God is the Designer and Craftsman of everything in the universe, and He created human beings a step above all the rest. God is the bestower of kinds of blessings, and He is aware of all details and cognizant of everything. He knows the expedients of the servants as well as their needs. Therefore, He treats them as His Grace requires. The Quran emphasizes the rank of Allah’s creative power with respect to all existing things and all human beings. Allah says:
ذَلِكُمُ اللّهُ رَبُّكُمْ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَاعْبُدُوهُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَكِيلٌ
“That is Allah your Lord! there is no god but He, the Creator of everything, Therefore worship Him, for He is Guardian over all things.” (Surah Al-Anam, Verse102)
God the Creator of the heavens and the earth, The Divine Unity -polytheism to be gradually wiped out -Not to abuse false gods lest the infidels might ignorantly abuse God. God explicitly reveals that he is the Creator and thus the Owner of everything including people, themselves selves and whatever they are able to make or create. People’s creations and all possessions are in fact God’s: Allah says:
قَدْ جَاءكُم بَصَآئِرُ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ فَمَنْ أَبْصَرَ فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ عَمِيَ فَعَلَيْهَا وَمَا أَنَاْ عَلَيْكُم بِحَفِيظٍ
“Certainly clear proofs have come to you from your Lord. Whoever, therefore, sees (with insight), it is to his own gain, and whoever be blind, it is to his own loss; and am not a keeper over you.” (Surah Al-Anam, Verse 104)
Moreover, God created humans as the most beautiful creatures on earth, in the best of moulds, and gave them the power of reasoning and insight. There is nothing in existence but beauty, for God created the cosmos only in His image, that is, in the image of His infinite beauty. Hence all cosmos with all its objects and events are beautiful.
Here are some facts about Allah Almighty that all Muslims should know:
- Allah is the Creator, not created, nor a part of His creation
- Allah knows what we conceal and what we reveal
- Allah warned who disobey Him against the Hell
- Allah is capable of granting life to anything
- Allah is the All-Knowing, and All-Merciful
- Allah is the one, Who has no partner
- Allah knows what is in our hearts
- Allah’s book is the Holy Quran
- Allah is First, Last, and Everlasting
- Allah is the Supreme, the Sovereign
- Allah is All-Powerful, absolutely Just
- Allah sent Messenger for all mankind
- Allah sent Muhammad (PBUH) as the last Prophet
- Allah sent His Messengers to guide all of mankind
- Allah promises who obey Him to enter Paradise in the hereafter
- Allah is near and he responds to the invocations of the supplicants
God is the bestower of kinds of blessings, and He is aware of all details and cognizant of everything. He knows the expedients of the servants as well as their needs. Therefore, He treats them as His Grace requires.
Dhikr (Remembrance of Allah:
- See what happens when you are sitting in a gathering that is filled with Allah’s remembrance…
- The more you remember Allah, the more He will descend unique peace upon you.
- Look outside your window and say Subhan-Allah about His beautiful creations.
- The most elegant form of remembering Allah is by looking at His creations.
- When you are in between tasks like driving or walking, remember Allah.
- Attend halaqas or religious circles in masjids.
- Say Astaghfirullah a lot to erase your sins.
- Say Alhamdulillah so Allah will give you more.
- Listen to Islamic lectures that speak of Allah’s glory.
- Surround yourself with people who remind you of Allah.
- Remembering Allah is essential in achieving closeness to Him.
- If you like, you can even create your own gathering of remembrance.
- You can remember him by engaging in dhikr (remembrance) and tasbeeh (praise).
Five major beautiful names and attributes of God the Creator are given to imply the sublimity, significance, and scale of what they stand for. Those five names and attributes are al-Khaliq (the Creator), al-Bari’ (the Maker), al-Musawwir (The Fashioner), al-Fatir (the Bringer into Existence), al-Badi’ (the Originator). Allah Says:
وَكَذَلِكَ نُصَرِّفُ الآيَاتِ وَلِيَقُولُواْ دَرَسْتَ وَلِنُبَيِّنَهُ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ
“And thus do We repeat the Signs, that they may say (unto you): “You have studied” and that We may make it clear to a people who know.” (Surah Al-Anam, Verse 105)
Everything around humans has been loaned to them so that they can carry out their duty of vicegerency in a responsible and unhindered manner. Their duty is no more than that. Even humans’ lives are not their own. Their lives belong to their Creator and Master, and, if needed, they must sacrifice their lives for their Master and His cause: Allah says:
لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا
“Certainly, it is for you in (the) Messenger (of) Allah an excellent example for (one) who has hope (in) Allah and the Day the Last, and remembers Allah much.” (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:21)
God explicitly reveals that he is the Creator and thus the Owner of everything including people, themselves selves and whatever they are able to make or create. People’s creations and all possessions are in fact God’s: Allah says:
لاَّ تُدْرِكُهُ الأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الأَبْصَارَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ
“The eyes do not perceive Him, but He perceives the eyes, He is all subtle, the All-Aware.” (Surah Al-Anam, Verse 103)
Man is created as the most beautiful creature on earth. He is given the power of reasoning and insight. He is created as the vicegerent on earth never to be forsaken by God’s words of guidance. This is so lest man should lose his way, rebel against the will and plan of his Lord, and gradually become puffed up with egotism, self-exaltation and innumerable superstitions pertaining to his own existence and existence taken as a whole.
Allah Almighty says in The Holy Quran:
- “And Allah has created you and what you make.” (Al-Saffat, 37:96)
- “…(Such is) the artistry of Allah, Who disposes of all things in perfect order…” (Al-Naml 27:88)
- “He is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner; to Him belong the best names. Whatever is in the heavens and earth is exalting Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.” (Al-Hashr, 59:24)
- “Do you not know that Allah’s is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and that besides Allah you have no guardian or helper?” (Al-Baqarah, 2:107)
- “How can you worship things you carve with your own hands when it is God who has created you and all your handiwork?’” (Quran 37:95-96)
- “… There is no altering (the laws of) Allah’s creation. That is the right religion, but most men know not.” (Al-Rum, 30:30)
- “Allah is the Creator of all things and He is the Guardian and Disposer of all affairs.” (Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumar Verse 62)
- “On the earth are Signs for those of assured Faith; as also in your own selves: will ye not then see?” (Al-Dhariyat 51:20 – 21)
- “He Who created all things in the best way and He began the creation of man from clay.” (Al-Sajdah 32:7)
Humans were and will remain forever short of enjoying the power of bringing into being anything without making use of the available raw materials and elements created for them in nature. Indeed, everything that humans invent, conceive, concoct and create, is only possible thanks to the unbounded bounties and munificence from God, which humans only discover, manipulate, process, use, and reuse in different ways most convenient and efficient for them and their terrestrial goals. Allah says:
وَلَوْ شَاء اللّهُ مَا أَشْرَكُواْ وَمَا جَعَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا وَمَا أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِوَكِيلٍ
“And had Allah pleased, they would not have associated others (with Him), and We have not made you a keeper over them, nor are you over them a guardian.” (Surah Al-Anam, Verse 107)
Consequently, humankind’s civilized and cultural ‘creations’ are a relative thing. They are not really ‘creations’ but only the temporary possessions of humankind in their temporary custody. As such, humans neither create nor possess anything. The Qur’an declares this emphatic truth time and again, such as in the following verses: Allah says:
لِّلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَإِن تُبْدُوا مَا فِي أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ يُحَاسِبْكُم بِهِ اللَّهُ فَيَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَاءُ وَاللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
“To Allah belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. Whether you show what is within yourselves or conceal it, Allah will bring you to account for it… “ (Al-Baqarah, 2:284)
Thus, everything in the universe has been created beautiful, with purpose and in proportion and measure. God is the One who is closest to you (Qareeb). So ask Him to bring you closer to Him. Call on Him using the name Al-Wadud and ask Him to love you more and make you love Him more. May Allah guide us to the path that takes us closer to Him. Ameen.
