الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ (The Beautiful Names of Allah)

الْغَفَّارُ  ï»¿ Ø§Ù„ْغَفُورُ 

الْغَفَّارُ and  Ø§Ù„ْغَفُورُ will be discussed together as they have similar meanings and are used interchangeably.

Translation

الْغَفَّارُ is translated as The All-Forgiving and The Absolver. He is that Being Who hides the sins of His servants and drapes them with His compassion. Therefore there is the concept of covering/hiding in this word. Maghfirat comes from Ghaffaar and insha-allah Allah ta’ala will grant us Maghfirat in the Aakhirah, aameen.

الْغَفُورُ is translated as The Forgiver and Hider of Faults.

Allah ta’ala always has this Sifat of forgiveness and all are Mohtaaj (dependent) upon His Rahmah and forgiveness. So this is essentially connected to His Sifat of Rahmaan and Raheem as it is part of Rahmah to be forgiving, but Ghaffaar is more specific to the concept of forgiveness and hiding sins. The whole concept of hiding is that you hide things which are unclean and disliked so by hiding sins Allah ta’ala purifies and cleans a person.

In the Qur’an

الْغَفُورُ is mentioned 5 times in the Qur’an and  الْغَفَّارُ is mentioned 91 times which is a lot compared to other names we have discussed so far.

One of the ways Allah ta’ala mentions His Sifat of Maghfirat in the Qur’an is:

وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِمَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ثُمَّ اهْتَدَىٰ

And lo! verily I am Forgiving toward him who repenteth and believeth and doeth good, and afterward walketh aright.

[Surah Taha: 82]

This verse shows that there are conditions attached to Allah ta’ala’s forgiveness. It is for that person who has the following traits:

·      •  One who repents (does Tawbah)

·      •  One who has Imaan – Imaan has different levels which means one should always be working on it

·      •   One who does good deeds – the sign of true Tawbah is that the person is engaged in doing good deeds to make up for the life of sin and mistakes.

Then that person will be guided. This is a cycle or cause and effect where if the person has these three traits then that person will find Hidaayah. The word اهْتَدَىٰ has the meaning of putting effort into something so to seek and struggle for it.

In Surah Nisaa’ (verse 110) Allah ta’ala says,

وَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا أَوْ يَظْلِمْ نَفْسَهُ ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ يَجِدِ اللَّهَ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا

If anyone does evil or wrongs his own soul and then seeks Allah's forgiveness, he will find Allah Forgiving, Merciful.

So forgiveness is for the one who, after he does a bad deed or does Dhulm upon himself, he seeks forgiveness from Allah ta’ala. We often see Ghafoor and Raheem used together as Allah ta’ala’s Rahmah is vast and covers a lot of things and a lot types of people and part of that Rahmah is that He is forgiving.

Allah ta’ala’s Rahmah comes automatically by default and His forgiveness, though it is there, to get it, some conditions have to be met and the main condition is to seek it, ثُمَّ يَسْتَغْفِرِ اللَّهَ is from the same root word but means to seek Allah ta’ala’s forgiveness and then Allah ta’ala will forgive.

Differences between Istighfaar & Tawbah

These two words are used interchangeably in English and mean more or less the same but there is slight difference.

Istighfaar is to seek forgiveness for previous sins i.e. to say sorry and cover up past sins. Tawbah literally means to turn in a certain direction and decide not to go back. Therefore Tawbah includes the intention to not commit the sin again i.e. to make a resolution not to sin again and to make a promise to Allah ta’ala and to yourself not to sin again and so it is more for the future. 

Differences between الْغَفَّارُ and  Ø§Ù„ْغَفُورُ

These two words have almost the same meaning however Scholars have mentioned a slight difference.

الْغَفَّارُ is that Being (Allah ta’ala) Who after true Tawbah forgives the sin and removes the signs of the sin i.e. covers up. Allah ta’ala covers up and wipes it away to such an extent that He makes the person forget and it is as if the person did not commit that sin. It is mentioned in Hadith,

 Ø§Ù„تَّائِبُ مِنَ الذَّنْبِ كَمَنْ لاَ ذَنْبَ لَهُ 

‘The one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin.’ [Ibn Majah]

This is for sins other than sins pertaining to other people i.e. Gheebat, having hatred in the heart for someone and being revengeful etc. This makes a person Mahroom (Deprived) of Allah ta’ala’s forgiveness.

الْغَفُورُ – Allah ta’ala makes even the angels forget about the sin of that person.

Sharing in these Sifaat

Allah ta’ala hides our sins by being Ghafoor and we should also hide the faults and sins of other people.

Allah ta’ala loves those who seek Forgiveness

There are many Hadith which mention that Allah ta’ala loves those who seek forgiveness. In a beautiful Hadith Qudsi Allah ta’ala says that the crying of a sinner is more beloved to Him than the Tasbeeh of one who does His Tasbeeh.

In another Hadith Qudsi is mentioned,

“Allah Ta’ala says, ‘O Son of Adam, so long as you call upon Me and have hope in Me, I shall forgive you for whatever you have done and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, if your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky and then you were to ask forgiveness of Me, I would forgive you and I shall not mind. O son of Adam, if you were to come to Me with an earthful of sins and were you then to face Me, without having ascribing any partner to Me, I would grant you an earthful of forgiveness” [Tirmidhi]

Therefore this is the Kafiyyat (Condition) a person has to be in to attain the Rahmah and the Maghfirat of Allah ta’ala i.e. to feel remorse, shame etc.

In Surah Najm (verse 32)

Allah ta’ala say,

الَّذِينَ يَجْتَنِبُونَ كَبَائِرَ الْإِثْمِ وَالْفَوَاحِشَ إِلَّا اللَّمَمَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ وَاسِعُ الْمَغْفِرَةِ

To those who avoid the major sins and shameful deeds and are guilty of only small offence, surely for them your Rabb will have abundant forgiveness.

Allah ta’ala is not bound

It is important to understand this point that though a person has this Kafiyyat, Allah ta’ala does not have to forgive. He is not compelled to forgive by the person’s asking for forgiveness. His being Ghafoor does not mean He is bound by it but because Allah ta’ala is Ghaalib, Azeez, He will forgive people. He only needs an excuse and a person’s asking for forgiveness is an excuse for Allah ta’ala to forgive so there is no price to His Rahmah.

We do not know which good deed we might do which will get us Maghfirat and that is why we should not regard any good deed as small. As mentioned in hadith, even half a date in Sadaqah should not be regarded as small. Anything done with the right intention and accepted by Allah ta’ala can wipe away a lot.

Forgiveness of Minor Sins

As for the minor sins, they get forgiven through good deeds like Wudhu or when a bad deed is followed up by a good deed.

“When a Muslim or a believer washes his face in ablution, then every sin that he committed with his eyes will be washed away with the last drop of water. When he washes his hands, then every sin that he committed with his hands will be washed away with the last drop of water. When he washes his feet, then every sin that he committed with his feet will be washed away with the last drop of water, until he emerges purified from sin.” [Muslim]

“Be conscious of Allah wherever you are. Follow the bad deed with a good one to erase it, and engage others with beautiful character.” [Tirmidhi]

Istighfaar – Seeking Forgiveness from Allah ta’ala

The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam said,

“By Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah and I repent to him more than seventy times in a day.” [Bukhari]

In  another Hadith it is mentioned 100 times and He did not need to but he still did to attain the beauty and the Tajalli and Noor of this trait.

In Surah Nasr Allah ta’ala says,

فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ ۚ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا

So glorify your Rabb with His praises, and pray for His forgiveness: surely He is ever ready to accept repentance. 

This was addressing the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam meaning when you are free from your mission as a Prophet, then praise Allah ta’ala and seek His forgiveness.

Seeking forgiveness is not just when we do something wrong. The Sunnah of the Prophet sallalaahu ‘alayhi wasallam is to seek forgiveness after even good deeds (and we find it hard after doing bad deeds), why? He realized that whatever good deeds we do are not according to the Shaan of Allah ta’ala. There will always be flaws and shortcomings. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam recited three times استغفر الله and thereafter the following du’a after Salaah;

‏اللهم أنت السلام، ومنك السلام، تباركت يا ياذا الجلال والإكرام‏

Therefore asking Allah ta’ala to forgive all shortcomings and any Riyaa that may have been felt. 

Other Hadith,

“Glad tidings (tuba) for the one who, (on the day of judgement), finds an abundance of Istighfar in his book of deeds.” [Ibn Majah]

“By Him in whose hand is my soul, if you did not sin Allah would replace you with people who would sin and they would seek the forgiveness of Allah and He would forgive them.” [Muslim]

Allah ta’ala does not need our good deeds and He does not need our repentance but when we do Tawbah it invokes the Rahmah of Allah ta’ala and it brings humility in our lives. It is part of human Fitrah that we should want to beg for Allah ta’ala’s forgiveness for sins and for not fulfilling what we should have done. This is the higher level the Prophets had i.e. that we did not the rights of a deed and is full of shortcomings. It is the Karam of Allah ta’ala that He accepts Tawbah.

Benefits of Istighfaar

Glad tidings have been promised for who does Istighfaar in abundance as mentioned in the Hadith above. In another Hadith the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam said,

"If anyone constantly seeks pardon (from Allah), Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide sustenance for him from where he expects not."  [Abu Dawood]

There is a story in the Qur’an of a people whom Allah ta’ala gave so much but they lost it all due to their ingratitude and not repenting. Allah ta’ala would have put Barakah in their wealth, given water, crops etc. had they repented.

Incident in the time of Hasan Basri (رحمه الله) 

It is related in Tafsir al Qurtubi that Hasan al-Basri (r.a) was once seated. A man came saying ” O Master, I’m very sinful do tell me an act which I can do to be forgiven”. Hasan al-Basri (r.a) replied, “Go and do Istighfar”.

Second person came and said, ” O Master, for many days rains have stopped and there is drought. Tell me an action through which Allah (s.w.t) will send down rain to us”. Hasan al-Basri (r.a) replied, “Go and do Istighfar”.

Third person came and said, ” I am under a lot of debt. I am working, but please make dua that Allah (s.w.t) give me wealth so I can be saved from debts”. Hasan al-Basri (r.a) replied, “Go and do Istighfar to Allah”

Fourth person came and said, “It is a wish of mine that Allah (s.w.t) give me an offspring. So please make dua that Allah (s.w.t) gives me pious offspring”. Hasan al-Basri (r.a) replied, “Go and do Istighfar”

Fifth person came and said, “I have an orchard please make dua that it gives more fruits, so that the return will be more.” Hasan al-Basri (r.a) replied, ” Go and do Istighfar”

Sixth person came and said, “If I was to get water spring in my house, I will be so pleased”. Shaykh Hasan replied, “Go and do Istighfar”.

Shaykh Hasan al-Basri’s (r.a) disciple, Ibn Sabih (r.a) who was sitting close, was very surprised thinking, “Why is it that Shaykh Hasan al-Basri (r.a) is giving the same solution of Istighfar to whoever comes to him”? So Ibn Sabih (r.a) eventually asked “Why are you giving one response for all the problems”? On hearing this Shaykh Hasan al-Basri (r.a) recited what Allah (s.w.t) said in Qur’an:

فَقُلْتُ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُ كَانَ غَفَّارًا -

saying: "Seek forgiveness of your Rabb, He is ever ready to forgive you.

يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُمْ مِدْرَارًا - He will send abundant rain for you from heaven

 ÙˆÙŽÙŠÙÙ…ْدِدْكُمْ بِأَمْوَالٍ وَبَنِينَ وَيَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ وَيَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ أَنْهَارًا - help you with wealth and sons, and provide you with gardens and the flowing rivers [Surah Nooh: 10-12]

Istighfaar is a way of having difficulties removed, widens every constriction and provides Rizq from sources we cannot imagine. It is the antidote to all problems and not just for when we sin. Therefore we should turn to Allah ta’ala in repentance when we have any problems. Unfortunately when we say to people to turn to Istighfaar in difficulty they say they haven’t done anything wrong but actually all of Bani Adam are sinners as we all sin to some extent but the best of the sinners are those who repent.

كُلُّ بَنِي آدَمَ خَطَّاءٌ وَخَيْرُ الْخَطَّائِينَ التَّوَّابُونَ

We should therefore generally do Istighfaar and think about our sins and repent and another benefit of Istighfaar is that it leads you to do Muhaasabah. We won’t need anyone telling us what mistakes we are making as consciously or subconsciously our mind will be working on where you need to make Istighfaar and then that leads you to making changes in your life. We may not act to make these changes but at least we will become aware.

To say it with the Heart

It is very important to do Istighfaar conscientiously and with feeling for full benefit and not just roll it off the tongue (which will still bring some benefit).

Du’a in Hadith

There are many Du’a for Istighfaar and many compilations by Scholars. One such very good compilation is by Mufti Abdur Rahmaan Mangera available here:

http://www.whitethreadpress.com/prayers-for-forgiveness/

Another compilation by Shaykh Muhammad Saleem Dhorat, PDF available here:

https://www.at-tazkiyah.com/publications/booklet_eng/istighfar14.pdf view inline

Look at these Du’a to realize how to make Istighfaar and even if you do not use the same wording, to have that feeling in the heart is important. There is a lot of inspiration in these Du’a. One very comprehensive Du’a is:

أستغفر الله ربي من كل ذنب وأتوب إليه

Forgiveness for Each Other

For Istighfaar to be proper the conditions mentioned before are important and if it involves other people i.e. you have hurt someone, then ask for forgiveness and if it is felt that it will make matters worse then make Du’a for them. We should also be forgiving toward others. We want Allah ta’ala to forgive us so we should be forgiving to others.

Levels of Forgiving

There are different levels of forgiving:

·         Forgiving someone from the tongue: saying it with words but having negative feelings in the heart. 

·         Forgiving from the heart but when the occasion arises you may remind the person i.e. saying something like, “You still haven’t changed, you are still doing this.”

·         Forgiving from the heart and not bringing up the hurt that the person caused even though you may think of it now and then. 

·         The highest level is Ihsaan, the level of the Ambiyaa. You forgive and you treat them better than before. 

Counsel

To be people who are forgiving and asking Allah ta’ala to forgive yourself and others. Sometimes it is easier to ask other for forgiveness than to forgive others from the heart especially if you have been hurt badly by someone close to you. Therefore make Du’a to be purified of all negative feelings.

الْقَهَّارُ

 Ø§Ù„ْقَهَّارُ is translated as The Ever-Dominant and The Conqueror. This name is a very strong part of our Aqeedah.

Definition

It is The One Who Controls and Dominates everything, Rules and Conquers everything. Everything in the Dunya is in the dominion and power of Allah ta’ala. Every existing thing is in His control due to which human beings and all of creation is dependent and in the hands of Allah ta’ala.

Ibn Katheer (رحمه الله)  says الْقَهَّارُ is that Being in front of Whom all Makhlooq is ‘Aajiz (humbled).

It is a very strong trait and according to Mufti Taqi Uthmani Sahib, there is no name of Allah ta’ala in the Asmaaul Husnaa that points towards the 'Adhaab of Allah ta’ala. All the names point either towards His Rahmah, or His Ruboobiyat (Being Rabb – Sustainer), or His Qudrat (Power).

This word reflects the anger of Allah ta’ala and when a person exceeds the bounds and transgresses the limits, then His anger and punishment comes down.

Humans cannot share in this Name

This is one of the names in which humans cannot share. A person may try to share in it by being dominating and controlling but true dominion and control is with Allah ta’ala alone.

In the Qur’an

It is mentioned six times in the Qur’an and interestingly at each place it comes with الْوَاحِدُ i.e. Allah ta’ala alone is the Dominating, Conquering One. Following are the verses of the Qur’an where this name is mentioned:

Surah Yusuf , verse 39

O my fellow inmates! Tell me what is better; many different lords or one Allah, the Irresistible?

This is in context of when the prisoners approached Yusuf AS to have their dream interpreted and he asked them if submitting to many idols which have no dominion was better than submitting to Allah ta’ala.

Allah ta’ala is the Truly Dominant One and He is pointing at being One and then Qahhaar – pointing to the fact that in His Sifaat, He is One i.e. there is no one else who can be Qahhaar.  

Surah Ra’ad, last part of verse 16

قُلِ اللَّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ 

Say: “Allah Alone is the Creator of everything and He is the One, the Irresistible.”

This verse is referring to the difference between Shirk and Tawheed, Allah ta’ala being One and no one can compare in His Dominion.

Surah Ibraheem, verse 48

Warn them of the Day when the earth will be changed to a different earth and the heavens as well, and all of them will stand before Allah, the One, the Irresistible;

Surah Zumar, verse 4

لَوْ أَرَادَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا لَاصْطَفَىٰ مِمَّا يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَاءُ ۚ سُبْحَانَهُ ۖ هُوَ اللَّهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ

If Allah had intended to take a son, He could have chosen anyone He pleased out of His creation: Glory be to Him! (He is above such things.) He is Allah, the One, the Irresistible.

He is Unique and above having a son. He cannot be compared to anything.

Surah Saad, verse 65

O Prophet, tell them: "My mission is only as a Warner; there is no divinity except Allah, the One, the Irresistible. 

In this verse there is basic Tawheed that there is One Allah and He is Dominant and controlling over even minute matters. This Surah mentions belief in Risaalat, the last day etc. and belief in this Sifat is part of our Aqeedah. Tawheed is not just believing in One God, but it is also believing in His attributes. Our concept of Tawheed is much more comprehensive than the concept of One God in Christianity. We believe in His Dominion and Control and that He has full knowledge about everything. We believe in One God and His Attributes.

Ibn Katheer  (رحمه الله)   says Waahid means He does not need anyone else. He is above dependency and everything is dependent on Him and He is Ghaalib. He is Dominant in His power and we are humiliated / low in our power. 

There is a story about a Shaykh and his student. The student said to his Shaykh that he had a problem controlling his gaze and since he worked in a market place it was impossible for him to avoid it, essentially blaming his environment. So the Shaykh gave him an assignment where he had to carry a bowl of milk filled to the brim and walk up and down the market place without letting even one drop spill. With him would be two strong men who would beat him up if any of the milk spilled. This was difficult as the streets were not so even however the young man accomplished it and happily related it to his Shaykh. The Shaykh asked him how many beautiful faces he had noticed while on his assignment and he replied that he was so focused on the milk that he did not notice anyone. The milk, said the Shaykh, symbolized his Imaan. He told him that if he focused on his Imaan he would not be looking at anything he should not be looking at.

How does this connect to the concept of being Qahhaar? Allah ta’ala is Dominant and He is watching us at all times and when a person has that feeling of being watched by Allah ta’ala, it will protect the person from committing sins.

Surah Mu’min, verse 16

The Day when they all shall come forth from their graves with nothing hidden from Allah. It will be asked: "Whose is the Kingdom today?" No one shall dare to speak, and Allah Himself will say: "It is Allah's, the One, the Irresistible."

‘Abdullah ibn Mas’ood RA said when all the people will be gathered on the Day of Judgement, a caller will call out asking "Whose is the Kingdom today?"  and everyone will reply,

"It is Allah's, the One, the Irresistible”.

So this trait will be mentioned in the Aakhirah and will be seen on that day. The Mu’min’s reply it will be with joy and the disbeliever’s reply will be in a state of humiliation where they are compelled to say it.  Some Scholars say this will be said after the blowing of the first trumpet when no one and nothing will exist and Allah ta’ala Himself will say it.

Therefore everything is temporary and Allah ta’ala was always there and always will be there. He dominates time, space, Dunya and Aakhirah and sometimes we do not realise and accept this dominion. Those who realise it, to them Allah ta’ala gives them some control in this world and that is the counsel for us.

Story of ‘Umar RA and his letter to the River Nile

Ibn Kathir  (رحمه الله) said: When Egypt was conquered, its people came to ‘Amr ibnul ‘As (radiyallahu ‘anhu) and said to him: O Amr, this Nile of ours is used to something and cannot flow unless it is done. He said: What is that? They said: On the twelfth night of this month, we take a young girl from her parents, and we placate her parents, then we dress her in jewellery and the finest garments there can be, then we throw her into this Nile.  ‘Amr (radiyallahu ‘anhu) said to them: This is something that cannot happen in Islam, Islam erases that which came before it [of bad customs]. So they stayed for a while, during which the Nile did not flow at all, neither a little nor a lot, until they thought of leaving.

Then ‘Amr (radiyallahu ‘anhu) wrote to ‘Umar ibn Al Khattab (radiyallahu ‘anhu), telling him about this. He wrote to him, saying: You did the right thing. I am sending you a piece of paper with my letter; throw it into the Nile. When his letter came, ‘Amr (radiyallahu ‘anhu) took the piece of paper on which was written:

“From the slave of Allah, ‘Umar, Amirul Muminin, to the Nile of the people of Egypt. To proceed: If you only flow on your own initiative, then do not flow, for we have no need of you. But if you only flow on the command of Allah, the One, the Subduer, and He is the One Who causes you to flow, then we ask Allah, may He be exalted, to make you flow.”

He threw the paper in the Nile and by Saturday morning, Allah had caused the Nile to flow [to a depth or width of] sixteen cubits in one night, and Allah put an end to this particular custom of the people of Egypt until today.

This shows that you have Yaqeen (Certainty) that it is only Allah ta’ala Who is Dominant then you do not fear people. When a person believes in superstition, it happens because they have so much Yaqeen in it. It is a mind over matter thing. ‘Umar RA controlled the river in Allah ta’ala’s name. It may seem unbelievable to us now but this was their Yaqeen and when they invoked that Yaqeen that Allah ta’ala is Qahhaar, it had an effect. 

Counsel

Imam Ghazali (رحمه الله)  says our greatest enemy is the Nafs and we have to try to dominate it i.e. being Qahhaar over it, and control it and not let it be controlled by anyone else.

Actually our Nafs is more of an enemy than Shaytaan. In Ramadhaan when the Shayaaten are chained up, we still have our bad habits. We cannot blame Shaytaan, it is our Nafs which is the bigger enemy. If a person can conquer the passion of the Nafs they can conquer Shaytaan as Shaytaan uses the Nafs and lures the human. Therefore if we have control over the Nafs then Shaytaan will not have control over us.

So may Allah ta’ala make us Qahhaar over our Nafs, Aameen.

الْوَهَّابُ

Translation

الْوَهَّابُ is translated as The Liberal Bestower and The Giver of Gifts. It is the superlative form, so The Extreme Bestower of Gifts. Allah ta’ala’s gifts are from all different categories of life, at all times and never end.

Definition

Linguistically Wahhaab means to give a lot of one’s wealth and it can mean someone who gives everything but Allah ta’ala is the True Wahhaab. Any Ne’mat in any form or shape is from Allah ta’ala.

وَمَا بِكُمْ مِنْ نِعْمَةٍ فَمِنَ اللَّهِ

Whatever blessings you enjoy are from Allah [Surah Nahl: 53]

Human beings can be Waahib – giver of gifts, as they can give gifts but they cannot be Wahhaab which means giving all the time, in all places and in all conditions and human beings do not have this ability.

Wahhaab also means giving gifts free from any conditions i.e. no return or compensation and whether the person is deserving of it or not. Allah ta’ala gives to all without looking at whether they are deserving of it or not.

There is a story related by Mufti Taqi Uthmani Sahib regarding his father, Mufti Shafi’ (رحمه الله)  the author of Ma’ariful Qur’an. He says he noticed that his father always gave to beggars whatever he had so he mentioned that there was no need for that as many of them were not deserving of it and they were often professional beggars. Mufti Shafi’(رحمه الله)  replied that he knew that however he felt that if he started giving to only those who were deserving, what would happen if Allah ta’ala also started doing that? He meant that Allah ta’ala gave so much despite us not deserving it. What would happen if He only gave to those who were deserving of it? This shows the practical way he used this name.

In the Qur’an

It is used in the Qur’an three times.

Human levels of Generosity

Human beings are not empty of being givers of gifts. There are different levels of generosity as there is always some degree of self-interest involved when gifting:

·     The highest level is that of people who give everything they own and even their lives for the sake of Allah ta’ala. It is not to attain Jannah or to be saved from Jahannam and it is not for any gain. That person is called generous and an example of it would be Abu Bakr RA who was the epitome of generosity.

      Below this level is that of people who give freely to attain Jannah. Ustaadhah gave an example of a woman who said she liked giving charity to different places as there was no way of knowing which will get accepted and where a Du’a would be made which was accepted by Allah ta’ala. These are people who give freely and do not look at whether they are deserving of it or not. *Ustaadhah said it is beautiful to see the different ways people approach Allah ta’ala.

·    

      Another level is that of people who give freely to obtain praise and that is why it is better to give charity anonymously. Even though we may think we will not be affected by the praise, subconsciously we all are.

Anyone who does not think of material compensation i.e. what will I get in return, is regarded as generous otherwise it is not really generosity. Sometimes when someone gives you a gift it becomes burdensome as you feel you now have to return the gesture.

The point of giving a gift should be to please Allah ta’ala, maintain good family ties and develop love for one another. Then the gift will have meaning. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam said,

تَهَادُوا ØªÙŽØ­ÙŽØ§Ø¨ÙÙ‘وا

“Give each other gifts and you will love each ï»¿other.” [al-Adab al-Mufrad]

Imam Ghazali (رحمه الله) wrote,

“Any time in your intention you have any concept of gain, it decreases the reward, the concept of ï»¿ï»¿generosity and the person being Waahib.”

الْوَهَّابُ in Du’a

This name is often used in Du’a. It was used by the Ambiyaa علیھم السلام especially in times of need when they would invoke الْوَهَّابُ.

Zakariyya علیه السلام, after seeing the out of season fruits provided to Maryam عليها السلام was inspired to make Dua, 

رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنْ لَدُنْكَ ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ الدُّعَاءِ  

O my Lord! Grant unto me from Thee a progeny that is pure: for Thou Art He that heareth prayer.

[Surha Aali ‘Imraan: 38]

هَبْ لِي – Grant me/ Gift me. He asked even though he was old and his wife was barren. He did not look at whether it was possible or not. He just asked: هَبْ لِي

When Ibraheem AS was made to leave his people, he made Du'a:

رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ   

O my Lord! Grant me a Righteous (son) [Surah Saaffaat: 100]

Both Prophets made Du’a for children using the words هَبْ لِي with Zakariyyah علیه السلام asking for  ذُرِّيَّةً طَيِّبَةً  - pure child and Ibraheem علیه السلام asking for children who are  ØµØ§Ù„ِح – pious.

There is also the Du’a for spouses and children who become the coolness of the eyes,

رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا

Our Rabb! Make our wives and our children to be the comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders of the righteous.

[Surah Furqaan: 74]

May Allah ta’ala gift everyone with spouses and children who are the coolness of our eyes, Aameen.

الرَّزَّاقُ

Translation

الرَّزَّاقُ is translated as The Sustainer, The Supplier and the Provider. The One Who provides Rizq. Allah ta’ala is Raaziq (The Giver of Rizq).

The concept of Rizq we have is usually monetary i.e. to do with financial matters, however linguistically it means anything and everything through which some benefit, in any shape or form, is derived. It can be monetary, food, education, people (friends) etc.

Definition

It is that Being Who has taken responsibility for Rizq and has made provision for the Rizq for every living thing. Not just humans but all of creation. His Rizq and his Rahmah is enough for all of creation and there is no exclusion or differenciation between a Believer and nonbeliever or who is a friend or enemy of Allah ta’ala similar to Allah ta’ala being Rahmaan to everyone. Allah ta’ala grants Rizq to whoever He wants.

There is a verse in the Qur’an to the effect that if Allah ta’ala gives Rizq to people it does not mean that He is happy/pleased with them and if Allah ta’ala constricts or decreases Rizq from anyone it is not a sign of Allah ta’ala’s displeasure or anger. Therefore to assume (which is what a lot of us do) is wrong.

Allah ta’ala gives Rizq to the weak, who do not have the ability to earn or have any means, like a child, and to the healthy and strong who have the ability. There is nothing on this earth that does not receive Rizq. Allah ta’ala created all creation and gave them the means of Rizq through His Karam and Fadhl.

Classification of Rizq

There are two types of Rizq: 

1. Rizq-e-Aam – general and open ended i.e. for everyone, Believers, disbelievers, good, bad and to everything. This is called Rizq Badni (provision for the body) which is physical Rizq to every living thing. 
2. Rizq-e-Khaas – special and specific which is the provision or nourishment for the heart which is attained from ‘Ilm and Imaan. This is not materialistic. It is spiritual nourishment and Rizq Halaal is included in this as it is special to a Believer according to their level of Imaan. This Rizq helps to do deeds according to Deen. 

This classification is made by one Scholar and Ibn Qayyoom (Raheemahullah) also made two classifications of Rizq:

1. Rizq given to people in the world through His servants (i.e. Scholars and the pious) and Prophets. This is the special spiritual Rizq and the nourishment of the heart, again ‘Ilm and Imaan. 
2. The Rizq for the body – Rizq Halaal. The food which is Haraam is still Rizq and it would be wrong to say it is not Rizq but Halaal Rizq has a spiritual dimension. It has Noor and Barakah in it.

In the Qur’an

It is mentioned in many places in the Qur’an.

وَمَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا ۚ كُلٌّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ

There is no moving creature on Earth whose sustenance is not provided by Allah. He knows its living and its resting place, and all that is recorded in a glorious Book. [Surah Hood: 6]

Allah ta’ala knows about all living creatures, where they live, whether its permanent or temporary, whether its hidden from other creatures etc. and Allah ta’ala grants Rizq.

In this verse Allah ta’ala is giving consolation to people that it is His responsibility to make arrangements for their Rizq as He knows where each one of His creation is living even if no one else does.

This is part of counsel for us that even though we take measures and use the necessary means in obtaining Rizq Halaal, at the same time we should know that it is Allah ta’ala Who is providing it. When a person has this Yaqeen then that person will do what is required and knows that this is his effort however Allah ta’ala is The One Who provides.

Rizq due to Barakah of others

It is mentioned in a Hadith that a man whose brother was one of the Ashaabus Suffa, came and complained to the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam that his brother spent all his time with the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallm while he worked. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam replied that maybe it was due to his brother that he was getting Rizq.

Sometimes it is through the Barakah of those dependent upon us that Allah ta’ala is granting us the Rizq. It is often seen that on the birth of a second child when one starts thinking materialistically, that Allah ta’ala opens a door to increase in Rizq through increase in wage or a promotion or other means and Allah puts Barakah in it.

Therefore there are other dynamics that are at play but because we only look at the apparent i.e. we have Rizq because we are working, we do not realize that it could be because of the Barakah of those dependent upon us i.e. children, elders etc. that your work is going well or that your business is flourishing. People with understanding however, will see this. The more Yaqeen we have that Allah ta’ala is Ar-Razzaaq, the more Allah ta’ala will provide for us.

Story regarding Surah Hood, verse 6

Regarding the verse cited above, Imam Qurtubi (Rahimahullah) narrates that there was a tribe who migrated to Madeenah and by the time they reached the outskirts they had run out of provisions. A man was sent to request the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam for some food. When the man reached the door of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam he heard from within this verse being recited and he thought that when Allah ta’ala had taken responsibility to provide for all living things then his tribe was no less than the animals. He became convinced that Allah ta’ala will provide and without meeting the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam, he returned to his people and told them to be happy as Allah ta’ala’s help was on its way. He did not relate what had happened and they thought he had made the arrangements.

Soon two men came with two pots filled with bread and meat and everyone ate to their fill with some leftover. They decided to return it to the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam who, when he was thanked and told about the leftover, said he had not sent any food. When the whole episode was related to him, he said that that Rizq was something that Allah ta’ala had granted them.

This episode shows that when someone has Yaqeen that Allah ta’ala will provide for me then Allah ta’ala will provide. Allah ta’ala can give Rizq in any way, with or without the means and from places we cannot even imagine however we are supposed to use the means but not forget Who was the Controller of the means.

Asbaab (Means)

A question was raised in the chat box regarding using Asbaab and how this tribe did not use any Asbaab. Someone else replied that they had used Asbaab by sending a man to request the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam for food and the help came through in the form of the verse of the Qur’an. Thereafter Aapa Sobia mentioned some points regarding Asbaab.

The Imaan and Tawakkul of the Sahaba RA was stronger and it was enough for them whereas in our age it is not that strong and we have to use the Asbaab (though even today if a person had trust in Allah ta’ala, He will give and so it can happen) but the key is knowing that Allah ta’ala is giving.

Sabab (Means) is a very comprehensive word however we limit it. It is not just the means as we understand it. As highlighted above, Allah ta’ala can provide without any means however many things can become the means of Allah ta’ala sending Rizq:

·    • Du’a can become a means and we should make Du’a for Halaal Rizq and for Barakah in the Rizq

·    • Doing good deeds can become a means

·    • Giving Sadaqah can become a means. It comes in Hadith that when a person gives, Allah ta’ala gives them more and when he stops, Allah ta’ala will also stop

·    • Generosity can become a means.  â€œSpend in charity and do not keep count for then Allah will also keep count in giving you provision.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

Tawakkul is putting effort and then trusting in Allah ta’ala. It does not mean leaving the Asbaab. We have to use the Asbaab and we have to strive as Allah ta’ala says in many places of the Qur’an that humans will not get anything except for what he strives for.

وَأَنْ لَيْسَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ - that there shall be nothing for a man except what he strive for [Surah Najm: 39]

Therefore to realize that the result is not due to your striving but that Allah ta’ala is in charge and its due to His Rahmah and His being Razzaaq that He is giving you.

Taqwa & Rizq

In Surah Talaq at the end of verse 2, Allah ta’ala says,

وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مَخْرَجًا - And whosoever keepeth his duty to Allah, Allah will appoint a way out for him

And in the beginning of the next verse Allah ta’ala says,

وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ - And will provide for him from (a quarter) whence he hath no expectation

This shows that if a person has Taqwa then Allah ta’ala will create means of his Rizq and there are different levels of Taqwa so accordingly Allah ta’ala will create a way out for the person in any difficulty. Rizq is not just food and finances as mentioned before but it can be spiritual, social, emotional etc. Therefore from our side we have to work on attaining Taqwa and when we make a mistake due to our weakness, we should repent.

Levels of Taqwa:

·   â€¢ To safeguard the heart and the body from Haraam. This leads to a soul that is alive.

·   â€¢ To also avoid the Makroohaat. This leads to a soul being healthy and strong.

·   â€¢ To avoid anything that is useless, a waste of time or without any purpose. This leads to a happy and content soul.

Episode regarding Abu Umama RA related by Jaabir RA in “Anecdotes of the Awliya”

Abu Umama RA had a Christian slave woman and she related that he never sent a beggar away empty handed. One day he had three Dinaar left which he gave away to three beggars as each one came begging. The slave woman became angry saying he had not left anything for them but he went to rest. As he was fasting she felt sorry and she decided to borrow money to prepare some food. After the food was prepared and a candle was lit she went to get something and found 300 Dinaar and she thought to herself that no wonder he had been so generous.

When he awoke and saw the food he smiled and said that it was from Allah ta’ala. She said, “May Allah have mercy on you. You had so much money and you did not tell me. I could have put it away in a safe place.” At this he asked, “What money?” She showed him and he said he did not know about it. She was so affected she accepted Islam and Jaabir RA narrated that he saw her teaching in a Masjid in Shaam.

So from being a Christian slave to teaching Deen in a Masjid, SubhanAllah! This episode shows that when a person is generous and gives Sadaqah, that also becomes a means through which Allah ta’ala grants them. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam has promised that Sadaqah never decreases wealth.

“Sadaqah does not in any way decrease the wealth.” [Muslim]

Therefore never fear poverty when giving Sadaqah as Allah ta’ala will provide for you. When we help others, Allah ta’ala will help us.

Allah ta’ala is The Haqeeqee Raaziq

Allah ta’ala says in Surah Mulk, verse 2:

أَمَّنْ هَٰذَا الَّذِي يَرْزُقُكُمْ إِنْ أَمْسَكَ رِزْقَهُ ۚ بَلْ لَجُّوا فِي عُتُوٍّ وَنُفُورٍ

Or who is there that can provide you if He withholds His provision? Yet, they persist in rebellion and aversion from the truth.

It is Allah ta’ala Who gives and to think that any one else is giving is actually wickedness in Islam and far from the truth.

In Surah Zumar, verse 52 (and many other similar verses in the Qur’an), Allah ta’ala says,

أَوَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَبْسُطُ الرِّزْقَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَقْدِرُ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

Do they not know that Allah enlarges the provision for whom He pleases and restricts it from whom He wills? Surely there are signs in this for those who believe.

Allah ta’ala is The One Who gives, to some more than others but it is He Who gives.

Counsel

We are people of little Tawakkul and we need to use the Asbaab and leave the rest to Allah ta’ala and this is the beauty of it. Sometimes people use Haraam Asbaab as it seems easy money i.e. interest dealings, and it takes a lot of Tawakkul to refrain i.e. to trust in Allah that He will provide.

Barakah in Rizq

To increase the Rizq, we need to have Barakah in it because Allah ta’ala has already distributed whatever Rizq we are supposed to get before we were born and we cannot increase in what was written for us. To increase the Barakah in the Rizq:

·    • Use Asbaab and do not trust in them. Trust Allah ta’ala and this is true Tawakkul that Allah ta’ala is Razzaaq.

 Â·   â€¢ Not to use Haraam Asbaab and for this also you need Tawakkul as it is easy and quick money and you think everybody does it. No lying, cheating using the tricks of the trade etc.

·   â€¢ Stay away from sin, minor or major, sins of the eyes, tongue etc.

·   â€¢ Istighfaar brings Barakah in Rizq. 

·   â€¢ Give Zakat in full and do not avoid it. 

·   â€¢ Being good to those you give a salary to and not cheat them. 

·   â€¢ Good deeds bring Barakah in Rizq. 

·   â€¢ Do not be miserly. Give Sadaqah and the best Sadaqah is when you are low in money. 

·   â€¢ Suhbat – good company brings Barakah in Rizq and as mentioned before Rizq is not just financial but its spiritual as well where a person is happy and at peace. A person may have a lot of wealth but no Sukoon. Sometimes a little has a lot of Barakah in it and brings peace and happiness. Therefore when you make Du’a don’t just ask for Rizq but ask for Rizq Halaal/Tayyib and for Barakah in it.

Du’a in Hadith and Narrations of the Salaf Saaliheen

Recite 3 times after Fajr:

 Ø§Ù„لَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَافِعًا وَرِزْقًا طَيِّبًا وَعَمَلاً مُتَقَبَّلاً 

O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, goodly provision and acceptable deeds.

Scholar’s Reference, not Hadith:

Recite after Fajr:

اللَّهُ لَطِيفٌ بِعِبَادِهِ يَرْزُقُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۖ وَهُوَ الْقَوِيُّ الْعَزِيزُ

Allah is very Kind to His servants. He gives sustenance to whom He pleases. He is the Powerful, the Almighty. [Surah Shura: 19]

Source

الْفَتَّاحُ

Translation

الْفَتَّاحُ  is translated as The Opener and The Revealer and also The Decider ï»¿i.e. One who makes decisions or judgments. It also ï»¿comes for victory  â€“  ï»¿ÙÙŽØªÙŽØ§Ø­ï»¿

Linguistically it means to open but this word has multiple meanings originating from the essential meaning of “Opening”. A lot of names have a Tashdeed and are in the superlative form. This pattern has the meaning in the intensive form of that word. Therefore One Who is the Most Powerful Opener or The Opener of all things and in all matters. The Opener of Rizq and Rahmah – The Being Who opens the doors to the means leading to Rizq and Rahmah. He opens the hearts and eyes to see and recognize the truth.

Allah ta’ala also closes the doors of His Rahmah and Ne’mah due to sin though He does not close the door altogether or immediately. For Believers it is opening doors to the Ma’rifat of Allah ta’ala. What we go through in life, good or bad, productive experiences or destructive, these should all be a means of doors opening in our heart one after another to recognize our purpose in this world, the realities and the Ma’rifat of Allah ta’ala.

For the sinning believers Allah ta’ala keeps the doors of Maghfirat open. Doors are opened again and again through granting us Ramadhaan, special nights, Hajj, Umrah and feelings of sorrow and remorse.

Ibn Qayyim (رحمه الله) says it is opening the doors to understanding the commands of the Shari’ah and opening our Taqdeer. According to another Scholar it is that Being Who makes decisions and judgments.

In the Qur’an

It is mentioned in different ways and in different contexts in the Qur’an. The word Ø§Ù„ْفَتَّاحُ (The Opener) is not used as much as “opening”

In Surah Saba, (verse 26) it is mentioned in the context of decision making and judging:

قُلْ يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَنَا رَبُّنَا ثُمَّ يَفْتَحُ بَيْنَنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَهُوَ الْفَتَّاحُ الْعَلِيمُ

Say: "Our Rabb will bring us all together, then He will rightly judge between us. He is the Judge Who knows everything."

Allah ta’ala will open up the reality and the truth of the differences between us because He is Ø§Ù„ْعَلِيمُ â€“ He knows and His knowledge surpasses everyone’s knowledge.

Verse 2 of Surah Faatir is in context of Allah ta’ala opening doors of Rahmah and when He opens doors to something, no one can stop it.

مَا يَفْتَحِ اللَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ مِنْ رَحْمَةٍ فَلَا مُمْسِكَ لَهَا

"That which Allah openeth unto mankind of mercy none can withhold it."

This verse brings peace and consolation that it is Allah ta’ala Who is controlling the opening of doors. He has the keys to this invisible world of Rizq, be it materialistic Rizq or spiritual, happiness, love etc. No one has the power to close these doors. A lot of the problems that we have with people or with our own negative thinking is because mentally we have given the keys of our hearts to other people. We have given other people the power when actually they do not have any power and we only think they do. It is Allah ta’ala Who has the power. So if someone is making us happy or sad, they are the Asbaab (means) and it is Allah ta’ala Who has the key and He is in control of all affairs.

وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَضْحَكَ وَأَبْكَىٰ - that it is He Who grants laughter and tears [ Surah Najm: 43]

Therefore we should worry about our relationship with Allah ta’ala.

Sometimes Allah ta’ala uses this word in the context of punishment i.e. when He opens doors to Rizq and happiness in order to loosen hold on people who have turned away from Him. He lets them commit more sin and then suddenly turns the tide against them. Allah ta’ala mentions in Surah An’aam the episode of a community who forgot the advices of the Ambiyaa and turned away from Tawheed and goodness. Allah ta’ala says He opened doors to everything for them until they became happy and then suddenly punished them. It is a sign of danger when people turn away from Allah ta’ala and He is still giving them in abundance.

So this concept of “Opening” is not just for Rahmah. It is also for punishment.

Another word which also means “to open” is Ø´ÙŽØ±ÙŽØ­ÙŽ i.e. opening the heart. It has more of a spiritual meaning.

أَفَمَن شَرَحَ اللَّهُ صَدْرَهُ لِلْإِسْلَامِ فَهُوَ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ مِّن رَّبِّهِ

Is he whose bosom Allah hath expanded for the Surrender (unto Him), so that he followeth a light from His Lord, (as he who disbelieveth)? [Surah Zumar: 22]

رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي ۔ وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي ۔ وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي۔ يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي۔

My Lord, put my heart at peace for me and make my task easy for me and remove the knot from my tongue, that they may understand my speech. [20:25,26,27,28]

“Opening/expanding of the heart” is often translated as Tawfeeq, the ability to do good so when Allah ta’ala opens up the heart then it is easy to do good deeds and have good Akhlaaq. That is why there are Du’a which mentions the opening of the heart and the opening of doors i.e. the Du’a for entering the Masjid:

اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ لِي أَبْوَابَ رَحْمَتِكَ â€“ Oh Allah, open the doors of Your mercy for me.

اَللّٰهُمَّ افْتَحْ اَقْفَاْلَ قُلُوْبِنَا بِذِكْرِكَ وَاَتْمِمْ عَلَيْنَا بِنِعْمَتِكَ وَاَسْبِغْ عَلَيْنَا مِنْ فَضْلِكَ وَاجْعَلْنَا مِنْ عِبَادِكَ الصَّالِحِيْنَ

O Allah! Open the locks of our hearts by Your Zikr and complete upon us Your bounties, and make us perfect with Your Fadhl (bounties) and make us of Your righteous and pious servants.

Importance of Knowing the Names of Allah ta’ala

It is part of Aqeedah to believe it is only Allah ta’ala Who opens doors. He uses means however Allah ta’ala is the One Who opens doors. People sometimes think a person has stopped them from progressing or stopped something good through black magic or the evil eye. They actually believe it and it is embedded in their minds and hearts but they should reflect on these verses.

That is why it is so important to know the names of Allah ta’ala as it is not just using the names during some difficulty by reciting them a certain number of times. We should know the meanings and it is a means of getting closer to Allah ta’ala. The Qur’an is Allah ta’ala’s Kalaam and the best way is to reflect on its verses and know what Allah ta’ala says about Himself in it. He opens hearts and doors of Rahmah and Ne’mah for different reasons, either to make people happy or to punish. If it is a mercy the person will feel closeness to Allah ta’ala and will do things to please Him and if He opens doors to punish then the person will feel His distance and maybe they have a good life in this world but what about the Aakhirah?

In the Qur’an Allah ta’ala mentions in various ways that do not assume that when a person has a lot, it is a sign of Allah ta’ala’s pleasure. Unfortunately people do assume without knowing what their spiritual life is like. We should make Du’a when we see this that Allah ta’ala opens up their hearts for Hidaayah and Tawfeeq.

Story related in Hadith – Good Deeds become a means of invoking Allah ta’ala

(Taken from here with advices: http://dailyhadith.adaptivesolutionsinc.com/hadith/The-Cave-of-Death.htm)

In a Hadith Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam said, “Three men from among those who were before you, set out together till they reached a cave at night and entered it. A big rock rolled down the mountain and closed the mouth of the cave. They said (to each other), ‘Nothing can save you from this rock but to invoke Allah by giving reference to a righteous deed which you did (for Allah's sake only).’ So, one of them said, ‘O Allah! I had old parents and I never provided my family (wife, children) with milk before them. One day, by chance I was delayed, and I came late (at night) while they had fallen asleep. I milked the sheep for them and took the milk to them, but I found them sleeping. I disliked to provide my family with the milk before them. I waited for them and the bowl of milk was in my hand and I kept on waiting for them to get up till the day dawned. Then they got up and drank the milk. O Allah! If I did that for Your Sake only, please relieve us from our critical situation caused by this rock.’ So, the rock shifted a little but they could not get out.”

“The second man said, ‘O Allah! I had a cousin who was the dearest of all people to me and I wanted to have sexual relations with her but she refused. Later she had a hard time in a famine year and she came to me and I gave her one-hundred-and-twenty Dinars on the condition that she would not resist my desire, and she agreed. When I was about to fulfill my desire she said, ‘It is illegal for you to outrage my chastity except by legitimate marriage.’ So I thought it a sin to have sexual intercourse with her and left her though she was the dearest of all people to me, and I also left the gold I had given her. O Allah! If I did that for Your Sake only, please relieve us from the present calamity.’ So, the rock shifted a little more but they still could not get out from there.”

“Then the third man said, ‘O Allah! I employed a few laborers and I paid them their wages with the exception of one man who did not take his wages and went away. I invested his wages and I got much property thereby. (Then after some time) he came and said to me, ‘O Allah's slave! Pay me my wages.’ I said to him, ‘All the camels, cows, sheep and slaves you see are yours.’ He said, ‘O Allah's slave! Don't mock me.’ I said, ‘I am not mocking you.’ So, he took all of the herd and drove them away and left nothing. O Allah! If I did that for Your Sake only, please relieve us from the present suffering.’ So, that rock shifted completely and they got out walking.” [Bukhari]

Advices

This hadith tells us about pious deeds and their effects. Three men got trapped in a cave whose opening got blocked so completely that if the rock hadn’t moved from its mouth the cave would have become their grave. At such times man forsakes all means and agencies and looks only to the Creator of the means and agencies.

From the example of the first man we see that there is no limit to kind treatment of parents as long as one does not commit sins in order to please them. Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) tremendously rewards those peope who are kind and considerate to their parents.

From the example of the second man we learn the value of Taqwa. Taqwa is that a man refrain from sin only because he fears Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala), although he has the means and ability to sin, is surrounded by a sinful atmosphere, and is not afraid of being caught or punished in this world. This man was able to put a check on his desire, although he longed for that woman, only because of being reminded of Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala). This is how Believers are: “When Allah is mentioned their hearts are filled with fear.” [Quran 8:2] As a result of this man’s Taqwa, Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) removed the rock from the mouth of the cave a little more. Allah says: “And whosoever fears Allah, He appoints a way out for him.” [Quran 65:2]

From the example of the third man we learn that those people are very dear to Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) who recognize the rights of their fellow men and give them their rights faithfully. As an employer, the man not only kept the wages of his employee safely but also invested them profitably although it was not binding on him to do so. He gave to his employee many times over the principal amount, an example of excellent dealings with a fellow-man. Can the greedy world present an example of such a character today?

Therefore even small good deeds done only for the pleasure of Allah ta’ala becomes a means of invoking Allah ta’ala in difficult situations. The interesting part of the Hadith is that none of the men said, “O Allah, I prayed so much or gave so much in charity for You.” It was simple deeds connected to the rights of human beings. 

We should use this name in our Du’a when we are in situations where we are not progressing and we should remember that Allah ta’ala’s door is always open.

Another episode

This is regarding a pious man of the 6th century who was known for making Du’a which was accepted. Someone asked him to intercede for himself with another person for some need of his so the saint said to him, “O my brother, why don’t you stand with me and we will pray two Rakat Salaah and we will make Du’a. Why don’t we ask Allah ta’ala? Why should we leave an open door for a door that is closed?” He meant that why not ask Allah ta’ala instead of a man who may not want to help and may even shut the door. So first ask Allah ta’ala to open the door and He will create the means for the need to be fulfilled.

Episode related to a Tabi’ee – Ata abi Rabah

He met a Scholar who was on his way to see some governor or leader and he said to him, “Do not present your need to someone who keeps the door closed and who has doormen. Rather present your need to that Being Whose door is always open and Who says to you, ‘Ask Me, I promise to return your Du’a’”

Therefore present your needs to Allah ta’ala and ask Him to open doors to Asbaab through which your need will be fulfilled and your problem solved. Sometimes we see how we make Du’a and we wonder how it will work out and suddenly the phone rings or you get a message and the problem is solved. So  Ø§Ù„ْفَتَّاحis a very beautiful and comprehensive word with many layers of meanings.

*~~*~~*

الْعَلِيمُ

Translation

الْعَلِيمُ is translated as The All-Knowing and The Omnipotent. It comes from عَلِمَ – to know, and when it is used for Allah ta’ala it means “To know everything about all matters.” 

Definition

Allah ta’ala always knew and always will know everything that was or will be. Nothing is hidden from Him and Allah ta’ala has prior knowledge about everything that will happen i.e. Taqdeer. He knows about the Baatin (Internal) and the Dhaahir (External) and nothing can be forgotten. His knowledge is Muheet – mentioned in Aayatul Kursi;

 ÙŠÙŽØ¹Ù’لَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ Û– وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيْءٍ
 

He knows what is before them and what is behind them. They cannot gain access to anything out of His knowledge except what He pleases.

His knowledge encompasses everything.

In the Qur’an 
 

This name is mentioned 157 times in the Qur’an. It is described in many different ways in the Qur’an.

وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
 

He has created everything and is aware of everything.[Surah An’aam: 101]

إِنَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِذَاتِ الصُّدُورِ  - He has full knowledge indeed of all that is in [your] hearts [Surah Mulk:13]
 

Allah ta’ala knows the workings of the hearts.

الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ are often paired together i.e. He has pure and full knowledge of everything andHe also has perfect wisdom. 

سُبْحَانَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ
 

“Glory be to you, we have no knowledge except what you have taught us. Verily, it is You, the All-Knower, the All-Wise” [Surah Baqarah:32]

Belief in Allah ta’ala being All-Knowing

It is part of our Aqeedah to believe that Allah ta’ala is All-Knowing. It is ingrained and embedded in us from childhood that Allah ta’ala knows everything but there are other ideologies within Islam or on the fringe of Islam where people believe that Allah ta’ala does not know or is not concerned with the detail. Some religions have the concept that Allah ta’ala made the universal laws of nature and kind of pressed the “on” button and then let it go and so is not involved now. 

Our Aqeedah is that Allah ta’ala has knowledge of every detail and He knows the intricacies of our private lives and regarding the universe. This concept is mentioned in many places in the Qur’an some of which are repeated multiple times in different variations. Some examples:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ - Fear Allah; surely Allah hears all and knows all. Lo! Allah is Hearer, Knower. 
[Surah Hujuraat: 1]

وَهُوَ اللَّهُ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَفِي الْأَرْضِ ۖ يَعْلَمُ سِرَّكُمْ وَجَهْرَكُمْ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تَكْسِبُونَ
 

He is the same One Allah in both the heavens and the earth. He knows what you conceal, what you reveal and what you do [Surah An’aam:3]

Allah ta’ala knows what a person does outwardly and what the intention may be.

‘Ilmul Ghayb

Another concept is that of ‘Ilmul Ghayb which is the knowledge of the unseen. 

وَعِنْدَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ ۚ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِنْ وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الْأَرْضِ وَلَا رَطْبٍ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ
 

He Alone has the keys of the unseen treasures, of which no one knows except Him. He knows whatever is in the land and in the sea; there is not a single leaf that falls without His knowledge, there is neither a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry which has not been recorded in a Clear Book. [Surah An’aam:59]

This concept is specific to Allah ta’ala alone and no one can share in it, not even the Prophets AS. Yes Allah ta’ala shared some knowledge with Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam i.e. regarding the signs of the end of time but it was shared like Wahy and we see in hadith certain episodes where he (salallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) was informed by Jibra’eel AS regarding certain events but the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam did not know on his own and this is not ‘Ilmul Ghayb. This knowledge is beyond human intelligence and senses. 

The problem arises when people give this trait to others. There are certain groups in parts on the world who believe that Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam had knowledge of the unseen world and that is why it is important to know the Asmaaul Husnaa which are part of our Aqeedah and we should know what our beliefs are. 

Episode:  Jibra’eel AS informed Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam about the poisoned meat which was given to him by a Jewish woman.

The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alahi wasallam said,
 

“You bring to me, for (judgment) your disputes, some of you perhaps being more eloquent in their plea than others, so I give judgment on their behalf according to what I hear from them. (Bear in mind, in my judgment) if I slice off anything for him from the right of his brother, he should not accept that, for I sliced off for him a portion from the Hell.” [Muslim]

If the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam had knowledge of the unseen he would have no need to say this. Therefore many Hadith contradict the belief of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam having ‘Ilmul Ghayb. 

Allah ta’ala says in the Qur’an, 

قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
 

Tell them: The Spirit is at my Rabb's command and I am not given any knowledge of it but a little. 
[Surah Isra 85]

Concept of Haadhir/Naadhir

The concept of Haadhir (to be everywhere) and Naadhir (to see everything) is attributed to the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam by some people which he (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) never claimed and in the Qur’an and in many Hadith it is clearly mentioned he is a human being. 

قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ - O Muhammad, tell them: "I am but a human being like you [Surah Kahf: 110]

No one has knowledge of the unseen world and it is shown to us in many ways. We think that with science we can predict things and no matter how scientifically sound people are, with all their expertise, are often proven wrong. When the Tsunami occurred in Indonesia, it happened so quickly that even though there was a system in place they could not warn people and there was great loss and devastation. Therefore even with all the technology, we have not reached the level of knowing. Only Allah ta’ala knows.

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْحَامِ ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ
 

Surely Allah Alone has the knowledge of the Hour, He is the One Who sends down the rain and He knows what is in the wombs. No one knows what he will earn the next day; and no one knows in what land he will die. Surely, Allah knows all this and is aware of everything. [Surah Luqman: 34]
 
 

With ultrasound we can now know what is in the womb, male or female and even if the child has some disease but what is his/her personality going to be like? Only Allah ta’ala has the knowledge of the unseen world. No one can know 100% about everything.

Concept of Fortune-telling

There is the concept of fortune telling and reading horoscopes which we see in all cultures and which tells people what is going to happen in the next hour, day or year. Though there may be elements of truth is these things, it is incomplete and not permissible to attribute this power to someone i.e. he/she can tell the future. This is very dangerous where sometimes people are put on an Islamic pedestal and position of power. 

Where the signs of astrology are concerned i.e. Aries. Libra, Gemini etc. which describes people’s characteristics, they are different and not really fortune telling. 

We should be careful how we word things as well. How do we know that our child will be protected if he becomes a Haafidh. Allah ta’ala preserve their Imaan, but we do not know. We should show humility and accept that we do not know everything.  Only Allah ta’ala knows.

Counsel

The counsel to human beings about this is that we can share in this trait on a very limited level. We should know that our knowledge is very limited compared to the knowledge of Allah ta’ala. 

The story of Khidr AS and Musa AS, mentioned in Surah Kahf shows this. When they were both by the sea,  a bird came and dipped its beak in the sea, and Khidr AS said to Musa AS, “My knowledge and your knowledge and the knowledge of all of creation, in comparison to the knowledge of Allah, is like what this bird has taken from the sea.”

Compared to Allah ta’ala’s knowledge our knowledge cannot even really be regarded as knowledge i.e. it is ignorance, similar to a child in nursery who knows his A B C but what is his knowledge compared to a person who has a PHD. We may be knowledgeable in some fields and some may be knowledgeable in other fields. People of wisdom will see this. 

We live in the age of TMI â€“ too much information and with education and qualifications people think they can understand everything including matters of Deen and this very dangerous. No educated person will self-diagnose his illness. He will consult a doctor who is an expert in medicine. Similarly we should realise our limitations even if we are educated. If we have questions regarding Deen then we need to consult a Scholar who is the expert in these matters. 

The story of Khidr AS and Musa AS shows that there are always other people who know more than us either in different perspectives or different fields. Khidr AS had a different relationship with Allah ta’ala and he had different types of knowledge and his duties were different to Musa AS. It is part of humility to know there are different types of knowledge and to acknowledge where we are weak. Even though we may be experts in certain fields, we may need to go to a Scholar for Tajweed or Tafseer and we learn from one another. No one has complete knowledge of any one topic or all matters.

Therefore we can share in this Sifat in a very limited way and to extend it to the future or to the other people or the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam is wrong. 

Du’a

There is too much information in this age and not all of it is beneficial so ask for beneficial knowledge in Du’a and ask to be able to act upon as knowledge without action is like no knowledge.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَافِعًا
 

O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge

اللهُمَّ علِّمنا مَا يَنْفَعُنا وَانْفَعْنا بِما عَلَّمتَنَا وزِدْنَا Ø¹ÙÙ„ما
 

O Allah, help us learn what is beneficial to us, help us benefit from what You have enabled us to learn, and increase to our knowledge.

*~~*~~*

الْقَابِضُ الْبَاسِطُ

 Ø§Ù„ْقَابِضُ andالْبَاسِطُ  will be discussed together. These are the names which have meanings which are opposite to each other. They work in tandem and that is why they are used together.

Translation

الْقَابِضُ  is translated as The Withholder and The Restrainer so The One Who restrains, constricts, contracts.

 Ø§Ù„ْبَاسِطُis translated as The Reliever, The Expander and The Unfolder. The One Who expands, unfolds, relieves.

الْقَابِضُ has the meaning of closing in or constricting and   Ø§Ù„ْبَاسِطُhas the meaning of opening up or expanding.

Scholars say whether it’s a person’s Akhlaaq/personality, or Rizq, or their bodies and their souls, if Allah ta’ala wants to expand them or constrict them then no one can stop Him. Therefore this expanding and constricting applies to everything.

Some say that Ø§Ù„ْقَابِضُ is The One Who takes the Rooh out of the body at the time of death and for life, الْبَاسِطُ  is The One Who spreads the Rooh throughout the body.

These words are often used in terms of going astray or being guided.الْقَابِضُ  would mean to be misguided or going astray andالْبَاسِطُ  means to be guided, expanded.

The State of Bast & Qabdh

It can also be used in terms of the heart and feelings of hope and fear i.e. feeling Allah ta’ala’s Majesty and Rahmah, feeling His beauty and kindness and having hope which would beالْبَاسِطُ  and this is an expansion. When a person feels fear and restricted in terms of the feelings of Allah ta’ala then that is الْقَابِضُ

Some Scholars take a spiritual take on this. We go through difficulties in life where we sometimes feel spiritually low and that is the state of Qabdh. It is a state of constriction where the heart is constricted and does not feel the closeness as much as it should. The state of Bast is when the heart opens up and one has a spiritual high and makes spiritual progress.

Everything is in the Hands of Allah ta’ala

Allah ta’ala can make a poor person a king or a king into a pauper. He can make a weak person strong or vice versa and this all is in the hands of Allah ta’ala. Many times Allah ta’ala shows us in the world. Two people start the same job, one of whom is very intelligent, educated, qualified, experienced, etc. and you think this person will attain success. The other person who is less educated, intelligent and experienced is expected to fail however it is for the less educated, less intelligent person that the job expands and he succeeds and Allah ta’ala is الْبَاسِطُ. For the other person Alah ta’ala is الْقَابِضُ i.e. He is restraining/holding.

Story of Taaloot (Surah Baqarah, verse 246-252)

The Bani Isra’eel asked their Prophet to give them a king who would lead them against their enemy but they had their own concept of who the king should be. Allah ta’ala chose Taaloot who was of the Bani Isra’eel, a young and hardworking man however not regarded by the Bani Isra’eel as capable of being a king. Allah ta’ala says,

وَاللَّهُ يُؤْتِي مُلْكَهُ مَنْ يَشَاءُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

Allah grants kingship to whom He pleases and Allah has boundless knowledge.

[last part of verse 247 of Surah Baqarah]

Sometimes a person may have the image of being a great leader but does not have the ability while a person who is not regarded as capable, can turn out to be a better leader. This is something in which Allah ta’ala is  Ø§Ù„ْبَاسِطُ and الْقَابِضُ

Wisdom of Expansion

What is the Hikmat behind Allah ta’ala being   Ø§Ù„ْبَاسِطُ and الْقَابِضُ?

Whenever Allah has put Bast (Expansion) in something there must be Khayr and Hikmat in it and if Allah ta’ala puts Qabdh (Restriction) in something there must be Khayr and Hikmat in it. This is mentioned in Surah Shura, verse 27,

وَلَوْ بَسَطَ اللَّهُ الرِّزْقَ لِعِبَادِهِ لَبَغَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَٰكِنْ يُنَزِّلُ بِقَدَرٍ مَا يَشَاءُ ۚ إِنَّهُ بِعِبَادِهِ خَبِيرٌ بَصِيرٌ

Had Allah bestowed abundance upon His servants, they would have transgressed beyond bounds in the earth; that's why He sends down in due measure as He pleases; He is well aware and observant of His servants.

If Allah ta’ala had spread out Rizq to all His creation where it was easy and made open where everyone was well to do and everyone had a lot then Allah ta’ala says, there would have been Fasaad (Rebellion or excess) on earth and this is human nature that when people have wealth there will be Fasaad and no one can escape it i.e. no one can say it would not happen to me because when Allah ta’ala says something in the Qur’an, it means it applies to all human beings with maybe the Ambiyaa being excluded. When people have wealth it has an effect and the biggest effect is that the person is not dependant on or controlled by anyone and they feel important. Hirs (Desire for the world) also increases and the end result is that the person becomes aggressive about possessions. This verse shows Hikmat. Instead of giving everything to everyone, Allah ta’ala distributed Rizq (Wealth, looks, knowledge, happiness, wisdom, intelligence etc. as Rizq includes everything) according to His knowledge and Wisdom.

Sometimes you see people who outwardly have a perfect life but there will always be something they do not have. A couple who have everything they want may not have children and that is their struggle because if they had everything then it would be too perfect. Or sometimes people do have everything however soon it may get taken away or they may die early. Therefore even if everything is good we should realise that it is a test and it can get taken away.

Allah ta’ala has made a system where people are dependent on one another to some extent. If a person has a lot of wealth but no knowledge then they need someone to teach them. How can a person be generous if everyone had wealth and there was no poverty? So this dependency is not a bad thing.

We just look at our own personal wants and our fears are limited to our own life but Allah ta’ala gives and takes looking at the benefit of all of humanity. Saying this does not mean we should be complacent with poverty or injustice. We should still help others as this is part of our Deen.

وَجَعَلْنَا بَعْضَكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ فِتْنَةً أَتَصْبِرُونَ ۗ وَكَانَ رَبُّكَ بَصِيرًا

In fact, We test you by means of one another. Now, will you show patience, for your Rabb is Ever Observant.

[Last part of verse 20: Surah Furqaan]

Having differences in Rizq is all part of being tested, having Sabr when not having something and making Shukr when in good conditions.

The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam said,

“Look at those who are beneath you and do not look at those who are above you, for it is more suitable that you should not consider as less the blessing of Allah.” [Ibn Majah]

Use in Du’a

يا باسِطَ الْيَدَيْنِ بِاارَّحْمَةِ

O You who have opened Your hands for mercy!

This is part of a long Du’a (Not sure if it is authentic as there is a story attached to it) It means we spread out our hands knowing the Rahmah of Allah ta’ala. There are many Du’as which ask Allah t’ala to be Baasit – to open up, to give.

We should ask Allah ta’ala for His grace and to increase our love for Him.

Counsel

In terms of Aqeedah, to know Allah ta’ala controls all these levers in our lives and no one can increase or decrease in something except Allah ta’ala.

To make Du’a for ease in Rizq and also to put effort in it in a Halaal way.

A person should realise both states. When in a situation of Qabdh (Constriction), spiritually, physically, financial, health etc. then we should think of this as Allah ta’ala being just and make Sabr. We should know our reality and that we do not even deserve so many of the things. When we are in a situation of Bast (Expansion) then we should regard it as the Fadhl of Allah ta’ala that it is His generosity and make Shukr.

Hearts Constrict & Expand through speech

Imam Ghazali (Rahimahullah) says that there are people who can constrict and expand hearts through their speech and this is so true as we do have speakers and preachers who help and guide people. It is interesting to see this power which Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam referred to.

Two men came from the East and addressed the people who wondered at their eloquent speeches. On that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘layhi wasallam said, “Some eloquent speech is as effective as magic.” [Bukhari]

When speakers remind people of the blessings of Allah ta’ala the hearts expand and when they hear of the punishment of Allah ta’ala their hearts constrict in fear.

Allah ta’ala uses both in the Qur’an as encouragement and to expand and also to constrict when we read about Jahannam.

*~~*~~*

الرَّافِعُ  Ø§Ù„ْخَافِضُ 

Translation

الرَّافِعُ is translated as The Exalter and The Uplifter andالْخَافِضُ  is translated as The Humbler and The One Who Softens.

Definition

If we look at these two names together then it is that Being Who raises the scale of justice and lowers it and The One Who lowers/abases the disbeliever and raises the Believer in respect. It is The One Who grants His friends Qurb (Closeness) and sends His enemies far away.

Therefore exaltation and abasement comes from Allah ta’ala and whoever He chooses, He exalts and whoever He chooses, He abases. 

This is something Allah ta’ala shows us in His signs in the world and in nature.

From Imam Ghazali’s book:

Whoever elevates his vision above tangible and imagined things, and his intention above blameworthy desires, God has raised him to the horizon of the angels close to Him [Muqarrabun]; while whoever restricts his vision to tangible things and his aspiration to the passions the beasts share with him, God will reduce him to the lowest of ranks. None but God most high does this, for He is the Abaser and the Exalter.

Types of Ranks (Fadheelah)

Allah ta’ala grants ranks and there are two types which Allah ta’ala grants in this world:

• Ghayr Ikhtiyaari: this is when a person’s ranks are raised not due to his own effort, but through the selection of Allah ta’ala.

In Jannah there are different levels and Jannatul Firdaws is chosen to be the highest level. Angels are many but Jibrail, Mikaeel, Israfeel are special. There were many Prophets and they were chosen. They did not strive or choose to become Prophets. They had no choice in the matter. Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam had the highest rank among all humankind and the Quraysh had Fadheelah over other tribes. Some people were chosen to be the Sahaba RA (companions of Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) and others were not. Therefore these are ranks chosen by Allah ta’ala. 

• Ikhtiyaari: this is when a person’s ranks are raised due to his effort i.e. he does good deeds and attains good Akhlaaq.

We should not waste time and wish to get those Fadheelah which are Ghayr Ikhtiyaari and not in our control. We should instead work at things which are in our control.

وَلَا تَتَمَنَّوْا مَا فَضَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ بَعْضَكُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۚ لِلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌ مِمَّا اكْتَسَبُوا ۖ وَلِلنِّسَاءِ نَصِيبٌ مِمَّا اكْتَسَبْنَ ۚ وَاسْأَلُوا اللَّهَ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا
 

Do not envy that Allah has given some of you more than the others. Men will be rewarded according to their deeds and women will be rewarded according to theirs. Ask Allah for His grace. Surely Allah has perfect knowledge of everything. [Surah Nisaa’: 32]

In this verse Allah ta’ala is prohibiting us from wishing for what Allah ta’ala has given to others and are not in your Ikhtiyaar. It is His Fadhl and he chooses whoever He wants.

When a person keeps wishing for things they cannot have or for situations they cannot change then it makes them envy others and that is the minimum effect as then it leads to jealousy when the person wishes the Ne’mah taken away from the other person.

Many things cannot be obtained through our own effort but at the same time the Qur’an and Hadith mention that a person should make effort and then Allah ta’ala says at the end of the verse to “Ask for His Fadhl.” There are certain things in which we should compete with one another; as Allah ta’ala says,

 ÙÙŽØ§Ø³Ù’تَبِقُوا الْخَيْرَاتِ - Vie, therefore, with one another in doing good works. [part of verse 148: Surah Baqarah]

And so the effort will bring the Fadhl of Allah ta’ala. The second part of the verse is referring to that, that man or woman will get a part of what they have earned. Therefore making effort to attain Fadheelah in this world will not be wasted. For things we can change we should make Du’a and put in effort and for what we cannot change we have to learn to accept it and not to be negative. The problem is we wish for the Ghayr Ikhtiyaari i.e. looks, ranks etc. and this is something we cannot change and it spoils relationships. On the other side people do not want to try and make effort and then say it is fate, Qismat. This verse explains that we have to make effort and ask Allah ta’ala for His Fadhl in Ikhtiyaari matters and it will have an effect and in Ghayr Ikhtiyaari matters, to accept your Qismat. Therefore if someone has some good which is Ikhtiyaari, we should want it and make effort for it and also make Du’a to Allah ta’ala for His Fadhl.

Allah ta'ala exalts or humbles people by the Qur'an

One day while â€˜Umar RA was on a tour of Makkah, he came across Nafi RA in Afsar, a place close to the holy city. â€˜Umar asked him: â€œWho did you appoint as ruler over the inhabitants of Makkah?”

Nafi replied: â€œIbn Abza”

‘Umar asked, â€œWho is Ibn Abza?”

Nafi replied: â€œOne of my freed ï»¿slaves.”


‘Umar exclaimed in wonder saying, â€œYou appointed a freed slave over them?”


Nafi replied: â€œHe can recite the Qur’an very well. Moreover, he is an expert in Islamic laws of inheritance.”

‘Umar was obviously satisfied with the decision and said: â€œThe Messenger of Allah Sallallahu Alaihi Wassalaam said: â€œAllah elevates a nation by the Qur’an and degrades them by it.” ï»¿ï»¿

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الْمُعِزُّ  الْمُذِلُّ

الْمُعِزُّ and الْمُذِلُّ will be discussed together . Allah ta’ala is The One Who grants both honor and dishonor. 

Translation

الْمُعِزُّ is translated as The Bestower of Honour and The Strengthener. 

الْمُذِلُّ  is translated as The Humiliator, The Disgracer and The Dishonourer.

Definition

الْمُعِزّ

It comes from ‘Izzah (Respect).   الْمُعِزّ is that Being Who bestows honour and respect . It is that Being Who grants honour and protection to His friends from sin and their shortcomings from being exposed to people and through His Rahmah, on the Day of Judgment, places them in a respected place which is Jannah and grants them His vision. 

الْمُذِلُّ

It comes from Dhillah (Disrespect/dishonor). الْمُذِلُّ is that Being Who disgraces, dishonours, humiliates. It is that Being Who makes His enemies Mahroom (Deprived) of knowing Him i.e. they do not attain His Ma’rifah. Therefore humiliation is not just to be made to look bad in front of other people. It is also that the person never recognizes Allah ta’ala. He humiliates them by putting them in a position where they are against Him and then He places them in a place of punishment which is Jahannam. 

Concept of ‘Izzah & Dhillah in the Dunya

People of the Dunya have their own concept of honour and dishonor where respect is shown to those who have money, popularity, education and degrees, who are eloquent speakers, well connected, have a big house and nice car etc. and our concept of respect is what people think of us and how they treat us due to the things we have. 

Humiliation, which is the opposite of respect, is when people mock or laugh, think lowly of you because you are not wealthy or educated or do not have a good job or a great background. 

These concepts are people dominated concepts. If we look at the explanations of these words then we realize that both honour and dishonour come from Allah ta’ala and they are not in the way of the worldly concept. 

‘Izzah & Dhillah are from Allah ta’ala

Allah ta’ala says in the Qur’an, 

 Ù‚ُلِ اللَّهُمَّ مَالِكَ الْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتَنْزِعُ الْمُلْكَ مِمَّنْ تَشَاءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَنْ تَشَاءُ Û– بِيَدِكَ الْخَيْرُ Û– إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Say: "O Allah! Master of all the Kingship, You give the kingdom to whom You please and take away the kingdom from whomsoever You please; You give honor to whom You please and disgrace to whom You please; all the good is in Your hand; surely You have power over everything [Surah Aali ‘Imraan: 26]

The Most Respected person is the one with Taqwa

Allah ta’ala gave us ‘Izzat by making us human beings as Insaan (human beings) are the most Mu’azziz (Respected) creatures. Then there are varying degrees of ‘Izzat and in the eyes of Allah ta’ala the most respected person is the one with Taqwa and Allah ta’ala mentions this is the Qur’an,

إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

Surely the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is he who is the most righteous. Allah is All-Knowledgeable, All-Aware. [Surah Hujuraat: 13]

Therefore human beings do not bring honour or dishonour and their reality is not what they regard as respect and there is a lot of consolation in this as respect is something all human beings need. It is a terrible feeling to be disrespected by one’s children, husband and family. 

True respect is from Allah ta’ala and when you are doing what Allah ta’ala wants and people show disrespect then you will not feel humiliated. This is a beautiful thing. In the West where people are not Muslim, say that no one can humiliate you unless you let them. It means that if you have enough self-respect and human dignity then what other people say or do which may seem like they are trying to demean you and disrespect you, will not matter because you will not allow it to happen and you will shrug it off. This is the psychological aspect but our Deen teaches us this. Allah ta’ala gives respect and He says respect is in Taqwa so if we are trying to become people of Taqwa then disrespect, humiliation from others will not affect us. 

Our Deen is so progressive and the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam was a perfect example. We live in an age where there are all these discussions and debates on racism, people getting xenophobic, being judgemental of others due to colour, race etc. We see at the time of Fath-e-Makkah (The conquest of Makkah) how Bilal RA, being low in society, a foreigner and black was given a place of respect and honour in a society where there was racism and where he was regarded as nothing.  

After the Conquest of Makkah in 8 AH when the city surrendered and all the nobles from the Muslims and the non-Muslims were standing in the courtyard, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam asked Bilal RA from all the Sahaba RA to climb up to the roof of the Ka’bah and give the call of Adhaan from the top. This was the first Adhaan which was given in Makkah and Bilal RA had the honour. Many Mushrikeen who had not yet accepted Islam were astonished. One of them said to his companions that he was glad his father had not lived to see this day and another said, “Could Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alayhiw asallam) not find anyone else?” These comments were related to the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam by Jibra’eel AS. After Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam made Tawaf of the Ka’abh on a camel he made a speech and addressing everyone he said, 

“O people of the Quraysh ! Allah has abolished the haughtiness of the Jahiliyyah and its veneration of ancestors. People all spring from Adam, and Adam came from dust.’ Then he recited this verse, ‘O mankind, We have created you male and female, and appointed you races and tribes, that you may know one another. Surely the noblest among you in the sight of Allah is the most God-fearing of you. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” (49: 13)

Therefore people were divided into two categories;

•    The Muttaqqoon, who have nobility and honour in front of Allah ta’ala 

•    The sinners who are humiliated in front of Allah ta’ala

Bilal RA was of the Muttaqeen. The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam once said to Bilal RA, 

“Bilal, tell me which act you did at the time of the morning prayer for which you hope to receive good reward, for I heard during the night the sound of your footsteps before me in Paradise?” Bilal RA replied: “I did not do any act in Islam for which I hope to get any benefit, but this, that when I perform complete ablution during the night or day I observe prayer with that purification, what Allah has ordained for me to pray.” [Sahih Muslim]

Therefore honour and dishonour is not in the hands of people. It is from Allah ta’ala. 

What is Humiliation?

According to the definition, humiliation means the person does not know Allah ta’ala. He does not have His Ma’rifah (Recognition) and he is against Allah ta’ala. This is true humiliation.  

We think of humiliation in terms of what people think of us and how they treat us but true respect comes from Taqwa. 

Blessings of Taqwa

•    It eases difficulties of the Dunya and Aakhirah

•    Opens doors of Rizq (Not just financial but all kinds as mentioned before)

•    Allah ta’ala forgives sins

•    Increases reward of good deeds

Abdullah ibn Abbaas RA said people in the Dunya regard fame and fortune as respect but in the eyes of Allah ta’ala respect is in Taqwa. Respect belongs to Allah ta’ala and He is The One Who endows people with it. 

Respect for our Deen

‘Umar RA said, “Verily, we were a disgraceful people and Allah honored us with Islam. If we seek honor from anything besides that with which Allah has honored us, then Allah will disgrace us.”

This in a nutshell explains all our problems. We look for respect in other things not realizing that true respect comes from Islam and Allah ta’ala. We are so scared in this age, of what people think that we lose out on what respect we should have gotten. We should respect the respect that Allah ta’ala has given us. We do not view it as respect and we do not act on our Deen. When we respect our Deen then other people will also respect it.

A story is mentioned in the commentary which was related by Mufti Taqi Uthmani Sahib. He said there was a man looking for a job in London however due to his beard he was not succeeding. Finally he was offered a job at one interview however they did not allow beards. Disappointed he left and after searching and failing he decided to take up the job he was offered. So he shaved off the beard and presented himself at the same place and said he was ready to be hired. The interviewer asked him if the beard was a necessary part of his religion to which he replied in the affirmative and said it was a command of God. The interviewer replied that he had broken a command of God due to the job which showed he had no loyalty to God, how then can he have loyalty to the job? He did not get the job he expected and the person was in loss in the Dunya and in the Aakhirah - خَسِرَ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةَ. This happens when a person compromises his Deen.

When someone mocks, taunts, disrespects, makes fun etc. it does not decrease the respect Allah ta’ala has given us and that is a consolation. All the Ambiya AS who were the most respected human beings in history, were all mocked and Allah ta’ala mentions it in the Qur’an. When we read biographies of great people we see that they were disrespected and treated badly yet they attained success. Therefore being respected and accepted by Allah ta’ala has nothing to do with what people say.

Counsel

Firstly, we should know with certainty that ‘Izzat and Dhillat is for Allah ta’ala. If you reach a level of respect in the Dunya, to know that it was Allah ta’ala Who granted it to you. 

Do not search for respect among people. When we have true respect and realise it is from Allah ta’ala then people will also respect you. We should try to adopt the lifestyle which leads to eternal respect and not the temporary respect of this world. People who are rich or famous like celebrities get respect due to their wealth or fame and when they lose it, people also leave them. 

We worry about being humiliated in front of people, what about being humiliated in front of Allah ta’ala?

Secondly, we should show respect to other people, Muslim or non-Muslims, as all human beings should have human dignity and deserve respect. Our Deen teaches us not to even say bad about other religions and to have a respectful attitude towards other people’s beliefs.

Lastly, we should not do any deeds to get respect from people. All our deeds should be for Allah ta’ala alone and when we do this, then people will respect you. The same people who may have looked down on you or criticised and disrespected you for your Deen, will ask you to make du’a for them and show you respect. 

 
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السَّمِيعُ

Translation

 Ø§Ù„سَّمِيعُ is translated as The All-Hearing and The Ever-Listening. Literally it means The One Who Hears everything but translated in different ways by different Scholars. 

Definition

It is not just The One Who Listens but also The One Who Accepts. In Ruku’ we say,

 Ø³ÙŽÙ…ِعَ اللهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَه - Allah listens to the one who praises Him, Our Lord, to You be praise.
Allah ta’ala answers / accepts the prayers of the one who praises Him. 

Allah ta’ala’s listening / answering / accepting is not similar to anything else in Makhlooq, meaning when we think of the concept of listening, we think of ears and He is beyond having a face, ears, eyes, etc. which human beings and animals have. Allah ta’ala’s listening is beyond that and He listens to all of Makhlooq, to what they say and what they do not say i.e. the feelings of the heart. His listening to them is one to one and it is clear with no translation necessary.

In the Qur’an

It is mentioned 45 times in the Qur’an in different ways. It is often paired with الْعَلِيمُ.

وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ - He is the Hearer, the Knower. [Surah An’aam: 13]

رَبَّنَا تَقَبَّلْ مِنَّا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ السَّمِيعُ العَلِيمُ 

Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: For Thou art the All-Hearing, the All-knowing [Surah Baqarah:127]

It is also often paired with الْبَصِيرُ. 

لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ ۖ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ

There is no one like Him. He Alone hears all and sees all. [Ash-Shura:11]

It also comes as The One Who Listens and is close.   

إِنَّهُ سَمِيعٌ قَرِيبٌ - Surely He hears all and is very close. [Surah Sab: 50]
Allah ta’ala listens to everything in the universe. 

وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِي عَنِّي فَإِنِّي قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ الدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لِي وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا بِي لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ

When my servants question you about Me, tell them that I am very close to them. I answer the prayer of every suppliant when he calls Me; therefore, they should respond to Me and put their trust in Me, so that they may be rightly guided. 
[Surah Baqarah: 186]

Human’s ability to Hear / Listen

Allah ta’ala gave human beings the ability to listen and this is mentioned in the Qur’an in different ways.

وَاللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُمْ مِنْ بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ ۙ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

Allah brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers when you knew nothing, and He gave you hearing, sight and intelligence so that you may give thanks to Him. [Surah Nahl: 78]

Allah ta’ala mentions that He gave us these faculties to hear and see and to feel. Scholars have explained it in a beautiful way that: السَّمْعَ  - He gave us ears so that we listen to the Naseehah with the intention to learn and become closer to Allah ta’ala and so that a person can attain wisdom and وَالْأَبْصَارَ  - to see the evidences and signs of Allah ta’ala, وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ - in order to understand the greatness of Allah ta’ala i.e. to understand with the heart and not through rationality. The result would be that the person shows gratitude.

Listening is one of the most important faculties in human beings as most of what we learn in the world is through listening. When a child is born, it learns the language by listening even before it can speak. If a child is born deaf and it is not picked up early, it becomes very difficult for the child to speak even though nothing is wrong with the brain. Since the child has not heard anything, it cannot speak. It is through the ears that we access the information and attain education as most of language is oral.

Being a good listener is also very important. It is an art. Today we have a communication problem and it’s through listening with the heart that communication channels remain open. 

Therefore human beings share in this trait of Allah ta’ala though obviously on a very limited level. 

Counsel

We should do Shukr for the ability to hear / listen and use that ability to attain Naseehah. There are two words in the Arabic language, one is Sami’ – to listen / hear and another is Istima’ – to listen actively. It is used in the Qur’an and Hadith in terms of listening actively to the Qur’an i.e. to pay attention to His word and the Naseehah.

We should use the faculty of listening to get Naseehah and also to be good listeners and this will make our lives and relationships better. 

Du’a

سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ is used a lot in the Masnoon Du’as. 

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Source