Prophets have stated some of the divine attributes of God.

Prophets have stated some of the divine attributes of God. Prophet Abraham said, “My Lord is He who gives life and causes death” (2:258). When confronting Pharaoh, Moses said, “Our Lord is He Who gave each thing its form and nature then guided it aright” (20:50). The two verses describe God in His relation to human beings; however, God's being extends far beyond His relation to humankind.

Imam Ali described God in the following manner: He who assigns to Him different conditions does not believe in His oneness, nor does he who likens Him grasp His reality. He who illustrates Him does not signify Him; he who points at Him and imagines Him does not mean Him. Everything that is known through itself has been created, and everything that exists by virtue of other things is the effect of a cause.

He works but, not with the help of instruments; He fixes measures, but not with the activities of thinking; He is rich, but not by acquisition. Time does not keep company with Him, and implements do not help Him. His being precedes time, His existence precedes non-existence, and His eternity precedes beginning. By His creating the senses, it is known that He has no senses.

By the contraries in various matters, it is known that He has no contrary, and by the similarity between things it is known that there is nothing similar to Him. He has made light the contrary of darkness, brightness that of gloom, dryness that of moisture, and heat that of cold. He produces affection among inimical things…He is not confined by limits nor counted by numbers.

Material parts can surround things of their own kind, and organs can point out things similar to themselves…Through them, the Creator manifests Himself to the intelligence, and through them He is guarded from the sight of the eyes…He has not begotten anyone lest He be regarded as having been born. He has not been begotten; otherwise, He would be contained within limits.

He is too high to have sons…Understanding cannot think of Him so as to give Him shape… [^2] God expresses His own eternity and perpetuity in the Quran when He states that, “Every thing on earth shall perish, but the face of Allah will remain, full of majesty and honor” (55:26-27). The 99 Names of Allah And to Allah belong the most beautiful names, so call on Him by them (7:180).

Islamic tradition states that God has many different names representing different aspects of His being; ninety-nine are known commonly among Muslims.