AbuMubarak
28-04-04, 01:01 AM
In the Name of Almighty Allah
Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Assalamualaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu.
Wa Ba'd:
There are many verses spread throughout the Most Holy and Glorious Qur'an
where we find Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala'meen Most Exalted Who Alone is the
Source of Glory, Greatness, Mercy, and Infinite Beauty reminding us that:
"He, alone is the Creator and Sustainer, and that He is present in the
manifold levels and realms of existence. All the worlds constitute His Presence.
Yet, He is the Companion of those who remember Him and
He is always on the side of those who call upon Him."
Almighty Allah, Jallahh Wa'ala, is Most Gracious, Supreme and Merciful with
all His known Attributes. If He is present in the manifold levels and
realms of all existence then why can't anyone see Him? Exactly where is He or
where is He to be found? Na'aoodu billah! This is not in anyway whatsoever
intended as any disrespect or an affront: it is surely a fair question to ask in order for
me to proceed in presenting my Bayaan here for today covering this subject
in question. So, the million-dollar question is, where is Almighty Allah
our Most Glorious Creator and Exalted and Merciful Maker?
Of course, proximity and distance cannot be attributed to His Most Sacred
Essence. It possesses the encompassment of sustenance (ihateh ye qayyumi
i.e. the encompassment that Almighty Allah Jallah Wa'ala possesses overall
being as its Sustainer) and existential all-inclusiveness (shumul-e-wujudi)
over all the domains of being and all the streams of reality. However, that
which is mentioned in the noble verses of the Most Glorious Qur'an
regarding the attribution of nearness and proximity to Almighty Allah
Subhanahu Wata'ala we go to verse 16 of Surah Qaf:
"It was We Who created man, and We know what dark
Suggestions his soul makes to him: for
We are nearer to him than his jugular vein."
In the verse just quoted, Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala'meen tells us that He
created man, and gave his limited free will and that He knows the inmost
desires and motives of man even better than man does himself. Almighty
Allah tells us that He is nearer to us than our own jugular vein. The
jugular vein is the big trunk vein, one on each side of the neck, which
brings the blood back from the head to the heart.
The two jugular veins correspond to the two carotid arteries that carry the
blood from the heart to the head. As the blood stream is the vehicle of
life and consciousness, the Qur'anic phrase, "nearer than the jugular vein"
implies that our Most Glorious Creator and Exalted Maker knows more
truly the innermost state of our feeling and consciousness than does our
own ego. Again with regard to attribution of nearness and proximity
Almighty Allah Azza Wajjal informs us in verse 186 of Surah Al-Baqara:
"And when My servants question thee (O Muhammad)
concerning Me, (tell them that) I am nearer to answer the call
of the caller who calls to Me."
All these verses regarding the nearness and proximity to Almighty Allah
Rabbul Ala'meen constitute a kind of metaphor and allegory. Otherwise, His
Sacred Being is above proximity and distance, physical or material. All
these qualities entail limitation (Tahdid) and likeness (Tasbhih, i.e. to
creatures) and Almighty Allah Jallah Wa'ala is beyond them. The presence
of all existents in the court of His Sanctity is a relational presence.
And the encompassment of that Sacred Essence over the particles of the
universe and the chains of existents is the encompassment of sustenance,
which is something other than sensible or spiritual presence different from
outward and inward encompassment. Yes, Almighty Allah has created a
universe full of things that we have no knowledge of and that it will always be
impossible for us to understand that He's so far above and beyond our sphere
of understanding that even the greatest brains can fully understand Him.
Once again, let us journey through the Most Noble and Glorious Qur'an and
see what the Heavenly revealed Scripture tells us in verse 103 of Surah Al An'am:
"No vision can grasp Him. But His grasp is over all vision:
He is above all comprehension, Yet is acquainted with all things."
The word "Latif" in this beautiful verse means: fine, so fine and subtle as
to be invisible to the physical eye. So fine as to be imperceptible to the
senses. So pure as to be above the mental and spiritual vision of mankind.
The active meaning should also be understood: "one who understands the
finest mysteries." And in verse 255 of Surah Al-Baqara which is the most
beautiful Ayat -al - Kursi, the "Verse of the Throne." Who can translate
its glorious meaning, or reproduce the rhythm of its well-chosen and
comprehensive words? Even the original Arabic meaning seems to be
greater that can be expressed in words:
Ayat-al-Kursi describes the Oneness of Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala'meen's
Being and Attributes in a most beautiful and unique manner. He is living,
He hears and sees. He speaks. He is self-existent. He is Eternal and
Everlasting. He is the innovator and Creator of the heavens and earth. He
is above changes and effects. He is the Master of the universe. He is so
Exalted in His Majesty that no one can speak before Him without His
permission. This very briefly is the core meaning of Ayat-ul-Kursi so let
us peruse through some of the words in this most beautiful verse.
Ayat-al-Kursi consists of the ten most beautiful sentences the first of
which is Allahu La Illaha Illah Huwwa "Allah: There is no god but He."
The word Allah is like a proper noun for Allah's Being. It means: "The
Being Who combines all perfection and is free of all shortcomings. "There
is no god but He and says that there is absolutely nothing worth
worshipping except this Being.
Alhayyul Qayyum The "Alive, the All-Sustaining". The word "Hayyunn"
means 'the Living' in Arabic. Out of the Divine Names, the introduction of
this word is to emphasize that He is Ever-living and Ever-lasting. He is
above and beyond death. The word Qayyum Is derived from "Qiyam"
which means 'to stand' and "Qa'im" refers to 'one who stands'. The words
Qayyum and Qayyam are forms of exaggeration. They mean: 'one who
himself stands firmly and keeps others sustained and supported, all simultaneously'.
'Qayyum' is an attribute of Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala with which no
created being can be associated, for what depends on others for its own
existence and survival can hardly be expected to support something else.
Therefore, a human being should not be called "Qayyum" for it is not
permissible. Muslims who corrupt the name Abdul Qayyum (The slave of
Qayyum) by casually using just the second part - Qayyum, commit a grave
error resulting in sin.
"La taa goedoe sinatow wala nawm" : Neither doze nor sleep overtakes Him. The
word "Sinatun" denotes drowsiness which is the preliminary effect of coming
sleep, while the word "Nawm" refers to full sleep. The sense of the
sentence is that Almighty Allah Jallah Wa'ala is above and beyond states of
drowsiness or sleep. His power is absolutely perfect before which these
doings are neither difficult nor tiresome and that His Sacred Being is
above and beyond all sense-effects, weariness, exhaustion, drowsiness and sleep.
"Lahumma Fies samawatee wama Fiel Ard". To Him belongs whatever is in the
heavens and whatever is on earth. The letter "Lam" appearing in the
beginning of has been used to denote ownership. Thus it means that Almighty
Allah Azza Wajjal owns everything on earth and in the heavens. He is the
sole Owner and authority, and may do whatever He deems fit with them.
“Mund’hal Laddee yushfa’oo indahu illah be’eednihee” : Who can intercede
with Him without His permission? Almighty Allah Jallah Wa’ala is the
Master-Owner-Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe and there is no
one above Him, certainly then no one is entitled to question Him about
anything He does. The option of saying why and wherefore does not exist for
anyone. In short, recommendation or intercession, from anyone for anyone,
will not be possible without Divine Permission.
Our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam said that he will be the
first to intercede on behalf of all human communities. This is called the
Maqam-al-Mahmud, the praised station, which is one of the distinctions of
our Beloved Nabee Muhammad Ibn Abdullah – Rahmathul Liel Ala’meen.
“Yah’ lamoo mabayna Aideehim wama G’hal fahoom” : He knows what is before
them and behind them. Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala’meen is aware of all the
states and events surrounding them i.e. all states before birth and after
death. His knowledge encompasses all things.
“Wa’laa yuhetunaa beshay’eem min eelmee illah bemashaa”: And they encompass
nothing of His knowledge except what He wills. This verse makes it crystal
clear that all-encompassing knowledge of every particle in the universe is
a particular attribute of none but Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala. No
created being can ever claim to have a share in it.
“Wa see’a kursi yus samawatee wal aard”: Almighty Allah’s Kursi
(Throne/Chair) extends to the heavens and to the earth. It is so magnified
that its spatial infinity houses, within itself, the seven heavens and the earth.
“Wa’laa ya oodu hifdu humma”: And it does not weary Him to look after his
domain. Supporting the heavens and the earth is no burden with the perfect
power of the Glorious Creator.
“Wa huwwal alee yul ad’heem.”: And He is Supreme, Most Exalted and Great in
Majesty. All honour, power and superiority belong to Him alone. Ayatul
Kursi epitomize a description of Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala’meen with His
Oneness and Perfection with clarity.
The Qur’anic concept of the Unity of Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala is
definite, and has both, a positive and negative side to it. The positive
side is that Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala’meen is One and only One. The
negative side is that there is none like Him. And when there is none like
Him, it follows that whatever Attributes that might be assigned to the Most
Exalted Creator and Maker cannot be assigned at the same time to any other.
The former postulate is called “uniqueness in essence”, and the latter,
“uniqueness in Attributes.”
When we contemplate the unique Divine Essence with our reason, we
sometimes ascribe knowledge to that Infinite Being with regard to the
fact that all creatures are at all times present before Him; we then say
that He is all-Knowing. At other times we are aware of His ability to
create all things, and we then speak of His being All-Powerful. Perfect
belief, in turn, lies in sincere devotion at His threshold, and perfect devotion is
none other than the dissociation of that Unique Principle from all the
attributes of contingent beings.
Beware, for he cannot be described with any attribute, for then difference
would appear between the name and the attribute. Whoever attempts to
describe Him with an attribute, is in effect, creating a like and partner
for Him, or rather he or she is seeing Almighty Allah to be two. Whoever
sees Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala’meen to be two is attempting to divide His
Being. Such a person lacks all knowledge and insight into the nature of
Almighty Allah’s unique Being and is totally blind and ignorant.
The one who is thus deprived of vision will attempt to point to Almighty
Allah Jallah Wa’ala [i.e., restrict Him to a given time and place], and
whoever does this posits imprisoning limits for the Most Glorious Creator
of all beings and makes Him finite. Whoever limits and restricts Him in
this way regards Him as a measurable quantity. Whoever asks: “Where is
Almighty Allah?” unintentionally makes of Him a body enclosed within
another body, and whoever asks, “In what is Almighty Allah engaged?”
unintentionally states that certain places are empty of His Being.
Given the existence of such vivid indications and decisive proofs, placed
at our disposal and within our own being for us to seek the knowledge of
Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala, no excuse whatsoever will be accepted
from us for misguidance and denial. The Most Noble and Glorious Qur’an
applies the method of negation and affirmation to the question of Almighty
Allah’s Attributes. Thus it describes the attributes that the Essence of
the Most Glorious Creator possesses as “Affirmative Attributes”.
Among them are knowledge, power, will, the fact that His existence was not
preceded by non-existence and that His Being has no beginning, and the fact
that all the motions of the world derive from His Will and Awesome Power as
described to us in verses 22 and 23 of Surah Al-Hashr:
“He is Allah, the One other than Whom there is no god, the knower of the
hidden and the manifest, the Compassionate, the Merciful. He is Allah, the
One other Whom there is no god, the Commander, the All-Powerful, Pure
and Without Defect, the Bestower of Safety, the Protector, the Precious, the
Mighty, the Sublime, the Most Elevated. Exempt and purified be
He from the partners which they ascribe to Him".
The “negative attributes” are those from which Almighty Allah is free. They
include the fact that the Most Glorious Creator is not a body and has no
place; His Sacred Being has no partner or like. He is not a prisoner to the
limitations set up by the bounds of the senses. He neither begets nor is
begotten. There is neither change nor motion within His Essence, for He is
Absolute Perfection and He does not delegate the task of creation to anyone.
The Truth is from Almighty Allah - the mistakes are mine.
And Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala’meen Most Exalted knows best.
Was Salamualaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu.
Abdul Hamid
Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Assalamualaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu.
Wa Ba'd:
There are many verses spread throughout the Most Holy and Glorious Qur'an
where we find Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala'meen Most Exalted Who Alone is the
Source of Glory, Greatness, Mercy, and Infinite Beauty reminding us that:
"He, alone is the Creator and Sustainer, and that He is present in the
manifold levels and realms of existence. All the worlds constitute His Presence.
Yet, He is the Companion of those who remember Him and
He is always on the side of those who call upon Him."
Almighty Allah, Jallahh Wa'ala, is Most Gracious, Supreme and Merciful with
all His known Attributes. If He is present in the manifold levels and
realms of all existence then why can't anyone see Him? Exactly where is He or
where is He to be found? Na'aoodu billah! This is not in anyway whatsoever
intended as any disrespect or an affront: it is surely a fair question to ask in order for
me to proceed in presenting my Bayaan here for today covering this subject
in question. So, the million-dollar question is, where is Almighty Allah
our Most Glorious Creator and Exalted and Merciful Maker?
Of course, proximity and distance cannot be attributed to His Most Sacred
Essence. It possesses the encompassment of sustenance (ihateh ye qayyumi
i.e. the encompassment that Almighty Allah Jallah Wa'ala possesses overall
being as its Sustainer) and existential all-inclusiveness (shumul-e-wujudi)
over all the domains of being and all the streams of reality. However, that
which is mentioned in the noble verses of the Most Glorious Qur'an
regarding the attribution of nearness and proximity to Almighty Allah
Subhanahu Wata'ala we go to verse 16 of Surah Qaf:
"It was We Who created man, and We know what dark
Suggestions his soul makes to him: for
We are nearer to him than his jugular vein."
In the verse just quoted, Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala'meen tells us that He
created man, and gave his limited free will and that He knows the inmost
desires and motives of man even better than man does himself. Almighty
Allah tells us that He is nearer to us than our own jugular vein. The
jugular vein is the big trunk vein, one on each side of the neck, which
brings the blood back from the head to the heart.
The two jugular veins correspond to the two carotid arteries that carry the
blood from the heart to the head. As the blood stream is the vehicle of
life and consciousness, the Qur'anic phrase, "nearer than the jugular vein"
implies that our Most Glorious Creator and Exalted Maker knows more
truly the innermost state of our feeling and consciousness than does our
own ego. Again with regard to attribution of nearness and proximity
Almighty Allah Azza Wajjal informs us in verse 186 of Surah Al-Baqara:
"And when My servants question thee (O Muhammad)
concerning Me, (tell them that) I am nearer to answer the call
of the caller who calls to Me."
All these verses regarding the nearness and proximity to Almighty Allah
Rabbul Ala'meen constitute a kind of metaphor and allegory. Otherwise, His
Sacred Being is above proximity and distance, physical or material. All
these qualities entail limitation (Tahdid) and likeness (Tasbhih, i.e. to
creatures) and Almighty Allah Jallah Wa'ala is beyond them. The presence
of all existents in the court of His Sanctity is a relational presence.
And the encompassment of that Sacred Essence over the particles of the
universe and the chains of existents is the encompassment of sustenance,
which is something other than sensible or spiritual presence different from
outward and inward encompassment. Yes, Almighty Allah has created a
universe full of things that we have no knowledge of and that it will always be
impossible for us to understand that He's so far above and beyond our sphere
of understanding that even the greatest brains can fully understand Him.
Once again, let us journey through the Most Noble and Glorious Qur'an and
see what the Heavenly revealed Scripture tells us in verse 103 of Surah Al An'am:
"No vision can grasp Him. But His grasp is over all vision:
He is above all comprehension, Yet is acquainted with all things."
The word "Latif" in this beautiful verse means: fine, so fine and subtle as
to be invisible to the physical eye. So fine as to be imperceptible to the
senses. So pure as to be above the mental and spiritual vision of mankind.
The active meaning should also be understood: "one who understands the
finest mysteries." And in verse 255 of Surah Al-Baqara which is the most
beautiful Ayat -al - Kursi, the "Verse of the Throne." Who can translate
its glorious meaning, or reproduce the rhythm of its well-chosen and
comprehensive words? Even the original Arabic meaning seems to be
greater that can be expressed in words:
Ayat-al-Kursi describes the Oneness of Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala'meen's
Being and Attributes in a most beautiful and unique manner. He is living,
He hears and sees. He speaks. He is self-existent. He is Eternal and
Everlasting. He is the innovator and Creator of the heavens and earth. He
is above changes and effects. He is the Master of the universe. He is so
Exalted in His Majesty that no one can speak before Him without His
permission. This very briefly is the core meaning of Ayat-ul-Kursi so let
us peruse through some of the words in this most beautiful verse.
Ayat-al-Kursi consists of the ten most beautiful sentences the first of
which is Allahu La Illaha Illah Huwwa "Allah: There is no god but He."
The word Allah is like a proper noun for Allah's Being. It means: "The
Being Who combines all perfection and is free of all shortcomings. "There
is no god but He and says that there is absolutely nothing worth
worshipping except this Being.
Alhayyul Qayyum The "Alive, the All-Sustaining". The word "Hayyunn"
means 'the Living' in Arabic. Out of the Divine Names, the introduction of
this word is to emphasize that He is Ever-living and Ever-lasting. He is
above and beyond death. The word Qayyum Is derived from "Qiyam"
which means 'to stand' and "Qa'im" refers to 'one who stands'. The words
Qayyum and Qayyam are forms of exaggeration. They mean: 'one who
himself stands firmly and keeps others sustained and supported, all simultaneously'.
'Qayyum' is an attribute of Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala with which no
created being can be associated, for what depends on others for its own
existence and survival can hardly be expected to support something else.
Therefore, a human being should not be called "Qayyum" for it is not
permissible. Muslims who corrupt the name Abdul Qayyum (The slave of
Qayyum) by casually using just the second part - Qayyum, commit a grave
error resulting in sin.
"La taa goedoe sinatow wala nawm" : Neither doze nor sleep overtakes Him. The
word "Sinatun" denotes drowsiness which is the preliminary effect of coming
sleep, while the word "Nawm" refers to full sleep. The sense of the
sentence is that Almighty Allah Jallah Wa'ala is above and beyond states of
drowsiness or sleep. His power is absolutely perfect before which these
doings are neither difficult nor tiresome and that His Sacred Being is
above and beyond all sense-effects, weariness, exhaustion, drowsiness and sleep.
"Lahumma Fies samawatee wama Fiel Ard". To Him belongs whatever is in the
heavens and whatever is on earth. The letter "Lam" appearing in the
beginning of has been used to denote ownership. Thus it means that Almighty
Allah Azza Wajjal owns everything on earth and in the heavens. He is the
sole Owner and authority, and may do whatever He deems fit with them.
“Mund’hal Laddee yushfa’oo indahu illah be’eednihee” : Who can intercede
with Him without His permission? Almighty Allah Jallah Wa’ala is the
Master-Owner-Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe and there is no
one above Him, certainly then no one is entitled to question Him about
anything He does. The option of saying why and wherefore does not exist for
anyone. In short, recommendation or intercession, from anyone for anyone,
will not be possible without Divine Permission.
Our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam said that he will be the
first to intercede on behalf of all human communities. This is called the
Maqam-al-Mahmud, the praised station, which is one of the distinctions of
our Beloved Nabee Muhammad Ibn Abdullah – Rahmathul Liel Ala’meen.
“Yah’ lamoo mabayna Aideehim wama G’hal fahoom” : He knows what is before
them and behind them. Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala’meen is aware of all the
states and events surrounding them i.e. all states before birth and after
death. His knowledge encompasses all things.
“Wa’laa yuhetunaa beshay’eem min eelmee illah bemashaa”: And they encompass
nothing of His knowledge except what He wills. This verse makes it crystal
clear that all-encompassing knowledge of every particle in the universe is
a particular attribute of none but Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala. No
created being can ever claim to have a share in it.
“Wa see’a kursi yus samawatee wal aard”: Almighty Allah’s Kursi
(Throne/Chair) extends to the heavens and to the earth. It is so magnified
that its spatial infinity houses, within itself, the seven heavens and the earth.
“Wa’laa ya oodu hifdu humma”: And it does not weary Him to look after his
domain. Supporting the heavens and the earth is no burden with the perfect
power of the Glorious Creator.
“Wa huwwal alee yul ad’heem.”: And He is Supreme, Most Exalted and Great in
Majesty. All honour, power and superiority belong to Him alone. Ayatul
Kursi epitomize a description of Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala’meen with His
Oneness and Perfection with clarity.
The Qur’anic concept of the Unity of Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala is
definite, and has both, a positive and negative side to it. The positive
side is that Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala’meen is One and only One. The
negative side is that there is none like Him. And when there is none like
Him, it follows that whatever Attributes that might be assigned to the Most
Exalted Creator and Maker cannot be assigned at the same time to any other.
The former postulate is called “uniqueness in essence”, and the latter,
“uniqueness in Attributes.”
When we contemplate the unique Divine Essence with our reason, we
sometimes ascribe knowledge to that Infinite Being with regard to the
fact that all creatures are at all times present before Him; we then say
that He is all-Knowing. At other times we are aware of His ability to
create all things, and we then speak of His being All-Powerful. Perfect
belief, in turn, lies in sincere devotion at His threshold, and perfect devotion is
none other than the dissociation of that Unique Principle from all the
attributes of contingent beings.
Beware, for he cannot be described with any attribute, for then difference
would appear between the name and the attribute. Whoever attempts to
describe Him with an attribute, is in effect, creating a like and partner
for Him, or rather he or she is seeing Almighty Allah to be two. Whoever
sees Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala’meen to be two is attempting to divide His
Being. Such a person lacks all knowledge and insight into the nature of
Almighty Allah’s unique Being and is totally blind and ignorant.
The one who is thus deprived of vision will attempt to point to Almighty
Allah Jallah Wa’ala [i.e., restrict Him to a given time and place], and
whoever does this posits imprisoning limits for the Most Glorious Creator
of all beings and makes Him finite. Whoever limits and restricts Him in
this way regards Him as a measurable quantity. Whoever asks: “Where is
Almighty Allah?” unintentionally makes of Him a body enclosed within
another body, and whoever asks, “In what is Almighty Allah engaged?”
unintentionally states that certain places are empty of His Being.
Given the existence of such vivid indications and decisive proofs, placed
at our disposal and within our own being for us to seek the knowledge of
Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala, no excuse whatsoever will be accepted
from us for misguidance and denial. The Most Noble and Glorious Qur’an
applies the method of negation and affirmation to the question of Almighty
Allah’s Attributes. Thus it describes the attributes that the Essence of
the Most Glorious Creator possesses as “Affirmative Attributes”.
Among them are knowledge, power, will, the fact that His existence was not
preceded by non-existence and that His Being has no beginning, and the fact
that all the motions of the world derive from His Will and Awesome Power as
described to us in verses 22 and 23 of Surah Al-Hashr:
“He is Allah, the One other than Whom there is no god, the knower of the
hidden and the manifest, the Compassionate, the Merciful. He is Allah, the
One other Whom there is no god, the Commander, the All-Powerful, Pure
and Without Defect, the Bestower of Safety, the Protector, the Precious, the
Mighty, the Sublime, the Most Elevated. Exempt and purified be
He from the partners which they ascribe to Him".
The “negative attributes” are those from which Almighty Allah is free. They
include the fact that the Most Glorious Creator is not a body and has no
place; His Sacred Being has no partner or like. He is not a prisoner to the
limitations set up by the bounds of the senses. He neither begets nor is
begotten. There is neither change nor motion within His Essence, for He is
Absolute Perfection and He does not delegate the task of creation to anyone.
The Truth is from Almighty Allah - the mistakes are mine.
And Almighty Allah Rabbul Ala’meen Most Exalted knows best.
Was Salamualaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuhu.
Abdul Hamid