Before You Decide About Islam, Begin with One Question: Who Alone Deserves Worship?

This publication is exclusive to those non Muslims who are mulling take their ultimate decision of life to revert to Islam. In this post we would dwell on the 64th verse of Surah 3. Āl ʿImrān which is one of the Qur’an’s most important verses of Daʿwah, particularly when speaking to Jews and Christians, because it does not begin by attacking differences. It begins by inviting the other person to examine a principle that should already be familiar to them: Who ultimately deserves worship?

The Verse

Āl ʿImrān 3:64 — Islam’s Invitation to a “Common Word” - Allah says:

قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَقُولُوا اشْهَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ

“Say, ‘O People of the Scripture! Come to a word that is equitable between us and you: that we worship none but Allah, associate nothing with Him, and do not take one another as lords besides Allah.’ But if they turn away, then say, ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims.’”

The context

The preceding passage, especially 3:45–63, discusses Prophet Eesa (Jesus) عليه السلام: his miraculous birth, his prophethood, and the disagreement concerning his nature. The Qur’an rejects the conclusion that a miraculous birth makes Jesus divine and compares his creation with Adam:

“Indeed, the example of Jesus before Allah is like that of Adam. He created him from dust, then said to him, ‘Be,’ and he was.” — 3:59

Yet after discussing this serious theological disagreement, the Qur’an does something striking. Instead of simply ending with condemnation, it opens another door:

تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ “Come to a common/equitable word between us and you.”

That transition itself contains an important principle of Islamic Daʿwah: clarify the disagreement, but keep the door to truth and dialogue open.

What is the “common word”?

The verse itself defines it through three propositions:

Principle Meaning

أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ We worship none except Allah

وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا We associate absolutely nothing with Him

وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا No human being is elevated to divine authority beside Allah

The verse therefore reduces the religious question to its foundation: Is the Creator alone worthy of worship, or may something created share His divine status?

That is why this verse can be powerful for somebody seriously investigating Islam. Before asking them to examine every Islamic legal rule, historical controversy, cultural practice or denominational argument, the Qur’an invites them to settle the most fundamental question first.

How classical scholars understood it

1.    Al-Ṭabarī understands كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ as a just proposition upon which the disputing parties should meet: worship belongs exclusively to Allah. Neither Jesus, prophets, priests, rabbis nor any other creature can share the Creator's right to worship.

2.    Ibn Kathīr similarly explains that the verse calls the People of the Book away from worshipping anything created and toward the worship of Allah alone. His explanation also connects the phrase about taking people as “lords” with 9:31, where the Qur’an criticizes taking rabbis and monks as lords besides Allah. The point is not merely bowing physically before religious leaders; it includes granting human beings an authority over God's commands that properly belongs to God.

That idea is illustrated by the well-known report concerning ʿAdī ibn Ḥātim. When he objected that Christians did not literally worship their religious leaders, the Prophet ﷺ explained that when those authorities declared prohibited things permissible or permissible things prohibited and people followed them, this constituted a form of taking them as lords.

3.    Yusuf Ali sees the verse as establishing the basic unity underlying revealed religion: worship of the One God without allowing priesthood, human authority or intermediaries to usurp God's unique position.

4.    Maududi emphasizes something especially significant for Daʿwah: Islam is not inviting Christians to Muhammad ﷺ as a rival personality competing with Jesus. It is inviting everyone—including Muslims themselves—to submit to the same God whom Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad worshipped. That radically changes the nature of the invitation.

• It is not: “Leave your prophet and accept ours.”
• It is essentially: “Let all of us return to the God of all the prophets.”

Why 3:64 is such a strong Daʿwah verse

Its strength lies first in the tone. Allah does not command the Prophet ﷺ to begin with, “Everything you believe is wrong.” He is commanded to say: “Come…” The language is invitational rather than coercive.

Even more importantly, it says: “between us and you.” Muslims are not positioned as a superior human caste dispensing truth downward. Both sides are summoned before one transcendent standard: Allah. This gives the verse an extraordinary humility for interfaith dialogue.

The second strength is that it asks a remarkably simple theological question: Should anything created share the worship due to the Creator? For someone considering Islam, this can cut through enormous theological complexity. Islam asks the seeker to consider whether God is absolutely One, self-sufficient and incomparable, and whether worship should therefore be directed to Him without intermediary or partner.

This resonates strongly with other Qur’anic declarations:

• “Say: He is Allah, One.” — 112:1
• “There is nothing like Him.” — 42:11
• “Indeed, I am Allah. There is no deity except Me, so worship Me.” — 20:14

Thus 3:64 is not an isolated argument. It expresses the central current running through the entire Qur’an: Tawḥīd.

Particularly powerful in dialogue with Christians

For a Christian examining Islam, 3:64 places the central question exactly where it needs to be. The Qur’an does not ask such a person to stop loving or honouring Jesus. Quite the contrary, Islam requires belief in Jesus as al-Masīḥ, the Messiah, a miraculous sign of Allah, His messenger and one of history's greatest prophets.

However, the question becomes narrower and more precise: Did Jesus himself call people to worship him, or did he call them to worship God? The Qur’an presents Jesus as saying:

• “Indeed, Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. This is a straight path.” — 3:51

And again:

• “Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.” — 5:72

Therefore, from the Qur’anic perspective, accepting Islam does not mean abandoning Jesus. It means following Jesus in his worship of the One God.

For a thoughtful Christian seeker, that is a profoundly important distinction.

“Do not take one another as lords”

This part gives the verse a relevance much wider than Christian-Muslim dialogue. Islam removes every spiritual hierarchy standing between the human being and Allah. There is no person whose race, ancestry, religious office, wealth or social status gives them divine standing. A scholar may teach you. A parent may guide you. A ruler may govern you. A prophet may convey revelation.

But none may become ربّ — Lord. In Islam the learned and the unlearned, rulers and citizens, Arabs and non-Arabs, prophets and ordinary believers all remain ʿibād Allāh — servants of Allah.

The seeker therefore encounters a remarkably liberating proposition: One God; one ultimate authority; humanity standing together as His servants.

Notice also what happens if the invitation is rejected. The end of the verse is equally significant:

فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَقُولُوا اشْهَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ “If they turn away, then say, ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims.’”

There is no command here to compel them. The truth is presented. The basis of disagreement is clarified. The Muslim states his own commitment. The other person remains responsible for his or her decision.

This corresponds with the broader Qur’anic principle: “There is no compulsion in religion.” — 2:256

Good Daʿwah therefore does not manipulate a person across the threshold of Islam. It helps the person see the threshold clearly enough to make an informed decision.

Why I would place 3:64 among the strongest verses for someone considering Islam

It does not attempt to introduce Islam through fear, ritual detail or cultural identity. It begins at the foundation: Who is God, and who deserves worship?

A person seriously considering Islam could use 3:64 almost as a spiritual test: If there really is one Creator who gave me life, sustains me and will ultimately judge me, should my worship not belong directly and completely to Him? Why should any created person or thing share what belongs to the Creator alone?

Once that question is settled, much of Islam follows naturally. Ṣalāh becomes worship of that One God. Duʿāʾ (supplication)  becomes calling directly upon that One God. Revelation becomes guidance from that God. Muhammad ﷺ becomes His messenger rather than an object of worship. Jesus becomes His honoured Messiah and messenger rather than a partner in divinity. And Islam — submission to God — becomes the logical consequence of Tawḥīd.

A particularly suitable Daʿwah formulation

For the series aimed at non-Muslims considering Islam, we would summarize the force of 3:64 this way:

Āl ʿImrān 3:64 does not ask a seeker to begin by becoming culturally Muslim. It asks something much more fundamental: come back to the common ground of all true revelation—worship the Creator alone, give no created being a share in His divinity, and allow no human authority to stand between yourself and God. For a person sincerely searching for truth, this turns the question “Should I become Muslim?” into the deeper question: “If God truly is One, to whom should I surrender myself?”

That is precisely why 3:64 can be one of the most compelling Qur’anic gateways to Islam: it invites rather than pressures, reasons from first principles rather than peripheral matters, honours earlier revelation while correcting what Islam sees as later theological departures, and brings the seeker face-to-face with the central claim of every prophet in the Qur’anic narrative:

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ — None is worthy of worship except Allah.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

Photo: AI |

Resource references for further inquest:

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Tafhim ul Qur'an - Abul A'la Maududi

Qur'an Wiki

You may also refer to our reference page: Da'wah - The Invitation to Non-Muslims to Islam for more publications about Da'wah - Invitation to Islam

For more Q&A about Understanding Islam, please refer to our reference page: Understanding Islam - Frequently asked Q&A. You may also refer to our refference page: Scholars' Viewpoint on important issue related to Islam to know more about Islam.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Surah Fussilat 41:53 (Al Qur'an) asks non Muslims willing to accept Islam to look at signs around and within - before deciding to revert

The best thing in Islam is that it never forces any non Muslim to convert to Islam. Had it been so, during almost 800 years long Muslim rule over Spain, everyone would have become Muslim. But it did not happen and the Muslim rulers extended complete freedom to the local population to continue with their religion and convert to Islam only if they willed so. Instead of force conversion, Islam repeatedly asks people to observe, think and reflect. Nature, the cosmos and human existence become signs pointing beyond themselves. Faith is presented as compatible with thoughtful observation rather than intellectual surrender.

To further our claim, we share the 53rd verse of Surah 41 Fussilat which is especially powerful because it does not ask a seeker to begin with blind acceptance of Islam; it invites observation—of the world outside and the human self within—and then asks what conclusion those signs point toward. I’ll distinguish the classical Tafsīr from modern reflections and then explain why it can speak meaningfully to a non-Muslim who is still deciding.

The verse

Surah Fussilat 41:53 — The Signs Outside Us and Within Us

سَنُرِيهِمْ آيَاتِنَا فِي الْآفَاقِ وَفِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ ۗ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِ بِرَبِّكَ أَنَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ

“We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the Truth. Is it not enough that your Lord is Witness over all things?” 

Verse 41:53 as one of the particularly suitable Qur’anic verses to place before a thoughtful non-Muslim, because its method is not simply, “Believe because you have been told to believe.” It says, in effect: look outward, look inward, observe, think, and allow the evidence to lead you toward a conclusion.

It may be mentioned here that the subject matter of this Surah is Da'wah. It invites to the truth, gives warnings to those who reject the truth, and tells us that the appeal to the truth is within our nature.  It tells us also that the Believers receive strength from Allah's revelation.  The revelation gives life to those who were spiritually and morally dead at one time.  The Surah contains both good news and warnings.

The context makes the verse even more powerful

Surah Fussilat is a Makkan surah. Immediately before 41:53, the Qur’an asks its opponents to consider a serious possibility: what if this Qur’an really is from Allah and you reject it? Then comes 41:53, promising that signs will increasingly appear “in the horizons” (الْآفَاقِ) and “within themselves” (أَنْفُسِهِمْ) until the truth of the message becomes evident. The next verse, 41:54, identifies one of the underlying problems: doubt concerning the eventual meeting with God. Thus 41:52–54 forms a remarkably compact argument: consider the claim - examine the evidence - consider where human life is ultimately going. 

What are “the horizons” and “within themselves”?

The beauty of the verse is that Muslim commentators did not restrict these expressions to only one meaning.

Scholar Understanding of 41:53

1.    Al-Ṭabarī records both interpretations but favors an immediate historical meaning: the Makkan opponents would witness signs in the spread and victory of the Prophet's mission around them, culminating in events such as the conquest of Makkah. He also records an interpretation referring to signs in the heavens and human beings. Tafseer Quran

2.    Al-Qurṭubī records “signs” as indications of Allah's oneness and power: signs in the world, the fate of earlier civilizations, the heavens, and events experienced by human beings themselves. Islam Guide

3.    Ibn Kathīr combines the historical and human readings. “Horizons” include the unfolding triumph of the Prophet's message, while “within themselves” can include events they personally experienced as well as the extraordinary structure of the human being and the wisdom visible in human creation. My Islam

4.    Abul A‘la Maududi explicitly gives two meanings: first, historical evidence through the transformation and spread produced by the Qur’anic message; second, the continuing discovery of signs in the external universe and within human beings. He remarks that humanity will continue encountering previously unknown signs. 

5.    Mufti Muhammad Shafi stresses the vastness of āfāq—the universe—and the intricate systems of the human body. For him, continuing human discovery can keep revealing dimensions of these divine signs. 

6.    Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī / Ghamidi tradition This school emphasizes the original historical setting strongly: signs of the truth of the Prophet's message would appear around Makkah and among the Quraysh themselves, eventually making the rise of Islam and defeat of opposition impossible to ignore. Ghamidi Center of Islamic Learning

So there are really three interconnected dimensions in this verse: history, the universe, and the human being.

• “Our signs in the horizons” — فِي الْآفَاقِ
• For the first audience, this included things that were going to happen outside themselves: the apparently weak Qur’anic movement would survive persecution, spread beyond Makkah and ultimately transform Arabia.
• But the wording al-āfāq — “the horizons” naturally has a wider application. Later commentators therefore saw the verse as inviting reflection upon the heavens, earth and the ordered natural world. Maududi and Mufti Muhammad Shafi particularly allow for an ongoing dimension: humanity continually discovers aspects of the universe that earlier generations could not see. Surah Quran
• This resonates with many other Qur’anic invitations:
• “Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth … are signs for people of understanding.” — 3:190
• The Qur’an therefore does not portray the physical universe as spiritually meaningless. It calls it āyāt — signs.
• “And within themselves” — وَفِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ
• Then the Qur’an turns the telescope around. Do not merely look at galaxies, stars, mountains and oceans. Look at yourself.
• The classical commentators already saw the human body as part of this evidence. Ibn Kathir specifically mentions human physical composition and anatomy as indicating the wisdom of the Creator. 
• Today the field of reflection is even wider: human consciousness, reason, moral awareness, biological organization, genetics, embryonic development, memory, language, self-awareness, love, conscience and the extraordinary coordination of bodily systems.
• But an important caution is necessary: 41:53 should not be reduced to a claim that every modern scientific discovery was explicitly predicted by the Qur’an. That is not how the earliest commentators understood the verse. Its claim is broader and, I think, more profound: the more deeply human beings encounter reality—outside and inside themselves—the more material there is for reflection upon the Qur’an's claim about God, creation and human purpose.
• That distinction would make non-Muslims to really reflect deeply on this verse.

• “Until it becomes clear to them that it is the Truth”
• The crucial phrase is: حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ “until it becomes clear to them that it is the Truth.”
• In the immediate context, Ibn Kathir and other commentators understand “it” especially as the Qur’an and the message brought by Muhammad ﷺ. 
• Notice the expression yatabayyana — “becomes clear.”
• The Qur’an is describing a process of recognition. One sign may raise a question. Another may strengthen it. Reflection upon oneself adds another dimension. The Qur’an itself is then examined. History is considered. Its conception of God, morality, accountability and human purpose is examined. Eventually these pieces may form what we would today call a cumulative case.
• That is why this verse can be particularly meaningful for someone who says: “I am not yet convinced, but I am willing to investigate.”
• The Qur’an effectively tells such a person: Then investigate.

Why 41:53 can be useful to a non-Muslim considering Islam

This verse does not demand that the non-Muslim switch off reason in order to acquire faith. Instead, it directs attention to several fields of evidence at once:

Creation - Human self - History - Revelation - God.

The seeker can ask: Why is there something rather than nothing? Why is the universe intelligible? Why can my mind comprehend it? Where does consciousness come from? Why do human beings possess an awareness of moral obligation? What is the purpose of life? Why am I conscious of death and yet instinctively search for permanence and meaning? And finally, does the Qur’an provide a coherent explanation of these realities?

41:53 does not force the answer beforehand. It asks the reader to look. That makes it an unusually good Da'wah verse. But it should not be presented as “science proves the Qur’an”

For a skeptical reader, I would avoid saying: “Modern science has proved verse 41:53.” That unnecessarily narrows the verse and makes the argument vulnerable whenever a particular scientific interpretation changes.

A stronger formulation would be:

The Qur’an invites non Muslims to examine both worlds available to every human being—the immense world outside you and the astonishing world within you—and then asks whether what you discover is consistent with its claim that existence has a Creator, purpose and moral meaning. That is much closer to the breadth of the verse and to the range of interpretations found in classical and modern tafsīr.

Why it can help someone “cross the barrier”

A person considering Islam often faces an imagined barrier: “To become a Muslim, must I first abandon rational inquiry and simply believe?”

41:53 gives a striking Qur’anic answer: No—look at the signs.

• Look at the universe.
• Look at life.
• Look at yourself.
• Look at human history.
• Look at what the Qur’an claimed and what its message produced.

Then read the Qur’an itself and ask whether the different pieces converge.

The verse therefore changes the question from “Can I force myself to believe?” to “Am I prepared to follow the evidence wherever I believe it leads?”

And that is perhaps the most useful way of presenting 41:53 to a non-Muslim. The purpose should not be to pressure someone into conversion, but to encourage an informed and sincere examination of Islam's claims. Faith arrived at after reflection is very different from faith adopted merely because of social pressure or emotional excitement.

The essence of 41:53 in one paragraph

Surah Fussilat 41:53 tells the seeker that the signs pointing toward God and the truth of revelation are not confined to a religious book: they are scattered across the horizons of creation, written into the human being, and unfolded through history. Classical scholars saw the verse fulfilled initially in events surrounding the Prophet ﷺ and the rise of his mission, while later scholars also emphasized the continuously unfolding signs of the universe and human nature. For a non-Muslim considering Islam, its significance is profound: the Qur’an does not ask him to close his eyes and believe—it asks him to open them, examine the world, examine himself, examine the Qur’an, and then decide whether these separate lines of evidence converge upon one truth. 

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

Photo: AI 

Resource references for in depth reading

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

Ibn Kathir My Islam / My Islam

Tafseer Qur'an

Islam Guide

Surah Qur'an

Quran Wiki

For more Q&A about Understanding Islam, please refer to our reference page: Understanding Islam - Frequently asked Q&A. You may also refer to our refference page: Scholars' Viewpoint on important issue related to Islam to know more about Islam.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

From Knowledge to Certainty: When Faith Moves from the Mind to the Heart - explain four verses of Al Qur'an

In one of our previous posts we introduced the concept of Iman and Yaqīn (certainty) briefly. Through this post, we will define the concept of Iman and Yaqīn based on four important verses from Al Qur'an for better understanding.

We have selected four verses that are Qur’an’s most profound teachings about Yaqīn — certainty. Read together, they show that faith is not meant to remain merely information in the mind; it should deepen until truth becomes so real to the heart that it changes the way we live.

The Verses

1. Surah At-Takāthur 102:5–7 — from knowing to seeing

Allah says:

كَلَّا لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ عِلْمَ الْيَقِينِ ۝ لَتَرَوُنَّ الْجَحِيمَ ۝ ثُمَّ لَتَرَوُنَّهَا عَيْنَ الْيَقِينِ

“No! If only you knew with the knowledge of certainty. You will surely see the Hellfire. Then you will surely see it with the eye of certainty.”

• The context is important. Surah At-Takāthur begins by warning that rivalry for more wealth, possessions, status and worldly achievement distracts people until they reach their graves. Verse 5 therefore means: if the reality of death, accountability and the Hereafter were truly certain in your consciousness, this obsession with worldly accumulation would not dominate you. Ibn Kathir makes essentially this point: genuine knowledge of the Hereafter would prevent a person from being consumed by worldly competition. 
• Then the language changes:
• عِلْمَ الْيَقِينِ — ‘ilm al-Yaqīn "“knowledge of certainty” - becomes:
• عَيْنَ الْيَقِينِ — ‘ayn al-Yaqīn “the eye of certainty.”

The first is certainty through reliable knowledge; the second is certainty through direct seeing. In 102:7, Ibn Kathir understands it literally in the eschatological context: people will actually behold Hell, so what had previously been known through revelation will become something witnessed. 

A traditional illustration makes the distinction simple: if you see smoke behind a hill, you know there is probably fire — ‘ilm al-Yaqīn. When you reach the hill and actually see the fire, it becomes ‘ayn al-Yaqīn.

2. Then comes Ḥaqq al-Yaqīn — 56:95 and 69:51

Surah Al-Wāqi‘ah 56:95 says:

إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ حَقُّ الْيَقِينِ “Indeed, this is truly the certainty of truth.”

The preceding verses describe what happens at death to the people brought near to Allah, the people of the Right, and those who rejected the truth. Ibn Kathir explains that what has just been described is a reality about which there is no doubt and from which no one can escape. Quran.com

Similarly, Surah Al-Ḥāqqah 69:51 declares:

وَإِنَّهُ لَحَقُّ الْيَقِينِ “And indeed, it is the certainty of truth.”

Here the immediate context concerns the truth of the Qur’anic revelation: it is not fabricated speech but revelation from Allah. So we encounter three striking Qur’anic expressions:

Expression                             Meaning in simple terms                        Image

عِلْمُ الْيَقِينِ ‘Ilm al-Yaqīn Certainty through true knowledge              Knowing there is a fire

عَيْنُ الْيَقِينِ ‘Ayn al-Yaqīn Certainty through seeing                      Seeing the fire

حَقُّ الْيَقِينِ Ḥaqq al-Yaqīn Truth experienced as undeniable reality      Experiencing its reality

Scholars commonly use these expressions to illustrate the deepening of certainty, although we should not assume that every mufassir formally treats the three phrases as a technical three-stage system. In their individual contexts, each expression has its own emphasis.

3. Surah Al-Baqarah 2:260 beautifully demonstrates the principle

This is where Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام becomes especially relevant. He asked:

رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيْفَ تُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ “My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead.”

Allah asked:

أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِنْ “Do you not believe?”

Ibrahim replied:

بَلَىٰ وَلَٰكِن لِّيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِي “Yes, indeed, but so that my heart may become reassured.”

This is crucial: Ibrahim was not moving from disbelief to belief. He was moving from belief to deeper reassurance.

Al-Qurtubi reports the majority understanding that Ibrahim never doubted Allah's power to resurrect; rather, he sought direct witnessing of something he already believed. He cites the principle that hearing about something is not the same as seeing it. Quran.com

Ibn Kathir similarly explains that Ibrahim wanted his knowledge of resurrection strengthened by witnessing it directly. Quran.com

Maududi makes an especially useful observation: the peace Ibrahim sought was the inner tranquility produced by direct personal observation. Islamic Studies

Thus 2:260 helps us understand the movement suggested by 102:5–7:

I believe → I understand → I see the evidence more deeply → my heart becomes settled in what I already believe.

It is not doubt defeating faith; it is certainty becoming deeper.

4. The remarkable connection among all four passages

Put them together and a beautiful Qur’anic progression appears:

• 102:5 — عِلْمَ الْيَقِينِ Know the reality with certainty.
• 2:260 — لِيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِي Seek understanding that brings reassurance to the heart.
• 102:7 — عَيْنَ الْيَقِينِ What was known will eventually be seen.
• 56:95 / 69:51 — حَقُّ الْيَقِينِ The truth is ultimately an undeniable reality.

But there is also a warning hidden here: everyone will eventually attain ‘ayn al-yaqīn regarding the Hereafter when they see it—but by then the opportunity to act upon that certainty has passed. The purpose of revelation is therefore to develop sufficient yaqīn now, before seeing becomes unavoidable.

That is precisely why At-Takāthur begins with worldly distraction and ends with accountability for blessings. Quran.com

What is in it for us today?

This is perhaps the most important part. Most believers already know that life is temporary, death is certain, Allah will judge us, wealth will remain behind, and the Hereafter is permanent. Our difficulty is often not lack of information but lack of lived certainty.

We may say, “Life is temporary,” yet behave as though it will never end. We may believe that Allah sees us, yet sin privately. We may believe that provision comes from Allah, yet become consumed by anxiety over possessions. We may believe in accountability, yet damage another person's reputation for a moment's amusement. In such cases there is knowledge, but its effect has not fully reached the heart.

This is precisely the warning of 102:5: if you really knew with Yaqīn, your behaviour would change.

And 2:260 teaches something equally important: Islam does not ask us to cultivate blind emotional confidence. Reflection, observation, contemplation of creation, studying revelation, and seeking deeper understanding can strengthen an already believing heart. Ibrahim عليه السلام believed, yet asked to see how Allah resurrects the dead; Allah responded by giving him a sign rather than condemning his desire for reassurance. Quran.com

The deepest lesson

These verses therefore ask us a searching question:

• Are the truths of the Qur’an merely things we know—or realities by which we actually live?
• We know death is certain.
• We know wealth is temporary.
• We know Allah sees us.
• We know our deeds will be accounted for.

The spiritual journey is to allow that knowledge to descend from the mind into the heart until it transforms conduct. At-Takāthur warns us not to wait until the unseen becomes visible, because when the Hereafter becomes ‘ayn al-Yaqīn, the time for choosing will already be over.

A concise theme for all these verses could therefore be: “From Knowing to Seeing: The Qur’an’s Journey from Knowledge to Certainty.”

Together, 102:5–7, 56:95, 69:51, and 2:260 teach that true faith should grow into yaqīn—deep, settled certainty. Surah At-Takāthur speaks of ‘ilm al-yaqīn and ‘ayn al-yaqīn, moving from certain knowledge to direct seeing; 56:95 and 69:51 speak of ḥaqq al-yaqīn, truth as an undeniable reality; while 2:260 shows Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام seeking not belief itself, which he already had, but greater reassurance of heart. Taken together, these verses show a progression from knowing the truth, to becoming inwardly convinced of it, to ultimately witnessing its reality—and they urge us to develop such certainty now that our beliefs about Allah, accountability, death, and the Hereafter genuinely shape the way we live.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Sources & Further Reading 

Quran - Surah Al Takhatur

Surah 102:7

Maududi

For more Q&A about Understanding Islam, please refer to our reference page: Understanding Islam - Frequently asked Q&A. You may also refer to our refference page: Scholars' Viewpoint on important issue related to Islam to know more about Islam.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

From Īmān (Faith) to Yaqīn (Certainty): When Belief Becomes Unshakable - Al Qur'an explains how

Yaqīn (اليقين) means certainty—a settled conviction of the heart in which truth is no longer merely something one knows intellectually, but something one trusts and lives by. In the Qur’anic sense, Yaqīn is certainty about Allah, His promises, His guidance, resurrection, accountability and the Hereafter. This is why the Qur’an describes the believers as those who are “certain of the Hereafter” (2:4) and says that true believers believe and then “do not doubt” (49:15).

Yaqīn is necessary because knowledge alone does not always transform behaviour. A person may know that death is certain yet live as though death were distant; know that Allah provides yet remain consumed by fear of losing wealth; or believe in accountability yet knowingly wrong others. Yaqīn closes this gap between what we believe and how we live. When certainty grows, reliance on Allah becomes stronger, temptation loses some of its power, trials become easier to endure, and worldly attractions are seen in their proper proportion. This helps explain the warning of 102:5: “If only you knew with the knowledge of certainty…”—real certainty would change priorities.

Can īmān be strong without Yaqīn?

Not really—not in its fullest sense. Īmān and Yaqīn are closely connected but are not identical. Īmān is faith and belief; Yaqīn is the depth, firmness and settled certainty of that faith. A person may possess genuine īmān while still experiencing weakness, questions, fear or passing doubts. But as yaqīn increases, īmān becomes firmer and more influential in life. Strong īmān therefore requires strong Yaqīn.

Prophet Ibrahim عليه السلام gives us a beautiful example in 2:260. He already believed that Allah could bring the dead back to life, yet he asked Allah to show him how. When Allah asked, “Do you not believe?”, Ibrahim replied:

بَلَىٰ وَلَٰكِن لِّيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِي  “Yes, indeed, but so that my heart may become reassured.”

He was not moving from unbelief to belief, but from established belief toward greater tranquility and certainty. This teaches us that seeking understanding, contemplating Allah's signs, studying revelation and asking sincere questions can strengthen rather than contradict faith.

This also explains the Qur’an’s striking vocabulary:

عِلْمُ الْيَقِينِ — ‘Ilm al-Yaqīn: certainty through true knowledge (102:5)

عَيْنُ الْيَقِينِ — ‘Ayn al-Yaqīn: certainty through direct seeing (102:7)

حَقُّ الْيَقِينِ — Ḥaqq al-Yaqīn: the truth as undeniable reality (56:95; 69:51)

The lesson for us is therefore profound: īmān says, “I believe this is true”; Yaqīn makes the heart say, “This truth is so real to me that I must live accordingly.” The goal is not simply to know about Allah, death and the Hereafter, but to develop such certainty in them that they reshape our choices before the unseen becomes something we actually see.

This post is an opener for a detailed post on how Īmān converts into Yaqīn which will follow soon.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

For more Q&A about Understanding Islam, please refer to our reference page: Understanding Islam - Frequently asked Q&A. You may also refer to our refference page: Scholars' Viewpoint on important issue related to Islam to know more about Islam.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Forget Allah — and You Begin to Forget Who You Are - A striking message of Surah Al Hashr 59:19 (Al Qur'an)

One of the greatest losses in life is not material loss, but the loss of one’s inner direction. A person may remain busy, successful, connected, and surrounded by worldly comforts, yet slowly become disconnected from the very purpose of existence. That is he becomes so engrossed in his worldly chores and errands that he forgets to thank his Creator and gets totally inclined to his life, sparing no time to remember or worship Allah. Surah Al-Hashr 59:19 draws attention to this deeper tragedy: when people forget Allah, they ultimately lose awareness of their own true selves—their responsibilities, their moral direction, and their eternal destiny.

In fact, Surah al-Hashr 59:19 is one of the Qur’an’s most penetrating statements about spiritual psychology. It describes a paradox: a person may spend enormous energy pursuing his own interests, pleasures, status and comfort, yet by forgetting Allah he can eventually lose sight of what is truly good for his own soul.

THE QUR'AN SAYS

Verse 59:19

وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ نَسُوا اللَّهَ فَأَنسَاهُمْ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ

“And be not like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves. Those are the defiantly disobedient.” 

Context 

The preceding parts of Surah al-Hashr discuss the expulsion of Banū al-Naḍīr, the behaviour of the hypocrites, broken promises and the deception of Shayṭān. Then, in 59:18, Allah suddenly turns directly to believers:

“O you who believe! Fear Allah, and let every soul look to what it has sent ahead for tomorrow.”

Then comes 59:19: Do not become like those who forgot Allah and consequently forgot themselves.

And 59:20 immediately contrasts the people of Paradise with the people of the Fire. So verses 18–20 form a connected argument:

• Remember Allah → examine yourself → prepare for the Hereafter.
• versus:
• Forget Allah → lose awareness of yourself → lose your ultimate future.

Maududi therefore regards 59:18 as a command for continuous self-examination: a person should ask where his time, wealth, abilities and energies are actually taking him.

What does “forget Allah” mean?

It does not simply mean that someone momentarily fails to think of Allah.

• Al-Tabari explains it primarily as neglecting Allah's rights and obligations. Such people abandon what Allah required of them; consequently they become oblivious to their own true share of goodness and salvation.
• Al-Qurtubi records several closely related explanations: they neglected Allah's commands, neglected gratitude and reverence toward Him, and consequently failed to do what was beneficial for their own souls. One early explanation summarized it beautifully: they forgot Allah's right, so they forgot their own right.

So “forgetting Allah” is better understood as: living as though Allah no longer governs one's priorities.

A person may still verbally believe in Allah while practically structuring his entire day around everything except Him.

“So He made them forget themselves” — what an extraordinary expression

Ibn Kathir explains this as Allah allowing them to forget the deeds that would actually benefit them in the Hereafter. They become so occupied elsewhere that they neglect their own ultimate welfare.

This means self-forgetfulness is not forgetting one's name, career or worldly interests. A person might actually become intensely self-absorbed:

“My money.”

“My appearance.”

“My success.”

“My followers.”

“My pleasure.”

“My reputation.”

Yet according to 59:19, that person may simultaneously have forgotten his real self:

Why was I created?

Where am I going?

What condition is my heart in?

What have I prepared for death?

What am I becoming before Allah?

That is the paradox of the verse: A person can think about himself constantly—and still forget himself completely.

Maududi notes: forgetting God distorts human identity. Maududi takes this concept particularly deep. He argues that when a human being forgets Allah, he forgets his true position in existence. He no longer understands himself primarily as Allah's servant. Once this fundamental identity is lost, the rest of life begins to be built on a false foundation.

A person who should serve Allah begins serving other masters like wealth, social approval, desire, fashion, power, ideology, career—or simply the demands of his own ego.

Thus, according to Maududi, remembering Allah is not merely one religious activity among many. It is what keeps our understanding of ourselves correctly oriented.

This gives 59:19 a remarkably profound meaning: When we lose God from the centre, we also lose the correct answer to “Who am I?”

Muhammad Asad notes forgetting Allah leads to losing one's spiritual potential, He renders the consequence as becoming oblivious of what is good for one's own self. He explains it as wasting the moral and spiritual potential Allah placed within human beings through misuse of reason and continued obliviousness to Him.

This makes the verse particularly relevant to modern life. One can be: highly educated, financially comfortable, technologically connected, socially visible— and nevertheless neglect the development of the soul. Material progress and spiritual progress are not automatically the same thing.

How 59:19 links with the other verses 

Herein under are four verses almost form a progression:

• 18:28 The core message of Surah Al-Kahf 18:28 is to remain firmly attached to people who sincerely remember and worship Allah, even if they lack worldly status, and not be dazzled by wealth, prestige, or outward attraction. Allah warns against following those whose hearts have become heedless through neglect of His remembrance and whose lives are ruled by desires. The verse therefore teaches that the true worth of companionship is measured by faith, sincerity, and remembrance of Allah—not by social position or material success—and that a distracted heart can gradually lead a person away from a meaningful and rightly ordered life.
• 63:9 The core message of Surah Al-Munāfiqūn 63:9 is a warning not to let wealth, children, business, or worldly preoccupations distract us from remembering Allah and fulfilling our obligations to Him. These blessings are not condemned in themselves; the danger begins when they occupy the heart so completely that prayer, gratitude, obedience, and awareness of the Hereafter are neglected. The verse teaches that true loss is not having less of the world, but gaining the world while losing one’s relationship with Allah.
• 20:124 The core message of Surah Ṭā Hā 20:124 is that turning away from Allah’s guidance leads to a constricted, troubled life, even when outward comforts are present. The “narrow life” is not limited to poverty; it can include spiritual emptiness, anxiety, restlessness, loss of purpose, and dissatisfaction caused by living without remembrance of Allah and divine direction. The verse teaches that real peace comes not merely from possessing more, but from living with faith, guidance, and conscious connection with Allah.

Mobile phones and 59:19

Obviously, the Qur’an is not speaking specifically about smartphones. A phone is a tool and can be used for tremendous good: Qur’an, Islamic learning, family communication, education, work, charity and maintaining relationships. The problem begins when the tool becomes the master of our attention.

Consider the first moments after waking. How mon=bile phone has become a part of our lives at every step during the day. The phone takes precedence:

• Before remembering Allah
• While eating
• During conversation
• Waiting thirty seconds
• Immediately after ṣalāh
• Before sleeping

None of these actions individually defines a person's faith. But collectively they raise precisely the question of 59:19: What occupies the centre of my awareness?

The modern danger is not necessarily that a person consciously rejects Allah. It may simply be that there is never enough silence left to remember Him deeply. Notifications, messages, reels, videos, news, arguments, advertisements and entertainment fill every empty moment.

Eventually we may lose the capacity for: dhikr, reflection, contemplation, self-examination and quiet awareness of Allah.

And then the warning of 59:19 becomes striking: We may become so occupied with everything around us that we forget what is happening within us.

20:124 — the consequence of turning away: Allah says:

وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَنْ ذِكْرِي فَإِنَّ لَهُ مَعِيشَةً ضَنكًا “Whoever turns away from My remembrance will certainly have a constricted life…”

Ibn Kathir explains that such a person can possess outward comforts—food, clothing and accommodation—yet lack inward tranquility and certainty, remaining troubled, doubtful or inwardly constricted.

This is extremely important. The verse does not mean every anxious or distressed person has forgotten Allah; psychological suffering has many causes, and such a conclusion would be unfair.

Rather, the Qur’anic point is spiritual: Paterial abundance by itself cannot guarantee inner spaciousness.

A person can have:

• hundreds of contacts but profound loneliness,
• continuous entertainment but little contentment,
• constant information but little wisdom,
• constant stimulation but little peace.

Thus 59:19 and 20:124 complement each other:

• Forget Allah → lose the true self.
• Turn away from Allah's remembrance → life can become inwardly constricted.

A Qur’anic anatomy of distraction

Put the four verses together and an extraordinary picture emerges:

• 18:28: Heart becomes heedless → desire takes command.
• 63:9: Worldly attachments distract from remembrance.
• 59:19: Allah is forgotten → true self is forgotten.
• 20:124 Life becomes spiritually constricted.

And the reverse journey is equally possible: Remember Allah, recover awareness of purpose, discipline desires, regain control of attention, recognize yourself as Allah's servant - so prepare consciously for the Hereafter.

REFLECTION FOR TODAY

Although, in our times today, we have many a distraction that aid in forgetting Allah and His worship. Here for example, let us take the unusual dependence of mobile phones that have robbed us our time to remember Allah. The Qur’anic answer is not necessarily “throw the phone away.” It is:

• restore the correct hierarchy.
• Allah should command our attention; technology should serve our purposes.

A useful personal discipline could therefore be:

• begin the day with dhikr/prayer/Qur’an before the phone;
• keep the phone away during ṣalāh and Qur’an reflection;
• disable unnecessary notifications;
• establish some screen-free periods every day;
• ask whether endless scrolling is benefiting your dunya or ākhirah;
• occasionally examine your screen-time report as seriously as you examine your bank statement;
• replace some passive scrolling with Qur’an, family conversation, walking, reading and contemplation;
• before sleeping, give the final moments of consciousness to Allah rather than to the feed.

Here one particularly useful question might be: “Did I use my phone today—or did my phone use my attention?”

The deepest lesson of 59:19

There is an irony in modern culture. We are encouraged constantly to “find yourself.” But 59:19 suggests that the deepest way to lose yourself is to forget the One who created you.

From a Qur’anic perspective, knowing yourself cannot ultimately be separated from knowing:

• who created you,
• why you exist,
• what you are responsible for,
• and where you are returning.

That is why forgetting Allah produces self-forgetfulness. Not because the person ceases looking after worldly interests—but because he forgets his ultimate interest.

A concluding reflection

Surah al-Hashr 59:19 could therefore be paraphrased as a warning to our age:

Do not become so occupied with the world that you lose awareness of the One who gave you life—and, in doing so, lose awareness of what your own life is actually for.

With 18:28, 63:9 and 20:124, it forms a remarkably coherent Qur’anic philosophy of distraction:

Guard your attention, because attention shapes remembrance; remembrance shapes desire; desire shapes character; and character shapes destiny.

For today's smartphone generation, perhaps the practical message is simply: Stay connected to the world—but never at the cost of becoming disconnected from Allah, and therefore from your own soul.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

You may refer to more Selected Verses from Sürah 59 Al Al-Ḥashr (The Gathering),  already published.

You may also refer to our exclusive reference pages: 

• Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.
• Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects
• Selected Verses from the Qur'an. 

You may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

| Photo |

Sources & Further Reading

Ibn Kathir: Tafsir 

Maududi: Tafhim al-Qur'an

Wiki Qur'an

Disclaimer: This post is not intended to "force" preach, convert, or criticize any belief system. The views shared are meant to inspire dialogue, understanding, and reflection about Islam. Viewer discretion is advised, especially for those navigating sensitive religious experiences. Always seek knowledge with an open heart and mind.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on social media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Islam and Atheism: Two Worldviews, Two Answers — What the Qur’an Says

Accepting One Divine Being as the sole creator of this universe has always contested by many people by rejecting the very concept One True God without any associates as mentioned in the four major Divine Scriptures revealed to the four chosen prophets from eternity to some fourteen centuries when Al Qur'an, the fourth Divine Scripture, was revealed to Prophet Muhammad as the final Divine guiding book for the entire humanity till the end of our earthly world. Yet despite the presence of these noble scriptures, many have clung to the belief of the forefathers and remain oblivious to what is being ordained Divinely. 

Of the present times, Atheism is one such faction which out rightly reject the concept of a Creator and associating His countless signs, like mountains, crops, animals, rain and snow and many means of sustenance beside the celestial world above us, and relate everything to science.

Islam and atheism begin from very different starting points about reality, purpose, and human destiny. Islam holds that the universe is created and sustained by Allah, that human life has a divinely assigned purpose, and that every person will return to God for judgment. Atheism, by contrast, does not accept belief in God as necessary. It is also important to be fair here: atheism is not one organized religion with a single scripture, moral code, or philosophy. Individual atheists may differ widely in how they explain morality, meaning, consciousness, and the origin of the universe.

The Basic Claim

The Qur’an’s most basic claim is that Allah is the Creator: “Allah is the Creator of all things” (39:62). It also rejects the idea that creation is meaningless or merely playful: “We did not create the heaven and the earth… in play” (21:16). From the Islamic point of view, existence is intentional. Human beings are part of that intention and are given moral responsibility. The Qur’an describes human creation in passages such as 23:12–14 and 32:7–9, and states the purpose of human life in 51:56: “I did not create jinn and mankind except to worship Me.”

An atheistic outlook usually does not accept a divinely assigned purpose. Life may instead be understood in terms of natural processes, including biological evolution, and individuals may find meaning in relationships, knowledge, compassion, achievement, creativity, or other human pursuits. Atheism itself, however, does not provide one official answer to the question, “Why are we here?”

A major difference also concerns knowledge. Islam values observation and reason, but does not limit knowledge to them. Revelation is also treated as a source of truth. The Qur’an repeatedly urges reflection on creation, as in 3:190–191 and 88:17–20. Atheistic approaches generally rely on reason, empirical evidence, experience, and science, while supernatural revelation is not accepted as authoritative unless independently demonstrated.

Morality

The difference becomes especially clear in morality. Islam teaches that moral truth ultimately rests in Allah’s command and in the moral order He has established. Qur’an 16:90 says: “Indeed Allah commands justice and excellence…” Atheists may also strongly value justice, honesty, compassion, human dignity, and the protection of others, but may explain those values through human welfare, empathy, reason, rights, reciprocity, or moral philosophy rather than divine command. Thus, a Muslim and an atheist may sometimes behave similarly in practical ethical matters while disagreeing deeply about the ultimate foundation of morality.

Individual Accountability

The Qur’an also places great emphasis on individual accountability. “No bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another” (53:38–39). In Islam, every person is responsible before Allah, and perfect justice is completed in the Hereafter. Qur’an 99:7–8 teaches that even the smallest deeds will be seen, and 21:47 describes the absolute justice of the final judgment. In most atheistic frameworks, moral accountability is understood within this life—toward oneself, other people, society, and the consequences of one’s actions—without assuming a divine judgment after death.

The Sharpest Difference

This leads to one of the sharpest differences between the two worldviews: what happens after death. Islam teaches resurrection and judgment. Qur’an 23:15–16 says that human beings die and will then be raised again. Qur’an 36:78–79 answers the objection, “Who will give life to these bones when they have decayed?” with: “He who produced them the first time will give them life.” Most atheistic views hold that personal consciousness ends with biological death, though atheism by itself does not provide one unified philosophical theory of consciousness.

The Qur’an directly records a materialistic view in 45:24: “There is nothing but our worldly life; we die and we live, and nothing destroys us except time.” It rejects this as a complete account of human destiny. From the Qur’anic perspective, life is not merely a temporary biological episode but a moral test. Qur’an 67:2 says that Allah “created death and life to test you as to which of you is best in deeds.” Suffering, therefore, may have a dimension of trial, discipline, patience, or moral growth. Atheistic explanations generally understand suffering through natural causes, human wrongdoing, chance, disease, social conditions, or other non-divine causes, without assuming an ultimate spiritual purpose behind it.

The Qur’an’s argument for God is often framed as an appeal to reason rather than mere assertion. Surah At-Tur asks:

“Or were they created by nothing, or were they themselves the creators? Or did they create the heavens and the earth?” — Qur’an 52:35–36

The point is to challenge the reader to consider the origin of existence. Human beings did not create themselves, nor did they create the cosmos. The Qur’an therefore directs thought toward an originating Creator.

The Story of Prophet Ibraheem (Abraham)

The story of Abraham in 6:75–79 follows a similar pattern. Abraham reflects on the star, moon, and sun, but rejects them as ultimate objects of worship because they rise and disappear. He finally declares:

“Indeed, I have turned my face toward Him who created the heavens and the earth…”

— Qur’an 6:79

Qur'an's insistence on Reflection rather than believing without thinking

For this reason, the Qur’anic approach is not simply “believe without thinking.” It repeatedly appeals to reflection: “In the creation of the heavens and the earth… are signs for people of understanding” (3:190), and, “And in yourselves. Will you not then see?” (51:21).

The teachings of the Prophet ﷺ reinforce the same worldview by connecting faith with intention and moral conduct. He said: “Actions are only according to intentions.” — Sahih al-Bukhari 1; Sahih Muslim 1907

In Islamic ethics, therefore, morality is not judged only by outward results; intention before God also matters. He also said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good or remain silent.” — Sahih al-Bukhari 6018; Sahih Muslim 47

The ethical conduct explicitly connected to belief in God and the Last Day

The famous Hadith of Jibril describes Islam through Islam, Iman, and Ihsan. Iman includes belief in Allah, the angels, revelation, the messengers, the Last Day, and divine decree, while Ihsan is to worship Allah “as though you see Him.” — Sahih Muslim 8. 

This creates a profound difference from an atheistic worldview: the Muslim tries to live with the awareness that even when no human observer is present, one remains morally accountable before God.

At the same time, the Qur’an does not teach that belief should be forced. It states:

لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ  “There is no compulsion in religion.” — Qur’an 2:256

It also instructs believers to invite others “in the best manner” (16:125), and says: “The truth is from your Lord; whoever wills, let him believe, and whoever wills, let him disbelieve” (18:29). Thus, Qur’anic faith is presented as something to be accepted through recognition and conviction, not imposed through coercion.

The Deepest Contrast

The deepest contrast, then, is not simply “religion versus science.” Islam does not reject investigation of the physical world. The more basic disagreement concerns what lies behind that world. Atheism asks whether the universe and human existence can be adequately explained without God. Islam answers that creation, moral responsibility, human purpose, and final justice ultimately make sense because they come from Allah and return to Him.

That Islamic worldview is captured in one brief Qur’anic statement:

إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ “Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we shall return.” — Qur’an 2:156

Viewpoint of Classical and Present day Muslim Scholars

Muslim scholars have generally regarded atheism (ilḥād or denial of God) as a fundamental rejection of the Qur’anic worldview, but they have not all approached atheists in exactly the same way. Classical scholars usually encountered forms of materialism or scepticism rather than modern philosophical atheism, so terms such as dahriyyūn—those who attributed life and death merely to “time” or nature—were often used. The Qur’an itself records this outlook: “There is nothing but our worldly life; we die and we live, and nothing destroys us except time” (45:24), and then rejects it.

A useful way of understanding major scholarly approaches is this:

1.    Al-Ghazālī treated denial of a Creator as intellectually untenable because contingent things cannot ultimately explain their own existence. In works such as Tahāfut al-Falāsifah, his primary debates were with philosophers rather than modern atheists, but his basic argument was that the universe depends upon a necessary Creator. At the same time, he strongly distinguished between philosophical errors of different kinds rather than treating every disagreement identically.

2.     Ibn Taymiyyah placed considerable emphasis on fiṭrah, the innate human disposition toward recognition of God. He argued that knowledge of the Creator is not merely the result of a complicated philosophical proof; human nature, reason and the signs of creation all point toward God. This corresponds closely with the Prophetic statement: “Every child is born upon the fiṭrah.” — Sahih al-Bukhari 1358; Sahih Muslim 2658.

3.    Ibn Rushd (Averroes) emphasized rational reflection on the natural world. For him, studying creation could lead the reasoning person toward knowledge of the Creator. Qur’anic passages inviting observation of the heavens, animals and nature were therefore particularly significant. In this approach, reason and revelation are not natural enemies.

4.    Ibn Kathīr, when explaining verses such as 52:35–36 — “Were they created by nothing, or were they themselves the creators?” — reads the passage as a rational challenge: neither self-creation nor creation from absolute nothingness provides an adequate explanation; therefore creation points beyond itself to its Creator.

5.    Abul A‘la Maududi often treats modern materialism and atheism as consequences of restricting reality to what can be physically observed. His Qur’anic commentary repeatedly argues that scientific knowledge describes many of the mechanisms of creation but does not by itself answer the ultimate questions of why existence exists, why moral responsibility matters, or what humanity's final destiny is.

6.    Javed Ahmad Ghamidi places considerable weight on human nature, conscience and the ordered structure of the universe. His approach is generally that recognition of God is supported by the human moral sense and the signs within the world, while revelation clarifies truths toward which human nature already points. He also stresses that people are ultimately accountable according to the knowledge and evidence actually made clear to them.

End point Quranic Viewpoint

An especially important point is that the Qur’an does not usually respond to disbelief simply by saying “believe because you are told to believe.” It repeatedly asks people to reason:

أَمْ خُلِقُوا مِنْ غَيْرِ شَيْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الْخَالِقُونَ “Were they created from nothing, or are they themselves the creators?” — Qur’an 52:35

And:

“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of night and day are signs for people of understanding.” — Qur’an 3:190

The Qur’anic argument therefore operates through creation, causation, order, consciousness, morality, fiṭrah and reflection, rather than presenting faith as blind acceptance.

Muslim scholars also commonly distinguish atheism from shirk. A polytheist believes in some form of divine or supernatural reality but associates partners with God; an atheist denies or withholds belief in God altogether. From the Islamic theological perspective both contradict tawḥīd, but they are intellectually different positions and therefore require different kinds of discussion.

There is also an important ethical dimension. Classical Islamic theology regards disbelief as a serious theological matter, but that does not mean Muslims are instructed to abuse or humiliate atheists. The Qur’an commands:

“Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and debate with them in the best manner.” — Qur’an 16:125

And it says:

“There is no compulsion in religion.” — Qur’an 2:256

For Da‘wah today, therefore, perhaps the most productive scholarly approach is not to begin by calling an atheist immoral or rebellious. Many atheists may be sincerely unconvinced, may have encountered poor presentations of religion, or may have philosophical objections concerning suffering, science, revelation or religious hypocrisy. The Qur’anic method invites them to examine the deeper questions: Why is there something rather than nothing? Why is the universe intelligible? Where does objective moral obligation come from? What explains consciousness? Is human existence ultimately purposeless?

In one sentence, the mainstream Muslim scholarly position could be summarized as: atheism is regarded as mistaken about the ultimate nature of reality, but the Qur’anic response to it is not merely condemnation—it repeatedly invites the unbeliever to observe, reason, question, and reconsider the signs within creation and within the human self.

This is beautifully condensed in Qur’an 51:20–21:

“And on the earth are signs for those with sure faith, and in yourselves—will you not then see?”

Final Reflection

So, in the end, Islam and atheism differ most clearly over four fundamental questions: where human beings come from, why they exist, on what basis they should live morally, and what—if anything—comes after death. Islam answers all four through God, revelation, accountability, and the Hereafter; atheistic worldviews seek their answers without appealing to a divine Creator.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

| Photo | 

References  Resources for further study: | 1 | 2 | 3 |

For more Q&A about Understanding Islam, please refer to our reference page: Understanding Islam - Frequently asked Q&A. You may also refer to our refference page: Scholars' Viewpoint on important issue related to Islam to know more about Islam.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More