QUESTION:

A sister showed her 8 year old cousin the first lesson of aqeedah and tawheed level 1. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeVUbC2cEdNcuTgeupsThUx_ScuTxnkdM&feature=shared He asked her: Is Allāh a person? How does Allah create? She did say that Allah is not a person and tried to explain the characteristics of Rabb and showed the video again and asked if he had any questions. He said no. She also thinks that maybe he was confused because words like someone or who is used...How would a person respond to these questions? RESPONSE: An 8-year-old asking “Is Allāh a person?” and “How does Allāh create?” is not strange. Children are naturally curious, and the words “someone” or “who” can make them think of created beings. However, such questions should be answered clearly and simply, without introducing unnecessary philosophical complexity, and without likening Allāh to His creation. ▪️How to respond to “Is Allāh a person?” We do not call Allāh a “person” — this wording is not found in the Qur'ān or Sunnah, and it carries human-like connotations. Instead, we affirm what Allāh affirmed for Himself in the Qur’ān and what the Prophet ﷺ affirmed for Him — without distortion (tahreef), denial (ta‘til), asking how (takyif), or likening to creation (tamthil). Allāh the Most High said: ﴿لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ﴾ “There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.” (Surah ash-Shura 42:11) Here's a child-friendly answer: "Allāh is not like us or any of His creation. He is the Creator, and there is nothing like Him at all. Allāh has names and attributes that are perfect. We may refer to him using pronouns like He, His, Him, etc. But this does not mean He is a human being or an angel or anything created. NOTE: We capitalise pronouns when referring to Allāh to show reverence and importance (eg. He, Him, His, Who, etc.) ▪️How to respond to “How does Allāh create?” We affirm that Allāh creates in the way He wills — and how He does so is part of His knowledge, not ours. Allāh tells us: { بَدِیعُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰ⁠تِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ وَإِذَا قَضَىٰۤ أَمۡرࣰا فَإِنَّمَا یَقُولُ لَهُۥ كُن فَیَكُونُ } "When He decrees a matter, He only says to it: Be! - and it is." [Surah Al-Baqarah: 117] His statement, “When He decrees a matter”, is general regarding all that He decrees, and He has not created anything except that He has decreed and willed it. Thus, this necessitates that He has not created anything except that He has said to it, “Be.” Child-friendly answer: Allāh creates by His will and command. If Allāh wants something to happen, He just says “Be” and it happens. We can’t see the exact way it happens, but we know it’s easy for Allāh. ADVICE: If the child is not asking again, you don’t need to force the topic repeatedly — because sometimes children genuinely forget and forcing can confuse them. But — if he brings it up again, or if you see signs of misunderstanding, you should explain again clearly with Qur'ān and Sunnah wording, and not leave him with a wrong mental image. Islam emphasises teaching Tawheed early, but in gradual, age-appropriate steps.