Allāh is Al-Muḥṣī " ٱلْمُحْصِيُ " - The Accounter, The Reckoner, for He keeps an strict watch over every movement and keeps them under checked. Unless He does that, this universe would be a chaos for there are countless starts and planets in the rather fathomless universe that are constantly on the move. Unless these movements are accounted for, these may become uncontrollable.
In fact Allah, the Al-Muḥṣī, has worked out every tiny movement in detail at the time of their creation. And He alone knows how much is needed and where. He knows where it is to rain and where it is not to rain. How many people and other living beings to abound in a given space and place and for how long.
Same is true for the Divine revelations sent down to His prophets. Every verse is numbered and no prophet has the authority to change even a dot. Allah says in Surah 72. Al-Jinn: 28:
لِّيَـعۡلَمَ اَنۡ قَدۡ اَبۡلَغُوۡا رِسٰلٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَاَحَاطَ بِمَا لَدَيۡهِمۡ وَاَحۡصٰى كُلَّ شَىۡءٍ عَدَدًا
"so that He may know that they have delivered the messages of their Lord. He encompasses in His knowledge their surroundings and keeps a count of all things.”
The verse clearly means that Allah’s power so encompasses the Messenger (peace be upon him) as well as the angels that if they swerve even a little from His will, they can be detected immediately. Moreover, a complete record has been kept of each letter of the messages sent down by Allah. The Messengers (peace be upon him) and the angels cannot dare add or subtract even a letter from them.
In Surah 19 Maryam, verse 94 the attribute of being Accounter has been made very clear:
لَـقَدۡ اَحۡصٰٮهُمۡ وَعَدَّهُمۡ عَدًّا
Verily He encompasses them and has counted them all.
That is He knows their number from the time He created them, until the Day of Resurrection, male and female, both the small and the large of them. Everyone of them, however humble, is individually marked before His Throne of Justice and Mercy, and will stand before Him on his own deserts.
The root word of "Al-Muhsi" is ihsa' which means: counting or computing, to register or record something, or to take an account of something. Linguistically, it also means to tolerate or to be able to handle. It is also used to describe a tract of land where there is a large quantity of pebbles or stones.
Talking of the people, it is said again in 29th verse of Surah 78. An-Nabaa:
وَكُلَّ شَىۡءٍ اَحۡصَيۡنٰهُ كِتٰبًا ۙ
And everything have We recorded in a Book.
That is, We were continuously preparing a complete record of their sayings and doings, their movements and occupations, even of their intentions, thoughts and aims in life and nothing was being left un-recorded, whereas the foolish people in their heedlessness thought that they were living in a lawless kingdom where they were free to do whatever they pleased and desired, and there was no power to call them to account.
Ibn Kathir notes that verse means: `Surely We know the deeds of all of the creatures, and We have written these deeds for them. We will reward them based upon this.' If their deeds were good then their reward will be good, and if their deeds were evil their reward will be evil.
Although, this attribute has not been specifically mentioned in the Quran, yet it has been derived from many verses as referred to above and others like the ones that exist in several places in Quran; "Certainly He has a comprehensive knowledge of them, and He has numbered them a (comprehensive) numbering." (19:94) "Surely We shall give life (back) to the dead, and We record what they have sent forth before and what they leave behind, and of all things have We taken account in a clear Book." (36:12) "And We have recorded everything in a book." (78:29)
يَوۡمَ يَبۡعَثُهُمُ اللّٰهُ جَمِيۡعًا فَيُنَبِّئُهُمۡ بِمَا عَمِلُوۡا ؕ اَحۡصٰٮهُ اللّٰهُ وَنَسُوۡهُ ؕ وَاللّٰهُ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ شَهِيۡدٌ
"a chastisement that shall come upon them on the Day when Allah will raise them all to a new life and will inform them of their deeds. Allah has recorded it all while they have forgotten it. Allah is a witness over everything. (Surah 58. Al-Mujadila:6)
That is, their having forgotten their own attitude and conduct does not mean that it is dead and forgotten altogether. For them the disobedience of God and resistance to His commands may be an ordinary matter which they may forget easily once they have indulged in it and may not even regard it as anything objectionable, which they should have avoided, yet in the sight of God it is no ordinary matter at all. With Him every misdeed of theirs has been noted down, His register contains a full record of every deed done by a person, when and where it was done, what was his own reaction to it, what were its consequences and how far and in what forms did they appear and spread in the world.
So let no man get away with this notion that he is not being watch and that his actions are not being accounted for. There are two angels deputed to record actions of each man which will be presented to their Lord on the Day of Judgement in the form of a dossier and then man will wish that he had listened to the prophets and had not sinned, for which he surely will be accounted for.
So time is now to be watchful of our movements and acts and repent if we have erred and sinned, for these have been recorded and can only be expunged if we sincerely ask for forgiveness of Allah. May Allah help us follow His commandments so that we don't have to be sorry for what we have been doing.
You may refer to our post "99 Attributes of Allāh" for complete list of 99 attributes of Allah Almighty with meaning and explanation.
You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran
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