Attributes of God
Senior 2 · Religion and Ethics
Attributes of God
Lesson 1 of 5
15 min
Think about how you describe someone you trust. You might say: "My grandmother is patient, honest and generous." Words such as patient, honest and generous describe what a person is like. Christians and Muslims use words in the same way when they speak about God.
Long before Christianity and Islam reached Rwanda, Rwandans believed in one supreme God, Imana, whom they also called Rurema, "the Creator". Today most Rwandans are Christians, and a smaller number are Muslims. In this unit you will study what both faiths teach about the qualities of God, side by side, and how believers try to live by them.
Both faiths teach that people cannot see God directly. They come to know what God is like in three main ways:
Christians learn about God's attributes from the whole Bible. One short verse sums up a central attribute:
"He who doesn’t love doesn’t know God, for God is love." (1 John 4:8)
Christians believe that the one God exists as three persons: the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ) and the Holy Spirit. This belief is called the Trinity. You will study it more closely in the next lesson.
Muslims learn God's attributes through the Most Beautiful Names of Allah, in Arabic al-Asma' al-Husna. By tradition there are 99 of them, for example ar-Rahman (the Beneficent), ar-Rahim (the Merciful) and al-Khaliq (the Creator). Allah is the Arabic word for God. The Qur'an says:
"He is Allah, the Creator, the Shaper out of naught, the Fashioner. His are the most beautiful names." (Qur'an 59:24)
Shaper out of naught means the One who makes things out of nothing. Fashioner means the One who gives each thing its form.
Question: Explain two reasons why it is important for a believer to know the attributes of God. (4 marks)
Model answer: First, knowing that God is merciful gives a believer hope. When Mutoni falls ill before her exams, she can pray with confidence instead of giving up (reason + example = 2 marks). Second, God's attributes guide behaviour. Because Christians and Muslims believe that God is just, they are called to treat others fairly, for example by refusing to cheat customers at the market (reason + example = 2 marks).
Notice the pattern: state the reason, then support it with an example. A point earns its marks only when it is explained.
Tip
Exam technique. Remember S-C-P for how God is known (Scripture, Creation, Prophets) and T-W-G-U for why it matters (Trust, Worship, Guidance, Understanding). When you describe a belief, always say whose it is: "Christians believe…" or "Muslims believe…".
Answer in your exercise book first, then check.
Define "attribute of God".
Answer: a quality that believers say belongs to God and describes what God is like, for example being merciful or all-powerful.
Name the three main ways in which Christians and Muslims believe people come to know God.
Answer: through scripture (the Bible or the Qur'an), through creation, and through prophets and teachers (for Christians, above all Jesus Christ; for Muslims, the prophets ending with Muhammad).
What are al-Asma' al-Husna, and how many are there by tradition?
Answer: the Most Beautiful Names of Allah, which describe his attributes. By tradition there are 99.
What did Rwandans call God before Christianity and Islam arrived, and what does "Rurema" mean?
Answer: Imana. Rurema means "the Creator".
Umutoni says: "If God is just, why should I be honest when other people cheat?" How could a Christian or a Muslim answer her?
Model answer: believers try to reflect God's qualities in their own lives. Because God is just, a believer should be fair and honest even when others are not. Other people's cheating does not change what is right, and both faiths teach that each person will answer to God for his or her own actions.
Remember
Sources and credits
