Who, What And Where Is Allah?


 The Truth Allah, God in Islam Abeer Eltahan

Allah

When one says Allah, he is actually addressing God by his glorious name. In fact, all Arabian Jews, Christians as well as Muslims use ‘Allah” in referral to The All Mighty the One and only God.  

Let there be no doubt that the three Abrahamic religions; Judaism, Christianity and Islam which are “monotheistic” in classification worship the same God of Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus (peace be upon them all). However, it is certainly true that all of them have different concepts about God and different ways of worshiping the All Mighty.

Who is “Allah”?

The most controversial and yet the most fundamental belief in Islam is “The belief in only one God Known as Allah”.     “There is no deity worthy of worship except the One True All Mighty God” (in Arabic: “La Ilaha Illa Allah”). But who is he really?

In Quran (The last revelation from God to us) Allah defines himself in many verses to his worshippers as follows:

Quran.com/2/255 –“Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber, nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursi (throne) extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great”. 

Quran.com/7/180 –“The Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah: So call on Him by them; but shun such men as use profanity in His names: For what they do, they will soon be requited”.

Quran.com/59/22–Quran.com/59/24–“He is Allah, than W hom there is “La ilaha illa Huwa” (none has the right to be worshipped but He) the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen (open).He is the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

He is Allah than Whom there is La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He) the King, the Holy, the One Free from all defects, the Giver of security, the Watcher over His creatures, the All-Mighty, the Compeller, the Supreme.

Glory be to Allah! (High is He) above all that they associate as partners with Him.  He is Allah, the Creator, the Inventor of all things, the Bestower of forms. To Him belong the Best Names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorify Him. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise”.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “To God belongs 99 names, 100 minus 1, anyone who memorizes them will enter Paradise; He (God) is odd (odd in number, he is the Only One), and He loves odd numbers (such as 99)” Sahih Muslim 6475

To know more about him


Allah is the supreme deity that Muslims towards whom direct their worship, servitude and utter obedience. To be a Muslim is to say with conviction “I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is His messenger” but do they know the true nature of him? They absolutely do not. The whole universe, what is in it and the magnificent order and unity of it are proofs on the existence of God but the nature of Allah is beyond human limited comprehension.

While Knowing Allah’s abilities and capabilities (as possible as can be for humans) are pivotal in establishing faith, the specific nature of him is out of human reach. These abilities and capabilities can be known only from Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) without adding, subtracting or false interpreting them.

Quran.com/6/102–Quran.com/6/104 –“Such is Allah, your Lord! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Creator of all things. So worship Him (Alone), and He is the Wakil (Trustee, Disposer of affairs, Guardian, etc.) over all things.

No vision can grasp Him, but His Grasp is over all vision. He is the Most Subtle and Courteous, Well-Acquainted with all things (expert in all affairs).

Verily, proofs have come to you from your Lord, so whosoever sees, will do so for (the good of) his own self, and whosoever blinds himself, will do so to his own harm, and I (Muhammad) am not a watcher over you”.

Quran.com/112 –“Say (Oh Muhammad): He is Allah, (the) One. Allah-us-Samad (The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, and He needs no one). He begets not, nor was He begotten; and there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him.“

Can i see him?

With his ‘Knowledge, All- hearing, All-seeing and Power’ He is nearer to a human than the jugular vein.

Quran.com/50/16 –“It was We Who created man, and We know what dark suggestions his soul makes to him: for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein”.

Quran.com/7/54 –“Certainly your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six yaum (days or periods of time), and then He Istawa (rose above) the Throne. He brings the night as a cover over the day rapidly, and the sun, the moon, the stars subject to His Command. Surely, His is the Creation and the Commandment. Blessed be Allah, the Lord of the universe!”

Logically; a creator is outside his creation, otherwise he would be a part of the creation of another creator. A carpenter is certainly not a part of the table he made. Is he?

Quran.com/57/4–“He is the One Who created the heavens and the earth in six yaum (days or periods of time), and then He Istawa (rose above) the Throne. He knows what goes into the earth and what comes forth from it, what descends from the heaven and what ascends up to it. And He is with you (by His Knowledge) where so ever you may be. And Allah is the All-Seer of what you do”.

Readings and sources:

http://www.answeringmuslims.com/2012/10/what-are-99-names-of-allah.html

http://www.godallah.com/where_is_god.php

http://www.missionislam.com/knowledge/whereallah.htm