I Wonder About Allah (Book Two)
Published by
THE ISLAMIC FOUNDATION
Distributed by
KUBE PUBLISHING LTD
Tel :+44 (0)1530 249230, Fax: (0)1530 249656
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.kubepublishing.com
First published in Turkey by Uğurböceği Publications, a Zafer Publication Group imprint, in 2008.
Text © 2014 Özkan Öze
Translation by Selma AydÜz
Illustrations © 2014 Zafer Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner
Author Özkan Öze
Translator Selma Aydüz
Series editor Dr Salim Aydüz
Illustrator Sevgi İçigen
Book design Zafer Publishing & Nasir Cadir
Cover design Fatima Jamadar
A Cataloguing-in-Publication Data record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-0-86037-503-6
eISBN 978-0-86037-548-7
Printed by Imak Ofset, Turkey
Özkan Öze
Translated by Selma Aydüz
Illustrations: Sevgi İçigen
Contents
Why did Allah create the universe?
Did Allah need to create the universe?
Why did Allah create humans?
Why does Allah create some people ‘ugly’?
Why does Allah make some people disabled or ill?
How will Allah resurrect us after we die?
Why do we need to know Allah’s names?
THE STORY OF the “I Wonder About Islam” series started one day with my son asking me, “Why can’t I see Allah, dad?” He asked this question at such an unexpected time that I didn’t know what answer to give him.
I actually knew the answer. But when he asked so suddenly, I just said, “Umm, well…” He opened his eyes wide and started staring at me as if to say Come on, give me the answer! I beat around the bush for a while. You know, I was humming and hawing. In the end, I said, “Your eyes are so small, yet Allah is so big! This is the answer to the question. Because of this, you can’t see Allah!”
“Oh, really?” he said. He turned his Spider-Man toy around in his hands. Then, as if he hadn’t said anything, he went to his room. He was only five years old…
Perhaps, for a child his age, this answer was enough. At the time, I had handled the situation. However, as he got older, he would ask heaps of new questions about Allah. In that case, I had to start preparing straight away.
So, that is how I started the “I Wonder About Islam” series.
The best thing about this book is that not only my kids, but kids from around the world can read my answers.
The “I Wonder About Islam” series’ first and second books consist of answers I have given to questions about Allah.
In the third book, you will find answers to questions about the Prophet, peace be upon him.
The fourth book is about the Muslim holy book, The Qur’an.
As for the fifth book, the topic is death and life after death. In particular, you will find answers to questions you have about heaven.
In the sixth book, I brought together answers to questions about belief in fate.
The last book of the series is about angels.
Have I answered all the questions about all these topics? Of course not!
I only tried to answer the most frequently asked ones. But the questions I gave answers to will enlighten you in terms of the questions I didn’t manage to answer as well.
My aim from the start wasn’t to answer all questions; it was so that when a question comes to mind, you have the correct logic and viewpoint to approach it.
I think we largely achieved this. After reading this book, you will see that questions don’t frighten you as much as before.
You will bravely ask the questions you thought were the hardest to answer, and soon you will see that you can’t think of a question that doesn’t have an answer.
You should never be afraid of asking questions, and don’t ever give up asking questions! Because a question is a key. Every question opens a door for you. And behind every door is a whole other world.
Hang on to the question’s tail and pull as much as you can. A huge answer will follow it.
Furthermore, asking a question is also a prayer.
Asking a question is saying, “I want to learn!”, “I want to understand!”, “I want to know better and love more!”
Make sure you do these types of prayers a lot so that your mind and heart is filled with the light of knowledge; so that your path is always bright.
The “I Wonder About Islam” series have been written using the works of the great Muslim scholar Said Nursi (1878–1960). The answers given to the questions and the examples to help you understand the topics have all been taken from his Risale-i Nur books.
Özkan Öze
İstanbul, 2012
Why did Allah create the universe?
It was not without purpose that We created the heavens and the earth and everything in between.
Surah Sad 38:27
YOU MAY BE a great artist. On the paper that your brush touches, flowers trees and all sorts of landscapes turn into a painting.
But we won’t be able to know of your artistic talent without seeing any of