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The concept of Allah in Islam: 99 names, infinite attributes, and a direct bond with humanity
الوجود
Existence — Al-Wujud
Allah's existence is necessary and eternal. He was neither created nor dependent on any cause.
الأحد
Oneness — Al-Ahad
Allah is One, without likeness or partner. He cannot be compared to anything.
القدير
Power — Al-Qadir
Allah is capable of all things. Nothing occurs outside of His will.
العليم
Knowledge — Al-Alim
Allah knows all things: past, present, future, hidden and apparent. Nothing is concealed from Him.
الرحمن
Mercy — Ar-Rahman
Allah's mercy encompasses all things. The Quran introduces Allah as 'Rahman' (Most Merciful) and 'Rahim' (Most Compassionate) in 113 of 114 chapters.
العدل
Justice — Al-Adl
Allah is absolutely just. No injustice goes unanswered in His sight. The hereafter is where this justice will be fully manifested.
اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ
Al-Baqarah 2:255
"Allah — there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep."
Is 'Allah' only the God of Muslims?
"Allah" is a different God, a special concept only believed in by Muslims.
'Allah' is simply the Arabic word for 'God.' Arab Christians and Jews also use the word Allah. The Allah of Islam refers to the one Creator God.
Is Allah a distant and unreachable being?
Allah is a distant, inaccessible, and judging force removed from humanity.
The Quran says: 'We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.' (50:16) Allah hears His servant's prayer directly. In Islam, the relationship with Allah is direct, without intermediary, and personal.
Does Allah have a gender?
Because Allah is referred to as 'He,' Allah must be male.
Allah is beyond the characteristics of created beings. In Arabic, the masculine pronoun is a grammatical convention and does not imply gender. Allah has no gender, body, or human attributes.
Why does the universe exist? Why is there something rather than nothing? Thinkers who have taken this question seriously have found that an infinite regress is logically impossible, and they arrive at a 'self-existing' being. Islam calls this being Allah.