Were the Noble Companions against Proving God’s Existence?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) alerted Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) that he would be asked that same question, i.e., “Who created God”– and this indeed came to pass. He said, “When I was in the mosque, some bedouins came to me and said, ‘O Abu Hurayra, this is Allah, so who created Allah?’” The narration reads that he took some stones in the palm of his hand and pelted them, saying, “Go away, go away – my friend spoke the truth.”
It means the noble companions were in opposition to proving God’s Existence, refuting a false belief (in the Quran, Allah Most High refutes those who say the resurrection can’t occur) or asking if doubt arose.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
I pray you are in good faith and health.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him) informed us that this question, “Who created your Lord?” comes from the whispering of Satan. As such, when the believer is confronted with this question, he or she should seek refuge in Allah by saying “أَعُوذُ بِاللَّـهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ” (I seek refuge with Allah against satan the accursed) or reaffirm their faith in Allah, by saying “آمَنْتُ بِاللهِ” (I believe in Allah) or recite Surat al-Ikhlas, and stop trying to think about it logically because the premise itself is flawed.
Seek Refuge or Reaffirm Faith in Allah
Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) reported the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Satan will come to one of you and he will say, ‘Who created this and that?’ until he says to him, ‘Who created your Lord?’ When it comes to this, let him seek refuge in Allah and stop such thoughts.” [Bukhari; Muslim]
In another narration, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Let him say: I have faith in Allah.” [Muslim]
Recite Surat al-Ikhlas
Abu Hurayra (Allah bless him and give him peace) said the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “The people will question one another so much that one of them will say: ‘So Allah created the creation, then who created Allah Most High?’ So if they say this, then say:
‘.قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ، اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ، لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ، وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًاأَحَدٌ’
‘Say, (O Prophet,) He is Allah—One (and Indivisible); Allah—the Sustainer (needed by all). He has never had offspring, nor was He born. And there is none comparable to Him.’ [Quran, 112:1-4]
Then he should spit to his left three times and seek refuge from the Shaytan.” [Abu Dawud]
Related:
- The Necessary Attributes of God and the Logical Absurdity of Infinite Regression
- What Does The Narration “Allah created Adam In His/his Image” Mean?
- What Is Aqida and Why Study It? – Shaykh Hassan al Hindi
- What Muslims Believe and Why [Course]
I pray this helps with your question.
Wassalam,
[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey. He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete the hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled in an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and ‘Aalimiyya sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan. He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for several years. He has taught hifz of the Quran, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to children and adults onsite and online extensively in the UK and Ireland. He taught at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences. He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His interest is a love of books and gardening.
