Allah: One,
and like nothing

Written from the Qur'an (our English renderings, marked for a scholar's check) and the hadith collections. A Muslim scholar checks this page before it goes public.

One

The heart of Islam is tawḥīd, the oneness of God. Allah is One, the Creator of everything, and needs nothing; everything else needs Him. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon him) called these four lines equal to a third of the Qur'an. Read them line by line →

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Like nothing, yet near

“The Creator of the heavens and the earth. He hath made for you pairs of yourselves, and of the cattle also pairs, whereby He multiplieth you. Naught is as His likeness; and He is the Hearer, the Seer.” (42:11, Pickthall). In one breath: utterly unlike us, and still hearing and seeing us. And: “And when My servants question thee concerning Me, then surely I am nigh. I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he crieth unto Me. So let them hear My call and let them trust in Me, in order that they may be led aright.” (2:186, Pickthall). That is why there is no picture of God in Islam, and why Muslims speak to God directly, with no one in between.

Known by His Names

“Allah's are the fairest names. Invoke Him by them. And leave the company of those who blaspheme His names. They will be requited what they do.” (7:180, Pickthall). Muslims know God through His Names: ar-Raḥmān, the Entirely Merciful; al-Wadūd, the Loving; an-Nūr, the Light; al-Mujīb, the One who answers. Meet all 99 →

Mercy first

Every chapter of the Qur'an but one opens “In the name of God, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.” “And ordain for us in this world that which is good, and in the Hereafter (that which is good), Lo! We have turned unto Thee. He said: I smite with My punishment whom I will, and My mercy embraceth all things, therefore I shall ordain it for those who ward off (evil) and pay the poor-due, and those who believe Our revelations.” (7:156, Pickthall). The Prophet (peace be upon him) said God divided mercy into a hundred parts and sent one down: by that one part a mare lifts her hoof away from her foal (Bukhari 6000).

How Muslims turn to God

Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Mary

Muslims believe in all the prophets God sent: Abraham, Moses, Jesus (peace be upon them) and many more, with Muhammad ﷺ the last. Jesus is honoured as the Messiah, born of the Virgin Mary (peace be upon her), who has a whole chapter of the Qur'an named after her. Muslims do not worship Muhammad or any prophet: they worship God alone.

Why Arabic?

The Qur'an was revealed in Arabic, so Muslims everywhere pray in Arabic and call God Allah, whatever their own language. In everyday speech many also use their own word: Khudā in Persian and Urdu, Tanrı in Turkish, Yàlla in Wolof. See Allah around the world.