Question:
I have a question about Allah. I am a new Muslim, recently converted from Christianity, and am trying to understand something. I know that we are not Allah's biological children just as Jesus was not, but is it wrong to refer to Him as our spiritual Father? We call each other "Brother" and "Sister" everyday in our family of Islam. But in the same way that brothers and sisters have fathers on earth, can't spiritual brothers and sisters have a Father in Allah? My reasoning is that since He is our Creator and Owner, we are like an offspring of His beautiful creation. We are not divine children, yet are held above all other creatures on earth. So how do I deal with this as a new Muslimah, and if it is wrong for me to think of Allah as my Father and me as one of His spiritual children, how can I be forgiven for such a sin that I was not aware I was committing? Through the love of Allah.
Fatwa:
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
First of all, we congratulate you upon embracing Islam and we ask Allah to make you firm and steadfast on this religion until the day you meet Him. Besides we ask Him to bless you with religious knowledge.
As regards calling Allah a Father, meaning a Spiritual Father, then this is not permissible for many reasons.
1) The Names and Attributes of Allah are restricted to text [in the Quran or authentic Sunnah ], and we can only name Him by what He named Himself in His Book or by what the Prophet named Him with in his Sunnah . Naming Allah with names that He did not name Himself with or that the Prophet did not name Him with is considered as a deviation in Allah's Names and Attributes. Allah says (which means): {And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them, And leave [the company of] those who practice deviation concerning His names. They will be recompensed for what they have been doing.}[Quran 7:180].
2) Naming Allah a 'Spiritual Father' is an imitation of the Christians and the Prophet forbade us from imitating them as he said: "He is not one of us he who imitates non-Muslims, do not imitate the Jews and the Christians." [At-Tirmithi]
However, it is permissible to call the Prophet as a spiritual father as Allah says (which means): {The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than themselves, and his wives are their (believers') mothers}[Quran 33:6]. Ibn 'Abbaas may Allah be pleased with him, recited: {The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than themselves, and he is their father, and his wives are their (believers') mothers} and this is according to the copy of the Quran written by Ubay Ibn Ka'b may Allah be pleased with him. Indeed it is confirmed that the Prophet said: "I am like a father for you, I teach you [that which you do not know]." [Abu Daawood]
As regards the saying of Allah (which means): {Muhammad is not the father of any man among you…}[Quran 33:40]. What is meant in this verse is the biological father. Al-Qurtubi said: 'The correct opinion is that it is permissible to name the Prophet as the father of the believers, meaning by respect.' He further added: 'But he is their father in glorification and exaltation.'
As regards the brotherhood that exists among the Muslim, it is the brotherhood in religion and faith as Allah says (which means): {The believers are nothing else than brothers (in Islamic religion)}[Quran 49:10].
Allah Knows best.
Fatwa answered by: The Fatwa Center at Islamweb