Allah’s impersonal nature

Allah’s impersonal nature

Allahu nurus:

“Allah is the Light.”

(The Qur’an 24.35)

Shree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu agreed with the Muslim scholar that “The Qur’an had certainly established impersonalism.”

(Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 18.189)

In the beginning of his speech Mahaprabhu admitted that the Holy Qur’an certainly established impersonalism which means that the Supreme Absolute Truth is not a person and has no form. He is without hands, legs, mouth, ears or eyes. According to this conception, spirit is the denial of matter; whatever pertains to matter cannot pertain to spirit. Spirit is just the opposite of matter. The material world is a realm of forms and personalities. In contrast, the spiritual world is a realm where nothing like forms or personalities ever exist.

For example, the 35th ayat of the 24th sura of the Holy Qur’an, states,

Allahu nurus – samawati wal – ‘ard: “Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.”

In this way the Holy Qur’an describes the impersonal feature of Allah. First of all, it is explained that Allahu nurus: “Allah is the Light”. Indeed, Allah is the original spiritual Light. He illuminates the whole universe. All effulgent objects of the creation took their origin from this spiritual Light.

Eminent scholar and ustad (spiritual master) Abdullah Yusuf Ali in his commentary (9, p. 1015) on the verse (24.35) writes:

“The physical light is but a reflection of the true Light in the world of Reality, and that true Light is Allah.”

The sun and the moon reflect this true spiritual Light. The original spiritual Light penetrates the whole creation. It is omnipresent.

Furthermore, the following statement occur in the Holy Qur’an:

Inna llaha wasi ‘un ‘alim: “Behold! Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing.” (2.115)

Thus Allah is Wasi, All-Embracing, that is to say, everything exists in Him. Whereas He is Alim, All-Knowing which means His knowledge is unlimited, perfect, absolute and eternal, our knowledge is limited, imperfect, relative and temporary.

It is stated in the sura “Al-Baqarah”, or “The Cow”:

Allahu la ilaha illa hu / al-Hayyul Qayyum / La ta’ khuzuhu sina tun wa la nawm . . . Huwal ‘Aliyyul ‘Aziim: “Allah! There is no God but He, the Living, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. . . . He is the Sublime, the Tremendous.” (2.255)

This is the Ayat-ul-Kursi, the “Verse of the Throne”. The attributes of Allah has nothing to do with qualities of this material world. He lives, but His life is eternal. It is not limited by time and space. His Life is absolute Life. His Being is absolute Being, while others are dependent and temporary. Allah’s life is self-sufficient. It does not depend upon other living beings. In fact, His life is the source and constant support of all derived forms of life. Perfect life is perfect activity, in contrast to the imperfect life which we see around us, which is not only subject to death but also to the need for rest and sleep. But Allah has no need for rest or sleep. His activity, like His life, is perfect and self-sufficient.

It stated in the same sura “Al-Baqarah”, or “The Cow”:

Wallahu Ganiyun Halim: “Allah is Absolute, Lenient.” (2.263)

Thus Allah is Gani, “The Absolute” which means He is free of all wants. He is the Ultimate Truth and Supreme Perfection.

Furthermore the Holy Qur’an says:

Huwa al-awwal wa huwa al-akhir / wa huwa az-zahir wa huwa al-

batin: “He is the First and the Last, and the Outward and the Inward.” (57.3)

This is other reference that indicate Allah’s impersonal aspect: He is al-awwal wa al-akhir: “the First and the Last”, namely, He is the beginning and the end of everything. He is az-zahir wa al-batin: “the Outward and the Inward”, that is to say He is present outside and inside of everything.

Ustad Abdullah Yusuf Ali comments (9, p. 1687) on the verse (57.3):

“Allah is Evident in so far as there is ample evidence of His existence and providence all around us. On the other hand, Allah is Hidden in so far as intellect cannot grasp His essence nor can He be seen in the present world. The following tradition in Sahih Muslim is also significant for an understanding this verse. The Prophet (peace be on him) said: “You are the First, so that there was nothing before You; and You are the Last, so that there is nothing after You; and You are Evident, (or Ascendant) so that there is nothing above You, and You art the Hidden, the Knower of hidden things, so that there is nothing hidden from You.”

It is stated in the sura “An-Nisa”, or “The Women” of the Holy Qur’an:

Inna llaaha kana ‘Aliyan Kabira: “Behold! Allah is Most High, Great.” (4.34)

Thus Allah is Ali, Most High. No one is equal to or higher than Him. Allah is Kabir, Great. He is the greatest and no one greater than Him.

Also in the sura “Al-Hashr”, or “The Gathering” we can find the following ayat:

Huwallaa . . . Salamul . . . ‘Azizul . . . Mutakabir: “He is Allah, . . . Peace, . . . Majestic, . . . Superb.” (59.23)

Thus Allah is Salam, “Peace”. The attribute “Salam” has not only the idea of Peace as opposed to Conflict, but wholeness as opposed to incompleteness. Allah is Aziz, “Majestic” and Mutakabir, “Superb”. He is above all things and creatures.

It is stated in the sura “Al-An’am”, or “The Cattle”:

La tudri-kuhul-’absaru / wa huwa yudrikul-’absar / wa huwal-Latiful-Khabir: “No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision. He is subtle and well-aware.” (6.104)

So Allah is Latif, “Subtle”. Latif means fine and subtle. So subtle as to be invisible to the eyes; so fine as to be imperceptible to the senses. No one can see Him, no one can understand Him.

Thus Allah is Nur – “Light”, Wasi – “All-Embracing”, Gani – “Absolute”, Salam – “Peace”, Aziz – “Majestic”, Mutakabir – “Superb”, Qayyum – “Eternal”, Ali – “Most High”, ‘Aziim – “Tremendous”, Kabir – “Great”, Latif – “Subtle”. All these attributes describe the impersonal nature of Allah. His impersonal aspect is a dazzling spiritual effulgence, which is unmanifested and beyond the reach of our senses, and our intellectual speculative capacity. The impersonal aspect of Allah has no legs and no hands, yet goes faster than all and accepts everything which is offered with devotion. He is self-effulgent. He is unembodied, beyond reproach, without veins, pure and self-sufficient. He walks and does not walk, He is far far away, but He is very near as well. He is within everything, and yet He is outside of everything, His power is inconceivable. Although fixed in His abode, He is swifter than the mind and can overcome all others running, He surpasses all in excellence. He is unlimited. No one can fully describe the transcendental nature of Allah, the Absolute. No one can fully understand the impersonal features of Allah. He is beyond the expression of the mind and speech.