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Who is Allah?

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

category: Oneness of God

source: Islam-QA.com

reads: 9830

Allaah alone is the Lord, the Creator, the Provider… the Sovereign, the Controller… the All-Knowing, All-Wise… the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all that exists… The All-Hearing, All-Seeing… The Subtle and Courteous, the All-Aware… the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful… the Ever-Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving… the Almighty, the Compeller… the Oft-Pardoning, the Most Generous… the Most Strong, the All-Powerful… the Inventor of all things, the Bestower of forms…

To Him belongs the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth, in His hand is goodness and He is able to do all things.

There is none worthy of worship but He, and to Him belong the most beautiful names and sublime attributes:

"Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He)! To Him belong the Best Names." [Ta-Ha 20:8 – interpretation of the meaning]

He does whatever He wills and judges as He wants:

"And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses." [al-Qasas 28:68 – interpretation of the meaning]

He is the Owner of Sovereignty; He honours whomever He wills and humiliates whomever He wills:

"Say (O Muhammad): ‘O Allaah! Possessor of the kingdom, You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take the kingdom from whom You will, and You endue with honour whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will. In Your Hand is the good. Verily, You are Able to do all things.’" [Aal ‘Imraan 3:26 – interpretation of the meaning]

He is the One Who gives life and death, and nothing on earth or in heaven is hidden from Him:

"It is Allaah that gives life and causes death. And Allaah is All-Seer of what you do." [Aal ‘Imraan 3:156 – interpretation of the meaning]

His alone is the creation and the commandment:

"Surely, His is the creation and commandment. Blessed is Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)!" [al-A’raaf 5:54 – interpretation of the meaning]

He is the First, and there is nothing before Him… He is the last and there is nothing after Him… He is the Most High, and there is nothing above Him… He is the Most Near, and there is nothing beneath Him…

"He is the First (nothing is before Him) and the Last (nothing is after Him), the Most High (nothing is above Him) and the Most Near (nothing is nearer than Him). And He is the All-Knower of every thing." [al-Hadeed 57:3 – interpretation of the meaning]

He is the Creator of all things and He is the All-Knower of everything:

"Such is Allaah, your Lord! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Creator of all things. So worship Him (Alone), and He is the Wakeel (Trustee, Disposer of affairs or Guardian) over all things." [al-An’aam 6:102 – interpretation of the meaning]

He is Subtle, Most Great, All-Encompassing:

"Allaah is Ever All Aware." [al-Nisaa’ 4:126 – interpretation of the meaning]

He is Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all that exists… To Him belongs everything in the heavens and on earth… Nothing is hidden from Him… Nothing is beyond His capability… Nothing can encompass Him:

"Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), Al-Hayy al-Qayyoom (the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists). Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursiy extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great." [al-Baqarah 2:255 – interpretation of the meaning]

He knows all things and records the numbers of all things:

"...and all things We have recorded with numbers (as a record) in a Clear Book." [Yaa-Seen 36:12 – interpretation of the meaning]

He is Most Generous and Bountiful… all provision comes from Him:

"And no moving (living) creature is there on earth but its provision is due from Allaah." [Hood 11:6 – interpretation of the meaning]

His blessings cannot be counted or numbered:

"And He gave you of all that you asked for, and if you count the Blessings of Allaah, never will you be able to count them." [Ibraaheem 14:34 – interpretation of the meaning]

His stores fill the earth and the heavens:

"And to Allaah belong the treasures of the heavens and the earth." [al-Munaafiqeen 63:7 – interpretation of the meaning]

He is Free of all needs and Worthy of all praise; He gives to His slaves but that never diminishes His stores:

"O mankind! it is you who stand in need of Allaah. But Allaah is Rich (Free of all needs), Worthy of all praise." [Faatir 35:15 – interpretation of the meaning]

He is Oft-Pardoning and Oft-Forgiving; He bestows mercy upon His slaves and overlooks their sins:

"Verily, Allaah indeed is Oft Pardoning, Oft Forgiving." [al-Hajj 22:60 – interpretation of the meaning]

He is the Knower of the unseen and the seen… He is Almighty in His sovereignty, Wise in His commands:

"All-Knower of the unseen and seen, the All Mighty, the All-Wise." [al-Taghaabun 64:18 – interpretation of the meaning]

He knows what is secret and what is open; nothing is hidden from Him:

"And He is Allaah (to be worshipped Alone) in the heavens and on the earth; He knows what you conceal and what you reveal, and He knows what you earn (good or bad)." [al-An’aam 6:3 – interpretation of the meaning]

He is Subtle and Courteous, All-Aware:

"No vision can grasp Him, but He grasps all vision. He is Al-Lateef (the Most Subtle and Courteous), Well-Acquainted with all things." [al-An’aam 6:103 – interpretation of the meaning]

He is One in His essence, attributes and actions:

"Say (O Muhammad): ‘He is Allaah, (the) One. Allaah-us-Samad [Allaah — the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks)]. He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none co equal or comparable unto Him." [al-Ikhlaas 112:1-4 – interpretation of the meaning]

Glory be to Him; His are the most beautiful names and sublime attributes, and He has no partner or associate:

"Such is Allaah your Lord. His is the kingdom. Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). How then are you turned away?" [al-Zumar 39:6 – interpretation of the meaning]

Because of this Sovereignty, these attributes, this creation, these blessings, He is the only One Who is deserving of praise and thanks and sincere worship, to the exclusion of all others:

"Surely, your Lord is Allaah Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days and then rose over (Istawa) the Throne (really in a manner that suits His Majesty), disposing the affair of all things. No intercessor (can plead with Him) except after His Leave. That is Allaah, your Lord; so worship Him (Alone). Then, will you not remember?" [Yoonus 10:3 – interpretation of the meaning]

He created (everything) then proportioned it, He ordained laws then granted guidance, He granted provision and made people independent of means:

"Allaah, it is He Who has made for you the earth as a dwelling place and the sky as a canopy, and has given you shape and made your shapes good (looking) and has provided you with good things. That is Allaah, your Lord, so Blessed be Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists." [Ghaafir 40:64 – interpretation of the meaning]

O Allaah, to You be praise for Your great sovereignty:

"All the praises and thanks be to Allaah, to Whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth." [Saba’ 34:1 – interpretation of the meaning]

O Allaah, to You be praise for Your mighty creation:

"All praises and thanks be to Allaah, Who (Alone) created the heavens and the earth." [al-An’aam 6:1 – interpretation of the meaning]

O Allaah, to You be praise, for You have guided us to Islam, You have sent down to us the Qur’aan, You have provided us with good things, You have made us the best of nations, You have honoured us with great blessings. There is no god but You, to You belongs the Sovereignty, Yours is the Creation and the Commandment, all blessings and praise are Yours…

"All the praises and thanks be to Allaah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists). The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything)." [al-Faatihah 1:2-5 – interpretation of the meaning]