Month: November 2019

الصبور

As-Saboor   (The Forbearing, The Patient)

This Is the last name of the Asma-al-Husna in many lists. As-Saboor is derived from the word sabar i.e patience. Allah is Greatly Patient because Allah Azza wa Jall doesn’t catch a person at once when he /she commits sins. Rather Allah gives him / her long time to repent to Allah and to improve their faith and actions. Allah said in surah Faatir verse 45 (its translation is:

(35:45) If Allah were to take people to task for their deeds, He would not leave any living creature on earth, but He grants them respite to an appointed time. When their appointed time comes to an end, surely Allah fully observes His servants.

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Surah Al-Nahl (An-Nahl) 61:

(16:61) Were Allah to take people to task for their wrong-doing, He would not have spared even a single living creature on the face of the earth. But He grants them respite until an appointed term. And when that term arrives, they have no power to delay it by a single moment, nor to hasten it. 

Surah Al-Kahf 58:

(18:58) Your Lord is All-Forgiving, full of mercy. Had He wished to take them to task for their doings, He would have hastened in sending His scourge upon them. But He has set for them a time-limit which they cannot evade.55
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Exp. note 55:

55. This is to warn the foolish people that they should not be deluded by the respite that is given to them and presume that they will never be taken to task whatever they may go on doing. They forget that Allah gives them respite because He is Forgiving and Forbearing and does not punish the evil doers on the spot, for His Mercy demands that the evil doers should be given respite so that they may mend their ways.
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So Allah is very Patient, Allah Azza wa Jall gives time again and again so that the sinner may take benefit of the respite given to him /her and repent from their sins. But it doesn’t mean that he/she is left free, no. Rather they will surely be caught in case they continue in making sins!!!

You must note that the more a person i.e. a Muslim fears Allah, the more punishment is hastened for him /her in this world. This is because Allah doesn’t want to catch him/her in the Hereafter. So with the punishment here he/she becomes clean from sins and passes to the next world clean from the sins. This statement is correct according to the ahaadeeth [saying of the Prophet (Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon him)]. Also you must know that the punishment in this world is much lighter and lesser than that of the Hereafter!!! So an obedient servant of Allah is punished here for his sins that he makes by mistake. And in the next world he/she will be in the gardens of Paradise while an unbeliever and thankless disobedient servant will be in Hell there!!! Hell is a very bad place to return to!!! A hadeeth says that: “Ad-Dunya sijnul-mo’min wa jannatul-kaafir”. It means: “This world is a prison for a mu’min (practicing believer) and a garden for kaafir (unbeliever).
That means that a mu’min has restrictions here. He cannot live free from duties. He/she has to get up early in cold nights, make ablution and make salaatil-fajar. Similarly he/she has to fast in the month of Ramadaan and so on.

Allah is Patient and also Allah gives patience to the believers. So the believers exercise many types of patience. They are patient on “al-makaarah” i.e. they have to abstain from sinful things like listening to music and also from unlawful earnings etc.

They are patient on ita’aat i.e. to do the acts of obedience with patience. So they do all obligatory duties on their proper time. They will pay zakat (obligatory charity) once a year and shall keep away from riba (interest /usury).

Patience on masaa’ib i.e. they tolerate troubles and trials in the Way of Allah.

Thus Allah is As-Saboor (very Patient) and gives more and more time to the sinners and criminals. BUT the criminals must repent with humbleness soon after their crime and should not delay until they are caught by death.

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

These beautiful names of Allah that I posted in this thread are those found in many books and lists, on the walls of masaajid as well as on the internet. I have explained them here. May Allah accept this effort from me, aameen. An old book has three more names which are Al-Rabb (Ar-Rabb), Al-Mun’im and Al-Mu’tee. Al-Rabb (Ar-Rabb) comes before Al-Muqsit. Al-Mun’im comes before Al-Muntaqim. And Al-Mu’tee comes before Al-Maani’. I have explained these three names along with the rest of the names in these posts, but I explained “Al-Rabb (Ar-Rabb)” after the name “Allah”.

In addition to these names there are many other beautiful names of Allah. For example: Jameel, Al-Hannaan, Al-Mannaan, Al-Musta’aan, Kaafee, Ashshaafee, Kaashif, Faatir, Naseer, Mawla, Assaadiq, Muheet, Qareeb, Qadeem, and so on. So one shouldn’t think that Allah has only 99 names.

In the Holy Quraan Allah gave us knowledge and Commands about HIS Beautiful Names like in surah Taha, Al-Israa (Bani-Israa-eel) and Al-A’raaf. In the surah Al-A’raaf 180 the command (its English translation) is:

(7:180) Allah has the most excellent names. So call on Him by His names and shun those who distort them. They shall soon be requited for their deeds.
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In the verse 7:180 (above) Allah has informed us about HIS beautiful names and has ordered us to call HIM with those excellent names. That means we should ask du’aa with the beautiful names of Allah. That saying of Allah necessitates a list of Allah’s Most Excellent names. So Allah Ta’ala gave us the list of His beautiful names in a Hadeeth through His Final prophet Muhammad (Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon him).

وَاٰخِرُ دَعۡوُٰنا اَنِ الۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ

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الرشيد

Al-Rasheed /Ar-Rasheed

(The Rightly Directing One)

The word Rasheed comes from rushd ( guidance) and arshada (to guide, to lead) . Al-Rasheed means: The One Who gives guidance.

Allah is Al-Hakeem i.e. the All-wise and also is Al-Rasheed i.e. the One Who rightly guides.

Only Allah is the Source of righteous guidance. Allah Subhaanahoo wa Ta’aala wants people get the righteous guidance. As Allah Azza wa Jall said in surah Al-Baqarah verse 186, its English translation is:


(2:186) (O Muhammad), when My servants ask you about Me, tell them I am quite near; I hear and answer the call of the caller whenever he calls Me. Let them listen to My call and believe in Me;188 so that they may be guided aright.189
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Exp. notes 188, 189:


188. Even though people can neither see God nor subject Him to any other form of sense perception, this should not make them feel that God is remote from them. On the contrary, He is so close to each and every person that whenever any person so wishes he can communicate with his Lord. So much so that God hears and responds even to the prayers which remain within the innermost recesses of the heart.

People exhaust themselves by approaching false and powerless beings whom they foolishly fancy to be their deities but who have neither the power to hear nor to grant their prayers. But God, the omnipotent Lord and the absolute Master of this vast universe, Who has all power and authority, is so close to human beings that they can always approach Him without the intercession of any intermediaries, and can put to Him their prayers and requests.

189. This announcement of God’s closeness to man may open his eyes to the Truth, may turn him to the right way wherein lies his success and well-being.
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Here Allah used the word “yarshudoon” which means “guided aright” or guided to the right way. So guidance to the right way comes from no one except Allah Azza wa Jall. And Allah gave us the Holy Quraan for the guidance of all mankind and Jinn to the Right Pathway of Islam.

See the translation of the verses 1 &2 of the surah Jinn:


1. Say, [O Muhammad], “It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, ‘Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur’an.

2. It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it. And we will never associate with our Lord anyone.
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Allah Ta’aala also said in surah Al-Kahf verse 17:


(18:17) Had you seen them in the Cave12 it would have appeared to you that when the sun rose, it moved away from their Cave to the right; and when it set, it turned away from them to the left, while they remained in a spacious hollow in the Cave.13 This is one of the Signs of Allah. Whomsoever Allah guides, he alone is led aright; and whomsoever Allah lets go astray, you will find for him no guardian to direct him.
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So the guidance comes from Allah. If a person rejects guidance then Allah Ta’aala will let him go astray and once misguidance is ordained for a person then no one can guide him/her!!!

Allah said in surah Al-Lail verses 5—11 (their English translation only):


(92:5) As for him who gave out his wealth (for Allah’s sake) and abstained (from disobeying Him),

(92:6) and affirmed the Truth of goodness:2

Exp. note 2:

2. This is the first kind of endeavors, which includes three things, and a little consideration shows that they comprehend all virtues:

(1) That man should refrain from wealth-worship, but should spend whatever Allah has given him generously in rendering Allah’s and His servants’ rights, for good works and for helping others.

(2) That he should fear God and refrain from things which cause His displeasure in his moral, social, economic and other dealings with the people.

(3) That he should believe in goodness. Goodness is a comprehensive word, which includes goodness of belief, morals and acts. Goodness of belief means that one should give up polytheism, atheism, and disbelief, and affirm faith in Tauhid, the Hereafter and Prophethood. Affirming belief in goodness of morals and acts is that one should not be doing good and right merely unconsciously, outside a definite system, but one should acknowledge as right and sound the system of goodness which God has sent, which combines every kind of goodness in all its forms and aspects into a system comprehensively called the divine shariah.
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(92:7) We shall facilitate for him the Way to Bliss.3
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Exp. note 3:

3. This is the result of the first kind of endeavoring and struggling. The easy way implies the way which is in accordance with human nature, which is in accordance with the will of the Creator, Who has created man and the whole universe. It is a way in which man has not to fight his conscience, in which he does not have to force his faculties of mind and energies of body into doing works for which they are not given but to do things for which they have actually been given him. It is a way in which man has not to experience war, resistance and conflict on every side, which he has to experience in a life full of sin, but a human society in which at every step he experiences peace and concord, appreciation and honor. Obviously, the person who spends his wealth for public welfare, treats every other person kindly and well, whose life is free from crime, sin and immorality, who is righteous and fair in his dealings, who neither cheats others nor proves false in his promises, from whom no one apprehends dishonesty, injustice and excess, and with whose character no one finds any fault, will in any case be honored and respected in any society, however, corrupt and depraved it may be. Hearts will be attracted towards him in esteem and regard; his own heart and conscience will be satisfied, and he will attain to dignity in society which no immoral person can ever attain. This same thing has been expressed in Surah An-Nahl, thus: “Whoever does righteous deeds whether male or female, provided that he is a believer, We will surely grant him to live a pure life in this world” (verse 97), and in Surah Maryam, thus: “The Merciful will fill with love the hearts of those who believe and do righteous deeds” (verse 96). This then is the way in which there is nothing but joy and tranquility for man, for the world till the Hereafter. Its results are not transient and temporary but eternal and everlasting.

Concerning this Allah says: We shall facilitate for him the easy way. It means to say: When after affirming goodness he decides that this way alone suits him, and the evil way does not suit him, and when by making sacrifices and adopting the life of taqva practically he proves that he is true in his affirmation, Allah will make easy for him to walk this way. Then, to commit evil will become difficult for him, and to do good easy. When unlawful wealth comes before him, he will not regard it as a good bargain, but consider it a hot piece of burning coal, which he cannot hold in his hand. When opportunities for sin appear before him, he will not rush to seize them as opportunities for pleasure and enjoyment, but will look upon them as gates to Hell and will flee from them. The Prayer will not be hard for him, but he will have no internal peace until he has performed it at its appointed time. He will not feel hurt when paying the Zakat, but will regard his wealth as impure until he has paid out the Zakat from it. In short, at every step, Allah will favor him with His grace and help him to follow this way; conditions will be made favorable for him and he will be helped out of every difficulty.

Now, the question arises that in Surah Al-Balad, this very way has been called an uphill road, and here it has been described as an easy way. How can the two things be reconciled? The answer is that before a man has adopted this way, it appears to be a steep, uphill road, for ascending which he has to fight his desires, his materialistic members of the family, his relatives, his friends and those with whom he has social and other dealings, and above all Satan, for each one of them obstructs his way, and makes it seem dreadful. But after man has affirmed goodness and resolved to follow this way, and giving away his wealth in the cause of God and adopting the way of taqva, has practically strengthened his resolve, ascending the steep road becomes easy and slipping into the abyss of moral depravities becomes difficult for him.
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(92:8) As for him who was a miser and behaved with aversion (to Allah),

(92:9) and denied the Truth of goodness:4
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Exp. note 4:

4. This is the second kind of human endeavoring, which in every part of it is different from the corresponding part of the first kind. Niggardliness (bukhl) is not merely the niggardliness because of which people generally regard a person as niggardly if he hoards money: neither spends it on himself nor on his children, but bukhl here implies to refrain from spending in the cause of Allah and public welfare. According to this, niggardly is every person who spends generously, rather squanders money, on his self, for his own ease and comfort, interests and enjoyments, but, as for a good cause, spends nothing, or, if at all, he spends anything, it is for display, or to win a reputation and name, or to have access to officers, or to obtain some benefit and gain. Independence of God implies that one should make worldly, material benefits only the object of all his endeavoring and strivings and being independent of God should least care to see what pleases Him and what displeases Him. As for belying goodness, it is in sharp contrast to believing in goodness in every detail, therefore, it need not be explained here as it has already been explained above.


(92:10) We shall facilitate for him the way to Hardship,5
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Exp. note 5:

5. This way has been called the hard way, for although the one who follows it, does so for the sake of material benefits, worldly enjoyments and superficial successes, yet while following it he is always at war with his nature, his conscience, the laws made by the Creator of the universe and the society in which he lives. When he transgresses all moral limits of truth, honesty, nobility, purity and chastity, and endeavors to satisfy his interests and desires in every way, when the people feel harmed by him rather than benefiting from him, and when he encroaches upon the rights of others and violates people’s honor, he feels disgraced in his own eyes and has to clash at every step with the society in which he lives. If he is weak, he has to suffer every kind of punishment on account of his conduct, and if he is wealthy, strong and influential, the world may lie low before him, but no one cherishes any good wishes, any feeling of honor and love for him; so much so that even his associates and companions regard him as a wicked man. And this thing is not only restricted to individuals, even when a strong and powerful nation transgresses the bounds of morality and adopts an immoral conduct, in arrogance of pride and wealth, it earns on the one hand, the enmity of the outside world: on the other, its own society falls a victim to all sorts of crime, prevalence of suicide, intoxication, venereal diseases, destruction of family life, waywardness of the new generation, class conflict and ever-increasing injustice and tyranny. So much so that when it falls from its position of prestige, it leaves nothing behind except curses and condemnation for itself in the history of the world.

As for saying that: So We shall make smooth for him the path of difficulty, it means: We shall facilitate for him the hard ways. He will be deprived of the grace to follow the way of good, gates of evil will be opened up for him, means and resources for the same will be provided for him, doing evil will become easy, and doing good will become toilsome and risky for him. This same theme has been expressed at another place in the Quran, thus: “So whomever Allah wills to guide aright, He makes his breast wide open to Islam, and whomever He wills to let go astray, he makes his breast narrow and squeezes it so tightly that (at the very idea of Islam) he begins to feel as though his soul were climbing up towards the sky.” (Surah Al-Anaam, Ayat125). At another place it has been said: “No doubt, Salat is a hard task but not for the obedient servants”. (Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayat 46). And about the hypocrites it has been said: When they come to offer the Salat, they come reluctantly and they spend in the way of Allah with unwilling hearts. (Surah At-Taubah, Ayat 54), and that: There are such among them who regard what they spend in the way of Allah as a penalty. (Surah At-Taubah, Ayat 98).

(92:11) and his wealth shall be of no avail to him when he perishes.6
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Exp note 6:

6. In other words it means that he has to die one day and leave behind in the world whatever he had amassed for his ease and enjoyment. If he did not earn and send forward something for the Hereafter, what would this wealth avail him? He will not take his palatial residence, his majestic conveyance, his property and wealth into the grave.


(92:12) Surely it is for Us to show the Right Way,7
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Exp. note 7:

7. That is, Allah as the Creator of man has on the basis of His wisdom, His justice and His mercy, taken on Himself the responsibility not to leave him uninformed in the world, but to tell him what is the right way and what are the wrong ways, what is good and what is evil, what is lawful and what is unlawful, what attitude and conduct will make him an obedient servant and what attitude and conduct will make him a disobedient servant. This same thing has been expressed in Surah An-Nahl, thus: “Allah has taken upon Himself to show the right way, when there are also crooked ways”. (verse 9 Also see E.N. 9 of Surah An-Nahl).

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Rushd means guidance and understanding, and ability to do right decision. We can remember the conduct of the rightly guided caliphs like Abu Bakar and Umar radiya-Allaho anhum. It is said that the Prophet (Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon him) had informed about the coming of Khulafaa-i-Raashideen and Mahdi-yeen after Him salla Allaho alaihi wa sallam. So they were the rightly guided khalifahs and their rushd was from Allah Ta’aala only.

الوارث

  • Al-Waarith (The Inheritor of all)

This name of Allah came in the Holy Quraan in three places in plural form. The translation of the verses is:

Surah Al-Hijr 23;


(15:23) It is indeed We Who grant life and cause death and it is We who shall be the sole Inheritors of all.15

Exp. note 15:

15. It is to impress this: Your worldly life and all you possess are transitory and temporary, and Allah alone is Eternal. Your end shall come sooner or later, and you shall leave everything behind in this world, which will again become a part of Our treasure.

Surah Al-Anbiyaa verse 89:


(21:89) And We bestowed favour upon Zakariah, when he cried to his Lord: “Lord! Leave me not solitary (without any issue). You are the Best Inheritor.” 

Surah Al-Qasas 58:


(28:58) And how many a town did We destroy whose inhabitants exulted on account of their affluence. These are their dwellings in which very few dwelt after them. Eventually it is We Who inherited them.82
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Exp. note 82:

82. This is the second answer to their excuse. It means to imply this: The worldly wealth and prosperity of which you are so proud and whose probable danger of loss makes you stick to falsehood and turn away from the truth. This was also possessed once by Aad and Thamud and Saba and the people of Lot. Then, did it save them from destruction? After all, a high standard of living is not the only aim in life that man should endeavor to pursue it regardless of every consideration for truth and falsehood, and refuse to accept the right way only because there was a risk of losing it if one did so. Do you have any guarantee that if you persisted in the errors and evils that ruined the prosperous peoples of the past, you would remain safe and never meet the doom that they met?
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In the verse 58 of the Surah Al-Qasas:

Allah Ta’aala reminded the idolaters of Makkah the rich proud nations of the past who were destroyed due to their disbelief! Their dwellings could be seen by the arrogant disbelievers of Makkah. Allah had also provided the idolaters of Makkah lots of blessings but they worshipped false deities and rejected the massage of truth given by Muhammad salla Allaho alaihi wa sallam. So they were warned of the same end.

So everyone and everything will pass away and perish while Allah shall exist and live forever. Then all the belongings of mankind and Jinn etc. will be left to Allah. Thus Allah is the Inheritor of all!!!

Allah said in surah Maryam verse 40:

(19:40) Ultimately, We shall inherit the earth and whatever is on it; to Us shall they be returned.
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In this verse is a warning for those who got involved in the love and achievements of this world and forgot the purpose for which they came to this world. So they must think deeply about the fact that the world will go away from them and they will pass away empty-handed from this world to the next one and then they will be recompensed according to their faith and deeds that they did here.

Now is our turn. We must remember that we are going to pass away very soon. This entire world belongs to Allah Azza wa Jall. Nothing of the wealth, property and worldly things belong to us in real sense. But whatever we have here will remain here and Allah’s world will be inherited by Allah while we shall be judged for the worldly things. Then the obedient believers shall be admitted to Jannah while the disobedient and unbelievers shall be admitted to Hell.

Surely, Allah All-Mighty is the ultimate Inheritor of everything while we are all mortal and accountable.

الباقي

  • Al-Baaqee (The Everlasting One)

Everything will perish except Allah Azza wa Jall. Allah said in Surah Al-Rahmaan (Ar-Rahmaan) verse 26 and 27 (Its English translation is):

(55:26) All 25 that is on earth will perish,

(55:27) only the Person of your Lord, full of majesty and splendour, will endure. 

(55:28) So which of the wonders of your Lord will you twain – you men and jinn – then deny?26
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Exp. note 25:

25. From here to verse 30, the jinn and the men have been informed of two realities:
First, neither you are immortal nor the provisions that you are enjoying in this world everlasting. Immortal and everlasting is the Being of the High and Supreme God alone Whose greatness this universe testifies, and by Whose grace and kindness you have been favored with these bounties. Now, if someone among you behaves arrogantly, it would be due to his own meanness. If a foolish person assumes haughtiness in his tiny sphere of authority, or becomes god of a few helpless men who fall into his hand, this force would not last long. A godhead that lags for a mere score or two score years in a corner of the earth whose size in this limitless universe is not even equal to a pea seed, and then becomes a legend of the past, is not something of which one may feel proud and arrogant.

The other important truth of which both these creations have been warned is: None of those whom you have set up as deities and removers of hardships and fulfiller of needs, apart from Allah, whether they are angels or prophets or the moon and the sun, or some other creation, can fulfill any of your needs. These helpless creatures and things themselves stand in need of Allah’s help for their needs and requirements. They themselves pray to Him for help. When they are not able to remove their own hardships, how will they remove your hardships? Whatever is happening in this limitless universe, from the earth to the heavens, is happening under the command of One God alone. No one else has any share in His Godhead. No one therefore can influence anyone else’s destiny in any way.

Exp. note 26:

26. Here, as the context itself shows, the word alaa has been used in the sense of excellences and perfections. Whoever of the mortal creatures is involved in vanity and self-arrogance and struts about thinking that his false godhead is everlasting, disavows Lord of the world’s glory and majesty by his conduct, if not by his tongue. His pride and arrogance by itself is a denial of Allah All-Mighty’s greatness and glory. Whatever claim he may make to an excellence by his tongue, or arrogate to himself such an excellence, it is indeed a disavowal of the rank and station of the real possessor of excellences and perfections.
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Allah said in surah Al-Furqaan verse 58 (the English translation is):


(25:58) (O Muhammad), put your trust in Him Who is Ever-
Living, Who will never die, and glorify Him with His praise. He suffices as the Knower of the sins of His servants,
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Allah is the Owner of everything and that of the whole Universe. Allah Ta’aala is the Giver of death and life to everyone. Allah HIMSELF shall live forever. This whole universe is going to end at the ordained time by the Command of Allah All-Mighty. All of the mankind and jinn also will come to an end. But Allah will give us another life in the next world where Judgment shall be passed and then the human beings and the jinns shall remain forever, some in Hell and some in Paradise according to their faith and deeds.

Whatever we do here for this world, will perish and whatever good we do for the Hereafter shall remain with Allah to benefit us forever.

Allah Azza wa Jall said in the surah Al-Nahl (An-Nahl) verse 96 (its English translation is):


(16:96) Whatever you have is bound to pass away and whatever is with Allah will last. And We shall surely grant those who have been patient their reward98 according to the best of what they did.

Exp. notes:

1. The wealth and property of this world will perish and the Hereafter is everlasting. Therefore, your goal must be the Hereafter and you must desire and pray for its blessings.

2. Those who will remain steadfast in the severe trials in this world will get their ranks and rewards in the Hereafter according to their excellent deeds.
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Thus Allah Azza wa Jall will live forever but Allah has ordained for us everlasting life in the Hereafter as is proven in the Holy Quraan. For proof see the verses 105, 106, 107 1nd 108 of the surah Hood (surah Hud). Their English translation is:

(11:105) And when the appointed Day comes, no one shall even dare to speak except by the leave of Allah. Then some will be declared wretched, others blessed.

(11:106) As for the wretched, they shall be in the Fire, and in it they shall sigh and groan.

(11:107) They shall abide in it as long as the heavens and the earth endure, unless your Lord may will otherwise. Surely your Lord does whatsoever He wills.

(11:108) And as for those who are blessed, they shall abide in the Garden as long as the heavens and the earth endure, unless your Lord may will otherwise. They shall enjoy an unceasing gift.
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Therefore, we must choose for ourselves Paradise in the Hereafter by striving hard for the pleasure of Allah and abstaining from HIS anger.