In 1932, during the day, the city of Amsterdam was still gripped by winter. It was bitterly cold. The gripping cold in this famous city was a silent witness to the "tragedy of cruelty" of human reason and reason, never satisfied by science.
A small letter. Short. Concise. But utterly direct. The brief letter lay lifeless in an empty space in a corner of Amsterdam.
"Mir fehlt Gott vertranen. Religion it is notig aber wen sie nicht moglicht, der kauneben zugrunde gehen" That was the letter's message. Right next to the letter lay frozen, lifeless bodies.
Amsterdam was shaken. Amsterdam was stunned. In an uproar. Like a lightning bolt. The bodies lying stiff were familiar to them. The frozen corpses were none other than members of the family of a renowned intellectual from the City of a Thousand Windmills. They were Professor Paul Ehrenfest, along with his beloved wife and children.
Who doesn't know Ehrenfest, a resident of Amsterdam? He was a devotee of reason, rationality, and knowledge. He was the "True Atheist" of Amsterdam, revered by his followers. He was Amsterdam's "vanguard intellectual" at the peak of his intellectual career. A position of honor and an abundance of wealth were firmly within his grasp and control.
So, how could Ehrenfest, who was at the peak of his fame, suddenly commit suicide? Not only that, but Ehrenfest also slaughtered his wife and children. Did the Professor really commit suicide? Or was this a syndicate? These were the questions the Amsterdam public wondered, doubtful. The riddle of Amsterdam's questions was kept deep in their hearts.
Several days later, it was finally revealed that Professor Ehrenfest had indeed committed suicide. He was not murdered. Nor was he identified as a syndicate. Before killing himself, Ehrenfest had first murdered his wife and children. This was the official statement from the Amsterdam City Police.
Ehrenfest committed suicide, simply because he was 'dissatisfied' with the reason, intellect and science that he 'deified'. For years, he felt he had gained nothing from reason, intellect, and science, except for an absurd, uncertain, and anxiety-ridden outlook on life. Ehrenfest felt compelled to end his life, as it no longer held any meaning for him.
The tragic letter beside the bodies was actually addressed specifically by Ehrenfest to one of his close friends, Professor Kohnstamm. Kohnstamm himself, however, had no idea that the friend he had always admired for his intelligence and genius would end his life so tragically.
Kohnstamm's choked tears welled up in his eyes. "What I don't have is faith in God. It's necessary. Someone perishes because of this, because they lack religion." Kohnstamm couldn't bear to read the letter again. His breath was labored and labored. He could only read the letter silently. "May God help you, the one I'm hurting right now," was the end of the letter.
For someone who doesn't believe in God, they might suffer a similar fate to Professor Ehrenfest: suicide because life no longer has meaning.
Therefore, reason, intellect, thought, and science must seek their complement: religion. And the only religion that truly aligns reason and science is none other than Islam. Islam, as a religion, never pits reason, reason, and science against each other. All are inherently interconnected.
Thus, may this story serve as a lesson for everyone. Especially for "atheists," remember to use your reason, rationality, and knowledge to understand God, not to deny or reject God.
Summarized with some additions from the Book "On Islamic Civilization: Rekindling the Extinguished Light of Islamic Civilization" Editor: Laode M. Kamaluddin. See editor's notes on pages vii-ix. Published December 2010. Unissula Press. ISBN: 978-979-3604-40-4. This story was also written by Dr. Adian Husaini in: https://www.adianhusaini.id/detailpost/kisah-bunuh-dirinya-prof-ehrenfest
1 comment