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FM
Former Member

I found this article on a Christian website and will eventually get to addressing it but first it will help to clear up some of the misconceptions of the author of it by pointing out who Allah is according to Muslim beliefs.

First, the disclaimer. NO SENSIBLE PERSON CAN CLAIM THAT THE EXISTENCE OF GOD IS THE TRUTH OR THAT IT IS FACTUAL BECAUSE NO ONE CAN PROVE THAT GOD EXISTS. That said, there are very strong circumstantial evidence to BELIEVE that God exists BUT there are equally as many strong circumstances to have the opinion that HE or SHE doesn't exists. To argue that God exists is in my opinion a silly one. THIS TOPIC IS SOLELY TO ADDRESS WHO GOD (Allah) IS ACCRDING TO MUSLIM BELIEFS (and any misconceptions as shown in the following article).

 

Question: "Who is Allah? What is the origin of belief in Allah?"

Answer:
Allah is an Arabic word that means “God” or, more accurately, “the God.” In Western culture, it is commonly believed that the word Allah is used exclusively by Muslims to describe their God, but this is not actually true. The word Allah is used by Arabic speakers of all Abrahamic faiths (including Christianity and Judaism) as meaning “God.” However, according to Islam, Allah is God’s proper name, while Christians and Jews know Him as YHWH or Yahweh. When Arabic-speaking Christians use the word Allah, it is usually used in combination with the word al-Ab. Allah al-Ab means “God the Father,” and this usage is one way Arab Christians distinguish themselves from Muslims.

Before the inception of Islam, most Arabs were polytheistic pagans, believing in an unfeeling, powerful fate that could not be controlled or altered or influenced by human beings. Muslims regard Muhammad as the last and greatest prophet, and they credit him with restoring to the Arabs the monotheistic faith of their ancestors. Islam and Judaism both trace their spiritual lineage to Abraham, but the God-concept of Islam is different from that of Judaism and Christianity in some significant ways. Yahweh and Allah are both seen as omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, and merciful. However, in both Judaism and Islam, God’s mercy is dependent, at least partly and many times fully, on man’s actions. The Islamic concept of Allah and the Jewish concept of Yahweh both deny the triune nature of God. They eliminate God’s Son, Jesus, and they also eliminate the Holy Spirit as a distinct Person of the Godhead.

Without Jesus, there is no provisionary salvation—that is, salvation is based on man’s effort rather than God’s grace. Without the Holy Spirit, there is no sanctification, no peace, no freedom (Romans 8:6; 2 Corinthians 3:17). Christians trust that by Jesus’ death and resurrection, along with the indwelling of His Spirit, sin is forgiven, the conscience is cleansed, and the human soul is freed to pursue God and goodness without the fear of punishment (Hebrews 10:22).

A Muslim may love Allah and wish to please Allah, but the question in his mind will invariably be “is it enough? Are my works enough to merit salvation?” Christians believe that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to provide an answer to the question “is my work enough?” The answer is, no, our work is not enough (Matthew 5:48). This is shocking to anyone who has been trying on his own to appease God. But this was the point of Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–48). The Jews that Jesus spoke to, just like the Muslims who follow Allah, were trapped by the knowledge that nothing they did would ever meet God’s perfect standard. But Christ’s perfect life, atoning death, and resurrection did meet God’s standard (Hebrews 10:10; Romans 8:1–8). Jesus’ message to the Jews and His message now, to Muslims and everyone else, is “repent and believe” (Mark 1:15). This does not mean “stop sinning” and “believe that God exists.” It means “turn from sin and stop trying to please God by your own ability” and “believe that Christ has accomplished everything for you.” The promise to those who trust Christ is that they will become the children of God (John 1:12).

Allah offers no such promise. Muslims believe Allah will be merciful to them based on his evaluation of their performance. But salvation is never sure; it is never a promise. When the Western world looks with horror on things like jihad and acts of Islamic terrorism, they get a glimpse of the powerful fear that Allah instills in his many of his followers. Faithful Muslims are faced with a terrible choice: obey the violent commands of an omnipotent deity whose mercy is given only to the most passionate and devoted followers (and perhaps not even then), or give themselves up as hopelessly lost and headed for punishment.

Christians should not regard Muslims with hatred, but instead with compassion. Their god, Allah, is a false god, and their eyes are blinded to the truth (see 2 Corinthians 4:4). We should be praying for Muslims and asking God to show them the truth, revealing His promise of mercy and freedom in Christ (2 Timothy 2:24–26).

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Christ has only one attribute, "Treat your fellow man as how you would have him treat you." Follow that attribute and Moses's laws is fulfilled, EVERYTIME.

Mankind can never sin against God. Sin is what individuals do contrary to the Holy Spirit-the Inner Voice.

Mans sins are against his fellow man, the creations of God. It is what we do to one another that promotes suffferings. God made a world, perfect and sustainable. And places man to oversee it.

In all of creation, man is unique, whether he is black, pink, yellow or brown. He has the ability to think, speak and act. That gift is not used wisely.

  

S

هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ هُوَ الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُ

He is Allah, than whom there is no other God, the Knower of the invisible and the visible. He is the Beneficent, the Merciful. - Qur'an 59:22

هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلَامُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ الْعَزِيزُ الْجَبَّارُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

He is Allah, than whom there is no other God, the Sovereign Lord the Holy One, Peace, the Keeper of Faith, the Guardian, the Majestic, the Compeller, the Superb. Glorified be Allah from all that they ascribe as partner (unto Him). - Qur'an 59:23

هُوَ اللَّهُ الْخَالِقُ الْبَارِئُ الْمُصَوِّرُ لَهُ الْأَسْمَاء الْحُسْنَى يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

He is Allah, the Creator, the Shaper out of naught, the Fashioner. His are the most beautiful names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorify Him, and He is the Mighty, the Wise. - Qur'an 59:24

FM
seignet posted:

Christ has only one attribute, "Treat your fellow man as how you would have him treat you." Follow that attribute and Moses's laws is fulfilled, EVERYTIME.

Jesus called people dogs and pigs amongst other demeaning names. How does his behavior as recorded in the New testament demonstrate any good goodwill to his fellow man?

Mankind can never sin against God. Sin is what individuals do contrary to the Holy Spirit-the Inner Voice.

Interesting given so many times it is recorded in the Bible that man has sinned against God. Incidentally, I will show where your comment is true according to Qur'anic teachings but not to Biblical one since the Bible has constantly accused man of sinning against God. 

Mans sins are against his fellow man, the creations of God. It is what we do to one another that promotes suffferings. God made a world, perfect and sustainable. And places man to oversee it.

In all of creation, man is unique, whether he is black, pink, yellow or brown. He has the ability to think, speak and act. That gift is not used wisely.

  

Siggy bai. Why yuh playing stubeedee? See my response above.

FM

A muslim guy on this BB calling Trump an orangutan and a pig and a crook. Why? Maybe, bcz he sees Trump that way or Trump is seen that way.

If u r referring to the woman Christ had a conversation with on the dog issue, she gave Him an answer. And He replied to her.

That incident was to be recorded for the future generations, declaring that even those lives not chosen, as the people of God mattered too.

S

Clearly Jesus could have come up with a better word than dog to refer to the woman. But it is even more than him using the word. It was him ignoring her and when his disciples pleaded with him to not ignore her fearing that her tears would bring them misery that he responded with the very bigoted comment calling her a dog. Then he went on to say that he was ONLY sent for the lost tribes of the children of Israel.

FM

In as much as I make a big deal about Jesus' distasteful attitude toward that woman, the biggest takeaway from that incident is him declaring that he "WAS ONLY SENT TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL" and not for everyone.

FM
ksazma posted:

In as much as I make a big deal about Jesus' distasteful attitude toward that woman, the biggest takeaway from that incident is him declaring that he "WAS ONLY SENT TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL" and not for everyone.

it is a fact.

S
ksazma posted:

Clearly Jesus could have come up with a better word than dog to refer to the woman. But it is even more than him using the word. It was him ignoring her and when his disciples pleaded with him to not ignore her fearing that her tears would bring them misery that he responded with the very bigoted comment calling her a dog. Then he went on to say that he was ONLY sent for the lost tribes of the children of Israel.

The history of the Canaanites and the Isrealites needs to be considered when reading the accounts.

Christ came to the Jews.

Today muslims considers Trump to be a dog, because Trump doan like Muslims. Likewise the Jews considered Canannite as dogs because they dislike them.

That story wid Christ and the woman is not simple reading, it is a parable.

Christ came to the Jews, they rejects Him. He goes to Tyre and Sidon, the Canaanite country to re-coup and escape. He wished not to be bothered.

The woman approached Him for her daughter's healing. And then the discourse. She knew waht she was asking for. And she knew the history. And she knew he came from God. Perhaps the first Gentile believer.

Christ came to God's Children, they tossed Him aside. What the Jews rejected, she took hold of. Just as the crumps that falls off the table and on to the ground, dogs lick it up, the woman replied. Christ understood her words. What the Jews rejected she would take in obedience, even though the Jews are given the rights to it. 

S
seignet posted:
ksazma posted:

In as much as I make a big deal about Jesus' distasteful attitude toward that woman, the biggest takeaway from that incident is him declaring that he "WAS ONLY SENT TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL" and not for everyone.

it is a fact.

What is a fact Siggy?

FM

So Siggy, he came for the Jews but they rejected him. Yet he continued to kiss their asses. However, the Gentile woman who chose to accept him he rejected and called her a dog. So is the problem becoming clearer to you or do I need to still break it down even further for you?

FM
ksazma posted:

So Siggy, he came for the Jews but they rejected him. Yet he continued to kiss their asses. However, the Gentile woman who chose to accept him he rejected and called her a dog. So is the problem becoming clearer to you or do I need to still break it down even further for you?

Bai, God choose dem ppl dat bcz he promised Abraham he gun do dat.

For the woman, he never called her a dog. The words he spoke, she understood what he meant and she gave him an appropiate answer. She stunned Him with her answer. And He rewarded her for her faith. She never accepted Him, she knew he was capable of healing and she needed that miracle for her daughter. She knew he was a jew, and canaanite ppl doan get along with jews. If anything they get killed by the jews. But in this case mercy prevailed. And I consider it devine, it passed through 2000 years of posterity.  

S
seignet posted:
ksazma posted:

So Siggy, he came for the Jews but they rejected him. Yet he continued to kiss their asses. However, the Gentile woman who chose to accept him he rejected and called her a dog. So is the problem becoming clearer to you or do I need to still break it down even further for you?

Bai, God choose dem ppl dat bcz he promised Abraham he gun do dat.

For the woman, he never called her a dog. The words he spoke, she understood what he meant and she gave him an appropiate answer. She stunned Him with her answer. And He rewarded her for her faith. She never accepted Him, she knew he was capable of healing and she needed that miracle for her daughter. She knew he was a jew, and canaanite ppl doan get along with jews. If anything they get killed by the jews. But in this case mercy prevailed. And I consider it devine, it passed through 2000 years of posterity.  

It is not her actions that is under discussion. It is his words. And his words were distasteful.

FM

Before I get back to addressing the misrepresentations in that article, I wish to repeat that I am in no way seeking to convince anyone that the existence of God true because one can do no more than believe that He/She/It exist. This is only to explain who is Allah according to Islamic teachings.

FM

Quote from article: "Allah is an Arabic word that means “God” or, more accurately, “the God.”

Here is a Quranic passage that include both words so it will be easy to recognize their differences.

هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ

He is Allah, than whom there is no other God

اللَّهُ

إِلَهَ

The first word is Allah which is the name of God in Islam. The second word is ilah which means god in Arabic. They are not the same. One is a proper name while the other is a common noun. Therefore the article was being deceitful in stating that the two words are the same.

Additionally, nothing strange if Arab Christians refer to God as Allah as that name is more common to describe God no different from Muslims in western countries referring to Allah as God. Oh, by the way, the word Alah is also mentioned in the Old Testament.

FM

Quote from article: Before the inception of Islam, most Arabs were polytheistic pagans, believing in an unfeeling, powerful fate that could not be controlled or altered or influenced by human beings. Muslims regard Muhammad as the last and greatest prophet, and they credit him with restoring to the Arabs the monotheistic faith of their ancestors. Islam and Judaism both trace their spiritual lineage to Abraham, but the God-concept of Islam is different from that of Judaism and Christianity in some significant ways. Yahweh and Allah are both seen as omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, and merciful. However, in both Judaism and Islam, God’s mercy is dependent, at least partly and many times fully, on man’s actions. The Islamic concept of Allah and the Jewish concept of Yahweh both deny the triune nature of God. They eliminate God’s Son, Jesus, and they also eliminate the Holy Spirit as a distinct Person of the Godhead.

 

It is true that Arabia at the time of Muhammad (prior to the revelation of the Qur'an) was primarily polytheist but is it also true that its transformation to a monotheist society was very swift and occurred while Muhammad was still alive. The author seems to be getting slick by stating that the concept of God in Islam is not the same as that of Judaism and Christianity. In fact, the concept of God is the same between Islam and Judaism and even what Jesus understood. The concept of God in Christianity is the one that is different from that of Islam and Judaism and it is even different from what Jesus believed in. Secondly, not only does Islam and Judaism deny the triune nature of God but Jesus also denied the triune nature of God. Jesus did not believe that he was a distinct person of the Godhead so he has the same belief as Muslims and Jews. This means that Jesus beliefs are completely different from that of Christians.

FM

Quote from article: Without Jesus, there is no provisionary salvation—that is, salvation is based on man’s effort rather than God’s grace. Without the Holy Spirit, there is no sanctification, no peace, no freedom (Romans 8:6; 2 Corinthians 3:17). Christians trust that by Jesus’ death and resurrection, along with the indwelling of His Spirit, sin is forgiven, the conscience is cleansed, and the human soul is freed to pursue God and goodness without the fear of punishment (Hebrews 10:22).

This is where Paul missed the point when he concocted this idea that somehow people need salvation to save themselves from themselves. In fact, salvation is only needed to recover some kind of loss. Muslims don't need salvation because they already believe that they were born without sin so if they did nothing in their life, they will still go to heaven. It is the wrong things that they do that move them away from heaven. Secondly, unlike Christian teachings that human beings are prone to sin, Islam teaches that human beings have a natural inclination to do the right thing. Just do the experiment yourself. Plan to do something good and see how excited you become. Then plan to do something wrong and see how tormented you become. One have to think long and hard to do something wrong while they instantaneously do good things. So since God in His infinite mercy places us in the world sinless, He does not need to devise any salvation plan especially one where He couldn't come up with something better than shedding someone's blood. God can wipe away all the sins of every human being just by decreeing it. He doesn't have to become blood thirsty and He didn't.

FM
cain posted:

Jah is the cool dude though right?

Jah is always a cool dude. It is people who wish to capitalize on Jah who seek to make their victims think that Jah isn't cool. Remember how Jah used to walk alongside Adam in the cool shade in the Garden of Eden.

FM

We keep reading about this unconditionally loving Father. Yet  we find that somehow that unconditionally loving Father had no problems decreeing that the sins of the father shall fall into their sons to the fourth generation. Think about that. You do something wrong. But that unconditionally loving Father is not satisfied with just punishing you. He also needs to punish your son, grandson, great grandson and great great grandson. Compare that to what the Qur'an stated about Allah. It says that when a person do something good, Allah will reward that person with one blessing or up to an indefinite number. However, when that person commit a sin, the punishment is only for that sin. Suddenly Allah look so much more benevolent than that unconditionally loving Father. 

FM
ksazma posted:
seignet posted:
ksazma posted:

So Siggy, he came for the Jews but they rejected him. Yet he continued to kiss their asses. However, the Gentile woman who chose to accept him he rejected and called her a dog. So is the problem becoming clearer to you or do I need to still break it down even further for you?

Bai, God choose dem ppl dat bcz he promised Abraham he gun do dat.

For the woman, he never called her a dog. The words he spoke, she understood what he meant and she gave him an appropiate answer. She stunned Him with her answer. And He rewarded her for her faith. She never accepted Him, she knew he was capable of healing and she needed that miracle for her daughter. She knew he was a jew, and canaanite ppl doan get along with jews. If anything they get killed by the jews. But in this case mercy prevailed. And I consider it devine, it passed through 2000 years of posterity.  

It is not her actions that is under discussion. It is his words. And his words were distasteful.

He is God incarnate. He knows everything. Suh He know wheh he was going wid dat line of comment. 

Ungodly ppl duz come in for some good buising. Look how ISIS/Islam killing off dem satanic white ppl. 

Different time, different persecutors but basically the same scenerio. 

 

 

S
ksazma posted:

Quote from article: Before the inception of Islam, most Arabs were polytheistic pagans, believing in an unfeeling, powerful fate that could not be controlled or altered or influenced by human beings. Muslims regard Muhammad as the last and greatest prophet, and they credit him with restoring to the Arabs the monotheistic faith of their ancestors. Islam and Judaism both trace their spiritual lineage to Abraham, but the God-concept of Islam is different from that of Judaism and Christianity in some significant ways. Yahweh and Allah are both seen as omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, and merciful. However, in both Judaism and Islam, God’s mercy is dependent, at least partly and many times fully, on man’s actions. The Islamic concept of Allah and the Jewish concept of Yahweh both deny the triune nature of God. They eliminate God’s Son, Jesus, and they also eliminate the Holy Spirit as a distinct Person of the Godhead.

 

It is true that Arabia at the time of Muhammad (prior to the revelation of the Qur'an) was primarily polytheist but is it also true that its transformation to a monotheist society was very swift and occurred while Muhammad was still alive. The author seems to be getting slick by stating that the concept of God in Islam is not the same as that of Judaism and Christianity. In fact, the concept of God is the same between Islam and Judaism and even what Jesus understood. The concept of God in Christianity is the one that is different from that of Islam and Judaism and it is even different from what Jesus believed in. Secondly, not only does Islam and Judaism deny the triune nature of God but Jesus also denied the triune nature of God. Jesus did not believe that he was a distinct person of the Godhead so he has the same belief as Muslims and Jews. This means that Jesus beliefs are completely different from that of Christians.

Most Arabs like Saudie Arab, because every other ME countries were Christians.

S
ksazma posted:

We keep reading about this unconditionally loving Father. Yet  we find that somehow that unconditionally loving Father had no problems decreeing that the sins of the father shall fall into their sons to the fourth generation. Think about that. You do something wrong. But that unconditionally loving Father is not satisfied with just punishing you. He also needs to punish your son, grandson, great grandson and great great grandson. Compare that to what the Qur'an stated about Allah. It says that when a person do something good, Allah will reward that person with one blessing or up to an indefinite number. However, when that person commit a sin, the punishment is only for that sin. Suddenly Allah look so much more benevolent than that unconditionally loving Father. 

R u seying the God of the Jews is different from Allah. Then there is two different gods or just the way this God is percieved?

On the question of curses/sins, you have no idea wah u r saying. Those ppl who seek after the occults pass on their curses to their generations. God doan go after ppl, He is God, He simply tells of the merits of a person's sin.

U really should stop commenting on things you do not have ideas about. U r limited by ur refusal to read for enlightenment instead u read to demonstrate ignorance.

U fellas are not permitted to know. 

My comment is not a condemnation but to point out ur limitations of the topic of who God is and what his words really mean. Sorry, dem water wash muslims duz claim to be pious when dem nah know anything about the divine, God or Allah. 

Go to NIgeria and let dem put wan ju ju spirit pan u razz and see wah will happen to genrations dat follow, unless Christ remove dem demonic spirits.

Think before u write ignorance. Tell us about Allah. Doan Compare God and Allah. YOU ARE NOT QUALIFIED to that, BECAUSE YOU DO NOT KNOW THE WORDS OF THE JEWISH GOD.

S

Quote from article: A Muslim may love Allah and wish to please Allah, but the question in his mind will invariably be “is it enough? Are my works enough to merit salvation?” Christians believe that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to provide an answer to the question “is my work enough?” The answer is, no, our work is not enough (Matthew 5:48). This is shocking to anyone who has been trying on his own to appease God. But this was the point of Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–48). The Jews that Jesus spoke to, just like the Muslims who follow Allah, were trapped by the knowledge that nothing they did would ever meet God’s perfect standard. But Christ’s perfect life, atoning death, and resurrection did meet God’s standard (Hebrews 10:10; Romans 8:1–8). Jesus’ message to the Jews and His message now, to Muslims and everyone else, is “repent and believe” (Mark 1:15). This does not mean “stop sinning” and “believe that God exists.” It means “turn from sin and stop trying to please God by your own ability” and “believe that Christ has accomplished everything for you.” The promise to those who trust Christ is that they will become the children of God (John 1:12).

 

First of all, Muslims don't follow Allah. Allah is God. Muslims follow Muhammad so right off the bat, the author does not even know what Muslims do.

Secondly, as I mentioned above, if Muslims do no good or no bad in their life, they will get to heaven because Allah in His infinite mercy brought them into this world with a clean slate. They are not born with sin nor are they inclined to commit sin. In fact, people are naturally inclined to do good and usually have to push themselves very hard to do bad things. So salvation is useless since there is no original sin to be saved from. Muslims' striving is to raise their standing in heaven since they believe in a heaven with different levels. Jesus death can't save no one and Jesus certainly didn't have a perfect life. That is all nonsense. In fact, of all the religious personalities ever recorded, Jesus was the most hapless and the least successful one. Imagine that his closest compadres didn't even accept him. All other religious personalities had multitudes of followers who accepted them while they were still here. Hoping that Jesus can save you is a pipe's dream. He couldn't even save himself.

Allah on the other hand is enough as a provider amongst other attributes listed  here

FM
seignet posted:
ksazma posted:

We keep reading about this unconditionally loving Father. Yet  we find that somehow that unconditionally loving Father had no problems decreeing that the sins of the father shall fall into their sons to the fourth generation. Think about that. You do something wrong. But that unconditionally loving Father is not satisfied with just punishing you. He also needs to punish your son, grandson, great grandson and great great grandson. Compare that to what the Qur'an stated about Allah. It says that when a person do something good, Allah will reward that person with one blessing or up to an indefinite number. However, when that person commit a sin, the punishment is only for that sin. Suddenly Allah look so much more benevolent than that unconditionally loving Father. 

R u seying the God of the Jews is different from Allah. Then there is two different gods or just the way this God is percieved?

 

No. I believe that there is only one God. What I was saying above is that the Bible misrepresented who God is.

FM

In many religions there are talks about human beings and angels. Islam adds another creation to the mix. Like human beings, there is another creature called jinns. They were created from fire similar to how human beings were created from clay. Angel on the other hand was created from light. While human being and jinn were endowed with intellect and free will, angels were not. Angels can only do what they were created to do. That is why one does not hear of Michael or Gabrael multitasking. They are always doing the same thing that they have always been doing. Since they don't have free will and do only what God created them to do, they cannot ever find themselves disobeying God or working against Him. Because of this, Muslims do not subscribe to the popular belief that Satan was an angel. According to Muslim belief, Satan was a jinn who was very dedicated to God but because of his arrogance, he lost his place in heaven. As the story goes, after God created Adam out of clay, He was very pleased of His creation so He commanded Satan to bow to Adam. However, Satan refused arguing that he cannot bow to a creature that was lower than him on the food chain. He thought that since he was created from fire, an element greater than clay, it was belittling to him to bow to Adam. But unfortunately for Satan, he completely misunderstood what was required of him. He was required to obey God's command which in this instance was to bow to Adam. It is not the action that matters but rather the reason behind the action. As Muhammad said "every action if judged by intention and every person will get the reward for that which he intended".

FM

This is not my work. However, I did some minor editing, especially by adding the Arabic texts.

 

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Image result for allah

 

Allah ( God )

"To Allah belongs the most beautiful names"

It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not the case with Allah. Allah is the personal name of the One true God. Nothing else can be called Allah. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word god which can be made plural, gods, or feminine, goddess. It is interesting to notice that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic.

The One true God is a reflection of the unique concept that Islam associates with God. To a Muslim, Allah is the Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing and nothing is comparable to Him. The Prophet Muhammad was asked by his contemporaries about Allah; the answer came directly from God Himself in the form of a short chapter of the Quran, which is considered the essence of the unity or the motto of monotheism. This is chapter 112 which reads:

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ

لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ

وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Say (O Muhammad) He is Allah the One God, the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, nor has been begotten, and there is none equal to Him."

Some non-Muslims allege that God in Islam is a stern and cruel God who demands to be obeyed fully. He is not loving and kind. Nothing can be farther from truth than this allegation. It is enough to know that, with the exception of one, each of the 114 chapters of the Quran begins with the verse: "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate." In one of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) we are told that "God is more loving and kinder than a mother to her dear child."

But God is also Just. Hence evildoers and sinners must have their share of punishment and the virtuous, His bounties and favors. Actually God's attribute of Mercy has full manifestation in His attribute of Justice. People suffering throughout their lives for His sake and people oppressing and exploiting other people all their lives should not receive similar treatment from their Lord. Expecting similar treatment for them will amount to negating the very belief in the accountability of man in the Hereafter and thereby negating all the incentives for a moral and virtuous life in this world. The following Quranic verses are very clear and straightforward in this respect:

إِنَّ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتِ النَّعِيمِ

أَفَنَجْعَلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ كَالْمُجْرِمِينَ

مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ

"Verily, for the Righteous are gardens of Delight, in the Presence of their Lord. Shall I then treat the people of Faith like the people of Sin? What is the matter with you? How judge you?" (68:34-36)

Islam rejects characterizing God in any human form or depicting Him as favoring certain individuals or nations on the basis of wealth, power or race. He created human beings as equals. They may distinguish themselves but get His favor only through virtue and piety.

The concept that God rested on the seventh day of creation, that God wrestled with one of His soldiers, that God is an envious plotter against His creatures, or that God is incarnate in any human being are considered blasphemy from the Islamic point of view.

The unique usage of Allah as a personal name of God is a reflection of Islam's emphasis on the purity of the belief in God which is the essence of the message of all of God's messengers. Because of this, Islam considers associating any deity or personality with God as a deadly sin which God will never forgive, despite the fact that He may forgive all other sins. This applies only to those who die in a state wherein they are associating others with God. The repentance of those who yet live is acceptable to God.

Islam teaches that the Creator must be of a different nature from the things created because if He is of the same nature as they are, He will be temporal and will therefore need a maker. It follows that nothing is like Him. If the maker is not temporal, then He must be eternal. But if He is eternal, He cannot be caused, and if nothing outside Him causes Him to continue to exist, He must be self-sufficient. And if He does not depend on anything for the continuance of His own existence, then this existence can have no end. The Creator is therefore eternal and everlasting:

He is Self-Sufficient or Self-Subsistent or, to use a Qur’anic term, Al-Qayyum. The Creator does not create only in the sense of bringing things into being, He also preserves them and takes them out of existence and is the ultimate decider of whatever happens to them.

اللَّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَكِيلٌ

لَهُ مَقَالِيدُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ أُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ

"God is the Creator of everything. He is the guardian over everything. Unto Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth." (39:62, 63)

وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ فِي الأَرْضِ إِلاَّ عَلَى اللّهِ رِزْقُهَا وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا كُلٌّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُّبِينٍ

"There is no moving creature on earth but its sustenance depends on Allah. He knows the time and place of its definite abode and its temporary deposit: All is in a clear Record" (11:6)  

God's Attributes

If the Creator is Eternal and Everlasting, then His attributes must also be eternal and everlasting. He should not lose any of His attributes nor acquire new ones. If this is so, then His attributes are absolute. Can there be more than one Creator with such absolute attributes? Can there be for example, two absolutely powerful Creators? A moment's thought shows that this is not reasonable.

The Quran summarizes this argument in the following verses:

مَا اتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ مِن وَلَدٍ وَمَا كَانَ مَعَهُ مِنْ إِلَهٍ إِذًا لَّذَهَبَ كُلُّ إِلَهٍ بِمَا خَلَقَ وَلَعَلَا بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ

"God has not taken to Himself any son, nor is there any god with Him: For then each god would have taken of that which he created and some of them would have risen up over others." (23:91)

لَوْ كَانَ فِيهِمَا آلِهَةٌ إِلَّا اللَّهُ لَفَسَدَتَا فَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَرْشِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ

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!." (21:22)

The Oneness of God

The Quran reminds us of the falsity of all alleged gods. To the worshippers of man-made objects, it asks:

قَالَ أَتَعْبُدُونَ مَا تَنْحِتُونَ

"Do you worship what you have carved yourself?" (37:95)

قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ قُلِ اللّهُ قُلْ أَفَاتَّخَذْتُم مِّن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاء لاَ يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ نَفْعًا وَلاَ ضَرًّا قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الأَعْمَى وَالْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِي الظُّلُمَاتُ وَالنُّورُ أَمْ جَعَلُواْ لِلّهِ شُرَكَاء خَلَقُواْ كَخَلْقِهِ فَتَشَابَهَ الْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ قُلِ اللّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ

"Say: "Who is the Lord and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth?" Say: "(It is) Allah." Say: "Do ye then take (for worship) protectors other than Him, such as have no power either for good or for harm to themselves?" Say: "Are the blind equal with those who see? Or the depths of darkness equal with light?" Or do they assign to Allah partners who have created (anything) as He has created, so that the creation seemed to them similar? Say: "(Allah) is the Creator of all things: He is the One, the Supreme and Irresistible." (13:16)

To the worshippers of heavenly bodies it cites the story of Abraham:

فَلَمَّا جَنَّ عَلَيْهِ اللَّيْلُ رَأَى كَوْكَبًا قَالَ هَـذَا رَبِّي فَلَمَّا أَفَلَ قَالَ لا أُحِبُّ الآفِلِينَ

فَلَمَّا رَأَى الْقَمَرَ بَازِغًا قَالَ هَـذَا رَبِّي فَلَمَّا أَفَلَ قَالَ لَئِن لَّمْ يَهْدِنِي رَبِّي لأكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الضَّالِّينَ

فَلَمَّا رَأَى الشَّمْسَ بَازِغَةً قَالَ هَـذَا رَبِّي هَـذَآ أَكْبَرُ فَلَمَّا أَفَلَتْ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ

إِنِّي وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا أَنَاْ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

"When night outspread over him he saw a star and said, 'This is my Lord.' But when it set he said, 'I love not the setters.' When he saw the moon rising, he said, 'This is my Lord.' But when it set he said, 'If my Lord does not guide me I shall surely be of the people gone astray.' When he saw the sun rising, he said, 'This is my Lord; this is greater.' But when it set he said, 'O my people, surely I quit that which you associate, I have turned my face to Him Who originated the heavens and the earth; a man of pure faith, I am not of the idolaters.'" (6:76-79)

The Believer's Attitude

In order to be a Muslim, i.e., to surrender oneself to God, it is necessary to believe in the oneness of God, in the sense of His being the only Creator, Preserver, Nourisher, etc. But this belief - later on called "Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah" - is not enough. Many of the idolaters knew and believed that only the Supreme God could do all this, but that was not enough to make them Muslims. Along with tawhid ar-rububiyyah one must add tawhid al'uluhiyyah, i.e., one acknowledges the fact that is God alone deserves to be worshipped, and thus abstains from worshipping any other thing or being.

Having achieved this knowledge of the one true God, man should constantly have faith in Him, and should allow nothing to induce him to deny that truth.

When faith enters a person's heart, it causes certain mental states which result in certain actions. Taken together these mental states and actions are the proof for the true faith. The Prophet said, "Faith is that which resides firmly in the heart and which is proved by deeds." Foremost among those mental states is the feeling of gratitude towards God which could be said to be the essence of 'ibada' (worship).

The feeling of gratitude is so important that a non-believer is called 'kafir' which means 'one who denies a truth' and also 'one who is ungrateful.'

A believer loves, and is grateful to God for the bounties He bestowed upon him, but being aware of the fact that his good deeds, whether mental or physical, are far from being commensurate with Divine favors, he is always anxious lest God should punish him, here or in the Hereafter. He, therefore, fears Him, surrenders himself to Him and serves Him with great humility. One cannot be in such a mental state without being almost all the time mindful of God. Remembering God is thus the life force of faith, without which it fades and withers away.

The Quran tries to promote this feeling of gratitude by repeating the attributes of God very frequently. We find most of these attributes mentioned together in the following verses of the Quran:

هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ هُوَ الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُ

هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلَامُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ الْعَزِيزُ الْجَبَّارُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

هُوَ اللَّهُ الْخَالِقُ الْبَارِئُ الْمُصَوِّرُ لَهُ الْأَسْمَاء الْحُسْنَى يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ

 

"Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god, Who knows (all things) both secret and open; He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god, Who knows (all things) both secret and open; He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

He is Allah, the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of Forms (or Colors). To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names: whatever is in the heavens and on earth, doth declare His Praises and Glory: and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise." (59:22-24)

اللّهُ لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ لاَ تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلاَ نَوْمٌ لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ مَن ذَا الَّذِي يَشْفَعُ عِنْدَهُ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلاَ يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلاَّ بِمَا شَاء وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ وَلاَ يَؤُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ

"Allah. There is no god but He,-the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permit? He knows what (appears to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He wills. His Throne extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory)." (2:255)

يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لاَ تَغْلُواْ فِي دِينِكُمْ وَلاَ تَقُولُواْ عَلَى اللّهِ إِلاَّ الْحَقِّ إِنَّمَا الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ اللّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَاهَا إِلَى مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌ مِّنْهُ فَآمِنُواْ بِاللّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَلاَ تَقُولُواْ ثَلاَثَةٌ انتَهُواْ خَيْرًا لَّكُمْ إِنَّمَا اللّهُ إِلَـهٌ وَاحِدٌ سُبْحَانَهُ أَن يَكُونَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَات وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ وَكَفَى بِاللّهِ وَكِيلاً

"O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Jesus, the son of Mary was (no more than) an apostle of Allah, so believe in Allah and His apostles. Say not Trinity : desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is one Allah. Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs." (4:171)

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