ALLAH
Where Does Allah Fit in the Picture?
I have written and re-written this class a hundred times in my mind, ever since a sister told me a story. She told me about a young Muslim girl, the daughter of her friend. The girl was sitting in the company of some other girls and the conversation turned to boys. Typical.The girls were sitting outside the mosque at a picnic bench. While they were talking, a young man passed by, and he overheard one of the girls make a complimentary comment about his looks. Now, the comment was not meant for his ears, and he did not know which of the girls had made the comment. The young man, knowing that this was inappropriate behavior and conversation for the girls, went to the father of one of the girls.He told the man what had happened, and left it at that. Next, the father went to his daughter and asked her if she knew about this incident. She said that she did. She said she was present at the table and heard the comment, but did not know which one of them had said it. The father knew she was lying, but said nothing. He walked away, showing in his face that he was not pleased with the girl. Later, the girl was talking to this friend of mine, and related the incident. She told her how she did not know what to do because her father was angry with her. The sister looks at the girl and asks her why she lied. The girl answered that she did not want to get her friend in trouble. Now comes the part that truly made me think. So the sister said to her, "What kind of friend is worth displeasing Allah?"She told the young girl that she had failed at all the stages of the events to remember one key question, "Where does Allah fit into the picture?" Such a simple question, but such a massive meaning. The young girl had failed to think about Allah when she was talking about boys. She had failed to think about Allah when she heard the inappropriate comment. She had failed to think about Allah when she lied to her father. All these stages could have been avoided by thinking about her personal relationship with Allah, not her relationship with each of the people who had filled her day with fitnah and sin. Her love of her friends, in this case, seemed to overshadow her love for Allah.In a hadith Qudsi, Allah says, on the authority of Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: Let not one of you belittle himself.They said: O Messenger of Allah, how can any one of us belittle himself? He said: He finds a matter concerning Allah about which he should say something, and he does not say [it], so Allah (mighty and sublime be He) says to him on the Day of Resurrection: What prevented you from saying something about such-and-such and such-and-such? He say: [It was] out of fear of people. Then He says: Rather it is I whom you should more properly fear.[Ibn Majah]The girl had failed to put Allah into the picture. She should have changed the conversation of her friends instead of participating in it. She should have advised her friend and admonished her when she made the comment. She should never have lied. Too often we all fail to fit Allah into the picture. We need to make sure we remember that Allah is the Most Aware of what we are saying and doing and that His Great Knowledge is everywhere.In hadith Gibriel, we see where Gibriel came to Rasool Allah and asked him several questions, among them was: "...What is Ihsan (perfection)?" Allah's Apostle replied, "To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, He sees you..."[Sahih al-Bukhari 1,2:47]We need to consider Allah with the sure knowledge that He sees us. He knows what we are doing, saying, thinking, feeling etc... We need to make sure that the actions we make in front of Allah are those we want Him to see. Allah says, And keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate and whatever good you send before for yourselves, you shall find it with Allah; surely Allah sees what you do. [2:110].And the parable of those who spend their property to seek the pleasure of Allah and for the certainty 'of their souls is as the parable of a garden on an elevated ground, upon which heavy rain falls so it brings forth its fruit twofold but if heavy rain does not fall upon it, then light rain (is sufficient); and Allah sees what you do. [2:265].We need to keep thinking about Allah. We can not allow love for our family, friends or society to divert us from what is truely important:worshipping Allah, and attaining Jannah.Allah warns us about our devotion to the things of this life and how it diverts us from what is truly important. This diversion will lead us to an evil end while remembering Allah will bring us the greatest of blessings. Allah says, Every soul shall have a taste of death: And only on the Day of Judgment shall you be paid your full recompense. Only he who is saved far from the Fire and admitted to the Garden will have attained the object (of Life): For the life of this world is but goods and chattels of deception. [3:185].We need to constantly remember Allah. Keep Him in the picture, you can say. We need to hold fast to our deen and use our remembrance of Allah as a way to help us be stronger. Allah says, And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah's favor on you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, you became brethren; and you were on the brink of the pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. This is how Allah makes His Signs clear to you: That you may be guided. [3:103].The reward for remembering Allah is immense. Allah says, Surely the men who submit and the women who submit, and the believing men and the believing women, and the obeying men and the obeying women, and the truthful men and the truthful women, and the patient men and the patient women and the humble men and the humble women, and the almsgiving men and the almsgiving women, and the fasting men and the fasting women, and the men who guard their private parts and the women who guard, and the men who remember Allah much and the women who remember-- Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a mighty reward. [33:35]Our greatest challenge is to achieve Ihsan. It is hard to think of Allah being present when we don't see Him, but it needs to be our goal to achieve this level of faith. Another young girl I used to know told me about a school trip she took. She had decided to go with her class to a Broadway play that had been brought to her town. She knew it was not appropriate, but she just wanted to see it, to experience it. As she sat there, in the audience, while the men and women were singing and dancing on stage, she said that she suddenly became very scared. She remembered something I had taught her before. She realized that if she died in this place, she would be raised like this on the day of Judgement. She remembered Allah. She said that all she could do was pray to Allah to let her leave this place alive and to forgive her. She did not want to die here and be raised in this condition before Allah on the day of Judgement. I was so proud of her this day, for she had experienced Ihsan, recognition that Allah Sees her. I pray Allah give us all the ability to experience it and to make it a part of us. Our Prophet tells us that the more we do to please Allah, the more dear we become to Him and He to us.Abu Huraira narrated Allah's Apostle said, "Allah said, 'I will declare war against him who shows hostility to a pious worshipper of Mine. And the most beloved things with which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, so I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My protection (Refuge), I will protect him; (i.e. give him My Refuge) and I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of the believer, for he hates death, and I hate to disappoint him."[Sahih al-Bukhari 8,76:509]O Allah, make us of those who remember you. O Allah, make us of those who love and fear you. O Allah make us of those who please you. O Allah make us of those who live and die for you. Salat wa salaam ala rasul Allah.[Ameen.]Subhanak Allahuma wa bihamdik (Glory & praise/gratitude is to You). O Allah, ash-hadu alla illaha illa Ant (I bear witness there is none that has the right to my worship but You), astaghfiruka wa'a tubu illaik (I ask Your forgiveness and repent unto You.)[Ameen]
ALLAH
"He is Allah; there is no Allah but He...."[59:22] Allah is unique in terms of true Being. No other being can be said to exist 'of itself'. In fact, "Everything perishes except His Presence (Face)" [28:88]. It is probable that the name Allah occurs to indicate the Absolute in the same way that proper nouns denote particular things. Everything that can be said, however, in respect of the origin of the word is from the human point of view, that is, relative and arbitrary. As Allah breathed His Spirit on the human form it can aspire to actualize Allah's Qualities but the possibility of this occurring is limited and relative to our own natural disposition -- which Allah gave us -- and the extent of our directing our motivations and perceptions towards this goal. However, gaining knowledge of Allah's Most Beautiful Names and assuming them as noble or praiseworthy character traits whatever possible makes us in no way comparable to Allah's likeness. The Qur'an clearly states, "Naught is as His likeness" [16:74] nor should one consider that sharing in every quality means a likeness. Likeness is defined as sharing in a specific thing and in essence. A horse and a human being may both be swift but their likeness ends here. The meaning of the name Allah is so specific that it is inconceivable that there could be any sharing of the Name whether it be metaphorically or literally. In view of this, the rest of the Names are described as being the Names of Allâh and are defined in relation to Allâh. One may say that the Patient, the Compeller, and the Sovereign are among the Names of Allah but one cannot say that Allah is one of the Names of the Patient, the Compeller, the Sovereign. This is because the Name Allah, is more indicative of the true nature of the meaning of divinity and is, therefore, more specific. As a result, one dispenses with trying to define it by something else whereas the other Names are defined in relationship to the Name Allah. As the Qur'an says, "Do you know of any other that can be named with His Name?" [19:65]
On Remembering Allah
Allah the All-mighty has said "Therefore remember me. I will remember you. be grateful to Me and never show me ingratitude".And He said: "Oh you who believe, remember Allah time and again."And He said; "And the men and women who remember Allah frequently, Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a great reward."And He said: "And remember your Lord by your tongue and within yourself, humbly and in awe, without loudness, by words in the morning and in the afternoon, and be not among those who are neglectful."The Prophet (SalAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: "He who remembers his Lord and he who does not remember his Lord are like the living and the dead."And he RasulAllah (SalAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, "shall i not tell you about the best of your works, the purest of your possesions, your most elevated station, the thing that is better for you than spending your gold and silver in the way of Allah, and better for you than meeting your enimies and slaying them and being slain?" "Oh yes" they said. He RasulAllah saws said "Rememberance of Almighty Allah."And He RasulAllah (SalAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: "Almighty Allah says, I am with my slave when he thinks of Me and I am with him when he mentions Me. For if he mentions Me to himself, I have mentioned him to Myself; and if he mentions Me in a gathering , I have mentioned him in a superior gathering. If he approaches Me by a hands width, I approach him by and arms length; and if he approaches Me with and arms length, I approach him by a miles length. And if he comes to Me walking, I hasten to him swiftly."Abdullah bin Busr related that a man asked the Prophet (SalAllahu alayhi wasalam) , "Oh Prophet saws, there are so many ways that we are permitted to worship Allah. Please give me a simple thing that i can do." The Prophet saws said "let your tongue always be moist with the rememberance of Allah."And he said: "Whoever reads one letter from the book of Allah, will receive one Hasana, and one Hasana comes with ten like it. I do not say that Alif Lam Mim is a letter. Indeed Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter."Uqbah bin Amir (radiAllahu anhu) said: "Whoever sits and does not mention the name of Allah before he rises will find it a cause of sorrow. whoever lies down to sleep and does not mention the name of Allah before rising will find it a cause of sorrow.£And the Prophet (SalAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, "Whoever sits in an assembly of people who do not mention the name of Allah in their gathering, and who do not ask Allah for his blessings on their Prophet, will find it a cause of sorrow. And if He Allah wishes He will forgive them."And he (SalAllahu alayhi wasalam) said: "No people may rise from an assembly in which they have failed to mention the name of Allah, without it being as if they were getting off a dead donkeys rotting back, and it would be a cause of affliction for them
Love Of Allah Ta'ala
Imam ibn ul-Qayyim (rahimahullah) said:"The reasons which cause the mahabbah (love of Allah) to develop are ten:
Reciting the Qur'an, reflecting upon it and understanding its meanings; Drawing closer to Allah through the performance of optional deeds, after fulfilling the obligatory deeds;
Being continuous in the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah - in all circumstances - with the tongue, the heart and the limbs. The more constant the dhikr, the more mahabbah intensifies;
Giving precedence to what Allah loves - when being overcome with desires - over what one personally loves and desires;
Causing the heart to contemplate over the Names and Attributes of Allah. Being a witness to what they necessitate and causing the heart to be enlightened in the garden of this realization;
Witnessing the blessings and the favors of Allah - the apparent and the hidden; Subduing the heart and humbling it before Allah, causing it to be in awe of Him;
Being in seclusion during the time in which Allah descends to the lowest Heaven - reciting the Qur'an and finishing this recitation with seeking Allah's forgiveness and sincerely repenting to Him;
Sitting in the gatherings of the sincere and true lovers of Allah - reaping the benefits of their teachings and not speaking except when you know there is benefit in doing so and that such speech will increase you in good and benefit others as well;
Keeping clear from all those matters which will cause the heart to distance itself from Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
So these are ten matters which cause the lover to reach the station of true love for Allah, so that he may then reach Allah, his Beloved.
Contemplating the Asma al Husna
#fullpost{display:none;}
How to use the 99 Names of Allah in al Qur'anThere are the 99 Names or Attributes of Allah, that are working in every human being at all times. We are not aware of this. All our bodies are working with these Attributes.For example, there is the al-Basir attribute of Allah. Now how does that work? It works with your sight. Allah has given that to you.There is the Sami' attribute. How does that work? It works with your hearing. Allah has given these attributes to the human being and the human body is working with them. As we do Tafakkur, contemplative meditation, of these attributes working inside the body, we can see how they work. That's why Tafakkur carries so much importance. As a person does Taffakur, he gains strength from the Dhikr, Divine Remembrance. His 'ishq, his Divine Love, increases and he begins to feel a nearness to Allah. That's why in the Quran the word "Tafakkur" is mentioned often. The Taffakur of every Asma' causes an opening inside of a person.Tafakkur is practiced like this: through thinking you place the Asma into your brain and then you're not to speak at all and you're to try to listen to yourself. That Asma' will work on its own accord there. You can do this when you're going down the road, when you're lying down. You can do this at any time. No one will be aware of this. Only you will know, and it will make you feel more at ease.As you do the Tafakkur, the Asma will bring about certain changes in you. What's it going to do? Whatever is lacking in you may be opened with that Asma' . Every Asma has been given to humanity for goodness and beauty. That's why Allah says in the Quran-i Karim that these are the Asma al-husna, the Most Beautiful Names. He says, "Bear witness to all things created in the 'alam al-ghayb, (the unseen world)." There are many things in this 'alam al-ghayb that we cannot see. Have faith and you will see. This Âyah (Quranic verse) has come solely as testimony to this. These are working in every human being. So if a person can make Tafakkur work within himself together with these Asma, then he will be able to hear both the sound of beauty and goodness inside himself, and he will also be able to hear the sounds of the beauty and goodness that Allah has created outside.
The Attributes of Allah Ta'ala
"He is Allah, and there is no God beside Him, the Knower of the unseen and the seen. He is Gracious, the Merciful.He is Allah, and there is no God beside Him, the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace, the Bestower of Security, the Protector, the Mighty, the Subduer, the Exalted. Holy is Allah far above that which they associate with Him.He is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner. His are the most Beautiful Names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Him, and He is the Mighty the Wise.[59: 23-25]Allah is the proper name of God, however He has many other names (and attributes) which He can be called. These attributes describe how Allah manifests Himself to us. God's attributes are innumerable since human intellect cannot possibly comprehend every aspect of the Supreme Being. It is not possible to perfectly translate the names and attributes of Allah from their original Arabic into English. However, here are some fairly close explanations. AllahADH-DHaahir Qur'aan [57:3] Al-3aalim Qur'aan [6:73] Al-3aDHeem Qur'aan [2:255] Al-3afuww Qur'aan [4:43] Al-3aleem Qur'aan [2:32] Al-3aliy Qur'aan [2:255] Al-3azeez Qur'aan [2:129] Al-7aafiDH Qur'aan [12:64] Al-7afeeDH Qur'aan [11:57] Al-7afiy Qur'aan [19:47] Al-7akeem Qur'aan [2:32] Al-7aleem Qur'aan [2:225] Al-7ameed Qur'aan [14:1] Al-7aq Qur'aan [10:32] Al-7aseeb Qur'aan [4:6] -7ayy Qur'aan [2:255] Al-a3laa Qur'aan [87:1] Al-a7ad Qur'aan [112:1] Al-aakhir Qur'aan [57:3] Al-akram Qur'aan [96:3] Al-awwal Qur'aan [57:3] Al-baari' Qur'aan [59:24] Al-baaTin Qur'aan [57:3] Al-barr Qur'aan [52:28] Al-baSeer Qur'aan [17:1] Al-fattaa7 Qur'aan [34:26] Al-ghaffaar Qur'aan [38:66] Al-ghafuur Qur'aan [10:107] Al-ghaniy Qur'aan [6:133] Al-ilaah Qur'aan [2:133] Al-jabbaar Qur'aan [59:23] Al-kabeer Qur'aan [13:9] Al-kareem Qur'aan [82:6] Al-khaaliq Qur'aan [59:24] Al-khabeer Qur'aan [6:18] Al-khallaaq Qur'aan [15:86]
ASMÂ ALLÂH UL HUSNÂ (NAMES OF GOD)
#fullpost{display:none;}
A collection of the Ninety-nine Most Beautiful Names of Allah, in English, with a brief explaination of each one.1. ALLAH- Allah.(1:1)(3:18)(5:109)(7:180)(8:40) (16:91)(20:8)(57:5)(65:3)(74:56) (85:20)(98:5) 2. AR-RAHMAN - The Beneficent.He who gives blessings and prosperity to all beings without showing disparity.(1:3)(17:110)(19:58)(21:112) (27:30)(36:52)(50:33)(55:1)(59:22) (78:38)3. AR-RAHIM - The Merciful.He who gives blessings and prosperity, particularly to those who use these gifts as Allah has said, and is merciful to the believers in the hereafter.(2:163)(3:31)(4:100)(5:3)(5:98) (11:41)(12:53)(12:64)(26:9)(30:5) (36:58)4. AL-MALIK - The Sovereign Lord.He who is the absolute king of the entire universe.(20:114)(23:116)(59:23)(62:1)(114:2)5. AL-QUDDUS - The Holy.He who is free from all error, absentmindedness, is free from incapability and from any kind of defect.(59:23) (62:1)6. AS-SALAM - The Source of Peace.He who frees his servants from all danger and obstruction. He who gives His greeting to those fortunate people in heaven.(59:23)7. AL-MUMIN - The Guardian of Faith.He who places faith in the heart of His servants, protects those who seek refuge in Him, and gives tranquillity.(59:23)8. AL-MUHAYMIN - The Protector.He who watches over and protects all things.(59:23)9. AL-AZIZ - The Mighty.The Unconquerable.(3:6) (4:158) (9:40) (9:71) (48:7) (59:23) (61:1)10. AL-JABBAR - The Compeller.He who repairs all broken things, who completes that which is incomplete, and who has the ability, with force, to make people do whatever He wants.(59:23)11. AL-MUTAKABBIR - The Majestic.He who shows His greatness in all things and in all ways.(59:23)12. AL-KHALIQ - The Creator.He who creates everything from nothing and creates all things with the knowledge of what will happen to them.(6:102) (13:16) (39:62)(40:62)(59:24)13. AL-BARI - The Evolver.He who creates all things in proportion.(59:24)14. AL-MUSAWWIR - The Fashioner.He who designs all things.(59:24)15. AL-GHAFFAR - The Forgiver.He who is all-forgiving.(20:82)(38:66)(39:5)(40:42)(71:10)16. AL-QAHHAR - The Subduer.He who is victorious and dominant in a way that He can do anything He wills.(13:16)(14:48)(38:65)(39:4)(40:16)17. AL-WAHHAB - The Bestower.He who donates all blessings to His creatures.(3:8)(38:9)(38:35)18. AR-RAZZAQ - The Provider.He who provides all things beneficial to His creatures.(51:58)19. AL-FATTAH - The Opener.He who opens the solution to all problems, and eliminates obstacles.(34:26)20. AL-ALIM - The All-Knowing.He who is all knowing.(2:158)(3:92)(4:35)(24:41)(33:40) (35:38)(57:6)21. AL-QABID - The Constrictor.He who constricts.(2: 245)22. AL-BASIT - The Expander.He who is the expander.(2:245)23. AL-KHAFID - The Abaser.He who diminishes or decreases.24. AL-RAFI - The Exalter.He who uplifts.25. AL-MUIZZ - The Honorer.He who makes one glorious, gives dignity, and treats one with respect.(3:26)26. AL-MUZILL - The Dishonorer.He who lowers and puts one in abasement and degradation.(3:26)27. AS-SAMI - The All-Hearing.He who hears everything.(2:127) (2:137) (2:256) (8:17) (49:1)28. AL-BASIR - The All-Seeing.He who sees everything.(4:58) (17:1) (42:11) (42:27) (57:4) (67:19)29. AL-HAKAM - The Judge.He who judges and provides what is due.(22:69)30. AL-ADL - The Just.The just one.(6:115)31. AL-LATIF - The Subtle One.He who knows the delicate meanings of everything. He who creates things most subtly, which cannot be understood by people, and He who gives blessings to people in the most subtleways.(6:103) (22:63) (31:16) (33:34) (67:14)33. AL-KHABIR - The Aware.He who has knowledge of the most secret parts of everything, and knows their inner meanings.(6:18) (17:30) (49:13) (59:18) (63:11)33. AL-HALIM - The Forbearing One.He who is clement.(2:225) (2:235) (17:44) (22:59) (35:41)34. AL-AZIM - The Great One.He who is magnificent.(2:255) (42:4) (56:96)35. AL-GHAFUR - The All-Forgiving.He who forgives all.(2:173) (8:69) (16:110) (41:32) (60:7)36. ASH-SHAKUR - The Appreciative.He who is grateful and gives rewards for deeds done for Him.(35:30) (35:34) (42:23) (64:17)37. AL-ALIYY - The Most High.He who is most high.(2:255) (4:34) (31:30) (42:4) (42:51)38. AL-KABIR - The Most Great.He who is most great.(13:9) (22:62) (31:30) (34:23) (40:12)39. AL-HAFIZ - The Preserver.He who preserves all things in detail, and for a time preserves them from misfortune and calamity.(11:57) (34:21) (42:6)40. AL-MUQIT - The Maintainer.He who sustains.(4:85)41. AL-HASIB - The Reckoner.He who knows in detail the account of things people do throughout their lives.(4:6) (4:86) (33:39)42. AL-JALIL - The Sublime One.He who has wealth, dominion and holiness.43. AL-KARIM - The Generous One.He who is generous.(27:40) (82:6)44. AR-RAQIB - The Watchful.He who observes all creatures, and every action is under His control.(4:1) (5:117)45. AL-MUJIB - The Responsive.The One who responds to every need.(11:61)46. AL-WASI - The All-Embracing.He who has limitless capacity and abundance.(2:115) (2:261) (2:268) (3:73) (5:54)47. AL-HAKIM - The Wise.He who has wisdom in all orders and actions.(2:129) (2:260) (31:27) (46:2) (57:1) (66:2)48. AL-WADUD - The Loving.He who loves those who do good and bestows on them His compassion. He who is the only one who should be loved and whose friendship is to be earned.(11:90) (85:14)49. AL-MAJID - The Most Glorious One.He who is most glorious.(11:73)50. AL-BAITH - The Resurrector.He who gives life to all creatures on the judgment day.(22:7)51. ASH-SHAHID - The Witness.He who is present everywhere and observes all things.(4:79)(4:166)(22:17)(41:53)(48:28)52. AL-HAQQ - The Truth.He whose existence has no change.(6:62)(22:6)(23:116)(24:25)(31:30)53. AL-WAKIL - The Trustee.He who provides a means to solve all problems in the best way.(3:173) (4:171) (28:28) (33:3) (73:9)54. AL-QAWI - The Most Strong.(22:40)(22:74)(42:19)(57:25)(58:21)55. AL-MATIN - The Firm One.(51:58)56. AL-WALI - The Protecting Friend.He who is the Friend of His righteous servants.(3:68) (4:45) (7:196) (42:28) (45:19)57. AL-HAMID - The Praiseworthy.He who is the only one to be praised and glorified and thanked by all creatures.(14:1) (14:8) (31:12) (31:26) (41:42)58. AL-MUHSI - The Reckoner.He who knows the number of all things although they cannot be counted, and knows each of them.59. AL-MUBDI - The Originator.He who has created for the first time all beings from nothing and without any model.(10:4)(10:34)(27:64)(29:19)(85:13)60. AL-MU'ID - The Restorer.He who restores all beings.(10:4)(10:34)(27:64)(29:19)(85:13)61. AL-MUHYI - The Giver of Life.He who gives life and health.(3:156) (7:158) (15:23)(30:50)(57:2)62. AL-MUMIT - The Creator of Death.He who creates death.(3:156) (7:158) (15:23) (57:2)63. AL-HAYY - The Alive.He is all-knowing and His strength is sufficient for everything.(2:255)(3:2)(20:111)(25:58)(40:65)64. AL-QAYYUM - The Self-Subsisting.He who holds the entire universe.(2:255) (3:2) (20:111)65. AL-WAJID - The Finder.He who finds whatever He wants in the time He desires.(38:44)66. AL-MAJID - The Noble.He whose highness is great, who is beneficent, and His munificence is rich.67. AL-WAHID - The Unique.He who is One in His actions, His Names, who has no partner or equal in His attributes, personality and orders.(2:163) (5:73) (9:31) (18:110) (37:4)68. AS-SAMAD - The Eternal.He who is the only being to apply to if one has any need to be competed or any troubles to be eliminated.(112:2)69. AL-QADIR - The Able.He who is able to do anything in the way He wills.(6:65) (36:81) (46:33) (75:40) (86:8)70. AL-MUQTADIR - The Powerful.He who is more powerful than any being.(18:45) (54:42) (54:55)71. AL-MUQADDIM - The Expediter.72. AL-MUAKHKHIR - The Delayer.He who delays whatever He wants.(71:4)73. AL-AWWAL - The First.(57:3)74. AL-AKHIR - The Last.(57:3)75. AZ-ZAHIR - The Manifest.(57:3)76. AL-BATIN - The Hidden.(57:3)77. AL-WALI - The Governor.He who directs, manages, conducts, governs, measures, plans every action which happens at any moment in the entire universe.78. AL-MUTA'ALI - The Most Exalted.He who is higher than any action, manner or condition, and any thought that any being may have. This Name indicates that Allah is higher than the most evolved thought of man.(13:9)79. AL-BARR - The Source of All Goodness.He who is tolerant to His servants, to all creatures, and is good to them.(52:28)80. AT-TAWWAB - The Acceptor of Repentance.(2:37) (2:128) (4:64) (49:12) (110:3)81. AL-MUNTAQIM - The Avenger.He who punishes wrongdoers.(32:22) (43:41) (44:16)82. AL-AFUW - The Pardoner.He who pardons all who repent sincerely as if they had no previous sin.(4:99) (4:149) (22:60)83. AR-RAUF - The Compassionate.He who is benign.(2:143) (3:30) (9:117) (57:9) (59:10)84. MALIK-UL-MULK - The Eternal Owner of Sovereignty.(3:26)85. DHUL-JALAL-WAL-IKRAM - The Lord of Majesty and Honour.(55:27) (55:78)86. AL-MUQSIT - The Equitable.He who does His work accordingly and in a balanced way.87. AL-JAMI - The Gatherer.He who collects things, gathers them, anywhere He wants, at any time.(3:9)88. AL-GHANI - The Self-Sufficient.(2:263) (3:97) (39:7) (47:38) (57:24)89. AL-MUGHNI - The Enricher.(9:28)90. AL-MANI - The Preventer.91. AD-DARR - The Distresser.He who creates that which makes one despondent.92. AN-NAFI - The Propitious.He who creates all things which provide goodness and benefit.93. AN-NUR - The Light.He who provides divine light to the entire universe; to the faces, minds and hearts of His servants.(24:35)94. AL-HADI - The Guide.He who guides, gives success and directs His servant to do things beneficial to others.(25:31)95. AL-BADI - The Incomparable.He who creates wonders in the universe without any design.(2:117) (6:101)96. AL-BAQI - The Everlasting.(55:27)97. AL-WARITH - The Supreme Inheritor.He who has everlasting ownership of all things. Finite man only has temporary ownership and at death all creatures have nothing.(15:23)98. AR-RASHID - The Guide to the Right Path.He who is the guide, with wisdom, to the right path according to His eternal plan.99. AS-SABUR - The Patient.

Concept of God in Islam
#fullpost{display:none;}
Introduction
It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not the case with Allah. Allah is the personal name of the One true God. Nothing else can be called Allah. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word "god," which can be made plural, as in "gods," or made feminine, as in "goddess." It is interesting to notice that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic.The One true God is a reflection of the unique concept that Islam associates with God. To a Muslim, Allah is the Almighty Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing, and nothing is comparable to Him. The Prophet Muhammad was asked by his contemporaries about Allah; the answer came directly from God Himself in the form of a short chapter of the Qur'an, which is considered to be the essence of the unity or the motto of monotheism. This is chapter 112, which reads:“ In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Say (O Muhammad), He is God, the One God, the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, nor has been begotten, and equal to Him is not anyone”. Some non-Muslims allege that God in Islam is a stern and cruel God who demands to be obeyed fully and is not loving and kind. Nothing could be farther from the truth than this allegation. It is enough to know that, with the exception of one, each of the 114 chapters of the Qur'an begins with the verse " In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate". In one of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), we are told that “ God is more loving and kind than a mother to her dear child”. On the other hand, God is also Just. Hence, evildoers and sinners must have their share of punishment, and the virtuous must have God's bounties and favors. Actually, God's attribute of Mercy has full manifestation in His attribute of Justice. People suffering throughout their lives for His sake should not receive similar treatment from their Lord as people who oppress and exploit others their whole lives. Expecting similar treatment for them would amount to negating the very belief in the accountability of man in the Hereafter and thereby negate all the incentives for a moral and virtuous life in this world. The following Qur'anic verses are very clear and straightforward in this respect.Verily, for the Righteous are gardens of Delight, in the Presence of their Lord. Shall We then treat the people of Faith like the people of Sin? What is the matter with you? How judge you?Islam rejects characterizing God in any human form or depicting Him as favoring certain individuals or nations on the basis of wealth, power or race. He created the human-beings as equals. They may distinguish themselves and get His favor through virtue and piety only.The concepts that God rested on the seventh day of creation, that God wrestled with one of His soldiers, that God is an envious plotter against mankind, and that God is incarnate in any human being are considered blasphemy from the Islamic point of view.The unique usage of Allah as a personal name of God is a reflection of Islam's emphasis on the purity of the belief in God that is the essence of the message of all God's messengers. Because of this, Islam considers associating any deity or personality with God as a deadly sin that God will never forgive, despite the fact that He may forgive all other sins.The Creator must be of a different nature from the things created because if He is of the same nature as they are, He will be temporal and will therefore need a maker. It follows that nothing is like Him. If the maker is not temporal, then he must be eternal. But if he is eternal, he cannot be caused, and if nothing caused Him to come into existence, nothing outside Him causes Him to continue to exist, which means that he must be self-sufficient. And if He does not depend on anything for the continuance of His own existence, then this existence can have no end. The Creator is therefore eternal and everlasting: "He is the First and the Last".He is Self-sufficient or Self-subsistent, or, to use a Qur'anic term, Al-Qayyum The Creator does not create only in the sense of bringing things into being, He. also preserves them and takes them out of existence and is the ultimate cause of whatever happens to them.“ God is the Creator of everything. He is the guardian over everything. Unto Him belong the keys of the heavens and the earth” (39:62-63). “ No creature is there crawling on the earth, but its provision rests on God. He knows its lodging place and its repository” (11:16).
God's Attributes
If the Creator is Eternal and Everlasting, then His attributes must also be eternal and everlasting. He should not lose any of His attributes nor acquire new ones. If this is so, then his attributes are absolute. Can there be more than one Creator with such absolute attributes? Can there be, for example, two absolutely powerful Creators? A moment's thought shows that this is not feasible.The Qur'an summarizes this argument in the following verses:“ God has not taken to Himself any son, nor is there any god with Him: for then each god would have taken of that which he created and some of them would have risen up over others” (23:91). “ And why, were there gods in earth and heaven other than God, they (heaven and earth) would surely go to ruin” (21:22).
The Oneness of God
The Qur'an reminds us of the falsity of all alleged gods. To the worshippers of man-made objects it asks:“ Do you worship what you have carved yourself” (37:95). “ Or have you taken unto yourself others beside Him to be your protectors, even such as have no power either for good or for harm to themselves” (13:16). To the worshippers of heavenly bodies it cites the story of Abraham:“ When night outspread over him, he saw a star and said: This is my Lord. But when it set, he said: I love not the setters. When he saw the moon rising, he said: This is my Lord. But when it set, he said: If my Lord does not guide me, I shall surely be of the people gone astray. When he saw the sun rising, he said: This is my Lord; this is greater. But when it set, he said: O my people, surely I quit that which you associate, I have turned my face to Him who originated the heavens and the earth; a man of pure faith, I am not one of the idolators” (6:76-79).
The Believer's Attitude
In order to be a Muslim, that is, to surrender oneself to God, it is necessary to believe in the oneness of God, in the sense of His being the only Creator, Preserver, Nourisher, etc. But this belief, later called Tawhid Ar-Rububiyyah, is not enough. Many of the idolators knew and believed that only the Supreme God could do all this. But this was not enough to make them Muslims. To tawhid ar-rububiyyah, one must add tawhid al-'uluhiyyah. That is, one acknowledges the fact that it is God alone who deserves to be worshipped, and thus abstains from worshipping any other thing or being.Having achieved this knowledge of the one true God, man should constantly have faith in Him, and should allow nothing to induce him to deny truth.When faith enters a person's heart, it causes certain mental states that result in certain actions. Taken together, these mental states and actions are the proof for the true faith. The Prophet said:“ Faith is that which resides firmly in the heart and which is proved by deeds”. Foremost among those mental stated is the feeling of gratitude towards God, which could be said to be the essence of ibada (worship).The feeling of gratitude is so important that a non-believer is called 'kafir', which means 'one who denies a truth' and also 'one who is ungrateful'.A believer loves, and is grateful to God for the bounties He bestowed upon him, but being aware of the fact that his good deeds, whether mental or physical, are far from being commensurate with Divine favors, he is always anxious lest God should punish him, here or in the Hereafter. He, therefore, fears Him, surrenders himself to Him and serves Him with great humility. One cannot be in such a mental state without being almost all the time mindful of God. Remembering God is thus the life force of faith, without which it fades and withers away.The Qur'an tries to promote this feeling of gratitude by repeating the attributes of God very frequently. We find most of these attributes mentioned together in the following verses of the Qur'an:“ He is God; there is no god but He. He is the Knower of the unseen and the visible; He is the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate. He is God; there is no god but He. He is the King, the All-Holy, the All-Peace, the Guardian of the Faith, the All-Preserver, the All-Mighty, the All-Compeller, the All-Sublime. Glory be to God, above that they associate! He is God, the Creator, the Maker, the Shaper. To Him belong the Names Most Beautiful. All that is in the heavens and the earth magnifies Him; He is the Almighty, the All-Wise” (59:22-24). “ There is no god but He, the Living, the Everlasting. Slumber seizes Him not, nor sleep. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. Who is there that shall intercede with Him save by His leave? He knows what lies before them, and what is after them, and they comprehend not anything of His knowledge save such as He wills. His throne comprises the heavens and earth. The preserving of them oppresses Him not; He is the All-High, the All-Glorious” (2:255). People of the Book, go not beyond the bounds in your religion, and say not as to God but the truth. “ The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was only the Messenger of God, and His Word that He committed to Mary, and a Spirit from Him. So believe in God and His Messengers, and say not "Three". Refrain; better it is for you. God is only one God. Glory be to Him -- (He is) above having a son” (4:171).


Who Is "Allah"?
#fullpost{display:none;}
IsThe name "Allah" is a word that is heard quite often these days whether it is on the television or passed along in conversation. But most non-Muslims have no idea who Allah is.
Some mistakenly believe that Allah is a deity that Muslims worship similar to the way in which Buddhists worship Buddha. Others think that Allah is a man or a prophet. Just the name "Allah" is so shrouded in mystery because most people never take the time to unravel the meaning.
Rather they believe what they see portrayed in the heavily biased media and allow their fears to take hold of their chests instead of seeking out the truth for themselves.
The meaning of Allah is so simple. Allah is the Arabic form of the word "The One True God". Muslims worship the exact same God that Jews and Christians do.
However, Muslims prefer to call God by His proper name Allah and refrain from using the word "god" itself since it can be attributed to so many other things. For example, in proper English the feminine form of "god" is "goddess" and let’s look at Greek Mythology where the Greeks worshipped many "gods".
Muslims believe that Allah is the One and Only God without partners and that the name "Allah" is unique to the sole Creator of this World and everything in it. To liken Allah to another supposed god in any way shape or form is to commit the one unforgivable sin of shirk, or ascribing partners to Allah.
Muslims believe in submitting their entire will to Allah through acts of worship, obedience and good deeds. Islam is the only religion on Earth that remained purely monotheistic. Each time a Muslim prays to Allah, he has a meeting with the Lord of this World without an intercessor or mediator.Muslims believe in submitting their entire will to Allah through acts of worship, obedience and good deeds. Muslims believe that Allah is ever-present watching over His Creation and is always close to them.
Allah says in the Quran what means,
[And indeed We have created man, and We know what his own self whispers to him. And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein (by Our Knowledge).] (Qaf 50:16)
The Quran reveals that there are Beautiful Names of Allah, which is how Muslims get to know the Creator. Muslims are forbidden to ponder upon Allah’s appearance or to attribute Him to anything in this World as some faiths liken Allah to man. Islam rejects this entirely. We can know about Allah from His beautiful names of which Prophet Muhammad said:
"Verily, there are ninety-nine names of God, one hundred minus one. He who enumerates (and believes in them) them would get into Paradise." (Al-Bukhari)
Some of the names are:
Al-Wadud — The Loving
Al-Khaliq — The Creator
Al-Ahad — The One
Al-Aziz — The Mighty and Strong
Allah gave mankind one final chance to be mindful of Him and to obey Him. According to Islam, the message of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad is the very same one that was given to the Jews and Christians.However, meanings were lost in translation and the books revealed to past generations were corrupted and distorted by the hands of humans.
Allah gave mankind one final chance to be mindful of Him and to obey Him. And that chance came in the form of an unlettered man from the deserts of Arabia named Muhammad and through him Allah revealed His final revelation.
The Quran is the last book that Allah gave to humans and it is preserved which means Allah will safeguard it from corruption. Over the past 14 centuries, not a single letter has been changed or altered. No more books or Prophets will come to this world. And it is up to humans as to whether they believe in this final message or turn their backs on it as scores have done before and continue to do every day.
The best way for humans to understand Allah as the Creator is to open their eyes and see His design. Who else but Allah could create a flower as perfect as the rose? Or cover Earth with so much vegetation and foliage that scientists today are still unearthing new species?
Allah is the Most Kind and the Most Merciful. All that Allah has asked for humans to do is to be pious, worship Him alone and be kind to our fellow man. In return, humans are the veritable owners of the Earth to rule it as they see fit as Allah continuously showers His innumerable blessings upon humanity as well as punishments for those who disobey and wreak havoc on the Earth.
Islam is not a new religion or something that a few simply chose one day to follow. Islam is a continuation of the previous messages that were revealed to past Prophets.
Prophet Muhammad seals the line of prophets who came to this world both to warn humans and give glad tidings of Allah's mercy. It is only through Allah's love and mercy for mankind that He bothered to send prophets so that we may know Him… the One and Only God.