Allah says: “He is Allah the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner; His are the most excellent names; whatever is in the heavens and the earth declares His glory; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.” [Sūrah al-Hashr: 24]
Allah is the Creator. He is al-Khāliq, al-Khallāq, and he is Ahsan al-Khāliqīn – “the best of Creators”.
The name al-Khāliq (the Creator) appears in the Qur’ān eleven times. For instance: “Allah is the Creator of all things.” [Sūrah al-Zumar: 62]
The more emphatic term al-Khallāq appears twice in the Qur’an: “Surely your Lord is the Creator of All Things, the All-Knowing.” [Sūrah al-Hijr: 87] and: “Is not He Who created the heavens and the Earth able to create the like of them? Yea! and He is the Creator of All Things, the All-Knowing.” [Sūrah YāSīn: 81]
The Qur’ān also refers to Allah as “the best of creators”. This is seen in two places. The first is: “Then We made the seed a clot, then We made the clot a lump of flesh, then We made (in) the lump of flesh bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, then We caused it to grow into another creation, so blessed be Allah, the best of the creators.” [Sūrah al-Mu’minūn: 14]
The second place is where Elias exclaims to his people: “What! Do you call upon Ba'al and forsake the best of the creators – Allah, your Lord and Lord of your forefathers?”[Sūrah al-Sāffāt: 125-126]
Everything in the universe is Allah’s creation, and it attests by its very existence to its Creator, its Lord and Sustainer. Everything we see around us is proof of Allah’s existence.
Allah says: “Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the Earth, and the alternation of night and day are indeed Signs for people of understanding – those who remember Allah standing and sitting and lying on their sides and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the Earth, saying: Our Lord! You have not created this in vain! Glory be to You. Save us then from the chastisement of the fire:” [Sūrah Āl `Imrān: 190-191]
This, in turn, attests to the fact that Allah alone deserves our worship. Allah says: “This is the Creation of Allah. Now show me that which those (you worship) beside Him have created. Nay, but the wrong-doers are in manifest error!” [Sūrah Luqmān: 11]
Allah also says: “Say (O Muhammad): Have you considered what you call upon besides Allah? Show me what they have created of the Earth, or have they a share in the heavens? Bring me a book before this or traces of knowledge, if you are truthful.” [Sūrah al-Ahqāf: 4]
Two Related Names: al-Bāri’ & al-Musawwir
Allah says: “He is Allah the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner; His are the most excellent names; whatever is in the heavens and the earth declares His glory; and He is the Mighty, the Wise.” [Sūrah al-Hashr: 24]
Al-Khāliq (the Creator), al-Bāri` (the Maker), al-Musawwir (the Fashioner) are three of Allah’s name that are mentioned together in this verse. When these three names are mentioned together, each of them conveys a specific meaning. Here, the attribute of creation refers specifically to Allah’s determination of what He creates, so it comes first. The name al-Bārī’ (the maker) refers to the creative act of bringing about what Allah wills to create. Finally the name al-Musawwir (the Fashioner) refers to giving each created thing its particular form. So Allah decrees what He creates, brings it into existence, and specifies its particular, unique form.
Allah originates the form of each created thing according to His wisdom, knowledge, and mercy. He gives each thing the form it has without need of a pre-existing model.
Allah says: “Indeed, We have created the human being upon the best of forms.” [Sūrah al-Tīn: 4]
Allah also says: “He it is who shapes you in the wombs as He pleases. There is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise.” [Sūrah Āl `Imrān: 6] and: “We created you then fashioned you.” [Sūrah al-A`rāf: 11]
These three actions – creation, making, and fashioning – manifest themselves in created things sequentially, the last of which is the fashioning of the form, which gradually comes to completion. We can see this in the growth of a plant from a seed and in the growth of an animal from an embryo.
Creation is the most evident proof of Allah’s greatness and divinity. That He confers life, motion and awareness to inert matter is a sign of His lordship and power. These are among the miracles that no one can deny without exhibiting the crassest obstinacy.