Chapter 2
Names and Attributes of Allaah
45559: The Divine names as remedy
Question:
Is it permissible to use the Beautiful Names of Allaah
as a remedy, such as saying "Ya Baseer (O All-Seeing)"
over the patient's eye and so on?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. Using the names of Allaah as a
remedy is a practice that is widespread among people. Flyers
are widely distributed on which the names are written
and beside them the diseases which may supposedly be
treated by that name.
The one who claims to have discovered this kind
of remedy is Dr Ibraaheem Kareem, the inventor of
the science of "biogeometry". He claimed that the
beautiful names of Allaah have the power to heal a huge number
of diseases, based on his research in which he
measured energy levels in the human body. He claimed to
have discovered that each of the names of Allaah produces
an energy that prompts the immune system to work
efficiently in a particular part of the human body. He claimed
that by applying the "law of resonance" he could, simply
by mentioning one of the names of Allaah, bring
about improvements in the vital energy in the human body.
After researching for three years, he presented his discovery
to people in a schedule in which he described diseases
and stated which name of Allaah could be beneficial in
treating it.
For example: al-Samee' (the All Hearing) can restore
the balance of energy; al-Razzaaq (the Provider) can treat
the stomach; al-Jabbaar (the Compeller) can treat the
spine; al-Ra'oof (the Most Kind) can treat the colon;
al-Naafi' (the Bringer of benefits) can treat the bones; al-Hayy
(the Ever-Living) can treat the kidneys; al-Badee'
(the Originator) can treat the hair; Jalla Jalaalahu
(Glorified be His Majesty) can treat dandruff; al-Noor (the
Light), al-Baseer (the All-Seeing) and al-Wahhaab (the
Bestower) can treat the eyes. …
The way in which the remedy is administered is to
repeat the name or a number of names over the affected part
of the body, for ten minutes.
He claims to have discovered that healing energy
is multiplied when reciting the verses of healing
after reciting tasbeeh of the beautiful names of Allaah.
These verses are (interpretation of the meaning):
"and heal the hearts of a believing people"
[al-Tawbah 9:14]
"and a healing for that which is in your hearts"
[Yoonus 10:57]
"wherein is healing for men"
[al-Nahl 16:69]
"And We send down of the Qur'aan that which is a
healing and a mercy"
[al-Isra' 17:82]
"And when I am ill, it is He Who cures me"
[al-Shu'ara' 26:80]
"Say: It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing"
[Fussilat 41:44]
Our response to these claims is:
1 _ Remedies may be administered either by
scientific means or by religious means (as described in the
Qur'aan and Sunnah). With regard to scientific, physical
means, treatment should be based on experience and
expertise. With regard to religious means, reference is to be
made to the texts of sharee'ah in order to find out what
remedies are to be used and how they are to be
administered. Mentioning Allaah by His beautiful names (dhikr)
is something that is prescribed in sharee'ah, but
this researcher does not quote any shar'i source of
evidence for using specific names of Allaah in this manner to
treat disease, so it cannot be a legitimate shar'i means
of treating disease. Religious matters cannot be
subjected to experimentation or disrespected in this manner.
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen said:
Note that medical treatment is a means of healing but
the One Who causes it to be effective is Allaah, may He
be exalted. There is no cause except that which Allaah
makes a cause. The things that Allaah makes causes are of
two types:
(i) Means that are prescribed in sharee'ah, such as
the Holy Qur'aan and du'aa' (supplication), as the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said concerning Soorat al-Faatihah: "How did you know
that it is a ruqyah (prayer or incantation for healing)?"
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) recited ruqyah for the sick by making du'aa' for
them, and Allaah healed those whom He wanted to heal by
virtue of his du'aa'.
(ii) Physical means, such as medicines that are
known from sharee'ah, like honey, or from experimentation
and experience, like many kinds of medicine. The effect
of this kind of means must be direct, not by way
of imagination and wishful thinking. If its effect is
known in a direct and measurable manner, then it may
rightfully be used as a remedy by means of which a cure may
be effected, by Allaah's leave. But if it is simply the
matter of wishful thinking on the part of the patient, which
brings him some kind of psychological relief, then it is
not permissible to rely on it or affirm that it is a remedy,
lest a person come to depend on wishful thinking. Hence it
is forbidden to wear rings, strings etc to heal disease or
ward it off, because that is not a means that is prescribed
in sharee'ah or known from experience. So long as it is
not proven to be a means that is prescribed in sharee'ah
or known from experience, it is not permissible to regard
it as a means of healing. Regarding it as a means is a
kind of trying to compete with Allaah in His dominion
and associating others with Him, in the sense that one is
trying to play a role that belongs only to Allaah, namely
deciding the means and the ends. Shaykh Muhammad ibn
`Abd al-Wahhaab explained this matter in Kitaab
al-Tawheed by saying: "CHAPTER: It is shirk to wear rings and
strings etc to ward off evil or relieve it."
Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen, 1,
question no. 49.
2 _ This involves mentioning names of Allaah
and claiming that He has called Himself by these names,
when that is not the case, such as Jalla Jalaaluhu (Glorified
be His Majesty), al-Rasheed (the Guide), al-Badee'
(the Originator), al-Naafi' (the Bringer of Benefit), etc.
This is indicative of the ignorance of the one who made
this claim, and that this so-called energy does not
exist, because it is derived _ according to his own claims _
from names that are not names of Allaah as proven in the
saheeh evidence.
3 _ He describes a specific method of treatment
and stipulates a name for each disease.
Even when a name mentioned is proven in saheeh evidence to be one of the names of Allaah, this still
comes under the heading of speaking about Allaah
without knowledge. Allaah has forbidden us to speak of
Him without knowledge, as He says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad): (But) the things that my Lord
has indeed forbidden are AlFawaahish (great evil sins
and every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse)
whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all
kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship)
with Allaah for which He has given no authority, and
saying things about Allaah of which you have no knowledge"
[al-A'raaf 7:33]
Shaykh `Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa'di (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said in his commentary on this verse:
"and saying things about Allaah of which you have
no knowledge" means, with regard to His names,
attributes, actions and laws.
Tafseer al-Sa'di, p. 250.
4 _ The scholars of the Standing Committee refuted
the claims of this man when they were asked about this
matter. They said:
After studying the matter, the Standing Committee
for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas replied as follows:
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to
Allaah, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of
those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against)
His Names. They will be requited for what they used to do"
[al-A'raaf 7:180]
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "Allaah has ninety-nine names; whoever
learns them will enter Paradise." Among them is the
greatest name of Allaah which, if He is called upon by it, He
will respond, and if He is asked by it, He will give.
No one knows how many names Allaah has except
Allaah Himself, and all of them are beautiful. We must
believe in them and in the perfection, majesty and might of
Allaah to which they point. It is haraam to disbelieve in them
by rejecting all of them or any of them, or to deny
the perfection of Allaah or any of the attributes of
Allaah indicated by these names.
An example of denying the names of Allaah is the
claim made by this "Kareem Sayyid" and his student and son
in a flyer which they distributed among people, that
the beautiful names of Allaah have the power to heal a
huge number of diseases, based on his research in which
he measured energy levels in the human body. He
claimed to have discovered that each of the names of
Allaah produces an energy that prompts the immune system
to work efficiently in a particular part of the human
body. He claimed that by applying the "law of resonance"
he could, simply by mentioning one of the names of
Allaah, bring about improvements in the vital energy in the
human body. He said: it is well known that the Pharaohs
were the first ones to study and measure the life force in
the human body by means of [?] the Pharaonic
pendulum. Then he mentioned a number of the names of Allaah in
a schedule and claimed that each of these names
could benefit the body in some way or treat specific
physical diseases. He explained that by drawing a diagram of
the human body and writing one of the names of Allaah
on each part thereof.
This action is false because it is a kind of
disbelief concerning the names of Allaah and it subjects them
to degrading treatment. What is prescribed in Islam
with regard to the names of Allaah is to call upon Him by
them, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"… so call on Him by them
…" [al-A'raaf 7:180]
Similarly we must affirm the attributes of Allaah
implied by these names, because each of these names
describes an attribute of Allaah and it is not permissible to use
them for any other purpose than to call Him by them,
unless there is shar'i evidence to that effect.
Whoever claims that they may be used in such and such
a manner, or may be used to treat such and such a
disease with no evidence to that effect from sharee'ah, is
speaking about Allaah without knowledge, and Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad): (But) the things that my Lord
has indeed forbidden are AlFawaahish (great evil sins
and every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse)
whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all
kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship)
with Allaah for which He has given no authority, and
saying things about Allaah of which you have no knowledge"
[al-A'raaf 7:33]
This flyer must be destroyed, and the people
mentioned here and others have to repent to Allaah from this
action and not do any such thing again that has to do
with `aqeedah and rulings of sharee'ah.
And Allaah is the Source of strength.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
48964: What are the guidelines concerning names
which may correctly be attributed to Allaah, may He be exalted?
Question:
Is it correct to call Allaah al-Mutakallim (the One
Who speaks) or al-Baatish (the One Who seizes) because it
is narrated that He does those actions?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Praise be to Allaah, and blessings and peace be upon
the Messenger of Allaah (S) and his family and companions.
All the names of Allaah are tawqeefi, i.e., we should
accept what is narrated in the Qur'aan and Sunnah and not
add or subtract anything. Based on this, it is not correct
to call Allaah by any name other than those by which
He has called Himself in His Book or those that
His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) called Him by in the saheeh ahaadeeth, because the
human mind cannot work out the names that Allaah deserves,
so we must stop at what is mentioned in the texts,
because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And follow not (O man, i.e., say not, or do not, or
witness not) that of which you have no knowledge. Verily,
the hearing, and the sight, and the heart of each of those
ones will be questioned (by Allaah)" [al-Isra'
17:36]
Calling Allaah by a name that He has not called
Himself, or denying a name by which he has called Himself is
a transgression against the rights of Allaah. So we
should observe the proper etiquette and adhere to that which
is narrated in the texts.
With regard to words which are mentioned in the
Qur'aan and Sunnah only by way of description or
information, and it is not narrated that Allaah is called by these
names, it is not correct to call Him by them, because some of
the attributes of Allaah have to do with His actions, and
the actions of Allaah have no end, just as His words have
no end.
For example, some of the attributes of Allaah that refer
to His actions describe Him as coming, bringing,
taking, withholding and seizing etc., as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And your Lord comes with the angels in rows"
[al-Fajr 89:22]
"He withholds the heaven from falling on the earth
except by His Leave"
[al-Hajj 22:65]
"Verily, (O Muhammad) the Seizure (punishment) of
your Lord is severe and painful"
[al-Burooj 85:12]
So we attribute these characteristics to Allaah as they
are mentioned, but we do not call Him by them (i.e., we
do not make names out of them), so we do not say that
among His names are al-Jaa'i (the Comer), al-Aati (the
Comer), al-Mumsik (the Withholder) or al-Baatish (the
Seizer), etc. Rather we say that this is what He does and
attribute those actions to Him.
And Allaah knows best.
See al-Qawaa'id al-Mathla fi Sifaat-Illaahi wa
Asmaa'ihi al-Husna, 13, 21, by Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen (may
Allaah have mercy on him).
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
34854: Can Allaah be described as forgetting?
Question:
Can Allaah be described as forgetting?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Forgetting can mean two things:
1 _ Overlooking something that is known, as in the
verses (interpretation of the meaning):
"Punish us not if we forget or fall into error"
[al-Baqarah 2:286]
"And indeed We made a covenant with Adam before,
but he forgot, and We found on his part no firm will power"
[Ta-Ha 20:115]
- according to one of the two scholarly opinions.
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "I am only human, I forget as you forget, so
if I forget then remind me."
And he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Whoever sleeps and misses a prayer or forgets it,
let him pray it when he remembers it."
This kind of forgetfulness cannot be attributed to
Allaah, on the basis of two kinds of evidence, textual and rational.
The textual evidence is the verse in which He says
of Moosa (interpretation of the meaning):
"[Moosa (Moses)] said: `The knowledge thereof is
with my Lord, in a Record. My Lord neither errs nor
He forgets'"
[Ta-Ha 20:52]
The rational evidence is the fact that forgetting is a
fault or shortcoming, and Allaah is far above having
any shortcomings. He is described as perfect, as He
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"and for Allaah is the highest description. And He is
the AllMighty, the AllWise"
[al-Nahl 16:60]
Based on this it is not permissible to describe Allaah
as forgetting in this sense, under any circumstances.
The second meaning of forgetting is deliberately
and knowingly neglecting something, as in the
verses (interpretation of the meaning):
"So, when they forgot (the warning) with which they
had been reminded, We opened for them the gates of
every (pleasant) thing"
[al-An'am 6:44]
"And indeed We made a covenant with Adam before,
but he forgot, and We found on his part no firm will
power" [Ta-Ha 20:115]
- this is according to the other scholarly
opinion concerning the meaning of this verse.
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said concerning the Islam & Muslims of those who
own horses:
"… and a man who keeps them [horses] for earning
his living so as not to ask of others, but he does not
forget Allaah's rights (i.e., zakaah on the wealth he earns
through using them in trading etc) and does not overburden them"
This kind of "forgetting" is ascribed to Allaah as He
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Then taste you (the torment of the Fire) because of
your forgetting the Meeting of this Day of yours. Surely,
We too will forget you" [al-Sajdah
32:14]
And Allaah says concerning the hypocrites:
"They have forgotten Allaah, so He has forgotten
them. Verily, the hypocrites are the Faasiqoon
(rebellious, disobedient to Allaah)" [al-Tawbah
9:67]
And in Saheeh Muslim, in Kitaab al-Zuhd
wa'l-Raqaa'iq it is narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: They said: "O Messenger of Allaah,
will we see our Lord on the Day of Resurrection?" … and
in this hadeeth its says: "Allaah will meet His
[disbelieving] slave and will say: `Did you think that you would
meet Me?' He will say, `No.' He will say: `I will forget you
as you forgot Me.'"
Allaah's leaving or forgetting something is one of
His actions that happen by His will and in accordance
with His wisdom. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"and left them in darkness. (So) they could not
see" [al-Baqarah 2:17]
"We shall leave them to surge like waves on one another"
[al-Kahf 18:99]
"And indeed We have left thereof an evident Ayah (a
lesson and a warning and a sign)"
[al-`Ankaboot 29:35]
There are many well-known texts which confirm
that Allaah leaves or forsakes things and also confirm His
other actions that have to do with His will. This is indicative
of the perfection of His power and might, and the way
in which He does these actions is not like the way in
which His creation does things, even though they share the
same basic meaning, as is well known among Ahl al-Sunnah.
Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen 1/172-174 (www.islam-qa.com)
26977: Al-Dahr is not one of the names of Allaah
Question:
I read a hadeeth which says that Allaah says "I am
al-Dahr (time)." Does this mean that al-Dahr is one of
the beautiful names of Allaah?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The hadeeth referred to in the question was narrated
by al-Bukhaari (4826) and Muslim (2246) from
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) who
said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah, may He be glorified
and exalted, says: `The son of Adam inveighs against Me,
he inveighs against [the vicissitudes of] Time (al-Dahr),
and I am Time, in My hand are all affairs, I alternate the
night and the day."
This hadeeth does not indicate that al-Dahr is one of
the names of Allaah, rather what the hadeeth means is
that Allaah is the One who controls time.
Al-Khattaabi said:
What this means is: I am the Owner of Time, the Controller of all affairs that they attribute to time,
so whoever inveighs against time because it does
these things, is in effect inveighing against his Lord Who is
the One who does them.
Al-Nawawi said:
What is meant by saying "Allaah is al-Dahr (Time)"
is that He is the One Who causes things to happen,
the Creator of all things that exist. And Allaah knows best.
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said:
Al-Dahr is not one of the names of Allaah, and
whoever claims that is erring for two reasons:
1 _ His Names are the most perfect and beautiful,
they should refer to the most eloquent and beautiful
meanings. Hence we do not find any name among the names
of Allaah that does not refer to any attribute. Al-Dahr is
such a word, and it cannot mean anything other than time.
2 _ The context of the hadeeth renders that
impossible, because He says, "I alternate the night and the day";
night and day are time, so how can the thing that is
controlled be the one that controls them?? Fataawa al-Shaykh
Ibn `Uthaymeen, 1/163. Islam Q&A
(www.islam-qa.com)
39803: Can Allaah be described as plotting etc
Question:
Can Allaah be described as plotting, deceiving
and betraying as in the verses (interpretation of the meaning):
"they were plotting and Allaah too was plotting"
[al-Anfaal 8:30]
"Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allaah, but it
is He Who deceives them"
[al-Nisa' 4:142]?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The attributes of Allaah are all attributes of
perfection, pointing to the best and most perfect of meanings.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"and for Allaah is the highest description. And He is
the AllMighty, the AllWise"
[al-Nahl 16:60]
"His is the highest description (i.e. none has the right
to be worshipped but He, and there is nothing
comparable unto Him) in the heavens and in the earth. And He is
the AllMighty, the AllWise"
[al-Room 30:27]
Al-Sa'di said in his Tafseer (commentary) _ p. 718, 1065:
The highest description means the most perfect attributes.
Attributes are of three types:
1 _ Attributes of perfection _ in which there is
no shortcoming whatsoever. These attributes apply to
Allaah in absolute terms and are not limited or restricted in
any way. Examples of that include His knowledge,
power, hearing, seeing, mercy, etc.
2 _ Attributes which imply imperfection and shortcomings. These can never be ascribed to Allaah,
such as sleeping, being unable, doing wrong or
oppressing, betraying, etc.
3 _ Attributes which may be perfect or
imperfect, depending on the context. These cannot be ascribed
to Allaah in absolute terms, and they cannot be denied
in the case of Allaah in absolute terms. If the context
implies perfection then they can be ascribed to Allaah; if it
implies imperfection then they cannot be ascribed to
Allaah. Examples include: plotting, deceiving and mocking.
Plotting against, betraying and mocking the enemy
are attributes of perfection, because that is indicative
of complete knowledge, power and might, and so on.
But plotting against the sincere believers is an
attribute of imperfection.
Hence these characteristics are not ascribed to Allaah
in absolute terms, rather they are mentioned in such a
context as to indicate that these are attributes of perfection.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allaah, but it
is He Who deceives them"
[al-Nisa' 4:142]
This is deceiving the hypocrites.
And He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And (remember) when the disbelievers plotted
against you (O Muhammad) to imprison you, or to kill you, or
to get you out (from your home, i.e. Makkah); they
were plotting and Allaah too was plotting; and Allaah is
the Best of those who plot"
[al-Anfaal 8:30]
This is a plot against the enemies of Allaah who
were plotting against the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
Allaah says of the hypocrites (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And when they meet those who believe, they say:
`We believe,' but when they are alone with their
Shayaateen (devils — polytheists, hypocrites), they say: `Truly,
we are with you; verily, we were but mocking.'
Allaah mocks at them and gives them increase in
their wrong-doing to wander blindly"
[al-Baqarah 2:14-15]
This is mocking the hypocrites.
These attributes are to be regarded as indicating
perfection in this context. Hence we say that Allaah mocks
the hypocrites and deceives them, and that He plots
against His enemies, and so on. But it is not permissible
to describe Allaah as mocking or deceiving in absolute
terms, because that does not indicate perfection.
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on
him) was asked: Can Allaah be described as plotting and
named as such?
He replied:
Allaah cannot be described as plotting except in a
limited sense; He cannot be described as such in absolute
terms. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Did they then feel secure against the Plan of
Allaah? None feels secure from the Plan of Allaah except
the people who are the losers" [al-A'raaf
7:99]
This verse indicate that Allaah has a plan or plot,
which was to confound them without them realizing it. This
is akin to the hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari: "War
is deceit."
If it is asked: How can Allaah be described as
plotting when this seems to be something blameworthy?
The answer is that plotting in the right circumstances
may be something praiseworthy that points to the strength
of the plotter, and that he is superior to his enemy.
Hence Allaah cannot be described as plotting in absolute
terms, and we cannot say "Allaah is a Plotter." Rather
this attribute is mentioned in a context where it is
positive, such as the verses (interpretation of the meaning):
"they were plotting and Allaah too was plotting"
[al-Anfaal 8:30]
"So they plotted a plot, and We planned a plan,
while they perceived not"
[al-Naml 27:50]
And we cannot say in absolute terms that this cannot
be ascribed to Allaah, rather in contexts where it is
something positive it may be ascribed to Him, and in contexts
where it is not something positive, it should not be ascribed
to Him. So Allaah should not be called by a name
which refers to this, so we cannot say that one of the names
of Allaah is "the Plotter". Plotting is one of His
actions, because it has to do with the Will of Allaah.
Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen, 1/170.
He was also asked: Can Allaah be described as
betraying, or as deceiving, as in the verse (interpretation of
the meaning):
"Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allaah, but it
is He Who deceives them"
[al-Nisa' 4:142]?
He replied:
With regard to betrayal, this is something that can
never be ascribed to Allaah, because it is something
shameful in all circumstances, and it is plotting at a time of
trust, which is blameworthy. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"But if they intend to betray you (O Muhammad),
they indeed betrayed Allaah before. So He gave (you)
power over them. And Allaah is All-Knower, All-Wise"
[al-Anfaal 8:71]
And He did not say: So He betrayed them.
With regard to deceiving, it is like plotting. It may
be ascribed to Allaah when it is something positive, but
it cannot be ascribed to Him in absolute terms. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allaah, but it
is He Who deceives them"
[al-Nisa' 4:142]
Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen, 1/171
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
40865: Allaah is above His creation and He is in front
of the one who prays
Question:
I read a hadeeth which says that Allaah is in front of
the worshipper. What does that mean? Does it contradict
the fact that Allaah is above the heavens?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
We have already mentioned in questions no.
992 and 11035 the evidence that Allaah has risen above His
Throne and is exalted above His creation.
According to the hadeeth narrated by al-Bukhaari
(406) and Muslim (547) from `Abd-Allaah ibn `Umar,
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) saw some spittle on the wall of the mosque
in the direction of the qiblah, so he scratched it off
then turned to the people and said: "If any one of you is
praying, let him not spit in front of him, for Allaah is in front
of him when he prays."
There is no contradiction between this is the fact
that Allaah is high above His creation.
Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] said in Majmoo'
al-Fataawa, 5/101:
The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), "When any one of you stands to pray,
Allaah is in front of him so let him not spit in front of
him," mean what they appear to mean. Allaah is above
the Throne and He is in front of the worshipper.
This description may even apply to created things: when a
man looks at the sky and the sun and the moon, the sky,
sun and moon are above him and they are also in front
of him.
He also said (5/672):
It is well known that whoever turns to face the moon
and addresses it _ if he were able to address it _ is turning
to face it even though it is above him … Similarly when
a person stands to pray he is turning to face his Lord
even though He is above him, and he addresses Him on
the basis of Him being in front of him not to his right or
left, and he calls upon Him on the basis that He is above
not below.
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen said:
The evidence that Allaah is in front of the worshipper is:
The words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him): "When any one of you stands to pray,
Allaah is in front of him so let him not spit in front of him."
This being in front is ascribed to Allaah in a manner
that befits Him and does not contradict His exalted state.
The two may be reconciled in two ways:
1 _ It is possible to reconcile between them with
regard to created things, such as when the sun is rising, it is
in front of the one who faces the east, even though it is
in the sky. So if they may be reconciled with regard to
a created thing then it is more apt that they be
reconciled with regard to the Creator.
2 _ Even if it were not possible to reconcile them
with regard to created things, that does not mean that
they cannot be reconciled with regard to the Creator,
because there is nothing like unto Allaah. Fataawa
Ibn `Uthaymeen, 4/287. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
41003: The Names of Allaah are not limited to ninety-nine
Question:
Are there only ninety-nine names of Allaah, or are
there more than that?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Bukhaari (2736) and Muslim (2677) narrated from
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "Allaah has ninety-nine names,
one hundred less one. Whoever learns them will
enter Paradise."
Some of the scholars (such as Ibn Hazm _ may
Allaah have mercy on him) understood this hadeeth as
meaning that the names of Allaah are limited to this number.
See al-Muhalla, 1/51
But what Ibn Hazm said is not supported by the
majority of scholars. Rather some of them (such as
al-Nawawi) narrated that the scholars are agreed that the names
of Allaah are not limited to this number. It seems that
they regarded the view of Ibn Hazm as odd and as
something that should not be paid any attention.
In support of the view that the beautiful names of
Allaah are not limited to this number, they quoted the
report narrated by Ahmad (3704) from `Abd-Allaah ibn
Mas'ood who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There is no-one who
is afflicted by distress and grief, and says: `Allaahumma
inni `abduka ibn `abdika ibn amatija naasyati bi
yadika, maada fiyya hukmuka, `adlun fiyya qadaa'uka.
As'aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka
aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw `allamtahu ahadan min
khalqika aw ista'tharta bihi fi `ilm il-ghayb `indaka an taj'al
al-Qur'aana rabee' qalbi wa noor sadri wa jalaa' huzni
wa dhihaab hammi (O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of
Your slave, son of Your maidservant; my forelock is in
Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed
and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every
name belonging to You which You have named Yourself
with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of
Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of
the Unseen with You, that You make the Qur'aan the life
of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure
for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety),' but Allaah
will take away his distress and grief, and replace it with
joy." He was asked: "O Messenger of Allaah, should we
learn this?" He said: "Of course; everyone who hears it
should learn it."
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah
al-Saheehah, 199.
The phrase "or You have preserved in the knowledge
of the Unseen with You" indicates that there are
beautiful names of Allaah that He has kept with Him in
the knowledge of the Unseen, and which none of His
creation has come to know. This indicates that there are more
than ninety-nine Names.
Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] said concerning
this hadeeth in Majmoo' al-Fataawa (6/374):
This indicates that Allaah has more than
ninety-nine names.
And he said (22/482):
Al-Khattaabi said: This indicates that He has names
that He has preserved with Him, and that indicates that
the words "Allaah has ninety-nine names, whoever
learns them will enter Paradise" mean that there are
ninety-nine of His names which whoever learns them will
enter Paradise. This is like saying, "I have one thousand
dirhams which I have prepared to give in charity," even if
his wealth is greater than that. In the Qur'aan Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to
Allaah, so call on Him by them" [al-A'raaf
7:180]
Allaah has commanded us to call upon Him by His
names in general terms, He did not say that He has only
ninety-nine names.
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) stated
in Sharh Saheeh Muslim that the scholars were
unanimously agreed on that, and he said:
The scholars are unanimously agreed that this
hadeeth does not mean that Allaah has only ninety-nine names,
or that He does not have any other names apart from
these ninety-nine. Rather what the hadeeth means is
that whoever learns these ninety-nine will enter Paradise.
The point is that one may enter Paradise by learning
them, not that the number is limited to these names.
And Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen was asked about that
and replied:
The names of Allaah are not limited to a certain
number. The evidence for that is the words of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the
saheeh hadeeth: "O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of Your
slave… I ask You by every name belonging to You which
You have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book,
or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have
preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with You."
What Allaah has preserved in the knowledge of the
unseen with Him cannot be known and what is not known
is unlimited.
With regard to the words of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), "Allaah has
ninety-nine names, one hundred less one. Whoever learns
them will enter Paradise," this does not mean that He does
not have any names apart from these, rather it means
that whoever learns these ninety-nine of His names will
enter Paradise. This is like when the Arabs say: "I have
one hundred horses which I have prepared for jihad for
the sake of Allaah," which does not mean that the
speaker has only these hundred horses, rather these hundred
are prepared for this purpose.
Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn `Uthaymeen, 1/122. Islam
Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
45470: Refutation of the Church's quoting the Qur'aan
to prove that `Eesa is the "son of God"
Question:
I read that the Church quotes some verses of the
Qur'aan to prove that `Eesa (peace be upon him) is the "son
of God." Their evidence is that when Allaah was alone
He said, "Verily, I am Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Ana (none
has the right to be worshipped but I)" [Ta-Ha 20:14
_ interpretation of the meaning], in the singular; but
when He created `Eesa the style used in some verses
changed to the plural, as in the verses (interpretation of
the meaning): "Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down
the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'aan)" [al-Hijr 15:9] and "And
certainly We! We it is Who give life, and cause death"
[al-Hijr 15:23]. And they say, God is speaking in the plural,
i.e., in the sense of "God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit".
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The variation in style in the Qur'aan, and the fact
that Allaah sometimes speaks of Himself in the singular
and sometimes in a plural form used by way of respect,
does not prove that `Eesa (peace be upon him) is the son
of God, or that he is divine. This is for a number of reasons:
-1-
The variation in styles used in the Qur'aan, both
singular and plural, occurs with reference to events that took
place thousands of years before the creation of `Eesa (peace
be upon him) and his mother Maryam (Mary), and when
they were created and after that. Their existence has no
effect on the variation in styles, rather that is due to
another reason which may be explained as follows:
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And indeed, We created man from dried (sounding)
clay of altered mud.
And the jinn, We created aforetime from the
smokeless flame of fire"
[al-Hijr 15:26]
"And (remember) when We said to the angels:
`Prostrate yourselves unto Adam.' So they prostrated
themselves except Iblees (Satan). He was one of the jinn; he
disobeyed the Command of his Lord. Will you then take him
(Iblees) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather
than Me while they are enemies to you?"
[al-Kahf 18:50]
The style used (singular vs. plural) varied before
`Eesa and his mother (peace be upon them both) existed.
Allaah said:
"Verily, We did send down the Tawraat (Torah) [to
Moosa (Moses)], therein was guidance and light, by which
the Prophets, who submitted themselves to Allaah's
Will, judged for the Jews. And the rabbis and the priests
[too judged for the Jews by the Tawraat (Torah) after
those Prophets], for to them was entrusted the protection
of Allaah's Book, and they were witnesses thereto.
Therefore fear not men but fear Me (O Jews) and sell not My
Verses for a miserable price. And whosoever does not judge
by what Allaah has revealed, such are the Kaafiroon
(i.e. disbelievers — of a lesser degree as they do not act
on Allaah's Laws).
And We ordained therein for them: Life for life…
And in their footsteps, We sent `Eesa (Jesus), son
of Maryam (Mary), confirming the Tawraat (Torah) that
had come before him, and We gave him the Injeel (Gospel)…
And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) the
Book (this Qur'aan) in truth, confirming the Scripture that
came before it and Muhaymin (trustworthy in highness and
a witness) over it (old Scriptures)"
[al-Maa'idah 5:44-48]
"Verily, We sent Nooh (Noah) to his people"
[Nooh 71:1]
And Allaah said concerning His Khaleel (Close
Friend) Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) (interpretation of
the meaning):
"So when he had turned away from them and from
those whom they worshipped besides Allaah, We gave
him Ishaaq (Isaac) and Ya'qoob (Jacob), and each one of
them We made a Prophet.
And We gave them of Our Mercy (a good provision
in plenty), and We granted them honour on the tongues
(of all the nations, i.e. everybody remembers them with
a good praise)"
[Maryam 19:49-50]
And He said concerning Moosa (peace be upon
him) (interpretation of the meaning):
"and made him draw near to Us for a talk with
him [Moosa (Moses)].
And We granted him his brother Haaroon (Aaron),
(also) a Prophet, out of Our Mercy"
[Maryam 19:52-53]
And He said (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, We have sent the Revelation to you
(O Muhammad) as We sent the Revelation to Nooh
(Noah) and the Prophets after him…"
[al-Nisa' 4:163]
"And she who guarded her chastity [Virgin
Maryam (Mary)], We breathed into (the sleeves of) her (shirt
or garment) [through Our Rooh — Jibreel (Gabriel)],
and We made her and her son [`Eesa (Jesus)] a sign for
Al-`Aalameen (the mankind and jinn)"
[al-Anbiya' 21:91]
"(Remember) when Allaah will say (on the Day
of Resurrection). O `Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam
(Mary)! Remember My Favour to you and to your mother"
[al-Maa'idah 5:110]
And there are many other verses in which the style
varies between singular and plural, where the verses speak
of the creation of `Eesa, or Allaah's words to him, and
before he was created. From this it is clear that the style did
not change after the creation of `Eesa (peace be upon him)
as a sign that he is the "son of God" or that he is
"divine", rather it is for another reason as we shall see below.
-2-
Everyone who knows the Arabic language and its
styles will know that the pronoun Ana (I) and the first person
is used in the singular when speaking of oneself. The
first person plural Nahnu (we) is used to refer to two or
more. But it may be used by an individual of high standing as
a sign of his greatness, and the context and
circumstances help the reader or listener to understand what is
meant. Whoever disagrees with that is either ignorant and
does not know what he is talking about or he is stubborn
and wants to twist the meaning of the words, following
his whims and desires. But Allaah will establish and
make apparent the truth by His Words, however much
the sinners hate that [cf. Yoonus 10:82]. This will be
explained further below.
-3-
The Qur'aan is a Book the Verses whereof are
perfected (in every sphere of knowledge), and then explained
in detail from One (Allaah), Who is All-Wise Well-Acquainted (with all things) [cf. Hood 11:1]
and Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind
it, (it is) sent down by the AllWise, Worthy of all
praise (Allaah) [cf. Fussilat 41:42]. Parts of it explain
and confirm other parts. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And they say: `The Most Gracious (Allaah) has
begotten a son (or offspring or children) [as the Jews say:
`Uzayr (Ezra) is the son of Allaah, and the Christians say that
He has begotten a son [`Eesa (Jesus)], and the pagan
Arabs say that He has begotten daughters (angels and others)].'
Indeed you have brought forth (said) a terrible evil thing.
Whereby the heavens are almost torn, and the earth
is split asunder, and the mountains fall in ruins,
That they ascribe a son (or offspring or children) to
the Most Gracious (Allaah).
But it is not suitable for (the Majesty of) the Most
Gracious (Allaah) that He should beget a son (or offspring
or children).
There is none in the heavens and the earth but
comes unto the Most Gracious (Allaah) as a slave"
[Maryam 19:88-93]
"Say (O Muhammad): He is Allaah, (the) One.
AllaahusSamad [Allaah — the SelfSufficient
Master, Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks)].
He begets not, nor was He begotten.
And there is none coequal or comparable unto Him"
[al-Ikhlaas 112:1-4]
"Verily, the likeness of `Eesa (Jesus) before Allaah is
the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then
(He) said to him: `Be!' — and he was"
[Aal `Imraan 3:59]
So whoever believes in Him must study the verses of
the Qur'aan in the light of one another, not in isolation,
the one who quotes from Qur'aan should be fair in
his quotation. He should not quote verses and turn away
from others, and he should not confuse truth with falsehood
or use some verses against others in order to
promote falsehood, as our predecessors the Jews did with the
Torah, for which Allaah denounced them when He
said (interpretation of the meaning):
"Then do you believe in a part of the Scripture and
reject the rest? Then what is the recompense of those who do
so among you, except disgrace in the life of this world,
and on the Day of Resurrection they shall be consigned to
the most grievous torment. And Allaah is not unaware of
what you do"
[al-Baqarah 2:85]
Based on this, those who quote the Qur'aan as
evidence should accept its evidence that `Eesa (peace be upon
him) is not the "son of God" and that he is not divine
along with God, and they should affirm the Oneness of
God, because of what is mentioned in its verses, and
because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Surely, they have disbelieved who say: `Allaah is
the Messiah [`Eesa (Jesus)], son of Maryam (Mary).' But
the Messiah [`Eesa (Jesus)] said: `O Children of
Israel! Worship Allaah, my Lord and your Lord.'
Verily, whosoever sets up partners (in worship) with Allaah,
then Allaah has forbidden Paradise to him, and the Fire
will be his abode. And for the Zaalimoon (polytheists
and wrongdoers) there are no helpers.
Surely, disbelievers are those who said: `Allaah is
the third of the three (in a Trinity)'"
[al-Maa'idah 5:17]
And there are many similar verses in the Qur'aan.
Otherwise they should stop playing with the
words, because that will only lead them to shame and will
make the wise laugh at them in derision. From Fataawa
al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 3/216-218. (www.islam-qa.com)
10243: Commentary on the verse "so wherever you
turn (yourselves or your faces) there is the Face of Allaah"
Question:
Could you explain the following ayaah? If Allah is
above the heavens, why is Allah face there wherever you face?
I am only asking this because I was explaining that
Allah was above the heavens to somebody, and he qouted
this ayah; I could not respond to him after that.
Al-Baqarah - 2:115
And to Allâh belong the east and the west, so
wherever you turn yourselves or your faces there is the Face of
Allâh (and He is High above, over His Throne). Surely! Allâh
is All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs, All-Knowing.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
We are obliged to believe that Allaah has risen above
His throne in a manner that befits His majesty, not in a
manner that resembles human movement, and to believe
that Allaah has a Face that is not like the faces of His creation.
So we should not go astray when interpreting verses
and we must not distort their meanings; we should follow
the views of the righteous salaf concerning that.
With regard to the tafseer (commentary) on this
verse, Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen said:
If you ask whether every mention of the
wajh (face) with reference to Allaah means the Face of Allaah which
is one of His attributes, the answer is that this is the
basic principle. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And turn not away those who invoke their Lord,
morning and afternoon seeking His Face"
[al-An'aam 6:52].
"And who has (in mind) no favour from anyone to
be paid back,
Except to seek the Countenance of his Lord, the
Most High.
He surely, will be pleased (when he will enter Paradise)"
[al-Layl 92:19-21]
And there are other similar verses.
The basic principle is that what is meant by
wajh is the Face of Allaah which is one of His attributes. But there
is a verse concerning which the mufassireen differed,
which is this verse (interpretation of the meaning):
"And to Allaah belong the east and the west, so
wherever you turn (yourselves or your faces) there is the Face
of Allaah"
[al-Baqarah 2:115]
Some of them said that what is meant by
wajh here is direction, because Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"For every nation there is a direction to which they
face (in their prayers)"
[al-Baqarah 2:148]
So what is meant by wajh here is direction, so "there
is the wajh of Allaah" means there is the direction of
prayer which Allaah accepts.
They said: because when travelling, if a person
offers naafil prayers he can pray in whatever direction he
is facing.
But the correct view is that what is meant by
wajh here is the Face of Allaah. So wherever you turn there is the
Face of Allaah, because Allaah encompasses all things,
and because it was proven from the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that when the
worshipper stands to pray, Allaah in front of him. Hence it is
forbidden for the worshipper to spit in front of him, because
Allaah is in front of him. So if you pray in a place where you
do not know where the qiblah is, but you do your best
to figure it out and pray, and the qiblah is in fact
behind you, then Allaah is in front of you even in this situation.
This is the correct meaning which is in accordance
with the apparent meaning of the verse, and the first
meaning does not in fact contradict it.
So the two meanings do not contradict one another.
It should be noted that this mighty Face which is
described in terms of majesty and honour cannot be
fully encompassed by human descriptions and
imagination. Rather everything that you can think of, Allaah is
above that and is greater.
"but they will never compass anything of His Knowledge"
[Ta-Ha 20:110 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
With regard to the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
"Everything will perish save His
Face"
[al-Qasas 28:88]
What this means is that everything will perish except
His Essence of which s His Face is one of the attributes.
Sharh al-`Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah by Ibn
`Uthaymeen, 1/243-245.
We should not compare the Creator to His creation
and imagine Him in terms of His creation, for Allaah is as
He has said of Himself (interpretation of the meaning):
"There is nothing like Him"
[al-Shoora 42:11]
So Allaah has risen above His Throne, and He faces
the worshipper when he prays, and there is no
contradiction between them with regard to Allaah.
Some people were similarly confused about the issue
of Allaah descending during the last third of the night to
the lowest heaven. They said that the night is not the
same throughout the earth, so how can Allaah descend
during the night and day at the same time?
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen said:
Later generations who knew that the earth is round
and that the sun revolves around the earth said: how can
He descend during the last third of the night, when the
last third of the night moves from the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia and goes to Europe and areas nearby? We
say: now you are comparing the attributes of Allaah to
the attributes of created beings. If you believe it you do
not have to do anything beyond that, so do not ask how.
Rather say: When it is the last third of the night in
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, then Allaah descends,
and when it is the last third of the night in America,
Allaah descends then as well.
So our attitude is that we believe what has reached us
via Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him), and that Allaah descends to the lowest heaven when
there is one third of the night left, and says, "Who will
call upon Me, that I may answer him? Who will ask of
Me, that I may give him? Who will ask My forgiveness that
I may forgive him?"
Sharh al-Waasitiyyah, 2/437.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
20652: Commentary on the hadeeth, "Allaah created
Adam in His image"
Question:
When Prophet says "Allah created Adam in his
image" what does "his image" refer to and how should
we understand it?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Bukhaari (6227) and Muslim (2841) narrated from
Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah created Adam in His
image, and he was sixty cubits tall. When he created him he
said, `Go and greet that group of angels who are sitting
and listen to how they greet you, for that will be your
greeting and the greeting of your descendents.' So he said,
`Al-salaamu `alaykum (peace be upon you),' and they
said, `Al-salaamu `alayka wa rahmat-Allaah (Peace be
upon you and the mercy of Allaah.' So they added (the
words) `wa rahmat-Allaah.' Everyone who enters Paradise
will be in the form of Adam, but mankind continued to
grow shorter until now."
Muslim (2612) narrated that Abu Hurayrah said:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "When any one of fights his brother,
let him avoid the face, for Allaah created Adam in
His image."
Ibn Abi `Aasim narrated in al-Sunnah (517) that
Ibn `Umar said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Do not say `May
Allaah deform your face' [a form of cursing in Arabic], for
the son of Adam was created in the image of the
Most Merciful." Shaykh `Abd-Allaah ibn al-Ghunaymaan
(may Allaah preserve him) said: "This hadeeth is saheeh
and was classed as such by the imams and by Imam
Ahmad and Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh. Those who classed it as
da'eef have no evidence, except for the view of Ibn
Khuzaymah, but those who classed it as saheeh are
more knowledgeable than him.
Ibn Abi `Aasim also narrated (516) that Abu
Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "When any one of you
fights let him avoid the face, for Allaah created Adam in
the image of His Face." Shaykh al-Albaani said: its isnaad
is saheeh.
These two hadeeth indicate that the pronoun in the
phrase "in His image" refers to Allaah, may He be glorified.
Al-Tirmidhi (3234) narrated from Ibn `Abbaas that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "My Lord came to me in the most beautiful image
and said, `O Muhammad.' I said, `Here I am at Your
service, my Lord.' He said, `What are the chiefs (angels) on
high disputing about…'" Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani
in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.
According to the lengthy hadeeth about intercession,
it says, "… then the Compeller (al-Jabbaar) will come
to then in an image different than the image in which
they saw Him the first time…" Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
7440; Muslim, 182.
From these ahaadeeth we learn that it is proven that
Allaah has an image (soorah in Arabic), in a manner that
befits Him, may He be glorified and exalted. His image is
one of His attributes which cannot be likened to the
attributes of created beings, just as His essence cannot be
likened to their essence.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: "The word
soorah (image) in this hadeeth is like all the other names
and attributes narrated (in the texts) where the words
used may also be applied to created beings, in a limited
manner. When these words are applied to Allaah, they carry
a unique meaning, such as al-`Aleem (All Knowing),
al-Qadeer (All-Powerful), al-Raheem (Most Merciful),
al-Samee' (All Hearing), al-Baseer (All-Seeing), and
such as His creating with His hands, rising above the
Throne, etc." Naqd al-Ta'sees, 3/396
Everything that exists must inevitably have a form
or image. Shaykh al-Islam said: "Just as everything
that exists must have attributes that, so too everything
that exists by itself must have a form or image. It is
impossible for something that exists by itself not to have a form
or image."
And he said: "There was no dispute among the salaf
of the first three generations that the pronoun in the
hadeeth refers to Allaah, and it is narrated through many
isnaads from many of the Sahaabah. The contexts of the
ahaadeeth all indicate that… but when al-Jahamiyyah
became widespread in the third century AH, a group began to
say that the pronoun refers to something other than
Allaah, and this was transmitted from a group of scholars
who are known to have knowledge and to follow the
Sunnah in most of their affairs, such as Abu Thawr,
Ibn Khuzaymah, Abu'l-Shaykh al-Asfahaani and
others. Hence they were denounced by the imams of Islam
and other Sunni scholars."
Naqd al-Ta'sees, 3/202
Ibn Qutaybah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
"That Allaah should have an image is no stranger than
His having two hands, fingers or eyes. Rather those are
readily accepted because they are mentioned in the Qur'aan,
but this idea (image or form) is regarded as strange
because it is not mentioned in the Qur'aan. But we believe in
them all, but we do not discuss how any of them are."
Ta'weel Mukhtalif al-Hadeeth, p. 221
Shaykh al-Ghunaymaan said: "Thus it is clear that
the form or image is like all the other divine attributes.
Any attribute which Allaah has affirmed in the Revelation,
we must affirm it and believe in it."
Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed min Saheeh
al-Bukhaari, 2/41
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him)
was asked: There is a hadeeth narrated from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in which he
forbids saying "May Allaah deform your face", and says
that Allaah created Adam in His image. What is the
correct belief with regard to this hadeeth?
He replied:
This hadeeth is proven from the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), in which he said:
"If any one of you strikes (another), let him avoid the
face, for Allaah created Adam in His image." According
to another version: "In the image of the Most
Merciful." This does not imply resemblance or likeness.
What is meant, according to the scholars, is that
Allaah created Adam with the ability to hear and see, and to
speak when he wants. These are also attributes of Allaah,
for He is All-Hearing, All-Seeing, and He speaks when
He wants, and He has a Face, may He be glorified and exalted.
But it does not mean that there is any resemblance
or likeness. Rather the image of Allaah is different from
that of created beings. What is meant is that He is
All-Hearing, All-Seeing, and He speaks when He wants, and He
created Adam also able to hear and see, with a face and
hands and feet. But man's hearing is not like Allaah's
hearing, his seeing is not like Allaah's seeing, his speaking is
not like Allaah's speaking. Rather Allaah has attributes
that befit His majesty and might, and man has attributes
that befit him, attributes that are finite and imperfect,
whereas the attributes of Allaah are perfect, with no
shortcomings, infinite and without end. Hence Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"There is nothing like Him, and He is the AllHearer,
the AllSeer"
[al-Shoora 42:11]
"And there is none coequal or comparable unto Him"
[al-Ikhlaas 112:4]
So it is not permissible to strike the face or say
"May Allaah deform your face".
End quote. Majmoo' Fataawa al-Shaykh, 4/226
Another thing that will help to explain the meaning
of this hadeeth is the words of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "The first group to
enter Paradise will be in the image of the moon" (Narrated
by al-Bukhaari, 3245; Muslim, 2834." What the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) meant
here is that the first group will be in human form, but
because of their purity, beauty and brightness of face they
will look like the moon, so they are likened to the moon,
but without resembling it. So just because a thing is said
to be in the image of a thing it does not mean that it is like
it in all aspects.
The Prophet's words, "Adam was created in His
image" means that Allaah created Adam in His image, for He
has a face, an eye, a hand, and a foot, and Adam had a
face, an eye, a hand, and a foot… but that does not mean
that these things are exactly the same. There is some
similarity, but it is not exactly the same. Similarly the first group
to enter Paradise are likened to the moon, but they are
not exactly the same. This confirms the view of Ahl
al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah, who say that none of the attributes
of Allaah can be likened to the attributes of created
beings, without distorting or misinterpreting, or discussing
how or likening Him to His creation.
See Sharh al-`Aqeedah al-Waasitah by
Shaykh Muhammad ibn `Uthaymeen, 1/107, 293.
For more information, see: Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed
min Saheeh al-Bukhaari by Shaykh al-Ghunaymaan,
2/33-98, in which he quotes at length from Shaykh al-Islam
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him), refuting
the misinterpretation of this hadeeth by ahl al-kalaam
and those who agreed with them. And Allaah knows
best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
21949: Meaning of the hadeeth which says that
Allaah created Adam in His Image
Question:
I am asking about the correct understanding of the
hadeeth, "Adam was created in the Image of the Most Merciful"?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah
created Adam in His Image…" Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
6227; Muslim, 2841.
With regard to the hadeeth, "Do not (insult one
another) and say `May Allaah make your face ugly', because
Adam was created in the Image of the Most Merciful," this
was classed as da'eef (weak) by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah
al-Da'eefah, no. 1176.
Perhaps the questioner is confused by this hadeeth
because of the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"There is nothing like Him"
[al-Shoora 42:11]
The scholars answered this problem in two ways: a
brief answer and a detailed answer.
The brief answer is that it is impossible for this
hadeeth to contradict the words of Allaah (interpretation of
the meaning):
"There is nothing like Him"
[al-Shoora 42:11]
If we find a way to reconcile between them, all well
and good, otherwise we should say,
" `We believe in it; the whole of it (clear and
unclear Verses) are from our Lord.' And none receive
admonition except men of understanding" [Aal `Imraan 3:7
_ interpretation of the meaning]
We believe that there is nothing like unto Allaah and
thus we will be on the safe side before Allaah. These are
the words of Allaah, and these are the words of
His Messenger; both are true and it is impossible for one
of them to belie the other. So we say that the verse
shows that His creation cannot resemble Allaah, and the
hadeeth affirms that Allaah has an Image. Both are true and
we believe in them; we say that both are from our Lord,
and remain silent thereafter. This is all that we can do.
See Sharh al-Waasitiyyah by Ibn `Uthaymeen.
With regard to the detailed Answer:
This hadeeth proves that Allaah has an Image, and
that Allaah created Adam in His Image.
But there is nothing in this hadeeth to indicate that
the image of Adam (peace be upon him) resembles the
Image of Allaah, rather this meaning is absolutely false and
was not meant by the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), because Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"There is nothing like Him"
[al-Shoora 42:11]
The fact that one thing is likened to another does not
mean that it is identical to it in all aspects, rather they are
likened to one another because they share some attributes,
but that does not means that every attribute is identical.
This is indicated by the words of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "The first group to
be admitted to Paradise will be in the image of the moon
on the night when it is full." Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
3327; Muslim, 2834.
This hadeeth does not mean that they will enter
Paradise in a form that is exactly like the moon in all
regards, otherwise that would mean that they will enter
Paradise with no eyes or mouths, or as rocks.
Rather what the hadeeth means is that they will be
like the moon in beauty and brightness, with shining
faces, and so on.
So if you say: what is the Image that belongs to
Allaah and in which Adam was created? We say that Allaah
has a Face and Eyes and Hands and Feet, but that does
not mean that because of these things He resembles
man. There may be some similarity but that does not mean
that these things are identical, just as the first group of
the people of Paradise to enter Paradise are likened to
the moon, but that does not mean that they resemble the
moon. This confirms the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah
wa'l-Jamaa'ah, that none of the attributes of Allaah can be likened to
the attributes of created beings, and they do not
misinterpret the Divine attributes or deny them, and they do not
liken them to the attributes of human beings.
See Sharh al-`Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah by
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen, part 1, p. 107-110.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
22200: The difference between al-Rahmaan and al-Raheem
Question:
What is the difference between al-Rahmaan and
al-Raheem?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Rahmaan and al-Raheem are two of the names
of Allaah which refer to Allaah's attribute of Mercy.
Al-Rahmaan refers to the vastness of Allaah's mercy,
and al-Raheem refers to its effect on His creation. So
al-Rahmaan is the Owner of vast Mercy, and al-Raheem
is the Owner of Mercy that encompasses His creation.
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said: "Al-Rahmaan is the Owner of vast mercy,
because the fa'laan form in Arabic indicates vastness
and abundance, as it is said rajal ghadbaan (a very angry
man) when he is filled with anger.
Al-Raheem is a name which refers to the action, as
the fa'eel form refers to the doer of an action. So the
phrase al-Rahmaan al-Raheem indicates that the mercy of
Allaah is vast, as is understood from the name al-Rahmaan,
and that it encompasses His creation, as is understood
from the name al-Raheem. This is what some of them
meant when they said that al-Rahmaan refers to mercy in
a general sense and al-Raheem refers to mercy that
is specifically for the believers. But what we have
mentioned is more accurate."
From Sharh al-`Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah, 1/22
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
34810: How can we understand the divine descent
during the night in different countries?
Question:
It is narrated in the hadeeth that "Allaah descends
every night to the lowest heaven during the last third of
the night…" When does the last third of the night begin,
and when does it end? And how does Allaah descend
in different countries?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
There are mutawaatir ahaadeeth from the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
which prove that Allaah descends. The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Our Lord
descends to the lowest heaven every night when the last third
of the night remains, and He says, `Who will call upon
Me, that I may answer him? Who will ask of Me, that I
may give him? Who will ask Me for forgiveness, that I
may forgive him?'"
Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah are unanimously agreed
that Allaah descends in a manner that befits Him, and that
He is not like His creation at all in any of His attributes,
as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad): He is Allaah, (the) One.
AllaahusSamad [Allaah — the SelfSufficient
Master, Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks)].
He begets not, nor was He begotten.
And there is none coequal or comparable unto Him"
[al-Ikhlaas 112:1-4]
"There is nothing like Him, and He is the AllHearer,
the AllSeer"
[al-Shoora 42:11]
According to Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah, we
must accept the verses and ahaadeeth that speak of the
attributes of Allaah as they are, without distorting them,
denying any of His attributes, trying to imagine how they are
or trying to liken Him to any of His creation; at the
same time we must believe in them and believe that what
is said in these texts is true, without likening Allaah to
His creation or discussing the nature of His attributes.
Rather their view concerning His attributes is like their
view concerning His essence: Ahl al-Sunnah
wa'l-Jamaa'ah affirm the Essence of Allaah without discussing how
it is, or likening Him to any of His creation, and thus
we must also affirm His attributes without discussing
how they are, or likening these attributes to the attributes
of any of His creation. The descent of Allaah happens
in every country in a manner that befits Allaah, because
the descent of Allaah cannot be likened to the descent of
any of His creation. He is described as descending in the
last part of the night in all parts of the world in a manner
that befits His Majesty, may He be exalted. No one can
know how He descends just as no one can know how
His Essence is, except Him.
"There is nothing like Him, and He is the AllHearer,
the AllSeer" [al-Shoora 42:11 _ interpretation of
the meaning]
"So put not forward similitudes for Allaah (as there
is nothing similar to Him, nor He resembles anything).
Truly, Allaah knows and you know not" [al-Nahl 16:74
_ interpretation of the meaning]
The first and last third of the night differ according to
the season. If the night is nine hours long then the time
of descent begins at the onset of the seventh hour, until
dawn comes. If the night is twelve hours long then the last
third begins at the beginning of the ninth hour until
dawn comes, and so on, depending on how long or short
the night is in each place. And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah by Shaykh `Abd al-`Azeez ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz
(may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 4, p. 420
(www.islam-qa.com)
6543: Is there a verse in the Qur'aan which says
that Allaah's process of creation is still taking place?
Question:
Is it true that according to certain Qur'anic verses,
Allah's process of creation is still taking place?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Among the names of Allaah are the names
al-Khaaliq and al-Khallaaq. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"He is Allaah, the Creator [al-Khaaliq], the Inventor
of all things, the Bestower of forms. To Him belong the
Best Names. All that is in the heavens and the earth
glorify Him. And He is the AllMighty, the AllWise"
[al-Hashr 59:34]
"Verily, your Lord is the AllKnowing Creator
[al-Khallaaq]"
[al-Hijr 15:86]
"Allaah is the Creator of all things, and He is the
Wakeel (Trustee, Disposer of affairs, Guardian) over all things"
[al-Zumar 39:62]
One of His attributes is that of creation. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Surely, His is the creation and commandment.
Blessed is Allaah, the Lord of the `Aalameen (mankind, jinn
and all that exists)!"
[al-A'raaf 7:54]
One of His actions is that He creates. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And of everything We have created pairs, that you
may remember (the Grace of Allaah)" [al-Dhaariyaat 51:49]
"Verily, We have created man from Nutfah (drops)
of mixed semen (sexual discharge of man and woman),
in order to try him, so We made him hearer and seer"
[al-Insaan 76:2]
"And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills
and chooses" [al-Qasas 28:68]
One thing concerning which there can be no doubt is
that at every moment Allaah creates whatsoever He will
of people and animals and inanimate objects; that
includes newborn children and the young of animals. Every
verse in the Qur'aan that mentions Allaah's creation of
mankind points towards that which is mentioned in the question.
Ibn Hazm said:
Allaah did not cease to create after the six days, rather
He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"He creates you in the wombs of your mothers,
creation after creation"
[al-Zumar 39:6]
"And indeed We created man (Adam) out of an extract
of clay (water and earth).
Thereafter We made him (the offspring of Adam) as
a Nutfah (mixed drops of the male and female
sexual discharge and lodged it) in a safe lodging (womb of
the woman).
Then We made the Nutfah into a clot (a piece of
thick coagulated blood), then We made the clot into a little
lump of flesh, then We made out of that little lump of flesh
bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, and then We
brought it forth as another creation. So Blessed is Allaah, the
Best of creators"
[al-Mu'minoon 23:12-14]
All of this is something other than those six days. It
states clearly that Allaah created after those six days and
that He continued to create after the creation of this
world, and He will continue to create the blessings of the
people of Paradise and the torment of the people of Hell
forever, without end.
Al-Fasl fi'l-Milal wa'l-Nihal, 3/34
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
information is quoted in its entirety, the source
is mentioned, and without changing the contents.
22210: The meaning of Allaah's name al-Haleem
Question:
Can you give me an explanation of the beautiful
names of Allah: Al Halim?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The name of Allaah al-Haleem is mentioned in a
number of places in the Qur'aan, for example the verses in
which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And know that Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Forbearing [Haleem]"
[al-Baqarah 2:235]
"Kind words and forgiving of faults are better
than Sadaqah (charity) followed by injury. And Allaah is
Rich (Free of all needs) and He is Most-Forbearing"
[al-Baqarah 2:263]
Ibn Jareer said in his Tafseer (4/144): "This means
that He gives respite and does not hasten to punish the
one who disobeys Him or goes against His command."
Al-Khattaabi said in Sha'n al-Du'a' (63): "He is
forgiving and grants respite, the One Whose anger does
not overwhelm Him and Who is not provoked by the ignorance of the ignorant or the disobedience of
the disobedient. One who forgives when he is not able
to punish does not deserve to be called Haleem
(forbearing); rather the one who is al-Haleem is the One Who
forgives when He is able to punish and Who gives respite
and does not hasten the punishment."
Qiwaam al-Sunnah al-Asbahaani said in al-Hujjah
fi Bayaan al-Mahajjah (1/144): "Forbearing towards the
one who disobeys Him, because if He wanted to punish
him at the time of the sin, He could do so, but He grants
him respite until the appointed time. Even though this is
a name that may be applied to a person, the forbearance
of a person is not a quality with which a person is born
and which then develops when he grows older; it may
change at times of sickness or anger, or because of events
that happen. His attribute dies when he dies, but
the forbearance of Allaah abides and never disappears.
A person may forgive one thing but not another; he
may forgive those against whom he is powerless to
exact revenge, but Allaah forgives even though He is able
to punish."
Ibn al-Qayyim said in al-Nooniyyah (3278):
"He is the Forbearing and does not hasten the
punishment for His slave, (granting him respite) so that he may
repent from his sin."
Al-Sa'di said in his Tafseer (19): "Al-Haleem is the
One Who keeps bestowing blessings, both visible and
hidden, on His creation, even though they disobey Him and
make many mistakes. So He forgives and does not give
the sinners the punishment they deserve; He encourages
them to repent and gives them time to turn to Him.".
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
20476: Al-Khaafid
Question:
Can you give me an explanation of the beautiful name
of Allah Al Khafid ?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Before discussing the meaning of this name, we
should understand some important issues that have to do
with the names of Allaah.
Firstly: The names and attributes of Allaah should
be based on evidence from the Book of Allaah (the
Qur'aan) and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him); there is no other source
for knowing the names and attributes of Allaah apart
from these two sources.
Based on this, whatever names of Allaah are affirmed
in the Qur'aan and Sunnah are what we must accept
and affirm.
Whatever is denied in the Qur'aan and Sunnah, we
must also deny, whilst affirming its opposite.
What is neither affirmed nor denied in the Qur'aan
and Sunnah, we must refrain from uttering it and neither
affirm it nor deny it, because it has not been narrated in the
sense of either affirming or denying.
With regard to the meaning of the name al-Khaafid,
it should be noted that if what is meant by it is
something that is befitting to Allaah, then it is acceptable, and
if what is meant is something that is not befitting to
Allaah, then we must reject it.
From al-Qawaa'id al-Mathla fi Sifaat Allaah
wa Asmaa'ihi il-Husna by Ibn `Uthaymeen.
Secondly: An action is broader in meaning than a
name. Hence Allaah has attributed to Himself actions for
which He is not called by the active participle of the verb
in question, such as wanting (araada), willing
(shaa'a) and causing to happen
(ahdatha); He is not called
al-mureed (the wanter or seeker) or
al-shaa'i (the willer) or al-muhdith (the causer). Similarly He did not call
Himself al-saani' (the maker),
al-faa'il (the doer), or al-mutqin (the one who does things perfectly), or other
names derived from actions that He attributes to Himself.
The scope of actions is broader than the scope of words.
Those who derive a name for Allaah from every
action made a serious mistake and made the number of
His names reach more than one thousand. They called
Him al-maakir (the plotter),
al-mukhaadi' (the deceiver), al-faatin (the causer of tribulation), al-kaa'id (the
schemer), etc.
Similarly He has told us about Himself in words that
are broader in scope and are not names by which He has
called Himself. We may refer to Him as
shay' (a thing), mawjood (one who exists),
madhkoor (one who is mentioned or remembered),
ma'loom (one who is known), muraad
(one who is sought), and so on, but He is not to be named
in these terms.
The word al-Waajid (the one who is independent
of means) is not mentioned as a name of Allaah except
in the hadeeth which lists the beautiful names (of
Allaah). But the correct view is that this is not the Prophet's
words, although the meaning is sound. For Allaah is indeed
the One Who has the means (dhu'l-wajd) and is
independent of all others, so it would be more apt to call Him
al-Waajid than al-Mawjood (the one who exists) or
al-Moojid (the initiator). The word
al-mawjood (one who exists) may refer to something that is perfect or imperfect, good
or evil (so the thing referred to by this name may be
perfect or imperfect). If a name may refer to either of these,
then it cannot be a name of Allaah, so we cannot call Him
al-Shay' (the thing) or al-Ma'loom (the one who is
known). Hence Allaah is not called
al-Mureed (the seeker) or
al-Mutakallim (the speaker) or
al-Moojid (the initiator). He has called Himself by names that carry the most
perfect meanings in that regard viz.
al-Khaaliq (the Creator), al-Baari' (the Creator), and
al-Musawwir (the Shaper). Al-Moojid (the initiator) is like
al-Muhdith (the one who causes things to happen),
al-Faa'il (the doer) and al-Saani' (the maker). This is a very subtle and
deep understanding of the beautiful names of Allaah, so
give some thought to it. And Allaah is the Source of
strength, From Madaarij al-Saalikeen by Ibn al-Qayyim,
3/383-385
Thirdly: The names that are given to Allaah must be
taken from the sound texts; this is not a matter that is subject
to ijtihaad or individual reasoning. But what is said in
the context of speaking about Him is not subject to the
same restrictions, so for example it may be said that He is
al-qadeem (the Ancient), al-shay' (the thing [i.e., as
opposed to nothing]), al-mawjood (the one who exists),
al-qaa'im bi nafsihi (the self sufficient). This is the bottom line
with regard to the issue of whether His names are
tawqeefi (i.e., not subject to ijtihaad) or it is permissible to
call Him by some names that are not reported in the
texts. From Badaa'i' al-Fawaa'id by Ibn al-Qayyim, 1/162
Fourthly: Among the names of Allaah there are
some which cannot be used in isolation unless their opposite
is also mentioned; if such a name is used on its own, it
may give an impression of imperfection _ exalted be
Allaah far above that. These names include al-Mu'ti,
al-Maani' (the Giver, the Withholder); al-Daarr,
al-Naafi' (the One who harms, the One Who benefits);
al-Qaabid, al-Baasit (the Constrictor, the Expander);
al-Mu'izz, al-Mudhill (the Honourer, the Humiliator);
al-Khaafid al-Raafi' (the Abaser, the Exalter). Allaah cannot be called
al-Maani' (the Withholder), al-Daarr (the One who harms),
al-Qaabid (the Constrictor),
al-Mudhill (the Humiliator) and
al-Khaafid (the Abaser) using these names on their
own; rather they must be accompanied by their
opposites, because they only appear as such (in pairs) in
the Revelation. From Ma'aarij al-Qubool by al-Hakami,
1/64.
Once the following is understood, the name
al-Khaafid is only narrated in the hadeeth which lists the
beautiful names of Allaah. The correct view is that this is not
the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him), as stated above in the words of Ibn
al-Qayyim. This is what has been confirmed by more than one
scholar such as Imam Ibn Taymiyah (as stated in
al-Fataawa, 6/379-380, 8/96, 22/482); al-Haafiz ibn Katheer in
his Tafseer (3/515); al-Haafiz ibn Hajar in
al-Fath (11/221) and al-Buloogh (1395), and others.
But the meaning of this name is correct, so long as it
is accompanied by the name al-Raafi' (the Exalter). It
was proven in Saheeh Muslim (179) from the hadeeth of
Abu Moosa al-Ash'ari that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah does not sleep
and it is not befitting that He should sleep. He lowers
justice and raises it. The deeds of the night are taken up to
Him before the deeds of the day, and the deeds of the day
before the night…" There are also some reports from the
salaf concerning that, and the mu'allaq report which
al-Bukhaari narrated in his Saheeh
(al-Fath, 8/487) from Abu'l-Darda', which says that he said concerning
the verse "Every day He is (engaged) in some affair (such
as giving honour or disgrace to some, life or death to
some)" [al-Rahmaan 55:29 _ interpretation of the
meaning]: "He forgives sins, relieves distress, raises some people in
status and humiliates others." This was also narrated in a
marfoo' report (i.e., attributed to the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him)).
Once this is understood, the scholars have also
discussed the meaning of the name al-Khaafid, such as
the following:
1 _ al-Khattaabi said in Sha'n al-Du'a'(58):
Al-Khaafid, al-Raafi' (the Abaser, the Exalter):
similarly when it comes to these two names, it is better to
mention them together. Al-Khaafid is the one who brings
down tyrants and humiliates the arrogant Pharaohs, and
al-Raafi' is the one who raises His close friends (awliya') in
status through their acts of obedience; He raises them in
status, supports them against their enemies and grants them
the ultimate victory. No one can prevail except the one
whom Allaah raises and no one can be lowered except the
one whom He humiliates.
2 _ al-Haleemi said, according to al-Asma'
wa'l-Sifaat by al-Bayhaqi (1/193):
The name al-Khaafid should not be used on its own
in du'aa' without the name al-Raafi'. Al-Khaafid is the
one who puts people in a lower position, and al-Raafi' is
the one who puts them in a higher position.
3 _ Qiwaam al-Sunnah al-Asbahaani said in al-Hujjah
fi Bayaan al-Mahajjah (1/140):
Among His names are al-Khaafid, al-Raafi' (the
Abaser, the Exalter). It was said that al-Khaafid is the one
who brings down tyrants and humiliates the arrogant
Pharaohs, and al-Raafi' is the one who raises His close
friends (awliya') in status and supports them against
their enemies. He humiliates whomsoever He will among
His slaves, lowering him in status and making him
unknown and insignificant. And He elevates whomsoever He
will among His slaves, raising him in status and position.
No one can rise except those whom He raises in status
and no one can be humiliated except those whom He
lowers in status. And it was said that He raises justice and
lowers it.
Then he narrated the hadeeth of Abu Moosa that
was narrated by Muslim (293): "Allaah does not sleep and
it is not befitting that He should sleep. He lowers
justice and raises it. The deeds of the night are taken up to
Him before the deeds of the day, and the deeds of the day
before the night…"
Then he said: The scholars said: what is meant by
"He lowers justice and raises it" is: He lowers justice
by causing oppressors to prevail, and He raises justice
by causing justice to prevail. He lowers justice by means
of the unjust and he raises justice by means of just
leaders. By alternately lowering and raising the level of
justice He tests His slaves to see how they will be patient in
the face of adversity and thankful for times of ease.
4 _ Shaykh Ibn Sa'di said in al-Haqq al-Waadih
al-Mubeen (258):
He is al-Raafi' for people who are righteous
and knowledgeable and have faith, and He is al-Khaafid
for His enemies.
It says in Tawdeeh al-Kaafiyah al-Shaafiyah (390):
Know that the divine attributes that have to do with deeds
are all connected to or based on these three attributes:
absolute power, ever-executed will and perfect wisdom. All of
these are attributes of Allaah. The effects of these
attributes prevail everywhere in the universe, giving precedence
to some and putting others behind, benefiting some
and harming others, giving to some and withholding
from others, abasing some and exalting others. There is
no difference in this between physical and moral,
religious or worldly.
Shaykh Muhammad Khaleel Harraas said in Sharh
al-Qaseedah al-Nooniyyah, 2/114:
Allaah is al-Khaafid, al-Raafi' (the Abaser the
Exalter). He abases the kuffaar by making their lives
miserable and keeping them away from Him, and He raises His
close friends by drawing them close to Him and making
them happy. He alternates things amongst His slaves, so
He humiliates some people and makes them insignificant
and takes away their pride, and He raises others by
causing them to inherit the authority and land of the former.
All of these words are true, and they are included in
the meaning of al-Khaafid, al-Raafi' (the Abaser, the Exalter).
And Allaah knows best.
Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
22192: The meaning of Allaah's name al-Haafiz
Question:
Can you give me an explanation of the beautiful
names of Allah : Al Hafiz ?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The name al-Haafiz is mentioned in the verse in
which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"He said: `Can I entrust him to you except as I
entrusted his brother [Yoosuf (Joseph)] to you aforetime? But
Allaah is the Best to guard (Haafiz), and He is the Most
Merciful of those who show mercy'"
[Yoosuf 12:64]
Allaah also calls Himself al-Hafeez in several places
in the Qur'aan. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Surely, my Lord is Guardian over all things (Hafeez)"
[Hood 11:57]
al-Khattaabi said in Sha'n al-Du'aa' (67-68):
"Al-Hafeez means al-Haafiz. Both are active participles but the
form Hafeez carries a more intensive meaning, as in the
words al-Qadeer (All-powerful) and al-`Aleem
(All-knowing). He guards or keeps the heavens and the earth
and everything therein, so that they will remain for as long
as they are to remain, and will not disappear. This is like
the verses (interpretation of the meaning):
`and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them'
[al-Baqarah 2:255]
`And to guard against every rebellious devil'
[al-Saffaat 37:7]
He is the One Who protects His slaves from
destruction and calamity and disaster, as He says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"For him (each person), there are angels in
succession, before and behind him. They guard him by the
Command of Allaah"
[al-Ra'd 13:11]
He keeps the records of His slaves' deeds, and he keeps
a record of what they say; He knows their intentions
and what is in their hearts. Nothing is hidden from Him.
He protects His close friends (awliya') from falling
into sin, and he guards them against the plots of the
Shaytaan so that they will be safe from his evil and his temptation."
Al-Sa'di said in his Tafseer (18): "Al-Hafeez is the
One who protects that which He has created, and
Whose knowledge encompasses that which He has brought
into existence. He protects His slaves from falling into
sin and disaster, and He takes care of them in all
situations. He records the deeds of His slaves and the reward
or punishment for that.".
Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
21371: Meaning of Allaah's words in the hadeeth qudsi,
"I am his hearing with which he hears…"
Question:
Can you please explain a hadith for me ...
Allah Most High says: "He who is hostile to a friend
of Mine I declare war against. My slave approaches Me
with nothing more beloved to Me than what I have
made obligatory upon him, and My slave keeps drawing
nearer to Me with voluntary works until I love him. And when
I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his
sight with which he sees, his hand with which he seizes,
and his foot with which he walks. If he asks me, I will
surely give to him, and if he seeks refuge in Me, I will
surely protect him" (Fath al-Bari, 11.34041, hadith 6502);
This hadith was related by Imam Bukhari, Ahmad ibn
Hanbal, al-Bayhaqi, and others with multiple contiguous
chains of transmission, and is sahih. The part that I
need explaining in, or rather getting confused in is, "I am
his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he
sees, his hand with which he seizes, and his foot with which
he walks."
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. The meaning of this part of
the hadeeth is that when the believing slave strives to
draw closer to Allaah by doing obligatory acts of worship,
then naafil acts, Allaah will bring him closer to Him, and
will raise him from the level of eemaan (faith, belief) to
the level of ihsaan, so he will start to worship Allaah as if
he can see Him, and his heart will be filled with
knowledge of his Lord, love and awe for Him, fear of Him,
and glorification and veneration of Him. When his heart
is filled in this manner, any attachment to anything
other than Allaah will disappear, and the person will not
longer be attached to any of his whims or desires, and he
will have no wish for anything except that which his Lord
and Master wants. At that point the person will not
speak except to remember Allaah, he will not move except
to obey His command. So when he speaks, he speaks
for the sake of Allaah; when he hears he hears for the sake
of Allaah; when he looks, he looks for the sake of
Allaah; i.e., he acts with the help and guidance of Allaah and
for the sake of Allaah in these matters. So he only listens
to that which Allaah loves; he only looks at that with
which Allaah is pleased; he only strikes with his hands and
walks with his feet for purposes with which his Lord and
Master is pleased. It does not mean that Allaah is his hearing
and his sight, and Allaah is his hand and his foot. Exalted
be Allaah above that, for Allaah is above the Throne and
He is Exalted above all His creation. Rather what is meant
is that He guides him with regard to his hearing,
seeing, walking and striking. Hence it was narrated in
another version that Allaah says: "In Me he hears, in Me he
sees, in Me he strikes and in Me he walks," meaning that
Allaah guides him in his actions, words, hearing and seeing.
This is what it means according to Ahl al-Sunnah
wa'l-Jamaa'ah. At the same time Allaah answers his
prayers, so if he asks Him, He will give; if he seeks His help,
He will help him; if he seeks refuge with Him, He will
grant him refuge. Adapted from Jaami' al-`Uloom
wa'l-Hukam, 2/347; Fataawa Noor
`ala'l-Darb, tape 10, by Shaykh Ibn Baaz, may Allaah have mercy on him.
Whoever suggests a meaning other than this is wrong
and is transgressing the limits and showing disrespect
towards Allaah, and he is going against the Arabs'
own understanding of their language and what they
understand by such words. Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen said in
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 1/145 9: You see that Allaah has
mentioned one who worships and One Who is worshipped, one
who draws close and the One to Whom he draws close,
one who loves and the One Who is loved, one who asks
and One Who is asked, One Who gives and one to whom it
is given, one who seeks refuge and One Whose refuge
is sought. The hadeeth refers to two who are distinct
from one another, one of whom is not the other. If that is
the case, than the apparent meaning of the words "I am
his hearing, his sight, his hand and his foot" cannot be
that the Creator is a part or an attribute of the created
being. Exalted be Allaah far above that. Rather the apparent
and true meaning is that Allaah guides this slave with
regard to his hearing, sight and striking, so he hears purely
for the sake of Allaah, by the help of Allaah, following
the commands of Allaah. The same applies to his seeing,
his striking and his walking.
Islam Q&A
(www.islam-qa.com)
12290: There is no contradiction between the fact
that Allaah descends to the lowest heaven and His having
risen above the Throne (istiwaa')
Question:
When asked "Where is Allah ?" I reply "Above the
seven Heavens and the Arsh" But taking the Hadith
regarding that Allah descends to the lowest heaven in the latter
part of the night. If someone asks where is Allah and
they state it is the latter 3rd of the night now. What reply
should you give. Another point is that some people say it is
the latter part of the night all the time (somewhere on
the earth at a paticular point in time) From this they
conclude that Allah is not above His Arsh.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly, we have to know the `aqeedah (belief) of Ahl
al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah concerning the names and attributes of Allaah. The belief of Ahl al-Sunnah
wa'l-Jamaa'ah is to affirm the names and attributes
which Allaah has affirmed for Himself, without distorting
or denying them, discussing how they are or likening
them to anything else. They believe that which Allaah
has commanded them to believe, for Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"There is nothing like Him, and He is the All Hearer,
the All Seer"
[al-Shooraa 42:11]
Allaah has told us about Himself. He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Indeed, your Lord is Allaah, Who created the
heavens and the earth in Six Days, and then He rose over
(Istawaa) the Throne (really in a manner that suits His Majesty).
[al-A'raaf 7:54]
"The Most Gracious (Allaah) rose over (Istawaa)
the (Mighty) Throne (in a manner that suits His Majesty).
[Ta-Ha 20:5]
and there are other aayahs which mention that Allaah
rose over His Throne.
The rising of Allaah over His Throne, which means
that He Himself is High and above the Throne, is of a
special nature which befits His Majesty and Might. No one
knows how it is except Him.
This was proven in the saheeh Sunnah, where it is
narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) that Allaah descends during the last third of the
night. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Our Lord descends every night to the lowest heaven when
the last third of the night remains, and He says, `Who
will call Me that I might answer him, who will ask of Me
that I might give him, who will ask My forgiveness, that
I might forgive him?'" (narrated by al-Bukhaari,
Kitaab al-Tawheed, 6940; Muslim, Salaat
al-Musaafireen, 1262)
According to Ahl al-Sunnah, the meaning of this
descent is that Allaah Himself comes down to the lowest
heaven in a real sense, as befits His Majesty, and no one
knows how that is except Him.
But does the fact that Allaah comes down mean that
He vacates the Throne or not? Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen
said concerning a similar question: we say that this
question is based on unnecessary and excessive questioning,
and that the one who asked this is not to be thanked for
his question. We ask, are you more keen than the
Sahaabah to understand the attributes of Allaah? If he says yes,
we tell him, you are lying. And if he says no, we tell
him, then be content with what they were content with.
They did not ask the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), `O Messenger of Allaah,
when He comes down, does He vacate the Throne?' Why
do you need to ask this question? Just say, He comes
down. Whether or not the Throne is vacated is not your
business. You are commanded to believe the reports,
especially concerning the essence of Allaah and His attributes,
for this matter is above rational thought.
Majmoo' Fataawa Shaykh Muhammad
al-`Uthaymeen, 1/204-205
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said concerning this matter:
"The correct view is that He descends and that He
does not vacate the Throne. A person's soul remains
attached to his body night and day until he dies, but when he
is asleep it ascends… It was said, night varies, and the
last third of the night comes sooner in the east than in
the west, so the descent of Allaah to the lowest heaven,
of which His Messenger spoke, happens in the east first
and then in the west..."
See Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn Taymiyah, 5/132
Rising over (istiwaa') and descending are two of
the practical attributes which have to do with the will
of Allaah. Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah believe in that,
but in this belief they avoid likening Allaah to any of
His creation or discussing how He is. It cannot occur to
them that Allaah's descending is like the descending of any
of His creatures or that His rising over the Throne is like
the rising over of any of His creatures, because they
believe that there is nothing like unto Allaah and He is the
All-Hearer, All-Seer. They know on rational grounds that
there is a great difference between the Creator and His
creatures, in their essence, attributes and actions. It cannot occur
to them to ask how He descends, or how He rose over
His Throne. The point is that they do not ask how His
attributes are; they believe that there is a `how', but it is
unknown, so we can never imagine how it is.
We know for certain that what is narrated in the Book
of Allaah or the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) is true and is not
self-contradictory, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Do they not then consider the Qur'aan carefully? Had
it been from other than Allaah, they would surely,
have found therein many a contradiction"
[al-Nisaa' 4:82]
because contradictions in the reports would mean
that some of them were showing others to be false, and this
is impossible in the case of that which Allaah and
His Messenger tell us.
Whoever imagines that there are any contradictions
in the Book of Allaah or the Sunnah of His Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or between
the two, it is either because of his lack of knowledge
or because he has failed to understand properly or to
ponder the matter correctly, so let him seek further
knowledge and strive to think harder until the truth becomes clear
to him. Then if the matter is still not clear to him, let
him leave it to the One Who is All-Knowing and let him put
a stop to his illusions and say, as those who are
firmly grounded in knowledge say, "We believe in it; the
whole of it (clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord"
[Aal `Imraan 3:7 _ interpretation of the
meaning]. Let him know that there is no contradiction in the Qur'aan
and Sunnah and no conflict between them. And Allaah
knows best.
See Fataawa Ibn `Uthaymeen, 3/237-238
Imagining that there is a conflict between
Allaah's descending to the lowest heaven and His having
risen over the Throne and His being high above the
heavens stems from making a comparison between the
Creator and the created being. For man cannot imagine the
unseen things of His creation, such as the delights of
Paradise, so how can he imagine the Creator, may He be
glorified and exalted, the Knower of the Unseen. So we believe
in what has been narrated of His rising over (the
Throne), His descending and His being High and Exalted.
We affirm that (and state that it is) in a manner that befits
His Majesty and Might.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
26348: Moulding one's character in the way that
Allaah loves based on the meanings of His names and attributes
Question:
I heard one of the khateebs giving a Friday khutbah
and urging the people to adopt the attributes of Allaah and
to mould their character after His. Is there a correct way
to understand this? Is there a scholarly precedent for
this statement?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The expression to which you refer is not appropriate,
but there is a correct interpretation for it, which is
encouraging people to mould their character based on the
meanings implied by some of the attributes and names of
Allaah. That means looking at the attributes of which it
is appropriate for the created being (man) to adopt
the meanings implied, in contrast to the attributes
which belong exclusively to Allaah, such as His being
the Creator, Provider, God, etc., for these are attributes
to which the created being can never aspire and it is
not permissible to claim such attributes. Rather what is
meant by the attributes which Allaah loves for His slaves is
that they should develop the attitudes implied by
those attributes, such as knowledge, strength in adhering to
the truth, mercy, forbearance, kindness, generosity,
tolerance, etc. For Allaah is All-knowing and loves those who
are knowledgeable; He is Strong and loves the strong
believer more than He loves the weak believer; He is
Generous and loves those who are generous; He is Merciful
and loves those who show mercy; He is Forgiving and
loves those who forgive, etc. But the attributes of Allaah
are more perfect and greater than the attributes of the
created being (man), so there is no comparison between
them, because there is nothing like unto Him in His
attributes and actions, just as there is nothing that can compare
to Him in His Essence. Rather it is sufficient for the
created being to have a share in these attributes in the
manner that befits him, within the limits set by sharee'ah. If
he oversteps the limits with regard to generosity then he
will become a spendthrift; if he oversteps the limit with
regard to mercy then he will fail to carry out the
punishments decreed by sharee'ah; if he oversteps the limits with
regard to forgiveness then he will forgive in an
inappropriate manner. These are just a few examples, from which
others may be deduced. The great scholar Ibn al-Qayyim
(may Allaah have mercy on him) said words to this effect
in his books `Uddat al-Saabireen and al-Waabil
al-Sayyib, the texts of which follow. In `Uddat
al-Saabireen (p. 310) he said: "Because He is al-Shakoor (the Appreciative)
in the truest sense, the most beloved of His creation to
Him are those who are characterized by the attribute
of thankfulness, and the most hated of His creation to
Him are those in whom this attribute is lacking, or who
are characterized by the opposite. This applies to His
Most Beautiful Names: the most beloved of His creation to
Him are those who have the characteristic implied by
that meaning, and the most hated of them to Him are
those who have the opposite characteristic. For this reason
He hates the kaafir, the wrongdoer, the hard-hearted,
the miser, the coward, the despicable and the depraved. He
is Beautiful and loves beauty; He is All-Knowing and
loves those who have knowledge; He is Merciful and loves
those who show mercy; He is Beneficent and loves those
who do good; He is the Concealer and loves those who
conceal (sins or faults); He is All-Powerful and
condemns incapacity _ the stronger believer is more beloved to
Him than the weak believer. He is Forgiving and
loves forgiveness; He is One and loves odd-numbered
things. Everything that He loves is implied by His Names
and Attributes, everything that He hates is the opposite
of that."
And he said in al-Waabil al-Sayyib (p. 43):
"Generosity is one of the attributes of the Lord, for He gives and
does not take, He feeds but He is not fed. He is the
most generous of those who are generous, the kindest of
those who are kind. The most beloved of His creation to
Him are those who bear the characteristics implied by
His attributes. For He is Kind and loves those among
His slaves who are kind; He is All-Knowing and loves
those who have knowledge; He is All-Powerful and loves
those who are brave; He is Beautiful and loves beauty."
I hope that what we have mentioned here will be
sufficient. I ask Allaah to enable us all to understand His
religion and to adhere to it properly, for He is All-Hearing,
Ever-Responsive. Praise be to Allaah the Lord of the Worlds.
See: Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah
li Samaahat al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have
mercy on him), 1/133.
(www.islam-qa.com)
22642: The difference between the names and attributes
of Allaah
Question:
What is the difference between the names and
attributes of Allaah?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The names of Allaah are all those names that refer
to Allaah Himself and also refer to one of His
perfect attributes that exist in Him, such as al-Qaadir (the
All-Powerful), al-`Aleem (the All-Knowing), al-Hakeem
(the Most Wise), al-Samee' (the All-Hearing), al-Baseer
(the All-Seeing). These names refer to Allaah Himself and
to His qualities of knowledge, wisdom, hearing, sight.
So the names refer to two things, while attributes refer
to one thing. And it was said that the name includes
the attribute and the attribute implies the name. We
must believe in all the attributes that have been narrated
from Allaah or from the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) in a manner that befits Allaah, whilst
also believing that He does not resemble any of His
creation in any of His attributes, just as He does not resemble
them in His Essence. Allaah says:
"Say (O Muhammad): He is Allaah, (the) One.
AllaahusSamad [Allaah — the SelfSufficient
Master, Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks)].
He begets not, nor was He begotten.
And there is none coequal or comparable unto
Him.""[al-Ikhlaas]
"There is nothing like Him, and He is the AllHearer,
the AllSeer"
[al-Shoora 42:11]
And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah
bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and
companions, and grant them peace.
Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz. (www.islam-qa.com)
21136: Ruling on saying "Ya Wajh Allaah (O Face
of Allaah)"
Question:
What is the ruling on what some people say, "Ya
Wajh Allaah (O Face of Allaah)"?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
This is not appropriate; although it may be that they
are referring to Allaah Himself.
From Fataawa Samaahat al-Shakh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem (may Allaah have mercy on him)
1/117 (www.islam-qa.com)
21200: The highest description
Question:
This is a question which is often asked, "Who has
the highest description?" Answers vary as much as
people do. There are some who say, "Prophet Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)" and others
who say, "My father," and so on. What is your view of
this question? How does it relate to the aayah from Soorat
al-Nahl (interpretation of the meaning):
"For those who believe not in the Hereafter is an
evil description, and for Allaah is the highest description.
And He is the All Mighty, the All Wise"
[al-Nahl 16:60]
and the aayah from Soorat al-Room (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And He it is Who originates the creation, then He
will repeat it (after it has been perished); and this is easier
for Him. His is the highest description (i.e. none has the
right to be worshipped but He, and there is nothing
comparable unto Him) in the heavens and in the earth. And He is
the All Mighty, the All Wise" [al-Room 30:27]??
Please advise us, may Allaah reward you.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The meaning that you have referred to varies. If you
mean who is most deserving of being described as the
highest, then the answer is that this is Allaah alone, because He
is the One Who has the highest description in every
sense; He is Perfect in His essence, His Attributes and His
Deeds, with no peer, equal or rival. This is what is meant in
the two aayahs you quoted in your question. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Say: `I seek refuge with (Allaah) the Lord of mankind,
The King of mankind —
The Ilaah (God) of mankind,
From the evil of the whisperer (devil who whispers
evil in the hearts of men) who withdraws (from his
whispering in one's heart after one remembers Allaah'"
[al-Ikhlaas 112:1-4]
"There is nothing like Him, and He is the All Hearer,
the All Seer" [al-Shoora 42:11]
But if you mean, who is the highest example in
character and attitude, then the answer is, the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because he is
the most perfect of mankind in guidance, living, word
and deed, and he is the highest example for the believers
in their life, actions, jihaad, patience and other
virtuous characteristics, as Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah (Muhammad)
you have a good example to follow for him who hopes
for (the Meeting with) Allaah and the Last Day,
and remembers Allaah much"
[al-Ahzaab 33:21]
And Allaah says describing His Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And verily, you (O Muhammad) are on an
exalted (standard of) character"
[al-Qalam 68:4]
`Aa'ishah said: "His (standard of) character was
the Qur'aan." What this means is that he (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to act in accordance with
the commands of the Qur'aan and heed its prohibitions,
and that he had the characteristics for which people are
praised in the Qur'aan and he avoided the characteristics for
which people are condemned in the Qur'aan. And Allaah is
the Source of strength
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-`Allaamah `Abd al-`Azeez
ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on
him), vol. 4, p. 425 (www.islam-qa.com)
10244: Allaah is All-Aware of everything?
Question:
What is the meaning of the aayah "And Allaah is
All-Aware of everything" (al-Baqarah 2:231 _
interpretation of the meaning)?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah knows and is aware of all things. Nothing on
earth or in heaven is hidden from Him, be it words or
deeds, movements or cessation of movement, acts of
obedience or acts of disobedience.
"Know you not that Allaah knows all that is in the
heaven and on the earth? Verily, it is (all) in the Book
(AlLawh AlMahfooz). Verily, that is easy for Allaah" [al-Hajj
22:70 _ interpretation of the meaning]
Allaah has encompassed all things with His
knowledge, and has written it in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz, as He
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Neither you (O Muhammad) do any deed nor recite
any portion of the Qur'aan, nor you (O mankind) do any
deed (good or evil), but We are Witness thereof, when you
are doing it. And nothing is hidden from your Lord (so
much as) the weight of an atom (or small ant) on the earth or
in the heaven. Not what is less than that or what is
greater than that but is (written) in a Clear
Record"[Yoonus 10:61]
Allaah Alone knows the unseen. He knows what is in
the heavens and what is on earth, as Allaah says of
Himself (interpretation of the meaning):
"…I know the Ghayb (Unseen) in the heavens and
the earth, and I know what you reveal and what you
have been concealing" [al-Baqarah 2:33]
Allaah knows all things. The keys of the unseen are
known to no one but Him, as He says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And with Him are the keys of the Ghayb (all that
is hidden), none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in the land and in the sea; not a
leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the
darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in
a Clear Record" [al-An'aam 6:59]
Allaah alone is the One Who knows when the Hour
will begin, when rain will fall, what is in the wombs,
what each person will do, and when and where each
person will die. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, Allaah, with Him (Alone) is the knowledge of
the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which
is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will
die. Verily, Allaah is AllKnower, AllAware (of things)"
[Luqmaan 31:34]
Allaah is with us and nothing we do is concealed
from Him…
"And He is with you (by His Knowledge)
wheresoever you may be. And Allaah is the AllSeer of what you
do" [al-Hadeed 57:4 _ interpretation of the meaning]
Allaah is always watching us. He knows what we
do, whether it is good or bad. Then He will tell us of that
and will reward or punish us accordingly on the Day
of Resurrection, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Have you not seen that Allaah knows whatsoever is
in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth? There is
no Najwa (secret counsel) of three but He is their fourth
(with His Knowledge, while He Himself is over the
Throne, over the seventh heaven), — nor of five but He is
their sixth (with His Knowledge), — nor of less than that
or more but He is with them (with His Knowledge) wheresoever they may be. And afterwards on the Day
of Resurrection He will inform them of what they did.
Verily, Allaah is the AllKnower of everything"
[al-Mujaadilah 58:7]
Allaah Alone knows the unseen and the seen, what
is secret and what is open, as He says of Himself (interpretation of the meaning):
"AllKnower of the unseen and the seen, the Most
Great, the Most High"
[al-Ra'd 13:9]
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And if you (O Muhammad) speak (the invocation)
aloud, then verily, He knows the secret and that which is
yet more hidden"
[Ta-Ha 20:7]
From Usool al-Deen al-Islami, by Shaykh
Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Tuwayjri (www.islam-qa.com)
9564: Allaah is above Paradise
Question:
Is Allah above the heaven or in the heaven physically
? Also, is it part of belief that Allah is physically
bigger than the universe ?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
We put this question to Shaykh `Abd al-Rahmaan
al-Barraak (may Allaah preserve him), who answered
as follows:
Praise be to Allaah, the Most High
(al-`Aliy), the Almighty (al-`Azeem), the Most Great
(al-Kabeer), the Most High
(al-Muta'aal). Glory be to Allaah, the Almighty
(al-`Azeem). There is no god but Allaah, and Allaah is
Most Great. And peace and blessings be upon our
Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions…
One of the things which it is obligatory to believe in
is that Allaah is the Most High (al-`Aliy,
al-A'laa) and that He rose over the Throne, as He has told us about
Himself in His Book. He, may He be glorified and exalted, is
above all things. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said in his du'aa': "You are the Most
High (al-Zaahir) and there is nothing above You."
We are also obliged to believe that He is the Most
Great (al-Kabeer), and that He is greater than all things,
and that He is the Almighty (al-Azeem), and there is
nothing mightier than Him. Part of the perfection of His
might and power is that He will grasp the heavens and the
earth in His two Hands on the Day of Resurrection, as He
says (interpretation of the meaning): "They made not a
just estimate of Allâh such as is due to Him. And on the
Day of Resurrection the whole of the earth will be grasped
by His Hand and the heavens will be rolled up in His
Right Hand. Glorified be He, and High be He above all
that they associate as partners with Him!" [al-Zumar 39:62]
It must be noted that because Allaah is perfect in
His Highness and Power, He cannot reside in anything
that He has created. So it cannot be said that He is in
Paradise. On the contrary, He is above the Throne which is the
roof of al-Firdaws, and al-Firdaws is the highest part
of Paradise. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "When you ask Allaah for Paradise,
ask Him for al-Firdaws, for it is the highest part of
Paradise and it is in the middle of Paradise, and its roof is the
Throne of the Most Merciful."
It is not permissible for the Muslim to think about
the essence of Allaah, or to try to imagine His might, for
the human mind is incapable ot comprehending the
real essence and attributes of the Lord, and how they are.
As Imaam Maalik said, when he was asked about how
Allaah rose over the Throne: "We know that He rose over it,
but we do not know how. Believing in it is obligatory
and asking about it is bid'ah." Shaykh `Abd al-Rahmaan
al-Barraak (www.islam-qa.com)
9347: Translation of the Names of Allaah into
languages other than Arabic
Question:
Is it a kind of distortion to translate the names of
Allaah into any other language?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It is permissible to translate the names of Allaah for
those who do not know Arabic, if the translator has a
good knowledge of both languages, just as it is permissible
to translate for them the meanings of the verses of
the Qur'aan and the hadeeth of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), so that they may
learn about Islam.
And Allaah is the source of strength. May Allaah
bless our Prophet Muhammad and his family and
companions, and grant them peace.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 3/122 (www.islam-qa.com)
11278: The meaning of Allaah's name al-Haseeb
Question:
What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Haseeb
(the Reckoner, the Bringer to Account)?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Haseeb is the One who is Sufficient. He is
Sufficient for those who put their trust in Him, and He is
Sufficient and does not need witnesses.
"Certainly, Allaah is Ever a Careful Account Taker of
all things"
[al-Nisaa' 4:86 _ interpretation of the meaning]
It may also be interpreted as al-Hafeez (the
Preserver), i.e., He keeps records of all actions, then He will
requite them. Allaah is the Bringer to Account of His slaves,
i.e., He will bring them to account for their deeds and
will requite them for them according to His Wisdom
and knowledge of the smallest and greatest of their
actions. So they will be brought to account for good and evil,
down the minutest detail.
He is the One Whose blessings and gifts are known.
He knows about fractions and measurements, such as
people may come to know through calculations, but He
knows them without calculating. For the one who is
counting knows things step-by-step, and he knows the total
after he has finished calculating, but the knowledge of
Allaah is not dependent upon procedures.
He is the Sufficient, in both a general and a specific sense.
In the general sense, He takes care of all His slaves
with regard to the things that concern them, both spiritual
and worldly, such as attaining benefits and warding off harm.
In the specific sense, He takes care of His pious
slaves who put their trust in Him in such a way as to
reform their worldly and spiritual affairs. For example,
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "O
Prophet (Muhammad)! Allaah is Sufficient for you and for
the believers who follow you" [al-Anfaal 8:64]
i.e., He is Sufficient for you and Sufficient for
your followers. As much as a person follows the
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
both outwardly and inwardly, and as much as he
worships Allaah, Allaah will take care of him and give him
support and victory. For only Allaah can take care of His
slaves, so He is the only One in Whom they should put
their trust, Whom they should fear and worship, as Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Is not Allaah Sufficient for His slave?"
[al-Zumar 39:36]
Allaah is the Swiftest in bringing to account. When
His slaves come before Him He will bring them to
account and that will not present any difficulty to Him. He
knows their numbers, their deeds, their lifespans and all
their affairs. He has taken accounted them and He knows
their amounts; He does not reckon it by counting on His
fingers, but He knows it and nothing is hidden from Him.
Not even the weight of an atom or a smaller or greater
amount than that is hidden from Him, but it is written in a
clear Record.
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
"He is the Sufficient, He fulfils [His slaves'] needs
and protects [them], and He takes care of His slaves at
every moment."
From Sharh Asmaa' Allaahu ta'aala al-Husna, by
Dr. Hissah al-Sagheer, p. 93 (www.islam-qa.com)
11277: Meaning of al-Baatin and al-Zaahir
Question:
Could you please explain to us the meaning of
Allaah's names al-Baatin (the Most Near or the Hidden) and
al-Zaahir (the Most High or the Manifest)?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The meaning of these two names is explained in
the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased
with him), according to which the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "You are al-Zaahir, and
there is nothing above You, and You are al-Baatin and there
is nothing beneath You." (Narrated by
Muslim).
Al-Zaahir is interpreted as referring to highness, for
Allaah is High and Exalted above all things. Some
scholars interpreted it as meaning being manifest: He is the
One Who is manifest to people by means of their
reason through the proof of His existence and the evidence
for His Oneness. So He is manifest by the evidence
which points to Him and His actions which lead to
knowledge of Him. So He is manifest and is known by means
of reason and evidence, and He is Hidden because He is
not seen, unlike all the things that are visible in this world
_ glorified and exalted be He far above such a thing.
Allaah is al-Zaahir by virtue of His Wisdom, power
of creation, actions and all the blessings which He
bestows. No one is to be seen in that regard except Him.
Al-Baatin is the One Whose essential nature and attributes are
veiled from men of understanding.
It was reported that some scholars interpreted
al-Baatin as meaning Close, so they said that al-Baatin is
closer than anything by His Knowledge and Power, but He
is above His Throne.
Al-Baatin was also interpreted as meaning the one
who knows the innermost matters (bawaatin
al-umoor), just as He knows the outward appearance of all things.
Al-Bukhaari said: Yahyaa _ i.e., al-Farraa' _ said: "He
is al-Zaahir over all things by His knowledge and He is
al-Baatin over all things by His knowledge."
Some scholars interpreted it as meaning that He
cannot be known through the physical faculties or senses,
unlike the created things that can be known in this manner.
And it was said that He is veiled from His creatures'
sight and imagination, so they cannot see Him or
encompass Him with their minds.
Although all of these meanings are correct, it is best
to adhere to the Prophet's interpretation, which is the
best because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) knows Allaah better than anyone else
in creation. Ibn Jareer said: "Al-Zaahir (is) above
everything else, He is the Most High, above all things, and there
is nothing higher than Him. And He is close (al-Baatin)
to all things, and there is nothing closer to anything
than Him."
Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned that whoever denies that
Allaah is above all things rejects the implications of His
name al-Zaahir. It is not correct to say that al-Zaahir refers
only to highness of status, as gold is described as being
higher (of a higher status) than silver, because the one which
is described as being lower may be placed in a
higher location. It is not correct to think of it only in terms
of power and dominion, even though Allaah is higher
in power and dominion, for He is high in every sense,
in His Essence, His status and His dominion.
His name al-Baatin does imply being low, for being
low is a shortcoming, and He is far above any such imperfection. He is the Most High and cannot be
anything but High.
The names al-Zaahir and al-Baatin are connected.
Al-Zaahir is connected to the idea of highness, because
the higher a thing is, the more manifest it is. The idea of
being high implies being manifest, and vice versa. Hence
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "There is nothing above You" _ he did not say "There
is nothing more manifest than You", because being
manifest implies being high.
(These names also indicate) that Allaah encompasses
all things by His knowledge and greatness, and that all
things are as nothing before His greatness. And He is
al-Baatin which indicates that He knows what is secret and
hidden, down to the smallest detail.
From Sharh Asmaa' Allaah ta'aala al-Husna by Dr.
Hissah al-Sagheer, p. 61 (www.islam-qa.com)
11220: What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Muqeet?
Question:
What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Muqeet
(The Ever All-Able, All-Witness)?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. Ibn Jareer mentioned a number
of opinions concerning the meaning of this name:
al-Muqeet means al-Hafeez (the Protector), al-Shaheed (the
Witness), al-Hasab (the Sufficient), the One Who is in control
of all things. He thought that the last interpretation is
the correct one. Allaah is al-Muqeet, i.e., the Protector,
the Witness, the One Who is Able to do all things.
Al-Muqeet is the Preserver, the Omnipotent, the Witness; He is
the One Who sends down provision to His creatures
and shares it out among them. Al-Muqeet is the Sustainer;
He is taking care of all living beings, for when He
causes parts of them to die over time, He compensates for
that. At every moment He gives them what they need
to survive, until He wills to put an end to their life _ then
He withholds what keeps them alive, and so they die.
Some reports give the name al-Mugheeth instead of
al-Muqeet. Al-Mugheeth is interpreted as meaning the Helper,
for He helps His slaves at times of difficulty when they
call upon Him; He answers them and saves them. It also
has the meaning of the One Who responds and the One
Who is called upon. Ighaathah [help] refers to actions
and istijaabah [responding] refers to words, but they may
be used interchangeably. Ibn al-Qayyim said: "He is
the Helper of all His creatures, and He responds to those
who are desperate."
Sharh Asmaa' Allaah ta'aala al-Husna by Dr. Hissah
al-Sagheer, p. 246 (www.islam-qa.com)
11157: What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Quddoos?
Question:
What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Quddoos
(the Holy)?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Quddoos (the Holy) is the One Who is Blessed
and Pure, who is exalted above all impurity. It was said
that the angels sanctify Him and He, may He be exalted,
is the One Who is praised for His virtues and goodness.
Allaah is al-Quddoos because He is far above having
any opposites, rivals, partner or son. He is described as
being perfect, and is far above having any faults or
shortcomings at all. He is far above anything being near Him or
like Him in any aspect of His perfection. Ibn Jareer said:
"Taqdees (sanctification) is purification and
veneration… Quddoos… purity and veneration are for Him, hence
land may be described as ard muqaddasah or holy
land, meaning that it is pure. When the angels say
`Nuqaddisu laka (we sanctify You)' it means we attribute to You
Your attributes of being pure and free of all impurities and
of all that the people of kufr attribute to You. It was said
that the angels' sanctification of their Lord is their
prayer (salaah). Then he mentioned some of the comments
of the mufassireen, who said that taqdees
(sanctification) may mean prayer, veneration, glorification,
magnification or obedience. Salaah and veneration come back
to purification because they declare Him to be pure and
free from all that the people of kufr attribute to Him.
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
One of His attributes is the Holy, declaring Him to
be above all imperfection and glorifying the Most Merciful
Sharh Asmaa' Allaah ta'aala al-Husnaa by Dr. Hissah
al-Sagheer, p. 198 (www.islam-qa.com)
11186: The meaning of Allaah's name al-Waasi'
Question:
What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Waasi' (the
All-Sufficient for His creatures' needs; the All-Embracing)?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah encompasses all of His creation with His
care, blessings, generosity and kindness. Allaah is the
Self-Sufficient Whose provision is sufficient for all of
His creatures. There is no one who does not eat from
His provision; no one is able to eat from anything other
than His provision. His Mercy encompasses all things and
He fulfils every need. He is the One Who gives much;
He has sufficient means to respond to the requests of all,
and He encompasses all things as He says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"all things He comprehends in His knowledge"
[Ta-Ha 20:98 _ Yusuf `Ali's translation of the meaning]
Al-Waasi' may include meanings that are not implied
by the name al-Ghaniy. It is said (in Arabic), Waasi'
al-Fadl and Waasi' al-Rahmah, meaning that His
mercy encompasses all things and His knowledge
encompasses all things. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
" `Our Lord! You comprehend all things in mercy
and knowledge'"
[Ghaafir 40:7]
This name implies that nothing is beyond Him,
nothing is hidden from Him, His knowledge and power are
vast, may He be glorified.
Allaah is the One Whose attributes are immense, as is
all that is connected to them. No one can praise
Him sufficiently; He is as He has praised Himself. His
might, power and dominion are vast, and He is Great in
bounty and goodness, and Most Generous.
Sharh Asmaa' Allaah ta'aala al-Husnaa by Dr. Hissah
al-Sagheer, p. 268 (www.islam-qa.com)
11184: The meaning of Allaah's name al-Wakeel
Question:
What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Wakeel
(the Disposer of Affairs)?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Wakeel is al-Hafeez (the Preserver), al-Muheet
(the One who encompasses all things). And it was said that
it means al-Shaheed (the Witness).
He is the Sustainer Who guarantees provision for
His slaves and Who protects their interests. The reality is
that He controls all affairs independently. The powers
of creation and command belong entirely to Him and no
one else possesses anything of them. And it was said that
it means al-Haafiz, Who guarantees to sustain all that
He has created.
It was said that it means al-Kafeel (the Guarantor),
and He is the best Guarantor to provide for us.
It was said that it means al-Kaafi (the Sufficient), and
He is the most Sufficient.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"and they said: `Allaah (Alone) is Sufficient for us,
and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us)." [Aal
`Imraan 3:173]
— meaning, He is sufficient for us. Al-Wakeel in
Arabic means the one who is entrusted to run the affairs of
the one who entrusted them to him. The believers referred
to in this aayah had entrusted their affairs to Allaah and
put their trust in Him, so He described Himself as
fulfilling that trust and them as having put their trust in Him, so
He said, the Best Disposer of affairs for them. When a
person puts his trust in his Lord, he submits to His Lordship
and becomes a true slave of Him. Allaah has
complete authority, meaning that al-Wakeel has full knowledge
of that which has been entrusted to Him and He
encompasses all its details; He has full power to deal with it and
protect that which has been entrusted to Him, by His
wisdom and His knowledge of how to deal with it in the
most suitable manner.
Allaah is the One Who is above all shortcomings in
any of His attributes; He is the Disposer of all affairs.
This indicates that His knowledge encompasses all things
and that He has perfect power to control all affairs with
perfect wisdom, for He is the Best Disposer of Affairs.
Sharh Asmaa' Allaah ta'aala al-Husnaa by Dr. Hissah
al-Sagheer, p. 276 (www.islam-qa.com)
10282: Is al-Ahad one of the names of Allaah?
Question:
is alahad one of allah names .can I call my son abdalahad?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, al-Ahad is one of the names of Allaah which
are mentioned in the Qur'aan. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad): He is Allaah, (the) One.
AllaahusSamad [Allaah — the SelfSufficient
Master, Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks)]."
[al-Ikhlaas 112:1-2]
Therefore it is permissible to call your son `Abd
al-Ahad or `Abd al-Samad.
Shaykh `Abd al-Rahmaan al-Barraak.
The meaning of al-Ahad is the Unique, who is
forever One and has never and will never have another
alongside Him. (al-Nihaayah, 1/35).
Allaah is Unique in His Oneness, in being One in
His essence and attributes. Some (scholars)
differentiated between al-Waahid and al-Ahad by saying that
al-Waahid refers to His being one in His essence only, whilst
al-Ahad means that He is one in both His essence and
His attributes. (Tafseer Asmaa' Allaah by al-Zajjaaj, p. 58).
And it was said that al-Waahid means He is unique
in His essence and does not have any peer or rival, and
al-Ahad is Unique in His attributes. So al-Waahid is one
in and of Himself, and al-Ahad means being one in
His attributes. Al-Ahad is one of the attributes of Allaah
which belong uniquely to Him, and in which nothing else has
a share. (Lisaan al-`Arab _Ahad _ 1/35;
wahida 8/4779 _ 4783). Allaah is al-Waahid al-Ahad, and has no
second, no partner, no peer and no rival. He is al-Waahid
upon Whom His slaves depend and Whom they seek. They
do not put their trust in anyone except Him.
(Ishtiqaaq Asmaa' Allaah, 90-93). He is al-Waahid and there is
none like unto Him. Everything other than Him that is
called one in some aspect will not be one in many other
aspects. (Sha'n al-Du'aa', 82-83)
Ibn Jareer believed that the Oneness of Allaah ruled
out there being anything else that could be like Him.
Allaah has no peer and no rival. He is the One God, the
One Lord, and no one other than Him deserves to be
obeyed; no one other than Him should beworshipped.
(Tafseer Ibn Jareer, 3/265-266)
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And your Ilaah (God) is One Ilaah (God —
Allaah)" [al-Baqarah 2:163]
Allaah is One and is Perfect in all ways; He has no
partner or associate. His slaves must affirm His Oneness in
their hearts and in their words and deeds, by
acknowledging His absolute perfection and directing all acts of
worship solely to Him. (Tayseer al-Kareem
al-Rahmaan, 5/485)
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
11194: What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Shaheed?
Question:
What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Shaheed
(the Witness)?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Shaheed is the One Who is honest and trustworthy
in His testimony. It was said He is the One from
Whose knowledge nothing is missing. Al-Shaheed is the
One Who is present and witnessing. He is also the One
who will testify against His creation on the Day
of Resurrection. He points to His Oneness (Tawheed) in
all that He has created.
Al-Shaheed is al-Khabeer (the All-Aware),
al-`Aleem (All-Knowing). It all comes back to His knowledge;
the first name refers to that which is apparent, the
second refers to that which is hidden, and the third refers to both.
Because nothing is hidden from Allaah, He is both
Shaahid and Shaheed (Witness), i.e., He knows their reality
like one who sees and witnesses them, because nothing at
all is hidden from Him.
And He will be the Witness for the oppressed who
have no other witness or supporter against the aggressors
and oppressors who have no one to stop them in this
world from abusing the rights of the oppressed. So He
will restore their rights and avenge them.
Allaah is the One Who is watching over all things.
He hears all voices, loud and silent alike. He sees all
that exists, great and small alike. His knowledge
encompasses all things, and He is the One Who will bear witness
for and against His slaves with regard to what they do.
Sharh Asmaa' Allaah ta'aala al-Husnaa by Dr. Hissah
al-Sagheer, p. 156 (www.islam-qa.com)
11364: What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Rafeeq?
Question:
What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Rafeeq (the
Most Kind)?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah is Kind to His slaves. He is Kind in His actions
_ He creates all created beings in stages according to
His wisdom and kindness, although He is Able to create
them all at once, in a single moment. Whoever studies His
laws and sees how they came step by step, will see that
this bears testimony to His kindness, may He be glorified.
Allaah is Kind and He does not hasten, because the
one who hastens is the one who is afraid that he will
miss something. But all things are under His control
and dominion, so he does not hasten.
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
He is Kind and loves people who are kind; by His
kindness He gives them more than they can wish for.
Sharh Asmaa ; Allaah taaala al-Husna by Dr. Hissah
al-Sagheer, p. 134 (www.islam-qa.com)
11388: What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Sayyid?
Question:
What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Sayyid
(the Master)?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah is al-Sayyid (the Master), i.e., the Sovereign
of the universe; all of creation is enslaved to Him.
Allaah is the One Who is needed in an absolute
sense. No created being is independent of Him. If He did
not create them, they would not exist, and if He did not
sustain them after creating them, they would not remain. If
He did not help them with all that they are faced with,
they would have no help besides Him. So it is His right
that His created beings should call Him, and none other,
al-Sayyid. Sharh Asmaa' Allaah ta'aala al-Husna by
Dr. Hissah al-Sagheer
(www.islam-qa.com)
11302: What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Subooh?
Question:
What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Subooh
(the Glorified One)?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Subooh is the One Who is above all that is not
befitting to Him and He is above all the shortcomings
and (imperfect) qualities which are inherent in His creation.
Sharh Asmaa' Allaah ta'aala al-Husna by Dr. Hissah
al-Sagheer, p. 138 (www.islam-qa.com)
11391: The meaning of Allaah's name al-Mateen
Question:
What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Mateen
(the Most Strong) ?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. Allaah is the Owner of Power,
the Most Strong, i.e., He has immense Power. He is
All-Strong and All-Powerful; His Power never fails, and
whatever He does, it never results in difficulty, discomfort
or tiredness for Him. His Power is perfect and complete,
it never wanes or decreases _ exalted be Allaah far
above such a thing.
Sharh Asmaa' Allaah ta'aala al-Husnaa by Dr. Hissah
al-Sagheer, p. 229 (www.islam-qa.com)
11317: The meaning of Allaah's name al-Musawwir
Question:
What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Musawwir
(the Fashioner, the Bestower of forms)?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah is the Bestower of forms. His creation is as is
He wills, and He is the One Who formed and gave shape
to all that exists. He has given everything its own form
and distinct shape, even though His creation is so great
and so varied. He has bestowed forms, not by way of
copying _ glorified and exalted be He far above such a thing.
When He wills a thing, He merely says to it "Be!" and
it is, with the attributes that He wills and the form that
He has chosen for it. He does what He wills and creates
what He wills in the form that He wills.
Some scholars differentiated between al-Khaaliq
(the Creator), al-Baari' (the Maker) and al-Musawwir
(the Bestower of forms) as follows:
Al-Khaaliq (the Creator) is the One Who created
from nothing all creatures that exist, according to their
decreed qualities.
Al-Baari' is the One Who made man from
al-baraa, i.e., clay.
Al-Musawwir is the One Who creates various forms
and shapes.
So al-Khaaliq is a general word, al-Baari' is more
specific and al-Musawwir is even more specific.
Kitaab Sharh Asmaa' Allaah ta'aala al-Husnaa, by
Dr. Hissah al-Sagheer, 240 (www.islam-qa.com)
11301: What is the meaning of Allaahs name al-Hayiy?
Question:
What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Hayiy
(the Modest)?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) described his Lord as being modest. The modesty
of Allaah cannot be comprehended by human
understanding, and no mind can understand its nature. It is modesty
that is based on kindness, goodness, generosity and
majesty. By His mercy, generosity, perfection and
forbearance, Allaah is too modest to expose His slaves, show them
up or carry out His punishment on them. He is too modest
to reject anyone who stretches forth his hand to Him,
and He loves people who are modest.
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
"He is the Modest who does not expose His slave
even though he audaciously commits sin.
But He covers him, for He is the Concealer, the One
Who forgives."
Sharh Asmaa Allaah taaala al-Husnaa, by Dr. Hissah
al-Sagheer, p. 114 (www.islam-qa.com)
11366: What are the meanings of Allaah's names
al-Muqaddim and Mu'akhkhir?
Question:
What are the meanings of Allaah's names
al-Muqaddim (the Expediter, the One Who brings forward) and
al-Mu'akhkhir (the Delayer, the One Who puts back)?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah is the One Who gives precedence to whatever
has to be given precedence with regard to rulings and the
order of things, as and how He likes. Whatever He
gives precedence to should be given precedence, and
whatever He gives less priority to should be given less priority.
He is the One Who puts back what has to be put back,
and there is wisdom and goodness in whatever He does,
even though the purpose of that wisdom and goodness may
be hidden from us.
Allaah is the One Who sends down events, expediting
or delaying them as He wills, in accordance with His
decree which came before He created all things. He
gives preference to those among His close friends
(awliya') whom He loves over others among His slaves; He
raises some of His created beings above others in status;
He brings forward those whom He wills to higher ranks
and He keeps down those whom He wills; He postpones
things from their expected times because in His wisdom
He knows the consequences of the delay. None can
bring forward what He puts back and none can put back
what He brings forward.
Taqdeem (expediting, bringing forward) includes:
Al-taqdeem al-kawni (universal bringing forward):
such as creating some created beings over others, making
cause precede effect, conditions precede results, etc.
Al-taqdeem al-shar'i (preference in status): such as
giving a higher status to some Prophets over others, and
giving all Prophets a higher status than other people, and
giving a higher status to some people than others, all
in accordance with His Wisdom.
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
He is the Expediter and the Delayer, and these are
two qualities of His deeds
As well as being attributes of His Essence.
Sharh Asmaa' Allaah ta'aala al-Husnaa by Dr. Hissah
al-Sagheer, p. 218 (www.islam-qa.com)
11347: The meaning of Allaah's name al-Mu'min
Question:
What is the meaning of Allaah's name al-Mu'min
(the Giver of Security)?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah is al-Mu'min, the One Who will fulfil the
promise to the sincere. He calls His slaves to believe in Him
and He has control over the security of His creation in
this world and in the Hereafter. And He declares Himself
to be One, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Allaah bears witness that Laa ilaaha illa Huwa
(none has the right to be worshipped but He)" [Aal
`Imraan 3:18]
Al-Mu'min is the one Who accepts His believing
slaves, i.e., He accepts their faith and sincerity and makes
them steadfast. And He fulfils His promise to His slave
of reward.
He gives security to His close friends (awliya') by
keeping them safe from His punishment and torment. So they
are safe, and no one is safe except those to whom He
grants safety. He fulfils what His slaves think of Him and
never allows their hopes to be dashed.
He is the one Who declared Himself to be One, as
He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And your Ilaah (God) is One Ilaah (God —
Allaah)" [al-Baqarah 2:163]
He is the One Who guarantees not to treat His
creation unjustly, and the one who does not deserve
His punishment is safe from it.
He is the One Who will accept the testimony of
His Muslim slaves on the Day of Resurrection, when
the nations will be asked whether the Messengers
conveyed the Message. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
" [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him)] has faith in the believers" [al-Tawbah 9:61]
All of these attributes belong to Allaah because He
spoke the truth of Tawheed to which He calls His slaves.
He guarantees that His slaves will not be treated unjustly
[in the Hereafter] and promises Paradise to those who
believe in Him and Hell to those who disbelieve in Him. And
He is the One Who keeps His promise.
Sharh Asmaa' Allaah ta'aala al-Husna by Dr. Hissah
al-Sagheer, p. 220 (www.islam-qa.com)
5468: How should we imagine Allaah to be?
Question:
I do hope I am not asking a stupid question. I would
like to know how a believe in Islam should imagine Allah
to be. I know He is invisible but should I visualize him in
a human form or a light. Please help me. Thank you
very much beforehand. May Allah's Blessings be always
upon you. Wassalaam.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the
All-Hearer, All-Seer." [al-Shoora 42:11].
There is nothing like unto Him, nothing that is equal
or comparable to Him or that can rival Him. He is far
above any resemblance to any created being. Whatever
crosses the mind of the son of Adam with regard to his Lord,
He is greater than that. No creature can encompass Him,
may He be glorified and exalted, or imagine what He
looks like. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"… and they will never encompass anything of His
Knowledge." [Ta-Ha 20:110]
The Muslim is not supposed to try to imagine or
picture Allaah; rather, he has to believe in the sublime
attributes which befit His Might and Majesty in which there is
none like unto Him. Part of the `aqeedah (basic beliefs,
creed) of the Muslims is that Allaah cannot be seen in this
world, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"No vision can grasp Him" [al-An'aam 6:103]
But the believers will see Him in the Hereafter, in
the gathering-place where judgement will be passed, and
in Paradise. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) was asked _ as it was reported in
Saheeh Muslim _ "Did you see your Lord?" He said, "I saw
Light." According to another report: "Light, how could I
see Him?" This is in accordance with what Allaah said
to Moosa in Soorat al-A'raaf (interpretation of the meaning):
" `You cannot see Me'" i.e., in this world.
Neither the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) nor anybody else has seen Allaah with his
own two eyes. In the Hereafter, when the people see Him
in the place of gathering, they will fall down in
prostration before His Might and Majesty. Seeing Him in
Paradise will be the greatest of all the joys that the people
of Paradise will experience.
You have to recognize Allaah by the Names and
Attributes which He has told us about in His Book, and which
His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) told us about. Do not occupy yourself with
something that is beyond you; devote yourself instead to doing
what your Lord has commanded you to do. Put aside
these whispers from the Shaytaan, and may Allaah help you
to do that which pleases Him.
Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih
Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
5457: Is Al-Rasheed one of the Names of Allaah?
Question:
I have come across information conncerning the authenticity of Ar-Rasheed as one of the names of
Allaah. However, I am unsure if this is more correct
than information I have been given from
Ash-Shawkaani's book "tuhfatu-dh dhaakireen". Could you please
clarify this for me.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Rasheed is not one of the Names of Allaah, because
it was not narrated either in the Qur'aan or in the
Saheeh Sunnah. The Names of Allaah are as they were
narrated (with no room for ijtihaad). It is not permissible to
call Allaah by any names other than those by which He
called Himself or He was called by His Messenger (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
2594: Some of the Names of Allaah and their meanings
Question:
can you give all the meanings of attributes of
allah, including its literal and technical meaning and where it
is mentioned in the quran or sunnah
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
This is a question which needs a very long answer,
but we will summarize it as follows:
Firstly, the names of Allaah are not limited to any
specific number. We know some of them and do not know
others, as is indicated by the hadeeth of `Abd-Allaah ibn
Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said:
"The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: `There is no one among you who,
when he is stricken with distress and grief, says,
"Allaahumma inni `abduka wabnu `abdika wabnu amatika naasiyati
bi yadika maadin fiyya hukmuka, `adlun fiyya
qadaa'uka. As'aluka bi kull ismin huwa laka sammayti bihi
nafsaka aw allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw anzaltahu
fi kitaabika aw asta'tharta bihi fi `ilm il-ghayb `indaka
an taj'al al-Qur'aana rabee'a qalbi wa noora sadri
wa jilaa'a huzni wa dhahaaba hammi [O Allaah, I am
Your slave, sone of Your slave and son of Your
maidservant, my forelock is in Your hand. Your command over me
is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I
ask You by every name belonging to You which You
named Yourself with, or You taught to any of Your creation,
or revealed in Your Book, or You have preserved in
the knowledge of the Unseen with You, that You nmake
the Qur'aan the life of my heart and the light of my
breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for
my anxiety]" _ but Allaah will remove his distress and
his grief, and will give him joy instead…"
(Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 3582; it is a saheeh hadeeth).
Secondly, The names of Allaah are all
husnaa [Most Beautiful], as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to
Allaah, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of
those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against)
His Names. They will be requited for what they used to do."
[al-A'raaf 7:180]
The meaning of al-husnaa implies the utmost beauty,
and that each name includes the quality of perfection.
Al-`Allaamah `Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Naasir ibn Sa'di
(may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Many of the names
of Allaah have been mentioned in the Qur'aan,
according to the context, but we also need to point out their
broader meanings, so we say:
The name Rabb (Lord, Cherisher) is repeated in
many aayaat. The Rabb is the One Who guides and cares for
all of His slaves by managing their affairs and
bestowing different kinds of blessings. In a more specific sense,
He cares for and guides His friends (devoted slaves)
by reforming and setting straight their hearts and souls
and attitudes. For this reason, many of their du'aa's or
prayers to Him address Him by this glorious Name, because
they are asking Him for this specific kind of care.
The name Allaah refers to the One Who is adored
and worshipped, the One Who possesses the attributes
of divinity and to whom all His creation is enslaved.
The attributes of divinity with which He describes
Himself are the attributes of perfection.
Al-Malik (the Sovereign),
al-Maalik (the Possessor), Alladhi
lahu'l-Mulk (the One to Whom Dominion belongs). Allaah is the One Who is described with
the attributes of sovereignty and dominion, which are
the qualities of might and pride, subjugation and control.
He is the One Who is in absolute control of creation,
Who issues commands and Who rewards or punishes.
The entire Universe, high and low, belongs to Him. All of
them are His servants and slaves, and are utterly dependent
on Him.
Al-Waahid (the One),
al-Ahad (the Unique). He is the One Who is uniquely and utterly and perfectly One,
with no partners in His Uniqueness. His slaves are obliged
to believe in His Oneness, in belief and word and deed,
by recognizing that He is absolutely perfect and is unique
in His oneness, and by directing all kinds of worship to
Him Alone.
Al-Samad (The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom
all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks). He is the
One to Whom all of creation turns for all of their needs,
for He is in and of Himself absolutely perfect, in His
Names and Attributes and Deeds.
Al-`Aleem (the All-Knowing),
al-Khabeer (the Aware). He is the One Whose Knowledge encompasses all
things, seen and unseen, secret and open, everything that
is inevitable or impossible or possible, in heaven and
on earth, the past, the present and the future.
Nothing whatsoever is hidden from Him.
Al-Hakeem (the Wise). He is the One Who has
ultimate wisdom, in His creation and in His commands. He is
the One Who created everything well.
"… And who is better in judgement than Allaah for
a people who have firm Faith." [al-Maa'idah 5:50
_ interpretation of the meaning].
He does not create anything in vain, or legislate
anything in jest. He is the One Who has Dominion in this
world and the next. His ruling applies in three major spheres,
in which none else has any share with Him: He
judges between His slaves by means of His Law, His decree
and His reward/punishment.
Wisdom: He puts things in their rightful places and
gives them their rightful status.
Al-Rahman (the Most Gracious),
al-Raheem (the Most Merciful),
al-Barr (the Source of Goodness),
al-Kareem (the Most Generous),
al-Jawaad (the Generous),
al-Ra'oof (the Compassionate),
al-Wahhaab (the Bestower). These names are all close in meaning,
and they all indicate that the Rabb is characterized by
mercy, goodness, and generosity. They testify to the vastness
of His mercy and other attributes, with which He encompasses all of His creation to the extent that
His wisdom decrees, although the greater share is
bestowed upon the believers in particular. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"… My Mercy encompasses all things. That (Mercy)
I shall ordain for those who are the Muttaqoon (pious)…"
[al-A'raaf 7:156]
Blessings and goodness are all traces of His Mercy
and Generosity. The good things of this world and the
next are all traces of His Mercy.
Al-Samee' (the All-Hearing). He hears all voices, in
all the different languages, no matter how many and
how varied, when they call on Him for their needs.
Al-Baseer (the All-Seeing) Who has insight into all
things, not matter how small. He can see a black ant
walking across the face of a rock on the darkest night. He can
see what is below the seven levels of the earth and what
is above the seven heavens. He is the All-Hearing and
All-Seeing, Who knows who is deserving of reward
or punishment according to His Wisdom.
Al-Hameed (the Praiseworthy), Who is
inherently deserving of praise, by His Names, Attributes and
deeds. He has the Most Beautiful Names, the most
perfect attributes and the most perfect and beautiful deeds.
His actions always revolve around munificence and justice.
Al-Majeed (the Most Glorious),
al-Kabeer (the Most Great),
al-`Azeem (the Most Great),
al-Jaleel (the Sublime One). These Names describe Allaah
with attributes of glory, pride, greatness and majesty. He
is greater than everything, more mighty, more majestic
and more exalted. To Him belong glorification and
exaltation in the hearts of His close friends and devoted
slaves, whose hearts are filled with veneration of His might
and humble submission to His glory.
Al-`Afuw (the Pardoner),
al-`Ghafoor (the Forgiver),
al-Ghaffaar (the All-Forgiving), Who has always been
and will always be known for His pardon and
forgiveness towards His slaves. Everyone is in need of His
pardon and forgiveness, as they are in need of His mercy
and generosity. He has promised to forgive and
pardon whoever follows the appropriate means. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And verily, I am indeed Forgiving to him who
repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in
worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then
remains constant in doing them (till his death)."
[Ta-Ha 20:82]
Al-Tawwaab (the Acceptor of Repentance). He
always accepts the repentance of those who repent and
forgives the sins of those who commit sin. Allaah accepts
the repentance of everyone who repents to Him sincerely.
He is the One Who forgives those who repent, firstly
by helping them to repent and causing their hearts to
turn towards Him. After they repent, He turns to them
and accepts their repentance, pardoning their sins.
Al-Quddoos (the Holy) and
al-Salaam (the One Free from all defects). Allaah is far above any attribute
of imperfection, and He is above being likened to any
of His creation.
"… There is nothing like unto Him…"
[al-Shoora 42:11]
"And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him."
[al-Ikhlaas 112:4]
"… Do you know of any who is similar to Him?…"
[Maryam 19:65]
"… Then do not set up rivals unto Allaah (in worship)…"
[al-Baqarah 2:22]
The names al-Quddoos and al-Salaam reject the idea
that He could be lacking in any way, and they imply that He
is absolutely perfect in all aspects, because once the idea
of imperfection is rejected, this is proof of total perfection.
Al-`Aliyy (the Exalted),
al-A'laa (the Most High). He is the One Who is completely exalted in all aspects, in
His essence, in His status, in His attributes and in
His dominion. He is the One Who rose over the Throne
and Who dominates all things. In all the attributes of
might, pride, glory and beauty that are ascribed to Him,
He reaches the ultimate level.
Al-`Azeez (the Almighty), to whom belong all might
and power, the power of strength, the power of dominion,
the power of invincibility. None of His creatures can
harm Him. He has subjugated all that exists, and the whole
of creation is under His control and is subject to His might.
Al-Qawiy (the Most Strong),
al-Mateen (the Firm One). The meanings of these Names are similar to the
meaning of al-`Azeez.
Al-Jabbaar (the Compeller). This Names includes
the meanings of al-`Aliyy, al-A'laa and al-Qahhaar.
Al-Ra'oof (the Compassionate) means the One
Who consoles broken hearts and supports the weak and
those who seek His help and turn to Him.
Al-Mutakabbir (the Majestic) is the One Who is
above all bad qualities, shortcomings and faults, because of
His might and pride.
Al-Khaaliq (the Creator),
al-Baari' (the Inventor of all things),
al-Musawwir (the Bestower of forms). He is
the One Who has created from nothing all that exists,
and formed it by His wisdom, praise be to Him. He has
always been and will always be known by this mighty attribute.
Al-Mu'min (the Guardian of Faith), Who is praised
for His own sake by His perfect attributes, and by
the perfection of His majesty and beauty. He sent
His Messengers and revealed His Books with signs and
proofs, and confirmed His Messengers with signs and proofs,
to confirm the truth of the message they brought.
Al-Muhaymin (the Watcher over His creatures) Who
is aware of everything that is hidden and concealed,
and Whose knowledge encompasses all things.
Al-Qadeer (the Powerful), Whose power is perfect.
By His power He created all things that exist, by His
power He is controlling all things and by His power He
formed them and perfected them. By His power He gives life
and death, and will resurrect His slaves to receive their
reward or punishment, so that those who have done well will
be rewarded with good, and those who have done evil
will be punished. When Allaah wills a thing, He merely
says "Be!" and it is. By His power He controls people's
hearts, and He directs them as He wills.
Al-Lateef (the Most Subtle and Courteous),
Whose knowledge encompasses everything that is hidden
and concealed. He knows everything that is secret
and understands the most subtle things. He is Kind to
His believing slaves and takes care of their interests by
His benevolence and grace, in many ways that they are
not even aware of. This Name also shares the meanings
of al-Khabeer and al-Ra'oof.
Al-Haseeb (the One Who takes account). He is the
One Who is All-Knowing about His slaves. He is
Sufficient for those who put their trust in Him, and He rewards
or punishes His slaves for good and evil, according to
His wisdom. He knows about all their deeds, major and minor.
Al-Raqeeb (the Watchful). He is the One Who
watches what is hidden in people's hearts. "… He Who
takes charge of every person and knows all that he has
earned" [al-Ra'd 13:33 _ interpretation of the
meaning]. He protected His creation and set it in motion,
running according to the most perfect system and controls.
Al-Hafeez (the Preserver). He is the One Who
protects what He has created and encompasses it with
His knowledge. He protects His close friends from falling
into sin and destruction, and gently protects them when
they are active and when they are at rest. He counts the
deeds of His slaves and rewards or punishes them accordingly.
Al-Muheet (the Encompasser). He is the One
Who encompasses all things with His knowledge, power,
mercy and dominion.
Al-Qahhaar (the Subduer). He is the Subduer of
all things, to Whom all of creation submits because of
His power and strength and the perfection of His Might.
Al-Muqeet (the Provider of sustenance). He
gives provision to everything that exists and directs the
affairs of all as He wills.
Al-Wakeel (the Trustee). He is the One Who is in
a position to run the affairs of His creation, by
His knowledge and the perfection of His power and
His encompassing wisdom. He is the One Who is taking
care of His close friends, making the right way easy for
them and causing them to steer clear of the wrong way. He
is taking care of all their affairs, and whoever puts his
trust in Him will find that He is Sufficient for
him.
"Allaah is the Walee (Protector or Guardian) of
those who believe. He brings them out from darkness
into light…" [al-Baqarah 2:257 _ interpretation of
the meaning].
Dhoo'l-Jalaali wa'l-Ikraam (Possessor of Majesty
and Honour), i.e., the Possessor of Might and Pride,
the Possessor of Mercy and Generosity, Who is kind
to everyone and to specific individuals. He honours His
close friends and devoted worshippers who glorify Him,
extol His greatness and love Him.
Al-Wudood (the Loving). He loves His Prophets
and Messengers and their followers, and they love Him.
He is dearer to them than everything else. He has filled
their hearts with love for Him and their tongues utter words
of praise to Him. Their hearts are drawn to Him in love
and sincerity and they turn in repentance to Him at all times.
Al-Fattaah (the Opener). He judges between His
slaves according to His laws, His decrees and His
decisions concerning reward and punishment. By His Grace
He opens the eyes of those who are sincere, and opens
their hearts to know Him, love Him and turn to Him
in repentance. He opens the door to all kinds of mercy
and provision for His slaves, and generates the causes
by means of which they can earn good things in this
world and the next.
"Whatever of mercy (i.e., good) Allaah may grant
to mankind, none can withhold it, and whatever He
may withhold, none can grant it thereafter…" Faatir 35:2
_ interpretation of the meaning]
Al-Razzaaq (the Provider), Who provides for all
His slaves. There is no living creature on earth, but
Allaah provides for it.
His provision for His slaves is of two types:
General provision, which include the righteous
and immoral, the first and the last. This is the provision
of physical needs.
Specific provision, which is provision for the heart
which is nourished with knowledge and faith, and the
halaal provision which helps a person to adhere to religion.
This provision is specifically for the believers, and is given
to varying degrees according to His wisdom and mercy.
Al-Hakam (the Judge),
al-`Adl (the Just). He judges between His slaves in this world and the next, with
His justice and fairness. He does not oppress anyone in
the slightest, and no one is made to bear the burden of
another person's sin. He does not punish a person more than
he deserves for his sin, he restores to people their rights
and does not leave anyone without restoring what is his
right. He is just in His running of the universe and in
His decision making.
"… Verily, My Lord is on a Straight Path (the truth)…"
[Hood 11:56 _ interpretation of the meaning].
Jaami' al-Naas (Gatherer of the People). He will
gather all of mankind on the Day concerning which there is
no doubt. He has comprehensive knowledge of their
deeds and their provision, and there is nothing, major or
minor, that He is not aware of. He will gather every particle
of their bodies that has disappeared or been changed
into something else, of all the people who have died from
the earliest times until the latest times, by the perfection
of His power and the vastness of His knowledge.
Al-Hayy (the Ever-Living),
al-Qayyoom (the Self-Sustaining). He is completely alive and sustains
Himself, and He sustains and cares for the people of heaven
and earth. He controls their affairs and provides for them.
The name al-Hayy encompasses all the qualities of His
essence and the name al-Qayyoom encompasses all the
qualities of His deeds.
Al-Noor (the Light). He is the Light of the heavens
and of the earth, who enlightens the hearts of the
`aarifeen (those who have proper knowledge of Him)
with knowledge of Him and fills their hearts with the light
of His guidance. He is the One Who illuminates the
heavens and the earth with the lights that He has placed
therein. His veil is Light and if it were to be removed,
everything of His creation as far as He can see would be burnt,
may He be glorified.
Badee' al-Samawaati wa'l-Ard (Originator of
the heavens and the earth). He is the One Who created
them and formed them with the utmost beauty and with
the most magnificent system of organization.
Al-Qaabid (the Constrictor),
al-Baasit (the Expander). He is the One Who takes people's souls, and Who
provides them with ample provision and expands their hearts.
All of this is in accordance with His Wisdom and Mercy.
Al-Mu'ti (the Giver),
al-Maani' (the Withholder). No-one can withhold what He gives, and no one can
give what He withholds. All interests and benefits are
sought from Him, and the needs of all are addressed to Him.
He is the One Who gives them to whomever He wills
and withholds them from whomever He wills, by His
Wisdom and Mercy.
Al-Shaheed (the Witness). He is the One Who
watches over all things and hears all voices, loud and soft.
He sees all that exists, great and small alike. His
knowledge encompasses all things, and He is the Witness Who
sees all the deeds of His slaves, good and bad alike.
Al-Mubdi' (the Originator),
al-Mu'eed (the Restorer). Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And it is He Who originates the creation, then will
repeat (after it has perished)…"
[al-Room 30:27]
He initiated their creation, in order to test them as to
which of them would be best in deeds, then He will
re-create them in order to reward with good those who did
well, and punish those who did evil.
He is the One Who initiated His creation in stages,
and Who is constantly renewing it.
Al-Fa"aal lima yureed (the One Who does whatever
He wants). This has to do with the perfection of His
power and the strength of His will and ability. Everything
He wants, He does, with nothing to stop Him and no one
to oppose Him, and with no support or help, no matter
what it is. If He wants something, all he has to do is say
"Be!" and it is. Although He can do whatever He wants,
His will operates in conjunction with His Wisdom, may
He be praised, so He is described as being completely
Able and being Strong of will, but also as being
completely Wise in all that He has done and will do.
Al-Ghaniy (the Self-Sufficient),
al-Mughni (the Enricher). He is independent in and of Himself, and
is completely Independent in all aspects, because of
His perfection and the perfection of His attributes.
Nothing can undermine His perfection and make Him
imperfect in any way whatsoever. He cannot be anything but
Self-Sufficient, because this self-sufficiency is one of
His essential qualities, just as He cannot be anything but
the Creator, the Able, the Provider, the Kind, Who does
not need anyone else at all.
He is the Self-Sufficient in Whose hands are the
treasures of the heavens and the earth, the treasures of this
world and of the Hereafter. He gives His creation enough
in general terms so that they do not have to seek help
of anyone else, and He gives to specific people of the
divine knowledge and realities of faith with which He has
filled their hearts.
Al-Haleem (the Forbearing One). He is the One
Who showers His creation with blessings both apparent
and hidden, in spite of their sins and many mistakes. He
is Forbearing and does not punish sinners straight away
for their sins. He rebukes them so that they will repent,
and gives them time to turn to Him in repentance.
Al-Shaakir (the Grateful),
al-Shakoor (the Appreciative). He is the One Who appreciates the smallest deed,
and forgives the greatest mistakes. He multiplies
beyond measure the deeds of those who are sincere;
He appreciates those who give thanks to Him, and
He remembers those who remember Him. Whoever draws near to Him with something of righteous deeds, He
draws near to him by more than that.
Al-Qareeb (the Ever-Near),
al-Mujeeb (the Responsive). Allaah, may He be glorified, is near to everyone, and
His nearness is of two types:
His nearness to everyone in a general sense, through
His knowledge, watching, awareness and witnessing,
which encompass all things.
His nearness in a specific sense, to His slaves, those
who ask help of Him and those who love Him. The true
nature of this closeness cannot be understood, but its effects
may be seen in His kindness towards His slave, and His
care, support and help of him. Another of its effects is
His response to those who call on Him and His acceptance
of the repentance of those who worship Him. He is also
the One Who responds in a specific way to those who
respond to Him and follow His religion. He also responds to
those who are in need and to those who no longer have
any hope in any of His creation, and who put their trust
in Him, hoping for His pleasure and fearing His wrath.
Al-Kaafi (the Sufficient). He is the One Who gives
His slaves all that they need. More specifically, He is
Sufficient for the one who believes in Him and puts his trust in
Him and asks Him for all that he needs in worldly and
spiritual terms.
Al-Awwal (the First),
al-Aakhir (the Last);
al-Zaahir (the Manifest),
al-Baatin (the Hidden). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
explained this in a clear and comprehensive fashion when he
said, addressing his Lord: "You are the First, and there
is nothing before You; You are the Last, and there is
nothing after You. You are the Manifest and there is nothing
above You; You are the Hidden and there is nothing
beneath You."
Al-Waasi' (the All-Encompassing). His attributes
and qualities, and everything that has to do with Him, are
all-encompassing in such a way that no one can praise
Him as He deserves, but He is as He praised Himself, vast
in power, might and dominion, and vast in grace
and kindness, and vast in generosity and munificence.
Al-Haadi (the Guide),
al-Rasheed (the Guide to the Right Path). He is the One Who guides His slaves and
shows them the way to all that will benefit them, and
protects them from all that will harm them. He teaches them
what they do not know, and guides them to the true
guidance which will help them and set them straight. He fills
them with taqwa (piety) and causes their hearts to turn to
Him, in response to His command.
The name al-Rasheed has a meaning akin to that of
al-Hakeem: He is Wise in word and deed, and all His
laws are good and wise. His creation testifies to His wisdom.
Al-Haqq (the Truth). He is true in and of Himself and
in His attributes. His existence is undeniable, and
His attributes are perfect. His existence is one of His
essential qualities (He cannot but exist), and nothing else can
exist except through Him. He is the One Who has always
been and will always be described with attributes of
majesty, beauty and perfection. He has always been and will
always be known for His Kindness. His words are truth;
the meeting with Him is truth; His Messengers are truth;
His Books are truth; His religion is the Truth; the worship
of Him Alone, with no partners or associates, is the
Truth; everything that has to do with Him is truth. Allaah is
the Truth and whatever else they claim to be divine
besides Him is false. Allaah is the Most High, the Most Great,
as He says (interpretation of the meanings):
"And say: `The Truth is from your Lord.' Then
whosoever wills, let him believe, and whosoever wills, let
him disbelieve…"
[al-Isra' 18:29].
"… So, after the truth, what else can there be,
save error?…"
[Yoonus 10:32]
"And say: `Truth has come and falsehood has
vanished. Surely, falsehood is ever bound to vanish.'"[al-Isra' 17:81]
From Tayseer al-Kareem al-Rahmaan fi Tafseer
Kalaam al-Mannaan by Shaykh `Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa'di
(5/620). (www.islam-qa.com)
4043: Importance of knowing the Beautiful Names
of Allaah
Question:
What is the importance of knowing the Beautiful
Names of Allaah?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Knowing the Beautiful Names of Allaah is very
important indeed, for the following reasons:
Knowledge of Allaah and His Names and Attributes
is the noblest and best of all knowledge, because the
level of honour of any kind of knowledge has to do with
the object of knowledge, and the object of knowledge in
this case is Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted,
through His Names, Attributes and Deeds. Occupying oneself
with seeking this knowledge and studying it properly is
the pursuit of the highest objective, and acquiring
this knowledge is one of the best gifts a person may be
given. Because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) explained it very clearly and was very keen
to do so, the Sahaabah never disputed in this matter as
they did over some of the rulings (ahkaam).
Knowing Allaah makes a person love and fear Him,
and put his hope in Him, and be sincere towards Him in
his actions. This is the essence of human happiness. There
is no way to know Allaah except by knowing His
Most Beautiful Names and seeking a proper understanding
of their meanings.
Knowing Allaah by His Most Beautiful Names
increases one's faith, as Shaykh `Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Sa'di
(may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "Believing in
and knowing the Most Beautiful Names of Allaah
includes the three types of Tawheed: Tawheed
al-Ruboobiyyah (Unity of Divine Lordship), Tawheed
al-Uloohiyyah (Unity of the Divine Nature) and Tawheed al-Asma'
wa'l-Sifaat (Unity of the Divine Names and Attributes).
These three types of Tawheed form the essence and joy of
faith (the word translated here as "joy" implies peace and
relief from stress), and this knowledge is the basis and
purpose of faith. The more a person learns about the Names
and Attributes of Allaah, the more his faith increases and
the stronger his conviction becomes." (Al-Tawdeeh
wa'l-Bayaan li Shajarat al-Eemaan by al-Sa'di, p. 41).
Allaah created His creatures to know Him and
worship Him. This is what is expected from them and what
they are required to do, because as Ibn al-Qayyim (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said: "The key to the call of
the Messengers, the essence of their Message, is
knowing Allaah through His Names and Attributes and
Deeds, because this is the foundation on which the rest of
the Message, from beginning to end, is built."
(Al-Sawaa'iq al-Mursalah `ala al-Jahamiyyah
wa'l-Mu'attilah by Ibn al-Qayyim, 1/150-151). So when a person
occupies himself with learning about Allaah, he is doing what
he was created for, but if he ignores the matter, he
is neglecting what he was created for. The meaning of
faith is not merely to utter words without knowing
Allaah, because true faith in Allaah means that the slave
knows the Lord in Whom he believes, and he makes the effort
to learn about Allaah through His Names and Attributes.
The more he learns about his Lord, the more he increases
in faith.
Knowledge of the Names of Allaah is the basis for
all other knowledge, as Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said: "Knowledge of the Most
Beautiful Names of Allaah is the basis of all other kinds
of knowledge, for the objects of all these other branches
of knowledge were either created or commanded by
Him (the various branches of knowledge either deal
with objects created by Him or with the laws and
guidance revealed by Him). The reason for creation and
guidance is found in His Most Beautiful Names (because He is
the Creator, He creates things; because He is the Guide
to the Straight Path, He reveals guidance, and so
on)… Knowing the Most Beautiful Names is the basis of
all objects of knowledge, because all knowledge stems
from these Names…" (Bada'i'
al-Fawaa'id by Ibn al-Qayyim, 1/163).
From the book Asma' Allaah al-Husnaa, pp. 6-8. (www.islam-qa.com)
3927: Ruling on Reciting the Names of Allaah in
certain combinations
Question:
Number of people tell me if you say so-and-so X
amount of times then you will get such and such reward
e.g. reciting the 99 names of Allah in certain
combnations and quantities will do certain things .
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
This question was answered for us by Shaykh
`Abd-Allaah ibn Munayyi', who said:
"This is not permissible, and if he believes in it, it
is bid'ah."
Every dhikr that involves reciting a certain number
of times, or in a certain place, or at a certain time, or in
a certain manner, that is not prescribed in sharee'ah,
is bid'ah. With regard to the Most Beautiful Names
of Allaah, the way to use these in worship is to call
upon Allaah by these Names, as He says (interpretation of
the meaning), "And (all) the Most Beautiful Names
belong to Allaah, so call on Him by them…" [al-A'raaf
7:180]. Merely reciting them in certain combinations is not
a prescribed form of worship. And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
606: The meaning of the pronoun "We" as used in
the Qur'an
Question:
Why does the Quran use the term "we" in its ayats?
Many non-believers believe that this may be in
reference to Jesus?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It is a feature of literary style in Arabic that a person
may refer to himself by the pronoun nahnu (we) for respect
or glorification. He may also use the word
ana (I), indicating one person, or the third person
huwa (he). All three styles are used in the Qur'an, where Allaah addresses the
Arabs in their own tongue. (Fataawa al-Lajnah
al-Daa'imah, 4/143).
"Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted,
sometimes refers to Himself in the singular, by name or by use of
a pronoun, and sometimes by use of the plural, as in
the phrase (interpretation of the meaning): `Verily, We
have given you a manifest victory" [al-Fath 48:1], and
other similar phrases. But Allaah never refers to Himself
by use of the dual, because the plural refers to the
respect that He deserves, and may refer to His names
and attributes, whereas the dual refers to a specific
number (and nothing else), and He is far above that."
(Al-`Aqeedah al-Tadmuriyyah by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, p. 75).
These words, innaa ("Verily We") and
nahnu ("We"), and other forms of the plural, may be used by one
person speaking on behalf of a group, or they may be used
by one person for purposes of respect or glorification, as
is done by some monarchs when they issue statements
or decrees in which they say "We have decided…" etc.
[This is known in English as "The Royal We" _ Translator].
In such cases, only one person is speaking but the plural
is used for respect. The One Who is more deserving
of respect than any other is Allaah, may He be glorified
and exalted, so when He says in the Qur'an
innaa ("Verily We") and
nahnu ("We"), it is for respect and
glorification, not to indicate plurality of numbers. If an aayah of
this type is causing confusion, it is essential to refer to
the clear, unambiguous aayaat for clarification, and if
a Christian, for example, insists on taking ayaat such
as "Verily, We: it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr
(i.e., the Qur'an)" [al-Hijr 15:9 _ interpretation of
the meaning] as proof of divine plurality, we may refute
this claim by quoting such clear and unambiguous aayaat
as (interpretation of the meanings): "And your god is
One God, there is none who has the right to be
worshipped but He, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful"
[al-Baqarah 2:163] and "Say: He is Allaah, the One"
[al-Ikhlaas 112:1] _ and other aayaat which can only
be interpreted in one way. Thus confusion will be
dispelled for the one who is seeking the truth. Every time
Allaah uses the plural to refer to Himself, it is based on the
respect and honour that He deserves, and on the great number
of His names and attributes, and on the great number of
His troops and angels." (Reference: Al-`Aqeedah
al-Tadmuriyyah by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, p.
109). And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
1392: Many of the Names of Allaah may be found at
the end of numerous aayaat of the Qur'aan
Question:
So far I have learned 33 of the 99 Arabic names for
Allah (SWT), I don't have a list of the rest. Where can I find
it on the internet, or perhaps you know them?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah has many names, all of which are indicative
of His Greatness, Perfection and Majesty, may He
be glorified and exalted. He has told us some of these
Names in His Book and through the Sunnah of His
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him); He also
has other Names which are known only to Him, as is
indicated in the hadeeth of `Abdullah ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah
be pleased with him), who said:
"The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: `There is nobody who is afflicted
with distress or grief and who says: "Allaahumma inni
`abduka wa ibn `abdika wa ibn amatika, naasiyati bi yadika
maadin fiyya hukmuka `adlun fiyya qadaa'uka, as'aluka bi
kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw
`allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika
aw asta'tharta bihi fi `ilmi al-ghaybi `indaka an taj'al
al-Qur'aana rabee'a qalbi wa noor sadri wa jilaa'a huzni
wa dhihaaba hammi (O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of
Your slave, son of Your maidservant, my forelock is in
Your hand, Your command over me is ever executed and
Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name
belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or
revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation,
or You have preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen
with You, that You make the Qur'aan the life of my heart
and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow
and a release for my anxiety," - but Allaah will take away
his distress and grief, and replace it with ease.' He was
asked, `O Messenger of Allaah, should we not learn it?' He
said, `Of course, whoever hears it should learn it.'"
(Reported by Imaam Ahmad; this is a saheeh
hadeeth).
The Names of Allaah mentioned in the Qur'aan
and Sunnah number over one hundred, as several
scholars have agreed (see Al-Qawaa'id al-Muthlaa fi Sifaat
Allaahi wa Asmaa'ihi by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih
ibn `Uthaymeen).
Among these are ninety-nine names which, if one
learns them and acts in accordance with them, will bring a
great reward, as is indicated in the hadeeth narrated by
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him), in which
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "Allaah has ninety-nine names,
one hundred less one; whoever learns them will
enter Paradise."
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, no. 2736)
The learning referred to in the hadeeth includes
the following:
Memorizing them.
Understanding their meanings.
Acting upon them: so if a person learns that Allaah is
al-Ahad (the One and Only), he will not associate
anything else with Him; if he learns that He is al-Razzaaq
(the Provider), he will not seek provision from anyone else;
if he learns that He is al-Raheem (the Most Merciful),
he will not despair of His Mercy, and so on.
Calling upon Allaah by these Names, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allaah, so call on Him
by them…" [al-A'raaf 7:180] - so one might say
"Yaa Rahmaan arhamni (O Most Merciful, have mercy on
me)," "Yaa Ghafoor ighfir li (O All-Forgiving, forgive
me)," "Yaa Tawwaab, tubb `alayya (O Accepter of
Repentance, turn towards me in forgiveness)," and so on.
If you pay attention to the endings of many aayaat,
you will find many of the names of Allah mentioned
there. And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
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