Knowing and Worshipping the Creator
How do Muslims come to know God, and what does worship mean?
Explore how the Qur'an invites people to know God through creation, through His names and through a close, personal relationship, and how worship grows out of that knowledge.
Why it matters
For many people, 'God' is an abstract idea, either distant or difficult to imagine. Islamic teaching presents God as both utterly beyond comparison and remarkably close: closer to a person than their own jugular vein (50:16).
This lesson explores how the Qur'an invites people to know their Creator, and why, in Islam, worship begins with knowing.
The teaching
Knowing God through creation
The Qur'an repeatedly points to the natural world as a set of 'signs' (ayat). It calls on people to worship the Lord 'who created you and those before you', who made the earth a resting place and sends down rain that brings forth fruit (2:21–22).
It also promises: 'We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves' (41:53). Both the vastness of the universe and the inner world of the human being are presented as pointing to their Creator.
Knowing God through His names
'To Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them' (7:180). The final verses of Surah Al-Hashr list several: the Entirely Merciful, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Creator, the Inventor, the Fashioner, the Exalted in Might, the Wise (59:22–24).
The Prophet said that God has ninety-nine names, and that whoever 'knows them' will enter Paradise (Sahih al-Bukhari 2736). Scholars explain this as understanding the names and letting them shape one's life: knowing that God is the Most Merciful encourages hope, and knowing He is the All-Seeing encourages honesty.
At the same time, 'There is nothing like unto Him' (42:11). The names describe God truly, but God is not like anything in creation.
A close and responsive relationship
'When My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me' (2:186). In Islam, a person may speak to God directly at any time, in any language, without an intermediary. This personal prayer is called du'a.
A hadith qudsi describes God's generous response to those who turn to Him: 'if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him… and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running' (Sahih al-Bukhari 7405). Scholars understand this as an image of God's readiness to respond, not as physical movement.
Worship with awareness: ihsan
When the angel Gabriel asked the Prophet about ihsan (excellence), he answered: 'To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you' (Sahih al-Bukhari 50).
This transforms worship from a routine into a relationship. It also extends beyond prayer: someone who works, speaks and treats others with the awareness that God sees them is practising ihsan in daily life.
From the Qur'an
Each passage shows the Arabic text, an attributed English translation, and our explanatory note, kept visually separate.
Arabic text
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱعۡبُدُواْ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَكُمۡ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ21 ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ فِرَٰشٗا وَٱلسَّمَآءَ بِنَآءٗ وَأَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءٗ فَأَخۡرَجَ بِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ رِزۡقٗا لَّكُمۡۖ فَلَا تَجۡعَلُواْ لِلَّهِ أَندَادٗا وَأَنتُمۡ تَعۡلَمُونَ22
Translation · Saheeh International
21O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous
22[He] who made for you the earth a bed [spread out] and the sky a ceiling and sent down from the sky, rain and brought forth thereby fruits as provision for you. So do not attribute to Allah equals while you know [that there is nothing similar to Him]
Explanatory note (our words, not part of the Qur'an)
An address to all humanity: worship the Lord who created you and provides for you.
Arabic text
سَنُرِيهِمۡ ءَايَٰتِنَا فِي ٱلۡأٓفَاقِ وَفِيٓ أَنفُسِهِمۡ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمۡ أَنَّهُ ٱلۡحَقُّۗ أَوَلَمۡ يَكۡفِ بِرَبِّكَ أَنَّهُۥ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ شَهِيدٌ53
Translation · Saheeh International
53We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth. But is it not sufficient concerning your Lord that He is, over all things, a Witness
Explanatory note (our words, not part of the Qur'an)
Signs of God are found both in the wider universe and within human beings themselves.
Arabic text
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِي لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَۖ عَٰلِمُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِۖ هُوَ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ22 هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِي لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلۡمَلِكُ ٱلۡقُدُّوسُ ٱلسَّلَٰمُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُ ٱلۡمُهَيۡمِنُ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡجَبَّارُ ٱلۡمُتَكَبِّرُۚ سُبۡحَٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشۡرِكُونَ23 هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡخَٰلِقُ ٱلۡبَارِئُ ٱلۡمُصَوِّرُۖ لَهُ ٱلۡأَسۡمَآءُ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰۚ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُۥ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ24
Translation · Saheeh International
22He is Allah, other than whom there is no deity, Knower of the unseen and the witnessed. He is the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful
23He is Allah, other than whom there is no deity, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Perfection, the Bestower of Faith, the Overseer, the Exalted in Might, the Compeller, the Superior. Exalted is Allah above whatever they associate with Him
24He is Allah, the Creator, the Inventor, the Fashioner; to Him belong the best names. Whatever is in the heavens and earth is exalting Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise
Explanatory note (our words, not part of the Qur'an)
Some of the 'most beautiful names' of God, listed together at the close of Surah Al-Hashr.
Arabic text
فَاطِرُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنۡ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَزۡوَٰجٗا وَمِنَ ٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ أَزۡوَٰجٗا يَذۡرَؤُكُمۡ فِيهِۚ لَيۡسَ كَمِثۡلِهِۦ شَيۡءٞۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡبَصِيرُ11
Translation · Saheeh International
11[He is] Creator of the heavens and the earth. He has made for you from yourselves, mates, and among the cattle, mates; He multiplies you thereby. There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing
Explanatory note (our words, not part of the Qur'an)
'There is nothing like unto Him': God's names are real descriptions, but God is beyond comparison with creation.
Arabic text
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌۖ أُجِيبُ دَعۡوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِۖ فَلۡيَسۡتَجِيبُواْ لِي وَلۡيُؤۡمِنُواْ بِي لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡشُدُونَ186
Translation · Saheeh International
186And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided
Explanatory note (our words, not part of the Qur'an)
God is near and responds to those who call on Him. This verse is the basis of personal prayer (du'a).
From the hadith
Hadith are reports of the Prophet Muhammad's words and actions. Each one below shows its collection, reference number and grading, with the authority that graded it.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah has ninety-nine names, i.e. one-hundred minus one, and whoever knows them will go to Paradise.
Why it matters here
Learning God's names, and living by their meaning, is praised.
Source, grading and translation details
- Collection
- Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 2736 (Book 54, Hadith 23)
- Numbering
- Muhammad Fu'ad 'Abd al-Baqi numbering, as used on sunnah.com
- Grade
- Sahih: Included in Sahih al-Bukhari, a collection accepted as authentic (sahih) by Sunni hadith scholarship
- Translation
- Muhammad Muhsin Khan (English translation as published on sunnah.com)
- Checked
- sunnah.com English dataset (offline copy in the `hadith` npm package v1.3.0): wording, number, in-book reference and grade, on 2026-10-09
- Editorial note
- 'Knows them' translates the Arabic ahsaha, which scholars explain as learning, understanding and living by the names, not merely memorising a list.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah says: 'I am just as My slave thinks I am, (i.e. I am able to do for him what he thinks I can do for him) and I am with him if He remembers Me. If he remembers Me in himself, I too, remember him in Myself; and if he remembers Me in a group of people, I remember him in a group that is better than they; and if he comes one span nearer to Me, I go one cubit nearer to him; and if he comes one cubit nearer to Me, I go a distance of two outstretched arms nearer to him; and if he comes to Me walking, I go to him running.' "
Why it matters here
God responds generously to anyone who turns towards Him.
Source, grading and translation details
- Collection
- Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 7405 (Book 97, Hadith 34)
- Numbering
- Muhammad Fu'ad 'Abd al-Baqi numbering, as used on sunnah.com
- Grade
- Sahih: Included in Sahih al-Bukhari, a collection accepted as authentic (sahih) by Sunni hadith scholarship
- Translation
- Muhammad Muhsin Khan (English translation as published on sunnah.com)
- Checked
- sunnah.com English dataset (offline copy in the `hadith` npm package v1.3.0): wording, number, in-book reference and grade, on 2026-10-09
- Editorial note
- This is a hadith qudsi: words the Prophet attributed to God, which are distinct from the Qur'an. The bracketed explanation was added by the translator. Scholars understand the images of 'walking' and 'running' as describing God's generous response, not physical movement.
Narrated Abu Huraira:
Then he further asked, "What is Ihsan (perfection)?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) replied, "To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you."
Why it matters here
Ihsan: worshipping with constant awareness of God.
Source, grading and translation details
- Collection
- Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 50 (Book 2, Hadith 43)
- Numbering
- Muhammad Fu'ad 'Abd al-Baqi numbering, as used on sunnah.com
- Grade
- Sahih: Included in Sahih al-Bukhari, a collection accepted as authentic (sahih) by Sunni hadith scholarship
- Translation
- Muhammad Muhsin Khan (English translation as published on sunnah.com)
- Checked
- sunnah.com English dataset (offline copy in the `hadith` npm package v1.3.0): wording, number, in-book reference and grade, on 2026-10-09
- Editorial note
- This is an excerpt from the well-known 'hadith of Gabriel', in which the angel asks the Prophet about faith (iman), Islam and excellence (ihsan).
Context and key terms
Arabic terms in this lesson (5)
Allah
الله
God
The Arabic word for the one God. Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews also use it. Muslims use it to refer to the Creator, who has no partner or equal.
Tawhid
توحيد
Affirming God's oneness
The central belief of Islam: that God is one, unique and without partner, and that worship is for God alone.
'Ibadah
عبادة
Worship; devoted service
Worship in a broad sense. It includes formal rituals such as prayer, and any good action done sincerely for God's sake, such as honest work or caring for others.
Du'a
دعاء
Supplication; personal prayer
Calling on God in one's own words, at any time and in any language.
Ihsan
إحسان
Excellence; doing good beautifully
Going beyond the minimum: doing things well, with care and kindness, as though conscious that God sees you.
Why the Qur'an says 'We' for God
In verses such as 50:16, God speaks as 'We'. In Arabic this is the plural of majesty, a way for a sovereign to refer to themselves; it does not indicate more than one God. Surah Al-Ikhlas states God's oneness directly.
Is there a fixed list of the ninety-nine names?
Sahih al-Bukhari 2736 mentions the number but does not list the names. Well-known lists come from other narrations, which hadith scholars have assessed differently, and scholars have compiled names from the Qur'an and Sunnah. The names quoted in this lesson come directly from the Qur'an.
Go deeper: Knowledge before worship
Classical scholars often taught that knowledge comes before action. Imam al-Bukhari titled a chapter of his Sahih 'Knowledge precedes speech and action', citing Qur'an 47:19, which begins 'So know, [O Muhammad], that there is no deity except Allah'. In this view, learning about God is itself an act of worship and the foundation for the rest.
Everyday example
Illustrative story (fictional)
Hassan's evening walk
Hassan, a software developer, felt that his prayers had become mechanical. A friend suggested he spend ten minutes each evening reflecting on one of God's names from Surah Al-Hashr.
On the evening he reflected on 'the Fashioner', he noticed the shapes of the trees and the faces of his children differently. On the evening of 'the Most Merciful', he called his brother, with whom he had argued. His prayers did not get longer, but they started to feel like conversations.
Knowing God's names makes worship personal, and makes it reach into the rest of life.
Activity
Sorting activity
What does the Qur'an say about God?
Sort each statement according to whether it matches what the verses in this lesson say.
0 of 5 sorted
Knowledge check
Answer each question to see an explanation. You can retry as many times as you like; nothing is graded.
Reflection
Try it in practice
One name a day
- 1Choose one name of God from Surah Al-Hashr (59:22–24).
- 2Notice during the day where you see something connected to its meaning.
- 3In the evening, make a short personal prayer (du'a) using that name.
This is also available as an optional daily practice: Reflect on one verse.
Sources and further reading
Primary sources cited
- Qur'an 2:21–22 (Surah Al-Baqarah). Arabic: King Fahd Complex Uthmani text; translation: Saheeh International.
- Qur'an 41:53 (Surah Fussilat). Arabic: King Fahd Complex Uthmani text; translation: Saheeh International.
- Qur'an 59:22–24 (Surah Al-Hashr). Arabic: King Fahd Complex Uthmani text; translation: Saheeh International.
- Qur'an 42:11 (Surah Ash-Shuraa). Arabic: King Fahd Complex Uthmani text; translation: Saheeh International.
- Qur'an 2:186 (Surah Al-Baqarah). Arabic: King Fahd Complex Uthmani text; translation: Saheeh International.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 2736, graded Sahih (Sahih collection). Sunnah.com (opens in a new tab)
- Sahih al-Bukhari 7405, graded Sahih (Sahih collection). Sunnah.com (opens in a new tab)
- Sahih al-Bukhari 50, graded Sahih (Sahih collection). Sunnah.com (opens in a new tab)
Further reading
- Surah Al-Hashr 59:22–24 (opens in a new tab) · Quran.com
Read the closing verses with commentary.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 50 (the hadith of Gabriel) (opens in a new tab) · Sunnah.com
The full narration on faith, Islam and ihsan.
This lesson is educational and is not a fatwa (religious ruling). For personal religious questions, please consult a qualified scholar you trust. How we source and review lessons.
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