Chen Yang was an educated young Chinese man, well-read and fond of debate, but he carried in his mind a question that kept recurring whenever he spoke with a Muslim about the existence of God. One quiet evening, he sat with his friend Abo Karim in a café, and after a brief conversation about life, the universe, and man, Chen Yang smiled and said:
Chen Yang: I have a question that I see as simple, but I have not found a convincing answer to it: if Allah created us, then who created Allah?
Abo Karim smiled and did not rush to answer. Instead, he laid the groundwork for the discussion with a thoughtful, methodical pause, saying: Before I answer you, let me ask you one question: Is every question posed to us necessarily a valid question?
Chen Yang: No, I think some questions may be built on a false assumption.
Abo Karim: This is the right approach. Sometimes what is required is not to answer the question, but to correct the question itself, because the question may contain a verbal contradiction or a false assumption.
Chen Yang: And how can the question “Who created Allah?” be contradictory?!
Abo Karim: Because when you mention Allah, glorified and exalted is He, you are speaking about the Creator, then within the same question you treat Him as a creation that needs someone to create it (Allah is exalted far above that); and this is an incorrect assumption, because the Creator cannot be a creation.
Let us use simple examples from our daily life to bring the idea closer and clarify the logical structure of the question only, not to liken Allah to His creation —
“And for Allah is the highest attribute.” [Surat An-Nahl 16:60]
— rather, the purpose is to show that the question itself may contain a corrupt assumption and an inherent contradiction. If you entered a restaurant and saw a cook who had prepared a meal, and you asked him, “Who cooked this meal?” he would say, “I did.” Would it then be rational to say to him afterward: “And who cooked you?”
Chen Yang laughed, surprised at the precision of the reflection, and said: No, that's a strange question!
Abo Karim: Why is it strange?
Chen Yang: It doesn't make sense, because the man is a cook, not the food that was cooked.
Abo Karim: Well said! So the word “cook” indicates the one who does the cooking, and does not mean that this person himself was cooked. So if you say, “This is a cook,” then ask, “Who cooked the cook?” — you have shifted the word from its correct meaning to another meaning it does not carry. Likewise, when we say Allah is the Creator, it is not valid to make Him, within the question, a creation that needs someone to create it.
There is another well-known example that illustrates the idea even more clearly and forcefully. Imagine that someone told you, “My friend George went into the hospital and gave birth to a child,” then asked you, quite seriously, whether the newborn was a boy or a girl.
Chen Yang hesitated a moment, then answered: I would say: I don't know, it's hard to guess.
Abo Karim: But the problem here is deeper and broader than merely “I don't know.” The question itself is invalid from its foundation and incorrect, because you built it on a false assumption — that the man could give birth in the first place! Before we ask whether it was a boy or a girl, we must correct the question, because a man does not give birth, so the question was built on an incorrect assumption. It is exactly the same with the question “Who created Allah?” Allah, glorified and exalted is He, is the Creator of everything, and He was never created, so that it could be said, “Who created Him?” If you assumed that someone created Allah, you would have made the Creator into a created, dependent being in need of someone else, and this is false and contradicts what Allah has told us about Himself — that He is the One, the Self-Sufficient. The one you call a god under this false assumption would become an originated being dependent upon another, and would therefore not be the true God at all, because the true God is the Creator who is absolutely free of need of His creation, the One deserving that worship be devoted to Him alone.
Chen Yang looked on intently, so Abo Karim continued, saying: And so that you may grasp how this stands to reason, imagine a soldier on the battlefield who aimed his rifle at a treacherous criminal and was given the order to fire the fatal shot, but he said, ‘I will not fire until I get permission from the officer above me.’ He went to the officer, who told him, ‘I cannot permit you until I get permission from the officer above me.’ They went to the one above him, who said, ‘I must get permission from the one above me’ — and the chain of requests went on like this without end. Would the shot ever be fired, and the task ever carried out?
Chen Yang: No, never! We would never reach the moment of actual firing, because each person depends on the decision of another, and there is no independent commander at whom the chain ends and from whom the action begins.
Abo Karim: Well said! And this shows the falsity of the premise that every created being must have a creator before it, endlessly; for if we assumed, for argument's sake, that every existent had another existent before it, without the chain ever ending in a first Creator, then no creation would ever have begun, this universe would not exist, and we ourselves would not exist now. Since the universe exists and is observed before us, sound reason, the sound natural human disposition, and revelation all conclusively establish that Allah, exalted is He, is the First, before whom there is nothing; He is the One who created this universe and brought it into being, and He is the Lord and Sovereign of all things.
Signs of deep thought and astonishment began to appear clearly on Chen Yang's face, so he gathered his thoughts and asked:
Chen Yang: I may understand that Allah, glorified and exalted is He, is not created, as you have told me, but how do I understand that? And how can Allah exist without a creator?
Abo Karim: Here we must distinguish between the Creator and the created; for we are created — we have a beginning, we live for a set period, and then we die, because every created thing needs a creator, and every originated thing needs one who brings it into existence. Allah, glorified is He, is the Creator, not a created being; He is the First, before whom there is nothing, and the Last, after whom there is nothing, as the Prophet ﷺ said: “O Allah, You are the First so there is nothing before You, and You are the Last so there is nothing after You. You are Adh-Dhahir [the greatest and highest] so there is nothing above You, and You are Al-Batin [aware of the subtlest secrets] so there is nothing closer than You. Settle our debt for us and spare us from poverty.” [Narrated by Muslim]
He, glorified is He, is free of need of His creation, needing none of them —
“There is nothing like unto Him,” [Surat Ash-Shura 42:11]
Allah, glorified and exalted is He, is above His Throne, established over it in a manner befitting His majesty, distinct in His Being from His creation, while He is with His servants through His knowledge, His hearing, His sight, and His encompassing awareness — nothing of them is hidden from Him.
Therefore, the question “Who created Allah?” is a false question based on an incorrect assumption; for Allah, glorified and exalted is He, is the Creator of all created things, and He alone is the Creator whom no one created, so it is not valid — rationally or in the Sharīʿah — to ask, “Who created Him?”
Chen Yang: So the fundamental problem in my mind is that I imagine God the Creator the way I imagine a human being, and then apply to Him the characteristics and attributes of a human being?
Abo Karim: Yes, and this is one of the greatest causes of misguidance and error among many people and atheists; for man began his existence from nothing, and so he sometimes asks, “Who brought me into being?” But when you speak of Allah, glorified and exalted is He, you are speaking of the Great Creator who needs no creator. Had Allah been like human beings in their characteristics and needs, He would not have been a god worthy of worship.
Chen Yang: Perhaps the real problem is that I had not previously understood, fairly, what you in Islam mean by the term “Allah, the Creator.”
Abo Karim: This is a question of the utmost importance and intelligence. So instead of wasting time on the question ‘Who created Allah?’, ask first, fairly: Who is Allah? The Noble Qur'an answers this question with a comprehensive, all-encompassing, and miraculous answer in Surat Al-Ikhlas (verses 1–4):
“Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the absolute meaning of Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, Nor is there to Him any equivalent."” [Al-Ikhlas 112:1–4]
This great surah establishes the foundation of the oneness of Allah (Tawheed) and His being exalted above the characteristics of created beings.
“Say, He is Allah, [who is] One” [Surat Al-Ikhlas, verse 1]: that is, Allah is the One and Only, who has no partner, no like, and no equal.
“Allah, the absolute meaning of Eternal Refuge” [Surat Al-Ikhlas, verse 2]: that is, the Master perfect in His mastery, free of need of His creation, to whom all creatures turn in their needs and upon whom they depend in every matter.
“He neither begets nor is born” [Surat Al-Ikhlas, verse 3]: for He, glorified is He, has no child and was not born of a parent; Allah is exalted above the characteristics of created beings. And it has been established in the Sunnah that He is the First, before whom there is nothing.
“Nor is there to Him any equivalent” [Surat Al-Ikhlas, verse 4]: that is, He has no like, no similar, no comparable, and no one equal to Him.
And thus it becomes clear that the question “Who created Allah?” is built on measuring the Creator by the standard of the created; for created beings need a creator, whereas Allah, glorified is He, is the Creator and not created (Allah is exalted far above that), and it is therefore not valid to ask about Him what is asked about created things.
Chen Yang fell silent for a while, as though re-understanding and reconstructing those four verses in his mind, then his mind moved to another question of the utmost importance:
But another question still lingers in my mind: why did Allah create human beings in the first place? What benefit does the Self-Sufficient Creator gain from creating and bringing us into existence?
Abo Karim: This question, too, arises because man measures his Lord by himself; for man makes things and crafts tools out of an urgent need for them, whereas Allah, glorified and exalted is He, is absolutely free of need of the worlds. Allah, the Exalted, said in Surat Fatir (verse 15):
“O mankind, you are those in need of Allah, while Allah is the Free of need, the Praiseworthy.” [Fatir 35:15]
Allah, glorified and exalted is He, created us for a wisdom, not out of need, for He, glorified is He, is free of need of the worlds. And He, mighty and majestic is He, made clear to us that He created the jinn and mankind to worship Him, in Surat Adh-Dhariyat (verse 56):
“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.” [Adh-Dhariyat 51:56]
And He made this worldly life of ours an abode of trial and testing; Allah, the Exalted, said in Surat Al-Mulk (verse 2):
“[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed - and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving -”[Al-Mulk 67:2]
and this worldly life is likewise an abode of refining and purifying hearts, as He, glorified is He, said in Surat Aal 'Imran (verse 154):
“...that Allah might test what is in your breasts [chests] and purify what is in your hearts. And Allah is Knowing of that within the breasts [chests].” [Aal ‘Imran 3:154]
Chen Yang: So human life and existence are not futile, nor a random coincidence?
Abo Karim: Never. This world is an arena of testing, and the Hereafter is the abode of recompense and permanence — either an eternal, blissful Paradise, or a Fire and torment.
Chen Yang: Now I am beginning to see the picture differently. If Allah is the One who created me, and did not create me in vain, but rather created me to worship Him, how does knowledge of this purpose reflect upon my life? Could it change my view of work, success, failure, and the hardships I go through? And does it give me true meaning to life, instead of living to achieve worldly goals that end when life ends?
Abo Karim: You were not created merely to achieve worldly goals; rather, Allah created you to worship Him alone, and He made mankind succeed one another as generations, as He, the Exalted, said in Surat Al-Baqarah (verse 30):
“And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority."” [Al-Baqarah 2:30]
And He created mankind to settle the earth according to what He has legislated and permitted, as He, mighty and majestic is He, said in Surat Hud (verse 61):
“...He has produced you from the earth and settled you in it...”[Hud 11:61]
Therefore, your work, your learning, your earning of provision, and your bringing about good on earth can all be righteous deeds for which you are rewarded, if you intend by them the Face of Allah and abide by His law; for worship is a comprehensive term for everything Allah loves and is pleased with — of sayings and deeds, outward and inward — such as prayer, supplication, reliance upon Allah, and all other acts of obedience, as well as ordinary daily actions (permissible matters), if a righteous intention is present in them.
Chen Yang: But does faith mean that this emptiness will disappear completely? And will I no longer feel sadness or loneliness after that?
Abo Karim: I do not promise you a life without sadness or problems; for this world is an abode of trial, in which Allah tests His servants with both evil and good alike, as He, the Exalted, said in Surat Al-Anbiya (verse 35):
“Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as a trial; and to Us you will be returned.” [Al-Anbiya 21:35]
The meaning of the verse is that Allah tests His servants with evil — such as illness, poverty, and misfortunes — just as He tests them with good, such as health, wealth, and blessing; for hardship tests the servant's patience, and blessing tests his gratitude.
Faith gives you a true purpose to live for, and hope in what is with Allah, and it guides your heart to tranquility. So if hardship befalls you, you turn to Allah, glorified and exalted is He, and call upon Him, for He hears your supplication and knows your state; and you thank Him for His blessings, seek His forgiveness, and repent to Him when you err, and you bear patiently with trials and hope for their reward.
Chen Yang: Now I understand. Perhaps my real question was not, ‘Why do I feel this emptiness?’ but rather, ‘Where should I turn?’
Abo Karim: Yes. For if you know your Lord, affirm His oneness, and worship Him, this world will take its proper place in your life, and you will not make wealth or success your ultimate goal. Your goal is to worship Allah alone, to work for what comes after death, to hope for His mercy, to fear His punishment, and to strive in obedience to Him and in drawing near to Him through righteous deeds. For you do not exist in vain; Allah created you for a wisdom, the greatest of which is to worship Him, and He tests you in this world, then you return to Him. So your life is not without meaning; rather, it is an abode of deeds and trial, and a path to meeting Allah. And since this is settled, and it has become fixed in your mind, and you have come to know that the universe has a great Creator, and that the true Creator cannot be created or in need of another — an important, methodical question remains: how do we know what Allah wants from us? And how do we know whom Allah, blessed and exalted is He, sent to us with the truth?
Chen Yang: Yes, this is a very logical question, branching from what came before. If Allah created us and made this world an abode of trial, then He must surely make clear to us the purpose of this creation and the correct way of worshipping Him, so that we do not go astray.
Abo Karim: And this is the station and role of the messengers, peace and blessings be upon them; for sound human reason indicates that this universe has a Creator, and that the Creator deserving of worship is Allah alone. But the details of what Allah loves and is pleased with, of acts of worship, and what He has forbidden and made obligatory, and the wise legislations, and the reports of the unseen and what Allah has prepared for His servants after death — we do not know these from our minds alone, apart from revelation; rather, we know them through what Allah revealed to His messengers. And so, out of His mercy and grace, Allah sent the messengers supported by clear revelation.
Chen Yang: But how can I know, with conclusive evidence, that the Messenger of Islam, Muhammad, was truly and sincerely a messenger from Allah, and not merely a righteous man, or a social reformer, or a great genius?
Abo Karim: We look fairly and knowledgeably at the essence of his call, and at the great Qur'an that he brought, and at what it contains of guidance and clarity, and at what was known of his truthfulness and trustworthiness before and after his mission, and at the comprehensive content of his message; then we look at the proofs Allah established for the truth of his claim, and what he brought of the Qur'an, guidance, and the other evidences of his prophethood.
Chen Yang: What was the first thing he called his people and mankind to?
Abo Karim: He ﷺ called to the greatest foundation, which is the worship of Allah alone, without partner, and abandoning the worship of anything besides Him — idols, human beings, or material things. He never once said to people, ‘Worship me,’ nor did he make himself a partner to Allah in His Lordship or Divinity; rather, he told them with absolute clarity that he was a servant of Allah and His Messenger, and that worship is a right belonging purely to Allah alone, without partner.
Chen Yang: Perhaps what he wanted behind that was to make people follow him personally and obey his command for his own benefit, in order to gain leadership, wealth, and political influence?
Abo Karim: If that were the case, as contemporary hypotheses suppose, you would find in his message glorification of his own person, his lineage, and his children, at the expense of the oneness of Allah. But the Noble Qur'an, in many verses, directs people to worship and fear Allah alone, and makes entirely clear that Muhammad ﷺ is a chosen servant and messenger. Allah, the Exalted, said in Surat Al-Kahf (verse 110):
“Say, "I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God...” [Al-Kahf 18:110]
And he ﷺ was keen to protect this foundation and preserve the standing of Tawheed; he ﷺ said: “Do not extol me as the Christians extolled the son of Mary; I am only His servant, so say: the servant of Allah and His Messenger.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhari]. He ﷺ also lived an ascetic life, far from luxury, and did not make his call a means of amassing personal wealth; rather, he rejected all the compromises and material and political concessions offered by the polytheists, remaining firm upon his principle.
Chen Yang: So Muhammad, the Messenger of Islam, does not claim to be a god, nor does he seek personal glory; rather, he says he is a human being whom Allah chose for His message. But is it conceivable that people would believe a man merely because of his verbal claim? Doesn't fair reason need a clear standard and established proof by which to distinguish the truthful messenger from a false claimant to prophethood? And are there historical evidences that testify to him?
Abo Karim: True, and you are entirely right; and that is why created beings were not required to believe him merely on the basis of a verbal claim. Look fairly at his ﷺ biography: a man who lived forty years before his mission, well known for truthfulness and trustworthiness, never known to have told a lie, and the Qur'an made this span of years a decisive rational proof; Allah, the Exalted, said in Surat Yunus (verse 16):
“...for I had remained among you a lifetime before it. Then will you not reason?” [Yunus 10:16]
This historical truthfulness was acknowledged by his enemies before his friends, as is established in Sahih Al-Bukhari, in the dialogue of Heraclius with Abu Sufyan (before his acceptance of Islam), when Heraclius asked him, “Did you used to accuse him of lying before he said what he said?” He answered, “No.” So Heraclius made his wise, logical statement: “He would not have abstained from lying against people, only to lie against Allah.” Then, for the sake of his call, he endured severe harm, attempts on his life, expulsion from Mecca, and siege and hardship. Is it then conceivable that a man would abstain from lying to human beings for forty years, then suddenly lie against Allah, glorified is He?! This is a very great proof among the proofs of his prophethood.
Chen Yang: But patience under harm and steadfastness, or even moral truthfulness alone, may be shown by some people of great principle; it does not by itself prove prophethood as a decisive proof.
Abo Karim: You are right, and we are not saying that any single element by itself is the complete, independent proof; rather, we look at the sum of the evidences and proofs together: his pure call to Tawheed, his wise legislations that agree with sound human nature, and the clear evidences Allah established through him, and above all of that, the greatest and everlasting proof and miracle, which is the Noble Qur'an. For the Prophet ﷺ never presented the Qur'an as a book of his own composition, but rather as a miraculous revelation from the Lord of the worlds; Allah, the Exalted, said in Surat An-Najm (verses 3–4):
“Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. It is not but a revelation revealed,” [An-Najm 53:3–4]
Chen Yang: So the decisive issue and criterion of knowledge here has become: is the Qur'an truly a miraculous revelation issued from Allah?
Abo Karim: Yes, this is the final axis on which all doubts collapse; for the inability of all mankind to produce anything like the Qur'an, despite the standing and open challenge, is the practical, observed proof that this speech is not the product of human beings nor of their composition, but rather is the speech of Allah and His message. And the establishment of this divine source is the decisive and final proof of the truthfulness of the message and prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ.
Chen Yang: I have understood and fully grasped the strength of the proof of the message, but why Muhammad specifically, among all people?
Abo Karim: Because believing in Allah, the Just, the Wise, does not mean that a person chooses a messenger according to his own desire. So if it is established, by the evidences and the miraculous Qur'an, that Allah sent the Messenger ﷺ with decisive proof, then what faith and servitude to Allah require is to believe the messenger whom He chose and to follow him in obedience to Allah. And this Noble Qur'an, Allah, glorified is He, has taken it upon Himself to preserve, for He said in Surat Al-Hijr (verse 9):
“Indeed, it is We who sent down the message [i.e., the Qur'an] and indeed, We will be its guardian.”[Al-Hijr 15:9]
The nation has transmitted it and generations have preserved it, one after another, and the text has remained transmitted through mass, unbroken transmission (tawatur), so that the everlasting proof may stand by it.
And the Qur'an itself first establishes the universality of this message; for it makes clear that Muhammad ﷺ did not bring a message specific to a particular ethnic people, but rather for all mankind, so that the proof may be established. Allah, the Exalted, said in Surat Al-A'raf (verse 158):
“Say, [O Muhammad], "O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah to you all...” [Al-A’raf 7:158]
and He said in Surat Al-Furqan (verse 1):
“Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His Servant that he may be to the worlds a warner -” [Al-Furqan 25:1]
and He said in Surat Al-Anbiya (verse 107):
“And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.” [Al-Anbiya 21:107]
Then the Qur'an establishes, after that, the finality of this message; for He, glorified is He, informed that Muhammad ﷺ is the final seal of the prophets and messengers, and there is no prophet after him, for He said in Surat Al-Ahzab (verse 40):
“Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allah and last of the prophets...”[Al-Ahzab 33:40]
Chen Yang fell silent for a while, and the features of his face changed, as though he had begun to see, more clearly, the picture that had been hidden from him, then he said, sincerely and very slowly:
I think — no, I am certain — that I have now, by the grace of Allah, begun to understand the truth fully. I began my conversation with you tonight with a question I thought was devastating: who created Allah? Then, through logic and example, I understood that the question itself is based on a false conception and a contradiction, because Allah is the Creator, not a creation. Then I moved on with you to the question: why did Allah create us? And I came to know that life is not futile or in vain, but rather is an abode of trial, and I learned how this purpose reflects upon my life to fill the emptiness and grant me tranquility. And now I deeply understand that the next inevitable question is: who informed us about Allah and showed us the purpose of our creation? And I have come to know, through the evidences and proofs, that Muhammad is truly the Messenger of Allah, and that believing in him and following him is a requirement of obeying Allah and submitting to His command, not worship of his person. Based on this sequence, how do I express this faith of mine to enter into Islam? And what must I believe and affirm?
Abo Karim: Ma sha' Allah! You have summarized the proof of revelation and prophethood, and this is the very essence of certainty and awareness. We do not worship Muhammad ﷺ, nor do we raise him above the station Allah placed him in; rather, we affirm firmly that he is a servant of Allah and a messenger. We worship Allah alone, without partner, and we believe in Muhammad ﷺ as a truthful messenger to be followed, whom Allah, blessed and exalted is He, sent as a mercy to us. As for entering Islam, the testimony of faith (the shahadah) is an affirmation of, and commitment to, the two greatest truths in existence: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah — meaning there is no one truly deserving of worship except Allah, glorified is He; and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah — meaning I believe with certainty that he is the seal of the messengers.
The testimony of faith (the shahadah) in Arabic language:
(أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله، وأشهد أن محمدًا رسول الله)
The transliteration of the testimony of faith (the shahadah): Ashhadu an lā ilāha illā Allah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasūlullāh.
The requirement of this testimony, and the sign of obeying it, is: believing him in everything he informed of, obeying him in what he commanded, avoiding what he forbade and warned against, and worshipping Allah only in the way His Messenger ﷺ prescribed, without innovation or introducing anything new into the religion.
Chen Yang fell silent for a while, took a deep breath, then turned to his friend Abo Karim and said, in a voice filled with confidence and certainty: Ashhadu an lā ilāha illā Allah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasūlullāh.“I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
After the testimony, Chen Yang felt tranquility and joy fill his heart. Abo Karim looked at him, his eyes overflowing with genuine joy and happiness, and said, rejoicing:
Praise be to Allah, who guided you to the truth, and opened your chest with the light of Tawheed and certainty.
Chen Yang: I have fully understood the rational proof and have, by the grace of Allah, been freed of this doubt, but what if this question comes knocking again at the door of my mind, in the form of sudden thoughts or whispers? How does a Muslim deal with such intrusive thoughts?
Abo Karim: This is a very real and profound question; for Islam was not content merely to present the healing rational proofs, but also laid down a practical prophetic method to protect the mind and soul from these thoughts that Satan casts to sadden believers and disturb their faith. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught us that this notion is nothing but a satanic whisper that one should not entertain. He ﷺ said: “Satan will come to one of you and say, ‘Who created such-and-such? Who created such-and-such?’ until he says, ‘Who created your Lord?’ So when it reaches that point, let him seek refuge in Allah and desist.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Chen Yang: And what does the Prophet ﷺ mean by his saying, ‘Let him seek refuge in Allah and desist’?
Abo Karim: It means that if a Muslim feels this whisper in his chest, he applies three steps: first, turning to Allah by seeking refuge from the accursed Satan, because the matter, in that case, is an attempt at confusion, not a genuine quest for knowledge; second, cutting off the train of thought immediately and not dwelling on these notions, because persisting in entertaining the supposed contradiction breeds confusion and bewilderment; and third, fixing his heart with certainty and driving away doubt, saying to himself, ‘I believe in Allah and His messengers,’ as reported in another narration in Sahih Muslim — and thereby he closes the door completely against Satan's scheming.
Chen Yang raised his hands joyfully, his facial features having completely changed, showing the tranquility and reassurance he had been lacking:
I feel a strange sense of relief... I was stubbornly searching in the orbit of ‘Who created the Creator?’, while, out of fairness and reason, I should first have asked: who is the Great Creator, and what are His true attributes?
Abo Karim: And this is the straight and correct starting point for every fair-minded person. Islam never asks a person to close his mind; rather, it demands that he put his mind, heart, and soul in their proper place, so that his natural human disposition may be sound; for the Messenger ﷺ taught us that faith, certainty, and tranquility arise from the soundness of the inner self, where he ﷺ said: “Indeed, in the body there is a morsel of flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. Indeed, it is the heart.” [Agreed upon]
So the sound mind is convinced by the proofs of revelation, and thereby the heart is set right with certainty, and the soul is purified with tranquility and reassurance. And when you know your Lord by His names and attributes, as He has told of Himself, and you know that He is the Creator and not created, and you understand the purpose for which Allah created you, and you know His messenger whom He sent with guidance, the path you should walk becomes clear to you; and when you grasp the wisdom behind the purpose of life, your heart finds rest in the remembrance of Allah, your soul finds tranquility in submission to His command, your view of existence becomes upright, and the answers to the questions of the purpose of your existence become plain and clear.
Chen Yang: I was lost searching for who created the Creator, then I came to know and contemplate, first, who the true Self-Sufficient Creator is, then I asked why He created me, and I came to know its effect on the tranquility of my soul; then I asked how I could know what He wants from me and what draws me near to Him, and now, by the grace of Allah, I have arrived at the message, the revelation, and the testimony that has led me to the guiding light.
Abo Karim: Reason is a great blessing, but its guidance is completed by the revelation Allah sent down to guide His servants. So if you know your Lord, and know the purpose for which He created you, and know His messenger and what he brought, the path becomes clear to you.
Thus, Chen Yang's acceptance of Islam was not merely the outcome of a passing rational argument; for faith is not produced by bare arguments alone, but is guidance and success granted by Allah. This dialogue was a blessed cause that moved his awareness from the narrowness of doubt and contradiction to the breadth of proof and certainty, so that the dialogue was crowned with the collapse of the atheists' fallacy, and the dawning of the light of Tawheed in his heart, heralding the beginning of his blessed journey within the fold of Islam.
