Day: November 2, 2019

الغني

Al-Ghanee  (The Self Sufficient, The All Rich, The Independent)

According to some scholars this Attribute of Allah came in 18 places in the Holy Quraan. Allah said in the Holy Qur’aan:

Surah Al-An’aam verse 133, (English translation only) and its explanarion:

(6:133) Your Lord is Self-Sufficient, full of compassion.101 If He wills, He can put you away and cause whomever He wills to succeed you just as He has produced you from the seed of another people.
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Exp. note 101:

101. The Qur’anic statement: ‘Your Lord is Self-Sufficient’ signifies that God is in need of nothing from anyone, that none of His interests will be jeopardized by disobedience to Him, and that no benefit will accrue to Him from obedience. Even if all human beings became disobedient, God’s dominion will not shrink. Nor will His dominion expand if everybody were to become obedient and serve and worship Him as they ought to. God is dependent neither upon their show of veneration nor upon their offerings. He lavishes His limitless treasures on human beings and seeks nothing in return.
The other statement, namely that ‘Your Lord is full of compassion’, has been made here to emphasize two things:

First, that when God urges human beings to follow the Right Way, and asks them not to do anything in conflict with Ultimate Reality, He does not do so because their good behavior benefits Him or their misconduct harms Him. He does so because good conduct is beneficial to man himself, as evil conduct is harmful to him. Hence it is out of sheer benevolence that God urges man to develop righteous conduct, for it will raise him to great heights, and He urges him to avoid evil conduct because it will lead to his own degradation. Second, that God is not unduly stern in judging man. He gets no pleasure from punishing people. He is not on the look-out for slight lapses for which to convict and persecute people. God is highly compassionate towards all His creatures and governs with utmost mercy and benevolence, and the same characterizes His dealings with human beings as well. Hence, He constantly forgives the sins of people. Many disobey, indulge in sins, commit crimes, disregard God’s commands, even though they are nourished by the sustenance He provides. God, nevertheless, continually treats them with forbearance and forgives them. Again and again, He grants them respite in order that they may take heed, understand things properly and reform themselves. Had He been excessively stern, He could even have obliterated them instantly and raised up another people. He could have put an end to humanity and brought into being an altogether different species of creation.
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Surah Faatir 15:


(35:15) O people, it is you who stand in need of Allah;36 as for Allah, He is Self-Sufficient, Immensely Praiseworthy.37
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Exp. note 36 and 37:
36. That is, you should not remain under the delusion that Allah stands in need of your help. If you do not accept Him as God, His Godhead will fail, and if you do not serve and worship Him, He will incur some loss. Nay, but the fact is that you stand in need of Him. You cannot remain alive for a moment if He does not keep you alive, and does not provide you with the means by which you remain alive in the world and function. Therefore, when you are told to adopt His service and obedience, it is not because Allah stands in need of it, but because your own success depends upon it here as well as in the Hereafter. If you do not do so, you will be harming your own selves only, and not Allah in any way.

37. The word Ghani implies that He is the Owner of everything: He is Self-sufficient and Independent of all. He does not stand in need of anyone’s help. The word Hamid implies that He is Self-Praiseworthy: someone may praise Him, or may not, but He alone is worthy of hamd (praise and gratitude). These two attributes have been used together because one would be ghani even if one did not do any good to anyone by one’s wealth. In such a case one would be ghani but not hamid One will be hamid only in case one does not draw any benefit for oneself but benefits others in every way from the treasures of his wealth and resources. Since Allah is perfect in these two attributes, it has been said: “He is not just Ghani (self-sufficient) but such Ghani as is worthy of every kind of praise and gratitude, for He is fulfilling your needs as well as the needs of all other creatures.
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Surah Luqmaan 26:

(31:26) All that is in the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah.46 Verily He is All-Sufficient, Immensely Praiseworthy.47
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A Hadeeth Al-Qudsee:

(Hadeeth Al-Qudsee is a hadeeth shareef which is in the words of Allah Azza wa Jall. Otherwise every hadeeth is in the words of the prophet Muhammad (Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon him) but its meanings come from Allah azza wa Jall.)

Allah Ta’ala says: “O MY servants, If all of the former and later of you, and the human kind of you and Jinn of you become the most righteous men it will not increase anything in MY Dominion. And if all of the former and later of you and the human kind and Jinn kind of you become the most evil men, it will not decrease anything in MY Dominion.” And HE said, “O MY servants, indeed you cannot reach ME to harm ME; and you cannot reach ME to benefit ME”.
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(This Hadeeth al-Qudsee is a part of a long Hadeeth narrated by Abi Dharr rAa and reported by Muslim).

You should also read the translation and explanation of the following verses to know more about this Attribute of Allah Azza wa Jall:

Surah Muhammad verse 38, Al-Baqarah 267, Yoonus 68.

In the surah yoonus 68 Allah said:

68. They have said, ” Allah has taken a son.” Exalted is He; He is the [one] Free of need. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. You have no authority for this [claim]. Do you say about Allah that which you do not know?
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So the Attribute Al-Ghanee (Rich, Self-sufficient and Free of need) also proves that Allah is High above any fault or defect and also free from any deficiency. Thus Allah is Free from any need to have a son!

Similarly, Allah being Free of any want or need, doesn’t need a partner or an associate. Thus Allah Azza wa Jall is the Only One God Who has no son and no partner.