Note: The views expressed herein belong solely to the author, and not necessarily the rest of the ActualEvidence Team.

Why do you hold to your current worldview? Are your choices truly yours? Or, are they merely a superficial reaction to the society that has molded you? Are you merely a product of society, or have you undertook the challenge of liberating yourself beyond being akin to one enslaved to their desires, the desires of others, and to constructs propagated by their society? Will you believe what you believe simply because your ancestors, or society embodies such beliefs?

These questions are of significant value, and are all espoused by the Qur'an. The Qur'an enjoins humanity to think, and to contemplate the Universe outside of us and within us. Such deep reflection is known as 'Tafakkur' in Arabic, and signifies the importance of knowledge:

"Do they not reflect within themselves?" (Qur'an 30:8)

The Prophet Muhammad (p) is reported to have said: "One hour of contemplation is better than a lifetime of worship." In fact, such contemplation is indeed a form of worship in Islam.

Let us take up the Qur'an's encouragement to think, and scratch the surface of what we believe. Only then can we discover what is true, and meaningful. The Qur'an has enjoined this attitude from the very beginning with its command: "Iqra!" or "Read!" This not only means to read the Qur'an, but to read the Universe as well. I encourage you all to visit the ActualEvidence site to embark on a journey of knowledge seeking!

I am a former Agnostic Atheist who has re-embraced Islam after a pro-longed process of critical thinking, research, and personal experiences. Currently, I am double majoring in Biology and Psychology, while minoring in Philosophy.

My aim is to establish a platform on which knowledge of many different fields is successfully conveyed. Also, I seek to tie such knowledge with the case for Islam, and how it can eradicate today's social ills. Further, I seek to impart a yearning to acquire knowledge and implementing it to combat many of today's social ills, which are ultimately rooted in a lack of knowledge. There is a general apathy shown towards knowledge building by today's youth, which contributes to there increasingly lemming-consumer mentality.

Actual Evidence is an organization dedicated to such knowledge building by means of exploring the case for Islam. It has already begun establishing such a platform on a philosophical and theological level. I wish to expand their efforts to other areas of study. However, I should be clear in that not all of my views necessarily reflect their own.

These goals have been inspired in me by my worldview, which is built on the teachings of Islam. Today, there are many misconceptions about Islam and religion altogether. Popular culture makes things no less difficult, with its superficial remarks on religion. The rise of the New Atheists with a characteristic militancy in their approach has also caused a lot of misinformation, and has encouraged superficial analysis of religion, the existence of God, and many other important philosophical topics.

On the other hand, many religious people including Muslims need to begin thinking critically, and analyzing their own beliefs. Some feel threatened by scientific discovery, even though science is an invaluable tool for expanding our knowledge. One cannot hope to Know Truth, until they seek to know themselves. In other cases, deeper philosophical knowledge is tightly limited to scholarly circles and those who actively study such topics. Such knowledge, however, is absolutely necessary in this diverse age.

My aim --- is to enjoin knowledge, for as the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (p), Ali (ra), once said:

"Submission to Allah's Will is the best companion; wisdom is the noblest heritage; theoretical and practical knowledge are the best signs of distinction; deep thinking will present the clearest picture of every problem."