Divine Power
We may compliment someone who is very good in math by saying that he can solve any mathematical problem. The meaning of this compliment is that the person in question is capable of solving all valid and reasonable problems that have real solutions. But what if we pose an unreasonable and irrational question to him? Suppose we ask him for a whole number greater than three but smaller than four. Obviously, he cannot come up with such a number. But his inability in giving such a whole number is a result of the absurdity of the question rather than his lack of knowledge.
Atheists and agnostics often counter theism by raising questions of the following sort: “Can God create another God?” or “Can God create a world that fits into an egg?” In their delusion they think they have placed theists into a difficult position with these questions. If theists answer negatively, which is the correct answer, they would then seize the opportunity to attack the theistic belief that God is omnipotent. If God is omnipotent. He should be able to do everything, so why can He not do the things mentioned in these questions? In this chapter, we will take up these questions. But before that, let us first prove God’s omnipotence and consider the nature of God’s power.
There are a number of approaches that we can take to prove Divine Power. The clearest proof for Divine Power is the wonderful order and design manifest in the world. Just as the existence of phenomena proves the existence of the Primary Cause, so do the features and characteristics of phenomena disclose to some extent the attributes of the Primary Cause. As such, studying the amazing order permeating the entire world, from the smallest particles to the largest collection of stars and planets, we reach the conclusion that the Creator must have had the necessary power to create this unfathomably vast universe. If He did not have the power. He could not have created the world. This is an obvious fact.
The advance of science has improved our comprehension of the precise order and design immanent in phenomena, thus enabling us to better appreciate the power of God. Every branch of the natural sciences opens a door to an endless series of secrets, everyday uncovering a hitherto hidden aspect of the amazing order of the world.
Yet a more fundamental element that can help us believe and appreciate God’s power is our own divine nature, our fitrah. Belief in God’s all-encompassing power is yet another innate intuition-in addition to belief in God’s existence-imprinted in our nature.
Having proven God’s Power, we may now consider the nature of Divine Power.
The power and strength that human beings possess is limited and constricted by innumerous factors. When we intend to do something, we are usually required to take certain preliminary steps so as to prepare the appropriate circumstances for undertaking the intended action. We cannot do whatever we wish however we wish. Furthermore, there are innumerous things that are beyond our power.
When hungry, it is impossible for us to obtain food by the mere thought of it. order to procure food, there are a number of things that we must do in advance;
such as buying the raw material, having sufficient fuel for cooking, dishes needed to cook the food in, and so forth. Furthermore, we must be in good health to be able to eat. If our mouth is, for instance, closed shut due to an illness, we would be unable to consume food normally. So all this shows that our power is very limited and confined within a very narrow scope.
How does Divine Power compare to human power? As an agent’s power is proportionate to his existential perfection, we infer that God’s Power must be infinite, for He is possessed of infinite perfection. God’s power is absolute, being free of all the limitations that restrict the power of created being.
Let us now consider the questions raised earlier. If God’s Power is infinite, then why is it that He cannot do the things mentioned in these questions: Why can He not fit the world with its current size into a normal-sized egg or why can He not create another God? Doesn’t this incapability imply a limitation in Divine Power?
The answer is quite simple. When we say that God is All-Powerful, we mean that He can produce or actualize everything that is possible within existence.
Absurd scenarios and impossible circumstances are necessarily and inherently nonexistent. It is impossible for them to come into existence, because their very nature involves contradiction. In other words, the reason that God cannot carry out the said scenarios is not on account of the limitation of His Power but is rather due to the inherent impossibility of those scenarios.
Another question related to Divine Power is whether God is capable of doing evil. Doing evil does not inherently involve a contradiction and so is. Strictly speaking, possible. Yet. we must bear in mind that an agent's power and capability to do something do not require him to do it. This is true even in the context of human activity. We may have power to inflict pain on other people, especially those subordinate to us. but since we consider it to be morally reprehensible and evil, we decide against doing so. In other words, our reason and instincts determine which actions we actually embark on. Similarly, God exercises His Infinite Power in view of His Wisdom. God only undertakes what is good, though He dos have the power to do evil as well. His Wisdom, however, prevents Him from doing evil.
This leads to yet another question pertaining to Divine Power, and that is the question of Divine Will. Does God enjoy volition and free will, or is He in some way circumscribed to a certain course of action? Considering that God enjoys the highest degree of power (proven above), there remains little doubt that He must also enjoy the most perfect and intense degree of volition. Nothing is capable of coercing or intimidating God to pursue a course of action against His Will. All other beings derive their power from Him, and so there is no way that their power could prevail over His.