Essence of the Holy Qur’an — Page xvi
Essence of the Holy Qur’ a n xvi are manifested through God's exclusive attributes and are found in no other being. The four “Transcendent Attributes” of All a h mentioned in the Holy Qur’ a n are: He is A h ad, which means the One, the sole (v. 112:3). He Who has no second to share in His Lordship or in His Essence. He is One and Alone in the sense that when we think of Him, the very idea that there is any other being or thing besides Him is absent from our minds. He is neither the starting point of any chain nor its last link. The second “Transcendent Attribute” is A s - S amad (v. 112:3), which signifies the Supreme Being to Whom recourse is made for the fulfilment of all our needs and who will continue to exist forever after all creation has ceased to exist. He is Self-Subsisting and depends on no being or thing. He is above conjecture or conception. Another “Transcendent Attribute” is that He has succeeded no one and will be succeeded by no one (v. 112:3). He is complete in all His attributes and is Eternal, Everlasting and Absolute. The fourth “Transcendent Attribute” mentioned is that there is no one like Him (v. 112:5). Human reason demands that there should be one Creator and one Controller of the whole universe. The perfect order that pervades and permeates the entire universe leads to but one inevitable conclusion that one uniform law must be governing it and the unity and uniformity of the law and design prove and proclaim the unity of the Creator. These four-principal “Transcendent Attributes” may be said to constitute God's Throne ( His ‘Arsh ). The principal “Attributes of Similitude” are: Rabb-ul- ‘ A lam i n —Lord of all the worlds (v. 1:2); Ar-Ra h m a n —the Gracious (v. 1:3); Ar-Ra hi m —the Merciful (v. 1:3); and M a liki Yaumid- D i n —Master of the Day of Judgment (v. 1:4). Whereas, the “Transcendent Attributes” represent God's "Throne," the “Attributes of Similitude” may be said to be "the Bearers of His Throne. " In view of the brevity of the introduction it is difficult to enter here into a detailed explanation of the various Divine attributes referred to in the Holy Qur’ a n either expressly or by inference stemming from these four principles, as “Attributes of Similitude”. It may be said, however, that nothing in any other revealed Scripture touches even the fringes of the beauty, sublimity and majesty of the Divine attributes mentioned in the Holy Qur’ a n. The Holy Qur’ a n on Life after Death Do you imagine that We have created you as a mere pastime and that you will not have eternal life and opportunities of eternal development after death (v. 23:119). The verse clearly states that man has been created to serve a great purpose—to develop and reflect in his person Divine attributes and is manifestly the central figure in the whole of creation. Having a great and sublime purpose to fulfill his life does not end with his departure from this world and with the soul's flight from its physical body. The human soul continues its never-ending journey in a new world, in a new form and in a new body. The very idea that with the dissolution of its physical tabernacle the human soul suffers death militates against God's Wisdom and His whole