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 | | Subject: WHO IS ALLAH PART 3 Fri Nov 18, 2011 10:39 pm | |
| Rahmân - the Most Gracious
Rahmân is the second attribute of Allâh. Allâh says:
Call upon Him Allâh or call upon Him al-Rahmân, call upon Him whichever name you like, for all beautiful Names belong to Him (17:110)
The difference between Rabb and Al-Rahmân is that Rabb is an all-embracing providence by means of which the entire universe came into being and continues to be sustained and nourished whereas the attribute Al-Rahmân, - the Most Gracious, is a special eternal grace which extends only to the living realm without reference to any merit or right of any of them in relation to their respective requirements, and not being a recompense of any action on their part. The special concern of Rabb for the entire living realm has been called al-Rahmân. It is because of this attribute that every thing capable of sensation and consciousness is alive, works, eats, drinks, feels, secures against affliction and has his needs fulfilled.
Rahîm - the Ever Merciful
Rahîm, the Ever Merciful, is the third basic attribute of Allâh. The distinction between Rahîm and Rahmân is that the Rahmân grants of His own accord out of pure grace and beneficence without reference to any deed or request, while Rahîm, on the other hand, means Who causes good results to follow on good deeds, and would not nullify anyone’s work and labour. Allâh is Rahmân in the sense that He grants a pure nature to human beings, without the taint of sin, in the finest make and the best proportions with enormous capabilities for an all-round advancement and for the purpose of seeking God, and He is Rahîm in the sense that when he makes use of his faculties He blesses his efforts with goodly results.
The Arabic words Rahmân and Rahîm translated as Most Gracious and Ever Merciful are derived from the same root Rahm signifying love, tenderness, grace, mercy, pity, forgiveness, goodness, all required for exercising beneficence. Both al-Rahmân and al-Rahîm are active participle nouns of different measures denoting extensiveness of significance. An Arabic intensive is more suited to express God’s attributes than the superlative degree. It is wrong to think that Rahmân and Rahîm are the repetition of one and the same attribute and they are narrated in the first chapter of the Holy Qur'ân one after another for the sake of emphasis alone (as Allâma Moudûdî explains in his translations and interpretations of the Holy Qur'ân). The fact is that these are two different attributes of Allâh. Rahmân is in the measure of Fa‘lan which conveys the idea of fullness and extensiveness and indicates the greatest preponderance of the quality of mercy which comprehends the entire universe without regard to the effort and asking. It circumscribes the quality of abounding grace inherent in and inseparable from Him. Rahîm is in the measure of Fa‘il. This measure denotes the idea of constant repetition and giving of liberal reward again and again to those who ask for it and deserve it. It is on account of this attribute that it is said that he who seeks finds and he who asks is given. It is on account of this grace that Allâh hears the prayers of supplicants when He says:
“Call on Me! I will answer your Prayer" (40:60)
Striving is essential for achieving good results and invoking this grace. For this special benevolence, effort, exertion, hard work, purification of the  and supplications are necessary conditions. Those who exert in the direction of Allâh and those who do not care cannot be the same. In the Holy Qur'ân there are dozens of verses which remind us of this Attribute of Allâh. The Attribute of al-Rahîm is almost always in association with other Attributes of Him. His Attribute of being the Most Gracious (al-Rahmân), Oft-Returning (al-Tawwâb), Most Loving (al-Wadûd), the All-Mighty (al-Azîz), the Most Beneficent (al-Barr), the Great Protector (al-Ghafûr), the Ever Loving (al-Raûf) are to be found together with al-Rahîm.
Seek protection of your Lord and turn to Him. Surely, my Lord is Ever Merciful, Most Loving (11:90)
Take Allâh as your shield, surely Allâh is Oft-Returning with Compassion and Ever Merciful (49:12)
The attributes of Rahmân and Rahîm rule out the doctrine of Atonement and Transmigration of souls in this very world. According to a saying of the Holy Prophet the attribute of Rahmân generally pertains to this life while the attributes of Rahîm generally pertains to the life to come, (Muhît, Zamakhshari) as this world is mostly the world of actions and the next a world where actions will be particularly rewarded. The attribute of Rahmân provides us with what we need for our deeds in this life, whereas the attribute of Rahîm brings about in the hereafter rewards and blessings after using those resources.
Mâlik e Youm al-Dîn - Master of the Day of Requital
Mâlik e Yaum al-Dîn: This is the fourth basic attribute of Allâh. Allâh is called Mâlik e yaum al-dîn - the Master of the Day of Requital. The translation of the word Mâlik is not King, as most English translations have adopted. Mâlik (- Master) and Malik (- king) are two different words from the same root Malak. According to the rules of forming derivations in the Arabic language, the larger the number of letters added to the root word, as the alif in Mâlik the more intensive or more extensive does the meaning become (Muhît, Zamakhshari). Hence a Mâlik or Master is one who possesses the right of ownership over a thing and has the power to deal with it as one likes. It is more than malik or king or ruler (Lane). It shows that the Almighty is not unjust if He forgives His servants, or gives more of their dues, as He is not like a king or a judge who is bound to give his judgment strictly in accordance with the prescribed law, but being Master He can forgive or give more than the due and show love and mercy wherever and in whatever manner He may like. He dominates and rules over every particle of the universe. To punish every sin is incompatible with the Divine attributes of forgiveness and forbearance.
As Mâlik, He has full authority to dispense reward and punishment. It is obvious that no one can be truly called Master unless he has the power to pardon or punish as he may like and determine. He does as He will. There is no room for anyone to find fault with that which He does. The use of the word Mâlik serves a twofold purpose. On one hand it gives courage, hope, and confidence to a person who has in a moment of weakness committed some wrong or sin, not to lose hope as the beneficent Allâh being his Master has the power to forgive or give more. On the other hand it serves as a warning of taking undue advantage of the graciousness and beneficence of Allâh. Both these things are essential for human beings’ spiritual progress and advancement.
The Divine Attribute Mâlike yaum al-dîn is a link between the attributes Rabb - the Nourisher to perfection, Rahmân - the Most Gracious and Rahîm - the Ever Merciful. This attribute shows the process of development of great and continuous mercy. The life after is also a creation of the Almighty, so His attributes of Nourishing, Graciousness, and Ever Compassionate Mercy will continue to operate in that life as well, thus effort and action and therefore progress will continue forever. The mentioning of the attributes of fostering and nourishing to perfection, graciousness, and compassionate mercy and love bear a subtle indication that Allah’s supreme Lordship is not due to domination by violence or subjugation but to the two forms of compassion, the general form (Rahmanîyyat) and the particular form (Rahîmiyyat). He combines all kinds of glorification in His being and is unique in all His beauties and bounties. He is sublime, perfect, glorious and subject to no limitation. To Him is due all praise in the beginning and in the end through eternity. All excellencies belong to Him as a matter of right. No other shares in it.
The word yaum translated as 'Day' also means time, absolutely short or long, day and night (Tâj). This word is used in the terminology of Qur'ân refering to any period of time from a moment (5:28) to fifty thousand years (70:4). Although the process of reckoning is already going on in this life up to some extent, the last and the perfect reckoning will take place on the Day of Requital, the Day of greatest dispensation. There is continuous judgment and requital in this life as well but only in small measure. Award is reward and punishment is in His hands alone. A thief may escape once or twice but he is sure to be caught in the end or to be punished some other day in a different way. He who does evil suffers evil.
The Divine Attribute Mâlik e yaum al-dîn refutes those who do not believe in the Hereafter. The difference between this Divine attribute and Rahîm is that Rahîm opens the path to progress and success through good deeds, supplication and worship, whereby a reward is earned and through the attribute of Rahîm attribute that reward is conferred. Those who do not believe in the Divine attribute of Rahîm are indifferent towards good deeds, as the atheists say there is no reward and no punishment and thus deny the very existence of God and thereby deliberately neglect good actions. Under the attribute of Rahîm and through good actions and prayer one is deemed worthy of grace, but it is through the attribute of Mâlik e yaum al-dîn that the grace is bestowed. Mâlik also indicates that He has not withdrawn Himself from the governance of the universe, committing it to some vicegerent with all authority to award recompense here and Hereafter. He alone is the complete Master and Owner.
In the category of Mâlik e yaum al-dîn it could be asked why Allâh called Himself Master and not Judge? The answer is that the concept of justice does not emerge until after the establishment of right and no one has any right against the Lord. Salvation in the Hereafter is a bounty from Allâh. The Christian concept of vicarious atonement lacks such forbearance, forgiveness and mercy. On the other hand, the contemplation of these four Divine attributes creates in human beings an irresistible longing for seeing his Creator, an intense desire to offer his wholehearted devotion to Him and an irresistible feeling of love. This imperfect, dim, dense, narrow world of limited capacity is not suited to serve as stage for the magnificent manifestation of these attributes. An altogether different realm is needed for its demonstration. Through its mild reflection and forecast we can see in this life of those who 'die in the path of Allâh' before death overtakes them and though they subsist in this world they have their being in the Hereafter, Allâh manifests His light to them in a manner which is not manifested to others except after death. The of such a perfect man is a reflection of these four attributes.
The Four Divine Graces
All type of perfect and true praise belongs to Allâh alone, Who is the Creator and Nourisher to perfection of all the worlds. The Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful, Master of the Day of Requital. Him alone do we love and worship with complete and utmost humility, submissiveness, and obedience to receive the impress of His attributes and imbibe them in us and reflect them in our own life, and to Him we implore for help, to lead us on the exact right path till we reach the goal, the path of those on whom He has bestowed His blessings, those who have not incurred His displeasure, and those who have not gone astray. (1:2-7)
The four principle attributes of Allâh are mentioned in the very first chapter and at the very beginning of the Holy Qur'ân: Rabb - Nourisher to Perfection; Al-Rahmân - The Most Gracious; Al-Rahîm - The Ever Merciful; Mâlik e yaum al-dîn - Master of the Day of Requital, and these are expounded in detail in the Holy Qur'ân and its verses flow like a river in exposition of these. These attributes are essential to His being and on them rests the very existence of the universe. They take precedence over everything and comprehend everything and are the source of all other Divine attributes and posts for the throne ('Arsh) on which He has established Himself.
The very first opening chapter of the Holy Qur'ân (al-Fâtihah) also refers to the four Divine Graces which spring from the four basic attributes of God. These four Graces Rubûbîyyat, Rahmâniyyat, Rahîmiyyat and Mâlikîyyat may be called the mother of all Divine Graces which are in operation at all times in universe, and the order in which they are mentioned in al-Fâtihah is their natural order, and they are being manifested in the order mentioned. They convey us that our Creator and Sustainer and Nourisher to perfection is the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful, ready to do everything for us without recompense, coming to reward many fold for one good deed and only on rare occasion uses His discretion of punishment, and that only in those cases, where it is necessary for rectification and discipline and not at all for revenge, and that only for a limited period. They convey the idea of love and His All Compassion and create in us an irresistible feeling of love, devotion. Out of this impulse we want to worship Him in complete and utmost humility, submissiveness and obedience and want to receive the impression of His attributes and imbibe and reflect them in our own life.
Rubûbîyyat - The First Divine Grace
The first Divine Grace - Rubûbîyyat is the most general grace. This grace perpetually envelopes everything, without distinction of animate or inanimate. Every form of creation, living or non-living, comes into being through it. The coming into being from non-existence and its development from the crudest form to perfection is through the manifestation of this grace. All souls and bodies were manifested and are being manifested through it and all were developed and are developing through it. This grace is the very life of the universe. Were it to be withdrawn for an instant, the universe would come to an end and had it not been for this grace there would have been no creation. So this attribute of Rubûbîyyat is mentioned before all other attributes of graces, as of all the attributes of grace this has natural priority because it comes into manifestation before the other attributes of grace are manifested. His Rubûbîyyat is in operation all the time. It is not that after having created the world Allâh has withdrawn from its control and that He has committed it to the laws of nature so that He Himself does not intervene in any way. It is not as if like the maker of a machine has no concern with it after he has made it. He exercises this attribute all the time over the whole universe, and at no time is the universe deprived of the benefit of this grace. Even after the creation of the universe the need of that source of grace is as insistent every moment as if He had not yet created anything. As the world depends upon this attribute for its coming into being, it is equally dependent upon it for its continuation and sustenance.
Rahmâniyyat - The Second Divine Grace
The operation of the second Grace, His Rahmâniyyat which follows Rubûbîyyat is related only to animates and not to inanimate. We read in The Holy Qur'ân verses like:
“He has taken upon Himself the rule of Mercy” (6:12, 54),
“Your Lord is the Lord of All-Embracing Mercy” (6:146),
“My mercy embraces all things” (7:156),
“Our Lord, You embrace each and every thing in Your mercy” (40:7).
This Mercy is not the consequence of, or reward of any action of ours. It is by the blessing of this Grace that everything lives and eats and has its sustaining needs fulfilled. It is through the operation of this grace that a human being fulfils his requirements of life, the sun for heat, light and energy, the air for breathing and water for drinking. It is by blessing of this grace that all that is needed for spiritual development such as the capacities of rational thinking and speech, embedded love for God and innate drive for worship and the capacity to receive Divine revelation have been provided from the earliest.
Every created thing is the object of Rahmâniyyat and Mercy is His Essence and His Grace, but being Merciful is His Attribute. His Mercy embraces everything, it permeates all His objects of creation, and has precedence over all His other attributes. Every created thing is the object of His Mercy. He is begged for Mercy by everyone by mentioning His other Names and Attributes. As one would say, "O Almighty! Have mercy with me." Or one might say, "O Avenging One! Have mercy on me". This is because the Names of God are referring to His attributes with the various ideas they bear. These attributes can all be appealed to for Mercy. His Pleasure and Wrath exist only by virtue of His Mercy and so is with His Mercifulness. Ibn Arabî says:
"The Mercy of Allâh flows in all created things and courses through His Selves and the Essences. The rank of Mercy is epitome to those who perceive and sublime to those of discursive mind.”
It is because of this Rahmâniyyat that He gives respite to the disbelievers. We are told in the Holy Qur'ân if He were to seize people immediately for their wrong committing, no human being would be left on the face of the earth, but He gives them respite till an appointed term (16:61) so that the disobedient may have the favourable combination of circumstances to avail and correct, and chance to repent. He says:
"And do not let those who disbelieve think that the respite We give them is good for them. Surely, We grant them respite (that they may have chance to mend their ways and correct their evil actions) but they do not avail it," (3:178)
In short, through this grace of Rahmâniyyat the human beings and other living beings enjoy the fulfilment of millions of their wants. No one can claim that these are the result of their actions or that they had been engaged in some virtuous pursuit in a previous incarnation or time, in favourable estimate of which God has conferred all these innumerable bounties upon mankind, or because of his demand or request or because of demand or request by somebody else. It is this grace which reveals itself in thousands of ways to elevate the well being of all livings. It is a bounty regardless of merit, claim, or demand on the part of anyone. It is but the upsurge of Divine mercy so that every animate creature may attain his natural goal, and may meet the requirements inherent in his nature and to look after all that is good for him. That the Divine Being possesses this attribute is manifestly established through a study of the law of nature. No one can dispute the fact that all these objects, like the earth, the sun, the moon, and the elements, that are the mainstay of life, proceeds from this very grace, and that every animal, beast, and human being, believer and disbeliever, good and bad, is getting benefit therefrom. All that is in our bodies owes its origin to His Rahmâniyyat, no body can claim that it is a reward for his action. He provides His bounties out of His sheer grace and not in return for anyone’s labour and even long before the birth of His creatures and before the commencement of their deeds and thinking.
God's Mercy is universal, and He is begged ever for His Mercy by everyone through His other attributes and names. It is His Mercy (Rahmatî - My Mercy 7:156) which is all encompassing. His Mercy has precedence over His wrath, that is to say that His Mercy is attributed to Him before wrath.
TO BE COUNTINIU | |
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