35
And one of His signs is that He created gou from earth, then behold, Aou are people scattered far and wide. Another of His signs is that He created mates for gou from gourselues that gou mag find tranquilitg in them, and He put betuteen gou loue and compassion,' mosf surelg there are signs in this for a people who reflect. Another of His signs fs the creation of the heauens and the earth and the diuersitg of gour languages and colours; most surelg there are signs in this for the learned. Another of His slgns is gour sleeping bg night and dag, and gour seeking of His bountg; most surelg there are signs in this for a people uho heed. Another of His signs is that He shours gou the lightning for fear and for hope, and sends dotun uater from the clouds then giues life thereuith to the earth aft,er its death; most surelg there are signs fn this for a people utho understand. Another of His signs is that the heauen and the earth subsist bg His command, then when He tuill call gou utith a single call from out of the earth, then ight auaA gou wiII come forth. And His is u.thosoeuer is in the heauens and the earth; all those creations are obedient to Him. And He it is Who originates the creation, then wiII repeat it, and it is easier for Him; and His are the most excellent attributes in the heauens and the earth, and He is the Mightg, the Wise.
(Ihc Qur-aan 30:20-27)
Chap-tet / Allaah - The Only God
4""6
TFII] first and foremrst tenet of rslamic faith is the belief that Allaah is the rnc ancl rnly (ireat<lr, Grd, Master, L.rcl, ()wner, S'vercign ancl Dcity of the wh.le universe ancl all human beings. As was -"rrti,rn".l in the first v.lumc, I,le is the G'd
'f Aclam, Nrah, Abraham, lsaac,Ishrnael,-fac'b, Mrses, David,John andJesus. [t was Allaah Whorn they cherished, w.rshippecl and rbcycd a'd in $Thom thcy callecl pe'ple t' belicve' Allaah is the G'd .f Jews ancr (-hristians als'. It is Fie whom thcy arc supprsed t. w'rship, just as all the Bilrlical persrnarities frrm lsaac toJesus clicl.6
lle is the (]rcl of the whrlc humanity, not of a certain tribe, race .r religirus gr()up. As all the peoprc are His creatirn, I-re has n. favoured rr disfavoureci grrup rn the basis of genearrgy, famiry ,r brroclrines.T Ttr hlim, pcoplc are only of two kincls: the believers,/obcdicnt antl thc disbclicvcrs/disobcrlicnr u F{e is the Gocl of brth l<incls. wlrethcr perplc accepr Him 'r n.t, He is stiil their Gr>cl. Infact,if all ,f huma'ity clenics him ancl clisrbcys Flim, it d.es nrt changc tl-re fact that Ile is their L'rcl, Master and Grd. Ncither d'es it recluce
I 'l'h" lJoly (]lrr-aan asserts this ftct rcpcarctlly. Iror a bricf n()rc al)()1r lli6lical ci,iclcncefrrr this asscrtit)lr, scc f()otn()tc # 3 in ''riram - i),res It Makc Scnsei,' t,,,,, ,r-,,,r"-.i"tnit..lcliscrrssirn .' this topic, plcasc tcfir t, "$7rrat is IJis namc?', by Ahmcti r>"."i"t.
''
1 The Jews and chistians sag, "we are sons of God and His beloued. ones.,,Ask them, "Whg then does He pinish gou for 1loui sins? The fact is tha,- uou arejust human beings as all otheri He hai uiated.." pnl i2r, .""'i,igf "'-' "' B Those u.tho disbelieue .. . are the u.rcrst of creatures. Those uho beti.eue and dogood deeds are the best of creatures. (fhc i]trr_aan 9B:(r-7) 'l-hc Pnrphct Muhammacl sai<l in rnc .f his acrrrresscs, "pc.prc arc .nr1, tw' ki'trs: Rightcous, obcclier"rt u'hom Allerh h.n,,1;1",
^r-r.1, tra,rrgrcs.,", Jir;;b;.1i";;-.fr.rn1 rf ff"^f.,lisgrac, *." (l{cpr rrtt tl lrv l irrnirizi)
Exploring the Islamic Ilcliefs
Allaah's authority, power or kingdom even one iota.9 The non-believers or disobedient just hurt themselves by inviting Allaah's punishment fot their disobedience or their reiection of faith in Him.
It should be noted that Allaah is the Owner, Mastef, Sustainer and Sovereign of the universe, in addition to being its Creator and Deity. Some people are willing to accept a Creator Who was the Cause of the causes and Who started the process of creation but has nothing much to do with the current operation of the universe or the affairs of humanity on earth. They think that the operation of the universe and affairs of humaniry are continuing on their own. The Islamic belief in God, however, is not complete unless a person cleady accepts the fact that Allaah not only started the process of creation, but also is actively watching over the operation of the uniyslsslO' taking its care, decreeing its affairs, and ensuring that it functions exacdy as He had planned it to function. In addition, for the freedom and auth<lrity He has delegated to human beings, He is watching their behaviour and is going to hold them fully accountable frrr their actions and choices they make in this wodd.
It should also be noted that after delegating to human beings freedom and authority to live on the earth, Allaah has not completely turned His attention away fr<'>m the human affairs. Although He has given people freedom to act as they like, this freedom has its limits. He d<>es intervene in the matters of the wodd if the collective behaviour of a society is causing too much chaos, if thc structure of society becomes too lopsided to sustain, if human society becomes so corrupted as to endanger its very existence or in any other situations He deems fit. He also intervenes to help the prophets, messengers and the good per>ple dedicated to His cause. Another form of His involvement is when FIe grants the supplications or prayers
9 Allaah is rcportcd t() say, among other things in a Hadeeth, "() My servants, were the Iirst r>f you ancl thc last of you, the human r>f you and the Jinn of you to become as wicked as thc most wickcd-hearted person of you, that would not decrease My kingdom in anything." @eported by Muslim)
10 Indeed gour Lord is Allaah, Wln created the heauens and earth in six peiods and then established Himself on the Throne (decreed His Souereigntg ouer the uniuerse)...Knout that to Him onlg belong creating as utell as goueming. (Ihe Qur- aan 7:54)
Verilg, your Lord is AIIaah Wln created the heauens and the earth in six periods and then decreed His Souereigntg ouer the uniuerse, and is goueming all its affairs. (Ihe Qur-aan 10:3)
Allaah - The Only God
(Du'aas1i; of people. Allaah's involvement in the affairs of this wotld can roughly be likened to the work of a gardener. A gardener does not only plant the trees, shrubs and plants, but also looks after them once they are planted. The gardener's main objective is to keep the garden healthy, neat and flourishing. For that purpose, he warers, fertilizes and nourishes the desirable plants while he pulls out, prunes, cuts and trims the undesirable weeds, growth, branches and shoots.
Nflhatever the teason or form of His involvement, He runs the affairs in such a way that there is no impact on the individual decisions made by people so that the validity of the test of freedom is not affected. Consequendy, we see many problems in the wodd because of human excesses and transgressions, which He lets go without intervening. However, His non-intervention does not mean that the victims of wrongdoings and transgressions of other people are abandoned. If nothing else, they will be graciously and generously compensated by the Merciful Lord for their sufferings.l2 The compensation will be so significant that every sufferer will be pleased with the bargain; i.e. bounteous permanent rewards for temporary sufferings.
It should also be remembered that the attending to the supplications of billions of people simultaneously or the supervision of operation of the entire universe does not tire Allaah. Resting is a human need, not that of an infinitely powerful Creator $7hose mere lfill makes things happen. As soon as He intends, everyrhing in the universe aligns itself to materialize His intention and makes it happen. The Qur-aan describes it by saying, "When He decides a matter, He sags: Be. And it happens."t3
11 Du'aa is Arabic word for supplicating to or beseechingAllaah for forgiveness, guidance tx he1p. Allaah responds tr everyone who seeks forgiveneJs or guidance directly fr5m Him. I-Ic also €irants requests for help from obedient people.
12 The Prophet said, 'Any suffcring suffered by believer men or women in matters pcrtaining to thcir.own selves, children or finances (cleanses their sins and errors, if they remain.paticnt and steadfast) so much so that they meet Allaah fully cleansed from sins.t' (Iirmidzi by Aboo Hurayrah).
Also,. "Allaah forgives some sins to compcnsatc for every trouble suffcred by a Muslim whether it is cmotirnal trouble, physical ailment, financial problem, grief, pain or hurt - evcn i[ it is as litde as a prick of a thorn." (Reported by botli Bukhaari'and Musfim). 13 The Qur,aan 3:47,1.9:35,36:82
t, I
l"
llxploring the lslamic Ilclief.s
Attributing such notions of human weaknesses such as being tired or needing fcst to Allaah is the procluct of small, unimaginative minds that are unable to comprehend His infiniteness, absolute maiesty and limitless
power. The Holy Qur-aan states:
Allaah! There is no God besides Him' He is Liuing, Sefsubsisting, Sustainer (of the uniuerse). He does not slumber nor sleep. Euerything in the heauens and euerything in the earth belongs to Him. Who can dare to intercede uith Him utithout His approual? He knouts euerything in front of or behind them (open to or hidden from those considered to be intercessors to Allaah bg misguided people). Theg cannot perceiue the extent of His infinite knouledge except for uthat He chooses (to reueal). His Kingdom ertends ouer the uhole uniuerse, taking care of uhich does not tire Him. And He is the Most High, the Supreme.
ffhc Qur-aan 2:255)
Chn otet 2
The Nature and Likeness of Allaah
4""6 AS it was mentioned in "Islam - l)oes it Make Sense?", Allaah is
lnfinite and thus:
. He does not have an image that we can relate to, understancl, perceive, visualize or imagine.
. There is nothing like FIim in any sense of the word whethcr in respect of likcness, kincl, form or shape that resembles Him or is in His image in the whole wodd. Absolutely nothing in the universe can symbolize Him, represent Him, complement Him or be an opposite to FIim. Fle is uniclue in every respect.
. He is the First, He always was when there was nothing; and He is the I-ast, will always exist when nothing else does. lle has no beginning and no end.
. ()ther than Himself, everything else is His finite creation, none of which can incarnate Him in itself. And He does not manifest Himself in any finite shape whatsoever because that is contrary t() His infinity and limitlessness.
' He does not have any s()n, offspring or wife.14
l4 Bcing infinitc implics nt> one else is like Him because thcre cannot be more than onc in6nity. Whenevcr thcte are multiple entities, thcy have to have limits to idcntify wherc ()nc starts and cncls antl whatcver has limits is no more intinite, but linitc. So Iniinity by dcfir-rition is one and Llniquc. If sorncthing is one ancl unique, it cannot havc ofTspring bccause: l. For ().d t'havc a child, I-Ic his to havc a wife wh. is likc F{im so thaithel' can give a bitth to a child. Bccause f{c docs not have a wife, ot anyonc clse likc Hirn at ali, IJc cannot lravc any child. If (iod creatcs a pcrs()n through any means other than malc/ lcmalc-repr.clucti.n pr.cess, it cannr>t bc His child but only His crcation; 2. ()ffspring has to be in substancc like the parent, thus the parcnt n() morc rcmains uni.lue aricl nii more infinitc; 3. A child has a beginning that makes thc child a linite cntity. Tiris is again ilkrgical because chilcl and parcnt cann()t bc different in substance. If thc chilcl is linite, the parent has to be linite as well. Hencc, logically, lnfinitc Gocl cannot havc a child or rrnl,one elsc cqual or similar to Him. Thus, regatdless of how onc looks at it, an Infinitc cntity cann()t havc an off.spring.
Exploring the lslamic Ilelicfs
. He is neither male nor female. Masculinity and femininity are finite attributes, which are totally irrelevant for the Infinite and Unique Creator.
These facts about Allaah are explicidy and emphatically mentioned in the Holy Qur-aan in the verses such as the following:
He is the Originator of the heauens and the earth: hout can He haue a son uthen He has no uik? Rather, He created euerything and He is the Knou.ter of euerything. Such is Allaah, gour Lord. There is no God except Him, the Creator of euerything, so worship Him (alone). And (in addition,) He is the Caretaker of all things. Sight (uisioil cannot grasp Him u;hile He grasps (all) sights. He is the Most-Subtle, Well-Autare.
(fhe Qur-aan 6:101-103)
The Creator of the heauens and the earth, He made mates for gou from gour kind and for animals from their outn kind, to multiplg gou that u-tag. There is nothing wlwtsoeuer similar to Him and He is All- hearing, All-seeing.
(Ihe Qur-aan 42:11)
Sag: He, Allaah, is the One and OnlU. Allaahis absolutelg Independent of all, euerything / eueryone else is dependent on Him and looked afier bg Him. He does not beget and utas not begotten. And there is none eryLal to Him (in pou.ter. rank or anA other attibutd.
(Ihe Qur-aan 112)
He is the First. the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden. And He tns full knouledge of euerything.
(Ihe Qur-aan 57:3)
Because Allaah is beyond the realm of human perception, we can know about Him only what He Himself tells us through His revelations to His prophets. To say anything beyond what Allaah has told us about His image or nature is totally inappropriate and, thus, forbidden. This is inappropriate for the following reasons:
Firsdy, it will be a mere conjecture without the basis of knowledge because we have no way of knowing anything about FIis physical
The Nature and Likencss of Allaah
nature except through His own revelations.l5
Secondly, our finite minds and wisdom are incapable of grasping His Infinite nature even for the things He has told us about Himself; hence, any effort to devise examples fot or specify exacdy His attributes or His way of doing things will be without the benefit of understanding.ta To help people grasp some realities about Himsel[ Allaah uses finite human concepts such as Allaah's hand, establishing Himself on throne, etc. to describe His infinite nature, power and ways of doing things. Any attempt to explain these things or specify their exact nature is forbidden and is an exercise in futility. similady, to describe His sovereignty over the universe, when He uses the word ..King" for Himself, but we cannot take it to mean that He behaves like human kings. Any attribution of human behaviour towards Him will be a fatar mistake. Many misconceptions about Allaah are formed because people start applying human concepts and examples to Allaah. Thus the Qur-aan decrees against such behaviour.
Finally, we should curb the quest to understand or specify His nature not only because of our own incapability but als<> because the finite universal resources are neithet capable of not sufficient for fully describing Him or His nature, His powers, His knowledge and His Maiesty.tz
Hence, while describing anything about Allaah, we must follow two basic principles:
1. The attribute we ascribe to Allaah must be from 'Asmaa-ul-fiusnaa,' - the best or the most perfect attfibutes (names)la - the attributes that Allaah Himself has chosen to reveal through His messengers
15 .. That is-why Allaah has forbidden people to say anything about Him without knowledge: Tell.them, "YA !.:a has forbidde-n' . .. ihat goil sdg about AIIaah of rlhich gou haie no knouledge. " (Ihe Qur-aan 7:33)
16 so do not fabricate examples for AIIaah. Indeed Allaah knotls and gou do not knout. Qhe Qur-aan 1(r:74)
17 And if all th,e trees on the earth txere pens and. the sea, supplemented utith seuen more seas, u)ere ink Allaah's words utill not be exhausted. (rhe (]ur_aan 31:27)
1B For Him. are the hest nnme< /Th. r),,",..- 17.11lr t/r.a (o,a/\For Him are the best names. (fhe (]ur-aan 17:110,20:g,59:24)
lixplorir-rg thc Islamic Bclicfs
^nd are reported in the Qur-aan or Hacleeth.le They are called
attributive names, whereas Allaah is His personal name. They must be
underst()od to connote limitlessness, absoluteness, utmost perfection and infiniteness in every respect. Any word or attribute that implies any kind of limitation, finiteness or weakness will be counter to "Asmaa-ul-husnaa".
2. \X/e must take explicit and open exception to any notion that attributes to Him or implies for Him any limit,^restriction, liniteness, weakness or imperfection. This is called Tasbeeh and is expressed through words
like subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa (free of any imperfections, finiteness or weakness and exaltecl in Gkrry) or s.rbhaanallaah (Allaah is exaltccl above and beyond any imperfcctions, finiteness <>r weakness).
A relatccl thing t<> remember in this respect is use of pronouns for Allaah. ()ften, people wonder what should bc an appropriate pr<>nouns to bc usecl for Allaah. Such cluestions arise whcn one forgets that Allaah is Inlinite, ()ne ancl Unique. Hence, thc coucepts of singular or plural and masculine or femininc are irrelevant for F{im. The concepts t>f singular or plural ancl masculinc or feminine are only applicable to FIis finite creations. But the problern is that the pronouns in our languages are finite words to describe finite entities and thus are clesignecl to indicate gendcr <;f the subiect as well as its numbcr (sinl4ular <>r plural). In this way, none of the pronoLlns of human languages can be fittrng for the Maiesty ancl Infinity of Allaah. Whatever pr()n()un is used f<rr Him, the pr<>noun'.s numbir and gencler remains irrelevant and meaningless for Allaah. Hence, human beings do n<lt have any valid criteria tr> clecide which pronoun will bc thc rnr>st appropriatc from llim. lt is only up to Allaah Himself to select the pronouns to use for Himsclf from our finite languages, which choice IJe has madc in the text of thc Qur-aan. Based on the usagc in the Qur-aan, we cliscover that thc following are Allaaht preferences:
. Whcn talking about His mercy, kindness ancl pcrsonal relationships ancl ck>seness t() pe()plc, Allaah uses'I','Me'ancl 'My'.
. Whcn talking about His powcr, authority, sovereignty and magnanirnity ()vcr thc affairs r>f thc universe and over those who rebel from Llis ways, Allaah prefers to use the royal'We'and'Us'.
Thc Nature ancl l,ikcness of Allaah
' when referring tr> Himself in third person, He prefers to use .He', 'Him'and'His'.
considering Allaah'.s choice, whenever we use a pronoun for Allaah, we should use third person singular pronoun for Him.
Whateuer is in the heauens and whateuer is in the earth demonstrates the gtory of Atlaah. To Him belongs the kingdom, and io ittm is due all gr-atitude and praise, and He has power ouer all things. It is He Who created gou, but some of gou are unbelieuers and somb are belieuers; and Allaah sees uthat Aou do. He created the heauens andthe earthin His own ighl, and He shaped gou; and made gour shape{be:auti7ut, and totuards Him is the ultimate destinatiin.'He knouts what is in the heauens and. the earth, and He knows uthat gou conceal and u.that gou reueal; and Allaah knou.ts utell uthat is in thZ hearts.
(Ihe Qur-aan 64:'l-4)
19 A rcport ol thc wrrcls, dccds, approvals or clisapprovals of tl.rc Prophet Muhammatl.
Whateuer is in the twauens and earth demonstrates the glory of Allaah, and He is the Mightg, the Wise. His is the kingdom of the heauens andt?rc eafth He giues life and causes death; and He has pou,rcr auer all things. He is the First and the Last, and the Oututard and the Intuard; and He has futl knowledge of all things. He it is Wtto created the heauens and the earthin six periods, then He firmlg established Himself on the Throne of Authority. He knouts that uthich enters into the earth and that which comes forth out of it, andtlutt uthich comes downfrom the heauen and ttmt uthich goes up into it, and He is utith you uhereuer Aou are; and Allaah sees what gou do. His is the kingdom of the heauens and the earth; and all affairs are referred back to Allaah. He merges night into dag, and He merges dag into night; and He has full knawledge of the secrets ofthe hearts.
(fhe Qur-aan 57:1-6)
Ch"aroter 3
Attributes ofAllaah
l}""6
CONSIDERING the human inability to know Allaah through sensory observations and perceptions, He took upon Himself to reveal some2O of His attributes to the prophets, especially to Prophet Muhammad, so that pecrple can know Allaah through a clear, thorough and deep understanding of those attributes. Muslims have been encouraged to learn Allaah's attributes to help them develop a reasonable concept of Allaah and the right kind of faith in FIim. The better we unclerstand His attributes, the mofe accurate a concept of His majesty, power and grandeur we will have in our minds and the more appropriate a relaionship we will able to establish with Him. Thus it is essential fcrr everyone to reflect deeply on these attributes.
The verses of the Qur-aan quoted in the previous chapters mentionecl some of His attributes such as: the Living, the Self-subsisting Sustainer of the universe, the Most High, the Supreme, the Originator of the univcrsc, the Creator, the All-I{nowing, the Most Subde, the \Well Aware, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the ()ne and Only, and the Absolutely- Indepenclent on Whom everything is dependent. The following verses introduce some more of His attributes:
He is Allaah besides Whom there is no God, Knower of the inuisible and the uisible. He is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
20 Allaah has rcvcalcd all of His attributes that were esscntial for people to frrrm an accurate concept of l-lim. Thc wotd 'some' is used to indicate lirnidessncss of His attributes. No one knows all of thcm as inclicatcd in one of thc Prophet'.s supplicati,rns, whcrcin hc is rcportecl to say, "() Allaah! I ask you through all of your names , cvciy name: by which Y.ou have named Yourself, or You havc revealccl in Your book, or You havc taught to any of yout creations, or You have prefertcd^to kecp it to Vrurself in Y<rut kn,,wlcclgc that is trnl<nown ro an)r,nc. (Musnad Ahmarl. Haakim and lbn l:libbaan)
l"
Llxplr>ring thc lsLirnic llclicts
He is Allaah besides Whom there is no God, the Souereign, the Holg One - absolutelg Pure of all u)eaknesses, the Source of peace and perfection, the Prouider of safetg, the Guardian - the Prouider of needs, the All-Mightg, the Enforcer of His Decrees, the Superb. Gloified is Allaah, far aboue all uthom people assume to be His partners.
He is Allaah, the Creator, the Euoluer, the Fashioner. For Him are the best names. Whateuer is in the heauens and the earth gloifi.es Him and He is the All- Mightg, the Wise.
(fhe Qur-aan 59:22-24)
The following is a brief description of the attributes mentioned in these vefses:
'l'lte Creator, tlte ljuolaen the Lashioner (A/-Khaa/iq, ALBaai, Al-Mu.i.fanuuir) These three attributes inclicate to us Allaah's creative powers. They remind us that we must worship Allaah because, being our Creator, l lc is our ()wner, (]od ancl Master. They also suggcst that only the (lreator can be Ciod, one wht> does not create canri()t be God.
I-he ,\'ouereigt (ALMalik) I-{e is the real sovereign ancl ruler of the ruhole universe and everyr>ne in it. ()nly His law is legitimate in its own right f<rr people to folbw. Any law of the human rulers that is incr>nsistent with His law is illegitrmate.
'l'he Liuing (A/ Hoyy) Allaah was always alive and will always be alive. FIe is }iver-l,asting, His existence having neither a beginning nor an encl. Thcre is n<>ne else in the universe who is eternal, hence nr>ne else can be God. This attributc is mentionecl to negate all those notions of godhead which pe<lple ascribe to false gods who die and get resurrectecl. Resurrection or no resurfecti()n, any()ne who dies cann()t be eternal; and, non-eternal cannot be God.
'I'be .\'e/f-.lnb.risting.\'nstainer ol' tlte Uniuerse (A/-p4y1oon) FIe sustains the whole universe and everything in it while He F{imsclf is self-subsisting, self-sustaining and self-existing. Everything ancl everyone ()we their life and existence to FIim ancl need Him for their survival. There is no sense in worshipping one who is not the Sustainer but is himself sustained by Allaah.
'l'lte Mo.rt Lligh, tlte'l'remendou.e (Al-A/!yy, A/-A7eeru) These two attributes inclicate I {is absolutely high status and tremendous grcatness.
Attfibutcs oF Allaah
'l'/te Most Ho/y (ALpuddros) FIe is infinitely pure fr'm all sh.rtc'minss, flaws, weaknesses and far"rlts. His h.liness is far above ancl bey.nd the holiness we can conceive of. No one is holy except Him.
'l'he .\'a/terb (A/-Mutakabhir) He is Supreme and Superb. Nothing in the universe comes cbse t' His supremacy. Everyone clse who claims to be superb or supreme is a false claimant. That is why He rcsents if His creation accepts the supremacy of, submits to or worships any.nc else.
'l'lte lznfitrcer q/' His Decree.r (Al-Jahhaar) He can ancl He clocs strictly enfr>rcc His c<>mmands and decrees over everything else in the universe. s.me per>ple think .f s<>me personalities or gods that can r>verrule Allaah'.s c.mmands
'r change their crurse. None can dare crme in His way ()r challenge His authority. Also, none of even the clearcst to Allaah can ovetrule Allaah'.s clecision, change the course of t-lis cornmands rlr prcssure Allaah into changing His mind.
'l'/te A//-Knou,ing, ilte We//-Auare, Onniscient (A/-A/een, A/-Khaheer) His kn,wleclge is absr>lutc, perfect, cternal ancl infinite. F{e knows everything that we can think of and that rvhich wc cannot think
'f; what we knr>w andwhat we cb not; what we hide and what we clisclr>sc; thc indiscernible ancl thc cvident; the visible and the invisible; the seen and the unseen; and the Past, the prescnt ancl thc future. He even knows whatcver goes through our minds: our th<lughts, ()ur emoti<>ns, <>ur conccrns, our desires, our aspirations, our inclinations, our motives and our intenti<>ns. whatever is hiddcn in ,ur subconscirus .r unconscious mind, LIe kn.ws it. N' human being, not even prophets and messengcrs can even know the extent of l-lis kn.wleclgc. Thc prophets and messcngers knew only what He ch.se tr> revcal to them. As well, nr>thing is ever missed by His infinite awareness.
'I'he A//-.\'uinq, T'he A//-I Iearing (A/ Baicer, A.r-.f aruee,) lle pers.nally hears and sees what every individual in this wodd is saying, whispering or doing. He is aware of every rx()vement and action we perform, and every worcl we speak, whether in obedience or in disobedience to I-lim. I-le also hears our prayers when we call upon FIim whether we clo with our words or in our hcarts. Being merciful as Hc is, Fle accepts them and respr>ncls t() them as well.
'l'he Mo.rt.\'nhtk (A/-Itttee/) FIe is subtle in the scnsc that: He is irnpcrceptible and incomprehensible to us; He sees and grasps the linest
Ilxploting thc lslamic IJeliefs
subtleties and mysteries; and, FIe grants blessings to people in the most subde ways and bestows gifts of the most refined kind.
Tlte Perfection, the Peace (As-Salaan) There is no goodness that is lacking in Him. He is the source of peace and tranquillity. He maintains peace in the universe and expects people to do the same. Those who submit to Him get peace and tranquillity in their hearts and souls.
T'he Prouider of S:afery and Protection (Al-Mu-nin) Power and authority that vests with the people of the wodd generally becomes a source of corruption and injustice. The Absolute power and authority of Allaah on the other hand is a source of security and protection. People are absolutely safe from any iniustice from Him. Rather, He rewards generously, better than people's expectations. He protects those who seek His refuge.
The Gaardian, the Prouider of Nuds (ALMuhEnin) He is watching over His creations, taking care of them and providing for their needs. People do not need t<> beg anybody for their needs except Him. Those who dedicate their lives for His mission, He takes upon Himself to take care of their needs.
Tbe Most Gracious Q'he par-aan) This is the most important attribute that defines what kind of God Allaah is. It tells us the overall policy He has adopted for dealingwith His creation. His policy is that of g;race, kindness, compassion, benevolence and beneficence, which are absolutely so intensive that He is always ready to pour them out upon His creation. An example of His beneficence is that He made the laws of nature life sustaining, not life threatening. He designed them to be such that we can use them to our maximum advantage. Another example of His benevolence is His treatment of the disobedient people. Common sense dictates that those who live in His universe and use His resources but disobey Him should be, as a punishment, deprived of the provisions of life. Also, the laws of nature should work against them. But Allaah, because of His compassion, does not deprive them of their sustenance or the fruits of their labour and hard work. If a mortal viere the ruler of the earth, he would punish such disobedient people severely, but the Sovereign of the universe lets them enjoy their life. In addition, He has not only taken care of our physical needs but also our moral and spiritual needs for which He made special arran€Jements to send messengers with His guidance.
The Most Mercfal (Ar-Rabeem) This attribute goes hand in hand with the previous one. Both Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem come from the same
Atttibutcs of Allaah
r.ot word implying mercy. The difference is that Ar-Rahmaan indicates the intensiry and abundance of His mercy and grace, while Ar-Raheem denotes consistency and permanency of his kindness to people. I-lis mercy trwards His creation, being infinite, needs both of these w.rcls to give us anidea of the permanently ongoing, abundant and pervasive nature of His mercy. He is so merciful that He cven lets the most disobedient people live in His land and enioy the fruits of their efforts with.ut depriving them. He forgives people their infracti<>ns when they calr upon FIim frrr flrgiveness. I-le grants people's prayers when they beseech Him. His mercy is available in this w'dd as well as in the hereafter. In the hereafter, however, His mercy will be for the obedient people who will have passed His test. They will enioy His b<>undless mercy for eternity.
'I'lte A/l-Migltj, the Omnipotent (A/-A7ee7, Al-padeer)zr 1r" is infinitely Powerful, absolutcly Authoritative and eternally Dominant. He does what IIc wills. Nrne can interfere or influence the outcome of l{is decisions. liverything and everyone else are p'wedess in front of Him. He cloes not need a hand from anyone else in decisir>n-making'r in taking care of this huge universe. His intention t. make something happen is enough to make it happen. tle might use any of his creations such as angels or laws <;f nature to execute I'Iis commands and decisions, but He does absolutely rvhat He wants, the way He wants. ln addition, He alone fulfiils all the roles He nceds t<> play. He neither needs to, nor cloes He ever clivicle His clivine rrles t. be handlcd by anyone else. In fact, no one can ever handle any of His roles or have the ability to do anything He does.
7'he All-lvise (A/-Hakeeru) lfhatever He does or commands to be done is based on His infinite wisdom. He does not do anything that is without a PurP()se or benefit. Even thc commands He gave us to live by are all based on His eternal wisclom. The wh.le system of life He has given us in the frrrm of Islam reflects His wisd.m. we may not understand it or see the wisdom behind it, but it is always the wisest way of living.
The following are brief notes about a few more of FIis attributes that were not mentioned in the verses quoted in the beginning of this chapter:
Tbe Prai-wwortty, the Gloiou.r (A/-Hameetl, Al-MEeett)zz He is the ()wner .f Praise and the owner
'f Glory. All praise belongs to Him and so
2l 'l'hc (lur-aan 1(r:70 22 Thc (]ur,aan 1 i:73
----T; I
I
*l
lixploring the Islamic Beliefs
does glory, inhnitely. None of His creations are in reality praiseworthy or glorious. Only He is. Whether human beings acknowledge it or not, the whole universe witnesses His glory. Everything in the univetse praises Him in ways we cannot comprehend.
T'lte Dominant, the Controller (A/-pahltaar)21 This is another attribute describing that He is supreme and irresistible. He dominates ()ver everything
and everyone with F{is power. Nothing can be outside His authority and His sovereignty. Everything and everyone is subservient and helpless before
His powet and control. Thus nr>ne who has proper faith in Allaah should ever resort to anyone other than Allaah frrr one's needs and desires.
'I'lte Llltinate Prortider of Sustenance (Ar-RaqTaaq)2a He provides sustenance to every creation He has created. He has designed the system of this universe in such away th^t every living thing can get food to sustain its life regardless of where in the universe or when it happens to exist. There is never a dearth of sustenance for anyrne in the universe. He Himself has takcn this responsibility to provide the means to satisfy the sustenance needs of the creatures. lt is true even for human beings. lf people live the kind of life He wants them to live, no human being will ever die of hunger or thirst. lt is human society that creates the problems by disregarding His ct>mmands, committing their own excesses and taking matters in their own hands. That is why we see foocl being over-eaten, destroyed or wastecl in one part of the wodd while people are dying r>f hunger in another part.
Although we are recluired to try ancl exert our own.efforts, we should nevef assume that we produce ()ur sustenance. All sustenance comes from Allaah. Whilc making our reasonable efforts to earn our livelihood, we must always trust Him and depend on Him that He will provide ()ur sustenance. This is a very important point. \We must have a clear conviction that He is the provider of all sustenance, none clse - not even our own efforts or those of any human being. Human efforts become the means of sustenance only by His grace. \We provide the input, He grants the output. We work, I'Ie produces rcsults.
l'he I'lear, tlte Res/>onsiae (Al-pareeb, Al-Maieeb)zr Considering His sublimity and greatncss, dr> not thrnk Him to bc out of <>ur reach. He is always with
Thc Qur-aan 13:1(r
The (]ut-aan 51:5t3
Thc (]ur-aan 11:(r1
Attributes of Allaah
us, ready to listen t() us, fespond to our pfayefs ancl accept ouf repentance. I{e is so near that we can talk to him silendy without anyone around us being aware of it. Any pefson v,'ho wants to develop a close relationship with Him, will find Him near.
Also, He does not have to go anyrvhere to be there. He is there where any one of us is2(, (omnipresent). Although He is Hidden (Al-Baatin) from our eyes, yet He is Manifest (Ai.-i,aahir) in everything in the univetse.2T
Tlte Most tlorgiuing, the OftJorgiuing (Al-Chafoor, Al-Ghaffaar)2r Although I-le requires that we l.ive in this wodd as His obedient slaves and that we serve Him by following His commandments fully every day of our life thtoughc)ut our life, He also knows our weaknesses. He knows that despite our best efforts we are going to err and that we are never going to bc perfect. Because of His mercy, [{e has adopted a fcrrgiving atritude. Whenever we come back to Him and sincerely seek His forgiveness, He f<rrgives. Whenever we pledge to folkrw His way, He accepts us. When He accepts and forgives, those sins are gone forever. They never come back to haunt us. The slate is wiped clean. Regardless of h<-rw many times we Irreal< our plcdge, I Ie kecps Forgiving us as long as wc are sincere in our cletermination to mend our ways and as long as we are committed to the path of His obedience.
T'he Most-I'iorhearing ('4/-Haken)2t 11r* toletates the sinners and is never in a hurry to punish them. Rather, He gives them time to repent and make amends up to the point when death becomes certain.
'l'lte MostAl>preciatiue (4.rh-.\'hakoor)rO He appreciates and recognizes even the smallest of our goodness in attitudes as well as deeds and rewards abundandy for all grxrdness big or small.
T'lte Most Be.rtouing (,.t1-Wahhaab)t/ He generously bestows to people whatever they request for their physical or spiritual needs as long the
26 He is with gou whereuer Aou are. (fhe (lur-aan 57:4); He is uith them tuheresoeuer theg are. (Ihc Qur-aan 58:7)
27 The (fut-aan 57:3 28 The ()ur-aan 40:42,35:28 29 The (lur-aan 17:44 30 'l'he Qut-aan 35:30, 34 31 'fhe Qur-aan 3:B
23
24
25
Exploting the Islamic Beiiefs
request is from a sincere servant, does not transgress other people's rights and does not conflict with the expediencies of the universal peace and balance.
The Most Generoas (A/-Ghanfu1)t2 Whether in forgiving, in rewarding, in answefing prayers or in taking carc of our needs, His generosity knows no bounds.
The Most l,,ouing (Al-IVadood):J He loves people infinitely mote than a most loving mother may love her child. He loves to see people succeed instead of failing. He had sent us on this earth for a test and He could have left us on our own whether we make the grade or not. But because of His loving attitude, He has taken special measures to send us the prophets and messengefs and through them the perfect guidance so that we, the common people, can have a good hfe in this wodd, avoid His punishment and attain eternal success in the hereafter.
The above is a representative sample of the attributes mentioned in the Holy Qur-aan and by Prophet Muhammad. As you can see, some attfibutes indicate His majestic greatness and describe His power and authority. Others describe His kind, loving, caring, forgiving attitude towards human beings. There are some others that describe similar concepts with subde differences. But taken all together, they give a proper belief in Allaah and help us define the relationship we should have with FIim.
Allaah being infinitely Majestic, Glorified and Exalted Lord and our cherished, beloved and adored God, it is only apptopriate that when we mention His name we mention it with due respect. Henceforth, whenever His name is mentioned, it will be usually accompanied by a glorifying phrase "subfiaanaltu wa ta'aalaa" (the Gklrified and the Exalted) or its abbreviated symbol comprised of its initials "SWT". If it is missed for some reason, the reader should assume that it is there and should read accordingly.
Allaah SWT - Your Petsonal God Sometimes the description of the grandeur, greatness and sublimity
of Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa may make someone think that perhaps
32 The Qur-aan 35:15 33 The (lur-aan 11:90
Atributes of Allaah
Ile is too high to be within our reach to establish a personal relationship with Him. That is why knowing His nearness, loving, caring and forgiving attributes is also extremely important. That is also one of the reasons Allaah S\VT started His revelation of the Qur-aan introducing Himself through His attributes of Mercy and Gnce.34 To develop an appropriate concept of Allaah SWT, all of His attributes mentioned above must be understood propedy. Each of those attributes defines an important aspect of our relationship with Allaah SWT. For example, the awareness of Allaah's immense greatness and majesty instils in us the right kind of submissive attitude towards Him. 'lhe knowledge of Him being a strict enforcer drives us to prepare for accountability to Him. The consciousness of His infinite mercy, closeness and responsiveness help us to develop a close, personal relationship with Him.
Although He is the Lord of the whole universe, He pays attention to each individual person whenever or wherever he/she turns to Him. S7e knorv He is there close to us. \X/hen we talk, He listens. When we call, He responds. Sflhen we need, He helps. When rve confide in Him, He keeps the secret. When no one else understands us, He does. N7hen we turn away,He misses us. $7hen we come back to Him, He welcomes us. \ff/hen
we return, He accepts us regatdless of how often we have broken away. He is never away or absent. He is always available, paylng full attention. \X/hen we are talking He is not distracted by anything else. $7e can repeat ourselves as often as we like, He is nevet bored. We can talk loudly or quietly, He hears every v/ord. \We can talk in our hearts, He knows exactly what we mean. There is no intermediary needed, no queues to be formed, no fees to be paid, and no wait to be endured. In the most crowded of the cities or the remotest of the jungles, in the husde of the day or dead of the night, on the happiest occasion or the gloomiest moment, we can count on Him to be right with us. Each one of us can develop the most intimate, the most personal, the most private and the most dependable relationship with Him.35
34 The first verse of the Qur-aan is In the name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
35 This kind of personal relationship was being encouraged when the Prophet told Ibn 'Abbaas, "Keep Allaah in your mind (always remember Him), He will temember rcu. Remember Him and you will find Him (His support) right there. When you ask for anything, ask Allaah for it. When you seek help, seek it from Allaah..." Mishkaah
,tl P
What gou worship and serue besides Him (Allaah) are just names tlnt gou and gourforefathers haue named and for uthich Allaah has not sent doutn ang authorization. Commanding authoritg belongs ontg toAfiaah. He has commandedthat gou must not utorship or serue like slaues anAone except Him. Tl,nt is the established., straightforward religion but most of the people do not know.
(fhe Qur-aan 12:40)
O People, pag attention to the example being giuen: Those to-,whom gou supplicate cannot create a ftg eien if theg all utork together to do so; and if a flg snatches awaA- something from them, theg cannot recouer it back from her. Both the inuoker and the inuoked are uteak. Theg d.o not appreciate Allaah as much as .F/is Majestg deseries to,be appreciated. Indeed, Allaahis absolutelg powerful, Almightg.
(Ihe Qut-aan 22:73-74)
Theg took gods other than Altaah utho cannot create angthing and theg themselues haue been created., haue no control ouer what is useful or tnrmful for them, and haue no control ouer death, lik or resurrection. And about this Qur--aan, th?A saA, "It is just a lie that lu,s beenfabicated" utith the lrclp of some other people." Theg indeed haue come up withwtnt is unfair andfalse. Andtheg sag, "These are merelg sfories of preuious nations that ie has had them witten and tl,nt are dictated to him d.ag and. night." Tell them, "This has been reueated bg nii Who fn2uts the secrets ?f the heauens andthe earth, surelg He is Forgiuing, Merciful."
(Ihe Qur-aan 25:3-6)
chnVtu a
The Oneness and Uniqueness of God - TowAeed
4""6
TFIli, bedrock on which the edifice of Islam is built is the concept of unity of Allaah, i.e. He is One and Unique. There is absolutely no other (]ocl except Him. Absolutely no entity can be equated with Him or lcgiunrately thought of to be
^ p^rtner in divinity with Him or associated
in godhead with Him, or considered an offspring of Him. This concept oF absolute ()neness and uniqueness is called 'Tt>wheecl'in Arabic ('tow' pronounced in-between'now' and'know).
Islam is extremcly sensitive about it. Towheed is the crucial firndamental of lslam where even a slight compromise is unacceptable. It does not merely signify Him being the only deity. It also applies to all of I'Iis attributes. Some attributes belong to Him alone. The examples are Creat<'tr, Holy, All-Mighty, the Provider of sustenance, etc. None else can be assumed tr> have any of these attributes in the real sense of the words. Most of the other attributes such forgiving, merciful, Lener()us are used firr human beings as well. It must be cleady understood that n()ne else in the universe has thosc qualities to the level of perfection as Allaah does. 'Iheir use ft>r human beings is only arbitrary, subjective and whimsical. lior Allaah, they are the true qualities, existing in Him to the infinite level of perfection.
The conccpt of Towheed is not consiclerecl to be propedy adopted tunless a person completely negates the godhead of cvery other entiry besidcs Allaah. The official wording of the Islamic creed that conveys the true conccpt of Towheed (faith in unity of Allaah) is: Therc is no llaah bcsides Allaah. The wr>rd llaah is usually translated as god - one who is worshippecl, but in Arabic it carries significantly morc comprehensive rneanings than the fJ,nglish word 'god'.
Fjxploring thc Islamic Ilcliefs
In addition to 'one who is worshipped', rlaah also signifies3r, 2n sntiry whom people revere or regarcl in any of the folk>wing ways:
' who is listened to and obeyed unconditionally or blindly without hesitation, questioning or reservations;
. S7hose law, demand, proposition, edict, pronouncement, desire and wish is accepted, submitted to and given significance or priority in one's life affuts on his or her own right or authority;
' vTho is considered the Master whose words and desires are readily adopted as the goal of their life;
' who is assumed to have supernatural status, powers, authority and influence t. be able to make things happen through metaphysical or transcendental means in fulfilling their needs, solving their problems, helping them win against odds and adversaries, and providing them with peace and protection in time of troubles and dangers;
. $7hom people pray to r>r call upon to help them in mystical ways and who can listen to their prayers and supplications;
' $7hom people ardendy love because of the benefit that can ensue from him through his supernatural abilities and powers; and,
' who people are afraid of displeasing lest they suffer losses in life, health, wealth and produce.
Thus, when a believer says "there is no Ilaah except Allaah", the person is rejecting, denying and negating any c>f the above-n-rentioned notions for absolutely any entity except Allaah. The faith in Anaah demands that:
' only Allaah is worthy of worship and unquestioned obedience and only Him do we worship and obey;
. Only His laws, edicts, commands and wishes we accept without questioning and .nly to them we give precedence / preferencein our life;
' ()nly from Him do we seek peace, security, protection, sustenance, comfrrrt, fulfillment of needs in any supernatural way;
. ()nly He has thc right to govern our whole life, every aspecr of it,
The Oncness and Uniquencss of God - Towheed
so that nothing in our life is considered out of His junsdicuon or secular;
. Only He has the power and resources to provide us with our needs, only He can bring us good or bad circumstances, and only He can reward our efforts or make them beneficial;
. Only Him we fear;
. Only Him we pray and supplicate to, repose our trust in, and rely on for help; and,
. ()nly Him we passionately love and adore.
Shirk: Its Meaning and Forms
Shirk (pronouncecl l-ike 'irk', not like 'gid') is the anuthesis of TowAeed. Shirk is the most serious crime in the sight of Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa. This is one sin that the Most Fbrgiving Allaah SWT has indicated that He will never forgive unless a pers()n abandons it and repents. Allaah may forgive other sins if a pers<>n on the whole has been gor>d and has sought Allaah's forgiveness, but not Shirk.
Shirk is usually translated as idolatry or polytheism, but it is more than that. lt is Shirk to consider any other entity in the wodd:
. Iiqual to Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa in any way, shape or form;
. Allaah'.s partner in godhead or sharing godhead with Allaah S\X/T;
. Flaving gocl-like attributes as mentir>ned in the previous section on Towheed;
' Possessing any quality t() the same level as Allaah SVTT; or, . Having the same status, importance or significance in one'.s life as
Allaah SWT.
Scc discussion on Ilaah in Fottr Ba.ric purutanic 'Ibrm: by Sycd A.A. Maucludi