Modernization of Islam - страница 2

Such an exercise helps to raise the level of consciousness and strengthen the connection of the soul with God. Use names on the knots between the fingers. Many Muslims use knots on their beads to recite certain names of Allah throughout the day. These points help us focus on prayer and remember God’s presence in our lives. It also helps strengthen the soul’s connection with Allah in daily life. Using the 99 names of Allah brings many benefits to the life of a Muslim – protects from humiliation and suffering, strengthens faith and connection with Allah in everyday life. Remembering the meaning and purpose of each name helps you gain a deeper understanding of the divine, and using the names correctly helps you learn to observe the world around you with a new, appreciative perspective.

When we talk about Allah, we mean two aspects of His being: His essence (zat) and His attributes (sifat). No one knows the existence of Allah Ta’ala except Him. He is infinite and immeasurably great, and all creatures and their capacities are limited and imperfect compared to Him. We cannot understand His essence and every attempt fails from the beginning. Allah Almighty says about himself: «He is invisible (in this world), but He sees everything. He knows the outcome of everything, he knows everything.» (Surah Angam, verse 103). Similarly, in one of the hadiths, the Messenger of God (may God’s blessings and peace be upon him) says: «Reflect on the creatures and do not reflect on the Creator. However, there are certain attributes of the divine being known through duty. We will look at them in order. God’s essence is six. The attributes of the Divine Being are unique to Allah Ta’ala and are obligatory upon Him. Therefore, this quality cannot be found in any other being and cannot be lacking in Him. Existence (Wujud) – From the previous article, we understood that the existence of God is necessarily known through the existence of all other things. In other words, since creatures exist, the Creator must also exist. Therefore, He necessarily exists (wajib al-wujud). This applies to all periods, places and possible universes. The opposite of this attribute would be nonexistence, which is logically impossible because it implies that there is nothing else. Eternity (qidam) – After realizing that the existence of all creatures depends on Allah Ta’ala, one must also understand that Allah Ta’ala always exists. Time is His creation. Thus, His existence was «before» time. It does not limit Him and does not affect Him. If it ends, His obligation will continue unchanged. It precedes the next attribute. Infinity (Baka) – This attribute relates to the points above. There can be no time without Allah Ta’ala either before creation, during creation, or after. Similitude of creation (Muhalafatu lil-hawadis) – Everything except Allah Ta’ala came into being because of His dependence. Except for Allah Almighty, everything has a defect. The Holy and Great God is free from any defect. Thus, He is not like anything, nor is He like anything that can be imagined. In other words, it is not what you imagine it to be. Self-sufficient (Qiyam bi nafsihi) – Allah Ta’ala is not dependent on a creator, abode, time or anything else for His existence. This means that He exists by Himself (As-Somad). Uniqueness (Wahdania) – Three different meanings are required here regarding the nature and attributes of Allah Ta’ala. He is one without another, one without likeness, and also one indivisible.