WHO IS GOD?

The Creator cannot be same as His creation as there would be no distinction between them.

The manufacturer or the designer or the maker has to by default be distinct from his product or creation.

The word ‘God’

The Creator in English is otherwise referred to as God. However, the word God is not an accurate translation in Arabic, as the English word God can have other connotations like goddess for female god, Tin-God for a fake god, God-father, Roman gods, Greek gods, which is Dios in Spanish, Dieu in French or Dio in Italian.

The word ‘Allah’

The Arabic word for God is Allah, which is immune from the above connotations. The term Allah comes from the Arabic word Al-Ilah (pronounced as al-ilaah), meaning The One worthy of worship. This name of God is unique and does not conjure up a mental picture of any being which we human beings can possibly imagine.

Allah defines in The Qur’an, which is the Touchstone of Theology:

“Say, He is Allah, One and Only

Allah is Absolute, Eternal

He begets not nor is He begotten

There is none like unto Him”

(The Qur’an, Chapter 112)

To this day, the Arab Christians and Jews too call God, by the name Allah. Their scriptures in Arabic language mentions God by the name Allah. Allah is the Creator, Provider, Sustainer of everything known and unknown to us. He is independent of any, whilst all are dependent on Him.

Allah says,

“Indeed, I am God. There is no deity worthy of worship except Me, so worship Me alone and establish prayer for My remembrance.” (The Qur’an, Chapter 20, Verse 14)

Allah states in the Qur’an the reason for our creation,

“And I did not create the Jinns (spirit world) and mankind except to worship Me.” (The Qur’an, Chapter 51, Verse 56)

Worship is an innate tendency just like our need to eat, drink and breathe. We are born worshipers. God is essentially telling us that if we do not worship Him, we will end up worshiping something else- no matter what- money, desires, parents, celebrities, self, passion. These will enslave us and become our masters. Thus, without God, we will have many ‘masters’, and will be ‘at odds with each other’, ending up in a state of misery, confusion and unhappiness.

In Islam, worship is simply following God’s instructions in all aspects of life, coded in the final instruction manual to humanity- The Qur’an- The unchanged Book guarded by Allah, And following the exemplary life of the final Messenger of God, Muhammad, peace be upon him.

Our choice of obedience and worship of One True God, will fill our hearts with awe and love of God, thus experience peace, tranquility and serenity that is undisturbed by any trials or tribulations of this ephemeral life, to accomplish best in this worldly life and an eternal blissful Hereafter.