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We see people worship different gods. When we all share the same air, the same water, the same sunshine, the same sustenance, the same earth etc., how can our Creator, Sustainer, Sovereign, Lord and God be different?

We must not forget that we have been provided with the faculties of reason and intellect. We employ it to succeed in worldly affairs and to solve worldly problems. Having used it, we have discovered innumerable things. Similarly, we must employ the same i.e. the faculties of reason and intellect to discover the true and real God, to succeed in spiritual affairs and to solve spiritual problems.

To discover the true and real God, we need to ponder on the following questions:

The concept of God is comprised of the answers of these questions. It is interesting to note that Islam gives answers of these questions better than what our reason and intellect gives. Let us study the concept of God described by Islam.

Islam says that the only Supreme Being Who created the universe, Who is sustaining and maintaining it, on Whom the entire universe depends for everything, on Whose Command the entire universe works, Who gives sustenance, life and death, on Whom livelihood, fate and affairs of all depend, deserves to be worshipped and called as God. Islam informs us that the Personal Name of the Supreme Being is Allah, the only God.

Islam asks man to worship the Supreme Being Who created him and provided him with all those things that are needed for the survival and the growth of man. The Holy Quraan says:

“O mankind! Worship your Lord Who has created you and those who have gone before you, so that you may guard yourselves against evil; Who has made the earth a bed for you and the sky a dome, has sent down water from the sky to bring forth fruits for your sustenance, then don’t set up rivals unto Allah knowingly.” (2: 22)

If someone worships other than Allah, it is as though he made a creation equal and rival to Allah, the Creator. Allah says:

“Is He, then, Who has created like him who cannot create? Will you not receive admonition?” (16: 17)

It is unjust, unfair and wrong to make a creation, dependent, weak, mortal and indigent equal and rival to the Creator, Sustainer, Sovereign, Ever-Living, All-Powerful, Resourceful and Lord of the universe. So, Islam does not allow any one to worship any other than Allah. Allah says:

“Say: ‘O people of the Book! Come to a point that is common between us and you: that we will worship none but Allah; that we associate none with Him; that we will not make, from among ourselves, lords other than Allah.’” (3: 64)

Islam says that Allah alone deserves to be worshipped because it is He Who created the universe, Who is sustaining and maintaining it, on Whom the entire universe depends for everything, on Whose Command the entire universe works, Who gives sustenance, life and death, on Whom livelihood, fate and affairs of all depend. Let us see whether Allah has the Attributes, the Powers and the Status that the God must possess.

Our reason and intellect says that the God must be All-Knowing, All-Aware, All-Wise, All-Powerful, Omnipotent, Almighty, Paramount, Overbearing, Irresistible, Invulnerable, Invincible, Resourceful, Free of all wants and needs, Free of weaknesses, defects, mistakes, faults, flaws, errors, sins and other evils, All-Sufficient, Creator, Sustainer, Sovereign, Lord of the universe, et cetera. Islam tells us about the God better than what our reason and intellect tells us. We will study it in the answer of the next question, inshaa-Allah.

Our reason and intellect says that the God must be Unique, Inimitable, Absolute, Infinite, Ever-Living, Eternal and Perpetual.

Let us study what Attributes, Powers and Status that Allah has and how He is in His Being.

To know Allah’s Being, Attributes, Powers and Status, we will have to study the beautiful Names of Allah¹. The Holy Quraan says:

Allah’s beautiful Names give the required information about Him and describe His Being, Attributes, Powers and Status. So the beautiful Names of Allah are quoted below, one by one, also the related Verses of the Holy Quraan along with brief explanation wherever necessary.

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1. Prophet Muhammed says, “There are ninety nine Names of Allah. Whoever memorizes them will enter Paradise.” (Saheeh Bukhari and Saheeh Muslim)

Allah’s Names are the touchstones of theology (science of God). Whoever claims to be God must be examined with Allah’s Names. It means we must see whether the person who claims to be God has the Attributes and Powers mentioned in Allah’s Names. The reality of the person will come into light.

2) “Those, whom they invoke besides Allah, cannot create anything. They are themselves created. They are dead, not living, nor do they know when they will be raised up. Your God is One God.” (16: 20-22)

3) “It is He to Whom belongs the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. No child has He begotten, nor has He a partner in His Sovereignty. It is He Who created all things and ordered them in due proportions. Yet have they taken, besides Him, gods that can create nothing but are themselves created, that can neither help nor harm themselves, and that have no power over death, life and resurrection.” (25: 2, 3)

4) “Say: ‘Have you pondered on those whom you invoke besides Allah? Show me what it is they have created on the earth or have they a share in the heavens.’” (46:4)

5) “Is He, then, Who has created like him who cannot create? Will you not receive admonition?” (16: 17)

“There are, on the earth, Signs for those of assured Faith, and also in your own selves. Will you not see then?” (51: 20, 21)

Let atheists look at their physical structure: how wisely and how systematically each and every organ has been shaped and placed! They have been provided with ears to hear, eyes to see, nose to smell and breathe, mouth to eat and drink, teeth to masticate, tongue to taste and to speak, hands to work, feet to walk et cetera. Let them study these organs in the light of scientific data available. Let them ponder on the location, the structure and the functions of the organs, like Heart, Brain, Stomach, Kidney, Liver, etc., of their inner body in the light of scientific data available. Let them reflect on the interconnection of organs and the different kind of systems prevalent in their body such as Digestive system, Circulatory system, Reproductive system, Respiratory system et cetera. Let them ponder on how each and every organ of their body works to form an individual, how wisely and systematically the organs have been interconnected, how wisely and systematically the different kinds of system are being operated. Then the Truth will surely enter their mind Insha-Allah. They will not be able to deny the existence of the Creator. They will realize that it is not possible to have so perfectly shaped and perfectly placed organs and so wisely and systematically interconnected organs and systems without a Creator and Organizer. The Holy Quraan says:

“That is Allah, your Lord. There is no God but He, the Creator of all things. Therefore, worship Him.” (6: 102)

““We know that every product is the work of a certain producer, and that every beautiful art is the creation of some great artist. We realize that no family can function properly without a responsible head, that no city can prosperously exist without sound administration, and that no state can survive without a chief of some kind. We also realize that nothing comes into being on its own. Moreover, we observe that the universe exists and functions in the most orderly manner, and that it has survived for hundreds of thousands of years. Can we, then, say that all this is accidental and haphazard? Or can we attribute the existence of man and the whole world to mere chance?

There must be a Great Force in action to keep everything in order. In the beautiful nature, there must be a Great Artist who creates the most charming pieces of art and produces everything for a special purpose in life. This Force is the strongest of all forces, and this Artist is the greatest of all artists. The true believers and deeply enlightened people recognize this Artist and call Him Allah or God. They call Him God because He is the Creator and Chief Architect of the world, the Originator of life and the provider of all things in existence. He is not a man because no man can create or make another man. He is not an animal nor is He a plant. He is neither an idol nor is He a statue of any kind because none of these things can make itself or create anything else. He is not a machine. He is neither the sun nor is He the moon or any other star, because these things are controlled by a great system, and are themselves made by someone else. He is different from all these things since He is a maker and keeper of them all.” (Islam in Focus: Pg. 2, 3)

“He is Allah, the Creator, the Originator, the Fashioner. His are the most beautiful Names.” (59: 24)

Allah not only originates things (creates things out of nothing), but also moulds them into suitable form, so that they can play their role in His universal system.

“(Allah is) the Inventor of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He says to it, ‘Be’ and it is.” (2:117)

It is Allah’s Power that His word “Be” is enough to bring the whole universe into existence.

“Sustenance” stands for all those things that support life and that meet all physical needs of living beings such as air, water, light, vegetables, fruits, cereals et cetera. “Sustenance” refers to all that is necessary to sustain and develop life in all its phases.

Allah is He Who gives sustenance to all without any cost. The money that we give to farmers and shopkeepers to buy vegetables, fruits and other edible things etc. is not the cost of those things, but it is the wage that we pay the farmers and the shopkeepers for bringing these things to us. We must know that farmers are not the creators of those things; Allah is the Creator of those things.

2) “He has the keys of the heavens and the earth. He enlarges and restricts the sustenance whom He wills. For He has full knowledge of all things.” (42: 12)

3) “Who is there that can provide you with sustenance if He withholds His sustenance?” (67: 21)

4) “They worship others, besides Allah, that have no power of giving them sustenance with anything in heavens or earth and that cannot possibly have such power?” (16: 73)

5) “There is no creature on the earth but its sustenance depends on Allah.” (11: 6)

6) “Is it they who portion out the Mercy of your Lord? It is We Who portion out their livelihood among them in the life of this world. And We raise some of them above others in ranks, so that some may take the others into their service. But the Mercy of your Lord is better than what they amass.” (43: 32)

7) “O men! Remember the Grace of Allah unto you! Is there any other Creator, besides Allah, who gives you sustenance from heavens or earth? There is no God but He. How are you perverted then?” (35: 3)

1) “Do they have the treasures of the Mercy of your Lord, the Majestic, the Bestower?” (38: 9)

2) “Such is Allah, your Lord. His is the Sovereignty and those whom you invoke besides Him own not a Qitmeer. If you invoke them, they cannot listen to your call. And even if they hear, they cannot answer you.” (35:13, 14)

Qitmeer means the thin, white skin that covers the date stone. It has neither strength nor texture, and has no value whatever.

‘They cannot answer you’ means they cannot meet your needs, they cannot give anything to you because they have nothing, not even a Qitmeer, to give. So, invoke Allah alone because He alone has the keys of the heavens and the earth, and His is the Sovereignty and He alone is the Bestower. The Holy Quraan says:

2) “Say: ‘Who is the Lord and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth?’ Say: ‘(It is) Allah.’ Say: ‘Why have you then chosen gods besides Him who, even to themselves, can do neither good nor harm?’” (13: 16)

3) “Say: ‘Shall I seek as (my) Lord other than Allah while He is the Lord of all things? Every soul draws the meed of its acts on none but itself. No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another. Your return in the end is towards Allah. He will tell you the truth of the things wherein you disputed.’” (6: 164)

4) “They make their clerics and their monks and the Christ, the son of Mary, lords besides Allah although they had been ordered to serve only One God. There is no God but He. Exalted be He above those whom they associate (with Him).” (9: 31)

5) “Say: ‘O people of the Book! Come to a point that is common between us and you: that we will worship none but Allah, that we associate none with Him, and that we will not make, from among ourselves, lords other than Allah.’” (3: 64)

6) “(Allah is) the Lord of the heavens and of the earth and of all that is between them. So, worship Him and be constant and patient in His worship. Do you know any other worthy of His Name?” (19: 65)

7) “Verily, your Religion is but one Religion, and I am your only Lord. Therefore, serve Me. But they have divided their affair among themselves, but to Us they all shall return.” (21: 92, 93)

8) “(O Muhammed!) Say: ‘I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the Inspiration has come to me that your God is one God. He, who expects to meet his Lord, should do righteous deeds and must not associate anyone in the worship of his Lord.’” (18: 110)

1) “He is Allah, besides Whom there is no other God, the Sovereign.” (59:23)

Many people think that the God is One, but He has given His beloved ones the Authority to handle and maintain affairs of the world and valuable things like sustenance, power, money, knowledge et cetera. So, they created a separate god or goddess for every valuable thing like god of sustenance, goddess of power, goddess of money, goddess of knowledge et cetera. They made idols of those gods and goddesses by their own fancies and began to worship and invoke them for respective things. If it is accepted that the God has given the Authority of the valuable things and their affairs to His beloved ones, it clearly means that the God does not possess the Authority of those things any more. If it is so, how can the God remain the God? What is the necessity of His presence then?

When polytheists could not answer these questions, they change their idea and say, “No, the God has not given the Authority of those things to His beloved ones, but He has appointed His beloved ones on those things. The Authority rests with the God alone.”

If the Authority rests with the God alone, then, we must not worship and invoke others (the appointed ones). We must worship and invoke the God alone. Since the appointed ones are slaves, they cannot carry out anything by their own, they are not free to operate, and they have to follow the order of the Authority (the God). So, it is wrong to worship and invoke other than the God, the Master of the universe. So, Allah says:

2) “Say: ‘Call upon those whom you thought (gods) besides Allah. They have no Sovereignty, not even equal to the weight of an atom either in the heaven or on the earth. Neither have they any share therein nor is any of them a helper to Allah.’” (34:22)

4) “So, Glory to Him in Whose Hands is the Sovereignty of all things. And to Him you shall all be brought back.” (36:83)

1) “If one strives, one does so for one’s own soul. For Allah is Free of all needs from all creations.” (29: 6)

2) “To Allah belong all things in the heavens and the earth. Verily, Allah alone is Free of all wants, Worthy of Praise.” (31: 26)

3) “O you men! You all are beggar in front of Allah, and Allah alone is Free of all wants, Worthy of Praise.” (35:15)

“Verily, Allah is He, Who gives (all) sustenance, the Owner of Might, the Strong.” (51: 58)

3) “Verily, when He intends a thing, His Command is ‘Be’, and it is!” (36: 82)

5) “Allah has full Power and Control over His affairs, but most among mankind know it not.” (12: 21)

6) “Verily, His are the creation and the Command. Blessed be Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds!” (7: 54)

7) “Whatever you worship apart from Him is nothing but names which you and your fathers have named, for which Allah has not sent down any Authority. The Command is of none but Allah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him. That is the right Religion, but most men do not understand.” (12: 40)

Allah’s Wills and Determinations are based on knowledge and wisdom, truth and justice. They are free from all kinds of defects, mistakes and errors. And He has the Power to carry out all that He wills and determines. The Holy Quraan says:

4) “You cannot will except by the Will of Allah, the Lord of the universe.” (81: 29)

5) “Do not say of anything, ‘I will do it tomorrow,’ without adding: ‘If Allah wills.’” (18: 23, 24)

“He is Allah, besides Whom there is no other God, the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Safe, the Source of Peace, the Refuge, the Omnipotent, the Overbearing, the Proud, Glory to Allah! (High is He) above what they associate (with Him).” (59: 23)

1) AL-QHUDDOOS (The Holy One): Allah is the Holy One means He is Free from all defects, weaknesses, mistakes, faults, flaws, errors, sins, oppression, tyranny and all other evils.

2) AS-SALAAM (The Safe): Allah is the Safe means He is Invulnerable. He is Free from time, death and all sorts of dangers, fears, harms, losses, troubles, difficulties, pains, problems, disturbances, calamities et cetera.

3) AL-MOOMIN (the Source of Peace): He Himself is Peace and the Source of Peace for those who turned to Him.

4) AL-MUHAIMIN (The Refuge): Allah is the Refuge to all from all sorts of dangers, fears, harms, losses, troubles, difficulties, pains, problems, disturbances, calamities et cetera.

3) “What Allah, out of His Mercy, bestows on mankind none can withhold; and what He withholds none can grant, apart from Him.” (35: 2)

Allah has created man and provided him with all those things that are necessary for the survival and the growth of man. Yet most people reject Faith in Allah and worship others besides Allah. Allah is forbearing all these and is continuing to be Benevolent to them.

2) “(Allah says,) Verily, I am Oft-Forgiving to that who turns in repentance and believes (in Me), does good work and follows the right Path.” (20: 82)

3) “Say: ‘O my servants who have transgressed against their souls! Do not despair of Allah’s Mercy. For Allah forgives all sins: for He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Merciful. Turn in repentance to your Lord, and submit to Him before the chastisement comes on you. After that you shall not be helped. And follow the best that which was revealed to you from your Lord, before the chastisement comes on you, of a sudden while you do not perceive. Lest the soul should (then) say: ‘Ah! Woe is I! In that I neglected (my duties) towards Allah, and was but among those who mocked.’’” (39: 53-56)

1) “Whoever intercedes in a good cause becomes a partner therein; and whoever recommends and helps in an evil cause, shares in its burden. And Allah is Overseer over all things.” (4: 85)

Many people visit shrines and ask the buried either to solve their problems or recommend for them with Allah. Can we make those, who are in graves, hear us? Let us ask the Holy Quraan. The Holy Quraan says:

4) “The blind and the seeing are not alike, nor are the darkness and the light, nor are the shade and the heat, nor are the living and the dead alike. Allah can cause whom He wills to hear Him, but you cannot make those who are in graves hear you.” (35: 19-22)

1) “Say: ‘Will you worship, besides Allah, that which has no power either to harm or to benefit you? And (know that) Allah alone is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.’” (5: 76)

Allah is the Discerning and Judicious One. So, He is Well-Acquainted with the consequences of all thoughts and actions.

1) “(Allah says,) take not other than Me as the Organizer of (your) affairs.” (17: 2)

The so-called scholars call Sufis and Saints Auliyaa (pl. of Walee), and ask common people to offer them all that Allah alone deserves. Common people follow these dishonest scholars without seeing what Allah has told in the Holy Quraan and what Prophet Muhammed said and did. Let us ask the Holy Quraan Who the real Walee is.

1) “Have they set up (other) Auliyaa besides Him? Surely, Allah alone is the Walee.” (42: 9)

2) “Neither on earth nor in heaven will you be able (fleeing) to frustrate (His plan), nor have you, besides Allah, any Walee or Helper.” (29: 22)

3) “Do the unbelievers think that they can set up My servants as Auliyaa besides Me? Verily, We have prepared Hell for the unbelievers for (their) entertainment.” (18: 102)

4) “And when one learns something of our Verses, then one takes it in jest. For such there will be a humiliating chastisement. Hell is behind them. And whatever they earn shall not avail them, nor shall the Auliyaa they take besides Allah. For them is a tremendous chastisement.” (45: 9,10)

6) “Verily, Allah will never change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves. If Allah wills to afflict a people with a misfortune, none can ward it off, nor will they find any Walee besides Him.” (13: 11)

“Hold firmly to Allah! He is your Guardian, the best Guardian, the best Helper.” (22: 78)

1) “Did you not know that it is Allah Who has Sovereignty over the heavens and the earth? And besides Allah there is neither any Protector, nor any Helper to you.” (2: 107)

2) “Those, whom you invoke besides Allah, are servants like you. Call on them and let them answer you if what you say is true!” (7: 194)

3) “(Say) My Protector is Allah Who revealed the Book. He will befriend the righteous. And those, whom you invoke besides Him, are not able to help you, nor can they help themselves.” (7: 196, 197)

4) “If Allah helps you, none can overcome you; if He abandons you, who is there, after that, that can help you? In Allah, then, believers put their trust.” (3: 160)

5) “They have set up gods other than Allah, hoping that they may help them. They don’t have the Power to help them. Yet their worshippers stand like warriors ready to defend them.” (36: 74, 75)

1) “If Allah afflicts you with a misfortune, none can remove it but He; and if He bestows on you a favour, none can withhold His Bounty. He causes it to reach whomsoever, of His servants, He pleases. And He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Merciful.” (10: 107)

2) “Say: ‘Nothing will befall on us except what Allah has written for us: He is our Guardian and on Allah let the believers put their trust.’” (9: 51)

3) “Say: ‘See you then? The things that you invoke besides Allah, can they, if Allah wills some affliction for me, remove His affliction or if He wills some Mercy for me, can they withhold His Mercy?’ Say: ‘Allah is Sufficient for me! In Him trust those who put their trust.’” (39: 38)

The so-called scholars say to common people, “You common people cannot make Allah hear your supplications. So, you need a Waseelah (medium) to make Him hear your supplications. Sufis and saints are the Waseelah. So you visit them or their shrines, and try to please them so that they may get ready to become your Waseelah.” Thus they ask common people to offer them all that Allah alone deserves. Do we really need any Waseelah to make Allah hear our supplications? Let us ask the Holy Quraan.

2) “When my servants ask you about Me, (tell them that) I am Near: I respond to the prayer of the suppliant when he calls Me. Therefore, let them answer My Call and put their trust in Me, so that they may walk on the right Path.” (2: 194)

3) “We have created man and We know what his soul whispers to him. For We are Nearer to him than (his) jugular vein.” (50: 16)

4) “O men! An aphorism is told! Listen to it! Those, whom you invoke besides Allah, cannot create (even) a fly, (even) if they all meet together for the purpose. And if a fly snatched away anything from them, they can not retrieve it. Both the suppliant and the one whom he supplicates are feeble.” (22: 73)

5) “And who is more astray than the one who invokes besides Allah, such as will not answer him to the Day of Judgment, and who are (in fact) unconscious of their call (to them)? And when mankind are gathered together (at the Resurrection), they will be hostile to them and deny that (men) had worshipped them.” (46: 5, 6)

1) “That is because Allah alone is the Truth, and those whom they invoke besides Him are but vain falsehood. Verily, Allah alone is the High, the Great.” (22: 62)

2) “And those to whom knowledge has been given will see that what has been sent down to you from your Lord – That is the Truth, and that it guides to the Path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy.” (34: 6)

3) “And they will realize that Allah alone is the Truth, That makes all things manifest.” (24: 25)

4) “And say: ‘Truth has come, and falsehood ran away. For falsehood is (by its nature) bound to run away.’” (17: 81)

Allah is the Truth. His existence is not a product of fancy. He is the Reality. And one’s reason and intellect cannot deny the Reality. The Holy Quraan says:

“Those that worship other gods besides Allah follow nothing but idle fancies and preach nothing but falsehood.” (10: 62)

1) “Verily, Allah is the Guide of those who believe, to the right Path.” (22: 54)

3) “He whom Allah guides is rightly guided, but those whom He leaves to go astray will surely be lost.” (7: 178)

4) “Follow that which has been sent down to you from your Lord and follow no other masters besides Him. But you seldom accept admonition.” (7: 3)

5) “Indeed the evil-doers follow their own desires being devoid of knowledge. But who can guide those whom Allah leaves astray? There will be no helpers to them. So you set your face truly to the Religion being upright, the nature in which Allah has made mankind. No change (there is) in the work (wrought) by Allah. That is the true Religion. But most among mankind don’t know. (30: 29, 30)

1) “He that does good of his own accord (must know that) Allah is Grateful, All-Knowing.” (2: 158)

2) “If any one earns any good, We shall give him an increase of good in respect thereof. For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Grateful.” (42: 23)

1) “Who is more wicked than him who gives no heed to the Revelations of his Lord when he is reminded of them? We will surely take vengeance from the sinners.” (32: 22)

2) “The day We shall seize you (sinners) with a mighty onslaught. We will surely take vengeance.” (44: 16)

“Know that Allah is Strict in retribution and that Allah is Oft-Forgiving, the Merciful.” (5: 98)

2) “He knows all that goes into the earth and all that emerges from it, all that comes down from heaven and all that ascends to it. He is with you wherever you are and Allah sees all that you do.” (57: 4)

1) “Say: ‘Our Lord will gather us together. Then, He will rightly judge between us. He is the All-Knowing Judge.’” (34: 26)

2) “(Allah) knows the treachery of the eyes, and all that the hearts of men conceal and Allah will judge with Truth, but those whom they invoke besides Him, cannot judge anything. Verily, Allah alone is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.” (40: 19, 20)

The so-called scholars say to common people, “Sufis and saints are our intercessors.” So they ask common people to visit them or their shrines, and to please them offering all that Allah alone deserves. The Holy Quraan says:

1) “Who is more wicked than the one who forges a lie against Allah, or denies His Revelation? Truly, the evildoers shall not triumph. They worship that, besides Allah, which can neither hurt them nor profit them and they say: ‘These are our Intercessors before Allah.’ Say: ‘Do you indeed inform Allah of something He knows not, in the heavens or on earth? - Glory to Him! And far is He above the partners they ascribe (to Him)!” (10: 17, 18)

2) “Warn those who dread to be assembled before their Lord that they have neither any Protector nor any Intercessor besides Allah, so that they may guard themselves against evil.” (6: 51)

3) “What! Have they chosen as intercessors others besides Allah? Say: ‘Even if they have no power whatever and no intelligence?’ Say: ‘Intercession belongs wholly to Allah. To Him belongs the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. To Him you shall all be brought back.’” (39: 43, 44)

4) “There is neither any supporter nor any intercessor to be heard for the evil-doers.” (40: 18)

But, in Ahaadees, we find that Prophet Muhammed becomes the intercessor for his Ummaah on the Day of Resurrection. We must know that the real Intercessor is Allah. Prophet Muhammed can intercede only after Allah‘s permission. And he can intercede only those for whom Allah grants permission. The Holy Quraan says:

5) “There is no intercessor except after His permission (has been obtained).” (10: 3)

6) “Intercession will not benefit (any person) with Him except for those for whom He has granted permission.” (34: 23)

7) “They (Prophets) offer no intercession except for those with whom He (Allah) is well-pleased and they stand in awe and reverence of His (Glory).” (21: 28)

8) “They (Prophets) cannot speak before He (Allah) speaks. They act by His Command.” (21: 27)

When the Prophets have so many restrictions in making intercession, what these sufis and saints, who can neither harm nor benefit themselves, can do for anyone. It is clear from the above mentioned Verses that only those people get the intercession with whom Allah is well-pleased. So, there is no use in pleasing sufis and saints. If we really want intercession, we need to please Allah.

1) “Is not Allah All-Sufficient for His servant? And they try to frighten you with others besides Him. There is no Guide for him whom Allah leaves to stray.” (39: 36)

3) “Allah is Sufficient as Protector and Allah is Sufficient as Helper.” (4: 45)

1) “To Allah belong the east and the west. Whithersoever you turn, there is Allah’s Being. Verily, Allah is Infinite, All-Knowing.” (2: 115)

Allah’s Being, Attributes, Status and Powers are Infinite. So, He cannot be conceived in anything. To know, a little bit, the vastness of Allah’s Being, Attributes, Status and Powers, we must study the vastness of the universe. The vastness of the universe found so far by astronomers is as follows:

“There are innumerable clusters of galaxies in the universe. Every cluster has some to ten thousand galaxies. Each galaxy has one thousand million to one-lac million stars. Our sun with its system is just one of those stars. All stars are different in their size, structure and composition. The size of a galaxy is so vast that to travel from one end to another end light takes fifty thousand to one lac fifty thousand years. You must know that light travels 3lac kms/sec. To travel the distance between any two galaxies of a cluster, light takes 10lac to 20lac years and the distance between two clusters is 100 times more. To know more about the universe, see the New Encyclopedia Britannica: -

After knowing the vastness of the universe, one must also know that Allah alone is the Creator, Lord, Inventor, Fashioner, Sovereign, Organizer, Executant, Caretaker, Overseer, Guard, Guide, Sustainer, Helper, Supporter and God of the universe.

Many people think that the God resides in everything. So, He can be conceived in anything or in any form. This instigated them to worship and invoke every natural thing like trees, rivers, stones, animals et cetera. They don’t even think that if the God had resided in everything, everything should have had the same Attributes and Powers that the God has. Everything must have been Ever-Living, Eternal, All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Independent, Free of all wants and needs, Free of all defects and weaknesses etc. just like the God. But we see, besides the God, everything is dependent, has some or other weaknesses and defects, and will perish. Since the God is Infinite, so it is simply a foolery to accept the belief that the God is in everything. It is indeed ridiculous to conceive the Infinite Being in any finite thing or in any finite form. The Holy Quraan says:

5) “The God of you all is Allah other than Whom there is no God. His Knowledge encompassed all things.” (20: 98)

Allah is Unique in His Being, Attributes, Powers and Status. So He cannot be conceived in anything or in any form.

When we substantiate that Allah is the Creator of all things, many people ask, “If Allah is the Creator of all things, who is the creator of Allah?”

They must know that Allah is not a creature to have a creator. He is the Creator of all things. So they must know that birth and death, eating and drinking, sleeping and weeping, keeping wife and bearing children etc., are the characteristics of creature, not of the Creator. Allah is Unique. So the Holy Quraan says:

So it is wrong to conceive the characteristics of Allah, the Creator, in any creation, or the characteristics of any creation in Allah, the Creator.

Many people think that the God comes in the form of man or woman to save mankind. This is the concept of incarnation. This instigated them to make idols of reformers, benevolent kings, priests, etc., and instigated them to worship and invoke the idols. None can be regarded as the incarnation of the God. Because, if anyone had been the incarnation of the God, he should have had the Attributes and Powers that the God has. But when we study them, we find in them the same defects and weaknesses and characteristics that any common person has. The only differences, we find between common people and them, are that they are more courageous, hardworking, sacrifising, and tolerating than common people.

Man has been appointed as a vicegerent of the God on earth. Whatever work the God wills to do on earth. Either He takes it through man, or He issues the order, “Be”, and it is. So He has no need to come in the form of man or woman or in any other material form to do any work. When no reasonable man would like to become a pig, a dog or any other animal, how would Allah, the All-Wise, like to take the form of His any creation?

Great men must be respected, but the exaggeration in their respect has always misled people. Some people have played an extraordinary role in human history, but it does not mean that they are the incarnation of the God. By the Grace of the God, Scientists have also played an extraordinary role for the benefits of mankind. They invented devices that transmit our voice, our mails, our pictures and live events from any part of the world to any other part of the world within a few seconds. They invented vehicles, computer and other innumerable things that are useful to the whole of mankind for all ages and times to come. But they too cannot be regarded as the incarnation of the God because they too have the same defects, weaknesses and characteristics that any common person has.

Allah has no material body as we have because all materials are mortal and bound to perish, and Allah is Immortal; every material body is dependent, and Allah is Independent; every material body has a form, and Allah has no form; every material body is finite, and Allah is Infinite; Climate, nature, time, etc influence material bodies, but nothing can influence Allah.

Many people ask, “We find mercy, love, kindness, hearing, seeing, power, knowledge etc. in human beings too. How can Allah then be Unique in His Attributes and Powers?

Allah is certainly Unique in His Attributes and Powers as He is Unique in His Being and Status because: -

1) Allah’s Attributes and Powers are His Personal, but the attributes and powers like mercy, love, kindness, hearing, seeing, power, knowledge etc. we find in human beings are not their personal, but are given by Allah. Allah is the Source of those attributes and powers. So, how can we compare Allah, the Resourceful, with man, the beggar?

2) Allah’s Attributes and Powers are Infinite and Perfect. But the attributes and powers given to human beings are finite and imperfect.

3) Allah’s Attributes and Powers are Immortal and Eternal. But human beings and all their attributes and powers are mortal.

4) Man needs things to exercise the attributes and the powers, like eyes to see, ears to hear, et cetera. But Allah does not need any thing to exercise His Attributes and Powers. For Allah is Free of all wants and needs.

For all these reasons Allah is Unique in His Attributes and Powers as he is Unique in His Being and Status.

1) “He (Allah) is the Living One. There is no God but He. So call unto Him with Sincere Devotion.” (40: 65)

3) “Those, whom they invoke besides Allah, cannot create anything: they are themselves created. They are dead, not living, nor do they know when they will be raised up. Your God is One God.” (16: 20-22)

5) “Invoke no other god with Allah. There is no God but He. Everything (that exists) will perish except His Being. His is the Command and to Him you shall return.” (28: 88)

6) “(Allah says,) and verily, it is We Who give life and death. We are the Heir of all things.” (15: 23)

“He is the First and the Last, and (He is) the Evident and the Unseen.” (57: 3)

AL-AAKHIRU (The Last) means when there is nothing, there will be Allah. It means when everything perishes, He will not perish. He will be as He was. The Holy Quraan says: “Everything will perish except His Being, His is the Command and to Him you shall return.” (28: 88)

He is the First and the Last also means that Allah is the First and the Last in His Being, Attributes, Powers and Status.

AZ-ZAAHIRU (The Evident) means every thing in the universe testifies that it came into existence in the form it is, because Allah brought it into existence in the form it is. Thus Allah is Evident. But no one has seen Him. Therefore, He is Unseen (AL-BAATINU).

2) “No son did Allah beget, nor is there any God along with Him. (If there were many gods) each would have taken away what he had created and some would have lorded it over others. Glory to Allah! (He is Free) from the (sort of) things they (polytheists) attribute to Him.” (23: 91)

3) “Say: ‘If there had been (other) gods with Him as they (polytheists) say, they (gods) would certainly have sought out a way to dethrone the Lord of the Throne. Glory to Him! He is High above all that they (polytheists) say! Exalted and Great (beyond measure)!’” (17: 42, 43)

4) “If there were, in the heavens and the earth, other gods besides Allah, there would have been disorder in both. But Glory to Allah, the Lord of the Throne! (High is He) above what they (polytheists) attribute to Him.” (21: 22)

5) “That is Allah, your Lord. There is no God but He, the Creator of all things. Therefore, worship Him.” (6: 102)

6) “Those that worship other gods besides Allah follow nothing but idle fancies and preach nothing but falsehood.” (10: 66)

Many people say, “It seems something unnatural that the Lord of the universe has the Names that belong to the Arabic language which is not known by all.”

There is no language in the world that is known by all people. Moreover, if we had studied all the Scriptures of Allah like Suhufu Ibraaheem, the Zaboor, the Torah, the Injeel and the Quraan, we would have come to know that Allah has sent down His Scriptures in different languages, and in every Scripture of Him, His Names, conveying the same meaning, were in the language of the Scripture. He chose Arabic language as a medium to convey His final Message. Naturally, His Names must be in the same language. For, His Names are not just Names, but they contain invaluable information about Him. Moreover, no other language of the world is as terse as Arabic.

Moreover, it’s all depends upon Allah’s Wish that in which language, He wants Himself to be called. Our duty is just to obey Allah if we really want to please Him. We cannot prescribe any name by our own wishes for Him. Allah has chosen Arabic Names for Himself in His final Guidance. And we will have to use those Arabic Names to call Him if we really want to follow Him. That’s all.

Allah created man and provided him with all that he needs to survive and grow. So, there are some exclusive Rights of Allah on man. They are as follows:

The first and foremost Right of Allah on man is that man should believe in Him, and should acknowledge His Authority and associate none with Him in His Being, Attributes, Powers and Status.

The second Right of Allah on man is that man should worship and invoke Him alone and associate none with Him in His worship and invoke none other than Him because we, our life, our needs, our livelihood, our future, our fate and our affairs all depend on Him.

The third Right of Allah on man is that man should accept and follow wholeheartedly His Guidance in all walks of life.

These three Rights are exclusive for Allah alone. If someone discharges any of these Rights for any other than Allah, it clearly means that he equalized other with Allah: he equalized a creation with the Creator. And Islam considers it as the biggest and unforgivable sin. Allah says:

“Verily, Allah will not forgive (the sin of) joining others with Him.” (4:116)