By Moulana Idris Khandhelvi (R.A)

(Original Source: http://classicalislamgroup.com/viewpage.php?page=374)

Aqeedah 1: Existence

Allaah Ta'ala, with His ever existent Being and Qualities is existent by Himself. Besides Him every other thing came into existence by His doing. By His creation every other thing came into being from non-existence into existence. The reason for calling Allaah Ta’ala, ‘Khuda' is because He is there by Himself (‘Khud Ba'Khud' - Urdu). His Being is Himself. Besides His Being and Qualities, every other thing in the universe is newly created, from non-existence into existence.

1. It is for this reason that no thing in the universe remains in one state. It is clear from the fact that these things are targets for changes and alterations and things are on course in disintegrating, disappearing and appearing, this proves that this universe is not existent by itself. In fact, its existence and bringing into creation is the work of another Being. Hence, that Great Being, Who is responsible for bringing everything into existence, and Who is the Owner thereof, is the One we cal Allah, Khuda and Owner of the universe. The original and real Owner is He Alone, in Whose Majestic control is the existence of the entire universe. Understand well that He is the real Owner, the Owner of creation. That one who is not the owner of creation cannot be the real owner.

2. In addition, whatever one's sight falls upon from the things in this universe, it has the effects of dependency, insignificance lowness and helplessness. This will affirm that nothing in this universe is existent by itself. If anything was existent, by itself then it would be 'Khuda', and it would not be dependant upon anything.

3. Allama Ahmed Bin Miskoyah mentions in his Kitaab, "Alfowzul Asghar": If you look at anything from the sky down to the earth, you will not find nothing that is free from movement (i.e. it is stagnant). There are six types of movements; movement of existence (movement within itself), a troubled movement, a movement of growth, a destructive movement, a changing movement and a movement of place. These things can also be seen by the eye, that all movements are not the same. From this we gather that the movement of anything is not by virtue of itself or choice, in fact it is administered thereupon, by something that is separate from its being. Hence the real Administrator, by whose actions all these movements occur, is 'Khuda' (Allah Ta' ala), who through the means of this 'puppet show' displays and exhibits His Absolute Power and Control.

Aqeedah 2: Oneness

Allah Ta'ala is one. None is His partner or equal, because a partnership is a deficiency and Allah Ta'ala is free from all faults. In addition, a partnership is desirable when one is incapable or not self-sufficient, and this is a fault. This would be the antithesis of Divine Existence. Moreover, since, HE is independent and capable, then the need for a partner would be superfluous and in vain, and whatever is in vain and wasteful is NOT Allah Ta'ala. Hence, in order to establish and accept a partnership, one has to accept that one of the partners (on his own) is insufficient and incapable. This is the negation of Divinity. In short,’ we understand that (in this case) by trying to prove a partnership, the opposite is being achieved. Hence, we accept that for Allah Ta'ala to have a partnership is impossible. Now, when we have established that Allah Ta'ala has no partner, then it follows that he has no son, daughter, parents or any other being similar to HIM either. For example, if we accept that Zaid is the son of his father, then although father and son may not look alike, nevertheless, we will still say that Zaid has a connection with the human species. So, if it is said that Allah Ta'ala has a son, then one has to accept that this son is also divine and has a connection with a Divine Being. Then this so would also be an Allah like our Allah (Nauthubillah!).

It is for this reason that Allah Ta'ala says in the Qur'aan Majeed:

"Pure and free is HE (Allah), from that He has a son."

Aqeedah 3: Eternality

Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta'ala is Ever-existent and Eternal, i.e neither does He have any beginning nor end. He is pure eternal.

"He is The First and the Last", Besides Him there is NO other thing, which can be established to be ever existent and eternal. Imaam Ghazali  has denounced the claim of those people "Who aver that matter, features, intelligence and the sky are ever existent. The fact of the matter is this that besides Allah Ta'ala nothing else is eternal, because nothing in the universe (besides Allah Ta'ala) is free from any fault or flaw.

Matter is completely deaf, dumb and blind. The soul (of man), beside: its name, nothing else is known about it (to man). Knowledge and perception of the soul is unattainable (by man), hence a thing which is unattainable and of which one has no knowledge, cannot be eternal or ever-existent. If the soul was ever-existent, by itself, then calamities, difficulties, pain, sorrows and grief would most certainly never have affected it. Even a dim-witted person would understand that how can pain and difficulties ever affect a thing which is ever existent, since all these things are new and were created later. Allah Rabbul Izzat created everything in the universe.

Aqeedah 4: Perfect Qualities

Life, knowledge, power, intention, hearing, seeing, speaking and creation, are all the perfect and complete Attributes and Qualities of Allah Ta’ala. That is, HE is Alive, Intelligent, has full Power and full choice. Whatever He does, is by His choice. He is All Knowing and Most Knowledgeable. There is no atom or speck in this universe that is outside His knowledge, control or hidden from Him. He listens to every thing's voice and call, whether it is in the heavens or the earth. He even hears the sound of the movements of the smallest ant that moves beneath the seven earths. He hears the sound of the entire universe at one and the same time. The sound of one thing does not overcome or interrupt the sound of another, in HIS hearing. He sees everything in the universe at one and the same time. No screen or darkness can ever separate HIS sight from it. He can speak and is not dumb. He is THE Creator, i.e. He has the ability and quality to create and bring things into existence. Whomever HE wishes He gives life and whoever He wishes He gives death. To bestow honour or to disgrace is totally in HIS Control.

All these complete and perfect Qualities belong to Allah Ta'ala ALONE, and it is for this reason that all the strange and. wonderful things in this universe bear testimony to HIM. It is clear that all the creation is not the work and artistry of some dead, ignorant and incapable thing, rather it is all the work of A Being that is Alive, Knowledgeable, Powerful and Most Wise.

These qualities (life, knowledge, power, intention, hearing, seeing, speech, creation) are also present in the creation. According to all intellectuals, these qualities (in man) are perfect. So, if these qualities were not perfect in the Creator, then how could it ever be in the creation? Allah Ta'ala has placed a sign of these perfect qualities in man so that when he reflects upon himself then he will recognise his Creator. He will realise that these perfect qualities that are found within himself are merely a reflection of the perfection of Allah Ta' ala. In fact, the qualities that are found in man are not even comparable to those found in Allah Ta'ala. The similarity is confined to the words.

NOTE: One should know that there are two types of qualities:

The first type is intrinsic (Zaatia) and the second the practical form (Fe'lia).

The intrinsic qualities (Sifaat-e-Zaatia) are those that cannot exist together with their opposites in one being, for example, knowledge and power. Allah Ta'ala has these qualities in Him, and He does not have their opposite qualities, which are ignorance and weakness. That is, Nauthubillah, we will never say that Allah Ta'ala is dead, ignorant, weak, helpless, deaf, blind and dumb, because death, ignorance, etc. are all faults and shortcomings, of which the Being of Allah Ta’ala is free and pure.

The practical form of qualities are those qualities, which do exist in a being with their opposites, and they are in relation to others (i.e. their connection is with other things besides the Being in which they exist). For example, to give life and death, to bestow honour and disgrace, to grant sustenance etc. Such qualities are called Sifaat-e-Fe'lia.

Where a Being can be described as having both the opposites at the same time, then this Sifaat-e-Fe’lia is included in the Sifat-e- Takweeni (quality of creation). It is as though the quality of creation is the summary of all this (Sifaat-e-Fe'lia) and they are its exegesis. If Allah Ta'ala did not have this quality of creation, then this entire universe and all its beauties, intricacies and wonders would not have come into existence.

Allah Ta'ala says:

"Indeed HIS order (is such that) when HE intends a thing, He (merely) says 'Be' and it is.

Allah Ta'ala is not in need of any raw materials and products. Takween means to create merely by the use of the word "Be".

Aqeedah 5: All-Knowing

Allaah Ta'ala is knowledgeable in every group and individual. There is not a single particle that exists in the skies or the earths that is beyond His Knowledge. It follows that since Allah Ta' ala has created everything, He must necessarily be aware of it all. It is not possible that the creator of a thing is unaware of its existence. "Do they know who has created? It is the Most Subtle and All-Knowing."

Some unfortunate and stupid people (philosophers, etc.) are such that they do not accept that Allaah Ta' ala is aware of everything and yet they understand their own stupidity to be perfect thinking.

The quality of knowledge: This is an eternal and all-encompassing quality of Allah Azza Wa Jal. He is fully aware of the various conditions and opposing factors of everything in the universe at one and the same time. His knowledge encompasses every aspect of the universe. At any given moment He knows whether Zaid is alive or non¬existent, sick or health, honourable or disgraced etc. Since time immemorial until eternity. His Knowledge is so all-encompassing that there never is or will be the slightest change or adulteration.

When a person can identify at one and the same time the different types and conditions of a word, that is at any given time one can identify whether a noun or verb or conjunction, whether it is a three-letter word or a four letter word, whether it is a declinable or non-declinable etc. When a person can identify in detail the condition and type of one word at the same time, then can it ever be possible that Most Knowledgeable, All-Knowing, All-Encompassing not know about the various different conditions and specifications of the entire universe at one and the same time?

Nothing of the future and past and every other aspect of time and place, is out of the quality of Allah Ta'ala. His quality of Knowledge in unlimited. Everything in the Knowledge of Allah Ta'ala is encompassed all the time.

Aqeedah 6: Omnipotence

Allah Ta'ala is Omni-potent. He is free from being forced or coerced (into doing any act). Imaam Rabbaani  has mentioned that the philosophers, due to their stupidity and ignorance, have understood the need for consent and to be forced as a sign of perfection and have negated the intervention of Allah Ta'ala (in the creation of things) - These idiots have taken the Ever-Existent to be useless and ineffectual. They have attributed the creation of things to something other than Allah Ta'ala, which is merely a figment of their imagination. They have no relation to the Being of Allah-Ta'ala. Hence at the time of difficulty and adversities, these ignoramuses should seek refuge in their imaginary creator, and not turn to Allah Ta'ala. They have not linked and related the first creation of the universe to Allah Ta'ala.

According to them, Allah Ta'ala does not have a choice in actions; in fact, they believe Him to be subservient to asking for consent and force. They believe that HE does not have the ability to ward off calamities; hence, their asking Him for help would be futile and of no benefit.

These deviant groups (philosophers) belie, deny, mock and scoff at the Divine revelations.

When the message of the Nabuwwat of Hadhrat Isaa  reached Plato, who was the leader of the philosophers, he commented:

"We are a nation that is guided; we have no need for a guide (or teacher)."

This idiot should have gone and met Hadhrat Isaa  and witnessed first-hand how he (with the Order of Allah Ta'ala) used to make the dead alive, cure the born blind and lepers. Plato made this statement without any investigations into the personality of Hadhrat Isaa  . This proves his pride and arrogance.