Islamic Exemplary Stories

Abu Hanifa's dialogue with the pagan scientists about divinity

Imam Abu Hanifa once said: There was a great scientist, atheist from among the Romans, but he was an infidel. Islamic scholars let alone, except one, Hammad the teacher of Abu Hanifa, therefore he was disinclined to meet him. 

       One day, man gathered in the mosque, the infidel went up to the pulpit and wanted to exchange ideas with anyone, he wanted to attack Islamic scholars. Among the shaf-shaf of the mosque there arose a young man, he was Abu Hanifa and when he was near the pulpit, he said: "Here I am, about to change my mind with the master". The eyes of Abu Hanifa tried to dominate the atmosphere, but he still humbled himself because of his young age. But he said: "Say your opinion!". The heathen scientist was astonished at the courage of Abu Hanifa, and asked: 

       Atheist: In what year was your Lord born? 

       Abu Hanifa: Allah says: "He (God) was not born nor did he give birth" 

       Atheist: Does it make sense to say that God was first nothing before Him?, In what year did He exist? 

       Abu Hanifa: He was before something. 

       Atheist: Please give us a clearer example of reality! 

       Abu Hanifa: Do you know the calculation? 

       Atheist : Yes. 

       Abu Hanifa: What number is before number one?

Atheist: No number (zero). 

       Abu Hanifa: If before the number one no other number precedes it, why do you wonder that before the One God the One who truly does not precede Him? 

       Atheist: Where is your Lord now?, there must be a place. 

       Abu Hanifa: Do you know how milk forms?, is it cheese in the milk? 

       Atheist: Yes, of course. 

       Abu Hanifa: Please show me where, where is the cheese now? 

       Atheist: There is no special place. The cheese thoroughly covers and mixes with the milk in all parts. 

       Abu Hanifa: If the cheese of the creature has no special place in the milk, is it worthy that you ask me to establish the place of Allah Ta'ala?, He is not housed and not placed! 

       Atheist: Show us your Lord's substance, is it a solid object like iron, or a liquid object like water, or evaporates like gas? 

       Abu Hanifa: Have you ever accompanied a sick person who was about to die? 

       Abu Hanifa: He first spoke to the master and moved his limbs. And then suddenly he was motionless, what caused the change? 

       Atheist: Because his spirit has left his body. 

       Abu Hanifa: Is the time of the outflow of the spirit the master is still there? 

Atheist: Yes, there are still. 

       Abu Hanifa: Tell me, is his spirit a solid thing like iron, or liquid like water or vaporized like gas? 

       Atheist: I don't know, we don't know. 

       Abu Hanifa: If you cannot know how matter and spirit form are only creatures, how can you force me to reveal the substance of Allah Ta'ala?!! 

       Atheist: In what direction does God now face him? Because everything has a direction? 

       Abu Hanifa: If you light a lamp in the dark of the night, which way will the light be turned? 

       Atheist: The light is facing all directions and directions. 

       Abu Hanifa: Then the only artificial lamp, what about Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, for He is the light of the heavens and the earth. 

       Atheist: If anyone goes into heaven there is a beginning, why is there no end? Why does heaven last forever? 

       Abu Hanifah: The calculation of numbers was there at first but there was no end. 

Atheist: How can we eat and drink in heaven without urinating and defecating? 

       Abu Hanifah: The master has practiced it when the master is in the stomach of the master's mother. Live and eat for nine months, but never pee and grow up there. Only then do we do these two wishes after a while out into the world. 

       Atheist: How will the goodness of heaven increase and will not be exhausted if denied? 

       Abu Hanifa: God also created something in the world, which, when revealed, increases in number, like science. The more given (distributed) our science is growing (increasing) and not decreasing. 

       "Yes! if everything was predestined before it was created, what is God doing now?" many Atheists. "Master answered my questions from the pulpit, and I answered them from the floor. So to answer your question, I beg you to come down from the pulpit and I will answer it in the place of the master", pinta Abu Hanifah. The pagan scientist descended from his pulpit, and Abu Hanifa rose above. "Alright, now I will answer the question sir. You ask what God's work is now?". The pagan scientist nodded. "There is His work explained and there is also something that is not explained. His present work is that when on the pulpit stands a disobedient infidel like the master, He will lower him as he is now, whereas when there is a believer on the floor who is entitled, he will lower him, soon He will lift him up to the pulpit, so will the work of God at all times". The audience was satisfied with the answer given by Abu Hanifa and so was the infidel. 

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