Islam - The Summit of Religious Evolution — Page 16
16 knowledge and implicit consent. He is the ultimate source of every action and event. He is the Nourisher and Sustainer of all creation; He is their Lord. For human beings, He is a very personal God. He listens to their supplications and prayers. He provides for all their needs. He overlooks their shortcomings and forgives their excesses. He is always very close to them whenever they need Him, in distress or prosperity. He deals with His creation directly, without any intermediary, with mercy, love and compassion. The most highly emphasized aspect of God in Islam is His unqualified Unity. God is One. He has no associates. He is neither born of anyone nor gives birth to anyone. He does not share His supremacy with any one. To associate partners with God is a grave sin in Islam. The proper Arabic word for God is Allah. The concept of a Supreme Being also exists in other religions and in this respect the word "Allah" represents: • EL of the Canaanites. • ELOHIM or YAHWEH (JEHOVAH) of the Hebrews. • ELAH in the Aramaic language of Jesus Christ. • YAZDAN or KHUDA of the Persians. • BRAHMAN in Sanskrit. • DEUS in Latin. • THEOS in Greek. • DIEU in French. • GOTT in German, and • GOD in the English language. Although the proper name of God is Allah, He is generally known by His various attributes that describe His various traits or manifestations. God's attributes are innumerable since human intellect cannot possibly comprehend every aspect of the Supreme Being. Some of these attributes, mentioned in the Holy Quran and the traditions of the Holy Prophet, are given in Appendix I. BELIEF IN THE ANGELS Angels are spiritual beings who carry out the assigned duties in accordance with God's commands. Although angels are spoken of as beings, they do not have the power to choose between right or wrong. In this respect they are inferior to human beings. The literal meaning of the word "angel" points more to the function of such beings rather than to their nature. The various tasks assigned to the angels include: • bringing of divine revelations to the prophets • bringing punishment upon their enemies • giving glad tidings to the believers • glorifying God with His praise • keeping records of people's deeds