Why Does Allah (swt) Refer to Himself as We/He?

We already know Allah our lord is One. As in Surah al-Ikhlas 112:1-4. But why does Allah the Lord use the word “We” to refer to Himself in many verse or ayat in the Qur’an? For example He says in Surah al-Anbiya’ 21:107 “And We did not send you (O Muhammad) except as a mercy to the world.” The word “we” is plural, more than one. Why does Allah use “We” instead of “I” to refer to Himself?
Answer:
It is a feature of literary style in Arabic that a person may refer to themself by the pronoun nahnu (we) for respect or glorification. They may also use the word ana (I), indicating one person, or the third person huwa (he). All three styles are used in the Qur'an, where Allah addresses the Arabs in their own tongue.

Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, sometimes refers to Himself in the singular, by name or by use of a pronoun, and sometimes by use of the plural, as in the phrase (interpretation of the meaning):

"Verily, We have given you a manifest victory." [al-Fat'h 48:1], and other similar phrases.

But Allah never refers to Himself by use of the dual, because the plural refers to the respect that He deserves, and may refer to His names and attributes, whereas the dual refers to a specific number (and nothing else), and He is far above that." (See Al-'Aqeedah al-Tadmuriyyah by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, p. 75.)

These words, inna "Verily We" and nahnu "We", and other forms of the plural, may be used by one person speaking on behalf of a group, or they may be used by one person for purposes of respect or glorification, as is done by some monarchs when they issue statements or decrees in which they say "We have decided…" etc. [This is known in English as "The Royal We"]

In such cases, only one person is speaking but the plural is used for respect. The One Who is more deserving of respect than any other is Allah, the Glorified and Exalted, so when He says in the Qur'an - inna "Verily We" and nahnu "We", it is for respect and glorification, not to indicate plurality of numbers.

If an 'aayah (verse) of this type is causing confusion, it is essential to refer to the clear, unambiguous 'aayat (verses) for clarification, and if a Christian, for example, insists on taking 'aayat such as (interpretation of the meaning) "Verily, We: it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e., the Qur'an)…" [al-Hijr 15:9] as proof of divine plurality, we may refute this claim by quoting such clear and unambiguous 'aayat as (interpretation of the meanings): "And your God is One God, there is none who has the right to be worshipped but He, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful." [al-Baqarah 2:163] and "Say: He is Allah, the One." [al-Ikhlas 112:1] and other 'aayat which can only be interpreted in one way. Thus confusion will be dispelled for the one who is seeking the truth.

Every time Allah uses the plural to refer to Himself, it is based on the respect and honor that He deserves, and on the great number of His names and attributes, and on the great number of His troops and angels." (See Al-'Aqeedah al-Tadmuriyyah by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, p. 109.)

Alternate Answer:

This is a good question and one that Bible readers have also asked about. The term "We" in the Bible and in the Quran is the royal "We" - as an example when the king says, "We decree the following declaration, etc." or, "We are not amused." It does not indicate plural; rather it displays the highest position in the language. English, Persian, Hebrew, Arabic and many languages provide for the usage of "We" for the royal figure. It is helpful to note the same dignity is given to the person being spoken to in English. We say to someone, "You ARE my friend." Yet the person is only one person standing there. Why did we say "ARE" instead of "IS"? The noun "you" is singular and should therefore be associated with a singular verb for the state of being, yet we say, "are." The same is true for the speaker when referring to himself or herself. We say, "I am" and this is also in the royal plural, instead of saying, "I is."

When Allah uses the term "HE" in Quran it is similar to the above answer. The word "He" is used when referring to Allah out of respect, dignity and high status. It would be totally inappropriate to use the word "it" and would not convey the proper understanding of Allah being who Allah is; Alive, Compassionate, Forgiving, Patient, Loving, etc. It is not correct to associate the word "He" with gender, as this would be comparing Allah to the creation, something totally against the teaching of Quran.

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Who Created Allah (swt)? [Reply 2]

Consider the question: "Who created Allah?" The first premise underlying the question is that every thing (or being) known to exist in the world was created. The second premise is that Allah is known to exist in the world. So the conclusion is that Allah also was created...right?

Wrong, In fact, there are problems with the second premise as well as the conclusion. The point is that Allah does not exist in the world unlike material objects or physical beings. Allah's existence transcends the world of space and time, as it is He Who has created not only all the objects and beings of the world, but also all the laws of space and time governing material and temporal existence.

In other words, Allah is beyond the limits and constraints of space and time and so He is not subject to the physical rules and norms that determine the nature of things and beings in the visible world.

We can view the issue from another angle. If everything in the universe needs a cause, then Allah also needs a cause.

It is important to note here that everything in the universe has a beginning; it is because of this that everything needs a cause, whereas Allah does not have a beginning and He does not need a cause.

Einstein has shown that time is the fourth dimension contiguous with space. In other words, we live in a world that is a space-time continuum.

And as Allah is the Creator of time as well as space, He is not limited either by space or time, so He has no beginning in time. Therefore, He does not have a cause.

Also, there is enough evidence that the universe had a beginning. This can be shown from the laws of thermodynamics, the most fundamental laws of the physical sciences.

Now the question is: Is it possible to have a universe with a beginning, but without a cause?

The answer is obviously in the negative for the following reasons:

It is self-evident that things that begin have a cause. Indeed, no science is possible without the law of cause and effect, and the study of history would not make sense if causes do not lead to effects. What is more is that we cannot hold the absurd logical position that the universe created itself, because nothing comes out of nothing!

In short, to the question, "Who created Allah?" we can give this answer: By definition, Allah is the First Cause and the Uncreated Creator of all. For everything to exist or begin to be, a Ground of Being is necessary, and Allah is the Ground of Being. So without Allah, nothing can be, nothing is possible. So the question "Who created Allah?" is nonsensical; it takes us nowhere; it is a meaningless question somewhat like "What is the color of music?"

The second question you quoted is as illogical as the first one: "Can Allah create something He cannot destroy?" Or, it can be put this way: "Can Allah make a rock too big for Him to lift?"

There are many variations to this question, but they all present the same dilemma. If Allah cannot make a rock too big for Him to lift, then it proves that Allah is not all-powerful because there is something He cannot do. If Allah can create a rock that is too big for Him to lift, again it proves that He is not all-powerful because He cannot lift the rock!

Or as you put it, if Allah cannot create something that He cannot destroy, He is not Omnipotent. If He can create something that He cannot destroy, then again He is not Omnipotent!

Indeed, the question here is one of logical impossibility: Can an omnipotent God do anything and everything, including what is logically impossible?

Many religious people may think so; for them this is what omnipotence amounts to. Some Christians may quote the Bible:

With God all things are possible. (Mark 10:27)

and they maintain that we should never say, "God cannot do this or that."

There are people who say that God could bring about even logical impossibilities, such as creating a square circle. This alone is enough for us to reject any view that implies an absurdity. For example, can we assume at this moment, at this place that it is both day and night at the same time?

If we say "yes," obviously we are trashing logic and reason. We should be wise enough to accept the reliability of reason and logic here as elsewhere. Proper understanding and communication rest on the principle of non-contradiction — that no statement is both true and false at the same time. What could it mean if we are told that not only can God create logical impossibilities but also cannot create them?

If we do not presuppose the principle of non-contradiction in our discussions, it is difficult to understand what we were saying and what we mean to say. Therefore, accepting the principle of non-contradiction is crucial to any meaningful discussion. Further, it is hard to make sense of a God to whom the principle of non-contradiction does not apply.

The question above represents what we may call a false dilemma. It is based on a false premise, where people assume Allah's omnipotence to mean that Allah can do anything. But as a matter of fact, since Allah is Perfect there are things Allah cannot do because they imply some sort of imperfection. For example, He cannot lie, err, sin, or die because these actions are contrary to His nature. So, Allah will never act in a way that is contrary to who He is.

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Satanic Verses / Daughters of God?

Allegation: The orientalists allege that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was worried about the enmity of the non-believers in Makkah. In such a state of mind one day went to Ka`bah where he recited to the gathering of believers and non-believers Surah An-Najm 53 which is said to have been revealed at that time.

The allegation is that in the course of its recitation and when he uttered the verse 19-20 “Do you see al Lat and al `Uzza and the other third Manat?” Satan threw in the couplet “Those are the swans exalted; verily their intercession is to be expected”.

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, then completed the Surah and at the end of it went into prostration in accordance with the last verse. All those present there, the believers and non-believers also did so except an old Quraishi leader (Umayyah Ibn Khalaf or Al-Walid Ibn Al-Mughirah or Abu Umayyah) who raised a handful of dust and touched it with his forehead saying that would suffice for him. The Quraishi leaders are said to have given out as reason for their prostration themselves, by saying that now that the Prophet had recognized the position of their goddesses as intercessors with Allah, there was in fact no point of quarrel with him.

Afterwards, in the evening (some versions do not specify any time) Jibril came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and asked him to recite the Surah, which he did, still reciting the “satanic verses”. Jibril protested, saying that those were not what had been revealed. At this, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, became very sad and apprehensive of Allah’s wrath. Thereupon two separate passages, 17:73-75 and 22-52 were revealed in reassuring the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the “satanic verses” were repealed. The Quraishi leaders became angry and renewed their enmity and opposition with increased vehemence. Meanwhile the news of non-believers’ prostration reached Abyssinia in the form of rumor of their compromise with the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the Muslims returned to Makkah.

Reply: The story is so manifestly absurd and untrue that it ought to have been rejected outright as such and not recorded by the chroniclers and traditionalists. But since some of them have recorded it has often been cited as ground for its genuineness, rather than the obviously discrediting features of the story itself.

Imam Fakhr Ad-Din Ar-Razi correctly points out that those who have critically looked at the story have all rejected it as spurious on the grounds of its conflict with the clear testimony of the Qur’an, the rules governing the genuineness of traditions and the dictates of reason.

The Qur’anic evidence against the genuineness of the story is of three kinds.

There are a number of statements in the Qur’an that show that neither Satan nor anyone else could interfere in the process of coming of the revelation. Nor did the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, ever entertain any intention of making compromise with the unbelieving leaders, nor did he ever interpolate in the text of the revelation.

The passages cited as having been revealed as a sequel to the incident and for reassuring the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, prove to the contrary, showing that he had not made even the slightest move towards making a compromise with the unbelieving leaders.

The internal evidence of Surah An-Najm (53), in connection with the revelation of which the story has been foisted, goes against its spirit and purpose.

THE PASSAGES FROM THE QUR’AN THAT DIRECTLY BELIE THE STORY ARE AS FOLLOWS:

“If he (Messenger) were to invent any saying in Our Name, We should certainly have seized him by the right hand and We should then have surely cut off the artery of his heart"
[Qur’an 60:44-46]

“Say; It is not for me, of my own accord, to change it (the revelation). I follow naught but what is revealed unto me"
[Qur'an 10:15 ]

“No falsehood can approach it from the front, nor from the rear (i.e. neither directly nor indirectly). It is sent-down from Allah the All-Wise, the All-Praiseworthy.”
[Qur'an 41:42]

“We indeed have sent down the recital (the Qur’an) and indeed are its Protectors (from any interference).”
[Qur'an 15:9]

“In what way (We have revealed it), that We may make your heart firm thereby; and We have dictated it in stages.”
[Qur'an 25:32]

It is seen from the above that the Qur’an repeatedly assures that Allah has protected it against any possibility of being tampered with directly or indirectly, that it is not for the Prophet to change it or add to it anything. If he had done so, Allah’s severe punishment would inevitably and irresistibly have befallen him. These clear and positive statements directly contradict the story, which says that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, of his own accord or being deceived by Satan introduced something into the text of revelation. Not only that. The alleged interpolation violated the fundamental teaching of the Qur’an – monotheism (Tauhid) and thus constituted the offence of shirk which Allah warns elsewhere in the Qur’an that He shall under no circumstances forgive.

The story is thus quite contrary to the specific statements of the Qur’an and also to the tenor and purport of its entire text. As such the story is totally unworthy of any credence. This is not simply from a Muslim’s point of view, but also from true historian’s point of view.

The two passages of the Qur’an that are said to have been revealed as a sequel to the story are as follows:

“Indeed they were about to divert you from what We revealed to you, in order that you forge against Us something else, and in that case they would certainly have taken you as a friend. And had We not made you firm, you would almost have inclined towards them a little; and in that case we would have made you taste the double (punishment) in death; and then you would not have found for you as against Us any helper.”
[Qur'an 17:73-75]

These verses were revealed 11 or 12 years after the call to Prophethood.

“Never did We send a Messenger nor a Prophet before you, but that when he formed an intention Satan threw something in his intention; but Allah cancels what Satan throws in and then makes His sign prevail. Allah is All-knowing, All-Wise.
[Qur'an 22:52]

This verse was revealed during the 1st year of Hijrah.

A little careful look at them would at once show that their texts, far from supporting the story, do in fact contradict it.

The first passage shows that it was the unbelievers who attempted to induce the Prophet to making a compromise with them, not that he ever wanted it. The passage further states that Allah made the Prophet’s heart firm against such attempts of the unbelievers. The emphasis here is on the intensity of the unbelievers’ attempts, and Allah’s special favor upon the Prophet making him immune against such efforts and because of such special favor, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not incline towards the unbelievers even a little. Finally the above verse warns that, had the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, been guilty of slight inclination towards the unbelievers’ proposals, he would have been doubly punished by Allah.

It is strange that the orientalists mention the above verses revealed about 8 or 9 years after the alleged incident as assurance from Allah, because during this period so many major events had taken place, including the Hijrah.

The Internal Evidence of Surah An-Najm (53)

The Surah starts emphasizing that,

“He (the Prophet) does not speak out of his desire. It is naught but Wahy (revelation) communicated to him.” In verses 3-4. The Surah declares that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, has not gone astray, nor erred, nor does he speak out of his own desire, but what he gives out is only revelation communicated to him. It is impossible to think that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, would immediately add the alleged two verse within this Surah itself, thus contradicting the very essence of the Surah. Though there are over 15 versions of the allegation, all the versions agree that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, recited the whole of Surah An-Najm on this occasion and prostrated himself at the end of it.

The alleged verses as follows:

“Those are swans exalted. Whose intercession is to be expected.”

These alleged two verses do not fit in any place in the Surah. If we simply insert them after verse 19 and 20 they will read as follows:

“Have you then considered Al-Lat and Al-Uzza (two idols of the pagan Arabs)
[v.19]

And Manat (another idol of the pagan Arabs), the third?
[v.20]

Those are swans exalted. Whose intercession is to be expected.
[???]

Is it for you the males and for Him the females?
[v. 21]

That indeed is a division most unfair
[v.22]

They are but names, which you have named, - you and your fathers- for which Allah has sent down no authority. They follow but a guess and that which they themselves desire, whereas there has surely come to the Guidance from their Lord.
[v.23]

Or shall man have what he wishes?
[v.24]

But to Allah belongs the last (hereafter) and the first (the world)”
[v.25]

A simple glance shows that the alleged satanic verses shown in bold above do not fit in any place in the Surah An-Najm. The whole text from verses 19 to the end of the Surah has a unity and continuity on both theme and sequence. There is no giving-in on the question of intercession by anyone; no relaxation of the principle of individual and personal responsibility, no softening down of denunciation of the conduct of the unbelieving leaders and no room given to accommodating their attitudes.

The following additional information should be noted on this insinuation.

1 The story has come down in about a dozen varying versions and does not have a strong chain of narrators (Isnad). It is technically regarded as Mursal – i.e. its Isnad does not go up beyond the second generation (Tabi`un) after the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. One of the versions traces back to `Abd Allah Ibn `Abbas as eye-witness, who was born some five years after the alleged event was said to have taken place. Apart from this, all the persons in the Isnad have names who are considered weak, unreliable or unknown.

2. The report itself suffer from grave differences and disagreements in all the four essential respects, namely:

* The occasion of the incident;

* Nature of the Prophet’s alleged act;

* The wording of the alleged “satanic verses”- as many as 15 different texts;

* The effect or sequel of the alleged incident.

3. There are reports that say, more significantly, that while the unbelievers heard the alleged “satanic verses”, the believers did not at all hear them. All the versions unanimously show that no objection or uneasiness was expressed by any of the believers at the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, alleged utterance of the verses, nor to his alleged dropping of them subsequently. If such an unusual incident as the giving out of some compromising verses and their subsequent withdrawal had at all taken place, it would have been narrated by some of the many Companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

`Abdallah Ibn Mas`ud says that Surah An-Najm was the first Surah, which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, recited in front of a gathering of believers and non-believers at the Ka`bah compound. When he finished it and went into prostration, all those who were present, believers and non-believers also prostrated themselves. It is an acknowledged fact that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and the Muslims could not publicly and in a body perform prayer or recite the Qur’an at the Ka`bah before the conversion of `Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, and the revelation of Sura An-Najm took place after his conversion. Conversion of `Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, was a great gain to Islam.

4. The Qur’an has the stunning effect on every non-believing Quraishi who heard it and their leaders such as `Utbah Ibn Rabi`ah themselves had confessed to this. As such, the non-believers without realizing what they were doing would have gone to prostration as commanded in the last verse of the Surah, together with the Muslims. Since the Quraishi leaders prostrated themselves or made a show of prostration, they must have been pressed by their followers to explain their act. When they realized what they have done, they would have tried to find a justification for their unintentional act of abiding by the Qur’anic command.

5. The other fact that needs emphasizing in this connection is that the text of the so-called “satanic verses” was no new composition made on the occasion. It was an old couplet that the Quraishi pagans used to recite in praise of their goddess while circumambulating the Ka`bah. It is also to be remembered that the unbelievers used to create noise and disturbances whenever the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, or Muslims recited the Qur’an publicly. Therefore, it is very likely that when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, recited the Surah and mentioned al-Lat and al-`Uzza in the course of his recitation and in a denunciatory strain, some of the Quraishi unbelievers instantly interrupted and protested by shouting out the couplets. Significantly enough, some versions of the story clearly state that the “satanic verses” were uttered not by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, but by Satan or some unbelievers, and they specifically state that the Muslims did not hear it.

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Moon God?

The most fundamental belief that a Muslim has is that "There is only One God" the Creator, the Sustainer -- known in the Arabic language and by Muslims as Allah. Allah is not a foreign god, nor an idol. Millions of Arabic-speaking Christians use the same word for the Almighty. Open up the Arabic bible and see for yourself; the word 'Allah' is mentioned many times on the first page!

The fundamental pillar of faith in Islam is to testify that "there is no deity worthy of worship except the One True Almighty God" (in Arabic: "La ilaha ill Allah").

In the Qur'an, we read that Allah is Compassionate and Merciful. He is Kind, Loving, and Wise. He is the Creator, the Sustainer, the Healer. He is the One who Guides, the One who Protects, the One who Forgives. There are traditionally ninety-nine names, or attributes, that Muslims use to describe Allah's nature.

Some non-Muslims mistakenly believe that Allah is an "Arab god," a "moon god," or some sort of idol. Allah is the proper name of the One True God, in the Arabic language used by Muslims all over the world. Allah is a name that is neither feminine nor masculine, and it cannot be made plural (unlike god, gods, goddess, etc). Muslims believe that there is nothing in the heavens nor on earth that deserves worship except Allah, the One True Creator.

Islam is based on the concept of Tawhid, or Unity of God. Muslims are strictly monotheistic, and fiercely reject any attempt to make God visible or human. Islam rejects any form of idol worship, even if it is an attempt to get "closer" to God, and rejects the Trinity or any attempt to make God human.

"Say, 'He is Allah, the One;
Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
He begets not, and neither is He begotten;
And there is nothing that can be compared to Him."
Qur'an 112:1-4

In Muslim understanding, God is beyond our sight and understanding, yet at the same time "nearer to us than our jugular vein" (Qur'an 50:16). Muslims pray directly to God, with no intermediary, and seek guidance from Him alone, because "...Allah knows well the secrets of your hearts" (Qur'an 5:7).

"When My servants ask thee concerning Me,
I am indeed close (to them).
I respond to the prayer of every suppliant when he calls on Me.
Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me,
that they may walk in the right way."
Qur'an 2:186

In the Qur'an, people are asked to look around them for the signs of Allah in the natural world. The balance of the world, the rhythms of life, are "signs for those who would believe." The universe is in perfect order: the orbits of the planets, the cycles of life and death, the seasons of the year, the mountains and the rivers, the mysteries of the human body. This order and balance are not haphazard nor random. The world, and everything in it, has been created with a perfect plan, by the One who knows all.

Islam is a natural faith, a religion of responsibility, purpose, balance, discipline, and simplicity. To be a Muslim is to live your life remembering God and striving to follow His merciful guidance.

Have a read of: Crescent/Moon - What is its significance in Islam?

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Is Allah (swt) Forgiving, or Revengeful?

1. Allaah is most Merciful
The Qur’an says several times that Allah is the most Merciful. In fact all the 114 Surahs i.e. chapters of the Glorious Qur’an except for Surah Taubah chapter 9, begin with the beautiful formula, Bismillah-hir-Rahman-nir-Rahim, which means, "In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful".
2. Allaah is Forgiving
The Glorious Qur’an mentions in several verses including Surah Nisa, chapter 4 verse 25 and Surah Maidah, chapter 5 verse 74: "And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

3. Allah gives severe punishment to the deserving
Allah besides being Merciful and Forgiving is also strict in giving punishment to the deserving. The Qur’an mentions in several verses that Allah will give severe punishment to the unbelievers and rejecters of faith. He will give punishment to all those who disobey Him. Several verses of the Qur’an describe the various types of severe punishment that Allah will give in hell to all those who disobey.

"Those who reject our Signs, we shall soon cast into the Fire; as often as their skins Are roasted through, we shall change them for fresh skins, that they may taste the penalty: for Allaah is Exalted in Power, Wise". [Al-Qur’an 4:56]

4. Allaah is Just
The question is, whether Allaah is forgiving or revengeful? An important point to be noted is that Allaah besides being Merciful and Forgiving, He also has to give severe punishment to the deserving wicked or evil people, because He is also Just. The Qur’an mentions in Surah Nisa: "Allaah is never unjust in the least degree". [Al-Qur’an 4:40]

It is further mentioned in Surah Al-Ambiya: "We shall set up scales of justice for the day of Judgement, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least. And if there be (no more than) the weight of a mustard seed, we will bring it (to account): and enough are we to take account". [Al-Qur’an 21:47]

5. Example: Teacher forgives a student who copies in the examination
If during an examination, a student copies and the teacher who supervises in the examination catches the student red-handed, the teacher says that he is very merciful and kind and forgives him and allows him to continue copying. Those students who have worked hard for the examination will not call the teacher merciful and kind but will call him unjust. This merciful act of the teacher will encourage the other students to also copy. If all the teachers are merciful and kind and allow the students to copy then no student will ever study for examinations and all will pass with flying colours by copying. The theoretical results of the examinations will be excellent in which all the students will pass with first class and distinction but practically these students will be a failure in life. The whole purpose of the examination would be defeated.

6. This Life is a Test for the Hereafter
The life in this world is a test for the Hereafter. The Qur’an says in Surah Al Mulk: "He who created Death and Life, that He may try which of you is best in deed; and He is the Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving". [Al-Qur’an 67:2]

7. If Allaah forgives all and punishes none, who will obey him?
If Allaah (swt) forgives each and every human being and punishes no one, then why should the human beings obey the command of Allah (swt)? I do agree that no one will go to hell, but this world would become hell to live in. If all human beings are going to go to heaven then what is the purpose and use of the human beings to come to this world, this life cannot be called a test for the hereafter.

8. Allaah only forgives if a person repents
Allaah (swt) only forgives if a person repents. The Qur’an says in Surah Al-Zumar, chapter 39 verse 53-55:
"Say: ‘O my servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah: for Allaah forgives all sins for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

"Turn ye to your Lord (in repentance) and bow to His (will), before the penalty comes on you - after that ye shall not be helped."

"And follow the best of (the courses) revealed to you from your Lord, before the penalty comes on you - of a sudden, while ye perceive not!" [Al-Qur’an 39:53-55]

There are four criteria for repentance:
First, agree that the act is wrong.
Secondly, stop it immediately.
Thirdly, never do it again in future.
And lastly, compensate for the loss if caused to anyone.

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Who is Allah (swt)?

Allaah is the proper name applied to the true God who exists necessarily by Himself comprising all the excellent Divine names and attributes of perfection. Allaah is One and Unique. He has no son, no partner, nor equal. He is the sole Creator and Sustainer of the universe. Every creature bears witness to His Oneness, Divinity, and Ruboobiyyah, and to the uniqueness of His attributes and names.
His essence does not resemble the essences. He does not inhere in anything, nor does anything inhere in Him. "There is none like unto Him." He is the One, the Sole, the Indivisible. He is the Rubb [Lord] who accomplishes all affairs, Allaah is the Omnipotent and the Omniscient.

His knowledge comprehends in perfect manner all things, hidden or manifest. He is greater than can be encompassed by the knowledge of His creatures. He knows everything, and He is aware of all that takes place in the earth and the heavens. Allaah, the Supreme, is the Rubb of everything and has a free hand in disposal of all affairs.

His mercy encompasses everything. He is far removed from injustice or tyranny. He is wise in all His actions, just in all His decrees. His justice ensures order in the universe in which nothing is out of order.

There is no one to share His dominion, nor does He take an aide or supporter from His creatures. He is nearer to man than man's own jugular vein [Q 50:16]. Whenever a believer is in need or distress calls on Him, He responds.

Allaah has revealed His final Scripture, the Qur'an, to that last of His Messengers, Muhammed (SAW) who was responsible for conveying the Message of Islaam to mankind. He is the Exalted Allaah. Glory is due to Him.

Some of the biggest misconceptions that many non-Muslims have about Islaam have to do with the word "Allaah". For various reasons, many people have come to believe that Muslims worship a different God than Christians and Jews. This is totally false, since "Allaah" is simply the Arabic word for "God" - and there is only One God. Let there be no doubt - Muslims worship the God of Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus - peace be upon them all. However, it is certainly true that Jews, Christians and Muslims all have different concepts of Almighty God. For example, Muslims - like Jews - reject the Christian beliefs of the Trinity and the Divine Incarnation. This, however, doesn't mean that each of these three religions worships a different God - because, as we have already said, there is only One True God. Judaism, Christianity and Islaam all claim to be "Abrahamic Faiths", and all of them are also classified as "monotheistic". However, Islaam teaches that other religions have, in one way or another, distorted and nullified a pure and proper belief in Almighty God by neglecting His true teachings and mixing them with man-made ideas.

First of all, it is important to note that "Allaah" is the same word that Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews use for God. If you pick up an Arabic Bible, you will see the word "Allaah" being used where "God" is used in English. (Click here to see some examples of the word "Allaah" in the Arabic Bible.) This is because "Allaah" is the only word in the Arabic language equivalent to the English word "God" with a capital "G". Additionally, the word "Allaah" cannot be made plural or given gender (i.e. masculine or feminine), which goes hand-in-hand with the Islaamic concept of God. Because of this, and also because the Qur'an, which is the holy scripture of Muslims, was revealed in the Arabic language, some Muslims use the word "Allaah" for "God", even when they are speaking other languages. This is not unique to the word "Allaah", since many Muslims tend to use Arabic words when discussing Islaamic issues, regardless of the language which they speak. This is because the universal teachings of Islaam - even though they have been translated in every major language - have been preserved in the Arabic language.

It is interesting to note that the Aramaic word "El", which is the word for God in the language that Jesus spoke, is certainly more similar in sound to the word "Allaah" than the English word "God". This also holds true for the various Hebrew words for God, which are "El" and "Elah", and the plural form "Elohim". The reason for these similarities is that Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic are all Semitic languages with common origins. It should also be noted that in translating the Bible into English, the Hebrew word "El" is translated variously as "God", "god" and "angel"! This imprecise language allows different translators, based on their preconceived notions, to translate the word to fit their own views. The Arabic word "Allaah" presents no such difficulty or ambiguity, since it is only used for Almighty God alone. Additionally, in English, the only difference between "god", meaning a false god, and "God", meaning the One True God, is the capital "G". In the Arabic alphabet, since it does not have capital letters, the word for God (i.e. Allaah) is formed by adding the equivalent to the English word "the" (Al-) to the Arabic word for "god/God" (ilah). So the Arabic word "Allaah" literally it means "The God" - the "Al-" in Arabic basically serving the same function as the capital "G" in English. Due to the above mentioned facts, a more accurate translation of the word "Allaah" into English might be "The One -and-Only God" or "The One True God".

More importantly, it should also be noted that the Arabic word "Allaah" contains a deep religious message due to its root meaning and origin. This is because it stems from the Arabic verb ta'allaha (or alaha), which means "to be worshipped". Thus in Arabic, the word "Allaah" means "The One who deserves all worship". This, in a nutshell, is the Pure Monotheistic message of Islaam. You see, according to Islaam, "monotheism" is much more than simply believing in the existence of "only One God" - as seemingly opposed to two, three or more. If one understands the root meaning of the word "Allaah", this point should become clear. One should understand that Islaam's criticism of the other religions that claim to be "monotheistic" is not because they are "polytheistic" in the classic sense, but because they direct various forms of worship to other than Almighty God. We will discuss the meaning of worship in Islaam below, however, before moving on it should be noted that many non-Muslims are unaware of the distinction between simply believing in the existence of only One God and reserving all worship for Him alone. Many Christians are painfully unaware of this point, and thus you often find them asking how Muslims can accuse the followers of Jesus, peace be upon him, of being "polytheists" when they were all "monotheistic Jews". First of all, it should be clarified that the word "polytheist" doesn't really sound right in this context, since to many it implies simply believing in the existence of more than one God. So in an Islaamic context, "associators", "man-worshippers" or "creature worshippers" might be more accurate and appropriate terms - especially since Christians believe Jesus to be both "100% God and 100% man", while still paying lip-service to God's "Oneness". However, as we're previously touched upon, what is really at the root of this problem is the fact that Christians - as well as the members of other religions - don't really know what "monotheism" means - especially in the Islaamic sense. All of the books, articles and papers that we read which were written by Christians invariably limit "monotheism" to believing in the existence of "One Sovereign and Creator God". Islaam, however, teaches much more than this.

Suffice it to say that just because someone claims to be a "monotheistic" Jew, Christian or Muslim, that doesn't keep them from falling into corrupt beliefs and idolatrous practices. Many people, including some Muslims, claim belief in "One God" even though they've fallen into acts of idolatry. Certainly, many Protestants accuse Roman Catholics of idolatrous practices in regards to the saints and the Virgin Mary. Likewise, the Greek Orthodox Church is considered "idolatrous" by many other Christians because in much of their worship they use icons. However, if you ask a Roman Catholic or a Greek Orthodox person if God is "One", they will invariably answer: "Yes!". This lip-service, however, does not stop them from being "creature worshipping" idolaters. The same goes for Hindus, who just consider their gods to be "manifestations" or "incarnations" of the One Supreme God.

Everyone should be aware of the fact that throughout the long history of the "Abrahamic Faiths", there have people who, while believing in "One God", have adopted beliefs and practices that completely nullify their claim to "monotheism". This is the Muslim view of Christians. We're well aware of the fact that they claim belief in "One God" with their lips, but this doesn't mean that they don't nullify their claim in other ways. This is because many people simply haven't been taught everything that Pure Monotheism entails. From an Islaamic point of view, "monotheism" can be nullified in many ways. For example, simply believing that it is permissible to rule by Western "liberal" and "democratic" laws in lieu of the Divinely Revealed Law of Almighty God makes one a "polytheist". Certainly, a person who does such a thing, whether Jewish, Christian or Muslim, doesn't ever believe that there is another Almighty Creator and Sovereign Lord. However, for all practical purposes, such a person has take another "god", whether they choose to admit it or not. In this way they are associating partners with Almighty God (Arabic: shirk), and thus become a "polytheist" in a practical sense, regardless of their lip-service to "monotheism". This holds true even if the person doesn't believe what they are doing is "worship". For example, Roman Catholics who pray to the Virgin Mary will staunchly deny that they are "worshipping" her. They instead call it "adoration" or some other watered-down term. However, from an Islaamic point of view, what is worship if not this? Islaam teaches that prayer and supplication are the marrow of worship, so if one directs their prayers to an intermediary (even if the pray is "ultimately" meant for God), then what is left of worship? Additionally, how can someone who believes in Almighty God follow man-made laws instead of God's Law, without admitting that they've begun worshipping other than God? Do they know better than God?

Additionally, the Old Testament makes it perfectly clear that making a "graven image" of any created thing (not to mention ones which are supposed to "represent" Almighty God) is prohibited. Please see Exodus 20:4-6, Leviticus 26:1 and Deuteronomy 4:16, 23, 25, 5:8 and Nehemiah 9:6 for some statements in regards to this point. Without addressing the issue that Christians commonly violate the unambiguous commandment not to even "make" representations of anything that is in the "heavens above or on the earth beneath", these verses not only teach that worshipping idols is prohibited, but also that Almighty God is eternally distinct from His creation and thus nothing in His creation can represent Him. To believe otherwise is to be a de facto idol worshipper - even if one claims belief in one, and only one, "True God". In Exodus 20:4-6 and Deuteronomy 4:16, Almighty God - who is a "Jealous God" - makes it perfectly clear that He is distinct from His creation.

By giving such clear and merciful guidance to human beings, God is establishing a universal and eternal Truth for the benefit of mankind. This eternal Truth is the bedrock of religious guidance, since once people begin to believe that Almighty God mixes with or can be represented by His creation, they can be duped into believing almost anything. Once someone accepts that God has become "incarnate" in His creation, or that someone or something is a "manifestation" - and thus representation - of Him, the floodgates are open and "Truth" becomes a matter of subjective guesswork. Once the first and most basic concept is violated - regardless of how complicated and sophisticated the rationale for it might be - it is very easy to fall further and further away from the Eternal Truth of Pure Monotheism. In the final analysis, it is not a question of whether God is capable of becoming a man, but rather a question of whether one bases their beliefs about God on clear, unambiguous and authentic guidance. Once it is left up to the human mind to decide what Almighty God can and cannot do, the stage is set for misguidance to take root. Human speculation about God only ends up leading to misguidance and despair, since no clear conclusions can ever be reached. For example, is God capable of creating an object so heavy that He is incapable of moving it? If not, does that mean that He is incapable? It is because of misguided questions like this that Islaam clearly teaches that mankind should only say about God what He has said about Himself. This means all of our ideas about God must be based on Revelation - not human speculation. In short, the final prophet of Islaam - Muhammad (saws)- was sent by Almighty God to preach the same Pure Monotheism that was practiced by Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus - peace be upon them all. This Pure Monotheism means not only believing that there is only One God in existence, but realizing that He is transcendent above His creation and that all worship is due to Him alone.

Before concluding, we should probably address the practice of those Muslims who insist on using the Arabic word "Allaah" even when speaking English. Even though this practice certainly is not to be condemned when it is done around those who understand the meaning of the Arabic word "Allaah", it is my experience that such a practice can (and usually does) breed misunderstanding. It seems that often times, many of the Muslims who use the word "Allaah" in lieu of the word "God", even when trying to attract people to Islaam, are unaware of the severe misunderstandings that many non-Muslims have about Islaam (and the distorted way which Islaam has been portrayed in the West). Insisting on using the word "Allaah" only fuels the flames of misunderstanding - so there's no good reason to do it. I've often wondered what value some Muslims think that using the word "Allaah" adds to the Pure Message that they are trying to convey. Unfortunately, those Muslims who insist on using the word "Allaah" even when addressing non-Muslims who are unfamiliar with Islaam and the Arabic language, do both a disservice to themselves and their religion. Unfortunately, this practice is usually based on the false assumption - by a non-native speaker of English - that the word "God" in English is incapable of expressing a pure and proper belief in Almighty God. This is certainly false. If someone says that the English word "God" cannot be used to express the Pure Islaamic Belief in Tawhid, they are wrong not because they don't understand Tawhid, but simply because they don't understand the English language. Many people who insist on using the Arabic word "Allaah" usually don't realize this, because in reality, they are not so much affirming the word "Allaah" as they are rejecting the word "God" as unsuitable - based on incorrect assumptions. For someone to assume that the word "God" presupposes a certain theological point-of-view (such as the Trinity) is simply Wrong - and that's Wrong with a capital "W". To say the word "God" should be rejected because it can be changed into "god", "gods" or "goddess" is illogical because each of these words has a distinctive meaning and a distinctive spelling - at least to someone who knows how to speak English correctly. Using the same logic, I can demonstrate that the root letters "ktb" can be used to form the Arabic words "kitab" (book), "maktabah" (library), "maktab" (office) and "kaatib" (writer), but does that mean that these words have the same meaning? Do Arabic-speaking people go through life confusing libraries with writers and offices with books (both in conversation and in reality)? I think not! This is not to mention the fact that if the Arabic "Al-" was put in front of these words in order to make them definite, confusion would be even less likely! So the logic in both cases is the same, and this is because even though the same letters are used in "God" and "god", these two words have two different meanings in the English language. The capital "G" implies something different than the small "g" - and anyone who denies this simply doesn't know how to speak the English language.

In concluding this point, it should be mentioned that Arabic-speaking Muslims who believe in Pure Tawhid, Arabic-speaking Christians, the idol worshippers of Mecca and (so-called) Muslims who believe in "Wahdat al-Wujud" all use the word "Allaah". However, does this guarantee all of them proper belief in "Allaah"? Certainly not, because if they have a corrupt concept of "Allaah" it doesn't matter what word they use!

This brings us to a more important point: It should be clearly understood that what Islaam is primarily concerned with is correcting mankind's concept of Almighty God. What we are ultimately going to be held accountable at the end of our life is not whether we prefer the word "Allaah" over the word "God", but what our concept of God is. Language is only a side issue. A person can have an incorrect concept of God while using the word "Allaah", and likewise a person can have a correct concept of God while using the word "God". This is because both of these words are equally capable of being misused and being improperly defined. As we've already mentioned, using the word "Allaah" no more insinuates belief in the Unity of God than the use of the word "God" insinuates belief in the Trinity - or any other theological opinion. Naturally, when God sends a revelation to mankind through a prophet, He is going to send it in a language that the people who receive it can understand and relate to. Almighty God makes this clear in the Qur'an, when He states: "Never did We send a Messenger except (to teach) in the language of his (own) people in order to make (things) clear to them." (Qur'an, Chapter 14 - "Abraham", Verse 4)

As Muslims, we think that it is unfortunate that we have to go into details on such seemingly minor issues, but so many falsehoods have been heaped upon our religion, that we feel that it is our duty to try to break down the barriers of falsehood. This isn't always easy, since there is a lot of anti-Islaamic literature in existence which tries to make Islaam look like something strange and foreign to Westerners. There are some people out there, who are obviously not on the side of truth, that want to get people to believe that "Allaah" is just some Arabian "god", and that Islaam is completely "other" - meaning that it has no common roots with the other Abrahamic religions (i.e. Christianity and Judaism). To say that Muslims worship a different "God" because they say "Allaah" is just as illogical as saying that French people worship another God because they use the word "Dieu", that Spanish-speaking people worship a different God because they say "Dios" or that the Hebrews worshipped a different God because they sometimes call Him "Yahweh". Certainly, reasoning like this is quite ridiculous! It should also be mentioned, that claiming that any one language uses the only the correct word for God is tantamount to denying the universality of God's message to mankind, which was to all nations, tribes and people through various prophets who spoke different languages.

Before closing, we would like everyone to be aware of the fact that some Christian missionary organizations print English literature intended to teach Christians about Islaam which say such things as: "Allaah is the god of the Muslims" and that "Muhammad came to get people to believe in the god Allaah" - implying that "Allaah" is some sort of false "god". However, when these same organizations print literature in the Arabic language, hoping to lead Arabic-speaking Muslims "to Christ", they use the word "Allaah" for God. It seems that if they were on the side of truth, they would not have to resort to such inconsistencies. And on an even more ridiculous note . . . there are also missionary organizations that exceed this in ignorance (or deceit) by writing books that call on Muslims to give up their belief in "Allaah", and instead worship the "Lord" Jesus, "the Son of God". Besides making it abundantly clear that they are outside the community of Pure Monotheism, the people who write such material don't even realize that if they wrote such a pamphlet in Arabic, it would be self-contradictory. This is because in an Arabic Bible Jesus is the "Son of Allaah"! If an Arabic-speaking person gave up the worship of "Allaah", they would have no God to worship, since "Allaah" is simply the Arabic word for God!

however, we would like to ask our readers to ask themselves what they think the reasons are behind all of these lies? If Islaam was just some false religion that didn't make any sense, would so many people, from Western scholars to Christian missionaries, have to tell so many lies about it? The reason is that the Ultimate Truth of Islaam stands on solid ground and its unshakable belief in the Unity of God is above reproach. Due to this, Christians can't criticize its doctrines directly, but instead make up things about Islaam that aren't true so that people lose the desire to learn more. If Muslims were able to present Islaam in the proper way to people in the West, it surely might make many people reconsider and re-evaluate their own beliefs. It is quite likely that Christians, when they find out that there is a universal religion in the world that teaches people to worship and love God, while also practicing Pure Monotheism, would at least feel that they should re-examine the basis for their own beliefs and doctrines.

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Who created Allah (swt)?

Once a close friend of mine, while beginning a Da'wah discussion with a rationalist in an atheist organisation in Bombay asked, "This is a pencil. How did it come into existence? It has to have a creator. This is a book. How did it come into existence? It has to have a creator." Thus by giving answers to his own questions, he proved that everything has a creator. He then posed the following questions: "If the pencil is created in a factory, who created the factory? The answer is an engineer or some similar person. Who created that engineer? There also has to be a Creator of this engineer. Similarly who created the sun, the moon, the stars, etc.? There has to be a creator for everything".
Then he posed the question, "Do you agree that everything has a creator?" The atheist replied, "We will agree only on the condition that you should not back out in future from your own statement that everything has a creator." My friend was satisfied. He thought he had succeeded in convincing him about God and said, "Yes I will stick to my statement that everything has a creator, but you still have not replied my Question: that who created the human beings, the sun, the moon, the stars, etc." He further helps him with the answer by saying, "It is God Almighty". The atheist replied, "We will believe in God if you tell us who created God." My friend got the biggest shock of his life. He knew he was trapped. He was so disturbed that he did not sleep for the whole night.

Next day, he narrated this incident to me. I realised that he was using the methodology of proving the existence of God advocated by some scholars. In this methodology, a very important rule of logic, i.e. self analysis, is overlooked.

During my talks, while proving the existence of Allah (SWT), I never make any statement saying everything has a creator. I start by asking the atheist, "Who will be the first to know the mechanism of an unknown object?" It is the atheist who replies the creator, the manufacturer, not I. Using his answer that the creator is the first person who knows the mechanism of any object, I further prove to him using scientific knowledge that the creator of the Universe, i.e. Almighty God is the first to know the mechanism of the universe and has mentioned it in his book ‘The Quran’. But if somebody was to pose me the same question that who will be the first to know the mechanism of an unknown object, I will not reply just by saying ‘the creator’ or ‘the Manufacturer’ but I will reply, that every object and all things which have a beginning, the mechanism of all these things will be first known by its creator, since they are all created things. Even after using this answer of mine, we can still scientifically prove that all the signs that we see i.e. the sun, the moon, the earth, etc. have a beginning.

Now if someone asks me the Question "Who created Allah?" I will reply that once my friend asked me a similar question that his brother Tom was admitted to the hospital and he conceived and gave birth to a baby: guess, is the baby a girl or a boy? It is an absurd statement. Only females can conceive and give birth to a baby. It is impossible for Tom, who is a male, to conceive and give a birth to a child. One of the qualities and characteristics of a male is that he cannot conceive and give birth to a child. Similarly one of the characteristics of Allah is that He is uncreated and does not have a beginning. Therefore asking a question, "Who created the uncreated?" is as absurd as asking, "My brother Tom conceived and gave birth to a child, is the child a girl or a boy?"

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Why is God called Allah?

1. A person can play around with the English word ‘God’:

Muslims prefer calling Allah (swt) as Allah, instead of the English word ‘God’. The Arabic word ‘Allaah’ is pure and unique, unlike the English word ‘God’ which can be played around with.
2. God + s = Gods:

If you add the alphabet ‘S’ to ‘God’, it becomes ‘Gods’, that is plural of God. Allaah is One and Singular. There is no plural of Allaah.

3. God + dess = Goddess:

If you add ‘dess’ to ‘God’ it becomes ‘Goddess’, that is a female God. There is nothing like male ‘Allaah’ or female ‘Allaah’. Allaah has no gender.

4. God + Father = Godfather:

If you add the word ‘father’ to ‘God’, it becomes ‘Godfather’. "He is my Godfather" i.e. he is my guardian. There is nothing like ‘Allaah Abba’ or ‘Allaah father’ in Islaam.

5. God + Mother = Godmother:

If you add the word ‘mother’ to ‘God’ it becomes ‘Godmother’. There is nothing like ‘Allaah Ammi‘ or ‘Allaah mother’ in Islaam.

6. Tin + God = Tingod:

If you put ‘tin’ before ‘God’ it becomes ‘Tin-God’ i.e. a fake God. There is nothing like ‘tin Allaah’ or ‘fake Allaah’ in Islaam.

7. Allaah is an Unique Word:

‘Allaah’ is an unique word, with which can neither conjure up a mental picture, nor can it be played around with. ‘Allaah’ is the name mentioned for the One Unique and True God, in the Qur’an. Therefore, Muslims prefer calling God, ‘Allaah’. But sometimes while speaking to non-Muslims we may have to use the inappropriate word ‘God’, for Allaah.

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