My Interaction With Some Muslim Friends

pervez · #19 (**permalink**) 12-Aug-2012, 07:14 AM

I find may Sikh brothers point to two issues about concept of god being unique to Sikh religion one of god being one and indivisible which is an different from the hindu concept of one god but different forms. The other issue is about Omnipresence of God.

The concept of creator, sustainer, lord, destroyer, merciful, etc is present in Islam just as in Hinduism. Similarly Christianity makes claim of one god indivisible but in trinity.

The concept of god his attributes/names his indivisibility as expounded in the concept of Tawheed/Tauheed forms the core of Islam. One of the most Important Chapters of Quran called Sura Ikhlas conveys this. Name of translator and chapter and verse in brackets
[Shakir 112:1] Say: He, Allah, is One.
[Shakir 112:2] Allah is He on Whom all depend.
[Shakir 112:3] He begets not, nor is He begotten.
[Shakir 112:4] And none is like Him.

The short commentary on first verse

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 112:1] Ahad, one in person and being, is applied to Allah alone, and signifies the one; the sole; He who has ever been one and sole; or the indivisible; or He who has no second to share in His divinity, nor in His essence, nor in His attributes. Refer to the commentary of Fatihah: 1 to 4 and Hashr: 22 to 24.
Aqa Mahdi Puya says:
The spirit of the absolute unity of Allah is the foundation of the structure of the religion of Allah, Islam. This surah, which explains the unity (tawhid) of Allah, was revealed to give an idea of Godhead the Holy Prophet preached.
It begins with huwa (He) which refers to the known, known to all, but not identifying any one. Refer to the commentary of Fatihah: 1 and Baqarah: 255. In the Aryan creeds atma and brahma isone, therefore "I" (first person singular) is used by them to refer to the conception of the absolute.
Ahad signifies the unity of His essence. He is free from compositeness. According to Imam Ali bin Husayn Zaynal Abidin samad refers to the supreme being that continues, or continues for ever, or is everlasting, or is the creator of everything of whom nothing is independent, or is dependent on no person or thing but all persons or things are dependent on Him, therefore the eternally besought by all. He cannot be described or defined as one void of any excellence, or any excellence void of Him, He is infinite.

God as far his Omnipotence is concerned.

in the sermons Ali-ibn-Abu Talib (as) son-in-law of Prophet Mohammed(PUBH)

Eyes do not see him with a direct witnessing. But hearts perceive him through the realities of authentic belief. He is known through the evidence that points to Him. He is decribed by Indications he cannot be compared to human beings. And he cannot be perceived by the senses. He is near to all things without physically touching them. He is distant from them without being separate.

He speaks, but without the need for reflection. He is manifest but not physically. He has made himself evident but without allowing direct vison. He is separated but not through distance. He is close but without sacrificing His exaltedness. He wills but without aspiration. He molds without the assistance of limbs. He attains, but not through deceit. He is subtle, but cannot be said to be concealed. He is Great but cannot be said to be arrogant.

He is grand in His Grandeur. He cannot be described as having sizeable magnitude. He is majestical in His splendor. He cannot be described as massive. He hears, but cannot be said to use the organ of hearing. He sees, but cannot be attributed with the sense of sight. He is merciful but cannot be said to have weakness of heart. He was before all things.. So nothing can be said to be before Him. And He is after all things… So “after” is not said of anything after Him.

He is within all things. Without being merged with them… And also without being separated from them. He exists but without the need to come into existence. He acts without compulsion. He determines, but without the need for movement. Places do not contain Him. He is not contained within time. Attributes do not define Him with due respect. The need for slumber never affects Him. His existence precedes time itself. His being precedes nonexistence.

His eternalness precedes all beginnings. He was Lord before there was anything to be lord of. And He was God before there was anything to be god of. He was knowing, before there was anything to be known. He was hearing , before there was anything to be heard. Faces surrender before His grandeur. Hearts tremble exceedingly out of fear of Him. Souls strive desperately to attain His full satisfaction.

I hope this provides some information about how oneness of god and his omnipotence as viewed in Islam.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/islam/36673-my-interaction-with-some-muslim-friends.html

Muslims approach Islam in many ways (at the same time) among them is through Fiqh ie jurispendence ie through laws of dos and donts. Another approach is through spirituality. some not all sufis tend to ignore the Fiqh and focus on sprituality ie in experiencing god. The process is called Irfan the person is called Arif literally one who knows/or experiences god. On the other hand there are those on the extreme end who stick to rules and say that is enough. The life of prophet and his followers show that they stuck a good balance between both neglecting neither. Some(not all) Sufis of the time of Nanak were on the extreme spiritual side disregarding rule as of not much consequence. Now a days due to Saudi influence even those who dont say are influenced are more towards the rule based approach. The Sufis of Nanak's time were opposing the rule based ones often in power usually forming the approved people of the rulers. Thus they emphasized the wrongs of that approach.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36673

Google Tauhid, 99 (Known) names of Allah for further information.