What can God do and what He cannot do...

Question:
I want to be clear about God. I know God is one - no parents, no children. I want to know what God can do and what God cannot do as, say, He cannot make the sun rise from the south.

Response:
The Qur'an tells us that God Almighty can do everything, but He does only what is wise. One of the wise ideas that He has in His plan is that this world of ours should continue to function for a while the way it is functioning so that He could put a certain predetermined number of humans through the test of this life. After that has been achieved, He will cause the sun to rise from the West. In brief, God has all the good attributes (qualities), all His attributes are infinite, complete. All His attributes function in unison. He has neither any weaknesses, nor any contradictions. No one can see Him, He can see every one. Whatever is happening in this world is because He has allowed it to happen. He allows even evil to happen as well, although within limits, because He has decided that this life should be a life of trial, and in order for trial to take place, people should be given freedom. It is the misuse of freedom that causes evil. The Qur'an tells us that if all the trees of the world were to be converted into pens and all the oceans into inks, they would not suffice to allow the mention of God's works to be completely recorded. Even if the waters of oceans were to be replaced by more like them after they were dried up, the job would still remain incomplete.

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