Muslims Believe in One God
Each language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to minor deities. This is not the case with the word “Allah”. God is the personal name of the One True God. Nothing else can be called God. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its exclusivity when compared to the word “god” that can be made plural, that is, “gods” or feminine, that is, “goddess”. It is interesting to note that God is God’s personal name in Aramaic, the language of Jesus. The word Allah is a reflection of the unique concept that Islam associates with God.
For the Muslim, God is the Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, and none other is similar and comparable to Him. Prophet Muhammad (May peace and blessings be upon him), was asked by his contemporaries about Allah. The answer came directly from God in the form of a short chapter in the Qur’an which is considered to be the essence of the Unity of God or the motto of monotheism.
“Say: He is Allah, One. Allah is the Requested. It did not and was not generated. And there is no one like Him. ” [Holy Quran 112: 1-4]
Some non-Muslims claim that the concept of God in Islam is that of a severe and cruel God, who demands to be obeyed fully. That is, He is not in love. And nothing can be further from the truth than this claim. It is enough to know that with the exception of one of each of the 114 chapters of The Qur’an begins with the verse: “In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Merciful” In one of the Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, we are informed:
GOD IS MORE LOVING AND KIND THAN A MOTHER TO HER DEAR CHILD.
In addition to being Merciful, God is too Just. Consequently, evildoers and sinners must have their punishment and the virtuous their just reward. In fact, the attribute of God’s Mercy manifests in its attribute of Justice. People suffer throughout their lives for the sake of Him. And people who oppress and exploit other people, their lives should not receive similar treatment from their Lord. Waiting for similar treatment to tantamount to denying one’s belief in responsibility in the hereafter. And so, denying all incentives for a moral life in this world.
Islam rejects characterizing God in any human form or describing him as favoring certain individuals or nations based on wealth, power or race. He created human beings as equals. Who can distinguish themselves and win their favor just by virtue and piety.
Understanding the True Essence of God
The concept that God rested on the seventh day of creation, that God fought with one of his soldiers, that God is an envious conspirator against humanity, or that God is incarnate. These are considered blasphemies in the community. The exclusive use of Allah as the personal name of God is a reflection of Islam’s emphasis on the purity of belief in God. The Unity of God is the essence of the message of all the Prophets of God. Therefore, Islam considers associating any divinity or personality with God as a serious sin, which God will never forgive if a person dies without repenting.
The Creator must be of a different nature from the created things, because if He is of the same nature as they are, He will be temporal and therefore needs a manufacturer. It follows that nothing is like Him. And if the Creator is not temporal, then He must be eternal.
But if he is eternal, He cannot be created, and if nothing has made Him arise, nothing outside of Him makes Him continue to exist, which means, that He must be self-sufficient. He does not depend on anything for the continuation of His own existence. So this existence can be endless. The Creator is therefore eternal:
“His is the sovereignty of heaven and earth. He gives life and gives death. And He, above all things, is Omnipotent. ” [Holy Quran 57: 3]
He is self-sufficient or self-supporting or, to use a Qur’an, He is Al-Qayyum. The Creator does not create only in the sense of bringing things into existence. It also preserves them and takes them out of existence and is the ultimate cause of everything that happens to them.
“Allah is the Creator of all things. And He, above all things, is Patron. His are the keys of heaven and earth. And those who disown Allah’s signs, these are the losers. ” [Holy Quran 39: 62-63]
“He is The First and The Ultimate, and The Apparent and The Latent. And He, of all things, is Omniscient. ” [Holy Quran 57-3]
Attributes of God
If the Creator is Creator and Eternal, then His attributes must be The Creator and Eternal. He must not lose any of his attributes or acquire new ones. So, your attributes are absolute. Can there be more than one creator with such absolute attributes? Could there be, for example, two absolutely powerful creators? A momentary thought shows that this is not feasible. The Koran summarizes this argument in the following verses:
“Allah took no son for Himself, and there is no god with Him; in that case, each god would have gone with what he had created, and some of them would have risen in arrogance, over others. Glory be to Allah, above what they claim. ” [Holy Quran 23:91]
The Unity of God
The Qur’an reminds us of the falsity of all alleged gods. For worshipers of man-made objects, he asks:
“I said to them: Do you love what you carve, While Allah created you and what do you do?” [Holy Quran 37: 95-96]
“Say, Muhammad:” Who is the Lord of heaven and earth? ” Say: “Allah” Say: “So, do you take beyond Him, protectors, who have no benefit or harm for themselves?” Say: “Are the blind and the seer equal? Or are darkness and light equal? Or do Allah make partners, who have created something like His creation, then, is it like creation? Say: “Allah is the Creator of all things. And He is the One, the Dominator. ” [Holy Quran 13:16]
To the worshipers of heavenly bodies, the story of Abraham quotes:
“So when the night enveloped him, he saw a star. Said, “Behold my Lord.” And when he set, he said, “I don’t love those who set.” And when he saw the moon rising, he said, “Behold my Lord.” And when she stood, she said, “If my Lord does not guide me, in truth, I will be among the stray people.” And when he saw the sun rising, he said: “Behold my Lord; this is the biggest! ” And when he set, he said: “O my people! I am certainly breaking with what you idolize. “Certainly, I turn my face, as a sincere monotheist, to Whoever created the heavens and the earth. And I’m not an idolater. ” [Holy Quran 6: 76-79]
The Attitude of Believers
To be a Muslim (that is, to submit to God), it is necessary to believe in the Oneness of God, in the Sense of Him being the only Creator, Preserver, Provider, etc … But this belief, later called Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah, it is not enough. Many idolaters knew and believed that only the Supreme God could do all of this.
To acquire Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah it is necessary to add Tawhid Al-Uluhiyyah, that is, it is recognized that only God deserves to be worshiped and, therefore, Refrain from worshiping anything else or being.
Having attained this knowledge of God, man must constantly have faith in Him, and must allow nothing to induce him to deny the truth. When true faith enters a person’s heart, it impacts the person’s perspective and behavior. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Faith is that which resides firmly in the heart that is tested by actions.” One of these remarkable results of faith is the feeling of gratitude to God, which could be considered the essence of Ibada (worship). The feeling of gratitude is so important that whoever denies the truth is called kafir, “one who is ungrateful.” A believer loves, and is grateful to God for the blessings He bestows on him. He is aware of the fact that good deeds are far from being given to Divine favors, and so he is always anxious for God’s favor. He remembers God often.
“Allah, there is no god but Him, The Living One, the One who subsists by Himself. They take Him neither drowsiness nor sleep. His is what is in heaven and what is on earth. Who will intercede with Him except with His permission? He knows his past and his future. And they include nothing of His science but what He wants. His Throne encompasses the heavens and the earth. And do not wear it out to guard them. And He is the Most High, the Magnificent. ” [Holy Quran 2: 255]
