In the next verse, another epithet of that Holy Essence is referred to:
Allah, The Eternal
Many meanings are mentioned for /samad/ in Islamic narrations, commentaries, and lexicons.
Raqib cites in Mufradat that 'Samad means a Lord; one to whom reference is made in matters of importance'. Some others have said that 'samad' means 'something whose inside is not hollow, but it is full'.
It also means 'a Lord',when applied for Allah, because affairs are dependent upon Him. 'Samad' signifies one who is high or elevated in the utmost highness, and a Lord to whom one resigns himself, has recourse to, or is in need of, or One above Whom there is no one, or One Who continues, after His creatures have perished.
Imam Hosain ibn Ali (p.b.u.h.), in a tradition, has stated five meanings for 'samad':
1. Samad is a Lord Whose Lordship has attained its utmost point or degree.
2. Samad is an Essence and Being that continues or continues for ever or is everlasting.
3. Samad is the Existence that has not a hollow inside.
4. Samad is the One Who takes no nourishment, food or drink.
5. Samad is One Who does not sleep. (5)
A tradition from Imam Ali-ibn-al Hosain (p.b.u.h.) says: 'Samad' is One Who has no partner and it is not difficult for Him to protect things, and nothing is hidden from Him. (6)
Some others have said /samad/ means 'independent of anyone'-All perfect-the One to Whom recourse is made by everything: Eternal for its needs, both for existence and for perfection; the One Who needs no sustenance of any kind-Self-existing to understand, Whose existence, every mind is captured in marvel and wonder. Nothing is hidden from His all-enveloping knowledge-is not accommodatable in anything, not even in intellect: Infinite in all aspects of existence and attributes.
The term 'samad' has such a vast meaning that we cannot mention them, completely, or in other ,words, the names or the attributes, mentioned to describe its nature, cannot be translated to covey the exact sense to the fullest meaning of the terms.
A tradition denotes that the citizens of Basrah wrote a letter to Imam Hosain (p.b.u.h.) and asked him the meaning of /samad/.
He replied: In the Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful: Then do not plunge in vain talk about the Qur'an and do not dispute about it and do not speak about it when you do not know (it). Verily, I heard from my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah, who said: 'The person who talks about the Qur'an without knowing (it), his abode will be in fire'. Allah, Himself, has rendered 'samad' to mean: 'He begets not, nor is He begotten', 'And there is none like unto Him'... . Yes, Allah is 'samad' Who is not from anything and is not in anything or on anything; He is the Creator of everything and all are from Him by His Power; what He has created to perish will perish at His Will, and what He has created to remain will remain in His Knowledge. This is Allah; al - Samad (7)
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In the next verse, it rejects the idea of the Christians, the Jews, and the pagan Arabs who declared that Allah had a child or is a father. It says:
He begets not, nor is He begotten
Different from this is the statement of those who believe in Trinity; the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.
Christians know 'Jesus' as the son of God. The Jews believe 'Ezra' ('Uzair) was the son of God: The Jews call 'Uzair a son of God, and the Christians call Christ the son of God. That is a saying from their mouth; (in this) they but imitate what the Unbelievers of old used to say. Allah's curse be on them, how they are deluded away from the Truth!, (Sura Taubah, No. 9, verse 30).
The Arab pagans believed that angels were the daughters of Allah: ...And they falsely having no knowledge, attribute to Him sons and daughters..., (Sura An'am, No. 6, Verse 100).
It Is understood from some of the Islamic narrations that 'begets', in the verse under discussion, has a broader meaning. It negates any material and delicate things emerging from Him, or He, the Sacred Essence, emerging from any material and delicate thing.
In the above mentioned letter of Imam Hosain (p.b.u.h.), to the people of Basrah, about the commentary of the term /samad/, he commented on the current verse, saying: /lam yalid/, i.e. there emitted nothing from Him-neither material things nor a child, nor other things that emit from creatures, nor a delicate thing like a soul.
Nothing appears in Him, such as sleep, imagination, grief, sadness, happiness, laughter, tears, fear and hope, courage and discouragement, hunger and satiety.
Allah is more exalted than that something should emit from Him, or that He begets something material or delicate, nor is He begotten from something material or delicate...Similar to a living creature coming out from another one, or a plant from the earth, water from a spring,fruits from trees, nor the like, emitting delicate things from their sources, such as visionfrom the eye, hearing from the ears, smelling from the nose, tasting from the mouth, speech from the tongue, knowledge and understanding from the heart (insight and soul), and particles of fire from stone.... (8)
According to this tradition, 'begets' conveys a vast meaning, so that it may envelop any emitting things of any kind from anything else, and this is, in fact, the second meaning of the verse whose first and apparent meaning was the meaning that was mentioned in the beginning. Besides, the second meaning, with the anology of the first meaning, is quite adaptable and understandable; since, if Allah has no children, it is because He is aloof from the qualities of material. This meaning is also right for other qualities of matter.
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And there is none like unto Him.
The term /kufw/ originally means 'equal from the point of position and rank', then, it is used for any similarity.
Considering this verse, the Holy Essence of Allah is free from all qualities or obstacles that creatures have, and free from all defects and limitations. This is 'Unity of Attributes' that corresponds with 'Unity of Number'.
Therefore, He is One in Essence, in attributes, and in deeds; and He is unique in every aspect.
Amir-al-Mo'mineen Ali (p.b.u.h.) has said: ...no change can take place in Him and no lessening, diminishing, dwindling, decay and dissipation of His Mighty and Glory is possible, that He is not begotten from anyone nor does He beget anyone...He has no peer and no equal. He can destroy things created by Himself in such a way that they will cease to exist and disappear into nothingness....(9)
This is an interesting commentary because it discusses the narrowest points of Unity. It warns us not to ascribe our qualities and attributes to Allah and, thus, not to create our glorified image as a personal diety.
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Explanation:
The Belief in the Oneness of Allah.
The belief in Allah, as the Creator of the great universe, is the basis of Islam, and the criterion of thought, education, behaviour and action of the Muslim. All the details of the doctrine, nature and life's philosophy, etc., are built on this foundation.
Belief in Allah, in Islam, is based on logical evidence. Islam disapproves of imitation. In this respect, Imam Ali-ib-Abi-Taleb (p.b.u.h.) is quoted to have said:The first step of religion is to accept, understand and realize Him (Allah) and a perfection of understanding lies in conviction and the true way of conviction is to sincerely believe that there is no god but He.... (10)
Islamic doctrine is rooted in the pure belief in the Oneness of Allah,the Glorified, and that there is no one but Him, no one like Him, or opposite to Him, etc. Allah is, also, above human qualities as these are characteristic of mortals. Allah is the Absolute, the Independent, and the Sufficient.
Believing in the Oneness of Allah, can according to Islamic doctrine, be understood from four distinct points:
1. The Belief in the Oneness of Allah in Himself:
Allah, the Glorified, is one Unique in Himself; not one of His creatures is like Him And there is none like unto Him, (Sura Ikhlas, No. 112, verse 4).
It is a fact dictated by sound intellect and scientific reasoning. It is logically accepted that the self of the cause is different from the effect.
It is worth mentioning that the Human in tellect can only perceive that which has an image which Man invokes in his own mind. Allah, the Glorified, is far from being reducible to this, and that is why the mind cannot fathom His Essence. How can Man perceive the Essence of the Divine self while he is unable to discover the truth about the material of the universe, though he can see and feel it and can descnbe it and know its effects. He, still, cannot know its essence, even if he can break it down into its component parts.
How could he perceive the Essence of the Great Creator, while the Qur'an presents this fact: ...yet these (are the men) who (dare to) dispute about Allah, with the strength of His power (supreme)! (Sura Ra'd, No. 13, verse 13).
2. The Belief in the Oneness of Allah in His Attributes:
He alone has the most glorious attributes. He has complete absoluteness in knowledge, power, will, wisdom, independence, etc. He is above all faults, and no one is like Him in His attributes. It is logical that the attributes follow the self, and so the qualities of the sun are different from that of the dust. Likewise, Allah's attributes are different from that of the creatures. This is the meaning of Allah's saying: The most beautiful names belong to Allah: So call on Him by them... (Sura A'raf, No. 7, verse 180), or, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, (Sura Fatiha, No. 1, verse 2). It clarifies that He, alone, possesses the praised attributes. This is the meaning of Allah's saying: Glory to thy Lord, the Lord of Honour and Power! (He is free) from what they ascribe (to Him)!, (Sura Saffat, No. 37, verse 180).
That means that Allah is above any fault the polytheists attribute to Him. The belief in the Oneness of Allah in His attributes cannot be comprehended except after stating the attributes which are truely Allah's. They are called 'the attributes of perfection', like having power, knowledge, will, choice, life, eternity, perpetuity, and wisdom, etc. This entails denying whatever attributes that are not His, like that of imperfection and fault, the need for time and space, doing evil, incarnation, movement, having appendages like hands and legs, etc. These are called 'the attributes of greatness' or 'the negative attributes'.
3. Belief in the Oneness of Allah in His Actions:
It is a self-evident truth that actions are expressions of the self and of attributes. As the hand can by no means act like the mind, due to the natural difference between the two in essence and attributes, and as the wind cannot act like electrical current, so no one can act like Allah, the Glorified. The inventions of Man are merely a process of making good use of the natural laws set by Allah. It is done through the mind which is granted to Man by Allah. Man's role is confined to arranging the particulars according to natural laws.
Allah alone can create, provide Man's provisions, raise up from death, cause to die and resurrect. He can do whatever He wills, for He is the Lord Who can do anything.
None can, other than Allah, affect the creation. None can repeal Allah's Will or do what He does.
