IF GOD CREATED EVERYTHING, WHO CREATED GOD?

WHY CAN’T WE SEE GOD?

Lesson 3The Essence and Attributes of God

The Creator must be Self-Subsistent and One, without like or equal. Only the Creator truly creates and determines possible causes and effects for His creation. Therefore, we speak of God as the Sustainer, who holds and gives life to all of His Creation. All causes begin in Him, and all effects end in Him.

God is absolutely incomparable to His creation, for the Creator cannot have the same kind of being as His creation. Although this is self-evident, some people still ask why we cannot see God.

As created and finite beings, our potential and capacity are limited. Our Creator, on the other hand, is Infinite. We live and die within His creation, strive for understanding and virtue, and seek our salvation by His Mercy. The Prophet Muhammad said: “Compared with the Seat of Dominion, the whole universe is as small as a ring thrown upon a desert. Similarly, compared with the Supreme Throne, the Seat of Dominion is as small as a ring thrown upon the desert.”

If we cannot conceive of the reality of the Seat of Dominion and the Supreme Throne, how can we even begin to conceive of Him?

We know a great deal about our environment, but all of our knowledge is just a small fragment of the whole. However, our knowledge is guided by understanding. We need some general idea about what we see in order to understand it.

• finite: having limits

Key vocabulary

THINK

How could we make sense of a tree without

some prior idea, no matter how vague, of the

tree itself? Given such limitations, how can we know or see the Creator

of everything?

In the Qur’an, we read that: Vision comprehends Him not, but He com-prehends all vision (6:103). After the Prophet’s ascent to the heavens, his Companions asked him if he had seen God. Abu Dharr reported that one time he answered: “What I saw was the Light. How could I see Him?” On another occasion he answered: “I saw a Light.” These statements clarify the well-known saying: “The light is the limit or veil of God.”

Those who ask to see God directly seek to think of or know His Being directly. Just as we cannot see Him, we cannot think of or know His Being, for He is beyond all form, quality, quantity, and human conception or reasoning. In the words of Muslim theologians:

“Whatever conception of God we form in our minds,He is other than it.”

This analogy helps us approach the question of how to seek God. Look at creation. Its sheer beauty and harmony make us aware of the Creator’s exis-tence. When we see a wide range of fabrics produced from a single material, we know that someone has produced it, we understand that it could not have produced itself. Similarly, we can deduce from what we can see of this cre-ation that someone—the Creator—has made it.

But this is where the similarity ends. While we can find those who made the fabric and persuade them to make themselves known to us, we cannot do so with the Creator.

• deduce: to use logic or reason to form an opinion

Key vocabulary

IMAGINE

You are in a closed room and someone knocks

on the door. While you may be able to make

some assumptions about who it is based

on their attributes, the only thing you know for certain is that someone

is knocking. How can you ask this person to make

themselves known to you?

But why did God create all of this?

• Revelation: an act of making something known

• Beseech: to beg for something

• Splendor: great and impressive beauty

• Bestowal: to present as a gift

Key vocabulary

Revelation opens this door for us. God’s Revelation to the Prophets and their teachings enable us to respond to creation as signs manifesting the Creator’s Existence and Attributes.

In the words of Abu Bakr: “To comprehend His Essence means to confess that His Essence cannot be comprehended.”

Our duty is to remain committed to our covenant with God, and to beseech Him as follows:

O You, the only one we worship! We cannot attain to true knowledge of You, yet we believe that You are nearer to us than our jugular veins. We feel Your existence and nearness in the depths of our hearts through the universe, which You created and opened to us like a book, and through the wonderful harmony of form between all parts of Your creation.

When analyzing this issue, some facts must be kept in mind. While we per-ceive things from a human perspective, God does not. While we act out of necessity or desire, God does not. In other words, we cannot ascribe human attributes and motivations to God.

“But why did God create all of this?”

The Creator wills to introduce Himself to us clearly and thoroughly. He wills to show His Splendor through the variety and beauty of creation; His Will and Might through the universe’s magnificent order and harmony; His Mercy, Compassion, and Grace through His bestowal of everything upon us, includ-ing our most secret wishes and desires. And He has many more Names and Attributes through which He wills to make Himself known.

DISCUSS

It is said, “His Names are known, His Attributes are comprehended, and His

Essence exists.” What are the differences between

His Names, Attributes, and Essence?

WHY DID GOD CREATE THE UNIVERSE?

In other words, He creates and places things in this world to manifest His Might and Will. By passing all things through the view of the intellect and understanding of conscious beings, He arouses their wonder, admira-tion, and appreciation.

“While great artists manifest their talents through works of art; the Owner of the universe created it simply to manifest the Might and Omnipotence

of His Creativity.”

The Arabic word ilah is the counterpart of the English word god. Both mean the thing or entity being worshipped.

God, with a capital G, is not an exact equivalent of the term Allah, although we use it for practical reasons throughout this book. Rather, it is closer to the Islamic conception of ilah.

In Arabic, Allah is the specific and personal name of God and comprises all His Beautiful Names (Asma’ al-Husna). When Allah is said, the One, the Supreme Being, the Creator, the Owner, the Sustainer, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Encompassing, whose Names and Attributes are mani-fested in creation, comes to mind. This term also refers to His absolute One-ness as well as His having no defect or partner.

As Allah is a proper name peculiar to the One Supreme Being, we say la ilaha illa Allah (there is no god but Allah) instead of la Allah illa Allah. By say-ing la ilaha illa Allah, we first deny all non- deities and then affirm the One known by the name Allah.

The Arabic word ilah is the counterpart of the English word god. Both mean the thing or entity being worshipped.

God, with a capital G, is not an exact equivalent of the term Allah, although we use it for practical reasons throughout this book. Rather, it is closer to the Islamic conception of ilah.

In Arabic, Allah is the specific and personal name of God and comprises all His Beautiful Names (Asma’ al-Husna). When Allah is said, the One, the Supreme Being, the Creator, the Owner, the Sustainer, the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, the All-Encompassing, whose Names and Attributes are mani-fested in creation, comes to mind. This term also refers to His absolute One-ness as well as His having no defect or partner.

As Allah is a proper name peculiar to the One Supreme Being, we say la ilaha illa Allah (there is no god but Allah) instead of la Allah illa Allah. By say-ing la ilaha illa Allah, we first deny all non- deities and then affirm the One known by the name Allah.

“In other words, only Allah is Allah, and only He is worthy of worshi”

• manifest: someone or something that has the same job or purpose as ano

• counterpart: someone or something that has the same job or purpose as another

Key vocabulary

While great artists manifest

their talents through works

of art; the Owner of the universe

created it simply to manifest

the Might and Omnipotence of

His Creativity.

In other words, only Allah is

Allah, and only He is worthy of

worshi

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOD, GOD, AND ALLAH?

WHAT DID WE LEARN?

ESSAY

• Only the Creator truly creates and determines possible causes and effects for His creation.

• Allah is absolutely incomparable to His creation, for the Creator cannot have the same kind of being as His creation.

• “Whatever conception of God we form in our minds, He is other than it.”

• Allah’s Revelation to the Prophets and their teaching enable us to respond to creation as signs manifesting the Creator’s Existence and Attributes.

• While we perceive things from a human perspective, Allah does not.

• Allah creates and places things in this world to manifest His Might and Will.

• There is a difference in meaning of god, God, and Allah

• Only Allah is Allah, and only He is worthy of worship.

1. What is the difference in meaning of god, God, and Allah? Please explain in detail.2. According to the text, what was Prophet Muhammad’s response when asked if he had seen God? 3. Why did God create and place things in this world? Please support your answer with evidence

from the text.4. According to the text, what does Allah’s revelation to the Prophets and their teachings enable

us to do?

Earlier in the lesson, you discussed the difference between Allah’s Names, Attributes, and Essence. In your own words, summarize what you learned from that discussion and give an example of each (a Name, an Attribute, and an Essence).

Gülen, Fethullah.[Asrin getirdigi tereddütler. English.] Questions & answers about Islam / by M. Fethullah Gülen ; translated by Muhammed Çetin. New Jersey, Tughra Books 2010, Print.Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary. Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary. N.p., n.d.

DeduceRevelation: Beseech:

Splendor:Bestowal: Finite:

Manifest:Counterpart:

LESSON SUMMARY:

LESSON REVIEW: INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENT

LESSON VOCABULARY

REFERENCE PAGE