Allah The Exalted — Page 24
2 more. That is why in the Holy Qur’ a n All a h the Exalted says: 23 That is: Nothing approximates to God Almighty in its being or its qualities. [Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, R uha n i Khaz a ’in, Vol. 23, pp. 272-276] Permanence of All a h’s Attributes God will never cease to operate. He is always the Crea- tor, the Providence, the Sustainer, the Gracious, the Compassionate and always will be. In my opinion, it is sinful to debate about the One of such Majesty. God has not imposed belief in anything which He has not demon- strated. [Malf uza t, Vol. IV, p. 347] As the stars appear stage by stage God's attributes also appear stage by stage. Man is sometimes under the shadow of the Divine attributes of Glory and Self- Sufficiency and sometimes he is under the shadow of His attributes of Beauty. That is indicated in His saying: 24 It is a foolish notion that after sinful people have been condemned to hell the Divine attributes of Mercy and Compassion will cease to operate and will not be mani- fested, inasmuch as the permanent cessation of the operation of Divine attributes is not permissible. The basic attribute of God Almighty is Love and Mercy and that is the mother of all attributes. It is the same attribute 23 al-Sh u r a , 42:12 [Publisher] 24 ‘Every day He reveals Himself in a new state. ’—al-Ra h m a n, 55:30 [Publisher]