CONCEPT OF GOD IN ISLAM: A DETAIL DISCUSSION

CONCEPT OF GOD IN ISLAM : A DETAIL
DISCUSSION ;
• The Most Concise Definition of God
• Surah Ikhlas - the touchstone of theology
• What does Islam say about ‘god-men’?
• By what name do we call God?
• God does not take human form:
• God does not perform ungodly acts:
• God only performs Godly acts:
• Philosophy Of Anthropomorphism
• The Creator prepares the instruction manual
• Allah chooses Messengers:
• Each attribute of God is unique and possessed by
Him alone:
• Unity of God
• Tawheed
The Most Concise Definition of God"Say: He is
Allah,
The One and Only.
"Allah, the Eternal, Absolute.
"He begets not, nor is He begotten.
And there is none like unto Him."
[Al-Qur’an 112:1-4]
The word ‘Assamad’ is difficult to translate. It
means ‘absolute existence’, which can be attributed
only to Allah (swt), all other existence being
temporal or conditional. It also means that Allah
(swt) is not dependent on any person or thing, but
all persons and things are dependent on Him.
Surah Ikhlas - the touchstone of theology:Surah
Ikhlas (Chapter 112) of the Glorious Qur’an, is the
touchstone of theology. ‘Theo’ in Greek means God
and ‘logy’ means study. Thus Theology means
study of God and to Muslims this four line
definition of Almighty God serves as the touchstone
of the study of God. Any candidate to divinity must
be subjected to this ‘acid test’. Since the attributes
of Allah given in this chapter are unique, false gods
and pretenders to divinity can be easily dismissed
using these verses.
What does Islam say about ‘god-men’?India is
often called the land of ‘god-men’. This is due to
the abundance of so-called spiritual masters in
India. Many of these ‘babas’ and ‘saints’ have a
large following in many countries. Islam abhors
deification of any human being. To understand the
Islamic stand towards such pretenders to divinity,
let us analyze one such ‘god-man’, Osho Rajneesh.
Let us put this candidate, ‘Bhagwan’ Rajneesh, to
the test of Surah Ikhlas, the touchstone of
theology:
1. The first criterion is "Say, He is Allah, one and
only". Is Rajneesh one and only? No! Rajneesh was
one among the multitude of ‘spiritual teachers’
produced by India. Some disciples of Rajneesh
might still hold that Rajneesh is one and only.
2. The second criterion is, ‘Allah is absolute and
eternal’. We know from Rajneesh’s biography that
he was suffering from diabetes, asthma, and
chronic backache. He alleged that the U.S.
Government gave him slow poison in prison.
Imagine Almighty God being poisoned! Rajneesh
was thus, neither absolute nor eternal.
3. The third criterion is ‘He begets not, nor is He
begotten’. We know that Rajneesh was born in
Jabalpur in India and had a mother as well as a
father who later became his disciples.
In May 1981 he went to U.S.A. and established a
town called ‘Rajneeshpuram’. He later fell foul of
the West and was finally arrested and asked to
leave the country. He came back to India and
started a commune in Pune which is now known as
the ‘Osho’ commune. He died in 1990. The
followers of Osho Rajneesh believe that he is
Almighty God. At the ‘Osho commune’ in Pune one
can find the following epitaph on his tombstone:
"Osho – never born, never died; only visited the
planet Earth between 11th December 1931 to 19th
January 1990."
They forget to mention that he was not granted
visa for 21 countries of the world. Can a person
ever imagine ‘God’ visiting the earth, and requiring
a visa to enter a country! The Archbishop of Greece
said that if Rajneesh had not been deported, they
would have burnt his house and those of his
disciples.
4. The fourth test, which is the most stringent is,
"There is none like unto Him". The moment you can
imagine or compare ‘God’ to anything, then he (the
candidate to divinity) is not God. It is not possible
to conjure up a mental picture of the One True God.
We know that Rajneesh was a human being, having
two eyes, two ears, a nose, a mouth and a white
flowing beard. Photographs and posters of
Rajneesh are available in plenty. The moment you
can imagine or draw a mental picture of an entity,
then that entity is not God.
Many are tempted to make anthropomorphic
comparisons of God. Take for instance, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, the famous body builder and
Hollywood actor, who won the title of ‘Mr.
Universe’, the strongest man in the world. Let us
suppose that someone says that Almighty God is a
thousand times stronger than Arnold
Schwarzenegger. The moment you can compare
any entity to God, whether the comparison is to
Schwarzenegger or to King Kong, whether it is a
thousand times or a million times stronger, it fails
the Qur’anic criterion, "There is none like unto
Him".
Thus, the ‘acid test’ cannot be passed by anyone
except the One True God.
The following verse of the Glorious Qur’an conveys
a similar message:
"No vision can grasp Him
But His grasp is over
All vision: He is
Above all comprehension,
Yet is acquainted with all things."
[Al-Qur'an 6:103]
By what name do we call God?The Muslims prefer
calling the Supreme Creator, Allah, instead of by
the English word ‘God’. The Arabic word, ‘Allah’, is
pure and unique, unlike the English word ‘God’,
which can be played around with.
If you add ‘s’ to the word God, it becomes ‘Gods’,
that is the plural of God. Allah is one and singular,
there is no plural of Allah. If you add ‘dess’ to the
word God, it becomes ‘Goddess’ that is a female
God. There is nothing like male Allah or female
Allah. Allah has no gender. If you add the word
‘father’ to ‘God’ it becomes ‘God-father’. God-
father means someone who is a guardian. There is
no word like ‘Allah-Abba’ or ‘Allah-father’. If you
add the word ‘mother’ to ‘God’, it becomes ‘God-
mother’. There is nothing like ‘Allah-Ammi’, or
‘Allah-mother’ in Islam. Allah is a unique word. If
you prefix tin before the word God, it becomes tin-
God i.e., fake God. Allah is a unique word, which
does not conjure up any mental picture nor can it
be played around with. Therefore the Muslims
prefer using the Arabic word ‘Allah’ for the
Almighty. Sometimes, however, while speaking to
the non-Muslims we may have to use the
inappropriate word God, for Allah. Since the
intended audience of this article is general in
nature, consisting of both Muslims as well as non-
Muslims, I have used the word God instead of Allah
in several places in this article.
God does not become a human being:
God does not take human form:
Some may argue that God does not become a
human being but only takes a human form. If God
only takes a human form but does not become a
human being, He should not possess any human
qualities. We know that all the ‘God-men’, have
human qualities and failings. They have all the
human needs such as the need to eat, sleep, etc.
The worship of God in human form is therefore a
logical fallacy and should be abhorred in all its
forms and manifestations.
That is the reason why the Qur’an speaks against
all forms of anthropomorphism. The Glorious
Qur’an says in the following verse:
"There is nothing whatever like unto Him." [Al-
Qur'an 42:11]
God does not perform ungodly acts:The attributes
of Almighty God preclude any evil since God is the
source of justice, mercy and truth. God can never
be thought of as doing an ungodly act. Hence we
cannot imagine God telling a lie, being unjust,
making a mistake, forgetting things, or having any
such human failings. Similarly God can do injustice
if He chooses to, but He will never do it because
being unjust is an ungodly act.
The Qur’an says:
"Allah is never unjust In the least degree." [Al-
Qur'an 4:40]
God can be unjust if He chooses to be so, but the
moment God does injustice, He ceases to be God.
God does not make mistakes
God can make mistakes if He wants to, but He does
not make mistakes because making a mistake is an
ungodly act. The Qur’an says:
"…my Lord never errors." [Holy Qur'an 20:52]
The moment God makes a mistake, he ceases to
be God.
God does not forget
God can forget if He wants to. But God does not
forget anything because forgetting is an ungodly
act, which reeks of human limitations and failings.
The Qur’an says:
"…my Lord never errors, nor forgets." [Al-Qur’an
20:52]
God only performs Godly acts:
The Islamic concept of God is that God has power
over all things. The Qur’an says in several places
(Al -Qur’an 2:106; 2:109; 2:284; 3:29; 16:77; and
35:1):
"For verily Allah has power over all things"
Further, the Glorious Qur’an says:
"Allah is the doer of all that He intends." [Al-Qura'n
85:16]
We must keep in mind that Allah intends only Godly
acts and not ungodly acts.
PHILOSOPHY OF ANTHROPOMORPHISMMany
religions at some point believe, directly or
indirectly, in the philosophy of anthropomorphism
i.e. God becoming a human. Their contention is
that Almighty God is so pure and holy that He is
unaware of the hardships, shortcomings and
feelings of human beings. In order to set the rules
for human beings, He came down to earth as a
human. This deceptive logic has fooled countless
millions through the ages. Let us now analyze this
argument and see if it stands to reason.
The Creator prepares the instruction manual
Suppose I manufacture a video cassette recorder
(VCR). Do I have to become a VCR to know what
is good or what is bad for the VCR? What do I do?
I write an instruction manual: "In order to watch a
video cassette, insert the cassette and press the
play button. In order to stop, press the stop
button. If you want to fast forward press the FF
button. Do not drop it from a height or it will get
damaged. Do not immerse it in water or it will get
spoilt". I write an instruction manual that lists the
various do’s and don’ts for the machine.
Holy Qur’an is the instruction manual for the
human being:
Similarly, our Lord and Creator Allah (swt) need
not take human form to know what is good or bad
for the human being. He chooses to reveal the
instruction manual. The last and final instruction
manual of the human beings is the Glorious
Qur’an. The ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ for the human
beings are mentioned in the Qur’an.
If you allow me to compare human beings with
machines, I would say humans are more
complicated than the most complex machines in
the world. Even the most advanced computers,
which are extremely complex, are pale in
comparison to the myriad physical, psychological,
genetic and social factors that affect individual and
collective human life.
The more advanced the machine, greater is the
need for its instruction manual. By the same logic,
don’t human beings require an instruction manual
by which to govern their own lives?
Allah chooses Messengers:
Allah (swt) need not come down personally for
giving the instruction manual. He chooses a man
amongst men to deliver the message and
communicates with him at a higher level through
the medium of revelations. Such chosen men are
called messengers and prophets of God.
Some people are ‘blind’ and ‘deaf’:
Despite the absurdity of the philosophy of
anthropomorphism, followers of many religions
believe in and preach it to others. Is it not an insult
to human intelligence and to the Creator who gave
us this intelligence? Such people are truly ‘deaf’
and ‘blind’ despite the faculty of hearing and sight
given to them by Allah. The Qur’an says:
"Deaf, dumb, and blind,
They will not return (to the path)." [Al-Qur'an 2:18]
The Bible gives a similar message in the Gospel of
Matthew:
"Seeing they see not; and hearing they hear not,
neither do they understand." [The Bible, Matthew
13:13]
A similar message is also given in the Hindu
Scriptures in the Rigveda.
"There maybe someone who sees the words and
yet indeed does not see them; may be another one
who hears these words but indeed does not hear
them." 1
[Rigveda 10:71:4]
All these scriptures are telling their readers that
though the things are made so clear yet many
people divert away from the truth.
Attributes of God:
To Allah belong the most beautiful names:
The Qur’an says:
"Say: Call upon Allah, or
Call upon Rahman:
By whatever name you call
Upon Him, (it is well):
For to Him belong
The Most Beautiful Names."
[Al-Qur'an 17:110]
A similar message regarding the beautiful names of
Allah (swt) is repeated in the Qur’an in Surah Al-
A’raf (7:180), in Surah Taha (20:8) and in Surah
Al-Hashr (59:24).
The Qur’an gives no less than ninety-nine different
attributes to Almighty Allah. The Qur’an refers to
Allah as Ar-Rahman (Most Gracious), Ar-Raheem
(Most Merciful) and Al-Hakeem (All Wise) among
many other names. You can call Allah by any name
but that name should be beautiful and should not
conjure up a mental picture.
Each attribute of God is unique and possessed by
Him alone:
Not only does God possess unique attributes, but
also each attribute of Almighty God is sufficient to
identify Him. I shall clarify this point in detail. Let
us take an example of a famous personality, say
Neil Armstrong. Neil Armstrong is an astronaut.
The attribute of being an astronaut possessed by
Neil Armstrong is correct but not unique to Neil
Armstrong alone. So when one asks, who is an
astronaut? The answer is, there are hundreds of
people in the world who are astronauts. Neil
Armstrong is an American. The attribute of being
American possessed by Neil Armstrong is correct
but not sufficient to identify him. So when one
asks, who is an American? The answer is, there are
millions of people who are American. To identify
the person uniquely we must look for a unique
attribute possessed by none except that person.
For example, Neil Armstrong was the first human
to set foot on the moon. So when one asks, who
was the first man to set foot on the moon, the
answer is only one, i.e. Neil Armstrong. Similarly
the attribute of Almighty God should be unique. If I
say God is the constructor of buildings, it is
possible and true, but it is not unique. Thousands
of people can construct a building. But each
attribute of Allah is unique and points to none but
Allah. For example, God is the creator of the
universe. If someone asks who is the creator of the
universe, the answer is only one, i.e. Almighty God
is the Ultimate Creator. Similarly, following are
some of the many unique attributes possessed by
none other than the Creator of the universe,
Almighty Allah:
"Ar-Raheem", the Most Merciful
"Ar-Rahman", the Most Gracious
"Al-Hakeem", the Most Wise
So when one asks, "Who is ‘Ar-Raheem’, (the Most
Merciful)?", there can only be one answer:
"Almighty Allah".
One attribute of God should not contradict with
other attributes:
Besides the attribute being unique, it should not
contradict other attributes. To continue with the
earlier example, suppose somebody says that Neil
Armstrong is an American astronaut who was the
first human to set foot on the moon and was an
Indian. The attribute possessed by Neil Armstrong
of being the first man to set foot on the moon, is
correct. But its associated quality of being an
Indian, is false. Similarly if someone says that God
is the Creator of the Universe and has one head,
two hands, two feet, etc., the attribute (Creator of
the Universe) is correct but the associated quality
(in the form of human being) is wrong and false.
All attributes should point to the one and same
God:
Since there is only one God, all the attributes
should point to one and the same God. To say that
Neil Armstrong was an American astronaut who
first set foot on the moon, but he was born in 1971
is wrong. Both these unique qualities belong to one
and the same person, i.e. Neil Armstrong. Similarly
to say that the Creator of the universe is one God
and the Cherisher is another God is absurd because
God possesses all these attributes combined
together.
Unity of GodSome polytheists argue by saying that
the existence of more than one God is not illogical.
Let us point out to them that if there were more
than one God, they would dispute with one another,
each god trying to fulfill his will against the will of
the other gods. This can be seen in the mythology
of the polytheistic and pantheistic religions. If a
‘God’ is defeated or unable to defeat the others, he
is surely not the one true God. Also popular among
polytheistic religions is the idea of many Gods,
each having different responsibilities. Each one
would be responsible for a part of man’s existence
e.g. a Sun-God, a Rain-God, etc. This indicates
that one ‘God’ is incompetent of certain acts and
moreover he is also ignorant of the other Gods’
powers, duties, functions and responsibilities. There
cannot be an ignorant and incapable God. If there
were more than one God it would surely lead to
confusion, disorder, chaos and destruction in the
universe. But the universe is in complete harmony.
The Glorious Qur’an says:
"If there were, in the heavens
And the earth, other gods
Besides Allah, there would
Have been confusion in both!
But glory to Allah,
The Lord of the Throne:
(High is He) above
What they attribute to Him!"
[Al-Qur’an 21:22]
If there were more than one God, they would have
taken away what they created. The Qur’an says:
"No son did Allah 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 Allah! (He is free)
From the (sort of) things
They attribute to Him!"
[Al-Qur’an 23:91]
Thus the existence of one True, Unique, Supreme,
Almighty God, is the only logical concept of God.
TAWHEED Definition and Categories:
Islam believes in ‘Tawheed’ which is not merely
monotheism i.e. belief in one God, but much more.
Tawheed literally means ‘unification’ i.e. ‘asserting
oneness’ and is derived from the Arabic verb
‘Wahhada’ which means to unite, unify or
consolidate.
Tawheed can be divided into three categories.
1. Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah
2. Tawheed al-Asmaa-was-Sifaat
3. Tawheed al-Ibaadah.
A. Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah (maintaining the unity
of Lordship)
The first category is ‘Tawheed ar-Ruboobeeyah’.
‘Ruboobeeyah’ is derived from the root verb "Rabb"
meaning Lord, Sustainer and Cherisher.
Therefore ‘Tawheed-ar-Ruboobeeyah’ means
maintaining the unity of Lordship. This category is
based on the fundamental concept that Allah (swt)
alone caused all things to exist when there was
nothing. He created or originated all that exists out
of nothing. He alone is the sole Creator, Cherisher,
and Sustainer of the complete universe and all
between it, without any need from it or for it.
B. Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat (maintaining the
unity of Allah’s name and attributes):
The second category is ‘Tawheed al Asmaa was
Sifaat’ which means maintaining the unity of
Allah’s name and attributes. This category is
divided into five aspects:
(i) Allah should be referred to as described by Him
and His Prophet
Allah must be referred to according to the manner
in which He and His prophet have described Him
without explaining His names and attributes by
giving them meanings other than their obvious
meanings.
(ii) Allah must be referred to as He has referred to
Himself
Allah must be referred to without giving Him any
new names or attributes. For example Allah may
not be given the name Al-Ghaadib (the Angry One),
despite the fact that He has said that He gets
angry, because neither Allah nor His messenger
have used this name.
(iii) Allah is referred to without giving Him the
attributes of His creation
In a reference to God, we should strictly abstain
from giving Him the attributes of those whom He
has created. For instance in the Bible, God is
portrayed as repenting for His bad thoughts in the
same way as humans do when they realise their
errors. This is completely against the principle of
Tawheed. God does not commit any mistakes or
errors and therefore never needs to repent.
The key principle when dealing with Allah’s
attributes is given in the Qur’an in Surah Ash-
Shura:
"There is nothing
Whatever like unto Him,
And He is the One
That hears and sees (all things)."
[Al-Qur’an 42:11]
Hearing and seeing are human faculties. However,
when attributed to the Divine Being they are
without comparison, in their perfection, unlike when
associated with humans who require ears, eyes,
etc. and who are limited in their sight and hearing
in terms of space, time, capacity, etc.
(iv) God’s creation should not be given any of His
attributes
To refer to a human with the attribute of God is
also against the principle of Tawheed. For example,
referring to a person as one who has no beginning
or end (eternal).
(v) Allah’s name cannot be given to His creatures
Some Divine names in the indefinite form, like
‘Raoof’ or ‘Raheem’ are permissible names for men
as Allah has used them for Prophets; but ‘Ar-
Raoof’ (the Most Pious) and Ar-Raheem (the most
Merciful) can only be used if prefixed by ‘Abd’
meaning ‘slave of’ or ‘servant of’ i.e. ’Abdur-
Raoof’ or ‘Abdur-Raheem’. Similarly ‘Abdur-
Rasool’ (slave of the Messenger) or ‘Abdun-
Nabee’ (slave of the Prophet) are forbidden.
C. Tawheed al-Ibaadah (maintaining the unity of
worship):
(i) Definition and meaning of ‘Ibadaah’:
‘Tawheed al-Ibaadah’ means maintaining the unity
of worship or ‘Ibaadah’. Ibaadah is derived from
Arabic word ‘Abd’ meaning slave or servant. Thus
Ibaadah means servitude and worship.
(ii) All three categories to be followed
simultaneously.
Only believing in the first two categories of
Tawheed without implementing Tawheed-al-Ibaa
dah is useless. The Qur’an gives the examples of
‘Mushrikeens’ (idolaters) of the Prophet’s time who
confirmed the first two aspects of Tawheed. It is
mentioned in the Qur’an:
"Say: ‘Who is it that
Sustains you (in life)
From the sky and from the earth?
Or who is it that
Has power over hearing
And sight? And who
Is it that brings out
The living from the dead
And the dead from the living?
And who is it that
Rules and regulates all affairs?’
They will soon say, ‘Allah’.
Say, ‘Will you not then
Show piety (to Him)?’ "
[Al-Qur’an 10:31]
A similar example is repeated in Surah Zukhruf of
the Glorious Qur’an:
"If thou ask them, Who
Created them, they will
Certainly say, ‘Allah’: how
Then are they deluded
Away (from the Truth)?"
[Al-Qur’an 43:87]
The pagan Meccans knew that Allah (swt) was
their Creator, Sustainer, Lord and Master. Yet they
were not Muslims because they also worshipped
other gods besides Allah. Allah (swt) categorised
them as ‘Kuffaar’ (disbelievers) and
‘Mushrikeen’ (idol worshippers and those who
associate partners with God).
"And most of them
Believe not in Allah
Without associating (others
As partners) with Him!"
[Al-Qur’an 12:106]
Thus ‘Tawheed al-Ibaadah’ i.e. maintaining the
unity of worship is the most important aspect of
Tawheed. Allah (swt) alone deserves worship and
He alone can grant benefit to man for his worship.
SHIRK
A. Definition:The omission of any of the above
mentioned categories of tawheed or deficiency in
the fulfillment of any criteria of Tawheed is referred
to as 'shirk'.(Please note that the Arabic word
'Shirk' has the same sound as in the English word
'ship' and not as in the English word 'shirk',which
means 'to evade'
‘Shirk’ literally means sharing or associating
partners. In Islamic terms it means associating
partners with Allah and is equivalent to idolatry.
B. Shirk is the greatest sin that Allah will never
forgive:
The Qur’an describes the greatest sin in Surah Al-
Nisa’:
"Allah forgives not
That partners should be set up
With Him; but He forgives
Anything else, to whom
He pleases; to set up
Partners with Allah
Is to devise a sin
Most heinous indeed."
[Al-Qur’an 4:48]
The same message is repeated in Surah Al-Nisa’:
"Allah forgives not
(The sin of) joining other gods
With Him; but He forgives
Whom He pleases other sins
Than this: one who joins
Other gods with Allah,
Has strayed far, far away
(From the Right)."
[Al-Qur’an 4:116]
C. Shirk leads to hell fire:
The Qur’an says in Surah Ma’idah:
"They do blaspheme who say:
‘Allah is Christ the son
Of Mary.’ But said Christ:
‘O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord
And your Lord’. Whoever joins other gods with
Allah –
Allah will forbid him the Garden, and the Fire
Will be his abode. There will for the wrongdoers
Be no one to help."
[Al-Qur’an 5:72]
D. Worship and Obedience to none but Allah:
The Qur’an mentions in Surah Ali-’Imran:
Say: "O people of the Book!
Come To common terms
As between us and you:
That we worship none but Allah;
That we associate no partners with Him;
That we erect not, from among ourselves,
Lords and patrons other than Allah."
If then they turn back,
Say ye: "Bear witness that we (at least)
Are Muslims (bowing to Allah’s Will)."
[Al-Qur’an 3:64]
The Glorious Qur’an says:
"And if all the trees on earth were pens
And the Ocean (were ink), with seven Oceans
behind it
To add to its (supply), yet would not the Words
Of Allah be exhausted (In the writing): for Allah
Is Exalted in power, Full of Wisdom."
[Al-Qur’an 31:27]
Our analysis of Concept of God in various Religion
shows that monotheism is an integral part of every
major religion of the world. However, it is
unfortunate that some adherents of these religions
violate the teachings of their own scriptures and
have set up partners to Almighty God.
An analysis of the scriptures of various religions,
reveals that all scriptures exhort mankind to believe
in, and submit to One God. All these scriptures
condemn the association of partners to God, or the
worship of God in the form of images. The Glorious
Qur’an says:
"O men! Here is
A parable set forth!
Listen to it! Those
On whom, besides Allah,
You call, cannot create
(Even) a fly, if they all
Met together for the purpose!
And if the fly should snatch
Away anything from them,
They would have no power
To release it from the fly.
Feeble are those who petition
And those whom they petition!"
[Al-Qur’an 22:73]
The basis of religion is the acceptance of Divine
guidance. A rejection of this guidance has serious
implications for society. While we have made great
strides in science and technology, true peace still
eludes us. All ‘isms’ have failed to provide the
much vaunted deliverance.
The scriptures of all major religions exhort mankind
to follow that which is good and eschew that
which is evil. All scriptures remind mankind that
good will not go unrewarded and evil will not go
unpunished!
The question we need to address is, which of these
scriptures provides us with the correct ‘instruction
manual’ that we need to regulate our individual
and collective lives?
I hope and pray that Allah guides all of us towards
the Truth (Aameen).