73. Al-Waasi'` (The Vast)
He is the One Who is vast with respect to His Attributes and qualities and those things linked to them - this from the point of view that none can enumerate His praise as He deserves, rather He is as He has praised Himself. Vast in grandeur, authority and dominion, Vast in bestowing grace and good and Vast in Goodness and Nobility.
"The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the Way of Allah, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom He pleases. Allah is the Vast, the All-Knowing." (2:261)
"O you who believe! Whoever from amongst you turns back from his religion, Allah will bring about a people whom He will Love, and they will love Him; humble towards the believers, stern towards the disbelievers, fighting in the Way of Allah and never afraid of the blame of the blamers. That is the Grace of Allah which He bestows on whom He Wills. Allah is the Vast, the All-Knowing." (5:54)
74. Al-Haadee (The Director)
75. Ar-Rasheed (The Guide)
He is the One Who guides and directs His servants towards all that would be of benefit to them and away from all that would bring them harm. He is the One Who teaches them what they did not use to know and guides them with a guidance that keeps them firm upon the Straight Path. He is the One Who inspires their hearts with taqwaa and made them penitent and compliant to His Commands.
Ar-Rasheed also carries the meaning of Al-Hakeem (the Wise). He is Ar-Rasheed in His Actions and Sayings. All of His legislation is good, correctly guiding and wise.
"Thus have We made for every Prophet an enemy amongst the disbelievers. But sufficient is your Lord as a Guide and Helper." (25:31)
76. Al-Haqq (The Truth)
He is the Truth in His Essence and Attributes, He is the most necessary of all existence, He is what the whole of existence needs to exist. He is the One Who was and is described with Magnificence, Beauty and Perfection. He is the One Who was and is known to be Beneficent.
His saying is the truth, His Actions are the truth, the meeting with Him is the truth, His Messengers are the truth, His Books are the truth, His religion is the truth, worshipping Him Alone is the truth, everything that has to do with Him is the truth. This is because Allah is the Truth and what they supplicate to other than Him is false and invalid and because Allah is the Most High, the Great.
"And say: the Truth is from your Lord, so let whosoever who wills believe, and whosoever who wills disbelieve." (18:29)
"And what is there after truth apart from falsehood?" (10:32)
That is because Allah He is the Truth (the only true God of all that exists, Who has no partners or rivals with Him), and what they (the polytheists) invoke besides Him, it is Baatil (falsehood) And verily, Allah He is the Most High, The Most Great. [Soorah 22 Al-Hajj, Aayah 62]
"And say: The truth is from your Lord (Rabb). Then whosoever wills, let him believe, and whosoever wills let him disbelieve. [Soorah 18 Al-Kahf, Aayah 29]
Such is Allah, your Lord in truth. So after the truth, what else can there be, save error? [Soorah 10 Yunus Aayah 32]
And say: Truth (i.e. tawheed, or this Quraan or Jihaad) has come and Baatil (falsehood) has vanished. Surely, baatil is ever bound to vanish. [Soorah 17 Al-Israa, Aayah 81]
And Allah taaala said, On that Day Allah will pay them the recompense of their deeds in full, and they will know Allah, - He is the Clear Truth. [Soorah 24 An-Noor, Aayah 25]
The great descriptions of Allah are true as are His promise of reward and threat of punishment. His accounting is just and there is no injustice therein.
77. Al-Atheem (The Most Magnificent)
"Allah the Exalted says: And he feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them, and He is the Most High, the Most Magnificient. (Al-Baqarah (2):225)
Allah, the Exalted is Magnificent, and unto Him belongs every description and meaning that necessitates magnification. No creature can praise Him as He truly deserves and His praises are enumerable. Rather He is as He has praised Himself, and above what praise His servants laud Him with. Know that the meanings of the magnification that are affirmed for Allah alone are of two types:
The first of them is that He is described with every attribute that is perfect. He has the most perfect of this perfection, and the most magnificent of it, and the most extensive of it. He has all encompassing knowledge, and authoritative power. He is the ultimate greatness and magnificence. From His magnificence is that the heavens and the earth are in the Palm of the Most Beneficent, smaller than a mustard seed. This was stated by Ibn Abbaas and others.
"Allah the Exalted said: And they did not make just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him. And on the Day of Resurrection the whole earth will be grasped by His hand, and the heavens will be rolled up His right Hand. [A-Zumar (39):67]
"The Exalted said, Verily Allah grasps the heavens and the earth lest they should move away from their places, and if they were to move away from their places, there is no one that could grasp them after Him. [Fatir (35):41].
"And He the Exalted said: The heavens may nearly be rent asunder above them (by His majesty). [Ash-Shooraa (42):5].
In the Saheeh it is reported that the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said, Verily Allah says, Pride is my cloak, and magnificent is my lower garment, so whoever dispute me concerning either one of them, I will punish him severely. [Muslim 4/2023], Abu Dawud (4/59), and Ibn Majaah (2/1397), and Ahmad (2/376) with similar wording]. Therefore greatness and pride belong to Allah, and magnificent as well the amount of these two attributes (of Allah) cannot be estimated, and their essence cannot be fully comprehended.
The second type from the meanings of His, The Exalteds Magnificence is that no one of the creation deserves to be magnified as Allah is magnified. He, majestic is His majesty, deserves that His servants should magnify Him in their hearts, on their tongues, and with their limbs. They should do this by exerting their energies in learning about Him, loving Him, submitting to Him, showing humility to Him, being humble to His greatness and fearing Him. They should make their tongues praise Him, and make limbs perform thanks and worship of Him.. From His Magnification is that He should be feared with just fear as He deserves, and He should be obeyed and not disobeyed, He should remembered and not forgotten. He should treated with gratitude and not ungratefulness. From His magnification is magnifying what He has made sacred, and what He has legislated as the ritual rites. This includes special times, places and deeds.
"Thus it is, and whosoever honors the symbols of Allah, then it is truly from piety of the hearts. [Al-Hajj (22):32]
"He the Exalted said: That (the Hajj rites) and whoever honors the scared things of Allah, then that is better for him with his Lord. [Al-Hajj (30):30]
From His magnification is that He is not opposed in anything of His creation or His legislation. (3) [Al-Haqq ul-Waadhih ul-Mubeen, pg. 27-28, and Sharh ul-Qaseedah An Nooniyyah by Al-Harraas (2/71)]
78. Al-Majeed (The Most Glorious)
Al-Majeed means the one who possesses the most magnificent glory. This Majd (glory) is the greatness of the attributes and their extent. Thus, every description of His attributes shows the magnificence of His status. For He is Al-Aleem (the all knowing) who is perfect in His knowledge. He is Ar-Raheem (the Most Merciful) whose Mercy encompasses everything. He is Al-Qadeer (the All-powerful), who is not disabled or weakened by anything. He is Al-Haleem (the Most Gentle), who is Al-Hakeem (The Most wise), who is perfect in His wisdom. Likewise are the rest of His names and attribute that reach the limits of absolute glory. [Al-Haqq ul-Waadhih ul-Mubeen, pg. 33, and Sharhul-Qaseedah in Nooniyyah by Al-Harraas (2/71)]
"There is not any deficiency in any of His attributes nor any short comings. Allah, the Exalted said: The mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you, O family [of Ibrahim]. Surely, he (Allah) is All-Praiseworthy, most Glorious. [Hood (11):73]
79. Al-Kabeer (The Most Great)
He, glory be unto Him, the Most High, is described with the attributes of glory, grandeur, magnificence, and majesty. He is greater than everything, more Sublime and Exalted than everything. Magnificent. Magnification and grandeur belong to Him, in the hearts of His close and sincere awliyaa (amongst His slaves). Their hearts are filled with His magnificence and His splendor. Their hearts are humbled towards him, and submissive to His grandeur. [Tayseer Al-Kareem Ar-Rahman Fee Tafseer Kalaam Al-Mannaan, by As-Sadee, 5/622].
"Allah, the Exalted, said: This is because, when Allah Alone was invoked (in worship) you disbelieved, but when partners were joined with Him, you believed! So the judgment is only with Allah, the Most High, the Most Great! [Ghaafir (40):12]
80. As-Samee (The All Hearing)
"And Allah is the All Hearing, the All Seeing. [An-Nisaa (4):134]
Allah often combines the mentioning of these attributes of hearing and seeing. Both the hearing and seeing (of Allah) encompass all of that which is related to the apparent, as well as the hidden. Therefore, the All-Hearing is the One whose hearing encompasses all that can be heard. Therefore everything in the world, whether it be high or low, that makes any sound, then He hears it. It makes no difference whether the sound is made secretly or openly. With Allah it is as if they were all one sound (i.e. He hears them all soft or loud). Yet, the sounds do not mix or become confusing to Him. All of the languages are not hidden from Him. The close (sound), the far, the secret and the open, they are all the same (i.e. heard) to Him.
"It is the same (to Him) whether any of you conceals his speech or declares it openly, whether he be hidden by night or goes forth freely by day. [Ar-Rad (13):10]
Indeed Allah has heard the statement of her that disputes with you (O Muhammad) concerning her husband, and complains to Allah. And Allah hears the argument between you both. Verily, Allah is All-Hearer, All Seeing. [Al-Mujaadilah (58):1].
Aisha said (radiallahu anhaa), Blessed be hearing encompassed all sounds. Verily, the disputing woman came complaining to the messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and I was beside the room, but I still could not hear some of her speech. Then Allah revealed,
"Verily, Allah heard the statement of her that dispute with you (O Muhammad) concerning her husband. (Al-Mujaadilah (58):1]
Allah's hearing is two types:
- The first is His hearing all sounds whether apparent, concealed, hidden or manifest, His hearing encompasses them completely.
- The second is His hearing of response which is for those who ask of Him, call upon Him, and worship Him. He answers them and rewards them. From this type is Allah's statement, Verily, my Lord is the Hearer of Supplication. [Ibrahim:39). Also, there is the statement of one who is praying, Allah hears whoever praises Him. This means that He answers them.
81. Al-Baseer (The All Seeing)
""Say: Shall I inform you of things far better than those? For the God-fearing there are Gardens with their Lord underneath which rivers flow. Therein is their eternal home and pure wives. And Allah will be pleased with them. Allah is the All-Seer of His slaves." (3:15)
"Neither your relatives nor your children will benefit you on the Day of Resurrection. He will judge between you and Allah is the All-Seer of what you do." (60:3)
He is the One whose sight encompasses all invisible things in every part of the heavens and the earth even the most hidden thing in existence, He still sees it. Therefore, He sees and hears the footstep of the black ant, on a silent rock, on a dark night. He sees all of its internal organs, its external limbs and its fine organs. He sees the hidden waters in branches of the trees and their veins, and in all of the plants with their various types, however small and minute. He sees the individual veins of the ant, the bee, the mosquitoes and whatever is even smaller than that. Glory be unto Him! Intellects are bewildered due to His Greatness! His attributes are far greater than that which is comprehendible. His perfect Greatness, Subtleness, Awareness of the seen and the unseen, the present and the absent, is all beyond comprehension. He sees the treachery of the eyes, the flipping of the eyelids and the movements of the heart. Allah says:
"He who sees you (O Muhammad) when you stand up (Alone at night for Tahajjud prayers). And your movements among those who fall prostrate (To Allah in the congregational prayers). Verily, He, only He, is the All-Hearer, The All-Knower. [Ash-Shuara (26):218-220]
"Allah knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal. [Ghaafir (40):19]
"To whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth! And Allah is witness our over everything.
This means that His knowledge, Sight and Hearing encompasses and is aware of All that exists. [Al-Haqq ul-Waadhih ul-Mubeen, pg. 34-36, and Sharh ul-Qaseedah An Nooniyyah by Al-Harraas (2/72)]
82. Al-Aleem (The All Knowing)
83. Al-Khabeer (The All-Aware)
"And He is the Irresistible (Supreme), above His slaves and He is the All-Wise, Well-Aware of all things. [Al-Anam (6):18]
"Verily Allah! With Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, he sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow and no person knows in what land he will die. Indeed Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware." (31:34)
"O Mankind! We have created you from a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know each other. Verily, the most honorable of you in the Sight of Allah is the most God-Fearing of you. Indeed Allah is the All-Knower, the All-Aware." (49:13)
He is the One Whose Knowledge encompasses all the outward and hidden matters, the open and secret, all those things that must necessarily occur, all those things that are impossible to occur and all things that can possibly occur, of the affairs of the whole of creation, of the past, the present and the future. There is absolutely nothing that is hidden from Him.
Thus, He knows His Noble self, His most Holy descriptions and His most Great attributes. These things are the necessities, which must exist. He also knows the impossibilities in their condition of impossibilities, and what would happen if they did ever come into existence.
"This is as He, the Exalted said: Had there been therein (in the heavens and the earth) gods besides Allah, then verily, both would have been ruined. [Al-Anbiya (21):]
"And He Says, No son (or Offspring) did Allah beget, nor is there any God along with Him. (If there had been many gods), then each god would have taken away what he had created, and some would been tried to overcome others! [Al-Muminoon (23):91]
This and its like are example of His knowledge of the impossibilities, which He knows, and His awareness of what would occur if they existed. This is in reference to suppositions and hypothetic conjecture. Allah also knows the possibilities. These are those things which may or may not exist. What exists of it and what does not exist of it is of those things which the supreme wisdom has not necessitated its occurrence. So Allah is the All Knowing, Whose knowledge encompasses the world above and below. No place or time escapes His knowledge. He knows the unseen and the seen, the apparent and the hidden, the manifest and the concealed. Allah, the Exalted said:
"Verily, Allah is the All-Knower of everything. Al-Anfal (8):75]
In the Saheeh it is reported that the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said, Verily Allah says, Pride is my cloak, and magnificent is my lower garment, so whoever dispute me concerning either one of them, I will punish him severely. [Muslim 4/2023], Abu Dawud (4/59), and Ibn Majaah (2/1397), and Ahmad (2/376) with similar wording]. Therefore greatness and pride belong to Allah, and magnificent as well the amount of these two attributes (of Allah) cannot be estimated, and their essence cannot be fully comprehended.
The texts that mention the encompassing of Allah's knowledge, and explanations of its fine points, are many. These texts are innumerable and limitless. They also clarify that there is nothing even the weight of a speck of dust in the heavens or earth, or even smaller than that or larger, that escapes Him. He is not unaware, nor does He forget. All of the knowledge of the creation, with its vastness and many types, vanishes as if were nothing when compared to Allah's knowledge. Likewise, their powers are nothing when compared to the power of Allah. He is the one who teaches them that which they did not know. And He gives them the ability to do that which they were not able to do. His knowledge encompasses all of the world above and below, and whatever creations therein. He knows their essences, their attributes, their deeds and all of their matters. He knows what was and what will be in the future, which has no end, He knows what does not exist and how it would be if it did exist. He knows the conditions of all people since the time of His creating them and after He causes them to die and after He brings them to life again. His knowledge encompasses all of their deeds, both the good and the evil. The reward of these deeds and the details of that is in the Final abode. [Al-Haqq ul-Waadhih ul-Mubeen, pp. 37-38, and Sharh Al-Qaseedah An Nooniyyah by Al-Harraas (2/73)]
In conclusion, we say that Allah is He Whose knowledge encompasses the apparent and the hidden, the secret and the obvious, the necessities, the possible and the impossible. His knowledge encompasses the world above and below, the past, the present and the future. There is not a single thing that is hidden from Him. [Tafseer Al-Allamah Ash-Sheikh Abdur Rahmaan As-Sadee, 5/621]
Home
» 99 Names of Allah
Printer Friendly
Add to Favorites
Font Size
99 Names of Allah