وَلِلّٰهِ الْاَسْمَآءُ الْحُسْنٰى فَادْعُوْهُ بِهَا وَذَرُوا الَّذِيْنَ يُلْحِدُوْنَ فِىْۤ اَسْمَآئِه سَيُجْزَوْنَ مَا كَانُوْا يَعْمَلُوْنَ (180)
Quran Ayah Data not found….for Surah:7, Ayah:180 and Translation:24
Quran Surah:7 Ayah:180
“For Allah there are the most beautiful names. So, call Him by them, and leave those who deviate in (the matter of) His names. They shall be recompensed for what they have been doing.”
There are two injunctions mentioned in the verse appearing above. They are as follows:(1) Calling Allah, the Almighty (2) Leaving those who deviate in (the matter of) His attributes.
As for complying by the first commandment, it is must for us to learn the beautiful attributes of Allah. While to abide by the second commandment, it is compulsory on us as what are the ways leading to the deviation in His names, as well as, try to recognize those who act are involved in it.
‘اسمائ حسنیٰ’means ‘the Beautiful attributes or names of Allah, the Almighty’. Obviously, the prefixing of the attribute as حسنیٰ does indicate to the fact that the names of Allah cannot be but beautiful while the names indicating to defects cannot be attributed to Allah, the Almighty.
The names of Allah are countless. Says Allah, the Almighty Himself in the Holy Qura’n:
قُلْ لَّوْ كَانَ الْبَحْرُ مِدَادًا لِّـكَلِمٰتِ رَبِّىْ لَـنَفِدَ الْبَحْرُ قَبْلَ اَنْ تَـنْفَدَ كَلِمٰتُ رَبِّىْ وَلَوْ جِئْنَا بِمِثْلِه مَدَدًا (109)
Quran Ayah Data not found….for Surah:18, Ayah:109 and Translation:24
Quran Surah:18 Ayah:109
“Say, “If the ocean were to be ink for (writing) the Words of my Lord, the ocean would have been consumed before the Words of my Lord are exhausted, even though we were to bring another (ocean) like it in addition.”
Even the prayer supplicated by the Holy Prophet ﷺindicates to the same fact. The supplication is as follows:
” اَللّٰھُمَّ اِنِّی اَساَلُکَ بِکُلِّ اِسمٍ ھُوَ لَکَ سَمَّیتَ بِہ نَفسَکَ اَو اَنزَلتَہ فِی کِتَابِکَ اَو عَلَّمتَہ احَداً مِن خَلقِکَ اَوِ استَا ثَرتَ بِہ فِی عِلمِ الغَیبِ عِندَکَ“
But the question arises here is that how can we come to know as what are the beautiful attributes of Allah, the Almighty and with what name should we call Him? In this context, there is a tradition appearing in both Bukhari and Muslim which directs us towards it. The Holy Prophet ﷺis reported to have said, “There are 99 beautiful names of Allah, the Almighty. Whoever learns them by heart he will enter Paradise.” But, there is not mentioned the list of those 99 names. However, the same tradition is mentioned in Tirmidhi which contains the list of the 99 names also. It also has been mentioned in the tradition narrated in IbneMajah, Al-Mustadrak and Hakim with a slight difference of some names.Once we describe these differences in order, we find that the names of Allah are 162 in number. Most of them has been mentioned with different ways in the Holy Qura’n too. So to speak, we come to know these 162 definite names through the Holy Qura’n and Hadith which can no doubt be included in the beautiful names of Allah, the Almighty and thus with the help of them, we can call Allah, the Almighty.
As for some of these names are regarded to be ‘Ism-e-Azam’ (the ineffable word), the special virtues of which have been mentioned. Hence, it is better to call Allah, the Almighty with the help of them. Taking for instance, HazratSa’ad bin Waqqas (R.T.A.) says that the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) said, “Whenever a supplication is invoked with the help of IsmeAzam, it is answered by Allah, the Almighty and whenever something is begged with the help of it, He grants it. That IsmeAzam appears in the verse: ”لَااِلٰہَ اِلاَّ اَنتَ سُبحَانَکَ اِنِّی کُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِینَ“(Narrated by Hakim in Mustadrak)
It is narrated by another companion named HazratYazeed (R.T.A.), he says: “Once when the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) heard someonesupplicating with the words “اَللّٰھُمَّ اِنِّی اَساَلُکَ بِاَنِِ اَشھَدُ لَا اِلٰہَ اِلاَّ اَنتَ الاَحَدُ الصَّمَدُ الَّذِی لَم یَلِد وَلَم یُولَد وَلَم یَکُن لَہ کُفُواً اَحَد“, he said that hesupplicated to Allah, the Almighty with ‘Ism-e-Azam’. This name is too blessed that any prayer invoked with the help of it is surely accepted by Allah, the Almighty. (Ahmad, IbneHabban, Hakim)
Similarly, HazratAsmaBintYazeed (R.T.A.) narrates that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, “Ism-e-Azam contains in the following two verses:
”وَ اِلٰھُکُم اِلٰہ وَاحِد لاَ اِلٰہَ اِلاَّ ھُوَ الَّرحمٰنُ الرَّحِیمُ“ and another one is ”اَللّٰہُ لاَ اِلٰہَ اِلاَّ ھُوَ الحَیُّ القَیُّومُ“
(Tirmizi, Abdu Dawood, IbneMajah, Darmi)
Side by side it, we should also learn here that why Allah, the Almighty commanded us to call Him with the help of His beautiful Attributes? The reason behind it is that none can recognize Allah, the Almighty without it, since uttering the word ‘Allah’ there flashes a common visualization of Allah’s person and attributes in our mind, while mentioned His beautiful attributes gives a clear explanation of His persona and attributes thus leaving no ambiguity of His recognition.
Similarly, if one is mindful of the real realizationof His beautiful attributes, they have very positive effects on the human characters. Taking for instance, a person who is always involved in sins and inflicted with problems is subject to disappointment resulting in suicide. But, on the other hand, if he believes that Allah, the Almighty is Oft-forgiving, Most Most Merciful, he can never take such a step, rather he always remains optimist and never loses his control.
In the same way, one who believes that Allah, the Almighty is All-Sustainer, he is never frustrated over the failure of the sources of sustenance and livelihood like his business or the destruction of his crops just like those who take their field or business only the means of their sustenance or the ones who wail over the death of their fathers or husbands thinking that how can they manage the way of their sustenance, since they took them to be only their sustainers.
In fact, in case of not being mindful of Allah’s attributes, even our betters straggle. Taking for instance, just consider on the event which took place when the Holy Prophet ﷺpassed away. It was then that Hazrat Umar (R.T.A.) unsheathed the sword saying that anyone who said that the Holy Prophet ﷺhad departed from this world, he would behead him. It was because at that time, Hazrat Umar (R.T.A.) was not mindful of Allah’s attribute as ‘حی’ and ‘قیوم’,in other words, His attribute to be Ever-living and All-Sustaining. Hence, when Hazrat Abu BakrSiddique (R.T.A.) recited before him the verse: 441 from Surah Al-e-Imran, he just recollected it and realized his mistake. It is the same fact revealed in this verse that the Holy Prophet ﷺ was not ‘حی’and ‘قیوم’ and therefore we are not allowed to hold such a belief in his regard.
Through this event we can imagine that how important are the beautiful attributes of Allah, the Almighty and allow us to keep us on the straight path! It is for this reason that Allah, the Almighty commanded us to call Him by the same names for the same purpose.
As for the commandment ofleaving those who deviate in (the matter of) His names, here it is worth-knowing that there are some well-known ways of deviation which one should keep himself away from those who do so.
- Some of them have adopted different gods on basis of different names such as the followers of Hinduism. They believe in a different god as a creator, another one as Sustainer, the other one as giving death. Thus, they believe in different god according to the number of attributes. Indeed, the anarchy taking place as a result of god-division is beyond description.
- There some people who attribute some names to Allah, the Almighty which are do not suit Him at all such as ascribing Hazrat Isa (A.S.) as Allah’s son and the angles as His daughters and giving the gods the status of mother and so on.
- Some of them are those who attribute Allah’s special names to others as well such believing in someone to be knowing the unseen, treasure-bestower, remover of difficulties and accomplisher etc.
- Those who argue (split hair) unnecessarily as to raise question if he is able to tell lie when He is ‘قادر’and even know how to enchant and so on.
In such context, we need to take into consideration three most fundamental and important things and only then can we avoid deviation and safeguard ourselves against the mischief of those who deviate.
- A man is finite in his abilities while the beautiful attributes of Allah, the Almighty carry a wide sense and hence it is beyond a man’s comprehension as the same fact has been laid out in the words:
لَاتُدْرِكُهُالْاَبْصَارُۡوَهُوَيُدْرِكُالْاَبْصَارَۚوَهُوَاللَّطِيْفُالْخَبِيْرُ١٠٣
“No vision can comprehend Him, and He comprehends all visions, and He is Absolutely Subtle, All-Aware.”
It is for this reason that it has been prohibited in the prophetic traditions to raise the questions with regard toAllah’s person.
- Allah, the Almighty can’t be compared to anything neither in His attributes nor in His person, since Allah, the Almighty Himself says, لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهٖ شَيْءٌ “Nothing is likeHim.” (Surah Al-Shura: 11) Hence, we must avoid doing so, since it may cause take a risk. It is for this reason that we have been commanded فَلاَ تَضرِبُوالِلّٰہ الاَمثَالَ“So, do not coin similarities for Allah.”