allah

Allah ( God )

"To God ( Allah ) belongs 99 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:

"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)

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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.

[Note that what is meant above applies ONLY to those people who die in a state wherein they are associating others with God. The repentance of those who yet live is acceptable to God if He wills. - MSA of USC]

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 the 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 it 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 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. 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)

Source : III&E Brochure Series; No. 2
(published by The Institute of Islamic Information and Education (III&E))

www.islam.org

Allah The Almighty

When I was 16 about 6 years ago, I started thinking of Allah's book "Koran" and some sciences. I am from a Muslim family that's how I know Islam. In addition, I am one of the luckiest people from the Muslim society who had read Koran by knowing its words in English. Except Arabs 99 % Muslims do not even know the proper Islam and Koran. If you are a Muslim, you are already brainwashed in the childhood by the Islamists that Allah is almighty or super powerful in all circumstances, so it is a very simple thing to understand that He knows everything of us, the Universe and so on. Otherwise, it would be funny to imagine something is God.

God or Allah has to be the only one for all human beings, no discrimination is applicable here. But, based on the information from Holy Koran, I can produce here some logical issues. When I read Holy Koran, I compare its verses with some logics. I do not find the answers of my questions after reading Koran. Let me write just a few general phenomenons which Allah should know and inform us because He is almighty. However, I am not going to write why there are no Newton's laws, Einstein's theory, etc in Holy Koran. These would not fit my claims. But, after reading Holy Koran I find super powerful Allah does not know lots of things what we need today that's why there are still some FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) left.

1) Earth Is Spherical (Round): There is no doubt to almost everybody that we could know the earth is round in favour of the laws of science; however, almighty Allah's vision proves the Earth is flat. This is why still only some illiterate Mullahs do not trust the Earth is oval. Allah is all-powerful and He created us and the Universe, therefore, why doesn't he know the earth is spherical? Can anyone produce in debate any verses from Holy Koran where He explained the acceptable information on earth?

2) The Time Difference: Every region on Earth does not have the same time. When it is 6 pm and Monday in Bangladesh, it is 4 am and Sunday in BC, Canada. If you pray Johar Namaz in Bangladesh and take a flight to Saudi Arab, you get the time again for Johar Namaz. So, would you start praying again Johar Namaz? Allah is almighty, why doesn't He mention in Holy Koran the time distinction and how people would pray in that case above? Or He does not know it! So far I know that the Keamot (Doom Day) will start on Friday in the evening. Yet, when it is evening in Bangladesh, it is morning in Americas, so, where will this doom commence?

3) Movement of the Earth: The Earth is always moving. It revolves around the Sun every 365 days at a speed of about 30 km/sec. Moreover, the Earth also has an axis, and it rotates on its axis every 24 hours at a speed of about 1670 km/hr. But, almighty Allah is not familiar with it. On top of it He explained some wrong phenomenon in Holy Koran that Earth is motionless.

4) People Other Than Arabians: Surprisingly almighty Allah did not reveal even a word that people could be living in Australia, Greenland, North and South America and many other areas. He does not even know what those people are like. He was absolutely failed to send any information about Eskimos, Red-Indians (Native American Indian), Pacific-Islanders, Latin Americans, and many more. Are there any verses in Koran where I get to know about them?

5) The Pole Regions: It is so amazing when super powerful Allah does not know North and South Pole. These areas are so cold. However, some people like Eskimos live there. It is possible to find six-month daylight hours and six-month hours of darkness a year in the poles. Almighty Allah did not give any clue how people like Eskimos would practice Roza and five-time-pray a day in those above places. Are there any verses in Holy Koran where I can figure out the cold regions?

6) The Universe: According to Koran, Allah stays above the Sky which is far away from Earth. It is so miraculous that He did not post any messages to His messenger about the Solar System which contains the Earth, Sun, Jupiter, Mars, Pluto, and so on. This question shows up because supreme Allah just mentions about the Sky, Sun, Earth, Moon, Stars, etc which can be seen with open eyes from the deserts, and He points out some related verses only about those.

7) The Air: The more we go up to the sky after 16-Kelometre from the Earth's surface, the more we lose gases like Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen. Therefore, it would be unable to breathe for any life up the sky. But, surprisingly, Prophet Mohamed went up to the sky with Burakh to talk to Allah. But, how did Mohamed inhale (through Oxygen mask and Cylinder???) and operate the super speedy rocket Burakh? If almighty Allah created this vast Universe, why didn't he expose that any type of species can NOT take breathe after crossing up a certain height from the sea level? As we know through sciences that no Planet is appropriate other than the Earth for lives in the Universe. But, how much gas can be found in the seven Heavens? We know these stay far way from the Earth's surface.

8) Test Tube and Cloning Baby: How would merciful Allah tolerate when Kaffir scientists steal his formula to create human or other species through the test tube and cloning? Did this super powerful God ever mention or know that people (of course Kaffirs) can give birth human baby or other species by cloning and using test tubes without His permission? Can any Muslims demonstrate me any related verses from Holy Koran?

9) Religion Other Than Islam, Jewish, and Christian: Allah is almighty, no doubt of it. But, there are numerous people from other religions who do not have any faith in Allah. They believe different Gods of course other than Him. If we have to believe in Him, now my question is why almighty Allah did not specifically mention about Shik (Punjabi), religions of the tribes' such as Chakma, Garo; Native American Indians' religions, Hinduisms, and many other religions. Does He really know there could be various religions other than Islam, Jewish and Christian? Or He did not want to tell us His competitors.

10) Creation of the Earth and Heaven: There is no doubt to all Muslims that Allah is almighty, but He is confused how many days he took to create the Earth and Heaven. In some Surah, he mentioned he takes two days (41:9), and in other some Surahs (11:7, 10:3 & 7:54), He quotes six days. Why wasn't powerful Allah able to create the Earth and Heaven at a precise day? And why does He make mistakes to state the correct days in Holy Koran?

11) Creation of Human Beings: Almighty Allah plays a game with His followers. He mentioned that we are created from clot of congealed blood (96:2, 75:38). A blood clot can NOT develop anything. New modern sciences state that the formation of human embryo is a seamless continuation from conception to the birth, so, there are no rigid boundaries of stages as Allah told. According to the modern embryologists including Prof. Moore of Canada, the creation of bones and clothing of bones with flesh is the tissue from which bone originates, known as mesoderm, is the same tissue as that from which muscle (flesh) develops. Thus, bone and muscles begin to develop at the same time; it is nothing but true that this does not follow Allah's theory. In addition, most of the muscle tissues that we human have are laid down before birth, however bones keep on expanding and fortifying (strengthen with calcium) right into one's teenage years. Therefore, it would make sense if almighty said that muscles starts developing at the same time as bones, but completed their development earlier. The idea that bones are clothed with flesh is not only completely wrong or false in a scientific way, but also this theory was directly stolen from the ancient Greek Doctor Galen's hypothesis. Is it possible to believe in this powerful God who steals the theory from someone? Does almighty Allah really know how we are created?

12) Fate of Pre-Islamic and Other People: What would be to the people who died before Islam come to this mortal Earth? Do they go to Hell or Heaven? Did almighty Allah send any messages regarding the afterlife for pre-Islamic people? And did he disclose any clear verses about the afterlife of those who do not even know Islam like Eskimos, Red-Indians (Native American Indian), Latinos, Native Australians, various types of tribes, and many more? If those people whether go to Heaven or Hell, why should they go, for what reasons? Did almighty Allah ever know them? Did He give us any specific detail information for them in Holy Koran?

13) Species Other Than Human-Being: Almighty and merciful Allah just knows how to create (of course in a wrong process) human being with clotted blood (?) by using His own formula. However, He did not mention even a single word how He creates other species such as dinosaurs, cows, apes, fish, and so on. Biologically, they have lives like us. It would be so funny to trust a super powerful God like Allah who does not even know and mention how other species are created?

14) The Trees'/Plants' Lives: It is ridiculous that almighty Allah did/does not know the trees/plants have lives. Muslims are not allowed to place even an image which has life like people and animals. This is why Muslims are permitted to put only the portraits of flowers and plants in the Masques and homes. Several hundred years back, for the first time, a kaffir scientist proved that trees/plants have lives just like us. This kaffir scientist could recognise it, but it chills our bones when super powerful merciful Allah does not even have any knowledge about it.

15) The Gloomy and Foggy Weather: Muslims' religious occasions and rituals depend on the Sun and Moon. Did almighty Allah or Arabians ever see any heavy fog or snow in Arab Deserts? How Muslims other than Arabians would see the Sun and Moon for Namaz, Roza, and Eid if they experience cloudy and smoggy weather from their lands? Why did an almighty substance fail to show the correct path to handle the cloudy and hazy climate to watch the Sun and Moon for rituals? In this case, what should we do? Can anyone explain this?

I asked these above prudent facts to some highly educated Muslims, they were so angry at me first; however, when they were not able to figure those out, they said to me "the problems which are not given in Koran, the Hadiths solved them". Well, that's fine; let me tell you here my reply to them "the problems in which almighty Allah was not able or failed to fix them, how can the Hadiths do? These Hadiths even were NOT written by Prophet Mohamed. Some illiterate Shahabis wrote them." Alright, now, could anyone please show me the correct way for those above 15 claims from the Hadiths besides Holy Koran? If any infidel or non-Muslim wants to accept Islam in the 21^st century, she or he would definitely want to know at least those above 15 facts. If one does not care them, she or he would absolutely be the slave of Arab Bedouins in the cave.

by Imran Hossain.