Introduction

The reality behind matter' is not a newly discovered, formerly unknown subject. It is alluded to in a number of verses of the Qur'an and plays a key role in the interpretation of some other verses. Throughout history, God has sent apostles, and deeply aware and thoughtful people, who proclaimed this reality to their societies.

Texts containing portions of their proclamations have come down to us today. Various degenerated forms of the true religion whose original revelations have been distorted wanted to preserve this reality as a mystical secret. Therefore, it is possible to find this reality in the texts that survive in Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism and Christianity. Ancient Greek philosophers such as Pythagoras, the Eleatic school of philosophy, Plato (especially in his Allegory of the Cave) and a number of thinkers who followed them have all expounded some aspects of this question. In later periods, this subject has been related and taught by people who, under the influence of different points of view and with various interpretations, have thought about it openly and arrived at the truth.

Those who adopted materialism, the philosophy that claims that matter is the one absolute principle of existence, tried to cover up this reality. However, the Irish theologian and philosopher Berkeley raised this question again in the 18th century and, in so doing, changed the world of ideas after him. After Darwin proposed his theory of evolution, the materialists, especially Bertrand Russell, the spokesman of this school, attempted to insult and slander Berkeley, because they were unable to give him a philosophical response. However, Russell, in spite of the fact that he was the most representative thinker in materialist circles and the strongest defender of this view, was unable to disregard this truth. In his work entitled The Problems of Philosophy, he evaluated the situation in this way:

…Berkeley retains the merit of having shown... and that if there are any things that exist independently of us they cannot be the immediate objects of our sensations.1

However much Russell might claim the opposite, in the above statement he basically could not deny this reality, he even states openly that he accepts it.

As we step into the 21st century, developments in branches of science such as modern physics, quantum physics, astronomy, psychology and anatomy deeply discomfited those circles that espoused the old materialist view of the world. The study of fossils and research conducted in areas such as the science of genetics has caused the collapse of the theory of evolution; research conducted in areas such as optics and psychology have helped solve the mystery of our cognitive system; as a result of studies in astronomy, the Big Bang theory (the theory that the universe and matter had a beginning) was proposed; research done on atoms and sub-atomic particles has turned classical physics inside out and proved the theory of relativity – the fact that time is relative.

Developments in the realm of science, which have confirmed countless times the existence of God and His eternal sovereignty over the whole universe, left those materialist thinkers who are representatives of fanaticism and prejudice without recourse. Their powerlessness also continues today. We encounter a number of scientists and thinkers on television, in schools, and at lectures who, while maintaining that it is not possible to get in touch with the external world and that the life we live is composed of perceptions felt in our brain, feign ignorance and proceed not to inform people of the truth, and even act as if it did not exist.

However, to ignore the truth is no solution. Therefore, this book emphasizes how useless it is to fear the truth and run from it, shows what kind of damage this can do to a person, and reveals the spiritual state of those persons who act in this way.

Learning the secret behind matter will help to truly understand concepts such as the existence of God, His attributes, fate, soul, heaven, hell, eternity and timelessness. With this assistance, readers will truly learn the answer to such common every-day questions as 'Where is God?', 'What is fate?', 'What happens after death?', and they will find the answers they are seeking to many other questions.

Having spoken about this important aim, let's meet the people who will take part in the conversations in this book.

This meeting takes place in an atmosphere of mutual conversation and the readers taking part come from various circles. The name of the first one is Aisha; she is still studying at university in the department of computer engineering. Because Aisha is very interested in this topic, she understands that everything she interacts with is composed of impressions in the brain. But she wants to enhance her knowledge of the source of these images and learn the most cogent explanation.

The name of the second reader is Ahmed. He is an industrialist from one of the well-known families. Ahmed has learned that he can have no direct experience of the original of anything, and that, after death everything will come to an end as in a dream. But he is seeking an answer to some questions that he has not been fully able to grasp.

Ibrahim is the third of our readers. He has completed his doctorate in biology at a foreign university and has begun to work at a university as an assistant. Ibrahim heard of this subject from one of his friends; he has read some books but, because he has not fully understood it, he has a few question marks in his mind. This subject interests him very much from the scientific point of view.

Murad, who will answer the readers' questions, has in depth knowledge of this subject having learned about it years ago from the works of Harun Yahya.