From: David Southwell Date: 2009-11-05T09:32:33+09:00 Subject: Re: Who is God ?? > > Concept of God in islam > > Sorry for not sending anything related to this group but it might be > > something new to you. > > > > Concept of God in islam > > 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: > > > > > > "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Say (O Muhammad) > > He is God the One God, the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, > > nor has been begotten, and equal to Him is not anyone." > > > > > > > > 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: > > > > > > > > "Verily, for the Righteous are gardens of Delight, in the Presence of > > their Lord. Shall We 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 the human beings as equals. They may distinguish > > themselves and get His favor through virtue and piety only. The > > concept that God rested in the seventh day of creation, that God > > wrestled with one of His soldiers, that God is an envious plotter > > against mankind, 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 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 He may forgive all other sins. > > > > 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, which means that 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 the First and the Last.’ He > > is Self-Sufficient or Self-Subsistent or, to use a Quranic 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 cause of whatever happens to them. > > > > "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) > > "No creature is there crawling on the earth, but its provision rests > > on God. He knows its lodging place and its repository." (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 feasible. The > > Quran summarizes this argument in the following verses: > > > > "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) > > > > And Why, were there gods in earth and heaven other than God, they > > (heaven and earth) would surely go to ruin." (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: > > > > "Do you worship what you have carved yourself?" (37:95) "Or have you > > taken unto you others beside Him to be your protectors, even such as > > have no power either for good or for harm to themselves?" (13:16) > > > > > > > > To the worshippers of heavenly bodies it cites the story of Abraham: > > > > "When night outspread over him he say 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 say 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. To tawhid ar-rububiyyah one > > must add tawhid al’uluhiyyah, i.e., one acknowledges the fact that is > > God alone Who 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 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: > > > > "He is God; there is no god but He, He is the Knower of the unseen and > > the visible; He is the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate. He is God, > > there is no God but He. He is the King, the All-Holy, the All-Peace, > > the Guardian of Faith, the All-Preserver, the All-Mighty, the All- > > Compeller, the All-Sublime. Glory be to God, above that they > > associate! He is God the Creator, the Maker, the Shaper. To Him belong > > the Names Most Beautiful. All that is in the heavens and the earth > > magnifies Him; He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise." (59:22-24) > > > > "There is no god but He, the Living, the Everlasting. Slumber seizes > > Him not, neither sleep; to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and > > the earth. Who is there that shall intercede with Him save by His > > leave? He knows what lies before them and what is after them, and they > > comprehend not anything of His knowledge save such as He wills. His > > throne comprises the heavens and earth; the preserving of them > > oppresses Him not; He is the All-High, the All-Glorious." (2:255) > > > > "People of the Book, go not beyond the bounds in your religion, and > > say not as to God but the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was > > only the Messenger of God, and His Word that He committed to Mary, and > > a Spirit from Him. So believe in God and His Messengers, and say not, > > ‘Three.’ Refrain; better is it for you. God is only one God. Glory be > > to Him – (He is) above having a son." (4:171) > > > > > > ————————————— > > > > For more information about Islam > > http://english.islamway.com/ > > > > http://www.islamhouse.com/ > > > > http://www.discoverislam.com/ > > > > http://www.islambasics.com/index.php > > > > http://english.islamway.com/ > > > > http://www.islamtoday.net/english/ > > > > http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/MainPage/indexe.php > > > > http://www.sultan.org/ > > I have two copies of the Koran and no where in them can I find any > information about Ruby programming. Would be helpful if you could provide > me the verses where all is revealed. > > Oh, and one minor detail: If you can describe the concept of God in Islam > then I am sure you must have an excellent proof or verification of God's > existence. If you cannot prove or verify that God exists, then you cannot > be an honest person to talk about the attributes or actions of such a God. > And you are an honest person, are you not? > > No Sam > > 2009/11/4 خادم الدعوة > I think therefore I am. If I think my thoughts are about god then god exists in my mind. If I were to think that because something exists in my mind it must also exist outside my mind then I would have the mind of a fool. David