An Exhibition of Existence

"No human organization could have ever concocted such a pre-planned series of events and miracles—only the Almighty God who wished to guide us."

In a world that appears to often be aimlessly meandering about, Addas’ work is a guiding light, providing a pathway for individuals to live righteously and tackle the inevitable temptations that are certain to arise. Using a series of known mediums like astronomy, the author examines the notion of existence using the stars and the cosmos. Simply put, the work uses sound reasoning to establish a poignant argument: the existence of something should not be predicated upon whether one can see it or not.

As the text dives deeper, the theory of reality and revelation are explained through an interesting fusion of mathematics and science, a clear commiseration of science and faith. Addas compares Muhammad and Adam to a pearl necklace that embodies the oneness of God and within which lies the secret to one’s liberation. Using Islam as the reference point, the author focuses on the “11Ps,” including progress and piety. Conversely, though there are countless blessings life bestows upon the individual, and in many forms, Dr. Addas adamantly identifies envy as the vice that can bring one down.

Overall, the text flows seamlessly and is undoubtedly a clear-cut guidebook that even laymen can process and apply to daily life. Further, the litany of thought-provoking images, including a telescope, the night sky, and a stirring image of Mecca, adds an extra dimension of understanding and interpretation to the narrative. By combining the metaphysical elements of the world with a deeper understanding of cultural philosophy and the steps to living a good life, Addas creates a meaningful reading experience for all audiences.

- The US Review of Books

With an academic background in mathematics, author Dr. Waleed Addas demonstrates in An Exhibition of Existence that his intellectual powers have taken him far afield, beyond the realm of reality and reason, into a perspective based on revelation.

In this brief but tightly woven narrative, Addas begins by examining the “free lunch” principle, concluding that while it may seem there is nothing free in our human existence, all choices come with a price, it is a fact that the entire Universe came into being out of nothing. Just looking at the night sky reinforces this viewpoint, since some stars, scientists assert, are dying but still “shine” while others are just being born and cannot be seen. Such data should be sufficient to convince readers that they do not have to see something in order to believe it. The same applies to the existence of what Addas calls “A Unique Absolutely Dissimilar Only One True God.” He expounds his theory of “the three R’s: Revelation, Reason, and Reality,” and their relation to each other, and to one’s means of exploring the truth. Since the power of Reason still cannot offer proof for existence or non-existence, it remains for humans to examine Reality through the medium of faith, or Revelation. Addas believes that Jews, Christians, and Muslims all have a grasp on Revelation through their prophets – Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad - like a “necklace of pearls” all offering the same message: the Oneness of God.

Addas is a skilled wordsmith whose gentle, wise, and sometimes humorous approach enlivens this narrative. Clearly, he has given these large matters a great deal of personal study and organizes his principles thoughtfully, including fascinating photos that contribute to the depth of the material presented. He has, for example, devised a system of “Eleven P’s: Precepts, Perception, Plan, Participate, Policy, Program, Processes, Product, Price, Performance and Piety” – saying that they can be applied equally usefully to the organization of a multi-national business or of a humble household. Addas gives great weight to the laws and principles of Islam since Muhammad was, he believes, the most recent and final revealer. His small book gives broad scope for thinking outside typical philosophical and religious parameters and could provide a dynamic focus for group study and individual contemplation.

- Pacific Book Review