Introduction
 

A general review of historical trends reveals that all anti-religionists base their philosophy on materialist thought. As is known, materialists deny the fact of creation. Instead, they maintain that matter has existed since time immemorial and will remain as an absolute entity for all eternity. In other words, they deify matter. Materialism is thus defined in materialist sources:

Materialism accepts the eternity and everlastingness of the universe (its having no beginning or end), that it is not created by God, and is infinite in time and place.1 

The reason why materialism so deifies matter stems from its categorical refusal to accept the existence of a Creator. That matter is not absolute implies that it had a beginning: that it had a beginning means that it was brought into being from nothing, that is, it was created. 

Not surprisingly, the consensus reached by the world of science at the end of the 20th century verifies the fact that matter is not absolute and that it had a beginning: the whole universe originated from nothing approximately 15 billion years ago with the explosion of a point with "zero" volume and took its present shape by expanding over time. The authenticity of this event, which is called the Big Bang, is proved by many substantial observations and experiments as well as by the calculations of theoretic physicists. 

The latest point reached by science today verifies the fact that "the universe was created out of nothing," as is maintained by the Qur'an and all other divine religions. In addition, modern science has disproved materialism and all its sub-ideologies, destroyed the matter-dependent world of materialists, and defeated them in the war they waged against creation.

Materialists, however, cannot accept the fact that matter is not absolute but was created, even at the cost of conflicting with science. To accept this fact would require them to accept the existence of Allah, and to believe in Allah would require them to accept religion and lead religious lives. As religion primarily requires definite obedience and submission to Allah, this would prove to be troublesome for such people as are blinded by their own arrogance. In the Qur'an, the state of those who escape realities because of their arrogance — though the truth is quite apparent — is explained as follows:

And they rejected those Signs in their iniquity and arrogance, though their souls were convinced of their truth. Consider the fate of those who acted corruptly! (Surat an-Naml, 14)

Materialists believe that time, just like matter, is absolute, i.e., it comes from eternity and goes on to eternity. Adhering to this misapprehension, they seek to deny fate, the day of resurrection, paradise and hell. However, today, modern science has proven that just like matter, time, which is a derivative of matter, has also been created from nothingness, and that it also had a beginning. At the same time, that time is a relative notion, that it is not static and unchanging as materialists have long believed, and that it is a changing form of perception were also discovered in this century. The relativity of time and space has been proven by Einstein's Theory of Relativity and this fact has today laid the basis of modern physics. 

To sum up, time and space are concepts that are not absolute, that have a beginning, and that were created by Allah from nothing. Allah, Who has created time and space, is certainly not dependent on them. Allah has defined, determined and created every moment of time in timelessness. This is what underlies the essence of the reality of "Fate," which materialists fail to comprehend.

All of the events that have been experienced in the past and that will be experienced in the future by us, are within the knowledge and control of Allah, Who is not dependent on time, and Who created time from nothing. 

Today, modern science verifies facts announced by the Qur'an 1400 years ago, which are unequivocally believed in by the believers. This bears witness that the Qur'an is the word of Allah. On the other hand, materialist thought, which has been denying Allah's existence and the fact of creation for centuries, is refuted in every field by science, a discipline to which it never stops referring and in which it takes refuge on all occasions. In this book, we will produce evidence to show that the claims of materialists have no scientific and logical basis, and that on the contrary, materialism is totally demolished by contemporary science. The subjects covered here include very important pieces of evidence about the essence of matter and the relativity of time and space. Thus, you will encounter some facts which you have never pondered upon so far, and will understand that the essence of matter is in truth very different from what materialism puts forward or what you have previously been taught.