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Asma ul Husna

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Asma ul Husna

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WHATS IN A NAME?

A name is a mark or a sign which serves as a symbol for the


recognition of a person or a thing. We recognise something or
someone by their name. A name evokes a wide possible range
of opinions and emotions. The more knowledge you have of a
thing or a person, the stronger the emotion when the name is
called out. For instance, the words, ma, mum, mother,
mummy, evoke love and affection whilst the word ghost
evokes fear, mystery..
The power of a recognisable name is becoming increasingly
valued and valuable. Consider the sponsorship at sporting
events and the advertisements you see everywhere. In this
case the name calls to mind goods of particular quality from a
particular source.
When you remember someones or somethings name, you are
paying it them a subtle compliment. You are saying to it them
that they have made an impression on you and it gives them a
sense of importance. Similarly when you do not recall
someones name it indicates their lack of impression on you.
The word name is therefore synonymous with the word
reputation or character when it comes to human beings.
The acquiring of knowledge about the attributes of Allah is
closely related to our knowledge of recognition of Allah.
Just as we identify a writer from his/her style of writing and by
particular words and phrases which are peculiar to him/her; in
the same way every creation of Allah performs the following
two main functions:
a) Identifying it's Creator
b) Projecting the attributes of it's Creator and recognising the
purpose of it's creation.

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ASMAA UL HUSNA
The most beautiful names (of Allah)

Say (O Muhammad): Call upon Allah or call upon The Merciful,


whichever you call upon, He has the best names..
Suratu Bani Israil 17:110

The word Allah in the Quran is the name of an essence of His


99 beautiful names and qualities like Merciful, Kind,
Knowing...
Whatever little information the human being can get about
Allah can only be acquired through His names. Otherwise, we
have no access.
Allah's attributes are utterly separate from ours and cannot be
examined through a comparison with our attributes. For
example, when we boast of our knowledge, we are not one
and identical with our knowledge. During infancy there was no
trace of learning or knowledge in our beings, but later we
gradually acquired a certain amount of knowledge by learning.
The attribute of knowledge is an accident and our essence is a
substance; each is independent of the other. But the case of
the divine attributes is fundamentally different. When we say
that Allah is all-knowing, what we mean is that He is the source
of knowledge: the attribute is not something other than the
entity it describes although it is conceptually distinct. In reality,
His attributes are identical with His essence; for His essence
does not constitute a substance to which accidents might
adhere. He is absolute being, identical with knowledge, power,

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life, stability and realization; He is not subject to any mental or


external limit or restriction.

Our whole word in essence is a name of Allah because nothing


which exists can come into existence automatically.
These qualities and Names are therefore an infra-structure for
human akhlaq because in Islam, the human being is the
representative of Allah. The Prophet (S.A.W.) has said:

Adopt the akhlaq of Allah


In the same way, in order to arrive at the ideal society of the
Quran, we must build our society with the Divine Qualities.
The human being in social life needs peace in his life and As-
Salaam Peace is one of the Names of Allah. A person also
needs kindness and forgiveness for well being in individual life
as well as in society and Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem are two
of His names.
Society likewise in order to attain solidarity, power and
confidence needs eiman faith. Al-Mumin The believer is one
of the Qualities of Allah.
In order to attain control over our affairs and independence we
must develop strength within ourselves. Al-Qawiyyu -The
Powerful and Al-Ganiyyu The Independent (rich) are two
more of His Qualities.
The human being and human society is distinguished by having
creative ability, and inventiveness. Al-Khaliqu The Creator, Al-
Baariu The Originator, Al-Musawwiru The Fashioner are
among Allahs other Names and Qualities.
If you were to play tennis, you would not go onto the court
with bedroom slippers. Similarly, we have to learn and apply

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the right name and thus the right akhlaq in the appropriate
situation.

All the Asmaaul Husna - qualities can be reflected in our souls


individually and our society be filled with peace, purity,
kindness, faith, confidence, honesty, trust, knowledge,
awareness, dignity and might.

Each name of Allah is a Dua in itself . When reciting any one of


His beautiful Names, ponder over them and try to apply them
to your life..

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REMEMBRANCE OF ALLAH

Allah in the Quran says:

Remember your Rabb within your nafs, humbly and fearfully,


not loud of voice, in the morning and evening.
Suratul A-raaf 7:205

In Al-Kafi, a hadith reported from Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir


(A.S.) states;
It is written in the Tawraat that has not been altered that
Musa (A.S.) asked his Rabb: Ya Rabbiy! Are You near me so
that I should pray to You in whispers or are You far so that I
should cry out to You? Allah revealed to him: O Musa! I am
the companion of one who remembers Me!

Imam Khumayni (A.R.) writes:


Remembrance is a result of contemplation. Contemplation is
the search and remembrance is its attainment.
Although the remembrance of Allah is a quality of the heart, it
is better that the remembrance by the heart is followed by oral
zhikr . ..Our shaykh, the perfect aarif Shahabadi would say:
The zhakir (one who remembers), during zhikr must be like
one teaching words to alittle child that has not yet learnt to
speak. He repeats the words until the childs tongue opens and
the latter utters the words. After that the child has articulated
it, the teacher follows the child and his fatigue caused by
repetition is removed, as if he has received an encouraging
assistance from the child. In the same way, one who does zhikr

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must teach zhikr to his heart which has not learnt to articulate
it First it is the tongue which is zhakir and following it, the
heart too becomes zhakir with the aid and instructions from
the tongue.

Prophet Isa (A.S.) had asked Allah who the nearest person to
him on the earth at that moment was and Allah had given him
the directions to find her. Allah had called her a Mu'mina. Her
mark was that she was a remembering abidah of Allah. He
finds her. She was a being without legs, arms, and eyes.
Homeless and destitute, she was left at the mercy of the
passers by to give her something to survive on. Yet with her
tongue, she was busy thanking Allah, and praising Him calling
out: Ya Allah! Alhamdulillah. You have granted me so much,
how will I ever thank You. You have granted me what You have
not granted so many more. Why? I don't know. It is only a
manifestation of Your grace. Alhamdulillah....
Prophet Isa (A.S.) greeted her and she responded back with
better ones, addressing him as Rooh Allah. He was perplexed.
He asks her: O' Mu'mina! what is it that Allah has granted you
that you are so thankful for? Surely Allah is gracious. But in
your case, one might see how much Allah has not given you.
O' Rooh Allah she responded "He has granted me His
remembrance. He has withheld from me feet that might walk
on the path of haaram. He has withheld from me hands that
would act on haram. He has withheld from me eyes that would
glance at Haram. Yet I do recognise you without their aid. And
my tongue, He has occupied with His praise. Alhamdulillah.
Tell me how many has He blessed as such?"

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NAMES GIVEN TO THE RABB OF THE HEAVENS AND THE


EARTH

In the religious terminology of the world, we fond that every


human being in his/her own way and dialect, has given some
beautiful name for the Rabb of the heavens and the earth.

The English and other allied European languages call their Rabb
of the heavens and the earth. The word God comes from the
Germanic word Gott meaning the supreme or ultimate reality,
the being perfect in power, wisdom, and goodness who is
creator and ruler of the universe. (Extract from Merriam
Webstr Collegiate Dictionary) In the Latin dominated languages
of Western Europe, the term used for God is Deus (Dieu in
French, Dios in Spanish, Dio in Italian). In all these Deus
means heaven.

The Hindu word for the Almighty God is Pramatma. In Sanskrit


(ancient Indian language) Atma means soul and Pram-atma
means the great and holy soul or the holy spirit. Despite the
fact that Hindus believe that God is everything and everything
is God, the classical name for this Supreme God is Om which
means Guardian or Protector.

In Jewish scriptures He is known as Yhwh/Elohim translated in


English as the Lord God. Yhwh , Yehova, Yahuwa all mean the
same thing. Ya both in Hebrew and Arabic means Oh! Huwa
or Hu means He in Hebrew and Arabic. So Yehowa means Oh
HE!
Now lets look at the word Elohim which is made up of Eloh +
Im. In Hebrew, the suffix Im is a plural of respect. Eloh or Elah
or Ilah means God.

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ALLAH

The name Allah solely belongs to the One and Only God. It
combines all His names attributes and needs no introduction
from others, whilst the other names are recognised when
added to the name Allah. Allah is not given to anyone other
Him, nor should it be ever used for anyone besides Him. It
means One Who deserves to be loved and into whom
everyone seeks refuge.
Unlike the word God which can be made into Gods and
Goddess, there is no feminine of the word Allah and neither is
there a plural.
Suratul Ikhlas sums up the concept of Allah in a nutshell.

(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Kind, the Merciful.


1. Say ! He Allah is One.
2. Allah is He on Whom all depend.
3. He does not give birth and neither was He given birth to.
4. And none is like Him.

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This sura was revealed to the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) in Makka


when the Jews were continuously asking him to describe the
identity of Allah . As an answer to their queries this sura was
revealed. It is said that one third of the Quran is an
explanation of this very principle. Perhaps that is why the
Prophet (S.A.W.) has said that the recitation of this sura once
carries the thawaab of reciting one third of the Quran.
In this sura Allah uses the word ahad as opposed to wahid to
depict his oneness. Wahid is the numerical digit one in Arabic
which is divisible and can also be preceded and followed by
other numbers. Ahad depicts one in the sense of the absolute
one which can neither be divided, multiplied, preceded or
followed.

In the beginning of the sura Allah denies the view of the


mushrikeen who believe in more than one God or associate
partners to God. He then denies the views of the Kuffar who
view that God is in need. Finally the view of the Christians and
the Jews is denied in their thinking that God has a son or
progeny..

In Suratush Shuara, Prophet Ibraheem (A.S.) introduces Allah


as:

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..Who created me, and it is He who guides me,


And Who feeds me and provides me with drink,
And when I am ill, He heals me,
And Who causes me to die and then gives me life (Again),
And Who, I hope, will forgive me my faults on the day of
judgement.
Suratush Shuara 26:78-82

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THERE IS NO GOD EXCEPT ALLAH

The first sentence of the Kalima (Shahada) is the basis of the


life of a Muslim. There is no God.. depicts that nothing in the
Universe is superior to Allah and thus nothing in the world is to
be worshipped, however powerful they may seem to be. It is
only when one rejects (negates) every idea of nature worship,
idol worship and human worship, that one is able to believe in
the positive truth of tawheed. The sentence has both a
negative and positive aspect. Both aspects are instrumental in
creating the belief that all human beings are equal. When
nobody is superior, no one is inferior. The superiority lies only
with Allah and the aim of life to get close to Him being
accessible to one and all.
Imam Ali (A.S.) has said:
Whenever an abd of Allah says , it ascends
piercing every ceiling, erasing his/her sins as it passes by them
till it reaches its equivalent in good deeds.

Imam Jafer As-Sadiq (A.S.) has said:


The testimony of is the price of Janna
He also said: If one says a hundred times before
going to bed, Allah builds him/her a mansion in Janna, and
whoever seeks Allahs forgiveness a hundred times before
going to bed, his/her sins will fall down as leaves fall down
from the trees.

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THE COMPASSIONATE, THE MERCIFUL

The Arabic words Rahmaan and Raheem are both intensive


forms of referring to different aspects of Allahs attribute of
Mercy (Rahma).
Mercy may imply pity, long suffering patience, and forgiveness
all of which one who sins needs and Allah bestows it in
abundant measure.
It has been reported that when Allah breathed life into Prophet
Adam (A.S.) he sneezed and immediately said All praise be to
Allah, the Lord of the worlds (the 1st aya of Suratul Hamd after
Bismillah.) Allah responded: Your Rabb is Merciful to you O
Adam.. Prophet Adam (A.S.) stretched his hand and placed it
on his head saying Oh! Allah asked what was wrong. Prophet
Adam (A.S.) replied I have sinned Allah asked how he
knew that Prophet Adam (A.S.) replied Mercy is for the
sinners. It became customary for all the descendants of
Prophet Adam (A.S) to put their hands on their heads when
troubled or afflicted by a calamity. (Allah The concept of God in Islam by
Yasin T al-Jibouri pg.219)

However, there is Mercy that goes before even the need arises
that which Allah provides to all His creation nurturing them,
protecting them, guiding them, preserving them and leading
them to a higher order. For this reason the attribute Ar-
Rahmaan is not applicable to any but Allah. The masumeen
have said that Rahmaan is a name which denotes unreserved
Mercy whilst Raheem denotes reserved Mercy.

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It is narrated that Prophet Sulayman (A.S.) was sitting by a


seashore when he saw an ant carrying a grain go towards the
water. He watched as a frog appeared, opened its mouth as
the ant approached and entered its mouth. The frog dived into
the waters. Prophet Sulayman (A.S.) was reflecting on what he
had just seen when he saw the frog appear. It opened its
mouth and the ant walked out without the grain in its mouth.
Prophet Sulayman (A.S.) called her and asked her where she
had been. She said Ya Nabiyallah! In the bottom of the sea is
a hollow rock where lives a blind worm. Allah assigned the task
of carrying its food to me. The frog is assigned the task of
carrying me so the water does not harm me. Prophet
Sulayman (A.S.) asked her: Do you ever hear the worm praise
Allah? The ant replied: Yes The worm says O one who
does not forget me in the depth of this rock, in the midst of this
water I plead to You by Your sustaining me not to forget Your
believing ibaad (pl of abd) and to include them in Your Mercy.
. (Allah The concept of God in Islam by Yasin T al-Jibouri pg.334)

The Prophet (S.A.W.) said: One who has no mercy towards


people is deprived of the Mercy of Allah. Be merciful to those
on earth so that those in the heavens may be merciful to you.
The Prophet (S.A.W.) is referred to by Allah as Rahmatul lil
aalemeen (A mercy to the worlds).

Mercy or rahma is the ability to stroke when one has the right
and the power to strike. It is the ability to care when one has
the right and the power to turn away. It is the ability to love
when one has the right and the power to hate.

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THE KING
Al-Malik conveys the meaning of One who is free, by virtue of
His own merits and characteristics from depending on anything
in existence whilst everything in existence depends on Him. In
other words, nothing in existence can do without Him, whereas
everything that exists derives its existence from Him or
because of Him. Everything/everyone is His. He can exercise His
authority on anything /anyone under His possession.
He is the one and only real King who will remain forever ruling
not only over bodies or physical existences but over the heart
and souls too.
A land owner is maalik of the land one who is legally bound
to obey the king the malik with regard to land related laws
whereas the opposite is not possible.
In the Quran, Allah describes Himself as the Owner of the
whole domain saying:

Say! (O Muhammad) O Allah! The Master of the kingdom; You


give the kingdom to whomsoever You wish and You take away
the kingdom from whom so ever You
wish... Suratu Ali Imran 3:26
The aim is to be aware that Allah is the sole and ultimate
authority in both creation and legislation. Everything is the
outcome of His creation and is held by Him. It must be
remembered that the kingdom in question is not just the
temporary glory of the world.
In Suratul Mulk, Allah says:

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Blessed is He in whose hands is the kingdom and He has


power over all things; It is He who created death and life that
He may test you as to which of you does the best of deeds;
and He is the Honourable, the Forgiving.
Suratul Mulk 62-1,2
From these ayaat of the Quran, we see that Allah refers to
death and life as creations and He alone controls both.
Namrud addressing Prophet Ibraheem (A.S.) said:
I am your great lord -
Prophet Ibraheem (A.S.) replied:
My Lord gives life and death -
Namrud said he could do that as well. He called 2 men and
ordered one to be killed and the other to be spared.
I give life and death. -
Prophet Ibraheem (A.S.) told him to raise the one whom he had
killed. Namrud had no answer.
Applying AL-Malik to our lives means to be able to have
kingship (total control) of our nafs. The acquisition of Mulk
means to have authentic power. one that perceives
meaningfulness and purpose in every aspect of creation and
amr of Allah. (No grief nor sadness, no fear). It has 3 main
aspects Hayaat (Immortality), Nur (radiance), Sukun
(Contentment). It means iving to die and not dying to live. It
allows one to discriminate between right and wrong and to

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question the purpose of existence thus transforming ones


situation.
As Imam Husayn (A.S.) said Life is nothing but hijra and jihad.
A prince once asked a wise man whom he admired if there was
anything he could do for him.
How can you possibly ask me that when I have two servants
who are your masters? the wise man replied
The prince asked: Who are these two?
The wise man responded: Inappropriate anger and desires. I
have conquered them while they have conquered you. I rule
over them while they rule over you!

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THE HOLY

Al-Quddoos is derived from the word quds meaning purity. It


means purity in all aspects. That is to say that Allah is pure and
free from all flaws, defects, errors, drawbacks, faults. He is
above all human weaknesses.
It means the One who is so pure and holy that His
characteristics cannot be perceived by the senses.

The human being is by nature averse to everything that he/she


perceives to be defective or faulty and a human being is by
nature inclined towards absolute perfection. Although people
vary regarding their identification and perception of perfection,
each of us having perceived something as an ideal, turns
towards it. When we find something better or higher or
attention diverts If we ponder for a moment at the perfection
of our Rabb, we will realise that the search is over for
perfection lies only with Him.

When we have acknowledged His perfection and purity, it


evokes in us reverence. When we stand before Him especially
during Salaa it must be with cleanliness, tahara, discipline and
humility and behaviour that befits one who is The Holy.

It is reported that the great alim Muqaddis Ardebeli (A.R.)


never stretched his legs, even when he slept. Never did he
explain this peculiar habit.

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In the last moment of life, he had no choice, but to stretch his


legs for one who is about to depart from this world is to have
his legs outstretched, facing Qibla.
The family and friends heard Ardebeli utter this to Allah:
Forgive me, for my stretched legs are but a necessity at this
time. I never stretched them before for fear of disrespecting
You, for I know that You are present, always. Forgive me, for
now I must.
How does one apply Al-Quddoos to ones life? Firstly, we must
understand what perfection is for Al-Quddoos is purity in all
aspects in other words perfection.
In the world we can often distinguish perfection of things e.g. a
perfect apple is identified by its flavour, colour, delicacy,
shape but the most difficult task is to define is a perfect
human being. Because our current understanding of progress
in perfection is to control the environment, it produces a
competition that affects every aspect of our life. In this one
persons gain in this power is anothers loss. Sadly all our
institutions display this power it shapes our economics our
existence Money is a symbol of external power those who
have the most have the most ability to control their
environment and those within it Anything we fear to lose a
home, a car, a persons affection are all symbols of external
power. External power is pursued by the ego it is the go
which judges, manipulates, exploits.Spiritual intelligence
shows us another kind of power one that perceives
meaningfulness and purpose in every aspect of creation and
amr of Allah. (No grief nor sadness, no fear. It has 3 main
aspects Haya (Immortality), Nur (radiance), Sukun
(Contentment).
It means the development of all hree types of intelligence IQ
Rational, logical, rule bound thinking EQ (Emotional

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intelligence) - Habit bound, emotional thinking and SQ


(Spiritual intelligence) the thinking with which we address
meaning, direction and value to our actions. He most
important being SQ which makes us respond to the Quran
allowing us to witness janna and jahannam on earth and that
which takes us closer to Allah. So perfecton and purity is the
ability in a person to bring higher vision and value to others
and showing them how to use it; in other words a person who
motivates others. He/she is incapable of making anyone or
anything a victim; one who does not use any force against
another.All our Prophets and Masumeen were perfect
human beings. They taught us with that which awakens in us
the recognition of truth.

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THE GIVER OF PEACE

Salaam means peace. It conveys unconditional security and


assurance of tranquility. There can be no peace or tranquility
from anyone other than Him. In the Quran, Allah says:

Indeed (only) with the remembrance of Allah are hearts at


rest... Suratur Rad 13: 28

The word Islam comes from the root word salama which
means peace. A Muslim is one who is at peace with his/her
Rabb. It is only achieved when there is submission to His will.
Believing that in submitting to Him alone, will give freedom
form everything else and peace in all circumstances of life.

There once was a King who offered a prize to the artist who
would paint the best picture of peace. Many artists tried. The
King looked at all the pictures, but there were only two he
really liked and he had to choose between them.
One picture was of a calm lake. The lake was a perfect mirror
for peaceful towering mountains were all around it. Overhead
was a blue sky with fluffy white clouds. All who saw this
picture thought that it was a perfect picture of peace.
The other picture had mountains too. But these were rugged
and bare. Above was an angry sky from which rain fell, and in
which lightening played. Down the side of the mountain
tumbled a foaming waterfall. This did not look peaceful at all.
But when the King looked, he saw behind the waterfall a tiny
bush growing in a crack in the rock. In the bush a mother bird

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had built her nest. There, in the midst of the rush of angry
water, sat the mother bird on her nest in perfect peace.
The King chose the second picture explaining his reason:
Because, peace does not mean to be in a place where there is
no noise, trouble, or hard work. Peace means to be in the
midst of all those things and still be calm in your heart. That is
the real meaning of peace.

Salaam is also the greeting of a Muslim. The Prophet (S.A.W.)


has said:
The greeting of salaam is an integral part of the deen of Islam

Greet each other with Salaam so that you may achieve peace
and security.
Who so ever upholds three things will have achieved yaqeen
(certainty)- 1) Fairness to his nafs 2) greeting everyone with
salaam 3) spending wisely out of what he/she saves.
When we greet someone with salaam, we are assuring him/her
of safety and security, granting him/her immunity from evil or
ill intentions on our part.
In the Quran, one of the names given to Janna is Dar us
Salaam the abode of peace.
It is reported from Thawban, a slave of the Prophet (S.A.W.)
that whenever the Prophet (S.A.W.) finished his salaa, he
would pray in his dua:
Rabb! You are As-Salaam, from You is peace, Glory be to
You
Applying As-Salaam to life means to be able to be at peace
having contentment of the heart. A human being is constantly
in search of peace. In everything we do, we are looking for
inner peace, happiness and calm. We have to eat, sleep and

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pay our bills but that does not bring peace peace comes from
allowing the nafs to reach up and connect with Allah.
This can only be achieved through submission to His will. Allah
in the Quran says:

.your God is One God, therefore to Him should you


submit. Suratul Hajj - 22:34
Submission is not taken in any passive sense but as a positive
act of committing oneself to bring ones attitudes, likes,
dislikes, and behaviour in harmony with the will of Allah. In
simple words, it means to adopt Islam as a way of life, obeying
the awamir (plural of amr - order) of Allah, and not disobeying
Him in words, actions or thoughts.

The relationship between the human being and Allah is that of


servant and Master, created and Creator. Allah has made His
orders known through His Prophets who communicated it to
humankind. The ahlulbayt after the Prophet (S.A.W.) continued
to provide guidance.
Submission comes with knowledge. Knowledge makes one
aware of what is wajib, haram, mustahab, makruh & jaaiz, how
to fulfil my wajibaat .. Those who worship without knowledge
may end up receiving more harm then benefit. How many
times has one who worships tired him/herself out in
worshipping whilst persistently committing a sin.
One who submits to the orders of Allah, should not begin
anything unless he/she knows the amr (order) of Allah
regarding the matter. i.e. is it wajib, haram..what is the
correct way of performing it?
In Hadith e Qudsi, Allah says:

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My abd (servant) draws nearer to Me with nothing more


pleasing than that which I have made wajib on him/her, and
then continues to draw near Me with mustahabaat until I love
him/her; and when I love him/her I become his/her hearing
when he/she hears, his/her sight when he/she
sees..Should he/she ask Me, I shall surely grant his/her
request; should he/she ask Me for protection, I shall surely
protect him/her;..
Tasleem (submission) is not only for thrice a day, or for one
month of fasting or the odd attendance at the masjid. Allah
does not want half measures - He wants complete of us. He
asks us to hand over our whole nafs to Him - and in return He
gives Himself.

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THE GRANTER OF SECURITY

Al-Mumin means the One who provides the means of security,


blocking all avenues of fear. To say Allah grants His ibaad (pl of
abd) security against all that they fear must be understood in
the light of the circumstances of the life in this world and in the
hereafter.

When Namrud and his people decided to kill Prophet Ibraheem


(A.S.) they put him under house arrest and made preparations
to build a large fire. It is said that they collected timber for a
month. When the fire was lit, they catapulted Prophet
Ibraheem (A.S.) towards it. It is reported that the angels from
the heavens offered to help Prophet Ibraheem (A.S.). Even
Jibraail asked if he could help To all of them Prophet
Ibraheem (A.S.) replied From you, I do not. Sufficient for me
is He is whom I have placed my trust. Allah ordered the fire:

We said: O Fire! Be cold and safety for Ibraheem.


Suratul Ambiya 21:69

How do we reflect this attribute of Allah in our lives? He simple


answer would be to have eiman (faith). But what is eiman?
The Prophet (S.A.W.) has said:

Eiman is divided into 2 halves; one half lies in sabr (Patience)


and the other half in shukr (thankfulness).

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The Prophet (S.A.W.) has also said:

Islam is outward whereas eiman is in the heart (inward).


Imam Jafer As-Sadiq (A.S.) explained the difference between
Islam (in the personal sense) and eiman:
Eiman means -
acknowledgement made by the tongue,
covenant made in the heart,
and actions performed by the body
Eiman has a daar (zone) of its own, just as Islam and kufr have.
A person is a Muslim before he/she becomes a muminSo,
when someone commits a big or small act which Allah has
forbidden (sin), he/she comes out of the zone of eiman and
loses his/her title to eiman, although the title of Islam still
remains with him/her. And when he/she turns away from
his/her sin and does tawba and istighfaar (repents), he/she
returns to the zone of eiman.

Imam Jafer As-Sadiq (A.S.) also said:


Islam is the deen of Allah. One who acknowledges the deen
of Allah is a Muslim, and one who acts according to that which
Allah has commanded is a Mumin.
Eiman is iqraar (testimony) accompanied with deeds and Islam
is iqraar (testimony) without deeds.

Eiman is not restricted to the solitary sphere of an individuals


existence but it covers all human activity in all aspects -
political, social, economic, educational, cultural, etc.. It is
eiman which creates a feeling of outrage against corruption,
exploitation, tyranny and oppression.

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A religion is of little value if it only brings inner light and peace


to the individual. It must be able to offer decisive and clear
guidance to human beings in every kind of social role or
profession, and in each and every phase of their life and career.
Only eiman can claim to possess the ability to satisfy fully this
requirement.
It manifests itself towards others as safety as the following
hadith illustrates.
The Prophet (S.A.W.) has said:
A Muslim is one from whose hands and tongue other Muslims
are safe.
Someone asked Imam Muhammad Baqir (A.S.)
What is the smallest punishable sin that one commits against
another person?
Imam asked him to stretch his hand. Then Imam asked for
permission to squeeze it.
Imam squeezed his hand gently. The man gasped a little.
Imam said: That is the smallest punishable sin.

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GUARDIAN OVER ALL

Al-Muhaymin means that he is the one who oversees all of


creation all our actions. He provides sustenance and decrees
our life spans through His Knowledge, Control and Protection.
Anyone who oversees something is its guardian having
absolute power and authority over it. Al-Muhaymin is the One
who encompasses in His knowledge the management of the
affairs of all His creation from the smallest atom to the largest
planet in the cosmos.

In the Arabic language it is common to describe someone who


protects someone else as their muhaymin. Arabs describe the
protection of the young birds by their mother enveloping them
under her feathers as being muhaymin over them.
If we reflect at the world around us we see the effect of Al-
Muhaymin
Imam Jafer As-Sadiq (A.S.) in his discourse to his companion
Mufadhdhal said:
Look at the creation of a bird, see how it has been created
light and small in volume to enable it to fly,two legs instead
of four
since their food consists of seeds and that which does not need
chewing they have no need of teeth. Instead, Allah created for
them a hard and sharp beak which cannot break when tearing
off meat and does not suffer injury when collecting seeds.
To enable digestion of food which is not chewed, they have
been given a powerful digestive system and a warm body..

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Furthermore, birds reproduce by laying eggs so that they can


remain light enough to fly; if their off springs were to grow in
their stomachs, they would become too heavy to fly

In every aspect of life we see the guardianship Allah provides


all we have to do is look.

On ourselves we need to reflect this attribute when we interact


with those who need our guardianship. The needy, the
orphans The following example may help to understand
how to aply it tp our lives.
Imam Hasan (A.S.) and Imam Husayn (A.S.) had just buried their
father and were returning to the city when they heard
someone crying and calling out :
Where are you? O you who visited me and had mercy on me!
They went to inquire and found that it was a leper for whom
Imam Ali (A.S.) had provided a shelter outside the town of
Kufa. Imam used to visit the leper daily, dressing his wounds
and feeding him for he had lost the use of his hands.
When Imam Hasan & Husayn (A.S.) informed him of the
shahadat of their father, the leper asked to be taken to the
grave where he breathed his last.
Imam Jafer As-Sadiq (A.S.) has said:
Who so ever puts an affectionate hand on the head of an
orphan will be rewarded by Allah with a radiance (light) for
every hair which will pass from below his hand.

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THE MIGHTY
59:23
The root word of this attribute is izz meaning might, power,
strength, victory and elevation. Al- Aziz is the one Who Alone
has all honour, He is never humiliated neither imagination
nor intellect can conceive Him. He can never be harmed, He is
always victorious. It also means The Incomparable. The
Prophet (S.A.W.) used to say I seek refuge with Your Might,
for You Who is the One and only God who never dies, while
jinn and humans die.

The battle of Badr illustrates the manifestation of Al-Aziz in


those who sincerely believed in Him.
In Suratu Aali Imraan, aya 122, Allah says:
And indeed Allah assisted you at Badr when you were weak,
so be careful (to your duty) to Allah so that you may be of the
thankful ones. When you said to the believers Does it not
suffice you that your Lord should assist you with three
thousand angels sent down..
The battle of Badr was the first of the great battles of Islam.
When the Prophet heard the news that there was a trade
caravan going to Syria from Makka under the leadership of Abu
Sufyan he sent two men to gather information about it. It was
discovered that it was a large caravan in which all the Makkans
had shares. The Quraysh had decided to put all their savings
into it and use the profits on arms, horses and other items of
war to use against the Muslims.

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The news was disturbing. The Prophet (S.A.W.) left Madina


with 313 men, 2 horses and 70 camels to go to Badr which was
a stopping point for the caravans.
The Quraysh had confiscated all the property of all the Muslims
who had left Makka for Madina and the Prophet therefore
decided to confiscate the property of the caravan in
compensation.
Abu Sufyan feared an attack from the Muslims and sent a
messenger to Makka telling them of his fears. On receiving the
message, an army of 1000 men, 100 horses and 700 camels
under the leadership of Abu Jahl left Makka to go to Badr.
Meanwhile Abu Sufyan took a different route back to Makka
avoiding Badr. Once he was back in Makka he called Abu Jahl
back but Abu Jahl was too proud and wanted to crush the
Muslims with his large army.
The two armies met at Badr on 17th Ramadhan 2 A.H.
In the beginning as per Arab custom, single combat (one to
one) took place. The famous Quraysh warriors Utbah, Shayba
and Walid came to challenge three Ansars from Madina. The
Quraysh refused to fight any of the Ansars, demanding their
equals and so the Prophet (S.A.W.) sent Ubayda, Hamza and
Imam Ali (A.S.) The three Kuffar were killed (Ubayda was hurt).
The Quraysh got disturbed and began attacking en masse.
In the thick of the battle the Prophet prayed to Allah. In Surat
ul Anfal, aya 9 Allah gave the answer:
When you asked for help from your Lord, He answered you.
Indeed I will aid you with a thousand of the angels in rows after
rows.
The enemies got frightened and began to retreat. The skill of
Imam Ali (A.S.), the other Muslim soldiers and the sight of so
many angels struck terror in the enemies hearts.

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70 Kuffar were killed including their leader Abu Jahl. Imam Ali
(A.S.) killed 36 of them. 14 Muslims were martyred.
70 prisoners were taken by the Muslims. The prisoners were
treated with kindness and some became Muslims. In later days
some of the prisoners said: Blessed be the men of Madina,
they made us ride whilst they walked, they gave us wheat and
bread to eat when there was little of it contenting themselves
with plain dates.
The rich prisoners paid ransom and were set free. Others were
asked to gain their freedom by teaching 10 Muslims to read
and write.
To apply AL-Aziz to our lives

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THE SUPREME

Linguistically, Al-Jabbar is derived from the word jabr which is


the opposite of breaking. It suggests the mending of something
that is broken, crushed, shattered, fractured.. The adjective
jabbaar is also said to mean great, inaccessible. Linguists say
Al-Jabbar means the most Great, the Supreme Al-Jabbar also
means the One Whose will prevails. Nothing can happen in His
domain except what He pleases. It may also mean the One
Who repairs, improves, reforms, corrects. He is the one who
not only mends what is broken but also enriches the one who
is in want..

Al-Jabbar also connotes forcefulness. The human being cannot


choose how or when he/she wishes to be born, neither can
he/she control the time or circumstances of death. The sun
moves in its orbit without deviating an inch it has no choice.
In all of creation we see manifest signs of His Supremacy.

Firawn was one who refused to acknowledge these signs.


When. Firawn learnt of the escape of the Bani Israail from Egypt,
he followed them with a huge army. The Bani Israail saw Firawn
approaching as they came near the Red Sea. They feared for their
lives. Prophet Musa (A.S.) struck the waters of the sea with his
staff and the waters parted, making a dry path. The people
rushed through and crossed safely. When Firawn saw the path he
entered the sea at the head of his army. But while he was in the
middle of the sea the waters suddenly closed around him and his
men.

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In the final moments of his life Firawn recognised the Supremacy


of Allah and he desperately offered his repentance saying. I
solemnly declare that there is no god but the Lord of Musa, and I
am one of the believers. However, it was too little too late.
Firawn and his people drowned under the deep sea and Allah
caused their dead bodies to be thrown onto the shore. The
preserved body of Firawn can be seen in the Cairo museum even
today, a lasting lesson for humankind.

When the word Jabbar is used for a human being it denotes


arrogance, cruelty, and hard hardheartedness as the forcefulness
of exerting ones will as a human being is selfishness. Allah is
beyond all need, and His will is sheer Rahma

Al-Jabbar must evoke in us humility towards Allah. A Rabb, so


Great and so Powerful yet so Rahmaan and Raheem. Imam
Jafer As-Sadiq (A.S.) is reported to have said:
Allah inspired Prophet Musa (A.S.) saying: Do you know, O
Musa, why I chose you from among My creation to hear My
word?
No! Ya Rabb said Prophet Musa (A.S.)
Allah said: From the inhabitants of the earth, I found none more
humble than you.
Prophet Musa (A.S.) went immediately into sijda, and rubbed his
cheeks on the earth as a sign of humility to his Rabb, the
Supreme.
Allah said: O Musa! Raise your head and pass your hand over
the place where you did sijda, then wipe your face with it and
whatever you can touch of your body, for this will be your
security against any sickness or ailment, affliction or handicap.

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THE POSSESSOR OF EVERY GREATNESS

Understanding Al-Mutakabbir requires a good deal if insight


and reasoning. Its root word kibriyaa means greatness
incorporating the concept of ones perfection. Nobody can be
described as perfect except Allah. Al- Mutakabbir is the One
Who possesses all greatness and Who rightly deserves pride
and glory.

To begin to understand His Greatness, we must learn to go


beyond our own mind, our ego and our tools or perception. To
look for His greatness with our logic and intellect is like trying
to capture the suns rays in our hands. From the perspective of
absolute reality, there is no other Greatness. It is the principal
law of existence. If you place an object of 100 cubic feet in a
space of 100 cubic feet, no other object can share that place.
Likewise, if you have an object of infinite size, no other object
can possibly occupy any space or any time. There is no
competition in greatness with Him.

The Prophet (S.A.W.) said Allah has said: Pride is My cloak,


Greatness is My garment; whoever disputes with me regarding
either, I shall surely hurl him/her in the fire.
This implies that pride, greatness and might befit only Allah
and none other.

As with Al-Jabbar, it evokes humility and keeping away from


the evil of self-conceit, vanity, arrogance and pride in a human
being.

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The Prophet (S.A.W.) has said:


Never can the person who possesses a speck of kibr (pride)
inside his/her heart enter Janna.
Kibr is caused when one thinks that he/she possesses some
kind of excellence. When this happens the person feels that
others are inferior and a feeling of self-esteem develops in the
nafs showing itself in actions. Even basic actions like walking
and talking change. The intensity of kibr takes over a person
without him/her realising it. He/she creates an artificial halo of
sacredness around him/her.

It is said that pride comes before a fall. Imam Jafer As-Sadiq


(A.S.) is reported to have said:
There is no person who does not have a harness to his/her
head. Whenever he/she has kibr (is proud), an angel says Be
humble, lest Allah should disgrace you Thus, in his/her eyes
he/she may be the greatest of human beings whereas in the
eyes of the people he/she is the smallest of creatures. When
he/she is humble and modest Allah removes the harness
from his/her head and an angel says Elevate yourself, for
Allah is elevating you. Thus, he/she is the smallest of persons
in his/her own eyes whilst the most elevated and noble in the
eyes of others.

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THE CREATOR

Al-Khaaliq is derived from khalq meaning creating. Al-Khaaliq


is the one who brings things into existence from non-existence.

Science says that it is life that creates life. However, no single


cell has been discovered that was created from lifeless matter.
According to science, the earth went through long periods in
which there was no possibility of life because of the extreme
heat prevailing. The atmosphere was full of molten metals and
volcanic eruptions. Later, when the crust of the earth began to
cool, only inorganic matter could be found there for millions of
years. In short, throughout the tumultuous changes that
occurred to the surface of the earth, there was no trace of life
on it. How then did life certainly come forth?
Al-Khaaliq is the one who has created not only all life forms but
the complete adaptation of every species of animal to its
conditions of living each created with its particular
instruments needed for its condition of life.
When prophet Musa (A.S.) was asked by Firawn Who is your
Rabb?
Prophet Musa (A.S.) replied:

..Our Rabb is He who endowed all things with a particular


form of creation and then guided it. Suratu Taha 20:50

Lets look at some of the unmatched wonders of creation. A


female moth emits soft signals that a male moth can pick up

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from an incredible distance sending its own signals in return.


However, much one would want to disturb these
communications, one is unable to do so. Does this frail creature
carry a transmitter or a receiver? A tiny cricket rubs its legs
together and the sound can be heard upto a kilometre away on
a quiet still night. In order to summon its mate, the make
cricket sets sixty tons of air into motion and the female cricket
responds, although no audible sound comes from her?

The harmony and interconnectedness of millions of natural


phenemona in our world can only be explained on the basis of
one theory namely that there is a Creator Al-Khaaliq who
has established creation by means of a limitless and infinite
power with a programme for each element of creation.

If we occasionally perceive weak points in nature, it does not


imply inadequacy of the Creator because our thoughts and
perceptions are too limited to perceive all the mysteries and
enigmas of the universe our intellect cannot comprehend the
aims and goals of existence. If we are unable to understand the
function of a small screw in a great machine, it does not give us
the right to accuse its inventor / designer as ignorant?
Imam Jafer As-Sadiq (A.S.) said to his companion Mufadhdhal:
I swear by my own nafs that Allah has not failed to make
Himself known to the ignorant, for they see clear proofs and
decisive indications of the Creator in His creation and behold
wondrous phenemona in the kingdom of the heavens and on
earth that point to their Creator.

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THE MAKER

Baraa means creating or initiating creation without a previous


model. Baraa also implies a process of evolving from a
previously created matter. Al-Baari is thus the Maker or the
Evolver. He is the one who moulds each form and frame
creating all things in proportion. It follows on from Al-Khaaliq
the One who creates out of nothing.

The creation of Prophet Adam (A.S.) described in Nahjul


Balagha Sermon 1 reflects the attribute Al-Baari.

Allah gathered together earth having various properties


(hard, soft, saline, acidic etc. ) He moistened it and allowed it to
ferment till it became one cohesive mass and took up a form.
He then gave it a shape, various twists and curves in its body
and limbs, joints and segments. He then allowed the figure to
remain for a period known to Him till it became solid and
strong enough to support the whole being and bear its weight.
It continued like that until He infused into it the divine spirit
and the figure stood up to be a man.

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THE FASHIONER

Al-Musawwir is the one who fashions or designs, giving


something its distinctive form, colour or shape, making it
exactly suited to given end or objective. He creates the human
being with different physiques, size, complexions etc It
follows on from Al-Khaalq and Al-Baari. First creating out of
nothing, then making a prototype and then from the prototype
different forms exactly suited to their situations.

Lets look at the designing in the various methods that plants


utilise to spread their seeds.
All fruits with a single seed have a hard protective casing with a
seam along its length which is bounded by an adhesive which
dissolves only in the earth. When you next throw an inedible
seed onto the ground, pause to glorify its Designer.
Look at Velcro fastening? So simple and effective tiny hooks
gripping looped fibres. The idea comes from seeds such as
burdock which have a row of hooks to grip the coats of passing
animals. The seeds are then carried until they are brushed off
by undergrowth and grow into new plants.
There is the squirting cucumber that bursts open to shoot its
seeds like bullets from a gun.
The coconut which floats away from its parent tree on ocean
currents before reaching dry land. Special fibres around the
seed help it to float.
There are parachutes from the dandelion.
Who taught the burdock to grow hooks, the cucumber to
produce explosives that can shoot its seeds, the coconut to

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thoughtfully provide a ring to help its seeds float, the humble


dandelion the intricate laws of dynamics? If not AL-Musawwiru,
then who?

Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir (A.S.) has said:


..If you wish to view His Grandeur, observe the greatness of
His creation.

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THE WISE

Hakeem is a superlative form, a form for the glorification of the


One Who has all the Wisdom. Wisdom means the best way of
knowing something, utilising the very best of means.
Al-Hakeem is One who is Just in His assessments, Rahmaan in
the management of affairs, One Who has determined the
measure of everything, One Who places everything in its right
place.

When one acknowledges Allah as the Wise, then it follows that


he/she will act on His orders without any questions or dispute
that which we call submission. Submission is not the absence
of reason, it is a skill in its own right, which, when cultivated,
allows us to experience the ultimate. The divine Architect
through His Wisdom provided us with a road map and guides
that illuminate the worlds many winding dark paths, so that
we too may reflect His wisdom.

The Prophet (S.A.W.) has said:


The apex of wisdom is to have taqwa in Allah
Taqwa comes from the word wiqaya meaning to guard
oneself applied to something which is exposed to danger and
corruption. In essence it is submitting to His Wisdom and
fulfilling all the waajibaat and keeping away from all the
muharrimaat.

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Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq, upon whom be peace, said in answer to


someone who was questioning him about the nature of God:
"He is something utterly other than all things; He alone is
identical with the very essence of being. He is not a body and
has no form. The senses cannot perceive Him and He cannot be
sought out. He escapes the grasp of the five senses; fantasy
and imagination are unable to perceive Him. The passage of
time and the succession of ages in no wise diminish Him and He
is exempt from all mutation and change."

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THE KNOWER OF THE UNSEEN AND SEEN

Aalim is derived from the word ilm meaning knowledge. For


us as human beings, the world is divided into two parts The
hidden (ghayb) and the manifest (shahada). Things are hidden
in the sense that certain truths, being infinite and non material
cannot be perceived by the outer senses. Allahs knowledge
encompasses everything. The events that occur in the most
distant part of the universe, happenings that occurred billions
of years ago or will occur billions of years later all are
contained in the sphere of His knowledge. He is aware of the
course of the stars, the depths of the oceans, the norms and
laws of nature as the following aya of Quran so vividly
portrays.

And with Him are the keys of the unseen treasures none
knows them but He, and He knows what is in the land and the
sea; and there falls not a leaf but He knows it, nor a grain in the
darkness of the earth, nor anything green nor dry but (it is all)
in a clear book.
Suratul Anaam 6:59

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In order to understand His knowledge, we as human beings try


to apply our intelligence to search and reflect stretching the
limits of our thoughts however, our mental apparatus lack
the skills required to reach our goal.

Imagine that you are watching cars moving down a street from
a small window. You see one car at a time pass by the window,
appearing at one end and disappearing from the other. The
small window compares to our field of vision it determines a
past and a future for the cars. Our situation with respect to the
past and future of the world is like the person watching the
cars through the small window. Once we realise that Allah is
above time and place, we understand that all past and future
events are always present and existent in front of Him like a
picture.

We, as His best creation therefore ought to have a sense of


responsibility to a Creator who is aware of the most subtle
deed and our innermost thoughts. As the Quran says:

And Allah knows what you do. Suratul Baqara 2:283

It is reported that before Zulaykha tried to seduce Prophet


Yusuf (A.S.) she covered the statue of the deity she worshipped
with a cloth. Prophet Yusuf (A.S.) asked her the reason for her
action and she said that she felt ashamed to do something
wrong in front of her god to which Prophet Yusuf (A.S.) replied
that if she was fearful of a god of stone, how could he not
fear/respect His Kareem Rabb (the most Honourable Nourisher
and Cherisher)

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SURATUL HASHR (59)


Ayaat 22, 23 and 24

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In the name of Allah, the Kind, the Merciful

He is Allah besides Whom there is no god;


The Knower of the unseen and the seen,
He is the Kind, the Merciful
(59:22)

He is Allah, besides Whom there is no god,


The King, the Holy, the Giver of Peace, the Granter of Security,
Guardian over all, the Mighty, the Supreme, the Possessor of
every greatness,
Glory be to Allah form what they associate (with Him).
(59:23)

He is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner,


His are the most excellent names,
Whatever is in the heavens and the earth declares His glory,
And He is the Mighty, the Wise.
(59:24)

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SURATUL HASHR (59:22, 23 & 24)

My shaykh would ask me to recite the last ayaat of Suratul


Hashr (59:18-24) after daily prayers and to contemplate over
their meaning, especially in the late hours of the night when
the heart is relaxed. He said that it was very effective for curing
the soul and for holding the mischief of the self and Shaytan at
bay. He would recommend us to be with wudhoo at all times,
for, he would say, it is like a warriors armour.

Ayatullah Al Khumaini (A.R.)


(Selected Sayings compiled by the W F of KSIMC)

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Asma ul Husna

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Asma ul Husna

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