The Creator of all that exists, God; is beyond comparison. The Creator is not created, and nothing can bring The Creator to an end. His essence is absolute, perfect, and independent. To recognize His attributes is to recognize the truth of existence itself.
Name
In Aramaic, the Semitic language widely spoken in Palestine and Syria at the beginning of the Gregorian calendar, the name of God appears as ʾAlāhā / Alaha (ܐܠܗܐ). This form is almost identical in sound to the Arabic Allah, and it was the word used by Jesus (ʿĪsā, peace be upon him) and his disciples in their prayers. Aramaic was the daily spoken language of the region, and Syriac Christian liturgy to this day still calls upon God as Alaha. This linguistic bridge shows that “Allah” is not an isolated or later Arabic invention, but part of a much older Semitic continuity of how humanity addressed the Creator.
The Qur’an and Sunnah teach that Allah, the One and Only, is known through His 99 majestic names — each describing a unique attribute of His perfection and mercy. These names are not separate beings or forces, but facets of the same divine reality: Ar-Rahman (The Most Compassionate), Al-Hakim (The All-Wise), Al-Ghaffar (The Forgiving), and so on. Knowing and reflecting on these names deepens one’s understanding of the Creator, and invoking them in prayer connects the believer to the qualities that govern all existence. As the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever memorizes them and lives by them will enter Paradise.”
Beyond these known names, Islamic tradition also speaks of the Ism al-Aʿẓam — the Greatest Name of Allah. Though its exact identity is concealed, the Prophet ﷺ hinted that those who call upon Allah through it are always answered. Scholars have speculated which of the divine names it might be — some say Allah itself, others Al-Hayy al-Qayyum (The Ever-Living, The Sustainer) — but its mystery serves a purpose. It reminds believers that divine knowledge has depths beyond human reach, and that sincerity, humility, and faith may matter more than the precise wording of one’s call.
Pronoun
When speaking of the Creator, use pronouns like He, Him, and His, not to assign gender, but because, mainly; that is how Allah referred to Himself in the only preserved revelation: “Say: He is Allah, One” (Qur’an 112:1). In Arabic, as in other Semitic languages, grammatical gender is built into words, so a neutral pronoun does not exist. “He” is used as the standard reference for what is not feminine, including things without gender at all. Thus, calling Allah “He” follows the divine self-designation in the only preserved revelation, while affirming that the Creator is utterly beyond human categories of male or female.
Essential Attributes
1. Self-Sufficient
Allah is utterly free of need; He neither depends on food, rest, nor creation. All things stand in need of Him at every moment, yet His giving never lessens His abundance, for His essence is complete and perfect.
2. Eternal and Everlasting
Allah has no beginning and no end. He existed before creation, and He remains after all else passes away. Time itself is His creation, and He is not bound by it. His permanence is unmatched; everything else is temporary.
3. All-Knowing
Nothing escapes His knowledge. He knows the seen and the unseen, the past and the future, the hidden and the revealed. His knowledge is not acquired but intrinsic—perfect, complete, and without error. Even what lies in the hearts of creation is known to Him.
4. All-Powerful
Beyond merely powerful, Allah is the source of all strength. Every force, every motion, every breath is sustained by His might. His power is not diminished by giving, nor threatened by opposition. Strength in creation is only a reflection of His absolute power.
5. Uncreated
Allah is not a product of anything. He was not born, nor did He emerge from anything else. He is the Originator, independent and self-existent. Everything else is contingent, but He alone is necessary and uncaused.
6. Oneness
Allah is absolutely Singular (One), without partner or equal. Oneness is the natural conclusion of His perfection: if there were two, one would depend on the other. His unity is pure, eternal, and the foundation of all true faith.