What is the best way to explain to atheists who God is?

The best way is the way the Holy Qur’an itself does it. Its first chapter, Al-Fatiha, introduces God at the very beginning through His attributes, and a conversation can follow these attributes well.

When people talk to atheists about God, they often look for a particularly clever proof. But there is no better way than that of the Holy Qur’an itself. It does not begin with an abstract definition. In its first chapter it introduces God through attributes that can be recognised in the world.

First, God is the Lord of all the worlds. The Arabic word Rabb refers to one who creates something and then nurtures it step by step until it reaches maturity. This is a good starting point for conversation. The world is not simply there, it develops, and every living thing is provided for along its way.

Next, God is the Gracious and the Merciful. The Gracious gives without our having asked for it or earned it. No one worked for the air, the water, the light or their own abilities. The Merciful rewards the effort of those who strive and lets no good deed go to waste.

Finally, God is the Master of the Day of Judgment. This means that justice has the last word and that nothing good and nothing wrong is simply forgotten. Many people, including those without faith, carry a deep longing for this justice within them.

Presented in this way, God is not a distant theory. One can show how His attributes become visible in creation and in one’s own life. Patience helps. A calm, honest conversation about these few verses often opens more doors than any debate.