1. Is God a Man?
The concept of the two main genders (male and female) is a property of the creation rather than the creator. God is neither a man nor a woman - He has no gender and God does not share human features either - He isn't an old, white man with a long, white, flowing beard. God has no 'image' and man was NOT created in His 'image' (in the sense that they are alike). See question 10 for the answer to why He, God, is termed 'He' rather than 'She' in books and general language.
2. Is Allah only the God of Muslims?
Allah, God, is the God of everything and everybody, and He has dominion over everyone whether they acknowledge the existence of God or not. God, Allah, is the God of everyone irrelevant of race, skin color or religion. Just because someone doesn't wish to acknowledge the existence of a God, or worship God, or believe that God has an identity, it doesn't negate from the fact that God is the Master of all things, that all the people are His creation, that He has complete rulership over them and that they will all return to Him.
إِنَّ اللّهَ رَبِّي وَرَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُوهُ هَـذَا صِرَاطٌ مُّسْتَقِيمٌ
[3.51] Surely Allah is my Lord and your Lord, therefore serve Him; this is the right path.
3. Is Allah a different God to the God of the Christians and Jews?
Allah, God, is the same figure, the same God worshipped by the Jews and the Christians, but we just call Him 'Allah'. In fact, the Jews and Christians that speak Arabic call God Allah too, and if you get hold of the Arabic version of the Bible you will find that the word God is often written as Allah. Muslims believe in ONE GOD (a principle called tawheed) and this God is the same God of all the Prophets - Moses, Abraham, Lot, David, Jesus, etc (
PBUT). Muslims differ to the Jews and Christians on what the concept of God is and also in His
attributes.
وَقَالُواْ لَن يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ إِلاَّ مَن كَانَ هُوداً أَوْ نَصَارَى تِلْكَ أَمَانِيُّهُمْ قُلْ هَاتُواْ بُرْهَانَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
بَلَى مَنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ فَلَهُ أَجْرُهُ عِندَ رَبِّهِ وَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ لَيْسَتِ النَّصَارَى عَلَىَ شَيْءٍ وَقَالَتِ النَّصَارَى لَيْسَتِ الْيَهُودُ عَلَى شَيْءٍ وَهُمْ يَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ كَذَلِكَ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ فَاللّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كَانُواْ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ
[2.111] And they say: None shall enter the garden (or paradise) except he who is a Jew or a Christian. These are their vain desires. Say: Bring your proof if you are truthful.
[2.112] Yes! whoever submits himself entirely to Allah (God) and he is the doer of good (to others) he has his reward from his Lord, and there is no fear for him nor shall he grieve.
[2.113] And the Jews say: The Christians do not follow anything (good) and the Christians say: The Jews do not follow anything (good) while they recite the (same) Book. Even thus say those who have no knowledge, like to what they say; so Allah shall judge between them on the day of resurrection in what they differ.
4. What does 'Allah' mean?
The word 'Allah' is an Arabic word and it means God as well as being the name of God as per Islam. The word 'Allah' can be seen as two words joined together 'Al' (The (one)) 'Illah' (God). Fittingly, the word Allah has no plural construct and is only singular and it has no gender assignment and is masculine by default. Muslims do not have a problem understanding that in other religions they call God by their respective religion's name for God,e.g. Jehova, because it's only a name and God is known by many names among different peoples and faiths.
The origin of the Arabic word 'Allah' is from the Aramaic 'Allahe', which originates from the Hebrew language. The Hebrew word for God is Eloh (Ell is the root) and this is very similar to the word Allah as they sound similar and use similar alphabetical characters.
There he set up an altar and called it El Elohe Israel.
Footnote: El Elohe Israel can mean God, the God of Israel or mighty is the God of Israel [Genesis 33:20 NIV Bible]
God made it clear in the Quran that He wishes people to use the name Allah when referring to Him as this is the default name used in the Quran and He 'signs' each chapter in the Quran with "In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful" before its commencement (except one). He also uses other names, descriptions or attributes, for Himself in the Quran.
5. How big is God?
God is not an object that He has dimensions. God is dimensionless so He cannot be called big or small. There is a name of God, Al-Kabir, which is a metaphorical description of God meaning "The Greatest" instead of literally "big". The name means His power and might is beyond anything.
6. Can we see God?
لاَّ تُدْرِكُهُ الأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الأَبْصَارَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ
[6.103] Vision comprehends Him not, and He comprehends (all) vision; and He is the Knower of subtleties, the Aware.
The general answer to this question is no, we cannot see God, as the verse above clearly states. Non-Muslims can live with the assumption that all Muslims believe that God cannot be seen, but if you are a Muslim and have sufficient knowledge of Islam and higher learning then I recommend you read this page of the article:
Allah: Can we or will we see God?
7. Can God do everything?
If we said no outright it would not suffice as an answer. The short answer is "God can do anything possible".
The power of God, like His knowledge, is eternal; and insofar as it, too,
partakes of His very
essence, it is infinite. The Quran emphasizes the comprehensiveness of God's power thus:
لِلّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَمَا فِيهِنَّ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
[5.120] Allah's is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and what is in them; and He has power over all things.
Now, if God was given a
hypothetical task of creating something He has no power over, for example "a rock so big and heavy that He cannot lift it", then it cannot be because it would fall outside the domain of God's power and contradict His attributes of having power over all things. This doesn't mean that God is
inadequate, but it in fact shows the
inadequacy of an impossible situation. It would be like asking a person to draw a "Square-Circle". It's impossible to draw such a shape because the definitions of either shape are completely opposed to each other. Just because you can say the words "Square-Circle" it doesn't mean it is possible.
When it is impossible for a situation to occur it is not God who shows inadequacy but actually it is the impossible hypothetical situation which is inadequate and thus imperfect. God is perfect and is devoid of imperfection or
inadequacy. When asked about the
engendering of impossible things, Imam Ali
(AS) replied:
"God has no connection with incapacity, so that about which you ask cannot be" [Kitab al-Tawheed by Shaykh Saduq. Ch.9, Hadith 9]
There are a number of things that God cannot or will not do, but they do not belittle God but in fact they proclaim His essential attributes and power. In other religions and their 'holy' books, there are things that have been wrongfully attributed to God and it is a great insult and blasphemous to say such horrendous things about God. Such examples of these blasphemies is the transfer of Godliness to one of His creations, or that God tells lies, or that God damns innocent people, and many other things which can be found when reading the books of other faiths. A true believer in God would recognize these faults and would not agree with these false attributes. These true believers are on the first rung on the ladder to becoming true Muslims. So here are a few things that should clarify what God is unable to do or wishes-not to do:
- God cannot die (God is eternal)
- God cannot create another God (because a God is not created)
- God cannot tell a lie
- God cannot be limited (cannot be measurable)
- God cannot change His essential attributes, His essence;
- God cannot not-be God
- God will-not break His promise or covenant.
- God will-not be unjust or unfair.
- etc.
If you have realized the distinct use of 'will-not' as a pose to 'cannot' in the above list, then you are correct in assuming it has a significance to the meaning. God's essential attributes are what define the essence of God, so He
cannot be anything different to what He essentially is. Whilst, the words 'will-not' allude to a more complicated point that rests on the fundamental belief that God cannot lie and that God is good. When God is believed unconditionally by His faithful followers, then what He says about Himself is taken as gospel truth and so when in the Quran, Allah says:
وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّالِحَاتِ سَنُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَداً وَعْدَ اللّهِ حَقّاً وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ اللّهِ قِيلاً
[4.122] And (as for) those who believe and do good, We will make them enter into gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide therein for ever; (it is) a promise of Allah, true (indeed), and who is truer of word than Allah?
Then we fully believe in Him and in whatever He says. Allahu Akbar - God is the Greatest!
8. Where is God?
God is not an object and has no dimensions that He can be confined to a place or location. A philosophical answer is that God is 'nowhere yet everywhere'.
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِى عَنِّى فَإِنِّى قَرِيبٌۖ أُجِيبُ دَعۡوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِۖ فَلۡيَسۡتَجِيبُواْ لِى وَلۡيُؤۡمِنُواْ بِى لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡشُدُونَ
[2.186] And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then surely I am very near; I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he calls on Me, so they should answer My call and believe in Me that they may walk in the right way.
9. What is God made of?
God is not 'made'. It is a human method of trying to understand the world around us by identifying what things are made of; for example water is made from hydrogen and oxygen, so it is a compound. And an element, it is composed of atoms which are in turn made of subatomic particles like protons, electrons and beyond. But God is not compound or made of anything and He is not in the form of pieces. In fact, God is beyond the realms of physics as He has no components or dimensions and cannot be measured. The question "what is God made of?" cannot apply.
10. Why is God a 'He'?
When you read books about objects or people, they are often attributed a
gender - either male or female. Normally you wouldn't attribute a
gender to inanimate objects like the sun or the moon but in language these objects have to be given a
gender. e.g. 'The sun shone
her warm, orange rays on the pier, glowing bright'. God, however is not an inanimate object but is a living entity so it is not correct to use language constructs that deal with inanimate objects and so the use of gender in grammar is necessary.
In Islam, the
gender of
Allah is male by language but He is
genderless - neither male nor female - God is not a man. It is befitting that
Allah be described using the masculine language constructs (like He, Him, His, Himself) because if God was described as a woman people would try to make sexual fantasies and stories, mock Him and would attribute weakness to Him, but God is the Greatest, Almighty.
11. Did God create matter?
ذَلِكُمُ اللّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَاعْبُدُوهُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَكِيلٌ
[6.102] That is Allah, your Lord, there is no god but He; the Creator of all things, therefore serve Him, and He has charge of all things.
See question 12.
12. Was there stuff before God?
There is a belief amongst some people in this world that there was matter (stuff) before God, and that God came into existence after this matter had come into existence. And that God used this stuff to make the world. This belief is completely wrong according to Islam and there are many reasons why, so please follow questions 13, 14 and 15 for the answers.
13. What came first - the universe or God?
God created the universe and all that is in it. The existence of the universe relies on the creator to have created it first. The universe is a contingent creation of God, some thing that God brought into existence. There was always God so there cannot be anything before God and nothing else can bring things into existence except God.
When people say that the universe was created before God then they are saying that there is a creator other than God, or a God before this one. It is a ridiculous idea. Nonetheless, God makes it clear in both the Bible and the Quran that He is the sole originator and creator of the world and everything in existence.
ذَلِكُمُ اللّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَاعْبُدُوهُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَكِيلٌ
[6.102] That is Allah, your Lord, there is no god but He; the Creator of all things, therefore serve Him, and He has charge of all things.
14. Where did God come from?
God doesn't 'come' from anywhere. He has always been and always will be. He is ever-existent. God is the causer of creation - nothing 'caused' Him - He has no creator. We come from God but God has no originator so He doesn't come from anywhere.
15. Did God create or build the universe?
God created matter and energy and the laws that govern nature and with this matter He formed the universe. You may be interested in question 13.
16. Does God know everything?
Yes, God is omniscient.
جَعَلَ اللّهُ الْكَعْبَةَ الْبَيْتَ الْحَرَامَ قِيَاماً لِّلنَّاسِ وَالشَّهْرَ الْحَرَامَ وَالْهَدْيَ وَالْقَلاَئِدَ ذَلِكَ لِتَعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ وَأَنَّ اللّهَ بِكُلِّشَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
[5.97] ...Allah knows whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and that Allah is the Knower of all things.
17. Does God see and hear everything?
Yes. God is omniscient so He knows everything and He also hears and sees all.
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَعۡلَمُ غَيۡبَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ وَٱللَّهُ بَصِيرُۢ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ
إِنَّهُ ۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ
[49.18] Surely Allah knows the unseen things of the heavens and the earth; and Allah sees what you do.
[26.220] Surely He is the (All) Hearing, the (All) Knowing.
18. Is everything God and God is everything?
There is a belief amongst some peoples called pantheists that God is not an individual entity and that God is energy, or matter or both and is part of the world. This is seen as a poor way of thinking according to Islam. The reason is very simple. God cannot be His own creation and cannot be a part of creation because He is the creator and everything else is a creation. God cannot be part of something limited like creation. Also see question 19.
19. Is God energy?
The nature of energy is that it can neither be created nor destroyed but only changes from one form into another (the first law of thermodynamics); But God is not energy because energy has the properties of a creation - it can be confined, it can be stored, it can be measured, it can be changed into different forms and it is limited. Also, energy can be turned into matter and back again. And energy is not conscious. So, God is not energy. Also see question 18 if you haven't already.
20. Who made God?
See question 9.
21. Why is God a God?
Because He is! God is the only one who has the attributes of Godhead - see this article for a more advanced understanding of God in Islam:
Allah: God's Attributes.
22. Did God create everything?
Essentially yes. God made everything and everyone. But God did not create robots (for example) because humans made robots, but robots could not have come into existence were it not for God creating humans.
From another angle, we can say that when man creates something he is in fact not creating anything but rather changing a material so that it works to achieve the desired function. Man does not create matter but fashions it instead to make something, while God creates matter from nothing and fashions it into a creation. So in whatever way you look at it, the answer will always be yes, God did create everything.
ذَلِكُمُ اللّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَاعْبُدُوهُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَكِيلٌ
[6.102] That is Allah, your Lord, there is no god but He; the Creator of all things, therefore serve Him, and He has charge of all things.
23. Does God actually exist?
Ali Al-Musawi has written a wonderful introductory article on the subject -
Can God Not Exist?
24. Is there only one God?
وَقَالَ ٱللَّهُ لَا تَتَّخِذُوٓاْ إِلَـٰهَيۡنِ ٱثۡنَيۡنِۖ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَـٰهٌ۬ وَٲحِدٌ۬ۖ فَإِيَّـٰىَ فَٱرۡهَبُونِ
[16.51] And Allah has said: Take not two gods, He is only one God; so of Me alone should you be afraid.
Yes. There is but one God, the Lord of everyone and everything.The Oneness of God is a consistent and
oft-repeated declaration by all the Prophets of the Abrahamic faith and other Prophets of God across the globe. It has always been preached from the beginning of time that there is only one God without partners or demi-gods. Only pagans have ever claimed the pluralism of God and they did so without bringing any evidence in the way of holy books, miracles, logic, etc. If you wish to know why God refers to Himself in plural in the Quran then go to question 40.
25. How old is God?
God is beyond the limits of time and dimension. One of the essential attributes of Godhead is 'qadeem' which linguistically means ancient, but when it is said in reference to God it is not a measure of time but instead it means eternal. Also see questions 1, 9, 13 and 14.
26. What does God need or require?
وَمَن جَـٰهَدَ فَإِنَّمَا يُجَـٰهِدُ لِنَفۡسِهِۦۤۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَنِىٌّ عَنِ ٱلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ
[29.6] And whoever strives hard, he strives only for his own soul; most surely Allah is Self-sufficient, above (any need of) the worlds.
He is in need of nothing and He does not require or covet anything. God does not require sustenance like us, nor is He in need of an emotional attachment like a partner.
27. Does God change?
No. God remains God in His attributes.
28. Why does God have 99 names?
It makes sense for God to show us what He is like and thus He chose to show us His nature by giving us many descriptive names to know Him by. God has more than 99 names but the number 99 was chosen as a pseudo-limit because God wished things to be easy and tidy for us. Also see
Allah: God's Attributes.
29. Can God be unfair or unjust?
Never. To be unjust is to be imperfect, and God is definitely perfect. Allah says in the Quran:
إِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ وَإِن تَكُ حَسَنَةً يُضَاعِفْهَا وَيُؤْتِ مِن لَّدُنْهُ أَجْراً عَظِيماً
[4.40] Surely Allah does not do injustice to the weight of an atom, and if it is a good deed He multiplies it and gives from Himself a great reward (to the believer).
An article which touches on the subject is
Misfortune and the Justice of Allah by Ali Adam.
30. Is God perfect?
True perfection is the realm of God. God cannot be imperfect and imperfection cannot be attributed to God. Perfection in the Creator is not the same as perfection in His creation - they are two different things and cannot be compared. To understand God's perfection it may help to see this article intended for Muslims with intermediate-advanced Islamic knowledge:
Allah: God's Attributes.
31. Did God create man in His image?
Not according to Islam. This idea comes from the bible but in Islam it is not accepted. Also see question 1. If it is meant from this question that God had an idea (an image) and He created man from this idea (in His 'image'), then that is an acceptable belief. A more complicated answer for learned Muslims to read can be found on this page:
Allah: Can we or will we see God?.
32. Does God have a son?
God does not have a son, nor does He need one.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ جَاءكُمُ الرَّسُولُ بِالْحَقِّ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ فَآمِنُواْ خَيْراً لَّكُمْ وَإِن تَكْفُرُواْ فَإِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَكَانَ اللّهُ عَلِيماً حَكِيما
يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لاَ تَغْلُواْ فِي دِينِكُمْ وَلاَ تَقُولُواْ عَلَى اللّهِ إِلاَّ الْحَقِّ إِنَّمَا الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ اللّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَاهَا إِلَى مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌ مِّنْهُ فَآمِنُواْ بِاللّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَلاَ تَقُولُواْ ثَلاَثَةٌ انتَهُواْ خَيْراً لَّكُمْ إِنَّمَا اللّهُ إِلَـهٌ وَاحِدٌ سُبْحَانَهُ أَن يَكُونَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَات وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ وَكَفَى بِاللّهِ وَكِيلاً
[4.170] O people! surely the Apostle (Muhammed (SAW)) has come to you with the truth from your Lord, therefore believe, (it shall be) good for you and If you disbelieve, then surely whatever is in the heavens and the earth is Allah's; and Allah is all-Knowing, Wise.
[4.171] O followers of the Book! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, and do not speak (untruths) against Allah, but (speak) the truth; the Messiah, Isa son of Marium (Jesus son of Mary) is only an Apostle (Messenger) of Allah and His Word which He communicated to Marium and a spirit from Him; believe therefore in Allah and His apostles, and say not, Three (trinity). Desist! it is better for you; Allah is only one God; far be It from His glory that He should have a son, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth is His, and Allah is sufficient for a Protector.
Brother Still_Real24 has written an article that looks at this question further:
Jesus, the Trinity and Islam..
33. Does God have a wife?
وَأَنَّهُ ۥ تَعَـٰلَىٰ جَدُّ رَبِّنَا مَا ٱتَّخَذَ صَـٰحِبَةً۬ وَلَا وَلَدً۬ا
وَأَنَّهُ ۥ كَانَ يَقُولُ سَفِيہُنَا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ شَطَطً۬ا
[72.3] And that He-- exalted be the majesty of our Lord-- has not taken a consort, nor a son:
[72.4] And that the foolish amongst us used to forge extravagant things against Allah:
No. Allah is not a man that He has any need for a wife or any emotional attachments. Allah is self-sufficient, free from any requirements and He does not covet anything.
34. Does God have descendents?
One definition of "God" is that He is not created. So how can God have descendents if He has no creator? And He doesn't have children-gods or a goddess wife or companion as explained in questions 32 and 33.
35. Can God stop being God?
No, God cannot stop being God. See question 7.
36. Is God all-powerful?
Yes, of course. You may wish to see questions 7, 37 and 38 as well.
37. If God is all-powerful then why did it take Him 6 whole days to create the universe?
Allah says in Quran:
إِنَّ رَبَّكُمُ اللّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ يُغْشِي اللَّيْلَ النَّهَارَ يَطْلُبُهُ حَثِيثاً وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ وَالنُّجُومَ مُسَخَّرَاتٍ بِأَمْرِهِ أَلاَ لَهُ الْخَلْقُ وَالأَمْرُ تَبَارَكَ اللّهُ رَبُّ الْعَالَمِينَ
[7.54] Surely your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and He is firm in power; He throws the veil of night over the day, which it pursues incessantly; and (He created) the sun and the moon and the stars, made subservient by His command; surely His is the creation and the command; blessed is Allah, the Lord of the worlds.
Here what is meant by six days, when at that time day and night did not exist? And besides why Allah did not create them in one stroke? The word 'day' (yawma) should not necessarily be thought of in its common
meaning of 24 hours, but instead it should be thought of as periods of time, or even phases in development. The heavens and the earth were created in 6 periods of time, and what we see of the world today is as a result of the completion of these phases.
The world in which we live is a material world and material things by the laws of nature change from one shape to another with the passing of time and in this way pass through different stages. The earth and the heavens are not exempted from this law, and neither is the creation. Animals and humans, until they do not finish a certain period in the womb, cannot live their life in this world. This law is applicable everywhere and to every material thing of this world. Allah permitted His creation to develop overall in this matter but for some of the things which He brought into existence (e.g. Adam's (PBUH) soul), they happened in an instance. There is no doubt the reason he created the world in 6 days is valid as the creator is wise as well as all-powerful. [Logic for Islamic Rules by Ayatullah Makarim Shirazi & Ayatullah Ja'far Subhani]
A reason can be found in hadith and is related by Imam Ali ibn Musa (AS):
Imam al-Ridha (AS) said, "The Praised and Exalted God created the Throne, the water, and the angels before the creation of heavens and earth, and the angels used to know God through their own creation, through the Throne and the water. Then He made His Throne over the water in order to manifest His might to the angels so that they might know that He is capable of doing whatever He pleased. Then He raised the Throne through His might, moved it and made it above the seven heavens. Then He created the heavens and the earth in six days while He was omnipotent on His Throne. He was capable of creating them in a twinkle of the eye, but the Exalted One created them in six days in order to show the angels what He was creating one after the other so that they would know time and again that God was the Originator of each and every thing. God did not create the Throne because He was in need for it since He is independent of the Throne and of everything He created; He cannot be described by anything in the cosmos simply because He has no physical body; Exalted He is above the characteristics of what He created a great deal of Exaltation." [Source: Imam al-Ridha - A Historical and Biographical Research by Muhammad Jawad Fadlallah, Ch. Exegesis]
38. What does it mean when it is said: "God can't be limited"?
The human method of intellect, in order to understand the world around us, is to ascribe properties, values, and measurements as well as to classify things into groups and classes. This is a way to understand the world and the things that are in it, and possibly gain benefit from this knowledge. One such object, as an example, is a ball. First to classify it we say it is a sphere, and then to assign a (qualitative) property to it we say it is red in color, and finally we give it a (quantitative) measurement with it being 20cm in diameter. The reason we can do this is because we can see it, we can touch (sense) it and we can measure it. We can study it because we have access to it, and through these studies we can discover its limits - for example, it changes shape when force is applied to it, and its color remains red, it bounces, etc.
If we were to say God has a height then He would be limited to that height - and even if this height was ever changing it would still mean God has a physical property. If God was visible we may argue that God is limited to our vision, that we can see Him, and therefore measure Him. If we were to say that we 'sensed' God then we have just made God something that we can pick-up with our 5 primitive senses. Adding these limits to God is to say God is limited and it means that God is not as great as can be. This is clearly wrong. God is the
greatest and is unlimited.
God is not visible - He is so great that He exceeds our vision. God cannot be sensed - our senses cannot contain Him. God cannot be measured - God cannot be restricted to a measurement.
39. Is Jesus the Son of God?
An initial answer to this question can be found at question 32. Brother Still_Real24 has written an article that looks at this question:
Jesus, the Trinity and Islam.
40. Why does God refer to Himself in the Plural construct in the Quran?
When the Koran is read,
Allah often refers to himself in
plural as 'We' which gives people the impression that He is more than one. "The use of the first person
plural noun (We) is the sign of greatness and magnificence of the person (entity) who is speaking and this is most appropriate and befitting to
Allah. Arabs say that the reason for the use of the first person
plural noun is considered as proof of greatness that great people are generally not alone. The servants, attendants and other people are always around him to fulfil their needs. That's is why they always used the pronoun We and the use of this word is a metaphor for greatness." [Logic for Islamic Rules, p163, by Ayatullah Makarim Shirazi & Ayatullah Ja'far Subhani].
