There is no God but Allah

Shahadah

The Shahadah is the First pillar of Islam, the declaration of faith. It is the core of the religion, also referred to as the Second Kalima or Kalima Shahadah. The formal content of the Shahadah, the essence of its declaration, is referred to as the First Kalima or Kalima Tayyaba.

Both Kalima’s are recited by all Muslims who believe in it unequivocally. Anyone reverting back into Islam is required to say the Shahadah sincerely and with utmost conviction, in order to become a Muslim.

First Kalima

Second Kalima

Explanation of Shahadah

The Shahadah is composed of two parts. The first part declares the belief in the Oneness of Allah SWT (Tawheed). It is composed of a negation of the existence of any deity followed by confirmation that Allah SWT is the only deity.

Your God is {only} one God. There is no god {worthy of worship} except Him – the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful [2:163]

To associate any partner with Allah SWT is called shirk, which without repentance is the only unforgivable sin. Apart from the common interpretation of idol worship, this also includes the association of worldly loves and desires which focus ones attention away from Allah SWT. For example, the love of wealth, appearance and self gratification. Arrogance and pride are thus two of the most despised human traits as they put the love and worship of oneself above Allah SWT.

God does not forgive the joining of partners with Him: anything less than that He forgives to whoever He will, but anyone who joins partners with God has concocted a tremendous sin [4:48]

The second part declares the belief that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah SWT. As with all messengers that were sent, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ declared the Oneness of Allah SWT and the worship of Him alone. The Prophet ﷺ was the last and greatest Messenger of Islam. Belief in him is by extension belief in all the prophets that preceded him.

Moreover, the example of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the Sunnah, is the practical realisation of the message of Islam. He was sent to teach us how to live our lives in accordance with our religion. To believe in Allah SWT is to believe in the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and vice versa.

O believers! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and do not let your deeds be in vain [47:33]

The Shahadah thus orients a person towards the right path, embedding the two fundamental beliefs of Islam into their heart. The inward belief in the Oneness of Allah SWT and the belief in His Messenger ﷺ, manifest as our outward expression of Islam. It purifies our intentions and serves as a gateway to future spiritual growth.

And say, “All praise is for Allah, Who has never had any offspring; nor does He have a partner in {governing} the kingdom; nor is He pathetic, needing a protector. And revere Him immensely [17:111]

Tawheed

The Tawheed is the central concept in Islam that Allah SWT is One. He is singular, indivisible and unique. This is summed up beautifully in Surah Ikhlas [112], also know as the Surah of Tawheed:

There are three aspects to Tawheed: Lordship, Worship and Allah SWT’s Names and Attributes.

The Tawheed of Lordship

Tawheed Rububiyah affirms the Oneness of Allah SWT over His creation. It describes those actions and abilities that can only be ascribed to an all Omnipotent Being. He is the Rabb, the Lord of all creation, of all in the heavens and the earth.

Indeed your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days, and then established Himself on the Throne. He makes the day and night overlap in rapid succession. He created the sun, the moon and the stars – all subjected by His Command. The creation and the command belong to Him {alone}. Blessed is Allah, the Lord of all the worlds! [7:54]

Rabb encompasses a whole host of attributes. The translation “Lord” is but an approximation of its meaning. Allah SWT alone Creates, Sustains and provides Security – He is the Giver of life and death. He alone Manages all matters and Controls all affairs. He is Malik ul Mulk, the King of Kings.

The Arab polytheists recognised that Allah SWT was the One with all these attributes, yet they still associated other deities with Him. Several ayats in the Quran testify to their lack of reasoning:

• Say, “Who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? Or who controls hearing and sight and who brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living and who arranges [every] matter?” They will say, “Allah,” so say, “Then will you not fear Him?” [10:31].
• And most of them do not believe in Allah except without associating others with Him {in worship} [12:106].
• If you ask them who created the heavens and the earth and subjected the sun and the moon {for your benefit} they will certainly say, “Allah!” How can they then be deluded {from the truth} [29:61].
• And if you ask them who sends down rain from the sky, giving life to the earth after its death, they will surely say, “Allah!” Say, “Praise be to Allah!’ In fact, most of them do not understand [29:63].
• If you ask them who created them, they will certainly say, “Allah!” How can they then be deluded {from the truth} [43:87].

The Tawheed of Worship

Tawheed Uluhiyyah affirms that Allah SWT alone is worthy of worship. Allah SWT is the Rabb, therefore it is irrational to worship anything or anyone other than Him. To worship Allah SWT is to love, obey, and submit to Him.

Therefore not only formal acts of worship but all good deeds should be performed solely for the sake and love of Allah SWT. This is the form of Tawheed the past nations strayed from. It is the reason prophets and Scripture were sent from Allah SWT, to guide people back to worshipping Him alone.

• Worship Allah {alone} and associate none with Him [4:36].
• Say, “Surely, my prayer, my worship, my life and my death are all for Allah – Lord of the worlds.” [6:162].
• For your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him [17:23].
• I did not create jinn and humans except to worship Me [51:56].

The Tawheed of Allah SWT’s Names and Attributes

Tawheed al Asma was Sifaat is the affirmation of the Names and Attributes of Allah SWT revealed to us through the Quran and Sunnah. They each encompass complete perfection.

There is nothing like Him, for He {alone} is the All Hearing, All Seeing [42:11]

We must recognise that we will never be able to fully comprehend His Qualities and Attributes. We accept them without distortion and without assigning them any worldly quality or resemblance to His creation.

Allah has the Most Beautiful Names. So call upon Him by them, and keep away from those who abuse His Names. They will be punished for what they used to do [7:180]

Proofs for the Existence of God

For the true believers, there is no requirement to argue the case for the existence of God. They see His presence all around them, they feel His presence within their heart and soul. They know God is with them when He answers their prayers.

When My servants ask you {O Prophet} about Me: I am truly near. I respond to one’s prayer when they call upon Me [2:186]

However, there are several arguments that can be made to prove the existence of God. Equally, there will be people who will not believe, regardless of what is presented to them. Any one individuals path to Allah SWT and to His Guidance is determined by His Will. If one does not have the potential to believe, they will never be guided.

You surely cannot guide whoever you like, but it is Allah Who guides Whoever He Wills and He knows best who are {fit to be} guided [28:56]

Innate Argument

A belief in God has always been present within mankind. Prior to the Scientific Age, explanations for the events experienced by humans were attributed to a Higher Being, one with absolute power over everything. The rising and setting of the sun, the appearance of the stars, rain, lightning, thunder and all other manifestations of the world were due to the will of this God. Even polytheistic societies believed in an overall supreme God, responsible for the creation of all things.

The Islamic view is that this is due to an innate sense of God within each of us, known as fitrah. Humans are born with this awareness of God but it is their environment that shapes and develops, or not, their fitrah and thus their religious beliefs. Every child is born by his mother on Fitrah but his parents convert him to Judaism, to Christianity, or to Magianism [Muslim].

So be steadfast in faith in all uprightness – the natural Way of Allah which He has instilled in {all} people. Let there be no change in this creation of Allah. That is the Straight Way, but most people do not know [30:30]

Mankind has free will to do as he pleases with no obligation to others. Yet most of us have an inner sense of what is right and wrong, a sense of purpose, to help others and to strive for perfection. These traits have been embedded within us by our Creator. At times of distress or calamity, most people would instinctively call out to God.

Whenever someone is touched by hardship, they cry out to Us, whether lying on their side, sitting or standing. But when We relieve their hardship, they return to their old ways as if they had never cried to Us to remove any hardship! [10:12].

The Creation

Allah SWT created humans with intellect and reasoning. He encourages us to use our faculties to observe our surroundings, the heavens and the earth, and look for the proofs of the All Powerful Creator. These are everywhere we turn, screaming out to us. We just need to reflect upon them using logic and reason.

Indeed, We have sent down to you clear revelations. None would deny them but the rebellious [2:99]

Creation of the Universe

Magnificence of the Universe

In ancient times, mankind would have looked up to the heavens and been in awe of its contents. The multitude of celestial bodies (seen from a world with no light pollution) would have been captivating and led one to contemplate the origins of the universe. Why are there so many stars? Who put them there? Why do the sun and moon appear at such regular and predictable times? Who is blotting out the light during an eclipse?

The notion of a Creator would not have been too difficult to accept. Even as humanities’ knowledge about the workings of the cosmos grew, the belief in a Creator did not diminish. Rather the beauty of the universe, its vastness yet perfect clockwork motion, reinforced that there is an all Omnipotent Designer who put all this in motion and keeps it running smoothly.

Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the day and the night there are signs for people of reason. {They are} those who remember Allah while standing, sitting and lying on their sides and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth {and pray}, “Our Lord! You have not created {all of} this without purpose. Glory be to You! Protect us from the torment of the Fire [3:190-191]

Cosmological Argument

Fast forward to today, and the depth of knowledge we have discovered about the formation of the universe, the galaxies, stars and planets, their orbits and their characteristics is truly impressive. The universe is unimaginably vast, filled with hundreds of billions of galaxies, each containing hundreds of billions of stars and other celestial bodies. Yet, the whole system is so orderly and precise such that we can measure our time by the motions of these objects.

There are a six physical constants that describe how the universe evolved. These constants are so finely tuned that if one of them varied even the slightest from what we observe, the universe would not have formed in a way that is conducive to life. There would be no galaxies, no stars and no life.

Take for example the ratio of gravity to the electromagnetic force. If gravity was too strong, the universe would have collapsed long ago; too weak and it would have expanded too quickly for stars and galaxies to form. Minute differences in the other constants would have has similar disastrous effects on the ability of the universe to support life.

Surely your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, then established Himself on the Throne, conducting every affair. None can intercede except by His permission. That is Allah – your Lord, so worship Him {alone}. Will you not then be mindful? [10:3]

This fine tuning giving rise to order and precision on such a vast scale leads one to acknowledge the existence of an Omnipotent Designer and Creator. One who knows exactly what is needed in order for life to exist and be sustained.

He is the One Who made the sun a radiant source and the moon a reflected light, with precisely ordained phases, so that you may know the number of years and calculation {of time}. Allah did not create all this except for a purpose. He makes the signs clear for people of knowledge [10:5]

Observations and Deductions

Recently formulated scientific theories are quite mind boggling! The string theory of the universe tells us there are multiple dimensions which we cannot see or interact with, all curled up within the smallest imaginable spaces.

Quantum theory throws up so many bizarre observations which are truly difficult to conceptualise. These include wave-particle duality (an object acting as a wave and a particle); superposition (an object being in multiple possible states at the same time); the uncertainty principle (not being able to tell both the position and velocity of an object at the same time); and entanglement (two objects intrinsically linked together such that they act as one object, no matter how far apart they are).

Scientists believe in these weird happenings because they can observe their effects. In order to try and explain these effects they ascribe forces to account for them, yet they cannot directly see these forces.

When we look around at the perfection and beauty of the creation, both in the heavens and on the earth, can we thus not similarly infer the presence of an Almighty Force?

Indeed there have come to you insights from your Lord. So whoever chooses to see, it is for their own good. But whoever chooses to be blind, it is to their own loss. And I am not a keeper over you [6:104]

Creation of Mankind and Nature

The same questions for the creation of the universe apply to the creation of mankind and of nature. How did we get here? Why is there such a difference between humans and other animals. Why are we the only species to be able to speak? To have superior intellects? To be able to think and reason?

Why do we find within nature so many things that benefit us? Why are there so many varieties of fruits for example? If the purpose of the fruit is to attract animals to eat the seeds and disperse them, why the need for such variety in smell, taste and texture?

Reflections

When we reflect, we can see that all of nature has been created for the benefit of mankind. We gain many benefits from animals such as milk, meat, honey, silk and so forth. We use them as beasts of burden for their strength. There is a large variety of plant food available to us. We can use trees as building materials for houses and boats. Plants contain many medicinal properties for our benefit.

The theory of evolution is an explanation for the diversity of life we see around us. Evolution may explain the primitive hominoid species but homo sapiens, humans, were created by Allah SWT and favoured above all other creation.

Indeed, We have dignified the children of Adam, carried them on land and sea, granted them good and lawful provisions and privileged them far above many of Our creatures [17:70]

There is enormous variety in nature, all of it made from the common building block of water. The code for life, the DNA molecule, is so complex and contains huge amounts of information. Yet it is all locked away within the tiniest of structures, the biological cell.

When we reflect on our beneficial position within all of nature and the intelligent complexity and beautiful design of life, we realise we are part of a Grand Design by an Omnipotent Creator.

Allah has created from water every living creature. Some of them crawl on their bellies, some walk on two legs, and some walk on four. Allah creates whatever He wills. Surely Allah is Most Capable of everything [24:45]

The Signs of Allah SWT

• Indeed Allah is the One Who causes seeds and fruit stones to sprout. He brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living. That is Allah! How can you then be deluded {from the truth?} [6:95].
• And He is the One Who spread out the earth and placed firm mountains and rivers upon it, and created fruits of every kind in pairs. He covers the day with night to. Surely in this are signs for people who reflect. [13:3].
• And Allah sends down rain from the sky, giving life to the earth after its death. Surely in this is a signs for those who listen? [16:65].
• And there is certainly a lesson for you in cattle: We give you drink what is in their bellies, from between digested food and blood – pure milk, pleasant to drink [65:66].
• And your Lord inspired the bees: “Make {your} homes in the mountains, the trees and in what people construct, and feed from the flower of any fruits you please and follow the ways your Lord has made easy for you.” From their bellies comes forth liquid of varying colours, in which there is healing for people. Surely this is a sign for people who reflect [16:68-69].
• He created you from dust, then – behold! – you are human beings spreading over {the earth} [30:20].
• He created for you spouses from among yourselves so that you may find comfort in them. And He placed between you compassion and mercy. Surely in this are signs for people who reflect [30:21].
• The creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of languages and colours. Surely in this are signs for those of {sound} knowledge [30:22].

Or were they created by nothing, or are they their own creators? [52:35]

The Quran

The Quran was revealed over 1400 years ago, over a period of 23 years to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. He was unable to read or write. At the time, the Arabs were renowned for their oratory skills and poetry, with no expertise in scientific matters.

Composition

The Quran is not poetry, but its composition stunned the Arabs. They had never heard anything like this. Allah SWT challenged the Arabs to produce ten surahs like those in the Quran. He later amended this challenge, asking for only one surah.

Or do they say, “He has forged it”? Say, “Then produce a single chapter like it, and call upon whomever you can, apart from Allah, if you are truthful. [10:38]

The shortest surah in the Quran is 3 ayats long, only a handful of words. They were unable to rise to the challenge. No one has been able to and no one will ever be able to.

Say, “If all humans and jinn were to come together to produce the equivalent of this Quran, they could not produce its equal, no matter how they supported each other [17:88]

Recitation

Following on from the composition of the Quran, anyone who has truly listened to its recitation would affirm this is a Divine Book. Each surah has a unique rhyme and rhythm to it, with undulating variations in tone and prolongation of words. Even without understanding the Arabic, its recitation is captivating and speaks to ones heart.

Scientific Facts

Knowledge is of great importance in Islam. The Quran was revealed to an illiterate Prophet ﷺ and a desert population that were not at the forefront of any scientific knowledge. Yet it contains numerous ayats describing scientific facts which have only come to light within the past few hundred years.

It {the Quran} is only a reminder to the whole world. In time you will certainly come to know its truth [38:88]

Human Development

The Quran tells us the most amazing facts about embryogenesis, the development of the human within the womb. These facts have only been discovered by modern science in the past 50 years or so with the advent of powerful microscopes and anatomical dissections.

And indeed, We created humankind from an extract of clay, then placed each {human} as a sperm drop in a secure place, then We developed the drop into a clinging clot {of blood}, then developed the clot into a lump {of flesh}, then developed the lump into bones, then clothed the bones with flesh, then we brought it into being as a new creation. So Blessed is Allah, the Best of Creators [23:12-14]

These ayats vividly describe the stages of embryo formation:

• Nutfah (translated as sperm drop) refers to a small drop of water or such like substance.
• Alaqah (translated as clinging clot) has 3 meanings: leech, suspended thing, blood clot. During the early stage of embryogenesis the embryo looks very similar to a leech. It is suspended from the uterine cavity (womb) and looks like a blood clot.
• Mudghah (translated as lump of flesh) refers to a chewed substance, like a piece of chewed gum with teeth imprints. The embryo has exactly this appearance due to the somites.

He creates you in the wombs of your mothers {in stages}, one development after another, in three layers of darkness. That is Allah – your Lord! All authority belongs to Him. There is no god {worthy of worship} except Him. How can you then be turned away? [39:6]

These levels of darkness refer to the abdominal cavity, the uterine cavity and the chorioamniotic sac. At 40 days, the embryo is recognisable as a foetus. It is at this point that Allah SWT sends an angel to blow the soul into the foetus [Muslim].

Astronomy

Do the disbelievers not realise that the heavens and the earth were {once} one mass and We split them apart? And We created from water every living thing. Will they then not believe? [21:30]

The entire universe was once condensed into the tiniest of spaces, a singularity. 13.8 billion years ago, the Big Bang occurred, causing the rapid expansion of all this energy. This led to the condensation of matter particles and subsequent development of stars and planets.

Every living organism is composed from water, hydrogen and oxygen, the essential elements of life.

And He is the One Who created the day and the night, the sun and the moon – each travelling in an orbit [21:33]

The orbital motion of celestial bodies was revealed in the Quran years before this notion was proposed by Copernicus in 1515 and discovered by Galileo in 1610.

Mountains

He has placed into the earth firm mountains, so it does not shake with you, as well as rivers and pathways so that you may find your way [16:15]

Have we not smoothed out the earth and {made} the mountains as {its} pegs [78:7]

Mountains are firmly fixed, like pegs or deep wedges into the earths crust. This structure not only serves to support the weight of the mountain but also to help stabilise the crust of the earth from the movement of the tectonic plates.

Iron

And We sent down iron with its great might, benefits for humanity [57:25]

It takes incredible amounts of energy to produce a single atom of iron. This is only possible within the nuclear fusion reactions in stars. Once iron is formed within a stars core, it signals its doom because iron can only be fused into heavier elements by adding large amounts of energy. The star therefore collapses and explodes as a supernova ejecting iron out into space. This then falls to earth as iron meteorites.

---

These are just a few examples of the many ayats in the Quran detailing scientific knowledge that we now know to be true. There are facts about the human body, cosmology, geology, physical sciences and much more. Over time, as science uncovered more secrets of the universe, the meaning of these Quranic ayats become clear.

The Quran is a source of knowledge for humanity. Revealed over 1400 years ago, it is clearly from a Divine Source and irrefutable proof of the existence of Allah SWT, the All Knowing.

We will show them Our signs in the universe and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that this {Quran} is the truth. Is it not enough that your Lord is a Witness over all things? [41:53]

Rational Proofs

First Cause

Everything in existence either has a beginning or must have always existed. We know the latter to be false. In order for anything to exist, there must be a cause to bring it into effect. Something cannot come from nothing.

We can extrapolate backwards finding causes for effects but this cannot continue ad infinitum. At the very beginning, there needs to be a First Cause event. For our universe, this would be the Big Bang. For life, this would be the cell.

What caused the Big Bang to be set into motion? At the point of the Big Bang the universe did not exist. Therefore it could not have come into existence by itself. The only logical solution is the existence of a Necessary Being. One who did not require anything to bring them into existence. Thus a Necessary Being has to be eternal, with no beginning and no end. It simply is and has always been.

Allah! There is no god {worthy of worship} except Him – the Ever Living, All Sustaining [3:2]

All attributes and qualities of such an Eternal Being, who is able to bring anything possible into existence, must be infinite.

• It must be one, whole and indivisible, for if it were made of parts it would have depended upon these parts which must have also existed independently of it.
• It must have knowledge about all things, for not to do so would imply that what is being acknowledged preceded its existence.
• Its ability to do all things must be absolute in order to create, sustain and annihilate all possible things.
• It must have overwhelming freedom and will do to as it pleases, for not to do so would make the creation of the possible, impossible.
• It must be ever living, that is not requiring sleep or sustenance, for to do so would detract from its ability to sustain all possible things.
• Its essence must be infinite, not restricted to any particular time or space or contained within a body, for otherwise it would be temporal and not self existent.
• Each of its attributes must therefore be infinitely perfect, as any perfection attributed to the created cannot be more perfect than the Creator.

Whatever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allah, for He is the Almighty, All Wise. To Him belongs the kingdom of the heaven and the earth. He gives life and causes death. And He is Most Capable of everything. He is the First and the Last, the Most High and Most Near and has {perfect} knowledge of all things [57:1-3]

Proof for One God

Assume there were two or more gods. Each with responsibility for one aspect of creation. How would there be any sense of order in creation? Each god would by definition have their own will and be able to do as they please.

If they worked together to create something ordered and coherent then surely there would be some compromise for at least one of them. That would go against the definition of an all Omnipotent Being, having the power and ability to do whatever they will.

If there were in [the heavens and the earth] gods other than Allah, [the heavens and earth] would surely have been disordered [21:22]

Assume there is a supreme god who takes overall charge or has overall control, having more power than the others or making the ultimate decision. Again, this would do away with the attributes of the others and not fit with the definition of God.

Rational argument leads to the conclusion there is only One God, who is in control of everything. One Creator, Sustainer and Controller of all in existence.

Allah has never has {any} offspring, nor is there any god besides Him. Otherwise, each god would have taken away what they he created and they would have tried to dominate one another. Glorified is Allah above what they claim! [23:91]