The Names of Allah: Al-Hakam, Al-Haakim & Al-Hakeem – Part 14 (1 of 3) – Sunday 28th April, 2013

Most of the people these days are worried and concerned about their future. These worries could be real or even illusions.  They may be worrying about something that hasn’t happened yet or may not even happen. These kinds of worries indicate weak faith in Allaah because the future is in Allaah’s hands.

Allaah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) said in Surat Ash-Shūraá (42: 49),

ۚلِّلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ 

 “To Allaah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth…“

Allaah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) said in Surat Luqman (31: 34),

إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْحَامِ ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

“Verily, Allaah! With Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allaah is All-Knower, All-Aware (of things). ”

We shouldn’t be worried about our provision; Allaah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) is the one in Whose Hands our provision is. All these worries are an indication for the weak faith of the people in Allaah’s names and attributes because if they knew Allaah they would not have these worries. The remedy for such worries and concerns is knowledge about Allaah, the detailed knowledge of Allaah and not only the general one.

Allaah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) said in Surat Adh-Dhāriyāt (51: 22),

وَفِي السَّمَاءِ رِزْقُكُمْ وَمَا تُوعَدُونَ

 “And in the heaven is your provision, and that which you are promised. “

 Allaah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) tells us in the Qur’aan in many verses that to Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and He is the one who disposes the affairs of everyone in the universe with his wisdom, knowledge and mercy. None of our affairs goes without Allaah being in charge of it or controlling us. Nothing happens without Allaah’s will.

Since we were a foetus in our mothers’ womb, we were in a constricted place where no hand could reach us. No one except Allaah took care of us at that moment in our life. He cared for us, nourished us until we became complete humans. Then when we came out in this Dunya naked and without food, Allaah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) clothed us and provided us with food and drink. Then, Allaah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) nurtured us until we became adults. He has been providing for us since that time, so how can He leave us in the future and not provide for us? This is a bad thought about Allaah and indicates weak faith in Him. The people who think like that don’t know Allaah.

Knowing Allaah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) is a great means of removal of our worries and concerns. It is a means of having peace in the mind.

If you are looking for peace and rest you will not receive it except by knowing Allaah, you need the detailed knowledge about Allaah. You need to know the detail of each name, what it implies and how you can live acting upon this name.

الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ الْقُلُوبُ

 “Those who believe (in the Oneness of Allaah – Islamic Monotheism), and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allaah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find rest.”  

[Surat Ar-Ra`d 13: 28]

Allaah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) is As-Salaam. We say this name after each prayer, reminding ourselves that Allaah is free from any deficiency in all His attributes. He is free from oppression, injustice, imperfections. Whatever He decrees for you is free from injustice or oppression. It is based on perfect wisdom.

One of the meanings of the All-Wise is He who puts the right thing in the right time at the right place with the right amount. He is able to give you, He is free from incapacity, But He will give you in the right time. He also gives you exactly what you need. He won’t give you more than you need because it may corrupt your faith, and Allaah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) is taking care of our hearts.

Whatever Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) decrees for you is good for you. This is what your faith in Allah should be. It apparently may look evil but you should know that Allah does not decree evil and that is good for you. So then you should trust and rely on Allah alone, without doubting in Him. If you entrust anything to Allah He will keep it for you.

A man wished to go to Hajj but he was poor and didn’t have the means. Some people offered to take Him if he agreed to cook for them during Hajj. He agreed and went with them. They went to Makkah and rented a house. While the man was cooking he felt the ground was empty. When he dug he found a box full of gold. He forgot he was in a sacred place. He took the box and put it on a camel. While they were on the way back they reached Tabuk; the camel ran away from them and they started to chase it but couldn’t catch it. The man started to cry.
The next year the people offered to take him to Hajj again. They passed a place close to that area that he lost his camel. He found a well beside which was a dead camel, it was his camel which he had lost the previous year and he found that box money with it. He took it and when they reached that rented house he put it in the same place where he found it before and thought of taking it back with him to Sham which was his hometown after they had performed their Hajj. After performing Hajj and everything as they were preparing to leave a man knocked their door and told them that he had something in that house that was his, he went and he dug the ground, took the box of money out. He said, “This is my money, I kept it here; because I said when I need it I will take it. When the man informed him that that box of money of his was about to go to Sham the man replied that even if it had traveled around the whole world it would come back to him as he had entrusted it to Allah, and Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) never loses his trust. Subhan’Allah!

The man had this much faith in Allaah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) because he knew Him, he knew that If any matter is entrusted to Allah He will keep it. We shouldn’t deal with Allah with worries. If you entrust Allah with something and you still worry then this means you have weak faith in Allah, it is as if you are lying to yourself and Allah. Tawakkul ‘ala Allaah (Depending Upon Allah) needs firm faith without worries.

In order to increase your faith in Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) you have to:

1) Exert your utmost in learning about Allah from the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

2) Think deeply and considerably about every event you go through or every event that takes place around you. Think about how Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) nurtured you and the people around you and how Allah dealt with his enemies and Awliya which is mentioned in the Qur’an.

Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) didn’t create anything in vain; Whatever He created is either for us to take a lesson from, for us to enjoy it or to benefit from it.

Everything Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) shows us in this life we are meant by it and we have to take a lesson from it.

Nothing happens in this life by ‘coincidence’. Everything is decreed by Allah who determined everything with precise determination. He gives you that many children, in that specific time because He knows what is good for you; therefore you should be content with Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) at all times. You should be happy and pleased with whatever Allah gives you.

Some of the scholars said, “Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) out of his special nurturing for his slaves is that he prepares His slaves by decreeing situations which he may dislike at that present time, but it will benefit him in the future”

Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) commanded Prophet Nuh (‘Alayhis-salaam) to construct a ship. He built the ship on the land and there was no sea. His people were mocking him, asking him why he is building a ship to sail on land. Prophet Nuh (‘Alayhis-salaam) ignored their comments and continued obeying Allah’s command until the time came when it benefited him. Be pleased with what Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) decrees for you at that time for you don’t how it may benefit you in the future.

Being pleased with Allah causes peace and rest in the heart. Whatever Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) writes for you there is good behind it, but our enemy the Shaytaan will not leave us alone. As you have this peace in your heart, the Shaytaan will come and try to raise doubt in you or try to make you think evil of Allah. You will repel these whispers by the knowledge that you have about Allah until the comfort comes to your heart. Seek refuge with Allah and remind yourself about Allah’s attributes, His favors upon you.  Also remind others, be a blessed person by reminding them also about Allah’s attributes. Knowledge about Allah will make the person strong in faith.

Contemplating on the textual and universal signs strengthens the person’s faith in the name of Allah Al-Hakeem. Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) shows us the impact of his wisdom in His creation, decrees, and laws. We need to open our eyes and see the impact of His wisdom.