EXISTENCE OF ALLAH
Existence of Allah, his lordship (over all creation), his oneness and his being the only god worthy of worship
Many people do worship man-made deities like trees, stones and even human beings; that is why the Jews and idolaters asked the Messenger of Allah about the characteristics of his Lord. In reply to this question Allah revealed:
“Say (O Muhammad): He is Allah, (the) One, Allah, the Self-Sufficient Master (Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks). He begets not nor is He begotten. And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him.” (Al-Ikhlaas 112: 1-4.)
He also says:
“Indeed, your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in Six Days and then He Istawa (rose over) the Throne (really in a manner that suits His Majesty). He brings night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly, and (He created) the sun, the moon, the stars subjected to His Command. Blessed be Allah, the Lord of all the world!” (Al-A’raf 7:54.)
He also says:
“Allah is He, who raised the heaven without pillars that you can see. Then He Istawa (rose above) the Throne (really in a manner that suits His Majesty). He has subjected the sun and the moon (to continue going round)! Each running (its course) for a term appointed. He regulates all affairs, explaining the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) in detail, that you may believe with certainty in the meeting with your Lord. And it is He who spread out the earth, and placed therein firm mountains and rivers and of every kind of fruits He made in pairs. He brings the night as a cover over the day…” until He says: “Allah knows what every female bears and how much the womb falls short (of their time or number) or exceed. Everything with Him is in due proportion. All-Knower of the unseen and the seen, the Most Great, the Most-High.” (Ar-Ra’d 13:2, 3, 8, 9.)
Allah also says:
“Say (O Muhammad): Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth? Say: (It is) Allah. Say: Have you then taken (for worship) protectors other than Him, such as have no power either for benefit or for harm to themselves? Say: Is the blind equal to the one who sees? Or darkness equal to light? Or do they assign Allah partners who created the like of His creation, so that the creation (which they made and His creation) seemed alike to them? Say: Allah is the Creator of all things. He is the One, the Irresistible.” (Ar-Ra‘d 13:16)
While establishing for mankind His signs as evidences and proofs, He says:
“And from among His signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Prostrate not to the sun nor the moon, but prostrate to Allah who created them, if you really worship Him. But if they are too proud (to do so), then those who are with your Lord (angels) glorify Him night and day, and never are they tired. And among His signs (in this), that you see the earth barren, but when We send down water (rain) to it, it is stirred to life and growth (of vegetations). Verily, He Who gives it life, sure is Able to give life to the dead (on the Day of Resurrection). Indeed, He is Able to do all things.” (Fussilat 41:37-39)
He also says:
“And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the differences of your languages and colours. Verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge. And among His signs are the sleep that you take by night and by day…” (Ar-Room 30:22-23)
While describing Himself with attributes of beauty and perfection He says:
“Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He. The Ever-Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in 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.” (Al-Baqarah 2:255)
He also says:
“The Forgiver of sins, the Acceptor of repentance, the Stern in punishment, the Bestower (of favours). None has the right to be worshipped but He. To Him is the final return.” (Gaafir 40:3)
He – may His praise be exalted- also says:
“He is Allah, besides Whom none has the right to be worshipped, the King, the Holy, the One free from all defects, the Giver of security, the Watcher over His creatures, the All-Mighty, the Compeller, the Supreme. Glory be to Allah! (High is He) above all that they associate as partners with Him.” (Al-Hashr 59:23)
This wise and Omnipotent Lord who made himself known to His slaves and established for them His signs and proofs and described Himself with attributes of perfection had prophetic ordainments, human wisdom and nature testify to His existence, to His Lordship and being the only one having the right to be worshipped. I will –God willing- show that to you in the following pages.
As for proofs of His existence and Lordship, they are:
ONE: CREATION OF THIS UNIVERSE AND ITS WONDERFUL DESIGN
O man! All this universe that surrounds you; the heavens, the stars, the galaxies and the earth that is spread in which there are neighbouring tracts out of which different plants grow bearing all fruits, and on which you find all creatures in pairs… this universe did not create itself and could never create itself. It must then have a creator. Who then is that creator who created it in this wonderful design and perfection and made it a sign for those who can see save Allah the One, the Subduer Whom there is no Lord or deity worthy of worship beside Him. He says:
“Were they created by nothing or were they themselves the creators? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Nay, but they have no firm belief.” (At-Toor 52:35-36)
These two verses imply three questions:
1- Were they created from nothing?
2- Did they create themselves?
3- Did they create the heavens and the earth?
If their creation was not accidental and they had not created themselves or created the heavens and the earth; it should then be affirmed that there exists a creator who created them as well as the heavens and the earth. That Creator is Allah, the One, the Subduer.
TWO: THE NATURE
All creatures are naturally inclined to believe in the existence of the Creator; to affirm that He is greater and mightier than all things. This inclination is more well-rooted in the nature than elementary mathematics and does not need to be proved by any evidence except for him who has an abnormal nature; a nature that has been exposed to circumstances that turn it away from what it should admit. (Majmoo ‘Fatawa Ibn Taymiyah 1:47-49) Allah says:
“That (Islamic Monotheism) is the nature upon which Allah has created mankind. Let there be no change in Allah’s (law of) creation. That is the straight religion.” (Ar-Room 30:30)
The Messenger of Allah said: “Every child is born with natural inclination to Islamic Monotheism and it is his parents who make him a Jew, a Christian or a Magian (Magians are those who worship fire and other natural phenomena. (AA)) just as the animal gives birth to its young whole, wherein you find no mutilation.” Then Abu Hurairah (who is the narrator of this hadeeth) said: “Recite if you like (Allah’s words): “That (Islamic Monotheism) is the nature upon which Allah has created mankind. Let there be no change in Allah’s (law of) creation. That is the straight religion.’” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
He also said: “Verily, my Lord commanded me to teach you what you do not know of what He has taught me today: ‘All money that I endow a slave with is lawful (for him). I created my slaves naturally inclined to Islamic Monotheism and it were the devils who came to them, led them away from their religion, made forbidden for them what I made lawful and enjoined on them to associate partners with Me in worship of which I did not send any proof.’” (Ahmad and Muslim.)
THREE: CONSENSUS OF ALL PEOPLE
All past and modern nations are in consensus that this universe has a creator who is Allah the Lord of all the worlds, that He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and that He has no partner among His creatures as He does not have a partner in His Sovereignty.
No belief has ever been reported from any of the past nations that their false deities took part with Allah in the creation of the heavens and the earth. Rather, they all believed that it was Allah Who created them and their gods, that there was no creator or sustainer besides Him and that He alone owns the power to benefit or harm. (Majmoo ‘Fatawa 14:380-383) Allah informs us in the following verses of the idolaters affirmation of His Lordship and guardianship:
“If you were to ask them: ‘Who has created the heavens and the earth and subjected the sun and the moon?’ They will surely reply: ‘Allah’. How then are they deviating (as polytheists and disbelievers)? Allah enlarges the provision for whom He wills of His slaves and straightens it for whom (He wills). Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of everything. If you were to ask them: ‘Who sends down water (rain) from the sky and gives life therewith to earth after its death?’ They will surely reply: ‘Allah’. Say: ‘All the praises and thanks be to Allah!’ Nay! Most of them have no sense.” (Al- ‘Ankaboot 61-63)
“And indeed, if you ask them, ‘Who has created the heavens and the earth?’ They will surely say: ‘The All-Mighty, the All-Knower created them.’” (Az-Zukhruf 9)
FOUR: THE REASON
Human reason inevitably confirms that this universe has a great Creator; for the sound reason agrees that this universe is a created thing that did not bring itself to being, hence, it must have an originator.
Also, man knows that he falls into crises and afflictions and when he is unable to prevent them or remove them, he faces the heavens with his heart and seeks for His Lord’s aid to remove his distress even though he may denounce his Lord and worship his idols in his normal days. This is an undisputable fact. Even the animal raises his head up and looks at the sky whenever it is visited by an affliction. The Almighty Allah informs us that man, whenever he is afflicted with harm, hastens to his Lord and asks Him to remove the harm. Allah says,
“And when some hurt touches man, he cries to his Lord (Allah Alone) turning to Him in repentance, but when He bestows a favour upon him from Himself, he forgets that for which he cried for before and he sets up rivals to Allah.”
He also says about the idolaters:
“He it is Who enable you to travel through land and sea, till when you are in the ships and they sail with them with a favourable wind, and they are glad therein, then comes a stormy wind and the waves come to them from all sides and they think that they are circled therein, they invoke Allah, making their faith pure for Him Alone, saying: ‘If You (Allah) deliver us from this, we shall truly be of the grateful. But when He delivered them, behold! They rebel (disobey Allah) in the earth wrongfully. O mankind! Your rebellion (disobedience to Allah) is only against your own selves, – a brief enjoyment of this worldly life, then (in the end) unto Us is your return and We shall inform you that which you used to do.’” (Yoonus 22-23)
He also says:
“And when a wave covers them like shades (i.e., like clouds or the mountains of seawater) they invoke Allah, making their invocations for Him only. But when he brings them safe to land, there are among them those that stop in the middle (between belief and disbelief). But none denies Our Signs but every perfidious ungrateful.” (Luqman 31:32)
This Lord who brought this universe to existence, created man in the best form, embedded in his nature servitude and submission to Him, subjected human reason to His Lordship and His exclusive worthiness to be worshipped. It is Allah Whom all nations unanimously testify to His guardianship… as He should inevitably be One in His Lordship and worthiness to be worshipped. As He has no partner in creating His creatures, He should also have no partner in His worthiness to be worshipped. There are numerous evidences for this, * some of which are:
1- There is only in this universe one God Who is the creator and the sustainer of all. None brings harm or benefit except Him. Had there been any other god besides Him, that god would have had his own work, creation and command and none of both would have allowed another to share the creation with him. Hence, one of them must have overpowered and subdued the other. In that case, the subdued could not have been a god and the Subduer should be the real God with whom none can share the right to be worshipped just as none shares with Him His guardianship and lordship. Allah says:
“No son (or offspring or children) did Allah beget, nor is there any god along with Him; (if there had been many gods), behold, each god would have taken away what he had created, and some would have tried to overcome others! Glorified be Allah above all that they attribute to Him.” (Al-Mu ‘minoon 23:91)
2- None deserves to be worshipped but Allah Who created the heavens and the earths; for, man seeks to gain the favour of the Lord Who brings him benefit and prevents harm, evils and calamities from him and none but the one who owns the heavens and the earth is capable of doing all these. Let those who are searching for the truth read: “Say (O Muhammad) (to those polytheists, pagans, etc.) ‘Call upon those whom you assert (to be associate gods) besides Allah, they possess not even the weight of an atom (or small ant), – either in the heavens or on the earth nor have they any share in either, nor there is for Him any supporter from among them. Intercession with Him profits not, except for him whom He permits.’” (Saba’ 34:22-23)
These verses and others sever heart’s affinity to other things besides Allah through four factors:
One: That those whom the polytheists worship possesses not even the weight of an atom with Allah, and he who possesses not a weight of an atom cannot benefit nor harm and therefore, is not worthy of being worshipped or being taken as Allah’s associate in worship. It is Allah alone Who owns them and controls them.
Two: That they possess nothing in the heavens and the earth and they do not even have an atom weight of share in them.
Three: Allah has no helper among His creatures. Rather, He is the One who helps them in what is of benefit for them and drives away from them what harms them. For, He completely has no need of them; it is they who are rather who are in absolute need of Him.
Four: That these so-called associates are not capable of interceding with Allah on behalf of their followers and they will not even be given permission to do so. Allah does not give permission to intercede except to His friends, and His friends also can not intercede except on behalf of the one whom Allah is pleased with his sayings, deeds and belief. (See Qurratu ‘uyoonil-muwahhideen p.100)
3- Systematic arrangement and precise execution of the affairs of this universe is the strongest indication that its controller is one Lord, one (King), beside Whom there is no other creator. As it is impossible for this universe to have two creators, so it is impossible for it to have two Lords. Allah says:
“Had there been therein (in the heavens and the earth) gods besides Allah, then verily both would have been ruined.” (Al-Anbiyaa 21:22)
Had it been assumed that there was in the heaven and the earth another god besides Allah, they would have been ruined. Because, had there been another god besides Allah, both would need to be autocratic and have right of free disposal. That would have then led to contention and fighting and the ruin of the heaven and the earth would have occurred as a result. It is impossible for the body to have two controlling souls; if that happens the body will be destroyed – how then can it be imagined that this universe which is greater, should have two lords?
4- Consensus of the Prophets and Messengers: All nations agree that the Prophets and Messengers are the wisest, most intelligent, best in morality, most sincere, most knowledgeable of what Allah wants and the most rightly guided of all people, because, they received revelation from Allah and conveyed it to people. And all Prophets and Messengers – right from Adam to the last Prophet who is Muhammad, peace be upon them all – have all called their peoples to the belief in Allah and abstention from worshipping anything besides Him and that He is the only True Lord. Allah says:
“And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We inspired him saying: None has the right to be worshipped but I (Allah), so worship Me (Alone).” (Al-Anbiyaa 21:25)
He also says about Nooh – Peace be upon him – that he told his people,
“That you worship none but Allah, surely, I fear for you the torment of a painful Day.” (Hood 11:26)
He – may He be glorified– also says about the last of all Messengers, Muhammad,
“Say (O Muhammad): It is revealed to me that your God is one God. Will you then submit to His Will (become Muslims and stop worshipping others besides Allah)?” (Al-Anbiyaa 21:108)
This God is the One who wonderfully created the universe from naught; He created man in the best form and perfected his creation and impressed in his nature the affirmation of His Lordship and His exclusive right to be worshipped. He lets him have peace of mind through his submission to Him and following His Path and He ordained it on his soul not to be at rest until it surrenders to its Creator and be in continuous contact with Him. He also makes it impossible to contact with Him except through His Straight Path which the honourable Prophets conveyed. He gave man intelligence which only becomes upright and functions properly when he believes in Allah, Glory be to Him.
When one has an upright nature, a peaceful soul and a believing heart, one achieves happiness, security and peace in this world and the hereafter. But when man refuses all that, he will live in the alleys of this world disorganised and divided among its gods, ignorant as to who can benefit him or prevent harm from him. It is in order that true faith may be established in the heart and the ugliness of disbelief may be exposed that Allah makes a parable – for parables bring meanings closer to understanding. He makes a parable of a man whose affair is divided between numerous gods and a man who worships his Lord alone. He, may He be glorified, says,
“Allah puts forth a similitude: a (slave) man belonging to many partners (like those who worship others along with Allah) disputing with one another, and a (slave) man belonging to one master (like those who worship Allah Alone). Are those two equal in comparison? All the praises and thanks be to Allah! But most of them know not.” (Az-Zumar 39:29)
Allah likens the slave who is a polytheist to a slave who is owned by different associates and over whom they all contend with each other. He is divided among them and everyone of them directs him and assigns responsibilities to him. He is confused among them and is always unstable. He is unable to satisfy their different and contradicting desires that tear his energy and directions apart.
He also likens the slave who is a monotheist to a slave who is owned by a single master. He knows what his master wants and the assignments he gives him. He is thereby comfortable and settled on a clear path. Both of these two slaves cannot be equal. For, one submits to a single master and enjoys the pleasure of uprightness, knowledge and certainty and the other one submits to different and disputing masters and is thereby punished and distressed. He is not stable on a condition and cannot please even one of them let alone all of them.
After proofs on the existence of Allah, His Lordship and His exclusive right to be worshipped have become clear, we should then acquaint ourselves with His creation of the universe and man and know His wisdom behind that.
By Dr. Muhammad bin Abdullah As-Suhaym
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