Misconceptions about Allah - Is Allah God?

Yes, Allah is God. He is Allah, the One and Only. He is the same God worshipped in the Jewish and Christian faiths and is recognisable as such. Across the globe and throughout history people of all faiths and beliefs have turned towards God, or a supreme deity, the Creator of the universe. He is Allah. Allah is God. God the Creator. God the Sustainer.

The word God is spelled and pronounced differently in many languages: the French call him Dieu, the Spanish, Dios and the Chinese refer to the One God as Shangdi. In Arabic, Allah means the One True God, worthy of all submission and devotion. Jewish and Christian Arabs refer to God as Allah, and He is the same One True God referred to in the Biblical passage,

“Hear O Israel, the Lord your God is One”. (Deuteronomy 6.4 & Mark 12.29)

In all three monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) God and Allah are the same. However, when asking the question, Is Allah God, it is equally important to understand who Allah is not.

He is not a man, nor is He an ethereal spirit, therefore when Muslims talk about Allah there is no concept of a trinity. He was not begotten nor does He beget, therefore He does not have sons or daughters. He does not have partners or underlings; therefore, there are no demi gods or minor deities inherent in the concept of Allah. He is not part of His creation and Allah is not in everybody and everything. Consequently, it is not possible to become allahlike or attain allahhood.

“Say (O Muhammad): He is Allah, (the Unique) One. Allah, the Eternal (Foundation). He begets not, nor was He begotten; and there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him.” (Quran 112)

The Quran, God’s book of guidance for all of humankind was revealed in Arabic; therefore, non-Arabic speakers can become confused about terminology and names. When a Muslim says the word Allah, he is talking about God. God the Supreme, God the Magnificent, God the Omnipotent. The Creator of all that exists.

“He has created the heavens and the earth in truth. High be He Exalted above all they associate as partners with Him.” (Quran 16:3)

Muslims believe that Islam is the final message of God to humankind, and they believe that God gave the Torah to Prophet Moses as he gave the Gospel to Prophet Jesus Muslims believe that Judaism and Christianity, in their pristine forms, were divine religions. In fact, one of the tenants of Islam is to believe in all of God’s revealed books. The Prophets of Islam include the same Prophets present in Jewish and Christian traditions; they all came to their people with the same message – to recognize and to worship the One God.

“...were you witnesses when death approached Jacob? When he said unto his sons, ‘What will you worship after me?’ They said, ‘We shall worship your God, the God of your fathers, Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac, One God, and to Him we submit (in Islam).” (Quran 2:133)

Muslims love and respect all the Prophets and Messengers of God. However, Muslims believe that the Quran contains the only concept of God that has not been tainted by man made ideas and idolatrous practices.

He, Allah/God made it very clear in Quran that He had sent messengers to every nation. We do not know all the names, or the dates; we do not know all the stories or the calamities, but we do know that God did not create even a single person and then abandon him. God’s message of mercy, love, justice, and truth was made available to all of humankind.

“And verily, We have sent among every community or nation, a Messenger (proclaiming), "Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid all false deities... ". (Quran 16:36)

“And for every nation there is a messenger...” (Quran 10:47)

For thousands of years humankind has lived and died across this wide earth. Every time a woman looks towards the sky in search of a Creator, she is turning to Allah. Every time a man buries his face in his hands and begs for mercy or relief, he is asking Allah. Every time a child crouches fearfully in a corner, his heart is searching for Allah. Allah is God. Whenever a person is thankful for the bright new day, or the cool refreshing rain, or the wind whispering in the trees, he or she is thankful to Allah, thankful to God.

Humankind has taken the purity of God and mixed it up with wild imaginings and strange superstitions. God is not three, He is One. God does not have partners or associates; He is Alone in His majesty and in His dominion. It is not possible to become godlike because there is nothing comparable to God. God is not part of His creation; He is beyond it. He is the first, and the last. God is Allah, the Most Merciful.

“… There is nothing like unto Him…” (Quran 42:11)

“And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him.” (Quran 112:4)

“He is the First (nothing is before Him) and the Last (nothing is after Him), the Most High (nothing is above Him) and the Most Near (nothing is nearer than Him). And He is the All-Knower of every thing.” (Quran 57:3)

Yes! God is Allah.

Misconceptions about Allah- The moon god

Misinformed people sometimes refer to Allah as a modern interpretation of an ancient moon god. This gross misrepresentation of Allah is often combined with strange unsubstantiated claims that Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, resurrected this god and made him the focal point of the religion of Islam. This is categorically untrue. Allah is God, the One, and Only, the Most Merciful. Allah is the God of Abraham, the God of Moses, and the God of Jesus.

“There is no god but Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, the One and the only True God, Who has neither a wife nor a son). And indeed, Allah is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.” (Quran 3:62)

Very little is known about the religion of the Arabs before Prophet Abraham. There is little doubt that the Arabs wrongly worshipped idols, heavenly bodies, trees, and stones, and that some of their idols even had animal characteristics. Although a number of minor deities across the Arabian Peninsula may have been associated with the moon[1] there is no evidence of the Arabs ever worshipping a moon god above other gods.

On the other hand there is evidence that the sun, constructed as a feminine god was worshipped throughout Arabia. The Sun (Shams) was honoured by the several Arabian tribes with both sanctuaries and idols. The name Abdu Shams (slave of the sun) was found in many parts of Arabia. In the North the name Amr-I-Shams, “man of the Sun” was common and the name. Abd-al-Sharq “slave of the Raising one” is evidence for the worship of the rising sun.[2]

One of Prophet Muhammad’s uncles was named Abdu Shams, so to was the man nicknamed Abu Hurairah , a renowned Islamic scholar from the first generation of Muslims. When Abu Hurairah converted to Islam, Prophet Muhammad changed his name to Abdu Rahman (slave of the Most Merciful).

Muslims believe with complete certainty that, since the beginning of creation, Allah has sent prophets and messengers to guide and teach humankind. Therefore, humankind’s original religion was submission to Allah. The first Arabs worshipped Allah, however, over time their worship became corrupted by man made ideas and superstitions. The reason for this is shrouded in the mists of time but they may have fell into the practice of idolatry in much the same way as the people of Prophet Noah.

The descendents of Prophet Noah were one community, believing in the Oneness of Allah, but confusion and deviation crept in. Righteous men tried to remind the people of their obligations to Allah but time passed and Satan saw an opportunity to lead the people astray. When the righteous men died, Satan suggested to the people that they build statues of the men to help them to remember their obligations to Allah.

The people built statues in their meeting places and their homes, and Satan left them alone until everyone had forgotten the reason the statues existed. Many years later, the devious Satan appeared amongst the people again, this time suggesting that they worship the idols directly. An authentic narration of Prophet Muhammad, may God praise him, sums up the beginning of idolatry in the following way.

“The names (of the idols) formerly belonged to some pious men of the people of Noah, and when they died Satan inspired their people to prepare and place idols at the places where they used to sit, and to call those idols by their names. The people did so, but the idols were not worshipped till those people (who initiated them) had died and the origin of the idols had become obscure, whereupon people began worshipping them.”[3]

When prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael rebuilt the Holy House of Allah (the Kaba) most of the Arabs followed his example and returned to the worship of the One God, however as time passed the Arabs fell into their old habit of worshipping idols and demi-gods. There is little doubt and much evidence to suggest that in the years between Prophets Abraham and Muhammad the religion of Arabian Peninsula came to be dominated by idol worship.

Each tribe or household had graven images and statues, the Arabs believed in seers, used divining arrows to predict future events and performed animal sacrifices and rituals in the name of their idols. It is said that the principle idols of Noah’s people were found buried in the area of present day Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and distributed amongst the Arabian tribes[4]. When Prophet Muhammad returned triumphantly to Mecca, the Kaba[5] contained more than 360 different idols.

The most well known idols that existed in pre Islamic Arabia were known as Manat, al Lat, and al Uzza.[6] There is no evidence linking any of these idols with moon gods or moon The Arabs worshipped these idols and called on them for intercession. Allah repudiated this false idol worship.

“Have you then considered al-Lat, and al-’Uzza (two idols of the pagan Arabs). And Manat (another idol of the pagan Arabs), the other third? Is it for you the males and for Him the females? That indeed is a division most unfair! They are but names, which you have named, you and your fathers, for which Allah has sent down no authority. They follow but a guess and that which they themselves desire, whereas there has surely come to them the Guidance from their Lord!” (Quran 53:19-23)

In the midst of overwhelming paganism and polytheism the pre Islamic Arabs never called upon a moon god as a supreme deity, in fact there is no evidence that they ever called upon a moon god. For generation after generation they did not loose their belief in One supreme ruler of the universe (even though most of the time they held the wrong concept of belief in Allah). They were aware of His blessings and His punishment and believed in a Day of Judgement. Poets of the time referred to Allah regularly.

Nabigha, a well-known poet of the 5th century CE said, “I took an oath and left no margin of doubt for who else can support man, besides Allah, and Zuhair b. Abi. Salma affirms his faith in the Day of Judgement by saying “The deeds are recorded in the scroll to be presented on The day of Judgement; Vengeance can be taken in this world too”. Quran also testifies to the fact that the pre Islamic Arabs were aware of Allah –God – the One.

“If you were to ask them “Who has created the heavens and the earth and subjected the sun and the moon?” They will surely reply, “Allah.” How then are they deviating (as polytheists and disbelievers)? Allah enlarges the provision for which He wills of His slaves, and limits it for whom (He wills). Verily, Allah is the All Knower of everything. If you were to ask them, “Who sends down water (rain) from the sky, and gives life therewith to the earth after its death?” They will surely reply, “Allah.” Say: “All the praises and thanks be to Allah!” Nay! Most of them have no sense.” (Quran 29: 61-63)


Footnotes:

[1] http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/31651/Arabian-religion/68308/Pre-Islamic-deities

[2] Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, Article “Ancient Arab”, Vol. 1, p. 661.

[3] Saheeh Al-Bukhari

[4] Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarkpur, (2002) The Sealed Nectar, revised 2nd edition. Darussalam, Riyadh.

[5] The cube shaped building, in the centre of the Holy Masjid, in the city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

[6] Hisham Ibn Al-Kalbi, Kitab al-Asnam, edited by Ahmad Zaki Pasha. (Cairo, 1927), pp. 9-14.

Let There Be No Compulsion in Religion

Description: In no way does Islam preach forced conversions, rather, this is something forbidden by clear texts.

One of the fundamental truths established by the sacred texts is that no one can be compelled to accept Islam. It is the duty of Muslims to establish the proof of Islam to the people so that truth can be made clear from falsehood. After that, whoever wishes to accept Islam may do so and whoever wishes to continue upon unbelief may do so. No one should be threatened or harmed in any way if he does not wish to accept Islam.

Among the many decisive pieces of evidence in this regard are the following. God says:

“Let there be no compulsion in religion. Truth has been made clear from error. Whoever rejects false worship and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that never breaks. And God hears and knows all things.” (Quran 2:256)

God says:

“If it had been your Lord’s will, all of the people on Earth would have believed. Would you then compel the people so to have them believe?” (Quran 10:99)

God says:

“So if they dispute with you, say ‘I have submitted my whole self to God, and so have those who follow me.’ And say to the People of the Scripture and to the unlearned: ‘Do you also submit yourselves?’ If they do, then they are on right guidance. But if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the Message. And in God’s sight are all of His servants.” (Quran 3:20)

God says:

“The Messenger’s duty is but to proclaim the Message.” (Quran 5:99)

It is important to note that these last two verses were revealed in Medina. This is significant, since it shows that the ruling they gave was not just contingent on the Muslims being in Mecca in a state of weakness.

Some people might be wondering that if Islam indeed advocates such an approach, then what is all this we hear about jihad? How can we explain the warfare that the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, and his Companions waged against the pagans? The answer to this is that jihad in Islamic Law can be waged for a number of reasons, but compelling people to accept Islam is simply not one of them. As for conversion, this is to be done peacefully by disseminating the Message with the written and spoken word. There is no place for the use of weapons to compel people to accept Islam.

The Prophet, said in his letter to the Roman governor Heraclius:

“I invite you to accept Islam. If you accept Islam, you will find safety. If you accept Islam, God will give you a double reward. However, if you turn away, upon you will be the sin of your subjects.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)

Once people have heard the Message without obstruction or hindrance and the proof has been established upon them, then the duty of the Muslims is done. Those who wish to believe are free to do so and those who prefer to disbelieve are likewise free to do so.

Even when the Muslims are compelled to fight and then, as a consequence, subdue the land, their duty thereafter is to establish God’s law in the land and uphold justice for all people, Muslim and non-Muslim. It is not their right to coerce their subjects to accept Islam against their will. Non-Muslims under Muslim rule must be allowed to remain on their own faith and must be allowed to practice the rights of their faith, though they will be expected to respect the laws of the land.

Had the purpose of jihad been to force the unbelievers to accept Islam, the Prophet would never have commanded the Muslims to refrain from hostilities if the enemy relented. He would not have prohibited the killing of women and children. However, this is exactly what he did.

During a battle, the Prophet saw people gathered together. He dispatched a man to find out why they were gathered. The man returned and said: “They are gathered around a slain woman.” So God’s Messenger said:

“She should not have been attacked!” Khalid b. al-Walid was leading the forces, so he dispatched a man to him saying: “Tell Khalid not to kill women or laborers”. (Sunan Abi Dawud)

Therefore, even in the heat of battle against a hostile enemy, the only people who may be attacked are those who are actually participating in the fighting.

Had the purpose of jihad been to force the unbelievers to accept Islam, the rightly guided Caliphs would not have prohibited the killing of priests and monks who refrained from fighting. However, this is exactly what they did. When the first Caliph, Abu Bakr, sent an army to Syria to fight the aggressive Roman legions, he went out to give them words of encouragement. He said: “You are going to find a group of people who have devoted themselves to the worship of God (i.e. monks), so leave them to what they are doing.”

Why Do I Wear Hijab?

Description: A Muslim woman explains why she has chosen to wear the Hijab, not out of repression, but liberation.

I probably do not fit into the preconceived notion of a “rebel”. I have no visible tattoos and minimal piercing. I do not possess a leather jacket. In fact, when most people look at me, their first thought usually is something along the lines of “oppressed female.” The brave individuals who have mustered the courage to ask me about the way I dress usually have questions like: “Do your parents make you wear that?” or “Don’t you find that really unfair?”

A while back, a couple of girls in Montreal were kicked out of school for dressing like I do. It seems strange that a little piece of cloth would make for such controversy. Perhaps the fear is that I am harboring an Uzi underneath it! Of course, the issue at hand is more than a mere piece of cloth. I am a Muslim woman who, like millions of other Muslim women across the globe, chooses to wear the hijab. And the concept of the hijab, contrary to popular opinion, is actually one of the most fundamental aspects of female empowerment.

When I cover myself, I make it virtually impossible for people to judge me according to the way I look. I cannot be categorized because of my attractiveness or lack thereof.

Compare this to life in today’s society: We are constantly sizing one another up on the basis of our clothing, jewelry, hair and makeup. What kind of depth can there be in a world like this? Yes, I have a body, a physical manifestation upon this Earth. But it is the vessel of an intelligent mind and a strong spirit. It is not for the beholder to leer at or to use in advertisements to sell everything from beer to cars!

Because of the superficiality of the world in which we live, external appearances are so stressed that the value of the individual counts for almost nothing. It is a myth that women in today’s society are liberated! What kind of freedom can there be when a woman can not walk down the street without every aspect of her physical self being “checked out”?

When I wear the hijab I feel safe from all of this. I can rest assured that no one is looking at me and making assumptions about my character from the length of my skirt. There is a barrier between me and those who would exploit me. I am first and foremost a human being, equal to any man, and not vulnerable because of my sexuality.

One of the saddest truths of our time is the question of the beauty myth and female self-image. Reading popular teenage magazines, you can instantly find out what kind of body image is “in” or “out.” and if you have the “wrong” body type, well, then, you’re just going to have to change it, aren’t you? After all, there is no way that you can be overweight and still be beautiful.

Look at any advertisement. Is a woman being used to sell the product? How old is she? How attractive is she? What is she wearing? More often than not, that woman will be no older than her early 20s, taller, slimmer and more attractive than average, dressed in skimpy clothing. Why do we allow ourselves to be manipulated like this?

Whether the 90s woman wishes to believe it or not, she is being forced into a mold. She is being coerced into selling herself, into compromising herself. This is why we have 13-year-old girls sticking their fingers down their throats and overweight adolescents hanging themselves.

When people ask me if I feel oppressed, I can honestly say no. I made this decision out of my own free will. I like the fact that I am taking control of the way other people perceive me. I enjoy the fact that I don’t give anyone anything to look at and that I have released myself from the bondage of the swinging pendulum of the fashion industry and other institutions that exploit females.

My body is my own business. Nobody can tell me how I should look or whether or not I am beautiful. I know that there is more to me than that. I am also able to say “no” comfortably then people ask me if I feel as though my sexuality is being repressed. I have taken control of my sexuality. I am thankful I will never have to suffer the fate of trying to lose/gain weight or trying to find the exact lipstick shade that will go with my skin color. I have made choices about what my priorities are and these are not among them.

So next time you see me, don’t look at me sympathetically. I am not under duress or a male-worshipping female captive from those barbarous Arabic deserts! I’ve been liberated.