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Al-'Akaa'id
by
Hasan al-Banna
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Introduction
1-
Definition of Creed:
Creed
consists
of ‘Aqaa’id (beliefs) which your
heart accepts, with which your soul is content, about which you are
convinced without any
doubt.
2-
People’s degrees of
‘Aqeedah (faith):
People
fall
into many categories regarding the strength or
weakness of their beliefs, on the basis of the clarity of the proofs
and their hold on
their minds.
To
explain
this point I will cite the following examples:
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If someone
hears of the existence of a country which he has
never seen before, such as Yemen for example, from someone else not
known to be a liar, he
will accept and believe that such a country does exist. If that person
hears the same
thing from a number of people, his belief will be strengthened (even
though this will not
stop him from doubting his belief if he has a reason to do so).
If he sees a
photograph of that country his conviction of
its existence will be strengthened even further and doubt will be
difficult in the face of
such strong proof. If he travels and sees signposts to that country his
conviction will be
strengthened still further and doubts will dissipate.
If he visits
that country and sees it with his own eyes
then there will be absolutely no room for doubt and his belief will be
consolidated so
strongly that he will never give it up even if all people unanimously
believe otherwise.
If he walks in
the roads and streets of that country and
studies its affairs and circumstances his experience and knowledge of
it will increase and
this will make his belief clearer and stronger.
If you
understand this, then know that the people with
regard to their religious creed are split as well: some were taught
those beliefs and
accepted them out of custom. Such people are not immune from doubting
their beliefs if
they have reasons for doing so. Another category consists of people who
have considered
their beliefs carefully and have developed strong faith and conviction.
Another category
consists of people who have thought long and hard and sought the
assistance of Allah
(SWT), by obeying Him, following His commands and perfecting their
worship of Him. This
lights the lanterns of guidance in their heart in such a way that they
will know by
insight matters which perfect their faith and their conviction:
"But
to those who receive Guidance, He increases the (light of) Guidance,
and bestows on them their Piety and Restraint (from evil)."
(Surat-Muhammad
(47), ayah 17)
I have given
you this example to help you rise above blind
imitation in relation to religious beliefs, to think deeply about your
beliefs and to seek
the assistance of your Lord by obeying Him in order to know the
fundamentals of your
religion so that you can reach the ranks of great men and rise in the
grades of
perfection.
You have been
chosen for a great task indeed;
If only you realise how great is!
So rise to the challenge;
and fulfil your responsibility.
3-
Islam’s respect for the
intellect and its encouragement of thinking and contemplation.
The basis of
Islamic belief, as is the case with the rules
of Sharee’ah, is the Book of Allah (SWT), and the Sunnah
(practice) of
His Prophet
(PBUH).
You should
know however that all those beliefs are
supported by sound reasoning and provable by correct thinking and this
is why Allah
(SWT)
honoured the mind by addressing it directly and made sanity a
precondition for
responsibility, and called upon the mind to think and contemplate.
Allah (SWT) says:
‘Say:
‘Behold all that is in the heavens and on earth; but neither
Signs nor
Warners profit those who believe not.’’
(Surat-Yunus
(10), ayah 101)
And He (SWT)
also says:
‘Do
they not look at the sky above them?- How We have made it and adorned
it, and there are no flaws in it? And the earth- We have spread it out,
and set thereon mountains standing firm, and produced therein every
kind of beautiful growth (in pairs)- to be observed and commemorated by
every devotee turning (to God). And We send down from the sky rain
charted with blessing, and We produce therewith gardens and Grain for
harvests; And tall (and stately) palm-trees, with shoots of
fruit-stalks, piled one over another as sustenance for
(God’s)
Servants;- and We give (new) life therewith to land that is dead: Thus
will be the Resurrection.’
(Surat-Qaaf
(50), ayahs 6-11)
He also
denounced those who do not think and ponder over
matters. He says:
‘And
how many Signs in the heavens and the earth do they pass by? Yet they
turn (their faces) away from them!’
(Surat-Yusuf
(12), ayah 105)
He called on
adversaries to provide evidence, even in
relation to matters that are obviously false. The reason for that is to
show the
importance of evidence and to demonstrate the value of argument. It is
reported in a
Hadeeth that Bilaal, may Allah be pleased with him, once came to ask
the Prophet’s
permission to call adhaan for the morning prayer and found him crying.
He asked the
Prophet why he was crying. The Prophet answered: ‘O
Bilaal, how can I not cry when
Allah (SWT) revealed to me tonight:
‘Behold!
in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of
night and day,- there are indeed Signs for men of
understanding,’
(Surat-aal-Imraan
(3), ayah 190)
The Prophet of
Allah, may Allah be pleased with him, added ‘O
woe to anyone who reads this verse and doesn’t ponder upon
it.’
(Narrated by
Ibn Abu Dunya in his book Al-Tafakkur [Contemplation])
Thus you can
see that Islam does not restrict ideas or
imprison the mind, but rather guides it to work within its proper
limits. It informs human
beings of how little they know and calls on them to increase their
knowledge. Allah
(SWT)
says:
‘Of
knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you, (O
men!).’
(Surat-al-Israa’
(17), ayah 85)
And He also
says:
‘...but
say "O my Lord! advance me in knowledge."’
(Surat-Taha
(20), ayah 114)
4-
Classification of the articles of
Islamic ‘Aqaa’id.
The Islamic
creed can be divided into four main sections
each of which has many sub-sections:
a)
Ilaahiyaat
(Theology): This section
studies matters related to Allah (SWT) such as His attributes, His
Names and His actions.
This also includes the obligations on the servant of Allah towards his
Lord as a result of
these beliefs.
b) Nubuaat
(Prophethood):
This section
considers matters related to the Prophets, peace be upon them, such as
their attributes,
their immunity from sin (‘isma),
their functions and the need for their
message. Under this section fall matters which relate to pious people,
may Allah be
pleased with them, the miracles, acts of divine grace (Karaamah)
and divine
scriptures.
c) Rawhaniyaat
(The
Soul):
This section
considers matters related to the unseen world such as angels, may
Allah’s peace be on
them, the jinn and the soul.
d) Sam’iyaat
(Eschatology):
This section
studies matters related to life in the grave and the Hereafter such as
the conditions of
the grave, the signs of the Last Day, Resurrection, coming face to face
with Allah, the
Reckoning and Reward or Punishment.
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Ilaahiyaat
(Theology)
i)
The nature of Allah, (SWT)
Know, my
brother, may Allah guide me and you to the truth,
that the nature of
Allah (SWT) is too vast to be encompassed by the human mind or
to be conceived by human ideas because however high the human mind may
soar or however far
human understanding may go, it is always limited in power and ability.
We shall devote a
special chapter, God willing, to help you to know the extent of the
inability of the human
mind to grasp the reality of things. Here it suffices to remind you of
what we surely know
at present which is that our minds, weak and strong, make use of many
things which they
know nothing about. Electricity and magnetism for example are forces
which we use and
benefit from but we know nothing about their true nature. Not even the
greatest scientist
can inform you about the nature of these things. Knowledge of the
reality and nature of
things does not benefit us in any way and it suffices for us to know
their qualities in
such a way that will benefit us.
If this
is the
situation regarding the concrete matters,
what about the nature of Allah (SWT)? Many people who talked about the
nature of
Allah, glory be to Him, went astray. Their indulgence in that, caused
them to be misled
and to fight amongst each other because they had dwelled on matters
which they cannot
determine with their minds. This is why the Prophet of Allah, peace be
upon him, forbade
thinking about the nature of Allah (SWT) and commanded us to reflect on
the creation of
Allah.
Ibn
Abbas, may
Allah be pleased with him and his father,
said that a group of people used to debate the nature of Allah, glory
be to Him, and the
Prophet of Allah, peace be upon him, said to them: "Ponder
over the creation of Allah and do not ponder over
the essence of Allah because your minds cannot possibly encompass that."
This
command
does not mean to curb freedom of thought. It
does not mean indifference to the search for truth nor does it restrict
the exercise of
reason. Rather it is meant to protect the mind from falling into the
pits of misguidance
and keep it away from handling questions which it is not equipped to
study, nor handle,
however great its powers may be. This is the approach of the righteous
servants of Allah
who realise the greatness of His essence and the majesty of His
position. Al-Shibly, may
Allah have mercy on his soul, was once asked about Allah, (SWT), and he
answered: ‘He
is Allah, the Only One, the Well-known, the Infinite, the
Indescribable.’
Yahya-ibn-Mu’aadh was also asked about Allah, glory be to
Him, and he
answered:
‘Your Lord is One.’ He was then asked
‘What is he like?’ He said,
‘He is the Lord, the All Powerful.’ He was further
asked, ‘Where is
He?’ He answered: ‘He is the Ever Watchful (over
His creation)’. Then
the
questioner further said: ‘I haven’t asked you about
that.’ Ibn Muaadh
said:
‘What I have described to you are the attributes of Allah.
Anything
else is the
attributes of the created.’
Therefore
you
should confine your efforts to trying to
grasp the greatness and majesty of your Lord through pondering over His
creation and
abiding by what His attributes entail.
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ii)
The Names of Allah, (SWT)
The
Creator,
in His wisdom, made Himself known to His
creation through names and attributes that suit His Majesty which a
believer should
memorise as a blessing and have pleasure in mentioning them and as a
mark of respect for
their status. We give here the authentic Hadeeth which puts them all
together. What a
great teacher the Ahaadeeth of the Prophet are and what an excellent
guide the tongue of
revelation and the lantern of Prophethood.
Abu
Hurairah,
may Allah be pleased with him, said: The
Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
‘Allah
has ninety nine Names, one
hundred but one. Everyone who memorises them enters the Jannah, He is
One (witr), He loves
the witr.’
Narrated
by
Bukhari and Muslim, and in another narration
of Al-Bukhari, he says: ‘..whosoever counts them..’.
The same
Hadeeth was narrated by Al Tirmidhi but he added:
‘He
is Allah. There is no god but
He, the All Merciful, the All Compassionate, the Sovereign Lord, the
Holy, the Peace, the
Faithful, the Guardian, the Mighty, the Compeller, the Superb, the
Creator, the Maker out
of naught, the Fashioner, the Forgiver, the Subduer, the Bestower, the
Provider, the
Opener, the All-knowing, the Restrainer, the Extender, the Abaser, the
Exalter, the
Honourer, the Dishonourer, the All-hearing, the All-seeing, the Judge,
the Just, the
Subtle, the Aware, the Clement, the Magnificent, the Forgiving, the
Appreciative, the
Sublime, the Great, the Protector, the Sustainer, the Reckoner, the
Majestic, the
Bountiful, the Watchful, the Hearkener, the All-embracing, the Wise,
the Loving, the
Glorious, the Resurrector, the Witness, the Truth, the Trustee, the
Strong, the Firm, the
Patron, the Praiseworthy, the Accounter, the Originator, the Restorer,
the Quickener, the
Destroyer, the Alive, the Eternal, the Perceiver, the Illustrious, the
One, the Eternal
support of the creation, the Able, the Prevailing, the Promoter, the
Retarder, the First,
the Last, the Manifest, the Hidden, the Governor, the High-exalted, the
Righteous, the
Relenting, the Avenger, the Pardoner, the Full of Pity, the Owner of
sovereignty, the Lord
of Majesty and Bounty, the Equitable, the Gatherer, the
Self-Sufficient, the Enricher, the
Giver, the Withholder, the Distresser, the Profiter, the Light, the
Guide, the
Incomparable, the Everlasting, the Heir, the Director, the
Patient.’
The
meaning of some of these holy Names
of Allah
Al-Quddus (The Holy)
means the One without faults.
As-Salaam (The Peace)
means the source of peace for
His creatures. It also means the One without faults.
Al-Mu’min
(The Faithful) means the One who
fulfils His promise to His creatures and who protects them from His
punishment.
Al-Muhaymin
(The Guardian) means the controller or
the guardian
Matters
relating to the Beautiful Names of Allah.
1-
Names other than the 99 Names.
The
above 99
names are not all the names which have been
cited for Allah (SWT). Other names were cited in a Hadeeth. A different
narration of the
above Hadeeth mentioned: Al-Hannaan (The Loving , the Compassionate),
Al-Mannaan (the
Generous Provider), Al-Badee’ (the Beautiful, the Creative),
Al-Mugheeth (the
Rescuer), Al-Kafeel (the Guardian, the Guarantor), Dhul-Tawl (He who
has a long reach),
Dhul-Ma’aarij (Lord of the Ways of Ascent), Dhul-Fadl (Lord
of Grace),
Al-Khallaaq
(the Master Creator).
Abu Bakr
Ibn
al-Arabi in his commentary on al Tirmidhi
ascribes to some scholars that ‘In the Qur’an and
the Prophet’s
traditions,
one thousand names for Allah have been mentioned.’ The author
of Al-Qasd
Al-Mujarrad wrote something to
that effect and it was also mentioned in Al
Shawkaany’s Tuhfat al
Dhaakireen who added: ‘The most
comprehensive
account appears in the said Hadeeth.’
2-Ahaadeeth
which contain words which have been
metaphorically used as names of Allah:
Know
that some
Ahaadeeth contained words that were used as
names of Allah (SWT) but the context of situation and the etymology
would indicate they
are not. Such instances were either metaphors, similes or ellipses. An
example of this is
in the Hadeeth narrated by Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with Him,
in which the
Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be with Him, said:
‘Do not
curse
time (Dahr) because
Allah is
time.’ (Narrated by Muslim)
Another
example is the saying of Aa’ishah, may Allah
be pleased with her:
‘Let him
cry
because crying (aneen)
is one of
the Names of Allah which comforts the sick.’
(Mentioned
by
Al Jalaal Suyuuti in his Al-Jami’
Al-Sagheer which he ascribed to
Al Rafi’i and described it as hasan
[good,
i.e. regarding the reliability of transmission chain]) It was not
narrated by Muslim nor
by Abu Hurairah as it is mistakenly believed by some people.
Another
example is using the name Ramadan to refer to Allah
in some traditions.
All
these
phrases are not to be taken literally. What is
meant in the first example is that Allah is the Cause of Events of time
and therefore
nothing should be attributed to time itself. Nor should it be cursed.
In the second
example, crying (aneen)
happens as a result of the power of Allah and it comforts
the sick and so on and so forth regarding the meaning which can be
derived from the
context of the situation.
3-The
inadmissibility of changing or inventing Names or
Attributes for Allah.
Know
that the
majority of Muslims agree that it is
inadmissible to ascribe to Allah (SWT) a name or an attribute that is
not mentioned in the
Sharee’ah with the intention of using it as a name for Allah
even if it
were giving
the impression of perfection of Allah. It is not right, for example, to
describe Allah as
the engineer of the great universe nor to say the Director General of
the affairs of human
beings. That would be unacceptable in cases where they would be
understood as names or
attributes conventionally ascribed to Allah and generally agreed to be
used with reference
to Him. However, if such phrases are used in a certain context to
explain the actions of
Allah and make it easier for people to understand, then there will be
no harm in doing so.
However, it is be better to refrain from using such phrases out of
reverence for Allah
(SWT).
4-
The objective and descriptive nature of the names of
Allah.
The
above
mentioned names include one that is used
exclusively for the Divine Essence, namely the glorified name
‘Allah’.
All the
rest are clearly epithets and could therefore be used to describe and
qualify the name
Allah. With regard to the question as to whether the word Allah is
derived or not, this is
a matter of dispute, but it does not entail anything of practical
consequence and it
suffices for us to know that the proper name of the deity is that
singular noun whereas
the rest of the names have got some epithetical quality to them.
5-
Characteristics of the beautiful names of Allah.
Some
people
say that each of the names of Allah has certain
characteristics and mysteries associated with it. Some are detailed and
some are brief.
Other people go even further beyond this assertion to say that each
name has a spiritual
servant who would serve everyone who keeps mentioning it and so on. All
I know in this
regard (and for everyone who has got some knowledge, there is someone
who is more
knowledgeable than my) is that the names of Allah are sublime words
that are superior to
the rest of speech and there is a blessing in them and a great reward
in mentioning them
and if a human being keeps uttering them, this will purify his soul,
especially if this is
done with a sincere heart and clear understanding. Anything beyond that
has not been
mentioned in the Qur’an nor the Hadeeth, and we have been
forbidden
from going to
extremes in the religion of Allah or adding to it and we should confine
ourselves to what
has been mentioned therein.
6-
The greatest name of Allah
The
greatest
name of Allah has been mentioned in several
Ahaadeeth which include the following
(1)
Barida,
may Allah be pleased with him, said that the
Prophet, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, heard a man
supplicating and
saying ‘Oh Allah, I beseech You and testify that You are
Allah. There
is no god but
You, the Only, the Everlasting who begets not and who is not begotten
and there is none
like unto Him’. Barida said that the Prophet (PBUH) said:
‘By
Him in
whose hands my soul rests, he has
addressed Allah with His greatest name by which if He is called on, He
responds; and if He
is asked, He grants.’(Narrated by Abu Dawud, Al Tirmidhi, Al
Nisaa’i
and Ibn
Majah.)
Al
Munthiri
said: ‘Our Sheikh Abul Hasan al Maqdisi
said: Its chain of transmission is not disputed and I know not of any
Hadeeth in this
chapter with a more reliable chain of transmission.’ Al-Hafiz
Ibn-Hajar
said that
this Hadeeth ‘..had the strongest isnad
(chain of transmission) amongst the
Ahaadeeth in this chapter.’
(2) Anas
ibn
Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said the
Prophet, (PBUH), once entered the mosque and found a man had just
finished his prayers and
was supplicating and saying ‘Oh Allah, there is no god but
Allah. Thou
art the
Mannaan (the Generous Provider), the Badee’ (Designer) of the
heavens
and the earth.
Thou art full of Majesty and Grace.’ The Prophet, (PBUH),
then said:
‘Do
you know
how he supplicated to Allah. He
supplicated to Allah with His greatest name by which if He is called,
He answers; and if
He is asked, He grants.’ (Narrated by Abu-Dawud, Al-Tirmidhi,
Al-Nisaa’i and
Ibn-Majah.)
(3)
Asmaa’
Bint Yazid, may Allah be pleased with her,
related that the Prophet, (PBUH, said the greatest name of Allah is in
these two verses:
‘And
your God is One God. There is no god but He, Most Gracious, Most
Merciful’
and the
opening verse of Aal-Imraan
‘Alif
Lam Mim. Allah. There is no god but He, the Living, the
Self-Subsisting, Eternal.’
(narrated
by
Ahmed, Abu-Dawud, al-Tirmidhi and
ibn-Majah. Al-Tirmidhi said it is a good (hasan) and
sound (sahih) Hadeeth)
(4)
Sa’d-ibn-Malik said: ‘I heard the Prophet of
Allah, (PBUH) say:
‘Shall
I tell you about the
greatest name of Allah, by which if He is called upon He answers and if
He is asked He
grants. It is the supplication used by Jonah when he called in the
three darknesses:
‘There
is no god but Thee. Glory be
to Thee. I was one of the transgressors.’
A man
said, ‘O
Prophet of Allah: Was that
supplication unique to Jonah or can it be used by all
believers?’
The
Prophet,
(PBUH) answered:
‘Haven’t
you heard the saying
of Allah, exalted be He:
‘We
delivered him from distress and
thus do we deliver those who have faith.’
(Narrated
by
Al Hakeem)
You can
see
from these Ahaadeeth and others that they did
not specify the greatest name of Allah. Scholars have differed in
identifying it because
of their differences in authenticating the Ahaadeeth to the extent that
they had forty
opinions about this subject. What we can conclude from these noble
Ahaadeeth and from the
sayings of reliable Muslims is that the greatest name of Allah is a
compound supplication (du’aa’)
made up of a number of His glorious names which if a man uses in his
supplication,
provided the conditions for proper supplication are observed, Allah
answers the
supplication. This has been explicitly stated in the noble Ahaadeeth in
various places.
Having
established this, then the assertion of some people
is that the greatest Name of Allah is a secret which is given to only a
few individuals
with which they open closed doors and go beyond what is customarily
possible and which
endows them with qualities which no other people enjoy, is against what
has been said by
Allah and His Prophet. If those people claim support for their position
in the noble
verse:
‘Said
one who had knowledge of the Book: ‘I will bring it to thee
within the
twinkling of an eye.’’
claiming
that
the meaning of ‘had knowledge
of the
Book’ is the greatest name of
Allah, we would refute them by saying that the
commentators on the Qur’an said that the supplication which
was
referred-to was
either: ‘Oh who art Living, Self-subsisting,
Eternal’. or ‘Allah, there
is
no deity but He - the Living, The Self-subsisting, the
Eternal.’ Some
people even
claimed that the greatest name of Allah is Syriac pronounced (ahya
shrahya) . This
is an unsubstantiated claim. The fact of the matter is that the
greatest name of Allah is
to be found only in the authentic Ahaadeeth.
In
short, some
people have become fascinated with
mysteries, claim to have special knowledge, and add to the traditions.
They claimed things
which are not mentioned in the Qur’an nor in the Hadeeth,
something
which we have
been absolutely forbidden from doing. So let us confine ourselves to
what has been
authentically transmitted to us.
|
The
Attributes of Allah, Glory Be To Him
1-The
attributes of Allah (SWT), for those who have a
sound mind.
If you
reflect
on this universe and its wonderful wisdoms,
its strange creatures, its intricate design, its greatness and
vastness, its complex
composition, its creativity, renewal and inventiveness; if you look at
the clear sky with
all the stars and their constellations and consider the suns and the
moons and their
orbits; if you think of this earth with its plants, its produce, its
minerals, its
treasures, its elements and materials; if you look at the animal world
and how it is
wonderfully guided and inspired; indeed if you look at how man himself
is made up, at his
many systems, each of which performs a marvellous function; if you look
at the world of
the oceans and the wonders it contains; if you know the forces of the
universe and their
mysteries and laws such as electricity, magnetism, the ether, radium;
then if you move
from considering the nature and qualities of these worlds to the links
and
interrelationships amongst them and how each is related to the other
very closely in such
a way that they all constitute one global unit each part of which
serves the other parts
in the same way as an organ in a single body serves the other organs;
if you do all that,
you will, without needing evidence, arguments, revelation nor
Qur’an,
come out with a
simple theoretical conclusion, namely: This universe has a Creator,
Maker, Originator and
this Maker must be great beyond what the feeble human mind can conceive.
The
ability of
this Creator is above the human
understanding of ability. He is Living in every sense of the word. He
does not need any of
His creatures because He existed before they existed. He is omniscient.
He is above the
laws of the universe because it is He who created those laws. He
existed before the
creatures because it is He who created them. He will exist after them
because it is He who
will bring their existence to an end. In short, you will find yourself
fully convinced
that the Creator and Designer of this universe has all the qualities of
perfection beyond
what the small human mind can conceive of. He is above the qualities of
imperfection. This
conviction will come from your own reflection and your own sincere
feelings:
‘The
nature made by Allah in which He has made men. There is no altering of
Allah’s creation. That is the right religion but most people
do not
know.’
(Surat-ar-Rum
(30), Ayah 30)
After
this
introduction, I would like to mention some
remarkable observations in this universe and you will see that,
although few in comparison
to the vastness of this universe, and the perfection of its design,
will, inshaa’
Allah, be sufficient to create in your heart such feeling as I have
mentioned.
First
observation
This air
which
we inhale is composed of a number of
elements, two components of which are important: One component is
suitable for man’s
breathing which chemists conventionally call oxygen. The other
component is a harmful one
which they call carbon dioxide. Among the qualities of the great
interrelationships
amongst the units of this miraculous universe is that the component
which is harmful to
man is inhaled by plants and it is useful for them: while man inhales
oxygen and exhales
carbon dioxide the plants do the reverse process. Consider this
co-operative relationship
between man and plants with regard to that which is the most important
element of life for
both of them, namely breathing. Now, could something like this be done
in the great
universe by other than an Omnipotent, Omniscient and all-Wise Being?
Second
Observation
Let us
think
of the food we eat. It is composed of a number
of vegetable and animal ingredients divided by scientists into
proteins, carbohydrates or
fats, for example. The saliva digests some carbohydrates and dissolves
some glycogen and
other substances which are dissolvable, whereas the stomach’s
enzymes
digest the
proteins such as meat and the bile produced by the liver digests fats
and breaks them up
into very small parts which can be absorbed. Thereafter, the pancreas
produces four
enzymes, each of which undertakes to complete the digestion of one of
the three elements,
the carbohydrates, the proteins or the fats and the fourth enzyme which
converts milk into
cheese. Reflect on this marvellous interrelationship amongst the parts
of the human body
and amongst the plant, animal and food ingredients which man consumes.
Third
observation
Look at
a
flower in a plant and you will see that it has
got beautiful, attractive petals with bright colours, and if you ask
botanists about the
wisdom in that, they will tell you that this is to tempt bees and
similar creatures to
suck the nectar of flowers, to come to the flower so that when they
stand on its petals,
they will pick up pollen on their feet and carry it from the male
flower to the female
flower, thus bringing about fertilisation. Consider how these beautiful
petals in the
flower are made as a link in the chain between plants and animals so
that plants can use
animals in the process of fertilisation which is necessary for the
process of bearing
fruit and reproduction.
Everything
in
the universe shows you that there is behind
it great Wisdom and sublime Will and great Control and that the
universe is run by
extremely precise Laws. The Lord of this Wisdom and the Possessor of
this Greatness and
the Maker of these Laws is Allah.
The
Qur’an
speaks in detail about this subject, and
draws our attention to these wonders and great mysteries. You can
hardly find a Surah
(chapter) which does not mention the signs and bounties of Allah and
the manifestations of
His Power and Wisdom and which does not urge people to always reflect
on them.
‘Among
His signs is that he created you from dust and then, behold, ye are men
scattered (far and wide). And among His Signs is this, that He created
for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity
with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts): verily
in that are Signs for those who reflect. And among His Signs is the
creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your
languages and your colours: verily in that are Signs for those who
know. And among His Signs is the sleep that ye take by night and by
day, and the quest that ye (make for livelihood) out of His Bounty:
verily in that are signs for those who hearken. And among His Signs, He
shows you the lightning, by way both of fear and of hope, and He sends
down rain from the sky and with it gives life to the earth after it is
dead: verily in that are Signs for those who are wise.’
(Surat-ar-Rum
(30), ayahs 21-24)
Allah
(SWT)
also says:
‘Among
His Signs is this, that He sends the Winds, as heralds of Glad Tidings,
giving you a taste of His (Grace and) Mercy,- that the ships may sail
(majestically) by His Command and that ye may seek of His Bounty: in
order that ye may be grateful. We did indeed send, before thee,
Prophets to their (respective) peoples, and they came to them with
Clear Signs: then, to those who transgressed, We meted out Retribution:
and it was due from Us to aid those who believed. It is God Who sends
the Winds, and they raise the Clouds: then does He spread them in the
sky as He wills, and break them into fragments, until thou seest
rain-drops issue from the midst thereof: then when He has made them
reach such of his servants as He wills behold, they do rejoice!- Even
though, before they received (the rain) - just before this - they were
dumb with despair! Then contemplate (O man!) the memorials of
God’s
Mercy!- how He gives life to the earth after its death: verily the same
will give life to the men who are dead: for He has power over all
things.
(Surat-ar-Rum
(30), ayahs 46-50)
There
many
other instances in the Holy Qur’an such as
in Surat-ar-Ra’d (13), al-Qasas
(28), al-Anbiyaa’
(21), an-Naml (27), Qaaf
(50), and other chapters.
|
2-
Attributes of Allah in the Holy Qur’an
A
summary of the attributes of Allah as mentioned in the Holy
Qur’an.
The
verses of
the Holy Qur’an have mentioned some
attributes necessary for perfect divinity. Here are some of those holy
verses.
1)
The existence of Allah
Allah
(SWT)
says:
‘It
is He Who has created for you (the faculties of) hearing, sight,
feeling and understanding: little thanks it is ye give! And He has
multiplied you through the earth, and to Him shall ye be gathered back.
It is He Who gives life and death, and to Him (is due) the alternation
of Night and Day: will ye not then understand?’
(Surat-al-Mu’minun
(23) ayahs 78-80)
And He
also
says:
‘God
is He Who raised the heavens without any pillars that ye can see; is
firmly established on the throne (of authority); He has subjected the
sun and the moon (to his Law)! Each one runs (its course) for a term
appointed. He doth regulate all affairs, explaining the signs in
detail, that ye may believe with certainty in the meeting with your
Lord. And it is He who spread out the earth, and set thereon mountains
standing firm and (flowing) rivers: and fruit of every kind He made in
pairs, two and two: He draweth the night as a veil o’er the
Day.
Behold, verily in these things there are signs for those who consider!
And in the earth are tracts (diverse though) neighbouring, and gardens
of vines and fields sown with corn, and palm trees - growing out of
single roots or otherwise: watered with the same water, yet some of
them We make more excellent than others to eat. Behold, verily in these
things there are signs for those who understand!’
(Surat-ar-Ra’d
(13), ayahs 2-4)
All
those
verses inform you about the existence of Allah
(SWT), and you can find evidence for that through His regulation of the
affairs of this
wonderful universe.
2&3)
The Eternity and Permanence of Allah
Allah,
exalted
be He says:
‘He
is the First and the Last, the Evident and the Immanent: and He has
full knowledge of all things.’
(Surat-al-Hadeed
(57), ayah 3)
And He
also
says:
‘And
call not, besides God, on another god. There is no god but He.
Everything (that exists) will perish except His own Face. To Him
belongs the Command, and to Him will ye (all) be brought
back.’
(Surat-al-Qasas
(28), ayah 88)
And He
also
says:
‘But
will abide (for ever) the Face of thy Lord,- full of Majesty, Bounty
and Honour.’
(Surat-ar-Rahmaan
(55) ayah 27)
These
holy
verses contain a reference to the attributes of
eternity and permanence of Allah (SWT).
4)
Allah is not an originated being
Allah,
glorified be He says:
‘Say:
‘He is God, the One and Only God, the Eternal, Absolute. He
begetteth
not, nor is He begotten. And there is none like unto
Him.’’
(Surat-al-Ikhlaas
(112), ayahs 1-4)
He also
says:
‘(He
is) the Creator of the heavens and the earth: He has made for you pairs
from among yourselves, and pairs among cattle: by this means does He
multiply you: there is nothing whatever like unto Him, and He is the
One that hears and sees (all things).’
(Surat-ash-Shuraa
(42), ayah 11)
This
contains
a clear reference that Allah is beyond
occurrence and that He is above being a child or a father or having an
equal or a similar.
5)
Allah’s Self-Sufficiency
Allah,
glorified be He says:
‘O
mankind! It is ye that have need of God: but God is the One Free of all
wants, worthy of all praise.’
(Surat-Faatir
(35), ayah 15)
He also
says
‘I
called them not to witness the creation of the heavens and the earth,
nor (even) their own creation: nor is it for helpers such as Me to take
as lead (men) astray!’
(Surat-al-Kahf
(18), ayah 51)
This
contains
a reference to the fact that He (SWT), is
self-sufficient and does not need His creatures but it is they who need
Him.
6)
The Oneness of Allah, exalted be He.
Allah
says:
‘God
has said: ‘Take not (for worship) two gods: for He is just
One God:
then fear Me (and Me alone).’ To Him belongs whatever is in
the heavens
and on earth, and to Him is duty due always: then will ye fear other
than God? And ye have no good thing but is from God: and moreover, when
ye are touched by distress, unto Him ye cry with groans.’
(Surat-an-Nahl
(16), ayahs 51-53)
And He
also
says:
‘They
do blaspheme who say: God is one of three in a Trinity: for there is no
god except One God. If they desist not from their word (of blasphemy),
verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them. Why
turn they not to God, and seek His forgiveness? For God is
Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.’
(Surat-al-Maa’idah
(5), ayahs 74-75)
Allah
also
says:
‘Or
have they taken (for worship) gods from the earth who can raise (the
dead)? If there were, in the heavens and the earth, other gods besides
God, there would have been confusion in both! but glory to God, the
Lord of the Throne: (High is He) above what they attribute to Him! He
cannot be questioned for His acts, but they will be questioned (for
theirs) Or have they taken for worship (other) gods besides him? Say,
‘Bring your convincing proof: this is the Message of those
with me and
the Message of those before me.’ But most of them know not
the Truth,
and so turn away. Not an Prophet did We send before thee without this
inspiration sent by Us to him: that there is no god but I; therefore
worship and serve Me.’
(Surat-al-Anbiyaa’
(21), ayahs 21-25)
He also
says:
‘Say:
‘To whom belong the earth and all beings therein? (say) if ye
know!’
They will say, ‘To God!’ say: ‘Yet will
ye not receive admonition?’
Say: ‘Who is the Lord of the seven heavens, and the Lord of
the Throne
(of Glory) Supreme?’ They will say, ‘(They belong)
to God.’ Say: ‘Will
ye not then be filled with awe?’ Say: ‘Who is it in
whose hands is the
governance of all things,- who protects (all), but is not protected (of
any)? (say) if ye know.’ They will say, ‘(It
belongs) to God.’ Say:
‘Then how are ye deluded?’ We have sent them the
Truth: but they indeed
practise falsehood! No son did God beget, nor is there any god along
with Him: (if there were many gods), behold, each god would have taken
away what he had created, and some would have lorded it over others!
Glory to God! (He is free) from the (sort of) things they attribute to
Him! He knows what is hidden and what is open: too high is He for the
partners they attribute to Him!’
(Surat-al-Mu’minun
(23), ayahs 84-92)
He also
says:
‘Say:
‘Praise be to God, and Peace on his servants whom He has
chosen (for
his Message).’ (Who) is better?- God or the false gods they
associate
(with Him)? Or, Who has created the heavens and the earth, and Who
sends you down rain from the sky? Yea, with it We cause to grow
well-planted orchards full of beauty of delight: it is not in your
power to cause the growth of the trees in them. (Can there be another)
god besides God? Nay, they are a people who swerve from justice. Or,
Who has made the earth firm to live in; made rivers in its midst; set
thereon mountains immovable; and made a separating bar between the two
bodies of flowing water? (can there be another) god besides God? Nay,
most of them know not. Or, Who listens to the (soul) distressed when it
calls on Him, and Who relieves its suffering, and makes you (mankind)
inheritors of the earth? (Can there be another) god besides God? Little
it is that ye heed! Or, Who guides you through the depths of darkness
on land and sea, and Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings,
going before His Mercy? (Can there be another) god besides God?- High
is God above what they associate with Him! Or, Who originates creation,
then repeats it, and who gives you sustenance from heaven and earth?
(Can there be another) god besides God? Say, "Bring forth your
argument, if ye are telling the truth!’
(Surat-an-Naml
(27), ayahs 59-64)
There
are
other similar verses which indicate that He (SWT)
is One in His being, One in His attributes, One in His actions and
deeds. There is no Lord
but Him and no deity but Him.
7)
The Power of Allah, exalted be He
Allah
(SWT):
‘O
mankind! if ye have a doubt about the Resurrection, (consider) that We
created you out of dust, then out of sperm, then out of a leech-like
clot, then out of a morsel of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed,
in order that We may manifest (our power) to you; and We cause whom We
will to rest in the wombs for an appointed term, then do We bring you
out as babes, then (foster you) that ye may reach your age of full
strength; and some of you are called to die, and some are sent back to
the feeblest old age, so that they know nothing after having known
(much), and (further), thou seest the earth barren and lifeless, but
when We pour down rain on it, it is stirred (to life), it swells, and
it puts forth every kind of beautiful growth (in pairs). This is so,
because God is the Reality: it is He Who gives life to the dead, and it
is He Who has power over all things. And verily the Hour will come:
there can be no doubt about it, or about (the fact) that God will raise
up all who are in the graves.’
(Surat-al-Hajj
(22), ayahs 5-7)
He also
says:
‘I
called them not to witness the creation of the heavens and the earth,
nor (even) their own creation: nor is it for helpers such as Me to take
as lead (men) astray!’
(Surat-al-Kahf
(18), ayah 51)
He also
says:
‘We
created the heavens and the earth and all between them in Six Days, nor
did any sense of weariness touch Us.’
(Surat-Qaaf
(50), ayah 38)
He also
says:
‘It
is He Who has let free the two bodies of flowing water: One palatable
and sweet, and the other salt and bitter; yet has He made a barrier
between them, a partition that is forbidden to be passed. It is He Who
has created man from water: then has He established relationships of
lineage and marriage: for thy Lord has power (over all
things).’
(Surat-al-Furqaan
(25), ayahs 53-54)
He also
says:
‘Seest
thou not that God makes the clouds move gently, then joins them
together, then makes them into a heap? - then wilt thou see rain issue
forth from their midst. And He sends down from the sky mountain masses
(of clouds) wherein is hail: He strikes therewith whom He pleases and
He turns it away from whom He pleases, the vivid flash of His lightning
well-nigh blinds the sight. It is God Who alternates the Night and the
Day: verily in these things is an instructive example for those who
have vision! And God has created every animal from water: of them there
are some that creep on their bellies; some that walk on two legs; and
some that walk on four. God creates what He wills for verily God has
power over all things.’
(Surat-an-Nur
(24), ayahs 43-54)
There
are
other similar verses which point to the vastness
of His power and wonderful magnitude of His greatness.
8)
The Will of Allah
Allah
(SWT)
says:
‘Verily,
when He intends a thing, His Command is, "be", and it is!’
(Surat-Yaaseen
(36), ayah 82).
He also
says:
‘When
We decide to destroy a population, We (first) send a definite order to
those among them who are given the good things of this life and yet
transgress; so that the word is proved true against them: then (it is)
We destroy them utterly.’
(Surat-al-Israa’
(17), ayah 16)
Allah
(SWT)
also says narrating the story of
Al-Khidr’s conversation with Moses, peace be upon them:
‘So
thy Lord desired that they should attain their age of full strength and
get out their treasure - a mercy (and favour) from thy Lord. I did it
not of my own accord. Such is the interpretation of (those things) over
which thou wast unable to hold patience.’
(Surat-al-Kahf
(18), ayah 82)
He (SWT)
also
says:
‘God
doth wish to make clear to you and to show you the ordinances of those
before you; and (He doth wish to) turn to you (In Mercy): And God is
All-knowing, All-wise. God doth wish to Turn to you, but the wish of
those who follow their lusts is that ye should turn away (from Him),-
far, far away. God doth wish to lighten your (difficulties): For man
was created Weak (in flesh).’
(Surat-al-Nisaa’
(4), ayahs 27-28)
There
are
other similar holy verses which confirm the
existence of the will of Allah (SWT) and that it supersedes every other
:
‘But
ye will not, except as God wills.’
(Surat-al-Insaan
(76), ayah 30)
9)
The Omniscience of Allah:
Allah
(SWT)
says:
‘He
knows all that goes into the earth, and all that comes out thereof; all
that comes down from the sky and all that ascends thereto and He is the
Most Merciful, the Oft-Forgiving.’
(Surat-Saba’
(34), ayah 2)
He also
says:
‘He
knows what is in the heavens and on earth; and He knows what ye conceal
and what ye reveal: yea, God knows well the (secrets) of (all)
hearts.’
(Surat-at-Taghabun
(64), ayah 4)
Allah
(SWT)
also says in the course of narrating the advice
given by Luqmaan to his son:
‘‘O
my son!’ (said Luqman), ‘If there be (but) the
weight of a mustard-seed
and it were (hidden) in a rock, or (anywhere) in the heavens or on
earth, God will bring it forth: for God understands the finest
mysteries, (and) is well-acquainted (with them).’’
(Surat-Luqmaan
(31), ayah 16)
Allah
(SWT)
also says in the course of narrating what
happened between Shu’aib and his people:
‘The
leaders, the arrogant party among his people, said: ‘O
Shu’aib! we
shall certainly drive thee out of our city - (thee) and those who
believe with thee; or else ye (thou and they) shall have to return to
our ways and religion.’ He said: ‘What! even though
we do detest
(them)?’ ‘We should indeed invent a lie against
God, if we returned to
your ways after God hath rescued us therefrom; nor could we by any
manner of means return thereto unless it be as in the will and plan of
God, Our Lord. Our Lord can reach out to the utmost recesses of things
by His knowledge. In the God is our trust. our Lord! decide Thou
between us and our people in truth, for Thou art the best to
decide.’’
(Surat-al-A’raaf
(7), ayahs 88-89)
He also
says:
‘Seest
thou not that God doth know (all) that is in the heavens and on earth?
There is not a secret consultation between three, but He makes the
fourth among them, - Nor between five but He makes the sixth,- nor
between fewer nor more, but He is in their midst, wherever they be: In
the end will He tell them the truth of their conduct, on the Day of
Judgement. For God has full knowledge of all things.’
(Surat-al-Mujaadalah
(58), ayah 7)
Allah
(SWT)
also says:
‘In
whatever business thou mayest be, and whatever portion thou mayest be
reciting from the Qur’an,- and whatever deed ye (mankind) may
be
doing,- We are witnesses thereof when ye are deeply engrossed therein.
Nor is hidden from thy Lord (so much as) the weight of an atom on the
earth or in heaven. And not the least and not the greatest of these
things but are recorded in a clear record.’
(Surat-Yunus
(10), ayah 61)
There
are
other similar verses \which indicate the vastness
of the knowledge of Allah (SWT), and His awareness of everything small
or large, minute or
great.
10)
Allah, the Living
Allah,
most
High says:
‘God!
There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No
slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and
on earth.’
(Surat-al-Baqarah
(2), ayah 255)
He also
says:
‘Alif
Laam Meem. God! There is no god but He,-the Living, the
Self-Subsisting, Eternal. It is He Who sent down to thee (step by
step), in truth, the Book, confirming what went before it; and He sent
down the Law (of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) before this, as a
guide to mankind, and He sent down the criterion (of judgement between
right and wrong).’
(Surat-aal-Imraan
(3), ayahs 1-3)
He also
says:
‘It
is God Who has made for you the earth as a resting place, and the sky
as a canopy, and has given you shape- and made your shapes beautiful,-
and has provided for you Sustenance, of things pure and good;- such is
God your Lord. So Glory to God, the Lord of the Worlds! He is the
Living (One): There is no god but He: Call upon Him, giving Him sincere
devotion. Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds!’
(Surat-Ghaafir
(40), ayahs 64-65)
And so
many
other verses which indicate that Allah (SWT),
is characterised with perfect, unparalleled life.
11&12)
The hearing and the sight of Allah (SWT)
Allah,
exalted
be he says:
‘God
has indeed heard (and accepted) the statement of the woman who pleads
with thee concerning her husband and carries her complaint (in prayer)
to God: and God (always) hears the arguments between both sides among
you: for God hears and sees (all things).’
(Surat-al-Mujaadalah
(58), ayah 1)
He also
says:
‘Seest
thou one who forbids- A votary when he (turns) to pray? Seest thou if
he is on (the road of) Guidance?- Or enjoins Righteousness? Seest thou
if he denies (Truth) and turns away? Knoweth he not that God doth
see?’
(Surat-al-’Alaq
(96), ayahs 9-14)
Allah
(SWT) said to Moses and to Aaron when He sent them to Pharaoh:
‘Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, for he has indeed transgressed
all bounds;
But speak to him mildly; perchance he may take warning or fear
(God).’
They (Moses and Aaron) said:
‘Our Lord! We fear lest he hasten with insolence against us,
or lest he
transgress all bounds.’
He said:
‘Fear not: for I am with you: I hear and see
(everything).’
(Surat-Taha
(20), ayahs 43-46)
He also
says:
‘And
God will judge with (justice and) Truth: but those whom (men) invoke
besides Him, will not (be in a position) to judge at all. Verily it is
God (alone) Who hears and sees (all things).’
(Surat-Ghaafir
(40), ayah 20)
There
are
other verses which indicate that He (SWT) has the
attribute of hearing and sight.
13)
The Speech of Allah, exalted be He.
Allah,
the
exalted, says:
‘...and
to Moses God spoke direct;-’
(Surat-an-Nisaa’
(4), ayah 164)
He also
says:
‘Can
ye (o ye men of Faith) entertain the hope that they will believe in
you?- Seeing that a party of them heard the Word of God, and perverted
it knowingly after they understood it.’
(Surat-al-Baqarah
(2) ayah 75)
There
are
other verses which indicate that He (SWT) has the
attribute of speech.
14)
Infiniteness of Allah’s attributes:
The
attributes
of Allah (SWT) mentioned in the Holy
Qur’an are numerous, and the aspects of His perfection are
infinite and
cannot be
conceived by the minds of human beings. Glory be to Him. We cannot
praise Him as
adequately as He has praised Himself.
|
A
comparison between the
attributes of Allah and the attributes of human beings:
What a
believer should understand by the attributes of
Allah (SWT) differs entirely from the use of the same word
‘attribute’
with
reference to human beings.
One
says, for
example, ‘Allah is ‘aalim (all-Knowing)
and ilm (Knowledge)
is an attribute of Allah (SWT) and one also says that a certain
person is very knowledgeable and a certain person has the attribute of
knowledge. However,
is the meaning of ‘knowledgeable’ the same in both
situations? God
forbid, that
this be the case. Indeed the Knowledge of Allah (SWT), is infinite and
perfect, whereas
the knowledge of created beings is absolutely nothing compared to the
Knowledge of Allah.
The same applies to the attribute of ‘living’, the
attribute of
‘hearing’, the attribute of
‘sight’, the attribute of
‘speech’, and the attribute of
‘Power’ and ‘Will’ etc.. All
these terms have entirely different meanings in relation to Allah from
those in relation
to human beings in terms of degree and quality, because Allah (SWT) is
unlike any of His
creatures. So pay attention to this crucial point. However, you are not
required to know
the nature of this difference, but it suffices for you to know its
consequences in the
universe and what it means to yourself. And I beseech Allah to protect
me from error and
to help me to succeed in my endeavour.
|
Rational
and logical proofs
of the attributes of Allah, exalted be He.
Theologians
like to prove the attributes of Allah (SWT),
using rational arguments and logical analogies. We see no harm in that
approach because
the mind is the repository of knowledge, and because sanity is a
precondition for
responsibility. This approach may help to remove any trace of confusion
or falsehood from
the mind of those who are confused or misguided. However, the existence
of Allah and
affirming His attributes of absolute Perfection have become self
evident and hardly need
any proof or argument. Only someone who is arrogant or with a diseased
heart, would demand
evidence for those self-evident truths. He may not even be satisfied
with rational
evidence. In spite of that, I am going to mention some general and
specific rational
proofs for the sake of completeness relating to what has been mentioned.
First
proof
Our
universe,
which is so vast and intricate, points to the
existence of its Creator, His greatness and Perfection.
Second
proof
You
cannot
give what you do not have. If the Creator of
this universe were not characterised by Perfection, how then can His
creatures have in
them the traces of those attributes of perfection.
Third
proof
This has
to do
with the fact that the Creator is One and
cannot possibly be more than one. This is because multiplicity of
creators would be a
cause of discord and chaos and one of them will have to be an overlord
to the others since
an essential quality of being God is to be majestic and great.
Furthermore, if one of the
Creators acted on his own, this would cancel out the divine attributes
of the others, and
if they joined together in action, this would do away with some of the
attributes of each
of them; and the annulment of the attributes of divinity contravenes
its Majesty and
Greatness. Thus there has to be One God and no other Lord.
These
are
examples of logical proofs of the existence of
the Creator and His attributes. Whoever wants more proofs can refer to
longer works.
However, this matter is firmly established in the innate nature (fitra)
of pure
souls and sound hearts.
‘for
any to whom God giveth not light, there is no light!’
(Surat-an-Nur
(24), ayah 40)
A
question which puzzles many people
It was
narrated in a Hadeeth by Abu Hurairah, may Allah be
pleased with him, that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be
with him, said:
‘Some
people will keep asking
questions until they ask: ‘Allah created the creation but who
created
Allah?’
Whoever is asked this question, let him (simply) say ‘I
believe in
Allah’.’
(Narrated by Muslim)
(Imam
Mazrewy
commented on this Hadeeth and said that the
Prophet, seems to be enjoining Muslims to refrain from trying to
respond to such questions
about Allah. However, Imam Mazrewy explained, such questions are of two
types: those which
are not troubling the mind and did not arise because of some
misconception. Those can
simply be ignored. It seems that the above mentioned Hadeeth is
referring to this type of
questions which are referred to as waswasah (whisperings
of
Satan).
Since they are
not persistently occurring to the mind, they can be set aside without
consideration of
evidence, because there is no benefit in dwelling on them. As to the
persistent questions
which arise as a result of some misconception, they can be tackled only
with arguments and
evidence. Wallahu a’lam (And
Allah knows best))
This
question
is wrong in the first place because we have
been commanded by the Prophet, may the peace and blessing of Allah be
with Him, not to
ponder over the essence of Allah (SWT), because our weak minds are
incapable of conceiving
the true nature even of themselves. So how can they possibly understand
the true nature of
Allah (SWT). However, this question comes to the minds of some people
and I would like to
explain the answer to them through an example which, God willing, will
satisfy their
questions.
I would
say
the following:
If you
place a
book on your desk and then go out of the
room and come back a short while later and find that the book which you
had left on the
desk had been removed and placed in the drawer, you would in this
situation, be firmly
convinced that someone must have put it in the drawer, this is because
you know very well
that among the attributes of this book is that it cannot move by
itself. Remember this
point and let us now move to the next point.
If there
is
someone sitting on a chair in your office, and
you go out and come back and find him sitting on the carpet, for
example, you would not
ask about the reason for his movement, and you would not believe that
someone moved him
from his earlier position, because you know that among the attributes
of this person is
that he can move by himself and that he does not need anyone to move
him. Now bear this
second point in mind and listen to what I am going to say next.
Human
beings
came into existence at a certain point in
time, and we know that they do not come into existence by themselves,
but they must have a
Creator. From that we conclude that their Creator is Allah (SWT). Now
since perfect
divinity presupposes that the deity does not need any other but is
necessarily
self-sufficient, we conclude that Allah (SWT) exists by Himself and
does not need anyone
to create Him.
If you
place
the first two points next to what I have just
said, the answer will become clear to you. This is as far as the human
mind can go. I ask
Allah to protect us from error for He is indeed Kind and Merciful.
Now I
would
like to quote to you some statements of some
European scholars which support the existence of Allah (SWT) and
acknowledge His perfect
attributes, and Allah alone I trust to help me succeed in my endeavour.
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Statements
by physicists which support the existence of Allah and acknowledge His
attributes.
We have
stated
earlier that this belief is innate in sound
hearts and firmly established in pure minds. It is almost a
self-evident fact supported by
the outcome of the exercise of the mind, generation after generation.
This is why European
cosmologists and others have believed in it even though they
didn’t
learn about it
from a religion. I shall move on to quote some of their testimonies,
not by way of proving
the truth of our faith, but in order to help strengthen it within souls
and to silence
those who would like to relinquish faith and who are deceiving
themselves..
1)
Descartes,
the French philosopher, said ‘Even
though I feel imperfection in myself, I feel at the same time there
must be a Perfect
Being and I find myself obliged to believe that this feeling was
implanted in me by the
Perfect Being which is characterised by all attributes of perfection,
which is God.’
In this
statement he is acknowledging his weakness and
inadequacy and confirming his belief in the existence and perfection of
Allah. He is
acknowledging that his feelings and sensations are a gift from Allah
and are part of the
innate nature instilled in him by Allah:
‘the
innate nature made by Allah in which He has made men’
(Surat-ar-Rum
(30), ayah 30)
2)
Isaac Newton,
the well-known English
physicist, who discovered the law of gravity said: ‘Don’t
doubt the Creator,
because it is inconceivable that accidents alone could be the
controller of this
universe.’
3)
Herschel,
the English astronomer, said: ‘The
more knowledge we have, the more irrefutable proofs we obtain for the
existence of an
Eternal Creator with infinite power. Geologists, mathematicians,
astronomers and
biologists have co-operated in setting up the edifice of science which
is the edifice of
God’s greatness.’
4)
Lenet
was quoted by Camille Flamirion, the
Frenchman, in his book titled ‘God
in Nature’ as having said: ‘The
wonders of God’s creation, the Everlasting, the Eternal, the
Omniscient, the
Omnipotent, have astounded me: what power, what wisdom, what creativity
in His creatures,
small or large. The benefits which we get from these creatures testify
to the greatness of
the Mercy of God who made them subservient to us. Their perfection and
harmony points to
His vast Wisdom. Their preservation from extinction and their renewal
bear witness to His
Majesty and Greatness.’
5)
Herbert
Spencer, the English
philosopher, said in
this respect in his Essay on Education:
‘Doubtless, to the superstitions that pass
under the name of religion, science is antagonistic; but not to the
essential religion
which superstitions merely hide. Doubtless, too, in much of the science
that is prevalent,
there is a pervading spirit of irreligion; but not in that true science
which has passed
beyond the superficial into the profound.
Devotion
to
science is a tacit worship - a tacit
recognition of worth in the things studied; by implication in their
Cause. It is not a
mere lip-homage, but a homage expressed in actions - not a mere
professed respect, but a
respect proved by the sacrifice, thought, and labour.
Not
by
dogmatic assertion, does it teach the
impossibility of comprehending the Ultimate Cause of things; but it
leads us clearly to
recognise this impossibility by bringing us in every direction to the
boundaries we cannot
cross. It realises to us in a way which nothing else can, the
insignificance of human
intelligence in the face of that which transcends human
intelligence.’
He then
goes
on to give examples to explain what he meant:
‘A
scientist
who sees a drop of water and knows
that it is made up of oxygen and hydrogen in certain proportions, in
such a way that if
these proportions change, we would have something other than water,
believes in the
Greatness, the Power, the vast Wisdom and Knowledge of the Creator more
strongly and
firmly than a non-biologist who sees it only as a drop of water.
Similarly, a scientist
who looks at a hailstone under a microscope and sees the beauty of its
design and the
magnificence of its composition, no doubt feels the Beauty of the
Creator and the His vast
Wisdom more strongly than does someone who knows nothing about it more
than that it is
frozen rain.’
The
statements
of cosmologists in this regard are
innumerable ,and what we have mentioned should suffice. We have cited
those statements so
that our young people realise that their religion is from Allah (SWT)
and that science can
only strengthen and support their faith.
Allah,
the
Exalted, says in the Holy Qur’an:
'Soon
will We show them our Signs in the (furthest) regions (of the earth),
and in their own souls, until it becomes manifest to them that this is
the Truth. Is it not enough that thy Lord doth witness all
things?’
(Surat-Fussilat
(41), ayah 53)
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The
Verses and Ahaadeeth
containing attributes of Allah
The
Qur’an and
the Traditions of the Prophet contain
verses and Ahaadeeth which give the impression that Allah (SWT) is
similar to His
creatures in some of their attributes. We shall quote some of these by
way of example,
then follow that with the explanations which have been mentioned
regarding them. We ask
for Allah’s help in demonstrating the truth in this question
which has
been a matter
of debate and controversy amongst people up until our time. We pray to
Him to protect us
from error and guide us to what is right, and on Him we depend and He
is the best to
depend on.
Examples
of verses referring to the attributes of Allah
1)
Allah, the
exalted says:
‘All
that is on earth will perish; But will abide (for ever) the Face of thy
Lord,- full of Majesty, Bounty and Honour.’
(Surat-ar-Rahmaan
(55), ayahs 26-27)
Similar
to
that is every verse which contains the word for
"face" (wajh)
of Allah (SWT).
2)
Allah,
exalted be he says
‘And
indeed We conferred a favour on thee another time (before). Behold! We
sent to thy mother, by inspiration, the message: ‘Throw (the
child)
into the chest, and throw (the chest) into the river: the river will
cast him up on the bank, and he will be taken up by one who is an enemy
to Me and an enemy to him’: But I cast (the garment of) love
over thee
from Me: and (this) in order that thou mayest be reared under Mine
eye.’
(Surat-Taha
(20), ayahs 37-39)
He (SWT)
also
says:
‘It
was revealed to Noah: ‘None of thy people will believe except
those who
have believed already! So grieve no longer over their (evil) deeds. But
construct an Ark under Our eyes and Our inspiration, and address Me no
(further) on behalf of those who are in sin: for they are about to be
overwhelmed (in the Flood).’
(Surat-Hud
(11), ayahs 36-37)
The same
goes
for every verse which contains the word for
‘eye’ (‘ayn) in
respect of Allah, glorified be He.
3) Allah
(SWT)
says:
‘Verily
those who plight their fealty to thee do no less than plight their
fealty to God: the Hand of God is over their hands: then any one who
violates his oath, does so to the harm of his own soul, and any one who
fulfils what he has covenanted with God,- God will soon grant him a
great Reward.’
(Surat-al-Fath
(48), ayah 10)
He (SWT)
also
says:
‘The
Jews say: ‘God’s hand is tied up. ‘Be
their hands tied up and be they
accursed for the (blasphemy) they utter. Nay, both His hands are widely
outstretched: He giveth and spendeth (of His bounty) as He pleaseth.
But the revelation that cometh to thee from God increaseth in most of
them their obstinate rebellion and blasphemy. Amongst them we have
placed enmity and hatred till the Day of Judgement. Every time they
kindle the fire of war, God doth extinguish it; but they (ever) strive
to do mischief on earth. And God loveth not those who do
mischief.’
(Surat-al-Maa’idah
(5), ayah 64)
He (SWT)
also
says:
‘See
they not that it is We Who have created for them - among the things
which Our hands have fashioned - cattle, which are under their
dominion?’
(Surat-Yaseen
(36), ayah 71)
4) Allah
(SWT)
says:
‘Let
not the believers Take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than
believers: if any do that, in nothing will there be he | |