CHAPTER 1:
KNOWING GOD
THROUGH HIS
ATTRIBUTES
Strand 1: God, His Creation
and Attributes
Sub-strand: God the Creator
Indicator: B6.1.1.1
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the meaning and
importance of God’s attributes in the
three main religions in Ghana.
- Explain the key attributes of God (love,
mercy, patience, omniscience, etc.) and
how they are reflected in religious texts
and daily life.
- Appreciate how God’s attributes guide
believers to live moral and responsible
lives.
Key Vocabulary
Attribute, mercy, patience, omniscience,
kindness, truthfulness, stewardship,
forgiveness, all-knowing, compassion,
honest, loyal, discipline, justice
1. Introduction: Who is God?
In all religions, God is seen as the
Supreme Being — the Creator of the
universe, the source of life, and the giver
of all things. Believers in Christianity,
Islam, and African Traditional Religion
(ATR) refer to God with different names
and worship Him in different ways, but
they all agree that God is powerful,
loving, and cares for creation.
2. What Are God’s Attributes?
An attribute is a quality or characteristic
that describes someone or something.
God’s attributes are the special qualities
that make Him unique and worthy of
worship. They help us to understand who
God is and guide us in how to live.
Why learn about God’s attributes?
- To know God better
- To understand what is expected of us as
God’s children
- To become better people by copying
these qualities in our daily lives
3. Main Attributes of God
Love: God’s love is unconditional
and everlasting. He cares for all
people and creation. In Christianity,
the Bible says, "Whoever
does not love does not know God,
because God is love." (1 John
4:8) In Islam, God (Allah)
is called “Al-Wadud” (The Loving
One).
Mercy and Forgiveness: God
forgives those who sincerely repent.
In the Qur’an, Allah is called “Ar-
Rahman” (The Most Merciful) and
“Ar-Rahim” (The Most
Compassionate). In ATR, God is seen
as a forgiving parent who gives
second chances.
Patience: God does not rush to
punish but gives people time to
change and do better. Both the Bible
and Qur’an describe God as “slow to
anger and abounding in steadfast
love.”
Omniscience (All-knowing): God
knows everything – our thoughts,
feelings, and actions. Nothing is
hidden from God. This teaches us to
be honest because God knows even
our secrets.
Kindness: God is generous and
caring. He provides for all His
creation and expects us to show
kindness to others.
Truthfulness: God is always
truthful. He does not lie. Believers
are expected to be honest in words
and actions.
Justice: God is fair and just. He
rewards good and punishes evil, but
always gives people a chance to
change.
Stewardship: God made humans
caretakers of creation. We must
protect and use the earth’s resources
wisely.
4. How We Learn About God’s
Attributes
1. Religious Texts: The Bible, Qur’an,
and ATR stories are full of examples
of God’s attributes. For example, the
story of the Prodigal Son in the Bible
teaches about forgiveness and mercy.
The Qur’an repeatedly calls Allah
“Most Merciful.”
2. Religious Leaders and Elders: Our
pastors, imams, priests, and elders
teach us about God and encourage us
to follow His example.
3. Nature: By observing the beauty and
order in nature, we see God’s
wisdom, creativity, and care.
4. Daily Life: We see God’s attributes
when people show love, forgive, tell
the truth, or help those in need.
5. Applying God’s Attributes in
Daily Life
God’s attributes are not just for us to
admire, but to practice every day.
Love: Show love by caring for
family, friends, and even strangers.
Greet everyone with kindness.
Mercy: Forgive those who hurt you.
Do not hold grudges.
Patience: Wait your turn, listen to
others, and don’t get angry quickly.
Truthfulness: Always tell the truth,
even when it is hard.
Kindness: Help someone in need,
share what you have, use polite
words.
Stewardship: Do not litter, protect
plants and animals, use resources
wisely.
Remember: When we live by God’s
attributes, we make our homes, schools,
and communities better places.
6. God’s Attributes in the Three
Major Religions
Christianity: God is described as
loving, merciful, patient, forgiving, and
just. Jesus taught his followers to “love
your neighbour as yourself” and to
forgive “seventy times seven times”.
Islam: Allah is “Most Gracious, Most
Merciful” and knows all things. Muslims
try to show these attributes in their
prayers and actions, especially during
Ramadan and daily prayers.
African Traditional Religion (ATR):
God is seen as a wise, kind, and just
parent, who expects humans to care for
each other and creation.
7. Why Are God’s Attributes
Important?
They help us to know and build a
relationship with God.
They guide us in how to treat others
with respect, honesty, and care.
They help us to solve problems
peacefully and to forgive.
They inspire us to be good citizens,
family members, and friends.
"Be merciful, just as
your Father is
merciful." (Luke 6:36)
"Indeed, Allah is with
the patient." (Qur'an
2:153)
8. Summary
God’s attributes are special qualities that
are found in all major religions. They
help us to understand God and guide us
to live good and responsible lives. We
must learn about these attributes and
practice them every day.