Here are a few of the miracles of the last Prophet sent to mankind, Prophet Muhammad (alayhi as-salat was-salam). This is a short list and does not cover the many miracles that have been reported and it does not cover the constant miracle that is present with us all.
Some of the Final Prophet's miracles
1) Split the moon in two, then brought it back together. This was a historic event reported by people in surrounding countries at the time.
2) Traveling from Mecca to Jerusalem then past the 7 heavens within one night.
3) Water pouring from his fingers such that he quenched the thirst of over 1,500 thirsty men in the dessert
4) Knowing the future.
5) Knowing what people think.
6) Can see from behind him just as well as in front
7) Healed the sick
8) Being invisible
9) Animals would talk and complain to him of their owners
10) A tree walking towards the Prophet, talks to him, and returns back to it's place.
11) Hearing the stones praise God
12) The Prophet talking to a mountain and the mountain talking back
13) A group of birds complained to the Prophet over their eggs having gone missing
14) Healing a child who could not speak by having the child's mother give him water the Prophet prayed upon.
15) Healing the blind
16) Defeating an incoming army by picking up a handful of sand and throwing it in their direction.
17) A poisoned piece of food warned the Prophet that it is poisoned
18) Turning water into milk and butter
19) Turning salt water into fresh water
20) Raising the dead
21) Making it rain
There are much too many miracles to type out, I may come back and add more with more detail at a later time.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Saturday, June 4, 2011
15) Objective Knowledge
I'll get back to the post on Miracles soon. Before I do so I wanted to first give the reader a quick understanding about Knowledge.
Knowledge is of two types:
a- Objective
b- Subjective
Objective knowledge is knowledge that applies to each and every individual. Everyone can reach the same conclusions through objective knowledge and any ruling that applies to one individual applies to all.
Subjective knowledge is knowledge that may or may not apply to everyone. It may apply to some or many but not all.
Proper judgement and balance comes through objective knowledge, not through subjective knowledge. We study objective knowledge in order to understand the universe around us and it's laws.
There are three types of objective knowledge
1- Five Senses () الحواس الخمس)
2- Intellect (العقل)
3- True Revelation or "True news" (خبر صادق)
We can all agree upon what we experience using the five senses (as long as we all have five senses functioning properly). For instance, if a red car passes in front of 100 people, they would all know that they saw a red car. No one would think they saw a blue car.
If someone holds ice that person will feel coolness of ice, no one would feel ice and think it's warm. Through the five senses we can all come to agree on certain truths.
The five senses are the lowest type of objective knowledge.
Intellect is a higher form of objective knowledge.
We can all agree on certain understandings through the intellect, such as 1 + 1 =
2. No one would object to such a fact. The intellect reasons that it is impossible for two different objects to occupy the exact same
space at the exact same time. No one with sound intellect would object to that either. Through the intellect we can all come to agree
to certain truths. If it happens that there is a difference between the five senses and the intellect, the intellect is superior.
The third and highest form on objective knowledge is True revelation.
True revelation is divided into two categories
a- Divine revelation. God is Truth, therefore God does not lie, therefore whatever God says is True.
b- Successive narration. What this means is that something has been conveyed by numerous narrators that it is impossible for them to have agreed upon an untruth. Therefore it is unquestionable in its veracity. For instance, we all know that New Zealand exists even though many of us have never been there. Yet we've heard about it from so many different sources that it is impossible for it to be a lie.
Since true revelation is the highest form of ojbective knowledge, we would follow revelation if the intellect contradicts it.
However, one should note that there are no contradictions between each type of objective knowledge.
Through the intellect a person could reach proper understanding of what is True Revelation from what is false revelation.
[I'll come back and add more to this post soon as I'm posting it incomplete, God willing. ]
Knowledge is of two types:
a- Objective
b- Subjective
Objective knowledge is knowledge that applies to each and every individual. Everyone can reach the same conclusions through objective knowledge and any ruling that applies to one individual applies to all.
Subjective knowledge is knowledge that may or may not apply to everyone. It may apply to some or many but not all.
Proper judgement and balance comes through objective knowledge, not through subjective knowledge. We study objective knowledge in order to understand the universe around us and it's laws.
There are three types of objective knowledge
1- Five Senses () الحواس الخمس)
2- Intellect (العقل)
3- True Revelation or "True news" (خبر صادق)
We can all agree upon what we experience using the five senses (as long as we all have five senses functioning properly). For instance, if a red car passes in front of 100 people, they would all know that they saw a red car. No one would think they saw a blue car.
If someone holds ice that person will feel coolness of ice, no one would feel ice and think it's warm. Through the five senses we can all come to agree on certain truths.
The five senses are the lowest type of objective knowledge.
Intellect is a higher form of objective knowledge.
We can all agree on certain understandings through the intellect, such as 1 + 1 =
2. No one would object to such a fact. The intellect reasons that it is impossible for two different objects to occupy the exact same
space at the exact same time. No one with sound intellect would object to that either. Through the intellect we can all come to agree
to certain truths. If it happens that there is a difference between the five senses and the intellect, the intellect is superior.
The third and highest form on objective knowledge is True revelation.
True revelation is divided into two categories
a- Divine revelation. God is Truth, therefore God does not lie, therefore whatever God says is True.
b- Successive narration. What this means is that something has been conveyed by numerous narrators that it is impossible for them to have agreed upon an untruth. Therefore it is unquestionable in its veracity. For instance, we all know that New Zealand exists even though many of us have never been there. Yet we've heard about it from so many different sources that it is impossible for it to be a lie.
Since true revelation is the highest form of ojbective knowledge, we would follow revelation if the intellect contradicts it.
However, one should note that there are no contradictions between each type of objective knowledge.
Through the intellect a person could reach proper understanding of what is True Revelation from what is false revelation.
[I'll come back and add more to this post soon as I'm posting it incomplete, God willing. ]
Saturday, May 21, 2011
14) Prophetic Miracles
We know the essential attributes of the Divine and the essential attributes of those the Divine speaks to. But how do we know if this person that claims to speak to God is really being spoken to by God?
In order for us to believe something is the word of God, we need to believe that the messenger who is conveying the message is really a prophet and not a charlatan. So as not to confuse us, God gives this prophet something that makes him stand out from the rest of humanity. God gives this prophet unquestionable proof that he is an actual prophet. These unquestionable proofs are Miracles.
Miracles are extra-ordinary events done at the hands of the Prophet by God's permission, as a means of proving to the rest of humanity that the person truly is a Prophet. These miracles differ from one prophet to another depending on the time, location, and cultural habits of a people.
These miracles are so profound and outstanding that anyone who witnesses them has to see it for what it is. However, not everyone that sees the miracles chooses to follow or believe in the prophet (a topic for a later post). That doesn't take away from the fact that the prophet had shown unquestionable proof of his prophecy.
A Prophetic miracle is simply a means by which a prophet tells his people that he is in communication with the Divine. Keep in mind that a person cannot claim to be a prophet just by performing miracles, he needs to have the essential attributes of a Prophet, mentioned in the previous post, as well.
There are plenty of examples throughout history of Prophetic miracles, from walking on water, to foretelling events, to raising the dead and healing the sick, etc. Prophetic miracles are numerous but the Prophetic message has always been one, which is another sign of someone being a true prophet. Prophets come at different times, in different sizes, races, etc but their message is always the same. What differs is how this message is conveyed.
Just as a person cannot believe in a religion without first believing in God, a person cannot believe in a religion without believing in the Prophet who "brought" that religion.
And just as a person needs to believe that God has the attribute of Divine Speech in order to believe in revelation, a person needs to believe that the person that receives revelation has done a miracle. (Both relate to others - Divine Speech: Creator affects/relates to creation. Miracles: Prophet affects/relates to humanity.)
If someone claims to have access to Divine revelation, this person *has* to be able to perform miracles. And if this person can perform miracles then he would *have* to have the essential attributes of Prophets. If any of the above are missing then that person is not a prophet and is not receiving Divine revelation.
The fact that we have to witness a Prophetic miracle in order to believe that the person is a prophet leaves us with one issue:
Prophets are mortal, they die and once they die we have no way of knowing, several generations later, whether or not this prophet was real or not because we haven't witnessed any miracles ourselves. And witnessing a miracle is the only way we can believe that someone is a prophet.
I'll discuss this issue in the next post, God Willing.
In order for us to believe something is the word of God, we need to believe that the messenger who is conveying the message is really a prophet and not a charlatan. So as not to confuse us, God gives this prophet something that makes him stand out from the rest of humanity. God gives this prophet unquestionable proof that he is an actual prophet. These unquestionable proofs are Miracles.
Miracles are extra-ordinary events done at the hands of the Prophet by God's permission, as a means of proving to the rest of humanity that the person truly is a Prophet. These miracles differ from one prophet to another depending on the time, location, and cultural habits of a people.
These miracles are so profound and outstanding that anyone who witnesses them has to see it for what it is. However, not everyone that sees the miracles chooses to follow or believe in the prophet (a topic for a later post). That doesn't take away from the fact that the prophet had shown unquestionable proof of his prophecy.
A Prophetic miracle is simply a means by which a prophet tells his people that he is in communication with the Divine. Keep in mind that a person cannot claim to be a prophet just by performing miracles, he needs to have the essential attributes of a Prophet, mentioned in the previous post, as well.
There are plenty of examples throughout history of Prophetic miracles, from walking on water, to foretelling events, to raising the dead and healing the sick, etc. Prophetic miracles are numerous but the Prophetic message has always been one, which is another sign of someone being a true prophet. Prophets come at different times, in different sizes, races, etc but their message is always the same. What differs is how this message is conveyed.
Just as a person cannot believe in a religion without first believing in God, a person cannot believe in a religion without believing in the Prophet who "brought" that religion.
And just as a person needs to believe that God has the attribute of Divine Speech in order to believe in revelation, a person needs to believe that the person that receives revelation has done a miracle. (Both relate to others - Divine Speech: Creator affects/relates to creation. Miracles: Prophet affects/relates to humanity.)
If someone claims to have access to Divine revelation, this person *has* to be able to perform miracles. And if this person can perform miracles then he would *have* to have the essential attributes of Prophets. If any of the above are missing then that person is not a prophet and is not receiving Divine revelation.
The fact that we have to witness a Prophetic miracle in order to believe that the person is a prophet leaves us with one issue:
Prophets are mortal, they die and once they die we have no way of knowing, several generations later, whether or not this prophet was real or not because we haven't witnessed any miracles ourselves. And witnessing a miracle is the only way we can believe that someone is a prophet.
I'll discuss this issue in the next post, God Willing.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
13) Prophets
The four Necessary Attributes we need to believe about Prophets are as follows
1) Truthfulness. They are immaculately truthful and has always been truthful and honest his whole life.
2) Sincerity. Prophets are immensely sincere and devout their entire life.
3) Spread Truth. The speak the truth and spreads the message when/if told to.
4) Powerful minds. Prophets have a very strong intellect, they are extremely smart.
We believe that Prophets have those four attributes and that it is inconceivable for them to be anything that isn't the above.
The 2 attributes that are "Possible" for Prophets are
All human attributes such as: eating, drinking, sleep, marriage, sickness (so long as the sickness is not something that makes people flee from them, such a sickness is impossible for Prophets), etc
The 4 attributes that are Impossible for Prophets are
1) Lying. It is impossible for a Prophet to lie, a prophet simply cannot do it.
2) Treachery. It is impossible for a Prophet to be treacherous.
3) Silent. It is impossible for a Prophet to be silent when he is ordered not to speak (ie Impossible not to spread the message)
4) Stupidity. It is impossible for a Prophet to be stupid or have weak intellect.
If there any of the above are missing in person's understanding and belief in Prophets it would affect their practice of religion, since the link between creation and Creator's Speech are the Prophets. And we can only gain deeper understanding about the Divine through learning what He has revealed. If we believe that the person receiving the message can commit major mistakes or lacks certain attributes then there shall always remain uncertainty as to what God really said. That defeats the entire purpose behind God sharing with creation His Divine Speech. The medium that transmits God's Speech needs to be completely pure and immaculate.
1) Truthfulness. They are immaculately truthful and has always been truthful and honest his whole life.
2) Sincerity. Prophets are immensely sincere and devout their entire life.
3) Spread Truth. The speak the truth and spreads the message when/if told to.
4) Powerful minds. Prophets have a very strong intellect, they are extremely smart.
We believe that Prophets have those four attributes and that it is inconceivable for them to be anything that isn't the above.
The 2 attributes that are "Possible" for Prophets are
All human attributes such as: eating, drinking, sleep, marriage, sickness (so long as the sickness is not something that makes people flee from them, such a sickness is impossible for Prophets), etc
The 4 attributes that are Impossible for Prophets are
1) Lying. It is impossible for a Prophet to lie, a prophet simply cannot do it.
2) Treachery. It is impossible for a Prophet to be treacherous.
3) Silent. It is impossible for a Prophet to be silent when he is ordered not to speak (ie Impossible not to spread the message)
4) Stupidity. It is impossible for a Prophet to be stupid or have weak intellect.
If there any of the above are missing in person's understanding and belief in Prophets it would affect their practice of religion, since the link between creation and Creator's Speech are the Prophets. And we can only gain deeper understanding about the Divine through learning what He has revealed. If we believe that the person receiving the message can commit major mistakes or lacks certain attributes then there shall always remain uncertainty as to what God really said. That defeats the entire purpose behind God sharing with creation His Divine Speech. The medium that transmits God's Speech needs to be completely pure and immaculate.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
12) The Link
[New readers should start reading from the 1st post]
The link between Creator and creation from the Creators side is His Divine attribute of Speech. The link between Creator and creation from creations side is those who made to hear Divine Speech.
Due to the fact that God is far too vast for humans to comprehend and for our facilities to be exposed to directly, God made amongst us certain humans who are given the gift of hearing Divine Speech and higher understanding. The method by which those special humans hear Divine Speech is called revelation because of the way Divine Speech connects with creation (which will be discussed in more detail in a later post).
These special humans are of two kinds:
1- Prophets
2- Messengers
Prophets far out number Messengers is number, throughout history there have been hundreds of Prophets. Both the Prophet and the Messenger receive revelation from God, however the Prophet is not necessarily commanded to teach this revelation to others while the Messenger is.
Messengers are a higher degree than Prophets since they are given a Divine "book" that they spread and teach to others. However, both Prophets and Messengers share the exact same attributes in what they are as humans.
The attributes that we must believe in about Prophets in order to fully believe and adhere to religion are 9 attributes
These 9 Attributes for Prophets can be split into 3 different categories
1- Necessary Attributes, which are 4.
2- Possible Attributes, which are 1.
3- Impossible Attributes, which are 4.
When we get to a proper understanding of what those Prophets are about, the same way we came to a proper understanding of what God is, we can then start to get a clearer picture of what it is these Prophets came with and told the rest of creation.
The Attributes we need to believe in regarding Prophets will be mentioned in the next post, God willing.
The link between Creator and creation from the Creators side is His Divine attribute of Speech. The link between Creator and creation from creations side is those who made to hear Divine Speech.
Due to the fact that God is far too vast for humans to comprehend and for our facilities to be exposed to directly, God made amongst us certain humans who are given the gift of hearing Divine Speech and higher understanding. The method by which those special humans hear Divine Speech is called revelation because of the way Divine Speech connects with creation (which will be discussed in more detail in a later post).
These special humans are of two kinds:
1- Prophets
2- Messengers
Prophets far out number Messengers is number, throughout history there have been hundreds of Prophets. Both the Prophet and the Messenger receive revelation from God, however the Prophet is not necessarily commanded to teach this revelation to others while the Messenger is.
Messengers are a higher degree than Prophets since they are given a Divine "book" that they spread and teach to others. However, both Prophets and Messengers share the exact same attributes in what they are as humans.
The attributes that we must believe in about Prophets in order to fully believe and adhere to religion are 9 attributes
These 9 Attributes for Prophets can be split into 3 different categories
1- Necessary Attributes, which are 4.
2- Possible Attributes, which are 1.
3- Impossible Attributes, which are 4.
When we get to a proper understanding of what those Prophets are about, the same way we came to a proper understanding of what God is, we can then start to get a clearer picture of what it is these Prophets came with and told the rest of creation.
The Attributes we need to believe in regarding Prophets will be mentioned in the next post, God willing.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
11) Divine Attributes Through Revelation
New readers need to start reading from here: ( What is God)
God is perfection and beyond what any created mind can fathom. God is infinite and our minds are finite. However God has not deprived us of deepening our knowledge of Him.
Before we move on to any further understandings about God we first have to stick to a certain principle which is that, "we attribute to God any and all complete perfection and we exclude from God any and all imperfections." It is only when we believe in that principle that further doors are made clear to us and it is only through Divine revelation that we can properly see and understanding that principle.
God has many exalted attributes beyond the 8 Essentials but they can only be properly understood through Divine revelation and there's a reason why that is. For those of us who really want to know God and connect with Him we need to know what He has to say to us. What does God say to creation? What does He expect from creation? How does God say things to creation? etc Without Divine revelation the only attributes we'd know about God are 7 Essential attributes without the 8th attribute of Speech.
If God did not communicate with creation we would have no way of proving God's essential attribute of Divine Speech. Yet, just as God hears us speak to Him, He also speaks to us. His Divine speech reaches us through revelation, and it is this special relationship between Creator and creation that the doors to knowing more about God are opened.
As great as the intellect is, it's capacity to know God is miniscule in comparison to the heart and spirit. There are aspects of God that only the heart can understand without the mind properly comprehending. However, there aren't aspects of God that the mind can comprehend that the heart cannot. The heart is far wider is scope, that is why spiritual knowledge is directed to the heart.
So in order for us to know God on a deeper level we need to read what He has revealed to us, that by itself opens a door to a better understanding of God. However, the depth and breadth of our understanding of God is contingent upon our acceptance and implementation of God's commands to us. The relationship is simple and clear if we are sincere. Sincere in the exchange taking place, which is, through obeying Divine commands we are given spiritual enlightenment.
The more we submit to Divine commands the more He reveals to us. The more He reveals to us the more we submit and implement. The more we submit and implement the more we love, understanding, and appreciate God. The more we appreciate the more He gives us. So on and so forth to no end.
Know this:
There comes a point where the heart yearns to know more about the Divine, and that point is never passed except on God's terms.
And God's terms are not made clear to us except through revelation.
Revelation is not made clear to us unless we come to believe and understand two things:
1) Belief in God and all the 8 Essential attributes mentioned earlier.
2) Belief in the one who is receiving revelation, which we will get into next, God willing.
It is only when on believes in God,(namely His 8 Essential attributes) and believes in those who have received revelation, that one can believe in that which was revealed. Before the above 2 are met, proper faith in revelation will be frail and lacking.
Note:
A prayer worth saying daily that would take any one of to great places is to constantly ask God to "Show us the path of Truth as Truth and guide us on it, and to show us the false path as false and protect us from it."
Amen
Note 2:
Some people misunderstand the usage of masculine terminology of God as He. When "He" is used to refer to God, it does not refer to God being a male. The masculine form is used due to its Majestic, All-Powerful, and All-Mighty connotations. God is neither male nor female. God has no gender. "He" is a linguistic expression.
God is perfection and beyond what any created mind can fathom. God is infinite and our minds are finite. However God has not deprived us of deepening our knowledge of Him.
Before we move on to any further understandings about God we first have to stick to a certain principle which is that, "we attribute to God any and all complete perfection and we exclude from God any and all imperfections." It is only when we believe in that principle that further doors are made clear to us and it is only through Divine revelation that we can properly see and understanding that principle.
God has many exalted attributes beyond the 8 Essentials but they can only be properly understood through Divine revelation and there's a reason why that is. For those of us who really want to know God and connect with Him we need to know what He has to say to us. What does God say to creation? What does He expect from creation? How does God say things to creation? etc Without Divine revelation the only attributes we'd know about God are 7 Essential attributes without the 8th attribute of Speech.
If God did not communicate with creation we would have no way of proving God's essential attribute of Divine Speech. Yet, just as God hears us speak to Him, He also speaks to us. His Divine speech reaches us through revelation, and it is this special relationship between Creator and creation that the doors to knowing more about God are opened.
As great as the intellect is, it's capacity to know God is miniscule in comparison to the heart and spirit. There are aspects of God that only the heart can understand without the mind properly comprehending. However, there aren't aspects of God that the mind can comprehend that the heart cannot. The heart is far wider is scope, that is why spiritual knowledge is directed to the heart.
So in order for us to know God on a deeper level we need to read what He has revealed to us, that by itself opens a door to a better understanding of God. However, the depth and breadth of our understanding of God is contingent upon our acceptance and implementation of God's commands to us. The relationship is simple and clear if we are sincere. Sincere in the exchange taking place, which is, through obeying Divine commands we are given spiritual enlightenment.
The more we submit to Divine commands the more He reveals to us. The more He reveals to us the more we submit and implement. The more we submit and implement the more we love, understanding, and appreciate God. The more we appreciate the more He gives us. So on and so forth to no end.
Know this:
There comes a point where the heart yearns to know more about the Divine, and that point is never passed except on God's terms.
And God's terms are not made clear to us except through revelation.
Revelation is not made clear to us unless we come to believe and understand two things:
1) Belief in God and all the 8 Essential attributes mentioned earlier.
2) Belief in the one who is receiving revelation, which we will get into next, God willing.
It is only when on believes in God,(namely His 8 Essential attributes) and believes in those who have received revelation, that one can believe in that which was revealed. Before the above 2 are met, proper faith in revelation will be frail and lacking.
Note:
A prayer worth saying daily that would take any one of to great places is to constantly ask God to "Show us the path of Truth as Truth and guide us on it, and to show us the false path as false and protect us from it."
Amen
Note 2:
Some people misunderstand the usage of masculine terminology of God as He. When "He" is used to refer to God, it does not refer to God being a male. The masculine form is used due to its Majestic, All-Powerful, and All-Mighty connotations. God is neither male nor female. God has no gender. "He" is a linguistic expression.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
10) Final Negating Attributes
The last two "Negating Attributes" of the 5 are:
God's existence being upheld by no one other than Himself (القيام بالنفس al-Qiyam bil-Nafs).
Unlike everything we see around us, God is not upheld by anything. He does not need something to make Him exist. He does not need a place to hold Him nor a form to exist in. He does not need matter in order to be known the way descriptions need objects to be described by. (i.e. Colors aren't described by themselves, they are descriptions of something. Taking a blue bottle as an example, the blue cannot exist without the bottle and the bottle cannot exist without the blue (or a description of whatever the bottle's matter is made up of.) God is not need of any of that.
and
God being completely different from creation. (المخالفة للحوادث al-Mukhalafa lil-Hawadith)
There is nothing in creation that resembles God. God is completely different from anything that exists and from anything we'd ever imagine. He is what we cannot every fully imagine.
This means that God is not like humans. God is not composed of limbs, blood, flesh. Nor is God in need of movement or stasis. God is not in need of a place to exist in nor is He in need of time.
Whoever understands the 5 Negating Attributes has gotten to a deeper and more accurate understanding of the Divine. These attributes are known only after we understand and believe in the 8 Essential Attributes.
God's existence being upheld by no one other than Himself (القيام بالنفس al-Qiyam bil-Nafs).
Unlike everything we see around us, God is not upheld by anything. He does not need something to make Him exist. He does not need a place to hold Him nor a form to exist in. He does not need matter in order to be known the way descriptions need objects to be described by. (i.e. Colors aren't described by themselves, they are descriptions of something. Taking a blue bottle as an example, the blue cannot exist without the bottle and the bottle cannot exist without the blue (or a description of whatever the bottle's matter is made up of.) God is not need of any of that.
and
God being completely different from creation. (المخالفة للحوادث al-Mukhalafa lil-Hawadith)
There is nothing in creation that resembles God. God is completely different from anything that exists and from anything we'd ever imagine. He is what we cannot every fully imagine.
This means that God is not like humans. God is not composed of limbs, blood, flesh. Nor is God in need of movement or stasis. God is not in need of a place to exist in nor is He in need of time.
Whoever understands the 5 Negating Attributes has gotten to a deeper and more accurate understanding of the Divine. These attributes are known only after we understand and believe in the 8 Essential Attributes.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
9) The Negating Attributes
There are 5 attributes known as the "Negating Attributes" (الصفات السلبية al-Siffat al-Salbiya) which creation has come to know about God through revelation. These attributes are called "Negating attributes" because they negate the false images of God that we put in our minds.
These false images we have in our minds are a result of us being created beings that are used to seeing certain rules/laws apply to everything that exists. Although these laws we see around us are completely true with regards to creation, they are completely false with regards to the Divine.
The 1st Negating Attribute is God being "Beginlessly Eternal" (القدم al-Qidam).
God has no beginning since God has always existed. This attribute negates the understandings we have in our minds regarding God having a beginning. Everything we have ever seen in our life has always had a beginning, everything around us did not exist but then was brought into existence. This attribute is about the exact opposite. God has no beginning and was never preceded by non-existence.
The 2nd Negating Attribute is God being "Eternal"(بقاء baqa')
God has no end, even though everything around us has an end. God shall always exist.
The 3rd Negating Attribute is God's "Oneness" (الوحدانية al-wahdaniyah)
Everything around us in creation is composed of different pieces put together, while God is not. God is not composed of limbs put together, He is indivisible and He is not made up of various parts. This attribute negates what our minds have gotten used to seeing, it puts an end to us using our imagination to visualizing God in terms of sizes and dimensions.
Everything that is composed of parts needs space in order for the parts to exist. These parts have a beginning and an end. Both of those descriptions contradict the Divine. God has no needs and has no beginning or end.
God is only one, there are no multiple Gods. God is unique and His attributes are unique, no thing shares God in His attributes and essence.
God is only one in His actions and effects. Nothing has any effect in and of itself. This is something that most people do not reflect on properly enough. Many people think that food is what satiates hunger, and drinking quenches thirst, and knives cut by an ability God has given each of these things. This is false, nothing has any effect on it's own. The Divine is the only One that makes causes and effects. Causes and effects are by God and God alone.
God is one in every meaning of the word.
The last 2 Negating Attributes will be mentioned in the next post, God willing.
These false images we have in our minds are a result of us being created beings that are used to seeing certain rules/laws apply to everything that exists. Although these laws we see around us are completely true with regards to creation, they are completely false with regards to the Divine.
The 1st Negating Attribute is God being "Beginlessly Eternal" (القدم al-Qidam).
God has no beginning since God has always existed. This attribute negates the understandings we have in our minds regarding God having a beginning. Everything we have ever seen in our life has always had a beginning, everything around us did not exist but then was brought into existence. This attribute is about the exact opposite. God has no beginning and was never preceded by non-existence.
The 2nd Negating Attribute is God being "Eternal"(بقاء baqa')
God has no end, even though everything around us has an end. God shall always exist.
The 3rd Negating Attribute is God's "Oneness" (الوحدانية al-wahdaniyah)
Everything around us in creation is composed of different pieces put together, while God is not. God is not composed of limbs put together, He is indivisible and He is not made up of various parts. This attribute negates what our minds have gotten used to seeing, it puts an end to us using our imagination to visualizing God in terms of sizes and dimensions.
Everything that is composed of parts needs space in order for the parts to exist. These parts have a beginning and an end. Both of those descriptions contradict the Divine. God has no needs and has no beginning or end.
God is only one, there are no multiple Gods. God is unique and His attributes are unique, no thing shares God in His attributes and essence.
God is only one in His actions and effects. Nothing has any effect in and of itself. This is something that most people do not reflect on properly enough. Many people think that food is what satiates hunger, and drinking quenches thirst, and knives cut by an ability God has given each of these things. This is false, nothing has any effect on it's own. The Divine is the only One that makes causes and effects. Causes and effects are by God and God alone.
God is one in every meaning of the word.
The last 2 Negating Attributes will be mentioned in the next post, God willing.
Friday, April 15, 2011
8) Speech
(Note: New readers, refer back to this post [link]for the explanation of Essential Attributes.)
Divine Speech.
Divine Speech is the final essential attribute of God that we need to believe in before properly following religion. It is the 8th attribute and the key to knowing any other Divine attributes after it. The 8 attributes can all be reached by the intellect alone, however all the other attributes that come later can only be made clear to us through Divine revelation.
We know that God has Knowledge, that God Has Might and Will power, is All-Seeing, All-Hearing, and is Alive. But none of those attributes give us any means of properly knowing what God wants or expects from us. The relation between creation and Creator would be lacking if not for the Divine attribute of Speech ( Kalam الكلام in Arabic). Divine Speech is what connects our understanding and actions to God.
God communicates with His creation in various ways, however His speech isn't transmitted by sound waves as our speech is with one another. That is because sound waves are created and everything that is created needs something to exist by. God's speech is not created and therefore it cannot be in need of something else such as sound waves. What we read in the Holy books are symbols that are taught to us in order to access God's words.
It is through God's speech that Prophets know what they know.
It is through God's speech that the Prophetic messages are spread.
It is through God's speech that we know what God expects from His creation, what He accepts and what He does not accept.
It is through God's speech that we believe in His Majestic revelations.
It is through God's speech that we know how to show our love to God.
God's Speech, like His Knowledge, relates to all 3 categories of reality that which is Possible, Impossible, and the Necessary.
Divine Speech.
Divine Speech is the final essential attribute of God that we need to believe in before properly following religion. It is the 8th attribute and the key to knowing any other Divine attributes after it. The 8 attributes can all be reached by the intellect alone, however all the other attributes that come later can only be made clear to us through Divine revelation.
We know that God has Knowledge, that God Has Might and Will power, is All-Seeing, All-Hearing, and is Alive. But none of those attributes give us any means of properly knowing what God wants or expects from us. The relation between creation and Creator would be lacking if not for the Divine attribute of Speech ( Kalam الكلام in Arabic). Divine Speech is what connects our understanding and actions to God.
God communicates with His creation in various ways, however His speech isn't transmitted by sound waves as our speech is with one another. That is because sound waves are created and everything that is created needs something to exist by. God's speech is not created and therefore it cannot be in need of something else such as sound waves. What we read in the Holy books are symbols that are taught to us in order to access God's words.
It is through God's speech that Prophets know what they know.
It is through God's speech that the Prophetic messages are spread.
It is through God's speech that we know what God expects from His creation, what He accepts and what He does not accept.
It is through God's speech that we believe in His Majestic revelations.
It is through God's speech that we know how to show our love to God.
God's Speech, like His Knowledge, relates to all 3 categories of reality that which is Possible, Impossible, and the Necessary.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
7) Hear and See
Note: New readers should start reading from Categorizing Reality onwards before reading this post.
Humans have will power, they have strength, they have knowledge, they have sight, they can hear, and they are alive.
We don't have any of the above by ourselves, we are given the above (in different amounts) by the Divine, who has Absolute Will power, Might, Knowledge, Sight, Hearing, and Life.
We have some traces of Divine attributes given to us to help us better understand the Divine. God has sight, but His sight is not like ours. We are a miniscule scope of the attribute of sight, while God has absolute Sight. God's sight includes within it things our minds would never comprehend. God sees our thoughts, feelings, emotions, and sees sounds.
God is All-Seeing. (al-baseer البصير)
He sees everything that ever was, that is, and that ever will be. He sees what we did, what we are doing, what we want to do, and what we will do.
There is no such thing as distance with God.
God's Seeing is related to that which exists not the Impossible.
God is also All-Hearing. (al-samea السميع)
He hears everything that ever was, that is, and that ever will be. God can hear us when we talk to Him, He hears us when we think thoughts to ourselves, He hears us when we can't even hear ourselves. God hears the entire universe, even the foot steps of ants in caves with just as much ease as He hears a massive explosion. No sound is too low nor too loud for God to Hear.
God Hears the sounds of colors, thoughts, feelings, expressions. His Hearing is far beyond what any mind may fathom or understand.
God's Hearing is related to that which exists not the Impossible.
Believing in God's All-Hearing and All-Seeing attributes is the key which leads us to make sense of one of the most essential understandings in the relationship between God and His creation.
The essential attribute through which we believe what we believe and disbelieve what we disbelieve.
I'll tell you what that attribute is in the next post if God Wills it.
Note 1:
It is important to understand that our human attributes are given to us by God. As such, God can increase us or decrease us as He pleases in any of them. It has been mentioned that the more praiseworthy things we hear and the less sinful things we hear, the more God increases us in spiritual hearing. Our spiritual hearing can hear the angels, understand the animals, and hear from far distances.
Likewise with sight. If we keep our eyes focused on that which God loves and away from that which He warns us against, our eyes would be able to see through physical matter. We would be able to see angels, distant horizons, and many other hidden realities.
Note 2:
When we perform ablution (وضوء wudu'), we are told to ask God to make us see all that is good when we wash over our eyes, and we ask God to let us hear all that is good upon washing our ears.
Monday, April 11, 2011
6) Life Is Not Life As We Know It
Note: New readers should start reading from Categorizing Reality onwards before reading this post.
Life.
Life is not as we know it.
We know life from the perspective of created beings that aren't really alive. Our life and our death are both things that are created.
We are only alive through the attributes of God's Knowledge, Power, and Will, but unlike God we aren't really alive. We have no Life of our own.
True Life is an attribute that cannot be taken away and cannot be given. True Life is an attribute that only God has, because God's existence is Necessary and that means it is Necessary that God is alive not dead.
As such, Life is neither given nor taken it is eternal. It has always been and will always be, whoever has Absolute Life has always lived and shall always live.
There are those Divine attributes that connect to us by which we live, and there are Divine attributes that do not connect to us. God's strength is connected to us, it is what creates us. God's life however is not connected to anything in creation, it's an attribute that doesn't connect and affect creation.
We are alive, we exist rather, through God's Strength and Will power, not by His Life.
Our life is not connected to God's life the same way our will is connected to God's Will. Our life is connected to God's Knowledge, Power and Will but not His 'Life.
So yes, we are alive, but not in the true absolute meaning of the word the way God is. We're merely being created every moment from "something that is possible that does not exist"to "something that is possible that does exist." What we know of life is merely God bringing into existence something that is Possible yet doesn't exist into something that is Possible that does exist. That's all we are. Nothing more, nothing less.
If God decides not to take us into existence we become nonexistent, not dead because we were never alive in the first place. Our life and death are created states both contingent upon God's Knowledge, Power, and Will.
Life is the 5th essential attribute of God.
5) God's Knowledge, Power, & Will
Revised on April 14 2011
We now know that everything in the entire universe falls under the category of 'that which is possible.'
We also know that everything that is possible requires something that it necessary so that it can exist as a possibility.
We know that God is the Necessary Existent. Without God there would be no existence. Nothing would exist.
God's Knowledge
God's knowledge, unlike ours, is not learned. God does not learn new things, God already knows everything. He knows things before they happen, as they happen, and after they happen. In fact, in order for something to exist God needs to have full knowledge of it; how can God create something He doesn't know? He doesn't. Creating something He doesn't know is an "Impossibility."
God's knowledge spans everything, the Possible, Impossible, and Necessary.
God's Might/Power
Along with having knowledge of what He will create, God has to have the Power to create it. This Divine Power is the 3rd essential attribute. All Possible things, everything that is created, is contingent upon the Knowledge and the Power of God.
God's Power is only related to that which is Possible, not with the Impossible or Necessary.
God's Will
There is a 4th essential attribute that God has to have in order for us and the entire universe to exist. That attribute is the 'Will'.
God's Will is only related to that which is Possible, not with the Impossible or Necessary.
The 4 essential attributes we mentioned thus far are:
1- Existence
2- Absolute Knowledge
3- Absolute Power
4- The Will to create or not create
Only through those 4 attributes can existence exist. As such, nothing exists in the entire universe except that God wills it to happen. Nothing can happen without God willing it.
Know that God's Knowledge is not what makes things happen. God's knowledge is an attribute that Knows-All, but does not affect anything.
God's Power is an attribute that affects everything but is not the attribute through which things are known.
It is through God's Will that something God knows is brought into existence by His Divine Might and Power.
Note:
God has tied our intentions to His Will and Power. When we intend to do something, we "summon" it. Our intentions are connecting to God's Will and Power in that, when we want to do something He creates that thing we intend to do.
God knows what we want to do, but He doesn't create it until we take the decision ourselves to do it. That is why we are held to account for our actions, because God does not force upon us our good or bad deeds, He creates that which we decide we want even though He has prior knowledge of what we will decide to do.
That is where the aspect of 'Success' (توفيق tawfeeq) comes in. God gives some people more success than others in this life and the next. What that means is that God creates that which the human intends to do with varying degrees, He creates and facilitates somethings for some more than others. If God does not Will something to happen He won't create the thing that the human intends to do.
[I'll post more on 'success' later God willing.]
Note: New readers should start reading from Categorizing Reality onwards before reading this post.
We now know that everything in the entire universe falls under the category of 'that which is possible.'
We also know that everything that is possible requires something that it necessary so that it can exist as a possibility.
We know that God is the Necessary Existent. Without God there would be no existence. Nothing would exist.
God's Knowledge
God's Knowledge, the 2nd essential attribute, encompasses all 3 categories: the Impossible, the Possible, and the Necessary.
God's knowledge spans everything, the Possible, Impossible, and Necessary.
God's Might/Power
Along with having knowledge of what He will create, God has to have the Power to create it. This Divine Power is the 3rd essential attribute. All Possible things, everything that is created, is contingent upon the Knowledge and the Power of God.
God's Power is only related to that which is Possible, not with the Impossible or Necessary.
God's Will
There is a 4th essential attribute that God has to have in order for us and the entire universe to exist. That attribute is the 'Will'.
God's Will is only related to that which is Possible, not with the Impossible or Necessary.
The 4 essential attributes we mentioned thus far are:
1- Existence
2- Absolute Knowledge
3- Absolute Power
4- The Will to create or not create
Only through those 4 attributes can existence exist. As such, nothing exists in the entire universe except that God wills it to happen. Nothing can happen without God willing it.
Know that God's Knowledge is not what makes things happen. God's knowledge is an attribute that Knows-All, but does not affect anything.
God's Power is an attribute that affects everything but is not the attribute through which things are known.
It is through God's Will that something God knows is brought into existence by His Divine Might and Power.
Note:
God has tied our intentions to His Will and Power. When we intend to do something, we "summon" it. Our intentions are connecting to God's Will and Power in that, when we want to do something He creates that thing we intend to do.
God knows what we want to do, but He doesn't create it until we take the decision ourselves to do it. That is why we are held to account for our actions, because God does not force upon us our good or bad deeds, He creates that which we decide we want even though He has prior knowledge of what we will decide to do.
That is where the aspect of 'Success' (توفيق tawfeeq) comes in. God gives some people more success than others in this life and the next. What that means is that God creates that which the human intends to do with varying degrees, He creates and facilitates somethings for some more than others. If God does not Will something to happen He won't create the thing that the human intends to do.
[I'll post more on 'success' later God willing.]
Note: New readers should start reading from Categorizing Reality onwards before reading this post.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
4) We Are Possible
The Possible
All of creation falls under the category of 'The Possible.' (mumkin / ja'iz الممكن / الجاءز )
Creation: us humans, earth, planets, the stars, the ocean, ideas, thoughts, feelings, colors, and understandings, angels, and demons, everything that is created is something that may exist or may not exist. The Possibly Existent (ممكن الوجود mumkin al-wujood )
Our existence falls under that which is possible. We are neither Necessary ( wajib واجب ) nor are we Impossible ( mustaheel مستحيل). Everything around us is possible.
However, the Possible is far wider in scope than that which actually exists around us. For instance, it is possible for a phoenix to exist, but it does not. There is nothing about a phoenix that makes its existence impossible. Our minds are capable of imagining it.
So Possibles are:
- Something that is possible and does exist.
- Something that is possible but does not exist
- Something that is possible but has yet to exist
- Something that is possible that will never exist.
As stated in an earlier post, everything that is Possible is within the Knowledge of God. God has knowledge over all things possible. Our existence depends on the fact that God knows everything about our existence, because if God doesn't know something about our existence He would not be able to make it exist.
Therefore, our existence and the existence of all of creation is dependent upon God's knowledge.
Therefore, God's knowledge is something that is Necessary, while our existence is not necessary.
God can choose to make anything that is possible exist.
All of creation falls under the category of 'The Possible.' (mumkin / ja'iz الممكن / الجاءز )
Creation: us humans, earth, planets, the stars, the ocean, ideas, thoughts, feelings, colors, and understandings, angels, and demons, everything that is created is something that may exist or may not exist. The Possibly Existent (ممكن الوجود mumkin al-wujood )
Our existence falls under that which is possible. We are neither Necessary ( wajib واجب ) nor are we Impossible ( mustaheel مستحيل). Everything around us is possible.
However, the Possible is far wider in scope than that which actually exists around us. For instance, it is possible for a phoenix to exist, but it does not. There is nothing about a phoenix that makes its existence impossible. Our minds are capable of imagining it.
So Possibles are:
- Something that is possible and does exist.
- Something that is possible but does not exist
- Something that is possible but has yet to exist
- Something that is possible that will never exist.
As stated in an earlier post, everything that is Possible is within the Knowledge of God. God has knowledge over all things possible. Our existence depends on the fact that God knows everything about our existence, because if God doesn't know something about our existence He would not be able to make it exist.
Therefore, our existence and the existence of all of creation is dependent upon God's knowledge.
Therefore, God's knowledge is something that is Necessary, while our existence is not necessary.
God can choose to make anything that is possible exist.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
3) God and neediness
The Necessarily Existent cannot be something that exists by the existence of something else, it is something that exists on it's own otherwise it would be impossible for the Necessarily Existent to exist.
If the Necessarily Existent needed something else to make it exist then that which it needs would in fact be the Necessarily Existent.
Therefore, anything that is necessarily existent must exist on it's own, free of any need.
The Necessarily Existent has no needs.
God has no needs.
If the Necessarily Existent needed something else to make it exist then that which it needs would in fact be the Necessarily Existent.
Therefore, anything that is necessarily existent must exist on it's own, free of any need.
The Necessarily Existent has no needs.
God has no needs.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
2) The Necessarily Existant *is* God
Revised on April 14 2011
What is a God?
In the universe around us everything that exists has been brought into existence by something else. Every thing we see around us came from something else that came from something that came from another thing. This chain goes on and on for what may seem like an eternity except that an eternity of effects created by causes created by effects created by causes cannot be created by effects.
Logically there has to be a first cause that creates everything that comes afterwards. This first cause is the necessary cause that brings about all future effects. And since the universe obviously exists there must be a necessary cause that made all these effects exist around us, that necessary cause is what we call the Necessarily Existent (واجب الوجود wajib al-wujood).
That which reality cannot exist without is the Necessarily Existent or in other words God.
In reality, God is the only real Necessity. It is necessary for God to exist so that anything else can.
Everything other than God is therefore either 1) Possible or 2) Impossible.
So what is a God? There are 8 essential attributes that we need to believe in about God. These attributes can be known through the intellect if one contemplates reality closely enough. God being the Necessarily Existent (واجب الوجود wajib al-wujood) is the the 1st essential attribute that we need to believe in.
It is only when we have a proper understanding of what a God is that we can properly and fully understand how to practice religion. It is people's lack of reflection and proper understanding of the Divine that make them have a hard time following Divine revelation. These 8 essential attributes can be known and understood in the basic form by the intellect alone.
A person has to reach an understanding by the intellect that God exists before proving that God exists by revelation, otherwise one falls into a cycle.
What is a God?
In the universe around us everything that exists has been brought into existence by something else. Every thing we see around us came from something else that came from something that came from another thing. This chain goes on and on for what may seem like an eternity except that an eternity of effects created by causes created by effects created by causes cannot be created by effects.
Logically there has to be a first cause that creates everything that comes afterwards. This first cause is the necessary cause that brings about all future effects. And since the universe obviously exists there must be a necessary cause that made all these effects exist around us, that necessary cause is what we call the Necessarily Existent (واجب الوجود wajib al-wujood).
That which reality cannot exist without is the Necessarily Existent or in other words God.
In reality, God is the only real Necessity. It is necessary for God to exist so that anything else can.
Everything other than God is therefore either 1) Possible or 2) Impossible.
So what is a God? There are 8 essential attributes that we need to believe in about God. These attributes can be known through the intellect if one contemplates reality closely enough. God being the Necessarily Existent (واجب الوجود wajib al-wujood) is the the 1st essential attribute that we need to believe in.
It is only when we have a proper understanding of what a God is that we can properly and fully understand how to practice religion. It is people's lack of reflection and proper understanding of the Divine that make them have a hard time following Divine revelation. These 8 essential attributes can be known and understood in the basic form by the intellect alone.
A person has to reach an understanding by the intellect that God exists before proving that God exists by revelation, otherwise one falls into a cycle.
Friday, April 1, 2011
1) Categorizing Reality
Updated on April 14 2011
The reality of the universe around us is divided into three categories:
1- The Necessary (واحب wajib)
2- The Impossible (مستحيل mustaheel)
3- The Possible (الممكن / الجاءز mumkin / ja'iz)
1- The Necessary is that which cannot not exist
2- The Impossible is that which cannot exist
3- The Possible is that which can or cannot exist.
Everything falls under 1 of the above.
Everything, so reflect on that.
The reality of the universe around us is divided into three categories:
1- The Necessary (واحب wajib)
2- The Impossible (مستحيل mustaheel)
3- The Possible (الممكن / الجاءز mumkin / ja'iz)
1- The Necessary is that which cannot not exist
2- The Impossible is that which cannot exist
3- The Possible is that which can or cannot exist.
Everything falls under 1 of the above.
Everything, so reflect on that.
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