Thursday, March 24, 2011

CONCEPT OF GOD IN ISLAM


Man is in a never ending search for the cause behind all
that exist in this Universe-right from the sub automic
particles to the gigantic stars and unfathomable depths
of galaxies and things beyond the bowl of night. But every time a
cause is found it so emerges out that there still remains a cause
behind that cause. This search goes on and on. But it does have an
end-when man reaches a `cause’ which does not have to have a
cause, a superior being without cause-ie., a causless cause. That
causeless cause is the end of man’s inquiry. In other words man’s
search for a cause ceases at this point. We do not find in this
universe any materialistic phenomenon without a cause. So it turns
out that the causeless superior being must be outside this Universe
and beyond material existence. Islam calls this primary
causeless cause behind all small and big, micro and macro phenomena
in the universe Allah!
But Islam does not teach that `Allah’-this causeless cause is
some conventional form of force or simple ordinary energy. The
real essence of God is beyond man’s comprehension and description.
Man knows the essence of that Divine being only through
His own divine revelations. However, the materialistic objects in this universe reveal and testify His ominiscience and omni pote And Cherisher
nce. The Holy Qur’an exhorts man to realise this fact through Who created man, out of
reason-unbiased and rational free thinking A leech-like clot’’ (Al Alaq: 1-2)
``Do they not look at the camels
These lines incite man to think freely about himself. He was
How they are made? nothing a few years back-just two unknown insignificant entities
And at the sky, fused together-first part, one out of millions of spermatazoa of
How it is raised high? the father’s semen and the second, an ovum produced from the
And at the mountains, mother’s womb to form the embryo. It grew to form a little mass
How they are fixed firm? of flesh. Inside the flesh bones started taking shape. Then the
skeletal from started building up. The bones of the skeletal sys-
And at the Earth. tem were then covered by muscles. Then eyes, ears, nose, arms,
How it is spread out?’’ (Al Ghashiyah: 17-20) legs and head grew at different rates in different proportions.
The Qur’an commands man to realize the Great Power Finally one fine day this great man appeared on Earth’s surface,
behind the wonderful design of the universe by discerning the in flesh and blood from inside his mother’s womb, absolutely helpsurrounding
nature. During the middle ages the Church’s stric- less, as one in crores. Then began his struggle for life!
tures prohibited reason as it would lead to atheism. Islam does Human body has various systems which are interconnected.
not subscribe to this view. Qur’anic verses teach man to make All these systems viz., skeletal, cardio-vascular, renal, reproducbest
use of his eyes, ears and brain to see, hear and think. tive, digestive, nervous, respiratory, endocrine & Excretive, func-
There is not even a single verse in Qur ’an which restricts man tion involuntarily.
from following reasons. As a matter of fact there is no other book The same power which caused the fusion of ovum in to the
which invokes human intelligence in such an inspiring manner. male sperm, its step by step transformation into a foetus, then into
The Quranic verses urging man to think and learn from nature a child and then to a full fledged human being, has also designed
and realize the invincibility of the Supreme Being, are thought- and laid out the most sophisticated, perfectly functional systems
provoking to a lay man as well as a scientist. inside the body. From layman living aimlessly to the scientist inHuman
being vestigating into the intricacies of human metabolism share alike
The first verses revealed to prophet (S.A) command: the abundance of the Creator’s blessings. The Qur’an asks man:
``Proclaim! (or Read!), ``How can you reject
In the name of the Lord The faith in Allah? Seeing that you were without life Arrangements for the Survival:
And He gave you life’’ (Al Baqarah: 28) The Creator has arranged every thing that is required in this
The Qur’an reveals the secrets of man’s birth: world for survival of a new born baby. When it cries that throat
doesn’t get dried up; its body temperature is kept under control;
``Man We did create the water content of the body is automatically regulated; oxygen
From a quintessence (of clay) is breathed in and carbon dioxide is breathed out-and so many
Then We placed him such intricate and complicated body functions are designed and
As (a drop of) sperm regulated by our Creator. The mother herself carries the perfectly
In a place of rest balanced diet for the offspring. There is nothing to beat breastmilk.
It contains all nutrients and antibodies and antibodies re-
Firmly fixed quired for body growth and building up immunity against dis-
Then We made the sperm eases.
into a clot of congealed blood,
The Cattle:
Then of that clot We made
As this child grows up on breast feeding he finds other sources
A (foetus) lump, then We around him for food-the most important being the milk of cattle,
Made out of that lump which is consumed even by the grown up due to its nutrition value.
Bones and clothed the bones Cow milk contains 87.2 % water, 3.7 % fats, 4.9 % sugar, 3.5 %
with flesh; then we developed vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. And who has designed such
a wonderful but highly complicated set up in cattle essential for
Out of it another creature human survival? It is none other than the Creator Lactic researcher
So blessed be Allah and the layman have the same answer. The Quran points out:
The Best to create!’’ (Al Mu’minun: 12-14) ``And in cattle (too) you
The Qur’an asks man again: Have an instructive example
``Do you then see? From within their bodies
The (human seed) that We produce (milk) for you
You throw out To drink, there are in them
It is you who create it (Besides) numerous (other)
Or are We the creator?’’ (Al Waqiah: 58,59) Benefits for you And of their (meat) you eat’’ (Al Mu’minun: 21) Is it you that cause it
``And verily in cattle (too) To grow or are We
Will you find an instructive sign The cause?’’ (Al-Waqiah: 63, 64)
From what is within their bodies The farmer doesn’t have any roll in the growth process of the
Between the excretion and blood plant after sowing the seed up to its growth. The plant grow acWe
produce for you drink cording to the `instruction’ recorded in the gene structure of the
plant cell. This set up is purely divine as the Quran reminds man:
Milk, pure and agreeable
``With it He produces
To those who drink it’’ (Al-Nahl: 66)
For you corn, olives,
Green World: Date palms, grapes,
Look around us and ponder over the beautiful greenery of the And every kind of fruits.
vast plant kingdom on which our very existence is centred. We Verily in this is a Sign,
realize the ingenuity of the Creator. Green leaves are earth’s food
producing factories. Their roots draw in water and manure from For those who give thought’’ (Al-Nahl:11)
the earth which is then `pumped’ up the stem to the leaves at the Nature is equipped with all that is necessary for the survival of
tips of the branches. They in turn absorb Carbon-dioxide from the plants and animals.
surrounding atmosphere. In the presence of sunlight all these con- The Earth and its arrangements:
stituents on the green leaves get converted into glucose through a
miraculous process known as `Photosynthesis’. Glucose is the The Earth rotates around its own axis which is inclined by
23.50 . This inclination causes seasons and climatic changes es- basic food element for plants and animals.
sential for agriculture. Water is an inevitable pre-requisite for life
During Photosynthesis CO let out by animals including man on earth. This is obtained from ponds, rivers and oceans `steam- 2 is absored by plants and in turn they let out oxygen required for ing’ under the sun. The condensed steam gets accumulated around
animals. Thus a complimentary service takes place between ani- dust particles to form droplets which fall down to form what we
mals and plants for mutual co-existence. The farmer and the bota- know as rain. Thus there is an extremely complicated and lengthy
nist feel the existence of a Superior Entity behind the plant life. process which ultimately ends up in rain showers. It is unique to
The Qur ’an asks: earth as per the latest scientific investigations. A farmer and a
``See ye, the seed that climatologist have the same understanding about rain that is help-
You sow in the ground ful in keeping life on earth and it is a special design by a Superior  Being. Even the frightening lightening bolts accompanying the earth’s surface. Thus the atmosphere is a real protective canopy
rain is a great blessing in disguise for farmers. above us providing a vast defensive mechanism. Man who lives
During lightning the atmospheric nitrogen is converted into under this vast canopy is urged by the Quran to think about such
nitrogen compounds in soil which can easily be absorbed and as- amazing protective designs set above him. The Qur’an teaches us:
similated directly by plants. Reports indicate that the nitrogen `Who has made the earth your couch
compounds thus converted per year amounts to approximately And the heavens your canopy
100 million tonnes. This figure is more than 10 times the annual And sent down rain from the heavens
world production of fertilizers.
And brought forth therewith
The Quran says that rain and thunder showers are signs of a
Superior Power; Furits for your sustenance
``And among His signs, Then set not up rivals unto Allah
He shows you the lightning, When you know (the truth)’’ (Al Baqarah: 22)
By way both of fear Honey bee, an example:
And of hope and He sends Each living being is a sign of its Creator’s ingenium. Take for
Down rain from the sky, example bee, the expert civil engineer among insects. They build
strong multichambered houses with wax and least amount of ef-
And with it gives life to fort. Scientists have never stopped wondering at the hexagonal
The earth after it is dead accuracy of the inner chambers of bee hives. Management ex-
Verily in that are signs perts are surprised at the way in which they practice the principle
For those who are wise’’ (Al Rum:24) of division of labour. Different classes of bees are entitled with
collection of honey, building hives, safe-guarding them and re-
The canopy of heavens production. Each class perform their duties with religious accu-
Earth’s atmosphere provides a miraculous protection for life racy and devotion. The communication methods they employ are
to exist on earth. The ozone layer of Earth’s stratosphere filters still more amazing. Bees which hunt for honey inform other bees
out ultraviolet rays and other harmful cosmic rays, thus setting about the location in a particuliar manner of dance called `waggle
and controlling atmospheric condition on earth’s surface suitable dance’. The shapes and sizes of these angles and circles represent
for life forms to thrive. Besides, the atmospheric air offers very and communicate the complete details of the location of honeyhigh
resistance to the meteorites falling down at tremendous ve- distance, direction, quantity and quality.
locities. Due to this resistance they burn out before they touch the And it is an established fact that honey has wonderful medicirties since its brain is too small. Who else has supplied the bee with From time immemorial man has been looking at the sky wonthese
powers? The Creator Himself and no on else. The Qur’an dering about the sun, the moon and the stars which eventually
reveals: have become a part of his life in many ways. To the ancient man
``And your Lord taught the Bee sunrise and sunset were intriguing experiences occuring every
To build its cells in hills day. But to the modern man it is the tremendous nuclear exploon
trees and in (men’s) habitations sion inside the solar mass is bewildering. The sun weighs 703.1
billion kgs. Per m3 . The temperature at the centre is estimated to
Then to eat of all the produce (of the earth) be 6.5 million degrees Celcius and the pressure 70.3 tonnes per
And find with skill the spacious cm2 . Nuclear fusion is the basic process inside the mass of sun
Paths of its Lord, there issues that generates tremendous solar energy which is the source of
From within their bodies energy for the whole solar system. The energy thus generated in a
second is equivalent to thousands of Hydrogen bomb explosions.
A drink of varying colours It approximately amounts to 10 Joules. (This is more than the 2 5
Where in is healing for men energy required for Earth for a period of 10000 years). Sun is just
Verily in this is sign one star among millions in the galaxy called Milkyway. It is situFor
those who think’’ (Al Nahl: 68,69) ated 32000 light years away from the centre of Milkyway. Sun
This is true with any living being-on land, water and skies. revolves around this centre in circular path at speed of 250km/
Thus God’s presence can be felt in every creature every where. sec. It takes 250 million years or one Cosmic year for completing
one such revolution. Modern science tells us that the sun, the
``And Allah has created milkyway, etc... are all moving in definite paths. Thus the more
Every animal; from water we learn about the cosmic system the more we understand the
Of them there are some creative ingeniun of Allah Almighty.
That creep on their bellies The Qur’an points out to this fact:
Some that walk on four ``And the sun runs its course
Allah creates what He wills For a period determined
For verily Allah has power For it, that is
Over all things’’ (Al Nur:45) The decree of (Him)
The exalted in might The all-knowing’’ (Yaseen: 38) ``Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the Earth
``It is He who created the Night and the Day In the alternation of the Night and the Day
And the Sun and the Moon In the sailing of ships through the ocean
All (the celestial bodies) for the benefit of mankind
Swim along, each in its In the rain which Allah sends down from the skies
Rounded course’’ (Al Ambiya:33) And the life which He gives therewith
Address of Human being To an Earth that is dead;
Man who realizes where he stands in this wide expanse of the In the beasts of all kinds that He scatters
universe will definitely prostrate in front of its creator. A uni- Through out the Earth:
verse filled with millions of clustres, each clustre consisting of In the change of the winds,
millions of galaxies and each galaxy studded with millions of tril- And the clouds which trail like their slaves
lions of stars, pulsars, quasars, nebulae and black holes! And our Between the sky and the Earth
sun just a tiny star in the Milkyway stretching across the sky, one
among millions of falaxies. This Sun is 1.35 millions times big- (Here) indeed are Signs
ger than earth in volume. The milky way contains stars which are For a people that are wise’’ (Al Baqarah: 164)
thousands and thousands times bigger than our sun which is just a The Qur’an invokes human intelligence in Al -A’raf:
medium sized star in the Milky way. Nine planets revolve around Do they see nothing, the government of the heavens
the sun. Besides there are a lot many satellites, comets, dwarf And the Earth and all, that Allah has created?
planets, meteorites, etc... in the solar system. Earth is one among
the 9 planets. And Man is just one among millions of species or (Do they not see) that, it may well be that
earth. Each one of us is just on among crores and crores of such Their term is nigh drawing to an end?
men. But the protection offered to this `tiny’ and `unimportant’ In what message after this,
human being, other species, the earth, the planets, milkyway, gal- Will they then believe?’’ (Al A’raf: 185)
axies, etc. are the same. That means the same `commander’ pro- ``Allah created the heavens
tects and controls them all. We realize how inferior our powers
are and that we are just nothing in this universe. The ultimate And the earth in true (proportions)
realization forces us to lower our heads down in front of the Al Verily in that is a sign
mighty Creator. The Qur’an precisely points out to this truth: For those who believe’’ (Al’ Ankabut: 44) When the Qur’an teaches us to learn about the creator by look- From the sort of things, they attribute to Him!’’
ing at ourselves and the surrounding nature. It does not advocat (Al Mu’minum:91)
blind faith. The Qur’an invokes human beings to use their intelli- This harmony is felt every where in the Universe. Entering in
gence. The amazing control and order which surrounds the micro to the micro-level world of atoms one can see the amazing strucand
macro world of animate and inanimate beings are pointed ture of inter dependance between electrons, protons, neutrons,
out. Thus The Holy Qur’an leads man to truth-the Absolute Truth. mesons and positrons. It is true in the case of the macro world
Oneness of God: too. This uniform structure of universal laws governing the cosThe
Holy Qur’an which points out to the hands of God, the mic phenomena indicate that these are all creations of the one and
Supreme Creator, in the amazing universal phenomena, uses the the same creator. The harmony and co-ordination would just not
same objects for establishing the absurdity of polytheism. Every have been possible if there were more than one creator. If we system in the human being is related to each other. Similarily it is accept Einstein’s theory that universal phenomena are basically
a well known fact that various species are related to each other. the result of space time curvature due to gravity, we would be
There are many small and big animals which coexist mutually. forced to accept the existence of a single creator, who brought all
Plants and animals depend on each other for existence. The Earth’s this universe under a single law. Einstein postulated that not even living environment is designed in such a fashion that neither of a single substance in this world existed outside the limits of this the two Kingdoms- animals and plants-can exist in the total ab- law.
sence of the other. This co-ordinated orchestration of life on earth If all planets and stars had seperate creators they would have
cannot be achieved by different creators. Then this kind of mu- all got destroyed by collision. If there had been more than one
tual dependence would not have been possible. The creator of Supreme being controlling this Universe titanic clashes between
animals would have his own way of control and the creator of their interests would have ended up in the total destruction of the
plants would have had a different one. Qur’an points out to the Universe. The Qur ’an again points to this fact:
harmony existing in nature through the following verse: ``If there were, in the heavens and the earth
``No son did Allah beget, Other gods besides Allah,
Nor is there any god along with Him; there would have been ruin in both!
(If there were many gods), behold, each god But glory to Allah, the Lord of the Throne:
Would have taken away what he had created, (High He is) above what they attribute to Him’’
And some would have loaded it over others! (Al Ambiya: 22)
Glory to Allah! (He is free) Allah is the all knowing sole Creator, Protector and Controller head of a clan. It is the name assigned to God of all tribes, country and essence that He exhibits multiplicity. That means He is the
men, castes and races. Different names are used by different peo- one. The Qur’an stresses this fact unequivocally in Al-Ikhlas the
ple to point out this Supreme Entity. The words `Para-brahmam’ pivotal chapter of Quran:
or `Paramathma’ are used in Upanishads to devote this Supreme ``Say He is Allah, the one and only
Power. In Old Testament El Elohim. El Sheddai, El Elion, Adonoi, Allah, the Eternal Absolute,
Yah, Jeho- vah etc., are assigned to God. Since the teachings of
Jesus are not written in his mother tongue Aramic language the He begetteth not, Nor is He begotten,
exact form of God name he used is not known. However Bible And there is none like unto Him’’ (Al-Ikhlas: 1-4)
experts argue that it was Elohim. The Holy Qur;an uses the word Man has a lot of limitations, basically he acquires knowledge
Allah to address the Supreme Creator. Linguists say that the word through senses. The human brain processes informations collected
means one who really deserves all prayers and worships. Others through the five senses. It is a well known fact that human sense
say that there is no equivalent work in any other form. In any case have a lot of limitations.
the word used do not indicate God of a particular race or creed. Human eye can see light only within a range of wave lengths
The Qur’an does not use the word in that sense. from 380 to 780 millimicrons. The ultraviolet rays, X-rays, infraThe
Essence of God: red rays and cosmic rays which are emitted at wavelengths above
or below this range are not visible for human eyes. Human ear
Matter is the building material of this Universe. Multiplicity can listen to sound waves within a frequency range of 20 Hz. to
is a basic nature of matter. The search for a fundamental sub- 20,000 Hz. Sound waves beyond these limits are not audible to
stance has led scientists to the conclusion that nothing exists which human ear. So also is the case with taste, smell etc. So it turns out
can be called a single or fundamental substance. Elements join in that, since human senses have limitations the brain also must have
different proportions to form various substances. Atoms from limitations. That means we can think only about this materialistic
molecules. Atom consists of electrons, protons, neutrons, mesons world. Human brain is incapable of thinking beyond the materialand
positrons. They were thought to be the fundamental particles. istic world and creating images and performing calculations out-
Later it was discovered that they were made up of quarks which side its limits.
don’t have independant existence. Thus there is nothing in this
It was already pointed out that Allah is beyond matter and materialistic world which can be called a fundamental substance hence limitations of materials are not applicable in His case. Hu- or a particle. This is attributed to multiplicit is the fundamental man brain is incapable of arriving at conclusions and deductions
character of matter, by scientists. It is Allah the Creator of matter on his own about God. Because it is all beyond limits of his senses.
and the universe who can be described as single in all respects. Human brain which is with in space-time limits can not visualize the Supreme being beyond space-time limits. The Qur’an verse ``This is so because Allah is the Reality,
given below indicates this:- It is He who gives life to the dead
``No vision can grasp Him And it is He who has power over all things’ (Al Hajj:6)
But His grasp is over all vision
Creator and Creations:
He is above all comprehension Islam does not subscribe to the idea that this universe is just an
Yet is acquainted with all things’’ (Al-Ana’s: 103) illusion. It is real, but it is just a creation which has a beginning
This verse indicates that materialistic perception and observa- and an end. According to the theory that Universe is just an illution
are not sufficient to fathom Allah, who is beyond matter. sion it does not need a creator behind it. But the Holy Quran says
Islam doesn’t present a picture of a tired God who just as any- that it has a Supreme Creator and all the creations are proclaimbody
takes rest from the 7th day onwards, after laborious work of ing His purity and truth.
creation of the Universe. Qur’an and Prophet (SA) teach us that ``Whatever is in the heavens and on earth
Allah’s mighty power and control are absolutely necessary be- Let it declare the Praises and glory of Allah,
hind each and every phenomenon-be it the micro level process of For He is the exalted in might, the wise’’ (Al Hadid:1)
splitting of a gene cell or the titanic clashes of star. The preposition that the Creator and the creations are one and
``His throne does extend over the heavens the same is another side of the same coin. islam reaffirms that this
And the earth. theory is absurd and baseless. The essence of Allah is distinct
And He feels no fatigue in guarding and from His creations. The God Qur’an present is not one whose
Preserving them entity is spread over in all His creations. If that be so He has to
have limitations partially. But He is beyond all nature ie., His
For He is the most high essence is distinct from nature. But His knowledge and power
The supreme (in glory)’’ (Al-Baqarah: 255) contain and include all things. From the feeblest movement in an
The God Islam presents is not just a form of energy. Islam atom to the gigantic explosions of stars are within His power and
teaches that He possesses all powers and never dies. control. He is beyond time and space limitations. He is beyond
matter and its limitations. His power stretches to all macro and
``And put the trust in Him who lives and dies not; micro world.
And celebrate His praise and enough is He ``To Him belongs the dominion of the heaven and the earth
To be aquainted with the faults of His servants’’ It is He who gives Life and Death and
(Al-Furqan: 58) He has power over all things He is the first and the last table. But Allah can create table from nothingness. Combining
The evident and hidden hydrogen and oxygen, Water can be produced in the laboratory.
And He has full knowledge of all things’’ (Al Hadid: 2,3) But the scientist will not claim he has created water. Because water is a creation of God Almighty. This is applicable to all substances.
All the creatures in this world are Allah’s creations. Creator And that is What Qur’an reveals through the following verses:
and creations are not the same. Creation is entirely distinct from ``O men! Here is a parable set forth! Listen to it!
the Creator. It is like a painter and his painting. Painter is not the
painting. Painting is not the painter. From any perspective they Those on whom besides Allah, you call, cannnot create
are different. Qur’an uses the words `doonillahi (besides Allah) (Even) a fly even if they all met together for the purpose!’’
and `gairullahi’ (other than Allah) whenever creation are men- (Al Hajj: 73)
tioned. It is clear from these words that creations are absolutely
different from God. All creations including man are different from The Mighty
the essence of Allah according to the Qur’anic teachings. All the animate and inanimate things in this Universe are observable
evidences of Allah’s might and power. The one who can
Allah’s attributes: create out of nothingness should definitely be a Superior power.
The view that Allah doesn’t have any quality is against Qur’anic There is nothing which is beyond His capacity. Listen to the
teachings. The God introduced by Qur’an is complete in all right- Quranic verse:
eous qualities. But they are not comparable with those of men. ``This is so because Allah is the Reality,
Human qualities are constrained within space-time limits. But the It is He who gives life to the dead,
qualities of Creator of space-time limits itself should definitely
be beyond space-time limits. The Quranic description of Allah And it is he who has power over all things’’ (Al Hajj:6)
ie., "there is nothing whatever like unto Him’’ (Al-Shura: 11) in- ``Blessed be He, in whose hands is Dominion
dicates not only the essence of the Creator but his qualities too. And He over all things has power’’ (Al Mulk:1)
The creations can never posses qualities equal to those of the Crea-
tor. The Supreme:
From time immemorial, there have been men of power who
The Creator: boasted that what all they have is due to their own abilities and
Allah is the one who created the universe from absolute noth- power. But history tells us that many such people had fallen into
ingness. Creation is also a quality of Allah. We can only build unfathomable abyss of miseries. We have heard about people who
things. It is just a kind of transformation that is brought to materi- rose from scratches to dizzy heights of glory and pomp. But the
als available. A carpenter can make a table. He can not create a real owner of all powers is Allah alone. He makes man powerful or powerless. The Qur’an Commands: It is the same (to Him) whether any of you
``Say, oh Allah’ Lord of Power (and rule) Conceal his speech or declare it openly;
You give power to whom you please Wheather he lie hid by night
And You strip off power from whom You please Or walk forth freely by day’’ (Al Ra’d: 9,10)
You endure with honour whom you please ``And whether you hide your word or publish it
And you bring low whom you please He certainly has (full) knowledge of the
In Your hands is all good Secrets of (all) Hearts
Verily over all things You have power’’ (Al-Imran:26) Should He not know- He that created?
The Omniscient: And He is the one that understands the finest
Allah knows all. There is no state of ignorance. To Him there Mysteries (and) is well acquainted (with them)’’
is nothing like `revealed’ or `secret’. Nothing is public or private (Al Mulk: 13,14)
to Him. He is all knowing. Past, present and future are for this
world which incurably is bound by these three time epochs. Allah The Living:
is beyond time. He knows past, present and future. He knows all Allah has given life to us all. Life has started from Him. There
the secrets and intricacies of every animate and inanimate things is a limit for the life of all creations since they have started life at
in this world which He has created. Qur’an explains this fact: a particular point in time. One day they will perish. Sleep, death,
``With Him are the keys, of the Unseen drowziness, etc..... will affect creations. But life in its complete
and absolute form exists only in Allah. No beginning, no end, no
The treasures that none knows but
sleep, no drowziness. The Quran declares:
He knows whatever there is on the Earth and in the sea
``Allah! there is no god but He -the Living
Not a leaf does fall but with His knowledge The self subsisting, eternal
There is not a grain in the darkness (or depth) of the Earth No slumber can seize Him, nor sleep’’ (Al Baqarah: 255)
Nor anything fresh or dry (green or witheres)
Hearing, sight and such senses of human beings and other life
But is (inscribed) in a record forms have limitations. The life -giver who has provided these
Clear (to those who can read)’’ (Al Ana’m: 59) senses does not have these limitations. Or there is no sanctity for
``He knows the Unseen and that which is open such limitations in Him. This idea is more meaningful when we
He is the Great, the most High know that these senses are beyond space-time limits in His case.It is also accurate and specific. God is without qualities for peo- Despair not of the Mercy of Allah;
ple who make Him deaf and mute. But Allah the Holy Qur’an For Allah forgives
presents is different. All sins for He is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful
``Allah hears and sees (all things)’’ (Al Mujadilah:1) Turn you to your Lord (in repentance) and bow
The most Gracious and Merciful: To His (will) before the Penalty comes on you;
The Qur’an declares that Allah who creates and protects His After that you shall not be helped’’ (Al Zumar: 53, 54)
creation is the most Graceful and Merciful. His name Al Rahman Allah likes those who repent. Those who repent with hearthas
been several times repeated in the Holy Qur’an. In the Holy felt guilty consciousness and confess sincerely and try not to move
Quran this divine name is repeated 169 times. It means `the most again to the paths of sin, will be forgiven by the Most Merciful
Merciful to his creations’. Every chapter except on in the Quran Allah. He doesn’t like any one in between for recommendation or
starts with `Bilsmillahi Rahmani Rahim’ Every good deed is started meditation. Prophet (SA) describes through an example, the pleaswith
`Bismillah’. Which means `In the name of Allah the most ure Allah will have when somebody returns to the righteous path
Gracious, the most Merciful. It is the most repeated sentence in a after repentance.
Muslims’s life. Allah Himself considers mercy towards creation `One man sleeps under the shadow of a tree in the desert. He
as binding on Him. He declares this fact in the Holy Qur’an: gets up to find his camel gone. It was carrying food and water for
``Your Lord has inscribed for Himself (the ruel of) him. Now he is left out alone in the desert. He desperately searches
Mercy; verily if any one of you did evil for the camel. At the end he loses all hopes and looks beyond the
In ignorance and there after repented and amended horizon as a man who has lost every thing in life. All on a sudden
(His conduct) the camel appears in front of him. What will be his relief and
happiness? Allah will enjoy many many times of this happiness
He is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful’’ (Al Ana’am: 54) when His sinful slave repents. There are a number of verses in the
Allah hates sins. And the Qur ’an says that sinners cannot at- Qur’an which reveals qualities related to His mercy and grace. Al
tain proximity to Allah. But whatever be the quantum of sin one Rahman, Al Rahim, Salaam, Gafoor, Latheef, Kareem, Thawab,
has committed if he repents sincerely and accept the path of right- Wadood, etc,.... are a few among them which designate His boundeousness.
Allah, the most Merciful will forgive all his previous less mercy and love for this creation.
sins. That is What Qur’an teaches:
``Say: Oh my servants who have transgressed The Just:
Against their souls! Man is the only living being which can independently do things
on his own. He can think about and weigh in his mind the pros  and cons of various situations and take decisions accordingly. He ` `And Allah means no injustice to any of His creatures’’
can rise to sublime levels by virtuous deeds and sink low to shame- (Al Imran:108)
ful depths by sinning. Allah commands him to choose the right- ``Allah is never unjust in the least degree’’ (Al Nisa: 40)
eous path and live accordingly. Happiness and peace can prevail
only in a society where moral values are accepted and followed. ``And not one will your Lord treat with injustice’’
Therefore is bound on every human being to accept moral values. (Al Kahf: 49)
But every human being has an innermost evil desire to isolate Allah, One and Only to be Worshipped:
these moral values. A peaceful civilised society can flourish only
if such desires are brought under control. It is Allah who creates and protects human beings. He is the
Creator and Protector of the whole world. He is the Most Grace-
Doing good things for the making of an elite society is actu- ful and Merciful. He knows all. even the hidden things. He is just.
ally a part of Allah’s mercy. That is why Allah has given the rul- Only He who knows the `in’ and `out’ of things will know the
ing that those who sin here shall get a painful life in the hereafter transactions going on in the minds of people. Allah says in the
and those who do good deeds will get a virtuous life in the here- Qur’an:
after. If evil and righteousness, right and wrong, justice and injus-
tice are treated alike by Allah’s divine justice what is the sanctity ``Allah knows well all that is in (men’s) hearts’’
of truth, justice and righteousness? Our common sense tells us (Luqman:23)
that it is not rational. Evil and righteousness should be rewarded Prayer means asking those who have inhuman powers for things
in the same coin. The deeds- good or bad- in this world will be beyond human power and capability. There fore prayer is a kind
rewarded in a fitting manner in the hereafter. The punishment a of celestial, spiritual plea for help. The essence of prayer is actusinner
receives in the hereafter is actually, because of Allah’s abun- ally in the minds of those who pray. Whatever be the beauty of
dant mercy to the human race. Allah commands Prophete (SA): prayer if it doesn’t spring out from the depths of the heart it is
``Tell my servants, that I am indeed worthless. It is just a verbal jugglery. It generates from the fast
movements of the lips. Prayer is meaningul only if the worship-
The oft-forgiving, Most Merciful, per’s heart yearns for the help of the worshipped. Prayer is the
And that My penalty will be indeed essence of all kinds of worship. Only prayer can put life in the
The most grievous penalty’’ (Al Hajr: 49,50) rituals of any kind of worship.
There are many Qur’anic verses which make it clear that it is a So whom should man offer prayer to? Whom should he worpart
of Allah’s justice to reward human beings for all their deeds ship? It is to Him who hold the key to the entire secrets, things
in this materialistic world and that He would not be unjust to private and public in this Universe, who knows the innermost
anybody. The Qur’an says: transactions of every human being. He only deserves prayer that is what common sense says. Prayers should be offered to only the That you may become righteous’ (Al Baqarah: 21)
Creator and the Protector. That is what Islam teaches. Belief in In the same chapter Qur’an declares:
God attains perfection only when it is held wth conviction that ``Allah, there is no god, but He-the Living
prayers and other offerings are to be made only to Allah. Thauhid
(belief in Oneness of God) which Islam upholds will be complete The Self subsisting, Eternal,
only when He, Who is complete and perfect in every thing is No slumber can seize Him nor sleep
worshipped. His are all things in the heavens and on earth
Social scientists are of the opinion that faith in God influences Who is there that can intercede in His presence
the innermost corners of human hearts. Man transforms himself Except as He permits? into inferior levels when he starts worshipping natural phenom-
ena inferior to his own entity and essence. Man’s superior nature He knows what (appears to His creature as)
is blemished when he finds demigods in every animate and inani- Before or after or Behind them
mate things in nature. Man attains spititual elitism only when he Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge
offers prayers to an invincible and absolute power ie., Allah, It is Except as He wills
worship to Him only, that is demanded by Allah from human be-
ings. Allah says in the Qur ’an: His throne does extend over the heavens
``I have only created Jinns and men that, And the earth and He feels
They may worship me No fatigue in guarding and preserviing them
No substance do I require of them, For He is the Most High-The Supreme (in glory)’’
Nor do I require that they should feed me (Al Baqarah: 255)
For Allah is He who gives (all) sustence ``He is who shapes you in the wombs
Lord of power-steadfast (forever)’’ As He pleases.
(Al Dhariyat: 56, 58) There is no god but He
It is the worship to the Creator and Protector that prevents The Exalted in Might, the Wise’’ (Al-Imran:6)
man from sins. The Qur’an commands man: ``There is no god but He
``Oh you people! That is the witness of Allah
Adore your Guardian Lord, Who created you His angels and those endued with knowledge
And those who came before you, Standing firm on justice There is no god but He
The Exalted in power, the wise’’ (Al-Imran:18)
``Allah! There is no god but He, of a surety
He will gather you together against
The Day of judgement,
About which there is no doubt
And whose word can be
Truer than Allah’s?’’ (Al Nisa: 87)
A man can enter through the door of faith (Imam) and enroll
himself as a member of the society of believers (Mu’min) only
when he strongly believes that Allah is the only one deservng all
forms of worship and prayers and that He is unparalled in essence
and qualities.
Man starts leading a new different life when he believes in the
oneness of God. He doesn’t bow in front of idols and tombs. He
leads a life absolutely free offering prayers to the One and Only
Allah and accepts His commands truthfully. Thus he becomes a
Muslim and transforms himself to some one who has submitted
totally to the will of the Creator.