Who is God? (RT 5/8/07)

Continuing 2, 3:

• 2. If you look much further at the works of the carpenter, you see each is different than the other. Some are nice and smooth, while some look ugly. Most of the later works look better since the carpenters learn from the earlier generation. Thus we deduce that mankind have weaknesses. What they produce is proportional to what knowledge and skills God has granted them.
• 3. If you look further at creation of man, the moon, the sun, animals, and plants; you will see that their being is in appropriate order. You see that man has intelligence, ability to speak and listen. Pondering over all the creations and their nature makes ourselves conscious of our own shortcomings. From there you realize that the supreme being who created all these must be powerful and knowledgable. That supreme being must have perfect attributes, and in no way comparable to any of its creations.

Indeed we know from the divine method and from the news conveyed by the prophets, that it is Allah The Exalted who created and renewed the world. All creations bear the wonderful marks of Allah. Being inferior creatures, we would never know the reality of His attributes.

Said Ustaz Zakaria: We should always observe things around us to remind us of Allah. Look at fish, plants; they have no intelligence, yet their life is is order. Who arrange all those? In tasauf, we always "take a peek" at God through the smallest of subjects.

The Third Statement

Knowing God and recognizing His attributes

It is “fardu ‘ain” (compulsory to each muslim) to get to know God and His attributes according to syara’. There’re many beautifule names (Asma’ul Husna) for God, but the most famous is “Allah” . Other names collected from Quran and ahadith include:

• Ar-Rahman
• Ar-Rahim
• Al-Quddus
• As-Salam
• Al-Mu’min

Commented Ustaz Zakaria: Learning to know God is compulsory on ALL muslims, not limited to those who are religious only. Back during sahabah and salaf times, muslims already knew God. They did not have to study "Sifat 20" or "Risalah Tauhid" because what Rasulullah (saw) inherited to them was sufficient.

Also on this day Ustaz Zakaria gave ijaza to "Do'a Syattit" to his students as conferred upon him by Tok Haji Hassan. This do'a is recited to repel tyranny and oppression by enemy.

Wallahu a'lam