The Islamic perception of Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ)

There are 3 states of certitude (certainty - يقين) about a thing, as follows.

(i) 'Certitude of knowing' (علم اليقين)

Like we know that fire burns, this is 'certitude of knowing' (علم اليقين).

(ii) 'Certitude of Seeing'(عينُ اليقين)

Suppose we have seen something burning in fire, this is 'Certitude of Seeing' (عينُ اليقين).

(iii) 'Certitude of Realizing' (حقُّ اليقين)

Suppose, our finger was burnt accidentally, this is 'Certitude of Realizing' (حقُّ اليقين).

Most of the Muslims only know about Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ). Their faith in Him is limited to 'Certitude of Knowing' (علم اليقين). They do not see Him or Realize Him.

HOW TO SEE AND REALIZE ALLAH (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ)

Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) is eternal and manifest/apparent. He is there from the beginning and will be there when everything in this Cosmos will vanish.

It is in Quran - هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ [ He is the First, and the Last, He is the Manifest (apparent) and the Immanent (hidden and actually present through out the material world) and He knows about all the things.] (Al-Hadeed – 3).

It is in Quran - وَهُوَ اللَّهُ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَفِي الْأَرْضِ يَعْلَمُ سِرَّكُمْ وَجَهْرَكُمْ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تَكْسِبُونَ [ He is Allah who is manifest in the heavens and the earth. He knows all your secrets and disclosures and knows about all your deeds. ] (Al-An'aam - 3)

It is in Quran كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ - وَيَبْقَىٰ وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ [All that there is in the Cosmos shall vanish. The Countenance (stand alone) of your Lord (by Himself) shall endure, the Lord of Majesty and Glory’. (Ar-Rahman – 26-27).

What is the purpose of our creation?

The answer is provided by Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) Himself.

It is in Hadith - [ The Apostle of Allah (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) stated that Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) said : كنت كنزاً مخفياً فأحببت أن أعرف فخلقت الخلق [ I was a Hidden Treasure; then I wanted to be known; therefore, I created the creatures. ]

It is in Quran وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ [ And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.] (Adh-Dhaariyat - 56)

The contents and meaning of the above Quranic verse and Hadith are exactly the same.

The above Hadith-e-Qudsi is very popular. However, its chain of transmission is not recorded by Hadith scholars. Since the contents of the Hadith are Sahih, and do not contradict with Quran, it is widely accepted by Muslims as authentic.

Three things have been mentioned in the above Hadith, as follows.

(i) Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) was a Hidden treasure (كنزاً مخفياً).

We only came to know about Him after our creation. Before that He was known to Himself.

(ii) He wanted to be known by His creatures.

(iii) Therefore, He created all that available in this Cosmos.

And the only purpose of our creation is to know Him and worship Him.

What is meaning of 'Hidden Treasure' (كنزاً مخفياً)?

The first understanding of Allah’s (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) Existence, which is referred to as 'Hidden Treasure' in the above Hadith is clearly described in the Quran.

It is in Quran - قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ - اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ - لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ - وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ [ Say (O’ Prophet ﷺ) Allah is one. Allah is independent. He does not have children. Nobody has given birth to him. Nobody can match Him or equal Him.] (Al-Ikhlas - 1- 4).

Everything in the Cosmos, every existence in the Cosmos is dependent upon Allah's (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) Existence or His Being. Everything is derived from Him. The support of His existence has the capacity to manifest/appear in limitless shapes and forms in consideration with the individual facts and natures of His creatures. All shapes and forms and bodies in this Cosmos are His creatures and the source and origin of these creatures is Allah's Unity (ذاتِ الہى) who is our Lord and Lord of the worlds (رب العالمين).

Does it mean that everything is God or God is in everything?

No, everything is His creature. The source of all creatures is Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ).

There is difference between 'the manifestation of the Being' and 'Divinity of the Being (Uloohiyat - اُلوہيت)'. Divinity is the attribute of Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ), who is the 'essence of all existence' in the Cosmos. The Shapes and forms in this cosmos are, though supported by His Being, or we can say manifestations of His Being, but are all creatures. No shape, no body and no form in this Cosmos is Divine or worshipable. Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ), the creator of all these shapes and forms, is the real worshipable God.

We are creatures and our attribute is ‘servant hood’. You, we or anything in this cosmos, though is the manifestation of His Being, but not God. Divinity cannot be associated with any shape or form or body in this Cosmos. Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) cannot be confined into a Shape or Form. He is free from all such limitations.

This is denoted in Islamic Testimony (Kalima Tayyiba) - لا اله الا الله محمد رسول الله [There is no God, but Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ), and Mohammed (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) is the Apostle of Allah. ]

We are born, we grow old and die. Similar is the case with planets, trees and everything in this cosmos.

It is in Quran - كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْهَا فَانٍ - وَيَبْقَىٰ وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ [All that there is in the Cosmos shall vanish. The Countenance (stand alone) of your Lord (by Himself) shall endure, the Lord of Majesty and Glory’. (Ar-Rahman – 26-27).

All things in this cosmos remain for a specific period and vanish. If they were all gods, or divinity was associated with them, they would have lived indefinitely.

WHO ARE CREATURES?

From the tiny invisible particles (like proton, electron) to the mighty stars and heavens, everything is known to Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) prior to their creation. He created them with His prior knowledge. Individual facts of these creatures along with their individual characteristics were their in Allah’s (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) knowledge.

When Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) wants to create a thing, He looks at its ‘fact’ which is there in His knowledge and commands ‘Be’, and there it comes into existence. This is external existence of that fact (thing).

It is in Quran - إِنَّمَا قَوْلُنَا لِشَيْءٍ إِذَا أَرَدْنَاهُ أَن نَّقُولَ لَهُ كُن فَيَكُونُ [A thing We want to create, We only say 'Be', and there it is (it comes into existence)] (An Nahl - 40)

Before the command of ‘Be’, the things were in internal existence or in Allah’s (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) knowledge as individual facets of His Knowledge. Internal or external existence, both are within the Knowledge of Almighty. Nothing can come out of Allah's Unity.

What is the meaning of the following verses?

It is in Quran - فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي فَقَعُوا لَهُ سَاجِدِينَ [ (When Adam's عليه السلام body was created, Allah says) I breathed something (into it) out of My Soul.] (Al-Hijr – 29).

It is in Quran - وَإِذْ تَخْلُقُ مِنَ الطِّينِ كَهَيْئَةِ الطَّيْرِ بِإِذْنِي فَتَنفُخُ فِيهَا فَتَكُونُ طَيْرًا بِإِذْنِي [(Allah says to Isa – عليه السلام) And when you make a bird-like shape from the mud and blow into it your breath and it gets to life on My behest.] (Al-Ma’ida – 110).

The meaning of the above verses is giving life or external existence.

What is the meaning of giving life?

It is the reflection of Allah’s (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) Being on the fact of the creature. No sooner the command of ‘Be’ is given, the thing appears in a specific shape.

What is the meaning of reflection of Allah’s (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) Being?

It is in Quran - هُوَ الظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ [He is the Manifest (apparent) and the Immanent (hidden - but actually present through out the material world) and He is the knower of all things ’ . (Al-Hadeed – 3).

The reflection of Allah’s (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) Being means, the connection of the fact of the creature with Allah’s (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) potentiality/attribute of being ‘Apparent’.

Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) is Manifest (apparent). When He reflects this potentiality on the fact of a creature, it also becomes apparent or it comes into life (for a specific period of time). This is the reason our world is known as ‘the World of Manifestation ' ( Aalam-e-Shahadat - عالمِ شہادت).

In our external existence, we are not separated from His Being. We are apparent within His knowledge. Allah's (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) is knowledgeable and His Knowledge is His attribute, therefore, cannot be separated from Him.

The World of Manifestation (or our physical world) is made up of matter. To appear in this world, we needed bodies of matter, which were provided to us.

After our death, these bodies have to remain here. This is the reason our bodies are buried under the ground in this world. Later they get decomposed and become part of earth.

Why the things are seen by us only in external existence and not seen when they are in Allah’s (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) knowledge in internal existence?

When Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) commands ‘Be’ to a fact, a contact with Allah’s potentiality of being ‘Apparent’ is established and we become noticeable.

We will explain it by an example. When we look at a thing, the light gets reflected from that thing into our eyes and we see that thing. If it is dark, we cannot see that thing.

Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) is eternal and manifest (apparent). When Allah's Being reflects on the fact of a thing, it also gets manifest and apparent.

Our facts in Allah’s (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) knowledge before our creation can be seen only by Him. No one has access to see those facts, except Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ). Even in their external existence, many things are not known to us which is described as 'Knowledge of Unseen' (علمِ غيب).

It is in Quran - وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِ إِلَّا بِمَا شَاءَ [ And they (Humans) will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. ] (Al-Baqara – 255).

The whole cosmos is not separately or independently existing on its own. Every moment, every instant, we require Allah’s (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) assistance to survive.

It is in Quran - لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ [ No slumber can seize Allah nor sleep.] (Al-Baqara – 255).

It is His perpetual attention towards us that keeps us going. His Unity is encircling us from all sides. No one is outside the circle of His knowledge. This is the meaning of the following verses and Ahadith.

(i) It is in Quran - وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ [And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.] (Qaf - 16)

(ii) It is in Quran - وَفِي أَنفُسِكُمْ ۚ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ [ And His signs are in your own self, will you not then see. ] (Adh-Dhariyat - 21)

(iii) It is in Quran -- وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ [ Wherever you are, He is with you.] (Al-Hadid - 4).

(iv) It is in Quran - فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ [ Whichever side you turn, you will find Allah. ] (Al-Baqara - 115)

(v) It is in Hadith - Abdullah (رضئ اللہ تعالی عنہ) narrated that the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) said : 'Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) is not hidden from you'. (Bukhari)

(vi) It is in Hadith - - Allah's Apostle (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) was asked 'What is Ihsan?' He (the Prophet ﷺ) replied, 'Ihsan is to pray seeing Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ), and if you are unable to see Him (unable to focus your attention towards Him because of our too much attention on worldly things), know it well that He is seeing you.' (Bukhari, Muslim - part of the Hadith).

Who can see and realize Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) in this world?

One who considers the Unity of Allah (ذاتِ الہى) as the source of all manifestation, and considers the real source to be the Unity of Allah (ذاتِ الہى) and gains Allah’s (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ) visualization in such a way that he considers himself a place of manifestation of the Being and sees the reflection of His Being (وجودِ الہى) on the facts of creatures; certainly he recognizes his Sustainer (رب). The one who recognizes Allah (عَزَّ وَجَلَّ), his physical eyes get suspended, and the eyes of his heart get activated and he sees and realizes his Lord all the time.

Who taught us this knowledge? Prophet Mohammad (صلى الله عليه و آله وسلم) has taught us everything. فداك ابي و امي و انا واهلِ يا رسول الله