Lately, there has been an emergence of questions such as: “I wonder how Allah thinks? Is it possible for a being to deliberate without a soul and a brain? Does Allah possess a soul and a mind?” Frankly, these inquiries weigh heavily on my mind. How would you answer these?
This is indeed a thought-provoking question! It also raises concerns since it signals the trajectory of contemporary societal evolution. Additionally, the worrying point is that people are trying to assess and make judgments about Allah by likening Him to themselves. In other words, they are seeking a God like themselves.
Why would they go for such a comparison?
One of the intriguing aspects of human beings is their desire to envision invisible beings in their own image. This is not only for Allah, they also think in this manner about angels, jinns, and Satan as well, going as far as to erroneously depict them in art form. This inclination stems from the way human beings imagine these beings. Indeed, some people even have dreams about these angels, jinns, and Satan as human-like beings, which further solidifies their human-like portrayal in waking hours.
Has this understanding only just begun or did it exist before?
Actually, it existed earlier too. The ancient polytheist societies conceived of their gods in human form. They made their paintings and sculptures just like humans. When you look at the statues representing gods in pagan societies, they all look like human beings in some way.
Did no one oppose these and argue that they were nonsense?
Of course, they did. All the prophets grappled with such false beliefs. The struggle of Prophet Ibrahim is particularly noteworthy. Allah the Almighty recounts his struggle for tawhid in many chapters of the Qur’an. He informs us how Prophet Ibrahim broke all the idols his people sculpted, and when they inquired about the perpetrator, he replied, “This statue, the largest of them has done it! Ask them about it!” They fell silent for a moment, acknowledging Ibrahim’s compelling argument. However, when Prophet Ibrahim further asked, “Then how can you worship things that can neither speak nor see?” they were unable to answer. Despite this, they remained in their vicious circle of wrong and absurd beliefs.
Is today’s man falling into the same error?
In a way, yes. Today’s people often think that Allah must exhibit entirely human phenomena and features, such as possessing a soul, mind, brain, and even physiological systems like the spinal cord and vocal cord. When their expectations and assumptions are not met with satisfactory explanations, they begin to doubt Allah’s existence. Moreover, they begin to believe that science supports their assertion.
But why? Why does one fall into such a whirlpool of delusions?
Two reasons are contributing to this fallacy: First, people often construct religion introduces an invisible domain known as the ghaib (unseen). There is no way to detect and prove this invisible field by experimenting and observing, which are the methods of science. Science comes to a conclusion and makes an explanation only with clear and visible findings acquired as a result of experimentation and observation. However, many aspects of human beings are outside of experimentation and observation and are impossible to answer for science. How can science provide an objective explanation for completely human issues and personal matters, such as love, respect, sincerity, and ostentation? After all, these fall outside the realm of scientific investigation and cannot be objectively explained by science alone. Can science possibly determine whether a relationship between two people is sincere? Therefore, the subject of beliefs is likewise, outside of experimentation and observation, and can only be expressed and explained by means of proof in its own field. Well, what is your suggestion? Today’s people need to know this: Allah bears no resemblance to human beings in any way. It is a serious error to think that Allah the Almighty possesses a human brain, nervous system, mind, and vocal cords. These are organs necessary for human thought, life, and speech. Allah does not need such organs and equipment. Thinking like this constitutes anthropomorphism, in which the idea of the likeness of God to humans is formulated. No divine religion accepts likening Allah to the human being. Actually, the religion of Islam does not find it appropriate to compare invisible beings such as angels, jinn, and devils with human beings. Finally, we must add this: it is essential to exercise extreme caution when talking about subjects that we have no knowledge of. We receive information about the invisible realm and beings through the Qur’an or the words of the Great Prophet. Other than this, we have nothing else to say. We cannot claim to know everything and think that every question will have an unambiguous answer. So far, we haven’t seen anyone who knows everything and answers all the questions. However, we are always faced with problems because we are living in certain limiting realities imposed by time and space. We can neither transcend time nor escape from space. But for Allah, neither time nor space is a problem. This is the fundamental difference between Allah and human beings. Once we understand this difference, the meaninglessness of establishing similarity becomes evident. such an idea by placing themselves at the center. When people adopt a self-centered perspective and develop thoughts accordingly, they inevitably reach a dead end not only in their conceptions of God but also in their understanding of plants and animals, as noted by Xenophanes. For instance, scenes in fable-like fairy tales or advisory books depict animals speaking as if it were a reality or a possibility. This type of portrayal has led some people to attempt extreme measures to force some animals, such as parrots, to talk like humans and train them to behave accordingly. Even more intriguingly, individuals who keep pets in their homes have begun to employ similar coercion tactics by dressing them as human beings and encouraging them to behave accordingly. This is against the nature of animals and constitutes a form of cruelty. It is more or less predictable how a person, who behaves in such an anthropomorphic manner concerning animals, will form an opinion about Allah.
You said two reasons, what is the second one?
The second reason lies in the inability to grasp the distinction between science and religion. Religion encompasses a system that regulates human life in terms of both this world and the unseen afterlife. Therefore, religion introduces an invisible domain known as the ghaib (unseen). There is no way to detect and prove this invisible field by experimenting and observing, which are the methods of science. Science comes to a conclusion and makes an explanation only with clear and visible findings acquired as a result of experimentation and observation. However, many aspects of human beings are outside of experimentation and observation and are impossible to answer for science. How can science provide an objective explanation for completely human issues and personal matters, such as love, respect, sincerity, and ostentation? After all, these fall outside the realm of scientific investigation and cannot be objectively explained by science alone. Can science possibly determine whether a relationship between two people is sincere? Therefore, the subject of beliefs is likewise, outside of experimentation and observation, and can only be expressed and explained by means of proof in its own field.
Well, what is your suggestion?
Today’s people need to know this: Allah bears no resemblance to human beings in any way. It is a serious error to think that Allah the Almighty possesses a human brain, nervous system, mind, and vocal cords. These are organs necessary for human thought, life, and speech. Allah does not need such organs and equipment. Thinking like this constitutes anthropomorphism, in which the idea of the likeness of God to humans is formulated. No divine religion accepts likening Allah to the human being. Actually, the religion of Islam does not find it appropriate to compare invisible beings such as angels, jinn, and devils with human beings. Finally, we must add this: it is essential to exercise extreme caution when talking about subjects that we have no knowledge of. We receive information about the invisible realm and beings through the Qur’an or the words of the Great Prophet. Other than this, we have nothing else to say. We cannot claim to know everything and think that every question will have an unambiguous answer. So far, we haven’t seen anyone who knows everything and answers all the questions. However, we are always faced with problems because we are living in certain limiting realities imposed by time and space. We can neither transcend time nor escape from space. But for Allah, neither time nor space is a problem. This is the fundamental difference between Allah and human beings. Once we understand this difference, the meaninglessness of establishing similarity becomes evident.
