Did God really choose to create if it was in his nature or essence to be the Creator?

[313_Waiter]

How can he withhold that which is part of His essence? So is it really a choice?
relevant quotes:

Quote

Imam Reza (عليه السلام) :
He was God; the true meaning of All-Knower when there was nothing to be known; the true meaning of Creator when there was nothing created and the interpreter of hearing when there was nothing to be heard. It is not because He created that which makes Him deserve the true meaning (of the term) 'Creator' and not because He brought the creatures into being that the true meaning of 'making' is derived.

Quote

• I was a hidden treasure, and I wished (implying choice?) to be known, so I created a creation (mankind), then made Myself known to them, and they recognised Me - Hadith qudsi

@eThErEaL

Edited August 26, 2020 by Ejaz

[Abu_Zahra]

You have answered the question with the hadith of Imam al Ridha (عليه السلام). Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى) is not dependent on anything. The manifestation of His attributes are not a requirement for the existence of these attributes. He is the Creator regardless of whether He is or isn't creating.

[313_Waiter]

25 minutes ago, Mahdavist said:

You have answered the question with the hadith of Imam al Ridha (عليه السلام).

What would be the “true meaning of Creator”?

25 minutes ago, Mahdavist said:

He is the Creator regardless of whether He is or isn't creating.

But not in the literal sense, if He hasn’t created anything. So We have to find out “the true meaning of Creator”.

[Cherub786]

9 minutes ago, Ejaz said:

What would be the “true meaning of Creator”?

But not in the literal sense, if He hasn’t created anything. So We have to find out “the true meaning of Creator”.

You have to make a distinction between the name Creator and the attribute of al-khalq, which means He possesses the capability to create. Having the name Creator does not necessitate that He has created something already.

[Abu_Zahra]

31 minutes ago, Ejaz said:

But not in the literal sense, if He hasn’t created anything. So We have to find out “the true meaning of Creator”.

The ability to create.

[313_Waiter]

1 hour ago, Cherub786 said:

al-khalq, which means He possesses the capability to create.

Do you have any source for this?

[Quisant]

15 minutes ago, Ejaz said:

Do you have any source for this?

 

al-Khaliq  6:102, 36:81, 39:62, 40:62,

If "God" is "the Creator", then we know that any faculty/power that exists does so because of God since from God spring all abilities and since we are defining God to be the creator/ source of all abilities, then there cannot possibly be any limit on these abilities, because God has the power to create them.

Therefore God is unlimited, since there isn't any other power that He is dependent on; He is the source of His own abilities and by being the Creator, there isn't a limit on the amount of that ability that God possesses.