The Qur’an informs us of the true attributes of Allah:
“Allah! There is no god but He, the Living, the Selfsubsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permits? He knows what (appears to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He wills. His Throne does extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory).”
“Allah is He Who created seven heavens, and of the earth the like of them; the decree continues to descend among them, that you may know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah indeed encompasses all things in (His) knowledge.”
However, most people not perceiving Allah as He is described in the above verses, cannot comprehend His eternal power and greatness. They believe in superstitions that they have made up themselves, and think that Allah is somewhere far off in the universe, and rarely interferes in “earthly matters”. The limited understanding of these people is mentioned in the Qur’an, in Surat al-Hajj, 22:74. “No just estimate have they made of Allah: for Allah is He Who is strong and able to Carry out His Will.” Having a thorough grasp of the extent of Allah’s power is the first link in the chain of belief. True believers leave behind them the distorted vision of Allah prevailing in their community, and deny these perverted beliefs by saying:
“There were some foolish ones among us, who used to utter extravagant lies against Allah.”
The faithful believe in Allah in the way the Qur’an describes. They examine the signs of Allah in both external and internal worlds, and thus begin to understand the great art and power of Allah.
But if the believers happen to overlook Allah and fail to ponder deeply on Him and on His Creation, they may start to be influenced by immoral beliefs particularly at times of difficulty. Allah mentions this as a potential risk in the verse of Surat Aal-e-Imran, 3:154, about the believers who gave up during the war, and “who were anxious on their own account, thought wrongly of Allah, the thought of ignorance.” A believer would never like to make such a mistake, therefore he should free his heart from everything that appertains to the beliefs of the ignorant, and accept this real faith with all his heart in the way the Qur’an describes.
