“…Excellent is that which Allah instructs you. Indeed, Allah is ever Hearing and Seeing.” [4:58]

“And establish prayer and give zakah, and whatever good you put forward for yourselves – you will find it with Allah. Indeed, Allah of what you do, is Seeing.” [2:110]

This name like the name As-Sami highlights Allah’s perfection- His ability to see all things. In contrast with our ability to see, we can understand how perfect truly Allah’s seeing is. Every leaf that falls, our every move, everything hidden that goes on in the world, Allah sees it and Allah hears it.

Our eyesight is so so limited, and this name sheds some light to that. If you study the eyes, its pretty amazing, just how Allah created everything and how the light enters and starts a whole cascade of events which then sends the signal to the brain. But even though its construction is so amazing, theres alot of limitations and one of the most obvious ones is the distance issue. We can only see things so far. When its foggy, when theres haze, we can’t see. Another issue is that we have a blind spot in our eyes which can limit our vision. In order to see very well, conditions have to be clear and we have to be standing at a high altitude to see things very far.

But Allah, can you believe it, every creature in the earth and everything in the heavens he can see? SubhanAllah. He can see that you and I are on a computer right, he sees when we do something in secret whether it may be a good deed like an act of charity or it may be a bad deed like interaction with the opposite gender that we know may be wrong. Everything is written, Everything is seen. Allahu Akbar. Where we as the creation are totally imperfect, He, the Creator is perfection.

“And, [O Muhammad], you are not [engaged] in any matter or recite any of the Qur’an and you [people] do not do any deed except that We are witness over you when you are involved in it. And not absent from your Lord is any [part] of an atom’s weight within the earth or within the heaven or [anything] smaller than that or greater but that it is in a clear register.” [10:61]

http://destinationjannah.tumblr.com/post/16701645926/day-28-name-al-basir-the-all-seeing

There are seven attributes of Allah that are a sign of perfection, these are the qualities of perfection, and only Allah possesses: Knowledge, Will, Power, Life, Hearing, Seeing, and Speech. Allah is As-Sami, the all hearing.

Let’s take a look at our hearing, some of us have very good hearing but if we go far enough we won’t be able to hear, if we have distractions, we won’t be able to hear, when we go to sleep, most of us, even the best, cannot hear. There are many defects with our hearing but when we speak of Allah, Allah is all hearing at all times. Nothing can prevent Allah from hearing anything and everything is heard. Think about the quietest sound maybe the click of a pen or a small tap, Allah hears all of this. There are no barriers with Allah’s hearing and this adds more to the limitless ability of Allah. This name gives us light to so many of things:

1)      We are not that cool. Being the only mammal with a full blown concise and ability of free-choice, we think we are pretty cool but Allah puts us in check, even the things we take for granted, even the things we are blessed with are limited.

2)      This should console the believer. Allah hears everything even when it feels like you cannot or for people who are limited in speech, Allah hears you. Allah hears even the things that seem to not have a sound like fish or ants. Allah hears them.

3)      Again, although there are not human beings around to watch your every step, Allah is always around. So that secret you told, Allah knows. That horrible thing you just, Allah heard. The backbiting you just did, Allah took you account for it. Allah hears all and knows Allah. This point should give us some kind of decency. Who cares that you are cussing in front of people? BUT you are also cussing in front of your Lord, the one who is As-Sami, hears all things.

Allah is As-Sami, All-Hearing.

http://destinationjannah.tumblr.com/post/16681604640/day-27-name-as-sami-there-are-seven-attributes-of

““Say, “O Allah , Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent.” [3:26]

Allah is the one that gives people honor (Al-Mu’izz) and He is the one that dishonors and humiliates people. Humiliation is one of the punishments that occur to people in this dunya, and to those that are engrossed in reputation and pleasing people, this could be a really big thing. What happend to all the rulers of the world and to the people that thought that this was forever- look at Namrud, and Firawn, and the people of ‘Aad and Thamood. They were destroyed as if they had never existed.

When we as people start to think we’re someone, attribute our successes to ourselves, and don’t praise Allah for the blessings we have, we set our selves up for this. Praise belongs to Allah alone. If we’re smart, its because Allah blessed us with a brain, with knowledge, with opportunities. If we’re good looking, its Allah that blessed us with beauty and a fully functional and healthy body. If we have a good job or a happy family, it’s because Allah has blessed us with those opportunities and opened those doors for us. We can’t attribtue our successes to our own hands because its Allah that gives and takes. So Alhamdulillah to everything.

Sometimes, honor can be a test and sometimes dishonor can be a blessing. Sometimes when we start to think great of ourselves, and start to get this mindset where arrogance start seeping in, Allah, through some way or another whether it is a bad grade, or a comment by someone else, may be keeping us in check of the reality of who we are. Sometimes when we forget our past and stop asking for forgiveness, Allah makes us remember them through some sort of situation so that we remember who we are. So sometimes, humiliation can be a means to humble us and humility in action and intention is extremely important. Reminder to myself first.

http://destinationjannah.tumblr.com/post/16537604937/day-26-name-al-mudhill-the-humiliator-say-o

Al-Mu’izz is very closely related to Al-Aziz, the most glorious. Al-Mu’izz is the one who grants honor, the one who glorifies, the one who makes it possible for anyone to be respected.  Again we see this mizan of Allah’s names, this name is in conjunction with Al-Muddahil, the one who dishonors. Allah is Al-Qabid as he is Al-Bassit. Allah is Al-Khafid as he is Ar-Rafi. Allah is Al-Mu’izz as he is Al-Muddahil.

Allah can give us honor to him he wills, but this honor is a test. When you are a head figure of any organization, you have a sense of power and authority and sometimes arrogance. But we have to remember that it does not matter who you are: President, Prime Minister, Student Council, MSA board, any and every position where we are honored was only done by Allah, and Allah alone. And when we do not know who Al-Mu’izz is, this is when problems begin, this is when we see the honored doing the most dishonored of things and this is when we see people who are supposed to be our leaders become corrupt. Knowing that Allah is Al-Mu’izz does two things:

1)      It humbles us, because we know that this position was granted by Allah and Allah alone.

2)      We understand that as Allah has granted us with this honor, it can be taken away, because allah is Al-Mu’izz and Al-Mudahill

Whenever we are put in any position of honor, we need to say, Alhumduiallah, because all praises are due to Allah and all honor is given from Allah, Allah is Al-Mu’izz.

“Behold, all honour belongs to God alone.” 4:139

http://destinationjannah.tumblr.com/post/16468560315/day-25-name-al-muizz-al-muizz-is-very-closely

Allah is the only one that raises people in ranks. There are people who are the worst of sinners, there are people who are so far gone, there are Islamaphobes, Umar ibn Khattab, radiAllahuanh used to be an alcoholic before he became Muslim, and yet Allah raises them in status by making them Muslim. We are so blessed to be guided, to be Muslim wallahi I think we sometimes arent appreciative of the blessing, but out of all the people in the world Allah chose YOU, Allah chose you to be guided, Allah turned our hearts and guided them back to him Allahu Akbar.

Allah tells us in the Qur’an…”And that was Our [conclusive] argument which We gave Abraham against his people. We raise by degrees whom We will. Indeed, your Lord is Wise and Knowing. And We gave to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob – all [of them] We guided. And Noah, We guided before; and among his descendants, David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and Aaron. Thus do We reward the doers of good…” [6:83-84]

Lots of people in our society think that money raises status, having Gucci purses or Coach watches raises status, makes them “look good”, or having that awesome job raises your status, or having a PhD or being a surgeon blah blah and blah list goes on and on and on but all these things aren’t success if you don’t even acknowledge or don’t even appreciate the one who blessed you with all the success. Like Allah gave us the brain, Allah gave us the hands, the knowledge, and yet we think we’re sooo cool if we get that degree or get that job but true success is when inshaa’Allah we attain Jannah. Jannah is success. You can pass all these dunya tests but if you fail the test in the Akhirah, we’re losers, wallah we would have lost and if the gates of Jannah close on us, WE LOST, WE FAILED, WE DID NOT SUCCEED.

So through being Muslim, Allah has already honored us, May he keep us guided, we should always beg Allah to stay guided to be guided, to keep us on the Haqq’. And may Allah make us all among those that attain Jannah and make us amongst those whose ranks are raised here and in the akhirah and may we get to meet all those awesome prophets, may peace and blessings be upon all of them, inshaa’Allah and meet our Rab first and foremost, inshaa’Allah. Allahuma Ameen.

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Allah Is Al-Khafid as he is Ar-Rafi.

Like the names Al-Qabid and Al-Bassit, these names (Al-Khafid and Ar-Rafi) should be used simultaneously. Because as God takes, God gives, and as God takes people in rank, God gives in rank.

When we see Allah as Al-Khafid, we see Allah as the one who lowers and belittles those who think they are greater than God, people who do not believe in God and people who blatantly disobey in a mocking manner. This will be very apparent on the Day of Judgment when there will only be God, Allah will say, “Where are the kingdoms today, where are the rulers today? I am the king of all kings! Where are the dictators? Where are the oppressors?” and no one will answer, only Allah will answer and Allah will say, “I am the Al-Mighty Allah!” So yes, these people wonder through earth, ruling over people and oppressing other people because of “their ranks” but Allah is Al-Khafid and on the Day of Judgment, they will be lowered of their ranks.

Allah is not unjust, Allah is Just. Everyone on this earth will be accountable for what they have done, everyone. All of these people who are killing and massacring innocent people for their own personal gain who are able to do so because they high in rank, will be handled by Al-Khafid. Although we forget, Allah remembers all of the lost souls: the Chechens, the Native Americans, the Palestinians, the Iraqis, the Bosnians, the African slaves, the Sudanese, the Jews, the Albanians, the people of Rawanda, the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, every soul, Allah sees, hears and knows all things. And no injustice goes  unserved.

http://destinationjannah.tumblr.com/post/16355475412/day-23-name-al-khafid-allah-is-al-khafid-as-he-is

“Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over? And it is Allah who withholds and grants abundance, and to Him you will be returned.” [2:245]

Sometimes we come to a point in life, actually, this is something that always happens where we see only the stops, we see only the difficulties but never the eases. I, personally, for example have really bad road rage astaghfarullah something i’m trying to work on, and i noticed one day that I focused so much on the red lights and trying to hurry to get somewhere that I didn’t realize so many of the green I had crossed. We usually focus more of what Allah restricts that the eases he creates for us.

Omar Suleiman said in a talk that blessings are actually more difficult than hardships because in blessings we tend to think that Allah loves us but it could actually be like a bigger trial. Hardships are easier to point out and the importance of sabr in hardship and shukr or gratefulness in ease is crazy important.

Allah is the one the restricts provision from us at times in His ultimate wisdom, for reasons that He, the Most Wise knows and we sometimes just don’t understand. But at the end of the Day, who knows you better than yourself? Allah does, and thus anything restricted was ultimately best for you. And everything that Allah made ease for you, its important to recognize that and its important to praise Allah alot in those situations.

Allah is the only source of sustenance and provision, if you were to ask anyone else, what good could they do is Allah wasn’t on your side? Only with Allah belongs refuge, safety, protection, and the solution to any problem. The one who restricts may just be wanting to hear your words, hear you call out to Him so He, the only one that answers and hears and sees all things, could Expand and provide safety and provision for you. Allahu Akbar.

http://destinationjannah.tumblr.com/post/16352159373/day-22-name-al-basit-the-expander-who-is-it 

The name Al-Qabid and Al-Bassit, are inseparable when speaking of Allah. Allah is the withholder as he is the expander. Allah gives as he takes. Sometimes Allah takes so he can give, bad things happen so good things CAN happen, from darkness to light.

Allah is the only one who can give or take. Say there are three people, a poor man, mid-class man and rich man, Allah has given to the rich man and restricted from the poor man. There are two things to note here:

First, Allah is the only one who restricts and gives, Allah knows what we have done, what we are doing and what we are going to do. As Muslims we must take responsibility for ourselves, if we went out and blew all of our money on meaningless things, yes Allah knew this was going to happen but this is not purely “Allah’s original doing” although it was planned for us, it was your misdoing.

Second and lastly, if we are poor or without money, we must remember that Allah knows best and maybe we dislike a thing that is good for us, and guess what, most people in Jannah are going to be people who were poor, and this was the chosen predicament or the Prophet (sws). Did you know that the Prophet (sws) would make a dua asking Allah for him to be raised with the poor people? So again, sometimes Allah takes a little, so he can give us MUCH MORE, eternity!

Allah is Al-Rahman, Al-Rahim, Al-Malik, Al-Qudoos, Al-Salaam, Al-Mumin, Al-Muhaymin, Al-Aziz, Al-Jabbar, Al-Mutakabir, Al-Khaliq, Al-Bari, Al-Mussawir, Al-Guffat, Al-Qahhar, Al-Wahab, Al-Razzaq, Al-Fattah, Al-Alim, and AL-QABID.

http://destinationjannah.tumblr.com/post/16339335246/day-21-name-al-qabid-the-constrictor-the-name 

“And to Allah belongs the east and the west. So wherever you [might] turn, there is the Face of Allah . Indeed, Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing.” [2:115]

As you read this word, and the next, and the next sentence, Allah knows exactly everything that is taking place. What will happen tomorrow, Allah already knows. When you will die, Allah will already know. What you will become, Allah already knows. Who you will marry, Allah already knows. Where you will go in this dunya and the Akhirah Allah already knows…because Allah is Al-Alim. Allahu Akbar.

Some people when trying to commit sins like to do them ‘privately’. Like for example, someone trying to do a mass robbery puts like a mask on, hides himself, goes when there is not a lot of people around, hoping that no one sees him. Sometimes when we are all by ourselves, we think that whatever we are doing, no one will see us. But we are so wrong. Whether there is something secret, hidden, or public, Allah knows. Even if they are hidden from people, they are not hidden from Allah.

None of us can be Al-Alim. Some people get a degree in something, or may become an MD, specialize in something, just gain some knowledge and think that they know everything. But rather we, no matter what we do, our knowledge is nothing. We’ve spent years and years and still don’t know how to cure cancer and sooo many other diseases, but Allah knows them, Allah knows when every leaf falls, the life span of every single one of us, subhanAllah Allah is truly the greatest, Al-Alim. We are nothing, we truly know nothing. All knowledge and praise belongs to Allah.

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Allah is the one who always opens. Allah opens every door that has been opened in our life: the doors of knowledge, wisdom, speech, hearing, tasting, understanding, marriage, income; EVERY SINGLE DOOR. And if Allah decides to close any of these doors, no entity can open it even if the whole world tries to open this door, the door will remain close. Allah has the key to every door.

We have so many doors open to us that sometimes we don’t even realize it. We don’t realize the doors we have open but can never forget the doors that close. For instance, we have all had something unexpected or bad happen to us, such as getting a bad grade on a test, most of us focus on that closed door rather than realize all of the other doors that are still open. Or on a more serious note, most of us have the door of happiness open but for those who don’t, they will go searching for other keys to the door when in fact Allah is the only key to the door.

Iman and taqwah will open the doors of Rahma and if a person is lacking this, they will not understand Allah as Al-Fattah. Imagine if you had a cabinet full of keys locked by a key, without the main key to the cabinet, you would not have any keys, as long as we have a connection with Al-Fattah, we have the key to every door in the world. But if we don’t have this key, the main key, losing our connection with Allah, we can try every key but it would never work.

When our connection is with Allah, we know that Allah loves us and we are able to do anything with the will of Allah. If you feel like doors are closing (not only deen-wsie), pray to Allah to open that door. Allah can open every door for us.

Allah is Fattah, the only opener and closer of any opportunities in our life.

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