Article appeared Friday, December 2nd, 2016 in The News Today, Bangladesh

The Revelation (453)

yousuf mahbubul Islam, PhD

On certain occasions we say Al-hamdu-lillah. It is an Arabic phrase meaning {1} praise be to

God. It is used by Muslims and Arabic speaking Christians and Jews {1} when they desire to
praise God on any occasion and in any situation. When using the phrase do we give conscious
thought to who exactly God is and why He alone deserves praise? Before attempting to answer
this question, it may be useful to study the phrase itself. The phrase has three basic parts {1}:
Al The definite article, "the".
Hamdu Meaning "praise", "commendation"
Li-l-lh preposition + noun Allah. Li- is a preposition meaning "for", "belonging to",
etc.
The word "Allah" is itself the fusion of the definite article al (the) and the word ilah (a god,
deity). Like in English, the article is used here to single out the noun as being the only one
of its kind, "the god" (the one and only) or "God" with a capital G (the concept of capital
letters does not exist in Arabic). Therefore, "Allah" is the Arabic word for "God". "ilh" is the
Arabic cognate of the ancient Semitic name for God, El. {1}
The word Allah is Arabic for The God {2}, i.e., the Supreme Deity. The word used for god, i.e.,
ilah is the same in Aramaic {3, 4}, the language spoken by Jesus {5} (AS). Whatever the word
for God be in the religions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, the concept of the Almighty and
All-Powerful Creator should logically be identical as all three lay claim to be a monotheistic
religion and all descend from Abraham (pbuh) as their spiritual ancestor. Can verses in the Holy
Scriptures help human beings relate to the Qualities of the Supreme Being and understand who
He is? Looking through the Holy Quran, we find the following Verse in its second chapter.
Allah! There is no god but He; the Living, the Self-Subsisting Eternal. No slumber can
seize him nor can sleep. To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever
is on the earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permits? He
knows that which is before them and that which is behind them. Nor shall they compass
any of his knowledge except as He wills/reveals. His throne extends over the heavens
and the earth and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. He is the (one)
Exalted, the Magnificent. [2.255]
The Verse is better known as Ayat-al-Kursi or Verse of the Throne. What does the Verse reveal
to us about the qualities of Allah? For the purpose of comprehension, one way to relate to His
qualities would be to find the difference when compared with human qualities. So, if the Verse is
read again while comparing with human characteristics, what realization can one come to?
Let us first examine the word god. Without attaching a meaning to the word, the phrase no
god but He tells us that whatever He is, Allah is unique and incomparable, i.e., there is
absolutely nothing like Him. Being incomparable, therefore, His Nature would be beyond human
experience/imagination. Next, by the same token what could the word Living mean? If we
assume that humans are living, can it be the same type of living? The next words, SelfSubsisting and Eternal shed some light on the nature of Living. Human life is dependent;
humans are born and eventually die. Compared to this, Allah is Living or He is the only being
who is alive without being created and is able to do by Himself whatever life or living demands,
i.e., whatever He wants/wills. The subsequent statement no slumber or sleep can take Him over
would imply that He is constantly fully aware of what is going on with humans and in His

universe. He is never absent. What could the next part To Him belongs whatsoever is in the
heavens and whatsoever is on the earth mean? We generally own things that we ourselves
make. Logically, humans have full authority over the things that they make. Similarly, should He
have full ownership and authority over what He has created? There is nothing that He has not
created He has created everything in the universe. So, each one of us belongs to Him He is
our Owner and the Owner of everything else in the universe.
Next, no one can intercede, i.e., He has no lawyers who could plead a human case. So, if we
want to approach Him, we need to do so directly, as there are absolutely no intermediaries,
unless He permits. For example, if we want to thank Him for giving us life, we need to address
Him directly. As for His Knowledge, as the next verse puts forward, He knows what challenges
and future human beings will face and also what each has done. Human beings can only
conceive or imagine from within the knowledge that Allah has created/revealed we have no
independent knowledge. The possibility and opportunity of any thought has first to be created by
Him; only then can we materialize and utilize the thought. We cannot reach beyond what He has
created for us and/or revealed, i.e., we cannot access knowledge that He has not given. His
sovereignty extends everywhere in the universe. Finally, everything that He has created stands
witness to His Wisdom and Power all Credit and Praise belong to Him.
So when we say Alhamdulillah do we consciously worked out why? Do we say Alhamdulillah out
of adoration, piety and appreciation for something that He has done for us? Having studied
some of His Qualities, is it at all possible that He would have children like human beings do?
Yet, as Allah points out in the Quran, we imagine Him to be having human like children.

17.40 Has then your Lord (O those are pleased with having sons, etc.) preferred
for you sons and taken for Himself daughters among the angels? Truly you utter
a most dreadful saying!
Or is it possible for the Supreme Being to have a son? Do we realize who He is?

17.41 We have explained (things) in various (ways) in this Qur'an in order that
they may receive admonition but it only increases their flight (from the Truth)!
A son or daughter would be god-like had there been such they would be fighting for
supremacy or looking for access to the mighty Throne.

17.42 Say: if there had been (other) gods with Him as they say, behold they
would certainly have sought out a way to the Lord of the Throne!
17.43 Glory to Him! He is high above any similitude that they say! Exalted and
Great (beyond measure)!
17.44 The seven heavens and the earth and all beings in it declare His Glory:
there not a thing but celebrates His Praise; and yet you understand not how they
declare His Glory! Verily He is Oft- Forbearing, Most Forgiving!
--------{Notes}:
{1} https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alhamdulillah
{2} https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allah
{3} http://www.answering-christianity.com/allah2.htm
{4} http://www.answering-christianity.com/allah1.htm
{5} https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_of_Jesus