"If God created everything, then who created God?" — A Category Mistake
The question, "If God created everything, then who created God?", is a classic example of a category mistake — a logical error where questions meant for one kind of entity are wrongly applied to another, fundamentally different kind. To grasp this, let us consider a simple analogy.
Suppose you place a pen in a room, and upon returning, you find it has moved. Naturally, your mind would ask:
"How did this pen get from here to there?"
Now, consider instead that you leave a person in the room, and upon your return, they are in a different position. You wouldn't ask,
"How did this person get there?"
— because you instinctively understand that humans have will and the ability to move. Their nature and attributes answer the question.
In the same way, it is logical to ask about the origin of a human being, because our experience and knowledge tell us that humans are created and do not exist eternally. But when it comes to God, the question of origin becomes illogical, because it arises from a misunderstanding of God’s fundamental attributes.
One of Allah’s core attributes is ٱلصَّمَد (As-Samad) — the Self-Sufficient One, who is independent of all, while everything else depends on Him.
If God were created by someone else, He would no longer be As-Samad, and therefore would not be God.
Even hypothetically claiming that another god created the current one simply shifts the problem backwards — and in doing so, negates the very essence of divinity, which includes being uncaused and eternal.
Thus, to ask "Who created God?" is inherently illogical, as it fails to comprehend what it means to be God. Such a question assumes that God, like creation, must have a cause — which contradicts the very definition of God in Islamic theology.
❶ God is As-Samad, meaning He is self-sustaining and not dependent on anything.
❷ The question "Who created God?" is illogical, stemming from a misunderstanding of God’s nature.
❸ Humans and God cannot be questioned in the same manner, as their attributes and essences are fundamentally different.
The question, "If God created everything, then who created God?", is a classic example of a category mistake — a logical error where questions meant for one kind of entity are wrongly applied to another, fundamentally different kind. To grasp this, let us consider a simple analogy.
❖ Understanding Through Analogy
Suppose you place a pen in a room, and upon returning, you find it has moved. Naturally, your mind would ask:
"How did this pen get from here to there?"
Now, consider instead that you leave a person in the room, and upon your return, they are in a different position. You wouldn't ask,
"How did this person get there?"
— because you instinctively understand that humans have will and the ability to move. Their nature and attributes answer the question.
In the same way, it is logical to ask about the origin of a human being, because our experience and knowledge tell us that humans are created and do not exist eternally. But when it comes to God, the question of origin becomes illogical, because it arises from a misunderstanding of God’s fundamental attributes.
❖ The Attribute of Allah:
One of Allah’s core attributes is ٱلصَّمَد (As-Samad) — the Self-Sufficient One, who is independent of all, while everything else depends on Him.
If God were created by someone else, He would no longer be As-Samad, and therefore would not be God.
Even hypothetically claiming that another god created the current one simply shifts the problem backwards — and in doing so, negates the very essence of divinity, which includes being uncaused and eternal.
❖ An Illogical Question
Thus, to ask "Who created God?" is inherently illogical, as it fails to comprehend what it means to be God. Such a question assumes that God, like creation, must have a cause — which contradicts the very definition of God in Islamic theology.
✿ Summary
❶ God is As-Samad, meaning He is self-sustaining and not dependent on anything.
❷ The question "Who created God?" is illogical, stemming from a misunderstanding of God’s nature.
❸ Humans and God cannot be questioned in the same manner, as their attributes and essences are fundamentally different.
