Class 2 – Belief in Allah
Class 2
‘Belief in Allah’
The Belief in Allaah Comprises Four Matters:
- The Belief in The Existence of Allaah
- Belief in Allaah’s Ruboobiyyah
- Belief in Allaah’s Worship (Uloohiyyah)
- Belief in Allaah’s Names and Sifaat (Attributes)
I. The Belief in The Existence of Allaah
The evidence for the existence of Allaah is established by:
i) Fitrah.
ii) Reasoning.
iii) Ash-Shar’a.
iv) Al-Hiss
Pertaining To The Proof of The Fitrah:
Every creature has been created in a state of belief in his Creator without preceding thought or education. No one dissuades from what is necessitated by this Fitrah (i.e. the belief in Allaah), except the one whose heart has been subjected to what averts it from its (natural course of) Fitrah, as the Prophet ﷺ explained when he said: “Each child is born in a state of “Fitrah”, but his parents make him a Jew or a Christian.” (Bukhari)
The Evidence of “Reasoning”
All of the creatures, the first and the subsequent ones, must have a Creator Who brought them to existence because they neither can bring themselves into existence, nor they could have come to exist by coincidence! The creatures could not have brought themselves to existence because a thing does not create itself-since prior to its existence it was nothing. So how could it be a Creator? And it cannot accidentally bring itself into being, because every occurrence (novelty, etc.) must need an originator. Also because its existence in such highly magnificent order and homogenous coordination, and due to the coherent relationship between the means and their causes, and the creatures with one another, it is rather absolutely impossible that its very being is coincidental. (In fact), what is (believed) to exist as a result of coincidence does not follow an ordered pattern at the beginning of its existence. So how could it remain to be ordered during its course of survival and development?
So, if it is impossible that the creatures have either brought themselves into existence or that they came to exist by coincidence, then it becomes evident that they must have a Creator, and He is Allaah, the Rabb of the Worlds.
Allaah stated the above rational and decisive proof in soorat at-Tur, Saying: “Were they created by nothing, or were they themselves the creators?” [Qur’aan 52:35], which means that they were neither created without a Creator, nor they were the creators of themselves.
The Al-Shar’a: Evidence For The Existence of Allaah
Al-Shar’a is evidence for the existence of Allaah because all of the revealed Scriptures state so. The Laws that address the welfare of creation and which are provided by these Scriptures, constitute evidence that they came from an All-Wise Rabb Who knows about the welfare and interests of His Creation. The information about the universe brought forth by the Scriptures and whose manifestation testifies for their truthfulness, is a proof that they came from the (One) Rabb Who is Able to bring into being whatever He already informed about.
Al-Hiss: The “Physical”
Evidence For The Existence of Allaah Comprises Two Aspects:
One of them is that we hear and witness (Allaah’s) response to the call of those who supplicate and those who are distressed and grieved. This constitutes an unequivocal evidence for the existence of Allaah. He says:
- And (remember) Noah, when he cried (to Us) aforetime. We listened to his invocation. (21:76).
- (Remember) when you sought help of your Rabb and He answered you. (Qur’aan 8:9).
The second aspect is that the Signs of the Prophets which are called Mu’jizaat (Miracles) and which people see or hear about, constitute an irrevocable evidence for the existence of the One who dispatched them: that is Allaah.
Certainly these matters (Mu’jizaat) are beyond the capability of mankind and that Allaah manifests them to help and support His Messengers. For example, the splitting of the sea for Musa A.S. Or the bringing the dead to life by Isa A.S. or the splitting of the moon by Prophet Mohammad ﷺ.
All of these physical signs (miracles) which Allaah puts into effect to help and support His Messengers constitute an irrevocable proof for His Existence.
II. Belief in Allaah’s Ruboobiyyah
This means to believe that Allaah is the only Rabb without a partner or a helper. The Rabb is the One to Whom belongs the Creation, Kingdom, and Command; Their is no Creator but Allaah; No Maalik (Possessor) except Him31, and there is no Command but His. He, Most High, says:
- His is the Creation and Commandment. (Qur’aan 7:54).
- “Such is Allaah your Rabb; His is the kingdom. And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own not even a Qitmeer (the thin membrane over the date-stone).” (Qur’aan 35:13).
The Mushrikeen used to acknowledge the Ruboobiyyah of Allaah despite committing Shirk.
III. Belief in Allaah’s Worship (Uloohiyyah)
It is the belief that Allaah alone is the true Ilaah who has no partner or associate. The Ilaah means al-Ma’looh i.e. al-Ma’bood, the only true God who deserves to be worshipped out of love and magnification. Allaah said:
- And your Ilaah is one Ilaah, Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (There is no true God worthy of worship but He), ar-Rahmaan (Whose Mercy encompasses everything), the Most Merciful. (Qur’aan 2:163).
- Allaah Bears witness that Laa Ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), and the angels, and those having knowledge (also give this witness); (He is always) maintaining His creation in Justice. Laa ilaaha illa Huwa, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. (Qur’aan 3:18).
The Mushrikeen, however, refused and set up gods as rivals to Allaah, worshipping them besides Allaah, and seeking their support and help. Allaah invalidated their acts by two proofs:
First: There is not any Divine Quality in the gods they worshipped besides Allaah. These gods are created and cannot create and extend neither benefit to their worshippers nor can they ward off harm from them; they can neither give them life, nor cause their death; they possess nothing from the heavens and have no share in it.
“Do they attribute as partners to Allaah those who created nothing but they themselves are created? No help can they give them, nor can they help themselves.” (Qur’aan 7:191-192).
If this is the situation with those gods, then worshipping them as gods besides Allaah is the utmost of foolishness and falsehood.
Second: Those Mushrikeen used to confess that Allaah Alone is Ar-Rabb, Al-Khaaliq (Creator) in Whose Hand is the Sovereignty of everything and He protects all, while against Whom there is no protector.
This (confession) necessitates that they should have attested that He is the Only True Ilaah worthy of Uloohiyyah as they have done with His Ruboobiyyah (when they took Him as their only true Rabb).
And if you ask them who created them, they will surely say: “Allaah.” How then are they turned away (from the worship of Allaah, Who created them)? (Qur’aan 43:87).
IV. Belief in Allaah’s Names and Sifaat (Attributes)
It means to affirm the Names and Attributes which Allaah affirmed to Himself in His Book and in the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ in the way that best fits Him without
- Tahreef (distortion of the meaning),
- Ta’teel (negating the meaning),
- Takyeef, (assigning a manner to any attribute), or
- Tamtheel (drawing parallels to Allaah).
Allaah said: “And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allaah, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against) His Names. They will be requited for what they used to do”. (Qur’aan 7:180).
Two sects went astray regarding this matter
The First Sect: Al-Mu’atilah, who negated all or some of Allaah’s
Names and Attributes claiming that affirming Allaah’s Names and Sifaat necessitates Tashbeeh (drawing similarities between Allaah and His creation)!
The second sect: The Mushabbiha who affirm Allaah’s Names and
Attributes but make Tashbeeh (draw similarities) between Allaah and His Creation, claiming that this is what is necessitated by the meaning of the texts on the ground that Allaah addresses the ‘Ibaad (mankind) according to their understanding!
The belief in Allaah according to what we have described above yields great benefits to the believers:
- The true manifestation of the Tawheed of Allaah such that there is no attachment to other than Him in hope, fear, and worship.
- The perfect Love, Magnification and Exaltation of Allaah as obligated by His Most Beautiful Names and Sublime Attributes.
- Manifesting our worship of Him by doing what He commands and avoiding what He forbade.
We will study about the promises of Allah to the believers in the upcoming classes.
Please join our free online certificate course “RELATION WITH ALLAH”, to learn more about His, Rights, what Allah loves in us and what He dislikes, His promises & ways yo get closer to Him. https://learn-islam.org/relationship-with-allah (available online now, register and learn).
Note this is not part of the course, it is an independent course that can be done at your own pace and at your own convenience.
TIPS OF TEST
- Do not have to memorise the ayahs or hadeeths word for word and their references, but remember their meanings and the msg being given.
- Remember what comprises of belief in Allah.
- Remember the rules of Asma Was Siffat.