Is Allah merely a void or nothingness, given that He is transcendent beyond having matter or form?
One must believe that Allah Almighty has a real, existent essence, characterized by attributes of perfection, such as life, knowledge, hearing, and sight. He is far removed from being a void or nothingness. Nevertheless, it is not permissible to imagine a form for Allah Almighty, because He does not resemble anything in His creation, and no one can conceive of His essence or attributes, as Al-Tahawi said: "Imaginations cannot reach Him, nor can understandings comprehend Him, nor does He resemble creation." It should not be said that Allah is a body or matter, neither affirmatively nor negatively, as this has not been transmitted. It is obligatory to believe that Allah is far removed from resembling creation, and that "there is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing." One should avert the mind from contemplating His essence, turn away from evil whispers, seek refuge in Allah from them, and say, "I believe in Allah and His Messengers" when the devil whispers, as narrated in the of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her).
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 710
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy