Islam and Evidence

Throughout his life Prophet Muhammad abided solely by the revelations of God doing only what was revealed by God without considering the approval of other people or fearing them.

Yet the idolaters of his time opposed this incomparable virtue of his and wanted him to bring commandments in line with their own interests. Despite their being powerful and in large numbers, the Prophet opposed them, scrupulously and determinately keeping to the Quran and the Commandments of God. In His verses God reveals the Prophet's response to these people's insistence.

''When Our clear signs are recited to them, those who do not expect to meet Us say, ''Bring a Quran other than this one or change it.'' Say: It is not for me to change it of my own accord. I follow nothing except what is revealed to me. I fear were I to disobey my Lord, the punishment of a Dreadful Day.'' (Surah Yunus: 15)

The Prophet never made any concessions to what such people wanted. He conveyed the Quran to humanity with no alteration to what

God had revealed taking no one's personal interests into account and did so simply in the spirit of fear of God. This characteristic of our Prophet sent as a mercy on the world's is revealed thus in the Quran.

''Your companion is not misguided or misled; nor does he speak from whim. It is nothing but Revelation revealed, taught him by one immensely strong, [i.e., Gabriel]...

Prayer is an important part of a person's relationship with Allah. It serves as a reminder of our dependence on Him, and as a means of seeking His help in times of sickness. Additionally, research has demonstrated the positive effects of faith and prayer on the recovery of the sick, with studies showing that prayer reduces symptoms and accelerates treatment. Allah is the One who hears and responds to the prayers of His people. The Qur'an provides examples of those who have prayed to Allah, such as Ayyub, Dhu'n-Nun and Zakariyya, who were all answered and saved from their grief. Person should not only pray for physical needs but also for guidance and spiritual growth, and Allah will respond to that prayer as well. The Qur'an provides assurance that Allah is always near and will answer the call of the caller if he/she calls upon Him.

The Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) possessed an exemplary morality that he called upon the world to adopt, and which was revealed to him by God. He also counseled Muslims to follow his moral example, which included such advice as to not envy or hate one another, to not undersell each other, to show reverence both externally and internally, to speak truthfully, and to forgive those who injure us. These nine moral values are a timeless example of the Prophet's exemplary morality that all of us should strive to emulate.

The Prophet possessed a morality that constitutes a model for the whole world. He called on others to conform to that morality and described what kind of morality and behavior would be pleasing to God. God reveals in verses the kind of superior moral values possessed by Prophet Muhammad.

''Nun. By the Pen and what they write down! By the blessing of your Lord, you are not mad. You will have a wage which never-fails. Indeed you are truly vast in character. (Surat al-Qalam:1-4)

Our Prophet also counseled Muslims to abide by his own moral values. Some of this advice is described in these terms in the hadith.

''Do not envy one another; do not hate one another; do not turn away from another; and do not undercut one another, but be you, O servants of God, brothers.'' ''My Cherisher has ordered me nine things: To reverence Him, externally and internally, to speak true, and with propriety, in prosperity and adversity, moderation in affluence and poverty, to benefit my relations and kindred who do not benefit me; to give alms to him who refuses me; to forgive him who injures me; that my silence should be in attaining knowledge of God; that when I speak, I should mention Him; that when I look on God's creatures, it should be as an example for them.''

Forgiveness is a virtue strongly recommended in the Qur’an and practiced by believers. It is the best way to ensure peace of heart, mind and body, and to lead a healthy and happy life. Allah commands that we should forgive those who have wronged us, as He will forgive us when we seek His forgiveness.Forgiveness is essential to a healthy life, both physically and psychologically. Studies have found that religious people are less prone to depression, stress, and mental illness due to forgiveness being encouraged by their faith.

Anger, however, has been scientifically linked to a higher risk of heart disease, increased production of inflammatory proteins, and a greater chance of heart attack. Harvard Gazette and The Times have both published articles that further support this notion. Forgiveness is a positive virtue that eliminates the physical and psychological effects of anger and is pleasing to Allah.

Notes:

73. Jennifer Desai, "Stanford Forgiveness Project's Dr. Frederic Luskin studies why learning to forgive might be good for the body as well as the soul," Almanac, June 9, 1999;

www.almanacnews.com/morgue/1999/1999_06_09.forgive.html

74. Ibid.

75. Frederic Luskin, Ph.D., "Forgiveness," Healing Currents Magazine, September-October 1996;

www.stanford.edu/~alexsox/4_steps_to_forgiveness.htm

76. Ibid.

77. Claudia Kalb, "Faith & Healing," Newsweek, November 10, 2003;

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3339654/site/newsweek

78. William J. Cromie, "Anger is Hostile to Your Heart," Harvard Gazette;

www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/1996/11.07/AngerisHostileT.html

79. Ibid.

80. Peter Lavelle, "Anger trigger to heart disease found?," ABC Science Online, August 5, 2003;

www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s915243.htm

81. Ibid.

82. Ibid.

83. Mark Henderson, "Anger Raises Risk of Heart Attack," The Times, London, April 24, 2002;

www.rense.com/general24/anger.htm

84. Ibid.

Belief in Allah is a powerful force that can lead to physical and mental health benefits. David B. Larson, of the American National Health Research Center, and his team compared devout and non-religious Americans and found that religious people suffer 60% less heart disease, 100% lower suicide rate, and far lower levels of high blood pressure than those with little or no religious belief. The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine reported that those with no beliefs are twice as likely to suffer stomach-intestine diseases and their mortality rate from respiratory diseases is 66% higher than that of believers.

Dr. Herbert Benson of the Harvard Medical Faculty concluded that worship and belief in Allah have a more positive effect on human health than that observed in anything else and that no belief provides as much mental peace as belief in Allah. This is because people who believe in Allah, trust and pray to Him, are behaving in accordance with the purpose of their creation and philosophies that go against it always lead to unhappiness. Scientific research has confirmed that religious belief is correlated with overall mental health and happiness.

Note 69. Patrick Glynn, God: The Evidence, The Reconciliation of Faith and Reason in a Postsecular World, (California: Prima Publishing: 1997), 80-81.

Note 70. Herbert Benson, and Mark Stark, Timeless Healing, (New York: Simon & Schuster: 1996), 203.

Note 71. Ibid., 193.

Note 72. Glynn, God: The Evidence, The Reconciliation of Faith and Reason in a Postsecular World, 60-61.

Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace) is a blessed individual to whom God revealed his final Divine scripture and whom He made a role model with his excellent moral values and faith. With his powerful faith, our beloved Prophet fulfilled the responsibility given him by God in the finest possible way. He called people to the path of God to salvation. With his excellent moral values, he was a guide and beacon for all believers. In our day these incomparable moral values and our Prophet's sound approach to difficulties maintain his universality and shed a light for all humanity.

The duty of Muslims is to become acquainted with these superior attributes of the Prophet to take him as a role model and introduce him to all humanity. At the same time they must do all in their power to resemble him and in order to take him as their close friend in the hereafter.

*Abbreviations used: (saas) - sall-Allahu 'alyahi wa sallam: May Allah bless him and grant him peace (following a reference to the Prophet Muhammad)

The area of the cerebrum responsible for planning, motivation, and initiating good and sinful behaviour, such as lying and truth-telling, is located in the frontal part of the skull. This region, known as the prefrontal area, was pointed out in the Qur'an 1,400 years ago, and only discovered by scientists in the last 60 years. Those who fail to act responsibly can be grabbed by the 'lying, sinful forelock', indicating the importance of being responsible.

Note 67. Rod R. Seeley, Trent D. Stephens, and Philip Tate, Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology, 2nd ed., (St. Louis: Mosby-Year Book Inc.: 1996), 211; Charles R. Noback, N. L. Strominger, and R. J. Demarest, The Human Nervous System, Introduction and Review, 4th ed., (Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger: 1991), 410-411.

Note 68. Seeley, Stephens, and Tate, Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology, 211.