Three questions from my Poetry teacher

[al-muslimah]

:salam2:

Today we were discussing some poems by a religious christian man. for some reason the topic changed about Islam.

She is Pakastani. Although she is'nt a practicing muslim, but she really loves to know lots about Islam. Sometimes I feel that she has that info about islam but not all are right! my eyebrows are in my hair when I listen to some of her Islamic stories she says. It's really weird you know to have a old teacher living muslim all her life and doesnt know simple stuff like who wrote the Quran or where did jesus go and so on. By the way she has interests in comparing religions.

The following are the three question we raised today and we students didnt have any answer, she told us that she wants to know the answer and look it up:

- What is the Holy spirit and is there a relation to it to Islam?

- Did someone ever see Allah? As she says that God appeared and when he appeard the bush that he had appeared from behind, got burnt. Also Hazrut Musa fainted. Is this true?

- Why can't we think of how Allah (saw) looks? She asked us don't you guys think of how he looks? We answerd her once we get to that point, we stop. We try to avoid thinking. She was surprised to know that as she told us who tells you to do that. We told her our parents. Then she said Isn't there any Verse or Hadeeth that tells us that we cant think of Allah's appearence? She said that she cant avoid thinking as it's in Human instinct of knowing how things look as Islam obligates us to think about everything. So how come we cant think of that?


Please brothers and sisters in Islam help me in this. My next class will be on Tuesday. Alhamulilah we corrected so many misconceptions and Inshallah with a help from you we'll be able to make a muslim better. She is a great teacher and i really wish the best for her.

 

[ahmed_indian]

,

me..me...me! i would like to reply to her questions. i love answering them.


What is the Holy spirit and is there a relation to it to Islam?
Answer: scholars say that Holy Spirit is Angel Jibril (as) who brings revelations to Allah's prophets.
***********************


- Did someone ever see Allah? As she says that God appeared and when he appeard the bush that he had appeared from behind, got burnt. Also Hazrut Musa fainted. Is this true?
Answer: the opinion is divided
some scholars say that no one can see Allah in this world. while others say that prophet Muhammed saw Allah when he went to meet Him. they also say muslims can see Allah in their dreams.

yes, Allah spoke to Musa (as) frm behind the bush. also when Musa (as) wanted to see Allah, the mountain crushed to soil and Musa (as) fainted.
*********************


- Why can't we think of how Allah (saw) looks? She asked us don't you guys think of how he looks?

Answer: we cant imagine Allah bcoz Allah is not like creation. And brain, imaginations are creation, so we can never imagine His reality.
**********************


PS: advice ur frnd to first study basics of Islam. salat, zakat, good deeds are more important than these Q's. Day of Judgement is near.

 

[IHearIslam]

Assalamu Alaikum

in this:

Did someone ever see Allah? As she says that God appeared and when he appeard the bush that he had appeared from behind, got burnt. Also Hazrut Musa fainted. Is this true?

I think she is talking about when Musa asked Allah if he (Musa) can look at Allah. Allah replied if this mountain stand still, then you'll be able to see me. BUT,as we know the mountain didnt stand still, it turned to dust. So Musa, prostrated to Allah......and I think this is where he says a verse of the Quran. MAN, my memory is bad, but inshaAllah if someone has this story please post it

 

[IHearIslam]

lol.......I just seen brother Ahmed's reply.
never mind then,

 

[weakslave]

Well we can't talk about the way Allaah looks because Allaah is not like anything we can imagine, therefore to liken Him to something in our imagination would be degrading to Him.

 

[BrotherInIslam7]

:salam2:

- What is the Holy spirit and is there a relation to it to Islam?

:salam2:

I think the point must be made, that there are no partners to Allah All mighty in Islam.

With regards to how 'the Holy spirit' came in to the Bible, watch this video dear sister. Shaykh Ahmad Deedat explains it well. Please watch from minute 3:30

[yt]w_b0I5ZWZFs[/yt]

Lnk : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_b0I5ZWZFs

- Why can't we think of how Allah (saw) looks? She asked us don't you guys think of how he looks? We answerd her once we get to that point, we stop. We try to avoid thinking. She was surprised to know that as she told us who tells you to do that. We told her our parents. Then she said Isn't there any Verse or Hadeeth that tells us that we cant think of Allah's appearence? She said that she cant avoid thinking as it's in Human instinct of knowing how things look as Islam obligates us to think about everything. So how come we cant think of that?

The last Ayah of Surak Ikhlas. Ayah 4

وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

"And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him."


So whatever an individual thinks that Allah is like 'this or that', he is much far better and different than that. There is nothing that the human mind can imagine/think, that is comparable to Allah swt.

 

[arzafar]

the first two questions have been answered by brother ahmed and i think there is nothing to add.

regarding the third question, Indeed many people have a problem with this and sometimes people can commit shirk. i think it is a whisper from shaitan. Although curiosity is innate in human beings but its curiosity that killed the cat so we have to be very careful. people have written books and argued for ages with useless theological discussions/fitnas pertaining to the nature of Allah. like if he can lie, His gender, His extent, physical form :astag:

Quran is the only book that defines God, explicitly. We have the 99 attributes of Allah as well. Other books/religions are quite vague in this respect. in fact many people inquired from the prophet pbuh about Allah and so Surah Iqhlas was revealed. Its the most concise and precise description of Allah that you need. All muslims should recite Iqhlas to strength their faith.

Now to the question "Why can't we think of how Allah (saw) looks? She asked us don't you guys think of how he looks?"

you might have heard the saying "seeing is believing". If everyone could see Allah, everyone would accept Him as the only true diety worthy of worship, the Creator, the Master, Sustainer and Cherisher of all.
But where is the test then??? i mean what so difficult in believing what you see! That's where faith/belief comes in i.e. worshiping Allah alone without ever seeing Him! that's why those you worship Him alone will be rewarded while those who dont, will be punished. Believe me the greatest reward that a believer can get is seeing Allah after worshiping Him all his life.

However, true faith can only come through seeking accurate knowledge. you have to believe in Allah through His signs and they are everywhere. that's why you must seek authentic accurate knowledge from cradle to grave so that nobody can spoil your faith. When you have knowledge and you hear of the misguided beliefs of others, it strengthens your belief even further. However, if you have no knowledge than it's very possible that you might fall astray.

so here goes my favorite surah which is also my 'eyes' to seeing Allah until He honors me by letting me actually see Him.

"Say: He is Allah, the One and Only! Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not nor is He begotten. And there is none like unto Him."

what we see around us is so limited in every way that it can't be used to compare/measure Allah with (last ayah of ikhlas). Therefore comparing Him with anything known to mankind imho is equivalent to belittling Him and His excellence. AND YOU CAN TELL THAT TO YOUR TEACHER !!!

:salam2:

 

[Ibrahim_nur]

,

me..me...me! i would like to reply to her questions. i love answering them.


What is the Holy spirit and is there a relation to it to Islam?
Answer: scholars say that Holy Spirit is Angel Jibril (as) who brings revelations to Allah's prophets.
***********************


- Did someone ever see Allah? As she says that God appeared and when he appeard the bush that he had appeared from behind, got burnt. Also Hazrut Musa fainted. Is this true?
Answer: the opinion is divided
some scholars say that no one can see Allah in this world. while others say that prophet Muhammed saw Allah when he went to meet Him. they also say muslims can see Allah in their dreams.

yes, Allah spoke to Musa (as) frm behind the bush. also when Musa (as) wanted to see Allah, the mountain crushed to soil and Musa (as) fainted.
*********************


- Why can't we think of how Allah (saw) looks? She asked us don't you guys think of how he looks?

Answer: we cant imagine Allah bcoz Allah is not like creation. And brain, imaginations are creation, so we can never imagine His reality.
**********************


PS: advice ur frnd to first study basics of Islam. salat, zakat, good deeds are more important than these Q's. Day of Judgement is near.

However, there is another very important reason that you should be very aware of when answering a question of this kind. That is, Allah cannot be seen in the life of this world, nor can He be heard, smelled, felt, imagined, or any other sense that we have. that would violate the principle of Him not interfering with our choices. Additionally, Allah is never to be compared to His creation in any way, shape or form. This means that He does not enter His creation, nor does He grant any of His creation any of His attributes or power for that matter. All power, might and strenght are with Allah and there is none who can challenge Him, ever.

We do not put Allah in the creation. We say what Allah says about Himself in His Book, that He created the Heavens and the earth in six days and then He rose above His Throne (in a manner that befits His Majesty). We don't say He sits or lays on His throne because He did not say that about Himself. Muslims are to take care never to say anything about Allah that they do not have the authority to say. This is blasphemy and it is kufr (out of Islam).

Allah says that He does not compare in any way to any part of His creation. He tells us that He is "All Hearing, All Seeing, All Compassionate, All Loving, All Mighty, etc." But He never says that He is "all present" in His creation. Also, we know that He does not give people powers like superman. People have claimed to have powers with Allah, but they are liars (even if they claim to be Muslims). There are no partners with Allah and He is far above what ever they would try to compare to Him in anyway.

The statement in Arabic is "Laa howla wa laa kowata illa bil lah." (There is no might or power anywhere at anytime, except the Might and the Power of Allah."

I hope this has helped you in preparing your answer for the people who are asking you about Islam and may Allah forgive me for my poor translations, and weakness in replying to you, ameen.

And the prophet's wife, Ayesha, may Allah be pleased with her, told us that if anyone says that the prophet, peace be upon him, saw Allah Subhannah wa Ta'ala, that person is a liar.

 

[miq1]

Praise be to Allah (The Glorified and Exalted).

1) "The Holy Spirit" is a title given to the angel Jabriel (peace be upon him).

2) The persons that will enter Heaven on the Day of Judgment will be the first to see Allah (The Glorified and Exalted). Nothing else, to my knowledge, is mentioned as to anyone seeing Allah (The Exalted).

3) The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had said to reflect upon the creation and not the Creator, lest you become destroyed. Trying to imagine Allah (The Glorified and Exalted) results in belittling Him (may He be Glorified) and is considered blasphemy, a major sin. He says about Himself in the Qur'an, "none can comprehend Him."

And Allah (The Glorified and Exalted) Knows Best.

 

[muslimda3ee]

..................................

 

[al-muslimah]

Thank you All for the answers.

unfortunetly there is no enough info about the Holy spirit. many siad that its gabriel but i want evidence for the claim plese. also please when stating, include a verse or hadeeth.


brother ibrahim noor, who narrated the hadeeth in red? is it saheeh?

I really wanted to reply to each one of oyu. but seriously im running out of time. I have my midterms and stuff. so please your prayers. Jazakum allah khayran

 

[weakslave]

Thank you All for the answers.

unfortunetly there is no enough info about the Holy spirit. many siad that its gabriel but i want evidence for the claim plese. also please when stating, include a verse or hadeeth.

The holy spirit according to christianity does not exist in Islam. What is a "holy" spirit anyways?

Only Allaah is holy. Everything else is creation.

What some are referring to is: in the Quraan, Jibreel is referred to as "ar-rooh" which means "the spirit" but that is just one of his titles or names. Nothing to do with "holy spirit".

We don't need a holy spirit, Allaah is one.

 

[Ibrahim_nur]

Thank you All for the answers.

unfortunetly there is no enough info about the Holy spirit. many siad that its gabriel but i want evidence for the claim plese. also please when stating, include a verse or hadeeth.


brother ibrahim noor, who narrated the hadeeth in red? is it saheeh?

I really wanted to reply to each one of oyu. but seriously im running out of time. I have my midterms and stuff. so please your prayers. Jazakum allah khayran

yes sister muslimah its SAHEEH.

 

[al-muslimah]

yes sister muslimah its SAHEEH.

Yeah brother never mind..alhamdulila i found the hadith and its actually narrarated by albukhari

It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “Whoever told you that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw his Lord was lying. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Tawheed, 6832).

Thankyou for pointing this hadeeth out. Jazak alalhu khayran

 

[al-muslimah]

The holy spirit according to christianity does not exist in Islam. What is a "holy" spirit anyways?

Only Allaah is holy. Everything else is creation.

What some are referring to is: in the Quraan, Jibreel is referred to as "ar-rooh" which means "the spirit" but that is just one of his titles or names. Nothing to do with "holy spirit".

We don't need a holy spirit, Allaah is one.

Salam brother..alhamdulilah while googling i found the answer for the holy spirit. Once i finish my whole research and puting all answers of you all ill be posting it here

 

[al-muslimah]

The answer for the questions I posted earlier. I tried to get all your answers fit together as well as what I searched from the net. I hope you all could benefit from it InshAllah. I really appreciate all your help!

 

[al-muslimah]

What is the Holy Spirit in Islam and in Christianity?

1- The Role of the Holy Spirit in Islam:
There are two roles that the Holy Spirit is responsible for according to Islam:

1- It creates our "spirits." Allah Almighty uses it to blow into our mothers' wombs our human-spirits. That is why abortion is prohibited in Islam, because the fetus or foetus does have spirit (life) and it is a human being. It's not just a little piece of unliving flesh:
"But He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him something of His Spirit. And He gave you (the faculties of) hearing and sight and feeling (and understanding): little thanks do ye give! (The Noble Quran, 32:9)"

"When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My Spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him. (The Noble Quran, 38:72)"

"When I have fashioned him (in due proportion) and breathed into him of My Spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto him. (The Noble Quran, 15:29)"

"And (remember) her who guarded her chastity: We breathed into her of Our Spirit, and We made her and her son a sign for all peoples. (The Noble Quran, 21:91)"

"And Mary the daughter of 'Imran, who guarded her chastity; and We breathed into (her body) of Our Spirit; and she testified to the truth of the words of her Lord and of His Revelations, and was one of the devout (servants). (The Noble Quran, 66:12)"

2- It is used to provide Divine Guidance to the Believers, those whom Allah Almighty Loves and Favors. It's not just the Holy Spirit that gives Guidance. Angels too give it:

"Raised high above ranks (or degrees), (He is) the Lord of the Throne (of Authority): by His Command doth He send the Spirit (of inspiration) to any of His servants he pleases, that it may warn (men) of the Day of Mutual Meeting,- (The Noble Quran, 40:15)"

"Say, the Holy Spirit has brought the Revelation from thy Lord in Truth, in order to strengthen those who believe, and as a Guide and Glad Tidings to Muslims. (The Noble Quran, 16:102)"

"Thou wilt not find any people who believe in God and the Last Day, loving those who resist God and His Apostle, even though they were their fathers or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred. For such He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with a Spirit from Himself. And He will admit them to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow, to dwell therein (for ever). God will be well pleased with them, and they with Him. They are the Party of God. Truly it is the Party of God that will achieve Felicity. (The Noble Quran, 58:22)"

"Then will God say: "O Jesus the son of Mary! Recount My favour to thee and to thy mother. Behold! I strengthened thee with the Holy Spirit, so that thou didst speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. Behold! I taught thee the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel and behold! thou makest out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My leave, and thou breathest into it and it becometh a bird by My leave, and thou healest those born blind, and the lepers, by My leave. And behold! thou bringest forth the dead by My leave. And behold! I did restrain the Children of Israel from (violence to) thee when thou didst show them the clear Signs, and the unbelievers among them said: 'This is nothing but evident magic.' (The Noble Quran, 5:110)"

So as you can see, Allah Almighty Created the Holy Spirit for specific functions not only on this earth, but also perhaps else where in the Universe where we don't know about. But it is in no way GOD Almighty Himself.

2- The Role of the Holy Spirit in the Bible:

The Bible is similar to the Noble Quran regarding the role of the Holy Spirit. It never claimed that the Holy Spirit is GOD Almighty Himself. In section 4 below, you will see some of the types of the Holy Spirit, or Spirit, that GOD Almighty Created for Mankind. But for now, let us see what the Bible says about the Holy Spirit:

"When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth. (From the NIV Bible, Psalm 104:30)"

"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? (From the NIV Bible, Psalm 139:7)"

"Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. (From the NIV Bible, Psalm 143:10)"
So far, these verses are talking about the Spirit from GOD Almighty. The first verse above, Psalm 104:30, perfectly agrees with the Noble Verses above about GOD Almighty Blowing His Spirit into our mothers' wombs when we're fetus.

So does this now mean that the Holy Spirit, in the Bible, is part of GOD Almighty?
Absolutely not! The Bible is filled with figurative speech. I've written a detailed article proving this using many examples. The Holy Spirit mentioned above is a creation from GOD Almighty. It's purpose is to create our spirits as mentioned in Psalm 104:30. Another purpose for the Holy Spirit is to Guide the Believers:

1 Samuel 18:10 "The next day an evil spirit from God came forcefully upon Saul. He was prophesying in his house, while David was playing the harp, as he usually did. Saul had a spear in his hand..." GOD Almighty has an evil spirit? Obviously not, it's only metaphoric as mentioned above.

1 Samuel 19:9 "But an evil spirit from the LORD came upon Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the harp,..." ANOTHER EVIL SPIRIT FROM GOD?!

1 Kings 22:22 " 'By what means?' the LORD asked. " 'I will go out and be a LYING spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said. " 'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the LORD. 'Go and do it.'

1 Kings 22:23 "So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you."

2 Chronicles 18:21 " 'I will go and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said. " 'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the LORD. 'Go and do it.'

Numbers 24:2 "When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him"

Judges 3:10 "The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into
the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him."

Judges 6:34 "Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet, summoning the Abiezrites to follow him."

Judges 11:29 "Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites."

Judges 14:6 "The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power so that he tore the lion apart with his bare hands as he might have torn a young goat. But he told
neither his father nor his mother what he had done."

Judges 14:19 "Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power. He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of their belongings and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle. Burning with anger, he went up to his father's house."

Judges 15:14 "As he approached Lehi, the Philistines came toward him shouting. The Spirit of the LORD came upon him in power. The ropes on his arms became like charred flax, and the bindings dropped from his hands."

1 Samuel 10:6 "The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person."

1 Samuel 10:10 "When they arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their prophesying."

1 Samuel 11:6 "When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he burned with anger."

1 Samuel 16:13 "So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah."

Luke 1:35 "The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you (Mary), and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God."

Luke 2:25 "Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him."

http://www.quransearch.com/holy_spirit.htm

 

[al-muslimah]

Here is another place where I found that the Holy Spirit is the angel Gabriel in Islam.

Holy Spirit is Gabriel

The Holy Spirit in Islam He is the angel Gabriel. The angel Gabriel is highly esteemed as the "Trustworthy Spirit

To properly understand what does the Holy Ghost really mean, both in the Bible and in the Qur'an, we find in (Matthew 1: 18):

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise; when as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.”

If we compare this with a similar narration of Luke:

“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.” (Luke 1:26-27)

We can readily see that the Holy Ghost mentioned in Matthew 1: 18 is himself the angel Gabriel. The Qur'an confirms the same in Surah 19, verses 17 - 19:
*{We sent to her [Mary] Our ruuh [angel Gabriel], and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects. … [The angel] said: “I am only a messenger from your Lord, [to announce] to you the gift of a righteous son.}*

The angel Gabriel is the same angel sent with divine messages and support of Allah to his prophets. The Qur'an says in Surah 16: 102 that:
*{Say [O Muhammad]: Ruh-ul-Qudus (Spirit of Holiness, i.e. Gabriel) has brought it [the Qur'an] down from your Lord with truth, that it may make firm and strengthen [the faith of] those who believe, and as a guidance and glad tidings to those who have submitted [to Allah as Muslims].}*

The same was the context of Surah 2, verse 87, which says that:
*{And indeed, We gave Moses the Book and followed him with a succession of messengers. And We gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear signs and supported him with Ruh-ul-Qudus [Gabriel].}*

Also Surah 2, verse 253 says that:
*{And to Jesus the son of Mary, We gave clear proofs and evidences, and supported him with Ruh-ul-Qudus [Gabriel].}*

Then Surah 5, verse 110 says that:
*{[Remember] when Allah will say [on the Day of Resurrection], “O Jesus son of Mary! Remember My favor to you and to your mother when I supported you with Ruh-ul-Qudus [Gabriel] so that you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity, and when I taught you writing, al-hikmah (the power of understanding), the Tawrah (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel).”}*

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Islam-947/spirit.htm

 

[al-muslimah]

Did someone ever see Allah? Did the prophet Mohammad see Allah? What about Musa?

1)No one has ever seen Allah the mighty.

[51] It is not given to any human being that Allâh should speak to him unless (it be) by Revelation, or from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a Messenger to reveal what He wills by His Leave. Verily, He is Most High, Most Wise (42.51) Al-Shoura

2)The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not see Allaah with his eyes.
It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “Whoever told you that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw his Lord was lying. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-Tawheed, 6832).

It was narrated that Abu Dharr said: “I asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), ‘Did you see your Lord?’ He said, ‘ He is veiled by Light, how could I see Him.’” (Narrated by Muslim, al-Eeman, 261).

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “ ‘The (Prophet’s) heart belied not what he saw, and indeed he saw Him at a second descent.’ [al-Najm 53:11-12] (This means that) he saw Him twice with his heart.” (Narrated by Muslim, al-Eemaan, 258).

The Messenger described Allah, as "His veil is Light, if He unveils it, the Light of His Face will burn all what His Sight reaches (which is everything!)" [Muslim]

It is said that the persons that will enter Heaven on the Day of Judgment will be the first to see Allah.

http://www.islam-qa.com/en/ref/12423/

3) Musa and Allah:

"And when Mûsâ (Moses) came at the time and place appointed by Us, and his Lord spoke to him; he said: "O my Lord! Show me (Yourself), that I may look upon You." Allâh said: "You cannot see Me, but look upon the mountain; if it stands still in its place then you shall see Me." So when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He made it collapse to dust, and Mûsâ (Moses) fell down unconscious. Then when he recovered his senses he said: "Glory be to You, I turn to You in repentance and I am the first of the believers." 143:7 [Al-Aa'raf]

 

[al-muslimah]

- Why can't we think of how Allah (saw) looks?

Allaah is not like anything we can imagine. It's beyond our imagination by crossing the limits we would be degrading to Him.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had said to reflect upon the creation and not the Creator, lest you become destroyed. Trying to imagine Allah (The Glorified and Exalted) results in belittling Him (may He be Glorified) and is considered blasphemy, a major sin. He says about Himself in the Qur'an, "None can comprehend Him."

Allah is a Supreme Being and creator of Time itself. Allah created the universe it's like when you think of a carpenter creating a table, you can see the quality of it makes but you can't know it's maker, simply by looking at his creation. Does a carpenter looks like his table? Do you believe you look like Allah? Allah is never to be compared to His creation in any way, shape or form. This means that He does not enter His creation, nor does He grant any of His creation any of His attributes or power for that matter.

As it says in the Holy Quran:

The last Ayah of Surat Al- Ikhlas. Ayah 4
"Say: He is Allah, the One and Only! Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not nor is He begotten. And there is none like unto Him."

You have to believe in Allah through His signs and they are everywhere as there are 99 attributes of Allah. What we see around us is so limited in every way that it can't be used to compare/measure Allah with (last ayah of ikhlas). Therefore comparing Him with anything known to mankind is equivalent to belittling Him and His excellence. That would violate the principle of Him not interfering with our choices. Muslims are to take care never to say anything about Allah that they do not have the authority to say.

There is a statement in Arabic which is "Laa howla wa laa kowata illa bil lah." It means
"And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him."

So whatever an individual thinks that Allah is like 'this or that', he is much far better and different than that. There is nothing that the human mind can imagine/think, that is comparable to Allah (swt).

[103] No vision can grasp Him, but He Grasps all vision…. (6.103) Al-Ana'am