伊斯兰教已经回答了这个问题：人、生命和宇宙都是由唯一的造物主所创造的（英语中称为God，阿拉伯语中称为Allah）。在世界的生命之前就已有真主，真主超越于今世与宇宙之外，是永恒的，自存的。今世之后将有终结和清算之日，或称审判之日，届时人将回归其造物主，随后进入乐园或火狱，获得永久的存在。伊斯兰教将理智上接受这一观点，作为进入伊斯兰教的先决条件。

Islam has answered this question, by stating that man, life and the universe are all created by a one and only Creator (God in English, Allah in Arabic) and that before the life of the world was God, God is beyond this life and the universe, and is eternal, and self-subsistent. After this life there will be an ending and day of reckoning or judgement, in which man will return to his Creator, to be followed by an everlasting existence in paradise or hell. Islam has made the intellectual acceptance of this view a prerequisite for entering it.

因此，我们应当从理性的角度仔细审视这些观点，以便评估它们，并判断其正确与否。

We therefore should examine closely, intellectually, these points in order to assess them, and decide upon their correctness or otherwise.

我们在继续之前，先完成伊斯兰的根基或信条（阿拉伯语称 Aqeedah），一切生活中的问题和进一步的疑问都将以此为准。

Before we continue we complete the Islamic basis or creed (Aqeedah in Arabic) upon which all problems and further questions in life will be referred.

伊斯兰教的信条是：唯有一位真主创造了人类、天使和精灵；穆罕默德（愿真主的福安降临于他）是真主所派遣、用以引导人类的先知链条中的最后一位；《古兰经》是真主降下的话语，作为全人类的指引；此世之后，人将复活，接受对其行为的清算；清算之后，或入乐园，或入火狱。穆斯林（即顺服真主旨意之人）应当从理性上确信这些要点是不可辩驳的事实。若能如此，穆斯林便会以此为依据指导其一切行为，并将大大小小的一切问题都归于这一根基或信条。伊斯兰教作为一种意识形态或完整的生活方式（阿拉伯语称为"Deen"，即"丁"），以真主所赐定的这一根基为本，生活中的一切制度皆源自此根基并受其引导。

The creed of Islam is that there is only one God that created man, angels and jinn, Muhammad (may Gods peace be upon him) is the last in the chain of Prophets sent from God to guide mankind, the Qur'an is the word of God sent as guidance for all of mankind, that after this life man will be resurrected to face judgement concerning his actions, that after judgement follows paradise or hellfire. The Muslim (who submits to the will of God) should be intellectually convinced of these points as irrefutable facts, if this is the case the Muslim will guide all actions and refer all problems great and small to this basis or creed. Islam as an ideology or complete way of life (Deen in Arabic) has this basis as given by God, and all of life’s systems emanate and are directed from this basis.

我们回顾一下，在评估这一信条或任何其他综合性解决方案时，我们需要遵循的基本原则。该解决方案应当：

We recall the ground rules that we need to apply to our assessment of this or any other creed or comprehensive solution. The solution should be:

- 全面且完整地回答问题，不遗漏任何内容。

- Comprehensive and answer the whole question leaving nothing unanswered.

与现实相符，与人的本性相契合，并能在理智上令人信服。

- Agreeable with reality, and with man's nature and satisfy the mind intellectually.

根据我们的感知局限来评判，而不是根据我们无法感知到的东西。

- Assessed based upon our limits of perception, and not what we cannot sense.

一个关乎我们生命根基及我们如何度过此生的问题，不应在未经最严格审视的情况下便被接受；这种审视应依据那些能够满足我们理智、并引导我们内心达到安宁的标准。

An issue as important as the basis of our lives and how we lead them should not be accepted without the most strenuous of examinations based upon these criteria which can satisfy our minds and lead our hearts to contentment.