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They ask you - Who is Allah?


Say: He is Allah, He is One; The Self-Sufficient,

  The Eternal God; He begets not,

nor was He begotten;

There is none equal to Him. [The Holy Qur'an, Surah 112:1-4]

ALLAH is an Arabic word. It is name of the same One and Only, Supreme Being who is called God in English. He is the same God the Jews and Christians worship. God says in the Holy Quran: “Whatever name you call Him by, all His names are beautiful.” [Surah 17:110]

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  Oneness of Allah

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Muslims believe in one God, Allah. None has the right to be worshiped but Allah; there is no partner unto Him. He has power over everything. Islam is based on this concept which Allah has expressed in The Qur'an:


He is Allah, besides whom there is no other God, the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. Allah is the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. He is Allah, the King, the Holy, the One, Free from all defects, the Giver of security, the Guardian, the All-Mighty, the Compeller, the Supreme. Exalted be Allah from all that they associate as partner with Him. He is Allah, the Creator, the Originator of all things, the Bestower of forms. His are the most Gracious Names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorify Him. And He is the All-Mighty and the Wise One. [The Holy Qur'an, Surah 59:22-24]


Blessed be He in Whose hand is the sovereignty, and He has power over all things. Who has created life and death, that He may test you which of you is best in conduct; and He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving. [Chapter 67:1-2]

 

There is no god but He. It is He Who gives life and causes death, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers. No, but they (unbelievers) divert themselves with doubts. [Chapter 44:8-9]

Allah; there is no god but Allah, the Ever Living, the Eternal One. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. He is the Most Exalted, the Most Great. [The Holy Qur'an, Surah 2:255]


To Him belongs all what is in the heavens and the earth. And those (angels) who are near Him do not disdain to worship Him, nor they ever weary of His service. They glorify Him night and day, tirelessly never intermit. Have they (people) chosen earthly gods who (they think) can restore the dead (to life)? If there had been either in the heavens or the earth other gods than Allah, both (heaven and earth) would have been ruined. So glorified be Allah, the Lord of the Throne, far above what they attribute to Him. He cannot be questioned as to what He does, but they shall be questioned.


Have they chosen other gods besides Him? Say: “Bring forth your proof. This is the Message (the Quran) of those with me, and the Message (the previous Scriptures) of those before me.” But, most of them do not know the truth, and so they turn away. And We did not send any Messenger before you without inspiration to him: “There is no god but I; so worship Me (alone).” And yet they say, “The Compassionate God has begotten offspring.” Exalted is He! No, those (whom they so designate) are only His honored servants. They do not speak before He speaks, and they only perform His commands. He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they cannot intercede for none, except for those whom He approves, and they tremble in awe of Him. And if any of them declares: “I am a god beside Him,” We shall requite such a one with Hell. Thus do We requite the wrongdoers. [The Holy Qur'an, Surah 21:19-29]

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Source: http://convertingtoislam.com/one.html

 

  Proof, Existence of Allah

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Mankind, in general, has maintained a belief in the existence of the Creator of the Universe since time immemorial. The duty of the prophets of Allah was not so much to inform their people of Allah's existence as to warn them against associating others with Him, and to teach them how to serve Him. Allah Says (what means): "Their messengers said, 'Is there any doubt concerning Allah, the originator of the Heavens and the Earth?'" [Quran 14:10]

The early Muslim scholars did not even have to address the issue of the Existence of Allah, for it was a blatantly obvious fact, which nobody questioned. It was only around the fourth century after the Prophet's migration to Madeenah, when people's doctrine started being infiltrated with atheism and permeated by unbelief, that the scholars had to address the issue.

The existence of Allah is established by various categories of proofs, which may be conveniently classified under four categories.

Scriptural evidence

The major religions of the world have scriptures, which teach the existence of the Creator. In particular, the Quran, the only revealed book which has remained totally intact and preserved, establishes the existence of Allah by compelling rational arguments, while at the same time serving as an enduring miracle testifying to His reality. It decisively establishes His uniqueness and non-resemblance to creation, and emphasizes that worship is only for Him.

The proof of "Fitrah" (natural inborn belief in Allah)

As already mentioned, the human being has an inherent and inborn recognition of his Creator. This is a consequence of a pledge which Allah took from the soul of every one of us before we came into this world, Allah Says (what means): "And [remember], when your Lord took from the children of Aadam, their children behind them, and made them testify over their own selves, [saying to them], 'Am I not your Lord?' They said, 'Yea.'"[Quran 7:172]

Every human being is born with this natural disposition, which is called in Arabic "Fitrah". Abu Hurayrah has reported that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Every child is born upon Fitrah, then it is his parents who make him Jewish, or Christian, or Magian (Zoroastrian), just as an animal delivers a perfect baby animal; do you find it mutilated?" [Al-Bukhaari]

But, this "Fitrah" sometimes becomes latent, especially when the human being is in a corrupt and spiritually degenerate environment, which is devoid of reminder and exhortation towards the Lord. The "Fitrah" surfaces, however, in times of calamity and distress. How many avowed atheists find themselves raising their hands to the skies in supplication when in affliction! And how do the staunch unbelievers cry out for deliverance when they are faced with death!

Allah Says (what means): "[Allah] it is who causes you to travel over land and sea; until, when you are in the ships, and they sail with [their passengers] with a fair breeze, and they are glad therein, a tempestuous wind reaches them, waves are coming at them from everywhere, and they think that they are overwhelmed therein; [then] they call to Allah, making their faith pure for Him [alone], 'If You save us from this, we will surely be among the thankful!'" [Quran 10:22] Yet, this sincerity is often short-lived. Allah Says (what means): "Then, when He saves them, behold, they rebel upon the earth wrongfully." [Quran, 10:23]

Mankind is all too apt, during the course of his daily life of comfort and enjoyment, to forget his Lord. Allah Says (what means): "And when some trauma touches man, he calls to his Lord, turning repentant to Him. Then, when He grants him a favor from Himself, he forgets that for which he called to Him before, and sets up partners to Allah." [Quran 39:8]

It is to awaken and alert this "Fitrah" that Allah, in His mercy and wisdom, sent Messengers to remind people of their true religion, and to direct them towards fulfilling their commission of serving their Lord. Allah has ordered His prophet to proclaim, Allah Says (what means): "O mankind! If you are in [any] doubt regarding my religion, then [know that] I do not worship those whom you worship besides Allah, but I worship Allah Who will take your souls." [Quran 10:104]

The specific mention of death here drives home the stark reality, which even the pagans must concede to when faced with the glaring, intuitive evidence, that Allah alone causes death. The rational individual, then, should prepare for this inevitability by responding to his Lord. Islam is merely a hearkening by man to his nature, an acceptance of that which is naturally good and intuitively right. Allah Says (what means): "So, set your face toward the religion in uprightness. That is the "Fitrah" of Allah, upon which He has created mankind. Let there be no changing of Allah's creation." [Quran 30:30]

There are others who stubbornly resist this truth and reject Allah's message when it is presented before them, although they are well aware of its veracity. This was the attitude of Pharaoh and his supporters, and its consequences are severe, in this world and the Hereafter, Allah Says (what means): "They rejected [Our signs], although their own souls were convinced of their truth, [and this they did] out of iniquity and arrogance. See, then, what was the sequel for those who cause corruption!" [Quran 27:14]

Yet, even hardened deniers who stand in the way of truth and resist it may grab hold of it at the last moment, before it is too late, for on account of the surfacing of the "Fitrah", a disbeliever who is faced with death on the battlefield may suddenly embrace Islam. The Muslim who fights in Jihaad will similarly be exposed to death frequently, thus enhancing and sharpening his awareness of Allah.

Rational proof

It is intuitively obvious, and confirmed by science, that the universe had a beginning. Every action requires a doer, and thus the existence of creation necessarily indicates the existence of the Creator. Allah appeals to the human mind and rationality in the Quran, saying, (which means): "Were they created from nothing, or are they [themselves] the creators?" [Quran 52:35]. Quite obviously, we have been created, and brought into existence after being non-existent, and it is also plain that we do not create ourselves.

A few years ago, the sands in the "Rub' Al-Khaali" desert (the Empty Quarter) were blown away by a windstorm to reveal the ruins of a city that had been covered by the sands. Scientists began to examine the contents of the city to try to determine the period in which it had been built. Nobody among the archaeologists or others even suggested that this city could have appeared as a result of the natural actions of the wind, rain, heat and cold, and not by the actions of man. If anyone had suggested such a thing, people would have regarded him as crazy and would have taken pity on him. So how about if someone had said that this city was formed by the air from nothing in the far distant past, then it settled on the earth?

Having recognized the necessity of the existence of a Creator, one then realizes that there can only be one Creator. Allah Says (what means): "If there were in [the heavens and the earth] gods other than Allah, [the heavens and earth] would surely have been disordered." [Quran 21:22] Allah Says (what means): "Allah has not taken a son, nor is there any god with Him, for in that case, each god would assuredly have championed that which he created, and some of them would surely have overcome others. Glorified be Allah above that which they allege!" [Quran, 23:91] Further, this one and only Creator cannot possibly resemble creation. Allah Says (what means): "Is, then, He Who creates, like he who does not create? Do you not reflect?" [Quran 16:17]

Perceptual experience

We witness and experience the answering of prayers, and this in itself indicates the existence of Allah. Allah Says (what means): "When you sought help of your Lord, and He answered you." [Quran 8:9] Al-Bukhaari and Muslim have both narrated the Prophet's saying in which a bedouin asked the Prophet () to pray for rain, since crops were perishing and people were starving. The prophet prayed to Allah for rain, and almost immediately clouds began to gather and it began raining heavily. Also in this category of evidence are the miracles which people witness at the hands of their prophets, including the splitting of the moon by Muhammad (pbuh), and the enduring miracle of the Quran.

Finally, we should bear in mind that abundant as the proofs may be, they are only of avail to those who honestly and sincerely search for the truth. As for those obdurate ones who simply refuse to believe, they will not cease their idle disputation. Allah Says (what means): "And they say, 'Our hearts are in a covering from that to which you call us, and in our ears is a deafness, and between us and you is a veil, so act, we [also] are acting." [Quran 41:5] Allah Says (what means): "Those against whom the decree of your Lord has been verified, will not believe, although every sign should come to them, until they see the painful punishment." [Quran 10:96-97]

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Source: http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/archive/article.php?lang=E&id=135815

 

  99 Names of Allah with meaning

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“Whatever name you call Him by, all His names are beautiful.” [Surah 17:110]

Allah (The Greatest Name)

1. Ar-Rahman (The All-Compassionate)

2. Ar-Rahim (The All-Merciful)

3. Al-Malik (The Absolute Ruler)

4. Al-Quddus (The Pure One)

5. As-Salam (The Source of Peace)

6. Al-Mu'min (The Inspirer of Faith)

7. Al-Muhaymin (The Guardian)

8. Al-'Aziz (The Victorious)

9. Al-Jabbar (The Compeller)

10. Al-Mutakabbir (The Greatest)

11. Al-Khaliq (The Creator)

12. Al-Bari' (The Maker of Order)

13. Al-Musawwir (The Shaper of Beauty)

14. Al-Ghaffar (The Forgiving)

15. Al-Qahhar (The Subduer)

16. Al-Wahhab (The Giver of All)

17. Ar-Razzaq (The Sustainer)

18. Al-Fattah (The Opener)

19. Al-'Alim (The Knower of All)

20. Al-Qabid (The Constrictor)

21. Al-Basit (The Reliever)

22. Al-Khafid (The Abaser)

23. Ar-Rafi' (The Exalter)

24. Al-Mu'izz (The Bestower of Honors)

25. Al-Mudhill (The Humiliator)

26. As-Sami (The Hearer of All)

27. Al-Basir (The Seer of All)

28. Al-Hakam (The Judge)

29. Al-'Adl (The Just)

30. Al-Latif (The Subtle One)

31. Al-Khabir (The All-Aware)

32. Al-Halim (The Forebearing)

33. Al-'Azim (The Magnificent)

34. Al-Ghafur (The Forgiver and Hider of Faults)

35. Ash-Shakur (The Rewarder of Thankfulness)

36. Al-'Ali (The Highest)

37. Al-Kabir (The Greatest)

38. Al-Hafiz (The Preserver)

39. Al-Muqit (The Nourisher)

40. Al-Hasib (The Accounter)

41. Al-Jalil (The Mighty)

42. Al-Karim (The Generous)

43. Ar-Raqib (The Watchful One)

44. Al-Mujib (The Responder to Prayer)

45. Al-Wasi' (The All-Comprehending)

46. Al-Hakim (The Perfectly Wise)

47. Al-Wadud (The Loving One)

48. Al-Maj?d (The Majestic One)

49. Al-Ba'ith (The Resurrector)

50. Ash-Shahid (The Witness)

51. Al-Haqq (The Truth)

52. Al-Wakil (The Trustee)

53. Al-Qawi (The Possessor of All Strength)

54. Al-Matin (The Forceful One)

55. Al-W?li (The Governor)

56. Al-Hamid (The Praised One)

57. Al-Muhsi (The Appraiser)

58. Al-Mubdi (The Originator)

59. Al-Mu'id (The Restorer)

60. Al-Muhyi (The Giver of Life)

61. Al-Mumit (The Taker of Life)

62. Al-Hayy (The Ever Living One)

63. Al-Qayyum (The Self-Existing One)

64. Al-Wajid (The Finder)

65. Al-M?jid (The Glorious)

66. Al-Wahid (The Only One)

67. Al-Ahad (The One)

68. As-Samad (The Satisfier of All Needs)

69. Al-Qadir (The All Powerful)

70. Al-Muqtadir (The Creator of All Power)

71. Al-Muqaddim (The Expediter)

72. Al-Mu'akhkhir (The Delayer)

73. Al-Awwal (The First)

74. Al-Akhir (The Last)

75. Az-Zahir (The Manifest One)

76. Al-Batin (The Hidden One)

77. Al-Wali (The Protecting Friend)

78. Al-Muta'ali (The Supreme One)

79. Al-Barr (The Doer of Good)

80. At-Tawwib (The Guide to Repentance)

81. Al-Muntaqim (The Avenger)

82. Al-Afu (The Forgiver)

83. Ar-Ra'uf (The Clement)

84. Malik al-Mulk (The Owner of All (Dhul-Jalali))

85. Wal-Ikram (The Lord of Majesty and Bounty)

86. Al-Muqsit (The Equitable One)

87. Al-Jami (The Gatherer)

88. Al-Ghani (The Rich One)

89. Al-Mughni (The Enricher)

90. Al-Mani' (The Preventer of Harm)

91. Ad-Darr (The Creator of The Harmful)

92. An-Nafi (The Creator of Good)

93. An-Nur (The Light)

94. Al-Hadi (The Guide)

95. Al-Badi (The Originator)

96. Al-Baqi (The Everlasting One)

97. Al-Warith (The Inheritor of All)

98. Ar-Rashid (The Righteous Teacher)

99. As-Sabur (The Patient One)

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  Faith in Allah

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Abul A'La Mawdudi, Towards Understanding Islam

 

The most fundamental and the most important teaching of Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him) is faith in the unity of God. This is expressed in the primary Kalimah of Islam as "There is no deity but Allah" (La ilaha illallah). This beautiful phrase is the bedrock of Islam, its foundation and its essence. It is the expression of this belief which differentiates a true Muslim from a kafir (unbeliever), mushrik (one who associates others with God in His Divinity) or dahriyah (an atheist).

 

The acceptance or denial of this phrase produces a world of difference between man and man. The believers in it become one single community and those who do not believe in it form an opposing group. For the believers there is unhampered progress and success in this world and in the hereafter, while failure and ignominy are the ultimate lot of those who refuse to believe in it.

 

But the difference between the believers and the unbelievers does not result from the mere chanting of a few words. Obviously, the mere utterance of a phrase or two is not in itself important. The real difference lies in the conscious acceptance of this doctrine and complete adherence to it in practical life. Mere repetition of the word 'food' cannot dull hunger; mere chanting of a medical prescription cannot heal the disease.

 

In the same way, if the Kalimah is repeated without any understanding, it cannot work the revolution which it is meant to bring about. This can occur only if a person grasps the full meaning of the doctrine and accepts and follows it in letter and spirit. We avoid fire because we know that it burns; we keep away from poison because we know that it can kill. Similarly, if the real meanings of Tawhid are fully grasped, we avoid, in belief as well as in action, every form of disbelief, atheism and polytheism. This is the natural consequence of belief in the Unity of God.

 

The Meaning of the Kalimah

 

In Arabic the word ilah means 'one who is worshipped', that is, a being which on account of its greatness and power is considered worthy to be worshipped: to be bowed to in humility and submission. Anything or any being possessing power too great to be comprehended by man is also called ilah. The concept ilah also includes the possession of infinite powers and conveys the sense that others are dependent on ilah and that he is not dependent on anyone else. The word ilah carries, too, a sense of concealment and mystery. The word Khuda in Persian, Deva in Hindi and God in English have similar connotations. Other languages also contain words with a similar meaning.

 

The word Allah, on the other hand, is the essential personal name of God. La ilaha illallah literally means "There is no ilah other than the One Great Being known by the name Allah." It means that in the whole of the universe, there is absolutely no being worthy to be worshipped other than Allah, that it is only to Him that heads should bow in submission and adoration, that He is the only Being possessing all powers, that we are all in need of His favour, and that we are all obliged to seek His help. He is concealed from our senses, and our intellect cannot perceive what He is.

 

Now we know the meaning of these words, let us look more closely at their real significance.

From the earliest known history of man as well as from the oldest relics of antiquity that we have been able to obtain, it appears that in every age man recognised some deity or deities and worshipped them. Even today every nation, from the most primitive to the most advanced, believes in and worships some deity. Having a deity and worshipping him is ingrained in human nature. There is something within man's soul which forces him to do so.

 

But the question is: what is that thing and why does man feel impelled to do so? The answer to this question can be discovered if we look at the position of man in this huge universe. Neither man nor his nature is omnipotent. He is neither self-sufficient nor self-existing; nor are his powers limitless. In fact, he is weak, frail, needy and destitute. He is dependent on a multitude of forces to maintain his existence, but all of them are not essentially and totally within his powers. Sometimes they come into his possession in a simple and natural way, and at times he finds himself deprived of them. There are many important and valuable things which he endeavours to get, but sometimes he succeeds in getting them, while sometimes he does not, for it is not completely in his own power to obtain them. There are many things injurious to him; accidents destroy his life's work in a single moment; chance brings his hopes to a sudden end; illness, worries and calamities are always threatening him and marring his way to happiness. He attempts to get rid of them, and meets with both success and failure.

 

There are many things whose greatness and grandeur overawe him: mountains and rivers, gigantic animals and ferocious beasts. He experiences earthquakes, storms and other natural disasters. He observes clouds over his head and sees them becoming thick and dark, with peals of thunder, flashes of lightning and heavy rain. He sees the sun, the moon and the stars in their constant motions. He reflects how great, powerful and grand these bodies are, and, in contrast to them, how frail and insignificant he himself is!

 

These vast phenomena, on the one hand, and the consciousness of his own frailty, on the other, impress him with a deep sense of his own weakness, humbleness and helplessness. And it is quite natural that a primitive idea of divinity should coincide with this sense. He thinks of the hands which are wielding these great forces. The sense of their greatness makes him bow in humility. The sense of their powerfulness makes him seek their help. He tries to please them so that they may be beneficial to him, and he fears them and tries to escape their wrath so that he may not be destroyed by them.

 

In the most primitive stage of ignorance, man thinks that the great objects of nature whose grandeur and glory are visible, and which appear to be injurious or beneficial to him, hold in themselves the real power and authority, and, therefore, are divine. Thus he worships trees, animals, rivers, mountains, fire, rain, air, heavenly bodies and numerous other objects. This is the worst form of ignorance.

 

When his ignorance dissipates to some extent and some glimmers of light and knowledge appear on his intellectual horizon, he comes to know that these great and powerful objects are in themselves as helpless and dependent, or rather, they are still more dependent and helpless. The biggest and the strongest animal dies like a tiny germ, and loses all his power; great rivers rise and fall and become dry; the highest mountains are blasted and shattered by man himself; the productiveness of the earth is not under the earth's control - water makes it prosperous and lack of water makes it barren. Even water is not independent. It depends on air which brings the clouds. Air, too, is powerless and its usefulness depends on other causes. The moon, the sun, and the stars are also bound by a powerful law outside whose dictates they cannot make the slightest movement.

 

After these considerations man's mind turns to the possibility of some great mysterious power of divine nature which controls the objects he sees and which may be the repository of all authority. These reflections give rise to belief in mysterious powers behind natural phenomena, with innumerable gods governing various parts and aspects of nature such as air, light and water. Material forms or symbols are constructed to represent them and man begins to worship these forms and symbols. This, too, is a form of ignorance, and reality remains hidden to the human eye even at this stage of man's intellectual and cultural pilgrimage.

 

As man progresses still further in knowledge and learning, and as he reflects more and more deeply on the fundamental problems of existence, he finds an all-powerful law and all-encompassing control in the universe. What a complete regularity is observed in sunrise and sunset, in winds and rains, in the motions of stars and the changes of seasons! With what a wonderful harmony countless different forces are working jointly. And what a highly effective and supremely wise law it is according to which all the various causes in the universe are made to work together at an appointed time to produce an appointed event! Observing this uniformity, regularity and complete obedience to one great law in all fields of Nature, even a polytheist finds himself obliged to believe that there must be a deity greater than all the others, exercising supreme authority. For, if there were separate, independent deities, the whole machinery of the universe would be upset.

 

He calls this greatest deity by different names, such as Allah, Permeshwar, God, Khuda-i-Khuda'igan. But as the darkness of ignorance still persists, he continues worshipping minor deities along with the Supreme One. He imagines that the Divine Kingdom of God may not be different from earthly kingdoms. Just as a ruler has many ministers, trusted associates, governors and other responsible officers, so the minor deities are like so many responsible officers under the Great God Who cannot be approached without winning the favour of the officers under Him. So they must also be worshipped and appealed to for help, and should in no case be offended. They are taken as agents through whom an approach can be made to the Great God.

 

The more a man increases his knowledge, the greater becomes his dissatisfaction with the multiplicity of deities. So the number of minor deities begins to decrease. More enlightened men bring each one of them under the searchlight of scrutiny and ultimately find that none of these man-made deities has any divine character; they themselves are creatures like man, though rather more helpless. They are thus eliminated one by one until only one God remains.

But the concept of one God still contains some remnants of the elements of ignorance. Some people imagine that He has a body as men have, and is in a particular place. Some believe that God came down to earth in human form; others think that God, after settling the affairs of the universe, retired and is now resting. Some believe that it is necessary to approach God through the media of saints and spirits, and that nothing can be achieved without their intercession. Some imagine God to have a certain form or image, and they believe it necessary to keep that image before them for the purposes of worship.

 

Such distorted notions of godhead have persisted and lingered, and many of them are prevalent among different people even today.

 

Tawhid is the highest conception of godhead, the knowledge of which God has sent mankind in all ages through His Prophets. It was this knowledge with which, in the beginning, Adam was sent down to earth; it was the same knowledge that was revealed to Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus (God's blessings be upon them all). It was this knowledge which Muhammad (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him) brought to mankind. It is Knowledge, pure and absolute, without the least shade of ignorance. Man became guilty of shirk, idol-worship and kufr only because he turned away from the teachings of the Prophets and depended on his own faulty reasoning, false perceptions or biased interpretations. Tawhid dispels all the clouds of ignorance and illuminates the horizon with the light of reality.

 

Let us see what significant realities the concept of Tawhid - this little phrase: la ilaha illallah - embraces: what truth it conveys and what beliefs it fosters.

 

First, we are faced with the question of the universe. We are face to face with a grand, limitless universe. Man's mind cannot discern its beginning or visualise its end. It has been moving along its chartered course from time immemorial and is continuing its journey in the vast vista of the future. Creatures beyond number have appeared in it - and go on appearing every day. It is so bewildering that a thinking mind finds itself wonderstruck. Man is unable to understand and grasp its reality by his unaided vision. He cannot believe that all this has appeared just by chance or accident. The universe is not a fortuitous mass of matter. It is not a jumble of unco-ordinated objects. It is not a conglomeration of chaotic and meaningless things. All this cannot be without a Creator, a Designer, a Controller, a Governor.

 

But who can create and control this majestic universe? Only He can do so Who is Master of all; Who is Infinite and Eternal; Who is All-Powerful, All- Wise, Omnipotent and Omniscient; Who is All-Knowing and All-Seeing. He must have supreme authority over all that exists in the universe. He must possess limitless powers, must be Lord of the universe and all that it contains, must be free from every flaw and weakness and none may have the power to interfere with His work. Only such a Being can be the Creator, the Controller and the Governor of the universe.

 

Second, it is essential that all these divine attributes and powers must be vested in One Being: it is impossible for two or more personalities having equal powers and attributes to co-exist. They are bound to collide. Therefore, there must be one and only one Supreme Being having control over all others. You cannot think of two governors for the same province or two supreme commanders of the army! Similarly, the distribution of these powers among different deities, so that, for instance, one of them is all- knowledge, the other all-providence and still another life-giver - and each having an independent domain - is also unthinkable. The universe is an indivisible whole and each one of such deities will be dependent upon others in the execution of his task. Lack of co-ordination is bound to occur. And if this happened, the world would fall to pieces. These attributes are also untransferable. It is not possible that a certain attribute might be present in a certain deity at one time and at another time be found in another deity. A divine being who is incapable of remaining alive himself cannot give life to others. The one who cannot protect his own divine power cannot be suited to govern the vast limitless universe.

 

The more you reflect on the problem, the firmer must your conviction be that all these divine powers and attributes must exist in one and the same Being alone. Thus, polytheism is a form of ignorance that cannot stand rational scrutiny. It is a practical impossibility. The facts of life and nature do not fit in with it. They automatically bring men to Reality, that is Tawhid, the Unity of God.

 

Now, keeping in mind this concept of God, look closely at this vast universe. Exert yourself to the utmost and say if you find among all the objects that you see, among all the things that you perceive, among all that you can think, feel or imagine - all that your knowledge can comprehend - anyone possessing these attributes. The sun, the moon, the stars, animals, birds or fishes, matter, money, any man or a group of men - does any of them possess these attributes? Most certainly not! For everything in the universe is created, controlled and regulated, is dependent on others, is mortal and transitory; its slightest movements are controlled by an inexorable law from which there can be no deviation. Their helpless condition proves that the attire of divinity cannot fit their body. They do not possess the slightest trace of divinity and have absolutely nothing to do with it. It is a travesty of truth and a folly of the highest magnitude to attribute divine status to them.

 

This is the meaning of La ilaha, (i.e. there is no god) no human and material object possesses the divine power and authority deserving worship and obedience. But this is not the end of our quest. We have found that divinity is not vested in any material or human element of the universe, and that none of them possesses even the slightest trace of it. This leads us to the conclusion that there is a Supreme Being, over and above all that our eyes see in the universe, Who possesses Divine attributes, Who is the Will behind all phenomena, the Creator of this grand universe, the Controller of its superb Law, the Governor of its serene rhythm, the Administrator of all its workings: He is Allah, the Lord of the Universe and no one and nothing is associated in His Divinity. This is what illallah (but Allah) means.

 

This knowledge is superior to all other kinds of knowledge and the greater you exert yourself, the deeper will be your conviction that this is the starting-point of all knowledge. In every field of inquiry - be it that of physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology, biology, zoology, economics, politics, sociology or the humanities, you will find that the deeper you probe, the clearer become the indications of the truth of La ilaha illallah. It is this concept which opens up the doors of inquiry and investigation and illumines the pathways of knowledge with the light of reality. And if you deny or disregard this reality, you will find that at every step you meet disillusionment, for the denial of this primary truth robs everything in the universe of its meaning and significance.

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  Effects of Faith on Human Life

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When an individual pronounces the testimony: "Ash-hadu allaa ilaaha illallaah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadar- Rasullullaah" (I testify that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah and I testify that Muhammad is His Messenger), believing in it and acting upon it, he experiences a noticeable change in his life.

By understanding who his Lord is as well as the purpose of his creation, he will be able to achieve success in this life and the next. This success emanates from the following points:

1- A believer in this testimony can never be narrow in outlook. He believes in Allah, Who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the Master of the universe and its Sustainer. After this belief, he does not regard anything in the world as a stranger to himself. He looks on everything in the universe as belonging to the same Lord he himself belongs to. Allah Almighty Says (what means): " Say (O Muhammad): 'To whom belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth?' Say: 'To Allah.'" [Quran 6:12]

His sympathy, love and service are not confined to any particular sphere or group. His vision is broadened, his intellectual horizon widens, and his outlook becomes as liberal and as boundless as is the Kingdom of Allah. How can this width of vision and breadth of mind be achieved by an atheist, a polytheist or one who believes in a deity supposed to possess limited and defective powers like a man?

2- This belief produces in man the highest degree of self-respect and self esteem. The believer knows that Allah Alone is the Possessor of all power, and that none besides Him can benefit or harm a person, or provide for his needs, or give and take away life or wield authority or influence. This conviction makes him indifferent to, independent on, and fearless of all powers other than those of Allah. He never bows his head in homage to any of Allah's creatures, nor does he stretch out his hand before anyone else. He is not overawed by anybody's greatness. This attitude of mind cannot be produced by any other belief.

3- Along with self-respect, this belief also generates in man a sense of modesty and humbleness. It makes him unostentatious and unpretending. A believer never becomes proud, haughty or arrogant. The boisterous pride of power, wealth and worth can have no room in his heart, because he knows that whatever he possesses has been given to him by Allah, and that Allah can take away just as He can give. In contrast to this, an unbeliever, when he achieves some worldly merit, becomes proud and conceited because he believes that his merit is due to his own worth. In the same way, pride and self-conceit are a necessary outcomes and concomitants of 'Shirk' (association of others with Allah in worship), because a polytheist believes that he has a particular relation with deities, which does not exist between them and other people.

4- This belief makes man virtuous and upright. He has the conviction that there is no other means of success and salvation for him except purity of soul and righteousness of behavior. He has perfect faith in Allah Who is Above all needs, is related to none and is absolutely Just. This belief creates in him the consciousness that unless he lives rightly and acts justly, he cannot succeed. No influence or underhand activity can save him from ruin.

As to those who do not believe that there is any Being having power over them, to whom they should be responsible for their good or bad actions; therefore, they consider themselves independent to act in whatever way they like. Their own fancies become their gods and they live like slaves of their wishes and desires. Allah states in the Quran (what means):

"Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire, and Allah, knowing (him as such), left him astray, and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart, and put over his vision a veil? So who will guide him after Allah? Will you not then remember?" [Quran 45:23]

5- The believer never becomes despondent. He has a firm faith in Allah Who is The Master of all the treasures of the earth and the heavens, Whose grace and bounty have no limit and Whose power is infinite. This faith imparts to his heart extraordinary consolation, fills it with satisfaction and keeps it filled with hope. Although he may be met with rejection from all sides in this world, faith in and dependence on Allah never leave him, and on that strength he goes on struggling. Such profound confidence can result from no other belief than belief in Allah Alone.

Atheists have small hearts; in the sense that they depend on limited abilities; therefore, in times of trouble they are soon overwhelmed by despair and, frequently, they commit suicide.

The testimony of Prof. Joad is also very explicit on this point. He writes about the West:

"For the first time in history there is coming to maturity a generation of men and women who have no religion, and feel no need for one. They are content to ignore it. Also they are very unhappy, and the suicide rate is abnormally high." [C. E. M. Joad. The Present and Future of Religion, quoted by Sir Arnold Lunn., And Yet So New, London, 1958, p. 228]

As to the world of Islam, let the views of a non-Muslim historian, not in any way being sympathetic to Islam, be read with profit:

"In this uncompromising monotheism, with its simple and enthusiastic faith in the supreme rule of a transcendent being, lies the chief strength of Islam. Its adherents enjoy a consciousness of contentment and resignation unknown among followers of most creeds." [Suicide Is Rare in Muslim Lands] (Phillip K. Hitti, History of the Arabs, 1951, p.129)

6- This testimony of faith inspires bravery in man. There are two things which make a man cowardly: (a) fear of death and love of safety, and (b) the idea that there is someone else besides Allah who can take away life, and that man- by adopting certain devices- can ward off death. Belief in 'Laa ilaaha illallaah'' blocks and drives away both these ideas. The first idea goes out of his mind because he knows that his life and his property and everything else really belong to Allah, and he becomes ready to sacrifice his all for the pleasure of Allah. He gets rid of the second idea because he knows that no weapon, no man or animal has the power of taking away his life; Allah alone has the power to do so. A time has been ordained for him, and all the forces of the world combined cannot take away anyone's life before that time.

It is for this reason that no one is braver than the one who has faith in Allah. Nothing can daunt him: not even the strongest tempest of adversity and the mightiest of armies.

7- The belief in 'Laa ilaaha illallaah' creates an attitude of peace and contentment, purges the mind of jealousy, envy and greed, and keeps away the temptations of resorting to base and unfair means for achieving success. The believer understands that wealth is in Allaah's hands, and He apportions it out as He Wills; that honor, power, reputation and authority - everything - is also subjected to His Will, and He bestows them as He Wills; and that man's duty is only to endeavor and to struggle fairly.

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  Uniqueness of Allah

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Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 469:

Narrated Ibn Abbas:

When the Prophet sent Muadh to Yemen, he said to him, "You are going to a nation from the people of the Scripture, so let the first thing to which you will invite them, be the Tauhid of Allah. If they learn that, tell them that Allah has enjoined on them, five prayers to be offered in one day and one night. And if they pray, tell them that Allah has enjoined on them Zakat of their properties and it is to be taken from the rich among them and given to the poor. And if they agree to that, then take from them Zakat but avoid the best property of the people."

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   Loving Allah

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The Obligation of Loving Allah

From the obligatory and necessary aspects of the Faith is having love for Allah, love for His Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam), love for His believing slaves and love for what Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) love of faith and good deeds. This love of Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) must take precedence over the love for children, wealth and souls. Allah says in the Qur’aan:

“Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwelling in which you delight are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) and striving hard and fighting in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (torment). And Allah guides not the people who are disobedient.” Quran 9:24

Ibn Katheer explains this verse saying it means wait for what punishment in store for you. And such a warning only takes place when the deed is necessary obligatory or certain requirement.

Excellence of Loving Allah


Love for Allah and His Messenger above the love of everything else is one of the characteristics of Faith and a sign that he has tasted the sweetness of Faith, according to the saying of Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam):

“There are three characteristics that if one possesses then, he has tasted the sweetness of Faith; that Allah and His Messenger is more beloved to him than anyone other than them, that he loves a person and he only love him for the sake of Allah, and that he hates to return to disbelief just as he hated to be thrown into the Fire.” [Bukharee and Muslim]

An Nawawi stated: “the meaning of ‘the sweetness of Faith’ is that the person gets pleasure out of obedience and bearing hardships and he prefers that over worldly desires.”

What is Loving Allah?


The love of the slave to His Lord and His Messenger is in their Obedience and avoiding their Disobedience. One who claims to love Allah and His Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam), lacking to obey them and give precedence to their words over and above everybody else's, is indeed a liar with respect to his claim of loving Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam), since Faith has been denied for those who turn away from obeying Allah and His Messenger. He, the All-Just has declares them to be hypocrites and nonbelievers in His Book saying:

“They (hypocrite) say, “We have believed in Allah and in the Messenger and we obey, then a party of them turn away thereafter, such are not believers.” Quran 24:47

The Height of Love for Allah, the Exalted


Love of Allah has two levels: The Firsts level is a must for every Muslim to complete the obligatory aspect of Faith. It is to love Allah with a love that requires one to love what Allah has obligated upon him and to hate what Allah has forbidden for him: i.e. to perform the obligatory deeds and avoid forbidden deeds. To love His Messenger who conveyed from Him, His Commands and prohibitions and to be pleased with what he (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) has conveyed from Allah of the religion and to accept that with pleasure and submission.

“But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you judge in all disputes between them and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.”
Quran 4:65

Loving the Prophets and Messengers and those who follow them in good for the sake of Allah, since He (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: “Indeed, the firmest handhold from eeman is that you love for Allah and hate for Allah.” [Hasan - Ahmad (4/286)]

Therefore, a Muslim loves the Prophets, the righteous ones loved by Allah, the sincere followers of the prophets, the martyrs and the pious, since they carry out that which Allah loves, so he loves them for Allah and this is from the completion of his love for Allah since loving the beloved of the one that you love is from the completion of the love for the one that you love. Further, a Muslim hates the unbelievers, the hypocrites and the people of innovation and sin, since they do that which Allah hates so he hates them for Allah. Anyone lacking in any of these matters, is lacking the obligatory aspects of Faith.

Consequently, Loving Allah means to give precedence to what Allah loves and wants for a slave, over what the slave loves and wants for himself. He must love what Allah loves and hate what He hates, make alliances and opposition for His sake and follow the Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam). And this results to the completeness of his Faith.

The Second level of loving Allah is the level of the forerunners in good. This is where the love is raised to the loving whatever Allah loves of voluntary acts of obedience and disliking whatever Allah dislikes in the minutest aspects of disliked acts. It includes being pleased with whatever Allah decreed and foreordained of pain to the soul in the way of afflictions…

Causes that bring about Love for the Lord of the worlds


1. Recognizing the Bounties of Allah

The Bounties of Allah upon His slaves are so numerous, that it cannot be counted or enumerated, as Allah, the All Merciful says in the Final Revelation:

“If you count the blessings of Allah then you will never be able to count them.” Quran 14:34

The heart holds love for the one, who acts good to him, or when he acquires something beneficial from him. This is a common phenomenon, which takes place in every human, so according to this observable fact, in order to love Allah one should know the Great Blessings and Bounties bestowed upon him by Lord, which will lead him to loving his Allah, the Exalted.

2. Knowledge about the Names and Attributes and Actions of Allah

Another phenomenon, which leads to love, are the attributes and actions, one may love the other being pleased by his excellent attributes or actions. So, by knowing Allah by His Exalted Names, Absolute Attributes and Righteous Actions is one of the ways that leads to His Love, since one who knows Allah loves Him. And one who knows Him obeys Him, and is honored by Him, and whomever Allah honors will have himself close to the Exalted and will consequently lead to the glad tidings.

3. Pondering over His Creation

Pondering over the Creations of Allah, the All Able, will lead one to the specific knowledge of the heavens and the earths and the all what He created, for all this will indicate His Greatness, Power, Majesty, Perfection, Eminence, Compassion, Mercy, Strength, Subjugation, and other of His beautiful Names and Attributes. One whose knowledge of Allah is strengthened, one’s love for Him is also strengthened as well the love of obeying Him. He will then experience the pleasure of worship, whether it is in prayer, remembrance or other forms of worship.

4. Acting towards Allah with Sincerity

To act towards Allah with sincerity and purity, while going against one’s desires is a cause of Allah to bless a slave and when the slave is blessed, he further loves his Lord.

5. Remembrance of Allah

One of the greatest causes that bring about one’s love for Allah is increasing one’s remembrance of Allah. Whenever a person loves something, he remembers him more often. And it is through the remembrance of Allah that the hearts find tranquility:

“Yes, verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find tranquility”[Soorah ar-R’ad Quran 13:28

And in fact one of the signs of love for Allah is the constant remembrance of Allah by one’s heart and tongue.

6. Reciting the Qur’aan and pondering over its verse.

One of he causes that bring about Allah’s love for His Slaves is reciting the Qur’aan and pondering over its verses, in particular those verses that contain Allah’s Names, Attributes and Actions. Having fondness for His Actions will lead the slave to love Allah and Allah to love Him.

7. Remembering the Day when the believers will meet their Lords.

Another of the cause of love for Allah is remembering what has been mentioned in the Qur’aan and Sunnah concerning the believers seeing their Lord in the Hereafter, visiting them and gathering them on the Day of Abundance.

Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned ten causes that result in Allah’s love for a slave and the slave’s love for His Lord.

1. Reciting the Qur’aan while pondering over its meaning and what is meant by it.

 

2. Getting closer to Allah by performing voluntary deeds completing obligatory deeds. This is as in the Hadeeth al-Qudsi: “My slave continues to getting closer to Me by performing voluntary deeds until I love him.” [Saheeh Bukharee]

 

3. Continual remembrance of Allah under all circumstances, with one’s tongue, heart and actions.
 

4. Giving precedence to what He loves over what you love when you are overtaken by your desires.

 

5. The heart being avid of Allah’s Names, Attributes and the heart roaming in that garden of knowledge.

 

6. Observing Allah’s kindness, goodness and bounties, both open and hidden.

 

7. And this is the most wonderful: the heart becoming soft, subdued and meek before Allah.

 

8. Being alone with Allah during the time when the Lord descends during the last portion of the night while reading His Book and ending by asking for forgiveness and repenting.

 

9. Sitting with the beloved and sincere, benefiting from the most fruitful of their speech. And not to speak unless speaking is more beneficial and you know that it will improve your state and be beneficial to others.

 

10. Remaining away from every cause that comes between the heart and Allah.

 
These ten causes take the lovers to the station of true love and bring them to their Beloved. [Ibn al-Qayyim, Madaarij-us-Saalikeen, vol. 3, pp.17, 18]

Signs of Sincere Love


From the signs of sincere love for Allah ad His Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam) is adherence to obedience of Allah, Jihaad in His path, seeking the pleasure of the reproach one may face for his striving and following the way of His Messenger. Allah has said:

“O believers! Whoever from among you turns back from his religion, Allah will bring a people whom He will love and they will love Him, humble towards the believers, stern towards the disbelievers, fighting in the way of Allah, and never afraid of the blame of the blamers. That is the Grace of Allah, which He bestows on whom He wills. And Allah is All Sufficient for His creatures needs, All Knower” Quran 5:54

And He says: “Say (O Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam)): “If you truly love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins.” Quran 3:31

Allah has described those who love Him with five characters:

1. They are humble towards the believers. That is they are soft, compassionate, and merciful towards the believers. They ‘lower their wings’ to them in mercy and kindness. Allah says: “And be kind and humble to the believer who follow you” Quran 26:215

2. Allah describes them as harsh against disbelievers. The meaning of this is toughness and harshness to them. Allah says: “O Prophet! Strive hard against the disbeliever and the hypocrites, and be severe against them.” Quran 66:9

This is related to the fact that those who love Allah must dislike His enemies. This is a necessary component of sincere love.

3. They strive in the way of Allah. They strive against His enemies with their souls, hand, wealth and tongue. This is a part of the completeness of one’s enmity towards the enemies of Allah, which is a required component of love.

4. They do not fear the reproach of anyone who may reproach them. That is, they strive to perform those acts that He is pleased with and they do not care if anyone reproaches them as long as they are doing a deed, which is pleasing to their Lord. The lover is occupied with what his Beloved loves and to him it is the same if he is reproached or praised by the people for his deeds.

5. He follows the way of the Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam), obeys him, implements his commands and refrains form what he prohibited. Allah has associated love for Him with love for His Messenger in His Words:

“…are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wa-sallam)”  Quran 9:24

Consequently, the love of Allah cannot be sought except through following the path and obeying His Messenger and neither can one have complete Faith except by following His Messenger as He, the Exalted says:

“But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you judge in all disputes between them and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.”
Quran 4:65

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  Thankfulness Towards Allah (swt)

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"That is because Allah will never change the grace which He hath bestowed on a people until they change what is in their (own) souls" {Sűrah al-Anfal (8):53}

This is one of the ways in which Allah deals with His servants, for He made the condition of people directly related to their belief. If they change their belief, Allah will change their condition. Allah will replace their security with fear, and their sustenance. And security and sustenance are two Allah's greatest graces. Allah says in the Qur’ân:

"So let them worship Allah the Lord of this House (the Kâba) Who provides them with food against hunger and with security against fear (of danger)" {Sűrah Quraish (106:3-4)}

Suhaib ibn Sinan narrated that the Prophet said:


"How remarkable is the case of the believer! There is good for him in everything, but this is not the case for anyone except for the believer. When the believer receives any good, he is thankful to Allah, and gets a reward. And when some misfortune befalls him, he endures it patiently, for which he is (also) rewarded." {Fiqh as-Sunnah, vol.4, p.1.}

What is Thankfulness?

 
In Islamic terminology, Thankfulness is the acknowledgment of the fact that Allah is the only Grantor of graces, and full submission to Allah in a way that assures that acknowledgment. The graces (favors) of Allah are endless and countless. Allah says in His Book:  "And if you were to count the blessings of Allah, you will never be able to count them." {Sűrah Ibraîim (14): 34}

He, the All Mighty also says:

"And whatever blessings and good you have, it is from Allah .." {Sűrah an-Nahl, (16): 53}

How can a servant (Abd) thank Allah?


{The word ‘slaves’ represents mankind, for all of mankind are expected to totally submit to the will of Allah}

 

The servant can thank Allah in many ways

 

These include:  Prostrating to Allah, when the servant receives a blessing from Allah or when Allah saves him from a disaster. The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alaihi wasallam) used to prostrate to Allah whenever he received a pleasant thing or was told good news. This prostration is conducted for the sole purpose of giving thanks to Allah, the Granter of the grace and benefit that the servant received. [see Fiqh as-Sunnah by Sayyid Sabiq (English trans.) vol.2, p.45]

 
Abdur-Rahmân ibn 'Auf relates that the Messenger of Allah (sAllahu alayhi wasallam) went out once and he followed him until he entered a grove of palm trees and prostrated. His prostration was so long that

'Abdur-Rahmân feared that Allah had taken his soul. 'Abdur-Rahmân came to look at him and he raised his head and said: "What is wrong, Abdur-Rahmân'?" Abdur Rahmân mentioned what had happened, and he (salAllahu alaihi wa-sallam) said: "Gibra'el came to me and said: 'Shall I not give you glad tidings'? Allah says to you, Whoever prays upon you, I pray upon him. Whoever salutes you, I salute him.' Therefore, I prostrated to Allah in thanks." {This is related by Ahmad and by Al-Hâkim who says: "It is sahih according to the criterion of al-Bukhâri and Muslim}

Thanking Allah in words: The majority of the scholars agreed that if the servant does not thank Allah for the grace he has, then that grace will go away and may never come back. Allah's Messenger (sAllahu alayhi wasallam) said: "It is a fine thing when a believer praises and thanks Allah if good comes to him, and praises Allah and shows endurance if smitten by affliction. The believer is rewarded for everything, even for the morsel he raises to his wife's mouth." {Bayhaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-Iman. Sunan at-Tirmidhî no.1733 See also Sahîh Muslim (7138)}

 

Talking about the benefits Allah has granted him. This is because concealing the benefits of Allah is ungrateful. Allah says in the Qur’ân: "Do they believe in the false deities and deny the favor of Allah." {Sűrah an-Nahl (16):72} Ibn Kathîr commented that denying the favors of Allah means hiding his grants and/or relating them to others than Allah.

 
Narrated by Zaid bin Khâlid Al Juhani : The Prophet led us in the Fajr prayer at Hudaibiya after a rainy night. On completion of the prayer, he faced the people and said, "Do you know what your Lord has said (revealed)?" The people replied, "Allah and His Apostle know better." He said, "Allah has said, 'In this morning some of my slaves remained as true believers and some became non-believers; whoever said that the rain was due to the Blessings and the Mercy of Allah had belief in Me and he disbelieves in the stars, and whoever said that it rained because of a particular star had no belief in Me but believes in that star." {Sahîh al-Bukhâri (1:807)}


Helping people in need. It was mentioned in a Hadîth of Prophet Muhammad (sAllahu alayhi wasallam) that: "As the grants from Allah to a servant increase, so will the people's needs of that blessed servant's services. If the servant ignores their needs, it will cause those grants to be removed" (lbn Hibban) The Prophet (sAllahu alayhi wasallam) said, "If anyone strokes an orphan's head, doing so only for Allah's sake, he will have blessings for every hair over which his hand passes; and if anyone treats well an orphan girl or boy under his care, he and I shall be like these two in Paradise," putting two of his fingers together." {Sunan at-Tirmidhî no.4974}

 
Why does the servant not thank Allah?

 
The servant may not thank Allah for several reasons:

The servant may be unaware of the general grants that were bestowed by Allah on the creatures. Many people wrongly think that money is the only thing to be considered and ignore the other general grants such as hearing, vision, sanity and health. The Prophet (sAllahu alayhi wasallam) said, "There are two blessings which many people lose: (They are) health and free time for doing good." {Sahîh al-Bukhâri vol 8: 421}

 
Aishah (Mother of Believers), the Prophet's wife said: " Whenever a servant drinks a drop of water which gets into his body and leaves it with no harm, then a thanks is due."

 
A man came to a good Muslim and complained that Allah made him very poor. The good man said: "Would you like to have ten thousand dinars and be insane?" The Complainer answered: "No." The good man said: "Would you like to have ten thousand dinars but have your legs chopped off" The complainer answered: "No." The good man then said: "Aren't you ashamed of yourself complaining about your Lord while all of these grants which are His; have been bestowed on you?"


The servant may not give thanks to his Lord because he is unaware of the people who have less bounties than him. . This is mentioned in a Hadîth in Sahîh Muslim, that: Allah's Messenger (sAllahu alayhi wasallam) said, "Look at those people who have less than you and never look at those who have more grants than you, this will ensure that you will not depreciate Allah's grants." {Sahîh Muslim no.1530}

 
At times of hardship, one should turn his eyes towards a person who owns less worldly things than him. He will then be calmed and his ungratefulness will disappear. One will then thank his Lord and say: "Thanks to Allah who has guarded me against the harm which He has afflicted others, and who has chosen not to afflict me" {Sunan at-Tirmidhî }

 
The servant may not give thanks to his Lord because he is unaware of Allah's names, attributes and laws. The real ignorant person is the one who gets deceived by the amount of money he has or by his position or his power. He forgets the fact that as Allah has granted, He may also take the blessings away. Allah says in His Book, "Say, O Allah! Lord of Power (and Rule) You give Power to whom You will and You take away power from whom You will, and you endue with honor whom you will, and humiliate who you will. In Your Hand is the good. Verily, You are Able to do all things." {Sűrah al-Imrân (3):26}

 

When does Allah take His grants away from His servants?

 
When one commits sins: The Messenger of Allah (sAllahu alayhi wasallam) said, "The servant will be deprived a provision because he committed a sin" (Musnad Ahmed)

 

On the other hand, fearing Allah causes His provisions to come forth, Allah says in the Qur’ân: "And whoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, Allah will make way for him out of every difficulty, And He will provide for him from sources he never imagined" {Sűrah at-Talaq (65):2-3}

When the servant relates the grants to himself and does not acknowledge that Allah is their Grantor as Qaroon (a tyrannical king mentioned in the Qur'aan al-Qasas (28): 78 ) said: "This has been given to me only because of knowledge I possess."  Consequently. his punishment was, "So We caused the earth to swallow him and his dwelling place. Then he had no group or party to help him against Allah." {Sűrah al-Qasas (28): 81}

When the servant does not give Zakaat. The Messenger of Allah (sAllahu alayhi wasallam) said, "Indeed Allah the Most High said, 'We have sent down the wealth for the prayer to be established and that Zakât be given; and if the son of ?dam had a valley, he would love to have a second; if he had two valleys, he would love to have a third, and nothing will fill the belly of the son of ?dam except dust …" {Musnad Ahmed & at-Tabarânî. Sahîh al-Jâmi, no.1777}


So the money is actually Allah's money, and we have been entrusted with it. And he (sAllahu alayhi wasallam) said, "Do not shut your money bag; otherwise Allah too will withhold His blessings from you. Spend (in Allah's cause) as much as you can afford. " {Sahîh al-Bukhâri 2/515}


The Prophet of Allah (sAllahu alayhi wasallam) also said, "Do not withhold your money by counting it (i.e. hoarding it), (for if you did so), Allah would also withhold His blessings from you." {Sahîh al-Bukhâri vol.2: 514}


When the servant of Allah becomes arrogant due to the large amount of money he has. If the person feels superior to other people, and his wealth becomes his only business, if he talks about it and only about it wherever he goes, and forgets to remember Allah and praise Him; if he starts evaluating people based on their wealth, then Allah will remove his grants. Allah says in the Qur’ân: "Woe to every slanderer and back biter. Who has gathered wealth and counted it. He thinks that his wealth will make last forever. Nay! Verily, he will be thrown into the crushing fire." {Sűrah al-Humazah (104):1-4}


And finally there is no better example for us than the Messenger of Allah (sAllahu alayhi wasallam) who used to offer night prayers till his feet became swollen. Somebody said to him, "Allah has forgiven you, your faults of the past and those to follow." On that, he said, "Shouldn't I be a thankful slave (of Allah)?" {Sahîh al-Bukhâri vol.6: 360}

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By: Brother Yahya Adel Ibrahîm

Source: http://survivorsareus.com/index.cfm/Thankfulness_Towards_Allah

 

  Categories of Tawheed (Islamic Monotheism)

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Linguistically, the word Tawheed, in Arabic, means unification (to make something one). Islamically, it is in reference to Allah being singled out alone, in all that is particular to Him. The opposite of Tawheed is 'Shirk' which is to associate partners with Allah by giving (or attributing) that which is exclusively His to others.

Traditionally, Tawheed has been divided into three categories which help us to understand why Allah alone deserves to be singled out for worship. The division of Tawheed into these three categories is something which was not done by Prophet Muhammad or any of his companions . So, is this Bid'ah (i.e., something new that has been introduced into the religion)? The answer to this is no, because we find that the basis of these three categories are to be found in the verses of the Quran, Hadeeth [authenticated Prophetic reports] of the Prophet and the statements of his companions.

The necessity for dividing up Tawheed into three categories first came about during the early days of Islam. After the death of the Prophet Islam spread like wildfire and before long the empires of Africa, Byzantium, Persia and India all fell under Muslim rule. Many people from these areas became Muslims. However some of these converts to Islam also carried with them some of their old pagan beliefs. This caused much confusion amongst people, and the simple belief of Islam which the people had accepted started to become clouded. The task of opposing these new thoughts and ideas which were becoming prevalent, fell upon the shoulders of the Muslim scholars, who rose to meet this challenge intellectually. Amongst the first people to divide Tawheed into three categories was the famous scholar of Iraq, Abu Haneefah .

Before mentioning what these three categories are, it has to be stressed that the concept of Tawheed is in no way similar to the Christian concept of trinity. The division of Tawheed does not divide Allah up into three separate parts (as does trinity), but rather it helps us to understand as to how our Creator is Unique and Alone in being singled out for worship and reverence. The three categories of Tawheed are:

1- The Unity of Allaah's Lordship

This first category of Tawheed is known as Tawheed-Ar Ruboobiyyah or the unity of Allaah's Lordship. Through this we understand that it is Allah Who Alone created the universe, which is why one of His divine names is Al-Khaaliq (the Creator). Through this we know that it is Allah Alone Who controls the universe and allows things to happen. This is why Allah refers to Himself in the Quran as Al-Malik (The Sovereign). Hence, when something happens, it only happens with the permission of Allah, as stated in the Quranic verse (which means):

"And no calamity strikes except with the permission of Allah" [Quran 64:11]

The Prophet further elaborated on this concept of Allaah's control over the universe by saying: "Be aware that if the whole of mankind gathered together in order to do something to help you they would only be able to do something for you which Allah had already written for you. Likewise, if the whole of mankind gathered together to harm you, they would only be able to do something to harm you which Allah had already written to happen to you". [At-Tirmithi]

We know that another name, which Allah chooses to call Himself by, is Ar-Razzaaq (the Sustainer). It is Allah who provides us with our food, shelter, clothing, families and friends. When our crops seem to be dying and there is not a cloud in sight, it is Allah Who sends down His rain from the skies and sustains us. Allah Says (what means):

"Allah is the Creator of all things and He is, over all things, Disposer of affairs." [Quran 39:62]

From this you would expect that people would turn back to Allah for good or bad fortune. However, this is not the case. Today we find some people relying on all kinds of good luck charms, which they believe will bring them good fortune and ward off evil.

These practices have absolutely no basis whatsoever in Islam, but rather the Prophet warned us by saying: "Whosoever brings something new into Islam (which does not belong to it) will have it rejected". [Al-Bukhaari]

2- The Unity of Allaah's names and Attributes

This category of Tawheed is known as Tawheed Al-Asmaa' Was-Siffaat or the unity of Allaah's Names and Attributes. Allah Says in the Quran (what means):

"Allah — there is no deity except Him. To Him belong the best names." [Quran 20:8]

This category of Tawheed helps us to understand Who our Creator is through His Names and Attributes. Through His Names and Attributes we know that Allah is far beyond our imagination and bears no resemblance to human beings. In fact, it is this principle which makes Islam unique from all the other religions on the face of this earth. Allah Says (what means):

"There is nothing like unto Him and He is the Hearing, the Seeing." [Quran 42:11]

3- The Unity of Allaah's Worship

This part of Tawheed is known as Tawheed Al-'Ibaadah, or the unity of Allaah's worship. It is this aspect of Tawheed which is the most important. It is through this that we learn how to worship our Creator alone. Allah is not the kind of god who does not respond or hear your calls. He is not the kind of god who needs some sort of middleman to take our prayers up to Him. Rather, Allah says (what means):

"And your Lord says, Call upon Me; I will respond to you.” [Quran 40:60]

There is nothing to prevent a person from calling directly upon Allah and asking for His help and forgiveness. Unfortunately, this is violated by most of mankind who believe that other men can intercede for them and even grant them forgiveness because of their apparent special status! An example of this is the Catholic religion which holds that the celibate priests are purer than normal people. This allows for them to then hear the confessions of people's sins and subsequently grant them forgiveness. It is this kind of behavior which takes a person away from the worship of Allah to the worship of man.

As Muslims, we too should be careful of this, because it seems that many of our brothers and sisters are indulging in this kind of evil and are not even aware of it. How many Muslims are there today who call upon others besides Allah? We find that in some countries, there are millions of Muslims who go to the graves of 'saints' and ask them for children, wealth, fame and more sadly, forgiveness. What makes this more ironic is the fact that many of these Muslims pray five times a day, and in every Rak'ah (unit) of their prayer they say the following to their Creator:

"It is You we worship and You we ask for help." [Quran 1:4]

Learning about the Tawheed of Allah is the most important thing for the whole of humanity. For if we learn how to trust and worship our Creator with sincerity, then -and only then- will we escape from the slavery and captivity of this life. It is by worshipping Allah alone does a man achieve true peace and success.

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Source: http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/archive/article.php?lang=E&id=135421

 

  Allah's Name in other religious scriptures

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by Dr Zakir Naik

Question:

"Allah" is the most appropriate name for God in the Qur’an. Is this name "Allah" mentioned in other religious scriptures besides the Qur’an?

Answer:

Almost all the major religious scriptures of the world contain the word "Allah" as one of the names of God.

Elohim El, Elah, Alah
In the Bible, God is very often referred to as ‘Elohim’ in the Hebrew language. The ‘im’ in the ending is a plural of honour and God is referred to as ‘El’ or ‘Elah’ in the English Bible with commentary, edited by reverend C. I. Scofield. ‘Elah’ is alternatively spelled as ‘Alah’. The difference in spelling is only of a single ‘L’. Muslims spell Allah as ‘Allah’ while the Reverend has spelled it as Alah and they pronounce it as ‘Elah’. Muslims pronounce it as Allah. Hebrew and Arabic are sister languages therefore we say it should be pronounced as ‘Allah’ and not as ‘Elah’.

When I was in school, I was taught ‘D, O’ is do, ‘T, O’ is to. What is ‘G, O’ It is ‘go’ and not ‘gu’. ‘N, U, T’ is nut, ‘C, U, T’ cut; ‘B, U, T’ is but, what is ‘P, U, T’? Not ‘pat’ but it is ‘put’. If you ask "Why?" The answer is "It is their language". If I have to pass I have to say ‘P, U, T’ is ‘put’ and not ‘pat’. Similarly the right pronunciation for A, L, L, A, H, is Allah.

Jesus (pbuh) cried out Allah Allah when he was put on the cross
It is mentioned in the New Testament in the Gospel of Mathew, chapter 27 verse 46 as well as Gospel of Mark, chapter 15 verse 34 when Jesus (pbuh) was put on the cross.

Jesus cried with a loud voice saying "E’-Li, E’-Li la’-ma sa-bach’-tha-ni?" that is to say, ‘My God, My God why hast Thou Forsaken Me?’ Does this sound like Jehovah! Jehovah! why has thou forsaken me? Does it sound like Abba Abba? The answer is ‘No’. Hebrew and Arabic are sister languages and if you translate "E’-Li, E’-Li la’-ma sa-bach’-tha-ni" into Arabic it is ‘Allah Allah lama tarak tani’ does it sound similar?

This statement of Jesus (pbuh), "E’-Li, E’-Li la’-ma sa-bach’-tha-ni" is preserved in its original Hebrew in each and every of its translation which is available in more than 2000 different languages of the world and in each and every of them, "Allah" is present.

"Allah" in Sikhism
One of the names by which Gurunanak Sahib referred to God is "Allah".

"Allah" in Hinduism
"Allah" in Rigveda Book 2 Hymn I verse II
Even in the Rigveda which is the most sacred scripture of the Hindus, one of the attributes given to God Almighty in Book no 2 Hymn no I verse II, is ‘Ila’ which if pronounced properly is the same as Allah.

Allo Upanishad:
Amongst the various Upanishads one of the Upanishad is named as ‘Allo’ Upanishad in which God is referred to as "Allah" several times.

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Source: http://www.irf.net/irf/comparativereligion/index.htm

 

Taqwa Accepting Commandments of Allah

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Taqwa is accepting all the Commands of Allah and His Prophet p.b.u.h., behaving according to them, fearing Allah in secret as well as in public, at night time as well as during the day, in darkness as well as in the light. Since Allah knows what is apparent and what is hidden. Taqwa is purifying oneself from all bad acts. Taqwa is a state of the heart felt by the heart rather than pronounced by the tongue. Taqwa is accepting all the Commands of Allah and His Prophet, behaving according to them, fearing Allah in secret as well as in public, at night time as well as during the day, in darkness as well as in the light.

Since Allah knows what is apparent and what is hidden.

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