“I Can’t Answer That…” Atheist Cornered by Muslim | Mansur | Speakers Corner

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:00]In your heart, you know if there's a creator. I don't have to tell you.

[00:00:02]>> Well, I don't know. In my heart, I do. I don't know.

[00:00:05]>> You You do that. Trying to convince me.

[00:00:08]>> When people are in a plane or a ship and the plane is going to fall, this the ship is going to sink. Do you know what people do? They don't They don't THEY DON'T PRAY, "OH, SUPERMAN. OH, Donald Trump. Oh, Ninja Turtle, help me." They don't. Do you know who they call?

[00:00:27]>> No. They call to someone who they sincerely believe will help them. They call to God.

[00:00:38]>> But I'm not religious at all. No.

[00:00:40]>> Are you interested in um what happens when we die?

[00:00:45]>> I I don't know what happens when we die.

[00:00:46]I don't know. Don't know what happens when we die. I don't know.

[00:00:49]>> So once we die, then that's it.

[00:00:51]>> That's what I think. Yeah. The thing when we die, that's it. Nothing.

[00:00:53]>> What What makes you think that's the end of it?

[00:00:56]>> Will I die? No. I mean, nobody knows.

[00:00:57]Nobody knows. People could say they know, but nobody knows what that was when they died. Does he go somewhere?

[00:01:02]Does that go somewhere? Or is that it? I really don't know.

[00:01:04]>> How How do you arrive that no one knows?

[00:01:09]>> Good question. It is a good question. I mean, I mean, >> I don't know anybody that's died and come back and told us. I don't even know.

[00:01:16]>> There are many examples in history that because it's a history, it might be an evidence. It might not be an evidence for you.

[00:01:22]>> Yeah. But you can't just simply assert that people have come back from death and told us there has been cases like that. Okay. So, so now at this time frame what happens after death? How would we know?

[00:01:39]>> Who and what gave us life in the first place that we died?

[00:01:42]>> Exactly. I don't know. I don't know who gave us life in the first place.

[00:01:44]>> You seem to just be in a state of happiness saying I don't know. But I don't know. is not really that will give you comfort and contentment >> because I don't know it's not really an answer like if you go went to an exam >> 10 questions and you just say I don't know I don't know I don't know you'll get zero out of >> I know exactly agree with you I agree with you I'm not I'm not disagreeing with you you're right >> so why does >> the universe exists in your opinion >> rather than nothing >> that's that's a good question and and I can't I honestly I just can't answer that have you Have you thought about it?

[00:02:22]>> I don't know about a bit a little bit, but I don't have a strong opinion on it.

[00:02:25]>> Anger people.

[00:02:26]>> I don't I don't have a strong opinion on people.

[00:02:28]>> I don't What What are the opinions around?

[00:02:31]>> I don't believe there's a planet.

[00:02:37]>> There you go. So, you do believe >> because it makes sense to you. There's something that created this universe.

[00:02:44]>> So, you're not an atheist.

[00:02:46]I mean you you you are a believer in a creator of this universe. Some type of creation sometime.

[00:02:54]>> Yeah. Yeah. That something well >> something that created the creation is the creator of the creation. So you believe in a creator of the creation >> possibly. Possibly.

[00:03:05]>> Are you are you backing down now? You say possibly.

[00:03:09]>> Are you not convinced?

[00:03:10]>> I'm I'm not convinced. I'm not I'm not convinced there some kind of creator. So does creation exist by itself?

[00:03:17]>> Possibly. Possibly.

[00:03:19]>> I mean there's a scientific that big bang theory that something spontaneously happens. I mean >> the big bang starts talking about how something from a point started changing but it doesn't describe why that point exists.

[00:03:31]>> No. Exactly.

[00:03:32]>> So the science won't help you.

[00:03:33]>> Exactly.

[00:03:34]>> Yeah. So so when we see this universe existing >> Yeah.

[00:03:39]>> you know it's important to ask why the universe exists rather than nothing. And things don't exist by themselves unless things are necessary.

[00:03:47]>> Yeah. Yeah.

[00:03:48]>> Is the universe necessary or could it could it have been otherwise?

[00:03:51]>> Is it necessary? Right. That's another good that's another good question that I can't answer. Is it necessary?

[00:03:56]>> It could have been otherwise.

[00:03:57]>> It could have been otherwise. Yeah.

[00:03:58]>> So if it could have been otherwise philosophically what it means it's not necessary >> because anything that is necessary it can't be otherwise.

[00:04:05]>> Yeah.

[00:04:06]>> Anything that is otherwise it's okay. I have >> no phone in my backpack.

[00:04:10]>> Yeah. Anything >> that can be otherwise it's not necessary. It's called contingent.

[00:04:14]>> So the if universe is something that can be otherwise and it's contingent then it cannot be explanation for itself. It requires an explanation other than itself. So you need another explanation.

[00:04:25]>> I know exactly.

[00:04:26]>> So that explanation has to be something that is necessary.

[00:04:30]>> There's just so many different explanations, possibilities.

[00:04:33]>> No, there's one only one explanation one possibility.

[00:04:35]>> And what is that? That possibility and explanation is the cause of our universe has to be necessary by itself. It cannot be contingent.

[00:04:43]>> No, >> it has to be necessary.

[00:04:45]>> So what what's the cause? What what causes? Who goes there? What goes?

[00:04:48]>> We have to first understand and appreciate that the cause for universe cannot be contingent like the universe.

[00:04:54]It has to be a necessary cause.

[00:04:56]>> Yeah.

[00:04:57]>> Once we arrive at a necessary cause, the question is what do we mean by a necessary thing?

[00:05:01]>> Yeah.

[00:05:02]>> A necessary thing does not exist by itself. It is uncaused because otherwise if it's not uncaused you go back to the question of what caused that thing.

[00:05:11]>> Exactly.

[00:05:12]>> And then what caused that thing that caused that thing and you go into an infinite regress.

[00:05:16]>> Do you do it? Exactly. Of course.

[00:05:17]>> An infinite regress in reality it's not possible.

[00:05:20]>> No. No.

[00:05:21]>> So that means it has to be end somewhere. So at that point where it ends that thing that is the first thing or the last thing in that chain is the necessary thing. So we end up with one necessary thing. Yeah.

[00:05:34]>> And that necessary thing is uncaused.

[00:05:37]>> Anything that is uncaused and then causes this universe, it has some essential attributes.

[00:05:43]>> Guess what these attributes may be?

[00:05:44]>> I don't know.

[00:05:45]>> Okay. Self-awareness. Because if it wasn't self-aware, >> Yeah.

[00:05:49]>> it won't be able to cause anything, do anything.

[00:05:51]>> No. No.

[00:05:52]>> It needs to have a will or intention.

[00:05:54]>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It does. Yeah.

[00:05:56]>> If it didn't intend it, how would the universe come?

[00:05:58]>> Exactly.

[00:05:58]>> It needs to have power and ability.

[00:06:00]>> Exactly.

[00:06:00]>> If it didn't have the ability to do so, how would it do it? Exactly.

[00:06:03]>> And to have knowledge of making things like this universe.

[00:06:07]>> So these qualities that we describe >> are the qualities of a personal being.

[00:06:12]>> Being self-aware, having a will, having knowledge and ability. So the creator is no longer a matter. It's not material.

[00:06:21]>> No, >> it's something that is a personal being.

[00:06:25]>> That is what we call the creator of this universe who is now someone who's a personal being.

[00:06:31]>> So this conclusion that we just arrived >> is reasonable and rational. It's not something a blind faith. So you can't just say I don't know. Now you do know >> because there are various ways of knowing. Exactly.

[00:06:46]>> And this is one way of knowing and learning about the reality using rationality using intellectual reasoning.

[00:06:52]>> Exactly. Yeah.

[00:06:54]>> So you do believe that there is a creator who created this universe. It's not that I don't know. The question is why did this creator create us?

[00:07:04]>> Why?

[00:07:05]>> Why do you think do you think we can just work it out for ourselves?

[00:07:10]>> Because I might say one thing.

[00:07:12]>> You might say another thing.

[00:07:14]>> Then we will disagree and it won't be the right answer. The only way we can resolve our dispute is when the creator tells us why he created us.

[00:07:23]>> Yeah. Exactly. Of course. Yeah. And until that day, I'm not going to know.

[00:07:26]>> But the creator has told us why he created us and he has done this through form of communication from the creator to us. He has sent prophets and messengers to communicate to tell people why he created in the past and now in the last end of days like as we are now living he sent his final communicator his messenger.

[00:07:47]>> Who are these communicators?

[00:07:48]>> Prophets and messengers. Last one being >> Adam, Abraham, Solomon, David, Jacob, Noah, Moses, Jesus, peace be upon them all. The last one, the last one that God sent was Prophet Muhammadat wasam.

[00:08:05]>> And through his message that he received from God, he told us the only reason that we have been created is to worship God.

[00:08:13]So our role is to be grateful to be thankful to be worshiping God submit our will to the will of our creator and the will is expressed through the message that he received in the Quran and and he explained the Quran the prophet. So in terms of how you speak to people in a good way in a truthful way in a nice way all of these are dos and don'ts which constitutes what is worship. So what we are asking you know every human being >> is to be part of that community of people who worship God and that community is called community of submitters. The one who submits their will to the will of God. In Arabic it's known as being a Muslim.

[00:08:52]>> Yeah.

[00:08:53]>> The word means to submit to the will of God.

[00:08:56]>> And coming in the fold of Islam means the state of submission.

[00:09:00]>> Yeah. So you should as we invite you and invite everyone else >> to become a Muslim >> and accept Islam.

[00:09:07]>> Yeah.

[00:09:08]>> You make a very good argument. Yeah. You make a very good case for I admit. I admit. Yeah.

[00:09:13]>> Yeah. Yeah.

[00:09:14]>> Yeah.

[00:09:15]>> Would you want to become a Muslim?

[00:09:17]>> No.

[00:09:17]>> Why not?

[00:09:19]>> Because I'm just not religious in any way at all. I don't think anybody is going to convince me to be Christian, Jew, Jew, Jew, Jew, Muslim, any religion at all. I just >> but so far >> we have understood that there is a creator >> who is absolute because it's necessary.

[00:09:38]>> I'm still I'm still not convinced. I'm sorry I'm still not convinced there creator.

[00:09:42]>> So so if we went through the process of contingent and necessary being and there has to be a necessary being otherwise you can't explain this universe. So you've understood that. Are you now saying there's some point still you don't understand? What is that thing that is not clear to you?

[00:09:59]>> There's Well, there's a lot of things >> like what?

[00:10:02]>> Lot of things.

[00:10:02]>> Give me an example.

[00:10:03]>> Well, I I'm I still don't understand this concept of the creator.

[00:10:07]>> The creator is that necessary being the being that is necessary to explain our contingent universe. The one who created it. The one who originated it. Without a creator and originator, this universe cannot explain itself because it cannot originate itself.

[00:10:25]to originate itself it has to be necessary being but the universe could have been otherwise >> so it's not necessary >> no exactly >> so so logic and reason tells us that there is a necessary being who caused the universe to come into existence >> and that necessary being we are calling it the creator of this universe so you so far you know this is clear to you so what is it then you're having obstacles >> that's fine that that's your belief that's your >> no mine not mine isn't that your acceptance as or do you disagree? And if you do, I >> Well, I I I just I just I just simply don't know. I just I just can't see how we can know that this massive universe is like so so big. It's been so many billions of years how it came about.

[00:11:08]>> In terms of how it came about, the process you might not know. No, >> but it cannot come by itself. We know for sure.

[00:11:17]>> Can this tripod just appear from nowhere?

[00:11:22]>> Well, okay. Hey. No, that can't. No, no, it can't. Things things cannot just appear from nowhere. It >> has to be made. Has to be manufactured.

[00:11:28]>> The universe cannot just appear from nowhere.

[00:11:31]>> Universe is like a big tripod, right?

[00:11:33]It's just a big tripod. It can't just come from like that nowhere like magic.

[00:11:36]>> We don't know that. We don't know that.

[00:11:37]>> No. No. When you say we don't know that, how can it come from nowhere? When when you say >> Oh, no. I agree with that. I agree with that.

[00:11:43]>> Yeah. Yeah. So, when you say nowhere, so at one point the universe wasn't there.

[00:11:48]So, it didn't even know that it existed.

[00:11:49]So how can then it bring itself into existence by itself? It cannot because it was not there to bring it into existence.

[00:11:58]>> I see what you're saying. I I see what you're saying.

[00:12:00]>> So logically using our intellect and reason. The only option there is there available is that something else brought this universe. It cannot be the universe itself while it was nothing at one point.

[00:12:14]>> Well may maybe you're right. Maybe you're right.

[00:12:16]>> No. When you say maybe, it's all about maybe there is no other option.

[00:12:21]Reasonably because reasonably if you were nothing to begin with, >> you are nothing. So you can't you can't do anything because you don't exist.

[00:12:30]You're nothing.

[00:12:31]>> Exactly.

[00:12:31]>> So if the universe was nothing to begin with at one point, you can't bring it into existence.

[00:12:37]>> Then the existence is now to bring into exist universe. It requires another thing outside the universe other than the universe.

[00:12:48]>> Exactly.

[00:12:49]>> And that is the necessary being.

[00:12:50]>> Yes. Yeah.

[00:12:51]>> So you say exactly and you understand it and then you go go back again.

[00:12:55]>> I know. I know. I know. I'm going back to >> Why? What is your reluctance when reason leads us to this way to accept that there is a necessary being who caused this universe?

[00:13:08]>> It's a it's a it's a very good question that I just and again I just can't answer. I just don't know. I just don't accept that there has to be some sort of creator something I think is here we go universe you are creator.

[00:13:18]>> No in terms of the in terms of the characteristics >> of the creator is a different question but the fact remains there has to be a necessary being that causes our contingent universe. If you can understand that point then you say look I I have moved no you have from what I see what's your name by the way >> I'm Mansour right? Yeah, >> in this nice to meet too in this process of understanding about the reality we have to take baby steps and once we affirm something we say now I've got it and we should backtrack it because now it makes sense. So once we know there is a contingent universe and there's a necessary course required to bring this contingent universe into existence. We say we have arrived to this point. There is a necessary being. Next question.

[00:14:07]What is this necessary being? Yeah.

[00:14:10]>> Yeah. This necessary being has to be uncaused. Remember we said otherwise the infinite regress come into question.

[00:14:17]>> So we arrive to another level of understanding that the necessary being is an uncaused entity and then it becomes an entity to a personal being with self-awareness, >> intention, knowledge, ability. So it's no longer a thing. It's now a personal being. Because something that knows itself, something that wills to do something is a being, personal being.

[00:14:42]>> Yeah.

[00:14:43]>> So having understood now we can't simply just go back in sense. So now we've got to this point there is a necessary being personal.

[00:14:51]>> What form is this self? Right.

[00:14:52]>> You say you're talking about self the self that we're being.

[00:14:54]>> Excellent question.

[00:14:55]>> What form is it?

[00:14:56]>> Excellent.

[00:14:58]We can speculate about what it is and we will be in dispute about what it is. But one thing we can be sure that the necessary thing or necessary being wouldn't be unlike any contingent being because contingent being shares contingent realities. They can be otherwise but necessary being has to be different. Yeah.

[00:15:17]>> So whatever you imagine about this world, >> it's not going to be like that.

[00:15:23]>> And that's why as Muslims, we are told by communication from that necessary being.

[00:15:29]>> Now there is no likeness whatsoever with this necessary being the creator with anything in the creation that you know of.

[00:15:36]>> So when you say what is it like? How is he like unlike anything?

[00:15:42]>> Yeah. And yet this necessary being is self-aware, is willing, is one with ability.

[00:15:49]>> Yeah. So that's what we are saying.

[00:15:52]>> This is the message of Islam to submit ourself to that necessary being >> who told us why he created us because he created us for a reason, not just mere play and amusement.

[00:16:04]>> Exactly.

[00:16:05]>> So our role is to submit to our creator worship. And if we do that then there will be a life hereafter eternal life of happiness if we follow that. If we don't follow it we become arrogant and stubborn.

[00:16:23]>> Yeah then there will be a life hereafter misery and suffering and pain. We can decide where we want to go.

[00:16:31]>> Creator created us to live forever.

[00:16:34]>> Either in a place of happiness you decide >> or a place of eternal suffering. You decide. No one would want to go to place of suffering and pain. So to go to place of happiness is to acknowledge first to the creator and submit to this creator and follow his will. And that is the message of Islam.

[00:16:54]>> And that's why I asked you would you want to become a Muslim because that should be our natural response. We should be a Muslim.

[00:17:02]>> But if you are not ready to become a Muslim, YOU SHOULD ASK YOURSELF >> WHAT are the reasons I'm not ready yet?

[00:17:09]It's not a question about I shouldn't.

[00:17:11]The question is am I ready?

[00:17:13]>> What is the obstacle?

[00:17:16]>> What are the obstacles my friend Andrew again? Good question. Some good arguments. Yeah, I know. Very good. Very good. Very good.

[00:17:22]>> So, I mean, it is what it is.

[00:17:25]>> Think about it. Let's leave it there.

[00:17:26]>> I'll think about it.

[00:17:27]>> Read the Quran. Read the Quran which we claim is the message from the God. It's available in English.

[00:17:32]>> Yeah, it is.

[00:17:33]>> Listen to it.

[00:17:34]>> I will listen to it. Yeah.

[00:17:35]>> Do we have a copy of the Quran? Can you get us one?

[00:17:38]Yeah. Can we offer you a gift a small copy? Yeah. Read read it because if you understand that there is a creator who created for a purpose and that is message of Islam and we are not submitting then we don't want to really in a position where we end up in hellfire. The place of torment we have to avoid and this is one of the reasons we Muslims come here >> to remind people. This is a reminder >> in your heart. You know it there's a creator. I don't have to tell you.

[00:18:05]>> Well I don't know in my heart. You don't you do that convince me when people are in a plane or a ship and the plane is going to fall this the ship is going to sink. Do you know what people do? They don't they don't they don't pray. Oh, Superman. OH, DONALD TRUMP. OH, Ninja Turtle, help me. They don't. Do you know who they call?

[00:18:29]>> No.

[00:18:29]>> They call to someone who they sincerely believe will help them. They call to God.

[00:18:34]>> Yeah.

[00:18:34]>> No, they do. Do you know why? Because inside at that point, the reality now becomes so clear.

[00:18:41]>> All of these, you know, dusts around your heart disappears. Now you're confronting the reality. You're going to die.

[00:18:48]>> And at that point, you say, "God, >> help me." Because you know there's a God and you know it can help you.

[00:18:54]>> Yeah.

[00:18:54]>> So the evidence is inside. Sometimes we cover it up with distractions.

[00:18:59]>> Exactly.

[00:19:00]>> Yeah. Distractions.

[00:19:02]>> Yeah. Pleasure speaking to you.

[00:19:04]>> Great.

[00:19:04]But please continue.

[00:19:06]>> No, no worries. I'm just waiting for my friend to bring a copy of the Quran. If he comes in time, um, you'll have it.

[00:19:13]Otherwise, you can look into online and read into it.

[00:19:16]>> Exactly. I walk into it. But thank you again for your, uh, >> your your talk, your discussion. Very good to listen to.

[00:19:23]>> Just speaking to you, you Andrew, you take care. Thank you again. Thank you.

[00:19:26]If you're going this way, Andrew, if you're going that way, where