‘I know, of course, that God is only a hypothesis, but I recognise the fact that it is a useful hypothesis, to keep order….order in the world, and so on, so that if God didn’t exist, He would have to be invented’. The words are an extract from the novel ‘The Brothers Karamazov’, one of the masterpieces written by 19th century Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky, ‘perhaps the finest novelist of all time.’ In this final novel of his career set against a modernising Russia, with a plot which revolves around the subject of patricide, ‘throughout the whole Dostoevsky searches for the truth – about man, about life, about the existence of God’. When he introduces the reader briefly about the storyline and its characters, Dostoevsky admits ‘the main question which has tormented me consciously or unconsciously throughout my entire life – the existence of God’. Although known to be profoundly religious, Fyodor Dostoevsky still pondered over this issue, possibly influenced by the troubled political, social, and spiritual atmospheres of nineteenth century Russia. Whether with his life did the torment end or not is unknown, but for many this is a question they still ask. Man since earliest times probed his own existence and then of his habitat. Who brought life in this world? Who created this very world? What was the purpose of all creations? Who created the Creator? Many men and women in their quest for answers traced the source to an All Powerful and All Knowing deity and thus acquired peace. Abraham learned how the sun and the moon and the stars all set. He said, No longer will I try to assign partners for God. Jelaluddin Rumi. God Himself gave many evidences for His existence in scriptures for His believers and also the unbelievers, who found solace in inanimate objects and myths and legends as for their minds, it was unacceptable that a being whom they cannot see, is the one which enables them to look around them. Say: ‘He will give life to them Who brought them into existence at first, and He is cognizant of all creation.’ He Who has made for you, from the green tree, fire. and then from it you kindle (fire). Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth able to create the like of them? Yes Indeed! and He is the Superb Creator (of all), the Ever-Knowing. Surely His Command, when He wills a thing, is only to say to it: Be! and it is! Therefore glory be to Him in Whose hand is the Kingdom of all things, and to Him you shall be brought back. Surah Yaseen: 79 – 83 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament [the sky] shows His handiwork. . . . There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Psalm 19:1, 3 By Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth. He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. Colossians 1:16, 17 For many, words such as the ones quoted from the Quran and the Bible opened a window in their minds and led them to the eternal truth. Most people around the world, belonging to different religions and their practices, have grown up without a doubt that their deity is real. For them, this is a question which never occurs in their minds and its reality is as stark as the world they see around them. Staunch beliefs, rigorous practices and for some, life changing experiences firmly entrench their faith in the The Creator, The King of Kings, The Eternal. But for some, Kun, the Arabic word for the act of manifesting, existing or being, a symbol of God’s mystical, creative power, was not the answer. They refused to believe that the source of these words was divine, for them it was the handiwork of humans. Atheism: Searching for the existence of God In the quest for God, some men started doubting that there ever was a creator. Atheism is the absence of belief in the existence of deities or the rejection of belief that any deities exist. The term originates from the ancient Greek atheos, meaning ‘without god(s)’. Most histories of atheism choose the Greek and Roman philosophers Epicurus, Democritus, and Lucretius as the first atheist writers. While these writers certainly changed the idea of God, they didn’t entirely deny that gods could exist. According to sociologists, 7 percent of the world’s population consists of atheists and agnostics, with China having the most atheists in the world – 200 million convinced atheists. In Pakistan, about 2 percent of the population is believed to have atheist beliefs, although they feel their ability to publicly question the existence of God is threatened. Under a recently passed cyber-crime law, it is now illegal to post content online – even in a private forum – that could be deemed blasphemous. Recently in Malaysia, another country with Islam as its state religion, a coalition of civil society groups has gone on the attack against what it calls the Atheist Republic movement, over efforts to ‘malign and dishonour religions in the name of freedom of expression’. ‘Any form of evangelical atheism in a multi-faith society like Malaysia should be categorised as hate speech’. The comments are believed to be a response to the backlash that followed recent statements on atheism by a Deputy Minister Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki. On Nov 23, Asyraf told the lower house of Malaysia’s parliament that atheism has no place in Malaysia as it contravenes the Federal Constitution. Politicians, lawyers, civil society groups and other prominent personalities had criticised the deputy minister for his ‘misguided’ view on the constitutional right to ‘freedom of religion’. Atheists or agnostics believe that there is ‘insufficient evidence’ to prove the existence of God and hence think that human beings can devise suitable moral codes to live by without the aid of Gods or scriptures. They also don’t use God to explain the existence of the universe – they have theories to provide answers. Science: Searching the existence of the universe When scientists started unravelling the truth and came with explanations for the creation of the universe and the evolution of man, they felt that the elements of nature interacted and the outcome of the process were the stars, the moons, the universe and beings with life – coexistence led to creation itself. Where did the elements appear from, did coexistence also result in perfect symmetry, unison and rhythm which we witness in nature and which the humans, despite having the most brilliant mindsm, have failed to achieve in their own lives, are questions not asked and thus not answered? Events in Europe associated with the scientific revolution and the Age of Enlightenment led scholars to suggest a conflict thesis, holding that religion and science have been in conflict methodologically, factually and politically throughout history. In recent history, the theory of evolution has been at the centre of controversy between mostly Abrahamic religions and science. Staunch believers in religion find incompatibility between Darwinian evolution and their interpretation of divine revelations about the creation of man. As a description of the origin of the universe, the Big Bang has significant bearing on religion and philosophy. Not surprisingly, it has become one of the liveliest areas in the discourse between science and religion. Big bang proponents suggest that some 10 billion to 20 billion years ago, a massive blast allowed all the universe’s known matter and energy—even space and time themselves—to spring from some ancient and unknown type of energy. This source implies to some a creator, while others argue that Big Bang cosmology makes the notion of a creator superfluous. Where for some unravelling the mysteries of the universe led them away from the concept of a deity, for others, treading on the path to learn has been a way to seek union with God. At one end, there are those who although accepting the theory that the universe began from a single primordial atom, do not believe that the source is divine. On the other far end are many who are convinced that ‘it is the central urge in every atom to return to its divine source and origin’. This is the core belief of most mystics and Sufis. Mysticism: Searching union with God Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may also refer to the attainment of insight in ultimate or hidden truths, and to human transformation supported by various practices and experiences. Derived from a Greek word meaning ‘to conceal’, the definition of mysticism grew to include a broad range of beliefs and ideologies related to ‘extraordinary experiences and states of mind’. With similar beliefs, Sufism is a mystical practice in Islam whose members pursue a spiritual experience using bodily discipline and mystical intuition. Sufis seek a close personal experience with God and believe they have acquired a special mystical knowledge directly from Allah. Their belief revolves around personal experience rather than doctrine and involves contemplation, awareness and a quest for purity. I searched for God and found only myself I searched for myself and found only God. Sufi proverb Thus continues the quest for God. Whether one finds signs in abundance or while acknowledging the signs questions the source, it is simply a matter of belief. When struggling to reach the last frontier of this universe, man continues to pose questions and seek answers and thus strives to resolve conflicts between theories of existence and propositions of perfecting union with God. But belief comes from the heart, from where the search begins and to where it ends. I looked in temples, churches and mosques. But I found the Divine within my heart. You will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart Jeremiah 29:13.