Divine Attributes of Perfection: A Deep Reading into the Implications of the Proofs of God's Existence - Part Two -
Key Questions
1. How does the argument of creation and subjugation demonstrate the absolute will of Allah? 2. What are the evidences that indicate Allah’s attribute of wisdom? 3. How does the argument of subjugation and guidance highlight Allah’s attribute of mercy? 4. How is the argument of answered prayers connected to Allah’s attribute of hearing supplications? 5. How can understanding these divine attributes deepen a believer’s relationship with Allah and impact their worship?
Article Summary
This article explores four divine attributes indicated by the proofs of God's existence: Effective Will, Wisdom, Mercy, and Hearing supplications. It explains how the proof of creation and subjugation indicates the Effective Will, the proof of perfection and guidance indicates Wisdom, the proof of subjugation and guidance indicates Mercy, and the proof of answered prayers indicates Hearing supplications. The article shows that realizing these attributes deepens faith and increases humility and glorification of God. It concludes by emphasizing that these attributes in their perfection apply only to God, and the importance of referring to the Quran and Sunnah to know the names and attributes of God fully.
Introduction
In our previous article, we began the journey of exploring the divine attributes that are manifested through the proofs of the existence of God Almighty. We reflected on four great attributes: Primacy, Exaltation, Omnipotence, and Omniscience. We saw how the proof of creation and origination indicates God's Primacy and Exaltation, and how the proof of perfection and subjugation demonstrates Omnipotence, while the proof of perfection and guidance reveals His Omniscience. Today, we continue this intellectual and spiritual journey, delving into four other divine attributes: Effective Will, Wisdom, Mercy, and Hearing supplications. These attributes, like their predecessors, are manifested in the universe around us and in our daily lives, confirming the greatness and perfection of the Creator. We will reflect on how these attributes are manifested in the cosmic and natural proofs, and how they deepen our understanding of our relationship with our Creator and increase our faith and humility. So, let us begin this new journey in the world of divine attributes, to increase our knowledge of God and closeness to Him, and to understand more deeply how these attributes affect our lives and worship.
The Implications of the Proofs of God's Existence on His Divine Attributes (Part Two)
In this part, we will discuss four other divine attributes and see how they are indicated by the proofs we reviewed earlier to prove the existence of God Almighty:
- Absolute Will:
The cosmic proofs, especially the proof of creation and origination and the proof of subjugation, indicate that God Almighty possesses Absolute Will. This attribute means that what God willed is, and what He did not will is not, and that His will is effective in everything.
- Proof of Creation and Origination: The existence of this universe with all its diverse creatures indicates a free will that chose to create these creatures in the form they are in. Creation is not a random or deterministic process, but rather a result of an absolute will; God Almighty says: "His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, 'Be,' and it is" (Ya Sin: 82).Proof of Subjugation: The subjugation of the universe and its laws to serve humans and other creatures indicates an effective will that controls everything. The subjugation of the sun and the moon, the night and the day, the winds and the rains, are all evidence of the effective will. God Almighty says: "And He has subjected for you the sun and the moon, continuously, and subjected for you the night and the day" (Ibrāhīm: 33).
Realizing this effective will deepens the believer's faith and increases his humility in worship. He realizes that everything that happens in the universe is by the will of God, and this drives him to be satisfied with God's decree and destiny, and to rely on Him in all his affairs. He also realizes that his obedience to God and his worship of Him is the fulfillment of God's will and desire, which makes him more keen on obedience and worship.
- Wisdom
The cosmic proofs, especially the proof of perfection and the proof of guidance, indicate that God Almighty possesses perfect Wisdom. This attribute means that God puts everything in its proper place, and that all His actions and rulings are for a wisdom and purpose.
- Proof of Perfection: The amazing precision and delicate balance in the creation of the universe and in living systems testify to perfect wisdom. The fine-tuning of the universe, the complexity of the living cell, and the harmony of the organs of living beings all indicate infinite wisdom in the perfection of creation; God Almighty says: "[He] who perfected everything which He created" (Sajdah: 7).Proof of Guidance: The guidance of creatures to what is suitable for their livelihood and their Hereafter indicates comprehensive wisdom. The guidance of animals to the ways of obtaining their food and building their homes, and the guidance of humans to the ways of success in this world and the Hereafter, are all evidence of wisdom that puts everything in its proper place. God Almighty said: "Our Lord, who gave each thing its creation and then guided [it]" (Ta Ha: 50).
Realizing this perfect wisdom deepens the believer's faith and increases his trust in God and His law. He realizes that everything God created and everything He legislated is for a wisdom, even if he does not realize this wisdom sometimes. This realization drives him to comply with God's commands and avoid His prohibitions, believing that this is good and righteous for him.
- Mercy:
The cosmic proofs, especially the proof of subjugation and the proof of guidance, indicate that God Almighty possesses vast Mercy. This attribute means that God has mercy on His servants and treats them well and wants good and happiness for them.
- Proof of Subjugation: The subjugation of the universe to serve humans and other creatures indicates vast mercy. The subjugation of the sun and the moon, the night and the day, the winds and the rains, are all manifestations of God's mercy towards His servants. God Almighty says: "And He has subjected for you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth - all from Him. Indeed, in that are signs for a people who give thought" (al-Jathiyah: 13).Proof of Guidance: The guidance of creatures to what is suitable for their livelihood and their Hereafter indicates comprehensive mercy. The guidance of humans to the ways of success in this world and the Hereafter is one of the greatest manifestations of God's mercy towards His servants. God Almighty said: "And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds" (Al-Anbiyā: 107).
Realizing this vast mercy deepens the believer's love for God and increases his hope in Him. He realizes that God wants good and happiness for him, which drives him to draw closer to God through obedience and worship, hoping for His mercy and forgiveness.
- Hearing Supplications:
The proof of answered prayers directly indicates that God Almighty possesses the attribute of Hearing supplications. This attribute means that God hears the supplications of His servants and responds to them.
- Proof of Answered Prayers: God's response to the supplications of His servants, whether in hardship or in ease, is clear evidence that He hears the supplications of His servants and responds to them. This response may be by giving the supplicant what he asked for, or averting evil from him, or saving the reward for him in the Hereafter. God Almighty says, "And your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you" (Ghāfir: 60).
Realizing this attribute deepens the believer's relationship with his Lord and increases his trust in Him. He realizes that God is close to him, hears his supplication and responds to him, which drives him to resort to God in all his affairs, and turn to Him with supplication in good times and bad.
Conclusion
In these two articles, we reviewed eight great divine attributes indicated by the cosmic and natural proofs of the existence of God Almighty. These attributes are: Primacy, Exaltation, Omnipotence, Omniscience, Effective Will, Wisdom, Mercy, and Hearing supplications. We saw how each proof of God's existence reveals to us an aspect of divine perfection, which increases our knowledge of our Creator and glorifies Him. It is important to realize that these attributes in their absolute perfection apply only to God Almighty. The false gods of the polytheists, whether idols, humans, or any other creature, are characterized by deficiency and inability. They are created and originated, not capable of everything, nor knowing everything. Their will is limited, their wisdom is deficient, their mercy is incomplete, and they do not have the ability to hear supplications and respond to them. This confirms the invalidity of worshiping them and turning to them. What we have reached through reflection on the cosmic and natural proofs is what sound reason has led us to. But we must realize that our knowledge of God's attributes and names is not complete except by referring to what the Creator Almighty has told us about Himself in the Holy Quran, and what is authentically narrated from His Messenger, may God bless him and grant him peace, in the Prophetic Sunnah. These divine sources are the basis for knowing the names and attributes of God in the most complete and perfect way. In conclusion, this journey in exploring the divine attributes is a way to a deeper understanding of our relationship with our Creator and the purpose of our existence. Every attribute we learn about increases our closeness to God and our understanding of His greatness and wisdom, and drives us to worship Him alone without any partners, to rely on Him, to trust in Him, and to be satisfied with His decree and destiny. This is the essence of faith and the goal of worship.