God and the Universe

can take us only thus far. They can make us aware that there is a Creator of the universe and that, as the nature of His creation indicates, He possesses attributes such as creativity, power, wisdom, beauty, and so forth, all of which are reflected in His creation. However, science cannot answer such questions as ‘Why did God create man?’ ‘What is the relationship between God and man?’, ‘What is the way for man to live that is pleasing to God?’ and ‘What happens to us when we die?’. The only reliable source of answers to these questions is the Creator Himself. This points to the necessity and significance of Divine Revelation—a revelation from the Creator—as the only authentic means for man to obtain these answers. From the very advent of humankind on the Earth, God has sent a series of Messengers into the world to inform people about such issues—or, in other words, to tell them about what can be called God’s Creation Plan. God has sent at least one Messenger to every nation. The essential message of all these Messengers was the same. All these Messengers exhorted people to lead a God-oriented life based on awareness of, and the willing self-surrender to, the One God—or, in brief, a life characterized by ethical monotheism. This way of life is the only way to true success in this temporary world and the eternal world that comes after death—the world of the Hereafter. Following in their footsteps, inviting humanity to turn to God and lead a God-oriented life can be said to have been the major mission of Maulana Wahiduddin Khan. This concern is also profoundly reflected in this book. Reflecting PUBLISHER’S NOTE