In answer to the video "Who (Really) Wrote The Quran?"
By definition, belief in something is a firm state of mind that does not require the manifestation of the thing in question, but this does not mean that the belief is beyond reason.
For example it is much more unreasonable to assume that the world is the product of chance than of a purposeful design, especially when all the signs mentioned in the Quran, from those surrounding us every day and at each instant, down to those present in our own selves, do point in such a way to the inevitability of Judgement Day and of an afterlife, that it would be entirely unreasonable to think otherwise.
There is a reason why almost every such verses are accompanied by phrases explaining that these signs are for those who use their intellect, or as stated in the Hebrew Bible in relation to the truthfulness of its message
Prov8:9"They are all true to the understanding one, and straight to those who find knowledge".
Humans believe things everyday without seeing them so long as these things agree with their intellect and reason, only animals devoid of intelligence need to see to believe. For example most animals will never heed a warning until they see the threat and flee, while a human can reason and hearken the admonitions and prepare for all eventualities.
But then, even some animals are capable of mental deductions based on perception, without actually seeing. Still, reasonable belief doesnt render it factual, and neither was belief ever meant to become so, so as to not compromise the whole purpose of life, as stated in the Quran; spiritual growth using one's own innate spiritual sense of perception. Bringing the unseen to the seen makes spiritual growth impossible. In the account of creation, God describes how it was precisely that aspect of human life, the capacity to translate material perception to spiritual language, then grow spiritually is what awed the angels and made them bow to Adam in acknowledgment of his potential superiority over them.
The unseen isnt veiled from angels and are therefore compelled to accept these higher realities that are factual to them. That is why the Quran (and the HB, contrary to the Greek/New Testament) teaches that angels have no freedom of choice.
That belief in the unseen (God, angels, revelation, resurrection, hereafter) can never become factual doesnt make it unreasonable and in fact it is the disbelief in such concepts which is the weaker position from a rational perspective, for the reasons previously mentioned, including genetic. Genetically, it is man's ability to perceive the existence of a single Creator 7:172-3 referred to in 30:30 as man's hardwired uprightness at birth. Any notion that goes against that inborn awareness is therefore a corruption of man's spiritual nature. Pure monotheism, is the only intuitive system, one that can be naturally derived from observation and reflexion.
There is a reason why polytheistic societies all have one superior deity above all. This is their instinct, which can then become corrupt like any natural, beneficial predisposition. The Israelites throughout their history didnt stop believing in the supreme Yhwh even when they introduced idols in the temple itself. In fact, even subconsciously, no matter their sophistries, Trinitarians have the same thing as the aforementioned polytheists, with the "Father" whose name itself implies prominence in time, rank, importance, and who generates and begets the other 2 "persons" of the Godhead. Archaeology is not indicative of the historicity of monotheistic cults. Monotheism naturally seeks the immaterial, transcendental Creator who cannot be represented. Polytheism on the other hand is expected to leave traces in history, whether sculptures or drawings of that which is worshipped.
That is also why The Quran therefore doesnt deny but rather honors the covenants made by God with previous religious communities, each being in essence a manifestation of the pre-eternal covenant that God made with all of humanity when they were still in Adam’s loins
"And when thy Lord took from the Children of Adam, from their loins, their progeny and made them bear witness concerning themselves, “Am I not your Lord?” they said, “Yea, we bear witness”.
The covenants made on earth renew this genetic cognition of divine oneness
33:7"And [remember] when We made with the prophets their covenant, and with thee, and with Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus the son of Mary; We made with them a solemn covenant".
The various prophets thus served the purpose of reminding, so that no human beings can claim that they were unaware of that inner, instinctive knowledge
7:172-3"Lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection, “Truly of this we were heedless,” or lest you should say, “[It is] only that our fathers ascribed partners unto God aforetime, and we were their progeny after them. Wilt Thou destroy us for that which the falsifiers have done?”
With such understanding in mind, one can appreciate the Quranic use of the word kafir/kuffar in reference to those that reject prophetic guidance. Although often rendered simply as "disbelievers", the word literally means to "cover up". In this case, a kafir is one that covers up his innate cognition of the higher realities.
It is well known that genetically, humans are programmed to see life forces – a phenomenon called hypersensitive agency detection – everywhere we go, regardless of whether they’re there or not. Scientists say this might be an ancient defense mechanism that helped us avoid concealed danger, such as lions crouched in the grass or venomous snakes concealed in the bush, but that it also made us "vulnerable" to inferring the existence of invisible agents, such as a benevolent God. That mechanism, labelled "System 1" also encourages us to see things dualistically, meaning we have trouble thinking of the mind and body as a single unit. This tendency emerges quite early: young children, regardless of their cultural background, are inclined to believe that they have an immortal soul. For these reasons, many scholars believe that religion arose as “a byproduct of our cognitive disposition”, ie it would be cognitively unnatural to not believe, and to think of oneself in a non-dualistic way, which is why atheists (Atheism itself is a very recent phenomenon) must fight against that natural urge to believe in an existence with a purpose, that they are a part of something bigger, that life isn’t completely futile. Even those who explicitly describe themselves as non-believers, still harbor superstitious and non-rational thought processes. It is also established that inscribed in our DNA, there is a moral compass and sense of justice making us, since the youngest age, prefer good than bad actions.
It is the general guidance referred to 20:50 and instilled in all humans without exception. The Quran thus establishes that man is hardwired with a connection to its Creator. In reference to that intimate relation, the prophet said
"He who knows his soul knows his Lord".On the other hand the Quran warns
59:19"And be not like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget their own souls".
If one ponders on the Quranic argumentation for the divine, one notices that it doesnt try demonstrating God's existence, but rather corrects how humans are to perceive Him and His attributes. Throughout human history, the accepting the existence of a deity was not an issue, rather the problem lied in the inability to recognize His true attributes and the manner He interacts with creation.
Man has both a principal and a secondary nature. His secondary nature returns to dust and his essence is related to Allah. This is why the Quran attributes the spirit to Allah and the body to the earth 38:71-72. A similar notion can be found in the Hebrew Bible in
Ecc12:7"The body reverts to the dust that it was before, and the ru'ah returns to God who gave it".It is this spirit coming from Allah, infused into Adam for the first time, to inspire him the understanding of good and evil that creates the human thirst for guidance and worship
91:7-10"And (by) a soul and He Who proportioned it. And inspired it with its wickedness and its virtue. One has succeeded whoever purified it. And one has failed whoever corrupted it".Contrary to the convoluted HB, this peculiar human feature was not hidden in a forbidden "tree of knowledge" but hardwired in mankind, since its inception. This is the spark, when nurtured and developed, that leads one to fulfil the goal of human creation; the worship of God.
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