The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam — Page 169
The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam 163 has no equal and no one is like unto Him. The Quran repeatedly draws attention to God's greatness and grandeur and thus impresses upon the minds of men that only such a God can be the desired objective of the heart, and not any dead or weak or pitiless or powerless being. The third means of approach to God is knowledge of His beneficence; for beauty and beneficence are the two incentives of love. The beneficent attributes of God are summed up in Surah Fatihah as follows: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَلَمِينَ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ ملِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ 209 That is, to say God creates His servants from nothing, out of perfect Beneficence and His Providence is available to them all the time. He is the support of everything and every type of His beneficence has been manifested for His creatures. His benevolence is without limit as it is said: b وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا 210 That is, if you try to count the bounties of Allah you would not be able to number them. 209. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, The Gracious, the Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgment. (The Holy Quran, al-Fatihah 1:2-4) 210. And if you try to count the favours of Allah, you will not be able to number them. (The Holy Quran, Ibrāhīm 14:35)