Nature of God
Allah is the Arabic word used by Muslims for God. Islam teaches that Allah is the one true God, and only Allah is worthy of worship. Allah is the supreme being who created and sustains the world. Therefore, Muslims believe he should be treated with the utmost respect and given praise.
Do they not see that Allah, who created the heavens and earth and did not fail in their creation, is able to give life to the dead? Yes. Indeed, He is over all things competent.
Tawhid
tawhidThe belief in the oneness of Allah. It is acknowledged in the First Pillar of Islam: There is no god but God. is the word used to express the Islamic belief in the oneness of Allah (God). Muslims believe that there is only one God, who is not divided in any way into parts: Allah Himself witnesses that there is no God except Him. (Qur’an 3:18)
Confirming that Allah is the only God is the first part of the ShahadahA declaration of faith that consists of the statement "There is no god except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." The First Pillar of Islam.. shirkThe sin of regarding anything as an equal or partner of Allah. (blasphemy) means believing in more than one God or holding up anything or anyone as equal to Allah. Muslims believe that shirk is the worst of all sins.
The characteristics of Allah
Muslims believe that Allah has shown 99 characteristics (sometimes called attributes) to human beings to help them better understand his nature, eg “He is Wise” or “The Great Forgiver”. Muslims call these attributes the 99 names of Allah. Some Muslims use subhah (prayer beads) when praying to remember these names.
Muslims believe that Allah is:
- transcendentThe belief that God is beyond the human and material world. Due to this, God cannot be fully understood by human beings. – Allah is above and beyond anything that exists in the world.
- Fair and just - Allah judges everyone equally.
- immanenceThe belief in many religions that God is immanent - ‘in the world’. God acted in history in the past and continues to be active today. - Allah is close to every human and within all things on Earth.
- omnipotentAll-powerful. - Allah is all-powerful.
- Beneficent - Allah is all-loving.
- Merciful - Allah shows compassion and mercyShowing compassion or kindness., and he forgives people.
Adalat in Shi’a Islam
For Shi'aMuslims, or Shi’ites, who believe in the Imamah, leadership of Ali and his descendants after the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims, AdalatThe idea that God is just. One of the five roots of faith in Shi'a Islam. is one of the five roots of Usul ad-Din (also called the five roots of faith or religion). Shi’a Muslims believe that because Allah is just and merciful, he created a world that would be fair and just to everyone.
Question
What do Muslims mean by the ‘99 names of Allah’?
Muslims believe that God has shown himself to have 99 characteristics, to help human beings better understand his nature.
