Defending absolute determinism, i.e., stating that causes will necessarily bring about their effects, grants real influence to causes, in a sense, seeing them as creators. In such a perspective, causes determine and bring about results through the power and capability they possess. Therefore, the universe is composed of interlinked parts through necessary cause-and-effect relationships. This means it has its own unique, unchanging internal workings.
So, what could be the problem with such a conception of existence?
Firstly, this situation brings up the issue of the eternity of existence and the universe’s beginninglessness. If every being and event in the universe is the necessary result of causes, and these causes depend on other causes, this chain must go on indefinitely. There would be no possibility to stop it anywhere. However, modern science has clearly proven that the universe is finite and that everything with an end must have a beginning.
Secondly, such a conception of the universe leads to deism. Because tying the existence and events in the universe to a compulsory causality leads to the concept of a “passive god.” Where there is compulsion, one cannot speak of an Absolute Almighty and a Free Agent Creator, His manifestations, and dispositions.
Thirdly, if deterministic laws dominate in nature, then miracles become impossible. This is because substances necessarily exhibit their inherent natures. For this reason, many theologians with a deterministic mindset in the modern era have either denied miracles or have been forced into strained interpretations.
Fourthly, such an understanding leads to a kind of idolatry known as causality worship. Because a person who links the emergence of beings and events to certain natural causes and processes is unwittingly attributing some attributes of Allah, such as knowledge, will, power, and creation, to causes.
Fifth, it would be a path contrary to the conception of Allah described in the Qur’an. We will discuss this issue separately in the next article.
Sixth, there would be no need for us to worship Allah, to be grateful, to pray. If the reasons that make our world ready for living, that provide us with the food we need, that prepare the necessary conditions for life, that present us with the blessings we have; such as clouds, rain, wind, soil, plants, animals, energy, and natural forces, should we not direct our gratitude, praise, and feelings of indebtedness towards them? Would a person who does not recognize Allah as the provider of sustenance, the giver of blessings, the sustainer of life, the creator and maintainer of existence, and the manager of everything, accept Him as a God worthy of worship and servitude?
Seventh, viewing causes as active agents is contrary to reason and logic. Because in this case, inanimate objects and simple events are burdened with a load they cannot bear. Inanimate and unconscious objects do not have the consciousness, powers, or forces originating from themselves to produce extremely perfect and wise results.
Disproportion Between Cause and Effects Bediüzzaman frequently dwells on the nature of causes in his works and states that they do not have any creative or influential effects on their results. He ties this to the inconsistency and disproportion between cause and effect in many places. At one point, he explains it as follows:
“Due to boundless ignorance stemming from misguidance and ugly obstinacy born of irreligion, they do not know that causes are merely excuses, mere veils. While showing the tiny seed of a mountain-like pine tree and saying, ‘This tree has come from this,’ they put forward some apparent causes as if denying the thousands of miracles of the Creator in that pine tree. They disregard the very great dominion of the Creator, which operates with His will and wisdom. Sometimes they attach a scientific name to a very deep, unknown, and highly significant truth, which carries wisdom in thousands of ways. As if the nature of that truth becomes understandable, simplified, devoid of wisdom and meaning with that name!” (Bediüzzaman, Words, Addendum to the 14th Word)
At another place, he explains the same truth as follows: “Apparent causes are very simple, limited, poor, inanimate, unconscious, and without will; laws are also nominal and imaginary things. The wonderful embroidery, ornaments, and strange and marvelous arts found in the caused have absolutely no relation to their worthless causes. For example, to base the orderly and disciplined formations in body cells on eating, the unlimited and orderly embroidery written in the power of memory on the folds and wrinkles in the ear and head, speaking and thinking on the movements of the tongue, the formation of letters, the occurrence of mental images on such causes is a foolish judgment. Such results require an unlimited power, knowledge, and will. Therefore, the real effective agent in their formation and emergence is only the Creator, the Almighty with unlimited power.” (Bediüzzaman, Mesnevi-i Nuriye, p. 51)
Let’s give one more example: “We look at and see things that appear as cause and effect in the universe: The power of even the highest cause is not sufficient for the simplest effect. Thus, causes are a veil. Someone else makes the effects. For example, looking at the power of memory placed in a spot the size of a mustard seed in a human head, we see that it is like a comprehensive book, perhaps a library, in which the entire life story of a person is written without mixing. What cause could be shown for this miracle of power? The folds in the brain? Simple, unconscious, particle-sized cells? The winds of coincidence? Yet, that artistic miracle can only be the art of the Wise Creator.” (Words, 33rd Word)
Entering through this door of contemplation opened by Bediüzzaman, when we look at the beings and events in the universe, we see that they are linked to simple, unconscious, and incapable causes that are far from having the power to produce highly perfect, artistic, and wise results.
Can a bee be the real cause of honey, a storehouse of healing for humans?
Can we attribute the milk, which emerges from blood and filth and is offered for human use, to unconscious animals?
Can a drop of water be the cause of a human, a true creation miracle?
Is it reasonable to attribute the existence of an oak tree stretching to the sky to a seed?
What cause can be attributed to soft roots like cotton breaking through hard rocks and descending into the depths of the earth?
Can the harmonious and orderly movement of massive celestial bodies in space at tremendous speeds be the work of nominal laws discovered by humans?
Is the cause that transmits the variety of sounds and words from mouths to ears unintelligent, unconscious air particles?
Can the emergence and change of existence be explained by hits, collisions, contacts, pulls, and pushes?
Are the causes of colors, smells, tastes, shapes, and patterns, the different fruits, dry trees, soil, water, the sun, or rather the Provident and Wise Sustainer who uses these as ordinary conditions according to the divine habit in creation?
When looked at with this perspective, it will be clearly seen that there is a great disproportion between causes and effects, and that causes can never have the power to produce effects. If a cause is the final explanation of something, the reason that brings it into the realm of existence, then none of the entities and events we name as causes are actually causes. Because a cause must be fully capable of producing the effect in every respect. When we say a cause of something, there should be no need for further explanation. However, none of the causes in the realm of existence are like this. A thing cannot give what it does not have to another. Beings whose existence does not originate from themselves cannot create anything. Although there is temporal and spatial proximity between successive entities A and B, there is an infinite distance between them in terms of one being the agent of the other. Therefore, our naming some things as causes is metaphorical. In reality, they are merely signs or means for other things. The real and ultimate cause of everything is the creation and decree of the Lord Almighty. Mankind, who directs its attention, love, affection, gratitude, and trust to causes, is not even aware of the great injustice it commits and the great rights violation it enters!
Causes Cannot Pursue a Purpose The greatest proof that causes cannot be real agents producing their effects is the purposefulness seen in the universe, that is, the directedness of causes towards a purpose. As Aristotle put it, nature never does anything unnecessary and pointless. Each cause serves a specific purpose for the orderly and harmonious functioning of the universe, playing its role within a larger system. For example, from the wind to the cloud, from rain to soil, from plants to animals, both living and non-living beings seem to be at the service of humans. Atoms devoid of reason, sensation, and perception come together in certain ratios, shapes, and amounts to create the stunning beauties around us. Bediüzzaman explains this stance as follows:
“The results, purposes, and benefits attached to events caused by causes clearly show that a Generous, Wise, and Merciful Lord is acting behind the veil of causes. Because unconscious causes certainly cannot think of and work towards a purpose. Yet, we see that every being comes into existence following not one but many purposes, benefits, wisdom. Therefore, a Wise and Generous Lord is making those things and sending them. He makes those benefits their purpose for existence. For example, it rains. It is well known how far the apparent causes that produce rain are from thinking about animals, feeling pity and mercy for them. Therefore, rain is sent with the wisdom of a Creator who has created the animals and committed to providing for them.” (Words, 33rd Word)
Causes Cannot Help Each Other One of the biggest mistakes made by those who believe that the apparent causes in the emergence, disappearance, and transformation of objects are agents is examining each event in the universe as if isolated from the whole. However, in the coming into being, movement, and stillness of entities, often many causes need to work together harmoniously, helping each other. For example, we can consider the elements and material processes necessary for a tree to bear fruit. Perhaps we see the seed as the most prominent cause here. But for a seed thrown into the soil to crack and sprout, for the sprout to root in the soil on one hand and stretch to the sky on the other, and to bear fruit when its season comes, soil, air, water, sun elements need to work together, dozens maybe hundreds of causes need to join hands to serve this, preparing the appropriate environment and conditions.
Every single event occurring in the realm of existence has a connection with almost the entire universe. Modern science is trying to explain this with the butterfly effect. How can causes, which are not even capable of producing their own minor results, manage to work in harmony with other beings? How possible can it be for millions, billions of causes to work together to produce such a result as making the Earth a suitable place for human life? While the possibility of atoms not only forming a living being, a tissue in a living being, a cell in a tissue, a protein in a cell, an amino acid in a protein is seen as impossible in terms of probability calculations, how can we logically try to explain the existing beings with unconscious causes? If we are content with only causes, natural laws, and scientific theories in understanding the language of the existence enigma and do not wonder about what is beyond, if we are looking for the creator in the created, the maker in the made, and cannot go from the work to the worker, then there is a mistake or at least a deficiency in our way of thinking and reasoning.
In the universe, in nature, in the world of plants and animals, in living organisms, inside the cell, that is, in both the macro and micro worlds, there are such strong, complex, harmonious, and dizzying interactions and cooperations among all large and small parts that for causes, even if small, to be able to produce a work, they must know the characteristics of all the beings with which this work is in contact and interaction. Therefore, whoever is the creator of the entire realm of existence is also the creator of the smallest event, the simplest being.
In short, there is no possibility of attributing the marvelous works we see before our eyes to the entities, events, energy, force, laws seen as “causes.” The apparent unity and proximity between cause and effect (conjunction, adjacency, contiguity) cannot be evidence for causality. In Bediüzzaman’s words, just as the Lord Almighty creates the causes, He also creates the caused. He links the results to the causes with His wisdom. Those who cannot understand and accept this simultaneous and continuous creation end up having to attribute some aspect of lordship to the causes. However, causes are, so to speak, like tools in the hand of the artisan. Although the emergence of the effect seems to occur with the movement of the tool, unless there is a will that moves the tool, it cannot produce anything on its own.
