Uniqueness of the Essence of Allah

2. Allah, Glory be to Him, is on His throne, mounting it in the manner which suits His Majesty, as He described Himself in seven different ayat (verses) (2)

2 Qur'an http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/007.qmt.html#007.054 - 7.54 , http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/010.qmt.html#010.003 - 10.3 , http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/013.qmt.html#013.002 - 13.2 , http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/020.qmt.html#020.005 - 20.5 , http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/025.qmt.html#025.059 - 25.59 , http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/032.qmt.html#032.004 - 32.4 , http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/057.qmt.html#057.004 - 57.4 .

3. Allah is "the First", before Whom there is none, and "the Last" after Whom there is none, and "the Predominant" above Whom there is none, and "the Internal" nearer than Whom there is none, (3) and all of His attributes are ever eternal, with neither a beginning nor an end.

3 Qur'an http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/057.qmt.html#057.003 - 57.3

4. The essence of Allah, the Exalted does not resemble that of any of His creatures, as verified in the ayah: "There is none like unto Him, and He is the Hearer the Seer." (4). He is the One, the Sole, the Indivisible. He is the Lord without Whom no affairs are accomplished and to Whom Lordship ultimately pertains. He neither begets nor is begotten. There is none equal to Him. (5)

4 Qur'an http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/042.qmt.html#042.011 - 42.11
5 cf. Qur'an http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/112.qmt.html#112.001 - 112

5. Allah never indwells in any of his creatures nor do they indwell in Him. All other than Him are created by His ordinance and are subservient to His will.

Allah is the omniscient, Whose knowledge comprehends in the most perfect manner all things, hidden or open, the small and the great(3). Nothing is absent from His knowledge, nor anything is hidden from Him even if it be the weight of the smallest ant(4). Whether at rest or in motion, the state of things is known to Him prior to and during its occurrance. He is neither 'heedless nor is He errant(5)

3- cf. Qur'an http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/076.qmt.html#076.014 - 76.14
4- cf. Qur'an http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/010.qmt.html#010.061 - 10.61
5- Qur'an http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/020.qmt.html#020.052 - 20.52

Allah the Glorified is the Compassionate, the Merciful Whose mercy encompasses all things. He is far removed from injustice or tyranny(6).

6- Qur'an http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/018.qmt.html#018.049 - 18.49

Allah is well acquainted with internal and external affairs of all things, and is All-Wise. He is free from defect or imperfection. There is no incongruity nor any unsoundness in His judgment(7). Nothing He chooses is in vain, nor is there anything not under His control.

7- Qur'an http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/021.qmt.html#021.016 - 21.16

Allah the Most High speaks to his slaves as He wishes(9). He descends and comes closer to His slaves as He wills(10). He has a face(11), a hand(12) a leg(13) and a foot(14). Yet none of the attributes of His essence resembles those of human beings.

9- "And to Moses Allah spoke direct" http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/004.qmt.html#004.164 - 4.164

Abu Hurairah narrated: "Allah's Apostle said: Every night when it is the last third of the night, our Lord, the Supreme, the Blessed descends to the nearest heaven and says: 'Is there anyone to invoke Me that I may respond to his invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me that I may grant his request? Is there anyone asking My forgiveness so that I may forgive him?'" Bukhari Vol IX, p 435.

Allah, Praise be to Him, is the Omnipotent, and there is nothing to frustrate His power or ability to attain or accomplish anything, nor does the preservation of the heavens and earth burden Him(15). There is no strength nor power to do anything except by means of Him.

15- cf. Qur'an: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/002.qmt.html#002.255 - 2.255

Allah the Glorious is far greater than to be encompassed by the knowledge of His creatures(16), and there is no reign which can surpass His. No one can praise Allah as well as Allah praises Himself, nor is there any who can comprehend the essence of Allah as Allah does.

16- "He knows what is before them and what is behind them, while they cannot encompass Him with their knowledge." http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/020.qmt.html#020.110 - 20.110

Allah shall accept none other than the religion of Islam from angels, jinn or men(5) Islam is submission to Allah by being obedient to Him, and by making one's will subservient to His.

5- "If anyone desires a religion other than Islam never will it be accepted of him and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers." http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/003.qmt.html#003.085 - 3.85

Allah the Most High created jinn and men only to worship Him alone and He tries them with good and evil by way of probation and thereby tests their obedience to Him(7).Jinn and men earn good or evil through their choice, yet neither of them can gain good unless Allah accommodates them and grants them His help; evil deeds are committed within the framework of Allah's will and permission and are not a frustration of His will.

7- cf. Quran http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/021.qmt.html#021.035 - 21.35