The Attributes of Action.Part2

2. Ibda’ (Originating Uniquely)

Ibda’ means that God Almighty creates without there be anything before to imitate and in a unique, unequalled, and unprecedented way.

▪In place of ibda’, the words ihdath (innovation), ihtira’ (creating out of nothing), i’jad (invention), and sun‘a (making) can be used, although there are slight differences among them.

In fact, all of these words or concepts express different aspects of Takwin (Making Exist).

In several verses such as the following ones, the manifest, noble Qur’an presents to our view God Almighty’s unprecedented origination and calls upon us to notice the beauties of His peerless Art:

The Originator of the heavens and the earth withnothing before to imitate. When He decrees a thing, He does but say to it, “Be!” and it is. (2:117)

The Originator of the heavens and the earth with nothing before Him to imitate. (6:101)

2. Insha’ (Producing)

Literally meaning gathering together certain ingredients or essential components and elements to produce a new thing, Insha‘ is the Attribute of God Almighty Which denotes gathering together certain essential ingredients or components that have already been created to produce something new.

In dozens of explicit verses, the glorious Qur’an reminds us of this mighty reality. For example:

He it is Who produces gardens (and vineyards, and orchards) trellised and untrellised, and date-palms, and crops varying in taste, and olives, and pomegranates, resembling one another and yet so different. (6:141)

He it is Who has made for you (the faculty of) hearing, and eyes, and hearts. (23:78)

He it is Who developed you from a single human self and has appointed for each of you a lodging-place where you will stay permanently, and a place where you will stay temporarily. (6:98)

Say: “He Who produced them in the first instance will give them life (anew).” (36:79)

3. Ihya’ and Imata (Giving Life and Reviving, and Causing to Die)

Both Ihya’, which means granting life, favoring with life, and reviving, and Imata, which means causing to die or dealing with death, are among the Attributes of action of the Giver of life and the One Who causes death. These two Attributes are mentioned in the Qur’an in different verb forms, sometimes together and sometimes separately. Some examples are as follows:

Surely in the creation of the heavens and the earth,and the alternation of night and day, and the vesselssailing in the sea with profit to people, and the waterthat God sends down from the sky, therewithreviving the earth after its death and dispersingtherein all kinds of living creatures, and His disposalof the winds, and the clouds subservient betweenthe sky and earth—surely there are signs(demonstrating that He is the One God deserving worship, and the sole Refuge and Helper) for a people who reason and understand.  (2:164)

God sends down from the sky water and therewith revives the earth after its death. Surely in that there is a sign for people ready to hear (the truth). (16:65)

A clear sign for them (of God’s Oneness and Lordship) is the dead earth: We revive it and bring forth from it grain. (36:33)

And He it is Who causes to die and gives life. (53:44)

How can you disbelieve in God, seeing that you were dead, and He gave you life? Then He causes you to die. Then He will bring you to life again; and then you will be returned to Him. (2:28)

They will say: “Our Lord! You have made us die twice, and given us life twice, so we acknowledge our sins.”(40:11)

Abraham said, “My Lord is He Who gives life and causes to die.”  (2:258)

Surely  it  is  also  We,  We  Who  give  life  and  cause  to  die.(15:23)

God (He alone) gives life and causes to die; and whatever you do, God sees it well. (3:156)