(25) Al-Mu'dhell (The Giver of Dishonour) ( المذل )

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُحَادُّونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ أُولَٰئِكَ فِي الْأَذَلِّينَ ۝

"Those who oppose Allah and His Prophet shall be (herded) among the most abased" (Quran, 58:20).

"Al-Muthill" is one of the Attributes of Allah derived from the noun thull, whatever results from subduing, vanquishing, overcoming, conquering, someone.

The Almighty says, "... walk in the ways of your Lord submissively," (Quran, 16:69), that is, freely. He has also said, "... its fruits shall be made accessible (to them), always easy to reach" (Quran, 76:14).

Al-Muthill is the One Who abases or humiliates whomsoever He pleases, depriving them of all prestige. He is the One who justly abases His foes when they disobey Him and rebel against His commandments. He insults them and dismisses them, causing them to be hurled into the abode of His chastisement, the inferno of hell.
Al-Muthill is the One Who abases His foes by depriving them of knowing Him, enabling them to have their way and to go against His injunctions. He will then have them transported to the abode of His chastisement, insulting them by dismissing and cursing them.

Al-Muthill is the One Who abases the unbelievers through the power of the truth, who subdues whomsoever He pleases. Allah has not honored any servant of His more than He has to one who abases his own evil-insinuating self, his nafs, and He has not abased any servant of His more than one who is preoccupied with trying to earn distinction, prominence, and prestige for himself.

In Surat al-A`raf we read the following verse: "(As for) those who took the calf (for a god), surely wrath from their Lord and disgrace in the life of this world shall overtake them" (Quran, 7:152).

Anyone who looks niggardly at people to see how he can take advantage of them, who is never satisfied with what he has had, one who is dragged by his own schemes to elevate himself to prominence while keeping himself in the darkness of ignorance..., is one whom Allah has surely disgraced and deprived. Such an individual is implied in verses such as this:
"But you caused yourselves to fall into temptation, and you waited and doubted, and vain desires deceived you, till the threatened punishment of Allah came while the arch-deceiver [Satan] deceived you about Allah, so today ransom shall not be accepted from you" (Quran, 57:14). This is the lowest degree of humiliation.

Thull, or bringing it about, that is, ithll, comes in many types, shapes and sizes. Allah abases an oppressor by making him fall a prey to disease, or to his lust for women, or to his greed for wealth, or by making him in dire need of others.
Let us supplicate thus: "Lord! Take us out of the humiliation of disobedience to the honor of obedience to you, and do not permit any of those whom you created to disgrace us, and crown us with the crown of your honor." Honor is in needing nobody. The absolutely perfect degree of such honor, to be sure, belongs to none other than Allah Who has said, "Surely all honor is Allah's" (Quran, 4:139).

Next in degree of being honored is one who is closest to the Almighty: "... to Allah belongs the honor, to His Prophet, and to the believers" (Quran, 63:8).

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(24) Al-Mu'izz (The Giver of Honour) ( المعز )

مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ الْعِزَّةَ فَلِلَّهِ الْعِزَّةُ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِلَيْهِ يَصْعَدُ الْكَلِمُ الطَّيِّبُ وَالْعَمَلُ الصَّالِحُ يَرْفَعُهُ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ يَمْكُرُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ ۖ وَمَكْرُ أُولَٰئِكَ هُوَ يَبُورُ ۝

"Whoever desires honor, to Allah belongs the honor all of it. To Him do the good words ascend, and the good deeds He raises; (as for) those who plan an evil plan, they shall have a severe chastisement, (as for) their plan, it shall surely perish". (Quran 35:10).

"Al-Mu`izz" conveys the meaning of: the One Who honors whomsoever He pleases from among His servants.
Linguistically, ma`azza, the noun derived from the verb yu`izz, means power, strength, might. Allah is surely al- `Aziz, the Mighty One Who subdues and is never subdued, Who strengthens His friends by His favor, protecting them against sinning, forgiving their faults, permitting them to reside in Paradise, the abode of His Munificence.

Then He honors them by permitting them to witness His manifestations and see His signs. He is the One who empowers His prophets by protecting them against erring, granting them victory, protecting them, raising their status among their people.
He honors one who obeys Him even if poverty is his lot, and He raises the status of a pious servant of His even if he were an Abyssinian slave. Allah, God, The Truth, Praised and Glorified is His Name, is referred to as such in various verses of His Book, the Holy Quran. Among such references are the following:

Do not let their speech grieve you; surely might is wholly Allah's; He is the Hearing, the Knowing. (10:65) Glory to your Lord, the Lord of Honor, above what they describe. (37:180) To Allah belongs the might, and to His Prophet, and the believers, but the hypocrites do not know. (63:8)

Imam `Ali ibn al-Husain Zayn al-`abidin is quoted saying, "If one desires to be honored even though his tribe is not distinguished, or to be held in high esteem even though he has no authority, or to be a man whose wealth does not diminish, he should get out of the humiliation of disobedience and enter into the honor of obeying his Lord."

Essentially, the way how God honors His servants is by making them feel satisfied, contented, for humiliation lies in one being greedy. Had it not been for false hopes, no free man would have ever been enslaved by anything which, in all truth, is insignificant.

The Almighty places one who persists in praising His Name in the center of honor, instilling love and respect for him in people's hearts. A servant of Allah who aspires to earn a good share of personifying this Glorified Name has to honor the Messenger of Allah and those who are knowledgeable among his own contemporaries, showing respect and humility to them. 

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(23) Ar-Rāfi' (The Exalter) ( الرافع )

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمْ تَفَسَّحُوا فِي الْمَجَالِسِ فَافْسَحُوا يَفْسَحِ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۖ وَإِذَا قِيلَ انشُزُوا فَانشُزُوا يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ ۚ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ ۝

"Allah will exalt those of you who believe and those who are granted knowledge, to high degrees" (Quran, 58:11).

Al-Rafi` is one of the Attributes of Allah whose root word is raf`, lifting, raising, exalting, elevating, and the like.


It can be used for objects as in 2:63: "... and lifted the mountain over you," and in 13:2: "Allah is the One who raised the heavens without any pillars so that you may see [His might] and He is firm in power."
It can also be used for raising the structure of a building as is the case in the verse saying, "And when Abraham and Ishmael raised the foundations of the House..." (Quran, 2:127).
It is also used for exalting or revering someone's status as in this verse: "... and exalted your esteem" (Quran, 94:4).
It is also used to exalt the status or degree of someone honored as in the verse saying, "... and we have exalted some of them above others in degrees" (Quran, 43:32), and also, "... and exalted thrones..." (Quran, 56:34), that is, thrones the status of which is exalted by nearness to Him.


Al-Rafi` is Allah who exalts the status of His friends, granting them victory over their foes and His, and that of the righteous, to the highest degrees. He exalts the truth; He exalts the believers by granting them happiness; He exalts His friends from among the believers by getting closer to them; He exalts the status of His friends by granting them the upper hand, and He exalts the status of those who befriend Him in truth and in equity.


Al-Rafi' raised the heavens without pillars, raised the clouds over the winds, and raised the birds in the air: "Have they not seen the birds above them expanding (their wings) and contracting (them)? Who withholds them save the Beneficent God? Surely He sees everything" (Quran, 67:19).


Al-Rafi` has raised the status of His friends in the life of this world by making the believers humble themselves before them, and by making people pay homage and respect to them even if they do not wield any power, even if they have no wealth at all: "Now surely the friends of Allah shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve. Those who believed and guarded (themselves against evil) shall have glad tidings in the life of this world as well as in the life hereafter; there is no alteration to the words of Allah; that is the mighty achievement" (10:62-65). Al-Rafi` exalts the reputation of those who are regarded as weaklings among their own people, supporting the wronged against those who wrong them.


In Surat al-Baqarah, the Almighty says, "We have made some prophets excel over others; among them are those to whom Allah spoke, and some of them He exalted by (many degrees of) rank" (Quran, 2:253).
In Surat al- Ana`m, He says, "And this was our argument which we gave to Abraham against his people; we exalt in dignity whomsoever we please; surely your Lord is Wise, Knowing" (Quran, 6:83).
In the same chapter, the Almighty tells us that "He it is Who has made you successors in the land and raised some of you above others by (various) degrees so that He may try you by what He gives you; surely your Lord is quick to requite (evil), and He is most surely the Forgiving, the Merciful" (Quran, 6:165).


Other references occur in the following verses:
Allah said: O Jesus! I am going to terminate the period of your stay (on earth) and cause you to ascend to Me, to purify you from those who disbelieve, and to make those who follow you above those who disbelieve till the Day of Resurrection; then to Me shall be your return, so I will decide among you concerning that in which you differed. (3:55) and mention Idris (Enoch) in the Book; surely he was a truthful man, a prophet, and We raised him high in heaven. (19:56-57) and the heavens He raised and established the balance. (55:7)


One who is granted a blessing through the inspiration of this Attribute of Allah is one who rises above his abominable desires and inclinations; such a person will be exalted by Allah to a status as high as that enjoyed by the angels with Him or even higher...  

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(22) Al-Khāfid (The Abaser) ( الخافض )

خَافِضَةٌ رَّافِعَةٌ ۝

"Abasing (one party), exalting (the other)" (Quran, 56:3).

Some scholars say that both Attributes al-Khafid and al-Rafi` ought to be used simultaneously.

If applied to our Islamic creed, both Attributes connote misguidance and guidance respectively. If applied to knowledge or obedience to Allah, they imply the highest and the lowest of ranks respectively; it is in this sense that they occur in this verse: "Abasing (one party), exalting (the other)" (Quran, 56:3), meaning abasing the unbelievers who occupy the lowest ranks of hell while exalting the believers to the highest ranks of Paradise.

Allah has said, "And be kind to him who follows you from among the believers" (Quran, 26:215). Khafd is the opposite of raf`: the first implies vanquishing, lowering the status of, abasing, insulting, and humiliating. The Hour is sometimes described as such in 56:3: "Abasing (one party), exalting (the other)" (Quran, 56:3), meaning abasing some people because of their transgression, hurling them into the pit of hellfire. In Surat al-Hijr, we read more about the khafd: "... be kind to the believers" (Quran, 15:88), and in Surat al-Isra' we read: "Be submissively gentle to them, compassionate" (Quran, 17:24).

Al-Khafid is the One Who humiliates the oppressors and tyrants, lowering their ranks and insulting them. He abases at will. Al-Khafid is the One Who lowers, through humiliation, all those who think of themselves as being great, the arrogant and the conceited. He lowers entire nations. He lowers falsehood.

Al-Khafid is the One Who lowers the rank of all those who disobey Him, Who humiliates those upon whom His wrath descends, who lowers the ranks of those who deserve to be treated as such. He humiliates the unbelievers by exposing them to misery, His foes by distancing them from Him, and by exposing them to perdition.

Al-Khafid is the One Who has lowered the status of those who do not believe in Him, of those who are arrogant, of the liars, and of those who swerve away from His Path, the Path of Islam, and His final Word of truth. 

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(21) Al-Bāsit (The Extender / Expander) ( الباسط )

اللَّهُ الَّذِي يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَاحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَابًا فَيَبْسُطُهُ فِي السَّمَاءِ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ وَيَجْعَلُهُ كِسَفًا فَتَرَى الْوَدْقَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ خِلَالِهِ ۖ فَإِذَا أَصَابَ بِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ إِذَا هُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ ۝

Allah is he Who sends forth the winds so they raise a cloud, then He spreads it forth in the sky as He pleases, and He breaks it up so that you see the rain coming forth from inside it; then when He causes it to fall upon whom He pleases of His servants, lo! they are joyful [{30:48}{ Surat Ar-Rūm (The Romans) - سورة الروم}]

Linguistically, "al-Basit" means: one who stretches his hand, be it as a gesture of good will (in order to shake hands with someone else), or otherwise (to harm someone else, be it by inflicting a physical harm on it, or by causing damage to his property or his own self). It may be applied literally or metaphorically.

The Almighty, for example, has quoted Cain son of Adam saying the following to his brother Able: If you stretch forth your hand towards me to slay me..., etc." (Quran, 5:28). 

It also means: to please. According to one tradition, the Messenger of Allah has said, "Fatima is part of me; whatever pleases her pleases me, and whatever displeases her displeases me, too."
Literally, it means: to relax the facial muscles in order to express pleasure and happiness, elation or excitement; all other meanings branch out of that.

Inbisat, its noun, means, among other things, abandoning modesty. "Albaseeta" is the outstretched tract of land, and "bast" is: expansion or propagation.

Al-Basit is the One Who pleases the souls by making them happy and delighted. He is the One Who plants the seeds of life in the bodies to signal the beginning of life therein. He, at the advent of resurrection, brings life back to them in order to show people, in the life hereafter, what they used to do during their temporary life in this world.

The Attribute "al-Basit" does not exist in the text of the Holy Quran, yet its derivatives certainly do; these are examples where such derivatives exist:

Nay! His hands are spread out; He expends as He pleases. (5:64) Allah has made for you the earth a wide expanse. (71:19) Allah is the One Who sends forth the winds, so they raise a cloud, then He spreads it forth in the sky as He pleases, and He breaks it up, so you see rain coming forth from it; when He causes it to pour upon whomsoever He pleases of His servants, lo, they rejoice! (30:48)

The Holy Quran speaks of decorating the bodies with strength: "... and increased you in excellence in respect of physique" (Quran, 7:69). And it speaks of pleasing through both knowledge and excellence of physique when it says, "... and He has increased him abundantly in knowledge and in physique" (Quran, 2:247).

We have to point out here that we ought to mention both divine Attributes of al-Qabid and al-Basit together in order to convey the meanings of might and wisdom. The Almighty is al-Qabid just as He is al-Basit.

 


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(20) Al-Qābid (The Restrainer, The Straightener) ( القابض )

مَّن ذَا الَّذِي يُقْرِضُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضَاعِفَهُ لَهُ أَضْعَافًا كَثِيرَةً ۚ وَاللَّهُ يَقْبِضُ وَيَبْسُطُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ ۝

... and Allah straitens and amplifies and you shall be returned to Him" (Quran, 2:245).
 

Linguistically, qabd, root verb of "al-Qabid," means: to take, hold, seize, grip, catch, handle, and the like. It is the holding of something with the hand such as a sword's handle, etc.

It is meant as a way to forcefully take control of something or someone. Allah Almighty has said the following in this sense: "... and Allah straitens and amplifies..." (Quran, 2:245), meaning He straitens, withholds, His sustenance of some while amplifying it for others.

"Al-Qabid" means: "the One Who takes hold of the souls by subduing them, the spirits by effecting justice in their regard, the means of sustenance by His wisdom, and the hearts by making them fear His Glory."

Al-Qabid is the One Who causes the souls to be taken away from their bodies, their temporary homes, at the time of death. The angel who takes the souls away (i.e. the qabid) is called in Islam "Israel."
Al-Qabid is the One Who takes hold of the hearts, who controls them, who isolates them through their lack of knowledge, through their own oversights. He takes hold of some hearts, so He unveils to them His Greatness and Glory. He pleases other hearts through the means whereby He gets closer to them out of His own Kindness, Munificence, and Beauty. Al-Qabid is the One Who unveils His Glory to you, so He protects you; He is the One Who makes you dread being distanced from Him.

Al-Qabid is the One Who controls the entire cosmos; in the following verse, He makes a reference to His control over the earth: "... and the whole earth shall be in His grip on the Day of Resurrection and the heavens rolled up in His right hand" (Quran, 39:67).

The Almighty has neither a right nor a left hand; He has no hands at all; this is only a figure of speech denoting His total control over the heavens and the earth and everything in them. The expansion of the earth is done by Him during the life of this world; says He, "Have We not made the earth an even expanse?" (Quran, 78:6) meaning spread like a carpet.

On the Day of Judgment, the earth shall also be there, but it will look quite different from its present appearance...; everything about how it will look and what will happen above and underneath it is detailed in books of hadith, in traditions that will, God willing, see the light for the first time in English..., but let us not digress here by borrowing from another book of mine soon, Insha-Allah, to be written!

Al-Qabid receives the knowledge of and appreciates acts of charity; to be charitable is to be a true servant of His, a blessed one. He says, "... Allah accepts repentance from His servants and takes the alms" (Quran, 9:104).
He straitens the hearts, that is, places heavy burdens on them, burdens of woes and worries, of fears or of aspiration, and He also eases them.

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(19) Al-'Alīm (The All Knowing, The Omniscient) ( العليم )

وَإِن جَنَحُوا لِلسَّلْمِ فَاجْنَحْ لَهَا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ ۝

"... and trust in Allah; surely He is the Hearing, the Knowing" (Qur’an, 8:61).

"Al-`Aleem" is derived from `ilm, knowledge, which results from comprehending the truth about something and from the sure conviction which agrees with reality.

"Al-`Aleem," when applied to the Almighty, is the One who is most knowing; surely His knowledge encompasses everything in existence even before anything begins to exist. Nothing at all can escape His knowledge. He is the One whose knowledge is inclusive, be it apparent or hidden, minute or magnanimous. He knows its beginning and its end, what is above or underneath it, and what results there from. Al-`Aleem is also the One Who knows what has happened and what will. 

The knowledge of the unknown is with Him, and so is the knowledge of the Hour; He knows what the wombs bear, when the rain falls, what every soul earns, what evil intentions one harbors, what worldly desires he/she conceals, when and where anyone will die.

Al-`Aleem is the One Who knows the details of all things, the particulars of things, what one's conscience and soul hide. Nothing at all, not even the weight of an atom in the earth or in the heavens, can ever escape His knowledge. From the word `ilm have many other words been derived.

Al-`lim is one. It occurs in Surat al-Ma'ida in this verse: "... surely you are the great One who knows the unseen" (Quran, 5:109).

Another is al-A`lam which occurs in Surat al-Ana`m: "Allah best knows where He places His message" (Quran, 6:124).

Al- `Aleem is a superlative of al-`alim.

The Holy Quran contains the following verses which demonstrate the various meanings and types of knowledge:

He knows that there is weakness in you. (8:66) He knows that there will be sick ones among you. (73:20) and surely we know that your breast straitens at what they say. (15:97) Allah knows what every female bears. (13:8)

"Al-`Aleem," one of the ninety-nine Attributes of Allah, occurs in many Quranic verses such as:

That is the ordinance of the Mighty, the Knowing. (36:38) the revelation of the Book is from Allah, the Mighty, the Knowing. (40:2) ... surely He knows what is in the breasts. (11:5)... We have no knowledge except what you have taught us; surely you are the Knowing, the Wise. (2:32) And the sun runs [its course] to a term appointed for it; that is the ordinance of the Mighty, the Knowing. (36:38)

This word is coined as a superlative derived from a verb meaning: "to know or to be familiar with." The Messenger of Allah is quoted saying that one who supplicates in the morning by thrice repeating, "In the Name of Allah with Whose Name nothing at all, be it in the earth or in the heavens, can ever harm, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing," will not be afflicted by any sudden calamity till evening time, and if he says so in the evening, he will not be afflicted by any sudden calamity till daybreak.

He who recites this name’ his heart will become luminous, revealing divine light (Nur).

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(18) Al-Fattāh (The Opener, The Victory Giver) ( الفتاح )

قُلْ يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَنَا رَبُّنَا ثُمَّ يَفْتَحُ بَيْنَنَا بِالْحَقِّ وَهُوَ الْفَتَّاحُ الْعَلِيمُ ۝

"Say: Our Lord will gather us together and will in the end decide the matter between us (and you) in truth and justice, and He is the One to decide, the One Who knows everything" (Qur'an, 34:26).

In Arabic, fataha, the verb, means "opened," and muftah means key, whereas fath means victory or conquest.
Fath also means flowing water, a creek, or a river.
It also means: to arbitrate between two opponents.

"Istiftah" means: seeking help or achieving victory. Both al-Fatih and al-Fattah are among the Attributes of Allah. They exist within the text of the Holy Qur'an. "Al-Fattah" is a superlative of al-fath. To say that Allah is al-Fattah is to say that He is the One Who judges between those whom He creates, His servants, the obedient ones and the rebellious. It is derived from fath which means, in such usage, arbitration or decision-making. It exists in this meaning in the verse saying, "Lord! Decide between us and our people with truth, and You are the best of those who decide" (Qur'an, 7:89).

It also means: the One Who grants victory as in this verse of Surat al-Anfal: "If you pray for victory, then indeed victory has come to you" (Qur'an, 8:19).

Al-Fattah is the One Who opens deadlocked matters and issues, Who reveals the truth, Who simplifies whatever seems to be complicated, Who controls the affairs of the heavens and the earth: "And with Him are the keys of the unseen treasures: none knows them but He, and He knows what is in the land and in the sea" (Qur'an, 6:59).

So He is the One Who opens what is closed and Who has the keys to everything, Who widely opens the gates of sustenance and brings down rain whereby He brings life back to dead lands, Who grants victory and support for His prophets whom He sends to various lands so that the light of the truth may shine therein, and so that He may purge their souls from evil intentions. He opens the closed hearts and fills them with His light, so they become tranquil, and they enjoy the feeling of success.

The Attribute "al-Fattah" inspires good manners which ought to be followed by anyone who correctly grasps the meanings it implies, who deeply contemplates upon it, who sincerely desires to be blessed by it. Among such manners is that one should maintain an attitude of beautiful anticipation of the Grace of Allah, continuously expecting to receive His favours, always looking forward to earning His blessings. He abandons haste, feels satisfied with his lot and with whatever his Lord has decreed for him. "Contentment is a treasure that never depletes," says an Arabic axiom. How true!

He who repeats this Name, Allah will enlighten his mind and he will be given victory.

 

 

 

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(17) Ar-Razzāq (The Provider) ( الرزاق )

إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُ ۝

"Surely Allah is the One Who bestows sustenance, the Lord of Power, the Strong One." (Qur'an, 51:58).

"Al-Razzaq" is derived from rizq, sustenance, or anything of any benefit to man, animals, plants, etc., whereby the latter are sustained or are helped in their growth. Rain is also called rizq; it helps sustain every living being on our planet.

In 51:58, we read: "Surely Allah is the One Who bestows sustenance, the Lord of Power, the Strong One."
Another verse referring to our sustenance is this:

"And in the heavens is your sustenance and what you are threatened with" (Qur'an, 51:22).
"In the heavens is your sustenance" may be a reference to the rain that descends from the heavens, the sky. As to the phrase "and what you are threatened with," this may be a clue that the end of life on this earth will be terminated by a collision of an asteroid or a large size cosmic debri with the earth, but this is not the place to discuss such interpretations or speculations.

If Allah so wills, I intend to write a complete tafsr, an exegesis, of the Holy Qur'an that will contain such interpretations and speculations the like of which has never been written in English before. If the reader wishes to see such a book published, he is requested to pray the Almighty to make it happen. Prayers go a long way, had people only known. Allah listens to each and every supplication no matter who the supplicant is so long as the latter is a true believer in Him.

The word rizq may be used for means of income, livelihood, sustenance, money, wealth..., or for the earning of something good, be it during the life of this world or in the life to come, or it may be applied to one's lot or fortune, or even to anything eaten.

"Al-Razzaq" is a superlative of "al-Raziq," the One Who provides rizq. Al- Razzaq is applied to none other than Allah. There are two types of rizq: one sustains the body, such as food and drink, while the other sustains the soul, which is knowledge and true inspiration. The latter is the best type of sustenance simply because what sustains the soul lasts forever, while what sustains the body has a temporary duration.

Al-Razzaq is the One Who creates all types of sustenance, Who extends His favor to cover making such sustenance attainable to His creatures, Who provides means for getting them to attain their sustenance. He sustains all His creation by whatever means needed to keep them alive. He sustains the minds with knowledge, the hearts with understanding, the souls with manifestations, the bodies with food, and so on. Only He can do so. Anyone who realizes this fact will recognize the fact that his own sustenance, and that of everyone and everything else, is controlled by none other than Allah.

References to rizq have been made in several Qur'anic verses such as these:
... Allah provides means of subsistence to whomsoever He pleases without a measure. (2:212) Allah is Benignant to His servants; He gives sustenance to whomsoever He pleases, and He is the Strong, the Mighty One. (42:19) ... and whoever fears Allah, He will make an outlet for him and give him sustenance from whence he does not expect. (65:2-3) ... these are the believers truly; they shall have forgiveness and an honorable provision. (8:74) ... and the sustenance (provided) by your Lord is better and more abiding. (20:131) Most surely this is Our sustenance: it shall never deplete. (38:54)>

Say: The (blessing) from the presence of Allah is better than any amusement or bargain. (62:11) ... surely the things you worship besides Allah cannot sustain you. (29:17)

There is no creature moving on earth except that its sustenance depends on Allah. (11:6)

One of the Islamic manners inspired by the Attribute "al-Razzaq" is that a servant of Allah becomes convinced that there is no partner with his Lord in providing sustenance, just as He has no partner in creating everything. He, therefore, pleads to Him for anything small or big. He also feels satisfied with what al-Razzaq has allotted for him, just as He has said, "And they are the ones who, when spending, are neither extravagant nor parsimonious but keep the just means between these [extremes]" (Qur'an, 25:67), and also, "Those who, when spending, are neither extravagant nor niggardly but hold a just (balance) between these (extremes)" (Qur'an, 17:29).

The abundance of Allah's sustenance is without a limit. He is the One Who says the following in Surat Hud:
"There is no creature moving on earth except that its sustenance depends on Allah: He knows the time and place of its definite abode and its temporary deposit: all is in a clear record" (Qur'an, 11:6).

He who recites this Name will be provided with sustenance by Allah.

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(16) Al Wahhāb (The Bestower)

رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ ۝

Our Lord! make not our hearts to deviate after Thou hast guided us aright, and grant us from Thee mercy; surely Thou art the most liberal Giver (Quran, 3:8).

Lord! Do not let our hearts deviate after having guided us, but grant us mercy from Your own Presence, for You are the Grantor of bounties without measure" (Qur'an, 3:8). 

"Al-Wahhab" is derived from the proper noun hibah the verb of which, yahib, means: to make someone else the owner of what the giver, the first party (the doer), rightfully owns without asking the second party for any compensation in return.

It is the gift which is free from any recompense or gain for the giver. If someone gives out such gifts quite often, he will earn the titles of jawad and wahhab, the generous one, the oft-giving, respectively. Allah Almighty is described as the Most Generous, the Most Giving, i.e. al-Wahhab, simply because He gives everyone according to his means. Among Allah's Attributes are al-Wahhab and al-Wahib. The latter Attribute means: the giver, whereas the first is a superlative of the latter. One who is wahab is one who grants many gifts.

Al-Wahhab is the One Who gives away without compensation; He bestows His favors upon His servants without a selfish end; He grants even without being asked; He is the One Who initiates giving, and He is the oft-Giver. Allah is surely al-Wahhab because He is the Most Munificent, the Most Giving, the One Who ever tries to get closer to His servants, Who graciously bestows His favors upon them, Who gives them even before they ask Him, the ever-Giver Who gives everyone what he needs. 

Al-Wahhab bestows His blessings upon His servants, and this indicates His inclusion of everyone as He continuously gives. He does not give painstakingly, nor does He seek a benefit, or an advantage, for Himself by doing so. Al-Wahhab showers you with His blessings without having to have a reason or a means to do so. Al-Wahhab gives away without being compensated for what He gives, and He causes all beings to die without a particular purpose He seeks to achieve for Himself. According to Surat al-Shura, "He bestows (children), male or female, according to His Will (and Plan)" (Qur'an, 42:49).

Whenever the Messenger of Allah used to wake up during the night, he would supplicate thus:
"Lord! There is no God but You! Glory to You! Lord! I seek Your forgiveness for my sins, and I plead to You, by Your mercy, O Lord, to increase my share of knowledge, not to permit my heart to deviate after having guided it, and to grant me, from You, a mercy, for surely You are al-Wahhab..." 

The person who repeats this Name seven times after Du’a (supplication) appealing to Allah, his appeal will be answered. A needy person, or a person who is captured by an enemy, or someone who can’t earn enough to maintain himself, if he repeats this Name for three or seven nights 100 times after two rak’ahs of a Nafla (voluntary) prayers at midnight, Allah will bless him with all his needs, and free him from the clutches of the enemy

 

 

 

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(15) Al Qahhar (The Supreme)

قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ قُلِ اللَّهُ ۚ قُلْ أَفَاتَّخَذْتُم مِّن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا ۚ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الْأَعْمَىٰ وَالْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِي الظُّلُمَاتُ وَالنُّورُ ۗ أَمْ جَعَلُوا لِلَّهِ شُرَكَاءَ خَلَقُوا كَخَلْقِهِ فَتَشَابَهَ الْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ قُلِ اللَّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ ۝

Say: Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Supreme" (Qur'an, 13:16).
 

Linguistically, "al-Qahhar" is derived from qahr, conquest, subduing, vanquishing, and winning a victory. It means the overtaking of something or someone with the intention to humiliate him.

One who takes another by way of qahr is one who takes him against his will.

"Al-Qahhar" is a superlative of "al-Qahir", the Victor or Subduer. Allah, indeed, is the One Who, by His Might, has subdued everything He created to His Authority and Power, using His creatures as He pleases, whether they like it or not.

Al-Qahir is the One Who has the upper hand over all creation; "... and Allah is the master of His affair" (Qur'an, 12:21).

Al-Qahhar is the One Whose vengeance nobody can withstand. He humiliates oppressors, splits the spine of kings and emperors. He is the One besides Whose Might all creation is powerless, without Whose Power all beings are helpless. If we submit to Him, He will satisfy our needs, but if we do not, He will make us suffer as we try to achieve our objectives. He is the One Who splits the spine of the tyrants and oppressors from among His foes, subduing them by taking their lives away, and by humiliating them, while there is nothing in existence that can escape His Might and Power: everyone and everything is helpless in His grip.

Al-Qahhar effects His will with regard to His creatures, whether they like it or not, whether they are willing or unwilling. He has subdued the souls of the worshippers by instilling in the hearts the fear of His retribution, and the hearts of those who are endowed with knowledge with the Might of nearness to Him, and the souls of those who love Him by unveiling the truth about Him to them. He has subdued all beings by death, so none is safe from Him, not even an angel who enjoys a special status with Him, nor a prophet, nor a messenger. Allah will make even the angel of death, Israel, taste of death; so, when his soul is taken out, the angel of death will say,

"By Your Honor do I swear that had I known the taste of death to be like this, I would never have taken away anyone's soul at all!"

It is to such a meaning that the word qahr, upon the taking of the souls of all beings, conveys as implied in the verse saying, "To whom does the kingdom belong this day? To Allah, the One, the Subduer (of all)" (Qur'an, 40:16).

If one who believes in Allah desires to personify within him the meanings embedded in this Attribute, he has to subdue his own self, his nafs, and control his evil desires, by not plotting in cooperation with Satan, and by returning to Allah, submitting to His will in all matters.

The path whereby man derives light from the Attribute "al- Qahhar" is that one should view his nafs, which is ever present within him, as the worst of his enemies, so he subdues it and strangles it, doing exactly the opposite of what it tells him to do, so much so that it will have no choice except to submit to divine commandments.

Then he will have to subdue his stubborn opponent, i.e. Satan, staying on his guard against his evil suggestions, blocking his avenues. Then he will have to subdue his carnal desires and insinuations by not following what they inspire him to do.

He who repeats this Name will control his worldly desires. He will gain spiritual contentment and inner peace. The repetition of this Name also protects one from doing evil.

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(014) Al Ghaffar (The Most Forgiving)

وَإِنِّي لَغَفَّارٌ لِّمَن تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا ثُمَّ اهْتَدَىٰ ۝

Surely I am most forgiving to whoever repents and believes and does good deeds" (Qur'an, 20:82).

Al-Ghaffar is one of Allah's Attributes derived from ghufr and ghufran, both nouns which convey the meaning of: veiling, hiding, concealing. Allah's maghifra, forgiveness, is His veiling of one's sins, and His forgiveness by granting him His favor and mercy.
Al-Ghaffar is the One Who has manifested what is beautiful and veiled what is ugly in the life of this world and Who does not inflict His penalty on him in the life hereafter. He is the One Who forgives sins, veils the shortcomings, wipes out the sins by accepting one's repentance. He accepts His servants' repentance and is pleased thereby, and the One Who forgives the sins and turns them into good deeds by His great favor. He is the One Who forgives the sins though they may be great, and He veils them though they may be numerous.
The words derived from forgiveness have mostly been associated with Allah. One of them is al-Ghafir as in this verse: "The One Who forgives the sins" (Qur'an, 40:3).
The second is al-Ghafur; He has said, "... then [if he] asks forgiveness of Allah, he shall find Allah Forgiving, Merciful" (Qur'an, 4:110).
A third is al-Ghaffar as in: "And surely I am most Forgiving to one who repents and believes and does good deeds" (Qur'an, 20:82), "... seek forgiveness of your Lord; surely He is the most Forgiving" (Qur'an, 71:10), and "... surely He is the Mighty, the great Forgiver" (Qur'an, 39:5).
It is proven, by making a reference to the Holy Qur'an, that all these Attributes, which are derived from forgiveness, are applied only to Allah, the Most Exalted One.
Having killed a Copt, Moses implored his Lord thus: "Lord! Surely I have harmed my own self; so, forgive me" (Qur'an, 28:16). He first admitted his sin then sought His forgiveness.
Allah also revealed the fault of David then said, "So We forgave him this (lapse)" (Qur'an, 38:25).
He addressed Mohammed saying, "So that Allah may forgive your past and future faults" (Qur'an, 48:2). Has He not in these examples exposed a sin then forgiven it? In one of his supplications, Prophet Mohammed says, "Lord! I implore You to forgive me an apparent forgiveness and a concealed one, and to forgive open and secret sins."
The meanings of maghfira, the root word of al-Ghaffar, al-Ghaafir, and al-Ghafur are clear in the verse saying: "The One Who forgives the sins and accepts the repentance, the One Who is severe in punishment, the Lord of bounty; there is no god but He; to Him is the eventual return" (Qur'an, 40:3).
Al-Ghaffar is the One Who very often veils [the sins and faults of His servants], so much so that He does not propagate one's sins in the life of this world nor in the life hereafter.
One of the companions of the Messenger of Allah was asked once, "What did you hear the Messenger of Allah say with regard to one's silent supplication?" He answered by saying that he had heard the Messenger of Allah say, "Allah, the most Honored, the Most Great, will touch His servant who believes in Him with His mercy by veiling his sin from the public in the life of this world, and in the life hereafter He will ask him about each and every sin and fault he had committed. Once he admits all of them and realizes that he is going to perish on their account, the Almighty will say, `I have veiled your sins in the past short life, and in this one I am going to forgive them.' Then he will be handed the book of his good deeds."
All this happens to those who believe in Him; as regarding those who do not, and the hypocrites, He will deal with them quite differently.

He who recites this Name, Allah will forgive his sins.

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(013) Al Musawwir (The Bestower of Forms (or Colours))

هُوَ اللَّهُ الْخَالِقُ الْبَارِئُ الْمُصَوِّرُ ۖ لَهُ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ ۝

He is Allah, the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of Forms (or Colours)." (Qur'an, 59:24).

Al-Musawwir is the One Who fashions, who give something its distinctive form and shape.
The general human form is distinguished from that of non-humans. Allah says,

"... and He formed you and made your forms good" (Qur'an, 40:64), "Into whatever form He pleased He shaped you" (Qur'an, 82:8), and "He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He pleases (3:6)."

Al-Musawwir means: the One Who invents the forms and shapes of whatever He creates, Who beautifies them according to His wisdom, giving everything its own distinctive shape and form. He creates humans in different forms and shapes, making some of them different from others in physique, size, complexion, etc. This may be the meaning of the verse saying,

"And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your tongues and colors; most surely there are signs in this for those who have knowledge" (Qur'an, 30:22).

"He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He pleases; there is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise" (Qur'an, 3:6);

"And certainly We created man of an extract of clay, then We made him a small seed in a firm resting-place, then We made the seed a clot, then We made the clot a lump of flesh, then We made in the lump of flesh bones, then We clothed the bones with flesh, then We caused it to grow into another creation; so, blessed be Allah, the best of creators" (Qur'an, 23:12-14).

Whenever the Messenger of Allah prostrated, he used to say, "Lord! To You have I prostrated, in You have I believed, and to You have I submitted! My countenance has prostrated to the One Who created it and shaped it, Who created hearing and vision for it; so, blessed is Allah, the best of creators!"
Among the supplications of the Messenger of Allah when he prostrated is this one: "My face has submitted to the One Who created and formed it and Who made its form good." The Holy Qur'an has informed us a good deal about al-Musawwir, Allah.

In Surat al-A`raf, for example, we read the following: "And certainly We created you then fashioned you" (Qur'an, 7:11).

In Surat al-Taghabun, we read, "He has created the heavens and the earth in just proportions, and He has given you shape and made your shapes beautiful, and to Him is the final resort" (Qur'an, 64:3).

In Surat Ghafir, we read, "Allah is He Who made the earth a resting-place for you and the heavens a canopy, and He formed you then made your forms good, and He provided you with good things; that is Allah, your Lord; blessed then is Allah, the Lord of the worlds" (Qur'an, 40:64).

In Surat Ali-`Imran, we read, "He it is Who shapes you in the wombs as He pleases; there is no God but He, the Mighty, the Wise" (Qur'an, 3:6).

In Surat al-Infitar, we read, "O man! What has beguiled you from your Lord, the Gracious One Who created you then made you complete, and then He made you symmetrical? Into whatever form He pleased He constituted you" (Qur'an, 82:6-8).

And in Surat al-Hashr we read, "He is Allah the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of forms (or colors). To Him belong the Attributes; all those in the heavens and on earth declare His Praises and Glory, and He is Exalted in Might, Wise" (Qur'an, 59:24).

Allah Almighty has said, "And He created pairs, the male and the female, from the small seed when it is adapted, and upon Him is its bringing forth a second time" (Qur'an, 53:45-47).

If a sterile woman keeps fast for seven days, breaks her fast every evening with a drink of water over which this sacred name of Allah has been recited twenty one times, she will be blessed with a child.

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