الإيمان بالله

The first pillar of faith is believing in Allah. This includes: • believing that He exists and is the Creator of all things; • believing that He is the Lord, who owns, runs and sustains the universe; • worshipping Him alone, without associating anything with Him; • believing in His names and attributes as He described them.

One surah sums up this belief: Al-Ikhlas (sincere monotheism), surah 112. Its meaning: "Say: He is Allah, One. Allah, the One to whom all turn in need. He has not begotten, nor was He begotten. And there is none equal to Him." (112:1-4)

Allah resembles nothing He has created. He is near, He hears, He sees, He answers the one who calls on Him.

His names. The Qur'an and the Sunna mention many names of Allah: Ar-Raḥmaan (the Most Merciful), Ar-Raḥiim (the Most Compassionate), Al-Ghafuur (the Forgiving), Al-'Aliim (the All-Knowing), and others. The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah has ninety-nine names and whoever knows and preserves them will enter Paradise. (Bukhari 2736, Muslim 2677)

Knowing Allah through His names means learning to love Him, to be in awe of Him and to hope in Him. The centre's site presents the names of Allah with their meanings: take one a week.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation Many scholars present belief in Allah in three aspects, to make it clearer: He is the only Lord (the One who creates, owns and runs everything); He alone deserves worship; and He has perfect names and attributes, which resemble those of no creature. This presentation is common; other schools of theology set out the same truths differently, and the imam can explain the one the centre teaches. [À VÉRIFIER]

Verse 42:11 sums up the right attitude to Allah's attributes: "There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing" (meaning). We affirm what Allah says of Himself, without picturing Him like His creatures.

Allah is near: "When My servants ask you about Me, I am near: I answer the call of the one who calls on Me" (meaning of verse 2:186). We speak to Him directly, in our own language, without any intermediary.

In a hadith qudsi, Allah says: "I am as My servant thinks of Me, and I am with him when he remembers Me." (Bukhari 7405, Muslim 2675) Knowing His names nourishes a good opinion of Allah: the Merciful, the Forgiving, the Just.

Common misunderstandings: picturing Allah like a human being; thinking one must go through a person to speak to Him; retaining only fear of Him, without love and hope.

Lessons to draw • Call on Allah directly, at any time, in your own language. • Learn one name of Allah a week and look for its trace in your life. • Balance love, hope and fear. • Recite Al-Ikhlas often, thinking of its meaning.

Key points • Allah is One, the Creator, alone worthy of worship; there is nothing like Him (42:11). • He is near and answers the one who calls on Him (2:186). • Al-Ikhlas (112) sums up tawhid.

The main message Believing in Allah is knowing Him so as to love Him, turning to Him alone and trusting Him in everything.