Can God Die?

[Dar]

What is the best way to illustrate to Non-Muslims/Muslims to help them understand that God will not decree something that is not befitting to His Majesty?
like if someone asks: "if God is has power to do anything, can God die?" how would you explain to them that this won't happen?

My attempt to answer the question: i would try to respond with a question of a human example: "can a truly Pious man kill his own mother?" and then i would explain that although the Pious man has the ability to, he will never do such an act.

what do you think?

[umar_italy]

I'd rather take from a few essential points expounded by Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller:

"Classic works of Islamic 'aqida or "tenets of faith" such as al-Matan al-Sanusiyya tell us, "As for what is possible in relation to Allah, it consists of His doing or not doing anything that is possible" (al-Sanusi, Hashiya al-Dasuqi 'ala Umm al-barahin. Cairo n.d. Reprint. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, n.d, 145-46). That is, the omnipotent power of Allah can do anything that is not impossible, meaning either:

(a) intrinsically impossible (mustahil dhati), such as--creating a five-sided triangle--which is a mere confusion of words, and not something in any sense possible, such that we could ask whether Allah could do it;
(b) or else impossible because of Allah having informed us that it shall not occur (mustahil 'aradi), whether He does so in the Qur'an, or through the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) in a mutawatir hadith, meaning one that has reached us through so many means of transmission that it is impossible its transmitters could have all conspired to forge it. This category of the impossible is not impossible to begin with, but becomes so by the revelation from Allah, who is truthful and veracious. For example, it is impossible that Abu Lahab should be of the people of paradise, because the Qur'an tells us he is of the people of hell (Qur'an 111)".

[Evolution and Islam - Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller - http://www.masud.co.uk/ISLAM/nuh/evolve.htm]

Second, Allah’s omnipotent power does not relate to what is “intrinsically impossible” (mustahil dhati), meaning something logically absurd or self-contradictory, such as “creating a square circle” or “a round triangle,” for these are mere jumbles of words that do not mean anything that can possibly exist.

Third, we saw that there is also another class of the impossible, namely things which, while not impossible in themselves (mustahil dhati), become impossible because of Allah’s eternal decision that they are not to be, such as the iman of Abu Lahab, which is negated by Sura al-Masad in the Qur’an. Though intrinsically possible in themselves, such things are termed “contingently impossible” (mustahil ‘aradi), since their impossibility is due to the contingency of Allah’s deciding that they shall never exist, and informing us so in revelation".

[Iman, Kufr and Takfir - Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller - http://shadhilitariqa.com/site/index...d=37&Itemid=20]

[Ansari]

Its a dumb question and you can show this by asking him: Is this wall behind you married or not? It is simply not applicable.

Dumb and foolish.

[Dar]

i guess that should do. jazakallahu khairun

[abdul baset]

Its a dumb question and you can show this by asking him: Is this wall behind you married or not? It is simply not applicable.

Dumb and foolish.

very good answer, this question is intentionally impossible

[abdul baset]

Brothers and sisters, please dont say Allah "can" or "cant" for these type of questions, just answer and recognize that it is intellectually impossible, just like the example brother ansari gave. some questions are also kuffr.

[abdul baset]

Assalamualikum for this question i think the answer is no because he is the All Migthy Allah (S.W.T)!!! Life and death is only for men and the jinn and creatures which allah has created!! We die because we are weak and nothing compared like Allah (S.W.T) and we die because Allah (S.W.T) has created us only for the reason to worship him and follow Prophet Muhamad (S.A.W) and one of the purpose of our existence is to die.
"Everyone is going to taste death, and We shall make a trial of you with evil and good, and to Us you will be returned." (21:35)
So therefore brothers and sisters. This is my opinion on this topic, Death is only applicable to creatures which Allah(S.W.T) has created.
Well correct me if im wrong and may Allah(S.W.T) the Exalted forgive me if im wrong.
Let me quote a verse.

Quran - Sura Al-Baqrah Verse 117 reads
"Originator (is He) of the heavens and the earth; and when He decrees a matter to be, He only says to it ' Be' and it is."..

brother, it is best to just not say yes or no to a stupid question like this. can u say that a wall is stupid or smart? of course that is intellectually impossible, so please dont give a yes or no to these questions and just say the question makes no sense.

[IpodClick]

Okay. Thanks for advicing me brother, im still new.
Hope to learn from you guys.

[abdul baset]

Okay. Thanks for advicing me brother, im still new.
Hope to learn from you guys.

no problem brother, its a pleasure. inshaallah you will learn a lot about islam. may allah guide us all, ameen.