An atheist once asked me, what will be the role of Allaah The Almighty after the dwellers of Paradise enter Paradise and those of Hell enter Hell? How can I answer him?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds.  I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {He is not questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned.}[Quran 21:23] This verse tells us that Allaah The Almighty does and decrees what He wills, and {None can alter His words, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing.}[Quran 6:115]

However, for the sake of argument, we would like to ask this atheist the following question: What was Allaah The Almighty doing before He created anything? This does not mean that we approve of his asking such a question, which is nothing but falsehood that no Muslim could ever approve of or accept. As we said, it is only for the sake of argument. Allaah The Almighty has always been the Creator even before He created anything, meaning, creation is a constant  Attribute of Allaah The Almighty that has no beginning and no end.

This was clarified by Imaam At-Tahaawi who added that Allaah The Almighty has always been the Life-Giver even before He gave life to His creation, and likewise, He has always been the Creator even before creating anything because He has power over all things; He needs none but all need Him. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):{He is the First and the Last, the Ascendant and the Intimate, and He is, of all things, Knowing.}[Quran 57:3] He is the First with nothing preceding Him and the Last without anything succeeding Him; He Says (what means): {And that to your Lord is the finality.}[Quran 53:42]

Once we acknowledge this as a fact, it is necessary to acknowledge another fact: that Allaah The Almighty can create whatever He wants whenever He wants because He has power over all things. It is inappropriate for an insignificant slave to dare to ask such things about His Lord, for it is He Who Says (what means): {He is not questioned about what He does, but they will be questioned.}[Quran 21:23]

Allaah Knows best.