INTRODUCTION
 
How interesting it seems to be that how advanced we have become as a society in certain fields, yet how low and far we have waned in other areas.  One would think that the seemingly great advances and accomplishments we have made over the last few hundred years would make a society such as ours almost flawless.  One would think that in a time when we are able to split atoms and build houses in space, we would have much more simpler tasks under our control.  However, that does not appear to be the case.  One would think that all of our affairs were well managed and well taken care of, due to the frequent involvement of this government in other countries affairs.  However, that does not appear to be the case either.  Many would like to think that we (as a society) are really #1, as shouted in the many patriotic circles around this country, but has anybody ever asked: #1 in what?  What are we actually #1 in? Wouldn't you like to know? For certain, I know I would.  But, then again, who cares? Right?  Yeah, we're #1.  And this is the shameful level that we have sunken to.  We are now in a time when many do not care or even have a care.  Nothing seems to have any "real" worth. The most essential aspects of life have been made to be something frivolous and mocked at while the most vile and degrading affairs and events have been elevated to heights beyond imagination. While the higher education system is failing and the desire to excel in academic fields seems to be frowned upon by many, television ratings of reprehensible and mindless daytime shows like "Jerry Springer" are ever increasing, even on an international level.  How could this be possible in such a greatly advanced society as ours? Yet, we still hold fast to the assertion that we're #1.
While it is estimated that there are more people in prison than there are in college in this society, we are still shouting that we're #1.  While there is an increase in sexually transmitted diseases, there is also an increase in sexually transmitted material. The pornographic industry in this society is flourishing, which creates such heightened urges and desires in people that are then rushed to be fulfilled in the most unscrupulous, uncivil and contaminated ways, often resulting in violating the privacy and persons of others. Yet, we still believe ourselves to be #1.  While there is an increase in teenage pregnancy, there is a decrease in the concern for the institution of marriage, thus resulting in the proliferation of bastard children in this society almost to the 50% mark.  And when this sad reality is coupled with the increase of single mothers, the result is an increase in broken families. Yet, some people are still shouting that we're #1. Will somebody tell them to stop shouting and sit down!
 
We have entered into an era where life and what truly matters is not being taken seriously.  Everything now seems to be centered around some type of game, literally as well as figuratively.  Even in our everyday expressions we have somehow found a way to institute "game" into it. Whether it be the "Street Game" or the "Fighting Game" or the "Rap Game" or the "Pimp Game" or the "Sports Game" or the "Video Game" or any other type of "game". What we are failing to understand  n is that life is not a game! And until we realize this, we will continue to grovel through this life, never aspiring to anything higher than our own lowly desires.  Essentially, behaving like animals while appearing to be humans.
 
The following work is an example of some of the concerns expressed above.  It is a narration of a debate that discusses some points of life and various approaches and understandings of it.  The narrator, according to his own testimony, felt compelled to present his experience in observing this debate, as is presented in the following pages.
One must keep in mind throughout the reading of this narration that it is a debate and therefore, many of the statements are spontaneous responses to the remarks of the other individuals involved.  Also, due to the continuous nature of debating, there are very few breaks in the narrative, thus making it appear to be a long reading.  The premise is mainly rational proofs, as is often the case with debates of this nature. However, that does not exclude scriptural proofs, as you will see throughout the text of the debate, and later listed in their entirety, as a chart of reference for all related citations.
Predominantly, the scriptural evidence used is from The Qur’an. However, there is also a citation from the Hadith literature.  The primary translation of the Quran that is used is The Sahih International English Revised, published by Abul-Qasim Publishing house.  There are a few parenthetical insertions for this translation by myself where I thought it would help to clarify any possible misunderstandings.
I pray that the intended benefit from reading this narrative is derived and that it creates a sense of awareness and concern for the higher realm of existence.  Perhaps one day, these types of conversations and healthy debates will again become the norm of our circles and not seen as the "frowned upon,” "corny," or "boring" topics to discuss. It seems that now, if the conversation is not centered around “getting money and the street life", “using women,” or who the best sport players are and how many wins a given team has, there is very little interest for it.  Unfortunately, this is the low level that we have descended to.  These are the kind of people who spend countless hours watching television or playing video games or engaging in other similar activities used to drown out the realities of the world and they wonder why they cannot seem to accomplish anything of value in their lives.  This narrative should serve as a wakeup call to all who read it and in turn, who are affected by it to the point where they can also wake others from slumber. May Allah bless us and guide us all through this, and honor those involved in this work.
 
December /January 2002-2003/Shawwal/Thul- 'da 1422

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, MOST GRACIOUS, MOST MERCIFUL MAY THE PEACE AND BLESSING OF ALLH BE UPON HIS FINAL PROPHET MUHAMMAD, HIS PURE FAMILY AND HIS NOBLE COMPANICNS.
 
As I entered, there was an intense but friendly debate occurring and none of the disputants were aware that I was there. From the intense level and content of the debate it was too interesting to leave, so I stayed, sitting quietly in the corner as I enjoyed what would later change my perspective on life forever.  I can only imagine what other topics were discussed and debated and how excellent a discussion or debate it probably was, however, the topic that was being debated, upon my entering was that about life, an evident purpose for it and a sense of gratitude in it.  Since I could not ascertain the names of any of the disputants, you will have to read into the debate yourself according to the positions in which they supported and expounded upon. From the point at which I entered, the debate went as follows:
Someone stated; "How can you prove it?  How do you know when you were not there?" Another one remarked, "What difference does it make, death is the end to everything anyway." An answer came back to this like, "Why is this always the escape route? How many things do you believe in that you can't prove with absolute facts?"  One interjected saying, "I don't accept or believe anything that I can't prove." Then the other said; "There are many things you accept, even without question that you can't prove." He responded, "Like what?" So then the other answered, "Like your parents. You have never verified that your father is your father. You never even questioned him or your mother about it, yet you cannot prove it.  You only believe it because you were told it by your mother, and if someone you didn't know told you that someone else was your father, you would never believe him. Why?  Because your mother told you so.  But, how do you even know that is your mother? Can you prove it? No! But you believe it. Why? Do you remember when you actually came out, and do you remember seeing the same lady you call your mother today? Of course you don't! But, you believe it, with certainty! Why? So question yourself about that!" He responds, "But that's different." The other interjects, "What's different about it?" He responds, "It's just different. I know who my parents are. I don't have to prove it." The other comments, "Well if that is the case, then why must I prove that ALLAH exists?" He answers, "Because no-one has ever seen ALLAH! See, I can see my parents and be with them and know they are real, but you can't do the same with ALLAH."  The other said; "First, again, you can see people whom you consider your parents, but you consider them that without proof, and you must understand that. Second, what it sounds like you are saying is that you don't believe in anything you can't see." He responded, "That is exactly what I am saying." The other said, "That is not true! I can prove to you that you believe in things you have not, nor cannot, see." "Prove it then" he demanded. So then the other said, "Let me ask you a question. If it was pouring rain outside and you entered a house on top of a mountain, walked into a completely emptied room, with an extraordinary fresh waxed floor and you found it to be completely empty, however 15 minutes later you walk into that same exact room and you find in it a very huge and heavy chair. Now, there is not a scratch or dirt mark on the floor, nor any evidence of it being trampled on, and there is absolutely no one in sight, nor have you seen anybody up until this point. Can you explain to me how the chair got in that room, seeing that nobody is present there?"
 
It seemed like that question really caught him off guard. However, he came back by saying, "Somebody put it there!" The other one said, "How do you know if you didn't see anyone put it there?"  He responded very sarcastically by saying, "It's obvious someone put it there, because only a short while ago the room was empty, and now there is a chair there, as you described."  The other one stated, "But you can't prove it! If you can, tell me who put the chair there.  Now if you can't, according to your own logic and argument, you have no authority to say how it actually got there!"  It looked like he was bothered by that, and it was obvious in the tone of his response when he said,  "The proof is the chair! The fact that the chair is there is proof that someone had to put it there. How much more proof do you need!  Have you ever seen a chair in a place where someone didn't put it? No, I didn't see who put it there, and I will admit to that, but someone had to have put it there. Just because I did not see the one that placed it there, does not discredit my belief that someone put it there.  As a matter of fact, I wouldn't even call it a belief, for I am absolutely certain that someone put the chair in that room!"  So the other commented, "How did the one who put it there look? How many were there? One, two, how many? How did they get it in the room? How did they manage to place such a heavy chair like that in the room without leaving any marks of dirt or scratches on the floor? Especially knowing that it was raining pretty hard outside, and the house is on the top of a mountain (which implies that they had to have boots on)? Please explain all of this?"  He responded very angrily, but under control, "I said I don't know! How many times are you going to ask me the same question?  I am not able to tell you about the one or ones who put it there, but I am sure someone did and that's that." So the other one smiled and said, "I believe you, and I accept your response without any problems.  However why don't you believe me and accept my response?" He asked; "Your response to what? Believe what?" The other one said, "Belief in ALLAH, and my responses to the questions you asked me about ALLAH and the beginning of creation and what's related to it?  You asked me to show you ALLAH, describe ALLAH, prove ALLAH created the creation and all kinds of questions like this. Well, I say to you what you said to me. If you want me to show you ALLAH or describe ALLAH, then I can't, because I don't have the ability to show you ALLAH, nor have I ever seen ALLAH with my physical eye, just like you can't show me the one who placed the chair in that room nor can you describe him.  However, I can certainly prove that ALLAH exists, just like you can prove to me that someone put that chair in the room!  If you want to prove your point by stating that the fact that the chair is there is enough proof that someone placed it there, then how about creation? How about the sun, the moon, the stars, the clouds, the rain, the animals, the trees, the mountains, the rivers, the oceans, the creation of human beings, and even yourself?  Is that not enough proof for the Creator of all of these things? Must I show you the Creator, when the creation is present?  What need is there to be able to point to the one who placed the chair in the room, when we are looking at the chair?  The chair is the proof, as you stated.  Similarly, the creation is the proof. And if you can't accept that, then, you are not rejecting it out of reason and facts, rather you are denying it because you are too stubborn and arrogant to admit you might have been wrong.  Now, this is just looking at the surface of the creation, we have not even looked at the subtleties of these different creations.  For example, the exalted wisdom and artistry of the creation of the human being, who is less of a creation than the heavens and earth yet so intricately and perfectly put together and designed. Take for instance the function of the eyebrow of the human being. They rest smoothly above the eyes, never really thought about at all.  Nevertheless, their prescribed function is constant and most essential! Yet, we constantly overlook them.  However, I ask you that the next time you are under such conditions that cause you to perspire, and you begin to sweat from your head, and the sweat runs down your face, acknowledge that those mysterious eyebrows that are placed over your eyes have done an excellent job in preventing that saltish-like perspiration from running directly into your eyes and causing you very serious eye damage!  I could give you many examples, but this is not my point. My point is that, it is most obvious that there is a Creator for such a creation.  And I don't need to prove that to you by showing you the Creator or describing HIM to you because it is most sufficient to prove my claim by only pointing to the creation.  As you asked me concerning the chair, have I ever seen a chair anywhere that someone didn't place it there?  My answer is no, I have never seen that.  But now my question to you is, have you ever seen a creation without a Creator?  Well, we all admit that we are created, which makes us a creation, which must prove that there has to be a Creator!  Yes, even if we have never seen HIM!"
So, after all of that was stated, the denier said, "Well, I still have not seen ALLAH, so I don't know. And I don't believe in any being or entity that I cannot see."  So the Believer said, again that assertion is not true and I can prove it also." He responds with a quick and sharp, "Prove it!" So the Believer asked him, “Do you believe in the mind? Do you believe you have a mind?"  He replied with force and confidence, "Of course I do!" So the Believer asked, "Have you ever seen one?  Rather, has anyone ever seen one?" The denier said, "What do you mean?" I think he asked this question as stalling tactic since he didn't have an answer and the question was quite clear.  However, the Believer replied, "What, you don't understand my question?  I am asking you in clear terms, have you or anyone else ever seen a mind?" He still seemed like he was unable to answer the question, then the Denier said to the Believer, "What's your point?" The Believer seemed a bit bothered that he was trying to avoid answering his question, so his voiced raised a bit and he said, "It’s obvious you can't answer the question, or rather you don't want to answer the question, but I will answer it for you.  The answer is that nobody has ever seen a mind!  No doctor nor brain surgeon can claim that they ever saw with their own eyes a mind as a tangible object. Neither can they point to where it is located in the brain.  And no, the mind and the brain are not the same thing.  So since you didn't want to answer the previous question, maybe you can answer the following one, where is the mind? And actually what is the mind? Can you answer that?"  So a voice other than the main two commented, "That's a good point, I never really thought about that." But the Believer interrupted and said; "No, let him answer the question.  Where and what is the mind?" So the Denier said stuttering, not even looking at the one who asked him the question, "I don't know, I don't know."  Then the Believer said; "Then can you tell me anything about this mind you believe in, and is certain about its existence?"  He answered, "I don't know what you want to hear, but I believe in it and I know it exists."  The Believer asked, almost sarcastically, "Without any proofs? You just believe and you’re quite certain about it too, huh?" So the Denier said, "There are clearly  proofs for it."  The other said, "Like what?" He said, "Like the fact that I can store knowledge and break it down, I can remember, I can understand many different things, I can learn and express different languages, I can even imagine. I can create images and other modes in my mind, without them even being in my sight.  Like I said, there are a lot of proofs that the mind exists.  Without a mind, all of these things would not be possible.  So the Believer asked, "If I'm understanding you correctly, what you are saying is that the presence of intelligence points to the existence of the mind, which to you represents the main function of the abstract?  Is that correct? Is that what you are saying?" The Denier said, "Yeah, you can say that."  So the Believer stood still for a second, put his hand over his mouth, like he was in deep thought, then took his hand off his mouth and said; "Do you realize that you have again, proved my argument by trying to prove your own?  You told me that you don't believe in anything that you can't see. Now you are trying to prove the existence of something that not only you can't see, but that nobody can see. You can say what you want, but you have been contradicting yourself since the beginning.  As for your claim that the presence of intelligence is proof of the mind and its functions, I am inclined to agree with you.  But why is it so difficult for you to see that same scenario when it relates to ALLAH? Is your refusal to believe so great that it even clouds your reason and logic?  That has to be the case because how can you see that as proof for the mind but fail to see it for ALLAH?  Or perhaps you don't want to admit that you see it even though you do.  For instance, you said that the presence of intelligence is a clear indication of the mind.  You said that!  Now, I have to ask you a question, do you think that there is intelligence present in this creation? Or do you think that the entire creation is just by chance?"  At this point, he is careful how he answers his questions, so he answered with caution. He said; "I don't know about any intelligence in the creation, but I don't think its just by chance, I don't know." So the Believer commented, "Well, if it is not by chance, then that means that it must have intelligence behind it, right? Now, if that is the case, and we can admit that there is an obvious presence of intelligence behind the design and function of this creation, the next obvious question is, what or who is the intelligence that is behind it?  Let me help you out with a simple question.  If you saw an amazingly beautiful painting on display, what would be your first question?"  He answered, "It would be, who is the painter?" Then the Believer asked, "If you saw a masterful blueprint of a house or a major production plant, what would be your first question?" Again he answered, "Who is the architect" Then the Believer exclaimed, "If that would be your first question upon seeing these drawings on paper that can be easily destroyed with the spill of water or the like, then why have you, after over twenty years of your life, failed to ask the most obvious question of life?! What or who is the intelligence behind this? Behind the life and design of the human being, and other living creatures?  Behind the design and function of the solar system?  Behind the function of the ecosystem? And on and on.  Have these questions ever crossed your mind?  If so, what were your thoughts?"  The Denier paused and then answered, "I thought about it before, but I don't really have any thoughts about it.  I mean, maybe there might be something out there that has more power than us, but I don't know.  I don't accept any "GOD" concept, or what people believe about "GOD". I don't see it like that."  Then the Believer asked, "What 'GOD' concept? What do people believe? And how do you see it?" He replied, "Like praying and waiting for some 'GOD' in the sky to do things for me or stuff like that.  I got to go out there and get mine for self. My peoples been in the hole forever, and ain't no 'GOD' to rescue them or give them nothing or stop their hard times. So that's why I don't believe in that kind of concept of 'GOD'. And that's how I see it." The Believer smiled, as if that was a good point, but then he came back with such a profound response that it almost put tears in my eyes.  He gave the following response:
 "You made a very good point in what you said about going out there and getting your own and doing for yourself, because if you don't, nobody will for you, that's real.  However, that is not necessarily what believing in ALLAH means. That is an aspect of belief, that ALLAH does provide for us, but not in the sense that we should therefore sit at home and pray to ALLAH all day and not work or strive for some type of livelihood and then expect food, clothing, shelter and maintenance to descend from the heavens.  No! Actually ALLAH quite clearly states that man will only have what he strives for. (1) ALLAH states that HE has in fact made the day for our benefit in order that we may go out and seek livelihood. (2)  ALLAH states that we must do what we need to do with resolution and then trust in Him completely. (3) Like the narration of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad (S) states, a man came up to the Messenger of ALLAH on his camel, got off of and asked him, ‘Should I trust in ALLAH, or tie my camel?” The Prophet Muhammad (S), recognizing that this man did not understand fully the concept of belief and trust in ALLAH, said, ‘First tie your camel and then trust in ALLAH!' (4)   In this way, the Prophet (S) showed the man that we have to do our part in this life since ALLAH clearly states that HE will never change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. (5)  This has many levels of application and for sure, one of them is the material condition of an individual. I can go on and on about what ALLAH commands the Believers in regards to exerting oneself, both for material and spiritual prosperity.  However, what you are failing to realize is that we have no control over the means we desire to obtain.  We are only responsible for striving with the necessary efforts to obtain it, but we have no power to bring that thing to us.  We can only strive towards it.  Let me give you an example so that you can fully understand what I am saying.  If you desired to plant a tree and you worked and strove towards that goal by buying the seeds, making your bed-rock, planting the seeds, watering the designated area, and attending to it as needed in order to ensure the results that you desired, you have done your part.  However, you are in no position to guarantee what you desire.  You have absolutely no control over the actual growth of that tree, despite what you might think or want to believe.  Once you have done your part, you have now become dependent upon another Force, which is outside of yourself.  Believe what you want, but in the final analysis that Force in which you are completely dependent upon is ALLAH!  I'll give you another example.  Let's say you desire to have a child. You are of age for such and you approach your wife with this desire and intent.  However, despite your efforts, your wife does not become pregnant.  You make countless attempts in this but to no avail. You have done everything in your limited power to try and produce a child but only to be disappointed.  When will you realize that you are dependent and your chain of dependency has a long chain that goes back to ALLAH, who is the initial cause for all that reaches us.  To illustrate this point again, take for instance when we eat.  We are dependent upon food for preservation of our lives. However, food has it's dependencies also. Like in the case of an animal. The animal is dependent upon the farmland to grow various produce, the farmland is dependent upon the proper climate and growth of grass and other edibles for the animals, the grass and edibles is dependent upon pollination, the pollination is dependent upon those designated animals and insects that pollinate and also the winds that carry seeds to pollinate, and undoubtedly, the winds and the seeds that they carry, as well as those animals and insects that carry seeds to pollinate are ever dependent upon ALLAH, not only for their creation, but even more importantly, their most essential functions!  So you see, it all goes back to ALLAH!  There is no way to escape it.  And this is what believing in ALLAH means.  It is a true recognition of a power and control that is beyond ourselves, that we are ever dependent upon, and anyone who rejects this fact, does so out of pride."
The whole place went completely silent and it seemed no-one had a response to what was just expressed but not only that, it seemed that no one wanted to respond.  There even appeared a type of acceptance of what was just stated; however another voice blurted out, "Even if there is a GOD, no one has ever seen HIM, or talked with HIM so as to know what HE expects from anyone anyway. So arguing about this doesn't make any sense."  So the same Believer stated, "May I ask you a question?" The second disbelieving guy said sarcastically, "You can ask what you want." So the Believer asked him, "Do you believe in ALLAH, in GOD?" He said; "Yes, I believe in GOD."  I was pretty surprised by his answer.  So then the Believer said, "Why do you believe in GOD?"   He responded; "What do you mean? What kind of question is that?  I just believe in GOD.  Like was said earlier, there has to be a Creator for this creation, but not like you say.  All this talk about this and that, nobody knows." So the Believer said, "Can I ask you another question?" He said; "What is it?" He said, "Do you know how to paint?" He said; "No."  Then he asked him, "Do you know how to draw?"  He said,  "No."  He then asked him, "Is there any skill that you have with your hands?"  He said, "Yes, but what's your point?"  The other said, "I will show you in a minute, just tell me what your skill is."  He told him, "I am a mechanic, and I love to build engines."  He said, "That's good. Now, answer this, how many engines have you built in your life?"  He said, "Many, too many to count."  So then he said, "What do you do with them after you build them?  Do they have any use or do you just build them and throw them away?"  He said; "Of course they have a use, I don't build them for nothing.  Some I sell, some I give away and some I use for my own purposes."  So he asked him, "Nevertheless, they all have some type of purpose, right?" He said; "Yes." So the other one said; "Do you think that something that has absolutely no purpose can be served by something that has been made for a purpose?"  He said; "I don't understand" So the other said; "Let me put it another way, would you buy a blind man a regular watch?"  He said,  "Of course not!"  He said to him,  "Why not?"  He responded, "Because he could not use it." The other said quickly, "It would not have a purpose to that man, right?" He said, "Yeah, correct."  He said, “Would you buy a blind man a regular book?"  He said, "No."  He asked quickly, "Why not?" He said, "For the same reason, it would not serve any purpose." So then he asked, "Do you have any children?"  He said, "Yes, but what does all of this have to do with any of what we are talking about?" So the other said, "I will show you in just one minute, but one more question."  He said, "What is it?" He asked; "Would you ever take your children to a strange and unknown place and just leave them there, without ever telling them anything nor giving them any kind of instructions or directions as to what they should do there or even why they are there?" He said; "No! Of course not, what kind of sense does that make?!" So the other one said, "It does not make any sense at all!  Just like your idea that GOD created us all and just put us here and didn't give us any kind of instructions or directions about this strange place we call Earth, which does not make sense either.  Just as it doesn't make any sense to build engines and have them serve no purpose, it does not make any sense to create human beings and give them absolutely no purpose at all.  And just like it wouldn't make any sense to buy or give a blind man a regular watch or regular book because it serves no purpose to him, it makes absolutely no sense to create all of this creation and place it before the Human Being if he could not use it as if he had no purpose for it.  And nothing is made for a thing if there is no purpose in it; thus proving that human beings do have a purpose! This point has to be clear. Can you see this point?
If you are saying that Human Beings have no purpose, then this would make everything else in existence useless and idle, without any determined purpose or function.  What purpose or function does anything in this creation have except that somehow, or in some way, it is related to the service of the Human Being?  And as explained, something that has no purpose cannot be served by something with a purpose. That is because the thing with the purpose only has a purpose because of the thing it is serving. So if it is serving nothing, then that would make it devoid of purpose! Thus, if you ascribe any type of purpose to anything in this creation, then that will automatically establish a purpose for the Human Being, because the creation is here to serve the Human Being!" So then the other stated, "Well, if you are saying that the Human Being has a purpose, then what is that purpose and how do you know?" The Believer gave a very abstract answer that generated an interest to seek a further understanding. He said, "Simply put, the purpose of the Human Being is to recognize the Creator, in HIS Oneness and Exalted Greatness, to learn of the Creator and draw near to HIM, by serving the Creator and worshipping HIM!  This is the purpose of the Human Being, and this can be explained at many levels.  The way we know this is through the Words of the Creator directly." So the one who has been denying a purpose for the Human Being, interrupted the other and asked, "What Words of the Creator? Who did the Creator speak to that you can quote HIS Words? And who can believe that the Creator spoke to anyone in the first place? This is the kind of stuff that I was saying before. I don't believe these kinds of things!" So the Believer asked, "Even if it was proven to you?"  He remarked, "You can't prove this!  You might have had some good points earlier with the other guy, but you can't prove that the Creator actually spoke to someone and now, you think that can even quote HIS Words?!" So the Believer, eager for this point to arrive, said "Will you give me a chance to prove it?"  He said, "You can have all the chances you need."  Then he said, "I just ask that you be honest to yourself when you hear what you hear.  Is that fair enough?"  He answered, "Fair enough." So then the Believer went on to state the following:
"I wanted to really explain the point about our purpose in life, but since the premise for which I would establish that is questioned by yourself and maybe even others here, I will first prove to you the validity of my premise, which is the Qur'an, and then afterwards, I will explain to you what the Qur'an says about our purpose as human beings in this world.
Now, as for the idea that ALLAH or GOD, has spoken to chosen people and conveyed HIS Message to them, this is nothing strange at all since the point was made that there has to be some type of purpose for all of creation.  As stated earlier about one taking their children to some unknown remote place and leaving them there without telling them where they were and why they were there, just leaving them without any type of instructions, we all agreed that this would not make any sense and even be considered unjust.  So the opposite of that would be to tell them exactly what is going on, where they are and what is expected of them, while providing them with the necessary instructions so as to accomplish what it is you desire for them to accomplish. This we can see and accept as being fair, just and rational, even amongst ourselves on a mere human level, so how much more should we expect when we are trying to understand the wisdom behind all of this from the level of The Divine?  Just as we would not expect nor accept that one leaves loved ones stranded somewhere far off and unknown, we cannot expect that this is the case with the Human Being in relation to ALLAH.  We don't accept the idea that ALLAH created us and all that exists for no purpose other than to leave us here without ever informing us what is behind all of this, as ALLAH poses this question to humanity when HE states, 'Does Man think that he will be left neglected?' (6) This means without any responsibility or accountability.  So now, if we agree that this is not what ALLAH has intended in creating the Human Being, meaning to leave us unattended, then that would necessitate that ALLAH desired to attend to us and communicate to us HIS Will.  The question now has to be, if that is what ALLAH intended, and we can agree that it is, then how did ALLAH actually communicate HIS Will to us?  How did ALLAH inform Humanity at large what it is HE expects from us, and how to go about living our lives in the manner in which HE has willed for us to live?  This has to be understood, for it would make absolutely no sense and does not befit the Greatness and Wisdom of ALLAH that HE would expect something from us, yet never once inform us of what it is HE expects.  On the contrary, ALLAH most definitely did communicate HIS Will to Humanity in some form or fashion.  What is that way in which ALLAH has clearly delineated and expressed what HE expects from HIS Creation?  It is through what is termed revelation (wahy).  This is the way ALLAH gives HIS instructions and guidance to humanity.  It is when ALLAH selects and chooses one of the men of HIS Creation, summons him to the Divine Calling and reveals HIS Eternal Word to that Honored Servant who then bears the exalted title of a Messenger of ALLAH.  It is due to these honored lights Of ALLAH that humanity is guided through the darkness of disbelief.  Whoever accepts them, confirm their position as Messengers of ALLAH, supports them and follows them, has obeyed and fulfilled the instructions and commandments of ALLAH, and thereby made themselves eligible for the Divine Mercy.  As for those who reject them, mock them, and debar people from them by belittling them and speaking against them, the doors of the Wrath of ALLAH are open to them, unless they shut those doors by turning away from that path against the Messengers of ALLAH, and amend their beliefs and conduct by truly adopting the way of the Messengers and those who confirm them and follow them. This has been the way that ALLAH has communicated HIS Message to Humanity since the beginning of mankind there has been numerous Messengers of ALLAH, up until the Final Messenger, Muhammad ibn Abdillah of the 7th Century, from the Arabian Peninsula."
After all this was stated, the other guy, quite honestly remarked, "You stated all of this, and I didn't interrupt you or stop you, but you have yet to come close to proving that GOD spoke to anybody or revealed any word. All you did was tell us what it is that you believe and those who believe like you.  I am not interested in what you believe, unless you are going to prove it is the truth by clear facts and rational and historical proofs."  So then the Believer gave the following response:
 "To attempt to explain the historical phenomena of Divine Revelation from the first Messenger up to what presently concerns us in the final Messenger, would be too extensive, so I'll just focus on the Qur'an as that last Revealed Word and Message of ALLAH and Muhammad, as the last Messenger because in the Qur'an is the mentioning and confirmation of the previously revealed Messages and Messengers of ALLAH.  
Let me begin by bringing to you the claim of the Messenger, Muhammad (S).  He stated, in clear terms, that he was the Messenger of ALLAH as well as His final Messenger and that ALLAH revealed to him His Word, which is called the Qur'an.  This is what this book is. (And he showed him a small book, which I guess was a copy of the Qur'an.) It is the same exact Qur'an that was revealed to the Messenger Muhammad (S) well over 14 centuries ago, without ever being changed, and I will give you my proof for that in a minute.  It has been taught and memorized in its entirety by Muslims as young as 10 years old and as old as 60 years, and this is since that time of the Blessed Messenger (S), up to this present day!
Now, as for the claim of the Messenger that ALLAH revealed His Words to him, we can only approach this from three angles and there is no other way to approach this issue. By carefully considering these three possibilities, we can only arrive at two conclusions and then, from arriving at these two conclusions, we can only accept one of the two conclusions as truth and therefore, dismiss the other one as false.  This is the standard that will enable us to find out the truth in this affair.  
Now, as for the three possibilities in the claim of the Messenger Muhammad, that He was in fact the Messenger of ALLAH, and that ALLAH had revealed His Word to him, then they are: firstly, either he was outright lying about being the Messenger of ALLAH and that the Qur'an was revealed to him, while nothing of the sort had ever happened, and therefore, the Qur'an is a product of lifelong conspiracy to intentionally lie, deceive and mislead thousands of people. Secondly, he was completely deluded into thinking and believing that he was the Messenger of ALLAH and that ALLAH revealed His Word to him, while in fact, it was nothing more than a delusional state and a figment of his imagination, far from being what he thought and claimed it was. Or thirdly, he was truly the Messenger of ALLAH, as he stated, and ALLAH did reveal His Word to Him, as he stated, and everything he said and brought is true and if anyone fails to accept this, then they will meet the terrible consequences of what is promised to those who reject the Truth that ALLAH has sent, through His Chosen Messenger, Muhammad. These are the only three possibilities, and there are no more other than them.  So now, let us look at them one by one, and see where exactly the truth lies.
As for the first possibility, that Muhammad (S) outright lied about everything from the onset to the end, let's look at it by examining him as a  person.  He was known since his early manhood as a very honorable, respectable, and trustworthy individual in his society.  He had a reputation for his impeccable character and uprightness, and thus, given the name, 'the trustworthy' by the elders of his society as well as his peers, to the extent that many would entrust their valuables with him and have no reservations about it.  He was never noted to lie about any matter, whether trivial or of value.  In light of this reality, it would seem a bit strange that someone with such a built-up reputation amongst his people, would turn around and lie to them without regard, from the closest of them being his wife and best friends, to the most distant of them like those he had no association or relation to whatsoever. Where would the integrity and moral conscientiousness be of such a man who was known for these very qualities?  Either his people, the entirety of them, conspired on a lie in acknowledging and praising his character up until the beginning of the time he began to receive the Revelation, or they were truthful in that, and the Messenger Muhammad (S) was not, in fact, lying when he told them about his experience in receiving the Revelation.  
Another point that has to be considered under the possibility of the Messenger Muhammad (S) lying, is that such a lie would have had to have been an extensive, continuous lie since the experience of revelation lasted for over 23 years.  Is this something plausible for a man of his caliber?  Can we accept, as a possibility, that such a man would not only lie, but lie about something of such a magnitude?  Moreover, would he continuously lie in this regards, to an entire populace of people for over a period of 23 years?  The very same people who raised him, loved Him and most importantly, trusted him? Can we truly accept lying as a possibility in this matter?  I think not!
While some might, including yourself, accept this possibility, the ground upon which you stand in this claim is as shallow as your fairness.  Can you truly be fair in claiming that this man was lying to the people when he himself and all those who believed in him were severely tortured and persecuted, even to the extent of death, for no other reason than their firm belief and conviction in his messenger-ship and the Exalted Message which he brought to them?  What liar have you ever heard of that intentionally lied, knowing that it would bring persecution on himself and his people?  What liar have you ever heard of that knew very well that he was lying and refused the riches and glamorous material gifts of the world when they were brought before him, with only the condition of giving up his lie? Well, this was the case with this noble man (S). He was offered all you could be offered, even to the extent that kings would have been envious of him, yet he refused due to his commitment and conviction in the Message.  Does this sound like any kind of liar you have ever heard of?  I think not!  Finally, on considering lying as a possibility, I would like for you to truly think about the following point. Lies, in general, are evil in their essence and even more, evil in their manifestation.  Therefore, not much good can come from lying, at least not on a moral plane.  Yet, if this was the case, then how dare you consider lying as a possibility in this matter when the tree of the Message that was brought by this man (S), reaped such rich fruits? And not to mention that in his very Noble Message, he promised the Eternal Home of Delight for one who leaves off lying, even in jesting!  I ask you in all honesty and fairness, is lying a possibility to be considered in the affair of the Messenger Muhammad (S)?"  He answered; "If what you said is the case, no, I would not think He was lying."  So the Believer asked, "Then can we both agree to dismiss lying as a possibility?"  He remarked, "I don't know anything about Muhammad, but again, if what you have said is true, then yes, I would dismiss lying as a possibility."  The Believer stated, "Thank you.  Now for the second possibility out of the three, which is the possibility of the Messenger Muhammad (S) being deluded.  First, let us make clear that, the primary meaning of the word deluded, is: 'To cause to accept what is false, especially by trickery or misrepresentation.'  Let’s look at the Messenger Muhammad (S) and see if this can be a possibility in his claim.  We already dealt with some of the noble qualities and characteristics of the  Messenger Muhammad (S) and we know from what was expressed that                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  he was not some frivolous individual, taken by the whims and tricks of people.  Rather, he was very astute and gifted with a deep inner perception that enabled him to discern truth and goodness clearly from error and folly.  So to claim, or even consider as a possibility that He would readily accept what was false and thereby become deluded, is very far-fetched.  Nevertheless, some will become deluded by this claim of his delusion, and you may even be one of those who in fact have become deluded by such.  However, let’s consider a few points of note. Firstly, who was deluding the Messenger Muhammad (S)?  If you claim he was deluded, then deluded by whom?  What individual bears the responsibility of deluding him?  This we must consider first.  And if you claim that He was self-deluded, then what is it that caused such delusion?  Secondly, by stating this claim, you clearly imply that the Messenger Muhammad (S) was spreading falsehood since delusion is to accept what is opposite of the truth.  So if you are saying that He was deluded, then you have to mean that he was misguided, which means that the Message he brought was false.  However, if you study the message of this unrivaled man (S), and the pure history that he and those who sincerely followed him left behind, you would immediately forsake your claim that he was deluded.  Is it consistent with delusion that he would make claims and then give all the credit to other than himself?  Moreover, would he go so far as to censure himself for oversights made that were only known by him?  Well, this is the case with the Messenger Muhammad in his life.  Never did he desire credit or praise for what he brought, rather he always presented it as a trust that was upon him to fulfill, and he was over eager and determined to fulfill it, and what an excellent job he has done in doing so!  However, in the course of him doing so, he, in his human judgment, saw things at times that were not meeting the Divine Pleasure.  When this was made known, those judgments were modified to fall into complete harmony with the Divine Will.  What deluded man would act in such a way?  How can you claim delusion for a man who corrects his actions openly when their incorrectness was only known to him?  Not unless this man was the most sincere of men and concerned only about the pleasure of his Lord and not the verdicts of men so much so that when his Lord commanded him with something, he acted upon it completely even if he openly expressed otherwise prior to the injunction of his Lord.  What type of delusion is this?  No!  This is not delusion!  Rather, this is sincerity at its greatest height!  And for anyone who fails to see this, then their own delusion has been made clear because a deluded man will convince himself of whatever he wants, even though the sane from amongst them attest to something quite different.  So I ask you, By GOD, can you honestly attest to the possibility of this man, Muhammad (S), being deluded in any sense of the word?" He responded, "No, I cannot."  So the Believer asked, "Can we, therefore, dismiss the possibility of the Messenger Muhammad (S) being deluded as an explanation for what he himself claimed was a revelation from ALLAH?" He answered, "Yes, in all honesty I can dismiss delusion as a possibility."  The Believer stated his thanks, and then asked, "You are aware that there is only one possibility left, and that is, that Muhammad (S) really was who he said he was and that the Qur'an was really what Muhammad (S) said it was, which is the Word of ALLAH, revealed to Him?" He said, "Yes, I know that, but let me hear what you have to say about it."  The Believer remarked, "There is not that much to comment on since we have already dismissed the previous two possibilities."  He said, "True, however finish the third point, there may be something in it that will help clarify this issue for me because at this point, I must admit, I am confused." So the Believer  began to explain the third possibility.  He said, "This third possibility, which is the only one left, is the bedrock in establishing the validity and truth of Islam, for if other than it could be proven, then nothing after that could be believed and once the premise of your argument is discredited, everything after it is also discredited.  However, praise be to God that is not the case with the Noble Messenger Muhammad, (S). Since the premise with which we established his noble traits and truthfulness is indeed factual and unchallenged, everything that emanates from him is believed, trusted and honored.  How could that not be when he has proven himself to be the greatest example of human perfection that any one individual has ever displayed?  He has proven himself to be the most devout and obedient servant of his Lord.  He has proven himself to be the most just, gracious, tolerant, and forgiving ruler ever to enter the pages of human history.  He has proven himself to be the greatest teacher, moral reformer, and spiritual guide ever connected to Divine Dispensation.  So rejoice!  For we are blessed with him, honored through him, and saved by him (S).  ALLAH has exalted what He brought, preserved what He left, and loved all of those who follow Him and call the people to His exalted Path that He has laid down.
However, after all of this, I must admit that what I have expressed are proofs that we arrive at rationally.  They are not solid factual proofs that I can actually show you and you can conclude that this is absolutely true. Nevertheless, that does not mean that such proofs do not exist.  Rather, there are many, or there were many, for those who had the great fortune and pleasure to encounter the Messenger (S) and see for themselves the material proofs that he demonstrated before their very eyes.  We were not there to see such outstanding proofs or miracles.  We were not there to witness certain inanimate parts of creation (like stones and trees) speak to him and praise him and cry for him (S).  We have not been privileged with actually witnessing these miracles.  So we can only believe in them on account of faith, like any other miracle that he (S) performed for the onlookers and doubters of his time. However, there is one miracle that he brought and that miracle is still present, even in our time, yes, even today!  That miracle is the Qur'an, his lasting and greatest miracle."  So the other interrupted him and seeming almost bewildered, asked, "You mean the Qur'an, the book that you read, is a miracle?  What kind of miracle is that?  How could a book be a miracle?"  He responded, "Yes, the Qur'an, that book that I read, that is a miracle.  It is the greatest miracle that ALLAH gave to the Messenger Muhammad (S).  The Qur'an, is in fact the Word of ALLAH, revealed to the Messenger Muhammad (S).  So its first assertion of being a miracle is that, it is from ALLAH, His Word, revealed to a human being, the Messenger Muhammad (S). Thus, the Qur'an is not the words of the Messenger Muhammad (S), or anyone else, rather it is the actual Word of ALLAH, revealed.  The second assertion of its miraculous nature is that it is unmatched, unrivaled and inimitable in its wisdom, its expression, its beauty of recital and its power of moral and spiritual rectification.  Moreover, it needs to be noted that the Messenger Muhammad (S), was neither learned nor skilled in reading and writing, nor was he known for great oral mastery, like poets and the like. Yet, the Qur'an surpassed every work of the most notable poets of that day and onwards and has remained unchallenged as the most eloquent composition ever to be recorded in the history of the Arabic language. The next assertion of the miraculous nature of the Qur'an is its contents and how the Qur'an has presented to humanity clear, irrefutable facts that the knowledge of which could not have been available or known at the time of its revelation.  Take, for instance, the articulation in the Qur'an about iron.  The Qur'an expresses the origin of iron, and through the understanding of the Arabic language, the precise term that is used to express this gives the understanding that Earth is not the origin or true source of iron.  Rather, it is a material whose origin lays outside of this Earth.  The findings of such information is relatively recent; however, this scientific fact had been established over fourteen centuries ago.  Who could have known such sophisticated knowledge in such a time?  Certainly not some unlearned man in the middle of the desert in the seventh century!  Yet he, (S) brought this knowledge to humanity and was the first to express it, with absolute conviction that it was the Truth.  You would be surprised to know that there are many scientific articulations in the Qur'an that predate the actual discovery and technological confirmations of such scientific findings.  Moreover, that every single scientific articulation found in the Qur'an is irrefutable and established, is an absolute fact and the veracity of such facts have only been discovered recently through scientific advances.  We can only explain this by admitting that the knowledge contained in the Qur'an is from ALLAH, and thus the time in which it was revealed is irrelevant, since the knowledge of ALLAH is beyond time and space.
So since the knowledge of ALLAH is beyond time and place, ALLAH can reveal to His chosen Messengers knowledge about things and events that are only known to Him and the Qur'an is a knowledge of that type. Many examples of this type are found in the Qur'an because the Qur'an was revealed from ALLAH.  Moreover, it can be proven because the Qur'an is still in existence today exactly as it was when revealed to the Messenger Muhammad (S)."  The other interjected, "How do you know that the Qur'an is exactly how it was when it was revealed?  How do you know it has not been changed?  How can you prove this?"  The Believer responded, "Yes, the Qur'an is exactly the same Qur'an as when it was revealed.  Never changed!  Nothing was added to it nor was anything removed from it that was not part of it during its initial revelation.  History bears witness to this absolute fact.  Even non-Muslim historians will bear witness to this fact for this goes almost unchallenged.  From the beginning of the Qur'an being revealed, the people were memorizing it and writing it with such care and accuracy to make sure that its preservation was guaranteed.  Moreover, the Qur'an is part and parcel of the daily prayers in the life of a Muslim so one is constantly reciting it day and night and this has been taking place for over fourteen centuries.  What is even more amazing is that there are many Muslims who have memorized the entire Qur'an!  Yes, the entire Qur'an, exactly as it was memorized and recited during the life of the Messenger Muhammad (S).  This means letter for letter, word for word, sentence for sentence and on like that all the way to its completion.  And the writing of it, is always there to back it up.  There are entire manuscripts of the Qur'an in existence today that were originally written as far back as the very first generation of Muslims.  This cannot be said about any other religious text that exists on this Earth today!  So there is no doubt about the Qur'an.  Another proof of the preservation of the Qur'an is the people who memorize the Qur'an by heart, as I stated.  If you were to take a copy of the Qur'an, any Qur'an that exists in its Arabic text, and go up to one who has memorized the Qur'an in its entirety by heart and is certified by a hafith (Qur'an Master) and question him about any verse, he can easily recite the exact verse of concern for you.  If you were to start a verse and ask him to finish the recital of the verse, he could do so with no difficulty and this would be the case for the entire Qur'an which has well over six thousand verses in it!"  Again, the Other interrupted and asked, "So you are trying to tell me that, not only are there people who have memorized the entire Qur'an, but in the exact same manner as it was recited over 1400 years ago, with absolutely no changes or mistakes?"  The Believer said, "That is exactly what I am telling you." He said, “I don't believe it.  If you take, let’s say, 100 people and whisper something in their ear and tell them to pass it down exactly how they heard it, for sure it will be changed before it gets to the last person.  Now, that is only 100 people, you want me to believe that the Qur'an has remained unchanged after over 1400 years?  I don't believe it nor can I see it being possible."  I must admit that after I heard that, I was even persuaded to see that as almost impossible, especially given the way it was expressed.  It sounded so convincing and I actually became a bit nervous because at this point, I started becoming interested in what this guy, who was Muslim was saying.  However, to my surprise and greater appreciation for the argument of the Muslim, the response with which he came back with was so strong and full of resolve that I thought that the other guy would just leave the point alone.  Now the remark about the one hundred people and the story being changed seemed very logical to me and it made a lot of sense for I have seen several occasions which could confirm that point.  However, his response to that was equal in logic if not more convincing, and just as real in actuality.  He responded to him by saying, "What you stated about the one hundred people may be true, though not all the time. I do think it is possible for people to get the story straight without there being any changes in it, especially if great importance is tied to the statement, like was the case with the Qur'an.  However, I would like to offer a different example that I think could prove to you that memorizing and passing down information without distortion or change is not only possible, but quite common and I hope you will appreciate this point.  First, let me ask you a few questions." The other one agreed, so he asked him, "Have you memorized your birthday?" He told him he had.  Then he asked him, "Have you memorized your phone number?"  He told him he had.  Then he asked him, "Do you have any combination locks, and if so, have you memorized their combinations?"  He said yes, he has combination locks and that he has memorized their combinations.  Then the Believer said, "I can go on and ask you several more questions along this line, but I think this will suffice for now.  If anyone was to ask you about any of the things mentioned, do you think that you can tell them, and give a accurate and correct response?"  He said; "Of course!"  The other asked quickly, "I mean without making any mistakes in relaying the information?" He again responded, "Of course!"  Then the other asked, "No matter how many times and how many people ask, you can do this without making any mistakes in passing this information on?"  He said; "No matter what!"  Then the Believer asked, "How is that possible?" He answered; "That is easy, because I have memorized all of this information and I use it all the time.  Plus, if anything is incorrect, even to one number then I can't access what it is that I need.  Like for instance with the lock, if I am off just one dial, I don't have access to opening that lock, and I am therefore locked out until either I get it right or someone else who may know the combination helps me with it.  Also, because of the preciseness of numbers, they are much more easier to memorize."  The Believer smiled and I also smiled for I thought I knew what he was thinking, and I was right.  He responded to him by saying, "Like numbers being very precise, so is the case with the language of Arabic and especially the Qur'an since its style is that of versification. Moreover, and agreeing absolutely with your explanation of how you could memorize information and pass it down with absolute accuracy, without making any mistakes, even to the difference of one number, the same is for the Qur'an.  It is rigorously memorized and used all the time and if one is off by just one stretch of a vowel, he will be corrected and helped in that.  Further, just as is the case with you being locked out if you forgot or enter the wrong combination, so will the one who forgets or recites the Qur'an incorrectly be locked out.  Locked out first from truly accessing what one desires, and two, from being permitted by those Huffath (Qur'an masters) to be one who passes the Qur'an down to others.  So, we both agree that it is in fact possible to pass on information without there being any changes in that message from its start to its finish, given that certain conditions are met.  Now, if we look at your one hundred people example again, I think we need to make clear, at least when it comes to the Qur'an, that each person in the chain of transmission is not completely free to pass on the message given to him by the last person, until that message is rigorously memorized and then after satisfaction of the previous carrier, who then gives authorization to pass on the message.  This system is one that assures complete accuracy and meets the meaning of what ALLAH said in the Qur'an Himself about protecting the Qur'an from change and distortion. This has been the strict system of transmitting the Qur'an since its very beginning.
Along with this strict system of oral transmission of the Qur'an, there has always been a system to back that up.  This is the written system of the Qur'an.  Just like there exists strict standards for the oral transmission of the Qur'an, so is the case for the written transmission of the Qur'an.  In every generation of Muslims since the Qur'an was first revealed, there has been people who transcribed the Qur'an.  In this way, there can be no doubts about the preservation of the Qur'an, neither in its oral transmission nor in its written transmission.  And to finish this point, let me just say, that if anyone wanted to test the validity of what I am saying, then let them gather anyone trained in the Qur'an recitation and authorized to transmit the Qur'an against another who is also trained and authorized and have them recite the same verses or chapters without them seeing or hearing each other, and I will guarantee you that they will recite it exactly the same, even to the stretch of the vowel sounds. And the same is the case with the Qur'an in written form.  If anyone was to take a copy from over a thousand years ago from North Africa and compare it to a copy of the Qur'an from over a thousand years ago from West Asia, they would be identical.  Moreover, if one took these same two copies and compared them with a copy of a printed Qur'an from our time, he would find them all to be exactly identical, from the first letter to the last letter.  This level of preservation cannot be challenged, and the Qur'an is the ONLY religious text in existence today that can state this claim with absolute certainty and validity!  Now, if you choose to disbelieve in the Qur'an after what I have explained to you, then the burden is upon you to bring your evidence for disbelief because I have brought my proofs."
After he explained this, there was a stillness in the room and people just looked, as if they all wanted to say something, but nothing was said for at least the next few seconds. Then finally, after the longest five seconds I have ever experienced, one who hadn’t spoken as yet, at least since I entered the room, said, "All right, you said what you said about the Qur'an and showing that it has never been changed. That's one thing, you also said something about some scientific proofs and about some iron mentioned in the Qur'an, which I really didn't understand, but nevertheless, I want to know what does the Qur'an say about the purpose of life, because you never finished the point you were saying before."  So the Believer answered, "All right, but before I go straight into what the Qur'an says about life and its purpose, let me tell you what the Qur'an says about being deceived concerning this life, thus becoming deluded and therefore, never realizing what this life is really about.  I want to take this approach because as the saying goes, 'By their opposites, things are known.'  So if you understand what this life is not about, then truly understanding the purpose of it becomes much clearer.  Now, continuously throughout the Qur'an, ALLAH warns us about becoming deceived about this life and being deceived by Satan.  ALLAH blames those who are aware and very learned about this world exclusively, while being negligent and ignorant about the next world. ALLAH, throughout the Qur'an, gives many analogies about this world, and in the end, how it amounts to nothing and will be destroyed and perish.  This is all related to the material reality of this life.  ALLAH stresses the importance of understanding that this material world is just that, material, and it will not last, so don't make it your primary goal, because if you do, you will be greatly disappointed while in this life and even more so in the next life when you have to stand before ALLAH. Yes, life is to be explored and enjoyed, however, not at the cost of believing that this is all there is and thus forgetting the bigger picture. This is not a permanent life, nor are we permanent beings.  We are not meant to stay here forever, and its most obvious proof is the fact that we all will die.
Now, death can be seen in two ways.  Firstly, that death is the beginning of another phase of our existence, just as birth was, thus indicating another realm to be explored. Or, secondly, that death is the final end of our present existence, thus indicating absolutely no purpose for life whatsoever.  If death is the end, and there is nothing to be expected afterwards, that makes the goal of our lives the grave.  This would actually strip the existence of this life of every worth that it could possibly offer.  Such an understanding would cause this life to have absolutely no value and deprive those who live of any true incentive for continuing their lives here.  What good is there to continue a life when there is nothing to look forward to afterwards?  When death is the ultimate goal, and its arrival is as evident and near as the next breath, what is there to hope for?  I resent such a foolish concept about something that proves itself to be otherwise.  Who could believe that this is all there is to life?  Who could believe that we are here in this life only to eventually be put in metal or wooden boxes, thrown in a hole in the ground and then forgotten about forever?  How could anyone have such beliefs? If so, then why plan for the future?  If so, then why plant seeds in the ground?  If so, then why invest your money?  If so, then why have children?  Children, the beauty of the world.  You bring them here only to leave them without any purpose?  Can anyone of you possibly look into the faces of your children and think to yourself, 'My children have no purpose?'  And moreover, actually tell them that?  For sure you cannot, and if you did, I can assure you that that child of the age of four or five or however old they may be will realize at that tender age, a truth that some of you have failed to realize, even at the age 30 or 40 or even older.  That truth is the purpose of life and I would love to see the fuddled expression on your face if one of you told any of your children that they didn't have a purpose and they respond to you with the question that should be asked by everyone, which is, 'Well (daddy or mommy), why am I here?' What will you say then?  What will you say to this five year old genius?  This fearless child that asks the questions that you grown men are afraid to even think about.  What will you say then?  How can you speak?  Shame is the appropriate state for you and you deserve to remain in that state until you can rise at least to the level of the average five year old child.
Now, as for what the Qur'an says about our purpose in this life, like the five year old child, it expresses clearly that we are here for a purpose, and not created in vain.  Nevertheless, simply put, the purpose of the human being is to recognize the Creator, in His Oneness and Exalted Greatness, to learn of the Creator and draw near to Him, by serving the Creator and worshipping Him.  This is the purpose of the human being - to recognize the overflowing bounty of ALLAH upon him and show his gratitude through obedience.  Not to walk insolently through the Earth as if he owes nothing for what he has been blessed with.  Rather, he should always show his gratitude for these bless nings because if they were withheld from him, he has not the least amount of power to obtain them.  This purpose of the human being is directly related to the fact that he will stand before his Creator and be accountable for his life spent on this Earth so anything short of the pleasure and favor of ALLAH, can only result in the Justice of the Creator upon him, which will end in his disgrace.  Since the reality is that we will, in fact, stand before our Creator for judgment, this should entail some sense of responsibility, wherein lies the definition of the purpose of life, which is to realize our responsibility before the Creator and fulfill it.  How is it fulfilled?  By living according to what He has commanded through His revelations, the last of them being the Qur'an, brought by the last of His Messengers, Muhammad (S).  Through these divine vehicles, life is fulfilled."
After he explained that, someone stated, "You mentioned about being thankful, what is there to be thankful for?  My life has been rough since I've known it, and nobody has ever given me anything. Everything I got, I worked for, whether it was honest work or dishonest work. So if I am going to be thankful to anyone, it is going to be to my own self.  I am not trying to wait for some god in the sky to give me anything, nor do I see thanking him for what I worked for. And like I said earlier, what difference does all of this make, when death is going to end everything. There is no next life or nothing like that as you stated.  We die and then we are dead, that's it.  Nobody has ever come back from the dead and told anyone that there is a next life and all what you would have people to believe. So, like I said, I am thankful to me for me, and if I am not deserving of thanks, then nobody or nothing else is."  Upon listening to his voice, I knew it sounded familiar; he was the one who made one of the first comments when I entered. What he just stated put the entire room into a silence. However, almost everyone was looking to the brother that had been talking in favor of GOD and Islam throughout the debate, and to no surprise he came back with a response, and it was a very strong response indeed. He said, "You made some points, but there are only two I want to address you about and afterwards, I would like for you to respond to my response concerning the points you made." Then he looked at him, waiting for an answer to his proposal and the other told him to bring what he had.  So that was what he did and this was what he said, "You mentioned that there was nothing to be grateful for and if you did show any thanks, it would be to yourself. That is one point I want to address and the other point is what you said about when we die, that there is no life after death because nobody has ever come back from the dead to tell us any news about what is after death.  Now, if the last point is established then that would make the first point much easier to address and prove so let me deal with the last point first. About us dying and that being it, then I think I did mention this earlier to the other guy and I say now what I said then, and that is: if death is the goal, then that would make this life of no worth, and if you truly believe that, then I can understand why you think the way you do about life. Actually I would almost agree with you, because what gratitude and thanks is there to be expressed in a life that has absolutely no purpose?  However that is not the case, whether one recognizes it or not.  Life does have a purpose and we just have to deal with that fact. Moreover, not believing that we are going to be judged by ALLAH for our actions in this life does not change the reality of that matter at all.  It just doesn't. If I had $7,000 in my pocket and I told you that but you didn't believe me, your disbelief doesn’t change the amount of money in my pocket. You just don't believe the truth of the matter.  In the same regard is your disbelief in the next life. Just because you disbelieve it doesn’t change the fact that it will, in fact, occur.  Nevertheless, you said that nobody has ever come back to tell anyone that there is a next life. First of all, I disagree with that and we can deal with the proofs of this another time.  Second of all, I could easily respond to that by saying that nobody has ever come back to tell you that the next life does not exist. However, I think such a response would be to childish. Now, what I would like to bring to your attention is the fact that the Qur'an has clearly stated that people with your mentality have been saying the same thing since the beginning of time.  What you stated is not new nor does it have any validity. It is like if I told you that a man traveled to a certain land to verify if that land truly existed or not. After reaching that land and verifying that is does indeed exist, upon his return he dies. Now, because of his death, obviously this does not allow him to return to his people and inform them about this land. However, that does not prove that the land does not exist. It was just that due to certain circumstances, he was prevented from returning to confirm the existence of this land to his people.  The same can be said about death itself. Once one reaches the other side of this life, there exists a partition that does not enable anyone to physically enter back into this realm as we know it in order to inform the people about the unseen realm that awaits. Events like this can only happen as miracles that ALLAH uses to awaken the human beings to the truth of a greater reality, and they are very rare indeed. Now, since I stated what ALLAH has said concerning this issue, let's look at the matter of gratitude. If indeed there is a next life, which ALLAH has clearly stated, then that says a lot about the reason for this life. Most importantly, it would necessitate the need to prepare for it.  If I knew I was traveling to a place where it rained often, then I would prepare by bringing a rain coat, an umbrella and all those items necessary to assure protection from the rain. Similarly, if I realize that I am traveling to ALLAH for judgment, I would need to make sure that I take everything that will assure me protection from the displeasure of ALLAH on that day. And the greatest provision you can take to ALLAH is true belief in Him against disbelief and gratitude against ingratitude. This is clear, as ALLAH has said many times in the Qur’an (18).  Now, as for the reasons to be grateful, there are many.  Even too many to try and count, as ALLAH has stated (19).  However, let’s look at a couple of reasons. Let's consider two very minute, unappealing substances in their origin, but immense in their function and their cause. These two commonly overlooked and even despised substances are the seed and the sperm. The seed, look at it in its origin. It appears to be nothing. Even if we were to eat a piece of fruit that contained seeds in it, we readily spit them out, not giving it any thought. But that same seed or one just like it has the potential to grow to be a fruit tree that is capable of providing fruit for you. Or even a plant that has some type of healing in it, or a drink like tea. A seed, just some small insignificant seed, is responsible for producing material that is used to clothe you. All types of extravagant clothing from socks to huge heavy coats. All from a seed. A seed that is capable of producing huge, gigantic trees. Trees that provide oxygen, that provide shade for people, that provide homes for creatures of the Earth.  All from a small seed.  A seed, that produces such trees that, in turn, are cut down and used for all types of useful purposes, such as firewood to warm you in the cold or paper to be used for so many purposes or lumber to be used to make furniture that you can recline in and use for tables and desks and material for building homes. All coming from a seed.  Look at the enormous effect of just something as small and insignificant as a seed.  How about the planting of several seeds resulting in producing a huge forest, which results in the production of a huge lumber factory, which, in turn, produces massive labor and jobs for many people. How about several food seeds planted, and as a result, it produces an extensive and diverse farm, which results in work and jobs for people, as well as food to sustain a community for generations. How wonderful and blessed we are to have the seed! Yet, do we have the ability to produce for ourselves even one seed? Not even the most learned scientist or biochemist or any other individual can produce out of nothing a little seed. They may copy one or even clone one now, but never can they produce one from their own selves. It is a Blessing from ALLAH, The Creator (20). And what a blessing it is! So we thank HIM and praise HIM for that, not ourselves.  Yet, we dare say that we don't have anything to be grateful for.
Now, how about the sperm? The sperm, much like the seed, in its origin, is seen as insignificant and even to be an impurity upon the self. However, look at what it brings forth.  Every manifestation of life on this Earth in animal form or human, is the result of a sperm.  Yes, that despicable fluid that if released in your clothes, stains them. That despicable fluid that demands you to bathe yourself after it is released. Yet, it is this same fluid that is the cause for this massive populated Earth and for continued reproduction.  So, have your views changed about this fluid?  No! Not yet.  Well, consider that this same fluid is also the cause of your very own existence.  Yes, just 30 years ago, 40 years ago, or even 20 to 25 years, you were this very same substance merged with the egg cell.  You are a product of this union and an open adversary against the very One who truly caused your existence. (21)  So even though we recognize and acknowledge the lowly aspects of this substance, there still exist another amazing side to it.  Take for instance the most basic and immediate experience with the releasing of sperm.  Consider the heightened pleasure one receives when this fluid is released.  Then, to extend this, consider the role it plays after it is released and how it results in bringing about the most beautiful and loving and inspiring creation that the Earth has carried.  Yes!  These are the little babies that we delight in and cherish and adore. Then, these little babies grow and extend themselves to become an entire family, consisting of all members from siblings to aunts, uncles and grandparents.  All this, from the vital role that the sperm plays.  Consider the sperm in relation to the millions of animals that are scattered throughout the Earth and the benefit these animals bring to the human being. We ride them for transportation and even for entertainment. We use them for labor to carry us or to carry our property, we use them to clothe ourselves in all types of weather, and we use them for food.  Look at the wide variety of food selection that we have that is in the animal world. I can list so many, yet, I need not because we are well aware.  But look, and don't just look, but consider deeply and reflect over all the benefits that is the result of the sperm. Then ask yourself, who is the true creator of the sperm?  It is not you, that is for sure!  There was a stage in your life when you could not even produce it, nevertheless be the creator of it.  For sure, the true Creator of it is the same Creator of that noble seed, it is ALLAH, the Creator of all. (22)  Is not praise, thanks and a true sense of gratitude due to Him? Of course it is. Yet many will fail to see this, and you have proved yourself to be one of them. I pray for something better for you. I can go on explaining and showing the many blessings of ALLAH, but I think that these two 'small' examples will suffice for now. I hope we think about them and realize the worth they have, and in turn recognize the Originator of these blessings and show our gratitude to HIM for them and the many more blessings that we receive continuously, day in and day out." Then the other responded after all of this, saying; "Well, we have been here for awhile and it is getting late, so I need to get back home. The words were good and its all love." Then the remaining of the people that was present said much to that effect. Then they all shook hands and hugged and began to carry on like that was an everyday routine. At that moment, someone seen me and blurted out; "Look, who is that in the corner?" He walked up to me and addressed me concerning who I was and what I was doing there, and how long I been sitting there. So I informed him. After explaining that, I let them all know how much I enjoyed and appreciated the debate. Then I approached the Muslim Brother and let him know that I was very much affected by his words and argument and that I wanted to learn more about Islam and being Muslim.
He seemed very excited about what I told him and he gave me his phone number to call. He told me if I have any questions then just call him and he will try to help as much as he could. He then gave me a real serious look, and asked me; "Do you believe in ALLAH?" I said yes. He asked; Do you believe that Muhammad (S) who lived over 1400 years ago is the Messenger of ALLAH?" I said, from what I heard you explain, yes. He said; "Do you believe that the Qur'an was revealed to the Messenger Muhammad (S) and is the True Word of ALLAH?" I said, from what I heard you say, yes. He then asked again; "Do you really believe all of this, in your heart with certainty and sincerity?" I said yes. He said; "Then you believe as the Muslims believe. So why don't you state your Shahadah?" I asked, what is Shahadah? He said; Shahadah is to testify to the complete Oneness of ALLAH, and that HE has no equal or associate, and that Muhammad (S) is HIS last and final Messenger. By stating this, you enter into the Family of Islam as a Muslim. So since you said you believe in the basic beliefs of Islam, then it would only be to your benefit to state your Shahadah and be rewarded and recognized for your belief." At this point, inside I was very excited, but I knew I was making a big decision in my life. However, I realized his point, I did believe that, and I was sure that I believed it, so what could hold me back from stating that? I thought that nothing should hold me back, and I told him, yes, I want to state my Shahadah. He said, almost surprised; "Right now?" I said yes, right now! He said; "Are you sure?" I said, I am positive. He remarked by saying; "Alhamdulillah", which I later found out means, praise be to ALLAH. Then he asked me to repeat these words after him. He stated the Shahadah in Arabic and then I repeated it, then he stated it in English and I again repeated it after him. And this was The Shahadah; "Ash-hadu-an-la-ilaha-il-lallah, wa ash-hadu-an-na-Muhammadar-Rasulul-lah. I bear witness that there is no object of Worship (In Truth), except ALLAH, and I (Also) bear witness that Muhammad is the slave and (Final) Messenger of ALLAH. After stating that, He again said, Alhamdulillah and he embraced me with a very warm hug, which I can still feel even as I narrate this to you. It was a great feeling indeed, and I praise ALLAH for it. The others that was there, they just smiled and nodded their heads, but not making any remarks towards me. However, one of them said to the Muslim Brother, "You really work to keep this Muslim Faith alive, because we have seen a lot of people become Muslim because of you." And the others all agreed while smiling. The Muslim Brother remarked; "I like to do for the people what the people before done for me. They showed me the Truth and helped me in it, and because of what I gained from them and the respect I have for them, I try to honor them by passing on what they left with me. And in the end ALLAH will decide on all of our matters and affairs."
This was my experience, and like what the Muslim Brother said about honoring those who worked in this Path before us, I am doing my part. No, I don't have much knowledge at this point, but I know I got the Truth. So I truly hope and I Pray to ALLAH that what I have shared here can be a means of motivation and guidance for any, even if only one person. My work in this Path has just begun, and I call upon others who are workers in this Path to stand up to assist. We owe it first to ALLAH for all of HIS Bounties upon us. Secondly we owe it to that most Honorable and Noble Messenger Muhammad ibn Abdillah (S), for his unwavering commitment and dedication to conveying and exemplifying this exalted teaching that was entrusted to Him by ALLAH. And lastly, we owe it to and have to honor all of those righteous forbears and workers in this Path, for carrying this message on up until our time.
Now it is upon us, what will we do with this Message? Are we capable and ready to meet the challenge? How will we do? What will the next generation and those after them say about us? Will they be able to praise our work and efforts, as we are able to praise the hard work of those righteous forbears of our distant past. Or will they look at us in contempt, as we are now starting to look at our generation and those directly related? I ask you; where will we stand? Even more importantly, where will you stand? What are you doing to ensure that this Message reaches the next generation? That it reaches them in both the "Letter" of the Message and the "Spirit" of the Message. What work have been done on your part to ensure this? We all have to realize that the work of one man for this exhaustive task can be overburdening. So it is upon us to assist each other, strive together and follow those "Lights" that still remain visible on this Path of excellence. Those "Lights" are our guide in this dark world of rebellion and disbelief. Those "Lights" are our guide in this deceptive world of uncontrolled passion and desires. Those "Lights" are our guide in truly adhering to the teachings of this Noble Message. For they are our link to certainty of being rightly guided. So search for them and follow them, for the "Lights" are not as many and as visible as they were some time ago. This is my appeal to myself and to those who can hear what has been stated, who will understand what they have heard, who will act upon what they have understood, and who will rectify and purify their motives for their actions.
May ALLAH make us from amongst those who rectify and purify their intentions for their deeds. May ALLAH equip us with the moral and spiritual strength along with the physical strength to be true workers in this Path, as were our "Lights" before us. May ALLAH make us people who truly embody this Noble Message so that it reflects in our character and be an attraction for the people and not a repellent to them. May ALLAH make the love of this Path and the Message that paves its roads as dear to us, as our lives, which we are ready and committed to defend and preserve at any given moment. May ALLAH plant in our hearts a love of HIS Noble Messenger Muhammad SAW, stronger than any love we have or ever experienced, and may we further be gifted with a love for ALLAH that is even greater. May ALLAH help us to be people who hear and obey. May ALLAH help us to be people who are able to take the best from all affairs. May ALLAH show us Truth as it truly is and provide us with the ability to follow it, and show us falsehood as it truly is and provide us with the ability to avoid it. May ALLAH forever send Prayers and Peace upon HIS Noble Messenger Muhammad, upon His noble companions and His pure family, and upon all those who follow their way up until we meet ALLAH.
 
 
 
 
TEXT OF QUR'AN REFERENCES & NOTES

1.  "And that there is not for man except that (good) for which he strives. And that his efforts are going to be seen." Qur'an, 53:39-40
2. "And made the day for livelihood." Qur'an, 78:11
3. "...And when you have decided, then rely upon ALLAH Indeed, ALLAH love those who rely (upon HIM)." Qur'an, 3:159
4. A Hadith narrated about the Messenger Muhammad (S).
5. "...Indeed, ALLAH will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves..." Qur'an, 13:11
6. "Does man think that he will be left neglected?" Qur'an, 75:36
7. "...And WE sent down iron, wherein is great military might and benefits for the people...177jur'an, 57:25
8. "Indeed, it is WE who sent down the Message (i.e., the Qur'an), and indeed WE will be its guardians (from being changed)." Qur'an, 15:9
9. 0 Mankind! Indeed, the promise of ALLAH is Truth, so let not the worldly life delude you and be not deceived about ALLAH by the Deceiver (i.e., Satan)" Qur'an, 35:5, see also 31:33
10  "(It is) The promise of ALLAH. ALLAH does not fail in HIS promise, but most of the people do not know. They know what is apparent of the worldly life, but they, of the Hereafter, are unaware." Qur'an 30:6•7
11. "The example of (this) worldly life is but like rain which WE sent down from the sky that the plants of the earth absorb - (those) from which men and livestock eat - until, when the earth has taken on its adornments and is beautified and its people suppose that they have capability over it, there comes to it ou command by night or by day, and WE make it as a harvest, as if it had not flourished yesterday. Thus do WE explain in detail the signs for a people who give thought." Qur'an, 10:24, see also 13:45 and 57:20
12. "Then did you think that We created you uselessly and that to US you would not be returned?" Qur'an, 23:115, also; "WE did not create the heavens and earth and what is between than except in truth and for a specified term. But those who disbelieve, from that of which they are warned, are turned away." Qur'an, 46:3, see also 3:191 and 75:36
13. "And I did not create the Jinn and Mankind except to worship me." Qur'an, 51:56, also; "So know, that there is no deity except ALLAH..." Qur'an, 47:19
14. "So remember ME; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny (be ungrateful to) Me." Qur'an, 2:152
15. "And they say, 'There is not but our worldly life; we die and we live and nothing destroys us except time.' And they have of that no knowledge; they are only assuming. And when OUR verses are recited to than as clear evidences, their argument is only that they say, 'Bring (back) our forefathers, if you should be truthful. Say, 'ALLAH causes you to live, then causes you to die; then HE will assemble you far the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt, but most of the people do not know." Qur'an, 45:24-26
16. "(For such is the state of the disbelievers), until, when death comes to one of them, he says, 'My Lord, send me back.' That I might do righteousness in that which I left behind.' No! It is only a word he is saying; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected." Qur'an, 23:99-100
17. "And they say, 'There is not but our worldly life; we die and we live and nothing destroys us except time.' And they have of that no knowledge; they are only assuming. And when OUR verses are recited to than as clear evidences, their argument is only that they say, 'Bring (back) our forefathers, if you should be truthful. Say, 'ALLAH causes you to live, then causes you to die; then HE will assemble you for the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt, but most of the people do not know." Qur'an, 45:24-26
18. "So remember ME; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not deny (be ungrateful to) Me." Qurian, 2:152
19. "And HE gave you from all you asked of HIM. And if you should count the favor (i.e., blessings) of ALLAH, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, Mankind is (generally) most unjust and ungrateful." Qur'an, 14:34
20. And have you seen that (seed) which you grow? Is it you who makes it grow, or are we the grower (of it)? If WE willed, We could make it (dry) debris, and you would remain in wonder (or regret)..." Qur'an, 56:63-65
21. HE created Man from a sperm-drop; then at once he is a clear adversary (against HIM)." Qur'an, 16:4
22. "WE have created you, so why do you not believe? Have you seen that which you emit (i.e., semen)? Is it you who creates it, or are WE the Creator (of it, i.e., the semen)?" Qur'an, 56:57-59