Who is (the true)

God?

Common questions from Muslims and Non-Muslims

•Who is Allah?

•What is the nature of

Allah?

How to define God?

• The concept of God cannot be

defined by observing the practice

of its followers.

• “HOLY SCRIPTURES”

Major World Religions

•Semitic Religions

•Non-Semitic Religions

Semitic Religions• According to the Bible, originated from the

Prophet Noah Shem.

• Religion originated among the

Jews, Arabs, Assyrians, Phoenicians, etc.

• Major one Judaism, Christianity and

Islam.

• Prophetic Religion, believe in Divine

Guidance sent via prophets of God.

Non-Semitic Religions

Divided into :

Aryan Religion :

• Originated from Aryans.

• Vedic : Hinduism or Brahmanism.

• Non-Vedic : Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism

• Non-Prophetic Religion.

• How about Zoroastrianism??

Non-Aryan Religions:

• Have diverse origins.

• Chinese origins : Confucianism and Taoism.

• Japanese : Shintoism.

• No concept of God.

• Referred as ethical systems.

Concept of God in Hinduism

• Polytheistic Religion.

• Believe in the philosophy of Pantheism – Everything is the manifestation of God.

• Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagwad Geeta.

• “Those whose intelligent has been stolen

by material desires surrender unto

demigods and follow the particular rules

and regulations of worship according to

their own natures.”

[Bhagwad Geeta ch.7 v.20]

The Nature of God in Hinduism from the Holy Scriptures

Scripture AnalysisUpanishads• “Ekam evaditiyam”

“He is the One only without a second” - [ChandogyaUpanishad 6:2:1]

• “Na casya kasuj janita nacadhipah”

“Of Him there are neither parents nor Lord” –[Svetasvatara Upanishad 6,9]

Holy Quran• “ ”“Say: He is Allah, the One and

Only” – [Ch.112 V.1]

• “ ”“He begetteth not, nor is He

begotten” – [Ch.112 V.3]

Upanishads• “Na tasya pratima asti”

“There is no likeness of Him” –

[Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:19]

• “Nainam urdhvam na

tiryancam na madhye na

parijagrabhat na tasya pratime

asti yasya nama mahad yasah”

“There is no likeness of Him whose

name is great glory” – [The

Principle Upanishad by S.

Radhakrishnan page 736 & 737]

Holy Quran• “ ”“And there is none like unto Him.” -

[Ch.112 V.4]

• “ …”

“…..there is nothing whatever like unto Him, and He is the One that hears and sees (all things).” – [Holy Quran Ch.42 V.11]

Upanishad• “Na samdrse tisthati rupam

asya, na caksusa pasyati kas

canaiam. Hrda hrdistham

manasa ya enam, evam vidur

amrtas te bhavanti”

“His form is not to be seen; no

one sees Him with the eye.

Those who through heart and

mind know Him as abiding in

the heart become immortal”-

[Svetasvatara Upanishad 4:20]

Holy Quran• “No vision can grasp Him,

but His grasp is over all

vision: He is above all

comprehension, yet is

acquainted with all things.”

– [Holy Quran 6:103]

Yajur Ved• “There is no image of Him whose glory verily

is great. He sustains within Himself all

luminous objects like the Sun etc. May He not

harm me, this is my prayer. As He is

unborn, He deserves our worship.” – [The

Yajurveda by Devi Chand M. A. pg377]

• “Lead us to the good path and remove the

sin that makes us stray and wander.” –

[Yajurveda 40:16]

Atharva Ved

• “Dev maha osi”

“God is verily

Great” –

[Atharvaveda 20

58:3]

Holy Quran• “ ”

“He is The Great, The

Most High.” – [Holy

Quran 13:9]

Rig Ved

• “Ma chidanyadvi shansata.”

“O friends, do not worship anybody

but Him, the Divine One.” –

[Rigveda Book 8:1:1]

The Nature of God in Sikhism from the Holy Scriptures

• “There exists but One God, who is

called The True, The Creator, free

from fear and hate, The Immortal not

begotten, Self-Existent, Great and

Compassionate.” – [Sri Guru Granth

Sahib vol.1 Japuji v.1]

One God with different attributes

• Kartar – The creator

• Sahib – The Lord

• Akal – The Eternal

• Sattanama – The Holy name

• Parvardigar – The Cherisher

• Rahim – The Merciful

• Karim – The Benevolent

Sri Guru Granth Sahib• “Dukh mein Sumirana sabh

karein Sukh mein karein nakoya Jo sukh mein sumiranakarein To dukh kaye hoye.”

“Everyone remembers God during trouble but no one remembers Him during peace and happiness. The one who remembers God during peace and happiness why should he have troubles” – [Sant Kabir]

Holy Quran• “When some trouble toucheth

man, he crieth unto his Lord, turning to Him in repentance: but when He bestoweth a favour upon him as from Himself, (man) doth forget what he cried and prayed for before, and he doth set up rivals unto Allah, thus misleading others from Allah.s Path. Say, "Enjoy thy blasphemy for a little while: verily thou art (one) of the Companions of the Fire!" - [Holy Quran 39:8]

The Nature of God in Judaism from the Holy Scriptures

• “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!” – [Deut 6:4]

• “I, even I, am the LORD, And besides Me there is no savior.” – [Isaiah 43:11]

• “I am the LORD, and there is no other; There is no God besides Me.” – [Isaiah 45:5]

• “Remember the former things of old, For I amGod, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me.” – [Isaiah 46:9]

• “You shall have no other gods before Me. You

shall not make for yourself a carved image, or

any likeness of anything that is in heaven

above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is

in the water under the earth; you shall not bow

down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD

your God, am a jealous God…” – [Exodus

20:3-5]

The Nature of God in cHRISTIANITYfrom the Holy Scriptures

• “…my Father is greater than I.” – [John 14:28]

• “My Father, who has given them to Me, is

greater than all…” – [John 10:29]

• “…I cast out demons by the Spirit of God.” –

[Matthew 12:28]

• “…I cast out demons with the finger of God.”

– [Luke 11:20]

• “…the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.” – [John 14:24]

• “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” – [John 17:3]

• “Men of Israel, give ear to these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man who had the approval of God, as was made clear to you by the great works and signs and wonders which God did by him among you, as you yourselves have knowledge.” – [Acts 2:22]

The Nature of God in Islam from the Holy Scripture

• “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.” – [Ch.112 V.1-4]

• Acid Test!

Why “AllAh”?

• Has no gender.

• Always singular, never plural.

• Means = The only One to be

worshipped

Characteristic of Allah

• “And He it is that feedeth but is not fed.” – [Holy Quran 6:14]

• “There is no god but He,-The Living, The Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth…” – [Holy Quran 2:255]

• “Allah is never unjust in the least degree..” –[Holy Quran 4:40]

• “…my Lord never errs, nor forgets.” – [Holy Quran 20:52]

So, who is the true God then???

• “If thou ask them, who created them, they will

certainly say, Allah. How then are they

deluded away (from the Truth)?” – [Holy

Quran 43:87]

• “Then woe to those who write the Book with

their own hands, and then say:"This is from

Allah," to traffic with it for miserable price!-

Woe to them for what their hands do write, and

for the gain they make thereby. “ – [Holy

Quran 2:79]

Wallahu A’lAm“Those who reject (Truth), among the People of the Book

and among the Polytheists, were not going to depart (from

their ways) until there should come to them Clear

Evidence,- An apostle from Allah, rehearsing scriptures

kept pure and holy: Wherein are laws (or decrees) right

and straight.” The Holy Quran 98:1-3

"And you shall know the TRUTH, and the truth

shall make you FREE.“

John 8:32Reference : “Concept of God in Major Religions” – Dr. Zakir Naik