lunar eclipse

created and sustained by the Lord of the universe, Allah Almighty. Throughout the Qur'an, people are encouraged to look around them, observe and reflect on the beauties and wonders of the natural world - as signs of Allah's majesty.

"Allah is He, who created the sun, the moon, and the stars -- (all) governed by laws under His commandment." Qur'an 7:54

"It is He who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon. All (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its orbit." Qur'an 21:33

"The sun and the moon follow courses exactly computed." Qur'an 55:05

In remembrance and gratefulness for all of His favors, Muslims all over the world bow down in prayer five times each day. At a time of a solar or lunar eclipse, there is a recommended prayer (salatul-kusuf) that is performed by the Muslim community in congregation.


The Prophet's Tradition (peace be upon him)


During the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), there was a solar eclipse on the day that his son Ibrahim died. Some superstitious people said that the sun eclipsed because of the young child's death and the Prophet's sadness on that day. The Prophet corrected their understanding:

Narrated Al-Mughira bin Shu'ba: On the day of Ibrahim's death, the sun eclipsed and the people said that the eclipse was due to the death of Ibrahim (the son of the Prophet). Allah's Apostle said, "The sun and the moon are two signs amongst the signs of Allah. They do not eclipse because of someone's death or life. So when you see them, invoke Allah and pray till the eclipse is clear."


Reasons that Muslims should be humble before Allah during an eclipse

•An eclipse is a sign of the majesty and power of Allah.

Narrated Abu Masud: The Prophet said, "The sun and the moon do not eclipse because of the death of someone from the people but they are two signs amongst the signs of Allah. When you see them, stand up and pray."
•An eclipse can cause people to become frightened. When frightened, Muslims turn to Allah for patience and perseverance.

Narrated Abu Bakr: Allah's Apostle said: "The sun and the moon are two signs amongst the signs of Allah and they do not eclipse because of the death of someone, but Allah frightens His devotees with them."
•An eclipse is a reminder of the Day of Judgment.

Narrated Abu Musa: The sun eclipsed and the Prophet got up, being afraid that it might be the Hour (i.e. Day of Judgment). He went to the Mosque and offered a prayer with the longest Qiyam, bowing and prostration that I had ever seen him doing. Then he said, "These signs which Allah sends do not occur because of the life or death of somebody, but Allah makes His worshipers afraid by them. So when you see anything thereof, proceed to remember Allah, invoke Him and ask for His forgiveness."


How the Prayer is Performed

•The eclipse prayer is offered in congregation.

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr: When the sun eclipsed in the life-time of Allah's Apostle an announcement was made that a prayer was to be offered in congregation.
•The eclipse prayer is two rakats (cycles of prayer).

Narrated Abu Bakr: In the life-time of the Prophet the sun eclipsed and then he offered a two Rakat prayer.
•Each rakat of the eclipse prayer has two bowings and two prostrations (for a total of four).

Narrated Aisha: The Prophet led us and performed four bowings in two Rakat during the solar eclipse, and the first Raka was longer.

Narrated 'Aisha: In the life-time of Allah's Apostle, the sun eclipsed, so he led the people in prayer, and stood up and performed a long Qiyam, then bowed for a long while. He stood up again and performed a long Qiyam but this time the period of standing was shorter than the first. He bowed again for a long time but shorter than the first one, then he prostrated and prolonged the prostration. He did the same in the second Raka as he did in the first and then finished the prayer; by then the sun (eclipse) had cleared. He delivered the Khutba (sermon) and after praising and glorifying Allah he said, "The sun and the moon are two signs amongst the signs of Allah; they do not eclipse on the death or life of anyone. So when you see the eclipse, remember Allah and say Takbir, pray and give Sadaqa (charity)

Engagement in Islam

Praise be to Allaah.  

Engagement according to sharee’ah means that the man asks the woman to marry him. The view of the scholars is that engagement is prescribed for one who wants to get married. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And there is no sin on you if you make a hint of betrothal…”

[al-Baqarah 2:235] 

and it was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) got engaged to ‘Aa’ishah. (Al-Bukhaari, al-Nikaah, 4793). And in al-Saheeh it also states that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) got engaged to Hafsah. (Al-Bukhaari, al-Nikaah, 4830). 

The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) encouraged the one who wants to get engaged to look at the woman to whom he wishes to propose. According to the hadeeth, “When any one of you proposes marriage to a woman, if he can look at that which will encourage him to go ahead and marry her, then let him do so.” (Abu Dawood, al-Nikaah, 2082; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 1832). 

But in Islamic sharee’ah there are no specific practices that must be followed with regard to engagement. What some Muslims do, announcing the engagement, having a party to celebrate and exchanging gifts, all comes under the heading of customs which are permissible in principle, and none of them are haraam except those which sharee’ah indicates are haraam – which includes the exchange of rings between the engaged couple, a custom which is known in Arabic as “dublah.” This custom goes against sharee’ah for the following reasons: 

1 – Some people think that these rings increase the love between the spouses and have an effect on their relationship. This is an ignorant (jaahili) belief and is an attachment to something for which there is no basis in sharee’ah and which does not make sense.  

2 – This custom involves imitating the non-Muslims such as Christians and others. It is not a Muslim custom at all. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) warned us against that when he said, “You will inevitably follow the paths of those who came before you, handspan by handspan, cubit by cubit, until even if they entered the hole of a lizard, you will follow them.” We said, “O Messenger of Allaah,  (do you mean) the Jews and Christians?” He said, “Who else?” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, al-I’tisaam bi’l-Kitaab wa’l-Sunnah, 6889; Muslim, al-‘Ilm, 6723). 

And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, al-Libaas, 4031; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 3401). 

3 – This engagement usually takes place before the ‘aqd (marriage contract), in which case it is not permissible for the man to put the ring on his fiancée’s hand himself, because she is still a stranger (non-mahram) to him, and has not yet become his wife. 

Finally, we will quote the words of Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) on this matter: 

“ ‘Dublah’ is a word that refers to the engagement ring. In principle there is nothing wrong with rings (i.e., they are permissible), unless they are accompanied by certain beliefs, as some people do when the man writes his name on the ring that he gives to his fiancée, and the woman writes her name on the ring that she gives to her fiancé, believing that this will guarantee the bonds between the spouses. In this case this ‘dublah’ or engagement ring is haraam, because it represents an attachment to something for which there is no basis in sharee’ah and which does not make sense. Similarly it is not permissible for the man to put the ring on the woman’s hand himself, because she is not yet his wife, so she is still a stranger (i.e., non-mahram) to him; she is not his wife until after the marriage contract is done.”

 Al-Fataawa al-Jaami’ah li’l-Mar’ah al-Muslimah, 3/914.

TO know More About Islamic wedding

Every child is born Muslim

Every child is born Muslim

Hadith - Bukhari 2.440, Narrated Ibn Shihab

Abu Huraira, narrated that the Prophet salAllahu alahi wa salaam said, "Every child is born with a true faith (i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone) but his parents convert him to Judaism or to Christianity or to Magainism, as an animal delivers a perfect baby animal. Do you find it mutilated?" Then Abu Huraira recited the holy verse: "So set you (O Muhammad SAW) your face towards the religion of pure Islâmic Monotheism Hanifa (worship none but Allâh Alone) Allâh's Fitrah (i.e. Allâh's Islâmic Monotheism), with which He has created mankind. No change let there be in Khalq­illâh (i.e. the Religion of Allâh Islâmic Monotheism), that is the straight religion, but most of men know not.

[Tafsir At­Tabarî, Vol 21, Page 41] " (30.30).

Proper Hijab

''say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty;

that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what ordinarily.
 
appear thereof.'' [24.31]

Hijab Heart...............

Etiquette of Speaking With The Opposite Gender ...

As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you),

Etiquette of Speaking With The Opposite Gender 
By Sheikh Muhammad Salih Al-Munajjid




Praise be to Allah. 

In brief, what the scholars have said about women's voices is that they are not 'Awrah in and of themselves, and there is nothing wrong with listening to them when there is a need to do so, so they do not forbid listening to them, but certain conditions apply, as follows:

The woman should speak without elongating the words, making her voice soft, or raising her voice. It is Haram for a man to listen with enjoyment, for fear of Fitnah (temptation). The decisive factor for knowing what is Haram in the matter of women's speaking is what is included in the ayah (interpretation of the meaning): 

"O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women. If you keep your duty (to Allah), then be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease (of hypocrisy, or evil desire for adultery, etc.) should be moved with desire, but speak in an honorable manner. " [Noble Quran 33:32] 

What is forbidden is being too soft in speech. It is obligatory for women to speak in an honorable manner, which means, that they should not make their voices soft when addressing men. 

In conclusion, what is required of the Muslim woman when she speaks to a non-Mahram man is that she should adhere to what is mentioned in this Ayah. 

1) She should refrain from what is forbidden and should fulfill her duties. 

2) She should speak only when necessary, and only about matters that are permissible and honorable, not evil. 

3) Between a woman and a non-Mahram man there should be no intonation, gestures, chat, joking, flirting or playful talk, so that there will be no room for provocation of desires and doubts. 

4) Women are not prevented from talking to non-Mahram men when it is necessary to do so, such as dealing directly with them when buying things or conducting any other financial transaction, because in such cases it is necessary for both parties to speak. 

5) A woman may also ask a scholar about some legal Islamic matter, or a man may ask a woman such questions, as is proven in various texts of the Quran and Sunnah. 

Within the guidelines described above, there is nothing wrong with a woman speaking to a non-Mahram man. It is also permissible for men to greet women with Salam and vice versa, according to the most correct opinion, but this greeting must be free of anything that may provoke desire in the person in whose heart is a disease, so as to be safe from Fitnah and pay attention to the regulations outlined above. 

If there is fear of Fitnah being provoked by this greeting, then the woman should refrain from either initiating or returning the greeting, because warding off Fitnah by neglecting the greeting is warding off mischief, and warding off mischief takes precedence over doing something useful. (See al-Mufassal fi Ahkam al-Mar'ah by 'Abd al-Karim Zaydan, vol 3/276).

And Allah knows best.

How Does One Control Their Temper.......

As-Salamu Alaykum (peace be upon you), How Does One Control Their Temper? Praise be to Allah. Anger is one of the evil whispers of Shaytan, which leads to so many evils and tragedies, of which only Allah knows their full extent. For this reason Islam has a great deal to say about this bad characteristic, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) described cures for this "disease" and ways to limit its effects, among which are the following: Seeking refuge with Allah from the Shaytan: Sulaiman ibn Sard said: "I was sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and two men were slandering one another. One of them was red in the face, and the veins on his neck were standing out. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, 'I know a word which, if he were to say it, what he feels would go away. If he said "I seek refuge with Allah from the Shaytan," what he feels (i.e., his anger) would go away.'" [Reported by al-Bukhari, al-Fath, 6/337] The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If a man gets angry and says, 'I seek refuge with Allah,' his anger will go away."  Keeping silent: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If any of you becomes angry, let him keep silent." This is because in most cases, the angry person loses self control and could utter words of Kufr (from which we seek refuge with Allah), or curses, or the word of divorce (Talaq) which would destroy his home, or words of slander which would bring him the enmity and hatred of others. So, in short, keeping silent is the solution which helps one to avoid all that. Not moving: Abu Dharr narrated that he was taking his camels to drink at a trough that he owned, when some other people came along and said (to one another), "Who can compete with Abu Dharr (in bringing animals to drink) and make his hair stand on end?" A man said, "I can," so he brought his animals and competed with Abu Dharr, with the result that the trough was broken. [i.e., Abu Dharr was expecting help in watering his camels, but instead the man misbehaved and caused the trough to be broken]. Abu Dharr was standing, so he sat down, then he lay down. Someone asked him, "O Abu Dharr, why did you sit down then lie down?" He said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If any of you becomes angry and he is standing, let him sit down, so his anger will go away; if it does not go away, let him lie down." Following the advice of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Abu Hurairah reported that a man said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), "Advise me." He said, "Do not become angry." The man repeated his request several times, and each time the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told him, "Do not become angry." According to another report, the man said: "I thought about what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, and I realized that anger combines all kinds of evil." Do not become angry and Paradise will be yours (a Sahih Hadith): Remembering what Allah has promised to the righteous (Muttaqun) who keep away from the causes of anger and struggle within themselves to control it, is one of the most effective ways of extinguishing the flames of anger. One of the Hadith that describe the great reward for doing this is: "Whoever controls his anger at the time when he has the means to act upon it, Allah will fill his heart with contentment on the Day of Resurrection." Another great reward is described in the Prophet's words: "Whoever controls his anger at the time when he has the means to act upon it, Allah will call him before all of mankind on the Day of Resurrection, and will let him choose of the Hur al-'Iyn whoever he wants." Knowing the high status and advantages offered to those who control themselves: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The strong man is not the one who can overpower others (in wrestling); rather, the strong man is the one who controls himself when he gets angry." [Reported by Ahmad, 2/236; the Hadith is agreed upon]. The greater the anger, the higher the status of the one who controls himself. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The strongest man is the one who, when he gets angry and his face reddens and his hackles rise, is able to defeat his anger." Anas reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by some people who were wrestling. He asked, "What is this?" They said: "So-and-so is the strongest, he can beat anybody." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Shall I not tell you who is even stronger then him? The man who, when he is mistreated by another, controls his anger, has defeated his own Shaytan and the Shaytan of the one who made him angry." Following the Prophet's example in the case of anger: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is our leader and has set the highest example in this matter, as is recorded in a number of Hadith. One of the most famous was reported by Anas who said: "I was walking with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he was wearing a Najrani cloak with a rough collar. A Bedouin came and seized him roughly by the edge of his cloak, and I saw the marks left on his neck by the collar. Then the Bedouin ordered him to give him some of the wealth of Allah that he had. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned to him and smiled, then ordered that he should be given something." Knowing that resisting anger is one of the signs of righteousness (Taqwa): The righteous (al-Muttaqun) are those praised by Allah in the Quran and by His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). Paradise as wide as heaven and earth has been prepared for them. One of their characteristics is that they (interpretation of the meaning): "Spend (in Allah's Cause) in prosperity and in adversity, [they] repress anger, and [they] pardon men; verily, Allah loves al-Muhsinun (the good-doers)." [Noble Quran 3:134] These are the ones whose good character and beautiful attributes and deeds Allah has mentioned, and whom people admire and want to emulate. One of their characteristics is that (interpretation of the meaning): "...when they are angry, they forgive." [Noble Quran 42:37] Listening to reminders: Anger is a part of human nature, and people vary in their anger. It may be difficult for a man not to get angry, but sincere people will remember Allah when they are reminded, and they will not overstep the mark. Some examples follow: Ibn 'Abbas reported that a man sought permission to speak to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab then he said: "O son of al-Khattab, you are not giving us much and you are not judging fairly between us." 'Umar was so angry that he was about to attack the man, but al-Hurr ibn Qays, who was one of those present, said: "O Amir al-Mu'minin, Allah said to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning):  'Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish' [Noble Quran 7:199] This man is one of the foolish." By Allah, 'Umar could go no further after al-Hurr had recited this Ayah to him, and he a man who was careful to adhere to the Book of Allah.  Knowing the bad effects of anger: The negative effects of anger are many; in short they cause damage to one's own self and to others. The angry person may utter words of slander and obscenity, he may attack others (physically) in an uncontrolled manner, even to the point of killing. The following story contains a valuable lesson: 'Ilqimah ibn Wa'il reported that his father told him: "I was sitting with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when a man came to him leading another man by a rope. He said, 'O Messenger of Allah, this man killed my brother.' The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked him, 'Did you kill him?' He said, 'Yes, I killed him.' He asked, 'How did you kill him?' He said, 'He and I were hitting a tree to make the leaves fall, for animal feed, and he slandered me, so I struck him on the side of the head with an axe, and killed him..." The angry person should think about himself during moments of anger: If the angry person could see himself in the mirror when he is angry, he would hate himself and the way he looks. If he could see the way he changes, and the way his body and limbs shake, how his eyes glare and how out of control and crazy his behavior is, he would despise himself and be revolted by his own appearance. It is well-known that inner ugliness is even worse than outer ugliness; how happy the Shaytan must be when a person is in this state! We seek refuge with Allah from the Shaytan and from failure. Du'a': Du'a' is always the weapon of the believer. One of the Du'as of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was: "O Allah, by Your knowledge of the Unseen and Your power over Your creation, keep me alive for as long as You know life is good for me, and cause me to die when You know death is good for me. O Allah, I ask You to make me fear You in secret and in public, and I ask You to make me speak the truth in times of contentment and of anger. I ask You not to let me be extravagant in poverty or in prosperity. I ask You for continuous blessings, and for contentment that does not end. I ask You to let me accept Your decree, and for a good life after death. I ask You for the joy of seeing Your face and for the longing to meet You, without going through diseases and misguiding Fitnah (trials). O Allah, adorn us with the adornment of faith and make us among those who are guided. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds."

The Best Remembrance

There are many benefits we can extract from the last few verses of Surah Al-Hashr. These are verses known for their sweetness and beauty, and their conciseness, and profound meanings.

Allah subhaanahu wa ta‘ala says:

"O ye who believe! have taqwa of Allah, and let every soul look to what (provision) He has sent forth for the morrow Yea, fear Allah: for Allah is well-acquainted with (all) that ye do." (Surah Al Hashr 59:18)

This is an address from Allah to those who proclaim to be Muslim. Ibn Mas’oud said, “Whenever you hear the phrase, 'ya ayuhal ladhina amanu', pay attention because it is addressed to you.”

The taqwa of Allah is the most comprehensive and concise legacy that Allah has given us in the Quran. Taqwa literally means to build a barrier, or to protect. It is a barrier you build to save yourself from the punishment of Allah. It is not a wall built of bricks and stones, but it is built by doing what Allah has told you to do and by abstaining from what He has prohibited.

Everyone should have taqwa of Allah and examine what they have prepared for tomorrow. Everyone is prepared materialistically for tomorrow, but Allah is saying to prepare for the real tomorrow – the Akhirah and the Day of Judgement.

We have in this world a few years or decades left in life. Compare that to infinity. This makes it seem as if that will happen tomorrow, even if we might have thirty or forty years of life left. Who amongst us knows when death will happen? A time will come when literally it will be your last day and last night on the face of this earth, and there will be a literal tomorrow.

Allah is reminding us metaphorically and literally to be prepared for tomorrow. Allah is also reminding us in this verse that we do not have any bosses in Islam. In our work we have a boss who oversees us. Similarly, in school professors and teachers will examine us. In our religion though, we have no bosses. No one will check if you prayed today or not. No one will check if you have been a good Muslim today or not. You have to do it for yourself.

‘Umar ibn al Khattab used to say, “Take a count of yourself before you will be taken account of.”

See what you have prepared for tomorrow. Imagine a teacher coming into class on the first day of class and announcing the questions for the final exam. If you pass this exam you pass the class. Is it conceivable that any person of intelligence will fail that class? Is it possible? Of course not.

Then why is it that even though we know the five questions that will be asked on the Day of Judgment, the vast majority of mankind will fail them? We will be asked about:

1.  Our life, and what we did with it.

2.  Our wealth, and how we earned it,

3.  How we spent it,

4.  Our knowledge, and how much we acted upon it, and

5.  Our health, and what we did with it.

Even though we may have forgotten sins we have committed before, Allah has not forgotten about them. Even though we might forget some good we have done, Allah will bring it on the Day of Judgment and reward us for it. Allah is well aware of all that we do.

"And be ye not like those who forgot Allah; and He made them forget their own souls! Such are the rebellious transgressors!" (Surah Al Hashr 59:19)

To “forget” means to not show any concern. If something is important to you, you never forget it. This is more than simple rejection of Allah. There are many who proclaim to believe in Allah, who profess Iman, but do not worship Allah. They have forgotten Allah.

Allah causes those who forget Him to forget themselves. Those who reject Allah are the ones who are most conscious of themselves in terms of their material lives. They have not forgotten themselves. But this is not the meaning of forgetting here. When you forget about Allah, you forget about your purpose of life in the process. You forget why you are here, and what you are doing on the face of this earth. Why are you living when you do not have a God to worship?

That is why Allah describes the believers as having a light. Light tells you where you are, it tells you the obstacles, it tells you your purpose and how to get there.

Allah describes those who do not worship Him as wandering aimlessly in the dark. They do not have a goal. And even if they had one, they would not even know how to get there. So they wander around aimlessly following their desires. They have no purpose for life. They are worshipping themselves, because they have rejected a deity worthy of worship.

"Had We sent down this Quran on a mountain, verily, thou wouldst have seen it humble itself and cleave asunder for fear of Allah. Such are the similitudes which We propound to men, that they may reflect." (Surah Al Hashr 59:21)

Allah is reminding us of the effectiveness and the power of this book. If it was revealed to a structure, an icon of stability like a rock or mountain, it would shatter to dust.

Allah describes the believers,

"For, Believers are those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a tremor in their hearts,..."(Surah Al Anfal 8:2)

This means their Iman shoots up. If the mountain can shatter, surely our hearts can tremble. If the mountain can be crushed and destroyed, surely our eyes can shed a tear or two. Allah reminds us about the real power of the Quran and the fact that it is us who have become hard hearted towards it. And Allah then says, and this is the main point:

"He is Allah (la ilaaha illAllah)."

There is no deity, no being, no object worthy of our worship, our veneration, our love, our hope, our sajdah, our fear, our tawakkul, or our sabr, except for Allah. This is the meaning of la ilaaha illAllah.

How will you know who Allah is? Has any human being seen Allah? No human being has seen Allah, yet. The greatest blessing that a believer shall be given is to look at Allah subhaanahu wa ta‘ala.

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam did not see Allah. He was asked by A’isha, “Did you see your Lord?”

He said, “Light. How could I see him?”

Light is the hijab of Allah. The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said, “Were this hijab to be removed, then the bright light of His face would destroy all that it sees.” The creation could not bear to look at Allah, so Allah out of mercy to the creation has a hijab.

Have we spoken with Allah subhaanahu wa ta‘ala? We know Musa spoke with Allah directly, and we know that the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam spoke with Allah directly in the journey of ‘Isra wa Miraj. But we have not spoken with Allah, so how do we know about Allah?

Immediately after Allah tells us not be to among those who have forgotten Him, He then mentions His names and attributes so that we will know Him. Our primary source of knowledge about our Creator is His names and attributes. Have you ever wondered why the Quran is full of Allah’s names and attributes? Allah’s names and attributes are much more than the prohibitions and commands in the Quran. They are much more than the descriptions of Jannah and Nar, and the stories of the prophets of old.

His names and attributes are the fundamental building block of our Iman. How can we love Allah when we do not know who He is? How can we fear Allah when we do not know His names and attributes? How can we put our trust in Allah when we do not know His descriptions?

Knowledge of Allah is attained through His names and attributes. That is why, right after the verse where Allah says, "Do not be amongst those who have forgotten Allah," He mentions some of His many names and attributes.

"Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god;- Who knows (all things) both secret and open; He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god;- the Sovereign, the Holy One, the Source of Peace (and Perfection), the Guardian of Faith, the Preserver of Safety, the Exalted in Might, the Irresistible, the Supreme: Glory to Allah! (High is He) above the partners they attribute to Him.
He is Allah, the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower of Forms (or Colours). To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names: whatever is in the heavens and on earth, doth declare His Praises and Glory: and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise." (Surah Al Hashr 59:22-24)

Al-Aleem

He is the one who knows the seen and the hidden. Allah knows everything – the past and the present. Allah says in the Quran:

Not a leaf falls except that He knows it. Not a seed sprouts out, even in the darkness of the soil, except that Allah knows it.

Allah knows the future. Allah describes what will happen on the Day of Judgment. He describes conversations between the people of Jannah and the people of Nar.

And Allah’s knowledge is not limited to this. He also knows that which will not happen. He knows if something were it to happen, how it would happen, and what would happen if it happened. For example, Allah can send the kuffar back to this world and give them another chance. But Allah says:

"... But if they were returned, they would certainly relapse to the things they were forbidden, for they are indeed liars." (Surah Al An'am Quran 6:28)

They would not be better people. So Allah’s knowledge is so perfect that he even knows what will not happen, and if it were to happen, how it would happen and what would happen.

This is the knowledge of Allah subhaanahu wa ta‘ala. This is how perfect He is. He is The Rahman and The Rahim, two very common names of Allah subhaanahu wa ta‘ala.

Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim

Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim come from the same root, rahima, which means to show mercy and be compassionate. By deriving two names from the same root, Allah is emphasizing His merciful nature.

Allah’s mercy encompasses everything.

Were it not for Allah’s mercy we would not be here.

What is the difference between Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim? Ar-Rahman characterizes Allah’s mercy as it relates to His divine essence. By nature Allah is always merciful, without exception. That is why no created object can call himself Rahman.

Ar-Rahim characterizes Allah’s mercy in relationship, not to His essence but to His actions. So His actions are merciful. Therefore, He can pick and choose to be extra merciful to certain people, to certain beings, and He has done so.

Allah is Ar-Rahim to the believers.

Because Allah is Ar-Rahman, even the kuffar are given sustenance and life. Even though they curse and reject Allah, Allah is Ar-Rahman and will still provide for them.

But He is not Rahim to everyone. He is Rahim to the believers only. So in the hereafter, the kuffar shall be given nothing. Only the believers shall be shown that extra blessing in the hereafter.

Al-Malik

Allah is also Al-Malik, The King. There are many who profess to be kings, but Allah is not like any king. Allah is Malik-ul-mulk, the King of kings and the Owner of kings. No one else can claim complete submission and obedience such that nothing happens except with his knowledge and will and power. That is the true king.

Allah is maliki yow-mid deen, the King and the Master of the Day of Judgment. He is the King before and after the Day of Judgment, but He specified that He is the King on this day alone. This is because the king on that day is the Controller and King of all other days. The One who shall judge the kings and the peasants on the Day of Judgment, He is the real king before and after the Day of Judgment as well.

Al-Quddus

Al-Quddus. The Blessed and The Holy. He has no partners, no children, no ancestors. He is the Holy, the Pure.

As-Salaam

As-Salaam. The One who has no imperfections. The One whom all peace comes from. When we see our Muslim brothers we say, as-salaamu alaykum. It means may no harm come from me to you, may peace always be around you, and no evil you shall see from me. This is the meaning ofAs-Salaam – no evil, no imperfection.

Allah is As-Salaam because no evil is attributed to Him. All peace and good comes from Him. Allah is As-Salaam because He shall greet the believers with the greeting of salaam.

When they enter Jannah Allah will greet them with salaam.

And when Allah sends salaam to anyone, no harm can touch him.

Al-Mumin

Al-Mumin. Everybody knows this to mean the believer. Allah has called Himself a believer. He believes in Himself and He believes in the prophets and He believes in the books.

Allah Himself testifies to la ilaaha illAllah.

So when we have faith, and we know that Allah also is Al-Mumin, then we do not care who amongst mankind rejects Islam. We shall never feel inferior or overcome because Allah is on our side. Al-Mumin increases our Iman because we know He believes in what we believe.

Al-Muhaimin

Al-Muhaimin is The One who bares witness and records. He is The Overseer of everything. Nothing occurs except that Al-Muhaiman is aware of it. Allah records the good of those who do good, and he records the evil of those who do evil. So the believer increases in his Iman, and he realizes no matter how small of a good deed he does, Al-Muhaiman shall record that deed and reward him for it. And the sinner becomes scared, and he realizes there is not a single thing that he has done except that Al-Muhaimin has recorded it and will bring it out on the Day of Judgment.

Al-Aziz

The All Powerful, the All Mighty, the Glorious, the Majestic.

Whoever wishes to have honor and glory let him know that all of it belongs to Allah.

This is Al-Aziz. There are many who pretend that they have some honor in this society, but who amongst them has so much ‘izza that they can grant it to others and humiliate others if they want to? Only Al-Aziz.

Al-Jabaar

The Mighty, The Unconquerable. The meaning of Al-Jabaar is The One who fills up any deficiency. When the servant is weak and powerless to do something, Al-Jabaar will give him that capability.

Al-Mutakabbir

Arrogance. When you call somebody Mutakabbir, you are insulting him. When you go to the actual root of this word, it means someone or some being who refuses to submit to another. In the case of Allah subhaanahu wa ta‘ala, this insult becomes the height of praise; he who does not submit to any other being. Who is there that can claim submission from Allah? Everything submits itself to Allah, but Allah submits Himself to nothing. This is Al-Mutakabbir.

The Khaliq

The Khaliq is translated as Creator, but in fact the Arabic has a more precise meaning to it. The actual meaning of khalaqa is to create from nothing without there being any model upon which to base your creation.

Those whom you call out to besides Allah could not even create a fly even if they cooperated together.

They may be able to transform things such as modify some genes, or all of this modern talk about scientists creating a sheep by the name of Dolly. But this is not creation, it is a transformation. They have taken one thing and transformed it into another. But they cannot bring life. They cannot blow life into anything.

Al-Bari

Al-Bari is The One who nourishes a being in its infancy, and it is a more specific type of Khaliq. Al-Khaliq is used to describe The Creator of life and non-living things. Allah creates animate as well as inanimate objects. He is The One who causes to grow inside and then for it to become independent outside. This is of the connotations of Al-Bari. There is no word that can translate this in English?

Al-Bari means the one who brings out life from another life. The mother has life in her womb. Al-Bari is the one who brings that life and separates it from the first life so it becomes independent life. Who can claim this besides Allah?

Al-Musawir

The One who gives us shape, The One who gives us our figure. The One who gave each and every one of us a unique look, and yet that image is the same when compared to other beings. Amongst men we are all the same, we look similar. Yet, amongst ourselves we are so different. Ponder over this name, and the fact that man in his limited finite capabilities cannot even think of the shape of another being, much less bring it into existence, much less bring life to it. Even in the mythological and alien creatures humans portray, there is always a combination of some type of man or some type of being that is known.

To Allah belong the Most Beautiful Names.

Allah is characterized by names of majesty, perfection, and splendor. There are no names that can be more beautiful than Allah’s names.

To Him everything in the heavens and earth praise, and He is the Aziz.

How many names does Allah subhaanahu wa ta‘ala have? Ninety-nine? Infinite is the more precise answer. This is a common misconception that many Muslims have. The basis of it is the hadith of the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam that,

“To Allah belong the 99 names. Whoever memorizes them will enter Jannah.”

So the first thing that comes to mind is that Allah has 99 names, but that is not what the hadith says. It says, to Allah belong 99 names, such that when you have memorized these 99 you will enter Jannah. For example, if I say that I have a hundred dollars that I am going to give in charity, does it mean that I only have a hundred dollars? Similarly, to Allah belong the 99 names such that he who memorizes them will enter Jannah. In fact Allah has an infinite number of names, but of those names there are 99 which are extra special. Whoever memorizes them, acts upon them, ponders over them, that is the person who will enter Jannah.

We will conclude with the hadith of a man, an Imam, who used to recite Surah Ikhlaas in each and every raka’ that he would pray. His companions complained and asked, “Why do you always recite Surah Ikhlaas?”

He answered, “This is what I want to do. If you do not like it, go find somebody else.”

He continued to recite Surah Ikhlaas. He would recite Surah Al-Fatiha, then he would recite Surah Ikhlaas, and then he would recite another surah. So he would always recite Surah Ikhlaas before reciting another surah.

The people complained to the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam and he told them to ask him again why does he does so. The man said, “This surah describes my Lord and I love to read His descriptions.”

The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said, “Inform him that his love for this surah has caused him to enter Jannah.”

A love of Allah translates as a love of His names and attributes. It is that simple. And to not care about the names and attributes of Allah, translates as not loving Allah.

What is the greatest verse in the Quran? It is Ayat-ul-Kursi. Ayat-ul-Kursi, which is nothing except Allah’s names and attributes. It has over twenty names and attributes of Allah and that is why it is the greatest verse.

The greatest surah of the Quran, Surah Al-Fatiha, is again the names and attributes of Allah.

Your purpose in life is to worship Allah because He is worthy of worship because of who He is. Were Allah not to have created us, none of us, He would still be worthy of worship because of who He is. How much more so when He has created us and given us all that we have? Is He not worthy of worship more because of this?