CHAPTER SEVEN

Shree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, "The Qur’an accepts the fact that ultimately there is only one God."
(Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 18.190)

In this statement Mahaprabhu stresses the existence of one God. Thus he dismisses the misconception that many gods exist and rejects polytheism or worship of many gods. Shree Chaitanya believes and preaches that there is only one God for everyone and all others are His servants.
One of the missions of Holy Prophet Muhammad (S. A. W.) was to establish worship of one God and stop polytheism which was prevalent in Arabia then. Therefore the Holy Qur’an firmly establishes oneness of God.

In the sura "Al-Kahf", or "The Cave", of the Holy Qur’an, Allah declares:

Qul ‘innama ‘ana basharum-mislukum yuha ‘ilaya ‘annama ‘ilahukum ‘ilahunw-wahid: "Say (O Muhammad): I am but a man like yourselves. It is revealed to me by my Lord that your God is only one God." (18.110)
The first principle and pillar of faith in Islam is the belief in the existence of One, and only One, Great, Eternal, Self-Subsisting, Unseen God. This creed, called Tauheed, is expressed as "La ilaaha illallah" - "No god but Allah." Allah is one. He does not beget, nor is He begotten. He is the Creator and Destroyer. He is the embodiment of Truth, Love, Peace and Justice.

The Holy Qur’an states,

Wa ilahukumu ilahun wahid / la ilaha illahu: "Your God is One God; there is no God but He." (2.163)
Inna mallahu ‘ilahunw-wahid: "Allah is only One God." (4.171)
Wa qale llahu la tettahidu ilahayni tnayin / Innama huwa ilahun wahid / Fa iyyaya farhabun: "Allah has said: Take not (for worship) two gods. There is only One God. Then fear Me, (and Me alone)." (16.51)
Allahu la ‘ilaha ‘illahu lahul ‘asma ‘il-husna: "Allah! There is no God but He. To Him belong the most beautiful names." (20.8)

Ustad Abdullah Yusuf Ali comments:

"Allah is the One and the most beautiful things we can think of are referable to Him. His names refer to His attributes which are like titles of Honour and Glory." (9, p. 880)
It is stated in the sura "Al-Imran", or "The Family of ‘Imran":
Shahid allahu ‘annahu la ‘ilaha ‘illahu wa walmala-’ikatu / wa ‘ulul-’ilmi qa-’imam-bil-qist / la ilaha ‘illahu wa l-’Azizul-Hakim: "Allah bears witness that there is no God but He. And so do the angels and those endowed with knowledge. Maintaining His creation in justice, there is no God but He, the Mighty, the Wise." (3.18)
Ustad Abdullah Yusuf Ali writes in his commentary:
"Allah Himself speaks to us through His revelations (through angels) and through His Creation, for all Nature glorifies Allah. No thinking mind, if it only judges the matter fairly, can fail to find the same witness in his own heart and conscience. All this points to the Unity of Allah, His exalted nature, and His wisdom." (9, p. 144)

It is stated in the sura "As-Saffat", or "Those Ranged in Ranks":
Inna ‘ilahakum la-wahid: "Surely your God is One!" (37.4)
"That divine Message is summed up in the gospel of Divine Unity, on which the greatest emphasis is laid: "verily, verily your God is One". It is a fact intimately connected with our life and destiny. Your Lord is one Who cares for you and cherishes you; you are dear to Him. And He is One; it is only He that you have to look to, the source of all goodness, love and power. You are not the sport of many contending forces or blind chances. There is complete harmony and unity in heaven, and you have to put yourselves into unison with it - by discipline in ranks, by unity of plan and purpose in repelling evil, and by concerted action in promoting the Kingdom of Allah. Here is the mystery of the manifold variety of creation pointing to the absolute Unity of the Creator." (Commentary by Ustad Abdullah Yusuf Ali, 9, p. 1341)

It is explained in the sura "Al-Ikhlas", or "Purity":

Qul huwa - allahu ahad
Allahu samad
Lam yalid wa - lam yulad
Walam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad:

"Say: He is Allah, the One,
Allah, the Independent.
He begets not, nor was He begotten.
And there is none like unto Him." (112.1-4)

Ustad Abdullah Yusuf Ali comments:

"Here we are specially taught to avoid the pitfalls into which men and nations have fallen at various times in trying to understand Allah. The first thing we have to note is that His nature is so sublime, so far beyond our limited conceptions, that the best way in which we can realize Him is to feel that He is a Personality, "He", and not a mere abstract conception of philosophy. He is near us; He cares for us; we owe our existence to Him. Secondly, He is the One and Only God, the Only One to Whom worship is due; all other things or beings that we can think of are His creatures and in no way comparable to Him. ... This is to negative the idea of Polytheism, a system in which people believe in gods many and lords many. Such a system is opposed to our truest and profoundest conceptions of life. For Unity in Design, Unity in the fundamental facts of existence, proclaim the Unity of the Maker." (9, p. 2028)

Furthermore the Holy Qur’an says:

Subhanah / huwe llahu lwahidu lqahhar: "Be He glorified! He is Allah, the One, the Absolute." (39.4)
Wa ma min ilahin illa ilahun wahid: "There is no god except one God." (5.73)
Huwe lhay / la ilaha illahu: "He is the Living One. There is no God but He." (40.65)
In this way the Holy Qur’an explains, that there is only one God. God means the Supreme Being. The Supreme Being means nobody can be higher or on the same level, otherwise the word "Supreme" has no meaning. There cannot be two Supremes. Allah, God means One. God is the Supreme One and all others are under His supervision. The word "God" excludes the possibility of any one else being God. A statement that, "There are two Gods, or many Gods" is meaningless and illogical. No one is equal to or above Allah. He is the primeval Lord. God is one without a second. He is like the vaidurya stone, which changes color yet still remains one. All scriptures claim that the ultimate goal of life is love for God. But this love for God presupposes that God is one. When we speak about love of God we mean supreme spiritual love which is far different from material love which is based on sense gratification. The supreme love is meant for the Supreme Being, the Supreme One. The supreme love cannot be for two persons. The supreme love suggests the Supreme One, who is superior to everyone. We cannot love two persons with supreme love, we can only love one. Therefore, the Supreme Lord is one without a second. All bona fide scriptures of the world describe one God. There cannot be a Jewish God, a Christian God, a Muslim God, a Hindu God. The scriptures of the world speak about the same one God, but in different languages. They give Him different names like Jehovah, Saviof, Allah, Krishna, etc., but they approach the same Supreme Being, the same one God. We should understand, that the Supreme Lord is not a Jew, Christian, Muslim or Hindu. He is above of all these designations. He is situated in transcendence. He is the One Supreme God and we are all His servants.

Allah is full of opulence

Wallahul Ganiyu:

"Allah is Rich."

"Allah is full of opulence", Shree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu continued.
(Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 18.190)

Mahaprabhu explained to the Abdullah Patan that one of the definitions of Allah is that He is One Who possesses all opulence. For instance, all wealth belongs to Allah; no one can be richer than Him. All power belongs to Allah; no one can be stronger than Him. All fame belongs to Allah; no one can be more famous than Him. All beauty belongs to Allah; no one can be more beautiful than Him. And all knowledge belongs to Allah; no one can be more knowledgeable than Him. Thus, that Allah is all-opulent is one of the definitions of the Supreme Lord.

So the Holy Qur’an says,

Wa lillahi ma fis-samawati wa ma fil-’arz / wa ‘ilallaahi turja-’ul-’umuur: "To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and earth; and to Allah all things return." (3.109)
Wa lillahi gaybu ssamawati wa lard / wa ilayhi yurja'u lemru kulluh: "To Allah do belong the invisible of the heavens and the earth, and to Him goes back every affair." (11.123)
Wa lillahi lmasriqu we lmegrib: "Unto Allah belong the East and the West." (2.115)
Lahu ma fi ssamawati wa ma fi lard / wa huwa l'aliyyu l'adim: "To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on the earth, and He is the Sublime, the Tremendous." (42.4)
Wallahul Ganiyu: "Allah is Rich." (47.38)
Allah is the origin of everything. All and all manifest from Him only. All opulence which exists in the material world is only a fraction of His opulence. God is full in six opulences: He has full strength, full fame, full wealth, full knowledge, full beauty and full renunciation. There are many persons who are either very rich, or powerful, or beautiful, or famous, or learned, or detached, or a combination of these opulences, but no one can claim that he possesses all riches, all strength, all fame, all beauty, all knowledge and all renunciation without limit. Only Allah can claim this because He is the Supreme Being. In other words, the opulence of Allah is unlimited. It is impossible to comprehend the greatness of Allah and His opulence. He is full in all opulences. He is the Proprietor of all wealth and the Owner of all energy. There is no one equal to Him because His transcendental opulence is immeasurable. He is the source of everyone's opulence, and therefore no one can equal or excel Him in any opulence. His opulence is superexcellent. Only by purification of the heart through pure devotional service can one appreciate the opulences of the Lord, and when one is acquainted with His opulences, he is no longer attracted by any other. The Supreme Lord is in a transcendental position, above everything within the material world. His opulences: wealth, power, fame, beauty, wisdom and renunciation are all universally purifying. The more we discuss His qualities and opulences, the more we purified. In the material world, the opulence possessed by a material person are never fixed. Today, one may be a very rich man, but tomorrow without warning one may be poor; today one may be very famous, and the next day infamous. Materially obtained opulences are never fixed, but all six opulence perpetually exist in the Supreme Lord, not only in the spiritual world, but in this material world also. God's fame is fixed, and His books of wisdom are honored. Everything pertaining to the Supreme Lord is eternally existing. The opulence of the Supreme Lord remains as it is in the spiritual world; only in the material world is everything dissolved.

Here Mahaprabhu mentions another attribute of Allah, namely colour. He describes Allah as possessing a beautiful dark colour. Everything comes from and belongs to Allah. It is amazing how wonderfully Allah has coloured our mortal world. It will be illogical and unjust on our part to think that Allah is colourless. If millions of insignificant creatures of this material world can be so wonderfully and beautifully coloured, then what to speak of Allah, Who is the greatest. Definitely, the colour of Allah is spiritual, transcendental and has little to do with temporary colours of this world. His colour is eternal, ever-fresh and amaranthine. It is almost impossible for us to even imagine the beauty of Allah’s colour.

In the sura "Al-Baqarah", or "The Cow" of the Holy Qur’an there are specific verse which confirms this statement of Mahaprabhu’s:

Sibgatallah wa man ‘ah - sanu minallahi sibgah: "(We take our) colour from Allah and who is better than Allah at colouring?" (2.138)
The word sibgat is very significant in this verse. The root meaning of this word is colour. In this verse it is explained that none can surpass Allah in lending colour to this universe. There is no colour that Allah doesn’t have and none that He is not adorned by. Had He not been so adorned, then He will be less than His creation. The very thought of such offensive minimization of Allah is wholly unacceptable by anyone who professes to be a true Mussalman. This is because no Muslim will dare contradict the Qur’anic statement: ‘Allahu Akbar’(Allah is Great). Since Allah is the greatest, it is but natural for any sane person to put forward this question: How can the Great Allah be colourless, the epithet being an agent which reduces His unsurpassed Greatness to mere abstraction? The answer is that Allah is colourfully beautiful. Now, it is small wonder that some colour of the material world should resemble His colour, as Allah is the source of everything, including colour. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (S. A. W.) said to his asabas [associates]: "We take our colour from Allah." This means that the colour of the Arabs analogously resembled Allah's colour. From the representation of Allah’s complexion by the Arabs we can safely conclude that Allah is of a beautiful dark complexion.
According to the ancient scriptures the color of God resembles the colour of the monsoon cloud. Of course, this colour of God is not material but spiritual. In this way the ancient scriptures further explain that the colour of God is like the lightning. This means that God is effulgent. When the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S. A. W.) met Allah he saw dazzling effulgence emanating from God. (131, p. 108) Therefore, Allah has a dazzling dark colour. But we never see any dark colour, which is dazzling. It seems contradictory. That is because the colour of Allah is not material, but spiritual, transcendental beyond the scope of the mundane senses and mind. From this point of view, we can understand why some Muslim scholars claim that Allah has no colour. This means He has no material colour, but He has spiritual colour. Allah is full in all opulences, everything comes from Him and belongs to Him. So how is it possible for Him not to have colour? If He does not have colour then it follows that He will be incomplete and imperfect because something will be missing in Him which is not possible. According to all recognized revealed scriptures, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S. A. W.) and the Holy Qur’an, Allah has a spiritual, dazzling, dark colour beyond the perception of the material senses and the imagination of the mundane mind.

CHAPTER TEN

Shree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, "According to the Holy Qur’an, the Lord has a supreme, blissful, spiritual form."
(Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 18.191)

Now Mahaprabhu begins discussing Allah’s form. Mahaprabhu emphatically said spiritual form, when he said "form". Saying that Allah has spiritual form is as good as saying that Allah is formless, because Allah has nothing to do with forms of this temporary illusory world. That Allah is formless means that He has no form which resembles the temporary forms of this world subjected to birth, disease, old age and death. Since Allah is eternal, unlimited, has neither beginning nor end, was never born and is deathless, how can He have a material form? Therefore Allah has a spiritual form which is perfect, unmanifest, unseen and inconceivable.The understanding that Allah has a spiritual form is a better understanding.Considering Allah formless is, to say the least, an inferior thought. Since the statement that Allah has no form deprives Him of something which even the lower creatures have, such a statement is offensive. Therefore the most perfect understanding is that Allah has a form which is absolutely spiritual and has little to do with any material form whatsoever.
Let us see if there are any verses in the Holy Qur’an which support this statement of Shree Chaitanya.

The form of Allah is different from material bodies, which are full of disease and suffering. Moreover, they are limited and perishable. Allah’s form is supreme, blissful, eternal, unlimited and spiritual. Each spiritual sense of Allah can perform all the functions of all His other senses. Allah has sense perceptions and His form is described in the Holy Qur’an as having various senses and parts.
In the Holy Qur’an we find numerous verses which describe the bodily features of Allah. For example, Allah’s ability to see and the nature of His eyes are described in the following way:

Wallaahu bimaa ta’-maluuna Basiir: "Allah sees well whatever you do." (2.265)
Wasna-’il-fulka bi-’a’yunina wa wah-yina: "Build the ship under Our (Allah's) eyes and by Our inspiration." (11.37)
This particular verse from sura "Hud", or "The Prophet Hud" corresponds to the story about the prophet of Allah, called Noah (11.25-48). Noah was sent by Allah to his nation. When Noah proclaimed his prophethood, he said to the people, "I am here to impress upon you the need to serve none but Allah, for I fear that service to anyone else will bring upon you severe punishment on the Day of Judgment."
But the chieftains of his nation, who disbelieved, said: "You are a mortal like us. No one will follow you and we deem you a liar."
"O my people," Noah replied, "Allah knows best what is in everyone’s heart and he will pay back accordingly."
They said: "O Noah! Now bring upon us that wherewith you threatens us, if you are truthful."
Noah replied: "Only Allah will bring it upon you if He wants and you will not find means for escape."
They again said: "You have invented it."
Then Allah said to Noah: "No one of your nation will believe but him who has believed already. Be not distressed because of what they do. Build the ship under My eyes and by My inspiration and speak not unto Me on behalf of those who do wrong. They will be drowned."
So Noah was ordered to construct a great Ark or Ship, a heavy vessel to remain afloat in the great Flood, so that the righteous could be saved in it. Noah began building the ship, and every time the chieftains of his nation passed him by, they made a mock of him. The ridicule of the sinner, from their own point of view, was natural. Here was a Prophet turned carpenter! Here was a plain in the higher reaches of the Mesopotamian basin, drained by the majestic Tigris, over 800 to 900 miles from the sea Arabian Gulf in a straight line! Yet Noah talks of a flood like the Sea! Thus the mocking continued until water started gushing forth. This was a sign of the coming Flood, water gushing up from the ground as well as falling from the sky.
Allah said to Noah: "Load therein two of every kind, a pair (a male and female), and your household.
Noah cried unto his son who was standing in the distance: "O my son! Come ride with us, and be not with the disbelievers."
His son said: "I shall betake me to some mountain that will save me from the water."
Noah replied: "This day there is none who would be saved from the commandment of Allah but him on whom He bestows mercy." And the wave came between them, he was washed away to drown like all the other unbelievers. Thus, the commandment of Allah was fulfilled. The ship came to rest upon the mount Al-Judi.
Allah said to Noah: "Go down from the mountain with peace from Me and blessings upon you and the nations that will spring from those with you."
So those who truly seek Allah’s light and guidance and sincerely bend their will to His Will are easily enabled to become the recipients of Allah’s grace. Despite their human frailties in them, they are promoted to higher stages on account of their faith, trust, and striving after the right course of actions. They are given Allah’s Peace, which gives the soul true high mountainous calmness and strength accompanied by the river of blessings that incessantly flow from spiritual life. Since Noah had served Allah with great devotion, Allah directly guided him, instructed him; and even bestowed him with confidential knowledge of His eyes.
Thus, there are clear evidences from the Holy Qur’an that Allah has Aynun, "Eyes". Of course, the Eyes of Allah are different from our eyes. His Eyes are spiritual, unrestricted and have unlimited potency. Unlike our eyes which are very limited and imperfect. We cannot even see our hand in a dark room. Allah can see the see-able and un-seeable. He observes every corner of His creation.

There are a number of verses in the Holy Qur’an which explains that Allah hears everything. The fact that Allah can hear automatically suggests that He possesses the sense of hearing; but His hearing and the sense of hearing alike are transcendental. His sense of hearing is neither limited nor conditioned like ours. Allah can simultaneously hear every murmur and sigh in the whole creation.
For instance, in the 50th ayat of the 34th sura ("Saba", or "The City of Saba") it is written that Allah "hears all things":

Innahuu Samii-’un-Qarib: "It is He Who hears all things, and is (ever) near."

Wallaahu Samii-’un ‘Alim: "Allah is Hearer, Knower." (2.224)
Thus, Allah is the owner of spiritual senses of hearing. Allah’s spiritual Ears are eternal, perfect and have unlimited potency. He can hear everything that is hearable and unhearable.

In the Holy Qur’an there are many verses which describe how Allah spoke with angels, Prophets and mankind. If one can speak, then he must have the sense of speech. Since Allah can speak, He does have the sense of speech; but it is spiritual and beyond the limits of time and space. He can simultaneously speak with the whole universe which abounds in a wide variety of languages.

For example, in the sura "Al-‘Imran", or "The Family of ‘Imran" of the Holy Qur’an, it is stated:
Innallaziina yashta-ruuna bi-’ahdillaahi wa ‘aymaanihim samanan-qalilan ‘ulaa-’ika laa khalaaqa lahum fil-’Akhirati wa laa yukallimu-humullaahu wa la yanzuru ‘ilayhim Yawmal Qiyamati wa la yuzakkiihin / wa lahum ‘azaabun ‘aliim: "As for those who sell the faith they owe to Allah and their own solemn plighted word for a small price, they shall have no portion in the Hereafter. Allah will neither speak to them nor look at them on the Day of Judgment, nor will He cleanse them. They shall have a grievous chastisement." (3.77)

Ustad Abdullah Yusuf Ali comments:

"Even on sinners - ordinary sinners - Allah will look with compassion and mercy. He will speak words of kindness and cleanse them of their sins. But those who are in active rebellion against Allah and sin against their own light, - what mercy can they expect?" (9, p. 163)
This means that in the Day of Judgment Allah will look upon some people and speak with them. Thus Allah has sense of speech.

A very interesting incident described in the sura "Al-Baqarah", or "The Cow":

Wa ‘iz qaala Rabbuka lil Malaaa-’ikati "Innii jaa-’ilun fil-’arzi Khalifah" / Qaaluuu ‘ataj-’alu fihaa many-yufsidu fiihaa wa yasti-kud-dimaaa? wa nahnu nusabbihu bi-Hamdika wa nu-qaddisu lak / Qaala "Inniii ‘a’-lamu ma la ta’-lamuun: "When your Lord said to the angels: ‘I will create a viceroy on the earth, they said: ‘Wilt You place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood, while we hymn Your praises and glorify Your holy (name)?’ He said: ‘Surely I know what you know not.’" (2.30)
This verse is connected with one incident which happened when Allah decided to create the human being, namely Adam. (2.30-39)
Allah informed the angels about His decision by saying: "I will create a viceroy on the earth." But the angels objected. They predicted that humans will do harm and will shed blood.
Allah replied to the angels: "Surely I know that which you know not." Then Allah created Adam from the clay and enlivened him by placing a soul in a body. He taught Adam all the names of God as well as the names of the animals and plants.
Allah displayed Adam to the angels, and asked them: "Now you inform me of these names."
But the angels could only reply: "We have no knowledge besides that which You have taught us."
Allah said: "O Adam! Inform them of these names of creation."
When Adam informed the angels about these names as well as their own names, Allah said: "Did I not tell you that I know the secret of the heavens and the earth? I know that which you disclose and which you hide. Now prostrate yourselves before Adam." They fell prostrate. Only Iblis (Satan) disobeyed the order of Allah out of pride.
Allah asked him: "O Iblis! What hinders you from falling prostrate before that which I have created with My hands. Are you too proud or are you of the high exalted?"
Iblis replied: "I am better than Adam. You created me from fire, while him from clay.
Allah said: "Go down from here. Now you are an outcast. My curse is on you till the Day of Judgment."
Iblis replied: "Then, by Your might, I surely will bewilder everyone of them, except the single-minded slaves of You."
Thus it is understood from this statement of Iblis’s (Satan) that he has power over only those who are not "single-minded slaves" of Allah or surrendered souls to Him. Those who are devotees of the Supreme Lord cannot be affected by the demoniac influence of Satan. In contrast, those who are non-devotees are easily bewildered by Iblis and fall victim to his plots. This illustrates the glory of pure devotion to Allah.

Allah said: "I shall fill hell with you and with such of them who will follow you."

Then Allah said to Adam: "O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in the Garden, and eat freely of the fruits as you will. But come not near this tree otherwise you will become a wrong-doer. Iblis is an enemy unto you and unto your wife. If you listen to him, he will lead you away from the Garden of Paradise to a life of hardship."
Then Iblis whispered to them that he might manifest unto them that which has been hidden from them. Iblis said: "O Adam! Shall I show you the tree of immortality and power that wastes not away? Your Lord forbade you from this tree so to prevent you from becoming angels or becoming of the immortals." Iblis swore unto them, saying: "I am a sincere adviser unto you." Thus he led them on with deception and cunningness. When they tasted fruits of the tree, their shame became manifest to them and they began to hide by heaping on themselves some of the leaves of the Garden. Thus Iblis bewildered them, causing them to deflect from the righteous path and so they were expelled from the happy state of life.
Then Allah summoned them, saying: "Did I not forbid you from that tree? I informed you that Iblis is an open enemy to you. Fall down from here, one of you will be a foe unto the other. There shall be for you on earth a habitation and provision for a while."
From this incident we can see how freely Allah spoke with angels, Iblis and Adam. This means that Allah has sense of speech, or a spiritual Mouth. Allah can and does freely speak unlimitedly with His spiritual Mouth.

There are many verses in the Holy Qur’an which describe Allah’s face. A scrutinizing study of these verses leaves no doubt as to whether Allah has a face.

A prominent Muslim scholar Al-Ashari (9^th century AD), declared in his creeds:

"We confess that Allah has a face, without asking how."

For instance, the Holy Qur’an says:

Wa laa tat-rudil-laziina yad-’uuna Rabbahum bil-gadaati wal-’a-shiyyi yuriiduuna wajhah: "Sent not away those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face." (6.52)
Walla - zina sabarub - tiga wajhi Rabbi-him: "Those who patiently persevere, seeking the Face of their Lord." (13.22)
Wasbir nafsaka ma-’allazina yad-’una Rabbahum - bil - gadati wal-’ashiyi yuriduna wajhabu: "Keep yourself along with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face." (18.28)
Zalika khayrul-lillazina yuriduna wajhallahi: "That is best for those who seek Allah's face." (30.38)
Wa ma ‘ataytum-min zakatin-turiduna wajhallahi: "But that which you give in charity, seeking Allah's face, will increase manifold." (30.39)
One meaning of the word "wajh" is "face" or "self". Abdullah Yusuf Ali in his commentary to 30.39 writes:
"Seeking the Face of Allah, i. e. out of our pure love for the true vision of Allah’s own Self." (9, p.1189)
The word "self" indicates individuality. This means Allah has individuality; He is not an abstract object. If we apply the above mentioned interpretation to the words wajhallahi, "Allah’s face" this will means that Allah is individual, that is to say He is a Person. Thus the expression "Allah’s face" means Allah is a Person and He has a Face.

Furthermore it states in the Holy Qur’an:

Wa lillahi lmasriqu we lmegrib / fa aynami tuwellu fatemma wejhu llah: "To Allah belong the East and the West, and whithersoever you turn, there is Allah's Face." (2.115)

Kullu shay - ‘in halikun ‘illa wajhah: "Everything will perish except His (Allah's) face." (28.88)

Wa yabqa wajhu Rabbika Zul-Jalali wal-’Ikram:

"All that is on earth will perish.

But will abide (forever) the Face of your Lord full of Bounty and Honor." (55.26-27)

From all these quotations the existence of Allah's Wajh, or "Face", is undeniably apparent. We can understand from the above mentioned verses (55.26-27) that everything in this material world is temporary but only Allah’s Face is eternal. The word Wajh, "Face" is the symbol of the Personality and expresses personality. Also the word Ikram, "Honor" is very important in these verses. Two meanings are prominent in this word Ikram. The first meaning is of generosity as proceeding from the person whose attribute it is, and the second meaning is of honor, as given by others to the person whose attribute it is. (7, p. 1400) One who has a face and is called Ikram must be a person. Allah’s Face is of the most beautiful beauty of all beauty. His all beautiful face gleams with a smile so radiant it immediately captures and melts the hearts of His devotees. It’s stated that anyone who sees the beautiful smile of the Supreme Lord will never forget it. Thus, they obtain perfection as they never forget Allah.

In the Holy Qur’an we can find a number of verses which are clearly indicative of Allah’s possession of hands. Not only that, in one of the verses the right hand of Allah has particularly been referred to; which means Allah has left hand too. According to the Holy Qur’an Allah has two hands. The existence of His hands make it only too clear that Allah has a form.

A prominent Muslim scholar Al-Ashari (9^th century AD), declared in his creeds:

"We confess that Allah has two hands, without asking why."

Also the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S. A. W.) states in the Holy Qur’an:

Qul ‘innalfazla biyadillah: "Say: Generosity is in Allah's hands." (3.73)

Qala ya ‘Iblisu ma mana-’aka ‘an-tasjuda lima khalaqtu biyaday: "He (Allah) said: ‘O Iblis! What prevents you from prostrating yourself to one whom I have created with My hands?’" (38.75)
Wa ma qadarullaaha haqqa qadrihi wal-’arzu jamii-’an-qabzatuhuu Yawmal-Qiyaamati wasama-watu matwiyatum biyaminih: "No just estimate have they made of Allah, such as is due to Him. On the Day of Judgment the whole of the earth will be but His handful, and the heavens will be rolled up in His right hand." (39.67)
We can understand from this verse that on the Day of Judgment Allah will be able enclose the whole earth in the palm of His hand and he will roll up the heavens with His right hand.

Furthermore the Holy Qur’an says:

Yadullahi fawqa ‘aydihim: "The hand of Allah is above their hands." (48.10)

Tabarakalazi biyadihil - mulk / wa huwa ‘ala kulli shay-’in qadir: "Blessed be He in Whose hands is the sovereignty, and He is able to do all things." (67.1)
Wa qaa-latil Yahudu yadullaahi magluulah / Gullat ‘ay-diihim wa lu-’inuu bima qaaluu / Bal Yadaahu mabsuuta - taani yun - fiqu kayfa yashaaa: "The Jews say: ‘Allah’s hand is tied up.’ Their hands are tied up and they are accursed for saying so. Nay, both His hands are spread out wide in bounty." (5.64)
So the Holy Qur’an gives a clear description of the hands of Allah and His handful. Of course, some people try to give secondary or metaphorical interpretation of the hands of Allah, but first of all, we can see how Allah explains that He has a right hand, this means He must also have a left hand. The second point is that even if we use a metaphorical expressions, these expressions are based on factual objects which exist. For example, we used to say, "The power is in the hands of the King", because the King has hands. The lion is also the king of the animal kingdom but we never say, "The power is in the hands of the lion", because it sounds ridiculous. But we can not joke with Allah. If Allah himself gives so much stress to the existence of His hands, how do we dare to deny their existence? Thus Allah has two hands, right and left.

A thorough, scrutinizing study of the Holy Qur’an affords one compelling evidence of the existence of Allah’s form. It is explained that Allah has a Sublime Image. How can one, who has an image, be formless? The very mention of the word ‘image’ signifies the existence of a form. So, it is illogical to say that while Allah has an image, He is formless. Although Allah is beyond mundane logic, by using spiritual logic (which is based on the revealed scriptures) we can easily understand that if Allah has a Sublime Image then He must also have a Sublime Form which is transcendental to material time and space.

Thus Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:

Lillahil Masalul ‘Ala: "Allah's is the Sublime Similitude." (16.60)

Wa huwallazi yabda-’ulkhalda summa yu-’iduhu wa huwa ‘ahwanu ‘alayh / wa lahul-Masalul ‘Ala fisamavati wal - ‘arz: "It is He (Allah) Who produces creation, then reproduces it and for Him it is most easy. To Him belongs the Sublime Similitude in the heavens and the earth." (30.27)
Masal means similitude, resemblance, likeness, or image. And Allah said that His Similitude, Resemblance, Likeness, or Image is Sublime in the heavens and in the earth. This means that among all images of all creation His Image is far superior and supreme. Of course, Allah’s Image or Form is not material but spiritual. His Form is primeval and eternal. It is not born or created but ever-existing. The Form of the Supreme Lord neither deteriorates nor is subjected to old age. Allah is ever youthful.

It is explained in the Holy Qur’an that on the day of Judgment believers will be able to see Allah. Once the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S. A. W.) said that he beheld Allah in a most lovely form (101, p. 155). These two statements are evidence enough for us to conclude that Allah can be seen. And because we cannot see anything that is formless, the Allah Whom we will be enabled to see does have a form. Allah’s form is completely spiritual and replete with unlimited sublime qualities. It is also true that Allah is unseen, which means He is not seen with ordinary material eyes. Only by the causeless mercy of Allah can one see Him. If Allah grants someone spiritual vision then he will be able to see Him. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (S. A. W.) and some other Prophets of ancient times were granted such vision. In the other world, however, all believers will see Allah. Some scholars say that only His eyes will be visible and others His whole face; while still others say that every part of His form will be seen (88, p. 55).

So in the sura "Al-Qiyamat", or "The Resurrection" it is said:

Wujuhuny-yawma-’izinazirah
Ila rabbiha nazirah:

"Some faces, that Day, will beam,

Looking towards their Lord." (75.22-23)
The meaning of these ayats is that when righteous souls go to Allah, they will be able to see their Lord, their faces shining with immense joy. It is explained that they will "look towards their Lord." This means that Allah will be the object of their gaze. So it is very clear that Allah (Who is seen) visibly occupies some space. Anyone who is visible must have a form. This means that Allah, Who does occupy some visible space, has a form; but His form is spiritual and never limited or conditioned by material space. The transcendental form of Allah is brighter than billions of suns. This brightness prevents one from seeing the form of Allah. Even so, Allah, out of His causeless mercy, can remove His blinding effulgence in order to reveal His form to His pure devotees.

Once the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S. A. W.) said:

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"His (Allah’s) glory is His veil. If He (Allah) were to lift the veil, the effulgence of His Being will consume everything as far as the eye of His creatures can reach." (p.30)
Nevertheless, Allah, out of mercy, allows the pure devotees to see His form with no harm. Thus Allah is not an abstract power or energy but a living Being Who has a supreme, spiritual form, for righteous people will be able to see Him on the Day of Judgment.

One morning in Mecca, the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S. A. W.) proclaimed to his followers that at night he was taken to the heavens and that after penetrating the 7^th layer of the heavens, he reached Allah’s Abode where he received divine knowledge from Allah and returned.
Now, where does Allah reside? Where will the pure devotees meet Him? The Holy Qur’an shows us Allah’s residence in the sura "Al-Ma‘arij", or "The Ways of Ascent":
Minallahi zil-ma‘arij
Ta’-rujul-mala-‘ikatu war-ruhu ‘ilayhi fi yawmin-kana miq-daruhu khamsina ‘alfa sanah:

"Allah, Lord of the ascending stairways.
(Whereby) the angels and the spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years." (70.3-4)
Here the word "ma‘arij" is very significant. Ma‘arij means stairways, or the way of ascent. This word is invested with profound spiritual meaning. Can we reach Allah, The Most High? He very graciously grants that privilege to angels. But the way is not easy, nor can it be traversed in a day. Thus the Abode of Allah can be attained by the angels only through the special way of ascent which takes 50,000 years.

Another explanation is given in the sura "Al-‘Imran", or "The Family of ‘Imran":

Wallaahu ‘indahuu husnul-ma’aab: "Allah! With Him is a more excellent abode." (3.14)
Wal-laahu yad-'u 'ila Daris-Salam / wa yahdi manya-sha-'u 'ila Siratim-Mustaqim: "And Allah summons to the Daris Salam, or the Abode of Peace and leads whom He will to a Straight path." (10.25)
From these ayats we can easily understand that Allah has a supreme abode, the Daris Salam, where He personally resides. If someone has a residence where there are devotees to associate with, then he must have a form. An abstract thing has neither residence nor associates. Allah is not an abstract thing but a Living Being Who has His own abode where He resides. Pure devotees of the Supreme Lord by His causeless mercy will attain Allah’s eternally blissful abode and will associate with Him personally. This means Allah has an eternal spiritual form.

The Holy Qur’an also mentions a particular item of Allah’s entourage, namely throne. There are many verses which explain that Allah has a Throne on which He sits, surrounded by angels etc. Unless one has a form and is located in a particular place, he can neither sit on a throne nor be surrounded by anyone. Since Allah does sit on a throne and is surrounded by angels, no sane man will deny that Allah has a form. Needless to say, such form is spiritual and invisible to the common eye.

Thus the Holy Qur’an says:

Inna Rabba-kumulla-hullazi khalaqas-samawati wal-‘arza fi sitati ‘ayamin sumas-tawa ‘alal ‘Arsh: "Your Guardian Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days, then He settled Himself on the Throne." (7.54)
Inna Rabba-kumulla-hullazi khalaqas-samawati wal-‘arza fi sitati ‘ayamin sumas-tawa ‘alal ‘Arshi yudab-birul-’amr: "Verily your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six Days, then He established Himself upon the Throne, directing all things." (10.3)
Here and in (7.54) word "istawa" with the preposition ‘ala after it means "to sit firm and unshaken", "to be firmly established", or "to mount". So Allah firmly sitting on His Throne and directing all things.

Furthermore it is stated in the Holy Qur’an:

Wa huwal-lazi khala-qasamawati wal-’arza fi sitati ‘aya - minwa kana ‘Arshuhu ‘alal-ma-’i: "He (Allah) it is Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days and His Throne was upon the water." (11.7)
Ar- Rahmanu ‘alal ‘Arshistawa: "The Beneficent One is firmly established on the Throne." (20.5)
Fa - subhanallahi Rabbil ‘Arshi: "Glorified be Allah, the Lord of the Throne." (21.22)
Wa taral- mala -’ikata hafina min hawlil-’Arshi yusabihuna bi-hamdu Rabbihim: "And you (O Muhammad) will see the angels surrounding the Throne on all sides, singing the praises of their Lord." (39.75)
Huwallazi khalaqas-samawati wal-’arza fi sitati ‘ayamin sumas-tawa ‘alal ‘Arsh: "He it is who created the heavens and the earth in six Days; then He mounted the Throne." (57.4)
Wal-malaku ‘ala ‘arja-’iha / wa yahmilu ‘Arsha Rabbika fawqahum yawma-’izin-samaniya: "And the angels will be on its sides, and eight will bear the Throne of their Lord above them, that Day." (69.17)

Abdullah Yusuf Ali comments:

"The angels will be on all sides, arrayed in ranks upon ranks, and the Throne of the Lord on high will be borne by eight angels. . . . The number eight has perhaps no special significance, unless it be with reference to the shape of the Throne or the number of the angels. The Oriental Throne is often octagonal, and its bearers would be one at each corner." (9, p. 1807)
This verse and commentary indicates that Allah’s Throne has a particular shape and on the Day of Judgment the angels will be able to carry Allah on His Throne.
Thus from these ayats we can understand that Allah has Arsh, or the Throne, He sits on His Throne, angels surround Him and on the Last Day they will be carrying Him on His Throne. Therefore Allah is not merely an abstract energy or power, He is the supreme living One who is the Proprietor of energy and power but He Himself has form. Otherwise how can Allah be in a particular place and sit on the Throne? His form, throne and paraphernalia are all spiritual.

In the Holy Qur’an, it is mentioned that Allah travels through His creation. Once the Holy Prophet Muhammad (S. A. W.) also said: "Allah, the Almighty descends to the firmament of the world in the last third portion of every night." (Bukhari, Muslim) (159, p. 53) Thus Allah freely moves in space according His sweet will. If Allah can change His location and move in space, then obviously He is not a mere abstract light. A light, which is dependent on its source, can only spread in space according to the movements of its source. So light cannot move in space; it can only spread. Just as a lamp is the source of its light, so also is Allah the Source of the spiritual light of His supreme form, which moves in space unimpeded, spreading His glorious light. This means that Allah has a transcendental form which is not subject to the limited material space.

So it is stated in the Holy Qur’an:

Hal yanzuruuna ‘illaaa ‘any-ya’ - tiya - humullaahu fii zulalim-minal-gamaami walmalaaa-’ikatu wa quziyal-’amr? Wa ‘ilallaahi turja-’ul-’umuur: "Will they wait until Allah comes to them in canopies of clouds, with angels (in His train) and the question is (thus) settled? But to Allah do all questions go back (for decision)." (2.210)
Wa ja-’a Rabbuka walmalaku safan safa: "And your Lord shall come with angels, rank on rank." (89.22)
Awalam ya-raw ‘ana na ’til-’arza nan-qusuha min ‘atra-fiha? Wallahu yah-kumu la mu-’aqiba li-hukmih / wa huwa sari-’ul-hisab: "See they not how He (Allah) visits the land, reducing it of its outlying parts? (When) Allah dooms there is none that can postpone His doom, and He is swift at reckoning." (13.41)
Once again Allah said in the sura "Al-Anbiya", or "The Prophets":
Afala yarawna ‘ana na’-til-’arza nanqusuha min ‘atrafiha? ‘Afahumul galibun: "See they not how We visit the land, reducing it of its outlying parts? Can they then be the victor?" (21.44)
These ayats enable us to realize that Allah is not an abstract thing but a spiritual Being Who can be in a particular place and change His location at will. This is yet another proof that Allah has a form. He can freely move in and around His entire creation unlimitedly and unrestrictedly, occasionally visiting our planet.
Furthermore, the Holy Qur’an says that Allah "is able to do all things" (22.6). If Allah can do all things, then logically we can conclude that He does have a form!
Thus, nobody can deny the fact that Allah has spiritual Eyes, Ears, Mouth, Face and Hands because these bodily limbs of Allah are explicitly mentioned in the Holy Qur’an. More than this, the Holy Qur’an mentions the Sublime Image of Allah, His Realm and His Throne, on which He sits. If Allah has spiritual Eyes, Ears, Mouth, Face and Hands, how can we deny that He has a spiritual Form? First of all, how can His limbs exist separately and, secondly, if Allah is the source of everything and if all things belong to Him, how it is possible that He does not have a form? It is offensive to say that Allah cannot have form as it is tantamount to saying that Allah is less than His creations, which have form. It is also offensive to consider that Allah’s form is limited as our forms are in this world. If He has all things, that means He has a form also. Otherwise He would not be complete - something would be missing. Of course, He does not have a form which consists of material elements and deteriorates. He has a spiritual form which consists of pure spirit. His Form is not ordinary, but Supreme, Eternal, Blissful, Transcendental and beyond our imagination and description.
Since everything in God’s creation has form, how can God have no form? The creation would have something God does not. That would mean that God is less than His creation, or in other words, that the complete is incomplete, which is simply illogical. The complete whole must contain everything within and beyond our experience, otherwise He cannot be complete.
Besides, all the great scriptures of the world instruct us to love God. How can we love something formless or void? That’s impossible. We are all persons, and we want to love other persons - not some dark oblivion in outer space. We want personal relationships, and the ultimate relationship is with the Supreme Lord.
This is granted that Allah’s form is not like ours. It is completely spiritual and transcendental, beyond the limits of our material sense perception. But Allah’s form is definitely there.