ISLAMNA

In or about the year 570 the child who would be named Muhammad and who would become the Prophet of one of the world’s great religions, Islam, was born into a family belonging to a clan of Quraysh, the ruling tribe of Mecca, a city in the Hijaz region of northwestern Arabia.

Originally the site of the Ka’bah, a shrine of ancient origins, Mecca had with the decline of southern Arabia (see Chapter l ) become an important center of sixth-century trade with such powers as the Sassanians, Byzantines, and Ethiopians. As a result the city was ted by powerful merchant families among whom the men of Quraysh were preeminent.

Muhammad’s father, ‘Abd Allah ibn’Abd al-Muttalib, died before the boy was born; his mother, Aminah, died when he was six. The orphan was consigned to the care of his grandfather, the head of the clan of Hashim. After the of his grandfather, Muhammad was raised by his uncle, Abu Talib. As was customary, Muhammad as a child was sent to live for a year or two with a Bedouin family. This custom, followed until recently by noble families of Mecca, Medina, Tayif, and other towns of the Hijaz, had important implications for Muhammad. In addition to enduring the hardships of desert life, he acquired a taste for the rich language so loved by the Arabs, whose speech was their proudest art, and learned the patience and forbearance of the herdsmen, whose life of solitude he first shared and then came to understand and appreciate.

About the year 590, Muhammad, then in his twenties, entered the service of a widow named Khadijah as a merchant actively engaged with trading caravans to the north. Sometime later Muhammad married Khadijah, by whom he had two sons - who did not survive - and four daughters.

During this period of his life Muhammad traveled widely. Then, in his forties he began to retire to meditate in a cave on Mount Hira outside of Mecca, where the first of the great events of Islam took place. One day, as he sat in the cave, he heard a voice, later identified as that of the Angel Gabriel, which ordered him to:

Recite: In the name of thy Lord who created, Created man from a clot of .

Three times Muhammad pleaded his inability to do so, but each time the command was repeated. Finally, Muhammad recited the words of what are now the first five verses of the 96th surah or chapter of the Quran - words which proclaim God the Creator of man and the Source of all knowledge.

At first Muhammad divulged his experience only to his wife and his immediate circle. But as more revelations enjoined him to proclaim the oneness of God universally, his following grew, at first among the poor and the slaves, but later also among the most prominent men of Mecca. The revelations he received at this time and those he did so later are all incorporated in the Quran, the Scripture of Islam.

Photo: The sun rises over Jabal al-Rahmah, the Mount of Mercy, where Muhammad in his farewell sermon told the assembled Muslims, “I have delivered God’s message to you and left you with a clear command: the Book of God and the practice of His Prophet. If you hold fast to this you will never go astray.”

Not everyone accepted God’s message transmitted through Muhammad. Even in his own clan there were those who rejected his teachings, and many merchants actively opposed the message. The opposition, however, merely served to sharpen Muhammad’s sense of mission and his understanding of exactly how Islam differed from paganism. The belief in the unity of God was paramount in Islam; from this all else followed. The verses of the Quran stress God’s uniqueness, warn those who deny it of impending punishment, and proclaim His unbounded compassion to those who submit to His will. They affirm the Last Judgment, when God, the Judge, will weigh in the balance the faith and works of each man, rewarding the faithful and punishing the transgressor. Because the Quran rejected polytheism and emphasized man’s moral responsibility, in powerful images, it presented a grave challenge to the worldly Meccans.

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 ly 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).

Al-Maani` (The Preventer)

The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Verily Allah raises a people with this Book (Al-Quraan) and makes lowly another. [Al-Bukhaari] The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would say after making the salaam at the end of the prayer and turning towards the people: There is no deity worthy of worship in truth except Allah Who is Alone and without partner. For Him is the Sovereignty and for Him is the praise and He is in control of all things. O Allah there is none who can withhold that which You have given and none who can give that which You have withheld. No wealth or majesty can benefit anyone as You are from Who all wealth and majesty come. [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

There is none who can prevent what He gives and none who can give what He prevents. Every thing that can bring goodness or benefit is sought and desired from Him. He is the One Who gives to whomsoever He Wills and prevents from Whosoever He Wills, all of this in accordance to His Wisdom and Mercy.

By the blessing and provision of Allah have we completed this initial work in Jumaada Al-Aakhir 1421.

May Allah reward all those who contributed to this work and protect and forgive us for any errors or shortcomings for indeed He and His Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and Islam are free therefrom. Any errors are due to the Shaytaan and ourselves and any good is due to the grace and mercy of Allah Most High and Free of All Imperfections.

Al-Mutee (The Giver)

 Allah taaalaa stated: Say: O Allah! Possessor of the kingdom, You give possession to whom You will, and You take possessions from whom You will, and you endue with honor whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will. In Your Hand is the good. Verily You are able to do all things. [Soorah Aale Imraan, Aayah 26]

Al-Baasit (The Munificent) 

The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Verily Allah azza wa jall, does not sleep nor is it fitting that He sleep. He decreases the amount (of provision) and raises it. Every matter of the night is raised to Him before the deeds of the day an the deeds of the day before those of the night. [Muslim]

Al-Qaabid (The Constrictor)

And it is Allah Who decreases or increases your provisions and unto Him you shall return. [Soorah Al-Baqarah, 188]

The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Indeed Allah is Al-Musair (The Pricesetter), Al-Baasit, Ar-Raaziq (the Provider) [Ibn Maajah, At-Tirmidhi, Abu dawud, Ahmad, Ad-Daarimi]. He (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) also stated: Whoever Allah wants good for He gives him understanding in religion and Allah is Al-Mutee and I am Al-Qaasim [Al-Bukhaari]

Al-Hayee (The Shy)

As-Sitteer (The Coverer)

This is derived from his statement (sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam): Verily Allah is Al-Hayee (The Shy). He is shy to let His slave return empty-handed if he outstretches his hands to Him. [Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah] Also is his statement (sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam): Verily Allah Mighty and Majestic is Haleem (Forebearing), Hayee (Shy), Sitteer (Covering). He loves modesty and shyness and covering. Therefore when any of you bathe let him cover himself (i.e. from the sight of people). [Abu Dawud, An-Nasaaee, al-Baihaqi, Ahmed, graded as saheeh]

This is from His Mercy, Generosity, and Perfection. His forbearance is in that His slave openly sins although he is intensely dependant upon Him to the degree that it is not even possible for him to disobey if not for the favor of Allah giving him any power. Yet Ar-Rabb (The Ultimate Creator, Sustainer and Provider) is of such complete independence from all of His creation, it is out of His generosity that He is shy to uncover and disgrace him and make lawful the punishment for him, so He covers him through opening means to cover him by. He overlooks and forgives and He shows His love for His slave through His favors, yet they commit sins ful to Him. His good is upon them every moment yet their evil is rising. He is still the Sovereign and Most Generous although their disobedience and every shameful deed goes up to Him. Allah taaalaa is shy to punish the one that tarnishes his Islam as well as to leave the one who outstretches his hands to Him empty handed. He calls upon His slaves to ask Him and He promises to answer them.

He is the Coverer and the Shy Who in turn loves those who possess a sense of shame and who cover faults. Whoever covers the faults of a Muslim, Allah will cover him in this life and in the hereafter. For this reason it is detested that the slave of Allah announces his sin after its commission. Rather the repentance of the slave is between him and his Rabb and not revealed to people. It is the most loathsome of people who commit sin in the night and Allah covers that sin only to remove the covering of Allah in the morning by announcing that sin.

Allah taaalaa said: Verily those who like that (the crime) of illegal ual should be propagated among those who believe, they will have a painful torment in this world and in the Hereafter. [Soorah An-Noor, Aayah 19].

All of this is the meaning of His name Al-Haleem (The Forbearing) Whose forbearance encompasses the disbelievers, the sinful and the disobedient. He holds back His punishment from hurriedly descending upon the wrongdoers for He gives them respite in order to repent. However He does not give them unlimited respite if they persist and continue in their tyranny and excesses without repenting.

Ar-Rafeeq (The Gentle)

This is derived from the statement of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) from a authentic hadeeth: Allah is Gentle and loves gentleness and He gives with gentleness to the extent He does not give with harshness nor does He give of anything in equal measure to it. [Muslim]

Allah taaala is gentle in His actions. He created all creation gradually, bit by bit, according to His wisdom and gentleness despite the fact that He was capable of creating it all at one time and in a moment. Whoever considers the creation and thinks about His Laws and how they are brought about gradually, they would attest to the most amazing wonders.

The one who is deliberate and reflective is one who deals with affairs with gentleness, calmness and sobriety following the sunan (ways) of Allah in the creation and following His Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam). This is his direction and manner that eases affairs for him especially one who is in need of dealing with the affairs of people and guiding and instructing them. He is then forced to use gentleness and easiness. Likewise, whoever is harmed by the creation with offensive speech and preserves his tongue from vilifying them and defends himself with gentleness and ease, their harm will be pushed away from him in ways not possible through confrontation with them in the manner they speak or act. From confrontation in their manner, just comes the loss of attaining comfort, tranquility, composure, and forbearance.

Allah the Mighty and Majestic sends the rain to His slaves if they appeal to Him, Most Glorified and Perfect is He. It is related by Anas Ibn Malik (radiallahu anhu) that a man entered the masjid on Friday while the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was delivering the sermon and he said, Oh Messenger of Allah. Our possessions are being destroyed and the highways cut off, so please ask Allah to send rain upon us. [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

Allah the Mighty and Majestic sends nourishing rain upon His slaves in times of hardship and adversity. It is He who sends rain to all creatures when their circumstances become strained and they fall into a state of distress and hardship. He feeds the hungry and provides clothing for them. He lifts their hardship from them and sends the rains upon them in their time of need. Likewise He answers grievances, i.e. the supplications of those in distress, anxiety and predicament. Who sincerely seeks His relief is being provided. The Quran and the Sunnah both mention His relieving the troubles and removing distress and making ease from hardship over and over.

Al-Jameel (The Beautiful)

The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) stated, Verily Allah is Beautiful and He loves beauty. [Muslim] For Allah subhaanahu is beautiful in His Self, His Names, His Attributes and His actions. It is not possible for a created being to express some of His beauty. Even the inhabitants of Al-Jannah -despite what they will have of everlasting ease and bounties, happiness and pleasure that cannot be measured - upon seeing their Rabb and enjoying His beauty, they will forget all that they have been granted of bounties and all that they have of happiness will amount to nothing and they will desire to forever remain in that state (i.e. of looking at Allah). They will acquire from His beauty and light that which adds to their beauty. Their hearts will be perpetually yearning and longing for the sight of their Rabb. They will be overjoyed on Yaum Al-Mazeed with such joy that will cause the hearts to nearly fly.

Likewise, He is beautiful in His names for all of them are beautiful and good. Indeed, they are absolutely the best names and the most beautiful of names.

Allah said, To Allah belong The Most Beautiful Names, therefore call upon Him by them. [Soorah 7 Al-Araaf, Aayah 180]

And He said, Do you know of any who is similar to Him [i.e. in name]? [Soorah 19 Maryam, Aayah 65]

All of that points to the utmost degree of praise, magnificence and perfection. He is not called by any name that is divisible between perfection and other than that.

Likewise, He is beautiful in His attributes. Each and every one of His attributes are attributes of perfection, and qualities of praise and magnificence. They are broader in description and more general and more linked (to His Self). Especially the characteristics of Mercy (Ar-Rahmah), Kindness (Al-Birr), Generosity (Al-Karam), and Liberality (Al-Jood).

Also all of His actions are beautiful. They all revolve around his Actions of Kindness and Goodness for which He is praised and extolled and thanked; and those actions of Justice for which He is praised due to their being in accordance with wisdom and praise. There is nothing useless or wasted or foolish nor vain nor unjust in His actions. All of them are good, all are guidance, mercy, reasonable and fair.

Verily my Rabb is on the Straight Path. [Soorah 11 Hood, Aayah 56]

It is due to His perfection that none can glorify Him enough. All His actions are perfect therefore each of His judgments and rulings are the most perfect of rulings, and that which He produces and makes is the best of creation and production. What He has fashioned is most precise and perfect:

The Work of Allah, Who perfected all things[Soorah 27 An-Naml, Aayah 88]

His has made His creation the best: Who made everything He has created good[Soorah As-Sajdah, Aayah 7]

And Who is better in judgment than Allah for a people who have firm faith? [Soorah 5 Al-Maaidah, Aayah 50]

The Cosmos is composed of many kinds and categories of beauty and that beauty is derived from Allah taaala for He is the one Who covered it with beauty and Who gave it exquisiteness. He indeed is more entitled (of the description of beauty) for the giver of the beauty is more deserving of beauty. Every type of beauty in this life and in the next, whether internal or external is due to Him. Especially that which the Ultimate Lord and Protector (Al-Mawlaa) gives to the inhabitants of Al-Jannah of excessive beauty. For if just one of the Hoorul-Een (Hooris - maidens of Al-Jannah) was to expose her shin to the world it would obliterate the light of the sun and the stars. Is not the One Who endowed them with this beauty and blessed them with such excellence and perfection, indeed more entitled than them to a beauty that has no similitude? This is clear, rational, evidence that is indisputable with regard to this tremendous issue and others relating to His attributes.

Allah taaala stated: And for Allah is the highest description. [Soorah 16 An-Nahl, Aayah 60]

Any perfection found in created things necessarily means there is no shortcoming in its Creator. Indeed the Grantor, Allah, is more deserving than those who are granted, of attributes that are not equally mutual, as there is no connection between their essence and His, or their attributes and His. The One who granted them hearing, sight, life, knowledge, ability, and beauty is far more entitled than them to those attributes. How can one express His beauty when the most knowledgeable of the creation (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said of Him: I am not capable of giving praises and extolling You as You have extolled and given praise upon Yourself. [Muslim] He (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) also said: His veil is Light and if He were to lift it the sublime splendor of His Face would incinerate all that would gaze upon it from His creation. [Muslim] Glorified and free of all imperfection is Allah and He is purified and far above the statements of the wrongdoing negators of His Perfection. Their reckoning is odious ful and depraved. They are from attaining knowledge of Him or the delight of His love.

The Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) stated in an authentic hadeeth: There are none more patient with being harmed by what he hears than Allah. They make for Him a son, nevertheless He overlooks and forgives them and provides for them. [Al-Bukhari]

He (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) also stated, as collected by Al-Bukhari:

The son of Adam denies Me when it is not fitting for him to do so. The son of Adam abuses Me when it is not fitting for him to do so. As far as his denial of Me he says: He will not bring me back as He brought me out. Yet his initial creation was no easier than will be returning him. (i.e. both are easy) As far as his abuse of Me is his saying that I have a son. Yet I am Al-Ahad (The Unique and Singular), As-Samad (The One eternally sought by all) Who neither was born nor gives birth and there is none like unto Him.

Allah taaala abundantly gives to His slaves (all creatures) their provision whether they are obedient or disobedient and rebellious. The disobedient yet continue in their denial of Him and His messengers rush to extinguish His Deen. Nevertheless Allah is patient with all they say and do. They follow evil upon evil and He follows with favor upon favor. His Patience is the most perfect and complete patience due to His perfect and complete Ability and Independence from His creation along with perfection and completeness in His Mercy and Kindness. Most blessed is the Most Merciful Provider Who there is none comparable and Who loves the patient and provides for all their needs.

Al-Waasi (The Vast, Extending, Abounding, Far-Reaching, All-Sufficient)

“And Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and Bounty and Allah is All-Sufficient for His creatures needs, All-Knowing. [Soorah 2 Al-Baqarah, Aayah 268]

He, subhaanahu wa taaala, is Vast in His attributes, and characteristics and all that is tied to them. None can encompass or bring forth all the praise due to Him. Indeed He is the One Who is most fitting to extol Himself. His Greatness, Authority, and Sovereignty are all extremely extensive as are His Kindness, and Goodness along with greatness of Generosity and Magnanimity.