Who is Allah? And Who Created God? The Islamic Perspective

The search for God is the most profound journey a human being can undertake. In Islam, the concept of the Creator is crystal clear, perfectly logical, and deeply spiritual.

When non-Muslims or those exploring faith look into Islam, two questions almost always arise: "Who is Allah?" and the age-old philosophical puzzle, "Who created God?"

This article provides the definitive Islamic answers to these fundamental questions of existence.

Who is Allah?

In Arabic, the word Allah is not just a generic name; it is a unique term that means "The One and Only God who is worthy of worship." It is the exact same God worshipped by Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus (peace be upon them all). Arab Christians and Arab Jews also use the word "Allah" for God.

The most concise and powerful definition of Allah is found in Surah Al-Ikhlas (Chapter 112) of the Quran:

"Say, 'He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. [The Self-Sufficient Master, whom all creatures need] He neither begets nor is born, Nor is there to Him any equivalent.'"

The Attributes of Allah

Islam teaches that Allah is completely distinct from His creation. He has no physical body, no gender, and no limits. He is:

• Al-Khaliq: The Creator of all things from nothing.
• Al-Alim: The All-Knowing; nothing is hidden from Him.
• Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim: The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. (His mercy precedes His wrath).
• Al-Qayyum: The Self-Sustaining. He does not sleep, tire, or require rest.

The Big Question: Who Created God?

This is a classic question asked by atheists and curious minds alike. If everything has a creator, then who created the Creator?

The Islamic and logical answer is simple: The question itself is a logical fallacy.

The Logic of the Uncreated Creator

Imagine a train with many cars. The last car is pulled by the car in front of it. That car is pulled by the one in front of it. If you keep asking, "what is pulling this car?" you must eventually reach an engine. If the engine itself needed something to pull it, the train would never move.

Similarly, in the chain of cause and effect in our universe, if every creator needed a creator, there would be an infinite regression, and nothing would have ever been created. We exist, which means the chain of creation must have started somewhere.

Therefore, there must be a First Cause—an Uncreated Creator who exists outside of time, space, and matter, because He created time, space, and matter. In Islam, this Uncreated Creator is Allah.

Asking "Who created God?" is like asking "When was time created?" or "What does a triangle smell like?" The rules of the created universe (cause and effect, birth, death) do not apply to the Creator.

As the Quran states: "He is the First and the Last, the Ascendant and the Intimate, and He is, of all things, Knowing." (Quran 57:3).

Where is God in Islam?

Unlike pantheistic religions that believe God is "everywhere" or physically inside His creation, Islam teaches that Allah is distinct and separate from His creation.

Allah is established upon His Throne (Arsh) above the seven heavens, beyond the physical universe. However, His knowledge, sight, hearing, and power encompass everything. He is closer to us in His knowledge than our own jugular vein.

"And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein." — Quran 50:16

Knowing Allah Brings Peace

The Islamic understanding of Allah brings profound peace to the human mind. There is no confusion about a God who is part human, no complex trinity to decipher, and no anthropomorphic deities who make mistakes or feel fatigue.

There is only the One, Perfect Creator. To know Him is to love Him, and to worship Him is to fulfill the very purpose of human existence.

"Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured." (Quran 13:28)