RABBANIYYAH

Rabbaniyyah

All Muslims know that God is impossible to understand unless He introduces himself, due to the fact that God is beyond the range of human vision and senses. Therefore, God tells people who He is through the prophet.

The Qur’an insists the existence of a unique being that transcends the world, and is independent of creation, Q[112:1-4] and Q[6:133].

Tawheed—the belief that there is only one god—is Islam’s fundamental theological concept. Even the first part of the syahadah (the first step towards Islam) declares that there is no god but God. God is beyond all comprehension, Muslims are not expected to visualize God, but to worship and adore Him at all times.

The Qur’an described God by certain attributes and names, the most common ones al-rahman, meaning “The Compassionate” and al-rahim, meaning “The Merciful”.

99 Names of God in Islam

The names of God are which Muslims regard God and are continuously mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah, amongst other places. For example, the Basmalah which is recited before almost all surat in the Qur’an. It alone has two of God’s names, ar-rahman and ar-rahim. Even ayat as little as two of them, Q[59:22-24] has about 17 names of God.

According to Islamic belief, Allah is the proper name of God. Traditions state that all these 99 names refer to Allah, the supreme and all-comprehensive divine name.

Tawheed and Faith

The qur’an tells us that everything God has created has a purpose here on earth. Humans are created for the sole purpose of praising and worshipping God, Q[51:56]. In fact, not only does humans have to worship God, inanimate objects bow to God, too, Q[17:44].

However, God does not need humans or other creations to worship Him. Rather, worshipping Him has its own fulfilment, reward and eventually being the true purpose of existence. His creations worship God not only to manifest His glory, but also to achieve our dignity.




His Godliness

God in Islam is not only majestic; He is also a personal God. According to the Qur’an, God is nearer to a person than his own jugular vein, Q[50:16]. Furthermore, God responds to those in need whenever they call (which is very much encouraged by Him).

The Qur’an describes God as being fully aware (omniscient) of everything that happens in the universe, including private thoughts and feelings. The Holy Book insists that one cannot hide anything from God.

Cross-religion comparison

GOD IN ISLAM vs. GOD IN JUDAISM

Francis Edwards Peters said that “The Qur’an insists, Muslims believe, and historians affirm that Muhammad and his followers worship the same God as the Jews, Q[29:46]. The Qur’an’s Allah is the same Creator God who covenanted with Abraham (Ibrahim a.s.).” He also states that the Qur’an portrays Allah as both more powerful and more remote than Yahweh, and as a universal deity, unlike Yahweh who closely follows Israelites.

GOD IN ISLAM vs. GOD IN CHRISTIANITY

Islam strongly rejects the Christian belief in Trinity (God is three persons in one being). This contradicts with the Islamic belief in the Oneness of God. In the Islamic conception of God, God’s presence is believed to be everywhere, and yet he is not incarnated in anything.

The traditional view of Christianity was that Muhammad’s God is the same as Jesus’ God. Ludovico Marraci (1734), the confessor of Pope Innocent XI, states:

“That both Mohammed and those his followers who are reckoned orthodox, had and continue to have just and true notions of God and his attributes, appears so plain from the Koran itself and all the Muslim laws, that it would be loss of time to refute those who suppose the God of Mohammed to be different from the true God.”

CONCLUSION

God (Allah) in Islam is the one true god of all known and unknown religions, the only god worthy of worship and praise, not only by humans but all His creations. Even traditional Judaism and Christianity stated that Muhammad’s God is at least more powerful than their own god. God is everywhere, nearer than everyone’s own jugular vein and always within reach.