In this fifth lesson about deism, we will talk to a deist and he will be our addressee.
Now we ask the deist: Would you agree if the good deeds that you did were attributed to others?
For example, if you had a big dining hall and you served meals to hundreds of poor people every day and if those poor people attributed this favor to somebody else and thanked him, would you show consent to it? You would probably not accept it and say, “This dining hall is mine. I served you food and drinks. Do not thank him but thank me, and be grateful to me.”
Or think of this: If you had a big factory and you gave clothes to hundreds of people every day and if those people attributed this favor to somebody else and thanked him, would you show consent to it? You would probably not accept it and say, “This factory is mine. I gave you the clothes. Do not thank him but thank me, and be grateful to me.”
Let us give another example: If you had a big hospital and hundreds of patients went there every day and got free treatment and healed and if those people attributed this favor to somebody else and thanked him by saying, “We are so pleased with you. Where would we be treated if it were not for your generosity? Who would treat us and who would give us drugs? Who would heal us?”, would you show consent to it? You would probably not accept it and say, “This factory is mine. I treated you, gave you drugs and looked after you. Do not thank him but thank me, and be grateful to me.”
Now we will ask you a question: Since you cannot consent to even your small favors being attributed to others, how can Allah consent to the attribution of those endless favors and grants to somebody else and thanking him and being grateful to him?
He would definitely not accept it and want the boons to be attributed to Him. Since he wanted the boons to be attributed to Him, He should send the prophets and send down the books so that we could recognize Him as the true owner of the boons. If there were no prophets, we could not attribute the boons to Him.
Look at the people whom prophets did not reach, or those whom prophets reached but who did not obey them. Some of them worship idols. In other words, they attribute the boons given to them to idols. Some of them worship fire and others the sun. That is, they attribute the boons to them. Thus, if a person does not know a prophet and does not listen to his preaching, he will attribute the boons of Allah to wrong deities like that.
Allah sent prophets and books in order to make His slaves turn toward him instead of those wrong deities and addressed them as follows: “O my slaves! You are not the creator and the true owner of the boons. However, you want the favors you do to be attributed to you and do not accept it when they are attributed to others. Since I am the creator of the boons out of nothing and true owner of them, would I show consent to their attribution to others and being grateful to them? I definitely would not accept it. Then, attribute the boons to me and be grateful only to me.”
That is why, it is necessary to send prophets and the existence of prophets is as certain as the existence of the boons.
