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Nayzak — Allah's names and attributes
Published: 2012-12-10 22:22:32 +0000 UTC; Views: 21473; Favourites: 148; Downloads: 710
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Assalaamu alaikum [Peace be to you],
Belief in One God:The basis tenet of Islam is the belief in One Almighty God. Muslims believe there is only One Supreme God who creates and controls everything in the universe. In Islam, God is believed to be the Creator, the Sustainer, the Ruler, and the Judge. Muslims further recognize that a person who believes in the Creator comes to love Him, trust in Him, hope from Him, and fear disappointing Him. Strict monotheism in faith and worship is the cornerstone of the faith.
Among Muslims, Allah is the personal name used for this One Almighty God, a name that is not subject to plurality (“gods”) or gender (“goddess”). Therefore, even English-speaking Muslims prefer to use this personal name when referring to the Creator. Sometimes Allah is referred to as “He,” or may be quoted in the royal sense, “We.” These words do nothing more than expose the limits of human language. In Islam, Allah is beyond all human perception, and is not male, female, dual, Triune or plural. Allah is simply One.
“Allah” derives from an Arabic word that means “the God.” Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews often use the same name to refer to the Almighty. Muslims see it as the proper name of the One God, as it is the name used in the Qur'an.
Pure Monotheism:
The biggest sin in Islam, which is called shirk, is to associate other deities or beings with God. In fact, the Qur'an describes this as the one and only sin that God will not forgive.
All idols and attempts to reach God through others are strictly forbidden. Muslims do not believe that God came to earth in the form of any man or creature, and they reject all attempts to personalize the Almighty or place intermediaries between humans and God.
The Islamic belief in the pure Oneness of God is called tawhid, a word that derives from the Arabic word for the number one. The Qur'an instructs believers to “worship Allah, and join none with Him in worship”
Islamic scholars further refine this belief to include the following categories of tawhid:
- Tawhid Al-Rububiyah: (Oneness of Lordship) The belief that Allah Alone is the Lord of all things.
- Tawhid Al-Uluhiyah: (Oneness of Divinity) The belief that Allah Alone is to be worshiped.
- Tawhid Al-Asma' was-Sifat: (Oneness and Uniqueness of the Divine Attributes) The belief that Allah Alone has certain attributes or names that can be used to describe His perfection.
The Attributes of Allah:
As God is an unseen being, beyond our limited human perception, it is sometimes difficult for us to imagine His characteristics. The God offers is in his divine book, The Qur'an, his descriptions by using many different attributes or “names,” which help human beings understand the nature of God. The Qur'an says, for example, that He is the Most Merciful, the Most Gracious, the Beneficent, the All-Knowing, the Loving, the All-Wise, and so on...
One chapter of the Qur'an offers this description for example:
هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ ۖ هُوَ الرَّحْمَٰنُ الرَّحِيمُ
He is Allah , other than whom there is no deity, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed. He is Ar-Rahmaan (the Most Gracious), Ar-raheem (the Most Merciful).
هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلَامُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ الْعَزِيزُ الْجَبَّارُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُ ۚ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
He is Allah , other than whom there is no deity, Al-Malik (the Sovereign), Al-Quddoos (the Pure and Holy one), As-Salaam (the Source of Peace and Perfection), Al-Mu'mun (the Bestower and Guardian of Faith), Al-Muhaymin (the Overseer and Preserver of Safety), Al-'azeez (the Majestic and Exalted in Might), Al-Jabbaar (the Compeller and Irresistible), Al-Mutakabbir (the Supreme and Superior), Exalted is Allah above whatever they associate with Him.
هُوَ اللَّهُ الْخَالِقُ الْبَارِئُ الْمُصَوِّرُ ۖ لَهُ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ
He is Allah , Al-Khaaliq (the Creator), Al-Baari' (the Shaper and Evolver), Al-Musawwir (the Fashioner); to Him belong the Most Beautiful names. Whatever is in the heavens and earth is exalting Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
translation of 59:22-24
While Allah is fully transcendent and remains beyond all human attempts at understanding, Islam also teaches that Allah is near to us. The God fully sustains each and every thing and creature on earth, and He reaches out to us in mercy and compassion. The Qur'an describes God as saying (translation of verse 2:186), “When My people ask you concerning Me, I am indeed close to them. I listen to the prayer of every supplicant when he calls on Me. Let them also, with a will, listen to My call, and believe in Me, that they may walk in the right way”. Allah knows everything about every grain of sand, every leaf, and the secret whisperings of each person's heart. One does not need any special devices or intermediaries to reach out directly to Allah...
from [link]
In sha'Allah [God willing], I am going to start a new series of articles. in each article, I present one of the beautiful names of the God Almighty. with a little reflection on its meaning. hoping that this will allow more people to learn more about our God.
I hope this was beneficial.
In The Drawing:
Different names of The God (In Arabic) form the Arabic word "Allah". all in the Thuluth Script. This really took a lot of time to make...
If I am right , it is from the God. If I am wrong, it is from myself
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Comments: 28
The overall figure reminds me to a more complex Trishul, a sign holded by many hindu deities. Just making connections. In the very deeps maybe our God is the same. Very esquisite!! Very beautifull and stylished. 
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may Allah bless you for that wonderful work
i really liked how you wrote Allah names shining over dark background
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this is so beautiful :') i wish i could just frame it and put it up on a wall in my room >3<
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I am not a believer, at least not in any monotheistic religion, but this was rather interesting to read. I don't know where you are, but in my area of the US it isn't very often that we get to hear "unbiased" information about Islam. I might not believe in Allah, but to have him described by someone who isn't cursing all of Islam or trying to convert me was refreshing.
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"While Allah is fully transcendent and remains beyond all human attempts at understanding."
So you worship a thing that by your own admission you cannot comprehend. This is not logical. How do you even know WHAT you are praying to, if it is beyond your comprehension?
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Why you put a full stop where there is no full stop in the text. this is dishonest quoting. besides, the sentence you are quoting is incomplete.
The full sentence is "While Allah is fully transcendent and remains beyond all human attempts at understanding, Islam also teaches that Allah is near to us."
And if you read a little before, I wrote "As God is an unseen being, beyond our limited human perception, it is sometimes difficult for us to imagine His characteristics. The God offers is in his divine book, The Qur'an, his descriptions by using many different attributes or “names,” which help human beings understand the nature of God."
the answer to your question is already there.
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Putting the entire sentence together does nothing to complete its meaning. It is as illogical as I have already pointed out. You are claiming to 'know' the 'unknowable'.
You assume that the Qur'an is indeed the direct word of god. If you accept that without question, then your investigation is complete.
I am skeptical. I am skeptical of all 'holy books'. They all claim to be the truth, the ultimate, truth, but they all have the same shortcomings, and internal inconsistencies.
At some point, one does have to leave reason and logic behind, and take a leap of 'faith'. There is no rational explanation for something like 'god' to exist. It requires a belief in, for lack of a better word, magic.
God needing 100 names is the same as god appearing in the form of thousands of different gods. Hindus have taken that very same concept to the extreme. The many deities are all aspects of the One. They represent the myriad incarnations of the divine, which is ultimately one thing, the unifying force of all creation. I'm not defending it, just pointing out the same thing happening in the Qur'an. You will find the same similarity in Jewish mysticism. They all try to break 'god' into smaller pieces so that the puny human mind (which god supposedly created) can comprehend him.
If god is truly the creator of all things, why not just create us with the mind to fully comprehend him, without needing 100 names, and all the other descriptions that religion offers? God created a creature with limited capacity for comprehension, but then expects our full obedience. In that light, we are no better than dogs. Maybe not even that good.
But more directly, why does god need 100 names? Why not three? Or one thousand? Don't we have many more descriptions for goodness in our respective languages for good things? Why stop at 100?
The answer to the question only creates more questions.
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Putting the entire sentence together does nothing to complete its meaning. It is as illogical as I have already pointed out.
instead of apologizing for dishonest misquoting, you are just trying to justify your mistake. well, I don't expect much anyway.
But before I reply, I'd like to ask: Have you read the Qur'an? like from page 1.
this is a simple short question and I hope you answer it in one single simple short sentence.
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I attempted to read the Qur'an. I couldn't finish it.
Granted it was an English translation.
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"ATTEMPTED"... Alright, this answer of yours refutes your earlier statement that "I am skeptical of all 'holy books'. They all claim to be the truth, the ultimate, truth, but they all have the same shortcomings, and internal inconsistencies."
A wise man never judges a book before reading it and fully understanding it.
There is no rational explanation for something like 'god' to exist.
YOU, with YOUR own logic, YOUR knowledge and YOUR understanding (or misunderstanding?), failed to find rational explanation. YOUR conclusions do not apply to the rest of mankind who are theists.
It requires a belief in, for lack of a better word, magic.
Again, this proves you don't know Islam.
In Islam, we have proof + faith. faith only comes after analyzing the evidences and being convinced of their truth.
God needing 100 names is the same as god appearing in the form of thousands of different gods.
AGAIN you misunderstand the above article.
I give you an example:
"John is a tall blond man. he is smart, brave, kind and generous. his friends call him Johnny. his wife calls him Jojo. in Internet, he is often known under the ID JoMax."
here, we can get several attributes about John. these attributes allow us to know information about him. do these attribute mean we are talking about several men? certainly not.
Similarly, the names and attributes of the God are qualities through which we know him.
I'm not defending it, just pointing out the same thing happening in the Qur'an.
Don't talk about books you didn't read. you are trying to give a false impression that you know the Qur'an.
If god is truly the creator of all things, why not just create us with the mind to fully comprehend him, without needing 100 names, and all the other descriptions that religion offers?
You need to first ask Why did the God create us. and for this, I invite you to read my ongoing series: nayzak.deviantart.com/art/Light-to-the-World-1-341147936 you will find many answers to these questions.
God created a creature with limited capacity for comprehension, but then expects our full obedience. In that light, we are no better than dogs. Maybe not even that good.
the God created us and put us on earth for a purpose. he gave us limited knowledge, limited wisdom and limited abilities. but he gave us Fitrah (Don't know Fitrah? please read here [link] [link] ) and he puts us to a test. while our knowledge is limited, the God gave us all we need to know in order to succeed in the test. he gave us a manual chich if we follow, we will never fail. that manual is the Qur'an. in it, we can know a lot about the God and our purpose in life and what will happen after we die. anyone who wants to check if this is really God's word has to READ it. anyone who wants to check how Islam answers to these questions has to READ it.
But more directly, why does god need 100 names? Why not three? Or one thousand? Don't we have many more descriptions for goodness in our respective languages for good things? Why stop at 100?
These 99 names cover ALL aspects of goodness that we comprehend. and I dare challenging you to bring me, in ANY language you like, a single good quality or attribute that is not covered in the names of the God or one which is greater in meaning and powerful in expression than the names of the God.
for more about the God:
GodAllah.com [link]
KnowingAllah.com [link]
You may have a lot of questions after reading my reply here. I do encourage you to ask if you want to learn. But I let you know 2 things:
- first, I do not debate. I am merely presenting my religious views. there are forums dedicated to religious debates and there are people who excel in debating. if you are interested in debates, trying to always prove other opinions wrong, then this is the wrong place. here, you can ask about Islam, and I reply to the best of my abilities.
- second, your beliefs are yours. I neither asked to hear them nor am I interested to see them propagated in my page. whatever you have to say about your belief belongs to your own page.
- third, try to limit your questions to one question per comment. and only after I reply you, you can ask more if you like. please do not write a wall of text full of statements and questions mixed together as I may not be able to reply.
peace
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The man who gave me my copy of the Qur'an was from Pakistan. He was an engineer who worked at a desk not far from mine. I would watch him lay down his prayer rug at lunch. I knew he was praying but that was about it.
I eventually asked him about his faith. He was extremely polite, and answered my questions. He even gave me a copy of his 'bible', the Qur'an. I was deeply honored that he would give a total stranger a book of such importance. I humbly accepted his gift.
The reason I am telling you this is so that perhaps I can convince you of the truth of my attempt to read the Qur'an.
I did try to read it. I just didn't get far. It seemed tedious, and in fact, very much like the Bible. I guess I was hoping the Qur'an would be different.
I kept that copy for several years, and carried it with me wherever I moved to. I don;t have it anymore, one of the many things I have lost as I moved around the country.
But in the interests of a fair discussion, I'll ask you for YOUR recommendation of an English translation of the Qur'an that would satisfy you. I'll obtain it, and I'll promise to read it.
We'll see what happens after that.
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To be frank, there is no perfect translation. here I talked in brief about Qur'anic translations [link] . truth be told: all have shortcomings, and each has good sides and bad sides. therefore, the best way is to check different translations and compare in order to get the most of it and avoid falling in the mistakes of some translators while trying to understand the Qur'an.
But since buying several translations and reading and comparing them could be a tiring task, I suggest you buy one with commentary and footnotes (for more details about the verses and their context) I also suggest you check and compare with other translations online. you can ask Muslims about certain passages that need discussions and clarifications in order to be sure you fully understood the translated text. and by God's will, your understanding and knowledge about Islam will increase. 
I heard "Muhammad Asad" and "Muhammad Abdel Haleem"'s translations are good. but I did not read them or find them online yet.
Usually, when I quote the Qur'an, I check 6 different translations and compare them with the Arabic. sometimes, I mix between them to get the most and the closest translation to the original.
You said:
... It seemed tedious, and in fact, very much like the Bible. I guess I was hoping the Qur'an would be different.
In your place, I would be asking the question "Why is it similar here?" and when I find differences, I would ask "Why is it different there?"
these are very important questions and understanding them will help a lot in understanding the message of the Qur'an.
peace
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Thank you for your time.
I'll keep you posted on what I find.
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Alright. if you have any questions you need answered about the Qur'an, let me know. By God's will, I will answer to the best of my abilities.
Just be sure to make your questions sound like genuine and honest intention to learn.
I tell you this because there are a few people who come here to ask unfriendly rhetorical questions aiming to attack. and I believe that will benefit no one...
peace
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ALLAH AKBAR ALLAH AKBAR ALLAH AKBAR
MASHALLAH MASHALLAH MASHALLAH
very very very very very very very very vey very very veyfvery impressive my big bro
الله يجزيك الخير كله اليك واهلك واصدقائك والأمة العربية والأسلامية جمعا
thank you very much for the hadest work
^________________^
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Everything sounds so familiar. Christianity and Islam are so similar and still there is a lot of hate. Specially in my country. No one fears of God just using his name to do things which is opposite to the wisdom Bible and Qur'an is teaching.
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