Allah is all pervading

Allah is all pervading

هُوَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ

Huwa az-zahir wa huwa al-batin:

"He is the Outward and He is the Inward."

(The Qur'an 57.3)

"Allah is all-pervading," Shree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu continued.

(Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 18.191)

Here Mahaprabhu explains that Allah is all-pervading. Allah is inside and outside everything. One cannot turn in any direction without encountering Allah. He is omnipresent; but He never looses His oneness. Such is the inconceivable potency of Allah. He is One Supreme Being and simultaneously present everywhere. Thus in the Holy Qur'an Allah is referred to as al-Muhee, or all-pervading, omnipresent Being.

So, it is stated in the sura "Al-An'am", or "Cattle":

Wa huwal-lahu fis-samawati wa fil-'arz ya'-lamu sirakum wa jahrakum wa ya'-lamu ma taksibun: "He is Allah in the heavens and in the earth. He knows what you hide, and what you reveal, and He knows what you earn." (6.3)

It is absurd to think that Allah is present only in the heavens. He is certainly present on the earth too. Indeed, He is omnipresent.

Furthermore in the sura "Al-Hadid", or "Iron" it is said:

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; and He is the Knower of all things." (57.3)

The following tradition in Sahih Muslim is significant for an understanding of 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 Outward, or Evident, so that there is nothing above You, and You are the Inward, or Hidden, the Knower of the hidden things, so that there is nothing hidden from You."

It is stated in the same sura "Al-Hadid", or "Iron" of the Holy Qur'an:

Wa huwa ma-'ruju fiha / Wallaahu bimaa ta'-maluuna basiir: "And He is with you wherever you may be. And Allah sees well all that you do." (57.4)

This is yet another evidence of the omnipresence of Allah. Allah is always with each and everyone of us, no matter where we are. He watches all of us, mercifully allowing us to act according our desires. Allah has granted us a little independence; but we should never misuse such independence by disobeying Him. We must always remember that Allah is omnipresent and that He is a witness to every activity that we perform and every little thing that we do.

There is another interesting verse in the sura "Qaf":

Wa laqad khalaqnal-'insaana wa na'-lamu maa tuwas-wisu bihii nafsuh / Wa nahnu 'aqrabu 'ilayhi min hablil-wariid: "We verily created man, and We know what suggestions his soul makes to him. For We are closer to him than his jugular vein." (50.16)

Thus Allah created man, and gave him his limited independence. Allah knows the inmost desires and motives of man even better than man does himself. He is closer to a soul than man's own jugular vein. The jugular vein is the big trunk vein, one on each side of the neck, which brings the blood back from the head to the heart. The two jugular veins correspond to the two carotid arteries which carry the blood from the heart to the head. Allah is closer to the soul than the jugular vein in the body and He is aware of the soul's every desire.

Allah is the all-pervading personality who dwelling within everything, including every single atom. Allah is one, yet by His inconceivable potency He is present everywhere, just as the sun is one but it appears in many places at once through its light. Allah is directly all-pervading by His diverse material and spiritual energies. Although He is present in His eternal abode, He is all-pervading and everything is situated within Him. Although Allah is present everywhere, He is inconceivable by our material senses. He is present everywhere as the Supreme Truth by His all-pervading features. He is all-pervading and therefore He can see everyone's activities, He is unlimitedly able to exert His influence over all places and times, and over all living beings. Like the omnipresent material sky, Allah is all-pervading inside and outside of everything, by the omnipresent rays of His effulgence. Fire is already present in wood, but by a certain process, fire in kindled. Similarly, God is all-pervading. He is everywhere, and since He may come out from everything, His supreme consciousness pervading the entire universe. Since the Lord is all-pervading, He is also situated in eternal time and there is nothing existing outside His knowledge. The all-pervading nature of Allah can never be within the limited knowledge of a living entity.

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Allah is omniscient

Allah is omniscient

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

Innallaha wasi 'un 'alim:

"Allah is All-embracing, All-knowing."

(The Qur'an 2.115)

"Allah is omniscient," Shree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu continued.

(Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 18.191)

According to Mahaprabhu, Allah is omniscient. The term "omniscience" means "all-knowing." So, Allah knows everything. His knowledge is unlimited and perfect. Since Allah is a transcendental Personality His knowledge is also beyond the limits of time and space. The knowledge of Allah is eternal and absolute, while our knowledge is temporary and relative. The Holy Qur'an abounds in evidence of Allah's omniscience.

So the Holy Qur'an says:

Inna llaha wasi 'un 'alim: "Behold! Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing." (2.115)

Inna hu ya'lamul jahra wa - ma yakhfa: "Behold! He knows what is manifest and what is hidden." (87.7)

Inna llaha khabirum bi ma ta 'malun: "Behold! Allah is informed of what you do." (5.8)

It is stated in the sura "Al-An'am", or "Cattle":

Wa 'indahu mafatihu lgaybi la ya'lamuha illa hu / wa ya'lamu ma fi lberri we lbahr / wa ma tasqutu miw waraqatin illa ya'lamuha wa la hebbatin fi dulumati lardi wa la retbin wa la yabisin illa fi kitabim mubin: "With Him are the keys of the invisible, the treasures that none knows but He. He knows whatever there is on the earth and in the sea. Not a leaf does fall but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth, nor anything wet or dry but (it is noted) in a clear record." (6.59)

The word "mafatih" is very significant in this verse. Mafatih is a plural of either miftah which means a key, or maftah which means a treasure. Allah is the treasury of knowledge. He is omniscient. Only by His mercy is the hidden treasure of Al-Qur'an revealed to us.

Furthermore it is said in the Holy Qur'an:

Wa lillahi gaybus samaawaati wal-'arzi . . . Wa ma Rabbuka bigafilin 'amma ta'malun: "To Allah do belong the unseen (secrets) of the heaven and the earth. . . . Behold! Your Lord is not unaware of what you do." (11.123)

'Alimu lgaybi we ssahadah / elkabiru lmuta'al: "He is the Knower of the invisible and the visible. He is the Great, the High Exalted." (13.9)

Wa'-lamu 'anallaha bikulli shay-'in 'Alim: "And know that Allah is aware of all things." (2.231)

It is stated in the sura "Al-Hadid", or "Iron":

Ya'-lamu ma yaliju fil-'arzi wa ma yakhruju minha wa ma yanzilu minasama-'i wa ma ya'-ruju fiha: "He knows what enters within the earth and what comes forth out of it, and what comes down from the sky and what ascends up to it." (57.4)

Abdullah Yusuf Ali comments this verse following way:

"Allah watches over man and observes his deeds. His knowledge comprehends all, the earth, heavens, what is in them or above them or whatever is in between them, comes out of them or goes into them, for 'not a leaf does fall but He knows it'." (9, p. 1688)

Furthermore it is explained in the Holy Qur'an:

Wa huwa 'Alimum bi-zatisudur: "And He is the Knower of all that is in the hearts." (57.6)

Wa huwa bi-kulli shay-'in 'alim: "And He is the Knower of all things." (2.29)

Wa mallahu bi-gafilin 'ama ta'-malun: "And Allah is not unaware of what you do." (2.74)

Wallahu 'Alimum biz-zalimin: "And Allah is aware of evildoers." (2.95)

Wa ma taf-'alu min khayrin fa-'innallaha bihi 'Alim: "And whatever good you do Allah is aware of it." (2.215)

Wallahu ya'-lamu wa 'antum la ta'-lamun: "And Allah knows, you know not." (2.232)

Ya'-lamu ma bayna 'aydihim wa ma khalfahum / wa la yuhituna bi-shay-'im min 'ilmihi 'ila bima sha: "He knows that which is in front of them and that which is behind them while they can possess nothing of His knowledge except what He wants them to." (2.255)

This means that Allah knows His creatures' observations and their feelings in their day-to-day life. It also means that Allah knows the past, the present and the future. He knows all past activities of all living entities and He knows what awaits them in the future. Since Allah knows everything about our past activities He awards us accordingly.

Ustad Abdullah Yusuf Ali writes in his commentary:

"Allah's knowledge is absolute, and is not conditioned by Time or Space. To us, His creatures, these conditions always apply. His knowledge and our knowledge are therefore in different categories, and our knowledge only gets some reflection of Reality when it accords with His Will and Plan." (9, p. 115)

Wallahu bima ta'-maluna 'Alim: "And Allah is aware of all that you do." (2.283)

Innallaha la yakh-fa 'alayhi shay-'un-fil-'arzi wa la fis-sama: "From Allah, verily nothing is hidden on the earth or in the heavens." (3.5)

Fa-'innallaha 'alimum-bil-mufsidim: "Allah has full knowledge of those who do mischief." (3.63)

Wallahu 'alimum-bil-mutaqin: "And Allah is aware of those who do right." (3.115)

Innallaha 'alimum-bizatis-sudur: "Allah knows well all the secrets of the heart." (3.119)

Innallaha kana 'ala kulli shay-'in Shahida: "Allah is ever Witness to all things." (4.33)

Wa la yaktumu nallaha hadisa: "And they can hide no fact from Allah." (4.42)

It is explained in the sura "At-Takwir", or "The Folding Up":

Wallahu yak-tubu ma yubayi-tun: "And Allah records what they plan by night." (4.81)

Thus Allah knows the inner, unapparent workings of events better than any human mind can hope to. Nothing is hidden from Allah. Despite the fact that He is one, He knows the hearts of everyone. He is closer to each of us than our own jugular vein; He knows very well all the desires present in our hearts - so great is the inconceivable potency of Allah who is omnipresent and omniscient.

The Holy Qur'an also says:

Innallaha kana bima ta'-maluna Khabira: "Allah is ever informed of all that you do." (4.94)

Wa'-lamu 'annallaha ya'-lamu ma fi 'anfusikum fah-zaruh: "And know that Allah knows what is in your minds, so beware of Him." (2.235)

So, in the Holy Qur'an Allah is called Alim - All-Knowing or Omniscient. He knows everything about everyone at all times. All knowledge belongs to Him. He is the origin of all knowledge. Knowledge, memory and forgetfulness come from Him. If someone accepts God, He gives that person the knowledge to understand Him. If someone rejects God and thus wants to forget Him, Allah gives that person forgetfulness to forget Him. If someone serves God with love and devotion Allah gives such a devotee memory to remember Him always. We can understand Allah only by His causeless mercy. If we please God by our devotional service He will give us sufficient knowledge and intelligence to realize Him. Allah is present everywhere and knows the necessities of everyone. God is omniscient. Allah can understand everyone's desires, because He is within the heart of everyone, even within the atom. He knows everything about the past, the present and the future. However, no one knows Him completely; nor can He be completely described. Such is the wonderful inconceivable quality of Allah.

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Allah is eternal

Allah is eternal

اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ

(The Qur'an 3.2)

"Allah is the eternal being," Shree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu continued.

(Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 18.191)

Here, Shree Chaitanya emphasizes two aspects of Allah:

1) Allah is eternal and

2) Allah is a being.

Allah is the Supreme Being. The living entities are conscious beings, but Allah is the Supreme Being amongst all beings. He is the Supreme Conscious Being amongst all conscious beings and He is Supreme Eternal amongst all eternal beings.

Thus Mahaprabhu explains that Allah is eternal. Eternity is a distinctive characteristic of the spiritual world, in contrast to the material world, which is temporary. In the material world everything has a beginning and an end. Every living entity takes birth and dies. Conversely, the spiritual world has neither a beginning nor an end. The word eternal means beginningless and endless. Therefore, Allah was never born and will never die. He is beginningless and endless. Never was there a time in the annals of history when Allah did not exist. His existence is eternal. He has no beginning and has no end.

So in the sura "Al-Baqarah", or "The Cow" there is a statement about the eternity of Allah:

Allahu la ilaha illa hu / al-Hayyul Qayyum: "Allah! There is no God but He, - the Living, the Eternal." (2.255)

It is clearly explained here that Allah is the living or the alive one which means that He is a Being who is alive rather than a thing which is not alive or abstract. That Allah is alive is the symptom of a Being.

Ustad Abdullah Yusuf Ali comments:

"The attributes of Allah are different from anything we know in our present world. He lives, but His life is self-subsisting and eternal. It does not depend upon other beings and is not limited to time and space. The attribute of Qayyum includes not only the idea of "Self-subsisting" but also the idea of "Keeping up and maintaining all life"." (9, p. 114)

Furthermore in the sura "Al-Ikhlas", or "Purity" it is mentioned:

Allahu Samad

Lam yalid wa - lam yulad:

"Allah, the Eternal, Absolute.

He begets not, nor was He begotten." (112.2-3)

Ustad Abdullah Yusuf Ali writes in his commentary:

"Samad is difficult to translate by one word. I have used two, "Eternal" and "Absolute". The latter implies: 1) that absolute existence can only be predicated of Him; all other existence is temporal or conditional; 2) that He is dependent on no person or things, but all persons or things are dependent on Him." (9, p. 2028)

There is another verse in the sura "Al-Imran", or "The Family of 'Imran":

Allahu . . . Huwal Qayyum: "Allah! . . . He is the Eternal." (3.2)

Thus in the Holy Qur'an Allah is called Qayyum, the Eternal. Eternal means no beginning and no end. Allah is an ever-existing Being. There is no time when He did not exist and His existence will never come to end. Allah is Lam yulad, He was not begotten. He is never born and never dies. He is eternal and indestructible, and He continues to live after the destruction of this temporary material world. Allah is eternal, full of knowledge and bliss. He existed in the past, exists in the present and will exist in the future. Allah has not come into being, does not come into being and will not come into being since He is ever-existing. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval, that is to say, there is no trace in history of His coming into being. He therefore has no past, present or future. Among all eternal beings, Allah is the supreme eternal primeval One. He has no beginning and no end. He has no origin, for He Himself is the origin of everything. He has no cause, for He Himself is the cause of all causes. There is no particular date at which God was born. Nor can anyone trace out the history of God's appearance because He is beginningless. He existed before the material creation. The nature of the Lord is eternal, blissful and full of knowledge. Allah is immortal, imperishable and eternal, and is the constitutional position of ultimate happiness. He is the original eternal enjoyer amongst all other enjoyers, and is the eternal friend of the living entities. He existed prior to the creation and He is transcendental to the material nature.

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Allah is the origin

بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ

Badi-'us-samawati wal-'ardz:

"The Originator of the heavens and the earth!"

(The Qur'an 2.117)

"He is the origin of everything," added Shree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

(Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 18.191)

Now, Mahaprabhu explains that Allah is the origin of everything. Everything comes from Allah. Nothing exists independently of Him. He is the Supreme Origin of creation. Here the origin is referred to all life and energies - living energy, or living beings and inert energy. The origin of everything by definition has no origin but always exists. Everything originates from Him; but He never looses His equilibrium and completeness. He is inexhaustible and complete.

Thus it is propounded in the sura "Al-Baqarah", or "The Cow" of the Holy Qur'an:

Badi-'us- samawati wal-'arz / wa 'iza qaza 'amranfa - 'inama yaqulu lahu "Kun" fayakun: "The Originator of the heavens and the earth! When He (Allah) decrees a thing, He says to it only: 'Be!' And it is." (2.117)

Ustad Abdullah Yusuf Ali writes in his commentary:

"The materialists might say that primeval matter was eternal; other things, i. e. the forms and shapes as we see them now, were called into being at some time or other, and will perish. When they perish, they dissolve into primeval matter again, which stands as the base of all existence. We go further back. We say that if we postulate such primeval matter, it owes its origin itself to Allah." (9, p. 47-48)

Next, the sura "Al-An'am", or "Cattle" states:

Badi-'us-samaawaati wal-'arz . . . Wa khalaqa kulla shay' / wa Huwa bi-kulli shay-'in 'Aliim: "Wonderful Originator of the heaven and the earth. . . . He created all things, and He has knowledge of all things." (6.101)

Here the word "bada'a" is used as in (2.117) for the creation of the heavens and the earth, and "khalaqa" is used for creation of all things. Bada'a goes back to the very primal beginning, as far as we can conceive it.

It is stated in the sura "An-Nisa", or "The Women":

Qul kullum-min 'indillah: "Say: All things are from Allah." (4.78)

If we look to the ultimate Cause of all things, all things come from Allah. But if we look to the proximate cause of things, our own merit is so small, that we can hardly claim credit for good ourselves with any fairness. (Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, 9, p. 236)

In the ancient scriptures it is said that only the Lord alone exists, and all other's existence depend upon Him. He is the generating origin for everyone's existential capacity. Allah is the origin of all emanations. Everything is born out of Him. He is the source of creation. God is the origin of whatever we find. Nothing can manifest itself in this material world which is not in God. Everything flows from Him only. He is the supreme origin and everything is emanating from Him. He is without origin, He has no beginning, middle or end. He is the origin of all living entities and the resting place of everything. God is the origin of all creations, all features, all auspicious opportunities, all austerities and penances, all energies and all manifestations. Those who know that Allah is the origin of everything, they can understand the process of creation. God is the origin of the material senses and sense objects, of the subtle and gross material ingredients. The origin of all life is the effulgence of the Supreme Lord. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.

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Allah is the Creator, Maintainer and Destroyer

اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ ثُمَّ رَزَقَكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ

Allahulazi khalaqakum suma razaqakum suma yumitukum:

"Allah is He Who created you and then maintained you, then will cause you to die."

(The Qur'an 30.40)

Then Shree Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, "Creation, maintenance and dissolution come from Allah."

(Chaitanya-charitamrita, Madhya-lila, 18.192)

Here Mahaprabhu explains that Allah is the sole creator, maintainer and destroyer of the universe. Allah performs everything through His inconceivable potencies. When the time was ripe, He created the universe. He then undertook to maintain it with all the planets on their orbits and supply sustenance for all living beings. When the duration of the existence of the universe is over, Allah will destroy it. He is the supreme controller and everything depends on Him. Certainly, Allah acts as the creator, maintainer and destroyer only in relation to the material world because the spiritual world is never created, it is eternal and it is never destroyed.

Thus in the Holy Qur'an we can find plenty of evidence of these points. For instance, in the sura "Al-Baqarah", or "The Cow", it states:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْبُدُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ فِرَاشًا وَالسَّمَاءَ بِنَاءً وَأَنْزَلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَخْرَجَ بِهِ مِنَ الثَّمَرَاتِ رِزْقًا لَكُمْ

Ya-'ayu-han-nasu'-budu Rabba-kumulazi khalaqakum walazina min-qablikum la-'alakum tataqun.

'Alazi ja-'aia lakumul-arza fira-shanw-wasama-'a bina-'a / wa 'anzala minas-sama-'i ma-anfa-'akh-raja bihi minas samarati rizqal-lakum:

"O mankind! Worship your Lord, Who created you and those who came before you that you may become righteous.

Who has made the earth your couch, and the sky your canopy, and sent down rain from the sky, thereby producing fruits as foods for you." (2.21-22)

Furthermore, in the sura "Qaf" there is the following verse:

Wa laqeb halaqna ssamawati wa larda wa ma baynahuma fi sittati ayyamin wa ma messana mil lugub: "Verily We created the heavens and the earth, and all between them in six Days, and nor did any sense of weariness touch Us." (50.38)

As for the Creation in six Days, in (22.47), we are told that a Day in the sight of Allah is like a thousand years of our reckoning, and in (70.4), the comparison is with 50,000 of our years.

It is also explained in the Holy Qur'an:

Huwal-lazi khalaqa lakuma fil-'arzi jami-'a / sumas-tawa 'ilas-sama-'i fasawa-hunasab-'a samawat: "It is He Who has created for you all things that are on earth. Then He turned to the heaven and fashioned it into seven firmaments." (2.29)

Yakhluqu ma yasha: "He creates what He will." (5.17)

Zalikumul-lahu . . . Khaliqu kulli shay-'in fa'-budu / wa huwa 'ala kulli shay-'inw-wakil: "Such is Allah, . . . the Creator of all things, so worship Him. And He takes care of all things." (6.102)

It is stated in the sura "Yunus", or "Jonah":

Innahu yabda-'ul-khalda suma yu-'iduhu: "Behold! He produces creation, then reproduces it." (10.4)

So Allah's creation is not a simple act, once done and finished with. It is continuous, and there are many stages.

Next, it is said in the sura "Al-Ra'd", or "Thunder":

Qulil-lahu Khaliqu kulli shay-'in wa huwal Wahidul Qahar: "Say: Allah is the Creator of all things and He is the One, the Almighty." (13.16)

Then, in the sura "Al-Hashr", or "The Gathering" is the following verse:

Huwal-lahul - Khaliqul Baari 'ul-Musawiru: "He is Allah, the Creator, the Shaper out of naught, the Fashioner." (59.24)

Ustad Abdullah Yusuf Ali comments:

"Allah's attributes of Goodness and Power having referred to, we are now told of His creative energy, of which three aspects are here mentioned. The point is emphasized that He does not merely create and leave alone; He goes on fashioning, evolving new forms and colors, and sustaining all the energies and capacities which He has put into His Creation, according to various laws which He has established.

Khalaqa is the general term for creation, and the Author of all Creation is Khaliq. Baraa implies a process of evolving from previously created matter or state: the Author of this process is Bari-u, the Shaper. Sawwara implies giving definite form or color, so as to make a thing exactly suited to a given end or object: hence the title Musawwir, Fashioner for this shows the completion of the visible stage of creation." (9, p. 1726)

Furthermore, the Holy Qur'an said:

Alladhi khalaqa fasawwa: "Who creates, then disposes." (87.2)

Anta khay-rur-raziqin: "O Allah our Lord! . . . You art the best of Sustainers." (5.114)

Iny-yasha yuz-hibkum wa ya 'ti bi-khalqin-jadid: "If He will, He can remove you and bring (in) some new creation." (14.19)

Allahu lazi khalaqakum suma razaqakum suma yumitukum suma yuhyikum: "It is Allah Who has created you; further, He has provided your sustenance; then He will cause you to die; and again He will give you life." (30.40)

Allah is not only the Creator of the universe, but the Destroyer as well. The manifested cosmic nature is created at a certain period by the will of the Lord. It is maintained for some time and then it is annihilated by His will. He extends His transcendental potency for the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the cosmic world. The creation, maintenance and dissolution of this cosmic manifestation are due to the existence of the Supreme Lord. Nonetheless, the Lord is unaffected by all these changes in the material elements. The Supreme Lord is the original cause of creation, maintenance and dissolution. Everything emanates from Him, everything is maintained by Him and everything is dissolved in Him. He is the ultimate controller of creation, maintenance and dissolution. Thus creation, maintenance and dissolution are created by His will.

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