The God of Islam | World Religions - Lumen Learning

Islamic doctrine emphasizes the oneness, uniqueness, transcendence, and utter otherness of God. As such, God is different from anything that the human senses ... Skiptomaincontent WorldReligions Section11:Islam Searchfor: TheGodofIslam V.TheGodofIslam Islamicdoctrineemphasizestheoneness,uniqueness,transcendence,andutterothernessofGod.Assuch,Godisdifferentfromanythingthatthehumansensescanperceiveorthatthehumanmindcanimagine.TheGodofIslamencompassesallcreation,butnomindcanfullyencompassorgrasphim.God,however,ismanifestthroughhiscreation,andthroughreflectionhumankindcaneasilydiscernthewisdomandpowerbehindthecreationoftheworld.BecauseofGod’sonenessandhistranscendenceofhumanexperienceandknowledge,IslamiclawforbidsrepresentationsofGod,theprophets,andamongsomeMuslims,humanbeingsingeneral.Asaresultofthisbelief,Islamicartcametoexcelinavarietyofdecorativepatternsincludingleafshapeslaterstylizedasarabesques,andArabicscript.Inmoderntimestherestrictionsoncreatingimagesofpeoplehavebeenconsiderablyrelaxed,butanyattitudeofworshiptowardimagesandiconsisstrictlyforbiddeninIslam. A.IslamicMonotheism BeforeIslam,manyArabsbelievedinasupreme,all-powerfulGodresponsibleforcreation;however,theyalsobelievedinlessergods.WiththecomingofIslam,theArabconceptofGodwaspurgedofelementsofpolytheismandturnedintoaqualitativelydifferentconceptofuncompromisingbeliefinoneGod,ormonotheism.ThestatusoftheArabsbeforeIslamisconsideredtobeoneofignoranceofGod,or jahiliyya,andIslamicsourcesinsistthatIslambroughtaboutacompletebreakfromArabconceptsofGodandaradicaltransformationinArabbeliefaboutGod. IslamicdoctrinemaintainsthatIslam’smonotheismcontinuesthatofJudaismandChristianity.However,theQur’anandIslamictraditionsstressthedistinctionsbetweenIslamandlaterformsofthetwoothermonotheisticreligions.AccordingtoIslamicbelief,bothMosesandJesus,likeothersbeforethem,wereprophetscommissionedbyGodtopreachtheessentialandeternalmessageofIslam.Thelegalcodesintroducedbythesetwoprophets,theTenCommandmentsandtheChristianGospels,tookdifferentformsthantheQur’an,butaccordingtoIslamicunderstanding,atthelevelofdoctrinetheyarethesameteaching.Therecipientsofscripturesarecalledthepeopleofthebookorthe“scriptured”people.LiketheJewsandtheChristiansbeforethem,theMuslimsbecamescripturedwhenGodrevealedhiswordtothemthroughaprophet:GodrevealedtheQur’antotheprophetMuhammad,commandinghimtopreachittohispeopleandlatertoallhumanity. AlthoughMuslimsbelievethattheoriginalmessagesof Judaism and Christianity weregivenbyGod,theyalsobelievethatJewsandChristianseventuallydistortedthem.Theself-perceivedmissionofIslam,therefore,hasbeentorestorewhatMuslimsbelieveistheoriginalmonotheisticteachingandtosupplanttheolderlegalcodesoftheHebrewandChristiantraditionswithanewerIslamiccodeoflawthatcorrespondstotheevolvingconditionsofhumansocieties.Thus,forexample,IslamictraditionsmaintainthatJesuswasaprophetwhoserevealedbookwastheChristianNewTestament,andthatlaterChristiansdistortedtheoriginalscriptureandinsertedintoittheclaimthatJesuswasthesonofGod.Ortotakeanotherexample,MuslimsmaintainthatthestrictlawscommunicatedbyMosesintheHebrewBiblewereappropriatefortheirtime.Later,however,Jesusintroducedacodeofbehaviorthatstressedspiritualityratherthanritualandlaw. AccordingtoMuslimbelief,GodsentMuhammadwiththelastandperfectlegalcodethatbalancesthespiritualteachingswiththelaw,andthussupplantstheJewishandChristiancodes.AccordingtotheteachingsofIslam,theIslamiccode,called Sharia,isthefinalcode,onethatwillcontinuetoaddresstheneedsofhumanityinitsmostdevelopedstages,foralltime.TheQur’anmentions28pre-Islamicprophetsandmessengers,andIslamictraditionsmaintainthatGodhassenttensofthousandsofprophetstovariouspeoplessincethebeginningofcreation.SomeoftheQur’anicprophetsarefamiliarfromtheHebrewBible,butothersarenotmentionedintheBibleandseemtobepropheticfiguresfrompre-IslamicArabia. FortheMuslimthen,Islamichistoryunfoldsadivineschemefromthebeginningofcreationtotheendoftime.CreationitselfistherealizationofGod’swillinhistory.HumansarecreatedtoworshipGod,andhumanhistoryispunctuatedwithprophetswhoguaranteethattheworldisneverdevoidofknowledgeandproperworshipofGod.ThesendingofprophetsisitselfunderstoodwithinIslamasanactofmercy.God,thecreatorandsustainer,neverabandonshiscreations,alwaysprovidinghumanbeingswiththeguidancetheyneedfortheirsalvationinthisworldandaworldtocomeafterthisone.Godisjust,andhisjusticerequiresinformingpeople,throughprophets,ofhowtoactandwhattobelievebeforeheholdsthemaccountablefortheiractionsandbeliefs.However,oncepeoplereceivetheteachingsofprophetsandmessengers,God’sjusticealsomeansthathewillpunishthosewhodowrongordonotbelieveandwillrewardthosewhodorightanddobelieve.DespitetheprimacyofjusticeasanessentialattributeofGod,MuslimsbelievethatGod’smostfundamentalattributeismercy. B.Humanity’sRelationshiptoGod AccordingtoIslamicbelief,inadditiontosendingprophets,Godmanifestshismercyinthededicationofallcreationtotheserviceofhumankind.IslamictraditionsmaintainthatGodbroughttheworldintobeingforthebenefitofhiscreatures.HismercytowardhumanityisfurthermanifestedintheprivilegedstatusGodgavetohumans.AccordingtotheQur’anandlatertraditions,Godappointedhumankindashisviceregents(caliphs)onearth,thusentrustingthemwiththegraveresponsibilityoffulfillinghisschemeforcreation. TheIslamicconceptofaprivilegedpositionforhumanitydepartsfromtheearlyJewishandChristianinterpretationsofthefallfromParadisethatunderlietheChristiandoctrineof originalsin.Inthebiblicalaccount, AdamandEve fallfromParadiseasaresultofdisobeyingGod’sprohibition,andallofhumanityiscastoutofParadiseaspunishment.Christiantheologiansdevelopedthedoctrinethathumankindisbornwiththissinoftheirfirstparentsstillontheirsouls,baseduponthisreadingofthestory.ChristiansbelievethatJesusChristcametoredeemhumansfromthisoriginalsinsothathumankindcanreturntoGodattheendoftime.Incontrast,theQur’anmaintainsthataftertheirinitialdisobedience,AdamandEverepentedandwereforgivenbyGod.ConsequentlyMuslimsbelievethatthedescentbyAdamandEvetoearthfromParadisewasnotafall,butanhonorbestowedonthembyGod.AdamandhisprogenywereappointedasGod’smessengersandviceregents,andwereentrustedbyGodwiththeguardianshipoftheearth. C.Angels Thenatureofhumankind’srelationshiptoGodcanalsobeseenclearlybycomparingitwiththatofangels.AccordingtoIslamictradition,angelswerecreatedfromlight.An angel isanimmortalbeingthatcommitsnosinsandservesasaguardian,arecorderofdeeds,andalinkbetweenGodandhumanity.Theangel Gabriel,forexample,communicatedGod’smessagetotheprophetMuhammad.Incontrasttohumans,angelsareincapableofunbeliefand,withtheexceptionof Satan,alwaysobeyGod. Despitethesetraits,Islamicdoctrineholdsthathumansaresuperiortoangels.AccordingtoIslamictraditions,GodentrustedhumansandnotangelswiththeguardianshipoftheearthandcommandedtheangelstoprostratethemselvestoAdam.Satan,togetherwiththeotherangels,questionedGod’sappointmentoffalliblehumanstothehonorablepositionofviceregency.Beinganardentmonotheist,SatandisobeyedGodandrefusedtoprostratehimselfbeforeanyonebutGod.Forthissin,Satanwasdoomedtoleadhumanbeingsastrayuntiltheendoftheworld.AccordingtotheQur’an,Godinformedtheangelsthathehadendowedhumanswithaknowledgeangelscouldnotacquire. D.IslamicTheology ForcenturiesMuslimtheologianshavedebatedthesubjectsofjusticeandmercyaswellasGod’sotherattributes.Initially,IslamictheologydevelopedinthecontextofcontroversialdebateswithChristiansandJews.AstheirarticulationsofthebasicdoctrinesofIslambecamemorecomplex,MuslimtheologianssoonturnedtodebatingdifferentinterpretationsoftheQur’anamongthemselves,developingthefoundationsofIslamictheology. RecurringdebatesamongIslamicscholarsoverthenatureofGodhavecontinuedtorefinetheIslamicconceptsofGod’sothernessandIslamicmonotheism.Forexample,sometheologiansinterpretedQur’anicattributionsoftraitssuchashearingandseeingtoGodmetaphoricallytoavoidcomparingGodtocreatedbeings.Anothercontroversialtheologicaldebatefocusedonthequestionoffreewillandpredestination.OnegroupofMuslimtheologiansmaintainedthatbecauseGodisjust,hecreatesonlygood,andthereforeonlyhumanscancreateevil.Otherwise,thisgroupargued,God’spunishmentofhumanswouldbeunjustbecausehehimselfcreatedtheirevildeeds.ThisparticularviewwasrejectedbyotherMuslimtheologiansonthegroundsthatitlimitsthescopeofGod’screation,whentheQur’anclearlystatesthatGodisthesolecreatorofeverythingthatexistsintheworld. AnothercontroversialissuewasthequestionofwhethertheQur’anwaseternalorcreatedintime.TheologianswhoweredevotedtotheconceptofGod’sonenessmaintainedthattheQur’anmusthavebeencreatedintime,orelsetherewouldbesomethingaseternalasGod.ThisviewwasrejectedbyothersbecausetheQur’an,theultimateauthorityinIslam,statesinmanyplacesandinunambiguoustermsthatitistheeternalwordofGod. ManyothertheologicalcontroversiesoccupiedMuslimthinkersforthefirstfewcenturiesofIslam,butbythe10thcenturytheviewsofIslamictheologianal-Ashariandhisfollowers,knownas Asharites,prevailedandwereadoptedbymostMuslims.ThewaythisschoolresolvedthequestionoffreewillwastoarguethatnohumanactcouldoccurifGoddoesnotwillit,andthatGod’sknowledgeencompassesallthatwas,is,orwillbe.ThisviewalsomaintainsthatitisGod’swilltocreatethepowerinhumanstomakefreechoices.Godisthereforejusttoholdhumansaccountablefortheiractions.Theviewsofal-AshariandhisschoolgraduallybecamedominantinSunni,ororthodox,Islam,andtheystillprevailamongmostMuslims.Thetendencyofthe Sunnis,however,hasbeentotolerateandaccommodateminordifferencesofopinionandtoemphasizetheconsensusofthecommunityinmattersofdoctrine. Asisthecasewithanyreligiousgroup,ordinaryMuslimshavenotalwaysbeenconcernedwithdetailedtheologicalcontroversies.ForordinaryMuslimsthecentralbeliefofIslamisintheonenessofGodandinhisprophetsandmessengers,culminatinginMuhammad.ThusMuslimsbelieveinthescripturesthatGodsentthroughthesemessengers,particularlythetruthandcontentoftheQur’an.Whatevertheirspecificreligiouspractices,mostMuslimsbelieveinangels,theDayofJudgment,heaven,paradise,andhell. LicensesandAttributions CClicensedcontent,SpecificattributionAuthoredby:PhilipA.Pecorino.Locatedat:http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/socialsciences/ppecorino/phil_of_religion_text/CHAPTER_2_RELIGIONS/Islam.htm.License:CCBY-NC-ND:Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives Previous Next