The Qur’anic Contingency Argument for the Existence of God

The Qur’an repeatedly calls humanity to reflect on the universe as a sign pointing beyond itself. From the heavens and the earth to change, order, and dependence, the Qur’an challenges idolatry and directs the mind toward the necessity of a transcendent Creator.

In this lecture, The Qur’anic Contingency Argument for the Existence of God, Dr. Hamza Karamali presents a classical Muslim argument for God’s existence grounded directly in Qur’anic reasoning. Rather than relying on later philosophical formulations alone, the session examines how the Qur’an itself develops a form of contingency reasoning — highlighting the dependence, finitude, and non-self-sufficiency of created things.

Drawing on the works of classical exegetes such as al-Baydawi, the lecture explores how scholars of tafsīr understood these verses as rational invitations to recognize the necessity of God. Dr. Karamali then bridges this classical framework with contemporary discussions in philosophy, theology, and public reasoning, showing how the Qur’anic argument remains intellectually compelling today.

The session will address:

• How the Qur’an refutes idolatry through rational reflection
• The concept of contingency as expressed in Qur’anic language
• Classical tafsīr perspectives on arguments for God’s existence
• Presenting Islamic theological reasoning in modern public discourse

This lecture offers attendees an opportunity to engage deeply with the Qur’an’s intellectual method and to appreciate the harmony between revelation, reason, and reflection.

About the Speaker

Hamza Karamali earned his BASc. and MASc. in Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto before pursuing full-time study of the Islamic sciences with distinguished traditional scholars in Jordan, Kuwait, and the UAE. He studied, read, and memorized classical texts across the Islamic disciplines.

He has taught Islamic sciences online at SunniPath.com and Qibla.com, taught advanced Arabic grammar and rhetoric at Qasid Institute, and later joined Kalam Research & Media, where he spent three years designing and contributing to research projects integrating modern analytic philosophy and science with traditional Islamic theology and logic.