Muslims – Is God a Physical or Spiritual Being?

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Augustine3

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I got conflicting explanations from my Muslims friends so I wanted to ask the same question here.

I understand Muslims believe God’s throne is located from a very great distance from earth, however it is a physical throne which begs the question do Muslims believe God is a physical or spiritual being?
 
Well, in a sense, Allah’s throne is a great distance from earth in the sense that it’s in an entirely different realm. 😛

His throne is a physical throne? that’s not anything I’ve ever heard. There is a famous Qur’anic verse called Ayat al-Kursi, which I think is relevant: “Allah! There is no god but He - the Living, The Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him Nor Sleep. His are all things In the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede In His presence except As he permitteth? He knoweth What (appeareth to His creatures As) Before or After or Behind them. Nor shall they compass Aught of his knowledge Except as He willeth. His throne doth extend Over the heavens And on earth, and He feeleth No fatigue in guarding And preserving them, For He is the Most High. The Supreme (in glory)”.

Other verses, like surah 7:54 and 10:3, make it clear that His “throne” is a metaphor for His Sovereignty over the Heavens and the earth. His throne is not a chair in outer space. We’re not mormons-- we don’t believe God is an alien in a far-off galaxy. Also, in surah 112, it’s clear in saying the He’s not made up of matter, because it says in verse 2 that Allah is eternal and, in verse 4, that there is nothing similar to Him.

He’s not made of matter-- He created matter. As for your other question, “is He a spiritual being?”, it depends on what you mean by that. If by that you mean to ask if He’s a being who is not made of physical matter, then yes. If however, you mean to ask if He is literally a spirit, then the answer is no. Spirits are created things and since Allah is uncreated, He’s not a spirit.
 
As drac16 said, what is your definition of spiritual? Because God is not a created spirit. And He definitely isn’t a physical being made of created matter. In fact, it was been said that no vision can perceive His Divine Visage, no mind can comprehend His Absolute Awesomeness. He is beyond the human definitions of physicality and spirituality.
 
drac16 said:
Well, in a sense, Allah’s throne is a great distance from earth in the sense that it’s in an entirely different realm. 😛

His throne is a physical throne? that’s not anything I’ve ever heard. There is a famous Qur’anic verse called Ayat al-Kursi, which I think is relevant: “Allah! There is no god but He - the Living, The Self-subsisting, Eternal. No slumber can seize Him Nor Sleep. His are all things In the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede In His presence except As he permitteth? He knoweth What (appeareth to His creatures As) Before or After or Behind them. Nor shall they compass Aught of his knowledge Except as He willeth. His throne doth extend Over the heavens And on earth, and He feeleth No fatigue in guarding And preserving them, For He is the Most High. The Supreme (in glory)”.

Other verses, like surah 7:54 and 10:3, make it clear that His “throne” is a metaphor for His Sovereignty over the Heavens and the earth. His throne is not a chair in outer space. We’re not mormons-- we don’t believe God is an alien in a far-off galaxy. Also, in surah 112, it’s clear in saying the He’s not made up of matter, because it says in verse 2 that Allah is eternal and, in verse 4, that there is nothing similar to Him.

He’s not made of matter-- He created matter. As for your other question, “is He a spiritual being?”, it depends on what you mean by that. If by that you mean to ask if He’s a being who is not made of physical matter, then yes. If however, you mean to ask if He is literally a spirit, then the answer is no. Spirits are created things and since Allah is uncreated, He’s not a spirit.
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And in what sense is G-d a Being according to the definition of being?
 
Muslim’s believe that God is the divine being. “Allah” is the Arabic word for “God”.
 
meltzerboy said:
And in what sense is G-d a Being according to the definition of being?
Click to expand...
He’s something that exists, but His existence is unlike anything else. He’s not dependent on anything-- He’s self-sufficient. Everything depends on Him, but He depends on nothing.
 
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