The
Attributes of Allah
EXISTENCE:
Allah exists for He
has made the world and brought it into existence, and who has done so must
be existing.
SELF-EXISTENCE:
Allah is
self-existing in the sense that he does not depend on anyone for His
existence. He is not a possibly existing being, for if He had not been
self-existing, He like this world would have required someone to bring Him
into existence, and that is not possible in the case of the Benefactor
worthy of worship.
ETERNAL:
Allah is eternal and
has always existed in the sense that there was no time when He did not
exist. He will always be existing in the sense that there will be no time
when He will not exist. He is All-Powerful and has the power of willing
and choos-ing in the sense that if He wills, He does a thing and if He
does not will, He does not do it. This is evident for He made the world
when He liked.
OMNIPOTENT:
Allah the Almighty
can do all that can be done and knows all that can be known, for all
things are on the same level in relation to His Holy and Absolute Being.
To say that He can do certain things and cannot do some others, or that He
knows certain things, but does not know some others would mean giving
preference to certain things to others without any co-gent reason, which
is impossible.
OMNISCIENT:
Allah is
All-Knowing in the sense that everything is clear and manifest to Him and
there is not anything hidden from Him, for Allah's all acts are perfect
and thorough. Therefore, He is evidently All-Knowing.
ALL-PERCEIVING:
Allah
perceives everything, not with the help of any physical means, but in the
sense that He knows everything that is perceived by senses, for Allah is
free from having a body and its accessories.
Allah Himself says:
Eyesight
does not perceive Him, but He perceives eyesight. He is Subtle and
All-knowing.1
When Allah says that He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing, that means that He
knows everything that is audible, but not through an ear and that He knows
everything that is visible, but not through an eye.
EVER-LIVING:
Allah is
living in the sense that it can be said
about Him that He is able to do everything and that He knows everything,
for it has been proved that He has power and know-ledge, and anyone who
has power and knowledge is certainly living.
SPEAKER:
Allah is Speaker, not
in the sense that He speaks physically, but in the sense that He creates
speech in some organism or body so that His message may be conveyed to His
creatures. He has said:
Allah spoke to Moses in a particular way.2
As Allah is Powerful, He is able to speak.
TRUTHFUL:
Allah is Truthful in
the sense that He tells actual truth, because every lie is abominable, and
Allah is free from all that is ugly.
THE WILL OF ALLAH:
Allah has a
will in the sense that He does a thing as and when He deems it fit. He
created a particular thing at a particular time in a particular form. He
gives orders and that shows that He has a will.
AVERSION:
Allah is averse in
the sense that He prefers not to do a thing that He knows will cause evil.
He did not create certain things at a particular time, although His
Knowledge and Power are always on the same level. He has forbidden certain
things. That shows His aversion.
1. Surah
al-An’am 6:104
2. Surah
an-Nisa, 4:164