WHAT ONE is most convinced of is his or her own
existence. Despite this, in purely scientific terms,
everyone is a mystery. For man is not what he
physically appears to be, but consists of what he
calls I, and the I is not observable.
That is why when the philosopher Rene Descartes
(1596-1650) wanted to give proof of his own
existence, he did not say: “I consist of a body that is
observable, therefore I exist.” Instead he had to say:
“I think, therefore I exist.”
Man undoubtedly has an observable existence. We
all know that man exists. But, in fact, this man’s
existence is at the level of “I” and the cognisance of
I is at the level of perception or comprehension, and
not at the level of observation.
Exactly the same is true of God. It is, as if, God is a
Greater I. God, at the level of His creation, is
directly observable. But God at the level of His
Being is not directly observable by man. We shall
have to believe in God on the basis of the same
logical principle which Descartes employed to
know himself, and on which all men and women
believe in their own existence.
I can comprehend God, therefore God exists. The
truth is that God’s being comprehensible is an
undeniable proof of His existence. If we deny God,
we shall have to deny our own selves. Since we
cannot countenance our own denial, we cannot
countenance God’s denial either. Everyone who
believes in his own existence is logically compelled
to say, “I exist, therefore, God exists.”
--Maulana Wahiduddin Khan
( Ref - In Search of God)
