nature of Allah

• Omnipotence

  The quality of being all-powerful; having unlimited power
• Beliefs about Allah's Omnipotence

  • Allah is the creator, sustainer and owner of all things
  • Allah can compel things and people to do whatever He wishes
  • Humankind will always need Allah and there is a reason for everything that happens
  • Allah sees every action and knows innermost thoughts and desires
  • Allah hears when they call Him
• Qur'an 6: 102: 'This is God, your Lord, there is no God but Him, the Creator of all things, so worship Him; He is in charge of everything'
• Qur'an 30: 54: 'Surely He makes whatever He wills. He is all-knowing and all-powerful'
• Al-Jabbar


  One of the 99 names or characteristics of Allah, meaning the one who restores, resets, or fixes our brokenness
• Muslims believe that Allah sees their every action and knows their innermost thoughts and desires and He hears when they call Him
• Muslims give thanks to Allah for creating the world and all life


  This is shown through prayer, rituals and the way they behave
• Muslims can be secure in knowing that Allah knows what is happening in the world

  They try to live their lives in accordance with the Qur'an
• The idea that 'He is able to do all things'

  Ensures a Muslim's submission to Him, displayed in devotion shown to Allah
• The fact that everything happens for a reason

  Gives Muslims strength during difficult times
• Immanence


  Being within all things, and close to His people
• Qur'an 50: 16: 'We are closer to human than his jugular vein'
• Meaning of Qur'an 50:16


  Allah is vital to human existence, trying to live without Allah is worse than death
• Qur'an 57:4: 'And He is with you wherever you may be'
• Meaning of Qur'an 57:4


  Allah is always with Muslims as a guide and knows everything that is happening
• Muslims believe God is active in the world and not a non-active bystander
• Allah gives Muslims both the purpose and ability to live their lives
• Transcendence


  Being separate to the world, beyond it, which allows Allah to control and act in the world, but not be affected by it
• Qur'an 6:103: 'No vision can grasp Him…He is above all comprehension'
• Meaning of Qur'an 6:103


  Allah is outside this world and everything that He created
• Qur'an 42:11: 'Nothing there is like him'
• Meaning of Qur'an 42:11


  Allah is beyond human understanding and comparison, limitless and therefore He is not part of this world
• Muslims believe that Allah is outside time, whereas humans are subject to time. Allah has no beginning or end, so He cannot be part of time
• It is difficult for some to comprehend how God can be both immanent and transcendent particularly as the concepts appear to contradict
• For Muslims, God can be both because He is everywhere and with everyone, but also above and greater than everyone
• God is creator of the universe, therefore outside and not limited by the physical world, yet he is also within all things and compassionate towards people
• For Muslims this means that God is limitless in terms of His power but that He also understands mankind
• Beneficence


  The quality of being kind, generous, and helpful
• Mercy


  Compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm
• Qur'an 27: 27-30: 'In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful'
• For Muslims, God is viewed as the source of all goodness
• His generosity is seen in his gift to humans of life on earth
• He sent prophets as guides to the right path, so He is compassionate and humans have free will to follow His path
• God's beneficence is linked to his mercy and compassion
• The mercy of Allah is reflected in the rules within the Qur'an
• Allah's mercy allows humans to exist, to live, and to love
• Allah's compassion surrounds them and mercy helps them deal with being humans
• Bismillah


  The phrase 'In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy' that Muslims say to dedicate everything they do to God
• Muslims believe that God is merciful: he understands their suffering, care for them and forgives them if they are truly sorry for any wrong they have done
• Muslims believe that making mistakes is part of being human, but Allah always forgives those who repent