Chapter 1: Allah (God) - Islamic Governance

A few of Allah’s attributes have been highlighted with a view to make the same easily understandable for anyone with little or no previous background
The ‘Divine’ concept amongst monotheists, polytheists, and atheists has been tracked.
Atheist concept of the non-existence of the ‘Divine’ is not supported by science and the mythical polytheist concepts are found to be diversionary aimed at the ownership of the worldly gains.
It has been concluded that a single-minded and unconditional surrender to Allah is the only option for any open-minded intelligent seeker for an assured success in this world and the hereafter.

1. What is Allah (God)?

Any humanly perceived description of ‘Allah’ can neither be found nor visualized to comprehensively describe Him. The Holy Prophet was asked the same question. The answer came from Allah Himself:

“ Say, He is Allah the One, Allah is independent, He does not beget nor He is begotten, there is no one like Him.”
(Akhlas112:1-4)

2. Allah’s Attributes

For the faithfuls, the best recognition of Allah emerges from his attributes. The task of attempting to cover all of His attributes is too great and wide in scope to be dealt with over here. It is not even necessary to do that as the same is extensively covered in Quranic verses/tafsirs, hadiths, Nahjul Balagha, published/unpublished literature, sermons, religious books, etc. Accordingly, only a few aspects as well as references in this regard will be highlighted in the ensuing write-up.

In simple words, without claiming to encompass all of Allah’s attributes:

Allah is the owner of all the Praise
Most gracious and most merciful
Allah is Everlasting: The First and The Last
Allah is the sustainer and nourisher of all
Allah is the Absolute Creator without being created by anyone
Allah is the creator, the destroyer and the re-creator
Allah is who has decreed death and subsequent raising of the dead
Allah is the Absolute owner of everything in the Universe
Allah is omniscient (limitless knowledge) and Omnipotent (limitless power)
Allah is the creator of the intellect and absolute owner of the intellect and knowledge (ILM)
Allah first created intellect followed by ignorance and then the subsequent creation of everything else
Allah is infinitely knowing and wise (having universal knowledge);
Allah is the owner and preserver ( maintainer) of His Kingdom (Divine Order) with His Absolute Justice (Adl)
Allah is beyond the limits of being seen or personified while He sees everything without being seen
Allah is always present everywhere and ever-prevalent
Nothing happens in the entire universe without His permission and knowledge
Allah communicates only by revelations through His prophets, messengers, imams or from behind veils, through His books, His decrees, any or all, by His specific permission and authorization only
Allah is most merciful and ever-forgiving
The day of Judgement has been decreed by Allah when He shall gather altogether to face consequences of their worldly doings
Allah is the only Sovereign

3. Highlighted Quranic Verses

This section deals with a subject-wise elaboration of some of Allah’s attributes supported by the corresponding Quranic verses. The holy Quran carries multiple citations concerning various subjects; but for the purpose of these essays, only a limited number of the same have been included.

3.1 Allah’s Existence

The key difference between Allah and any other being lies in the fact that He is not a ‘Created Being’ while everything else is His creation. Any concepts pertaining to the physical characteristics are attributable to the ‘created beings’ only. Anything which is not a creation stands out as beyond the domains of science or imagination. The only way to know about Allah’s existence is what He discloses Himself:

” Allah! There is no god save He, the ever-living, the self-subsisting (by whom all subsist). Neither slumber nor does sleep seize Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him, except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, but they can not comprehend anything of His knowledge save what He wills. His throne (knowledge) extends over the heavens and the earth, and preservation of them does not tire Him, and He is the most high and great”
(Baqarah-2: 255)

” You cause the night to pass into the day, and You cause the day to pass into the night; You bring forth the living from the dead, and You bring forth the dead from the living, and You give sustenance to whom You like, without measure”
(Imran-3: 27)

3.2 Allah the One, All Inclusive, the Indivisible

” Allah! There is no god save Allah”
(Baqarah-2: 255)

” Allah is only one God”
(Nisa-4: 171)

” Say: He is Allah the one”
(Akhlas-112: 01)

3.3 Allah the Owner of the Praise

” Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds”
(Fatihah-01: 02)

” You shall see the angels circling around the Arsh (the seat of divine authority), celebrating the praise of their Lord; and judgment shall be given between them with justice; and it shall be said: All praise to be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds”
(Zumar-39: 75)

3.4 Allah the Unseen

” Who believe in the unseen (Ghaib)
(Baqarah-2: 03)

” And with Him are the keys (treasures) of the unseen. None but He knows them>>>”
(Anam-6: 59)

” Allah will not acquaint you with the unseen>>>”
(Imran-3-179)

3.5 Allah the Owner of All-Encompassing Knowledge

“And verily, We shall recount their whole story with knowledge, for We were never absent (at any time or place)”
(Araf-7: 07)

3.6 Allah’s Excellent Names (Asma-ul-Husna)

” He is Allah, the creator, the maker, the fashioner, His are the excellent (beautiful) names (Asma ul Husna)”
(Hashr-59: 24)

3.7 Allah the Creator

” Wonderful Originator of the heavens and earth! And when He decrees an affair, He only says to it: ‘Be’! And it is”
(Baqarah-2:117)

” Originator of the heavens and earth”
(Ana-am-6: 102)

” Allah is the creator of all things, and He is the guardian of all things”
(Zumar-39: 62)

3.8 Allah the bringer of the Death (The Perisher)

” Every soul will taste of death”
(Imran-3: 185)

“All that is on it (earth) will perish”
(Rahman-55: 26)

” When the trumpet shall be blown then whosoever is in the heaven and whosoever is in the earth shall swoon away save those whom Allah wills (to keep alive)”
(Zumar-39: 68)

3.9 Allah the Re-Creator (Giver of life to the dead)

” That (Incumbent) on Him is another (second) creation (raising of dead)”
(Najm-53: 47)

” Say (O Muhammad): He will give them life Who created them for the first time. He has the absolute knowledge of all creations”
(Yasin-36: 79)

” Then (the trumpet) shall be blown again, and lo ! they shall stand up waiting”
(Zumar-39: 68)

3.10 Allah the Self-Subsisting: Sustainer of all

” The beneficent, the merciful”
(Fatihah-1: 03)

” There is not a creature that moves on the earth but on Allah is the sustenance thereof”
(Hud-11: 06)

3.11 Allah’s Communication (Modes of speaking)

” It is not given to man that Allah should speak to him save by revelation or from behind a veil, or send a messenger to reveal by His permission whatsoever He wills: Verily He is all-high, all-wise”
(Shura-42: 51)

3.12 Allah’s Manifestation

” And Allah’s is the east and west; therefore wherever you turn, there is the face of Allah [Whither-soever you turn you shall find (only) His manifestation]. Verily Allah is all-pervading, all-knowing)”
(Baqarah-2: 115)

3.13 Allah’s Absolute Justice (Adl)

“ Verily, Allah does not do injustice (even) to the weight of an atom”
(Nisa-4: 40)

3.14 Allah the ever-forgiving

” What! Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? Allah is oft forgiving, merciful”
(Nur-24:22)

” Yet, verily your Lord – to those who do an evil in ignorance, then turn repentant to Allah after that and make amends – verily your Lord is oft forgiving, most merciful”
(Nahl-16: 119)

3.15 Allah: the owner of the day of Judgement

” Master of the day of judgement”
(Fatihah-01: 04)

” Warn them of the approaching day when hearts will jump to the throats to choke (them). The unjust shall not have any friend nor an intercessor who will be listened to”
(Mumin-40: 18)

” Then verily on the day of judgment all of you will wrangle, one with another, before your Lord”
(Zumar-39: 31)

” The earth shall radiate with the light of her Lord, and the prophets and witnesses shall be summoned, and judgment will be passed between them with truth, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly”
(Zumar-39: 69)

” And each shall be paid in full for what it has done. He knows best what they do”
(Zumar-39: 70)

3.16 Allah the All-Seeing:

” He knows the treachery of the eye, and what the breasts conceal”
(Mumin-40: 19)

” There is nothing like unto Him, and He is all-hearing, the all-seeing”
(Shura-42: 11)

” Verily, how excellent is the warning which Allah gives you, verily, Allah is ever hearer, seer”
(Nisa-4: 58)

3.17 Allah the owner of the ‘Be & it Is’ (Kun-fa-Yakun)

” Verily, when he intends a thing, His command is:Be: and it Is:”
(Yasin-36: 82)

” Wonderful Originator of the heavens and earth! And when He decrees an affair, He only says to it: ‘Be’! And it is”
(Baqarah-2:117)

” He created him out of the dust, then He said to him: ‘Be’ and he was”
(Imran-3: 59)

3.18 Allah the Most Beneficent & Merciful

” The beneficent, the merciful”
(Fatihah-01: 03)

” That Allah may take away (expiate) from them the worst of what they (may) have done, and recompense them their reward for the best of what they used to do”
(Zumar-39: 35)

” Say (O Muhammad) to My servants who have been immoderate against there own souls: Do not despair of the mercy of Allah; verily Allah forgives all sins. Verily He is oft-forgiving, most merciful”
(Zumar-39: 53)

4. Discussion

The entire range of the concepts pertaining to the ‘Being’ as applicable to the Universe, or any of its components thereof, lead to only one source which is Allah.
All the monotheists and polytheists’ faiths are based on some kind of ‘Divine” existence.
The monotheists’ concept of the unity of God is crystal clear and leads to Allah. All faithful, including Muslims and the other people of the book, have unanimity over this issue, except for Christians, whose concept of trinity must be seen as a diversion.
The atheist concept of the non-existence of the ‘Divine’ is a non-starter. Their continued insistence of trying to justify ‘Existence’ scientifically on the basis of evolution is absurd. Neither science nor any natural evolutionary process supports the concept of the initiation of any such process out of ‘Nothing’ without a source. It is not possible to identify any such source except an intelligent, repentant, and grateful retreat to the only logical initiation process described by Allah in the Quranic verses.
The claimed non-existence of the ‘Divine’ by the atheists as well as mythical polytheists’ concepts must be viewed as diversionary to satisfy individual, collective, and/or group objectives.
An objective reading of the abridged version of Allah’s attribute carried in para (3) above should be adequate for a clear-headed seeker.

5. Conclusion

Trying to track down a non-existent and/or mythical black ant in an infinitely vast enclosed utterly dark black space is nothing but a lethal exercise. Discard having any share of the same by firmly rejecting, any or all, available worldly incentives.
Trust Allah and surrender to Him with full faith for success in this world and the hereafter.

Alhamdulillah