Ad-Daarr means The One Who harms i.e. The Distresser, in Arabic it is written as Al-Daar and is pronounced as Ad-Daar. . And Al-Naafi’ ( read as An-Naafi’) means the One Who benefits i.e. the Benefactor. These are from the beautiful names of Allah Azza wa Jall. These two names are the bases of our life on this earth. Every action of the mankind on this earth is either to benefit or to protect from harm. So anything or action which gives a result beyond these two aims, is haram (unlawful/forbidden) because it will be harmful at once or in the long run. The examples are: Drinking wine or eating drugs will give a little short-term enjoyment but afterwards these harm the health of the users. Zina /Adultery gives short term pleasure but it destroys the human race.
One can consider the balanced flying of a kite in the air. It is controlled by a string at the hand of a person. If the string cuts off the kite will get entangled in some plant etc. So it will be torn off. Similarly, we are controlled by Allah’s Commands. In case of disobedience the disobedient servant faces harm here or in the Hereafter. Now some details about each of the beautiful names:
الضار
Ad-Daarr (The Distresser)
Allah azza wa Jall said in Surah Yoonus 49 (English translation):
(10:49) Tell them: ‘I have no power to harm or benefit even myself, except what Allah may will.57 There is an appointed term for every people; and when the end of their term comes, neither can they put it off for an hour, nor can they bring it an hour before.58
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Exp. notes 57 & 58:
57. This is to say, I never said that I will sit in judgment on you and inflict torment on those who do not believe in me. Therefore, I am not in a position to tell when the threat will be made good. As the threat has been held out by Allah, He will pass His judgment on you when He wills, and in whatever way He wills, for everything depends on His will.
58. That is, Allah passes His judgment on individuals and communities after the expiry of the term that He Himself has set and He alone knows how long it lasts for a community. He is not hasty in giving rewards or punishments. When He sends His Messenger to deliver His Message, He allows sufficient time to each individual and to each community to consider it and ponder over it and mend his (or its) way, during the appointed term. The period of the term may extend to centuries in the case of a community and He knows best how long it should be.
When that term, which is based on justice, expires, and that person or community does not repent of its rebellious conduct, then Allah passes His judgment. When the time of the judgment comes, it is neither advanced nor delayed even by a single hour.
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Allah Ta’aala tests us taking away one benefit and giving harm and then
taking away harm and giving benefit to see what is the reaction of the abd (servant) in different circumstances. Allah Azza wa Jall said in surah Al-Nahl (An-Nahl) verse 53 to 55. Their translation is here:
(16:53) Every bounty that you enjoy is from Allah; and whenever any misfortune strikes you, it is to Him that you cry for the removal of your distress.46
Exp. note 46:
- That is: the fact, that you run to Allah for help in your distress and not to anyone else, is a clear proof of the Oneness of Allah, which has been embedded in your own hearts. At the time of your affliction, your true nature, which had been suppressed by the gods you had forged, involuntarily comes to the surface and invokes Allah, for it knows no other god or lord or master, having any real power. (For further details please refer to (E.Ns 29 and 41 of Surah Al-Anaam).
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(16:54) But as soon as He removes the distress from you, some of you associate others with their Lord47in giving thanks,
Exp. note 47:47. That is, at the time of showing gratitude to Allah for removing his affliction, he begins to make offerings also to some god, goddess or saint to show that Allah’s kindness to him was due to the intercession of his patron, for he imagines that otherwise Allah would not have removed his distress.
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(16:55) that they may show ingratitude for the bounties We bestowed upon them. So enjoy yourselves for a while, soon you will come to know (the truth).
**************************************************************************************************You can see the above three verses and the exp. notes to understand the behavior of unjust human beings. So Allah, as Ad-Daarr will cause some harm to the person. Then the person will cry to Allah for the removal of the trouble. This is because due to his nature (fitrah) he /she understand that only One Allah can remove the trouble from him /her. Then Allah Azza wa Jall will remove his trouble and will benefit him/her. And then he/she, in paying thanks to Allah, associates others with Allah and thus give the proof of committing shirk. So they become punishable and Allah is reminding in the verse 55 (its translation is above) the truth which shall be known to everyone in the Hereafter on the Day of Judgment. That truth is clearly explained in the Holy Quraan and Sunnah that Only Allah is the Giver of harm and benefit. Therefore, seek help only from Allah. In case you associated other partner with Allah and you died with shirk, you shall be punished in Hell forever!!!
Surah Al-Nisaa (An-Nisaa) verse 123 (Translation):
(4:123) It is neither your fancies nor the fancies of the People of the Book which matter. Whoever does evil shall reap its consequence and will find none to be his protector and helper against Allah.
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When the Prophet (Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon him) read the above verse of the surah Al-Nisaa (An-Nisaa), Abu-Bakar rAa became very much worried. He said, “Who among us is free from making mistakes? So everyone will be harmed!!!”
The Prophet (Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon him) said:
“غفر الله لك يا ابا بكر “
“May Allah forgive you o Aba Bakar”
Then the Prophet (Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon him) explained to him like, “ don’t you become sick? Don’t you get surrounded by worries? Don’t you come across troubles /difficulties?”
He answered, “why not”.
Then the Prophet (Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon him) told him that these are the harms which are inflicted on Muslims to wipe out their sins.
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(And Allah knows best about the exact conversation between Muhammad salla Allaho alaihi wa sallm and Abu Bakar rAa)
Thus a Muslim may face harm due to some sin or mistake and the harm or trouble inflicted upon him/her will clean them from the sins. The harm may be a type of sickness or some other trouble.
Then there are very good, God-fearing Muslims who suffer from harms etc. Even the prophets alaihim salaam, (who were very innocent), suffered illnesses and troubles!!!
This is because in such cases the harm/trouble etc. cause their ranks to become very high!!!
النافع , An-Naafi
(The Benefactor)
The Attribute of Al-Naafi’ (An-Naafi’) is very manifest and doesn’t need examples. Every one of the mankind is enjoing numerous benefits day and night. All of the benefits are given by Allah azza wa Jall alone. In the light of the Holy Quraan and hadeeth, it is very clear that if the whole world wants to benefit you by something, she cannot benefit you except by the thing that Allah Ta’aala decreed for you. Similarly, if the whole world wants to harm you by something, she cannot not except by the thing that Allah decreed for you. So we must bow down only to Allah for anything that we need or want.
We know from the Holy Quraan, the way of the Prophets alaihim salaam that they always attributed good and benefits to Allah but they didn’t attribute harms to Allah. For e.g. we see in the verse 10 of the Surah Al-Jinn:
10. And we do not know [therefore] whether evil is intended for those on earth or whether their Lord intends for them a right course.
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At the time of the revelation of the Holy Quraan, the guarding of the worldly heaven became very strict, so much strict that if a Jinn heard something from the heaven, he was targeted by a shooting star!!!. This type of security measures were taken to prevent eavesdropping, so that no jinn would be able to eavesdrop and thus would not be able to interfere with the Divine communication with the prophet Muhammad (Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon him).
The Jinn understood that something special was going to happen to the people of the earth, but they could not know what was going to happen. So they discussed the situation with each other. When they thought about some evil, they said: “whether evil is intended for those on earth”. But when they spoke about the right course, they said: “or whether their Lord intends for them a right course”.
Thus good is attributed to Allah while the happening of the harm/evil is not attributed to Allah Azza wa Jall. Similarly, there are many other places in the Holy Quraan where good is attributed to Allah Ta’aala and not bad happenings. Ibrheem alaihi salaam said: “when I become sick then HE (Allah) cures me. Thus Ibraheem alaihi salaam attributed only good to Allah Azza Wa Jall. This way is used for the Honor of Allah Azza wa Jall. But also there is a deep reason for it. The reason is that Allah Ta’aala is a Uniquely Kind Sovereign and Lord. Allah is bestowing numerous blessings on mankind. But Allah’s Justice happens due to the transgression of a person. Therefore the transgressor is to be blamed and not Allah Azza wa Jall.
Beautiful Names of Allah 