God

Shi'a Beliefs

Theology
Tawhid (Monotheism)	Tawhid of Essence • Tawhid in Attributes • Tawhid in Actions • Tawhid in Worship
Other Beliefs	Tawassul • Shafa'a • Tabarruk
Divine Justice
Bada' • Amr Bayn al-Amrayn
Prophethood
Infallibility • 'Ilm al-ghayb • Mu'jiza • Integrity of the Holy Qur'an
Imamate
Infallibility • Wilaya • 'Ilm al-ghayb • Occultation of Imam al-Mahdi (a) (Minor Occultation,Major Occultation) • Reappearance of Imam al-Mahdi (a) • Raj'a
Resurrection
End Time • Hereafter • Barzakh • Embodiment of Actions •Bodily Resurrection • Al-Sirat • Tatayur al-Kutub • Mizan • Hashr
Other Outstanding Beliefs
Ahl al-Bayt (a) • The Fourteen Infallibles • Taqiyya • Marja'iyya • Tawalli • Tabarri

God, the creator of universe and the most perfect being is a central concept of most religions especially in Abrahamic religions.

In Shi'a view, God is One, the origin of all perfections, the creative cause of all beings, who has a Pre-existence eternal and Everlasting existence. Nothing is like Him. His essence is the same as His attributes. He has a simple reality without quiddity. He is not visible either in this world or the hereafter, has Absolute knowledge and power. He is Omnipresent and has total connection with His creation. God's existence and some of His attributes are provable by sense, intellect and instinct, but His unlimited essence is not perceivable with sense and intellect.

There is no direct connection between believing in God and having a religion, and there are people who believe in God while they have no religion, like the polytheists of the time of the Prophet (s) who believed in Allah as god while they also worshiped idols and they followed no specific religion (polytheism in Lordship).

History of Believing in God

God is one of the most important concepts in humans' mind, history of philosophy and philosophical thoughts since the creation of human beings and emergence of philosophy and even philosophers before Socrates until now have discussed it and have proposed new approaches with this regard.

Believing in God is the foundation stone of the teachings of all divine religions. It has sometimes changed or other goddesses have been supposed as partners to Him (polytheism) or His attributes have been distorted such as that He was manifested as human-like god.

In mysticism, especially some forms of mysticism which have been developed inside Abrahamic religions, God is a fundamental concept and it can be said that in these religions, mysticism is nothing except an effort towards knowing God and approaching Him.

Theological teachings of religions, especially Abrahamic religions have been responsible for discussing God, His attributes and the relation of human beings with Him and have made so much theological discussions in these religions. Today, theological discussions are followed seriously and they have led to emergence of new theology and new discussions. Also, analyzing manifestations of the presence of God in the art and culture of different nations have brought interesting discussions in the history of art and analysis of divine art among different people.

God in Islam

Main article: Allah

The essence of all Islamic concepts is God. Muslim is one who does not recognize any god but Allah (and says "Ashhad an la ilah illa Allah": I bear witness that there is no god but Allah) and considers Muhammad (s) His messenger and that in fact mission of the Prophet (s) has been an invitation to know the One God and admitting it. However in Islam, since historically it was emerged in an atmosphere of polytheism and idol-worshiping, there has been a focus on some attributes of God and especially His Oneness rather than proving His existence (which has been discussed more in philosophy and later became a topic in discussion of Islamic philosophers as well.)

The special name of God which has frequently mentioned in the Qur'an is "Allah". This word has become the most famous name for referring to God in Arabic language since Jews and Christians use it for God in translation of the Bible. God has different beautiful names as mentioned in the Qur'an. Allah is not a god special to Islam but it is the same God mentioned by previous prophets (s), God of all the prophets from Adam to Muhammad (s).

According to the Qur'an, creation of human being has been together with knowing God and polytheism was emerged after monotheism and it is the result of human's ignorance during history.

Names of God in the Qur'an

Except for "Allah" which is famously known as the special name of God, there are 143 other names mentioned in the Qur'an for God which have attributive meaning and every one of them refer to infinite perfection of God from one aspect.

Explicit Names

Besides Allah, there are 133 names explicitly mentioned for God in the Qur'an which are as below:

Arabic	Transliteration	Translation	Sample Verse	Count
الله	Allāh	-	1:1	980
الإله	al-Ilāh	the God	6:19	20
الأحد	al-Aḥad	the Indivisible	112:1	1
الأوَّل	al-Awwal	the First	57:3	1
الآخِر	al-Ākhir	the Last	57:3	1
الأَعلي	al-Aʿlā	the Higher	87:1	2
الأَکرَِم	al-Akram	the Most Genorous	96:3	1
الأَعلَم	al-Aʿlam	the Most Knowledgeable	4:25	1
أَرحَم الرَّاحِمين	Arḥam al-Rāḥimīn	the Most Compassionate of all of the compassionates	12:64	4
أحکم الحاکمين	Aḥkam al-Ḥākimīn	the Fairest of all judges	11:45	2
أحسن الخالقين	Aḥsan al-Khāliqīn	the Best of all creators	23:14	2
أسرع الحاسبين	Asraʿ al-Ḥasibīn	the Swiftest of all reckoners	6:62	1
أهل التقوي	Ahl al-Taqwā	the Worthy of [your] being wary [of Him]	74:56	1
أهل المغفرة	Ahl al-Maghfira	the Worthy to forgive	74:56	1
الأقرب	al-Aqrab	the Nearest	50:16	2
الأبقي	al-Abqā	the More Lasting	20:73	1
البارئ	al-Bāriʾ	the Maker	59:24	3
الباطن	al-Bāṭin	the Hidden	57:3	1
البديع	al-Badīʿ	the Originator	2:117	2
البرّ	al-Barr	the All-Benign	52:28	1
البصير	al-Baṣīr	the All-Hearing	17:1	42
التوّاب	al-Tawwāb	the All-Clement	2:37	11
الجبار	al-Jabbār	the All-Compeller	59:23	1
الجامع	al-Jāmiʿ	the Gatherer	3:9	2
الحکيم	al-Ḥakīm	the All-Wise	34:1	90
الحليم	al-Ḥalīm	the All-Forbearing	3:155	11
الحيّ	al-Ḥayy	the Living One	25:58	5
الحقّ	al-Ḥaqq	the Reality	22:6	337
الحميد	al-Ḥamīd	the All-Laudable	35:15	16
الحسيب	al-Ḥasīb	the Reckoner	4:86	3
الحفيظ	al-Ḥafīz	the Watchful	34:21	3
الحفيّ	al-Ḥafī	the Gracious	19:47	1
الخبير	al-Khabīr	the All-Aware	67:14	42
الخير	al-Khayr	the Better	20:73	176
الخالق	al-Khāliq	the Creator	39:62	9
خلاق	Khallāq	the All-Creator	36:81	2
خير الحاکمين	Khayr al-Ḥākimīn	the Best of judges	12:80	3
خير الراحمين	Khayr al-Rāḥimīn	the Best of the merciful	23:118	2
خير الرازقين	Khayr al-Rāziqīn	the Best of providers	5:114	5
خير الفاتحين	Khayr al-Fātiḥīn	the Best of judges	70:81	1
خير الفاصلين	Khayr al-Fāṣilīn	the Best of judges	6:57	1
خیرالغافرین	Khayr al-Ghāfirīn	the Best of those who forgive	7:155	1
خير الماکرين	Khayr al-Mākirīn	the Best of devisers	8:31	2
خير المنزلين	Khayr al-Munzilīn	the Best of those who bring ashore	23:29	1
خير الناصرين	Khayr al-Nāṣirīn	the Best of helpers	3:150	1
خير الوارثين	Khayr al-Wārithīn	the Best of inheritors	21:89	1
ذوالعرش	Dhū al-ʿArsh	Lord of the Throne	85:15	3
ذوالطول	Dhū al-Ṭawl	the All-Bountiful	40:3	1
ذوالانتقام	Dhū al-Intiqām	the Avenger	3:4	4
ذوالفضل العظيم	Dhū al-Faḍl al-ʿAzīm	the Dispenser of the great grace	62:4	6
ذوالرحمة	Dhū al-Raḥma	the Dispenser of mercy	18:58	2
ذوالقوة المتين	Dhū al-Quwwat al-Matīn	the Powerful, All-strong	51:58	1
ذوالجلال و الإکرام	Dhū al-Jalāl wa al-Ikrām	majestic and munificent	55:27	1
ذوالمعارج	Dhū al-Maʿārij	Lord of the lofty stations	70:3	1
الرحمن	al-Raḥmān	the All-Beneficent	1:1	56
الرحيم	al-Raḥīm	the All-merciful	1:1	228
الرئوف	al-Raʾūf	the Most kind	16:7	11
الربّ	al-Rabb	the Lord	1:2	97
رب العرش	Rabb al-ʿArsh	the Lord of the Throne	21:22	6
رفيع الدرجات	Rafīʿ al-Darajāt	the Raiser of ranks	40:15	1
الرزاق	al-Razzāq	the All-provider	51:58	1
الرقيب	al-Raqīb	the Watchful	5:117	3
السميع	al-Samīʿ	the All-hearing	49:1	404
السلام	al-Salām	All-benign	59:23	1
سريع الحساب	Sarīʿ al-Ḥisāb	the Swift One at reckoning	40:17	8
سريع العقاب	Sarīʿ al-ʿIqāb	the Swift One in retribution	6:165	2
الشهيد	al-Shahīd	the Witness	10:46	20
الشاکر	al-Shākir	the Appreciative	2:158	2
الشکور	al-Shakūr	All-appreciative	64:17	4
شديد العذاب	Shadīd al-ʿAdhāb	the Severe in punishment	2:165	1
شديد العقاب	Shadīd al-ʿIqāb	the Severe in retribution	40:3	14
شديد المحال	Shadīd al-Miḥāl	the Great in might	13:13	1
الصمد	al-Ṣamad	All-embracing	112:2	1
الظاهر	Al-Zāhir	the Manifest	57:3	1
العليم	Al-ʿAlīm	the All-knowing	2:32	137
العزيز	al-ʿAzīz	the All-mighty	3:6	88
العفوّ	al-ʿAfuww	the All-excusing	4:43	5
العليّ	al-ʿAlī	the All-exalted	42:4	9
العظيم	al-ʿAzīm	the All-supreme	42:4	14
علام الغيوب	ʿAllām al-Ghuyūb	the Knower of all that is Unseen	9:78	4
عالم الغيب و الشهادة	ʿĀlim al-Ghayb wa al-Shahāda	the Knower of the sensible and the Unseen	13:9	10
الغنيّ	al-Ghanī	the All-sufficient	31:12	18
الغفور	al-Ghafūr	All-forgiving	28:16	90
الغالب	al-Ghālib	the Dominant	12:21	1
غافر الذنب	Ghāfir al-Dhanb	the Forgiver of sins	40:3	1
الغفّار	al-Ghaffār	the All-forgiver	71:10	5
فالق الإصباح	Fāliq al-Iṣbāḥ	the Splitter of the dawn	6:96	1
فالق الحبّ و النّوي	Fāliq al-Ḥabb wa al-Nawā	splitter of the grain and the pit	6:95	1
الفاطر	al-Fāṭir	the originator	6:14	1
الفتّاح	al-Fattāḥ	the Judge	34:26	1
القويّ	al-Qawī	the All-strong	8:52	7
القدّوس	al-Quddūs	the All-holy	62:1	2
القيّوم	al-Qayyūm	the All-sustainer	20:111	3
القاهر	al-Qāhir	the All-dominant	6:18	2
القهّار	al-Qahhār	the All-paramount	13:16	6
القريب	al-Qarīb	the Nearmost	2:186	3
القادر	al-Qādir	the All-able	6:65	12
القدير	al-Qadīr	the All-powerful	60:7	45
قابل التَوب	Qābil al-Tawb	the Acceptor of repentance	40:3	1
قائم علي کل نفس بما کسبت	Qāʾim ʿalā kull nafs bi-mā kasabat	the One who sustains every soul1 in spite of what it earns	13:33	1
القائم	al-Qāʾim	the Maintainer	3:18	1
الکبير	al-Kabīr	the All-great	13:9	8
الکريم	al-Karīm	the All-generous	27:40	4
الکافي	al-Kāfī	the Sufficient	39:36	1
اللطيف	al-Laṭīf	the All-attentive	42:19	7
المَلِک	al-Mālik	the Sovereign	69:1	4
المؤمن	al-Muʾmin	the Securer	59:23	1
المهيمن	al-Muhaymin	the All-conserver	59:23	1
المتکبّر	al-Mutākabbir	the All-magnanimous	59:23	1
المصوّر	al-Muṣawwir	the Former	59:24	1
المجيد	al-Majīd	the All-glorious	11:73	2
المجيب	al-Mujīb	the Responsive	11:61	1
المبين	al-Mubīn	the Manifest	24:25	1
المولي	al-Mawlā	the Master	8:40	9
المحيط	al-Muḥīṭ	the One who comprehends	5
المقيت	al-Muqīt	the Prepotent	4:85	1
المتعال	al-Mutaʿāl	the All-sublime	13:9	2
المحيي	al-Muḥyī	the Reviver	30:50	2
المتين	al-Matīn	the All-strong	51:58	1
المقتدر	al-Muqtadir	the Omnipotent	18:45	4
المستعان	al-Mustaʿān	the Resort	12:18	2
المبدئ	al-Mubdiʾ			10
مالک الملک	Mālik al-Mulk	the Master of all sovereignty	3:26	1
المعيد	al-Muʿīd			103
النصير	al-Naṣīr	the Helper	4:45	11
النور	al-Nūr	the Light	24:35	1
الوهّاب	Al-Wahhāb	the All-munificent	3:8	3
الواحد	al-Wāḥid	the One	6:19	21
الوليّ	al-Walī	the Guardian	32:4	24
الوالي	al-Wālī			1
الواسع	al-Wāsiʿ	the All-bounteous	5:54	8
الوکيل	al-Wakīl	the Trustee	33:3	13
الودود	al-Wadūd	the All-affectionate	11:90	2
الهادي	al-Hādī	the Guide	25:31	10

In addition, some verses such as al-A'raf (7):180, al-Isra'(17):110, TaHa (20):8, and al-Hashr (59):24 generally state that "To Allah belong the Best Names, so supplicate Him by them" (7:180).

Implicit Names

• "Hafiz" and "Warith" in verses "…and indeed We will preserve it." (15:9) and "…and We are the inheritors" (15:23)
• "Fa'al li-ma yurid" in the verse "…indeed your Lord does whatever He desires." (11:107)
• "Katib" and "Fa'il" in verses "…and We will indeed write it for him." (21:94) and "…indeed We will do." (21:104)
• "Mumit" in the verse "And He it is Who gives life and causes death…" (23:80)
• "Kashif al-durr" and "Shafi'" in verses "Should Allah visit you with some distress there is no one to remove it except Him;…" (6:17) and "…It shall not have any guardian besides Allah, nor any intercessor,…" (6:70)
• "Qa'im bi-al-qist" in the verse "…maintainer of justice" (3:18)
• "Muntaqim" in the verse "…We will indeed take vengeance" (44:16)

Different Methods in Theology

Muslim scholars' thoughts about God can be classified in three kinds:

1. Theological thoughts or theologians' thoughts,
2. Philosophical thought or philosophers' thoughts,
3. Mystical thoughts or mystics and Sufis' thoughts.

However, these classes are not distinct or absolute and they are sometimes difficult to be separated since for example, some thoughts of Mu'tazilites and peripatetic philosophers or mystics and transcendental philosophers are closely similar.

God in Theology

In a general look, discussions in theology regarding God are classified in three classes:

1. Discussion about God's existence and proving it (arguments for proving God),
2. Discussion about God's oneness, proving it, rejecting polytheism in general and rejecting duality and Trinity,
3. Discussion about God's attributes (names and attributes).

God in Philosophy

Emergence of philosophical discussions about God was probably following above discussions and an effort in finding new answers. Discussing about God certainly has a long history and in the ancient culture of Iran and India, deep thoughts about God can be found; but philosophical discussion about that in its common meaning can be traced back in the ancient Greece. The peak of such philosophical discussions are Pluto and Aristotle's thoughts. The philosophical god of Greeks was indifferent about the world.

According to philosophical works, god became an issue beyond the world who is the origin of grace and the origin for other beings after the First Intellect. He would only be described in a transcendental ways such as the unmoving mover, the First Cause, Self-existent, Absolute existence and a being without opposite or similar and as such. It is based on this view that philosophers forget concepts such as Huduth and Qidam (incidence and precedence) and turn to Wujub and Imkan (necessity and possibility) which eventually lead to emergence of an argument such as Burhan al-Siddiqin (the argument of the Truthful).

God in Mysticism

From the viewpoint of 'Irfan (Islamic mysticism), God is seen differently from the way others see Him and it can be said that it is seen opposite to the God of philosophers. This viewpoint has been common since the early Islam and gradually richer and more beautiful definitions of it have been presented. In mystical discussions, firstly and essentially rational discussions about God have never been a focus; rather, the reciprocal relationship of human being and God has been highlighted; a relation which more than any other concept is based on love.

True knowledge of God in the viewpoint of the followers of mysticism is not a theoretical knowledge but a knowledge the prerequisite of which is practical conduct and its goal is intuition, illumination, disclosure, self-denial and going beyond the partial intellect and reaching beyond intellect and gaining immediate knowledge of God, meeting with God and being annihilated in His existence.

According to this viewpoint, even though all human beings are theist in some aspects and have a nature mixed with divine love, they need to revive this aspect of themselves and from a superficial knowledge of God (which might be a theological or philosophical knowledge in the view of mystics) reach a higher level.

However, this mystical view sometimes adopt a rational aspect as well, like for instance, they also discuss incident or precedent love, or unity of intuition or unity of existence. Peak of such viewpoint can be seen in the mysticism of Ibn 'Arabi in which the above discussions are joined with neoplatonic presentation and the theory of emanation (Fayd), divine knowledge, process of creation, concepts of A'yan Thabita [immutable essences], most holy emanation, holy emanation and unity of existence are discussed.

God in Judaism and Christianity

In the Old Testament, explicitly mentions the belief in One, Eternal God among essential beliefs of Judaism, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!" However, in some part of the Old Testament, there are some anthropomorphic attributes for God which are justified by Jewish scholars in a way that there is no contradictory with monotheism.

In the New Testament (including the Four Gospels) we found God as One, Eternal and without partner the way Jesus called God as "the only true God". However, this knowledge in unity has been mixed with the polytheistic Trinity which is made due to wrong and exaggerative implication of some phrases in the Bible and has led to a paradox; phrases such as "baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost".

Accordingly, the current Christianity has believed in the unity of God together with Trinity (The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit).

God in Different Languages

Different languages refer to god with different words:

Spanish	English	Arabic	German	French	Farsi	Greek	Hebrew	Chaldean	Syriac	Incan	Sanskrit	Latin	Ancient Egyptian
dios	god	Allah	Gott	dieu	khoda	theos	Yahweh	nabu	ilu	yaya	deva	deus	aton

See Also

• Allah