, Cong, Jiang, Wen, Zhong, Guotin, Baozhai, Chyou, Daiyu, Fen, Ju, Nuo and Shu, please convert to Islam immediately so that you will be safe in the Hereafter on the Day of Judgment. Please convert to Islam immediately so that you are salvaged from Hellfire and become eligible to enter Paradise. If you embrace Islam, we will be together in Paradise in the Hereafter on the Day of Judgment, Allah willing. If you reject Islam after the message of Islam has been conveyed to you sufficiently, Allah will punish you in Hellfire in the Hereafter on the Day of Judgment. If you reject Islam, I fear for you the torment of a mighty Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection).
Chyou: Thank you, Mohammad, for everything that you taught us, for your great concern for us and for being very caring and considerate. Islam looks the perfect religion for me. However, can you provide us with further evidence that Islam is the only true religion so that we embrace Islam with full certainty and know for sure that our choice of Islam cannot but be the correct choice.
Mohammad: Thank you, Chyou, for your lovely words that I appreciate much. Of course, I will provide you with strong evidence and arguments to corroborate Islam and its absolute truthfulness. The first argument I will present is The Argument of the Strong Correlation between Islam and True Logic. This argument demonstrates that Islam chimes with true logic and that true logic supports Islam. The term 'true logic' is significant here to distinguish it from 'false logic' that is based on incorrect premises and/or incorrect conclusions.
The Argument of the Strong Correlation between Islam and True Logic
Islam or particularly the Islamic faith is harmonious with true logic and they are strongly correlated. This correlation strongly suggests and indicates that Islam is the only true religion because it originated from Allah, the One and Only True God, who sets the rules of universe, true logic and the true religion. A religion that contradicts true logic is obviously false. A religion that chimes with false logic is apparently false as well. Only the true religion chimes with true logic and they reinforce one another. To explain this argument, let us begin with this logical proof that is called The Proof of the Oneness of Truth and the Multiplicity of Falsehood. This proof shows that logic corroborates Islam and stands with it against false religions and philosophies.
The candid, pure, wise and rational mind does not accept contradictions and knows by instinct that any contradiction represents a conflict between truth and falsehood. The Arabic poet said:
أقبح ما يأتي من المحال
إثبات ضدين معاً في حال
“Confirming two contradictory statements together in one state (or at the same time); is the ugliest form of the impossible.”
Malik Bin Anas, one of the prominent Muslim scholars, once said: “The Truth cannot but be one. Two contradictory statements can be all true?! The Truth and the correct statement cannot but be one.” [AB-15].
The Proof of the Oneness of Truth and the Multiplicity of Falsehood
One core Islamic belief is that Islam is the only true religion and that all other religions and philosophies are false (completely or partially). Judaism and Christianity are false religions but they are a special case of false religions because they contain a mixture of Truth and falsehood. Jews and Christians were following Islam when they were following the Torah and the Gospel before they altered and corrupted these two holy Books of Allah. After Jews altered and corrupted the Torah and after Christians altered and corrupted the Gospel, they deviated from Islam that Prophet Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus) brought to them from Allah. So how does logic corroborate and support Islam with regard to the creed that Islam is the only true religion and that all other religions and philosophies are false? Logic stands with Islam against all other competitors by The Proof of the Oneness of Truth and the Multiplicity of Falsehood. This proof shows that according to pure logic, there must be one and only one true religion or philosophy and that all other religions and philosophies other than the true religion or philosophy are false (partially or completely). The proof goes as follows:
Premises:
1. A religion/philosophy has a set of beliefs (at least one belief).
2. Every two religions/philosophies contradict one another by at least one belief. Otherwise, they would be identical.
Conclusion:
3. Two contradictory religions/philosophies cannot be true at the same time. Either one of them is true while the other is false or both are false.
To elucidate this theoretical and abstract proof, let me provide you with these practical and concrete examples.
Example 1: Islam versus Atheism
Islam and Atheism cannot be both true at the same time because they hold at least one contradictory belief. A core Islamic belief is that Allah is the One and Only True God while a core atheistic belief is that there is no god. Therefore, we have three mutually exclusive options: Option 1: Islam is true and Atheism is false; Option 2: Islam is false and Atheism is true; Option 3: Both Islam and Atheism are false (in case a polytheistic religion is the true religion for example).
Example 2: Islam versus Christianity
Islam and Christianity cannot be both true at the same time because they hold at least one contradictory belief. A core Islamic belief is that Prophet Muhammad is the final Prophet and Messenger from Allah to all mankind while Christianity obstinately denies this Islamic belief. Therefore, we have three mutually exclusive options: Option 1: Islam is true and Christianity is false; Option 2: Islam is false and Christianity is true; Option 3: Both Islam and Christianity are false (in case Atheism is the true philosophy for example).
Example 3: Islam versus Hinduism
Islam and Hinduism cannot be both true at the same time because they hold at least one contradictory belief. A core Islamic belief is that Allah is the One and Only True God while Hinduism obdurately denies this Islamic belief. Therefore, we have three mutually exclusive options: Option 1: Islam is true and Hinduism is false; Option 2: Islam is false and Hinduism is true; Option 3: Both Islam and Hinduism are false (in case Christianity is the true religion for example).
We remarkably notice that Islam has three core beliefs and that every other religion or philosophy contradict at least one of these three core beliefs. These three core beliefs of Islam are:
1. Belief 1: There is no God but Allah (i.e. Allah is the One and Only True God).
2. Belief 2: Prophet Muhammad is the final Prophet and Messenger from Allah to all mankind.
3. Belief 3: Islam is the only true religion and all other religions and philosophies are false (completely or partially).
Example 4: Islam versus Buddhism
Islam and Buddhism cannot be both true at the same time because they hold at least one contradictory belief. We notice that Buddhism denies the aforementioned three core Islamic beliefs. Therefore, we have three mutually exclusive options: Option 1: Islam is true and Buddhism is false; Option 2: Islam is false and Buddhism is true; Option 3: Both Islam and Buddhism are false (in case Judaism is the true religion for example).
Islam is perfectly harmonious with logic and The Proof of the Oneness of Truth and the Multiplicity of Falsehood. Islam holds the absolute Truth from Allah and all other religions and philosophies contradict this absolute Truth by at least one false belief. Allah referred to The Proof of the Oneness of Truth and the Multiplicity of Falsehood directly and indirectly in the Holy Koran and here are some examples. Allah said in the Holy Koran:
“Verily, this is My Way leading straight: follow it: follow not (other) paths: they will scatter you about from His path: thus doth He command you, that ye may be righteous. (153)” [THK: S 6: V 153].
In this verse, Allah used the singular form of path (or way) for Islam and the plural form of path for other religions and philosophies to indicate that Truth is one and falsehood is multiple.
“Allah is the Patron of those who believe; He bringeth them forth from darknesses into the light; And, for those who disbelieve, the devils are their patrons; they bring them forth from the light into darknesses. These are the fellows of Fire, therein shall be abiders. (257)” [THK: S 2: V 257].
In this verse, Allah used the singular form of light for Islam and the plural form of darkness for false religions and philosophies to indicate that Truth is one and falsehood is multiple.
“He it is Who created you, then some of you are disbelievers and some of you are believers. And Allah is All-Seer of what you do. (2)” [THK: S 64: V 2].
In this verse, Allah divided people into two categories: believers and disbelievers. Believers are Muslims who believe in Truth and disbelieve in falsehood while disbelievers are non-Muslims who believe in falsehood and disbelieve in Truth.
“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers. (85)” [THK: S 3: V 85].
“... but those of the sects (Jews, Christians and all the other non-Muslim nations) that reject it (the Koran), the Fire will be their promised meeting-place. So be not in doubt about it (i.e. those who denied Prophet Muhammad and also denied all that which he brought from Allah, surely, they will enter Hell). Verily, it is the truth from your Lord (Allah), but most of the mankind believe not (17)” [THK: S 11: V 17].
In these verses Allah tells us that He only accepts the religion of Islam in the Hereafter on the Day of Judgment and that followers of false religions and philosophies will be punished in Hellfire on that Day for rejecting the Truth of the Holy Koran and for following falsehood.
An: Mohammad, The Proof of the Oneness of Truth and the Multiplicity of Falsehood is indeed logical, rational, cogent, strong and beautiful. However, I see one threat to validity for your claim that Islam is the only true religion based on this proof.
Mohammad: Go ahead. What is the threat to validity of my claim?
An: You assume that Truth must exist on the earth and known by followers of a certain religion or philosophy. But there is another overlooked option which is: Truth is not known by people on the earth. In other words, all religions and philosophies on the earth are false and no one knows Truth. Or you can say: God (in case He exists) has hidden Truth from people and all people on the earth are astray. And in case God does not exist, Truth has not been communicated to people by any means and they are still all astray.
Mohammad: Excellent remark, An. As Muslims, we can easily rule out this possibility because we believe in Allah and we believe that Allah is Perfect. It does not befit Allah and His perfection to do any imperfect thing in the universe. One of the major imperfect things that Allah certainly does not do is to create people and leave them astray without guidance and without sharing the purpose of their lives with them. One of the beautiful names of Allah is The Guide because He guides those who believe to the Truth. Allah said in the Holy Koran:
“... And verily, Allah is the Guide of those who believe, to the Straight Path. (54)” [THK: S 22: V 54].
“Verily! You (O Muhammad) guide not whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He knows best those who are the guided (56)” [THK: S 28: V 56].
Fen: Mohammad, nice reasoning but it is only valid for Muslims because it is based on the Islamic faith.
Mohammad: Thank you, Fen. For non-Muslims, they have many open possibilities they cannot confirm or preclude because they lack the Islamic faith which provides the complete and perfect reasoning about God, people and the universe. Non-Muslims are deprived of the Truth because they turn a deaf ear to Islam and its two sources: the Koran and the Sunnah. Non-Muslims do not appreciate the Islamic faith in this life but they will appreciate it in the Hereafter on the Day of Judgment when they see how Allah will treat Muslims different from disbelievers (non-Muslims who reject to embrace Islam).
Nuo: Mohammad, I liked your proof and reasoning so much. Can you provide us with further evidence about the truthfulness of Islam.
Mohammad: Certainly. I will now explain my second argument which is The Argument of the Correlation between the Seen World and the Unseen World. This argument shows a strong, logical, exciting and significant correlation between the universe and the Holy Koran.
Zhong: Go ahead, Mohammad. We are excited and thrilled to discover further about your beautiful reasoning.
The Argument of the Correlation between the Seen World and the Unseen World
Both Muslims and non-Muslims share the Seen World which is the universe with all its creatures (e.g. inanimate objects, plants, animals, humans, planets, stars, galaxies, etc). Only Muslims believe in the Unseen World and all its details (e.g. angels, jinn, the Day of Resurrection, Paradise, Hellfire etc). Jews and Christians share some beliefs of the Unseen World with Muslims because they had holy Books from Allah (the Torah and the Gospel). The true and authentic information about the Unseen World are exclusively mentioned in the Holy Koran and the Honorable Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. In Islam, Muslims have one secret called: The Secret of Combining the Two Antitheses. This secret suggests and signifies a strong and thrilling correlation between the Seen World and the Unseen World in addition to an exciting correlation between the Visual Book of Allah (i.e. the Universe) and the Inscribed Book of Allah (the Holy Koran). This secret leads us to make confidently a strong conclusion that the Holy Koran cannot but be the miraculous Speech of Allah who created the Seen and the Unseen Worlds and set in both of them identical secrets, rules and wonders, one of which is the Secret of Combining the Two Antitheses. This secret strengthens, increases and raises the faith of Muslims and their confidence about the truthfulness of Islam, the Holy Koran and Prophet Muhammad. This secret is also a valuable means for calling non-Muslims to Islam by showing them that Islam and the universe are strongly correlated which suggests that they both originated from a single source which is Allah, the Creator of the Worlds. The Secret of Combining the Two Antitheses demonstrates that Allah, with his perfect Knowledge and Power, can combine the two antitheses in many instances of His creation. Some of these instances were mentioned directly or indirectly in the Holy Koran and the Honorable Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. These instances include, but are not limited to, the following:
Instances of the Secret in the Seen World
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Instance 1: The Cloud
Allah combined fire and water (two antitheses) in a cloud where rain is the water and lightning is the fire. This instance was mentioned directly in the Holy Koran where Allah said:
“And among His Signs is that He shows you the lightning, for fear and for the hope, and He sends down water (rain) from the sky, and therewith revives the earth after its death. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who understand. (24)” [THK: S 30: V 24].
Arab poet Waleed Alaazami (وليد الأعظمي) cleverly carved one verse of poetry to signify this great phenomenon:
هذا السحاب به ماء به نار
جمع النقيضين من أسرار قدرته
“Combining the two antitheses is one secret of His (Allah's) Power; this is the cloud, in it there is water and in it there is fire.”
Instance 2: The Zebra
Allah combined the black and the white colors (two antitheses) in a zebra. This instance was mentioned indirectly in the Holy Koran where Allah said:
“Then what is wrong with them (i.e. the polytheists the disbelievers) that they turn away from (receiving) admonition? (49) As if they were (frightened) wild donkeys. (50) Fleeing from a hunter, or a lion, or a beast of prey. (51) Nay, everyone of them desires that he should be given pages spread out (coming from Allah with a writing that Islam is the right religion, and Muhammad has come with the truth from Allah the Lord of the heavens and earth). (52) Nay! But they fear not the Hereafter (from Allah's punishment). (53)” [THK: S 74: V 49-53].
In Arabic, wild donkey is the name of the zebra (حمار الوحش).
Instance 3: Day and Night
Allah combined day and night simultaneously on the earth. Day is bright [white] and night is dark [black] (two antitheses). This instance was mentioned directly in the Holy Koran where Allah said:
“We have made the Night and the Day as two (of Our) Signs: the Sign of the Night have We obscured, while the Sign of the day We have made to enlighten you; that ye may seek bounty from your Lord, and that ye may know the number and count of the years: all things have We explained in detail. (12)” [THK: S 17: V 12].
Instance 4: Black and Grey (White) Hair
Allah combined the two colors of hair, black and grey [in Arabic, we say white hair] (two antitheses), in a human. Those whose hair is black will probably have grey hair when they age. This instance was mentioned directly in the Holy Koran where Allah said:
“Allah is He Who created you in (a state of) weakness, then gave you strength after weakness, then after strength gave (you) weakness and grey hair. He creates what He wills. And it is He Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful (i.e. Able to do all things). (54)” [THK: S 30: V 54].
Instance 5: The Human Eye
Allah combined the black and the white colors (two antitheses) in the human eye. Many people have a white sclera and a black iris. This instance was mentioned indirectly in the Holy Koran where Allah said:
“Have We not made for him a pair of eyes? (8)” [THK: S 90: V 8].
Instance 6: Human, Fish, and Frog
Allah combined the two breathing modes (two antitheses) in human, fish, and frog. A human can breathe in air but not in water; a fish can breathe in water but not in air; a frog can breathe in both air and water because it is an amphibian. This instance was mentioned indirectly in the Holy Koran where Allah said:
“He (Allah) created man.” [THK: S 55: V 3].
“And ask them (O Muhammad) about the town that was by the sea; when they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath (i.e. Saturday): when their fish came to them openly on the Sabbath day, and did not come to them on the day they had no Sabbath. Thus We made a trial of them, for they used to rebel against Allah’s Command (disobey Allah) (163)” [THK: S 7: V 163].
“So We sent on them: the flood, the locusts, the lice, the frogs, and the blood: (as a succession of) manifest signs, yet they remained arrogant, and they were of those people who were Mujrimun (criminals, polytheists, sinners). (133)” [THK: S 7: V 133].
Instance 7: The Human Mouth and the Anus
Allah combined the two antitheses in two organs of the human body: the mouth and the anus. The mouth is the front and above opening for passing delicious food into the body while the anus is the back and below opening to passing disgusting waste out of the body. The mouth can also breathe useful and clean air while the anus expels harmful foul intestinal gas. The mouth is shown to people while the anus tends to be hidden from people. This instance was mentioned indirectly in the Holy Koran where Allah said:
“O children of Adam! wear your beautiful apparel at every time and place of prayer: eat and drink: but waste not by excess for Allah loveth not the wasters. (31)” [THK: S 7: V 31].
“... or any of you comes after answering the call of nature ...” [THK: S 5: V 6].
Instance 8: Water as a Means for Life and Death
Allah combined the two antitheses in water where it can be both a means for life and a means for death. Humans must drink water to stay alive and if they drown in water, they will be dead. This instance was mentioned directly in the Holy Koran where Allah said:
“... And We have made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe? (30)” [THK: S 21: V 30].
“... eat and drink ...” [THK: S 7: V 31].
“So he (Pharaoh) resolved to turn them out of the land (of Egypt). But We (Allah) drowned him and all who were with him. (103)” [THK: S 17: V 103].
Instances of the Secret in the Unseen World
Instance 9: The Destruction and the Torment of the People of Nuh (Noah)
Allah combined fire and water (two antitheses) in the destruction and the torment of the people of Prophet Nuh (Noah). Allah destroyed the people of Nuh (Noah) with drowning in water in this life and Allah will punish them in Hellfire in the Hereafter on the Day of Judgment. This instance was mentioned directly in the Holy Koran where Allah said:
“And indeed We sent Noah to his people, and he stayed among them a thousand years less fifty years [inviting them to believe in the Oneness of Allah (Monotheism), and discard the false gods and other deities], and the Deluge overtook them while they were Zalimun (wrong-doers, polytheists, disbelievers). (14)” [THK: S 29: V 14].
“Because of their sins they were drowned, then were made to enter the Fire, and they found none to help them instead of Allah. (25)” [THK: S 71: V 25].
Instance 10: The Blowing of the Trumpet as a Means for Life and Death
Allah combined the two antitheses in the Trumpet that Israfil (an archangel) will blow to herald the end of the world. Israfil will blow the Trumpet twice. In the first blow of the Trumpet, all living creatures on the earth and a myriad of angels in the heavens will die. In the second blow of the Trumpet, all dead creatures will be resurrected and the Day of Judgment will commence henceforth. In other words, the first blow of the Trumpet is a means for death and the second blow of the Trumpet is a means for life. This instance was mentioned directly in the Holy Koran where Allah said:
“They made not a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him. And on the Day of Resurrection the whole of the earth will be grasped by His Hand and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand. Glorified is He, and High is He above all that they associate as partners with Him! (67) And the Trumpet will be blown, and all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth will swoon away, except him whom Allah wills. Then it will blown a second time and behold, they will be standing, looking on (waiting). (68)” [THK: S 39: V 67-68].
Mohammad Azzumurrud then mentioned a myriad of other instances about the Secret of Combining the Two Antitheses and he told his Chinese friends that as the human knowledge and science advance in the future, more instances of this great secret will be discovered. The more instances of this secret are discovered, the stronger the Islamic faith of Muslims will be1.
Ju: Thank you so much, Mohammad. I really benefited from and enjoyed knowing about this secret and I can clearly see how it is strongly correlated with Islam.
Chang: Thank you, Mohammad. I appreciate the precious knowledge your shared with us. Your arguments are cogent and provide strong evidence about the truthfulness of Islam and that Islam cannot but be the religion of Allah, the Great Creator of the universe.
The Argument of Refuting Polytheism
Shu: Mohammad, suppose that someone is a polytheist who believes that there is more than one true god. How can we convince him/her that he/she is false when he/she does not believe in the Holy Koran?
Mohammad: If anyone believes that there is more than one true god in the universe or there are partners to Allah, we ask him/her: “Did those gods speak to you with miraculous speech claiming that they are true gods of the universe or they are partners with Allah?” Allah proved His existence to us by speaking to mankind and revealing to them His miraculous speech which is the Holy Koran. Why do not other true gods prove their existence to us in a way that is as good as Allah's way or better than Allah's way? Allah said four major and grand claims in the Holy Koran:
1. Allah is the Creator of everything.
2. Allah is the Lord of everything.
3. Allah is the Owner of everything.
4. Allah is the One and Only True God.
Now let us assume for the sake of argument that polytheism is true and monotheism is false. If there are other true gods of the universe or there are partners with Allah, why have not those true gods voiced their objection to Allah's claims in the Holy Koran? To voice their objections in a convincing and compelling way, they need to reveal a sacred book which is at least as eloquent as the Holy Koran or more eloquent than the Holy Koran. Since this is not the case (i.e. no book on the earth can compete with the Holy Koran in terms of eloquence and no book refutes the four major and grand claims of Allah in favor of other true gods), this yields one of three conclusions: 1) Those true gods did not know about Allah's claims in the Holy Koran. 2) Those true gods knew about Allah's claims in the Holy Koran but could not do anything about them. 3) Those true gods knew about Allah's claims in the Holy Koran and were able to do something about them but they chose to remain silent. In all these three cases, these gods are imperfect and inferior because they are either ignorant (implied by Conclusion 1), weak (implied by Conclusion 2) or indifferent (implied by Conclusion 3). Therefore, there is no need to worship a weak inferior god who has not spoken to you with miraculous eloquence in the presence of a strong superior god who has spoken to you with miraculous eloquence (Allah). In other words, there is no need to believe in or worship an inferior god in the presence of a superior god. Islam and the Holy Koran has raised the bar extremely, exceptionally and extraordinarily high for those who want to claim that they are true gods instead of Allah or true gods along with Allah. For their claim to be valid, they need to reveal a book as eloquent as the Holy Koran or more eloquent than the Holy Koran in which they refute the claims of Allah. Note that this reasoning is when we assumed for the sake of argument that polytheism is true and monotheism is false. But if monotheism is true and polytheism is false, then the conclusion is clearly that Allah is the One and Only True God and there are no true gods along with Allah.
Cong: Mohammad, I can see some threats to validity in your reasoning. For example, what if there are true gods that exist with Allah but they chose to remain silent for now for certain wisdom and they will voice their objections to the Holy Koran in the future, say after 10000 years from now?
Mohammad: In that case, we can use The Profit and Loss Analysis as a last resort.
The Profit and Loss Analysis
Mohammad: In this analysis, we need to analyze my profit and loss and your profit and loss under three general mutually exclusive events:
1. Event 1: There is no god (atheism).
2. Event 2: There is one true god (monotheism).
3. Event 3: There is more than one true god (polytheism).
In this analysis, I am a Muslim who believes that Allah is the One and Only True God and Islam is the only true religion of Allah while you are a disbeliever (a non-Muslim who rejects to embrace Islam) who believes that there are other true gods with Allah who will voice their objections to Allah's claims in the Holy Koran after 10000 years. In other words, you are a non-Muslim who disbelieves in Islam and the Holy Koran.
After our death, we have the following exhaustive list of mutually exclusive cases that might happen for you and me in terms of reward and punishment:
* Case 1: I am rewarded and you are punished. In other words, I am a winner and you are a loser.
* Case 2: I am punished and you are rewarded. In other words, I am a loser and you are a winner.
* Case 3: I am rewarded and you are neither rewarded nor punished. In other words, I am a winner and you are neither a winner nor a loser.
* Case 4: I am punished and you are neither rewarded nor punished. In other words, I am a loser and you are neither a winner nor a loser.
* Case 5: You are rewarded and I am neither rewarded nor punished. In other words, you are a winner and I am neither a winner nor a loser.
* Case 6: You are punished and I am neither rewarded nor punished. In other words, you are a loser and I am neither a winner nor a loser.
* Case 7: We are both rewarded. In other words, we are both winners.
* Case 8: We are both punished. In other words, we are both losers.
* Case 9: We are neither rewarded nor punished. In other words, we are neither losers nor winners. This is a neutral state.
Now let us map the nine mutually exclusive cases of reward and punishment to the three mutually exclusive events of the existence of god and analyze the relevant probabilities:
1. Event 1: There is no god (atheism) [probability: 1 / 3]. In this case, the rules of reward and punishment are indefinite so one of the nine aforementioned cases must happen for you and me after our death with each case having a probability of 1 / 9.
2. Event 2: There is only one true god (monotheism) [probability: 1 / 3]. Under this case we need to analyze these cases:
1. Event 2.1: Allah is the One God [probability: 1 / 6].
1. Event 2.1.1: Islam is the religion of Allah [probability: 1 / 12]. The rules in this case are definite because Allah will reward me with Paradise in the Hereafter on the Day of Judgment for believing in Islam and the Holy Koran and Allah will punish you in Hellfire at that time for disbelieving in Islam and the Holy Koran.
2. Event 2.1.2: Islam is not the religion of Allah [probability: 1 / 12]. In this case, the rules of reward and punishment are indefinite so one of the nine aforementioned cases must happen for you and me after our death with each case having a probability of 1 / 9.
2. Event 2.2: Allah is not the One God. The One God is someone other than Allah [probability: 1 / 6]. In this case, the rules of reward and punishment are indefinite so one of the nine aforementioned cases must happen for you and me after our death with each case having a probability of 1 / 9.
3. Event 3: There is more than one true god (polytheism) [probability: 1 / 3]. In this case, the rules of reward and punishment are indefinite so one of the nine aforementioned cases must happen for you and me after our death with each case having a probability of 1 / 9.
Note that the probability of Event 2.1.1 which states that I will be rewarded with Paradise, by the Will of Allah, and you will punished in Hellfire, by the Will of Allah, in case that Allah is the One and Only True God and that Islam is the only true religion of Allah is (1 / 12) or 8.3% which is statistically significant. Let us now revisit the nine cases of reward and punishment and compute their probabilities based on the previous detailed breakdown of events. This can be done using the field of statistics:
1. Case 1: probability is 5 / 27 or 20 / 108.
2. Each of the other eight cases (Case 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9) has a probability of 11 / 108.
The highest probability stands with Islam because the rules of Islam crystal clear and definite with regard to reward and punishment after death and in the Hereafter on the Day of Judgment. Choosing Islam is like building a house on solid rocks while choosing a religion or a philosophy other than Islam is like building a house of the waves of the sea.
Cong: Thank you, Mohammad. The Profit and Loss Analysis indeed forced me into a tight corner. Even the field of statistics stands with Islam. That is really interesting and exciting. From where have you learned the argument of the Profit and Loss Analysis, Mohammad?
Mohammad: It is inspired in part by a famous Arab poet, Ahmad Almaarri (أحمد المعري). He said:
لا تحشر الأجساد قلت إليكما
أو صح قولي فالخسار عليكما
زعم المنجم و الطبيب كلاهما
إن صح قولكما فلست بخاسر
1) The doctor and the augur both pretended; that bodies will not be resurrected (on the Day of Judgment) so I said take this: 2) If your saying is true, I am not a loser; but if my saying is true (that your bodies will be resurrected on the Last Day), then the loss will be on both of you.
1In Arabic, Arab poet Mohammad Albaba (the author) wrote a poem titled: “The Secret of Combining the Two Antitheses in the Two Revelations and the Two Universes” which enumerates many instances of this secret that were mentioned directly or indirectly in the Holy Koran and/or the Honorable Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. The poem currently consists of 150 verses.