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1. Chapter title:
Philosophical and
Sociological Foundations
Course Instructor: Dr. Fouzia Ajmal
Topic: Concept of God in
Islam

2. Learning Objectives
After completing this unit students will be able to:
●Know the concept of God In Islam
●Understand the concept of God with reference of
Quranic verses.
●Highlight the significance of Allah’s Attributes in the
light of Quran
●Express the significance of God in the light of Prophet
hood and their preaching

3. Content
• Introduction
• Four concepts of God
• In Islamic theology
• According to Muslim theologians
• The names and character of Allah
• Attributes of Allah
• Relationship with creation
• Allah & Prophet hood
• The one God

4. INTRODUCTION
In Islam, Allah is seen as the creator and sustainer of the
universe, who lives eternally and will eventually resurrect all
humans. God is conceived as a perfect, singular,
immortal, omnipotent, and omniscient God,
completely infinite in all of his attributes. Islam further
emphasizes that God is most merciful. The Islamic concept of
God is variously described
as monotheistic, panentheistic,and monistic.

5. What are the four concepts of God?
Term Definition
Omnipotence God is all-powerful
Omniscience God is all-knowing
Omnipresence God is everywhere at all times
Omnibenevolence God is all-good or without evil
Monotheistic Deity: Terms & Definitions

6. In Islamic theology
In Islamic theology, Allah's transcendental nature means that
he cannot be compared to any natural entity or phenomenon.
because it is seen as a form of shirk (idolatry). He is described
in the Quran as follows: "[Allah is] the Creator of the heaven
and the Earth. He has made for you from yourselves mates, and
among the cattle mates; He multiplies you thereby. There is
nothing whatever like unto Him, and He is the One that hears
and sees [all things]" (42:11). Therefore, Islam strictly and
categorically rejects all forms of anthropomorphism
and anthropopathism of the concept of God.

7. According to Muslim theologians
According to mainstream Muslim theologians, Allah is described
as Qadim [ar] ("ancient"), having no first, without beginning or end;
absolute, not limited by time or place or circumstance, nor is subject to
any decree so as to be determined by any precise limits or set times, but is
the First and the Last. Neither do substances exist in him; neither is he an
accident, nor do accidents exist in him. Neither is he like to anything that
exists, nor is anything like to him; nor is he determinate in quantity, nor
comprehended by bounds, nor circumscribed by differences of situation,
nor contained in the heavens, and transcends spatial and temporal
bounds, and remains beyond the bounds of human comprehension and
perceptions.

8. The names and character of Allah
The Qur’an refers to Allah as the Lord of the Worlds. Unlike the biblical
Yahweh (sometimes misread as Jehovah), he has no personal name, and his
traditional 99 names are really epithets.
These include the Creator, the King, the Almighty, and the All-Seer. Two
important titles of Allah occur in a phrase that typically prefaces
texts: Bismillah, al-Rahman, al-Rahim (In the name of Allah, the
Compassionate, the Merciful).
Allah is also the Master of the Day of Judgment, when the good, especially
believers, will be sent to their heavenly reward, and the wicked, especially
unbelievers, will be dispatched to hellfire. Muslims claim to reject
anthropomorphic descriptions of Allah, yet the Qur’an describes him as
speaking, sitting on a throne, and having a face, eyes and hands.

9. Conti….
Nothing can ever happen unless it is caused or at least
permitted by Allah, so when making plans of any kind,
Muslims typically say in sha‘ allah (God willing).
If matters go well, one says ma sha‘ allah (Whatever Allah
wills), but in any event one can say al-hamdu li-
llah (Thanks be to Allah). In their prayers and on other
occasions (including battles and street protests), Muslims
declare that Allah is the greater than anything else (Allahu
akbar).

10. Attributes of Allah
Oneness
Main articles: Tawhid and Tanzih
Islam's most fundamental concept is a strict monotheism
called tawhid, affirming that God is one and Tanzih (wāḥid).
The basic creed of Islam, the Shahada (recited under oath to
enter the religion), involves ‫ه‬ َٰ‫ا‬
‫ٱَلل‬ ‫ا‬
‫َل‬ِ‫إ‬ ‫ا‬‫ه‬َٰ‫ا‬‫ل‬ِ‫إ‬ ‫ا‬
‫َل‬
‫ا‬‫أن‬ ‫ه‬‫د‬‫ا‬‫ه‬ْ‫ش‬‫ا‬‫أ‬
( āšhadu ānnā lā
ʾilāha ʾilla llāh), or "I testify there is no deity other than God."
Tawhid constitutes the foremost article of the Muslim
profession. The deification or worship of anyone or anything
other than God (shirk) is the greatest sin in Islam. The entirety
of the Islamic teaching rests on the principle of Tawhid.
"He is the First and the Last, the Evident and the Immanent:
and He has full knowledge of all things.

11. Uniqueness
Islam emphasises the absolute uniqueness and singularity of
God in his essence, attributes, qualities, and acts. As stated
in Surat al-Ikhlas: God is Ahad (the unique one of absolute
oneness, who is indivisible in nature, and there can be no other
like him); God is As-Samad](the ultimate source of all
existence, the uncaused cause who created all things out of
nothing, who is eternal, absolute, immutable, perfect,
complete, essential, independent, and self-sufficient; who
needs nothing while all of creation is in absolute need of him;
the one eternally and constantly required and sought,
depended upon by all existence and to whom all matters will
ultimately return); he begets not, nor is he begotten (He is
Unborn and Uncreated, has no parents, wife or offspring); and
comparable/equal to him, there is none.
(He is) the Lord of the heavens and the earth

12. Conti…
Do you know of any whose name is worthy to be
mentioned along with His (as Deity and Lord to
worship)?
—Quran 19:65 (Translated by Ali Ünal)
The Qur'anic verse (19:65), "Do you know of any that can
be named with His Name?" emphasizes that as Allah is
Unique, His name is shared by none other.

13. Creator
According to the teachings of Islam, God is the creator of the worlds and all the
creatures therein. He has created everything in the worlds in accordance with a
definite plan and for a particular purpose. There is no shortcoming or defect of any
sort in any of his creations. The Qur'an confirms this in the following verses:
God is the Creator of all things, and He is the Guardian (with power of disposition)
over all things.
—Quran 39:62 (Translated by Ali Ünal)
Surely, We have created each and every thing by (precise) measure.
—Quran 54:49 (Translated by Ali Ünal)
Do those who disbelieve ever consider that the heavens and the earth were at first one
piece, and then We parted them as separate entities; and that We have made every
living thing from water? Will they still not come to believe?
—Quran 21:30 (Translated by Ali Ünal)

14. Mercy
The most commonly used names in the primary sources are Al-
Rahman, meaning "Most Compassionate" and Al-Rahim, meaning
"Most Merciful". The former compasses the whole creation,
therefore applying to God's mercy in that it gives every necessary
condition to make life possible. The latter applies to God's mercy in
that it gives favor for good deeds. Thus Al-Rahman includes both
the believers and the unbelievers, but Al-Rahim only the
believers. God is said to love forgiving, with a hadith stating God
would replace a sinless people with one who sinned but still asked
repentance.

15. Omniscience
God's omniscience is the knowledge of all things, whether they are
actual or possible or whether they are past, present, or future. It also
includes his knowledge of people, places, events, circumstances, etc.
God has full knowledge of everything, everywhere, always and from
eternity past, and he is fully aware of whatever one thinks, intends, and
does, and the reins of all things and events are in his power. He knows
whatever happens in the universe, down to the fall of a leaf, and he
knows all the deeds, thought, and intentions of humankind. His
appointed angels record these, and people will be called to account for
these acts in the other world. His knowledge is eternal in the sense of
being timeless, i.e., atemporal.

16. Conti…
According to the Qur'an, God (Allah) is omniscient; he eternally
knows whatever comes into being, be it universal or particular
in character. He has known all things from before the creation
of the world. His knowledge of things before their coming into
existence and afterwards is exactly the same. Hence, there is no
discovery or surprise with God. Muslim theologians therefore
considered that "omniscience" is a necessary and "ignorance" is
an impossible property for God. Various Qur'anic verses
designate this basic intuition, such as: 3:5, 6:59, 65:12,
and 24:35.

17. Relationship with creation
Muslims believe that God is the sole source of all creation, everything,
including its creatures, are just a derivative reality created out of love
and mercy by God's command, "..."Be," and it is." and that
the purpose of existence is to worship or to know God. The Qur'an
states that God is transcendent over his creation. It is believed that
God created everything for a divine purpose; the universe governed
by fixed laws that ensure the harmonious working of all things.
Everything within the universe, including inanimate objects, praises
God, and is in this sense understood as a Muslim.

18. God is often conceived as the
greatest entity in existence. God
is often believed to be the cause
of all things and so is seen as the
creator, sustainer, and ruler of
the universe. God is often
thought of as incorporeal and
independent of the material
creation, while pantheism holds
that God is the universe itself.

19. your God is One
God. There is no
god except Him —
the Most
Compassionate,
Most Merciful.
―Quran 2:163

21. Allah & Prophethood
According to the Islamic statement of witness, or shahada,
“There is no god but Allah”. Muslims believe he created the
world in six days and sent prophets such as Noah, Abraham,
Moses, David, Jesus, and lastly Muhammad, who called
people to worship only him, rejecting idolatry and polytheism.
Some prophets received scriptures from Allah, notably the
Torah of Moses, the Psalms of David, and the Gospel of Jesus.
Their messages and books, however, became corrupted or
were lost.

22. -THE ONE GOD
Belief in the One God, the Creator and Lord of the
heavens and the earth, is the first basic article of faith in
Islam. But in order for any of us to have a correct
understanding of God, we must first arrive at an answer
to our earlier question, Who and what is He?
The true God is only ONE.
Worship Him ALONE and keep His commandments.

23. Conti….
The True God, The Creator
sent: to convey:
Adam > God is One
Noah > God is One
Abraham > God is One
Moses > God is One
Jesus > God is One
Muhammad > God is One
God sent these major prophets as well as many other
prophets and messengers to accomplish several tasks and
missions.

24. Conti….
1) To receive guidance from God and deliver it to people.
2) To convey the message that God is One.
3) To be role models to their people.
4) To instruct their people to fear God and keep His commandments.
5) To teach their followers important religious and moral tenets and
worldly matters.
6) To guide those who deviated, disobeyed God, or worshipped other
gods or idols.
7) To tell people about their final destination (the Last Day) and what
leads to Paradise or Hellfire.

25. Some of the qualities that distinguish this only true God
from others who claim to be God are:
This true God is Creator, not created.
-This true God is ONE, not three or more! He has
no partners nor equals.
-This one true God is invisible; no one can see Him in
this life. He is not physically manifested or incarnated
in other forms.
-This one true God is eternal; He does not die or
change.
-This one true God is not in need of anyone like a
mother, a wife, or a son; or anything like food, drink, or
help. But others are in need of Him.
-This one true God is unique in His attributes; no one is
like Him. No human or animal descriptions can be
attributed to Him.

26. Conti…..
many messengers > one message:
– Moses : “God is one Lord.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)
– Jesus Christ : “our God is one Lord.” (Mark 12:29)
– Muhammad : “your God is One God“ (Quran 2:163)
they preached the same message that Allah/God our Creator is one. Peace
Be Upon Them all.
He is Allah. There is no god but He, the Knower of secrets and
declarations. He is the Compassionate, the Merciful.
He is Allah; besides Whom there is no god; the Sovereign, the Holy, the
Peace-Giver, the Faith-Giver, the Overseer, the Almighty, the Omnipotent,
the Overwhelming. Glory be to Allah, beyond what they associate.
He is Allah; the Creator, the Maker, the Designer. His are the Most
Beautiful Names. Whatever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Him.
He is the Majestic, the Wise.
— Quran 59:22–24

27. In the name of God, the Gracious,
the Merciful.
1. Say, “He is God, the One.
2. God, the Absolute.
3. He begets not, nor was He begotten.
4. And there is nothing comparable to
Him.”
Surah Al-Ikhlas 112

29. References
God in Islam. (2024, March 1). In Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_in_Islam
https://theconversation.com/who-is-allah-understanding-god-in-
islam-
39558#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20Islamic%20statement,
him%2C%20rejecting%20idolatry%20and%20polytheism.
https://www.ohio.edu/orgs/muslimst/downloads/brochures/The_
Concept_of_God_in_Islam.pdf
https://www.gainpeace.com/what-is-islam/the-concept-of-god-in-
islam