ALLAH .
The Lord of All the Worlds
This book is donated for free distribution for the Isaal-e Swaab of our late father Haji Mohammed Saddique and our late Grandparents. Please make Dua’a for them.
ALLAH .
The Lord of All the Worlds
by Mohammad
Masood Ahmed
MA, Islamic Studies
Suharwardy, Ashrafi
Suffah Foundation
Copyright © Mohammad Masood Ahmed, 2014 All rights reserved. No part of this publication, including its style and format, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
First Edition 2013 Global Islamic Mission Inc. 73 Hi View Drive / P. O. Box 100 Wingdale, NY 12594 | USA 800-786-9209 www.globalislamicmission.org |
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[email protected] Edited by Waseem Ahmed Cover Design by Umar Farooq Printed in Turkey by Mega Printing Available from: Markazi Jamia Masjid Ghausia, 73 Victoria Road, Huddersfield, HD1 3RT, UK Suffah Institute for Education, Block no.2 Islami Colony, Airport Road, Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Suffah Foundation c/o Imtiaz Optical, Dubai Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Lahore, Cantt, Pakistan.
This book is dedicated
To all the Prophets of Allah Prophets, beloved Muhammad
, especially the Prophet of all who brought Allah’s message
and guidance and introduced Allah’s Being and Lordship to us all. May the peace and blessings of the Almighty Lord be with them and may Allah
make us the true devotees of them all. Amin!
It is my utmost religious duty to express gratitude for the contemporary righteous scholars of Islam, saints, and shuyukh, whose lifelong dedication and tireless efforts to serve Islam continue to inspire all my work. They have been for me, as well as for countless others, guiding lights and beacons of wisdom and knowledge. For those who have passed away, may Allah and for those still present among us, may Allah
elevate their ranks and influence grant them a long and healthy
life and allow us to benefit from them greatly. I am thankful to My Shaykh, Hadhrat Choudhry Muhammad Iqbal Hameed Suharwardy My Mentor, Dr. Prof. Muhammad Mas’ud Ahmed Naqshbandi Mujaddidi My Guide, Qaid-e-Ahle-Sunnat, Allama Shah Ahmed Noorani Siddiqui My Guiding Light, Shaykh-ul-Islam, Hadhrat Allama Syed Muhammad Madni Ashrafi Jilani and Many others including Shaykh-ul-Hadith Allama Nasrullah Khan Afghani, Hadhrat Mufti Athar Na’imi, and Hadhrat Muhammad Ibrahim Ashrafi (Bholey Baba).
Contents
Introduction to The Suffah Foundation ……. 7 Preface ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. 9 THE NUR AND KNOWING OF THE TRUTH ………………………………. 9 WHO IS ALLAH ?……………………………………………………………………………….. 11 IS ALLAH THE LORD JUST OF MUSLIMS? …………………………………. 11 PROOF OF ALLAH’S EXISTENCE …………………………………………………….. 12 ALLAH : THE LORD OF ALL THE WORLDS ………………………….. 14
Allah ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 15 THE 99 ASMA‐E‐HUSNA …………………………………………………………………….. 17 ISME‐AZAM ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 20 BISMILLAH (IN THE NAME OF ALLAH ) ……………….………………. 21 ALLAH’S ETERNAL EXISTENCE ………………………………………………………… 23 HOW CAN WE PERCEIVE ALLAH ? …………………………………………. 24 TAUHĪD (ONENESS OF ALLAH ) ……………………………………………..... 27 SHIRK …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..... 29 ONLY ALLAH IS WORTHY OF WORSHIP ……………………………… 31 ALLAH LOVES US AND WE SHOULD LOVE HIM …………….. 33 THE RIGHTS OF ALLAH ………………………………………………………………… 37 RECOGNIZING ALLAH …………………………………………………………………… 38 WORSHIPPING ALLAH …………………………………………………………………. 39 FEARING ALLAH ………………………………………………………………………………. 39 SEEKING THE FORGIVENESS OF ALLAH ……………………………. 40 SUPPLICATING TO ALLAH …………………………………………………………. 40 BEING GRATEFUL TO ALLAH …………………………………………………… 41 RIGHT TO DO DHIKR, REMEMBRANCE AND PRAISE ………… 42 WHAT ALLAH STATES ABOUT HIMSELF …………………………… 44
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IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST-MERCIFUL, EVER-FORGIVING
INTRODUCTION TO THE SUFFAH FOUNDATION Islam came as a religion of peace and tranquility spreading a canopy of mercy over the entire world. By implementing its teachings, the Muslims presented a civilised society before the world; one which raised the status of humanity and strengthened their ties with their spirituality. By spreading the message of equality and the deliverance of rights, they were able to eradicate all types of racial, territorial and all other types of prejudices. Unfortunately all that remains of this golden era of peace and tranquility are its memories. However, the golden rules, based upon which the early Muslims were able to conquer the hearts of the people of the world, are still with us in the form of the Qur’an and the teachings of our beloved Prophet Muhammad . The brilliant Islamic teachings of high moral conduct, outstanding character, fairness, compassion and mercy, if adopted, can once again bring contentment to our lives and allow us to spread happiness into the lives of others. This message of peace has always been delivered and passed on from generation to generation by our scholars and spiritual leaders (Sufi’s). Through their teachings and practices they were able to nurture the souls of their students and present them before the world as ambassadors of peace, striving to strengthen such values as tolerance and dignity and respect for all human beings.
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In today’s ever more troubled society, where humanity weeps and that impeccable moral conduct is long forgotten, there is a dire need for us to once again take up the teachings of the holy Prophet and in light of these teachings, work to further this noble cause on all fronts; academic, religious, spiritual, social, missionary and humanitarian fronts. The establishment of The Suffah Foundation is an important link in this very chain, through which we hope to propagate this message of peace and mutual respect in a more organised and effective manner. By doing this, we hope to propagate a better understanding of Islam and strengthen the beliefs and practices of the Muslim Ummah, in effect helping people to better their practices and awaken sentiments of compassion for humanity within them. Whilst also trying to bridge the gap between Muslims and non-Muslims through mutual understanding, peace and cooperation. This is a unique opportunity for you to also become part of this global movement for peace and mutual respect by implementing the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah within your lives. We pray to Almighty Allah, through the mediation of his beloved Messenger to keep us all under his guardianship- always.
Ameen!
Umar Hayat Qadri Chairman, The Suffah Foundation
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IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST‐MERCIFUL, EVER‐FORGIVING
Preface
THE NUR AND KNOWING OF THE TRUTH Whether it is because Allah is our Creator and created us in His own image, or His dhikr (remembrance) is inherent in our making, or perhaps because we, the human beings, recognized His Lordship on the Day of ‘Alast’1 and declared willfully that Allah is our Lord and took oath of His servitude, or it could be for many other reasons that we, in one way or another, realize His presence and feel nearness to our Lord. We feel His presence within and around ourselves. When we are helpless we call out to Him. When we feel truly lonely, we try to seek His shelter and when the world reviles us, drives us away, we knowingly and at times unknowingly seek His refuge. He is ever‐present with us and within us. Every ‘thing’ reflects His signs and everything bears witness to His creativity. No matter how hard we shut our eyes from Him, we know He is out there. No matter how much we try to ignore Him, there is something within us that reminds us of Him. Many of us do not know who He is but everyone can attest to the fact that He is. Celestial bodies, solar systems and their precise motion; sparkling stars far away in the cosmos; the light of the day and the darkness of the night; the Earth and its motion; the enormity of mountains and the depth of oceans; the calm and chaotic winds; the waves of the water; the droplets of rain and the thirst of droughts; barren lands and lavish green 1
The ‘Day of Alast’ is the day on which all the souls were gathered in the stage of preconception in order to bear witness to Allah’s Lordship. The Lord asked all the souls, “Am I not your Lord?” They all replied, “Yes, indeed!” (Al Qur’an 7:172).
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fields; the cool breeze of an oasis and the gasping heat of the desert; the color and scent of flowers and flavors of different fruits; the death of trees in the Fall and their rebirth in Spring; the excruciating heat of the Summer and beautiful snowflakes of the Winter; the cyclones and earth‐ quakes, the floods and tsunamis—are all clear and undeniable signs of the existence of a Lord—a Master and Maker. Some signs are clear and direct and some mysterious and complex but they all point towards an awesome Creator and Sustainer. Their presence, form, movements, death, and rebirth all bear witness that there exists a Creator who fashioned them, a Sustainer who provides for them, a Force who controls them— He is Allah , the Creator, the Lord and the Sustainer of all. Knowing that the human being is such a superb and complex creation of Allah , His existence cannot be denied nor be fully understood. Man witnesses within him and outside of himself nothing but the Lord and His creativity. We experience in our successes and in our failures nothing but His power and will. We call upon him even when we do not know Him or believe Him to be listening. Certainly, there is sufficient proof of His existence, within us and beyond. In our birth and death, in our heartbeats and in our breathing, in the vastness of our brain and in the depths of our mind, every organ in our body is a sign, every bone is a work of art, and every curvature of our body is the work of an awesome architect. All in all, the entire human body is the best among all other creations of a very intelligent and powerful Creator. Call him Lord or call him Allah, He is the One Who is the cause of all. No one can deny His existence except out of sheer stubbornness. No one in his/her right mind can ignore His Lordship. No one, having all the senses intact, can overlook His wisdom and power in the cohesiveness of this gigantic universe. No one after being aware of all that is said above can remain unaware of a Being Who is running the entire show. Then why do many of us not know Him? Why do we not pay any attention to Him? Why do we not obey Him? Certainly, it is not His fault, He is infallible. We will to deny Him, ignore Him, forget Him and disobey Him. It is we who are ignorant, disobedient and rebellious.
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Let’s come to know Him. Let’s rebuild a relationship with Him. Let’s renew our covenant. Let’s be the best of all creatures.
WHO IS ALLAH
?
Allah is the One and Only. There is no ilâh (god) except Allah. He is “AL‐HAQQ” (the Truth and the Ultimate Truth). He is “AN‐NUR” (the Light and the Light of the Universe). He is “AL‐HAYYE” (the Alive and the Everlasting). He is “AL‐QAYYUM” (the Self‐Subsisting and Sustainer of Life). He is “AL‐MALIK” (the Lord and Sovereign of all sovereigns). He is “AL‐KHALIQ” (the Creator and the Creator of Everything). He is “AL‐AHAD” (the One and the Single/Alone). He is “AL‐WAHID” (the One and the Unique). He is “AS‐SAMAD” (the Carefree and free from any wants). He is “AL‐WARITH” (the Inheritor and all ultimately will belong to Him). He is “AL‐BAQI” (the Eternal and the Everlasting). He is “AL‐GHANI” (The Self‐ Sufficient and Independent). He is “AL‐QADIR” (the All‐Powerful and has power over every will). Allah is “AR‐RAHMAN” (the Most‐Kind) and “AR‐RAHIM” (the Ever‐ Merciful and Forgiver of Muslims on Judgment Day). He is “AL‐GHAFFAR” (the Most Forgiving of sins and forgives whoever repents to Him truly). He is “AR‐RAZZAQ” (the Sustainer of all and the Provider of all the needs of His creatures). He is “AL‐ADAL” (the Just and doer of justice without discriminating). He is “AL‐WADUD” (the All‐Loving and loves all of His creations). And His are the Beautiful Names, so call upon Allah with 2 His Names.
IS ALLAH THE LORD JUST OF MUSLIMS? No, Allah is the Lord and Sustainer of all the worlds and creatures. “There is no god but Allah” is a Truth and Ultimate Reality. He is the Lord of us all. There is no one else, in any capacity, worthy of worship besides Allah . Allah does not exist because someone, Muslim or otherwise, believes in His existence. He exists regardless of anyone’s belief. He is the Lord, no matter we worship Him or not. Not only that He 2
Al‐Qur’ān 7:180
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exists but He is Unique. He is one, no one is His partner, in any way, shape or form. “He does not beget nor is He begotten” (Al‐Qur’ān 112:3).
PROOF OF ALLAH’S EXISTENCE: What little I have said above should be sufficient to realize and confirm the existence of Allah . Certainly, Allah will not reveal Himself to anyone so that he/she may bring faith in Him. He is independent of man’s belief and disbelief in Him. Allow me to clarify at the very outset that the most essential of all beliefs which almost every Muslim has, is to believe the unseen. The beloved Prophet Muhammad told us, “There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah” and we brought faith on his word. However, there is nothing wrong in exploring and inquiring into this truth to bring, solidify, and confirm ones faith in Allah . Look within and outside of yourselves; observe, contemplate, ponder upon your experiences; investigate and experiment; read histories of the past peoples and see their end; and finally see yourself age and become weaker day by day. Raise your head towards the sky, either during the day with the sun shining or at night with bright stars and the moon within them. After all the powers and freedoms to act and choose, look how weak man is. After all the planning and precautions, look at our failures in life. Look at our helplessness towards a dying person. We control many things but in reality control nothing. We want to live but we have to die. Our fate is not in our hands. Think of the first cry of a newborn, his expression for help, his demand for food, his informing us of discomfort, his suckling of the milk, his satisfaction and peacefulness when he is content, his recognition of his mother, his eyes, his smile, even his hearing and paying attention tells us that he is fully trained by someone, even before his coming into this world. Who is he that trained him to act such intelligently? Can’t be any one else besides Allah , the Lord, the one who nourishes and sustains all of His Creatures. Think of the old man who has become senile, a child once again. Think of the love of a mother for her child, whether in animals or humans. Think of the oxygen, water, milk, vegetables, fruits,
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and other foods and all the necessities of life provided for even before our birth and the birth of our father, the first human, Hadhrat Adam . Are these not sufficient proofs of His existence and perfect preparation on behalf of His most admired creation: human being?
Then We made the drop into a blood clot, and then the clot into a lump of flesh, and then the flesh into bones, and then the bones were clothed with flesh—and then developed it into varying forms. Thus, Allah showed His blessedness—the most unique Creator.3
Allah commands us to think how He extracts milk from between the blood and filth of a cow; how He feeds and sustains the tiniest of creatures; how He brings forth the dead from the alive and vice versa; egg from a chicken and chicken from an egg; think how We inspire bees to collect honey as food and cure for mankind; contemplate on the delicate web of spiders; ponder upon the alternating of the day and the night; see the sun and the moon and their orbiting after one another. Allah further states: We made the night for you to rest in and be comfortable and the day for you to work and earn permissible sustenance; think how perfectly We created mankind compared to other creatures and think how We have explained to you the examples so that you may now think, ponder, understand, believe, fear, submit, obey and be successful. For those who would like to believe and bring faith in the presence of Allah many proofs are available but for a heart that has hardened like a rock and a mind that is more stubborn than an ass (donkey) nothing suffices. Anyone who has understood his own being can easily compre‐ hend Allah’s Being. “If in daytime, bat‐eyed persons do not see; is it the fault of the fountain of light, the sun?”4 The sun shines brightly, thus the presence of Allah is visible through each one of His creations.
3 4
Al‐Qur’ān 23:14 The Gulistan of Sa’di, Sheikh Muslihuddin Sa’di Shirazi, 1258, Chapter 1 Story 5
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ALLAH
: THE LORD OF ALL THE WORLDS
Alhamdulillah (all praise be to Allah), those who are Muslim know who Allah is. There is no doubt that many among them know a lot more about Him than just His name. There is also no doubt in the fact that many among Muslims do not know more than a few things about Allah and His Being. Being a Muslim, we should have as much knowledge and information about Allah as possible and which is necessary to remain faithful. At a minimum, Muslims should be able to explain and answer any question from non‐Muslims about Allah . I have skillfully compressed in this short booklet so much about our Lord, that a modern‐thinking mind can easily develop an understanding of His Existence and absolute Sovereignty. I hope that readers will enjoy reading it and will be inspired to further read other books that are more in‐depth. Since Allah is the Lord of all the Worlds, there is a lot to learn about Him. May Allah have mercy on all of His servants who strive to please Him and may He accept this short work as a token of service to Islam. May Allah elevate the status of my shuyūkh, mentors, teachers, and my father, in the Hereafter. I pray for continued good health and a longer life of His Eminence, Shaykh‐ul‐Islam wal Muslimīn, Hadhrat Allama Syed Mohammad Madni Ashrafi Jilani, under whose guardianship my family, friends, and I have had the opportunity to serve Islam. A’mīn!
Mohammad Masood Ahmed A humble servant in Islam
2 Dhul Hijjah 1434 AH / 7 October 2013 New York, USA
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IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST‐MERCIFUL, EVER‐FORGIVING
ALLAH
‘Allah’ is the name with which I begin this book and every other deed of my life. He is the Most‐Kind, Ever‐Merciful. All Muslims are obligated to do the same and should begin every good work with the name ‘Allah’. Allah is the personal name of our Lord and Creator. Since it is a proper noun and personal name, it should never be translated as ‘God’ or any other word or name. Yes, His attributive names can be translated for non‐Arabic speaking people to develop an understanding. However, it is still preferable to recite them in Arabic as much as possible. In this day and age, people throughout the world very well know the name Allah, thus in my opinion there is no justification to replace Allah with God in speech as well as in writing. Furthermore, it brings abundant blessings when anyone utters ‘Allah’. It surely brings peace to the heart and soul. With the ‘Kalima‐e‐Tayyibah’ which Hadhrat Adam saw written everywhere when, after his creation, he opened his eyes for the first time and in the teachings of our beloved holy Prophet Muhammad and the holy Qur’ān, we learned that Allah is the Personal Name of our Lord and the Lord and Creator of all the worlds and of everything in them. The first words of the holy Qur’ān, ‘Bismillah’ and also the Opening Chapter, Surah al‐Fātiha, begins with it—Alhamdulillah—is a witness to the fact that Allah is the personal name of the Lord and Creator. The name ‘Allah’ comprises of four letters in Arabic:
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= alif + lām
+ lām
+ hā
What is amazing is that if we drop ‘alif’ from ‘Allah’, what is left is the word ‘lillah’, which also means Allah (as used many times in the holy Qur’ān). Continuing, if we now drop the first ‘lām’, what remains is ‘lahū’ which also refers to Allah. Finally, if we then drop the second ‘lām’, the last letter remains meaning ‘hu’ and ‘hu’ is used for Allah throughout the holy Qur’ān. ‘Allah’ is the only name which has this linguistic and unique quality. Besides ‘Allah’, if you remove any alphabet from a word or name, the meaning would either change or perhaps no longer even be a word.5 We have also come to know from the holy Qur’ān the other names of Allah that reflect His attributes. They are called the Asma‐e‐Husna (Beautiful Names of Allah). Allah reveals in the holy Qur’ān,
And for Allah are all the Beautiful Names so call upon Him by those Names...6
These attributes are famously known as the 99 Names of Allah . With the Asma‐e‐Husna we come to acquire a better understanding of His Being and His relationship with His creations, particularly for us, the human beings. No matter how or how much one contemplates these names, he will find them to be beautiful and blessed. It is nearly impossible to comprehend the reality of Allah’s Being by concentrating on His Being alone, because we are His creation and are truly weak. We cannot see Him or even imagine His Being. Only through His ‘Asme‐e‐Husna’ does it become possible, to some extent, to comprehend His Being and His relationship with His creations. Through His Beautiful Names we attain His nearness; His importance for our existence and survival; our need of Him, spiritually as well as physically, etc. Overall, we come to know His Lordship over the heavens and the earth and whatever is in them. 5 6
Tafsir‐e‐Naimi, Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan Naimi (may Allah’s blessings be upon him). Al‐Qur’ān 7:180
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As it has been revealed, Allah commands us to call Him with His Beautiful Names. This means to invoke His Name, as a supplication, to fulfill a need, as a Dhikr‐e‐Ilâhī, to acquire peace of heart, to acquire special blessings and power. Or for any special need, we should call Him with His respective Name, based on the circumstances. He will surely help and fulfill our need. Be careful! Use utmost respect and be humble when calling His Name. Always include ‘Ya’ with His name, which is used “to summon or call”, for example, ‘Ya‐Rahman’, ‘Ya Rahim’, ‘Ya Karim’, ‘Ya Sattar’, ‘Ya Ghafur’, ‘Ya Qaviy’, ‘Ya Qadir’ and so on. It is narrated by Hadhrat Abu‐Huraira that, “Rasūlullah said, there are 99 Names of Allah, whoever memorizes them will enter Paradise. Allah is One and unique, that’s why He prefers odd number.”7 The following is the list of the 99 Asma‐e‐Husna with their transliteration and meaning (if you would like to recite all of the names in the proper order, please begin reading from right to left).
THE 99 ASMA-E-HUSNA
Ar‐Rahmano Allaho “Most Merciful” (The proper name of Allah)
As‐Salamo Al‐Qudduso Al‐Maliko Ar‐Raheemo “The Giver of Peace” “The holy One” “The Sovereign” “The Ever‐Merciful”
Al‐Jabbaro Al‐Azizo Al‐Mohaeemino Al‐Mo’mino “The Compeller” “The Unconquerable” “The Watcher” “The Peace‐Giver”
Al‐Musawwiro Al‐Baariyo’ Al‐Kha’liqo Al‐Mutakabbiro
“The Conformer” “The Nourisher” “The Creator” “The Majestic”
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Tirmidhi Sharif
17
Ar‐Razzaqo Al‐Wahhabo Al‐Qahhaaro Al‐Ghaffaaro
“The Sustainer” “Who Bestows Blessings” “The Wrathful” “The Forgiver”
Al‐Baasito Al‐Qaabizo Al‐Aleemo Al‐Fattaho
“The All‐Expander” “The Controller” “The All‐Knowing” “The Triumphant”
Al‐Mozillo Al‐Mo’izzo Ar‐Ra’fio Al‐Khafidho
“He Who Humiliates” “He Who Gives Honor” “He Who Uplifts” “He Who Humbles”
Al‐Adalo Al‐Hakamo Al‐Baseero As‐Sameeo “The Justice” “The Judge” “Who Sees Everything” “Who Hears Every Sound”
Al‐Azeemo Al‐Haleemo Al‐Khabiro Al‐Lateefo
“The Magnificent” “The Clement” “The All‐Aware” “The Affectionate”
Al‐Kabeero Al‐Aleeyyo Ash‐Shakooro Al‐Ghafooro
“The Greatest” “The Highest” “The Appreciative” “The Forgiver”
Al‐Jaleelo Al‐Haseebo Al‐Moqeeto Al‐Hafeezo
“The All‐Glorious” “The All‐Aware” “The Giver of Strength” “The Protector”
Al‐Wa’sio Al‐Mojeebo Ar‐Raqeebo Al‐Kareemo
“The Infinite” “The Answerer” “The Caretaker” “The Benevolent”
Al‐Ba’iso Al‐Majeedo Al‐Wadoodo Al‐Hakimo
“The Resurrector” “The Venerable” “The All‐Loving” “The All‐Wise”
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Al‐Qaweeyyo Al‐Wakeelo Al‐Haqqo Ash‐Shaheedo
“The Almighty” “The Provident” “The Truth” “The Omnipresent”
Al‐Mohsi Al‐Hameedo Al‐Waliyyo Al‐Mateeno
“The Reckoner” “The Praiseworthy” “The Patron Friend” “The Invincible”
Al‐Momeeto Al‐Mohyeeyo Al‐Moeedo Al‐Mubdeeo
“The Giver of Death” “The Giver of Life” “The Reviver” “The Originator”
Al‐Maajido Al‐Waajido Al‐Qayyoomo Al‐Hayyo
“The All‐Excellent” “The Finder” “The Self‐Sustainer” “The Everlasting”
Al‐Qa’diro As‐Samado Al‐Ahado Al‐Wa’hido “The All‐Able” “The Eternal” “The One” “The Unique”
Al‐Awwalo Al‐Mo’akhiro Al‐Muqaddimo Al‐Muqtadiro “The First” “The Delayer” “The Expediter” “The All‐Powerful”
Al‐Waali Al‐Baatino Az‐Za’hiro Al‐A’khiro “The Responsible” “The Hidden” “The Obvious” “The Last”
Al‐Muntaqimo At‐Tawwabo Al‐Barro Al‐Mota’ali “The Avenger” “The Forgiver” “The Goodness” “The Far Above”
Malikul‐Mulkay Ar‐Raoofo Al‐Affuwwo “The Owner of Sovereignty” “The Compassionate” “The Pardoner”
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Al‐Muqsito Zul Jalali wal‐Ikram
“The Justice” “Majestic & Benevolent”
Al‐Mughniyo Al‐Ghanniyo Al‐Ja’meo “The Enriched” “The Self‐Sufficient” “The Assembler” An‐Nafio’ Ad‐daarro Al‐Maanio’ “The Perpetuous” “The Distresser” “The Preventer” Al‐Badee’o Al‐Haadi An‐Nooro “The Incomparable” “The Guidance” “The Light” Al‐Wariso Al‐Ba’qiyo
“The Supreme Inheritor” “The Everlasting”
As‐Sabooro Ar‐Rasheedo
“The Patient” “The Guide to the Right Path”
ISME‐AZAM Isme‐Azam means “the greatest and most powerful name”. One name among the Asma‐e‐Husna is the greatest and most‐powerful name of all. Only those who are fortunate come to know it and whoever knows it, his/her supplication is always accepted when invoking this Isme‐Azam. It is narrated by Hadhrat Asma bint Yazid that Rasūlullah stated, “Allah’s Isme‐Azam is present in these two verses:
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And the lord of you people is one Lord. There is no deity but He, the Most-Compassionate, Ever-Merciful.8
Alif Laam Meem. Allah, there is no deity except Him, the Eternally Alive, Sustainer of all.9 ”
BISMILLAH (IN THE NAME OF ALLAH
)
(Bismillah) is the abbreviation of
BISMILLAH HIR‐RAHMA NIR‐RAHIM “IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST‐MERCIFUL, EVER‐FORGIVING”
Reciting the name “Allah” brings many blessings and every good deed that follows it always ends in good and as expected and brings success. This is one reason why Muslims are directed in the Qur’ān and in the Sunnah to commence every good deed with . When Allah’s name is invoked, Shaytân and his evil’s interference in our work is rendered powerless, otherwise, Shaytân turns our works into failures or, at least, we do not receive the expected blessings. Bismillah is such a blessed and necessary call that the holy Qur’ān, the Living Word and Speech of Allah, begins with it. Except for Surah at‐Tauba, the remaining 113 Qur’ānic surahs commence with . It has been narrated that every blessing and wisdom of the previous holy Books has been included in the final holy book, Qur’ān, and the entire Qur’ān’s knowledge and wisdom is within its first chapter, Surah al‐Fātiha, and the secrets of al‐Fātiha are hidden in the . It is also said that the mysteries within the are all in its initial letter ‘Bā’. To show the exalted status of Hadhrat Ali ibn Abi Talib , the son‐in‐law 8 9
Al‐Qur’ān 2:163 Al‐Qur’ān 3:1‐2
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and cousin of our beloved Prophet Muhammad , he states, “…and I am the dot in the letter ‘Bâ’ in “Bismillah”. Certainly, to know the wisdom behind this saying requires deeper knowledge and wisdom. Regarding this, let me quote a hadith of the Prophet in which he states, “I am the city of knowledge and Ali is the gate of this city.” Now, Hadhrat Ali refers himself to be the dot under the ‘Bâ’ and the Prophet calls him the gate of his knowledge. When it is so difficult to know what it means to be a dot, imagine how difficult it would be to know what is contained in the ‘Bâ’ itself, let alone the depths of the entire ‘Bismillah’. For the common Muslim, simply reciting the carries immense reward, imagine what blessings await those who wish to dive into the depths of the ocean of its wisdom. Once there, they shall come to the nūr and guidance of TRUTH. Any deed that commences in the Name of Allah will not end in failure or be absent of divine blessings and bounties. However, only sinful acts and haram/forbidden deeds must not begin with . According to a hadīth of our beloved Prophet , “Muslims should begin every activity with , even if closing a door, say the name of Allah, turning off the lights, say the name of Allah, when covering over the pots, say .” This practice removes hardships and brings peace, is not recited before completion and satisfaction.” It is said that “If beginning to eat food, Shaytān, at once, joins to share the food but as soon as is said, the Lord’s blessings return and Shaytān is forced away.” Allah swears and says, “I will bless anything upon which the has been recited.”10 As stated, is the abbreviated version of . It is nothing but full of blessings. However, the latter part of Bismillah is left out when performing zibah (Islamically‐sanctioned slaughtering of an animal), because here mercy is not to be shown. It would be impossible to kill an animal while invoking Allah’s mercy; therefore, that part of Bismillah is left out. Why Surah at‐Tauba does not begin with Bismillah has much wisdom behind it. Here, I shall briefly state that this Surah is very 10
Hadith‐e‐Qudsi
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burdensome upon the disbelievers, because in it Allah and His Rasūl terminate the covenant with the infidels due to their treachery. So, how could Allah begin this Surah while invoking His mercy? And certainly terminating a covenant is not a gesture of kindness or mercy. Let me conclude here by telling you that it has also been narrated that the entire Bismillah contains within it, the Isme‐Azam, the greatest name of Allah . So before I continue any further about Allah, I (and you too) shall commence by saying . May Allah increase our knowledge and bless us all in this world and in the world Hereafter.
ALLAH’S ETERNAL EXISTENCE Though the human is an exceptionally intelligent and capable creation of Allah , it is a fact that for a very good reason Allah has kept Himself invisible to the human eye and understanding. Man cannot, in any way and through the use of any scientific resource and power comprehend Allah , let alone see Him in person. His Existence and Being is Eternal; He was always there and always will be. It is so whether we understand it or not, believe it or not. What we have learned about Allah from the prophets is sufficient and satisfactory to bring faith upon His Being and Existence. Allah is no longer a mystery and what we know of His creativity makes perfect sense. He is our Lord, the Creator and not a creation of our making. He is beyond all that which we can think of. There is eternal loss in denying Him and in believing Him the reward is eternal success. No eye reaches Him and no mind can visualize His Being. As noted earlier that only with knowing His attributes can we gain enough knowledge to have some idea about Him. A very famous Hadith‐e‐Qudsi11 regarding Allah’s existence states, I was a Treasure unknown then I desired to be known so I created a creation to which I made Myself known; then they knew Me.
11
Hadīth‐e‐Qūdsi is Allah’s Word revealed directly to the Prophet, who then transmitted them to his Companions in his own words. When the Prophet informed his Companions of a Hadīth‐e‐Qūdsi, he told them to keep it separate from the Qur’an and from his hadīth. He specifically related to his Companions that the Hadīth‐e‐Qüdsi is direct inspiration from the Almighty and I convey it to you in my words.
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How He was a hidden treasure, we can never know and there is no need for us to know that for anything even to fulfill our purpose of life. We do know what happened after He stated this because He informed us of it: after He willed to be known He created everyone and everything. According to another hadith, “Allah first created the nūr (light, radiance) of His beloved Prophet Muhammad from His Nūr and then from that nūr He created all other creations. I conclude this particular discussion here and return to the original subject matter. Allah reveals in the Qur’ān, “Whenever He wills something, He just commands it to ‘Be’ and it becomes.”12 This is His power of Creation. No one can say for sure how many millions or billions of years ago Allah issued His first command, ‘Be’. And so it is our belief that Allah was always there even before the advent of time, and Allah will still be there when ‘time’ will cease to exist. At another place, Allah states, “Ultimately, We will be the Inheritor of everything”13, meaning that when all the temporary supposed owners and lords of this world will cease and the Day of Judgment will commence, Allah will be the sole Inheritor of everything. Allah’s existence is from ever and to forever, and beyond that, our inquiry about His existence is unnecessary and counterproductive. Our duty is simple: find out our life’s purpose, figure out how best to fulfill it, and be hopeful of ultimate success in the Hereafter.
HOW CAN WE PERCEIVE ALLAH
?
Allah’s Being is beyond our perception and comprehension, nor can we see Him with our naked eyes, but yes, we can somewhat understand Him through His attributes, Asma‐ul‐Husna. But surely, the greatest reward for the mominīn (righteous believers) on the Day of Judgment is that Allah will show Himself to them and surely the greatest punishment for the kuffar (disbelievers) will be that they will not get to see Him. That is why having faith in the Unseen, in this life, is essential and worthwhile. 12
Al‐Qur’ān 3:47 Al‐Qur’ān 19:40
13
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In his earthly life, Hadhrat Musa wished and beseeched to see Allah . Allah said, “You cannot see Me, but yes, if after I project My Splendor on Mount Tūr and it remains intact, then you shall see Me. Allah then reflected His Splendor on Mount Tūr, and it exploded into dust. Hadhrat Musa fell unconscious and was unable to see Allah .14 It is widely known that only our beloved Prophet Muhammad saw Allah, with his physical eyes during his earthly life. It was during the night journey of Isra wal Mir’āj15, as revealed in the holy Qur’ān, when the Prophet came near Allah and the distance between him and Allah was of only two bows16, at that point Allah granted him His vision. However, to not completely deprive us of an understanding of His Being, Allah reveals:
Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. A likeness of His Light is a niche in which there is a lamp, the lamp is within a glass, the glass is like a pearly star that is lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree—neither of the East nor of the West—its oil is ready to glow though no fire touches it. Light upon light; Allah guides to His Light whom He chooses. And Allah sets forth examples for the people. And Allah is aware of every existing [creature].17 14
Al‐Qur’ān 7:143 Al‐Qur’ān 17:1 16 Al‐Qur’ān 53:9 17 Al‐Qur’ān 24:35 15
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It was upon the fitrat of Allah on which men were created.18
Another thing to be remembered is that Allah “wanted to be known so He created the creations. In these signs there is a delicate point and wisdom to be paid attention to, which is that Allah willed to be known through His creations and the first creation was the Nūr of Muhammad . Since the first is always the best and most dignified, then, it can be said that if we recognize, concentrate and contemplate the uniqueness of Muhammad and then focus on the existence and creation of mankind and all other creatures in the universe, we can acquire an understanding of Allah. Thus, the key to Allah’s māʿrifah (recognition/ realization), is to have faith in and know the Prophet Muhammad . This is the only way we can attain His māʿrifah. No other philosophical, scientific, or non‐scientific power and resource can make us understand Allah’s Being or make us see Him. Just because He is invisible does not mean that He does not exist, as many people contend, due to the inability of humans to see Him. There are many things that cannot be seen but are quite visible to a sound mind and are believed by our power of reasoning to exist. In fact, when we choose to deny such invisible realities, we render ourselves unjust and unreasonable in the eyes of our peers. The beloved Prophet puts it very simply in few words: Whosoever knows himself knows his Lord.
As far as the relationship between us and Allah is concerned, what has been revealed to us through Allah’s Attributes and the holy Qur’ān suffices. There is more than enough knowledge available to us to con‐ template, understand and make sense of His Being. We could be granted the longest life, yet it would be insufficient to know Him completely, and one can only know Him as much as He has revealed Himself to us. My best advice to you, if you really love to see Him, then prepare yourself for Judgment Day and make yourself worthy of it, Insha’Allah it will happen. 18
Al‐Qur’ān 30:30
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Allah has helped us to understand who He is. Allah reveals to us that He is “Rahmān” and we need His Kindness; He is “Rahīm” and we need His Mercy; He is Rabbil‐A’lamin because He is the Sole Creator of everything. Allah sustains everything, gives life and causes death. He is the “Mālikī Yaumid‐Din” (Owner of Judgment Day), in which divine justice will be served and rewards and punishments will be handed out to all. He also revealed that He is “al‐Wadūd” because He loves us and we need His love; He is “Al‐Ghafur” (The Forgiver) and we are in need of His forgiveness; and He is Allah and there is no other ilâh (god), so all praise is for Him. We must only worship Him and not commit kufr and shirk and not deny His Signs, His Verses, His Messengers, His beloved and our well‐ wisher: Prophet Muhammad . Allah furthermore informs us: Whenever you ask of Me, I am near. Whenever you invoke My Name, I respond. Whenever you make dua, I accept. Whenever you ask for help, I provide. Whenever you turn to repentance, I forgive. Whenever you do my dhikr, I bring peace and contentment to your heart and comfort to your soul, so call me with My Asma‐e‐Husna.
TAUHĪD (ONENESS OF ALLAH
)
Upon the departure of Hadhrat Adam and Hawwa from the Garden of Heaven, Allah declared that,
For you is to abide on Earth for a temporary but fixed period of time, and My Guidance will come to you periodically, so whoever follows it will be admitted into Heaven and whoever denies it, I shall fill Hell with them.19 19
Al Qur’ān 2:38‐39
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Tauhīd (the Oneness of Allah) that is “there is no god but Allah” is the essence of the guidance that came with Allah’s Prophets and Messengers. Each and every prophet taught their respective peoples not to associate anyone with Allah , in any way or form, either with His Being or with His Attributes. However, every ummah (community/nation) who preceded the Muslim Ummah eventually fell into shirk (polytheism/ idolatry). Since they were unable to see Allah and chose to deny their prophets, they erected false gods and statues of whatever they imagined. Some seeing unusual and miraculous powers of their respective prophets fell into shirk, calling them gods or sons of the Almighty Allah, and failed to understand the Oneness of Allah. Only the Muslims—as opposed to others to whom prophets had come—embraced the teaching of their Prophet Muhammad and to this day remain staunch believers of Allah’s tauhīd. They do not commit shirk against Allah, in any way. Even though they saw the Prophet Muhammad perform many miracles but did not associate him with Allah as His “son” or having any part in Allah’s Lordship. The Prophet Muhammad despised shirk, therefore, his followers too despise shirk. The most basic belief is that there is no god but Allah:
He is One, Allah; The Self-Sufficient; The Eternal God; He begets not, nor was He begotten; There is none equal to Him.20
He does not have a wife, son, or daughter. Hadhrat Isa and Hadhrat Uzair are not His sons, as Christians and Jews believe, respectively. A Muslim’s belief in tauhīd is clearly spelled out in the Kalimah‐e‐Tayyiba, Surah al‐Ikhlās, and throughout the holy Qur’ān and is Allah’s Beloved Sunnah. Every Muslim believes that Muhammad Messenger and not a partner in His actual Being, in any way.
20
Al Qur’an 112:1‐4
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Every scientific discovery, from antiquity to this day and age, and every other school of thought and wisdom, even when their so‐called “fathers” have used their know‐how to prove otherwise, have come to show that there is and can only be one truly powerful being that could have brought every “thing” into existence. If that is not the case, then, at least, they have yet to prove what the actual truth is. The discoveries, facts, and knowledge they have put forth point towards only one direction and matter of fact that the Creator/Lord is one and not more. For example, the harmonious universal system and sub‐systems orbiting around their specific axis for unknown time, their precise and cohesive movement, their relationship and dependency to each other, their centripetal and centrifugal force. The unity and universality of whatever we see with our naked eyes or with the help of microscope and telescope, within us or without, the configuration of every matter, its state of being, solids, liquids and gas’, on the earth or up in space; the laws of nature, as we have come to know them, are nothing but the work of a One and Only Lord, Allah. There is no ilâh (god) besides Him. The sheer unity in everything and in every matter clearly proves the absolute Oneness of Allah, one Creator and Maker. Allah’s existence is the universal Truth and He is the Ultimate Truth; denying this Truth is nothing but kufr, denial, and the punishment for not realizing and embracing that Truth is admission forever into the Hellfire. Hellfire is the ultimate destination of disbelievers; however, many painful implications of denying this Truth are faced in this lifetime too. Man has no choice but to embrace Allah and show his servitude and prostrate before Him. Not doing so, will cause him to commit shirk, bow before idol‐gods and other masters.
SHIRK Shirk, as per sharīʿa (Islamic law), is to attribute or associate in any way partners to Allah ; it is the opposite of tauhīd (the Oneness of Allah). Shirk is when someone or something is considered equal to Allah or is partnered with His Being and to believe that others are His partners in
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His absolute Sovereignty and Creativity. Most people who have yet to embrace Islam are guilty of shirk because they have refused to give up their “idol” worship or consider someone as Allah’s son or daughter and thus worship them. People who worship anyone or anything other than Allah are guilty of committing the grave sin of shirk. Allah has revealed that He will not forgive those guilty of shirk, He reveals, Without a doubt, shirk is nothing but the greatest transgression.21
I cannot stress enough that the sin of shirk will never be forgiven. The holy Qur’ān is filled with verses commanding people to refrain from shirk and to bring faith in the Tauhīd‐e‐Ilāhī (Oneness of Allah). Unfortunately, some illiterate and illogical Muslims are accusing traditional Sunni Muslims who belong to the “Ahle‐Sunnah wa Jamāʿh”; those who follow the Prophet’s and the example of the Sahaba (blessed Companions) of committing shirk. This accusation is now widespread and must be refuted and stopped. This began as a conspiracy to divide and weaken the Muslim Ummah and ultimately undermine Islam. However, Allah sends ‘revivers’ who re‐energize Islam and Muslims whenever such conspiracies rear their ugly head. Anyone who calls and considers a righteous Muslim a mushrik (doer of shirk) renders himself a disbeliever and is excommunicated from Islam. For the last 200 or so years this innovation (of labeling righteous Muslims as mushrik) in Islam has had disastrous results for many, many Muslims due to this false accusation have strayed from true guidance and have been destined to Hell. Those who eagerly and hastily jump to blame their brothers for committing shirk have yet to understand the true meaning of tauhīd and shirk, and the meaning of those centuries‐old true Islamic practices before labeling them mushrik. As said, shirk is the greatest transgression and its commission is impossible from anyone who has entered into Islam completely, let alone from those Muslims who are descendants of the Prophet and of his honorable Companions . 21
Al Qur’an 31:13
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Every Muslim believes and should believe that Allah is Alone in His Being. He alone is worthy of worship. He exists eternally and will exist for ever. He was not born from anyone and no one is born from Him. He is the Sole Creator of everyone and everything. He is the Sole Owner and Inheritor of everything. No one is His partner in anything and in any way. These beliefs are the foundation of tauhīd and anything or any belief against it, is shirk. Therefore, tauhīd is nothing else except what the basic belief of Muslims is about Him and as defined by the Prophet , “There is no fear of shirk from the Muslim Ummah, but of fighting for worldly gain.”22 The label of shirk on a Muslim is nothing but ignorance and a conspiracy against the Muslim Ummah. May Allah save us from all mischief‐makers and their mischief.
ONLY ALLAH
IS WORTHY OF WORSHIP
We have learned earlier from a Hadith‐e‐Qudsi that Allah was a hidden treasure; He willed to be known so He brought into existence all the creations. When it comes to the creation of man, Allah reveals in the holy Qur’ān that He created humans and jinn (fire‐creation) for nothing but to worship Him. Because He is the Lord and Creator of the Heavens and the Earth and everything in them including humans and the One and only Lord and Sustainer of every creature and is Almighty, Omnipotent, Omniscient, the All‐Powerful, the Most‐Kind, the Ever‐Merciful and is whatever He has informed us of through His Beautiful Names, therefore, He is the Only one deserving of worship. Every type of worship, weather it is that as prescribed by Him, His remembrance, His obeying, being Allah‐fearing, being grateful, showing love, or any other form of worship. Every form of worship is for Him alone. Worship is to show utmost humility and in worship the utmost form or gesture of humility is sujūd, falling into prostration. Sujūd is the best form of worship which gives proof of total submission; in which the entire
22
Bukhari Sharif
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physical body, heart, mind, and soul surrenders. This is why in Islam, sujūd is only for Allah and it is not permitted, in any which way, form or shape for anyone else. It is to be remembered that in sujūd, the Muslim believer, is closest to Allah, his Lord. Salāh is the obligatory form of worship, in which it is incumbent upon every Muslim, to do two sujüd in each rakâh. Through repetitive prostrations and by completely submitting to Allah , a Muslim becomes a humble servant and a person full of humility and meekness and after reaching perfection in his salâh becomes cleansed of pride, arrogance and conceit. At this stage, his ego burns off, he acquires self‐control and by attaining true servitude of his Lord, he becomes the master of his base self. When a believer gains full control of his inner desires and wishes, he is able to steer his soul in truth, which is one of the purposes of the overall worshipping process. With this the aʿbd (servant) purifies himself and becomes the best of all creation of his maʿbūd (Master). No Muslim in his right mind would or does prostrate before anyone is the only One worthy except Allah, since he clearly knows that Allah of worship. Worshipping anyone else besides or with Allah is again shirk. The commission of the sin of shirk will not be forgiven by Allah . Since the true purpose of human beings is to worship Allah , every one of us, specially Muslims, should be engaged in Allah ’s worship all the time. Besides the acts of worship that have been made fardh (compulsory) by Allah and His beloved Prophet Muhammad , we should perform all other deeds in accordance to the rules and regulations of Islamic sharīʿa and with the intent of pleasing Allah . By doing that we will be saved from violating the rules, sinful lifestyles and displeasing Allah ; only then will all of our deeds become acts of worship. Any activity that takes us away from Allah is an act of worship of things other than Allah and since Allah is the only One worthy of worship, we become guilty of the sin of shirk to the utmost extent where forgiveness becomes impossible.
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Any time spent in accumulating and hoarding material wealth, especially when being negligent to the rights of Allah ; longing for this worldly life, its assets and pleasures or indulging in family and children and what have you, against the set limits of Allah, His Prophet and the Din‐e‐Islam; striving to earn titles, fame, and power and forgetting the remembrance of Allah are all forms of worshipping people and things other than Allah . These are great violations and transgression in the sight of Allah . Believers may use the world and its resources just enough to fulfill their needs, but must spare most of their time in life for the purpose they have been created: worshipping Allah . Muslims who truly believe in Allah and the Last Day should, after fulfilling their obligatory duties of worship, spend time in remembering, praising and conveying salām upon the Prophet Muhammad . They should wish to and prepare to visit him in Madina Al‐Munawwarah and see the holy sites of Islam and pay their respects at the resting places of the Companions of the Prophet . They should teach their children the sacrifices of the Ahlul‐Bayt (the blessed household of the Prophet ) and how essential it is to love them and to emulate their life. They should obey and follow in the footsteps of Allah’s wali (friend) and other righteous servants of Islam. Such acts of remembering and praising Allah ’s beloved people are neither their worship nor an innovation in Islam. Showing love and reverence to the Prophet and others who are dear to Allah and doing what Allah does Himself, is part and parcel of the Islamic forms of Allah’s worship. Any act or deed that does not go cross the established boundaries of Islamic sharīʿa and that is committed with the intent to please Allah is His worship.23
ALLAH
LOVES US AND WE SHOULD LOVE HIM
Love is the most essential connection between Allah especially His love for humanity. 23
and His creations,
To better understand the broader meaning of worship in Islam, please refer to “Would You Like to Know Something About Islam?”
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When we voluntarily and selflessly give anything to others, it shows proof of our love for them and when we share an essential need with others because, at the time, they need it more than we do, it is proof of our sacrifice. No kind of sacrifice can be done without the presence of love. For example, people sacrifice their lives for their country; parents sacrifice their time, money and energy for their children; children too, sometimes, sacrifice their pleasures for the sake of their parents; friends sacrifice and risk their lives and properties for their friends; the rich sacrifice their wealth to better the lives of the poor and people of all walks of life strive for justice, truth and many times perish in their struggles. Since love and sacrifice go hand in hand, no matter how small a sacrifice it cannot be devoid of love. Obviously, there is no need for Allah to sacrifice anything for anyone because He is the Sole Owner of everything. His resources and wealth does not deplete by giving, therefore when He gives it’s not sacrifice. He gives to everyone and everything out of His Grace. His endless and abundant offering of Grace is voluntary and selfless and certainly such compassion and beneficence is not possible without love for His creatures. It is natural for anyone to love his creativity and what he has created, so how is it possible that the One Who created every‐ thing, even the inherent nature of His creatures, would not love His Own creations. When we contemplate, observe and analyze a work of art, we see in it the unique perfection, beauty and workmanship of its artist, and we do not fail to see the fact that no art is perfected without the deep love of its artist for his works. We were in the state of nothingness when Allah created us and brought us alive with the Rūh (Command) from Him. Not only that He created us but ranked us the Best of all Creations. He created us in His Own image and in the best form and manner possible. He guided us to the Right Path by sending His Prophets, Messengers, and Books to us and bestowed to us rewards and punishments for our good deeds and mis‐ deeds, respectively. He created the Universal system and everything in it and made it subservient to us. He gave us knowledge, wisdom, intellect,
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power to choose and act upon our choices. He bestowed on us limitless bounties. Even though we have fallen from our exalted status, He continues to provide us the necessary sustenance. Even though we disobey Him, He continues to forgive and give us leave. We sow mischief on His earth, yet He does not destroy us completely and gives us chances after chances until the Decisive Hour. Whenever He punishes us for our sins with calamities, diseases, disasters and other losses, it is not out of some kind of revenge but so that we may cleanse ourselves and/or to give us another chance to repent. How can all this be without His Love for us? “Al‐Wadūd” is one of His attributes which means “the Most‐Loving”. Who can love us more than our Most‐Sublime Lord, the Most‐Loving, Allah ? Another example of His love to us is that in the holy Qur’ān, right from its very beginning, He introduces Himself as “Ar‐Rahmān” (the Most Kind) and “Ar‐Rahīm” (the Ever‐Merciful). Kindness and Mercy are two qualities that must be accompanied with love; in fact, they are born out of it. At another place in the holy Qur’ān it is stated, “What will Allah gain by punishing you...?”24 This means that even the punishment(s) we receive is to our benefit, so that if we repent for our sins and wrongdoings, we will be guided and ultimately become successful. Moreover, when we are born to our parents, we critically require their love and affection, so Allah fills with love the hearts of our parents and other relatives and they begin to care for us. Among the many ahadīth of the Prophet in this regard, one reads, “Allah’s love for us is more than 70 times compared to the love of our mother.”25 Allah is not indebted to us in any way, yet He grants us many bounties and blessings. This is all due to nothing but His love and Grace for us. Due to this compassion and mercy, we ought to be grateful to Him, be strictly obedient to Him, worship Him alone and love Him to the best of our ability. We must fear Him, fear from His displeasure, fear being ungrateful to Him. We must not only fear His Wrath but fear losing His love, because a true lover never displeases whom he loves. Among the 24
Al Qur’ān 4:147 Bukhari Sharif
25
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many ways to show our love for Allah , one is to love those who are loved by Him. Allah loves His Prophet Muhammad the most, and then come the rest of creations. Having unconditional love for the holy Prophet Muhammad and his Ahlul‐Bayt guarantees that you love and fear Allah . And having love for the Prophet ’s Companions, the AwliyaAllah, righteous scholars of Islam, parents, Muslim brothers and sisters, all other people, animals and all of Allah’s creatures is proof of Allah’s love in you. Reciting the holy Qur’ān, the Living Word and Speech of Allah, on a daily basis is another proof of Allah’s love. There is no need for Allah to sacrifice anything to love His creations; in fact it is we who need to sacrifice to show that we love Him the most. Our life is a test in which we must prove how we fare in Allah’s pleasure and love. Recall how the honorable Ibrahim agreed at once to sacrifice his son at Allah’s command. This was so that Allah may see and prove to us how much Ibrahim loved Allah . Also see and learn a lesson how the honorable Ismail agreed with his father, Ibrahim , to be sacrificed for Allah ’s sake. Remind yourselves of all the monetary and material sacrifices and sacrifices of life and of loved ones that the Companions of the Prophet lived through. Take into consideration all the pain, hardship and sufferings our beloved Prophet to us. And how Muhammad bore to bring the Message of Allah can any Muslim ignore and not feel sorrow at the indiscriminate killings of the family of our beloved Prophet in Karbala. This was the sacrifice of the Prophet’s grandson, Hadhrat Imam Husayn and his family. To this very day, virtuous Muslims make all kinds of sacrifices in Allah’s Way. All this could never be possible without the love of Allah and the love of those whom Allah loves. Following and obeying Allah’s command‐ ments and following the example of Rasūlullah is the only way to show and prove our love for both Allah and His beloved . A hollow claim of love for Allah and Rasülullah, without strict obedience to their call, is nothing but a lie and hypocrisy. May Allah fill our hearts with His true love and the love of His beloved Prophet .
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THE RIGHTS OF ALLAH For being the best creation of Allah and claiming to be His servants, we have obligations put upon us by our Lord that must be fulfilled. There are two types of compulsory duties upon us, one is for Allah and the other is for the people. They are also referred to as being Huqūqullah (the Rights of Allah) and Huqūqul‐Ibād (the Rights of People). Here, I will talk only about the Rights of Allah . The most impor‐ tant thing to note here is that the ‘Rights of Allah’ are directly related to īmān, faith, and fulfilling His right(s) brings no benefit to Him. Rather, only we are benefitted when we properly make good on His rights. A right is usually granted because of some need and among all the needs having basic rights is the greatest need. A person, once he has born into this world, needs to live, so the right to life is one of the basic human rights, thus no one is allowed to take his life for unjust reasons and relative to this need/right there are other rights of this human person. However, in the case of Allah , He is free from any type of need because He is the Lord, Owner, Sustainer and Creator of everything. He is Self‐Sufficient and it is we who are needy.26 Therefore, He is not in need of anything so the right of Allah is not because of any need of His. This is the main difference in the rights of humans and the rights of Allah . As said, fulfilling the rights of Allah only benefits us. If and when people do not fulfill Allah’s rights, they do not harm Allah in any way nor can they negatively impact His Being or His absolute Sovereignty. Fulfilling the ‘Rights of Allah’ brings to us the good of this world and the ultimate success of the Hereafter. Allah’s rights are, in fact, duties and obligations for us to bear so that we may attain salvation. Allah and His beloved Prophet Muhammad categorized those duties/obligations as ‘Rights of Allah’ to emphasize their importance for our ultimate success. Therefore, anyone who ignores the rights of Allah and subsequently the rights of others will find nothing for themselves on the Day of Judgment but eternal punishment in Hell. In this context, the words rights and duties will be used interchangeably. 26
Al Qur’an 47:38
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RECOGNIZING ALLAH
Since Allah is the Owner, Creator, Lord, Sustainer and the Inheritor of everything, it is His right and our duty to recognize Him as such. Even though there is no doubt, and with the advancement of science and technology and with other faculties of knowledge, it has become clearly evident that there is some supreme power/source that has created the Universe and is operating it, in its entirety, as well as individually its every component. Besides it being quite obvious, we still must formally recognize and declare the existence of Allah . To be a Muslim, it is incumbent to bring faith by saying it verbally and certifying by heart that
La ilāha illallāh Muhammadur RasūlAllah There is no god except Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
If we choose to deny the existence of Allah after witnessing all the evidence of Allah ’s creativity in our surrounding, it means that we are willfully ignoring His right to be recognized. Certainly, then we deserve to be punished severely because you are stubbornly choosing to not realize the very obvious and ultimate truth. What we know today through our understanding of every critical science and common sense is not only that only one supreme source exists but that had there been more than one maker or an entire council of gods/goddesses, the harmonious systems of the universe would have collapsed due to in‐fighting. Every new discovery and wisdom behind each creature’s existence points to one supreme power source and that there is and can only be one Allah . More than one god would be like a vehicle with two independent steering wheels. I just can’t imagine this vehicle reaching its intended destination in one piece. At least one driver would have to give in and anyone who gives in cannot be a god. Therefore, more than one god for this Universe would be disastrous. This is the essence of Islam and another right of Allah that He does not have an
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equal partner, in any way shape or form. Not recognizing His Oneness and associating partners with Him is the greatest sin, because this is the greatest lie and complete disregard of His Being as One and Only.
WORSHIPPING ALLAH
Now, since we have no choice but to recognize His Existence and His Oneness, the most important among His rights and our duty is to worship Him and no one else alongside Him or besides Him. Since Allah is the Sovereign, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Lord, Sustainer, All‐Powerful, All‐ Knowledgeable then He is the Only One deserving of our worship. It is His right to be worshipped, but when people worship idols just because they saw their forefathers do it and they are carrying on the tradition or worship made‐up gods and goddesses or consider a holy person to be Allah’s son or daughter and worship them, then they are guilty of transgression against Allah . This open rebelliousness is, according to Islam, the greatest sin of shirk/kufr and such mushrikīn and kuffār will not be eligible for forgiveness and whose punishment will be eternal. Gardens of Bliss for recognizing and worshipping Allah and capital punishment for capital sins…that is the justice of Allah !
FEARING ALLAH
Many times the act of obeying and following orders is due to fear. If I do not obey my boss, he will fire me. If I do not follow as commanded by someone pointing a gun at me, clearly you know what will happen. is to be feared because Similarly, we must recognize that only Allah He is All‐Powerful and nothing can happen without His permission and Knowledge and He controls everything. Therefore, it is Allah’s right to fear Him. No one else is worthy to be feared. No bullet or boss can harm without Allah’s permission. Fear causes obedience and when we fulfill this right of His, we will not disobey Him, and if we have fears of others, we will not care to obey Him. Fearing Him makes us strong against everything that might harm us, and having fear of other than Allah makes us weak in faith and in every‐
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thing else. This is exactly the problem of those who claim to recognize him as Lord but do not fear Him, for one reason or another, therefore, their obedience to Him is non‐existent. We as people, including Muslims, fear everything else besides Allah and act according to what our fears dictate to us. Many times we become too proud and arrogant because of power and material resources at our disposal thus we become fearless of Allah. It is said that the fear of Allah vanishes first from within and then one begins to commit sin(s). I pray to Allah to, at least, keep Muslims, to be ‘Allah‐fearing’. True courage and bravery is in one who fears no one but Allah . Allah’s fear makes His servant most courageous by removing all other fears from his heart. Allah is the only one Who gives death, causes and cures illnesses, brings poverty and prosperity, gives dignity and humiliates, etc. Thus, only He is to be feared, that is His right. Even the most beloved ones were never fearless of Him. The more Allah‐fearing we become the nearer we get to our Lord, Allah .
SEEKING THE FORGIVENESS OF ALLAH
It is Allah’s right that we may turn in repentance to Him alone, because only He has the power to forgive. People whose rights were usurped will be granted the power to forgive their oppressors but ultimate forgiveness and salvation only comes from Allah. Yes, the act of interceding is and will be granted by Allah to only the rewarded ones and our Prophet Muhammad will be honored with “Maqām‐e‐Mehmūd” from where He will intercede on our behalf. The Owner of the Judgment Day is Allah and no one will be able to say or do anything without His permission. This Day, the kuffār and mushrikīn and other losers will not be given any honor, let alone the honor to intercede; instead they will be humiliated and tormented.
SUPPLICATING TO ALLAH
It is Allah’s right that each and every one of us supplicate to Him alone.
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Making du’a (supplication) to Him and beseeching Him is to worship Him, too. He has promised us, His servants, that He will accept our supplications and has instructed us to only turn to Him for fulfilling our needs. Our parents give birth to us, only when Allah wills it. Doctors and medicines cure us, only when Allah wills it. Books and professors teach us knowledge but we come to understand only when Allah wills it. We find sustenance through physical means, only when Allah wills it. We die through various means, only when Allah wills it. For everything there is a wasīla (vessel, means, connection); thus, to seek a wasīla is not a sin, let alone shirk, as some ignorant Muslims believe. Those who consider going through proper channels a sin (or shirk) should have been born without the wasīla of their parents, should never take medicine or go to the doctor, should never go to work to earn a living, etc. Seeking wasīla through salāh and patience is sanctioned by the holy Quran.27 Certainly, both salāh and patience are the ghayr of Allah (apart from Allah). So making someone or something a wasīla for the acceptance of our dua is not a sin or unlawful, as long as we know and believe that Allah is the Ultimate Giver and Provider of our needs.
BEING GRATEFUL TO ALLAH
We must be ever‐grateful to Allah. It is His right because it is through Him and His will that we have received everything in this life. Even when we ask others and receive from them, it is He Who makes it possible for others to give and for us to receive, thus, ultimate thanks and gratitude goes to Him and Him Alone. A beautiful hadith of our beloved Prophet states, “One who is not grateful to people can never be grateful to Allah .” Some ways to be grateful to Allah are to: 1) Recognize His bounties and blessings 2) Invoke Him in times of duress and in times of peace 3) Help those in need and last but certainly not least 4) Promote Islam, the way of life of His most beloved Prophet Muhammad . 27
Al Qur’an 5:35
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Be grateful to Allah , not out of choice but out of necessity for being grateful is a duty upon the believers. Those who may not have anything to thank Allah for, must thank Him more than those who have, because for the poor Allah states as per a Hadith‐e‐Qudsi: On the Day of Judgment Allah will say, “Bring my beloved people close to Me”. The angels will say, “Who are your beloved people?” Allah will say, “Those Muslims who were destitute.” The angels will bring them closer to Allah and Allah will say to them,” I did not prevent you from the (pleasures) of the (earthly) life because you were undignified in My sight, rather, because of it (poverty), I wanted to give you a warm welcome. Today, ask for anything you wish from Me.” Thereafter, compared to other (forgiven) rich folks, they will be sent to Heaven forty years in advance.28
Those who are not grateful to Allah and overlook His favors yet enjoy every bit of life and its pleasures, usurp the right of Allah to be thanked. Just this sin is enough for Allah to place them into Hell forever. Allah states in the holy Quran:
So do My dhikr, I will make you known; and be grateful to Me, and do not be ungrateful of the Bounties. 29
RIGHT TO DO DHIKR, REMEMBRANCE AND PRAISE Remembrance and praise is due to Allah. This right of Allah is our greatest duty, but since this is a part of the overall process of worship, it comes under the worshipping category of rights and is a greater part of loving Allah . Dhikr of Allah plays an important role in the worshipping and thanking process and every creature of Allah does His dhikr in their own unique ways, so let’s talk about it a bit.
THE DIKHR (REMEMBRANCE) OF ALLAH
The obligatory and prescribed forms of worship: declaration of kalimah tauhīd, salāh, saum, zakāh, and Hajj are performed at their prescribed 28
Abu al‐Shaikh an‐Anas Al‐Qur’an 2:152
29
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times, but the Dhikr of Allah can be done anytime, anywhere and in any quantity. Dhikr has no specific order or style and can be performed any which way. Dhikr is an act of worship that brings much peace to the heart and peace of heart is greatly needed by each and every person. We, as people, have almost everything of this world but most of us, except the AwliyaAllah (friends of Allah) and some muʿminīn (righteous believers), are missing the most important ingredient of life: peace of heart. Allah states:
…Remember! By Allah’s remembrance do hearts find contentment.30
Or we can say that one finds peace in his/her heart through Allah’s remembrance and without it peoples’ lives remain chaotic. Good and proper food nourishes the body and makes it healthy; similarly, the Dhikr‐e‐Ilāhī is sustenance of the heart and soul. Dhikr strengthens it and provides peace, tranquility and contentment. If the inner heart is strong, defeating Shaytân and ill‐desires becomes easy and then a believer easily achieves piety. A pious believer’s heart becomes the abode of Allah . Today, many people have abundant amounts of wealth, prestigious titles and fame, power and status, servants and followers, luxuries and comfort, but what they do not have is the peace of heart because they are far away from the remembrance of Allah. Whereas, there are those who do not have enough and often nothing of the world, yet they are happy, content, patient, peaceful, and grateful because they have the peace of heart due to engaging in Dhikr‐e‐Ilāhī. It is common for Muslims to recite the best Dhikr of Allah : the ‘Kalimah‐e‐Tauhīd’:
La ilāha illallāh Muhammadur RasūlAllah There is no god except Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
30
Al‐Qur’an 13:28
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As mentioned earlier, whether you recite the name “Allah”, “Allahu” or abbreviate it to say, “lillah”, “lahū”, or “hū”, it is the same as saying the entire personal name of our Lord and Master, Allah . Sufis and saints constantly repeat the name “Allah” to the point that their heart continues to say it even in their sleep. Even when engaged in other life activities, their heart remains ever‐engaged in Dhikr‐e‐Ilāhī. This is a truly elevated status of a believer that his/her qalb (inner heart) becomes the dhākir (doer of dhikr), and that is when the heart becomes the Arsh‐e‐ Ilāhī, “the Throne of Allah ”. May Allah make us the best dhākir and keep us all under His Mercy and Kindness.
WHAT ALLAH
STATES ABOUT HIMSELF
The holy Qur’ān is the Living Word and Speech of Allah. Even many non‐ Muslims have confirmed this fact or have been unable to deny it. And many who attempted to discredit it ended up embracing its divine status and surrendered to its authority. They saw the light of wisdom and became devout followers of the Prophet Muhammad . Allah reveals many mysteries about Himself in the holy Qur’ān. Allah begins the holy Qur’ān with His holy Name, “Allah” and two of His most essential attributes: the Most‐Kind, the Ever‐Merciful. All the praise is for Allah (Al‐ Qur’ān 1:1). This means that the praise of everyone is for Allah, that whenever someone praises anything or anyone it is ultimately the praise of Allah , because Allah is the Creator of everything. Everything, in itself, is nothing and it is only something because Allah fashioned it and that is why every gesture of praise is for Allah . Allah is Rabbil ālamīn meaning “Lord of all the Worlds” (Al‐ Qur’ān 1:1). Allah is the Lord, Owner and Sovereign of all the worlds. He is the Rab (Lord) of this world, even when it was non‐existing, He was its Rab, and then brought it into its current form. He is the Rab of the physical universe, the spiritual world, the world of souls, the world Hereafter, the worlds that are hidden and unseen, invisible to the human eye, imagination or feeling and of many more kingdoms which we could never know unless He informs us of them.
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Allah prefers to be called “Rab” (Al‐ Qur’ān 1:1). This is why from the very beginning of the holy Qur’ān, Allah states, “I am the Rab.” This term encapsulates His other attributes, such as: Creator, Sustainer, Owner, Inheritor, Protector, Sovereign and countless more. Allah taught us how to supplicate to Him and whenever He dictates a dua of His Prophets/Messengers or their people, it always begins with the term ‘Rab’, ‘Rabbana’, ‘Rabbuka’, ‘Rabbayhi’, ‘Rabbi’, and words similar to it appear about eight‐hundred seven times.31 So we should invoke him with His Asma‐e‐Husna and with Rab. This way, we give proof of our humility and concede that our reality compared to Him is nothing and that we are just a weak creation before Him. Imploring and beseeching Him with His holy attributes reflects our natural weakness and poverty and our helplessness. By this, we invoke Allah’s Mercy and Grace and He opens wide the gates of His treasures and accepts our prayers. Allah is Ar‐Rahmān and Ar‐Rahīm (Al‐ Qur’ān 1:2). We learned that all the Beautiful Names belong to Him and we should call Him with His Asma‐ul‐Husna, but it is not without cause that He first introduced Himself with His attributes, Ar‐Rahmān, the Most‐Kind and Ar‐Rahīm, the Ever‐Merciful. He is aware that we, initially, require His mercy and compassion. Throughout the holy Qur’ān, He refers to Himself with His Attributes and we should familiarize ourselves with them. Allah is the Owner of Judgment Day (Al‐ Qur’ān 1:3). Even though Allah is the Owner of everything but at the outset of the Qur’ān, He declares His Ownership of the Judgment Day, to remind us of the importance of that Day, because our ultimate fate will be decided in it with justice. And on that Day, there will be no other owner, as people used to be in their previous worldly life. Allah is and will be the Sole Owner of Yaumul‐Qiyamah. It is Allah Who seals the hearts of those who earn lifelong kufr (disbelief) (Al‐ Qur’ān 2:6‐7). It is Allah Who let the hypocrites progress in the disease of hypo‐ crisy which they already have in their heart (Al‐ Qur’ān 2:10). It is Allah Who humiliates the hypocrites and lets them lose so that they may roam about in their transgression (Al‐ Qur’ān 2:15).
31
Tahfim‐ul‐Hayat Series ‘Ruh’ by Abu Sarah bin Muhammad
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It is Allah Who directly commands people not to associate partners to Him (Al‐ Qur’ān 2:22). It is Allah Who does not consider it shameful to use the metaphor of a gnat or even of a lesser thing (Al‐ Qur’ān 2:26). Allah is the One Who created everything for you, whatever there is in the Earth, and formed seven heavens (Al‐Qur’ān 2:29). Allah
is the Knower of all things knowable (Al‐Qur’ān 2:29).
Allah
is the One Who gave you life when you were lifeless (nothing)
(Al‐Qur’ān 2:28).
Allah issued the command for angels to prostrate before Adam (Al‐Qur’ān 2:30). Allah
taught Adam all the names of everything (Al‐Qur’ān 2:31).
Allah let Adam and Hawwa to live and eat in/from Heaven and prohibited them to go near a tree (Al‐Qur’ān 2:35). Allah commanded Adam and Hawwa because of their mistake to leave the Heaven and go to Earth to live there for a temporary but fixed period (Al‐Qur’ān 2:38). Allah commanded Bani‐Isrā’īl (and all the others) to be fearful of Him (Al‐Qur’ān 2:40). Without a doubt, Allah Forgiving (Al‐Qur’ān 2:54).
is the Acceptor of Repentance, the Ever‐
Allah
sent down for Bani‐Isrā’īl mann and salwa (Al‐Qur’ān 2:57).
Allah 2:61).
branded the Bani‐Isrā’īl with disgrace and poverty (Al‐Qur’ān
Allah commanded the transgressors from Bani‐Isrā’īl to ‘be monkeys, disgraced’ (Al‐Qur’ān 2:65). Allah makes the dead alive and shows you His Signs, so that now you may employ intellect (Al‐Qur’ān 2:73). Without a doubt, Allah knows all what people conceal and all that they reveal (Al‐Qur’ān 2:77). Allah commanded Bani‐Isrā’īl not to worship anyone besides Allah and do good to parents (Al‐Qur’ān 2:83). Allah gave Musa the Book and after him, consecutively sent many prophets, and We gave Isa son of Maryam manifest signs (Al‐Qur’ān 2:87).
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Allah
is the knower of those who commit oppression (Al‐Qur’ān 2:95).
Allah
is the enemy of those who do not believe (Al‐Qur’ān 2:98).
Allah chooses by His Mercy whoever He wants; and Allah is absolutely Gracious (Al‐ Qur’ān 2:105). Without a doubt, Allah indeed has sovereignty over the heavens and the earth, and there is no one for you against Allah, a friend or helper (Al‐Qur’ān 2:107). Without a doubt Allah
is powerful over His every will (Al‐Qur’ān 2:109).
Without a doubt Allah
sees all that you do (Al‐Qur’ān 2:110).
Allah will decide between people on the Day of Judgment about that which they use to dispute (Al‐Qur’ān 2:111). To Allah belongs the East and the West, so in whichever direction you are facing the qibla, Allah’s attention is there. Without a doubt, Allah is the Grantor of Infinite Mercy, the All‐Knowing (Al‐Qur’ān 2:115). Allah has taken no children, Glory be to Allah; belongs to Him all that is in the heavens and Earth, all are His worshippers (Al‐Qur’ān 2:116). Allah is the Innovator and Creator of the heavens and the Earth. And when decrees a thing, He but commands to it ‘Be’ so it becomes (Al‐Qur’ān 2:117). Allah
made Ka’ba the center of worship for people and as refuge
(Al‐Qur’ān 2:125).
Without a doubt Allah
is All‐Hearing, All‐Knowing (Al‐Qur’ān 2:127).
Without a doubt Allah
is the All‐Dominant, All‐Wise (Al‐Qur’ān 2:129).
No one is better in dyeing people than Allah (Al‐Qur’ān 2:138). Allah
is not unaware of all that the people do (Al‐Qur’ān 2:140).
For Allah are the East and the West, guides whoever He Wills to the Straight Path (Al‐Qur’ān 2:142). Without a doubt, Allah the people (Al‐Qur’ān 2:145).
is infinitely Compassionate, Merciful on
Allah will bring every one of you towards Him, wherever you will be (Al‐Qur’ān 2:148). Allah
is with those who are patient (Al‐Qur’ān 2:153).
Without a doubt Allah is the All‐Compensating, All‐Knowing (Al‐Qur’ān 2:158)
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Allah accepts repentance; indeed Allah is ever‐accepting of repentance (Al‐Qur’ān 2:160). The Lord of you people is One Lord; there is no deity but He, the Most‐Compassionate, Ever‐Merciful (Al‐Qur’ān 2:163). All might is for Allah severe (Al‐Qur’ān 2:165).
and without a doubt Allah’s punishment is
Allah shows people by making their misdeeds upon them a thing of regret (Al‐Qur’ān 2:167). Allah
shall not speak to the transgressors on the Day of Judgment
Allah
wants ease for you and does not like hardship for you (Al‐
Allah
accepts the supplication of the caller whenever he calls Him
Allah
does not like those who are transgressors (Al‐Qur’ān 2:190).
Allah
is with the fearful ones (Al‐Qur’ān 2:194).
Allah
befriends the benevolent ones (Al‐Qur’ān 2:195).
(Al‐Qur’ān 2:174)
Qur’ān 2:185)
(Al‐Qur’ān 2:186)
Without a doubt Allah
is the Giver of severe torment (Al‐Qur’ān 2:196)
Allah
is soon to take account (Al‐Qur’ān 2:202).
Allah
dislikes terrorism (Al‐Qur’ān 2:205).
Towards Allah Allah
indeed all matters are to return (Al‐Qur’ān 2:210).
gives guidance to whomever He wills of the Straight Path (Al‐
Qur’ān 2:213)
Allah explains His Verses so that now be thoughtful and contemplate (Al‐Qur’ān 2:219). Allah makes beloved those who repent much and befriends those who remain clean and pure (Al‐Qur’ān 2:222). Allah
increases the Qarze‐Hasana, whatever is given to Him (Al‐
Qur’ān 2:245)
Allah removes peoples by means of one another, otherwise the Earth would have been destroyed (Al‐Qur’ān 2:251). Allah
is Gracious and Compassionate to the entire world (Ibid).
Allah
elevated one prophet over another (Al‐Qur’ān 2:253).
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Allah, there is no deity except Him. Alive by Himself, Sustainer of everyone. Comes to Him neither drowsiness nor sleep. It is His, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the Earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him, except by His command. He knows whatever there is before them and whatever there is ahead of them. And nothing can be encompassed from His knowledge, except as much as He Himself chooses. His kursi gave room to the heavens and to the Earth, and it is not burdensome to Him watching over both; and it is He, the Exalted, the Supreme (Al‐Qur’ān 2:255). Allah is the Helper of those who believed; takes them out of the darkness to the light (Al‐Qur’ān 2:257). Allah
raises the Sun from the East (Al‐Qur’ān 2:258).
Allah
does not bring to the Path an oppressive people (Ibid).
Allah multiplies for whomever He wills and Allah Encompassing, All‐Knowing (Al‐Qur’ān 2:261).
is All‐
Allah
is self‐sufficiently tolerant (Al‐Qur’ān 2:263).
Allah
does not like those who boast their favors by inflicting pain
Allah
gives wisdom to whoever He wills (Al‐Qur’ān 2:269).
Allah
is the Knower of the type of charity you give to the people
(Al‐Qur’ān 2:264)
(Al‐Qur’ān 2:273)
Allah wipes out interest and increases charities and Allah does not like any ungrateful sinner (Al‐Qur’ān 2:276). Allah 2:286)
does not command anyone, except to his ability (Al‐Qur’ān
Certainly Allah from whom nothing is hidden on Earth and in the heavens (Al‐Qur’ān 3:5). It is Allah who grants you form and face in the mother’s womb, as He wills. No one is worthy of worship except Him: the Dominant, the Wise (Al‐Qur’ān 3:6). Allah
revealed the holy Qur’ān upon the Prophet Muhammad
(Al‐Qur’ān 3:7)
Certainly Allah Allah 3:13)
does not go against His promises (Al‐Qur’ān 3:9).
gives strength by His help to whomever he wants (Al‐Qur’ān
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Allah
bears witness that “Certainly there is no deity except Him.
(Al‐Qur’ān 3:18)
Allah merges night into day and day into night and brings out life from the dead and the dead from the living and gives to whoever He wants the uncountable sustenance (Al‐Qur’ān 3:27). Allah makes you fear from His wrath. And only to Allah is the return (Al‐Qur’ān 3:28). Allah warns you with His Grandeur. Allah is infinitely merciful for His servants (Al‐Qur’ān 3:30). Allah befriends those who follow the Prophet their sins (Al‐Qur’ān 3:31).
and forgives
Allah has chosen Adam and Nuh and the family of Ibrahim and the family of Imran over the entire humanity (Al‐Qur’ān 3:33) Allah
possesses knowledge and all of you have no knowledge (Al‐
Allah
is the Guardian of the faithful ones (Al‐Qur’ān 3:68).
Qur’ān 3:66)
Allah will not accept from anyone, any other religion but Islam, on Judgment Day (Al‐Qur’ān 3:85). Allah
is carefree of the entire world (Al‐Qur’ān 3:97).
Allah
does not want oppression upon the people of the world (Al‐ Qur’ān 3:108).
Without a doubt, Allah Qur’ān 3:119)
knows the inner thoughts of the heart (Al‐
Allah
befriends those who exercise benevolence (Al‐Qur’ān 3:134).
Allah
is your Master and He is the best Helper (Al‐Qur’ān 3:150).
Allah’s is the absolute authority (Al‐Qur’ān 3:154). Allah gives life and causes death (Al‐Qur’ān 3:156). Allah 3:158)
is the One towards whom everyone will be raised (Al‐Qur’ān
Allah
befriends those who depend on Him (Al‐Qur’ān 3:159).
Allah conferred a great favor on the faithful ones when He sent from among them a Rasūl (Al‐Qur’ān 3:164). Allah
does not waste the reward of the faithful ones (Al‐Qur’ān 3:171).
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Allah does not grant insight into the Unseen except to His chosen prophets (Al‐Qur’ān 3:179). Allah
does not like stinginess (Al‐Qur’ān 3:180).
Allah
indeed is the Successor of the heavens and the Earth (Ibid).
Without a doubt Allah 3:182)
is not an oppressor of the people (Al‐Qur’ān
Allah
created all humans from one soul (Al‐Qur’ān 4:1).
Allah
is sufficient in reckoning (Al‐Qur’ān 4:6).
It is Allah’s Will, that He explains to you clearly and shows you the ways of those before you, and accepts your repentance (Al‐Qur’ān 4:26). Allah
wants to accept your repentance from you (Al‐Qur’ān 4:27).
Allah wants to lighten from you, and the humankind has been created weak (Al‐Qur’ān 4:28). Allah 4:34)
has elevated from among them, one over the other (Al‐Qur’ān
Allah
does not like he who boasts and is pretentious (Al‐Qur’ān 4:36).
Allah
makes pure whomever He wills (Al‐Qur’ān 4:49).
Allah
is the mightiest in battling and is greatest in punishing (Al‐
Allah
will certainly gather together you people on Judgment Day
Qur’ān 4:84)
(Al‐Qur’ān 4:87)
Who could be more truthful in speech than Allah
(Al‐Qur’ān 4:87).
Dear readers, the point is that we have a lot to learn about Allah and about Dīn‐e‐Islam. What I have included for you here is but only one‐ sixth of the verses about Allah in the holy Qur’ān. Ignorance cannot be justified by any means and will be inadmissible on Judgment Day. The more we know, the greater chance there is for us to attain the fear of Allah and of the Judgment Day. The more knowledge we have the better we can practice our faith and ultimately succeed in the Hereafter. Our knowledge will benefit us, our children and later generations. Let me conclude by saying that “Knowledge is the key to success and Islamic knowledge is the key to ultimate success.”
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May Allah replace the love of this material world with His love and with the love of His beloved Prophet , A’mīn!
All praise be to Allah
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