Who Is the Founder of Allah? Question and answer details Name of Questioner: Ihithisham Reply date: 2014/08/22 Question: I strongly believe that everything and everyone has a beginning and an end; every existing being without exception. So my question is: Who is the founder of Allah? consultant: Tarek Ghanem Answer Salam Dear Ihithisham, Thank you for your question and for contacting Ask About Islam. Your question shows what a knowledge-seeker you are, a great meritorious value that is most essential for spiritual progress. This is the case especially when it comes to God, majestic in His praise. Those who contently seek to know more about God, Most-High, are favored with great epiphany. For knowledge of Allah is the cardinal, most precious thing in existence. It is the reason behind creating the world. After All, how could we worship Allah, majestic in His praise, without knowledge of Him, knowledge about Him, knowledge about what He wants from us and, ultimately, knowledge of how to worship Him, duly and properly? Still, as this form of knowledge is the highest, acquiring it is subject to many divine and prophetic guidelines, etiquettes, respect and reverence for its people, values and complete certitude. Now, in your question there are two assumptions. First, there is the urge to know about God and, second, there is an assumption that you need to know something about God in order to have a proper relation with Him, Most-High. I will deal with the first assumption later. As for the second one, I would like to share the following with you. Note that there is nothing wrong with the question — or questioning — per se, but do we really need to know everything? Is our comprehensive and detailed knowledge of something a prerequisite to do something, use something or believe in something? I need to make this clear before I continue: my goal here is not to say that one should stop questioning. However, there are two points that need to be made. First, the human mind is not capable of knowing everything. There are limitations for the human mind in all types of knowledge: rational, mystic, cognitive, and so on. This point must be understood and embraced. Second, humans do not in actuality need all knowledge pertaining to a certain issue or element in order for them to deal with it. A few relevant examples are the following: Do you know where your soul resides in your body? Do you know how or what makes your heart function? What makes you breathe? What makes your heart pump and your lungs work even when you are asleep? What do you know about the way the room you are sitting in now was built? How do you know that the room which you probably sitting in now is strong and stable? Our knowledge of these things — or lack thereof — does not change any of these things. We just breathe, let our heart function, and keep dwelling into the house we live in. The same applies to Allah, Most-High, Most-Sublime. Our knowledge about Him or the lack of it does not change any of the ontological realities that govern our relation with Him. This is the starting point to deal with your question. How can we know about Allah? Allah is the Most-Majestic, Most-Beautiful, and Most-Perfect, and there is one way to quench our existential thirst and primordial longing, cure our agonies, and urge to illuminate our dark, lost worlds and know about Him. This way is through Him. What we can know about God is what He tells us, allows us to know and favors us with. There are philosophical loops; there is no cheating here; there is a personal capacity. There is no answer to a question of benefit to our relationship with God, Most-High, that was not given. If Allah says that He is the First and the Last, the Eternal then that is just that, in a way that He is, which He knows best, and transcends our ability to exalt him. Once we follow these maxims, rigorous and humbling as they may seem, we will find that in reality things are bearing a contrary truth. We will know that the reality of why things are this way is in fact of mercy for us. It is a mercy based on what we can and should know, what we can bear, how it affects us. Our beloved Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said: Verily Allah Most-High has commanded certain commandments, so do not miss them; prescribed certain limits, so do not violate them; prohibited things, so do not transgress them; and withheld things, as a mercy for you without forgetfulness, so do not seek them. (Al-Darqutni) So, simply if there was a benefit, then we would have been given an answer. In a direct relation to your question, our beloved Prophet is reported to have said, Satan comes to one of you and says, who created this? Who created that? Until he says, who created your Lord? So if one reaches that, they should seek refuge in Allah and stop [thinking about] it. (Muslim) It is narrated in more than one hadith that more than one Companion would come to the Prophet and tell him that they have doubts, and he would literally tell them that deeming such thoughts as doubts is in itself a proof of strong certitude. So, rejoice. After all, can we truly comprehend divine nature? For example, for Allah, Mighty and Majestic, there is no now, present, and future. This is what we know from the Noble Quran. Can we truly comprehend that? Seeing that you are interested in knowing about Allah, I have the following words of advice. First, you should find a scholar to study `Aqida (or doctrine) with. If you were Arabic speaking I would have recommended the texts of Jawhart al al-Tawhid, or the Gem of Theology, by Imam al-Laqani, or al-Kharida al-Bahiyah, the Splendid Jewel. There are courses that teach those texts in English (for example on SunniPath). That is best option if you do not have scholars in your area. They are the most celebrated texts on the subject and is the standard text not only by all traditional scholars but also in Al-Azhar University, which is the most respected scholarly seat in the Sunni world. Otherwise, if maybe you can find a scholar to study this amazing annotated translation of one of the most traditional books on creed in English, The Creed of Imam al-Tahawi, trans. by Sheikh Hamza Yusuf. There is also an important chapter on creed in the translated work, The Reliance of the Traveler, by Sheikh Nuh Keller. Another advice is to actually exercise the highest form of respect for scholars who have this knowledge. In Islam, valuing people of knowledge is, out of experience and as scholars say, even more beneficial than knowledge itself. The blessing that one gets from that is unarguably tremendous. Based on that, your relationship with the most knowledgeable person of Allah (the Prophet) should be strengthened. The Prophet said: By Allah, I am the most knowledgeable of God amongst you and I am the most fearful of hearts of Him. (Ahmad) What this means is three things. We value and love, and we should not stop sending peace and blessings upon him. We have to follow his Sunnah to the smallest details; and we have to observe piety in our lives — just as he taught us. And, finally, we have to deal with scholars of theology in the same manner, as they are the heirs of prophetic knowledge. I hope this answers your question.
Posted on: Sat, 23 Aug 2014 10:44:09 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015