An atheist once asked Ahmed Deedat, "How would you feel if you died and discovered the Hereafter was a lie?"
To that Ahmed Deedat replied, "Not worse than if I died and discovered the Hereafter is the truth."
I stumbled across this magnificent quote for the first time on Instagram. I found it so powerful and thought-provoking that I reached out to the girl who had it written in her bio and asked her about it. She told me it was said by Ahmed Deedat. I hadn't heard of him before (I'm not sure how terrible that is - but my excuse is that I'm a newbie!). Upon Googling him, I found he was a Muslim writer from South Africa. A Muslim writer from South Africa, who in my eyes, summed up religion in one reply.
Growing up, I always felt there simply had to be a REASON for life - nothing else made sense. Studying mainly science subjects through school, sixth form and university, I found myself in a lot of debates about science and religion. I was raised as a Christian and the hardcore scientists were mostly atheists. They believed in the Big Bang. There was no God and certainly no afterlife. They thought this way because their scientifically-driven minds required proof or evidence of pretty much anything anyone claimed. I, on the other hand, chose to believe that science was simply the art of understanding what God created.
Although I mentioned I was raised as a Christian, we weren't a practicing family. We just had good Christian morals instilled in us. It was simple; do to others as you wish to be done to you. When I was 23, my life changed and I began to read into Islam. Everything I read, I loved. I agreed with everything and felt I'd found the answers I'd been looking for all this time! Alhamdulillah (Praise be to God). However, as I was going through such a change in mindset, hundreds of questions would circle round my head and I'd almost get into arguments with myself! A part of me would think 'what if none of this is true? Yes it's beautiful, but what if it's all made up? As humans we make up wonderful things to make life better - like Father Christmas and the Tooth Fairy - what if God isn't real too?' It's hard to admit I was thinking this, but it's honest and it's the truth. I remember reading a small leaflet type book called 'Three reasons God is real' and that gave me the final push I needed, to believe. I only needed to read the first reason, and that reason was simply written as WHY. WHY are we here if Allah (swt) did not put us here. WHY does the sun shine? WHY is there a moon? WHY do humans and animals procreate? WHY WHY WHY? That's all I needed. Nothing else makes sense and it's the one question science does not have answer to.
Speaking of answers, let's return to the reason I'm writing this post - Ahmed Deedat's answer to an atheist's question. I believe everyone is entitled to believe what they so choose. Allah (swt) the Almighty even said, 'There is no compulsion in religion'. However, I am happy to be Muslim, regardless of what 'lack of evidence' there is of God or the Hereafter. Islam promotes kindness, education and love and to be honest a life without any of those things isn't much of a life. I will lose absolutely nothing living my life as a Muslim and feel I can only gain.
If I died and found the Hereafter was a lie, I would smile and be at peace. I could not regret living my life as a Muslim - I could not regret living a life full of giving, full of kindness and patience. I will have lost absolutely nothing.
SunhanAllah!
ALSO!
One more thing to ask yourselves...
What would be worse? Living the best life religiously, as the kindest person - only to find it won't be rewarded with Jannah (Heaven) as it doesn't exist?
Or living a life full of evil with no religion, to find HELL really does exist?
I don't just want to be good to InshaAllah reach Jannah - I couldn't do bad things in life because of my fear of hell.
What are your thoughts?
Kelly
The Aurora Project
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