Al Wudood

The one who loves His prophets and Messengers and those who follow them and they in turn love Him – He is more beloved to them than anything else. Their hearts have been filled with love of Him, their tongues are constantly moist with praising Him and their hearts are always drawn to Him in love, sincerity and repentance.

وَاسْتَغْفِرُواْ رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُواْ إِلَيْهِ إِنَّ رَبِّي رَحِيمٌ وَدُودٌ
Hence, ask your Sustainer to forgive you your sins, and then turn towards Him in repentance – for, verily, my Sustainer is a dispenser of grace, a fount of love!
[11:90]

وَهُوَ الْغَفُورُ الْوَدُودُ
And He alone is truly-forgiving, all-embracing in His love,
[85:14]

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[1:1] Bismillaah ir ra7maan ir ra7eem

The explanation of:

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

[bismillaahi-r-ra7maani-r-ra7eem]

I begin in the name of Allaah the Most gracious, the Most merciful.

1. His saying “bismillaah” necessitates what is known in Arabic as a prepositional phrase. It is connected to a missing action verb (and the doer of this action verb.) It is known that this missing element is an action verb (and it’s doer) that comes at the end of the sentence and is suitable. For example if you intend to say “bismilaah” and you intend to eat then you intend this action (verb – to eat) such that you say: “in the name of Allah I (being the doer) eat (action verb). The sheikh adds “we said that there is an action verb because the preposition and the object of the preposition are two objects in which case each object must have a subject (who does an action).

We have assumed that (the action verb and its doer) come at the end of the sentence due to two benefits:

1. Seeking the blessings (from Allah) by proceeding the name of Allah the most high.

2 Limitation because delaying the doer to the end of the sentence necessitates that only Allah is sought for blessings. For example you may say “I will not eat with any other name seeking blessings and aid except with the name of Allah, the most high.”

We have assumed that there is an action verb because the basis of actions stems from action verbs. Arabic language linguists know this. This is why nouns do not act except with certain conditions.

We have assumed that it is suitable since it should give the meaning of what is intended. This is why the Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa salam said “whoever intends to slaughter then he should slaughter in the name of Allah” – Saheeh Bukhari [985], Saheeh Muslim [1/1960]

2. Allaah is the name of the Lord of the Worlds. None is given this name other than Him. It is the basis of all other names and this is why all other names follow from it.

3. Ar-ra7maan means the possessor of extensive mercy, this is why it has come in the grammatical form of fa3laan which denotes vastness.

4. Ar-Ra7eem  refers to the deliverer of mercy to whomsoever He wills amongst His slaves. This is why it has come in the grammatical form fa3eel which denotes the application of an action.

Mercy is His attribute. This is what Ar Ra7maan denotes and Mercy is His action which means delivering mercy to the recipient (mar7ooom – the one deserving mercy). This is what Ar Ra7eem denotes.

Together Ar-Ra7maan Ar-ra7eem are names of Allah proving His essence, the attribute of mercy and the ruling that this attribute necessitates.

The mercy that Allah ascertained for Himself is a mercy  that is real which the Quran and Sunnah and (uncorrupt) intellect testify to. The Quran and the sunnah affirm the mercy of Allah and the proofs are many. As for the intellect then every blessing or punishment is from the signs of Allah’s mercy. Indeed the intellect proves that real mercy belongs to Allah, the most high. For what we witness from the mercy of creation between each other proves the existance of Allah’s mercy. Mercy is an attribute that is complete and Allah is deserving of this completeness. What we witness from the mercy that soley comes from Allah like rain, relief after droughts and the likes proves Allah’s mercy.

[from Ibn Uthaimeen – The Cure]

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[Al Muakhkhir – Az-Zahir]

This is also not in the book we are using. It is the opposite of al muqaddim. What it means is that Allah has the power to delay anything just as He has the power to bring things forward. An example of this is in His delaying of punishments and calling us to our accounts for our deeds, and this is from His mercy towards us in order to give us a chance to repent and reform our ways.

As for these three names and also Al Batin, Rasoolallah has explained these in a succinct and clear way while addressing his Lord: “You are the First, there was none before You. You are the last, there will be none after You. You are the manifest, there is nothing above You. You are the Inward, there is nothing close to You.”
هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ (
He is the First and the Last, and the Outward as well as the Inward: and He has full knowledge of everything.

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[As-Samad – Al Muqaddim]

The Self Sufficient. He is the one upon whom the whole of creation relied with regards to their needs, predicaments and necessities. This is due to His unrestricted perfection with regards to His person, His name and His attributes and His actions.

قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى أَن يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابًا مِّن فَوْقِكُمْ أَوْ مِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعاً وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُم بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ انظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ الآيَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَفْقَهُونَ
Say: “It is He alone who has the power to let loose upon you suffering from above you or from beneath your feet, or to confound you with mutual discord and let you taste the fear of one another.” Behold how many facets we give to these messages, so that they might understand the truth.

وَاضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلَ الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا كَمَاء أَنزَلْنَاهُ مِنَ السَّمَاء فَاخْتَلَطَ بِهِ نَبَاتُ الْأَرْضِ فَأَصْبَحَ هَشِيمًا تَذْرُوهُ الرِّيَاحُ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مُّقْتَدِرًا
AND PROPOUND unto them the parable of the life of this world: [it is] like the water which We send down from the skies, and which is absorbed by the plants of the earth: but [in time] they turn into dry . stubble which the winds blow freely about. And it is God [alone] who determines all things.


This is not in the book (An Explanation of the beautiful and perfect names…) , it is the opposite of al muakhkhir, so Allah has the power to both expediate (bring things forward) or to delay.

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[Al Wahid & Al Ahad]

He is the one who is singled out in all aspects of perfection such that nothing else shares with Him in these. It is obligatory upon the servants to single Him out alone in belief, saying and action by acknowledging His unrestricted perfection, His uniqueness and singling Him out alone for all types of worship

.
يَا صَاحِبَيِ السِّجْنِ أَأَرْبَابٌ مُّتَفَرِّقُونَ خَيْرٌ أَمِ اللّهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ

“O my companions in imprisonment! Which is more reasonable: [belief in the existence of numerous divine] lords, each of them different from the other” -or [in] the One God, who holds absolute sway over all that exists?
[Surah Yusuf]

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

SAY: “He is the One God:
[Surat al Ikhlas]

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[ Al Muhyi – Al Qayyum]

These two are not in the book but it means that Allah is the only one who gives life and death, and no one else has power over that.


The one who has perfect power, existing in and of Himself and not dependant upon anyone else. The sustainer of the inhabitabnts of the heavens and the earth, the one who regulates their affairs and provisions. The name Al-Hayy includes all of the attributes of His Self and the name Al Qayyum includes all the attributes of His actions.
اللّهُ لا إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ
GOD – there is no deity save Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsistent Fount of All Being!
وَعَنَتِ الْوُجُوهُ لِلْحَيِّ الْقَيُّومِ وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ حَمَلَ ظُلْمًا
And [on that Day] all faces will be humbled before the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsistent Fount of All Being; and undone shall be he who bears [a burden of] evildoing

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[Al Hameed – Al Mu3eed]

In His person, Names, Attributes and actions. He possesses the best of names and the most perfect of attributes coupled with the best and most complete actions for indeed the actions of Allah are based upon grace and justice.
الَر كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ لِتُخْرِجَ النَّاسَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَى صِرَاطِ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَمِيدِ
Alif. Lam. Ra. A DIVINE WRIT [is this -a revelation] which We have bestowed upon thee from on high in order that thou might bring forth all mankind, by their Sustainer’s leave, out of the depths of darkness into the light: onto the way that leads to the Almighty, the One to whom all praise is due

Its not in the book we are using, the meaning may be similar to Al Haseeb – the reckoner

The Starter and the One who repeats creation.
Allah says:
إِنَّهُ يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ
He creates [man] in the first instance, and then brings him forth anew
He began their creation in order to test them as to which of them was best in action then He will recall them to reward those who did good and punish those who did evil for their evil. Similarly He is the one who began by creating each individual thing and then continusously repeats it.
أَمَّن يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَمَن يَرْزُقُكُم مِّنَ السَّمَاء وَالْأَرْضِ أَإِلَهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ قُلْ هَاتُوا بُرْهَانَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
Nay – who is it that creates [all life] in the first instance, and then brings it forth anew? And who is it that provides you with sustenance out of heaven and earth? Could there be any divine power besides God? Say: “[If you think so,] produce your evidence – if you truly believe in your claim إِنَّهُ هُوَ يُبْدِئُ وَيُعِيدُ
Behold, it is He who creates [man] in the first instance, and He [it is who] will bring him forth anew.

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[ Al Wakeel – Al Walee]

The disposer of affairs, the one who is relied upon.
The one who has the responsibility to dispose the affairs of the creation in accordance to His knowledge, perfect power and all-encompassing wisdom. The one who looks after His friends and makes the good easy for them, preserves them from evil and suffices them in all of their affairs. Therefore the one who takes Him as one to be relied upon, He suffices Him.

These fall under the meaning al al-Aziz


The protector and supporter.
أَمِ اتَّخَذُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاء فَاللَّهُ هُوَ الْوَلِيُّ وَهُوَ يُحْيِي المَوْتَى وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Did they, perchance, [think that they could] choose protectors other than Him? But God alone is the Protector [of all that exists], since it is He alone who brings the dead to life, and He alone who has the power to will anything.

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