Allah Can Create Out of Nothing — Essence of Islam Vol. 2

14 Sep, 2026 Essence of Islam 0

Essence of Islam Book Cover by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS)

Introduction

In this discourse from Essence of Islam (Volume 2), Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (AS), the Promised Messiah and Mahdi, expounds upon Allah Can Create Out of Nothing, presenting profound spiritual insights and scriptural verities.

Book Series: Essence of Islam (Volume 2)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (AS)
Section: Part 15: The Soul
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manner can in no wise be His. No righteous and decent person takes possession of that which is not his, then how did the Permeshwar of the Aryas take possession of that to which he had no right? How hateful and inconsistent with truth is the doctrine which deprives the Lord and Master of the universe of His creation and bereaves Him of the true reality of Godhood.
[Surmah Chashm Arya, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, pp. 144-146]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 2, p. 385]

Some Arya Samajists seek to support the notion of the souls being uncreated and their own gods with the argument that if souls were not existent at one time and came into existence by being created by God Almighty, this would mean creation out of non-existence and creation out of nothing is so incomprehensible a phenomenon that no sensible person can accept it. I would point out that people afflicted with false and defective reason do not believe even in God Almighty Himself, but a person possessing sane reason who believes in God is bound to believe in all His attributes which are the basis of His Godhead. He who believes in the essential attributes of God Almighty, that He is All-Powerful Whose power is subject to no limitation, will not dare to seek to measure His Power with his own defective reason and will not impose any limitation upon the powers of the Infinite God. Moreover, when a wise person perceives that God Almighty is in His Being comprehensive of the greatest wonders and is exalted beyond imagination, Who sees without eyes, hears without ears, speaks without a tongue, and without the help of builders, labourers, carpenters, instruments of architecture, and stores of bricks and stones, etc., can create heaven and earth in one moment by His mere design and order, he would have no hesitation in believing that such an AllPowerful God can create out of nothing. That is Godhood and that is why He is called Almighty, All-Powerful and Master of unlimited capacities. If His works were to be dependent, like the works of man, upon means, resources, and time, then what would be His Godhood and how would it operate? Are not all His works beyond the reach of reason? Are not His wonders such that human reason falls short of them? Then what kind of stupidity is it to take exception to that which is the basis and reality of His Godhood. What kind of Permeshwar would he be who should command that which he designs: ‘Be’, and nothing should happen. God is the name of that Possessor of wonderful powers Whose design accomplishes everything. When He commands that which He designs: ‘Be’, it comes into being at once by virtue of His perfect Power. It is a most subtle mystery that the entire creation are the words of God. When the Christians out of their stupidity began to affirm that Jesus was a word of God, that is to say his soul was a Divine word which had taken the shape of his soul, God Almighty affirmed the truth that there is no soul that is not the word of God and has not come into being by the mere command of God. This is indicated by: 163

That the word of God became manifest in the shape of souls and other creation is a subtle Divine mystery which no human reason can penetrate. It has been revealed by 163 ‘Say: The soul is by the command of my Lord.’—Bani Isra’il, 17:86 [Publisher] the Divine Light of God’s Holy Word. If it is not believed that God Almighty manifests souls and bodies by His word and command it would have to be acknowledged that unless souls and bodies become available from outside, Permeshwar can do nothing. But can Permeshwar be such a bankrupt and empty handed being, the whole of whose godhood is dependent upon a chance occurrence? If such is Permeshwar all hope is vain and it would be a source of danger to rely on him.
[Surmah Chashm Arya, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 2, pp. 163-165]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 2, p. 385]

The Holy Qur’an affirms that souls are not selfexistent and uncreated. They are created through a special union between two kinds of seminal seeds, and in the case of the smaller insects through only one type of matter. This is the truth which is confirmed by observation and which brooks no contradiction. It is folly to deny perceptible realities. When we say that the soul comes into being out of nothing it does not mean that before its coming into being it was nothing. It means that there was no pre-existing matter out of which man could extract the soul by his own power, and that Divine power and wisdom alone produce the soul out of some matter. This is why when the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) was asked: What is the soul?, he was commanded by God to respond that the soul has been created by the command of my Lord. The verse of the Holy Qur’an pertaining to it is:

وَيَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلرُّوحِ ۖ قُلِ ٱلرُّوحُ مِنۡ أَمۡرِ رَبِّي وَمَآ أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ ٱلۡعِلۡمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا

“And they ask thee concerning the soul. Say, ‘The soul is by the command of my Lord; and of the knowledge thereof you have been given but a little.’” (Surah Bani Isra’il, 17:86)

That is they enquire of thee what is soul and how is it
[Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 23, pp. 158-160]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 2, p. 387]

165

I enquired from the human souls, “Am I not your Lord?” and they responded: “Yes, indeed.” This means that the human soul bears inherent testimony that God is its Creator. Thus the soul naturally loves its Creator as it has been created by Him.
This is also indicated in another verse where Allah the Exalted says:

فَأَقِمۡ وَجۡهَكَ لِلدِّينِ حَنِيفٗا ۚ فِطۡرَتَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّتِي فَطَرَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَيۡهَا ۚ لَا تَبۡدِيلَ لِخَلۡقِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلۡقَيِّمُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ

“So set thy face to the service of religion as one devoted to God. And follow the nature made by Allah — the nature in which He has created mankind. There is no altering the creation of Allah. That is the right religion. But most men know not.” (Surah Al-Rum, 30:31)

It is part of human nature for the soul to yearn for the One and Only God Who has no partner and not to content without communion with Him. In other words, God has invested the human soul with the yearning that it can find no comfort or serenity except in its meeting with God. Thus if the human soul is invested with this desire it must
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 2]
[Essence of Islam, Vol. 2, p. 388]

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