Fundamentals of Islam

Lesson seven

God is the only one and has no equal

Negative qualities are called qualities, the presence of which in a person indicates his shortcomings and needs, while the Supreme Lord is deprived of all signs that testify to shortcomings and needs. For the purpose of explanation, let us consider some of these qualities.

1. God is not material

It is clear that any matter, any body needs space, and if God is material, that is, he will consist of matter, then he will need the space that he will occupy, and as we said in previous lessons, the Lord does not need anything, for the needy person cannot be the Creator and eliminater of the needs of others. So, then, the Lord God is not matter, because matter needs the space it occupies.

2. God is not a complex being

God is not a complex compound being, for any complex compound needs its constituent parts. For example, medicine or alloy steel, consisting of special parts, if any part is missing, then this medicine or iron will no longer be what it should be. Also, if the essence of the divine will consist of a number of constituent parts, then it will need its parts, while we know that the concept of God and needs are not compatible.

3. God is invisible

The ability to see for each creature depends on a number of special conditions, one of which is the materiality of the creature and the space it occupies. Otherwise, it cannot be seen even with the naked eye. When we proved that God is not material and does not occupy space, it means that he cannot be visible. It cannot be said that what is invisible does not exist, because there are things that cannot be seen, but they exist (for example, electromagnetic waves) and we can realize them by influences. Therefore, it is not necessary for any being to succumb to sight, and it cannot be said that what is not visible does not exist.

4. God doesn't need anything

If the essence of the Lord needs something, then there will be no difference between him and other beings. This means that other beings, in order to satisfy their needs, need other beings besides themselves, and if God is such, then exactly the same will happen to him, that is, he will need another god to eliminate his needs. Given this, it should be said that the need is not consistent with the concept of God, for God is the one who can eliminate all needs, and how can he eliminate the needs of others who himself has needs for others. The Holy Quran in this regard commands: "O people, you all need Allah, only he does not need anything, he is rich in his essence."