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Current mood:  happy Category: Religion and Philosophy
Description: An interpretation of chapter 112 which revolve around the concept of God in Islam.
By Dr. Bilal Philips
1. Say: “He is Allah, the Unique.”
2. “Allah, the Self-Sufficient.”
3. “He does not give birth, nor was He born.”
4. “And there is none equal to Him."
(1) Say: “He is Allah, the Unique.”
This verse represents Allah’s own affirmation of His unique Monotheism,
His inimitable Unity. Thus, the first verse is a command to the
Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, and whoever
reads or recites this verse to affirm Allah’s Unique Unity. He is one
like whom there is no other. There are many unities in this world, but
they all are not unique as each unity has others similar to them. For
example, there is one Mount Everest, but there are other tall mountains
similar to it. In the case of Allah, there is no other unity similar
to Him. All other unities can be divided into parts, while Allah is
unique in His unity and is as such indivisible.
(2) Allah, the Self-Sufficient.
Allah’s
uniqueness is realized in His self-sufficiency. On the other hand, all
created beings have needs and are dependent on others to fulfill their
needs. Allah is not in need of any of His creation in any way, as
nothing they can do can better or benefit His already perfect state.
This attribute of self-sufficiency invites the believers to reflect on
the purpose and the goals of their worship. Most people worship as if
they are doing God a favor. The purpose of human creation is to
worship Allah because all human beings have a need to worship Him. He has no need for or from them. Human
beings need to worship and glorify God because obedience to divine law
is the key to their success in both this life and the next.
(3) “He does not give birth, nor was He born.”
This
verse describes another aspect of Allah’s Unique Oneness. False
religions generally represent God in human terms by either giving Him
human characteristics and or human form. This verse deals primarily
with two distinct characteristics of human beings and other living
creatures in general: coming into existence by being born and
procreating by giving birth.
“He (Allah) does not give birth,”
because
there is nothing similar to him. A child is made from portions (sperm
and ovum) of the bodies of its parents which is why it is similar to
its parents in form and characteristics. If God gave birth, there
would be another god like Him, which His uniqueness has already
negated. The Almighty also rejected the concept of having a child from
the perspective that bearing offspring usually requires a female
partner similar in form to the male. Allah also rejected offspring
from the general perspective that it is not befitting, since to have a
child would reduce him to the status of His creatures. This answers
the question of those who claim that since it is agreed that God can do
anything, He should be able to have a son if He wished. It is not
befitting because it would make God like His creatures. Furthermore
people have children out of a need for help to survive in this material
world or out of the need for continued existence through one’s progeny.
By describing Himself as self-sufficient, Allah also negated this possibility. “Nor was He born” subtly
rejects the notion that Jesus was God, because he was born. For God to
be born, He must first have not existed, which contradicts the basic
unique divine attribute of eternal existence.
(4) “And there is nothing equal to Him.” Allah
closes the chapter with a restatement of the opening verse. If God is
unique, nothing can be equal to Him. If nothing is equal to Him, then
He alone is unique. If He alone is Self-Sufficient and all creation is
in need of Him, nothing in creation can be equal to Him. If He does
not bear offspring, nor did anyone or anything give birth to Him,
nothing or no one can be equal to Him as every created being came into
existence after a period of non-existence. Every created being has
something similar to it, called its pair, or something resembling it,
called its equal. If the Creator were from one or other of these
species He would have an equal and a similitude. Thus,
this chapter contains the genealogy and description of God, the Most
Merciful. It was revealed by Allah to refute beliefs attributed to Him
by misguided people concerning His similitude, bodily form, origin and
offspring. For example, those who paint pictures or make statues of
Allah are claiming similitude, those who worship others besides Him
claim similitude, and those who attribute some parts of His creation to
others besides Him claim similitude. However, nothing is similar to
Him in His Attributes, His Dominion or His Divinity. Therefore, only
He alone deserves to be worshipped by His creatures.Say (O Muhammad): “He is Allah (God), (the) One. (1)“Allah-us-Samad [Allah (God) the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks)]. (2)“He begets not, nor was He begotten. (3)“And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him.” (4)(Quran 112:1-4)
Interpretation
(1) Which
means “Say” a decisive statement which you believe in and be aware of,
“He is Allah(God), (the) One” which means, the oneness is confined in
him, he is the one who posses alone perfection, Who has the most
beautiful names, and perfect supreme attributes, holy deeds. He is
unexampled and matchless.(2) “Allah-us-Samad”
[Allah the Self-Sufficient Master] whom all creatures need, All the
habitants of the upper and lower world are in utmost need of him. They
ask him for their needs, and seek him for their concerns, because He is
perfect in his attributes, He is the all-knowing whose knowledge is
perfect, He is the most-forbearing whose forbearance is perfect, the
most-merciful whose mercy is perfect and embraces all thing and as well
all his attributes.(3) And of his perfection that “He begets not, nor was He begotten” due to the perfection of his opulence [freedom of all needs](4) “And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him.” Neither in his names and attributes nor in his deeds. Glory be to God.So this Chapter establishes the oneness of God.
7:18 PM
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