Abu Hanifa vs Atheism
it was narrated that a group of atheists once gathered around Abū Hanīfah (ra) and asked him:
“what is the proof for the existence of a Creator?”
he replied, “leave me for a moment, for my mind is preoccupied with a strange matter.”
they asked, “what is it?”
he said, “i have been told that on the Tigris there is a huge ship, filled with all kinds of wondrous goods, which goes back and forth without anyone moving it and without a captain in charge of it.”
they said to him, “are you insane?”
he asked, “why is that?”
they replied, “would any rational person believe such a thing?”
he then said to them, “then how have your minds accepted that this world, with all it contains of varieties, types, and astonishing events, and this orbiting, moving firmament, could exist without a Creator; that these events occur without one who brings them into being; and that these moving things move without a mover?”
so they turned back upon themselves in regret.
[Dar' Ta'arud al-'Aql wa'l-Naql by Ibn Taymiyyah 3/127]
[Al-Riyad al-Nadhirah by al-Sa'di, p. 258]
ibn ruum
npub1dm…w7rza
2026-01-28 22:49:03 UTC
Author Public Key
npub1dmyw5ekz2knz4x6mqpcqxrjk26ytgq66q5w66yhlthk9fm6mzqesgw7rzaPublished at
2026-01-28 22:49:03 UTCEvent JSON
{
"id": "c7b7a3d9ae76c7b0385673efaa5479452a1330780a14122edb1c099eccf6c3eb",
"pubkey": "6ec8ea66c255a62a9b5b0070030e565688b4035a051dad12ff5dec54ef5b1033",
"created_at": 1769640543,
"kind": 1,
"tags": [],
"content": "Abu Hanifa vs Atheism\n\nit was narrated that a group of atheists once gathered around Abū Hanīfah (ra) and asked him:\n\n“what is the proof for the existence of a Creator?”\n\nhe replied, “leave me for a moment, for my mind is preoccupied with a strange matter.”\n\nthey asked, “what is it?”\n\nhe said, “i have been told that on the Tigris there is a huge ship, filled with all kinds of wondrous goods, which goes back and forth without anyone moving it and without a captain in charge of it.”\n\nthey said to him, “are you insane?”\n\nhe asked, “why is that?”\n\nthey replied, “would any rational person believe such a thing?”\n\nhe then said to them, “then how have your minds accepted that this world, with all it contains of varieties, types, and astonishing events, and this orbiting, moving firmament, could exist without a Creator; that these events occur without one who brings them into being; and that these moving things move without a mover?”\n\nso they turned back upon themselves in regret.\n\n[Dar' Ta'arud al-'Aql wa'l-Naql by Ibn Taymiyyah 3/127]\n[Al-Riyad al-Nadhirah by al-Sa'di, p. 258]",
"sig": "5ea1a3576330d2df2941c3d779a4e1e8a925b305c4a4a8f2495c61c8d9dbdbf10852e42f50e0385eee8afee0d92714c311dc79024d9e53724eec39e185256f42"
}