While growing up in high school or watching TV shows, we may have been taught that the only difference between humans and animals is the opposable thumb. You don’t have to be an expert to ask, “Really?” As Kamal El Mekki, a Muslim speaker, once said, “So you’re telling me that the only difference between a man and a zebra is this (showing his thumb)?”

If one were to sit down and make a list of differences, he or she may give up, saying, “Well, some animals can do this too.” However, that is also where there is a lack of true understanding on the matter. Yes, the statement has some truth, but the fact is that animals don’t have even a fraction of the depth we have for each quality. Here’s a small list:

1. self-control
2. level of thought processes
3. intelligence
4. organization and planning
5. beauty of speech, with all the variety and nuances of languages
6. contemplation

When you look at the depth we have for each, is there really a comparison? Is there any animal that can ponder, have self-control, AND plan like us? To be frank, biologists and evolutionists who don’t believe in God don’t have an answer for this. You may have also heard that humans share 50-60% of its DNA with bananas, 85% with mice, or about 60% with fruit-flies. And then of course, one is always told to look at the physical similarities with primates! Yet, putting all these together, one has to ask – does sharing DNA or having similar looks mean we are to be related?

Now where is this leading to? Clearly we are very different from every other creature. No, it does not mean that Islam rejects the theory of evolution. There is a lot in the theory that makes sense and has evidence (even though science is ever-changing with new discoveries). Perhaps, yes, all animals and living organisms are related. But perhaps all are except human beings! And that’s what Islam says – that God created Prophet Adam (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) by Himself and then placed him on Earth. When you look at all this from the Islamic paradigm, taking into account the differences mentioned, doesn’t it make sense?

One may ask, “What kind of question is this?” Of course an atheist will say, “Absolutely!” A theist will say, “Never!” A skeptic, agnostic will say, “Maybe.”

It’s been one of THE areas of debate between atheists and theists. However, of all the questions, this one in particular may have an easy answer if you look at it in a certain angle.

To disprove the existence of something, you need to know FOR SURE it’s not there. So how can we disprove God? Well, we have to literally travel beyond the edge of the universe and look for Him.

Sounds crazy, but that’s literally the only way you can disprove Him. Yes, even if you traveled that far, we don’t know how far God is from the universe? God may even be in another dimension. BUT, at least you tried, right? At least, you can then tell yourself and others that you tried your bare minimum to disprove Him.

Yes, we are not even close to having the technology to go much beyond our solar system (According to Space.com, Voyager 1 is the first spacecraft to travel beyond the solar system and reach interstellar space¹). So how can we imagine going to the end of the universe in our lifetime? It’s disheartening, but if you want to disprove God’s existence, what else can you do?

So why do people, with such certainty, say God doesn’t exist? They will give logical and emotional reasons. You will hear, “If God exists, there shouldn’t be evil in the world,” or “Nature and the universe can sustain themselves.” But never mind these questions having responses, and all the back and forths, you have to ask yourself this, “Will any answer actually disprove God’s existence?”

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1. https://www.space.com/17688-voyager-1.html