Allah in Himself is a theme of the Quran which covers the concepts about Tawhid in Islam. Your GCE O Level syllabus wants you to cover multiple Quranic passages following the theme.
The Quranic passages are:
- Surah Baqarah (Ayat ul Kursi): 2:255
- Surah An’aam: 6:101-103
- Surah Fussilat: 41:37
- Surah Shura: 42:4-5
- Surah Ikhlas: 112
Tawhid is a Muslim belief that God is one and He has no partners in his worship, attributes and existence. This is an article of faith and an act of righteousness because the Holy Quran says:
It is righteousness to believe in Allah and the last day and the angels and the books and the messengers…
Surah Baqarah (2:177)
Let us take a look at the theme and importance of all these Quranic passages so that we cover this topic in general. So let’s start from the very beginning without further introductions.
Allah in Himself
Surah Baqarah (2:255)
Allah! There is no god (worthy of worship) except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him.
To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who could possibly intercede with Him without His permission?
He (fully) knows what is ahead of them and what is behind them, but no one can grasp any of His knowledge—except what He wills (to reveal).
His Seat encompasses the heavens and the earth, and the preservation of both does not tire Him. For He is the Most High, the Greatest.
Source: Dr Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran
These verses are from Surah Baqarah which is a Medinan Surah and the main concept of this Quranic passage is Tawhid. This passage is an answer to all queries of pagans who questioned about the oneness of God and his unique attributes.
It is time to take a look at the themes of this passage and discuss them.
Themes:
The unique attributes and qualities of Allah have been highlighted in this passage which makes God different from his creations. Some of the qualities mentioned are:
- “Al-Hayy-ul-Qayyum” (Ever-Living and Self-Subsisting)
- Highest authority
- Greatest knowledge and powers
- Free from all human weaknesses
This passage (also known as the Verse of the throne or Ayat-ul-Kursi) says that God is free from any kind of human weaknesses such as sleep, fatigue and tiredness. There is no one who can question his decisions over the affairs of the universe.
It is Allah Who is the sole creator, cherisher and sustainer of the entire world. He has the greatest knowledge because He sees everything (about which He will question on the day of Judgement).
Furthermore, this theme of Tawhid is also mentioned in Surah Mu’minun in the following words:
Exalted is Allah, the true King! There is no God (worthy of worship) except Him…
Surah Mu’minun (23:116)
Importance:
These Verses of Surah Baqarah allow Muslims to clarify their beliefs about Tawhid (which is also referred to as the foundation pillar of Islam). It prevents Muslims from committing Shirk.
This is because the oneness of God in terms of His attributes, existence and worship is elaborated. The constant recitation of these verses will allow Muslims to learn about the powers of God almighty.
The Muslims will learn that everything they achieve is a gift that God has bestowed upon us and this will prevent from committing sins such as arrogance.
The knowledge about these powers of God will help Muslims to develop a strong fear of accountability which will help them refrain from heinous sins because they will know that Allah watches everything (whether in dark or light).
According to a Hadith, if a person recites these verses after every fard Prayer (Salat), he will enter paradise immediately after death. The Muslims also recite this Surah for the protection from Satan.
This takes us to another Quranic passage which also represents the theme, “Allah in Himself”.
Surah An’aam (6:101-103):
To Him is due the primal origin of the heavens and the earth: how can He have a son when He has no consort? He created all things and He has full knowledge of all things.
That is Allah, you Lord! There is no God but He, the Creator of all things: then worship Him: and he has power to dispose of all affairs.
No vision can grasp Him but His grasp is over all vision: He is above all comprehension yet is acquainted with all things.
Theme:
The verses are from Surah Al-An’aam which is a late Makkan Surah and it was revealed to answer the questions of the Jews and Christians about Tawhid (oneness of God).
The Surah highlights God’s power to create anything as He created the “heavens and earth”. Allah has the greatest knowledge because He is always watching everything and this theme is also covered in the later verse.
The Quran questions the pagans who raised doubts about God being one in his existence by saying that God is free from any kind of relation.
The passage says that it is not difficult for God to see what His creations do but no one can comprehend him because of His sublime nature.
Importance:
This Surah is important because it answers the queries about Tawhid by clarifying the concept that Allah is free from any kind of partners. When Muslims recite these verses, they develop a sense of accountability by knowing that God sees his creations.
The Muslims can use these verses to convince the non-Muslims about the unity and oneness of God if they question them about their religion.
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The significance of this Surah can be recognized from the fact that several thousand angels accompanied it when it was being revealed to the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم).
With this, we have to discuss the next Quranic passage which also talks about the same theme, the oneness of God almighty.
Surah Fussilat (41:37)
“Among His signs are the night and the day and the sun and the moon. Adore not the sun and the moon but adore Allah, Who created them, if it is Him you wish to serve.”
These verses are from Surah Fussilat which is a Makkan Surah (revealed to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) during his mission in Makkah).
It addresses the concept of monotheism by referring to the night, day, sun and moon as the creations of God. It asks people to recognize these as the creations of God but do not worship them.
This is because God created them and that is why He is worthy of worship. These bodies indicate the power and authority of God to create anything because He says “Kun” (Be) and “Fayakun” (it happens).
These are some of the themes of this Surah and it is an open reminder for everyone who wants to learn about the “right path”.
Importance:
- Purifies the concept of Tawhid
- Prevents from committing shirk
- Recitation serves as a reminder about the authority of God
This is because when a Muslim recites these verses, he learns that everything is a creation of God so one learns about the powers of God in their everyday hectic life.
- God is the real creator, cherisher and sustainer
- Elaborates God’s mastery and omnipotence
It is time to move on to the next Quranic passage which also talks about “Allah in Himself”, Surah Shura.
Surah Shura (42:4-5):
To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on earth: and He is most high, most great.
The heavens are almost rent asunder from above them, and the angels celebrate the praises of their Lord, and pray for forgiveness for beings on earth:
Behold! Verily Allah is He, the oft-forgiving, the most merciful.
Theme:
These verses are from Surah Shura which was revealed to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) when the pagans accused him of composing the Holy Quran.
Allah Almighty says that He has created everything in the universe because He has the highest and greatest authority.
The power and mercy of God are explained because the heavens are trembling due to the fear of God but at the same time, Allah has commanded angels to pray for the forgiveness of humans.
This shows how merciful God is and the verses also indicate the duties of angels as they are absolutely obedient to the command of God almighty.
The importance:
The verses allow Muslims to understand their rank of being the servants of God and their primary duty being worshipping Him.
Similarly, the Quranic passages indicate the similarities between Quran and previous revelations which allow them to respect other religions as well.
These verses show how merciful Allah is to his creations as He has appointed angels who pray for the forgiveness (of human beings).
The constant recitation make Muslims calm that they can ask for the forgiveness of their sins because God is always ready to forgive as the Quran says:
“O My slaves who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not the mercy of God, verily God forgives all sins.” (39:53 Al-Zumar)
Surah Ikhlas (112):
“Say: He is Allah, the one and only; Allah the eternal, absolute. He does not beget, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him.”
The theme of Surah Ikhlas (Makki Surah) is about the oneness of God. The verses answer the questions of the pagans about God by saying that He is free from any kind of partners.
Allah is one and He will remain till the Day of Judgement because He is unlike his creations. He is perfect and the greatest and the words such as “Ahad” and “Samad” indicate these qualities.
Some other themes mentioned in the Surah are:
- Allah is eternal
- He is one
- He is perfect
- He is unmatchable
Importance:
According to a Hadith, any supplication (Dua) using the divine name “Samad” is likely to be granted. The Quranic passage refrains Muslims from committing shirk.
Surah Ikhlas summarizes the concept of Tawhid and that is why it is also referred to as the one-third of the Holy Quran.
The Muslims also recite this Surah to attain protection from Satan and his forces and this serves as a guide for the Muslims.
The Muslims recite this Surah in their daily prayers so that they revise the concept of Tawhid five times a day through their daily prayers (Salat).
Conclusion:
With this, the topic of “Allah in Himself” has come to an end. I hope that all your queries have been answered and I thank you for staying with me till the end. Stay tuned for more.
If you have further questions, you can use to comment box down below to let us know about your concerns. The themes and the importance of the respective Quranic passages are addressed.
Remember to always relate the importance of the Quranic passage to your everyday life in order to get higher marks in your examination.
Lastly, the primary focus while addressing these questions should be to refer to Tawhid (oneness of God).
References:
- Cambridge O Level Islamiat Syllabus (2058). (n.d.). WG Blogs. https://www.cambridgeinternational.org/Images/502888-2021-syllabus.pdf
- Khattab, D. M. (n.d.). Al-Mu’minun. WG Blogs. https://quran.com/23