Surah 112 describes Allah

Surah 112 describes Allah:

[1] Say (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) "He is Allah, (the) One.

[2] "Allâh-us-Samad (Allah The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks)

[3] "He begets not, nor was He begotten.

[4] "And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him."

It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not the case with Allah. Allah is the personal name of the One true God. Nothing else can be called Allah. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word god which can be made plural, gods, or feminine, goddess. It is interesting to notice that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic.
The One true God is a reflection of the unique concept that Islam associates with God. To a Muslim, Allah is the Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing and nothing is comparable to Him. The Prophet Muhammad was asked by his contemporaries about Allah; the answer came directly from God Himself in the form of a short chapter of the Quran, which is considered the essence of the unity or the motto of monotheism. This is chapter 112 which reads:
"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.Say (O Muhammad) He is God the One God, the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, nor has been begotten, and equal to Him is not anyone."
Some non-Muslims allege that God in Islam is a stern and cruel God who demands to be obeyed fully. He is not loving and kind. Nothing can be farther from truth than this allegation. It is enough to know that, with the exception of one, each of the 114 chapters of the Quran begins with the verse: "In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate." In one of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) we are told that "God is more loving and kinder than a mother to her dear child."
But God is also Just. Hence evildoers and sinners must have their share of punishment and the virtuous, His bounties and favors. Actually God's attribute of Mercy has full manifestation in His attribute of Justice. People suffering throughout their lives for His sake and people oppressing and exploiting other people all their lives should not receive similar treatment from their Lord. Expecting similar treatment for them will amount to negating the very belief in the accountability of man in the Hereafter and thereby negating all the incentives for a moral and virtuous life in this world. The following Quranic verses are very clear and straightforward in this respect:
"Verily, for the Righteous are gardens of Delight, in the Presence of their Lord. Shall We then treat the people of Faith like the people of Sin? What is the matter with you? How judge you?"
Islam rejects characterizing God in any human form or depicting Him as favoring certain individuals or nations on the basis of wealth, power or race. He created the human beings as equals. They may distinguish themselves and get His favor through virtue and piety only.
The concept that God rested in the seventh day of creation, that God wrestled with one of His soldiers, that God is an envious plotter against mankind, or that God is incarnate in any human being are considered blasphemy from the Islamic point of view.
The unique usage of Allah as a personal name of God is a reflection of Islam's emphasis on the purity of the belief in God which is the essence of the message of all God's messengers. Because of this, Islam considers associating any deity or personality with God as a deadly sin which God will never forgive, despite the fact He may forgive all other sins.

[Note that what is meant above applies ONLY to those people who die in a state wherein they are associating others with God. The repentance of those who yet live is acceptable to God if He wills. - MSA of USC]
The Creator must be of a different nature from the things created because if he is of the same nature as they are, he will be temporal and will therefore need a maker. It follows that nothing is like Him. If the maker is not temporal, then he must be eternal. But if he is eternal, he cannot be caused, and if nothing outside him causes him to continue to exist, which means that he must be self-sufficient. And if the does not depend on anything for the continuance of his own existence, then this existence can have no end. The Creator is therefore eternal and everlasting: "He is the First and the Last."
He is Self-Sufficient or Self-Subsistent or, to use a Quranic term, Al-Qayyum. The Creator does not create only in the sense of bringing things into being, He also preserves them and takes them out of existence and is the ultimate cause of whatever happens to them.
"God is the Creator of everything. He is the guardian over everything. Unto Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth."

"No creature is there crawling on the earth, but its provision rests on God. He knows its lodging place and it repository."

The Oneness of God

The Quran reminds us of the falsity of all alleged gods. To the worshippers of man-made objects, it asks:

"Do you worship what you have carved yourself?"

"Or have you taken unto you others beside Him to be your protectors, even such as have no power either for good or for harm to themselves?"

To the worshippers of heavenly bodies it cites the story of Abraham:

"When night outspread over him he saw a star and said, 'This is my Lord.' But when it set he said, 'I love not the setters.' When he saw the moon rising, he said, 'This is my Lord.' But when it set he said, 'If my Lord does not guide me I shall surely be of the people gone astray.' When he saw the sun rising, he said, 'This is my Lord; this is greater.' But when it set he said, 'O my people, surely I quit that which you associate, I have turned my face to Him Who originated the heavens and the earth; a man of pure faith, I am not of the idolaters.'"

The Creation of Mankind

1. Verily We created man from a product ofwet earth (clay).

2. Then placed him as a drop (of sperm) in asafe lodging.

3. Then We fashioned the drop into a clot,then We fashioned the clot into a little lump, then We fashioned the little lumpinto bones, then clothed the bones with flesh, and then produced it as anothercreation. So blessed be Allah, the Best of creators!

4. Then Behold! After that you surely willdie.

5. Then, on the Day of Resurrection you willbe raised (again).

6. And Allah brought you forth from the wombsof your mothers knowing nothing, and gave you hearing and sight and hearts thatyou might give thanks.

7. He brings forth the living from the dead,and He brings forth the dead from the living, and He revives the earth after itsdeath. And like so you will be brought forth (from death).

8. And of His Signs is this: He created youfrom dust, and then, behold you are human beings, ranging widely!

9. And of His Signs is this: He created foryou mates from yourselves that you might find rest in them, and He ordainedbetween you love and mercy. Behold! Herein indeed are Signs for those whoreflect.

10. And of His Signs are the creation of theheavens and the earth, and the variations of your languages and colors. Behold!Herein indeed are signs for those who know.

11. And of His Signs is your sleep by nightand by day, and your seeking of His Bounty. Behold! Herein indeed are signs forthose who heed.

12. And of His Signs is this: He shows you thelightning for fear and for hope, and sends down water from the sky, and therebyrevives the earth after its death. Behold! Herein indeed are signs for those whounderstand.

The Creation of Heaven and Earth

0:Who has created the heavens and the earth,and Who sends down for you water from the sky? Yea, with it We cause to growwell-planted orchards full of beauty and delight: it never has been yours tocause to grow. Could there be another god besides Allah? Nay, but they arepeople who swerve from justice.

1. Or, Who has made the earth firm to livein, and placed rivers in its folds, and set upon it immovable mountains, andmade a barrier between the two seas (fresh and salt waters)? Could there beanother god besides Allah? Nay, most of them know not.

2. Or, Who answers the one distressed when hecalls unto Him, and Who relieves the harm, and makes you (mankind) inheritors ofthe earth? Could there be another god besides Allah? Little do they reflect!

3. Or, Who guides you through the depths ofdarkness in the land and the sea, and Who sends the winds as heralds of HisMercy? Could there be another god besides Allah? High is Allah above what theyascribe to Him!

4. Or, Who originates creation, then repeatsit, and Who gives you sustenance from heaven and earth? Could there be anothergod besides Allah? Say, " Bring your proof, if you are truthful!"

5. Say: None in the heavens or on earth,except Allah, knows what is hidden. Nor are they able to perceive when theyshall be resurrected (for Judgment).

6. Allah is He Who sends the winds which pushup the clouds. Then He leads them unto a dead land and revive therewith theearth after its death. Such is the Resurrection!


7. Have they not seen that Allah causes waterto fall from the sky? Then with it We produce fruit of various colors; and amongthe hills are streaks white and red, and of various colors, and (others) ofraven-black.

8. And so amongst men and beasts and cattle,in like manner, various colors. Verily those who truly fear Allah, among HisServants, are those endued with knowledge, and Allah is Exalted in Might,Oft-Forgiving.


5. Allah sends down water from the sky andtherewith revives the earth after its death. Verily in this is a sign for thosewho listen.


6. Have they not then observed the sky abovethem, how We have constructed it and beautified it, and how there are no riftsin it?

7. And We have spread out the earth, and haveflung firm hills therein, and have caused every lovely thing to grow thereon (inpairs).

8. A vision and a reminder for every repentantservant.

9. And We send down from the sky blessed waterwhereby We give growth unto gardens and the grain of crops,

10. And lofty date-palms with ranged clusters.

11. Provision (made) for (Allah's) Servants;and therewith We quicken a dead land. Like so will be the resurrection of thedead.

2. Allah is He Who raised the heavens withoutpillars that you can see, then mounted the Throne, and compelled the sun and themoon to be of service (to his Law)! Each runs (its course) unto an appointedterm. He regulates all affairs, explaining the revelations, that you may becertain of the meeting with your Lord.

3. And Allah is He who spread out the earthand placed therein firm hills and flowing streams, and of all fruits He placedtherein two spouses (male and female). He covered the night with day. Behold!Herein verily are signs for people who take thought.

4. And in the Earth are neighboring tracts,vineyard and ploughed lands, and palm trees, like and unlike, watered with onewater (the same water). And We have made some of them to excel others in fruit.Behold! Herein verily are signs for people who have sense.

Some Unmistakable Signs of the Creator

Allah said in the Quran:

53. We* (Allah) shall show them Our Signs onthe horizons and within themselves, until it becomes clear to them that it is the Truth. Is it not sufficient that the Lord is Witness over all things?

* One of the usages of 'we' in Arabicis for glorifying and indicating the greatness of a person. Here it indicates greatness and not plurality.

We live in an amazing universe. It is auniverse peculiarly balanced, and purposefully tempered as if to provide a safe host for living creatures.

According to modern astronomers, the universeis expanding. They hold that if gravity had been only slightly stronger, it would have overtaken expansion very early and caused the universe to collapse.Had gravity been slightly weaker, universe expansion would have become a runaway process, not allowing time for the formation of galaxies and stars.

If either of these had occurred, there would never have been an Earth on which creatures could live. This universe seems designed, even meticulously tailored to provide suitable conditions for living.If other basic ratios and constants had been just slightly different, the universe would not have been favorable to our existence.

If, for instance, the strong and weak nuclear forces were slightly stronger relative to the electromagnetic forces, hydrogen would not exist in its ordinary form. This would mean that heavier elements,such as carbon and oxygen - two of the essential building blocks of life - would never have existed.

The strength of gravity is crucial to the existence of life in the universe in another way. If it were weaker, then it could not crush the material in a star the size of the Sun with enough force to ignite its thermonuclear reactions. Only very massive stars would shine, and such stars would probably have too short lifespan to allow for the development of life.

These indications that the universe has been arranged to favor the appearance and survival of life has been taken very seriously by certain scientists. Prominent among them is astronomer BrandonCarter. Modern science estimates that it has taken 4 billion years for humanbeings to evolve from unicellular life forms. Carter has calculated that the average period for any evolution of this magnitude should take much longer -about 10 billion years. That is longer than the lifespan of a Sun-sized star,and much longer than the period of life-favorable conditions on Earth.
It would seem that intelligent life appeared on Earth despite its high improbability. We are again pulled towards recognizing the Creator.

THE SCIENTIFIC PROOF

Let us imagine ourselves standing in a laboratory stocked with beakers and test tubes containing all sorts of chemical compounds. Then suppose an earthquake has just occurred upsetting the shelved vessels, sending their contents spilling onto the laboratory floor. It would be a very strange coincidence indeed to find new life forms generating themselves where none had existed before.

You might say, 'Your analogy didn't account for time - these organisms need time to evolve.' We ask, 'How much time should we have allowed? Was there enough time since the beginning of the universe to allow for their self-induced formation?'

Let's hear from Swiss mathematician CharlesEugene Jai. In an experiment aimed at answering this very question, Jai set out to calculate the probability of the random formation of a single protein molecule. Jai 'helped' the situation by assuming the existence of formative elements, and by selecting a protein consisting of only 2,000 atoms (An averageprotein might consist of 32,000 atoms or more). Jai also assumed that the protein would consist of only 2 unique formative atoms.

He determined the value of probability byconsidering the size of the material and the time necessary for the random formation to occur. He calculated that the probability of forming even asimplified protein molecule was approximately 1 in 5 x 10 e+320 !

The size of the material necessary to produce that almost zero probability would have been a sphere with a diameter of approximately 6 x 10 e+176 miles - about 10 e+63 times bigger than the imagined size of the universe. Finally, the time necessary for the molecule to form was10 e+243 billion years. This was far greater than the supposed age of the universe - only about 2 billion years.

He concluded that the universe was neither old enough, nor big enough to allow for the random formation of even a simple protein molecule. It was impossible for the universe to have created itself, and for life to randomly form. We must then consider another course. There is aCreator who created the universe.

CAN IT BE THAT THE UNIVERSE CREATED BY IT SELF?

Virtually every human being has pondered thisquestion. Some answered by saying that the formation of the universe was merelya coincidence. Others felt there must be an unseen Creator. In what will follow,we will try to assist you in answering this question. Our approach will dependprimarily on the text of the Quran (the Word of Allah (i.e. God), inspired toProphet Muhammad ). We request only that you open your mind and read.

Allah asks in the Quran:

35. Were they created out of nothing? Or werethey themselves the creators?
36. Or did they create the heavens and theearth? Nay, but they are sure of nothing!


Most deny or ignore the existence of TheCreator because they cannot see Him. However, there are many things which we don’t see, but yet we believe in their existence. Further, most of us believe in creatures which exist yet undiscovered and undocumented.
Many reject the existence of The Creator, believing only in science and data gathered and confirmed by its canonicalmethods. But, on any given day, the same person might find himself in love, deep remorse or sadness. And while contriving the most complex and personal thoughts, he does not, at the time, suppose that his feelings are a random product of firing neurons. How can he then believe that the only distinction between acorpse and a living person is the absence of organ functionality. That we needonly revive his physical body to restore him to normality.