The Oneness of Allah
Allah, ta^ala said in the Qur’an:
{لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ ۖ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ} سورة الشورى 11
Laysa kamithlihi shay’.
Ayah 11 of Suratush-Shura means: {Nothing resembles Him (Allah) in any way.}
This means that Allah, ta^ala, does not resemble any of His creations.
It was related that a group of Jews came to the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, and said: “O Muhammad, describe to us your Lord Whom you worship.” Then Suratul-Ikhlas was revealed, and Prophet Muhammad said, “This is the description of my Lord.”
The questioning was with the intent of mockery and not to seek the knowledge.
The answer of the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, indicates that Allah is attributed with attributes, and just as Allah Himself does not resemble His creation, His Attributes do not resemble the attributes of the creation. Allah is attributed with all the proper perfection, and He is clear from all the attributes of imperfection.
Allah, ta^ala, said in the Qur’an:
{وَلِلّهِ الْمَثَلُ الأَعْلَىَ } سورة النحل 60
Wa lillahil-mathalul-a^la.
Ayah 60 of Suratun-Nahl means: {Allah has the perfect Attributes that are not similar to the attributes of others.} Everything other than Allah is created (i.e., this entire universe).
Allah is the only One attributed with Eternity. That is, Allah has no beginning and likewise His Attributes are eternal, without a beginning. The attributes of other than Allah are created; they change from one state to another. Allah is clear of change. He is the One Who creates changes in His creations, but He does not change. He is the One Who creates development in His creations, but He does not develop.
It is helpful to look at the following phrases to understand this subject of Tawhid (Creed).
| Allah is Eternal; He has no beginning. | All the creations have a beginning. Allah created them. |
| Allah is Everlasting; He has no end. | It is mentally possible for all the creation to end. |
| The Attributes of Allah are eternal and everlasting; they have no beginning or end. | The attributes of the creation are created. They have a beginning and it is mentally possible for them to end. |
| The Attributes of Allah do not change, develop, or transform, because those processes belong to the attributes of the creation. | The attributes of the creation change, develop, and transform from one state to another, because Allah is their Creator. |
| Allah is the Creator of the world and what is in it. He is the Creator of good and evil. He is the Creator of the actions of the slaves, and He is their Sustainer. | The creations do not create good or evil. They do not create any of their actions. The one who cuts an apple is not able to put it back together as it was. |
| Allah is One with no partners to Him. He is One in His Self, Attributes, and Actions. | The creations are of many different shapes and colors. Even the same kind of fruit can be either sweet or sour. Yet the creations still resemble each other in many aspects. |
| Allah is not a body; He does not have a size, and does not occupy space. | The creations have sizes and places in which they reside. |
| Allah does not need the creation. | The creations are in need of their Creator; they are in need of Allah. |
| Allah is the only One Who deserves to be worshipped. No one is God but He. | The creations do not deserve to be worshipped, because they are weak and are in need of their Creator. |
Imam al-Junayd, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “Tawhid is to differentiate between the Eternal and the created.”
