The Proof that Allah is Unlike any of His Creation

Extracted from Shefa by Judge Eyad Translated by Ahmad Dar ish Presented by Anne !hadi"ah Ste#hens All mankind should believe that the tremendous Greatness of Allah, His Beautiful Names and His attributes do not bear even the slightest resemblance to those qualities found in His creation. No created quality resembles Him not even the angelic universe. Allah tells us, "There is nothing like Him" (4 !""#. His $ssence is unlike all other essences and His Names and Attributes are unlike those of His created beings. %emember, the attributes of created beings, are not inde&endent, neither are they free from desires, 'hereas Allah is free from all this. He is $verlasting, as are His Names and Attributes. By Allah, it is an e(cellent statement, made by the kno'ledgeable of reali)ation, and reality 'ho say *neness, (+a'hid# is the affirmation of the $ssence of Allah in 'hich that $ssence is unlike all other essences. He created and His $ssence and attributes are never inca&acitated. Al ,asiti, may Allah have mercy on him, summari)ed the matter, and this too is Judge Eyad's goal. %egarding Allah he said, -+here is no essence like His $ssence. +here is no name like His Name. +here is no action like His action. +here is no attribute like His attribute, all that can be said is the e(&ressions (those of Allah and other than Allah# are similar only in their &ronunciation.+he belief of the truthful follo'ers of .ro&het /uhammad, &raise and &eace be u&on him, is that the $ssence of Allah, 'hich is not sub0ect to time, is by far too ma0estic to have a quality 'hich is timely, in the same 'ay that any created essence lives in the confines of time does not esca&e from time, nor do they have any ancient attributes &rior to time +his is the belief of the &eo&le of the truth 'ho follo' the &ro&hetic 'ays (sunnah# and the congregation of (Ahle 1unnat 'a 2amat# the 3om&anions, and those 'ho follo' them.

4mam Abu5l 6asim Al 7ushayri commented and e(&ounded u&on the &receding saying, -+his contains the total of all statements relating to the *neness of Allah. Ho' is it &ossible for His $ssence to be like the essence of created things, 'hich are confined by time 'hen His $ssence, is inde&endent from time, location, dimension, the imagination of our reasoning, or any created substance with its characteristics by His very existence? And, how can His action resemble the action of any of His creation, when His action is not caused by it, rather, Allah is the Creator of it, nor is His action repelling an action of imperfection and is not derived from thoughts or desires. His action does not come through any created physical or non-physical cause, whereas the actions of His creation are created by Him (and maintained until its end by Him .! 4mam Al 2u'ayni said, -,hosoever sto&s at something that e(ists and 'hich he is ca&able of understanding must kno' that it is a human &roduction. ,hereas 'hosoever takes the stand of &ure negation of the 3reator is an atheist. As for the believer, he8she admits it is im&ossible to &erceive the reality of Allah. 9hu5n Nun Al /isri gave an e(cellent e(&lanation of the ,ords of Allah that read, There is nothing like Him" (4 !""#, "He is not to be questioned about what He does, but they shall be questioned" ( "! :# and, "When We decree a thing, We only say: 'Be," and it is (";!4<#. He said, -+he reality of *neness is that you understand the &o'er of Allah is in things 'ithout stating the means, and that His action is the cause of everything, but this action is 'ithout cause. ,hatever forms in your imagination about Allah, be sure Allah it is not that=+hese are &recious, 'onderful, &recise 'ords. 2udge $yad concludes 'ith the follo'ing su&&lication, -* Allah by >our ?avor and /ercy, make us firm in the belief of >our *neness, testifying to it and disconnection from disbelief, and &revent us from misguidance, and error that leads to atheism, and man@made faith.-