There is no difference of opinion amongst the Muslims that the accepted religion before Allah is Islam and that the only way to know it is through the Book of Allah (i.e. Qur’an) and the practice (i.e. Sunnah) of the Holy Prophet (pbuh).
The present article aims to briefly explain the belief of the Shia Muslims concerning Almighty Allah and proves that the Supreme Being, worshiped by the Shia is the same Allah introduced and preached by the Glorious Qur’an and the noble Prophet of God.
THE ESSENCE OF ALMIGHTY ALLAH
Sunni Muslims say that Allah has a body, not like the bodies we know. There is a vast material which can be quoted here describing that belief. The Asharites (i.e. the followers of Abul-Hassan Al-Ash’ari) have the following belief about Allah:
“We confess that Allah is firmly seated on His Throne …; We confess that Allah has two hands, without asking how…; We confess that Allah has two eyes, without asking how…; We confess that Allah has a face We confirm that Allah has a knowledge ….We affirm hearing and sight, and do not deny that, as do the Mu’tazila, the Jahmiyya, and the Khawarij ….We affirm that Allah has a power…(1)”
On the contrary, the Shia Muslims believe that Allah does not have a body. We believe that Allah is One, unique, and there is nothing is like Him. He is Eternal; Hearing, Seeing, Omniscient, Living, Omnipotent, and above every need. He cannot be described in terms of substance, nor body, nor form, nor accident, nor surface, nor heaviness, nor lightness, nor color, nor movement, nor rest, nor time, nor space. He is above all the descriptions which can be applied to His creatures (2).”
“He is away from both extremes: Neither is He just a non-entity (as atheists), nor He is just like other things. He is Existent, not like other existing things”(3). Of course, there are some verses in the Qur’an which ascribe the words used for limbs to the divine essence. However, according to the explanations of our Imams (peace be upon them), those expressions are used in metaphorical, not literal, sense.
For example, the verse: “Everything is to perish except His Face” (4) means ‘except His Essence’. Surely, even the Sunni scholars cannot say that only the ‘Face of Allah’ will remain, while all His so-called limbs will perish! Similarly, Allah has used the word “hand” in several places in the Qur’an. But it means His Power and His Mercy, as in the verse: “But His hands are wide open”(5)
IS ALLAH VISIBLE?
As a direct result of the above-mentioned belief, the Sunnis are of the view that Allah can be seen. For instance, Ahmad bn Hanbal, categorically mentioned that Allah can be seen in this world, as well as in the Hereafter. Whereas some other Sunni scholars say that He can only be seen in the Hereafter.
On the other hand, the Shia Muslims are of the view that Allah cannot be seen neither in this world nor in the Hereafter, as He has no body and form. In the glorious Qur’an, Allah says: “The sights do not apprehend Him, yet He apprehends the sights…“(6)
In order to establish the possibility of seeing Allah with naked eyes, the Sunni scholars based their argument on some Hadith and Qur’anic verses such as: “Some faces will be fresh on that day, looking to their Lord” (7). However, in Arabic language the word نَاظِرَةٌ “Nadhr” does not imply ‘seeing’. Often it is said: “I looked towards the new moon but I did not see it”. Therefore, the verse cannot imply that they will see Allah. According to the Shia interpretation, it means that they will be looking forward for the blessings of Almighty Allah.
ATTRIBUTES OF ALLAH
According to the Shia beliefs, attributes of Allah can be put in two distinct groups: Attributes which denote His Essence from which we can abstract Knowledge and Knowledgeability, Power and Powerfulness. And attributes which denote His actions from which, too, one can abstract the concepts of Knowledge and, Knowledgeability, Power and Powerfulness. While explaining the Shia belief, Shaykh Sadooq wrote: “Know that our belief concerning Unity of God (i.e.Tawheed) is that Allah (exalted is He) is One; and Absolutely unique. There is naught like unto Him. … But the Hearing and the Seeing One; the Omniscient; the Wise; the Living; the Everlasting; the Mighty; the Holy; the Knowing One; The Powerful; the Self Sufficient“(8)
The Shia Muslim believe that Allah’s positive attributes such as Omniscience, Omnipotence, Self-Sufficiency, Divine Will, Everlasting Life, are identical with His Being and are not in addition to Him, and that His attributes are not different from His Being. In view of this, His Omnipotence is dependent on His Everlasting Life, and His Everlasting Life is dependent on His Omnipotence. He is Powerful because He is Living, and He is Living because He is Powerful. In a nutshell, Shia -contrary to other Muslim sects- believe in the unity of Divine Essence and His attributes; and there is no duality either between Him and His attributes, or between the attributes of perfection themselves. Of course, the attributes might be differed in their meanings, but not in their essence. Otherwise, it would affect the fundamental basis of Tawheed.
References:
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1. A.J. Arbery, “Revelation and Reason in Islam”, pp.22-23; quoted from “Al-Ibarla” by Abul-Hasan Al-Ash’ari).
2. Shaykh Al-Sadooq, Itiqadat.
3. IBID
4. Qur’an 28:88
5. Qur’an 5:64
6. Qur’an 6:103
7. Qur’an 75:22-23
8. Shaykh Al-Sadooq, ‘I’tiqadat’
