God in Himself

The passages in the syllabus relating to God in Himself are: 2.255; 6.101–103; 41.37; 42.4– 5; 112.

Surah 2.255

Surah 2.255 says that God looks after all the Heavens and earth and no-one is required to look after Him. He doesn’t sleep nor get exhausted in what He does. Humans only recognize what He permits them. His throne is implicit as His majesty, uniqueness, knowledge, and having total power. The surah says: “…His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth…” (2:255, Al-Baqarah) It emphasises how He is the only one who can make conclusions about His creation, yet is transcendent, i.e. completely independent from His creation.

Surah 6.101–103

Surah 6.101–103 affirms that God is the only one to device the heavens and the earth. Everything originates with Him. Although humans cannot comprehend Him, He understands all in creation. He is the One who has the command to help humans, and He hears and sees all that they do. The surah mentions: “No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision…” (6:103, Al-An’am) Therefore they should adore Him and pray to Him to reward their actions.

Surah 41.37

Surah 41.37 describes that God generates and controls everything, in this verse specifically: the sun and the moon. The surah speaks: “Among His signs are the night and the day…” (41:37, Fussilat) The order and cycle of the sun and the moon are God's signs for humankind. They are signs of His power so only He should be worshipped and no-one is equivalent to Him. It is a annulment of paganism - the sun and moon are not to be deified.

Surah 42.4–5

Surah 42.4–5 states that the heavens are almost torn separately due to His prominence above them. He is the possessor of everything because He fashioned it, so humans must be cautious of His authority or rage over the risk of committing shirk. Everything in nature acclaims God including His angels. The surah verbalizes: “…and the angels celebrate the praises of their Lord…” (42:5, Ash-Shura) The angels pray for the guidance of humans on earth, as it is God who is the forgiving, the merciful.

Surah 112

Surah 112 explains God’s uniqueness in the most concise way and He is perfect in His attributes and action, therefore He is One and Only. It says: “Say: He is Allah, the one and only; Allah, the eternal, absolute; He does not beget, nor is He begotten; And there is none like Him.” (112, Al-Ikhlas) God does not give birth nor die nor leave any inheritance, so He does not have a beginning or end. He cannot have anyone equal to Him so He does not have any partners or any offspring, as He cannot share His uniqueness or authority with anyone.

Importance

The importance of theme of ‘God in Himself’ (Tawhid) is that it is the basic principle of Islam. It allows Muslims to learn and understand something about God in a way relevant to them. It shows how certain attributes that affect humans do not affect Him and it reinforces that He has the knowledge and power over all things. It asks humanity that only He can fulfil their needs, so Muslims should be careful to pray and fast, etc. to fulfil their obligation to Him, and turn to Him only. The Holy Qur’an refers to this as:

“…there is no god but He, the Creator of all things: then worship Him” (6:102, Al-An’am)

The theme also shows people that God also sees and hears all that humankind does, so Muslims should keep this in mind in all that they do and say. It further says created things are not permanent and they should realise they need to look to one God for their answers, rather than looking to created things for guidance, and also ponder on His signs. It further retells the point that God is Merciful, even when Muslims have committed wrong actions, so Muslims have someone to turn to in times of need. The Qur’an says:

“…Behold! Verily Allah is He, the oft-forgiving, the most merciful.” (42:5, Ash-Shura)

The importance of stressing the Oneness of God is so that people do not take other people or created things as their Lord, so they should not replace God with things alongside Him. The theme overall gives humans clarity and allows them to develop a relationship with God.