The Pleasures of Paradise (part 2 of 2)

The Eternalness of the Hereafter

The Pleasures of this world are transient whilst the joys of the hereafter are lasting and eternal.  In this life when a person enjoys something, it is only a short while before they get bored with it and proceed to search for something they feel is better, or they may not feel a need for it altogether.  As for the delights of Paradise, a person will never feel bored with anything, but rather, its goodness will increase each time they indulge in it.

Also, the life of this world is very short.  Humans only live on this earth for a short while, and very few people reach the age of seventy.

“…Say: Short is the enjoyment of this world.  The Hereafter is (far) better for him who fears God...” (Qur'an 4:77)

As for Paradise, people will live forever.  God says:

“...its provision is eternal and so is its shade…” (Qur'an 13:35)

“What is with you must vanish, and what is with God will endure …” (Qur'an 16:96)

“(It will be said to them): This is Our Provision, which will never finish” (Qur'an 38:54)

Superior Delights

The delights of the people of Paradise, such as their clothing, food, drink, jewelry and palaces, will be far superior to their counterparts in this world.  There is in fact no room for comparison, as even the smallest space in Paradise is better than this world and all that is in it.  The Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said:

“The space of the bow of any one of you in Paradise is better than all that the sun rises upon” (Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh 3/85, no. 5615)

Free from all Impurities

Paradise is free from all the impurities of this world.  Eating and drinking in this life results in the need for excretion and its associated unpleasant odors.  If a person drinks wine in this world, he loses his mind.  Women in this world menstruate and give birth, which are sources of pain and hurt.  Paradise is free from all of these discomforts: its people will not urinate, defecate, spit or suffer from catarrh.  The wine of Paradise, as described by its Creator, is:

“Crystal-white, delicious to those who drink (thereof), free from intoxication, nor will they suffer intoxication therefrom” (Qur'an 37:46-47)

The water of Paradise does not become brackish, and its milk never changes in flavor:

“...rivers of water incorruptible; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes...” (Qur'an 47:15)

The women of Paradise are pure and free from menstruation, postnatal bleeding and all the other impurities suffered by women in this world, and all are free from stool and feces.  God says:

“...and they shall have therein purified mates…” (Qur'an 2:25)

The prophet answered a person when they asked how the people of Paradise will relieve themselves:

“They relieve themselves by perspiring through their skins, and its fragrance will be that of musk, and all stomachs will have become lean.” (ibn Hibbaan)

What we have mentioned has been a mere comparison in order to understand the nature of Paradise, but as God said, its delights are truly hidden:

“No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy, as a reward for what they used to do.” (Qur'an 32:17)

Paradise: There is Nothing Like It

The delights of Paradise surpass the imagination and defy description.  They are like nothing known to the people of this world; no matter how advanced we may become, what we achieve is as nothing in comparison with the joys of the Hereafter.  As is mentioned in several reports, there is nothing like Paradise:

“It is sparkling light, aromatic plants, a lofty palace, a flowing river, ripe fruit, a beautiful wife and abundant clothing, in an eternal abode of radiant joy, in beautiful soundly-constructed high houses”. (Ibn Maajah, Ibn Hibbaan)

The Sahabah asked the Prophet about the buildings of Paradise and he replied with a wonderful description:

“Bricks of gold and silver, and mortar of fragrant musk, pebbles of pearl and sapphire, and soil of saffron.  Whoever enters it is filled with joy and will never feel miserable; he will live there forever and never die; their clothes will never wear out and their youth will never fade.” (Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi, ad-Daarimee)

God says:

“And when you look there (in Paradise) you will see a delight (that cannot be imagined), and a great dominion.” (Qur'an 76:20)

What God has kept hidden from us the delights of Paradise is beyond our ability to comprehend.  The Prophet said that God said:

“I have prepared for My slaves what no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no human heart can imagine.”  Recite if you wish:

“No person knows what is kept hidden for them of joy as a reward for what they used to do.” (Qur'an 32:17)

In another report:

“Never mind what God has told you; what He has not told you is even greater.” (Saheeh Muslim)

In other articles, we will attempt to mention some of the specific details of Paradise and the delights therein described to us by God and His last Prophet.

The Pleasures of Paradise (part 1 of 2)

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The reality of Paradise is something which people will never be able to understand until they actually enter it, but God has shown us glimpses of it in the Qur'an.  He has described it as a place essentially different to the life of this world, both in the very nature and purpose of life, as well as the types of delights which people will enjoy therein.  The Qur'an tells people about Paradise, which God offers to them, describes its great blessings, and proclaims its beauties to everyone.  It informs people that Paradise is one of two ways of life prepared for them in the afterworld, and that every good thing will be theirs in Paradise to a degree that surpasses our present ability to imagine.  It also shows that Paradise is a place where all blessings have been created perfectly and where people will be offered everything their souls and hearts will desire, and that people will be far removed from want and need, anxiety or sadness, sorrow and regret.  Every kind of beauty and blessing exists in Paradise and will be revealed with a perfection never seen or known before.  God has prepared such blessings there as a gift, and these will be offered only to people with whom He is pleased.

But what is the nature of these delights in Paradise, and how will it be different from the delights of this world?  We will try to highlight a few of these differences.

Pure delight without pain and suffering

While people in this world experience some delight, they also face much toil and suffering.  If one was to scrutinize the life which they live, they will find that the amount of hardship they face is much more than the ease and comfort.  As for the life of the Hereafter, there will be no hardship nor suffering in it, and people will live therein in pure joy and delight.  All the causes of sorrow, pain and suffering which people experience in this life will be absent in the Hereafter.  Let’s take a look at some of these causes.

Wealth

When one thinks of success in this life, they usually conjure the image of big houses, fine jewelry and clothing, and expensive cars; financial stability is seen to be the key to a happy life.  To most people, success is inseparably related to wealth, even though this is the furthest from the truth.  How many times have we seen the wealthiest of people living such miserable lives, that it sometimes even leads them to commit suicide!  Wealth is something which humans in their very nature desire at any cost, and this desire has been created for a great and wise purpose.  When this desire is not satiated, it causes some extent of grief in a person.  For this reason, God has promised the inhabitants of Paradise that they will have all that they imagined as far as wealth and belongings are concerned, both for those who were extremely poor, experiencing even hunger and thirst, to those well-to-do but who desired even more.  God gives us a glimpse of this when he says:

“... there will be there all that the souls could desire, all that the eyes could delight in …” (Qur'an 43:71)

“Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent forth (good deeds) in days past!” (Qur'an 69:24)

“… They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold, and they will wear green garments of fine silk and heavy brocade.  They will recline therein on raised thrones.  How good [is] the recompense!  How beautiful a couch [is there] to recline on!” (Qur'an 18:31)

Disease and Death

Another cause of pain and suffering in this life is the death of a loved one or disease, which are both non-existent in Paradise.  None will feel any sickness or pain in Paradise.  The Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said about the people of Paradise:

“They will never fall ill, blow their noses or spit.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

None will die in Paradise.  All shall live eternally enjoying the pleasures therein.  The Prophet Muhammad said that a caller will call out in Paradise when people enter it:

“Indeed may you be healthy and never be sick again, may you live and never die again, may you be young and never grow feeble again, may you enjoy, and never feel sorrow and regret again.” (Saheeh Muslim)

Social Relationships

As for the remorse felt due to a rift in personal relationships, people will never hear any evil or hurting comments or speech in Paradise.  They will only hear good words and words of peace.  God says:

“They will not hear therein ill speech or commission of sin.  But only the saying of: Peace! Peace!” (Qur'an 56:25-26)

There will be no enmity between people nor ill-feelings:

“And We shall remove from their breasts any (mutual) hatred or sense of injury (which they had, if at all, in the life of this world)…” (Qur'an 7:43)

The Prophet said:

“There will be no hatred or resentment among them, their hearts will be as one, and they will glorify God, morning and evening.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

People will have the best of companions in the Hereafter, who were also the best people in the world:

“And whoever obeys God and the Messenger – those will be with the ones upon whom God has bestowed favor – of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous.  And excellent are those as companions!” (Qur'an 4:69)

The hearts of the people of Paradise will be pure, their speech will be good, their deeds righteous.  There will be no hurtful, upsetting, offensive or provocative talk there, for Paradise is free of all worthless words and deeds. If we were to discuss all the causes for anguish in this life, we would surely find its absence or opposite to be true in Paradise.

Can We See God?

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The human mind is a true marvel, but in certain areas it is limited.  God is different from anything the human mind can think of or imagine, so the mind will become confused if it tries to picture God.  Nevertheless, it is possible to understand the attributes of God that do not require one to make any mental pictures of Him.  For example, one of God’s names is al-Ghaffar, which means He forgives all sins.  Everyone can understand this easily because that is how the human mind can think of God.  Jewish and Christian teachings on God are confused partly because of incorrect understanding of this issue.  The Jewish Torah teaches God is like man,

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness…so God made man in His own image.’” (Genesis 1:26-27)

Moreover, certain churches contain statues or images of an old white bearded man depicting God.  Some of these were produced by the likes of Michelangelo who depicted the Face and Hand of a god – a tough looking old man - in paintings.

Rendering images of God in Islam is an impossibility, and amounts to disbelief, as God tells us in the Qur'an that nothing resembles Him:

“There is nothing like Him, but He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.” (Qur'an 42:11)

“There is nothing comparable to Him.” (Qur'an 112:4)

The Request of Moses to See God

Eyes can not bear the vision of God.  He tells us in the Qur'an:

“Vision cannot grasp Him, but His Grasp is over all vision.” (Qur'an 6:103)

Moses, to whom God spoke and gave great miracles, was chosen by God to be His Prophet.  It is said that he thought that, since God used to speak to him, he might be able to actually see God.  The story is in the Qur'an, where God tells us what happened:

“And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, ‘My Lord, show me (Yourself) that I may look at You.’  (God) said, ‘You will not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it should remain in place, then you will see Me.’  But when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He rendered it level, and Moses fell unconscious.  And when he awoke, he said, ‘Exalted are You!  I have repented to You, and I am the first of the believers.’” (Qur'an 7:143)

God made it clear that no-one, including the great prophet Moses, can bear the sight of the divine, for God is too great to be grasped by human eyes in this life.  According to the Qur'an, Moses realized his request was in error; therefore, he sought forgiveness from God for having asked.

Did Prophet Muhammad See God In This Life?

Prophet Muhammad traveled in a miraculous journey through the heavens and met God.  People thought that since Prophet Muhammad spoke to God in that journey, he probably saw God too.  One of the companions, Abu Dahrr, asked him about it.  The Prophet replied:

“There was only light, how could I see Him?” (Saheeh Muslim)

What was the light he saw?  The Prophet explained:

“Surely, God does not sleep nor is it befitting for Him to sleep.  He is the one who lowers the scales and raises them.  The deeds of the night go up to Him before the deeds of the day and those of the day before those of the night, and His veil is light.” (Saheeh Muslim)

Visions of God in Spiritual Experiences

Some people, including some who claim to be Muslims, report spiritual experiences where they claim to have seen God.  Common reported experiences also include seeing light, or a magnificent being seated on a throne.  In the case of Muslims, such an experience is usually accompanied by dropping basic Islamic practices like salah and fasting, under the mistaken opinion that such practices are only for common people who had not had their type of experience.

So what does Islam teach about this?  Islam teaches us that it is Satan who pretends to be God to deceive ignorant people who believe in such experiences and go astray.  One of the fundamental foundations of Islam is that the law revealed to Prophet Muhammad cannot be changed or canceled.  God neither makes lawful for some what He has made unlawful for others, nor does He communicate His Law through such experiences to people.  Rather, divine law is revealed through the proper channel of revelation to the prophets, a channel that was closed after the advent of the prophet Muhammad, the last of God’s prophets. 

Seeing God in Afterlife

In Islamic doctrine, God cannot be seen in this life, but the believers will see God in the next life; even then, God will not be grasped in totality.  This is stated clearly in the Qur'an and the Sunnah.  The Prophet said,

“The Day Of Resurrection is the first day any eye will look at God, the Mighty and Exalted.”[1]

Describing the events of Resurrection Day, God states in the Qur'an:

“On that day some faces will be bright, looking at their Lord.” (Qur'an 75:22-23)

The Prophet was asked if we will see God on the Day of resurrection.  He replied, “Are you harmed by looking at the moon when it is full?”[2]  ‘No,’ they replied.  Then he said, “Surely, you will see Him likewise.”  In another hadith the Prophet said, “Surely, each of you will see God on the day when you shall meet Him, and there will be no veil or translator between Him and you.”[3]  Seeing God will be a favor that is additional to Paradise on the people who will dwell therein.  As a matter of fact, the joy of seeing God for a believer will be greater than the all the joys of Paradise combined together.  The unbelievers, on the other hand, will be deprived of seeing God, and this will be greater punishment for them than all the pain and suffering of Hell combined together.

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Footnotes:

[1] Darqutni, Darimi

[2] Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim

[3] Saheeh Al-Bukhari

The Concept of God in Islam (part 2 of 2): His Attributes and His Oneness

God’s Attributes

If the Creator is Eternal and Everlasting, then His attributes must also be eternal and everlasting.  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 Qur'an 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.” (Qur'an 23:91)

Also,

“And why, were there gods on earth and heaven other than God, they (heaven and earth) would surely go to ruin.” (Qur'an 21:22)

The Oneness of God

The Qur'an 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?” (Qur'an 37:95)

Also,

“…Or have you taken unto yourself others beside Him to be your protectors, even such as have no power either for good or for harm to themselves?...” (Qur'an 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 one of the idolaters.’” (Qur'an 6:76-79)

The Believer’s Attitude

In order to be a Muslim, that is, 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 is not enough.  Many of the idolaters knew and believed that only the Supreme God could do all this.  But this was not enough to make them Muslims.  In addition to this belief, one must acknowledge the fact that it 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.

What this means is that, if one submits knowingly to God without reservations, and admits He is the only one worthy of your worship, one must consequently worship Him. That is, knowing we owe Him obedience means putting into practice what we acknowledge in our hearts. God asks, rhetorically:

“Did you think that We had created you in without purpose, and that you would not be brought back to Us?” (Qur'an 23:115)

He also states categorically:

”I did not create Mankind and Jinn except that they should worship me.” (Qur'an 51:56)

Hence, when faith enters a person’s heart, it causes certain mental states that result in certain actions.  Taken together, these mental states and actions are the proof for the true faith.  The Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said:

“Faith is that which resides firmly in the heart and which is proved by deeds.”

Foremost among these mental states is the feeling of gratitude towards God, which could be said to be the essence of 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 has 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 Qur'an 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 Qur'an:

“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 the 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 Almighty, the All-Wise.” (Qur'an 59:22-24)

Also,

“There is no god but He, the Living, the Everlasting.  Slumber seizes Him not, nor 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 footstool extends over the heavens and the earth.  The preserving of them oppresses Him not; He is the All-High, the All-Glorious.” (Qur'an 2:255)

Also,

“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 laded on Mary, and a Spirit from Him.  So believe in God and His Messengers, and say not “Three”.  Refrain; better it is for you.  God is only one God.  Glory be to Him – (He is) above having a son.” (Qur'an 4:171)

Thus we have three parts to our acknowledgement of God as the Only True God. We must believe he is the ultimate Creator, Controller and Judge of the universe and everything in it; we must refrain from the worship of anything except Him, and then actually direct our Worship to Him; and we must know that He alone has all the divine attributes and names, and we cannot apply them to any other being, no matter who they are.   If one merely acknowledges with one’s lips these necessities, even should we refrain from applying them to other gods, it is not enough. They must be sincerely directed to the One you acknowledge as well.

The Concept of God in Islam (part 1 of 2): A Unique Concept

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It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are used to refer to God and sometimes to lesser deities at the same time.  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, as in “gods,” or made feminine, as in “goddess.”  It is interesting to note that Alah 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 Allah.  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 Allah Himself in the form of a short chapter of the Qur'an, which is considered to be the essence of the unity or the motto of monotheism.  This is chapter 112, which reads:

“In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate.”

“Say (O Muhammad), He is Allah, the One God, the Self-Sufficient, 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 and is, consequently, not loving and kind.  Nothing could be farther from the truth than this allegation.  It is enough to know that, with the exception of one, each of the 114 chapters of the Qur'an begins with the verse, “In the name of God, the Merciful; the Compassionate.”  In one of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, we are told that:

“God is more loving and kind than a mother to her dear child.”

On the other hand, God is also Just.  Hence, evildoers and sinners must have their share of punishment, and the virtuous must have God’s 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 should not receive similar treatment from their Lord as people who oppress and exploit others their whole lives.  Expecting similar treatment for them would amount to negating the very belief in the accountability of man in the Hereafter and thereby negate 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?” (Qur'an 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 and get His favor through virtue and piety only.

The concepts, such as God resting on the seventh day of creation, God wrestling with one of His soldiers, God being an envious plotter against mankind, or God being 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 that 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 that God will never forgive, despite the fact that 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, therefore, that nothing is like Him.  Furthermore, if the Maker is not temporal, then He must be eternal.  If He is eternal, however, He cannot be caused, and if nothing caused Him to come into existence, 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, so the Creator is, therefore, eternal and everlasting. Hence we know that He is Self-sufficient or Self-subsistent, and Everlasting or, to use a Quranic term, Al-Qayyum:   “He is the First and the Last.”

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…” (Qur'an 39:62-63)

And God says:

“No creature is there crawling on the earth, but its provision rests on God.  He knows its lodging place and its repository...” (Qur'an 11:16)

Who is Allah?

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Some of the biggest misconceptions that many non-Muslims have about Islam have to do with the word “Allah.”  For various reasons, many people have come to believe that Muslims worship a different God than Christians and Jews.  This is totally false, since “Allah” is simply the Arabic word for “God” - and there is only One God.  Let there be no doubt - Muslims worship the God of Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus - peace be upon them all.  However, it is certainly true that Jews, Christians and Muslims all have different concepts of Almighty God.  For example, Muslims - like Jews - reject the Christian beliefs of the Trinity and the Divine Incarnation.  This, however, does not mean that each of these three religions worships a different God - because, as we have already said, there is only One True God.  Judaism, Christianity and Islam all claim to be “Abrahamic Faiths”, and all of them are also classified as “monotheistic.”  However, Islam teaches that other religions have, in one way or another, distorted and nullified a pure and proper belief in Almighty God by neglecting His true teachings and mixing them with man-made ideas.

First of all, it is important to note that “Allah” is the same word that Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews use for God.  If you pick up an Arabic Bible, you will see the word “Allah” being used where “God” is used in English.  This is because “Allah” is a word in the Arabic language equivalent to the English word “God” with a capital “G”.  Additionally, the word “Allah” cannot be made plural, a fact which goes hand-in-hand with the Islamic concept of God.

It is interesting to note that the Aramaic word “El”, which is the word for God in the language that Jesus spoke, is certainly more similar in sound to the word “Allah” than the English word “God.”  This also holds true for the various Hebrew words for God, which are “El” and “Elah”, and the plural or glorified form “Elohim.”  The reason for these similarities is that Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic are all Semitic languages with common origins.  It should also be noted that in translating the Bible into English, the Hebrew word “El” is translated variously as “God”, “god” and “angel”!  This imprecise language allows different translators, based on their preconceived notions, to translate the word to fit their own views.  The Arabic word “Allah” presents no such difficulty or ambiguity, since it is only used for Almighty God alone.  Additionally, in English, the only difference between “god”, meaning a false god, and “God”, meaning the One True God, is the capital “G”.  Due to the above mentioned facts, a more accurate translation of the word “Allah” into English might be “The One -and-Only God” or “The One True God.”

More importantly, it should also be noted that the Arabic word “Allah” contains a deep religious message due to its root meaning and origin.  This is because it stems from the Arabic verb ta’allaha (or alaha), which means “to be worshipped.”  Thus in Arabic, the word “Allah” means “The One who deserves all worship.”  This, in a nutshell, is the Pure Monotheistic message of Islam.

Suffice it to say that just because someone claims to be a “monotheistic” Jew, Christian or Muslim, that does not keep them from falling into corrupt beliefs and idolatrous practices.  Many people, including some Muslims, claim belief in “One God” even though they’ve fallen into acts of idolatry.  Certainly, many Protestants accuse Roman Catholics of idolatrous practices in regards to the saints and the Virgin Mary.  Likewise, the Greek Orthodox Church is considered “idolatrous” by many other Christians because in much of their worship they use icons.  However, if you ask a Roman Catholic or a Greek Orthodox person if God is “One”, they will invariably answer: “Yes!.”  This claim, however, does not stop them from being “creature worshipping” idolaters.  The same goes for Hindus, who just consider their gods to be “manifestations” or “incarnations” of the One Supreme God.

Before concluding… there are some people out there, who are obviously not on the side of truth, that want to get people to believe that “Allah” is just some Arabian “god”[1], and that Islam is completely “other” - meaning that it has no common roots with the other Abrahamic religions (i.e. Christianity and Judaism).  To say that Muslims worship a different “God” because they say “Allah” is just as illogical as saying that French people worship another God because they use the word “Dieu”, that Spanish-speaking people worship a different God because they say “Dios” or that the Jews worshipp a different God because they sometimes call Him “Yahweh.”  Certainly, reasoning like this is quite ridiculous!  It should also be mentioned, that claiming that any one language uses the only the correct word for God is tantamount to denying the universality of God’s message to mankind, which was to all nations, tribes and people through various prophets who spoke different languages.

We would like to ask our readers about the motives of these people?  The reason is that the Ultimate Truth of Islam stands on solid ground and its unshakeable belief in the Unity of God is above reproach.  Due to this, Christians can’t criticize its doctrines directly, but instead fabricate things about Islam that aren’t true so that people lose the desire to learn more.  If Islam were presented in the proper way to the world, it surely might make many people reconsider and re-evaluate their own beliefs.  It is quite likely that when they find out that there is a universal religion in the world that teaches people to worship and love God, while also practicing Pure Monotheism, would at least feel that they should re-examine the basis for their own beliefs and doctrines.

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Footnotes:

[1] Such as the claim propagated by Robert Morey in his work, The Moon-god Allaah in the Archeology of the Middle East. For a discussion of this work, please see the following links:

(http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Sources/Allah/moongod.html)

Belief in Divine Decree

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The sixth and last article of Islamic faith is belief in divine decree which means that everything good or bad, all moments of happiness or sorrow, pleasure or pain, come from God.

First, God’s foreknowledge is infallible.  God is not indifferent to this world or its people.  He is Wise and Loving, but this should not make us fatalists, throwing up our hands and saying, ‘what’s the point of making any effort?’  God’s foreknowledge does not compromise human responsibility.  God holds us accountable for what we can do, what is within our capability, but  He does not hold us accountable for things we cannot do.  He is Just and, as He has given us only limited responsibility, judges us accordingly.  We should think, plan and make the right choices, but, if sometimes things do not turn out the way we want, we need not lose hope or get depressed.  We should pray to God and try again.  If in the end we still do not achieve what we wanted, we should know we have tried our best and are not responsible for the results.

God knows what the creatures will do, encompassing everything by His knowledge.  He knows all that exists, in entirety and totality, by virtue of His eternal foreknowledge.

“Truly, nothing is hidden from God, in the earth or in the heavens.” (Qur'an 3:5)

Whoever refuses this denies God’s perfection, because the opposite of knowledge is either ignorance or forgetfulness.  It would mean God would have been mistaken in his foreknowledge of future events; He would no longer be omniscient.  Both are deficiencies which God is free of.

Second, God has recorded everything that will occur until the Day of Judgment in the Preserved Tablet (al-Lauh al-Mahfuz in Arabic).  The life spans of all human beings are written and the amount of their sustenance apportioned.  Everything that is created or occurs in the universe is according to what is recorded there.  God has said:

“Did you not know that God knows (all) that is in the heavens and the earth?  It is (all) in a record.  Surely that is easy for God.” (Qur'an 22:70)

Third, whatever God wills to happen happens, and whatever God does not will does not happen.  Nothing occurs in the heavens or on earth without the Will of God.

Fourth, God is the Creator of everything.

“…He has created everything, and has ordained for it a measure.” (Qur'an 25:2)

In Islamic doctrine every human act both in material and spiritual life is predestined, yet it is incorrect to believe the action of fate is blind, arbitrary, and relentless. Without denying divine interference in human affairs, human liberty is kept intact.  It does not discount the principle of man’s moral freedom and responsibility.  All is known, but freedom is also granted.

Man is not a helpless creature borne along by destiny. Rather, each person is responsible for his acts.  Lethargic nations and individuals indolent to ordinary affairs of life are to blame themselves, not God.  Man is bound to obey the moral law; and he will receive merited punishment or reward as he violates or observes that law.  However, if such is so, man must have within his power the ability to break or keep the law.  God would not hold us responsible for something unless we were capable of doing it:

“God does not burden any human being with more than he is well able to bear.” (Qur'an 2:286)

Belief in divine decree strengthens one’s belief in God.  A person realizes that God alone controls everything, so he trusts and relies on Him.  Even though a person tries his best, at the same time he relies on God for the final outcome.  His hard work or intelligence does not make him arrogant, for God is the source of all that comes his way.  Finally, a person attains peace of mind in the realization that God is the Wise and His Actions are dictated by wisdom.  Things don’t happen without a purpose.  If something reached him, he realizes it could never have escaped him.  If something misses him, he realizes it was never meant to be.  A man achieves an inner peace, inwardly at rest with this realization

Belief in Life after Death

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Everyone is scared of dying and rightly so.  The uncertainty of what lies beyond is frightening. It may be that of all religions, Islam, provides the most graphic details of what comes after death and lies beyond.  Islam views death to be a natural threshold to the next stage of existence.

Islamic doctrine holds that human existence continues after the death of the human body in the form of spiritual and physical resurrection.  There is a direct relation between conduct on earth and the life beyond.  The afterlife will be one of rewards and punishments which is commensurate with earthily conduct.  A Day will come when God will resurrect and gather the first and the last of His creation and judge everyone justly.  People will enter their final abode, Hell or Paradise.  Faith in life after death urges us to do right and to stay away from sin.  In this life we sometimes see the pious suffer and the impious enjoy.  All shall be judged one day and justice will be served.

Faith in life after death is one of the six fundamental beliefs required of a Muslim to complete his faith.  Rejecting it renders all other beliefs meaningless.  Think of a child who does not put his hand in fire.  He does not do so because he is sure it will burn. When it comes to doing school work, the same child may feel lazy because he does not quite understand what a sound education will do for his future.  Now, think of a man who does not believe in the Day of Judgment.  Would he consider belief in God and a life driven by his belief in God to be of any consequence?  To him, neither obedience to God is of use, nor is disobedience of any harm.  How, then, can he live a God-conscious life?  What incentive would he have to suffer the trials of life with patience and avoid overindulgence in worldly pleasures?  And if a man does not follow the way of God, then what use is his belief in God, if he has any?  The acceptance or rejection of life after death is perhaps the greatest factor in determining the course of an individual’s life.

The dead have a continued and conscious existence of a kind in the grave.  Muslims believe that, upon dieing, a person enters an intermediate phase of life between death and resurrection.  Many events take place in this new “world”, such as the “trial” of the grave, where everyone will be questioned by angels about their religion, prophet, and Lord.  The grave is a garden of paradise or a pit of hell; angels of mercy visit the souls of believers and angels of punishment come for the unbelievers.

Resurrection will be preceded by the end of the world.  God will command a magnificent angel to blow the Horn.  At its first blowing, all the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth will fall unconscious, except those spared by God.  The earth will be flattened, the mountains turned into dust, the sky will crack, planets will be dispersed, and the graves overturned.

People will be resurrected into their original physical bodies from their graves, thereby entering the third and final phase of life.  The Horn will blow again upon which people will rise up from their graves, resurrected!

God will gather all humans, believers and the impious, jinns, demons, even wild animals.  It will be a universal gathering.  The angels will drive all human beings naked, uncircumcised, and bare-footed to the Great Plain of Gathering.  People will stand in wait for judgment and humanity will sweat in agony.  The righteous will be sheltered under the shade of God’s Magnificent Throne.

When the condition becomes unbearable, people will request the prophets and the messengers to intercede with God on their behalf to save them from distress.

The balances will be set and the deeds of men will be weighed.  Disclosure of the Records of the deeds performed in this life will follow.  The one who will receive his record in his right hand will have an easy reckoning.  He will happily return to his family.  However, the person who will receive his record in his left hand would wish he were dead as he will be thrown into the Fire.  He will be full of regrets and will wish that he were not handed his Record or he had not known it.

Then God will judge His creation.  They will be reminded and informed of their good deeds and sins.  The faithful will acknowledge their failings and be forgiven.  The disbelievers will have no good deeds to declare because an unbeliever is rewarded for them in this life.  Some scholars are of the opinion that the punishment of an unbeliever may be reduced in lieu of his good deeds, except the punishment of the great sin of disbelief.

The Siraat is a bridge that will be established over Hell extending to Paradise.  Anyone who is steadfast on God’s religion in this life will find it easy to pass it.

Paradise and Hell will be the final dwelling places for the faithful and the damned after the Last Judgment.  They are real and eternal.  The bliss of the people of Paradise shall never end and the punishment of unbelievers condemned to Hell shall never cease.  Unlike a pass-fail system in some other belief-systems, the Islamic view is more sophisticated and conveys a higher level of divine justice.  This can be seen in two ways.  First, some believers may suffer in Hell for unrepented, cardinal sins.  Second, both Paradise and Hell have levels.

Paradise is the eternal garden of physical pleasures and spiritual delights.  Suffering will be absent and bodily desires will be satisfied.  All wishes will be met.  Palaces, servants, riches, streams of wine, milk and honey, pleasant fragrances, soothing voices, pure partners for intimacy; a person will never get bored or have enough!

The greatest bliss, though, will be the vision of their Lord of which the unbelievers will be deprived.

Hell is an infernal place of punishment for unbelievers and purification for sinful believers.  Torture and punishment for the body and the soul, burning by fire, boiling water to drink, scalding food to eat, chains, and choking columns of fire.  Unbelievers will be eternally damned to it, whereas sinful believers will eventually be taken out of Hell and enter Paradise.

Paradise is for those who worshipped God alone, believed and followed their prophet, and lived moral lives according to the teachings of scripture.

Hell will be the final dwelling place of those who denied God, worshipped other beings besides God, rejected the call of the prophets, and lead sinful, unrepentant lives.

Belief in the Prophets

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Belief in certain prophets who God chose to relay His message to humans is a required article of Islamic faith.

“The Prophet (Muhammad) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers.  Each one believes in God, His Angels, His Books, and His prophets.  (They say,) ‘We make no distinction between one another of His prophets...’” (Qur'an 2:285)

God conveys His message and relates His will through human prophets.  They form a link between the earthly beings and the heavens, in the sense that God has picked them to deliver His message to human beings.  There are no other channels to receive divine communications.  It is the system of communication between the Creator and the created.  God does not send angels to every single individual, nor does He open the skies so people can climb up to receive the message.  His way of communication is through human prophets who receive the message through angels.

To have faith in the prophets (or messengers) is to firmly believe that God chose morally upright men to bear His message and pass it to humanity.  Blessed were those who followed them, and wretched were those who refused to obey.  They faithfully delivered the message, without hiding, altering, or corrupting it.  Rejecting a prophet is rejecting the One who sent him, and disobeying a prophet is disobeying the One who commanded to obey him.

God sent to every nation a prophet, mostly from amongst them, to call them to worship God alone and to shun false gods.

“And ask (O Muhammad) those of Our prophets whom We sent before you: ‘Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Most Merciful (God)?’” (Qur'an 43:45)

Muslims believe in those prophets mentioned by name in Islamic sources, such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, David, Solomon, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, to name a few.  A general belief is held in those not mentioned by name, as God says: 

“And, indeed We have sent prophets before you (O Muhammad), of some of them We have related to you their story, and of some We have not related to you their story...” (Qur'an 40:78)

Muslims firmly believe the final prophet was the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, and there will be no prophet or messenger after him.

To appreciate this fact, one must understand that the teachings of the last prophet are preserved in original language in their primary sources.  There is no need for another prophet.  In the case of earlier prophets, their scriptures were lost or their message was corrupted to the point that truth was hardly distinguishable from falsehood.  The message of the Prophet Muhammad is clear and preserved and will remain so till the end of time.

The Purpose for Sending Prophets

We can identify the following main reasons for sending prophets:

(1)  Guiding humanity from the worship of created beings to the worship of their Creator, from being in a state of servitude to the creation to the freedom of worshipping their Lord.

(2)  Clarifying to humanity the purpose of creation: worshipping God and obeying His commands, as well as clarifying that this life is a test for each individual, a test of which its results will decide the type of life one will lead after death; a life of eternal misery or eternal bliss.  There is no other definite way to find the true purpose of creation.

(3)  Showing humanity the right path that will lead them to Paradise and to salvation from Hellfire.

(4)  Establishing proof against humanity by sending prophets, so people will not have an excuse when they will be questioned on the Day of Judgment.  They will not be able to claim ignorance to the purpose of their creation and life after death.

(5)  Uncovering the unseen ‘world’ which exists beyond the normal senses and the physical universe, such as the knowledge of God, existence of angels, and the reality of the Day of Judgment.

(6)  Providing human beings practical examples to lead moral, righteous, purpose-driven lives free of doubts and confusion.  Innately, human beings admire fellow human beings, so the best examples of righteousness for humans to imitate are those of God’s prophets.

(7)  Purifying the soul from materialism, sin, and heedlessness.

(8)  Conveying to humanity the teachings of God, which is for their own benefit in this life and in the Hereafter.

Their Message

The single most important message of all prophets to their people was to worship God alone and none else and to follow His teachings.  All of them, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Jesus, Muhammad and others, in addition to those we do not know - invited people to worship God and shun false gods.

Moses declared: “Hear, O Israel The Lord our God is one Lord.” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

This was repeated 1500 years later by Jesus, when he said: “The first of all the commandments is, ‘Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord.’” (Mark 12:29).

Finally, the call of Muhammad some 600 years later reverberated across the hills of Mecca:

“And your God is One God: there is no god but He...” (Qur'an 2:163)

The Holy Qur'an states this fact clearly:

“And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We revealed to him (saying): ‘none has the right to be worshipped but I, so worship Me.’” (Qur'an 21:25)

The Message Bearers

God chose the best among humanity to deliver His message.  Prophethood is not earned or acquired like higher education.  God chooses whom He pleases for this purpose.

They were the best in morals and they were mentally and physically fit, protected by God from falling into cardinal, major sins.  They did not err or commit mistakes in delivering the message.  They were over one hundred thousand prophets sent to all mankind, to all nations and races, in all corners of the world.  Some prophets were superior to others.  The best among them were Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.

People went to extremes with the prophets.  They were rejected and accused of being sorcerers, madmen, and liars.  Others turned them into gods by giving them divine powers, or declared them to be His children, like what happened to Jesus.

In truth, they were fully human with no divine attributes or power.  They were God’s worshipping slaves.  They ate, drank, slept, and lived normal human lives.  They did not have the power to make anyone accept their message or to forgive sins.  Their knowledge of future was limited to what God revealed to them.  They had no part in running the affairs of the universe.

Out of the Infinite Mercy and Love of God, He sent to humanity prophets, guiding them to that which is the best. He sent them as an example for humanity to follow, and if one does follow their example, they would live a life in accordance to the Will of God, earning His Love and Pleasure

Belief in Scriptures

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Belief in the scriptures revealed by God is the third article of Islamic faith.

We can identify four main reasons for the revelation of scriptures:

(1)  The scripture revealed to a prophet is a point of reference to learn the religion and obligations towards God and fellow human beings.  God reveals Himself and explains the purpose of human creation through revealed scriptures.

(2)  By referring to it, 'disputes and differences between its followers in matter of religious belief and practice or in matters of social practice could be settled.

(3)  The scriptures are meant to keep the religion safe from corruption and deterioration, at least for some time after the death of the prophet.  At the present time, the Quran revealed to our Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, is the only scripture to remain safe from corruption.

(4)  It is God’s proof against human beings.  They are not allowed to oppose or overstep it.

A Muslim firmly believes that divinely revealed books were actually revealed by the Compassionate God to His prophets to guide mankind.  The Qur'an is not the only spoken Word of God, but God also spoke to prophets before Prophet Muhammad.

“…and to Moses God spoke directly.” (Qur'an 4:164)

God describes true believers are those who:

“…believe in what has been sent down to you (Muhammad) and what has been sent down before you…” (Qur'an 2:4)

The most important and central message of all scriptures was to worship God and God alone.

“And we sent never a prophet before you except that we revealed to him, saying, ‘there is no God but I, so worship Me.’” (Qur'an 21:25)

Islam is more inclusive in the holy revelations it affirms than any other heavenly religion in its present form.

Muslims uphold and respect the following scriptures:

(i)   The Qur'an itself, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.

(ii)  The Torah (Tawrah in Arabic) revealed to the Prophet Moses (different from the Old Testament read today).

(iii) The Gospel (Injeel in Arabic) revealed to Prophet Jesus (different from the New Testament read in churches today).

(iv) The Psalms (Zaboor in Arabic) of David.

(v)  The Scrolls (Suhuf in Arabic) of Moses and Abraham.

Third, Muslims believe whatever is true in them and has neither been altered or  deliberately misconstrued.

Fourth, Islam affirms that God revealed the Qur'an as a witness over the previous scriptures and confirmation of them, because He says therein:

“And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) the Book (the Qur'an) in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it and trustworthy in highness and a witness over it (the collection of old scriptures)…” (Qur'an 5:48)

Meaning the Qur'an confirms whatever is true in previous scriptures and rejects whatever alterations and changes human hands have made to them.

Original Scriptures and the Bible

We must distinguish between two matters: the original Torah, Gospel, and Psalms and the present day Bible.  The originals were God’s revelation, but the present day Bible does not have the exact original scripture.

No divine scripture exists today in the original language it was revealed in, except the Qur'an.  The Bible was not revealed in English.  Different books of today’s Bible are at best tertiary translations and different versions exist.  These multiple translations were done by people whose knowledge, skill, or honesty is not known.  As a result, some bibles are larger than others and have contradictions and internal inconsistencies!  No originals exist.  The Qur'an, on the other hand, is the only scripture in existence today in its original language and words.  Not one letter of the Qur'an has been changed since its revelation.  It is internally consistent with no contradictions.  It is today as it was revealed 1400 years ago, transmitted by a rock-solid tradition of memorization and writing.  Unlike other sacred texts, the entire Qur'an has been memorized by almost every Islamic scholar and hundreds of thousands of ordinary Muslims, generation after generation!

The previous scriptures essentially consist of:

(i)   Stories of man’s creation and earlier nations, prophesies of what was to come like signs before the Judgment Day, appearance of new prophets, and other news.

The stories, prophecies, and news in the Bible read in churches and synagogues today are partly true and partly false.  These books consist of some translated fragments of the original scripture revealed by God, words of some prophets, mixed with explanations of scholars, errors of scribes, and outright malicious insertions and deletions.  Quran, the final and trustworthy scripture, helps us sort out fact from fiction.  For a Muslim, it is the criterion to judge the truth from the falsehood in these stories.  For example, the Bible still contains some clear passages pointing to God’s unity.[1]  Also, some prophecies regarding the Prophet Muhammad are found in the Bible as well.[2]  Yet, there are passages, even whole books, almost entirely recognized to be forgeries and the handiwork of men.[3]

(ii)  Law and rulings, the allowed and prohibited, like the Law of Moses.

If we were to assume the law, that is the lawful and the prohibited, contained in the previous books did not suffer corruption, the Quran still abrogates those rulings, it cancels the old law which was suitable for its time and is no longer applicable today.  For example, the old laws pertaining to diet, ritual prayer, fasting, inheritance, marriage and divorce have been cancelled (or, in many cases,  reaffirmed) by the Islamic Law.

The Holy Quran

The Qur'an is different from other scriptures in the following respects:

(1)  The Qur'an is miraculous and inimitable.  Nothing similar to it can be produced by human beings.

(2) After the Qur'an, no more scriptures will be revealed by God.  Just as the Prophet Muhammad is the last prophet, the Qur'an is the last scripture.

(3) God has taken it upon Himself to protect the Qur'an from alteration, to safeguard it from corruption, and to preserve it from distortion.  On the other hand, previous scriptures suffered alteration and distortion and do not remain in their originally revealed form.

(4)  The Qur'an, for one, confirms early scriptures and, for another, is a trustworthy witness over them.

(5)  The Qur'an abrogates them, meaning it cancels the rulings of the previous scriptures and renders them inapplicable.  The Law of the old scriptures is no longer applicable; the previous rulings have been abrogated with the new Law of Islam.

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Footnotes:

[1] For example the declaration of Moses: “Hear, O Israel The Lord our God is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4) and the announcement of Jesus: “...The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord.” (Mark 12:29).

[2] Refer to (Deuteronomy 18:18), (Deuteronomy 33:1-2), (Isaiah 28:11), (Isaiah 42:1-13), (Habakkuk 3:3), (John 16:13), (John 1:19-21), (Matthew 21:42-43), and more.

[3] For example, refer to books of the Apocrypha.