Can Allah create a rock that He can't lift?

Yes this is not out of His ability. He can create an unliftable rock, but it will only be unliftable to the creation, not the Creator God; He still lift that unliftable rock though, because nothing can limit His ability. This may seem like like a paradox, which according to a dictionary definition means "a seemingly absurd or contradictory statement or proposition which when investigated may prove to be well founded or true." Some particles can be in two places at once, for example a photon. This seems impossible but is the case in quantum mechanics! Likewise, God lifting an unliftable rock comes across as a paradox to us, a contradictory statement, but just like with the photon, they are well founded.

A man asked this question from Imam Ali a.s. and he answered: قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَکَ وَ تَعَالَی لَا یُنْسَبُ إِلَی الْعَجْزِ وَ الَّذِی سَأَلْتَنِی لَا یَکُونُ (توحید صدوق باب 9 حدیث 9) Indeed God almighty is not attributed to disability but what you asked cannot be. (Does not have the possibility of existence) Reference of hadith: The hadith book: Tawhid Sadouq, part 9, hadith no. 9 Another similar hadith from Imam Sadiq a.s. says God can created everything, but what you asked is not a thing. Reference: http://www.hawzah.net/fa/question/questionview/10901?ParentID=54688

The question is irrelevant as Allah (subhana Wa Ta'ala) is not attributed with lifting, this is an attribute of the creation not the Creator (subhana wa Ta'ala). And Allah (subhana wa Ta'ala) is not similar to the Creation ("Nothing is similar to him" - Surah Shura, Ayah 11). Logically limbs indicate there is mass and mass means there is a limit and limits are attributes of imperfection and Allah (subhana wa Ta'ala) is attributed with Perfection, superiority and uniqueness.

Islam's concept of omnipotence is not "infinite power". Look at the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_God_in_Islam for what Islam and the Quran claim that Allah is able to do. These claims are very specific, and the "omnipotence paradox" which can be used for some religions don't apply here. I'll need someone who's a native Arabic speaker to back me on this, but if you look at translations, they don't claim Allah to be 'infinitely powerful'. For example, الرحمن is translated to "Most Merciful", "The Merciful", or "Exceedingly Merciful" but not "Infinitely Merciful". Allah is not infinitely powerful. For example, Moses has requested to see Allah, and this was just not possible despite it being Allah's wish. And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, "My Lord, show me [Yourself] that I may look at You." [ Allah ] said, "You will not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it should remain in place, then you will see Me." But when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He rendered it level, and Moses fell unconscious. And when he awoke, he said, "Exalted are You! I have repented to You, and I am the first of the believers." (Al-'Ar'af 7:143) Throughout the Quran, Allah also uses the words "We", possibly giving credit to the angels as well. I brought up the previously mentioned verse because it's a rare case where Allah addresses himself as "I". So, I'd say "we don't know". There has not been any verses in which Allah has attempted to do so and succeeded or failed, so the answer is inconclusive.

This question which you're asking, has been used a number times by atheist not only against Muslims but theists in general, and sometimes you might even find a Christian using this question to backup his point that Allah has a son. But really it is nothing but a trick question, whether you say yes or no it only supports the asker. It also proves lack of knowledge or misunderstanding of who Allah is, and that He is the most majestic and powerful. So my advice is: don't get your head too wrapped around it, and don't put too much effort in answering it, as whatever you say is most likely not in your favor. As for there is a contradiction in saying no, that would only exist because of lack of clarity or misunderstanding of "Allah can do anything" in Islam. Allah is all powerful and is able to do what He wishes, and anything He creates is nothing but a sign of His power, but what Allah does or creates is based on His majesty, so to be more accurate Allah does what He wishes and is able to create something by just saying Be, and whatever He does is befitting His majesty. I pray my answer is clear, and I ask forgiveness of any mistake.

This is a trick question that tries to prove a point that God is really not that powerful and that there are certain things that he can't really do. It really is a pun question to trick your mind, probably for fun or joke or may be some seriousness :) Let me ask you this: Can you build such a tall budding that even you can't climb? Obviously if you build such a tall budding, you must have already climbed it. Similarly if God created such a big rock, he has already lifted it and placed it on Earth. So the question is really redundant. It is asking God if he really can do something that he has already done? This question was asked with a rock on Earth. One can image, the Earth itself is kind of a rock too and it obeys what God says. So of course, God can create a rock that only he can lift!

Here's an important distinction: Allah can possibly do Anything; he cannot simultaneously do everything. For example, he cannot both go on existing forever and cease existing forever. However, he is omnipotent, so he must have the ability to cease existing forever. Similarly, he cannot simultaneously vaporize your computer and not vaporize it. Likewise, he cannot be simultaneously omnipotent and not omnipotent; however by virtue of his omnipotence he can become non-omnipotent. So yes, he can create a rock he cannot lift; however, by doing so he would become non-omnipotent - but only in so far as he is unable to lift the rock he created. (Of course, he could obliterate the rock and go back to being perfectly omnipotent at anytime - unless he chose to make that impossible for himself as well.)

Lifting involves applying force greater than gravity to an item in the opposite direction of gravity. To be able to lift something, you need to overcome gravity. The lifting action doesn't apply to Allah (c.c) in it's literal sense, because Allah (c.c) doesn't need to overcome gravity, because, Allah decides how physics works. The notion of existence of a rock, which Allah (c.c) can't lift, requires physics, outside of Allah's (c.c) control. This idea doesn't apply to God. Therefore, the question is contradictory in itself. This question is similar to the question "Can God create triangle with 4 sides?" which cannot be meaningfully answered, because the question involves contradiction in itself.

If Allah has created a rock that He can't lift. If such a rock exists, then by definition, the universe is a place where that rock cannot be lifted. If the rock can be lifted, then by definition, the universe is a place where the rock can be lifted. You can't have one universe with two differing definitions, again, by definition. (Oh, certainly, especially Everett's interpretation of quantum physics does allow multiple universes, but that's a step I don't want to take here!) This definition was first answered, I think, by Isaac Asimov, explaining the "unstoppable force meets immovable object" problem to his girlfriend. That's where I recall it from.