Living with Allah's Names - Shaykh Ahsan Hanif

The Crisis of Faith and the Foundation of Taqwa

I seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and from the evil of our deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide him. Whomsoever He misguides, none can guide him.

I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. Peace and blessings be upon him and his family and companions.

This khutbah addresses a principle that speaks to one of the pressing concerns and issues that each and every single one of us faces — and that is the crisis of faith that we sometimes experience. A crisis of Iman.

The difficulty of each and every single day keeping and forging and strengthening that connection with Allah, our Lord and our Creator. How each and every single day we must strive to strengthen our Iman. And we must ward off the temptations of the dunya, and the whisperings of Shaytan, and the trials and tribulations that surround us.

It is extremely difficult. Allah, in giving us this principle, He says:

Is the one who builds their foundation upon the consciousness of Allah, the taqwa of Allah, and upon seeking His pleasure, better — or the one who builds their foundation on the brink of a precipice that is about to collapse, and it does collapse with him into the fire of Hell? Which of the two are better? Those who work each and every single day in building a foundation that they know is solid enough, strong enough to withstand the turmoil of the dunya, the difficulties of life — or the one who builds their foundation and their house on the edge of a cliff, worrying each and every single day that it is going to collapse and take them into the depths of that fire of Hell?

Allah, in giving us this principle, tells us that it is important that we ensure that each and every single day that we wake up, that we exist, that Allah gives to us life — our foundation, our dealings, our interactions, every decision that we make has that cornerstone of the taqwa of Allah, of being conscious of Allah. The best families, the best marriages, the most successful ones are those that have that cornerstone as their foundation. The most successful people in their careers and in their businesses are those who have that taqwa of Allah as the cornerstone of their working life. And the best people in general are those who, in their character, in their dealings, in their words, in their statements, in their actions, the taqwa of Allah is the cornerstone of their very existence.

Knowing Allah Through His Names and Attributes

So how do we gain that cornerstone? How do we build that taqwa of Allah? There are many, many ways. But the one that I want to focus on today is one that Allah Himself focuses on in the Qur'an in many, many places. It is one of the greatest themes and subject matters that the Qur'an deals with. It is one of the greatest, most effective ways of building that solid foundation of Iman — and that is by knowing Allah through His names, through His attributes.

By knowing Allah, you build for yourself a foundation. And yes, we know Allah, we are aware of Allah, we know of Allah's names and His attributes — but how many of us have really understood those names of Allah, their meanings and their connotations, to the extent that we can differentiate between two names that are, on the surface, similar in meaning? They seem the same from an outwardly perspective. Allah is merciful and Allah is forgiving, but what is the difference between His mercy and His forgiveness? It is those names that we have to understand.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullah said: the verses in the Qur'an that speak about Allah and His names and attributes number more — they are greater in number — than the verses of the Qur'an that speak about food and drink and marriage. Because that is something that everyone does. Everyone eats and everyone drinks and people get married and have relationships. But Allah focuses on what is more important for our salvation and for our Iman — knowing Allah. And he said rahimahullah that the virtues and the rewards pertaining to those verses of the Qur'an and those passages that speak about Allah are greater than those verses that speak about Paradise and Hellfire and the Day of Judgment.

The greatest passages and verses of the Qur'an — Surah Al-Fatihah, Ayat al-Kursi, Surah Al-Ikhlas — those passages that carry the most reward and virtue all speak about only one thing, and that is Allah. Why? Because it is human nature. Human nature dictates that in order for you to deeply love something, you must learn about that thing. The more that you increase in knowledge, the more that you increase in love. And the more that you increase in love, it gives you more desire and passion to learn even more.

The people that you love most in your life are the people that you know most about — your parents, your spouses, your children, because you know them best. Your passions and your hobbies — you love them because you learn about them, and by learning about them you increase in your love and passion for them. So what about our love for Allah? Allah commands us in the Qur'an to know about Him. Allah commands us to learn about His names and His attributes. Allah says in countless verses:

Know! That Allah is Almighty, All-Wise.

Know! That Allah has knowledge over everything.

Know that Allah is severe in punishment, and that He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Know Allah — through His names and through His attributes.

The Name Ar-Raheem — The Most Merciful

In today's khutbah, I want to give you just one example — taking one of those names of Allah and studying it within the context of the Qur'an. Often, Allah in the Qur'an pairs His beautiful names together. At the ends of verses, the conclusion of verses, Allah often mentions two of His names together. Because by understanding those contexts, by bringing those names together, by understanding the subtle differences that exist between those names, you increase in your knowledge of Allah, you increase in your love for Allah. And then through that, you can embody those meanings within your life. You can live with those names of Allah and interact with them on a daily basis.

One of the most common names that Allah mentions in the Qur'an is the name Ar-Raheem, the Most Merciful. Allah begins the Qur'an with it in Surah Al-Fatihah. It is at the beginning of every single surah of the Qur'an. Some of the scholars said that Jibreel alayhissalam, when he would descend from the heavens with new revelation beginning a new surah, he would begin it with the Basmalah: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ — and it contains the name of Allah, Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem.

There is nothing in existence, nothing in the heavens and the earth, except that the mercy of Allah has touched it. Allah tells us in the Qur'an:

If Allah chooses to send His mercy, then there is nothing in the heavens and the earth that can withhold the mercy of Allah. And if Allah chooses to withhold His mercy, there is nothing that can send it forth.

Allah's mercy touches everything — every single person, everything in existence. And so Allah mentions this name over and over again in the Qur'an. It is one of the most common names of Allah. And there are countless ahadith of our Prophet ﷺ that speak about Allah's mercy and that speak about the virtue of being merciful and how Allah rewards those who show mercy.

Allah tells us in the Qur'an that from the greatest means of attaining Allah's mercy is by doing good deeds:

And when the Qur'an is being recited to you, listen to it, pay attention, that you may attain mercy.

And this is a blessed reminder that We reveal to you. So follow it and fear Him, that you may attain mercy.

Establish the prayer, give the zakah, follow the Messenger — that you may attain mercy.

Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem — The General and the Specific Mercy

So what is this mercy of Allah? How do we understand Allah's mercy as it pertains to me and my family and the people around me? How does Allah's mercy touch me? And how do I attain Allah's mercy?

Allah, in the Qur'an, pairs His name Ar-Raheem with a number of other names — mentions them in the same context, in the same verse. The first of those names is the name we find in Surah Al-Fatihah: Ar-Rahman. Both come from the same root word — the mercy of Allah. But Ar-Rahman is usually translated as Most Gracious, Most Beneficent, the Overly Merciful.

Now, the name Ar-Rahman as it relates to Allah's mercy is not paired with any other name in the Qur'an. It is the name Ar-Raheem that is paired with other names. Why? Because some of the scholars said that Ar-Rahman refers to Allah's extensive, comprehensive mercy — Allah's mercy to every single creation, everything in existence in the universe. Nothing exists except that Allah's mercy touches it and it benefits from it. From the animals, to the humans, to the birds, every single creation in existence benefits and is touched by Allah's mercy.

The Prophet ﷺ told us in a hadith in Sahih Muslim, on the authority of the companion Salman al-Farisi radiyallahu anhu:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 50, Hadith 27)

He said that Allah, on the day that He created the heavens and the earth, divided His mercy into one hundred parts. Any one of those parts of Allah's mercy is sufficient to cover everything between the heavens and the earth. He sent down one of those parts of His mercy to the earth — and it is because of it that the mother has affection, love, and mercy towards her child, and the wild animals and the birds show mercy to one another. And on the Day of Judgment, Allah will complete that mercy with the ninety-nine parts that He has kept with Him.

There is nothing in the heavens or on the earth except that Allah's mercy touches it. But Ar-Raheem is a specific mercy. Ar-Raheem is the special mercy that Allah has reserved for the believers — that Allah saves and shows only to those who believe in His oneness, who worship Him, who submit themselves to Him, who sacrifice everything else for His pleasure. Ar-Rahman is for everyone, but Ar-Raheem is specific for the believers. And that is why the name Ar-Raheem is the one that is paired throughout the Qur'an — Allah draws our attention to that specific type of mercy that He has for the believers.

Al-Aziz Ar-Raheem — Mercy from Strength

From those names is the name Al-Aziz — the Almighty, the All-Strong. Allah, in Surah Ash-Shu'ara, mentions the stories of the past nations: the people of Musa, the people of Nuh, and the people of Hud, Salih, Lut, and Shu'ayb. And how each one of those nations, when they disbelieved in Allah and rejected their messengers, Allah destroyed them and He punished them. Allah says at the conclusion of every one of those stories:

Indeed within that there is a sign, and the vast majority of people do not believe. And indeed your Lord is Almighty, All-Strong, and He is All-Merciful.

Allah is Mighty, and Allah is Strong in His punishment, and severe for those who turn away. But amongst those people and those nations, there is always that minority — always that small group of believers — that Allah showers His mercy upon, that Allah forgives, that Allah favors, that Allah honors, that Allah saves, and whose story Allah mentions so that it is recited until Yawm al-Qiyamah.

And it shows that Allah's mercy doesn't come from weakness, doesn't come from an inability to do otherwise. Sometimes we are in a situation where we have to show mercy because we are weak, because the person in front of us is stronger, or they have authority over us, or they are our employer, or they have more wealth, or they are in a position where we have no other option. When Allah shows mercy, it is from a position of strength and power. Allah's mercy for the believers is not because He has no other choice — it is based on love and kindness and affection, and because Allah has chosen you and honored you.

Al-Barr Ar-Raheem — The Blessing of Islam

From the names that Allah pairs with Ar-Raheem is the name Al-Barr — the one who shows goodness. Because from the greatest blessings that Allah has bestowed upon you, the greatest goodness that Allah has shown to you, is the fact that He guided you to Islam. The name Ar-Raheem is specific for you because you have Islam.

Allah mentions in Surah At-Tur that when the people of Jannah will enter into Jannah, they will remember Allah's favors upon them and Allah's grace upon them — that Allah saved them from the greatest of punishments because He guided them towards Islam and allowed them to understand the concept of Tawheed. They lived a life in which they worshipped none except Allah alone. They will say:

We used to call upon our Lord before — meaning back in this life. Indeed, He is the one who is all good, the one who is most merciful.

From Allah's mercy that He shows to us is that He gave us the greatest of blessings. No matter how difficult your life is, how difficult your situation is, how much you are struggling financially, the health issues that you are grappling with — the greatest favor that Allah has given to you is Islam. And that favor shows Allah's love for you, shows Allah's kindness for you. That is what Allah values more than anything else. The fact that you have been given Islam is a sign that Allah loves you.

Al-Wadud Ar-Raheem — The Most Loving

And from the names that Allah pairs with Ar-Raheem is that He is the most loving, the most affectionate — He is Al-Wadud. Allah says in the Qur'an:

And seek forgiveness from your Lord and repent to Him. For indeed, my Lord is Most Merciful, Most Loving.

Allah loves you. The fact that He gave you Islam, that you are here praying Salat al-Jumu'ah, that you understand the importance of these pillars of Islam, that you understand the importance and significance of your role and your life as a Muslim — it is a sign that Allah loves you. Allah gives wealth to everyone, and Allah gives good health to everyone — Muslim and non-Muslim, righteous and unrighteous. Allah bestows those blessings upon everyone. But the favor, the greatest favor of Islam and Iman and guidance, Allah specifies only for those that He loves. إِنَّ رَبِّى رَحِيمٌ وَدُودٌ

At-Tawwab Ar-Raheem — The Ever-Accepting of Repentance

And from the names that Allah pairs with Ar-Raheem is that He is the one who accepts repentance — He is At-Tawwab. Allah mentions in the Qur'an the story of the three companions who did not participate in the Battle of Tabuk. The army with the Prophet ﷺ left, and these three companions did not partake in that battle and they had no valid excuse. When the Prophet ﷺ returned victorious from Tabuk, they came forward and did not make any false excuses or lies for their lack of participation. They came and they were honest and truthful. The Prophet ﷺ told them to wait until Allah revealed Qur'an concerning them, until Allah gave him revelation regarding them.

They waited for weeks on end. The Muslim community boycotted them. Their family members were told to separate from them. The Muslims would not even reply to their salams because their situation was suspended — we did not know what Allah would say and judge regarding them. And then Allah revealed verses exonerating them, accepting their tawbah. And Allah says at the end of those verses:

And then Allah accepted their repentance that they may continue to repent. From Allah's greatest favors upon the believer — from Allah's mercy that is specific to the mu'mineen — is that when they sin, they know that they can go back to their Lord and seek forgiveness, that they can repent to Allah. And then when they sin again, they repent to Allah. And when they sin again, they repent to Allah. And they never stop returning to Allah so long as they continue to sin.

As in the hadith of Anas ibn Malik radiyallahu anhu, the Prophet ﷺ said:

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 4251; also reported in Musnad Ahmad)

Every son of Adam — every child of Adam — sins, but the best of those who sin are those who constantly turn back to Allah in repentance. And Allah's name At-Tawwab means the one who frequently accepts repentance — not just once or twice or three times. So long as you turn back to Allah, Allah will accept your repentance.

ثُمَّ تَابَ عَلَيْهِمْ لِيَتُوبُوا — Allah accepted their repentance so that they would know that they can go back to Allah time and time again. As the Prophet ﷺ told us in a hadith in Sahih Muslim, the hadith of Abu Hurairah radiyallahu anhu, of the man who sins and turns back to Allah, sins and turns back to Allah — Allah says every time that person repents:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 50, Hadith 11)

My servant knows that he has a Lord that forgives his sin and that will take away his sin from him.

So Allah is At-Tawwab — the one who accepts repentance. And just that name is one of the greatest mercies of Allah. There is not a single person here except that we have sins. They reach the heights of the mountains and the depths of the oceans — so many in number that it is impossible for us to enumerate them, count them, write them down, remember them. But Allah, from His mercy that is specific to the believers, is such that from a single act of tawbah, after a lifetime of sin — years, decades of sinning and disobedience — from a single act of sincere repentance, Allah forgives all of that sin. Not only does Allah forgive that sin:

Allah takes those sins and He turns them into good deeds. Is there a greater mercy, is there a greater form of love that Allah could show to His believing servants?

Sometimes we fixate ourselves on our monetary situation, the materialism within our hands, and we judge Allah's love — or lack of love, Allah's mercy or lack of mercy towards us — based on what we can feel or what we have or what we possess. But Allah, time and time again in the Qur'an, tells us that Allah's mercy that is special for the believers is not about this. Allah's mercy that is open to everyone — everyone has that. But when it comes to the believers, Allah looks for their salvation. Allah looks towards their Iman, Allah looks towards saving their hearts and strengthening their Iman. And that is where you see Allah's love. That is where you see Allah's kindness and gentleness.

Ar-Ra'uf Ar-Raheem — The Extremely Kind and Gentle

From the names of Allah that are paired with Ar-Raheem is the name Ar-Ra'uf — the one who is extremely kind, extremely gentle, subtle in the way that He shows His love and His mercy. Allah's mercy comes to you from ways that you cannot imagine, from means that you do not possibly think exist, from paths that you think are closed. Allah opens doors of mercy for you from where you least expect. And that is because Allah is Ar-Ra'uf.

When you do good deeds, Allah saves them for you. And when you do them in sincerity, Allah does not just take that deed as one deed — He multiplies it at least by ten, if not up to seven hundred, if not even more, from a single good deed. Like the woman who gave water to a thirsty dog — and Allah forgives a lifetime of sin from that single act of goodness. That is Allah being Ar-Ra'uf Ar-Raheem.

Al-Ghafur Ar-Raheem — The Oft-Forgiving

And from the names of Allah, one of the more common names paired with Ar-Raheem is the name Al-Ghafur — Al-Ghafur Ar-Raheem. Allah says in the Qur'an:

Inform My servants that I am the Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

Allah is the one who forgives. Yes, Allah is merciful, and Allah is the one who accepts repentance. But Allah is also Al-Ghafur — He forgives. What is the difference between Allah's mercy and His forgiveness? The difference is that when Allah forgives, Allah wipes away any sign of that sin. No remnant remains. And Allah on Yawm al-Qiyamah will show His favor to those people that He has forgiven.

To forgive means that Allah has veiled your sins. Allah has concealed them from the eyes of others. Every one of us has sins that no one else knows about. Not even the closest people to us know each and every single one of our sins. Had Allah willed, they could have been on open display. Had Allah willed, He could have attached to our sins a pungent odor and smell, and that would have made it impossible for us to coexist. I would not like your company and you would not like mine because of the sins that we carry and the effects of those sins. But Allah seals them, conceals them, veils them, and hides them.

The Prophet ﷺ told us in the hadith of Ibn Umar radiyallahu anhu reported in both Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 2441; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2768)

The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah will draw the believer close to Him on the Day of Judgment. And Allah will place over him a veil, concealing him from the rest of creation standing on that day. And Allah will say: Do you not remember the sin that you committed on such and such a day? And do you not remember that other sin that you committed? And Allah will remind him of all of the sins that he committed. That person will accept those sins, admit to them, accept responsibility for them — to the extent that he will think: I will be destroyed. There is no hope left for me. And then Allah will say: I concealed and veiled those sins from others in the dunya, and today I will forgive them for you.

That is Allah's maghfirah. Allah does not just show you mercy — but whilst you are sinning, and after you sin, and up until that period when you turn back to Allah in repentance, Allah veils your sins. Allah conceals them. Allah hides them from the eyes of others. And that is a sign that Allah loves you, because for such people, when they turn back to Allah, Allah forgives them in this life and the next.

This is the name Ar-Raheem — just one name of Allah — and some of the different contexts in which it is mentioned in the Qur'an. It is a means and a way that, if you establish it, gives you that solid foundation upon which to build your Iman.

The Second Part of the Khutbah

One of the most important subject matters of the Qur'an, as we mentioned, is the names and attributes of Allah. The Qur'an from beginning to end speaks about Allah — because the more that you know about your Lord, the more that you know about His names and His attributes, the more you know about what pleases Him and what causes His anger, it allows you to find the way that draws you closer to Allah. Allah often tells us and commands us to do good deeds and He pairs them with His names.

Allah says: if you are going to place your trust in someone, place it in the one who is Ever-Living and never dies.

Allah tells us that if you want to seek provision, seek it from the one who provides for everything in the heavens and the earth:

Allah says: I do not seek from you provision, nor do I seek from you food — for Allah Himself is the one who provides for all.

Allah tells us that if you are going to perform actions, commit sins, do whatever you want — remember that Allah knows and Allah is aware:

Do as you please — but know that Allah is well aware of what you do.

The True and Exclusive Mercy — A Passage from Surah Al-An'am

I want to conclude this khutbah by mentioning a passage of verses in Surah Al-An'am, in which Allah mentions His mercy. The mercy that Allah goes into detail about in the Qur'an is not His general mercy that is given to everyone and everything, but what Allah specifies as being the special mercy that is confined, restricted, and exclusive to the believers. That is what Allah focuses on. That is the true mercy. It is that mercy that gives a person salvation in this life and the next, and gives them success and the pleasure of Allah on Yawm al-Qiyamah.

Allah says in Surah Al-An'am:

Say to them: to whom does everything in the heavens and the earth belong? Say that it belongs to Allah alone. He has legislated and obligated upon Himself to show mercy. He will surely gather all of you on the Day of Judgment, beyond which there is no doubt. The true losers will be those who do not believe. And to Him belongs everything that dwells in the day and in the night. And He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. Say: should I then take other than Allah as a helper and protector — the Originator of the Heavens and the Earth? And He is the One who feeds and is not fed. Say: I have been commanded to be from the first who submit to Allah, and that I should not be from those who commit shirk. Say to them: I fear from my Lord that if I disobey Him, the torment of a great day. Whosoever is saved from His punishment on that day — Allah has truly shown mercy to him. And that is the clearest of all victories.

Those that Allah saves from His punishment on Yawm al-Qiyamah — those are the ones that have attained Allah's mercy. وَذَٰلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْمُبِينُ — and that is the clearest of all victories.

We ask Allah on this blessed day of Jumu'ah, by His most beautiful names and His lofty attributes, that He showers His mercy and forgiveness upon us. And that Allah makes us from amongst those people who attain His mercy. And that Allah specifies us with that exclusive mercy that He has given to the believers. That Allah showers His mercy upon us and our families and our communities. And that Allah keeps us steadfast upon this religion, allows us to worship Him through His names and attributes, strengthens our Iman, and safeguards us from the trials of Shaytan.