The Lord is my Rock

 قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ

لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ

وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

Say, "He (is) Allah, the One.

Allah, the Eternal, the Absolute.

Not He begets and not He is begotten.

And not is for Him equivalent any [one]."

[Al-Quran Surah al-Ikhlas]

Abstract

Strictly staying within the confines of Surah al-Ikhlas, this is a humble attempt to understand the physical description of God in The Bible and The Quran.   

Full Text 

Preamble

Monotheists believe in One Deity, while polytheists have a pantheon of deities, a family of gods. Muslims believe that there is nothing like Allah, the arabic word for God. The Jews also believe in One God. The Christians, while they believe in the Supreme God of The Torah/Bible, they also believe Jesus to be the begotten son of God. The Quran clearly declares that there is no god except Allah  ﷻ 

The Bible and The Quran present insights about God. I believe that each statement in the scriptures have been revealed by God for a definite purpose. Moreover, I believe the scriptures are meant to be studied literally. I also believe that the original Arabic text of The Quran is preserved in pristine condition, and is unedited. Therefore, staying strictly within the confines of Surah al-Ikhlas, that Allah  ﷻ is One and Only, Allah  ﷻ is Eternal and Self-Sufficient, that there is nothing like Allah  ﷻ, and that Allah  ﷻ neither begets nor is begotten, the following is a humble attempt to understand the description of God in The Bible and The Quran.   

The Rock

In the Bible, it states: 

הַצּוּר֙ תָּמִ֣ים פָּֽעֳל֔וֹ כִּ֥י כָל־דְּרָכָ֖יו מִשְׁפָּ֑ט אֵ֤ל אֱמוּנָה֙ וְאֵ֣ין עָ֔וֶל צַדִּ֥יק וְיָשָׁ֖ר הֽוּא

The deeds of the [Mighty] Rock are perfect, for all His ways are just; a faithful God, without injustice He is righteous and upright. 

[Deuteronomy 32:4, Jewish Translation]

He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he. 

[Deuteronomy 32:4, Christian Translation]

Like a Planet 
Surah anNur describes Allah as: 

اللَّهُ نُورُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ مَثَلُ نُورِهِ كَمِشْكَاةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ الْمِصْبَاحُ فِي زُجَاجَةٍ
الزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّيٌّ 
يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٍ مُّبَارَكَةٍ زَيْتُونَةٍ لَّا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِيءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ نُّورٌ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ يَهْدِي اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ وَيَضْرِبُ اللَّهُ الْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The allegory of His light is that of a pillar on which is a lamp. The lamp is within a glass.
The glass is like a brilliant planet,
fueled by a blessed tree, an olive tree, neither eastern nor western. Its oil would almost illuminate, even if no fire has touched it. Light upon Light. God guides to His light whomever He wills. God thus cites the parables for the people. God is cognizant of everything.
[Al-Quran 24:35; Translation: Talal A. Itani (new translation)]

Though in most translations of Q24:35 we find كَوْكَبٌ translated as star, The Quran uses the word نَّجْمُ for star. According to my understanding, it is more correct to translate كَوْكَبٌ as planet.


Omnipresent
The Bible uses the word 'Rock', and The Quran gives the example of a glass which is like a brilliant planet. It is important to emphasise on the word 'like', as when Abraham (Ibrahim عليه السلام) was being shown the kingdom of the heavens and the earth:

وَكَذَٰلِكَ نُرِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلِيَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُوقِنِينَ

فَلَمَّا جَنَّ عَلَيْهِ اللَّيْلُ رَأَىٰ كَوْكَبًا قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّي فَلَمَّا أَفَلَ قَالَ لَا أُحِبُّ الْآفِلِينَ

فَلَمَّا رَأَى الْقَمَرَ بَازِغًا قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّي فَلَمَّا أَفَلَ قَالَ لَئِن لَّمْ يَهْدِنِي رَبِّي لَأَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ الضَّالِّينَ

فَلَمَّا رَأَى الشَّمْسَ بَازِغَةً قَالَ هَٰذَا رَبِّي هَٰذَا أَكْبَرُ فَلَمَّا أَفَلَتْ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ إِنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ

إِنِّي وَجَّهْتُ وَجْهِيَ لِلَّذِي فَطَرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

And thus did We show Abraham the realm of the heavens and the earth that he would be among the certain [in faith]

So when the night covered him [with darkness], he saw a star planet He said, "This is my lord." But when it set disappeared, he said, "I like not those that disappear."

And when he saw the moon rising, he said, "This is my lord." But when it set disappeared, he said, "Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be among the people gone astray."

And when he saw the sun rising, he said, "This is my lord; this is greater." But when it set disappeared, he said, "O my people, indeed I am free from what you associate with Allah .

Indeed, I have turned my face toward He who created separated the heavens and the earth, inclining toward truth, and I am not of those who associate others with Allah ."

[Al-Quran 6:75-79, Translation: Sahih International, edited in italics]

The Quran uses the triliteral root hamza fā lām (أ ف ل) four times, only in the ayaat quoted above. According to Lane's Lexicon, it means to become hidden, absent or concealed. The Quran informs us that Allah  ﷻ  is omnipresent:

وَلِلَّهِ الْمَشْرِقُ وَالْمَغْرِبُ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

And for Allah (is) the east and the west, so wherever you turn [so] there (is the) face (of) Allah. Indeed, Allah (is) All-Encompassing, All-Knowing.

[Al-Quran 2:115] 

The Quran speaks of the Face of Allah ﷻ , the Hand of Allah ﷻ , and so on. We may do well to remember that we ourselves are made of dust, made of the same material as of planet Earth, yet, we have a definite shape, hands, face, heads and hearts. Moreover, we are breathing, living beings. However, it is important to remember that the Earth and its materials were created by Allah ﷻ ; that is, Allah ﷻ  is not made of the matter that He ﷻ  created to invent the Universe.

Allah ﷻ  is The Greatest 

Allah ﷻ  is the King of the heavens and earth. Mankind has a meeting scheduled with Allah ﷻ . Many ayaat of The Quran tell us that Allah ﷻ is the Most Great, the Most High. Perhaps the ayat which presents the most vivid concept of the relative size of Allah ﷻ  as compared to His creation is in Surah azZumar, ayat 67: 

 

وَمَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ وَالْأَرْضُ جَمِيعًا قَبْضَتُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَالسَّمَاوَاتُ مَطْوِيَّاتٌ بِيَمِينِهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

And not they appraised Allah (with) true appraisal, while the earth entirely (will be) in His Grip (on the) Day (of) the Resurrection, and the heavens (will be) folded in His Right Hand. Glory be to Him! And High is He above what they associate (with Him). 

[Al-Quran 39:67]

Those Who Were Given Knowledge Before  

Surah al-Isra concludes with the following ayaat: 

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَىٰ تِسْعَ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ فَاسْأَلْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِذْ جَاءَهُمْ فَقَالَ لَهُ فِرْعَوْنُ إِنِّي لَأَظُنُّكَ يَا مُوسَىٰ مَسْحُورًا

And We had certainly given Moses nine evident signs, so ask the Children of Israel [about] when he came to them and Pharaoh said to him, "Indeed I think, O Moses, that you are affected by magic."

قَالَ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَا أَنزَلَ هَٰؤُلَاءِ إِلَّا رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ بَصَائِرَ وَإِنِّي لَأَظُنُّكَ يَا فِرْعَوْنُ مَثْبُورًا

[Moses] said, "You have already known that none has sent down these [signs] except the Lord of the heavens and the earth as evidence, and indeed I think, O Pharaoh, that you are destroyed."

فَأَرَادَ أَن يَسْتَفِزَّهُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ فَأَغْرَقْنَاهُ وَمَن مَّعَهُ جَمِيعًا

So he intended to drive them from the land, but We drowned him and those with him all together.

وَقُلْنَا مِن بَعْدِهِ لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اسْكُنُوا الْأَرْضَ فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ الْآخِرَةِ جِئْنَا بِكُمْ لَفِيفًا

And We said after Pharaoh to the Children of Israel, "Dwell in the land, and when there comes the promise of the Hereafter, We will bring you forth in [one] gathering."

وَبِالْحَقِّ أَنزَلْنَاهُ وَبِالْحَقِّ نَزَلَ وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا مُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا

And with the truth We have sent the Qur'an down, and with the truth it has descended. And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a bringer of good tidings and a warner.

وَقُرْآنًا فَرَقْنَاهُ لِتَقْرَأَهُ عَلَى النَّاسِ عَلَىٰ مُكْثٍ وَنَزَّلْنَاهُ تَنزِيلًا

And [it is] a Qur'an which We have separated [by intervals] that you might recite it to the people over a prolonged period. And We have sent it down progressively.

قُلْ آمِنُوا بِهِ أَوْ لَا تُؤْمِنُوا إِنَّ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ مِن قَبْلِهِ إِذَا يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ يَخِرُّونَ لِلْأَذْقَانِ سُجَّدًا

Say, "Believe in it or do not believe. Indeed, those who were given knowledge before it - when it is recited to them, they fall upon their faces in prostration,

وَيَقُولُونَ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّنَا إِن كَانَ وَعْدُ رَبِّنَا لَمَفْعُولًا

And they say, "Exalted is our Lord! Indeed, the promise of our Lord has been fulfilled."

وَيَخِرُّونَ لِلْأَذْقَانِ يَبْكُونَ وَيَزِيدُهُمْ خُشُوعًا

And they fall upon their faces weeping, and the Qur'an increases them in humble submission.

قُلِ ادْعُوا اللَّهَ أَوِ ادْعُوا الرَّحْمَٰنَ أَيًّا مَّا تَدْعُوا فَلَهُ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَابْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًا

Say, "Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful. Whichever [name] you call - to Him belong the best names." And do not recite [too] loudly in your prayer or [too] quietly but seek between that an [intermediate] way.

وَقُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ شَرِيكٌ فِي الْمُلْكِ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ وَلِيٌّ مِّنَ الذُّلِّ وَكَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيرًا

And say, "Praise to Allah , who has not taken a son and has had no partner in [His] dominion and has no [need of a] protector out of weakness; and glorify Him with [great] glorification."

[Al-Quran 17:101-111, Translation: Sahih International]

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Last updated on November 17, 2022