"Say, 'He is Allah, [who is] One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born. Nor is there to Him any equivalent'." (Al-Qur'an, Chapter 112, Verses 1-4)
It's pretty fundamental, one's understanding of God. There are those who don't believe in God and those who do. As for those who do, do they each believe in a different God or the same God, or multiple Gods even? It's a question often put forward by those of no faith, or of uncertain faith: "Let's say I am to believe in God, which do I believe in?!"
The problem, like a lot of things in life (!!), lies in a dependence on names over definitions. Call a God "God" or "Allah" or "Jehovah" or "Krishna" or whatever, but it matters little as compared to what one takes these names to mean. So, let's try our hands at a definition: God is the Originator of creation (the "universe" as we know it and the "angels" and so forth of which we know little), Who has no beginning and no end. What do you think? You like? You agree?
Now, let's work with that definition - of God being the Originator, Who has no beginning and no end - it's then impossible for there to be multiple Gods or for each of us to believe in a different God, i.e. assuming there is such a God, there can only be one such God and we each believe in and call out to that one same God. From this basis does all interesting discussion begin: is there such a God? Did God then create us and the world around us with a purpose? Are we to figure out this purpose ourselves or has God communicated it to us? Of those to have claimed such revelation ("prophethood"), how can we distinguish the truthful from the opportunist from the mistaken? How do we know that the teachings with us today attributed to these "prophets" are indeed the teachings of these prophets? And so on and so forth...
2 comments:
This is why scientists who believe in a God without the added baggage of religion separate themselves from theists, as Deists. It's almost embarassing for them to be associated with religionists. But as you point out, it is about definition. Even Dawkins defended Anthony Flu's "conversion" to Deism on the grounds that he did not believe in a God like the Christians and Muslims! It kind of hinted that his disbelief in God was less to do with the science and more to do with the followers of God! Not very scientific. In fact seems more like a reverse engineering from some rebellious disbelief in the God he was taught about!
Thanks for the comment Muslim Layman. Just had a look at your Blog. Why did you not continue Blogging after your first post back in 2010? You've got a good writing style maa sha Allah.
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