Concept of God in Islam
Muslims believe in the one Creator of the Universe, referring to Him as “Allah” which is the Arabic word for “God”. Muslims worldwide, even English-speaking Muslims, frequently use the Arabic word “Allah” because Arabic is the language of the Qur’an. But Allah is no different than the God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus. The Creator is the Creator regardless of what people call Him. In the English language He is most commonly referred to as “God”. Yet Jesus spoke a different language, referring to God as “Eloi” in Mark 15:34. Are “God” and “Eloi” different gods? Many Hispanics call God “Dios” and many French say “Dieu”. It would logically follow then that people who refer to God as “Allah” in the Arabic language are referring to the very same God. In fact, many Arab Jews and Arab Christians call God “Allah”. And the word “Allah” is written in Arabic script on the walls of many Arab churches and on the pages of Arabic Bibles. So while the understanding of God may differ between faith groups, the various names used to describe Him does not change the fact that the one Creator of the Universe is the God of all people.
وَإِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الرَّحْمَٰنُ الرَّحِيمُ
your God is One God. There is no god except Him — the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.
―Quran 2:163
What Do We Know About Allah God? We know there is none like Him. The One who has no beginning and no end. The One who has full knowledge of everything that happens before it happens. The One that is neither limited by time nor space, and to whom nothing is hidden. God has neither partners nor family, neither sons nor heirs. Nothing came out of Him nor did He come out of anything. All worship is due to Him alone, the One God and Creator of all that exists.
Muslims believe in one, unique, incomparable God, Who has no son nor partner, and that none has the right to be worshipped but Him alone. He is the true God, and every other deity is false. He has the most magnificent names and sublime perfect attributes. No one shares His divinity, nor His attributes.
God is One and Unique: God is the Self-existent Who was not given life, cannot be caused to die or brought back to life by anyone else. God is eternal, without beginning or end, and is thus a Unique Being who has no equal.
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
Say: “He is God, the One,”
اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ
God, the Absolute.
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ
He begets not; nor was He begotten.
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
And there is nothing comparable to Him.
— Quran 112:1–4
This is a clear statement by Allah/God describing Himself to humanity without any room for confusion. God is One and is exalted above everything He creates.
Most people realize that there is only one true God. Throughout history, this one true God has appointed many good men to tell others about Him so that humans everywhere may turn away from false gods and worship Him alone. Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them) all spoke about this one God and worshipped Him alone.
In the Gospel According to Matthew, 26:39 we are told that Jesus fell on his face, and prayed to God. And in the Gospel According to John, 17:3, Jesus declares that the one he prayed to is the only true God.
Surah al-Ikhlas is the 112th Surah of the Quran. It gives the concept of Monotheism in Islam. Surah al-Ikhlas asserts the fact that Allah/God is the Only One truly worthy of worship. This Surah further stresses the concept of Oneness of Allah, as well as His Being and His Attributes.
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
Say: “He is God, the One,”
— Quran 112:1
The first verse of Surah al-Ikhlas negates partnership with God in every sense, whether it concerns His Self or Attributes. Being Unique is a fundamental Attribute of God. He is One, He has no equal.
اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ
God, the Absolute.
— Quran 112:2
The second verse signifies that God is the One on Whom all depend. It is Him on Whom the whole world is dependent for fulfillment of its needs, while He is in need of no one.
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ
He begets not; nor was He begotten.
— Quran 112:3
The third verse states that God was not born, nor did He give birth. This verse is an answer to those polytheists and idolaters who wrongfully ascribe partners and even propose children for Him . No offspring came out of Him nor did He come out of anything.
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
And there is nothing comparable to Him.
— Quran 112:4
The last verse proclaims the Uniqueness of God and His Attributes. He has no equal, and there is nothing like Him or similar to Him. There is none in the entire universe, nor ever was, nor ever can be, that is similar to God. Nothing and no one can even remotely resemble Him. [1]
-THE ONE GOD
Belief in the One God, the Creator and Lord of the heavens and the earth, is the first basic article of faith in Islam. But in order for any of us to have a correct understanding of God, we must first arrive at an answer to our earlier question, Who and what is He?
-THE NATURE AND ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
The following verses from the Holy Qur’an provide us with an understanding of the nature and attributes of God, the Most High. And the Describer is none other than God Himself, who has informed us about His own exalted Self in these words:
God-there is no deity except Him, the Living, the Eternal. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. to Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth. Who is the one who can intercede in His Presence except by His permission? He knows what is in front of them and what comes after them, and they do not grasp anything of His knowledge except as He wills. His Throne extends throughout the heavens and the earth, and He does not tire of guarding them; and He is the Most High, the Almighty.
( — Quran 2:255)
He is God, besides whom there is no god, Knower of the Unseen and the Visible; He is the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. He is God, besides whom there is no god, the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace, the Guardian, the Preserver, the Almighty, the Compeller, the Supreme. Glorified be God above the partners they attribute to Him! He is God, the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner. To Him belong the most beautiful Names, and He is the Almighty, the All-Wise.
( — Quran 59:22–24)
From these verses, we should easily be able to grasp that the Reality of God, the Creator and Ruler of all things, is great and exalted beyond human power to imagine or comprehend. For Almighty God, our Lord, is not some superhuman, bearded father-figure, a glorified man who sits on the clouds and orders creation by a wave of his physical hand. Rather, He is a totally unique, partnerless, transcendent Being who is not bound by any of the limitations of created beings. He does not possess a physical form or physical characteristics. He had no beginning and will have no end, nor does He have a father, mother, wife or children, or any other kind of ‘kinship’ with the beings He has created. As He proclaims,
He is God, the One, the Self-Sufficient. He does not beget nor is He begotten, and there is nothing comparable to Him.
( — Quran 112:1–4)
Originator of the heavens and the earth — how can He have a son while He has no mate?5 And He created all things, and He is well-aware o fall things.
( — Quran 6:101; also — Quran 72:3)
They say, “God has acquired a son.” Glory be to Him -He is free of all needs! To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth.
( — Quran 10:68; also — Quran 2:116)
Thus, God Himself informs us that He is the All Powerful, All-Knowing, All-Wise, Most Merciful Lord, the Originator, Fashioner, Sustainer and Ruler of all things in existence. He knows the most detailed workings of each atom of His creation, of every single part of the universe, all the secrets of life and death, and everything there is to know about ourselves, mankind. And He sustains and keeps everything in creation functioning according to His infinitely wise plan and laws. His is ultimate wisdom, power, skill and artistry.
To God belongs the sovereignty in the heavens and the earth and whatsoever is in them, and He is powerful over all things.
( — Quran 5:120)
Hence, it is clear that God Almighty is not like anything else, for only He is the Creator and all else is created. But even though, as Creator, He is totally unique and not to be compared with any of His creatures, nonetheless He is with His creation, all of it. At every single instant, “He is with you wherever you are. And God is Seer of whatever you do” (57:4). He knows the innermost secrets of our bodies, minds and hearts, and nothing whatsoever about us is hidden from Him.
We created the human being and We know what his lower self whispers to him, and We are closer to him than his jugular vein.
( — Quran 50:16)
And no deed do you do without Our being witness, es over you while you are engaged in it. Nor does an atom’s weight in the earth or in the sky, nor what is less or greater than that, escape your Lord, but is [inscribed] in a clear record. ( — Quran 10:61; also — Quran 34:03)
At the same time, God Almighty is the possessor of the most exalted attributes, possessing all of them to the highest degree of perfection. Thus, as He is merciful and just, He is infinitely, endlessly merciful and just; since He is seeing, hearing and knowing, He is most perfectly, totally seeing, hearing and knowing; absolutely, unlimitedly powerful, and at the same time infinitely loving and tender. He is the Gracious, the Forbearing, the Forgiving; He is the All-in-All.
That is God, your Lord. There is no deity except Him, the Creator of all things; therefore, worship Him. And He is the Guardian of all things.
( — Quran 6:102)
As the Sovereign and Lord, it is for Him to make any rules or laws that He deems suitable for His creatures. At the same time, because He is all-wise and all-knowing, any rules He makes for them are for their own good. He is the One who is accountable to no one but to whom all His servants are accountable. He did not create the universe and the creatures in it, including mankind, as a recreation or sport. Rather, He created them for the most perfect and just ends. And He created us, mankind, for a very special, high and extraordinary destiny. [2]
Straight to the point: After the creation of Adam, just one original message has been repeatedly delivered to mankind throughout the history of humanity. Thus, to remind people about it and bring them back on track, many prophets and messengers including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, peace be upon them, were sent by the only true God to convey this message:
The true God is only ONE.
Worship Him ALONE and keep His commandments.
The True God, The Creator
sent: to convey:
Adam > God is One
Noah > God is One
Abraham > God is One
Moses > God is One
Jesus > God is One
Muhammad > God is One
God sent these major prophets as well as many other prophets and messengers to accomplish several tasks and missions, some of which are:
1) To receive guidance from God and deliver it to people.
2) To convey the message that God is One.
3) To be role models to their people.
4) To instruct their people to fear God and keep His commandments.
5) To teach their followers important religious and moral tenets and worldly matters.
6) To guide those who deviated, disobeyed God, or worshipped other gods or idols.
7) To tell people about their final destination (the Last Day) and what leads to Paradise or Hellfire.
It is the same God who created and sent those prophets and messengers. He is the Creator of all humans, all animals, and all objects. It is this ONE TRUE GOD who created the whole universe (including nature) and all it contains. He is the Creator of life, death, and life after death. The Oneness of this true God, the Creator, is clearly evident and easily traceable in the holy scriptures of the Jews, Christians, Muslims, and others.
Studying the concept of God in the Bible and the Qur’an sincerely and objectively, a sincere seeker of the truth would be able to discern the unique qualities belonging to the true God only. Some of the qualities that distinguish this only true God from others who claim to be God are:
-This true God is Creator, not created.
-This true God is ONE, not three or more! He has no partners nor equals.
-This one true God is invisible; no one can see Him in this life. He is not physically manifested or incarnated in other forms.
-This one true God is eternal; He does not die or change.
-This one true God is not in need of anyone like a mother, a wife, or a son; or anything like food, drink, or help. But others are in need of Him.
-This one true God is unique in His attributes; no one is like Him. No human or animal descriptions can be attributed to Him.
We can use these criteria and qualities (as well as other ones belonging to Him alone) in examining and rejecting any claims of being God.
many messengers > one message:
– Moses : “God is one Lord.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
– Jesus Christ : “our God is one Lord.” (Mark 12:29)
– Muhammad : “your God is One God“ (Quran 2:163)
they preached the same message that Allah/God our Creator is one. Peace Be Upon Them all. [3]
sources:
-[1] Naji Arfaj, Just One Message, pages 4–9 (PDF Version)
-[2] Suzanne Haneef, Islam: The Path of God, pages 25–28 (PDF Version)
-[3] Islamic Pamphlets website www.islamicpamphlets.com
Salam
peace.
