God and His Attributes

By: Sayyid Mujtaba Musavi Lari
Translated By: Hamid Algar
P. 133-138

The problem of justice as one of God's attributes has had its own distinct history. Various schools of thought in Islam have held different views on the subject interpreting it in accordance with their own distinctive principles.

Some Sunnis who follow the views of the theologian Abu'l-Hasan Ash'ari do not believe in God's justice as a matter of faith and they deny that justice is accomplished by the divine acts.

In their view however God treats a certain person and whatever punishment or reward He gives him irrespective of what he might appear to deserve will represent justice and absolute good even though it might appear unjust when measured by human standards.

These Asharis thus distinguish God's attribute of justice from His acts and they therefore regard as just whatever can be attributed to God. If He rewards the virtuous and punishes the sinful this is justice but so would be the reverse; it would still be in the broad sphere of His justice.

Their claim that the very terms "justice" and "injustice" are meaningless when applied to God is no doubt intended to elevate God's most sacred essence to the position of the highest transcendence. But no thoughtful person will regard these superficial and inadequate notions as having anything to do with God's transcendence. In fact they involve a denial of order in the world of the principle of causality both in the general order of the world and in the conduct and deeds of individual men.

The followers of al-Ash'ari believe moreover that the bright lamp of the intellect is extinguished whenever it is confronted with the perceptions and problems of religion that it is unable to benefit man or light up his path.

This claim conforms neither to the teachings of the Quran nor to the content of the sunnah. The Quran considers disregard for the intellect to be a form of misguidance and repeatedly summons men to reflection and meditation in order to learn divine knowledge and religious beliefs. Those who fail to benefit from this bright lamp within them are compared to the animals. The Quran says: The worst of creatures in the sight of God are those persons who are deaf and dumb and do not reflect. (8:22)

The Prophet of Islam says: God has assigned two guides to man: one external to him the messengers of God and the other internal his own power of thought.

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The Mutazilites and Shi'a stand in opposition to al-Ash'ari and his school. Out of all the attributes of God they have selected justice to be a principle of their creed. Relying on both transmi tted and rational proofs they have also refuted and rejected as incompatible with the principle of justice the doctrines of the unmediated effect of divine destiny and the predetermination of man's acts.

They believe that justice is the basis of God's acts both in the ordering of the universe and in the establishing of laws. Just as human acts can be weighed according to the criteria of good and bad the acts of the Creator are also subject to the same criteria. Since the logic of reason determines that justice is inherently praise worthy and injustice inherently reprehensible an object of worship whose characteristics include infinite intelligence and spirit will never undertake an act that reason regards as impermissible.

When we say that God is just it means that His all-knowing and creative essence does nothing that is contrary to wisdom and benefit. The concept of wisdom when applied to the Creator does not mean that He chooses the best means for attaining His goals or remedying His deficiencies for it is only man who is called on to move from deficiency toward perfection. God's concern is to make beings emerge from deficiency and impel them toward perfection and the aims inherent in their own essences. God's wisdom consists of this that He first implants a form of His favor within each phenomenon and then after bestowing existence upon it impels it toward the perfection of its capacities through a further exercise of His generosity.

Justice has then an extensive meaning which naturally includes the avoidance of oppression and all foolish acts. Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq peace be upon him says in explanation of God's justice: Justice in the case of God means that you should not ascribe anything to God that if you were to do it would cause you to be blamed and reproached.

With man oppression and all the forms of corrupt activity in which he engages derive without doubt from ignorance and lack of awareness and need coupled with innate lowliness; sometimes too they are the reflection of hatred and enmity which leap forth from man's inner being like a spark.

Numerous are those people who are disgusted with their own oppressiveness and corruption. Nonetheless because of ignorance about the final outcome of their deeds they continue from time to time to act with injustice and pollute themselves with all kinds of shameful corrupt deeds.

Sometimes man feels that he needs something that he does not have the resources or ability to acquire. This is the root cause of many evils. The feeling of need hunger and greed the prevalence in man of a desire to harm or dominate all these are factors leading to aggressive behavior.

Under their influence man loses the reins of self-control. He concentrates all his efforts on fulfilling his desires and violating all ethical restrictions he starts squeezing the throats of the oppressed. The unique essence of God that infinite being is free of all such tendencies and limitations for nothing is hidden from His knowledge without bound and it is inconceivable that He should suffer from impotence vis-a-vis anything—He the Pre-Eternal One Whose eternal rays bestow life and sustenance on all things and Who assures their movement variety and development.

A subtle essence that comprehends all the degrees of perfection stands in no need of anything so that its absence might induce anxiety in Him when He conceives a desire for it. His power and capacity are without any doubt unlimited and they do not fall short of anything so that He might then be led to deviate from the path of justice and transgress against someone or take vengeance in order to quieten his heart or undertake some inappropriate and ill-sided act.

None of the motivations for unjust behavior can be found in God and indeed the very concepts of oppression and injustice are inapplicable to a being Whose generosity and mercy embrace all things and the sanctity of Whose essence is clearly manifest through out creation.

The Quran repeatedly negates all idea of injustice by God considering Him in His sanctity utterly removed from all unworthy acts. It says: God never considers it permissible to act unjustly toward His servants; it is rather men who commit oppression and injustice. (10:44)

In this verse God dissociates Himself from all notion of injustice something repugnant to men and instead attributes it to them.

In addition how is it possible that God should call on men to establish justice and equity while at the same time staining His own hands with unrighteous deeds? The Quran says: God commands men to act with justice and virtue and enjoins upon them generosity to kinsfolk. He forbids them evil deeds and oppression. He admonishes you out of His mercy so that you may accept His advice. (16:90)

Islam values justice so highly that if one group of Muslims wish to deviate from the path of justice and start engaging in oppression they must be repressed even if this involves war. This is the command of the Quran: If two parties of believers fight with each other make peace between them. If one of them has committed aggression against the other then make war on the aggressor until he returns to observance of God's command. Once he has so returned then reconcile them and make peace in utter justice. Certainly God loves the just. (49:9)

The interesting point that emerges from this verse is that the mediator is strictly instructed to make sure when bringing about reconciliation that the dispute is settled in accordance with justice without showing lenience to the aggressor. It may happen in cases where war has been started for aggressive purposes that a mediator tries to end the dispute by insisting on leniency and the overlooking of faults and ultimately persuades one of the parties to renounce its claim in favor of the other. This lenient approach although legitimate in itself may reinforce the spirit of aggressiveness existing in those who gained by starting the war. It is in fact conventional to satisfy the aggressor in such cases by granting him some concession.

Although the voluntary renunciation of one's claim is a desirable act in itself it will under such circumstances have an undesirable effect on the mentality of the aggressor. The aim of Islam is to uproot force and injustice from Islamic society and to assure its members that no one can gain anything by aggression and force.

*****

If we look at the order of creation we can see that a vast and comprehensive equilibrium prevails among all physical phenomena. This is evident in the regularity of the atoms the haste of the electrons the rotation of the planets and the movements of all bodies. It is visible in the mineral and vegetable realms in the precise relations that exist among the organs of a living being in the balance among the inner components of the atom in the equilibrium among the vast heavenly bodies and their finely calculated forces of attraction. All these forms of balance and equilibrium together with the other precise laws that science is still seeking to explore bear witness to the existence of an undeniable order in the universe one which is confirmed by mathematical equations.

Our veracious Prophet has expressed this universal justice and comprehensive equilibrium the fact that nothing g is irregular or out of place in this concise and eloquent statement: It is true equilibrium and symmetry that maintain the earth and the heavens.

The Quran attributes the following words to Moses peace be upon him and our Prophet: Our God is the one who endowed all things with the needful and then guided them for the continuation of their existence. (20:50)

In this short sentence Moses expounds to the Pharaoh the manner in which the world was created together with its orderliness and beauty which are among God's signs. His aim was to save him from his erroneous thoughts and help him perceive the existence of a just and divinely instituted order in the universe.

One of the norms ruling ineluctably over nature is therefore order and justice and all things by virtue of their subordination to the norms and laws of nature are engaged in the process of evolution toward perfection that is specific to each of them. Any deviation from this universal pattern of order and the relations founded upon it would result in confusion and chaos.

Whenever some irregularity occurs in nature phenomena themselves evince a reaction and inward or outward factors emerge to remove the barriers to development and reestablish the order needed to continue on the path to perfection.

When the body is attacked by microbes and other factors of illness white globules begin to neutralize them in accordance with ineluctable norm. Whatever medicine may be prescribed is an external factor aiding the white globules in their task of neutralization and re-establishing equilibrium in the body.

Finally it is impossible that God Whose love is infinite and Who unstintingly grants His favors to His servants should perform the slightest unjust or inappropriate act. This is indeed what the Quran proclaims: It is God Who has made the earth a place of abode for you Who has raised the heavens created you in the best of forms and given you delicious and pleasing foods as sustenance. This is God your Lord. (40:64)

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Source: maaref-foundation.com

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Opinions Concerning God's Justice

God and His Attributes
By: Sayyid Mujtaba Musavi Lari
Translated By: Hamid Algar
P. 127-132

A Creator Who cannot be circumscribed by place for Whose Essence no limit is conceivable of Whose being not a single part of the heavens and earth is empty-such a Creator is naturally aware of all things; there is nothing throughout the whole scheme of being on which the bright rays of His knowledge do not shine.

The events that occur in the most distant part of the universe happenings that occurred billions of years ago or will occur billions of years in the future-all are contained in the sphere of His knowledge and the most comprehensive attempts at interpreting His knowledge are therefore doomed to failure.

In order to understand the extensive scope of His knowledge we stretch the limits of our thought apply our intelligence to reflection and search and try to advance to our goal with a clear mind. In the last resort however our mental apparatus lacks the skills required for reaching the goal.

If we were to exist everywhere in just the same way that we exist at a given place and in a given time so that no place was deprived of our presence nothing would be hidden from us and we would be aware of everything.

For us the world of being has been divided into two sectors: the manifest and the hidden. Things are "hidden" in the sense that certain truths being infinite and non-material cannot be perceived by the outer senses. It is important to remember that the entirety of existence does not consist of matters that lie within the range of the empirical sciences.

In order to understand the secrets and mysteries of creation we need as it were a launch platform. The elevation we are able to reach depends on the intellectual force we have at our disposal and the degree of understanding that propels our ascent. Once we have a suitable launch platform many realities become knowable to us.

*****

Through its use of the term ghayb (hidden) the Noble Quran sets before man a broad vision of reality. God's messengers have also striven to raise man's awareness of the created universe to a level that embraces infinite as well as the finite and the boundaries of the unseen as well as the dimensions of the manifest.

For God the "hidden" does not exist; for Him the universe is entirely manifest. The Quran says: "He is the Knower of the Hidden and the Manifest the Compassionate and the Merciful." (59:22)

Whatever is made by man derives from the skill intelligence and knowledge of its maker. The more subtle and refined the product the more clearly it displays the profound and extensive knowledge of its maker and the more fully it proves his ability to plan and design.

Man's handiwork is not in any way comparable to the mysteries and splendor of creation. Nonetheless it suggests to us that the harmonious and orderly scheme of the universe and the manifestatior of intelligence in this vast beautiful and astounding pattern of creation must necessarily indicate that the one who plans it and endows it with order must possess boundless and comprehensive knowledge. The orderliness of the universe is the strongest proof for the existence of a being that overflows with the knowledge will awareness and wisdom and has designed the wonders of creation in accordance with a precisely calculated plan. The signs of His infinite knowledge are to be seen plainly in every particle of every phenomenon.

The experiments and theories of scientists furnish proof for who ever desires it of the boundless knowledge of God and its countless manifestations in the insect animal and vegetable realms.

God is aware of the course of the stars in space the tumult ridden world of the nebulae and the rotation of the galaxies; of all things from pre-eternity to post-eternity; of the total number of atoms in all the heavenly bodies; of the motions of the billions of creatures large and small that move on the face of the earth and in the depths of the oceans; of the norms and laws that unfailingly regulate nature; of the hidden and manifest aspects of all things. He even

knows the perplexities of the distraught better than they do themselves.

Listen again to what the Quran has to say: Is not the one who created the world aware of the secrets of His own creation? Certainly He has knowledge of all the subtleties and mysteries of the world. (67:14) Nothing is hidden from God neither on earth nor in the heavens. (3:5)

Natural scientists are better acquainted than others with the subtle and precise mysteries that are implanted in every particle of creation; they are aware from their studies and researches of the various calculations that are built into things both living and lifeless in cells and globules; of the various forms of action and reaction outward and inward that take place in them; and of the effects of various materials and substances. Thus they witness the signs of God's astounding wisdom and infinite knowledge in nature or as the Quran puts it ...on the horizons. (41:53) More than others they are exposed to the manifestation of God's attributes and perfection's including His unbounded knowledge and if they do not reject the call of their conscience they will also discern the existence of the Creator more clearly.

A certain thinker once said Our world resembles a great idea more than it does a great machine. As a theory or a scientific definition it can be said that the world is the product of a great idea the manifestation of a thought and an idea superior to our own. Scientific thought seems to be moving in the direction of this theory.

God's knowledge is not restricted to things past or to present events and objects; His knowledge of the future is exactly like His knowledge of the present.

God's knowledge is so to speak immediate in the complete sense of the word. It is not in the first instance necessary that there should be an object of knowledge to Which His knowledge should attach itself. All things stand revealed before Him for at the very same time that His sacred essence is utterly other than all creatures and phenomena it is also not separate from them: all things past and future are in His unmediated presence.

Ali upon whom be peace the Commander of the Faithful says: He knows all things but not through means and instruments the absence of which would entail the cessation of His knowledge. There is not some added entity called 'knowledge' interposed between Him and the objects of His knowledge; there is nothing but His essence alone.

Here Ali peace be upon him is referring to the theological principle that God's awareness of things is direct and immediate. In His knowledge of phenomena God has no need of the mental forms that are the basis of acquired knowledge. Were He to acquire His knowledge by means of those forms need would arise in Him whereas He is utterly free of need.

The one from whom the existence of the world and its inhabitants derives who is capable of meeting every imaginable need who grants every perfection and bounty-is it all conceivable that He should Himself be imprisoned by Need?

Mental forms remain in our minds only so long as we wish them to exist; they disappear as soon as we withdraw our attention from them because they are fashioned and created by us. This form of knowledge is not direct and unmediated and it is therefore termed "acquired knowledge by contrast with immediate knowledge that has no need of a means.

The difference between us, who create our own mental forms and the Creator Who originated all being, lies in this, that we owe our very existences to Him and, therefore, stand in need of Him, whereas He is the true Creator and vivifier of all things, is free of need, and does not need the exercise of vision to acquire knowledge.

The delineation of past and future events that takes place on the horizons of our being and thought is inevitably limited, since we occupy a given time and space outside of which we have no existence. We are material phenomena, and matter, according to the laws of physics and relativity, needs time and place in its gradual and continuous process of development and change. Past and future have no meaning for a being who is present from pre eternity to post-eternity, in all places and at all times and free from the captivity of matter and its consequences.

Since every phenomenon relies on the infinite existence of the Creator for its origin and existence, no veil or barrier can be supposed to exist between God and that phenomenon; God encompasses its inner and outer dimensions and is utterly empowered over it.

Someone once asked Ali, upon whom be peace, the Commander of the Faithful, Where is God?"

Ali answered: It is not correct to ask where God is because it is God Who made place. Nor is it correct to ask how God is of what nature is God since it is God Who created all nature. Further it is not correct to ask what God is because it is God Who created all quiddity.

Glorified be God Almighty in the waves of Whose splendor the wise are unable to swim the remembrance of Whose eternity halts all thought in its track and in Whose vast heaven of sanctity the intellect loses its way!

The Quran says: God is aware of all that exists on the face of the earth and in the depths of the oceans. He knows of every leaf that falls and every seed that is hidden in the darkness of the earth. All things fresh and dry are clear and evident to Him. (6:59)

Let us imagine that we are in a room overlooking the street and watching through a small window the mass of cars that swiftly moves down the street. Obviously we cannot see all the cars at once; we see them one by one as they pass in front of the window and then they disappear from sight. If we knew nothing about cars we might imagine that they gradually come into being on one side of the window and cease to exist on the other.

Now this small window corresponds exactly to our field of vision; it determines a past and a future for the cars. Those who are outside the room standing on the sidewalk see all the cars moving along together.

Our situation with respect to the past and future of the world is like that of the person watching the cars through a small window.

Once we realize that God is above time and place we understand that all past and future events are always present and existent in front of Him like a painting.

We ought therefore to have a sense of responsibility toward a Creator Who is aware of the slightest act and deed of creation as the Quran says: He knows all that you do (2:283) and avoid any sin or mistake that would cause us to become distant from Him. We ought to worship God the possessor of absolute knowledge Who has caused us to traverse these various stages and to attain the capacities we now have. We ought not to disobey His commands Which open up for us the path to true felicity and the ultimate aim of man and we should accept no goal other than Him.

In order to reach God we must adorn ourselves with divine attributes and prepare ourselves during our brief sojourn in this world for the meeting with Him. Then we may return to Him the source origin and beginning of our existence. This requires action and striving effort aimed at refining the self for the responsibility to act in this sense has been placed on man's shoulders as a divine trust.

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Source: maaref-foundation.com

The Boundless Knowledge of God

God and His Attributes

By: Sayyid Mujtaba Musavi Lari
Translated by: Hamid Algar

P. 95-100

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When we wish to assess the scientific personality and knowledge of a scholar we examine his works and subject them to close study. Similarly in order to measure the talent creativity and ability of an artist to invent original images we undertake the study of his artistic production.

In the same way we can also perceive the attributes and characteristics of the pure essence of the Creator from the qualities and orderliness that pervade all phenomena together with their subtlety and precision. Thereby within the limits set by our capacity to know and perceive we can become acquainted with God's knowledge wisdom life and power.

If it be a question of complete and comprehensive knowledge of God then of course we must accept that man's ability to know does not extent that far. God's characteristics cannot be placed within given limits and whatever comparison or simile we offer for them is bound to be false for whatever is observable to science and thought in the natural realm is the work of God and the product of His will and command whereas His essence is not part of nature and does not belong to the category of created beings. Hence the essence of the divine being cannot be grasped by man by way of comparison and analogy.

He is in short a being for the knowledge of Whose essence no measure or criterion exists and for the fixing of Whose power authority and knowledge we have no figures or statistics.

Is man then too abject and powerless to perceive anything of the essence and attributes of so elevated a reality? To concede the weakness of our powers and our inability to attain complete profound and comprehensive knowledge of God does not imply that we are deprived of any form of knowledge however relative. The orderly pattern of the universe loudly proclaims His attributes to us and we can deduce the power and unlimited creativiq of the Lord from the beauq and value of nature. Phenomena are for us an indication of His unique essence.

Contemplation of the will consciousness knowledge and harmony inherent in the order of being and all the various phenomena of life makes it possible for us to perceive that all these qualitic^v together with all the other elements that speak of aim direction and purposeùnecessarily derive from the will of a Geator Who Himself possesses these attributes before they are reflected in the mirror of creation.

That which comes to know God and to touch His being is the remarkable power of thoughtùa flash which deriving from that pre-eternal source shone on matter and bestowed on it the capacity of acquiring knowledge and advancing toward truth. It is within this great divine gift that the knowledge of God is manifested.

*****

Islam deals with the knowledge of God in a clear and novel way. The Quran the fundamental source for learning the worldview of Islam applies the method of negation and affirmation to this question.

First it negated by means of convincing proofs and indications the existence of false gods because in approaching the transcendent doctrine of unity it is necessary first to negate all forms of pseudo-divinity and the worship of other-than-God. This is the first important step on the path to unity.

The Quran says: "Have the ignorant polytheists abandoned the true God and chosen instead the false and powerlessgods? Tell them: 'Bring forth your proof!' This call of mine to unity is my saying and that of all the learned men of the community as well as the saying of all the Prophets and learned men before me. But these polytheists have no knowledge of the truth and constantly avert themselves from it. (21:24)

"Say O Messenger 'You worship one other than God who has no power to help or to harm you . It is God Who is all-hearing and Who knows the state of all of creation." (5:79)

The one who has severed his connection with divine unity forgets too his own true position with respect to the world and being and becomes estranged from himself. For the ultimate form of self-alienation is the severing of all links with one's essential nature as man. Conversely once man has become alienated from his own essence under the influences of internal and external factors he will also be separated from his God and become enslaved by other-than-God. Subordination to other-than-God then takes the place of all logical thought. This represents a reversion to the worship of phenomena for worshipping an idol and according primacy to matter both are forms of regression that rob man of his innate capacity for growth.

Monotheism is the only force that makes it possible for man to recapture the creativity of human values. By regaining his true rank he enters a state of harmony with his own human nature and the ultimate nature of allbeing thus attaining the mostperfect forrn of existence open to him.

Throughout history all divine summons and movements have begun with the proclamation of divine unity and the exclusive lordship of God. No concept has everoccurred to man that is more productive of creative insights and more relevant to the various dimensions of human existence or a more effective brake on human perversity than the concept of divine unity.

Using clear proofs the Quran shows man the way to attaining knowledge of the divine essence as follows: "Did man emerge from non-being through his own devices? Was he his own creator? Did mankind create the heavens and earth? Certainly they do not know God." (52:35-36)

The Quran leaves it to man's reason and commonsense to realize the falsity of these two hypotheses that man came into being of himself or that he was his own creator by testing and analyzing them in thelaboratory of his thought. By reflecting on the signs and indications of God he will come to recognize with clear and absolute certainty the true source of all being and to understand that no value can be posited for any model of the universe unless behind it an organizing and capable intellect is at work.

In other verses man's attention is drawn to the manner of his creation and gradual emergence from non-being. He thus comes to realize that his remarkable creation with all the wonders it contains is a sign and indication of the infinite divine will the penetrating rays of which touch all beings.

The Quran says: "We created man out of an essence of clay then We established him in a firm place in the form of sperm. Then We made the sperm into coagulated blood and then into aformless lump offlesh. Then we made it into bones and then clothed the bones withflesh. Finally We brought forth a new creation. How well did God create the best of all creators!" (23:12-14)

When the foetus is ready to receive shape and form all the cells of the eyes the ear the brain and the other organs start to function and begin their ceaseless activity. This is the truth to which the Quran is directing men's attention. It then poses to man the question of whether all these wondrous changes are rationally compatible with the hypothesis that there is no God.

Is it not rather the case that phenomena such as these prove and demonstrate with the utmost emphasis the need for a plan a design a guiding hand inspired by conscious will? Is it at all possible that the cells of the body should learn their functions pursue their aim in a precise and orderly fashion and crystallize so miraculously in the world of being without there being a conscious and powerful being to instruct them?

The Quran answers this question as follows: "He it is Who creates and brings forth (the totality of parts) Who separates (the parts belonging to each organ) and Who gives form (to different aspects)." (59:24)

The Quran describes every sense phenomenon that man sees around him as something calling for reflection and the drawing of conclusions. "Your God is but one God. There is nogod other than Him Compassionate and Merciful. In the aeation of the heavens and the earth in the alternation of night and day in the ships that ply the seas to the benefit of man in the water sent down from the heavens to revive the earth after its death in the different species of animals scattered across the earth in the rotation of the winds in the clouds that are subordinate to God's command between heaven and earth in all of this there are signs for men who use their intellects." (2:163-164) "Tell men to reflect with care and see what things the heavens and the earth contain." (10:101)

The Quran also mentions the study of human history and the peoples of the past with all the changes they have undergone as a special source of knowledge. It invites man to pay heed in order to discover the truth to the triumphs and defeats the glories and humiliations the fortune and misfortune of various ancient peoples so that by learning the orderly and precise laws of history he will be able to benefit himself and his society by aligning the history of his own age with those laws. The Quran thus proclaims: "Even before your time certain laws and norms were inforce so travel and examine the historical traces left by past peoples to see what was the fate of those who denied the truths of revelation and the promises of God." (3:137) "How many were those powerful ones whom We destroyed in their ciSes on account of their oppression and wrongdoing and We made another people to be their heirs." (21:11)

The Quran also recognizes man's inner world which it expressed by the word anfus ("souls") as a source for fruitful reflection and the discovery of truth. It points out its importance as follows: "We make our signs and indicahons entirely manifest in the world and in the souls and inner beings of Our servants so that it should be clear that God is the True." (41:53) "On theface of the earth there are signs for the possessors of certainty and also in your own selves; will you not see?" (51:20-21)

In other words there is an abundant source of knowledge in the beauty and symmetry of the human body with all of its organs and capacities its actions and reactions its precise and subtle mechanisms its varied energies and instincts its perceptions feelings and sensations both animal and human and most especially in the astounding capacity of thought and awareness with which man has been entrustedùa capacity which still remains largely unknown for man has taken only a few steps in studying this invisible power and its relationship with his material body.

The Quran proclairns that it is sufficient to reflect on and examine your own self in order to be guided to the eternal infinite source that is free of all need has unlimited knowledge skill and power and a feeble reflection of which is manifest in your being. You will then know that it is that infinite reality which has thus brought together in one place so fruitful a compound of elements and brought it forth onto the plain of existence.

Given the existence of such vivid indications and decisive proofs placed at your disposal and within your own being for you to seek the knowledge of God no excuse will be accepted from you for misguidance and denial.

The Quran also applies the method of negation and affirmation to the question of God's attributes. Thus it describes the attributes that the essence of the Creator possesses as "affirmative attributes." Among themareknowledge power will the fact that His existence was not preceded by non-existence and that His being has no beginning and the fact that all the motions of the world derive from His will and His power.

The Quran says: "He is God the One other than Whom there is no god the knower of the hidden and the manifest the Compassionate the Merciful. He is God the One other than Whom there is no god the Commander the All-powerful Pure and Without Defect the Bestower of Safety the Protector the Precious the Mighty the Sublime the Most Elevated. Exempt and purified be He from the partners which they ascribe to Him."(59:22-23)

The "negative attributes" are those from which God is free. They include the fact that God is not a body and has no place; His sacred being has no partner or like; He is not a prisoner to the limitations set up by the bounds of the senses; He neither begets nor is begotten; there is neither change nor motion within His essence for He is absolute perfecdon; and He does not delegate the task of creation to anyone.

The Quran says: "O Messenger say: 'He is God the One the God Who is free of need for all things and of Whom all beings stand in need. No one is His offspring and He is not the offspring of anyone and He has no like or parallel." (112:14) "Pure and exalted is thy Lord God the Powerful and Unique Who is pure of what men in their ignorance ascribe to Him." (37:180)

Human logic which inevitably thinks in terms of limited categories is incapable of sitting in judgment on divinity because we must admit that it is impossible to perceive the ultimate ground of that being for whom no observable or comprehensible analogue or parallel exists in the world of creation. The most profound schools of thought and the greatest methods of reflection here fall prey to bewilderment.

Just as all existent beings must lead back to an essence with which existence is identical to an independent being on which all other beings depend so too they must derive from a source of life power and knowledge from the infinite being of which all these attributes and qualities surge forth in abundance.

Source: maaref-foundation.com

How does the Quran present God?

Belief in the Reality of the Unseen Involves More than God

By: Sayyid Mujtaba Musavi Lari
The infinite power of God has no clearer proof than that furnished by the study and examination of the phenomena of the created universe and the multiple forms and colorations of nature that can never be fully described.

When we look at God's creation we find ourselves confronted with so vast an energy that no limit can be imagined for it. A look at creation and the millions of truths secreted in the wonders of nature and the depths of man's own being provides the clearest indication of the scale of the power of the One Who has created it for the rich and complex order of being admits of no other explanation.

It is God's incomparable power that compels man to bow humbly before the Creator of this great scheme. There is no word to express the dimensions of His power; that unique essence has much power that whenever He wills a thing to come into existence it suffices for the command "Be!" to issue forth from Him and the object addressed will be. The Quran says: "When He wills a certain thing He commands it 'Be!' and it is" (36:82)

The law expounded in this verse is the best indicator of His limitless power and manifestation of His boundless power and splendor. It negates any limit that might be set on God's power and proclaims the inadequacy of all criteria and measures when confronted with this divine law.

The champions of the natural sciences the men of the laboratory despite all the advances they have achieved have not yet gained complete knowledge of the inner secrets of a single one among the numerous and varied beings of the created universe. Nonetheless the partial and defective knowledge that man has acquired concerning a few of the beings that exist in this world is enough for him to realize with all his being that the great power that has created such variety and abundance in the universe must be infinite.

Consider the range of His creation: tiny creatures and monstrous beasts with strange appearances both dwelling in the depths of the ocean; delicate and melodious birds with multicolored wings the beauty of which skilled artists imitate as an adornment to their craft; stars that shine in the heavens and the sun that rises and sets; the dawn and the moonlight; the planets galaxies and nebula each of which sometimes contains at its heart millions of great shinning stars giddying in their apparent infinitude.

Does not a creation such as this awe inspiring in its splendor indicate the infinite power of its Maker? Can one disregard the power of a Creator Who imparts such variety to life and made distinct finite forms of it appear in all this vast range of phenomena?

Now given the fact that all these captivating forms of creation ultimately arise from the atom the question of being cannot be explained except by reference to a guiding and infinite power. It is He Who impels all things toward the assumption of life-giving form and possesses the power and intelligence to plan and design this vast and precise scheme. *****

Large and small difficult and easy are properties pertaining to finite beings; in the infinite realm of God's essence and attributes there is no question of great and little much and few. Impotence and inability are caused by the finiteness of the energy at the disposal of an agent by the existence of an obstacle on his path or by the absence of means and instruments; they are inconceivable in the case of an infinite power.

The Quran says: "Nothing in the heavens or on earth can induce weakness or impotence in God; indeed God is all-knowing and all-powerful." (35:44) Although God is capable of doing all things He has created the world according to a precise and specific scheme in the framework of which a set role has been assigned to certain phenomena in the origination of others. Those phenomena are completely and unquestioningly subordinate to His command while fulfilling that role and never rebelling against His orders in the slightest.

The Quran says: "The sun the moon and the stars are all at His command. Be aware that creation belongs only to God; it is His penetrating command that in its exalted purity creates the world and all it contains." (7:54)

Strictly speaking no creature in the scheme of the universe can be a manifestation of power or have any share in His will and command for just as God has no partner in His essence so too He has no partner in His agenthood. Just as all creatures in the world lack independence in their essence and are dependent on Him they also lack it in producing acts and effects. Every agent and cause derives the essence of its being from God and also its power to act and produce an effect.

Whenever He wills and necessitates it the order that encloses all beings abandons its role for that order is itself subordinate to His will precious and firm though it may be. The Creator Who has assigned a particular effect to every factor and cause is able to neutralize and suspend that effect at any instant. Just as one command brought the order of the universe into existence another command robs phenomena of their customary effect.

Thus the Quran says: "They said 'Burn Abraham and thus us render help unto your gods if you are men of action.' We commanded the fire 'be cool for Abraham and harm him not.' They sought a stratagem against him but We made them the losers." (21:68-69) Although the powerful attraction exerted by the sun and the earth prevails over a vast space both bodies are subordinate to His will. As soon as He gives a little bird the necessary power the bird is able to resist the pull of the earth and take flight. The Quran says: "Do they not look at the birds in the heavens and see how the skies have been subjugated to them? It is God alone Who keeps them aloft and in this there is an evident sign of God's power for the people off faith." (16:79)

Whatever phenomenon may be imagined to exist in the world of being finds its needs for sustenance and life met by the Creator. Therefore whatever power and capacity is found in the scheme of creation must necessarily go back to the infinite power of God. Ali peace be upon him him the Commander of the Faithful says in a sermon reproduced in the Nahj al Balaghah: O God, we cannot penetrate the depths of Your splendor and majesty. We know only that You are living and self-subsistent, that You are exempt from %1% eating and sleeping. No mind can perceive You and no eye can see You. But You see all eyes, You know the life span of all things, and You are all-powerful.

Although we have perceived nothing of Your creation, we are astounded by Your power and praise You mightily. That which is hidden from us and our eyes cannot see and our mind and intelligence cannot attain, which is concealed from us by veils of the unseen, is much greater than what we can see ...

When man decides to build something, for example, a hospital, he assembles the necessary tools and pieces of equipment that do not have any essential relationship with each other, and, then, connects them with each other by means of a series of artificial relationships in order to reach his goal.

In order to create such artificial relationships, he makes use of different forces and object that he finds to be already existing. His work and activity are a part of the system of creation; they are not properly speaking creative activity, but only a form of motion that takes place within existing objects. Divine creation forms a quite different category from the production of artificial relationships between unrelated objects. God originates things with all their properties, forces and energies and characteristics.

When we say that God is all-powerful, we must be aware that His power relates only to things that are possible. Things that are rationally impossible are entirely outside the sphere of His power, and to use the word power" or "capacity" in connection with things that are impossible is incorrect and meaningless. Although the power of God is indeed unlimited the receptive capacity of things and their ability to serve as locus for the manifestation of divine power must be taken into consideration. The implementation of God's will is intertwined with the relations between cause and effect with the complex network of reasons and causes.

In order for a thing to become the object of the divine will it must not be impossible and must in its essence possess receptive capacity; divine will is accomplished by means of the receptivity of things. It is true that the divine effulgence is infinite and constantly overflowing but the ground destined to receive it may be defective and unable to absorb the infinite share that superabundant source offers it.

The ocean is an immensely abundant source of water but a tanker has only a limited capacity to take on its water; in fact only a minute amount of that water can be loaded onto a tanker. Clearly enough what is finite and limited in this case is the capacity of the tanker not the water in the ocean. Someone once asked Ali the Commander of the Faithful upon whom be peace Is your Lord able to fit the whole world into a hen's egg? He answered: "God Almighty is indeed able to do anything but what you ask is something impossible." So although God's sacred essence is utterly free of all impotence and inability it is meaningless and irrational to ask whether God can do something inherently impossible.

***** One whose heart beats with the love of God and flows over with belief in the Creator of all being will never be discouraged lonely and hopeless even in the midst of the most complex difficulties. Whatever deed he undertakes he does so in the consciousness of being in the protective shade of a supreme power that can make him triumph over all difficulties.

A man who is aware of God and knows that he enjoys His support can resist and endure all kinds of hardship. Difficulties are for him like foam on swift vanishing foam on the face of the waters The fire that burns within him becomes ever brighter and he emerges stronger than ever from the crucible of hardship. Throughout the toils he endures he is comforted and strengthened by God's kindness and favor and it is this that forms the true motor of his activity. Failure does not block his path and cause him to surrender; instead with sincere intention and diligent effort he continues his strivings until final victory.

He understands well that his efforts cannot remain fruitless and that victory goes to the deserving. Whenever He wills God takes the hand of the fallen and the oppressed who have no refuge other than Him and raises them up to the apex of power. Sometimes too He rubs in the dust of humiliation and disaster the noses of the powerful and arrogant oppressors who believe only in violence and the logic of force and treat men as if they were worthless.

How many arrogant tyrants have been cast down by disaster in the course of human history sinking and vanishing in a tempest of shame!

The story of God's messengers represents in itself a complete and ideal model of human values. We all know how the messengers stood alone against the oppressive forces of their day in order to guide men to salvation reform their society and inculcate lofty values in them. In doing so they lit the first spark that ultimately destroyed polytheism The response aroused by their beliefs caused such a positive tumult that they were able to change the face and direction of history. They laid the foundations of monotheistic worship and established the principles of virtue in the most comprehensive way.

Who can deny the role played by their devotion and faith in the untiring struggle they waged? How far can will power alone take man and how much can it enable him to endure and sacrifice? A cursory review of the proud history of the Prophets' lives enables us all to behold in the most vivid fashion possible the sincerity and devotion they displayed their mercy and forbearance and their intense desire to guide and reform men. The fundamental secret of their success was the fact they never thought of themselves for a single instant; they sincerely renounced their own beings making them a gift to God's cause. God then responded by bestowing immortality and everlasting fame on them.

Source: alhassanain.com

The Infinite Power of God

Proving God

Allaah The Almighty has created all of His worshipers as Muslims, testifying the Oneness of Allaah The Almighty; however, the devils came to them and changed their  religion and corrupt their faith. Allaah The Almighty says in Al-Hadeeth Al-Qudsi: ‘I have created all My slaves with the inclination to worship Me alone, but the devils come to them and turn them away from their religion. They forbid to them that which I have permitted to them, and they tell them to associate others with Me,  for which I have not sent down any authority.”1

So whenever people commit any form of Shirk, Allaah The Almighty sends His Prophets, peace be upon them, with the suitable forms of Tawheed.

Some of them have disbelieved in the Lord, the Creator such as Thamood and Fir‘awn… so Allaah The Almighty sent the Prophets, peace be upon them, to inform them about their Lord and their Creator as Moosa (Moses), peace be upon him, said to Fir‘awn (as Allaah The Almighty says on his behalf)

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Say As Universe Says Laa ilaaha illa Allaah

<span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Dr. Asra Rasheed presents the essence of Islamic thought on the unique oneness of God from a variety of aspects in simple language. It is the summation of a series of lectures between Dr. Azra and a classmate who eventually accepted Islam."}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":2947,"3":{"1":0},"4":{"1":2,"2":16777215},"10":1,"11":4,"12":0,"14":{"1":2,"2":0}}">Dr. Asra Rasheed presents the essence of Islamic thought on the unique oneness of God from a variety of aspects in simple language. It is the summation of a series of lectures between Dr. Azra and a classmate who eventually accepted Islam.</span>

A Simple Call to One God

A Few Words on Knowing God by Hujjatul-Islam Dr. Mohammad Javad Bahonar

the book consists of 5 chapters:

Allah, as introduced by Islam
the Ways of Knowing Allah
the Oneness of Allah in the Holy Quran
the Individual and Social Effects of Monotheism
the Teachers' Opinions

A few words on Knowing Allah

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Islamic Sources is a comprehensive website to collect, organize and present the Islamic sources that received from early days of Islam through the messengers and then by the religious leaders, researchers, intellectuals and scholars of the Islamic thought arena.

Islamic Sources