لطفا منتظر باشید ...
Chapter 7
Names and
Attributes of Allah
Names and Attributes of Allah
Many names and attributes of Allah have been mentioned in
the Qur'an.
"He is Allah,
besides whom there is no god. He has knowledge of everything, whether
perceptible or imperceptible. He is the Beneficent, the Merciful. He is Allah,
besides whom there is no god, the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One, the Giver of
peace, the Keeper of faith, the Supreme, the Mighty one, the All powerful and
the Majestic. Exalted be He above what they associate with Him. He is Allah,
the Creator, the Originator, the Fashioner. His are the most beautiful names.
All that is in the heavens and the earth gives glory to Him. He is the Mighty,
the Wise". (Surah al‑Hashr, 59:22 ‑ 24).
"His are the most
beautiful names".
The main feature of the names and the attributes of Allah
has been mentioned in this verse. The highest degree of every virtue and every
excellence belongs to Allah. For example, power and ability to do things is a
good quality. Allah is the most powerful and the most efficient and can do
anything. The Qur'an says: "Surely
Allah can do all things". (Surah al‑Ankabut, 29:20).
Knowledge is a virtue. Allah has the highest degree of
knowledge. "Allah is aware of all
things ". (Surah al‑Tawbah, 9:115).
"He is the Knower
of the invisible and the visible. . . ". (Surah al‑R'ad, 13:9).
Sagacity is another virtue. The holy Qur'an says: "Allah is Knower, Wise" . (Surahal‑Mumtahanah, 60:10).
Kindness to others is a good quality. Allah is "the Beneficent, the Merciful".
"He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy". (Surah al‑Hamd,
1:3; Surah Yusuf, 12:64).
Hence you are at liberty to call Him by any of these most
beautiful names: "Call Him Allah or
Rahman (Beneficent). It is the same whichever you call. His are the most beautiful names" . (Surahal‑Isra, 17:110). "Allah bas the beautiful names. Invoke
Him by them, and keep away from those who prevent them. They shall soon be
repaid for what they do ". (Surah al‑A'raf, 7:180).
Allah is Independent
As Allah has the highest degree of every kind of virtue and
perfection, He is naturally free from every fault, defect and deficiency. A
number of the Qur'anic verses, extolling Allah, emphasize this aspect of His
glory.
The Qur'an declares Allah to be free from every kind of
deficiency and need. It regards this freedom as an important principle of the
cognizance of Allah, by means of which a number of doctrinal and ideological
deviations which have taken birth regarding Allah may be detected.
'Musa said to his
people: If you and all those who are on the earth prove to be ungrateful, Allah
does not at all need your thanks. He is Laudable" . (SurahIbrahim, 14:8).
Man should remember that because of Allah not being in want
of anything, He is not in need of our faith, worship and obedience. If He wants
us to be faithful and obedient, that is for our own benefit and not for His. If
the whole world becomes unbeliever, that cannot do Him the least harm.
Not being subject to any need, Allah is free from the
limitations of time and space. He is above them. A being who occupies space,
naturally needs it to exist, and one who is confined to time, can exist only
under certain conditions at a particular time. A being not time‑bound can
always exist and is not dependent upon the special conditions of time.
Allah is All‑knowing
The Creator of the world knows everything. So far as we are
concerned there are two kinds of things in the universe viz. open and hidden,
perceptible and imperceptible.
However Allah is aware of both of them. On principle there
is nothing unknown to Him. Nothing is hidden from Him. "He is the Knower of the unseen and the seen. He is the Supreme
the Most High". (Surah al‑Ra'd, 13:9).
Nothing in the earth
or in the heavens is hidden from Allah ". (Surah Ale Imran, 3: 5). He
is aware of the minutest details. He knows all that we do. "Surely Allah knows all that you do" . (Surahal‑Nahl, 16:91).
Allah is All‑powerful
He controls everything and can do anything. "Surely Allah can do everything". (Surah
al‑Baqarah, 2:20).
He is so powerful and dominating that whenever He wants a
thing to come into existence or wants something to be done, He simply says: "Be!" and immediately it will be'. The Qur'an says: "His command, when He decrees a thing, is to say
to it: Be' and it is". (Surah Yasin, 36:82).
Will and Volition of
Allah
Normally all beings endowed with intelligence and power can
achieve all or at least a part of what they intend. They at least try to
fulfill their desires. When we knowingly plan to achieve our object we say that
"we are determined to accomplish such and such task". Hence,
determination consists of an intentional and strong will which is effective in
the achievement of our desire.
Out of all the multifarious things existing in this world,
the animals or at least the advanced animals are more or less endowed with this
quality that when they feel an urge, they try knowingly to fulfill what they
want. Out of all the animals known to us man has the most developed willpower.
That is why knowledge has a more creative role in his life than in the life of
other animals. Anyhow, he apparently does not exercise his will while
performing many acts. His circulatory, respiratory and digestive system and his
big and small glands which produce the necessary chemicals, all work without
the aid of his will.
There is no doubt that all these systems are connected with
the nervous system, and modern physiology has been able to discover for each of
them a centre of command in some part of the brain, still every act having some
connection with brain cannot be called intentional and deliberate.
It has been reported that some persons consequent on certain
exercises and long practice have been able to control the circulation of their
blood. Even if such reports be true, they can at best be described as
exceptional cases.
Anyhow, the field of the activity of man's will is after all
limited. For example, so far his will has not been able to influence the
rotatory system of the heavenly bodies. We also see that every human being has
some hereditary traits in the selection of which his conscious will has no part
to play.
Hence, the influence of human will and volition is after all
limited. That is why it often happens that man intends to do a thing, but he
does not succeed, or certain factors beyond his control prevent the fulfillment
of his many desires. But Allah who is All‑knowing and All‑powerful,
accomplishes all that He wants. "Surely,
Your Lord does what He pleases". (Surah Hud, 11:107). "Only Allah can bring punishment on
you, if He will, and you cannot frustrate His plan ". (Sura Hud, 11:3 3) .
His will rules over the whole world, but that is not the
case with that of others. "Allah
will judge with fairness, and those whom they invoke besides Him can judge
nothing". (Surah Mu'min, 40:20).
All others whosoever and whatsoever they may be, move within
a limited framework decreed for them by Allah, who has destined everything. Allah has set a measure for everything
". (Surah al‑Talaq, 65: 3 etc.)
This is the universal law which applies to man also. As such
his power is limited, but still he can choose his way of life within the
framework ordained for him. Allah wants him to use his discretion and determine
his future, whether good or bad, himself. Anyhow, even within this framework man,
or for that matter any other being, should not consider himself to be in
possession of absolute power. If Allah wants, He can make his efforts
ineffectual. There are many cases in which He frustrated the efforts of some
conceited individuals or groups against all their expectations to remind them
and others that even within their own sphere of power they should never be
oblivious of the Divine power which controls everything.
The Qur'an mentions several examples of such a situation.
The Surah al‑Qalam, 68:17 ‑ 3 2 illustrate this point.
"We have tried them as We tried the owners of the
garden when they vowed that they would pluck its fruit next morning. But they
made no exception for the will of Allah. As a result a visitation from your
Lord visited their garden while they were sleeping. And in the morning it was
as if it bad been plucked. They called out to one another in the morning
saying: Rush to your garden if you want to pluck the fruit. So they set out,
saying to each other in low tones: No poor shall enter the garden today without
your permission. They set out early determined to stop the poor. When they saw
the garden, they exclaimed: Surely we were wrong. In fact we have been ruined.
The best among them said: Did I not tell you: Why do you not glorify Allah?
Then they said: Gloried be our Lord. No doubt we have been wrong‑doers.
Then they began to blame one another. They said: Alas for us! Surely we were
outrageous. We hope that our Lord will give us better garden in its place. To
our Lord we humbly turn".
Allah is Beneficent
and Forgiving
Allah is Beneficent
and Merciful to all His creation. He has bestowed endless bounties on all. He
has provided all of us with ample opportunities to pass our life. He is
Forgiving.
If a sinner repents and wants to adopt the way of virtue,
the door is not closed to him, provided he is earnest in doing that.
Throughout the world there are innumerable signs of the
mercy of Allah. Like all other existing things min also enjoys the Divine
blessings, but with one important difference. He has been blessed with the
special favor of being the master of his destiny. He is endowed with the power
of distinguishing between right and wrong and good and bad, and is able to
choose consciously either of them. He can exercise this power only if it is
admitted that some of his actions are desirable and rewarding and some others
leading to pain and punishment.
The anxiety for not losing the reward of desirable acts and
for escaping the punishment of undesirable ones is a Divine blessing in itself,
for it impels man to be virtuous and upright. The Qur'an has repeatedly warned
against the wrath of Allah.
Allah is just
Allah does not do injustice to anyone. He wants us also to
be just in our behavior. He has created everything according to a plan. The
whole world is homogeneous. He has organized recompense and retribution in the
next world, according to a well‑planned system of action and reaction.
Everyone will reap there what he has sown here. There, the personality of man
will be a reflection of his performance here. Whatever comfort or pain he
receives in the Hereafter will be the exact outcome of his own deeds, and no
injustice will be done to anyone. The everlasting future of everybody depends
upon his own efforts to improve himself and his environment.
This is the gist of the information which the Qur'an, the
divine Book, gives us about Allah. This information is based on revelation, but
it can also be obtained through pondering over His signs, and His names and
attributes. It not only as far as possible satisfies those who seek cognition,
but also helps us to solve the biggest problem of giving a direction to our
life.
A man inspired by such realistic and constructive knowledge
of Allah leads a vigorous life full of zeal, hope and effort. He adheres to his
own views and his own way of life, but co‑operates with others and
respects their ideas also. A man bound to Allah neither sells himself to others
nor does he endeavour to subdue them to his own wish. He loves his own freedom
as well as that of others. He himself is pure and likes others to be pure. He
seeks truth wherever he finds it. He is always with truth and at war with
falsehood.
