Principle Fifty-Seven: On the method of reasoning from the creation of the heavens and the earth and all they contain to al-tawḥīd (pure monotheism) and the highest objectives.

Allah has called His servants, in many verses, to contemplate these created things; He has praised those who ponder them and informed us that within them are signs and lessons that we must grasp, for they serve the interests of our religion and our worldly life. We should therefore pursue this pathway that leads to the desired conclusion in the clearest and easiest manner.

In brief: when we reflect on this magnificent cosmos we realize that it did not come into existence without a Maker, nor did it create itself—this is self-evident. We are thus certain that the One who brought it forth is the First, before whom there is nothing, and the Last, after whom there is nothing. His power is perfect, His authority immense, and His knowledge all-encompassing. Bringing us back in the second creation for recompense is far easier than bringing this universe into being, for “The creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the creation of humanity” (Quran 40:57). From this we come to know that He is the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting.

When we examine the precision, harmony, and wondrous design within it, we perceive the perfection of Allah’s wisdom, the excellence of His craftsmanship, and the vastness of His knowledge. From the traces of that wisdom in ourselves and in the cosmos we learn that He did not create us with this worldly life as an end in itself; rather, He created us so that we might prepare herein for the next life.

When we see the innumerable necessities and refinements that bring benefit and wellbeing, we recognize that Allah’s mercy is boundless and His bounty, goodness, kindness, generosity, and gracious bestowal are immense. And when we observe the specific distinctions distributed throughout creation, these point to Allah’s will and the unfailing execution of His decree.