Attributes of God

Man is the most superior creation of God and is a reflection of the divine attributes.

As we know God by His attribute Al-Rahim, man is also capable to show this attribute towards other creations. However, he also can be qahaar, a compelling subduer, as this is also a divine attribute (Al-Qahaar).

However, as I understand, while man can show some divine attributes, he is incapable or partially incapable of showing others.

Man cannot be Al-Samad (a complex attribute meaning The Self Sufficient, The Impregnable,
and The Eternally Besought of All). He has to rely upon food for energy and can never be self sufficient in complete sense.

He cannot be Al-Khaaliq (The Creator). He may have created the wheel but the creation of matter and energy that drives the wheel is not his creation.

He can give food the beggar, but the true source of food is again God (Al-Razaaq- The All Provider), since he grew the food, but did not create it.

The true greatness of Allah is so immense; beyond all attributes we know and beyond every word we have.

As narrated in Quran, when Moses (p.b.u.h) pleaded God to show him a little glimpse of Himself, God remarked 'Lan Tirani', which means 'you are incapable of it'. Upon Moses' insistence, God asked him to come to the Mount of Toor and as He revealed a slight glimpse of his Greatness, Moses was shattered to unconsciousness and upon wakening was too weak to narrate the Greatness of His Glory.

No wonder when Prophet Muhammad went to Mairaj, he remarked to God that he wish to present to him something which even He does not possess. Prophet presented his humility to Allah.

Most certainly His Glory is too Great to be humble. Subhan-Rabiyall-Aala.

Information and Knowledge

I met a wise one recently who in a discussion revealed something that stuck into my mind. According to the signs of the day of judgment, there will be abundance of information in the world and a severe scarcity of knowledge.

Let me explain the difference. Information is what you get searching on google and wikipedia. Knowledge as in Ilm is more related to word of wisdom learned from the sage, gained via Allah mercý or divine revelation and learned from experience also. Information is related more to intellect where knowledge relates to wisdom.

Where information is certainly not a bad thing, it is knowledge which should be our ultimate goal.

A Sufi is not a man of information; rather a man of knowledge.

May the Aalim, or the All-Knower, grants us knoweldge; for He knows all, and we not.