Does God have limitations?
Where Did God Come From?
Both the Bible and the Quran tell us God has always existed and there never was a time He did not exit. As such, He is the Eternal, without beginning and without end. He is the only creator and sustainer of all that exists and nothing and no one exists alongside Him, nor does He have any partners. He tells us, He is not created, nor is He like His creation in anyway. He calls Himself by a number of names and three of them are:
The First - (Al-Awal)
The Last - (Al Akhir)
The Eternal and the One who is sought after by His creation, while He has no need from them at all. (As-Samad)
He is not a man and He has no progeny or offspring.
He is not what He creates nor is He compared to it.
He always has existed and He never was created, as He is not like His creation, nor similar to it, in any way.
The prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) explained the devil would come to a person and ask them questions about creation; "Who created this or that?" to which the reply would be; "Allah" until he would ask; "Who created Allah?" At this stage the prophet advised us to drop this train of thought. Obviously, God - the real God, must be eternal and not have to be created.
The Quran tells us:
Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa (There is no god to worship except Him), the Ever Living, the Sustainer and Protector of all that exists. He doesn't get tired and He doesn't sleep. Everything in the universe belongs to Him. Who then, could intercede between Him and his creatures without His Permission? He Knows everything about them and they have no knowledge except as He wills. His kursi (stool or chair) extends over the entire universe and He doesn't get tired of guarding and preserving it. He is Most High, the Most Great.
[This Verse is called Ayat-ul-Kursi.] [Noble Quran 2:255]
This verse truly presents the comprehensive representation of God in a way without trying to define Him by comparing Him to His creation, but rather as being the Absolute in all of His Attributes and Characteristics.
Both the Bible and the Quran tell us God has always existed and there never was a time He did not exit. As such, He is the Eternal, without beginning and without end. He is the only creator and sustainer of all that exists and nothing and no one exists alongside Him, nor does He have any partners. He tells us, He is not created, nor is He like His creation in anyway. He calls Himself by a number of names and three of them are:
The First - (Al-Awal)
The Last - (Al Akhir)
The Eternal and the One who is sought after by His creation, while He has no need from them at all. (As-Samad)
He is not a man and He has no progeny or offspring.
He is not what He creates nor is He compared to it.
He always has existed and He never was created, as He is not like His creation, nor similar to it, in any way.
The prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) explained the devil would come to a person and ask them questions about creation; "Who created this or that?" to which the reply would be; "Allah" until he would ask; "Who created Allah?" At this stage the prophet advised us to drop this train of thought. Obviously, God - the real God, must be eternal and not have to be created.
The Quran tells us:
Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa (There is no god to worship except Him), the Ever Living, the Sustainer and Protector of all that exists. He doesn't get tired and He doesn't sleep. Everything in the universe belongs to Him. Who then, could intercede between Him and his creatures without His Permission? He Knows everything about them and they have no knowledge except as He wills. His kursi (stool or chair) extends over the entire universe and He doesn't get tired of guarding and preserving it. He is Most High, the Most Great.
[This Verse is called Ayat-ul-Kursi.] [Noble Quran 2:255]
This verse truly presents the comprehensive representation of God in a way without trying to define Him by comparing Him to His creation, but rather as being the Absolute in all of His Attributes and Characteristics.
There are two types of Du'aa:
- Du'aa made while worshiping Allah.
- Du'aa made at time of affliction and need.
Moreover, Allah is Near to His servants through the following two manners:
- His knowledge encompasses all His creatures.
- He is near to those who worship and supplicate him and responds to their supplications by answering and granting them support and success.
When a person sincerely invokes Allah asking for lawful things and there is nothing preventing answering his Du'aa such as having unlawful source of livelihood and the like, Allah has verily promised to respond to his Du'aa. This is especially when a supplicant adheres to the means necessary for answering the Du'aa which are as follows:
- Obeying the commands of Allah.
- Abandoning His Prohibitions.
- The firm convection that He responds to our supplications.
That's why Allah says in the above verse: "So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright". Meaning, whoever sincerely supplicates Allah will surly be led to faith, the straight path and be distant from delusion.
There are many texts in the Qur'an and Sunna urging Muslims to make Du'aa and confirming Allah's promise to respond.
Evidence from the Qur'an
Allah Almighty says:
"And your Lord said: "Invoke Me, [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islâmic Monotheism)] (and ask Me for anything) I will respond to your (invocation). Verily! Those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islâmic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!" [Qur'an 40:60].
"Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors" [Qur'an 7:55].
"Is not He (better than your gods) Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls Him, and Who removes the evil" [Qur'an 27: 60].
Evidence from Sunna
Abu Sa'eed (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Any Muslim who invokes Allah Almighty with no sin or severing the ties of kinship, Allah will answer by giving him one of three: either to immediately answer his Du'aa in this world; or saves it for him in the Hereafter (as a good deed and reward); or protects him and takes away an evil that was decreed upon him. The companions said: So, we should make Du'aa in abundant. The Prophet replied: "Allah is the Ever Generous".
An-Nu'man ibn Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Du'aa is worship" [Reported by Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi and An-Nasai' and ibn Majah declared it authentic].
In another hadith narrated by Anas, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Du'aa is the essence of worship" .
This means that Du'aa is the essence of worship due to two reasons:
- Making Du'aa implies submitting oneself to the commands of Allah Who said: "Invoke Me, [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islâmic Monotheism)] (and ask Me for anything) I will respond to your (invocation)".
- When a Muslim is aware that everything [benefit or harm] lies in the hands of Allah, he will refrain from seeking support from anyone except Him.
• Morals and lessons derived from the verse:
1- Urging to supplicate Allah and manifesting His bounties, The Ever Generous Who commanded us to invoke Him and promised to answer.
2- Allah is Near to all His creatures through His encompassing knowledge and He is Near to the one who supplicates and worships Him answering and giving rewards.
3- Clarifying the necessary means for answering supplications: obeying the commands of Allah, refraining from His prohibitions, believing in Him, having lawful livelihood and raising one's hands to the sky.
4- Believing in Allah and obeying Him are the means towards gaining His success and guidance.
5- Warning against engaging in any thing that prevents answering Du'aa: having unlawful livelihood [food, drink and clothes], asking Allah for a sin or severing ties of kinship, losing hope in answering one's supplications, abandoning faith, refraining from obeying the commands of Allah and committing sins.
6- Obeying the commands of Allah and believing in Him are the means towards gaining knowledge which is the perfect guidance both theoretically and practically.
- Du'aa made while worshiping Allah.
- Du'aa made at time of affliction and need.
Moreover, Allah is Near to His servants through the following two manners:
- His knowledge encompasses all His creatures.
- He is near to those who worship and supplicate him and responds to their supplications by answering and granting them support and success.
When a person sincerely invokes Allah asking for lawful things and there is nothing preventing answering his Du'aa such as having unlawful source of livelihood and the like, Allah has verily promised to respond to his Du'aa. This is especially when a supplicant adheres to the means necessary for answering the Du'aa which are as follows:
- Obeying the commands of Allah.
- Abandoning His Prohibitions.
- The firm convection that He responds to our supplications.
That's why Allah says in the above verse: "So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright". Meaning, whoever sincerely supplicates Allah will surly be led to faith, the straight path and be distant from delusion.
There are many texts in the Qur'an and Sunna urging Muslims to make Du'aa and confirming Allah's promise to respond.
Evidence from the Qur'an
Allah Almighty says:
"And your Lord said: "Invoke Me, [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islâmic Monotheism)] (and ask Me for anything) I will respond to your (invocation). Verily! Those who scorn My worship [i.e. do not invoke Me, and do not believe in My Oneness, (Islâmic Monotheism)] they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!" [Qur'an 40:60].
"Invoke your Lord with humility and in secret. He likes not the aggressors" [Qur'an 7:55].
"Is not He (better than your gods) Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls Him, and Who removes the evil" [Qur'an 27: 60].
Evidence from Sunna
Abu Sa'eed (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Any Muslim who invokes Allah Almighty with no sin or severing the ties of kinship, Allah will answer by giving him one of three: either to immediately answer his Du'aa in this world; or saves it for him in the Hereafter (as a good deed and reward); or protects him and takes away an evil that was decreed upon him. The companions said: So, we should make Du'aa in abundant. The Prophet replied: "Allah is the Ever Generous".
An-Nu'man ibn Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Du'aa is worship" [Reported by Abu Dawud, al-Tirmidhi and An-Nasai' and ibn Majah declared it authentic].
In another hadith narrated by Anas, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Du'aa is the essence of worship" .
This means that Du'aa is the essence of worship due to two reasons:
- Making Du'aa implies submitting oneself to the commands of Allah Who said: "Invoke Me, [i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islâmic Monotheism)] (and ask Me for anything) I will respond to your (invocation)".
- When a Muslim is aware that everything [benefit or harm] lies in the hands of Allah, he will refrain from seeking support from anyone except Him.
• Morals and lessons derived from the verse:
1- Urging to supplicate Allah and manifesting His bounties, The Ever Generous Who commanded us to invoke Him and promised to answer.
2- Allah is Near to all His creatures through His encompassing knowledge and He is Near to the one who supplicates and worships Him answering and giving rewards.
3- Clarifying the necessary means for answering supplications: obeying the commands of Allah, refraining from His prohibitions, believing in Him, having lawful livelihood and raising one's hands to the sky.
4- Believing in Allah and obeying Him are the means towards gaining His success and guidance.
5- Warning against engaging in any thing that prevents answering Du'aa: having unlawful livelihood [food, drink and clothes], asking Allah for a sin or severing ties of kinship, losing hope in answering one's supplications, abandoning faith, refraining from obeying the commands of Allah and committing sins.
6- Obeying the commands of Allah and believing in Him are the means towards gaining knowledge which is the perfect guidance both theoretically and practically.