Aqidah 104

Life, knowledge, power, intention, hearing, seeing, speaking and creation, are all the perfect and complete Attributes and Qualities of Allah SWT. That is, every Muslim must understand and engrave in their hearts that Allah is Eternally Alive, Allah is Most Intelligent, and Allah has full Power and full choice. Whatever Allah does, is by His choice. Allah is All-Knowing and Most Knowledgeable. There is no atom or speck in this universe that is outside His knowledge or control; and nothing can be hidden from Him.

Allah listens to the voice and call of each and everything, whether they are in the heavens or in the earth. Allah even hears the sound of the movements of the smallest ant that moves beneath the seven earths. Allah hears the sound of the entire Universe - all at once and all at the same time. The sound of one thing does not overcome or interrupt the sound of another, in His hearing. Allah sees everything in the Universe - all at once, and all at the same time. No screen or darkness can ever separate Allah's sight from everything and anything. Allah can speak and is not dumb.

Allah is The Creator; that is - Allah has the ability and quality to create and bring things into existence from non-existence. Whoever He wishes, He gives life; and whoever He wishes, He gives death. To bestow honour or to disgrace is totally in Allah's Control. All these complete and perfect Qualities belong to Allah SWT alone, and it is for this reason that all the strange and wonderful things in this Universe bear testimony to Allah.

It is thus clear that all creation is not the work and craftsmanship of a some dead, ignorant and incapable thing, rather it is all the work of One Being that is Alive, Knowledgeable, Powerful and Most Wise. These qualities of life, of knowledge, of power, of intention, of hearing, of seeing, of speech, and of creation are also present in the creation. According to all intellectuals - these qualities in man are perfect. So, if these qualities were not perfect in the Creator, then how could it ever be in the creation? Allaah has placed a sign of these perfect qualities in man so that when he reflects upon himself then he will recognise his Creator. He will realise that these perfect qualities that are found within himself are merely a reflection of the perfection of Allah Ta'ala.

In actual fact, the qualities that are found in man are not even comparable to those found in Allah Ta'ala. The similarity is only confined to the words; and is far in actual reality. One should know that there are two types of qualities. The first type is intrinsic and the second is the practical form.The intrinsic qualities are those that cannot exist together with their opposites in one being - for example, knowledge and power.

Allah Ta'ala has these qualities in Him, and Allah does not have their opposite qualities - which are ignorance and weakness. That is, NA'UDZUBILLAH, we will never say that Allah Ta'ala is dead, ignorant, weak, helpless, deaf, blind and dumb; because these inferior attributes are all faults and shortcomings, of which the Being of Allah Ta'ala is free and pure.

The practical form of those attributes, which do exist in Allah, together with their opposites, which are in relation to others (i.e. their connection is with other things besides the Being in which they exist). For example, to give life and death, to bestow honour and disgrace, to grant sustenance and to take away sustenance, etc.; these qualities are such - where a Being can be described as having both the opposites at the same time. It is as though the quality of creation is the summary of all this and they are its exegesis. If Allah did not have this quality of creation, then this entire Universe and all its beauties, intricacies and wonders would not have come into existence. Allah Ta'ala says: "Indeed Allah's order is such that when He intends a thing, He merely says "Be" and it becomes". Allah is not in need of raw materials to create. From nothing, comes everything. Takween means to create merely by the use of the word "Be".