|
Perhaps the word "Allah" sounds strange to your
ears. Maybe you are wondering what it means or maybe you heard something about
it but you are not sure. "Allah" is the name of the Creator who
created everything and whom every believer worshipped from the beginning of the
universe.
He is the same God whom the Jews, Christians and Muslims
worship and until now Arab Jews and Christians use this name. He has many other
names and attributes by which He describes Himself to His creatures. It is as He
has said in the Quran: "...To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names..."
(59:24)
The Muslims believe that Allah alone is the Creator and
Sustainer of everything that exists. We believe that He does not die, nor
requires food or rest. We believe that He is absolutely without need of support
or assistance; rather, the entire creation depends solely upon Him. These
beliefs are derived directly from the Quran (the Book revealed by Allah to
Prophet Muhammad  ) and the Sunnah (the sayings and teachings of Prophet
Muhammad
himself).
Allah has said in the Quran :
255.
Allah!
None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who
sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber, nor sleep overtake Him.
To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. Who is he
that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to
them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the
Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that
which He wills. His Kursi extends
the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving
them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.
(2:255)
38.And indeed We (Allah)
created the heavens and the earth and all between them in six days and nothing
of fatigue touched Us.
(50:38)
The Prophet Muhammad
conveyed what Allah revealed to him
regarding Himself in the following narration:
"O' My servants! All of you are without guidance except
those whom I guide. So seek guidance from Me, I shall guide you.
O' My servants!
All of you are hungry except those whom I feed. So ask food from Me I shall feed
you.
O' My servants! All of you are naked except those whom I
clothed. So ask clothes from Me I shall clothe you.
O' My servants! You commit
mistakes (sins) by night and day and I forgive all sins. So ask forgiveness from Me I shall forgive you.
O' My servants! You can never reach harming Me so as to harm
Me; nor can you ever reach benefiting me so as to benefit Me.
O' My servants! If the first of you and the last of you and the
entirety of this human race of yours, and that of the jinns as well, became as
pious as the most pious heart amongst you, by nothing would that increase My
kingdom.
O' My servants! If the first of you and the last of you and the
entirety of this human race of yours, and that of the Jinns as well, became as
evil as the worst heart amongst you, by nothing would that decrease My Kingdom.
O' My servants! If the first of you and the last of you and the
entirety of this human race of yours, and that of the jinns as well, all stood
upon one plain to ask Me and I gave every one what he asked, that would not
decrease what I have, anything more than what a needle decreases the sea if it
is dipped into it.
O' My servants! It is only your deeds which I shall reckon up
for you, and then recompense you for. So whoever finds good, should praise Me
and whoever finds other than that, blame none but himself."
(Saheeh Muslim, Book 32, Number 6246).
The Muslims believe that Allah has perfect knowledge of
everything. There is not a single mystery but with it, He is well acquainted.
His knowledge encompasses everything including the wondrous galaxies, and each
insect as it crawls along its sandy, underground path. We believe that Allah is
the sole possessor of perfect knowledge of both the apparent and the unseen.
Allah has said in the Quran :
61. Whatever you may be doing, and whatever portion of the
Quran you may be reciting, and whatever deed you may be doing, We are Witness
thereof, when you are doing it. And nothing is hidden from your Lord (not even
so much as) the weight of an atom on the earth or in the
heaven. Nor what is less than that or what is greater than that but is (written)
in a Clear Record.
(10:61)
59. And with Him are the keys of the Unseen, none knows
them but He. And He knows what is in the land and the sea. Not a leaf falls but
He knows it, not a grain amid the darkness of the earth neither anything fresh
nor dry, but it is written in a Clear Record.
(6:59)
11. Allah did create you from dust, then from a little
fluid, then He made you pairs (male and female). No female conceives, or lays
down (her load), but with His knowledge. And not one grows old who grows old,
nor is his life lessened, but it is recorded in a Book, Behold! That is easy for
Allah.
(35:11)
The Muslims believe that Allah is more merciful with his
believing servants than a mother is to her child, and that He loves to forgive
sins for those who seek forgiveness from Him. And in spite of our excessive
ingratitude and disobedience, He continues to support us with food, shelter,
friends and many other resources and always gives us a chance to repent. We
believe that Allah forgives whomever turns to Him alone in sincere repentance no
matter how grave the sin, and that He alone can forgive sins.
Allah has said in the Quran:
53. Say: O' My servants who have transgressed against
themselves (by committing sins)! Do not despair of the Mercy of Allah, indeed
Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
(39:53)
110. And whoever does evil or oppresses himself (by
committing sins) and thereafter seeks Allah's Forgiveness, he will find Allah
Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
(4:110)
21. Race towards Forgiveness from your Lord (Allah), and
towards Paradise, the width whereof is as the width of heaven and earth,
prepared for those who believe in Allah and His Messengers. That is the Grace of
Allah which He gives to whom He wills. And Allah is the Owner of Great Bounty.
(57:21)
183. And if My servants ask you about Me, then surely I am Close.
I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he calls unto Me. So let them answer
My Call and believe in Me, in order that they may be led aright."
(2:183)
Prophet Muhammad
said:
The Almighty Allah says: Whoever comes with a good
deed, his reward will be ten times like it or more. And whoever comes with a bad
deed, his recompense will be only one like it, or I shall forgive him. And
whoever draws close to Me a hand's span, I shall draw close to him an arm's
length. And whoever draws close to Me an arm's length, I shall draw close to him
a fathom's length. And whoever comes to Me walking, I shall go to him running.
And whoever faces Me with sins as great as the earth, but without worshipping
anything along with or instead of Me, I shall meet him with forgiveness as great
as that.
(Saheeh Muslim, Book 35, Number 6499)
He also said:
"Allah divided Mercy in one-hundred parts and He
retained its ninety-nine parts with Him, and sent down its one part on the earth, and because of this one
single part there is mutual love among the creatures to
the extent that even the mare lifts up its hoof from its baby, fearing that it
might harm it."
(Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Book 73, Number 29)
In another narration he said:
"When Allah had finished His creation, He wrote over His Throne: 'My Mercy
preceded My Anger.'"
(Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Book 93, Number 518)
Once a woman was searching for her child and when she
found him, she took hold of him, pressed him against her chest and gave him her
breast to nurse him. Allah's Messenger Muhammad
saw her and asked his companions:
"Do you think this woman would ever afford to throw her child in the fire?
They said: "By Allah, so far as it is in her power, she would never throw
her child in the fire. Thereupon Prophet Muhammad
said: 'Allah is more Merciful
to his believing servants than this woman is to her child.'
(Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Book 73, Number 28)
The Muslims believe that Allah will resurrect every single
person on the Day of Judgment. He has also prepared a Terrible Punishment for
those who disbelieved in His Signs, denied His Messengers and died without
submitting to Him. He has likewise prepared unimaginable joy and eternal
entertainment for those who died submitting to Him and performed good deeds
seeking His Reward. We believe that Allah is absolute in His Justice and no soul
will ever be oppressed in His reckoning.
Allah has said in the Quran:
34. Verily, for those who love and fear Allah are Gardens
of Delight (Paradise) with their Lord.
35. Shall We then treat the Muslims (the ones
who submit themselves to Allah) like the criminals?
36. What is the matter with you?
How do you judge!
(68:34-36)
47. And We shall set up balances of justice on the Day of
Resurrection, then none will be dealt with unjustly in anything. And even if it
were but the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it. And Sufficient are We
as Reckoners.
(21:47)
The Prophet Muhammad
related from Allah, the Most Just:
O' My servants! I have forbidden oppression for Myself
and I have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another.
(Saheeh Muslim, Book 32, Number 6246).
Allah has said in the Quran:
1. O' mankind! Fear your Lord. Verily, the violent shaking
of the Hour (of Judgment) is a terrible thing.
2. The Day you shall see it, every nursing mother will forget
her nursling, and every pregnant one will drop her burden, and you shall see
mankind drunken, yet they will not be drunk, but the Torment of Allah is
severe!
(22:1-2)
6. O' you who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your
families a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are angels stern
(and) severe, who do not disobey the commands they receive from Allah, and they
do what they are commanded,
7. (It will be said in the Hereafter) O' you who
disbelieve, make no excuse this Day! You are only being paid only for what you
used to do!
(66:6-7)
Allah is one and utterly above having partners, equals, or
any who share His Attributes. "To Him alone belong the Most Beautiful
Names ..." ( Quran 59:24) He has neither children nor parents, nor
any thing which shares in His right to be worshipped. The greatest sin in Islam
is to worship anything along with or instead of Allah.
Allah says in the Quran:
48. Verily, Allah does not forgive that anyone should set up
partners with Him, but forgives everything other than that to whom He pleases,
and whoever sets up partners with Allah, has indeed invented a tremendous sin.
(4:48)
Indeed, the first commandment given to Moses with which he
was to admonish the people was "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is One
Lord." (Deuteronomy 6:4) and Jesus, repeats it: "The first of all
the commandments is: Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is One Lord."
(Mark 12:29)
Allah is the sole Creator and Owner of the entire universe and
nothing deserves to be worshipped except Him; this is what is meant by the
Islamic creed "There is no God Besides Allah..." Believing in
this statement is the first step in becoming a Muslim.
Allah has said in the Quran:
171. O' people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Do
not exaggerate in your religion, and do not say about Allah any thing except the
truth. The Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, was a Messenger of Allah and His Word, [i.e. Allah said "Be!" and Jesus was] which He bestowed on Mary
and (Jesus is) a spirit from Him (Allah); so believe in Allah and His
Messengers. Do not Say: Three [i.e., trinity]!" Cease! (that is) better for
you. Certainly Allah is One God, Glory be to Him (Far Exalted is He) above
having a son. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the
earth. And Allah is All-Sufficient as a Disposer of affairs.
(4:171)
68. They (Jews, Christians and pagans) say: "Allah has
taken a son!" Glory be to Him! He is The Most Rich (Free of all needs). To
Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. Do you have
any warrant for this; or do you say against Allah what you do not know?
69. Say (to
them): Verily, those who fabricate lies against Allah will never succeed.
(10:68-69)
111. And say: All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who
has not taken a son, and Who has no partner in (His) Dominion, nor is He low to
have a partner. And magnify Him with all the magnificence.
(17:111)
1. Say (O' Muhammad ): He is Allah (the) One,
2. Allah is The
Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks,
3. He
did not beget, nor was He begotten,
4. And there is none comparable to Him.
(112:1-4)
Allah has asked in the Quran:
28. How can you disbelieve in Allah? When you were dead and
He gave you life. Then He will give you death, then life again (on the Day of
Resurrection), and then unto Him you will return.
(2:28)
Go back to the Main Page
If you have any questions or comments please click this image: 
|
