Allah – Almighty God does not need anything from us
In return for all these great favors and kindness Allah – Almighty God does not need anything from us, because He is the Needless and the Independent. He does not ask us to pay Him back, for we cannot reward Him or value His immeasurable favors and mercy. What He commands us to do, however, is only to be good, to be thankful and appreciative, to follow His recommendations and enforce His Law, to be the proper manifestation of His goodness and excellent attributes, to be His honest agents and true representatives on earth. He does not want to enslave us, because He is the One Who grants us dignity and honor. He does not wish to subjugate us, because He is the One Who emancipates us from fear and superstitions.
He does not desire to humiliate us because He is the One Who creates us and exalts our ranks above all other beings. So whatever rules and prescriptions He passes unto us are designed for our own benefit and good. They are meant to help us to enjoy our lives with one another in peace and kindness, in brotherhood and cooperation. They are destined to make us attain His most pleasant company and adopt the surest approach to eternal happiness. There are various ways to know Allah – Almighty God, and there are many things to tell about Him. The great wonders and impressive marvels of the world are like open books in which we can read about
Allah – Almighty God. Besides, Allah – Almighty God Himself comes to our aid through the many messengers and revelations He has sent down to man. These messengers and revelations tell us everything we need to know about Allah – Almighty God. So by reflecting on nature, by hearing the words of the messengers, and by reading the divine revelations we can gain most convincing knowledge about Allah – Almighty God and find the Straight Path to Him. To complete this portion of discussion, some representative verses of the Qur’ an may be rendered as follows: Allah bears witness that there is no Allah – Almighty God but He – and so do the angels and those possessed of knowledge – Maintainer of Justice; there is no Allah – Almighty God but He, the Mighty, the Wise (Qur’ an, 3:19).
Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the Guardian over all things. To Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth (39:63-64). Allah originates Creation; then He repeats it; then to Him shall you be brought back (30:12). To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. All are obedient to Him. It is He Who originates the Creation, then repeats it, for it is most easy for Him. His is the most exalted state in the heavens and the earth. He is the Mighty, the Wise (30:27-28)
The Meaning of Islam
The word Islam is derived from the Arabic root “ SLM” which means, among other things, peace, purity, submission and obedience. In the religious sense the word Islam means submission to the Will of Allah – Almighty God and obedience to His Law. The connection between the original and the religious meanings of the word is strong and obvious. Only through submission to the Will of Allah – Almighty God and by obedience to His Law can one achieve true peace and enjoy lasting purity.
