Written by Ayat. Muhammed Beheshti
Many names and attributes of Allah have been mentioned in the
Qur'an.
"He is Allah, besides whom there is no god. He has knowledge
of everything, whether perceptible or imperceptible. He is the Beneficent, the
Merciful. He is Allah, besides whom there is no god, the Sovereign Lord, the
Holy One, the Giver of peace, the Keeper of faith, the Supreme, the Mighty one,
the All powerful and the Majestic. Exalted be He above what they associate with
Him. He is Allah, the Creator, the Originator, the Fashioner. His are the most
beautiful names. All that is in the heavens and the earth gives glory to Him. He
is the Mighty, the Wise". (Surah al‑Hashr, 59:22 ‑ 24).
"His are the most beautiful names".
The main feature of the names and the attributes of Allah has
been mentioned in this verse. The highest degree of every virtue and every
excellence belongs to Allah. For example, power and ability to do things is a
good quality. Allah is the most powerful and the most efficient and can do
anything.
The Qur'an says: "Surely Allah can do all things". (Surah
al‑Ankabut, 29:20).
Knowledge is a virtue. Allah has the highest degree of
knowledge. "Allah is aware of all things ". (Surah al‑Tawbah, 9:115).
"He is the Knower of the invisible and the visible. . . ". (Surah al‑R'ad,
13:9).
Sagacity is another virtue. The holy Qur'an says: "Allah is Knower, Wise" .
(Surahal‑Mumtahanah, 60:10). Kindness to others is a good quality. Allah is "the
Beneficent, the Merciful". "He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy".
(Surah al‑Hamd, 1:3; Surah Yusuf, 12:64).
Hence you are at liberty to call Him by any of these most beautiful names: "Call
Him Allah or Rahman (Beneficent).
It is the same whichever you call. His are the most beautiful
names" . (Surahal‑Isra, 17:110). "Allah bas the beautiful names. Invoke Him by
them, and keep away from those who prevent them. They shall soon be repaid for
what they do ". (Surah al‑A'raf, 7:180).
Allah is Independent
As Allah has the highest degree of every kind of virtue and
perfection, He is naturally free from every fault, defect and deficiency. A
number of the Qur'anic verses, extolling Allah, emphasize this aspect of His
glory.
The Qur'an declares Allah to be free from every kind of deficiency and need. It
regards this freedom as an important principle of the cognizance of Allah, by
means of which a number of doctrinal and ideological deviations which have taken
birth regarding Allah may be detected.
'Musa said to his people: If you and all those who are on the earth prove to be
ungrateful, Allah does not at all need your thanks. He is Laudable" .
(SurahIbrahim, 14:8).
Man should remember that because of Allah not being in want of anything, He is
not in need of our faith, worship and obedience. If He wants us to be faithful
and obedient, that is for our own benefit and not for His. If the whole world
becomes unbeliever, that cannot do Him the least harm.
Not being subject to any need, Allah is free from the limitations of time and
space. He is above them. A being who occupies space, naturally needs it to
exist, and one who is confined to time, can exist only under certain conditions
at a particular time. A being not time‑bound can always exist and is not
dependent upon the special conditions of time.
Allah is All‑knowing
The Creator of the world knows everything. So far as we are
concerned there are two kinds of things in the universe viz. open and hidden,
perceptible and imperceptible.
However Allah is aware of both of them. On principle there is nothing unknown to
Him. Nothing is hidden from Him. "He is the Knower of the unseen and the seen.
He is the Supreme the Most High". (Surah al‑Ra'd, 13:9).
`Nothing in the earth or in the heavens is hidden from Allah ". (Surah Ale
Imran, 3: 5). He is aware of the minutest details. He knows all that we do.
"Surely Allah knows all that you do" . (Surahal‑Nahl, 16:91).
Allah is All‑powerful
He controls everything and can do anything. "Surely Allah can
do everything". (Surah al‑Baqarah, 2:20).
He is so powerful and dominating that whenever He wants a thing to come into
existence or wants something to be done, He simply says: "Be!" and immediately
it will `be'. The Qur'an says: "His command, when He decrees a thing, is to say
to it: `Be' and it is". (Surah Yasin, 36:82).
Will and Volition of Allah
Normally all beings endowed with intelligence and power can
achieve all or at least a part of what they intend. They at least try to fulfill
their desires. When we knowingly plan to achieve our object we say that "we are
determined to accomplish such and such task". Hence, determination consists of
an intentional and strong will which is effective in the achievement of our
desire.
Out of all the multifarious things existing in this world,
the animals or at least the advanced animals are more or less endowed with this
quality that when they feel an urge, they try knowingly to fulfill what they
want. Out of all the animals known to us man has the most developed willpower.
That is why knowledge has a more creative role in his life than in the life of
other animals. Anyhow, he apparently does not exercise his will while performing
many acts. His circulatory, respiratory and digestive system and his big and
small glands which produce the necessary chemicals, all work without the aid of
his will.
There is no doubt that all these systems are connected with
the nervous system, and modern physiology has been able to discover for each of
them a centre of command in some part of the brain, still every act having some
connection with brain cannot be called intentional and deliberate.
It has been reported that some persons consequent on certain exercises and long
practice have been able to control the circulation of their blood. Even if such
reports be true, they can at best be described as exceptional cases.
Anyhow, the field of the activity of man's will is after all
limited. For example, so far his will has not been able to influence the
rotatory system of the heavenly bodies. We also see that every human being has
some hereditary traits in the selection of which his conscious will has no part
to play. Hence, the influence of human will and volition is after all limited.
That is why it often happens that man intends to do a thing, but he does not
succeed, or certain factors beyond his control prevent the fulfillment of his
many desires. But Allah who is All‑knowing and All‑powerful, accomplishes all
that He wants. "Surely, Your Lord does what He pleases". (Surah Hud, 11:107).
"Only Allah can bring punishment on you, if He will, and you cannot frustrate
His plan ". (Sura Hud, 11:3 3) .
His will rules over the whole world, but that is not the case
with that of others. "Allah will judge with fairness, and those whom they invoke
besides Him can judge nothing". (Surah Mu'min, 40:20). All others whosoever and
whatsoever they may be, move within a limited framework decreed for them by
Allah, who has destined everything. `Allah has set a measure for everything ".
(Surah al‑Talaq, 65: 3 etc.)
This is the universal law which applies to man also. As such
his power is limited, but still he can choose his way of life within the
framework ordained for him. Allah wants him to use his discretion and determine
his future, whether good or bad, himself. Anyhow, even within this framework
man, or for that matter any other being, should not consider himself to be in
possession of absolute power. If Allah wants, He can make his efforts
ineffectual. There are many cases in which He frustrated the efforts of some
conceited individuals or groups against all their expectations to remind them
and others that even within their own sphere of power they should never be
oblivious of the Divine power which controls everything.
The Qur'an mentions several examples of such a situation. The
Surah al‑Qalam, 68:17 ‑ 3 2 illustrate this point. "We have tried them as We
tried the owners of the garden when they vowed that they would pluck its fruit
next morning. But they made no exception for the will of Allah. As a result a
visitation from your Lord visited their garden while they were sleeping. And in
the morning it was as if it bad been plucked. They called out to one another in
the morning saying: Rush to your garden if you want to pluck the fruit. So they
set out, saying to each other in low tones: No poor shall enter the garden today
without your permission. They set out early determined to stop the poor. When
they saw the garden, they exclaimed: Surely we were wrong. In fact we have been
ruined. The best among them said: Did I not tell you: Why do you not glorify
Allah? Then they said: Gloried be our Lord. No doubt we have been wrong‑doers.
Then they began to blame one another. They said: Alas for us! Surely we were
outrageous. We hope that our Lord will give us better garden in its place. To
our Lord we humbly turn".
Allah is Beneficent and Forgiving
Allah is Beneficent and Merciful to all His creation. He has
bestowed endless bounties on all. He has provided all of us with ample
opportunities to pass our life. He is Forgiving. If a sinner repents and wants
to adopt the way of virtue, the door is not closed to him, provided he is
earnest in doing that. Throughout the world there are innumerable signs of the
mercy of Allah. Like all other existing things min also enjoys the Divine
blessings, but with one important difference. He has been blessed with the
special favor of being the master of his destiny. He is endowed with the power
of distinguishing between right and wrong and good and bad, and is able to
choose consciously either of them. He can exercise this power only if it is
admitted that some of his actions are desirable and rewarding and some others
leading to pain and punishment.
The anxiety for not losing the reward of desirable acts and for escaping the
punishment of undesirable ones is a Divine blessing in itself, for it impels man
to be virtuous and upright. The Qur'an has repeatedly warned against the wrath
of Allah.
Allah is just
Allah does not do injustice to anyone. He wants us also to be
just in our behavior. He has created everything according to a plan. The whole
world is homogeneous. He has organized recompense and retribution in the next
world, according to a well‑planned system of action and reaction. Everyone will
reap there what he has sown here. There, the personality of man will be a
reflection of his performance here. Whatever comfort or pain he receives in the
Hereafter will be the exact outcome of his own deeds, and no injustice will be
done to anyone. The everlasting future of everybody depends upon his own efforts
to improve himself and his environment.
This is the gist of the information which the Qur'an, the
divine Book, gives us about Allah. This information is based on revelation, but
it can also be obtained through pondering over His signs, and His names and
attributes. It not only as far as possible satisfies those who seek cognition,
but also helps us to solve the biggest problem of giving a direction to our
life.
A man inspired by such realistic and constructive knowledge
of Allah leads a vigorous life full of zeal, hope and effort. He adheres to his
own views and his own way of life, but co‑operates with others and respects
their ideas also. A man bound to Allah neither sells himself to others nor does
he endeavor to subdue them to his own wish. He loves his own freedom as well as
that of others. He himself is pure and likes others to be pure. He seeks truth
wherever he finds it. He is always with truth and at war with falsehood.
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