Our Relationship with Allah

Bismillah.

Our relationship with Allah is the most important relationship in our lives. He is our Rabb, our Lord, our Master, Our King and our Sustainer.

We are his slaves, and the success of the slaves lies in the total obedience and surrender, to the will of their Master and Owner.

Annemarie Schimmel, the German orientalist scholar on Islam, wisely wrote, “The true slave (abduhu) of God is … the truly free person.” (Celebrating Muhammad, p. 15)

Being a slave of Allah is an honour, not a humiliation. But in order for us to be honoured we must submit and humble ourselves before our Gracious Lord.

As you know, the prophets and the messengers are the best of Allah’s creation, and Allah calls them His slaves.

In Surah al-Zukhruf 43:59, Allah says about Isa alayhis Salam, “He was not more than a slave. We granted Our Favour to him, and We made him an example to the Bani Israel.”

In Surah al-Isra 17:11, Allah says about the night journey of Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam, ‘Glorified and exalted be He who took His slave for a journey by night …’ 

And concerning the revelation of the Glorious Qur’an to the prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam, Allah says in Surah an-Najm 53:10, ‘Thus, He revealed to His slave what He revealed.’

Allah calls his mightiest messengers His slaves. 

We are the slaves of Allah Subhan wa Ta’ala because everything we have, including ourselves, belongs to Him and is owned and controlled by Him. We cannot do anything that is against the will of our Lord. Every breath we take, we do so because Allah has given us the ability and strength to do so. If Allah does not will something, that thing can never occur.

Ten names and attributes of Allah which focus on our relationship with Him are:

1. Allah - Surah al-Fatihah 1:1

Allah is the proper name of our God. It means ‘He who deserves to be worshipped.’ Islam is the only religion that knows the proper name of God. That is why when we call upon Allah, we are using His personal name. 

2. Al-Rabb - Surah al-Fatihah 1:2

Al-Rabb means the One who creates, then helps them grow and develop, at the same time He sustains them and directs and plans everything that is needed by that creation to be made available to it for its survival and continued existence.

So for our existence on this planet, Allah created the air, the water, the plants and the animals to ensure our survival and our continued existence here. The same can be said about our bodies, families and even to a microscopic level within our cells.

3. Al-Ilah - Surah al-Baqarah 2:163

Al-Ilah is the One who is adored, loved respected and worshipped with humility and sincerity in your heart. He is the only One who you seek salvation and refuge in. 

4. Al-Rahman & Al-Raheem - Surah al-Faihah 1:1

Signifies to us Allah’s mercy and compassion that we see everyday in our lives. This mercy and compassion is there for both believers and disbelievers, for sinners as well as, for those who repent. 

5. Al-Qareeb - Surah al-Baqarah 2:186

Allah said to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam that when My slaves ask you concerning Me, tell them I am near. Allah is not distant, not unaware of you and not uncaring about your situation. He is ever near.

6. Al-Qadir - Surah at-Tariq 86:8

Shows us that Allah is capable of doing as He wills. That is why the slave must turn to his Master as Allah is Able when the creation is incapable.

7. Al-Musta’an - Surah Yusuf 12:18

Means the One whose help is sought. Allah is the one whom we turn to when we need help. 

8. Al-Mujeeb - Surah Hud 11:61

Means the Responsive, so when we call on Allah, He will respond. Subhan Allah, so why wouldn’t we turn to Him whenever we are in need, when our Rabb is responsive.

9. Al-Lateef - Surah al-An’am 6:103

Allah is gentle and most kind towards His creation. His immense kindness can be seen by the fact that none of us requested to be born yet He created us, and none of us wanted to become Muslims and yet He guided us.

10. Al-Kareem - Surah al-Infitar 82:6

Allah is the most generous to His slaves. He gives us His blessings and favours every single day, most of which without us even asking.

I have concentrated on Allah’s names and attributes that inspire us to love, adore and worship our Rabb. There are of course, many more names which I will endeavour to present at another time, Insha Allah. 

May Allah give us taufeeq to know Him and get closer to Him. Ameen

Character Traits of Prophets Yusuf and Yaqub (alyhimus salam)

Bismillah.

The references are all from Surah Yusuf.

Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) Alayhis Salam

• Loving son (12:4)
• Morally upright (12:23)
• In self-control - did not give in to temptation (12:24)
• Speak the truth (12:26)
• Ready to sacrifice his freedom for his beliefs (12:33)
• God-conscious - righteous (12:33, 53, 90)
• Trust in Allah (12:34, 90)
• Believes in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (12:38)
• Conveys Allah’s message to others (12:39-40)
• Patient in adversity (12:42, 90)
• Known as someone who tells the truth (12:46)
• His reputation is important to him (12:50)
• He wants the truth to be known (12:50)
• Even enemies testify to his upright character (12:51)
• Does not want any donut about his trustworthiness (12:52)
• Know your strengthens and qualifications (12:55)
• Generous to his family (12:62)
• Intelligent (12:62)
• Judicious (12:70-79)
• Defends himself (12:77)
• Confront wrong-doers with the truth (12:89)
• Forgiving to those who have wronged him (12:92)
• Family oriented (12:99)
• Honoured his parents (12:100)
• Grateful to Allah even after adversity (12:100-101)
• Wants closeness to Allah - taqwa (12:101)

Prophet Yaqub (Jacob) Alayhis Salam

• Loving father (12:5)
• God-conscious - righteous (12:6, 64)
• Believes in the God of Abraham and Isaac (12:6)
• Intuitive (12:13, 94)
• Patient in adversity (12:18, 83)
• Trust in God (12:18, 66, 67, 83, 84, 96)
• Cautious (12:64, 66, 67)
• Vigilant (12:67)
• Turn to Allah in times of grief and sorrow (12:86)
• Does not lose hope (12:87)
• Forgiving to those who’ve done wrong (12:98)

Classifications of Allah's Names and Attributes

Bismillah.

From: Surah Ikhlas (112:1-4); Surah an-Nur (24:35); Surah al-Baqarah (2:255); Surah al-Hashr (59:21-24); Surah al-Hadid (57:1-3).

Beauty

• Nothing comparable unto Him
• He is the Light
• Self-Subsistent Fount of All Being
• He knows what is open and what is hidden
• Truly exalted
• Most Gracious
• Dispenser of Grace
• Beyond our perception
• His limitless glory
• Maker of forms and appearances
• Truly Wise
• Everything in the heavens and earth extol His glory
• The Outward
• The Inward

Majesty

• Allah-us-Samad
• He guides whom He wills
• Has knowledge of all things
• Ever-Living
• Neither slumber overtakes Him nor sleep
• Everything belong to Him
• Power over everything
• Tremendous
• Sovereign Supreme
• The One on whom all salvation rests
• The Giver of Faith
• The Almighty
• The One who subdues wrong and restores right
• The One to whom all greatness belongs
• His is the dominion of the heavens and the earth
• Grants life and deals death
• Has the power to will anything

Perfection

• The One
• Eternal
• Begets not
• Nor is He begotten
• The Holy
• The One who determines what is true and what is false
• Creator
• The First
• The Last

Qur'an is not Poetry

Bismillah.

Recently a dear friend of mine posed the following question: Why does the Qur’an specifically state that it is not poetry, while it is rich and affects the heart?

“And We have not taught him poetry, nor is it suitable for him. This is only a reminder and a plain Qur’an." (Surah Yaseen 36:69)

When the Quraysh said to Waleed Ibn Mugheerah, “Then we shall say to the people that he is a poet.” Waleed, one of the wisest men of the Quraysh, replied, “But he is not a poet. We know the different kinds of poetry, and his words can’t be compared to any of them. He is therefore, not a poet.” (Mubarakpuri’s When the Moon Split) This is part of a much longer Hadith report.

Reading tafsirs by different scholars it seems the main reason why Allah says that the verses of the Qur’an is not poetry, is because Arabic poetry has many rules which the Qur’an did not follow. Arabic poetry seems to have a certain way to be recited and composed which, interestingly, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) was bad at doing or did not know how to do, according to his wife Aisha and her father Abu Bakr among others. There’s even an incident where the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) tries to recite poetry but gets the rhythm wrong, so Abu Bakr tries to correct him.

Poetry also is a man-made mixture of truth, hyperbole, wisdom, flattery, rhyme, half-truths, imagination and even lies; conversely, the Qur’an is divine, wisdom, truth, rhyme and pure. To say the Qur’an is poetry, underscores its aims and objectives because the main aim of poetry in 7th century Arabia was to entertain and record their tribal history; while this was not the purpose and intent of the Qur’an. The lofty intent and purposes of the Qur’an cannot be compared to poetry.

It is important also to note that tribal poetry competitions came to an end with the revelation of the Qur’an.

As for the second half of the above ayah, “This is only a reminder and a plain Qur’an.” Scholars have interpreted this as, the gist of the Qur’an should be understood by anyone who reads it with understanding without the need to study its rules, context and language; which is the case for ancient Arabic poems today. Whereas, the Qur’an does not need in-depth knowledge and study to know what Allah is trying to tell us on a basic level like Surah al-Fatihah and Surah al-Asr as well as Surah al-Ikhlas.

Why We Should Be Making More Du'a

Bismillah.

In Surah al- Fatihah we recite in ayah number 5:

“It is You we worship and You we ask for help.”

1. The Most Noble of All Actions and the Best Act of Worship is Du’a

• And this is because Allah said in Surah adh-Dhariyat, “And I have not created jinn and humankind except to worship Me.” (51:56)
• The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, “The best form of worship is du’a.” (al-Hakim (1/491); as-Sahihah, no.1579)
• The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, “There is nothing that is more noble in the sight of Allah than du’a.” (Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi, al-Hakim; Sahih al-Jami, no.5392.

2. Allah Only Cares About Us If We Make Du’a to Him

• Allah says in Surah al-Furqan, “Say O Muhammad, ‘My Lord only pays attention to you because of your du’a to Him.” (25:77)
• As-Sadi, a commentator of the Qur’an said that this means that Allah cares and loves us only because we make du’a to him.

3. Du’a Repels and Changes Predestination or Qadr

• The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, “Nothing repels qadr except du’a.” (at-Tirmidhi, no.139; Ibn Majah, no.90; as-Sahihah, no.154)
• Allah will change the qadr of a person because of the sincerity and quality of his du’a. So we should ask Allah to repel future problems and calamities from us, our families and the entire ummah.
• Allah says about Himself in Surah al- Hajj (22:14): “Allah does as He pleases.” 

4. The Reward for Du’a is Guaranteed

• The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, “There is no-one who asks for Allah for anything except that Allah gives it to him, or keeps him away from a similar evil, as long as he does not ask for something evil or breaking of family ties.” (Sahih al-Jami, no.5637; Sahih at-Tirmidhi, no.2827)
• Ibn Hajar, the famous commentator of Sahih al-Bukhari, said, “Every single person that makes du’a will be responded to, but the actual responses are different. Sometimes, the exact matter that was prayed for is given, and sometimes, something equivalent to it is given.” (Fath al-Bari, 11/95)  

5. Du’a is the Cure for All Diseases: Physical and Spiritual

• The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, “For whoever the door of du’a is opened, then all the doors of mercy have been opened for him. And nothing is more pleasing to Allah than being asked for good health.” (at-Tirmidhi, no.3548; Sahih al-Jami, no.3409) 
• Ibn al-Qayyim, known as the doctor of the heart, says, “Du’a is of the most beneficial cures, and it is the enemy of all diseases. It fights them, and cures them, and prevents their occurrence …” (ad-Da’wa wa ad-Dawa, p.41)

6. If You want Something From Allah, Make Du’a for Your Brother or Sister in Islam to Have The Same Thing

• The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, “There is no Muslim who prayers for his brother in his absence except that an angel says, ‘Ameen, and may you receive the same.’” (Muslim; Abu Dawud, no.1534; Sahih al-Jami, no.5737)
• The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, no.13 & Sahih Muslim, no.45a)

7. Make Du’a at Any Time and for All Matters

• The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, “Whoever wishes that Allah responds to his du’a in times of hardship, then let him increase his du’a in times of ease.” (at-Tirmidhi, no.3382; al-Hakim, 1/544; as-Sahihah ,no.593)
• Aisha, the mother of the believers, said, “Ask Allah for everything, even if it is only a shoe-lace, because if Allah does not make it easy, then it will not be possible.” (at-Tirmidhi, 4/292; ad-Da’ifah, no.1326 - not marfu)

8. Allah Loves being Asked

• Allah says in Surah al-Baqarah, “And when My slaves ask you concerning Me, then tell them, I am indeed close to them, I respond to their du’a when he calls on Me.” (2:186)
• The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, “Ask Allah from His bounty, for verily Allah loves to be asked.” (at-Tirmidhi, no.3571; ad-Da’ifah, no.492 - supported by other hadith)
• Dr Akram Nadwi says that when a slave of Allah starts asking Allah and he starts to love asking Allah and being close to Allah, that at times the slave forgets why he is making du’a to his Gracious Rabb.

9. Even When the Answer of the Du’a is Delayed You are Still the Winner

• Allah says in Surah al-Anbiya, “And We test you, with good and evil, as a fitnah. And to Us you will return.” (21:35)
• This is because Allah tests our patience and resolve.
• He wants us to keep turning to Him for help and guidance throughout our lives.
• The believer keeps getting rewards for every time he turns to Allah and has patience in waiting for His answer.
• It brings the believer closer to His Lord and Master.
• It shows his humility and need for His Lord’s assistance and Allah’s position in his life. 
• Only asking for evil is refused, otherwise all du’a is answered either here or in the hereafter.
• Allah may delay your du’a and give you something better or He may delay your du’a until the hereafter where it will be for eternity. 
• Any du'a answered in the hereafter will be definitely unimaginably better than if it was answered here.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

1. MAKE LOTS OF DU’A.
2. YOU CAN NEVER BE A LOSER WITH DU’A AS LONG AS YOU DO NOT ASK FOR EVIL.
3. WHEN IN DOUBT MAKE DU’A - DO NOT LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THE PROBLEM BUT AT THE GREATNESS OF YOUR LORD TO WHOM YOU ARE PLEADING FOR HELP AND FAVOURS.