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.
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