Page 257 - For Men of Understanding

The brain is a collection of cells made up of protein and fat molecules. It is formed of nerve
cells called neurons. There is no power in this piece of meat to observe images, to constitute
consciousness, or to create the being we call "myself".

So, who makes our soul that continuously watches the stars, the earth, the
plants, the people, our body and everything else that we see?
Very evidently, there exists a supreme Creator Who has created the entire
material universe, and Who ceaselessly continues His creation. Since this
Creator displays such a magnificent creation, surely He has eternal power and
might.
This Creator describes Himself, the universe and the reason of our existence
for us through the book He has sent down.
This Creator is Allah, and His book is the Qur'an.
The fact is, the heavens and the Earth-that is, the universe-are not stable.
Their presence is made possible only by Allah's creation, and that they will dis-
appear when He ends this creation. This is revealed in a verse as follows:

Allah keeps a firm hold on the heavens and Earth, preventing them
from vanishing away. And if they vanished no one could then keep
hold of them. Certainly He is Most Forbearing, Ever-Forgiving.
(Surah Fatir: 41)
This verse is describing how the material universe is maintained under the
might of Allah. Allah created the universe, the Earth, mountains, and all living
and non-living things, and maintains all these under His power at every
moment. Allah manifests His name al-Khaliq in this material universe. Allah is
al-Khaliq, in other words, the Creator of all things, the Creator from nothing.
This shows that there is a material universe, outside our brains, consisting of

entities created by Allah. However, as a miracle and manifestation of the supe-

Matter and the External World 255