Long ago in the city of Baghdad, there was a Muslim empire. On one side
of the River Tigris were the royal palaces and on the other side was
the city. The Muslims were gathered in the Royal Palace when an athiest
approached them. He said to them, ‘I don’t believe in God, there
cannot be a God, you cannot hear Him or see Him, you’re wasting your
time! Bring me your best debator and I will debate this issue with him.’
The best debator at the time was Imam Abu Hanifah Rahimullah. A
messenger from amongst the Muslims was sent over the River Tigris to the
city, where Abu Hanifah Rahimullah was, in order to tell him about the
athiest who was awaiting him. On crossing the River Tigris, the
messenger conveyed the message to Abu Hanifah Rahimullah saying, ‘Oh Abu Hanifah, an athiest is waiting for you, to debate you, please come!’ Abu Hanifah Rahimullah told the messeneger that he would be on his way.
The messenger went over the River Tigris once again and to the Royal
Palaces, where everyone including the athiest awaited the arrival of
Abu Hanifah Rahimullah. It was sunset at the time and one hour had
passed, but Abu Hanifah Rahimullah still hadn’t arrived. Another hour
had passed, but still there was no sign of him. The Muslims started to
become tense and worried about his late arrival. They did not want the
athiest to think that they were too scared to debate him, yet they did
not want to take up the challenge themselves as Abu Hanifah Rahimullah
was the best of Debators from amongst the Muslims. Another hour passed,
and suddenly the athiest started laughing and said, ‘ Your best
debator is too scared! He knows he’s wrong, he is too frightened to come
and debate with me. I gurantee he will not turn up today.’
The Muslims increased in apprehension and eventually it had passed
midnight, and the athiest had a smile on his face. The clock ticked on,
and finally Abu Hanifah Rahimullah had arrived. The Muslims inquired
about his lateness and remarked, ‘Oh Abu Hanifah, a messenger sent for you hours ago, and you arrive now, explain your lateness to us.’
Abu Hanifah Rahimullah apologises for his lateness and begins to explain, while the atheist listens to his story.
‘Once the messenger delivered the message to me, I began to make my
way to the River Tigris, and on reaching the river bank I realised there
was no boat, in order to cross the river. It was getting dark, and I
looked around, there was no boat anywhere nor was there a navigator or a
sailor in order for me to cross the river to get to the Royal Palaces. I
continued to look around for a boat, as I did not want the athiest to
think I was running away and did not want to debate with him.
I was standing on the river bank looking for a navigator or a boat
when something caught my attention in the middle of the river. I looked
forward, and to my amazement I saw planks of wood rising to the surface
from the sea bed. I was shocked, amazed, I couldn’t believe what I saw
seeing. Ready made planks of wood were rising up to the surface and
joining together. They were all the same width and length, I was
astounded at what I saw.
I continued to look into the middle of the river, and then I saw
nails coming up from the sea floor. They positioned themselves onto the
boat and held the planks together, without them being banged. I stood in
amazement and thought to myself, ‘Oh Allah, how can this happen,
planks of wood rising to the surface by itself, and then nails
positioning themselves onto the boat without being banged?’ I could not
undertsand what was happening before my eyes.’
The athiest meanwhile was listening with a smile on his face. Abu
Hanifah Rahimullah continued, ‘I was still standing on the river bank
watching these planks of wood join together with nails. I could see
water seeping through the gaps in the wood, and suddenly I saw a sealant
appear from the river and it began sealing the gaps without someone
having poured it, again I thought, ‘Ya Allah, how is this possible,
how can sealant appear and seal the gaps without someone having poured
it, and nails appear without someone having banged them.’ I looked
closer and I could see a boat forming before my eyes, I stood in
amazement and was filled with shock. All of a sudden a sail appeared and
I thought to myself, ‘How is this happening, a boat has appeared
before my eyes by itself, planks of wood, nails, sealant and now a sail,
but how can I use this boat in order to cross the river to the Royal
Palaces?’ I stood staring in wonderment and suddenly the boat began
to move. It came towards me against the current. It stood floating
beside me while I was on the river bank, as if telling me to embark onto
it. I went on the boat and yet again it began to move. There was no
navigator or sailor on the boat, and the boat began to travel towards
the direction of the royal palaces, without anyone having programmed it
as to where to go. I could not understand what was happening, and how
this boat had formed and was taking me to my destination against the
flow of water. The boat eventually reached the other side of the River
Tigris and I disembarked. I turned around and the boat had disappeared,
and that is why I am late.’
At this moment, the athiest brust out laughing and remarked, ‘Oh
Abu Hanifah, I heard that you were the best debator from amongst the
Muslims, I heard that you were the wisest, the most knowledgable from
amongst your people. From seeing you today, I can say that you show none
of these qualities. You speak of a boat appearing from nowhere, without
someone having built it. Nails positioning themselves without someone
having banged them, sealant being poured without someone having poured
it, and the boat taking you to your destination without a navigator
against the tide, your taking childish, your talking rediculous, I swear
I do not belive a word of it!’
Abu Hanifah Rahimullah turned to the athiest and replied, ‘You
don’t believe a word of it? You dont believe that nails can appear by
themselves? You dont believe sealant can be poured by itself? You dont
believe that a boat can move without a navigator, hence you don’t
believe that a boat can appear without a boat maker?’
The athiest remarked defiantly, ‘Yes I dont believe a word of it!’
Abu Hanifah Rahimullah replied, ‘If you cannot believe that a
boat came into being without a boat maker, than this is only a boat, how
can you believe that the whole world, the universe, the stars, the
oceans, and the planets came into being without a creator?
The athiest astonished at his reply got up and fled.
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