Proof of attributes
 

Salam,

Suppose we've proven the existence of the Necessary being, how can we prove that this Being must be conscious, kind, loving, all knowing etc [have the qualities of a sentient being] ?

Thanks

anyone?

Asalaam Ualaikum

Firstly we look to the revelation and as our revelation is the Qur’an, we find in the following verse "He is Allah, the Creator, the Originator, The Fashioner, to Him belong the most beautiful names: whatever is in the heavens and on earth, do declare His praises and glory. And He is the Exalted in Might, The Wise. (Quran 59:24), we also know that Allah has 99 attributes all of which can be found in the glorious Qur’an, we know of Him as Ar-Rahmaan (The Compassionate) Ar-Raheem (The Merciful) Al-Khaaliq (The Creator) Al-Ghaffaar (The Forgiver) Al-Aleem (The All-Knowing) and countless more. This is proof from scripture, and as a Muslim we take as truth all of which Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an.

Now, say you wanted to prove this one who is outside of Islam. We must look at what it means to be God, according to Richard Swinburn he treats “God” as a proper name of the person referred to by the following description: a person without a body (i.e., a spirit) who necessarily is eternal, perfectly free, omnipotent, omniscient, perfectly good, and the creator of all things. The cause of the universe must be an ultramundane being which transcends space and time and is therefore either an unembodied mind or an abstract object; it cannot be the latter; hence, it must be the former, which is to say that this being is personal.

See, it is difficult to attribute personal qualities to God without scripture, however, there exists a mere definition of what it means to be a God, as St Anselm put it, “the greatest conceivable being” now taking this into account, this God must have qualities beyond simple sentient being as ourselves. So it is necessary for a God to have these attributes in order for Him to be a God. Without such qualities He exists not as a supernatural being.

I hope this helped, if you need any more clarification then by all means brother please do ask.