Explain in detail the Islamic understanding of God.

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Religious Studies                              Islamic understanding of God and Al Qa’dir                                                         2.12.01

  1. Explain in detail the Islamic understanding of God (20)
  2. Explain ‘al Qa’dir and discuss the view it is souly the responsibility of humans to determine their places in the afterlife.

  1. The fact that there is only one word for God “Allah” makes him unique and emphasises the fact that there is only One God. To a Muslim, Allah is the Almighty, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing and nothing is comparable to Him. The essence of the Islamic understanding is of monotheism and the unity of God.


It is commonly misunderstood by non-Muslims that Allah is a stern, cruel unforgiving God, one who must be obeyed fully despite the fact that he is neither loving or kind. However this is not true and this is drawn out by each of the Quran's begining with the verse: "In the name of Almighty God, the Merciful, the Compassionate." In one of the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, we are told that "God is more loving and kinder than a mother to her dear child."

But God, Who is just, He can't allow those who do evil and commit sins to escape punishment. Also, he cannot allow those who lead a good religious life to go unrewarded. In fact, his mercy is shown fully in his belief in good justice. People who suffer during their lives for His sake, and those who oppress and exploit others, should not expect similar treatment from Allah. This denial would also negate any incentive for an individual to lead a moral and virtuous life. The Qur'an spells this out very clearly.

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Allah never favoured a nation or person because of their wealth, power, or race. He created human beings as equals who are to be distinguished from each other only on the basis of their virtue and piety.


The unique use of “Allah” as the personal name of God is a reflection of Islam's emphasis on the purity of the belief in God, which is the essence of the message of all God's messengers. Because of this, Islam considers any being attempting to be on the same level as God be a deadly sin that will never be forgiven and is ...

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