Conceptualisation of Allah

roosh

hey guys. I'm just wondering, I have it in my head that Islam forbids the conceptual represntation of Allah. Is this true?

If not forbids, do the teachings say that it shouldn't be done?

I know there are 99(is it?) names associated with Allah, but is there guidance on the conceptualisation of Allah?

hivizman

mangaroosh wrote: »

hey guys. I'm just wondering, I have it in my head that Islam forbids the conceptual represntation of Allah. Is this true?

If not forbids, do the teachings say that it shouldn't be done?

I know there are 99(is it?) names associated with Allah, but is there guidance on the conceptualisation of Allah?

I'm away from home at the moment and hence don't have access to my library of Islamic material. However, as a quick response, Muslims certainly have to "conceptualise" Allah in order to talk about Allah, but Allah is considered to be transcendent and hence we struggle to talk about Allah using the terms of human language. The Qur'an identifies many attributes for Allah (often listed as the "99 beautiful names"), and many of these are attributes that can be predicated of humans, but Allah is considered to "have" these attributes in a way far beyond any human, and humans only "have" these attributes through the will and permission of Allah.

For example, we can describe a human individual as "compassionate" and "merciful", but this is of an entirely different order from describing Allah as "The Compassionate, The Merciful" (a translation of "Al Rahman, Al Rahim", two of the most commonly occurring "beautiful names" in the Qur'an).

What I think you may be getting at is a prohibition on physical representations of Allah. As Allah is considered to transcend space and time, any attempt to represent Allah within space and time, for example through painting or sculpture, is considered to reduce Allah from the transcendent to the mundane, and hence is in effect blasphemous.

If I get the chance over the weekend, I'll explore this issue in more detail.

hivizman

Another reason why Muslims consider portrayals of Allah to be prohibited is the detestation of idolatry. At the time of Muhammad, most of the Arab tribes worshipped idols - the Ka'aba in Mecca reputedly contained some 360 idols, and there were also traditions of "holy rocks" and "holy trees". Islam is a strictly monotheistic religion, and teaches that humanity should worship Allah alone, directly rather than through intermediaries. Praying to an idol would represent shirk - associating partners with Allah - which is the worst sin that can be committed according to Islam.

When Muhammad returned to Mecca after his emigration to Medina, he is reported to have entered the Ka'aba and destroyed all the idols (there is a nice story that one of the items that he found was an icon of Mary and Jesus, which was the one thing that Muhammad did not destroy, instead giving it to some Christians resident in Mecca). One of the activities associated with the Wahhabi (followers of Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, the eighteenth century Arab Muslim scholar) is the destruction of graves and tombs, which they consider as temptations to idolatry since Muslims often prayed at graves and tombs and sought the intercession of those buried there. Indeed, some extreme adherents to this sect even wanted to destroy the Prophet's tomb in Medina because they were afraid that visitors might pray to Muhammad rather than to Allah, and hence commit shirk.

Hence, if physical representations of Allah were made, there would be the danger that some Muslims might mistake the representation for the reality and pray to the image rather than to Allah.

roosh

thanks a million for that hivizman. it was the physical representations that I was referring to.

just wondering, is there anything in Islam about Allah representing the true nature of all entities, and being our own true/fundamental nature?

hivizman

mangaroosh wrote: »

Just wondering, is there anything in Islam about Allah representing the true nature of all entities, and being our own true/fundamental nature?

This is rather mystical, and it sounds like something that could be believed by Sufis, rather than being part of mainstream Islam. I'll do some reading and see what I can find.

roosh

hivizman wrote: »

This is rather mystical, and it sounds like something that could be believed by Sufis, rather than being part of mainstream Islam. I'll do some reading and see what I can find.

I was thinking it would have been more Sufism alright, as I've heard it mentioned a number of times.

There's no need to go to any trouble though, but any information would be very much appreciated.