The belief in divine and supernatural beings is one of the distinctive aspects of religions.
This idea is so strong that some individuals uphold the inaccurate view that theism is religion.
However, divine beings have always remained to be critical parts of all the mainstream religions.
Over the last several decades, most of the studies in the philosophy of relationships have sought
to focus more on understanding theism and the beliefs that are associated with them. One of the
most common questions that draws curiosity from most scholars is the nature of God and if it is
possible to understand his attributes. As such, every religion has sought to provide answers to its
followers on the nature of God and His key attributes. To this effect, Islam remains to be one of
the mainstream religions that tries to help in decoding the character of God to its people.
Through the Quran, Islam’s holy book, there are several revelations on the unique character of
God. As far as the Quran is concerned, the methodical design of the universe clearly brings out
the attributes of God to His people. It is this marvelousness that displays God’s infinite power,
boundless knowledge as well as His Uniqueness.
First, the Quran makes it obvious that God is the creator of everything that is in the
world. It draw’s the attention of man to the nature of this creation and all that is in it as the sign
of the immeasurable power of God. The Quran says that God “is the best of all creators” (23:14).
In addition, it is clear in the Quran that everything that exists on earth belongs to God and only
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functions to reveal his face to mankind (2:115). The holy book challenges man through an
illustration of the creation of the fetus and its growth into a human being with fully functioning
features and uses this to prove the existence of God. The Quran paints the picture that God is a
deliberate designer of every cell of the human body and “creates and brings forth the totality of
parts” (59:24). The idea in this context is that the world and everything that comes with it was as
a result of careful thoughts and designing of God Almighty. There is nothing that exists that was
not in his plan.
In line with this, the Quran reveals that God has infinite power to do anything according
to His will. The Quran maintains that God has the power to carry out anything that man can
fathom and beyond. In verse 2:20, the Quran asserts that Allah has “power over all things”. This
power is so great to the extent that He only needs to “command it ‘Be!’ and it is” (36:82). Verse
7:54 confirms this idea by pointing out that the sun, moon, and stars are “all at His command and
everything belongs to God”. It is this incomparable power that compels man to bow in humble
submission to God. These verses remain to be very strong indicators of God’s limitless power.
They clear any form of limit that might be cast on God’s power and ability. Moreover, the Quran
states expressly that there is nothing in heaven or on earth that can “induce weakness in God”
because he is “all-knowing and all-powerful” (35:44). All these are pointers to the idea that
God’s power cannot be stopped by any form of obstacles.
The extent of God’s knowledge is significantly mentioned in the Quran. The holy book
explains that God knows everything and there is hardly anything that can be hidden from His
attention. He knows the deepest secrets, whether said or not, and is cognizant of all thoughts of
the human mind (3:29). H understands the human mind better than they do and has a clearer
grasp of their thoughts, intentions, and motifs. There is “nothing hidden from God” whether in
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heaven or the earth (3:5). God is conscious the sequence of the stars and everything that is in
space. He is aware of everything before and after eternity and has understands intricate details of
the world such as the number of atoms in the heavenly bodies, the creatures if the world or the
laws that dictate nature. He has “knowledge of all the subtleties and mysteries of the world”
(67:14). Basically, the Quran depicts God as the possessor of all the knowledge that one can
think of and can demystifying things that are beyond the imagination of the human mind.
Equally, God always does as he wills and is not subject to Change. There is nothing that
God does without having a specific intention. He does what He wants, in any way He deems fit,
and when He likes. In verse 16:40, God says that anything He “intends” He “says to it, Be, and it
is”. This indicates that God has a discretion for everything that he decides. If God does not have
an intention then He does not do anything just for the sake. Verse 22:18 solidifies this idea by
pointing out that “Allah indeed does what He wills”. The Quran teaches that the will and
intention of God is perfect and is always for the good of human beings. This will and intention is
always motivated by His love for humanity and the desire to see the best in their lives. On
changing, the Quran maintains that God does not change and is hardly affected by any form of
disease. He never regrets His decisions because they are always made with the clearest intention.
Physical limitations such as “slumber does not overtake Him nor sleep” (2:255). In short, any
qualities that are associated with physicality and materiality are not part of His character and
attributes.
The only time the Quran connects “negative attributes” with God is when it is trying to
explain the qualities that can never be part of God. The first attribute that the Quran refutes is
the idea that God has a helper. “No partner hath He” maintains the Quran as a strong defense for
the oneness of God (6:163). Islam is strictly a monotheistic religion and the idea of multiple gods
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or helpers for God is against their core teaching and understanding of God. The Quran dismisses
any idea that God had a partner in creation and that there are helpers in His ranks who help in the
administration of the world. Verse 17:111 is very particular on this as it maintains that Allah
“has not taken a son” and has “no partner in His dominion. The rest of the verse maintains that
God does not need a protector out of weakness. This, being a central doctrine in other religions,
is a significant point of departure for Islam as indicated by the Quran.
In addition, the Quran maintains that God can never be part of injustice and his never in
need. In as much as God has the power to do everything that He wills, He can never do harm to
anyone or bring unjust acts upon any human being. The Quran says that Allah “does not do
injustice to the weight of an atom” and it always willing to give a reward for good deeds (4:40).
This attribute is not a limitation in the character and capabilities of God. It is possible for people
to believe that He is unable to do this as it is His weakness. Instead, this remains to be an
indication of His pure motif and love for all humanity. He has pure thoughts and intentions at all
times. To this, the Quran asserts that God is “pure and exalted…pure of what men in their
ignorance ascribe to Him” (37:180). This is a recognition that the human mind thinks in limited
categories and their idea of God is shallow and unreasonable. Equally, the Quran says that God
“is free of need for all things and of Whom all beings stand in need (112:1-4). There is nothing
that can be taken to God that He cannot access. Instead, it is human beings that need to go to the
presence of God so that He can satisfy their needs.
In conclusion, the Quran has a high view of the attributes and qualities of God. The most
predominant attribute is that of the creator. The Quran holds the view that the world and
everything that is in it was created by God alone. It refutes the idea that God had a son and that
there is no partner who supported God in the creation and even in the maintenance of the world
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today. This, being a common belief in other religions, demeans God and implies limits His
abilities to the point that He needs helpers. Further, the Quran maintains that God has infinite
power to do anything He wills. There is nothing that limits his abilities. His power his so great
that everything comes into being with His single command ‘Be!”. It is through this approach that
everything on earth was created. On a similar note, the Quran teaches that God has boundless
knowledge. He has a deeper understanding of the most intricate details of the world and the
mysteries that exist. He is also cognizant of the secrets, thoughts, and intentions of the human
mind. As such, there is nothing that can happen in the world without His knowledge. Nothing
escapes His attention. Above all, God acts as He wills and He never changes in character.
Everything that He does or says has a clear intention behind it and He never gets to regret any of
His decisions. Finally, God is not involved in any acts of injustice. This does not mean that He is
limited. It is only an indication of this love and pure motif. Everything He does is to the benefit
of human beings and is never intended to cause any form of harm. This is a manifestation