Islam & the Cosmological Argument (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B)
Revision Note
The Cosmological Argument for the Existence of Allah
The cosmological argument rests on the idea that everything that exists has a cause
If something happens, something else is the cause of that event
If you trace the chain of events back far enough, eventually you are left with two possibilities:
The chain of events goes back infinitely - the universe has always existed
Or there was a starting point - something was the first cause that started everything. That cause was not caused by anything
It is an uncaused cause or a First cause
Kalam and Al-Ghazali
Al-Ghazali was an important scholar who was part of the Kalam tradition which defended the truth of Islam using philosophy and theology
He thought that reason could be used to argue that Allah was the first cause of everything and wrote several books, including Kitab al-lqtisad fil’ltqad
The kalam version of the cosmological argument is
Whatever begins to exist has a cause
The universe began to exist
Therefore the universe has a cause
The cause of the universe must be uncaused
The uncaused cause was Allah
Therefore Allah exists
Allah is a necessary being who created the world and this is shown in the Qur’an which explains that everything begins and ends with Allah, the final goal or cause
‘The final goal is your Lord’ (Qur’an 53:42)
IMAGE: The cosmological argument for the existence of God flow chart
The cosmological argument and the nature of Allah
The cosmological argument shows Muslims that Allah is the creator of the universe, showing his power
Allah created the world to provide everything that humans and animals need, showing his benevolence
‘Which is harder to create: you people or the sky that He built, raising it high and protecting it, giving darkness to its night and bringing out its morning brightness, and the earth too, He spread out, bringing waters and pastures out of it, and setting firm mountains [in it] for you and your animals to enjoy?’ (Qur’an 79:27-33)
It also shows that Allah is the only one responsible for the creation of the universe
‘Say “He is God the One, God the eternal. He begot no one, nor was He begotten. No one is comparable to Him.”’ (Qur’an 112:1-4)
Allah brought things into existence just by speaking
‘He [Allah] is the originator of the heavens and the earth, and when He decrees something, He says only, “Be,” and it is.’ (Qur’an 2:117)
Strengths and Challenges of the Cosmological Argument
Strengths of the Cosmological Argument
It is supported by the evidence throughout the world - everything exists in chains of cause and effect
It is compatible with scientific accounts of creation - the Big Bang that caused everything was caused by Allah who did not have a cause
It is compatible with the story of creation outlined in the Qur’an
It provides a first cause for the universe
Challenges to the Cosmological Argument
Non-religious people, including atheists and humanists, would say that
It cannot be proved that Allah caused the universe
If Allah is the cause of everything, what caused Allah?
If Allah is eternal, why isn’t the universe eternal?
Even if something caused the universe to exist, it does not have to be Allah
Even if everything within the universe has a cause, that does not mean that the universe itself must have a cause
Muslim Responses to Non-Religious Views About the Cosmological Argument
Muslims would respond to these challenges by saying Allah is omnipotent and therefore He is the only being powerful enough to create the universe
‘God has power over all things.’ (Qur’an 29:20)
Allah is transcendent so he is beyond the universe and not subject to the laws of nature
Allah is also a personal and immanent god, who is capable of responding to prayer
There is room for believing in scientific accounts of creation, but also holding the view that Allah was the first cause of everything
Worked Example
Explain two Muslim beliefs about the cosmological argument
(4 marks)
One Muslim belief about the cosmological argument is that there is an uncaused cause behind everything, and the uncaused cause was Allah, as the kalam version of the argument states (2 marks)
Another Muslim belief about the argument is that it shows that Allah is benevolent and created the world to provide everything that humans and animals need (2 marks)
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The cosmological argument, like the design argument, attempts to prove that Allah exists using reasoning and logic. Do you find these arguments convincing?
You may be asked to evaluate a statement such as ‘The cosmological argument proves the existence of Allah.’ What arguments would you use to support this statement and to oppose it? Make a list of the points you would use in your discussion.
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