Allah (Rab ul Alameen)

Society Religion & Philosophy
1

**First we will examine how different people hold different subjective **

**concepts of God, which, in turn, lead to conflict and contradiction not only **

**in our lives as individuals but as peoples and nations as well. In Part 2, we **

**will strive to show how the objective concept of “One” God can remove the **

**conflict from our minds and hearts, can transform our characters to become **

**harmonious with the most beautiful colors (2:138) represented by the **

**most beautiful attributes of Allah (7:180). These attributes, based on the **

**Quranic concept of God, serve as a complete and perfect model for **

**attaining peace and harmony within our selves and with our outside world. **

**In examining the prevailing concepts of God with a series of questions, the **

**intent is enquiry rather than criticism. God commands us to examine and **

**analyze, even the Quran, with knowledge (12:108, 34:46, 16:44). God **

**also commands us to respect other faiths (6:108), other prophets (3:84, **

**4:164, 16:36), and other places of worship (22:40). **

**Questions about the nature of God, the creation of the Universe, the **

**creation of mankind, the purpose of creation and the relationship of **

**humans to God and the universe have fired human curiosity and **

imagination from times immemorial.

**Nature of God:· Is God immanent? Or is He transcendent? Or is He both? **

**How can God’s presence be felt? **

**· Did God create human beings in His image? What is meant by the image of **

God? Does God have an image or is it just in our imaginations?

**· Does God sit on a throne above the heavens? Abu Dawud and Thirmidhi in **

**Hadith No. 5480 Mishkat give physical details of the throne of Allah. **

**According to them, Allah’s throne rests on the back of mountain goats that **

**are standing in an ocean above the seventh heaven! **

Creation of the Universe:

**· **
**How did God create the Universe? Did He get tired and need rest? The **

**Bible states that after creating the Universe in six days, God rested on the **

**seventh (GENESIS 2:2). Tafseer Ibn Katheer in interpreting Sura Fussilat **

**says, in a story similar to the Biblical story of creation, that God created **

**the earth on a Sunday and Monday and the stars, sun, moon and angels on **

**Friday. One is left to wonder how the days of the week occurred before the **

creation of the planets and the stars?

**· Is the Universe real or imaginary? According to Plato, the Universe is **

**imaginary in that it exists only in the imagination. In Hinduism, the **

**Universe is considered to be Brahma’s dream while he is asleep. Brahma is **

**the Hindu God of creation—Hindus have different gods for different things, **

for example, the goddess of money is called Lakshmi.

**· Is the Universe a shadow of God? This concept has led to a branch of **

**Muslim mysticism called Wa‘hadt-ul-Shahood. **

**· Are God and the Universe one and the same? Is God matter and is matter **

**God? Is God human? The concept of God and the Universe being the same **

**is called Pantheism in western philosophy, Wa‘hadt-ul-Wajood in Sufism **

(Muslim mysticism), and Vedanta in Hindu Mysticism.

**Relationship of Humans to God and the Universe:· Can human beings **

**comprehend God? Is the human mind even equipped to comprehend God? **

**The Quran states that God cannot be comprehended (6:103) but Sufi **

**mystics claim they can comprehend God. They claim they can even **

establish dialogue with God.

**· Is there a purpose behind the creation of the Universe and the creation of **

**human beings? How does God exercise control over His creation? How are **

**human beings related to the Universe and to God? **

**The human mind, although limited in its potential, is nevertheless, curious **

**about the unknown. It is no wonder, then, that many of the greatest minds **

**in the fields of religion, classical literature, poetry, philosophy, **

**mathematics, and modern science having been preoccupied with the above **

**questions, have produced mountains of literature. However, without a **

**proper concept of God, the human mind will not be able to understand the **

**mystery of God’s true relationship with human beings. **

**Before we can understand God’s relationship to his creation, it is important **

to differentiate between the concept of God and our concept of God

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Re: Allah (Rab ul Alameen)

Idea of God

*Anthropologists tell us that the idea of God first arose in the human mind *

*when primitive humans felt threatened by the violent forces of nature. *

*They say that an idea of God (or some higher power) has always existed *

*and was often expressed through prayers and other rituals. A more formal *

*expression of the idea of God occurs in religion. Congregational prayers *

*performed weekly, daily, or, in some cases, multiple times a day, are all *

*done for God. In addition, within religions, people tend to stay with the *

*same concept of God bequeathed by their forebears; people are resistant *

*to re-evaluation of inherited concepts of God. Further, a closer examination *

*of the lives of people reveals that the God they pray to is very different *

*than the God they believe rules their lives. Why is this so? This is because *

people hold a personal and subjective relationship with God.

Subjective Concept of God

*Most of us think of God (or a higher authority) only in moments of crisis. *

*When the misfortune ends, we tend to forget God (10:12, 16:53-54, *

*31:32, 39:8). This cycle continues until old age when, anticipating death, *

*we turn to God for spiritual support. *

*However, such a concept is bound to create conflict among people having *

*different concepts of God. A Christian’s concept of God as Father is *

*different from a Muslim’s concept of God as Allah. George Bush’s concept of *

*God when he claimed he was "…doing the Lord’s work" was quite different *

*from Saddam Hussein’s concept of God, who also claimed war (jihad) in *

*the way of Allah. Billy Graham’s night vigil in the White House before the *

*Gulf war sought help from the Lord to keep the oil flow to America. The *

*Spanish Inquisition and the Crusades are other examples of war that was *

*waged in the name of God. Hitler’s concept of God was quite different than *

*Churchill’s, both of whom also waged war in the name of God. *

*With so many different subjective concepts of God, it becomes impossible *

*to achieve oneness of God. Oneness of God requires oneness in the concept *

*of God. Otherwise, humanity will remain forever divided over God, and *

*human conflicts and suffering will continue. Among Muslims, the prevalence *

*of the subjective concept of God is best illustrated through the presentation *

of real life scenarios than through abstract concepts

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Re: Allah (Rab ul Alameen)

Real Life Scenarios which Impact our Concept of God

*A Muslim family is struggling to survive in the absence of a welfare system *

*(as is the case in most Muslim countries). Many nights the children sleep *

*hungry. The father cannot find a job. In desperation, he begs for food in the *

name of God. What is his concept of God?

*· A Muslim born in a rich family leads a life of luxury and comfort without *

*much effort. He thanks God for everything he has. His dogs and cats are *

*pampered with gourmet food while human babies in his neighborhood die *

*of malnutrition and hunger. He is satisfied in his belief that everything *

comes from God. What is his concept of God?

*· A Muslim woman in a Muslim country is happily married and has a *

*comfortable life. Her husband dies unexpectedly in an accident. Thereafter, *

she faces untold misery and hardships. What is her concept of God?

*· Muslims in many Muslim countries can divorce their wives by what is *

*called, in Shari‘ah, triple talaaq. This means the husband can simply utter *

*the word "talaaq" three times to make the divorce final and complete. *

*What concept of God do these Muslim husbands and the enforcers of this *

Shari‘ah have?

*· In clear violation of the Quran and Sunnah, many Muslim girls are, *

*nevertheless, killed in the name of family honor, by their fathers or *

*brothers. Instead of being ashamed, they feel honored by these killings! *

*Yet these fathers and brothers are very particular about their daily *

*prayers. Which God are they praying to? Certainly not the God of the *

*Quran. Remember! Our Prophet (PBUH) saved girls from being killed by *

*the pagan Meccans in the name of family honor. (Nowadays there are, on *

*the average, more than one honor killings per day in Pakistan [Pakistan *

Link, April 24, 2000])

*· Many Muslims feel superior on the basis of being born in a particular clan, *

*tribe or caste (e.g. Khans/Pathans, Syeds/Hashemis, *

*Chowdharies/Siddiquis in the Indian subcontinent). What concept of God *

*do these Muslims espouse? Which Sunnah do they profess? Certainly not *

*the Prophet’s Sunnah, for he demolished these distinctions of superiority *

based on birth.

*· Muslims in many Muslim countries have also created differences based on *

*profession. For example, a doctor is held in higher regard than a cobbler. *

*(Remember! Our Prophet repaired his own shoes.) What is the concept of *

God here?

*· In Muslim countries, Muslims with disabilities are treated poorly and with *

*disrespect. They face humiliation and deprivation on a daily basis. As a *

*result, most of them turn to begging. What is their concept of God? What *

*about those Muslims who treat them badly but pray to God. What is their *

concept of God?

*· In many Muslim countries, the landowners treat their workers worse than *

*animals. Obviously, a landowner and his workers have different concepts *

*of God even if they pray together. What about a king’s concept of God? Will *

*his subjects have a different concept of God than him? The same applies to *

religious, political, and economic leaders and their followers.

*· While going around the house of Allah during ‘Hajj, most pilgrims strive to *

*kiss the black stone called ‘Hajr-e-Aswad. Many pilgrims, in their zeal to *

*kiss the black stone, trample on other pilgrims. What concept of God do *

such pilgrims have?

*· Some people go through a process of spiritual transformation after a *

*serious disease strikes them. What is their concept of God? *

*From the above examples, it is obvious that Muslims in different life *

*situations view God differently. In addition, because of this subjective and *

*personal concept of God, both Muslims and non-Muslims, view God as *

*someone to be feared and someone who can be influenced to change His *

*decisions in their individual, familial, or national favor through prayers, *

*rituals, and sacrifices. *

*Influencing God through Prayer/ Worship *

*Belief in God and prayer are the backbone of most religions. As we have *

*seen, in the life of an individual, a subjective concept of God keeps *

*changing with time and circumstance. People with such a concept of God *

*think they can influence God by their prayers, rituals, and sacrifices. *

*For example, suppose two Muslims are in court. Both of them pray to God *

*to win. Can God be influenced through prayer? Obviously, the court can *

*only decide in favor of one plaintiff. So, how will each person’s prayer *

*affect the court’s decision? If it depends on the quantity of prayer, then the *

*person who prays more will be victorious. But then the concept of justice *

*becomes meaningless. On the other hand, if the decision depends on *

*justice, then why pray to God to win the case? Justice is going to be served *

*regardless of prayer. In this case, the concept of prayer to influence the *

*decision becomes meaningless. *

*This same example can be extended to peoples and nations. Whose prayers *

*should God listen to: Muslims or Jews, in their claim to Jerusalem? If God *

*decides matters based solely on prayers, then Muslims, one billion strong, *

*should win overwhelmingly. Each year during the ‘Hajj, the holiest of times *

*and places, Muslims, by the millions, pray to God for Israel’s destruction. *

*But the result so far has been extremely disappointing. While a few million *

*Jews have been proactive, have gained strength and dictated their will, *

*Muslims have only reacted, have been sidelined and forced into humiliating *

*compromises. *

*Muslims claim that God has cursed the Jews and that He will ultimately *

*punish them. But such statements alone cannot ease the present or future *

*misery of Muslims. Instead of punishing the Jews, it seems God is *

*punishing us—through them. When the Jews taunt the Muslims that God is *

*not listening to their prayers, what answer do they have? Here, the *

*dilemma posed by a subjective concept of God becomes very obvious. [For *

*the Quranic concept of the meaning and essence of prayer, see MONITOR, *

*September 1998 pages 6-10, and December 1999, pages 7-12.] *

*Fear and Helplessness in the Face of Predestination *

*Another concept prevalent among Muslims is that God has preordained *

*everything. This concept is taken from the Zoroastrian Persians who *

*accepted Islam en masse after the conquest of Persia during Khalifa *

*‘Umar’s reign. This idea of predestination has paralyzed Muslims ever *

*since. (For a detailed discussion on predestination, see a two-part article in *

*MONITOR, March/April 1997, pages 6-9, and June/July 1997, pages 6-9.) *

*This idea implies we cannot change our future no matter how hard we try. *

*So why should we pray? Why offer sacrifices? Why change something that *

*God has already fixed? Once again, the idea of predestination based on the *

*concept of a God who preordains every circumstance, poses an obvious *

*dilemma. *

*Appeal to God’s Miraculous Powers *

*Miracles are occurrences and events that are against the laws of nature, *

*and therefore, beyond human conception. In strained circumstances, *

*people "hope" for miracles from God, the expectation arising from the *

*belief that God can do anything and everything. However, when people *

*demanded miracles from the Prophet (PBUH) he pointed only to the Quran. *

*He emphasized that faith (iman) should be based on knowledge and reason *

*and not on miracles (8:22, 7:179, 25:44, 12:108, 17:36, 10:100, 39:9, *

*4:82, 47:24, 38:29, 25:73). From this it becomes clear that the concept of *

*a God who works miracles to save us is very different from one who asks *

*us to use reason to come to an understanding of why events occur in our *

*lives. *

*Whether we believe in miracles or predestination, or we personally try to *

*influence God’s decision through prayers, there are bound to be conflicts or *

*paradoxes because these concepts of God are products of the human mind. *

*However, these conflicts do not occur in the concept of God presented by *

*the Quran. *

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Re: Allah (Rab ul Alameen)

*Quran – the Source for the Objective Concept of God *

*The Quran presents a concept of God that is not a product of human *

*imagination or thought. Since the human mind can only conceive of God *

*subjectively because it cannot see Him or describe Him (6:103, 42:11) it *

*is necessary to look to an objective source to provide knowledge about the *

*true concept of God. Obviously that source can only be God Himself. *

*However, God does not talk to everyone directly. He chooses, instead, *

*certain individuals (Prophets) to whom he gives His revelation (14:11, *

*16:2, 22:75, 40:15). Thus revelation is an objective knowledge given by *

*God to His Prophets. And since revelation from God ended with Prophet *

*Muhammad (PBUH), no one can now receive any such knowledge be it *

*called inspiration, kashf, or ilham. *

*Even though the prophets received this revelation, the Quran tells us *

*clearly that we should not blindly accept the revelation given to the *

*Prophet (4:82, 25:73, 38:29). The Quran challenges those who do not *

*accept it as the word of God to provide proof for their argument (2:111). *

*Otherwise, they should accept the Quran as a truthful source, which guides *

*humanity to the objective goals for its physical and spiritual success. *

*The Arabic Quran is the only extant Book of God, which is unaltered in *

*word since it was revealed more than 1400 years ago. This is the *

*consensus of scholars, Muslims and non-Muslims, who have investigated *

*the authenticity of the Quran. Proponents of other religions admit that the *

*original books given by their Prophets are not extant in their original *

*forms. (See Maurice Bucaille’s book, entitled, "The Bible, the Quran and *

*Science," for a detailed discussion of this topic.) *

*Furthermore, Al-Qur’an is the only revealed Book Allah has taken the *

*responsibility to protect (15:9). It is unchangeable (6:34, 18:27, 10:64). *

*It is the only book that cannot be challenged (10:38, 11:13, 52:34). It is *

*complete (6:115). Nothing essential has been left out of the Qur’an (6:38, *

*6:59, 10:61, 34:3). There is no doubt in it (2:2, 10:37, 32:2). And those *

*who do not judge their life affairs by the Quran or what Allah has revealed *

*are Kafirs or Unbelievers (5:44). Regarding the absolute Truth of the *

*Quran, Allah says: *

*And say: "The Truth (Quran) is from your Lord." Then whosoever wills, let *

*him believe, and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve. (18:29) [Taqi-ud-Din *

Al-Hilali and Muhsin Khan]

*Implicit in this verse is the idea of choice. Even though God tells us *

*unequivocally that the Quran is the Truth, no one, not even the prophet, is *

*to force acceptance of it. The same applies to interpretations of the Quran, *

*no matter which famous scholar said so in a tafseer. *

*Other verses in the Qur’an proclaiming it to be the only absolute Truth from *

*Allah are: 2:147, 2:252, 3:3, 3:60, 6:5, 6:66, 6:115, 8:32, 10:94, *

*10:108, 11:120, 13:2, 13:19, 17:105, 27:79, 28:3, 28:53, 32:3, 34:6, *

*34:43, 34:49, 35:31, 39:2, 39:41, 43:30, 45:6, 47:2, 57:16, 60:1. *

*Thus there exists now only one source, the Quran, from which to derive the *

true concept of God. **It may be emphasized here that an interpretation or **

*tafseer of the Quran is not The Quran. The Quran cannot be held hostage to *

*a particular interpretation or hadith. While the Quran is beyond space and *

*time, the same cannot be said of an interpretation and tafseer. A two-part *

*article about the Prophet’s Sunnah provides more details about this issue *

*(MONITOR, September/October 1999, pages 7-12, December 1999, *

*pages 9-14). *

*Say you (O Prophet): "This is my way; I invite unto Allah (i.e. to the *

*Oneness of Allah—Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge, I and *

*whosoever follows me (also must invite others to Allah i.e. to the Oneness *

of Allah—Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge." (12:108) [Taqi-ud-

Din Al-Hilali and Muhsin Khan]

*This verse enjoins us to find the concept of God in the light of the sure *

*knowledge contained only in the Quran. *

*The Quranic Concept of God *

*According to the Quran, God has an objective existence. God exists *

*whether or not anyone believes in Him. God was present when human *

*beings did not yet exist and He will be there when they will no longer exist *

*on earth. *

*Moreover, according to the Quran, God has certain permanent and absolute *

*attributes, which have their own objective existence whether we believe in *

*them or not. These permanent and absolute attributes are not changed by *

*time or by anyone’s wishes. *

*On the other hand, while belief in God is almost universal, the concept of *

*God among people varies from time to time and place to place. This *

*variation is the cause of difference in the way of life and the goal of life of *

*people. Can it be claimed that there is a tangible difference in the way of *

*life of a believer and a non-believer? Does it matter whether or not one *

*believes in God? *

*In answer to this question, God tells us in the Quran that human life has a *

*serious goal (20:50), which is centered around belief in God. For this *

*reason, it becomes very important to have a clear and unambiguous *

*concept of God. *

*Human beings lead their lives at two different levels: one at the animal or *

*physical level, and the other at the human or spiritual level. At the animal *

*level our goals are standard: self-preservation and procreation. At the *

*spiritual level, too, we require an absolute and permanent standard. "Then *

*He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him His *

*roo‘h"(32:9). This roo’h or divine energy or soul ("self" or "khudi" as *

*termed by Allama Iqbal) is an exclusive gift from God to every human *

*being. This is what separates humans from other animate and inanimate *

*objects in the Universe. However, this divine gift of "self" is given as a *

*latent potential and the aim of human life is to develop it. This development *

*of "self" is the spiritual dimension of human existence, which requires an *

*absolute, permanent standard to measure its growth. *

*This permanent standard is the objective tool to measure the progress of *

*the "self", just as there are objective tools to measure the state of health *

*or sickness of the physical body. It makes sense to accept this objective *

*standard from God who gave us the "self" in the first place. *

*God’s Attributes - A Measure of the Development of "Self" *

*The absolute and permanent standard that can serve as a litmus test for *

the development of the "self" is the attributes of God called Asma-ul-

*‘Husnaa, the most balanced attributes (7:180). This is because humans *

*carry the seed of the divine energy as an exclusive gift from God (32:9). *

*They are the only ones who, within human limitation, have the potential of *

*emulating God’s attributes (not including those attributes which are *

*exclusive to God’s infiniteness (57:3)). We can know how much of our *

*"self’s" latent potential has been actualized by testing against this divine *

*touchstone of Asma-ul-‘Husnaa which are independent of space and time *

*and circumstance. Without this objective test, belief in God is meaningless. *

*Allama Iqbal says: *

**It is no use saying with your tongue: ‘There is no god but God’ **

**If your heart and mind are not believers, then your belief is meaningless. **

**What is the use of claiming with your tongue the oneness of God? **

**You have sculpted an idol of your own ego and taken it as your God. **

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Re: Allah (Rab ul Alameen)

Seems to me, Islam to you is more of a mathematical equation than a soul's spiritual journey...

2 + 2 = Islam...

But will get back to this later...

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Re: Allah (Rab ul Alameen)

*(We take our) colour from Allah, and who is better than Allah at colouring. (2:138 Picthall) *

*This Quranic verse is best explained by the saying of ‘Aisha (R), "The *

*Prophet (PBUH) was a walking Quran." This saying is supported by *

*many Quranic verses. (See a three-part article on the Prophet’s *

*Sunnah in the MONITOR: September/October 1999, pages 7-12; *

*December 1999, pages 9-14; May/June 2000, pages 9-16) *

*What is meant by "sibgha-tullah," or "the color of Allah" in the Quranic *

*verse quoted above? And how does it relate to us? This article will explore *

*the meaning of this verse, but first, we summarize the important points *

*from Part 1 of this article. *

*We saw that the true and objective concept of God must come from God *

*Himself, as humans have no ability to comprehend God (6:103). All the *

*concepts of God designed by human minds are, therefore, subjective. Also, *

*the true and objective concept of God can only be found in God’s final *

*revelation, the Quran. This is because both Muslim and non-Muslim *

*scholars agree that the Quran has been preserved in its Arabic text exactly *

*as it was revealed by God around 1400 years ago. (See Maurice Bucaille’s *

*The Bible, The Quran and Science). This cannot be said of any other *

*religious book present today including the books of ahadith (both Sunni and *

*Shi‘ia) and translations or interpretations (tafseers) of the Quran like *

*Tabari or Ibn Kathir. The Quran’s challenge for any group or individual to *

*produce a book, or even a chapter, or even ten verses like the Quran is still *

*outstanding (17:88, 2:23, 8:31, 10:38, 11:13). Holding the Quran hostage *

*to any book of hadith or tafseer or asbab-annuzool (cause of revelation) is, *

therefore, against these Quranic verses.

*We also saw in the first part of this article that a proper concept of God *

*requires a proper understanding of the human "self." The Quran says that *

*every human being is endowed by God with a "self" or soul (‘rooh in the *

*words of the Quran (32:9) or "khudi" in the words of Iqbal). However, this *

*is given in latent form and the purpose of human life is to develop, nourish, *

*and strengthen it. Just as there are laws governing the nourishment of the *

*human body, there are laws governing the nourishment of the human *

*"self." Since the human "self" is not a material thing it does not die with *

*the death of the human body. A developed "self" marches onward in its *

*journey in the hereafter (7:8, 23:102, 101:6). The Quran calls this *

*developed state of the "self" Jannah (Heaven), which will continue forever *

*(7:42). On the other hand, an undeveloped "self" gets stuck and is not able *

*to move forward in its journey in the hereafter (7:9). The Quran calls this *

*stagnant state of the "self" Jahannam or Ja‘heem (Hell). Ja‘heem means *

*static or stationary. Contrary to the popular belief of many Muslims, the *

*Prophet (PBUH) will not help us avoid Hell (6:51), because the Quran says *

*that one will remain stuck in Hell forever (7:36, 32:12, 43:74) and no one *

*will be able to help (35:36-37, 40:49). According to the Quran, a state of *

*Hell can only be avoided by developing the "self" in this life, through *

*righteous work, beyond a certain threshold that is required to enter the *

*state of Heaven (7:42, 29:58, 89:27-30). The development of the "self" is *

*the purpose of human life on earth. *

*We had seen that the development of the "self" can occur only through *

*society. Being different in nature, the "self" develops on a different *

*dimension and with a different set of values than the material body. The *

*body develops by taking, but the "self" develops by giving. Giving up a *

*lesser value, e.g. wealth and material things, including the body, for the *

*sake of a higher, permanent value, e.g. universal freedom and justice, *

*universal welfare and respect for all humanity leads to the development of *

*the "self"; when such permanent values are neglected in society, the "self’ *

*is weakened. Thus the development and nourishment (or purification) of *

*the "self" cannot occur by leading a solitary life and meditating about God. *

*Unlike other religions, the Quran states that the nourishment and *

*development of the "self" requires inter-actions among human beings. The *

*Quranic concept of God differs from all other concepts of God in that the *

*Quran requires power to establish a political, economic and social structure *

*based on Quranic universal, permanent values which will allow and *

*encourage the development of the "self" of individuals (8:26, 22:41, *

*24:55). The "self" is affected by social and economic dealings especially *

*when conflicts of interest arise between individuals, groups, or nations. *

*That is why Islam emphasizes Jama‘ah or togetherness. "There is no Islam *

*without Jama‘ah," said Khalifa ‘Umar (R) [Jame‘e Ibn ‘Abd-al‘Aziz]. *

*Jama‘ah does not mean just praying together but working together in unity *

*in all aspects of life. The Prophet (PBUH) is reported to have said: "Anyone *

*who gets even one feet away from the Jama‘ah has taken out the Islamic *

yoke from his neck, even if he prays and fasts." [Riwayah ‘Ahmad Wal-

‘Hakim]

*In addition, we saw that the development of the "self" is not imaginary but *

*real and tangible, requiring a standard or touchstone against which its *

*development can be measured. We had seen in Part I of this article that *

this touchstone is the most balanced attributes of Allah called Asmaaul-

*‘Husnaa (7:180). The Quran demands from anyone professing to be a *

*Muslim to make these most beautiful attributes of Allah, as given in the *

*Quran, the goal of life: "That to thy Rabb (The Nourisher and Sustainer) is *

*the final Goal" (53:42). Instead of merely claiming our belief in God with *

*our tongues, or expressing it by the mechanics of rituals and customs, the *

Quran asks us to express our praise for God by emulating the Asmaa-ul-

*Husnaa (1:1-2, 59:23-24). The Quran further says, "If they believe (in *

*God) the way you, O Prophet, believe, then only will they be *

*guided," (2:137). This means that our life’s goal should be to get closer to *

*God. However, getting closer to God is only possible through a social order *

*established on the basis of the Quranic principles. *

7

Re: Allah (Rab ul Alameen)

How to Get Closer to God

*What does "getting closer to God" mean? Obviously, it does not mean *

*getting closer to God physically, as that would be contrary to the Quranic *

*concept of God - God is not situated in a particular place in space. God *

*says, "I am closer to you than your jugular vein" (50:16), and again, *

*"Wherever you are, I am there" (2:115, 7:7). So "getting closer to God" *

*means emulating, as far as possible, in our own characters, the attributes *

*of the perfect Self, which is God. The more we emulate these attributes the *

*closer we get to God. But, as with the "self," the emulation of these *

*attributes must occur within society, not alone. Concepts of God that teach *

personal salvation through individual meditation or prayer are non-

*Quranic. Quranic salvation can only be possible by restructuring the *

*present political and economic systems so that they reflect the universal *

*and permanent attributes of God given in the Quran. For example, since *

*God is universally merciful, forgiving, fair and just, so should be the social *

*order operating on behalf of God. Just as God provides sustenance and *

*nourishment to all, so should the system established on His behalf. Just as *

*God guarantees universal human rights and freedoms, so should the *

*system. Those who establish such a system and direct their daily affairs by *

*it will gradually start reflecting the attributes of God in their own *

*characters, i.e. they will take on the "color" of the attributes of Allah in *

*their own characters. They will boldly proclaim: "(We take our) colour *

*from Allah, and who is better than Allah at colouring" (2:138, Picthall). *

*This is what "sibgha-tullah" or "the color of Allah" means in this famous *

*Quranic verse. *

*Under such a system therefore, people—individually, as well as, *

*collectively—will start getting closer to the one true God since they will *

*have the same objective standard of Asmaaul ‘Husnaa, the most balanced *

*attributes of God, as their common goal. This is bound to lead to universal *

*brotherhood and unity of humankind, the ultimate objective of the Quran. *

*In this system, individuals colored with the color of Allah’s attributes work *

*and struggle together in a synergistic fashion, helping each other, being *

*driven only by the conviction (or FAITH) of this one common goal – *

*closeness to God. This common goal requires that we understand clearly *

*some other facets of our relationship to God as well. *

8

Re: Allah (Rab ul Alameen)

God’s Attributes and Self-Imposed Limitations

*The main characteristics of the "self" are uniqueness, independence and *

*freedom. When I say, " ‘I’ am free," it really implies that my "self" is *

*unique, it is free and not dependent on any other "self", and it has the *

*freedom of choice and action. God, being the perfect "Self", is completely *

*unique (Allahu A‘had); He is absolutely free and is not dependent (Allahus *

*Samad); "He begetteth not, and He is not begotten" (Lam yalid wa lam *

*yulad); and there is none like unto him (Wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan *

*a‘had). (112:1-4) *

*Therefore, in this life, human beings must strive to move closer to God by *

*developing these latent characteristics of the "self". To facilitate this *

development, the "self" needs some limitations, which must be self-

*imposed rather than externally imposed. In fact, external imposition *

*destroys the "self". God says in the Quran that although He has absolute *

*power and control over His creation, He too has put some limitations on *

*Himself, for example, to be merciful and to help the believers: *

*Say (O Prophet): "To whom belongs all that is in the heavens and the *

*earth?" Say: "To Allah." He has prescribed Mercy for Himself. (6:12) *

9

Re: Allah (Rab ul Alameen)

*It is Our duty to help the believers. (6:54, 7:156) *
Allama Iqbal says:

*No doubt, the emergence of egos endowed with the power of spontaneous *

*and hence unforeseeable action is, in a sense, a limitation on the freedom *

*of the all-inclusive Ego. But this limitation is not externally imposed. It is *

*borne out of His own creative freedom whereby He has chosen finite egos *

*to be participators of His life, power, and freedom All activity, creative or *

*otherwise, is a kind of limitation without which it is impossible to conceive *

*God as a concrete operative Ego." … "Thus the element of guidance and *

*directive control in the ego’s activity clearly shows that the ego is a free *

*personal causality. He shares in the life and freedom of the Ultimate Ego *

*who, by permitting the emergence of a finite ego, capable of private *

initiative, has limited this freedom of His own free will. (*Reconstruction of *

Religious Thought in Islam, *Jointly published by Iqbal Academy Pakistan *

*and Institute of Islamic Culture, 1989, pp. 63-64 and 86-87.) *

*According to the Quran, this participation between God and believers *

*occurs through a contract. This concept of God is not found in any other *

*religion. In Islam, Believers must enter into a contract with Allah by selling *

*their lives and property to Him in return for Jannah (9:111). Therefore, in *

*this way, they become helpers of Allah for carrying out His mission in this *

*world (61:14), while Allah makes it His duty to help them. Since Jannah *

*encompasses both this world as well as the Hereafter, believers pray and *

*must strive for a good life on earth as well as in the Hereafter (2:201). *

*Another example of Allah’s self-imposed limitations in spite of unlimited *

*power is that Allah does not force anyone to accept His message. He has *

*given complete freedom of choice to human beings to accept or reject it *

*(18:29). He could make every human being a believer but He does not *

*(32:13, 10:99). *

*The God of the Quran Is Not a Dictator *

*There is no doubt that God has complete control over His creation (5:120, *

*9:116, 23:88). He can do anything (2:117, 6:73, 14:27,19:35, 36:82). *

*No one can question Him (21:23). But does He use His powers arbitrarily *

*like a dictator or a king? Or does He follow some standard or pattern? *

*There is a set pattern according to which God produces results. This is *

*called the Will of God. The Will of God is not arbitrary and cannot be *

*influenced by prayers or other rituals. The result of our actions is produced *

*according to the Will of God, i.e. that law related to God’s permanent *

*attribute for that particular action as set forth in the Quran. With this *

*concept of God, all the contradictions created by the subjective concepts of *

*God are thus removed. In the Quranic concept of God, people do not have *

*to individually please him by prayers and sacrifices but have to follow His *

*laws, which have been clearly outlined in His book. The God of the Quran *

*does not bend towards anyone. He has permanent and objective attributes *

*and is the fountainhead of unchangeable laws (called KALIMAT-I-ALLAH *

*(6:34, 6:115, 10:64, 18:27), SUNNAT-I-ALLAH (17:77, 33:62, 35:43, *

*48:23), and KHALQ-I-ALLAH (30:30) by the Quran). Therefore, the result *

*of our actions depends on whether or not the action was performed *

*according to His law. If the result is different than expected, then one has *

*to change one’s actions. One should not keep on doing the same thing while *

*trying to please God by prayers and sacrifices to persuade God to change *

*His laws. One has to align oneself with His laws, not vice versa. There is no *

*other way to receive God’s "help". Allama Iqbal says: *
*
*Teri dua se qadha to badal nahin sakti *

*Magar ye hay mumkin tu badal jaaye *
*
*The law (qadha) of God cannot change by your prayers. But it is possible *

*that you might change. *
*

*Teri dua hay ki ho arzoo their puri *

*Meri dua hay teri arzoo badal jaaye *
*
*Your prayer is that God fulfil your wish. My prayer is that you change your *

*wish (to coincide with the laws of Allah). *

*Khalifa ‘Umar (R) once said that his aim was to stop the people’s prayers *

*from reaching God. This intrigued the people. He explained that people *

*normally pray to God when they are facing some problems. His duty as *

*Khalifa was to solve their problems so they would not have to pray to God *

*for their solution. If they needed to pray to God, then that would, in effect, *

*be a complaint against him to God. Interestingly, this means that the *

*system, implemented according to the Quran, is supposed to fulfil God’s *

*promises to human beings. God does not directly help human beings. He *

*helps them through his servants (Prophets and true believers) who *

*implement His plans in the human world by using the Quran as the *

*Constitution of God on earth. This brings us to another important aspect of *

*the concept of God, i.e. God’s laws are not only unchangeable but they are *

*universal. *

10

Re: Allah (Rab ul Alameen)

***Universality of God’s Law*

In the physical world, we readily accept the universality of God’s laws. For example, an experiment to liberate hydrogen and oxygen from water will produce the same result under the same conditions no matter where that experiment is conducted. We owe our health and welfare, and even our life to the universality of these laws. **
*The same applies to another set of God’s laws now safely preserved in the Quran. It does not matter if we believe in them or not. These laws have their own objective existence and they work inexorably in the human world just as the laws of nature work in the physical world. The God of the Quran is the Nourisher and Cherisher of all the worlds (Rabbul ‘Alameen) and the Nourisher and Cherisher of all humankind (Rabb-in-Naas). He is the Sovereign (Malik-in-Naas) and God of all humankind (Ilaah-in-Naas). *
**Therefore, in this concept of God, there is no place for discrimination based on gender, race, ethnicity, language, economic opportunities, political power, or social status. The Quranic God is equidistant from every human being. Only those people who synchronize their wills with the will of God get their "color" from Him. In turn, those who get colored by God reflect universal God-like attributes and become members of one family (Ummah) supported by the divine laws, which are in the Quran. In this way, there is no contradiction in their inner and outer lives. With this concept of God, there is no push and pull, no effort through prayers and rituals to bend God in anyone’s favor. This leads to yet another aspect of God’s objective laws pertaining to humans: whether or not one believes in this concept of God, every human action produces a reaction based on God’s law of requital
**

11

Re: Allah (Rab ul Alameen)

God’s Law of Requital
*Although human beings have been given complete freedom to choose any action, this freedom is ended once the choice is made. Human beings do not have the freedom or authority to change the result after the action has been performed. This is called the law of requital. The following verses in the Quran clearly state the consequences of human actions: *
*2:21, 2:179, 2:183, 2:185, 2:189, 3:123, 3:129, 3:199, 5:35, 7:69, 7:157. *

*It is our daily experience that if we violate the physical laws of nature we suffer the consequences right *
*away. For example, fire burns, floods drown, gravity pulls, lightning strikes, and tornadoes tear things in *
*their path. Each one of these forces of nature causes physical injury or death if we do not follow the laws of *
*nature or take precautionary measures. But how, we may ask, does the law of requital operate in the *
*human world? Why do cheaters get away if not caught by man-made laws? Why do liars seem to flourish? *
*Why do people who manipulate the system using loopholes get further in life than the honest? Why do the *
*rich and the powerful thrive while exploiting the poor and the weak? Why are murder, torture, and rape of *
*innocent human beings allowed to go on in many parts of the world? Why does God not do anything to stop *
*it? Why does God’s law of requital not punish the perpetrators of these crimes immediately as it punishes *
*those who violate the physical laws of nature? In answer to these questions, some religious scholars teach *
*the poor and the subjugated to be patient, to accept their destiny, to look for reward in the Hereafter. On *
*the other hand, some people turn to mysticism, wrongly thinking they can get closer to God by renouncing *
*the material world (57:27). According to this thinking, the best way to cure a headache—forever—is to *
*remove the head. This concept of God teaches escapism from the real problems of the real world. *

*Can it be said, then, that God’s law of requital is not working in the human world? Are people who commit *
*crimes and who are not punished immediately, as in the physical world, getting away? Is there no higher *
*law before which they are accountable here in this world? Let us be assured, the law of requital is *
*working—incessantly and unremittingly, right here in this world. We might be deceived into thinking it *
*is not, because the time scale for this law is different than the physical laws of nature. It is as if one were *
*keeping time on a clock from which the seconds and minutes indicators were removed and one is fooled *
*into thinking the clock is not running. This is because one day in God’s calendar may be equivalent to one *
*thousand (32:5) or even fifty thousand years of our time on this planet (70:4). *

*Another distinction between the laws of nature in the physical world and the law of requital in the human *
*world is that the law of requital operates on the "self" not on the body. This law either strengthens or *
*weakens the "self" depending on whether or not our actions violate it. In this way, our own actions *
*determine our destiny here as well as in the Hereafter. *

Although God’s law of requital is working in the human world, it appears extremely slow to us and its **
**impact is not on the body but on the soul or "self". The question then becomes: Can this law be speeded up?

12

Re: Allah (Rab ul Alameen)

Speeding up the Law of Requital
**
As we know, the Universe and everything within it operates according to a

fixed pattern called the laws of nature. Laws of nature cannot be speeded up.

For instance, no matter how impatient, a farmer must wait for a fixed amount

of time before his crop matures for harvesting. While this is true everywhere in

the physical world, the same is not the case in the human world.

Is it possible to speed up the law of requital operating in the human world so

violators can face the consequences of their actions in real time as in the

physical world? The concept of God presented by the Quran declares it is

possible.

How can this be done? We have seen that God’s attributes come into effect in

a particular situation in accordance with a fixed pattern or law. We have also

seen that human beings have been endowed, in latent form, with the same

attributes as God, but within human limitation. With a Quranic-based program

of education, training, and development, human beings can develop and

reflect God-like attributes in their own characters.

If human beings are able to create a society in which individuals become

colored with God’s attributes, then the speed of the law of requital is

increased. In other words, if human actions become synchronized with God’s

law of requital then its speed is accelerated (Saree-ul-‘Hisaab). This is what

the following verses mean:

in tansurullahu yunsurukum - "If you help God then He will help you." (47:7)

"And fulfil your Covenant with Me then I shall fulfil My Covenant." (2:40)

By synchronizing their wills with the Will of God, human beings start

cooperating with Allah in accordance with the contract (9:111) mentioned

earlier. Allah then helps the believers (Momineen) through Angels (Malaika or

forces of Allah).

Those who say that our Lord (Nourisher and Sustainer) is Allah and then (on

this promise) become steadfast (in their action) then Angels descend on them.

(41:30)

It is the descending of the Angels on the believers then that speeds up the

law of requital in the human world. So, if the rich and the powerful, on an

individual, familial, or national level, are getting away with the exploitation of

the poor and the weak, then it only means one thing: that the law of requital

does not have the support of the believers and that is why Angels are not

descending on them to speed the outcome. But that does not mean God’s law

of requital is not working. It is working, but it is moving, like the hour hand on

the clock, with its own speed. (Remember! One day in God’s calendar may be

equivalent to one thousand or even fifty thousand years in our time.) As an

example, when our Prophet (PBUH) and Sahaabah (R) synchronized their wills

with the Will of Allah, the results of their efforts occurred very fast. History

bears testimony to the fact that they changed, in a very short time, the

system which was based on exploitation of the weak and enslavement of the

masses by tribal leaders, kings, capitalists, and priests with a system based

on fairness, justice and respect for universal human rights and freedom. Who

could imagine that the two superpowers of the day i.e., the Byzantine and

Persian empires would crumble at the hands of the then lowly Arabs in just a

few years? This was due to the human input into the law of requital thus

accelerating its momentum and resulting in fast output
**

13

Re: Allah (Rab ul Alameen)

*As we have seen, the concept of God presented by the Quran is quite *

*different than all other concepts of God designed by human beings. The *

*Quran is God’s Constitution. He does not act in an arbitrary manner. *

*Contrary to popular belief among many Muslims, He does not arbitrarily *

*grant wealth to whomsoever He wants; He does not shower dignity and *

*power arbitrarily on whomsoever He wants; He does not arbitrarily inflict *

*poverty and misery on whomsoever He wants. (See the article "God’s *

*Will" MONITOR, May/June 1998, pp. 9-17, for details and logical *

*interpretation of the verses related to this topic) Also, God does not guide *

*or misguide whomsoever He wants. It does not make sense that God would *

*misguide someone and then punish him by sending him to hell. Sisters and *

*brothers! God is not a dictator. This is a wrong concept of God born in a *

*period ruled by kings and supported and blessed by the Muslim clergy. In *

*order to maintain their firm grip on power, they needed such a concept of *

*God to legitimize their own dictatorship by turning God into a dictator. (For *

*a more logical interpretation of the verses related to this topic, see the *

*article "Does God Misguide Anyone?" MONITOR, July/August 1998, pages *

*14-16.) *

*Was our Prophet (PBUH) a dictator or a king? Remember ‘Aisha’s (R) *

*saying that the Prophet (PBUH) was a walking Quran. Why then have we *

*had, and still have, so many dictators and kings in the Muslim world who *

*have the temerity and hypocrisy to praise his name? In recent history, the *

*oil boom in many Muslim countries has made the kings into capitalists—an *

*even more dangerous combination and a far greater curse for humanity. *

*Then again, was our Prophet (PBUH) a priest? Clearly not. Why then do we *

*have so many priests who start every sermon praising his name? Was our *

*Prophet (PBUH) a capitalist? We know that our Prophet (PBUH) lived a *

*very simple life and did not have any wealth when he died. Why then are *

*there are so many capitalists in the Muslim world who, on the surface, *

*continue to shower praises on him? *

*Brother and sisters! There must be something wrong in our concept of God *

*which has made us turn away from the true God that our Prophet (PBUH) *

*and Sahaaba (R) lived and died for. While they had dignity and power, we *

*are humiliated and live at the mercy of others. How can we regain our lost *

*dignity and glory? *

*There is no other way than to come back to the true concept of God given *

*in the Quran and demonstrated by our Prophet (PBUH) and the Sahaaba *

*(R). Let us proclaim and act upon the verse: *

*(We take our) colour from Allah, and who is better than Allah at colouring. *

*(2:138, Picthall) *

*Let us not get colored by our own emotions (25:43). Also, let us not get *

*our color from kings, political leaders, priests, or capitalists. If we do that, *

*we are committing idolatry (shirk) because, then, the color of Allah will *

*become adulterated with these colors. *

*Let us read, understand, and reflect upon the Quran so we are not fooled or *

*intimidated by the modern Pharaohs (kings and dictators), the modern *

*Hamaans (priests and university-trained scholars who teach man-made *

*Shari’ah in the name of God’s Shari’ah or who substitute God’s shariah *

*with man-made laws), and the modern Qaroons (commonwealth of *

*Croesus, capitalist parasites, be they institutions or individuals who *

*"invest" and "hoard" wealth for an individual future at the expense of the *

*masses). As Iqbal warns: *

*badal ke bhays zamane mein phir se aatay hain *
*agarche pir hai adam jawan hain laat-o-manaat *

*The kings, priests, and capitalists come in every age changing their *

*appearance to deceive their fellow human beings. Although humanity *

*has matured, Laat and Manaat (idols of the pre-Islamic days) are *

still young

14

Re: Allah (Rab ul Alameen)

imranjaff u r now officially declared the Gupshup copy/paste artist of all times....

u now do not need to paste any more of this stuff to prove anything, be happy with the reward and save us all the laughs....