99 Attributes of Allah: Al Kabīr - The Incomparably Great

One of the many attributes of Allah that exhibits the unchallenged greatness of Allah is Al Kabīr " ٱلْكَبِيرُ " The Incomparably Great, an attribute that forcefully shows the unlimited and boundless capacity of Greatness of the Creator of the Universe. The Attribute "Al-Kabīr" is repeated five times throughout the text of the Holy Quran. 

This attribute has been mentioned in Surah 31. Luqman: 30 :

ذٰ لِكَ بِاَنَّ اللّٰهَ هُوَ الۡحَقُّ وَاَنَّ مَا يَدۡعُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِهِ الۡبَاطِلُ ۙ وَاَنَّ اللّٰهَ هُوَ الۡعَلِىُّ الۡكَبِيۡرُ 

All this is because Allah, He alone, is the Truth and all that which they call upon beside Him is false. Surely Allah, He alone, is All-High, Incomparably Great.

That is, “He is the Highest of all before Whom everything is low, and He is the Greatest of all before Whom everything is small.”

His Essence is unimaginably great Perfection, in might, power, wisdom and mercy in all His Attributes. He is the Most Great. He is far too great to be compared to any of His creatures; His creatures can never be like Him.

All powers rest only with Allah. Man may make as strong and suitable ships for his sea journeys as he likes, and may achieve whatever perfection in marine science and in the related knowledge and experience, these by themselves cannot avail him anything to perform safe voyages especially when confronted by the terrible forces at the sea, unless he is succored by the grace of Allah. As soon as Allah’s grace is withdrawn, man immediately realizes how meager and insufficient are the means and resources and knowledge of the sciences. Similarly, man in the state of peace and security may be a hardened atheist or polytheist, but when his boat loses balance in the storm at sea, even the atheist comes to realize that there is God and the polytheist that there is only One God.

ذٰ لِكَ بِاَنَّ اللّٰهَ هُوَ الۡحَـقُّ وَاَنَّ مَا يَدۡعُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِهٖ هُوَ الۡبَاطِلُ وَاَنَّ اللّٰهَ هُوَ الۡعَلِىُّ الۡكَبِيۡرُ‏ 

(Surah 22. Al-Hajj: 62) So shall it be because Allah, He is the Truth, and all whom they invoke instead of Him are false. Allah is Most High, All-Great.

As Allah is in fact the Sovereign of the universe, His worshipers will surely attain true success and the worshipers of false gods will meet with utter failure.

" ٱلْكَبِيرُ " is derived From the root k-b-r (Kaf-Baa-Raa) which in classical Arabic mean (1) to be great in rank, dignity, nobility, majesty, (2) to be great in learning, most knowing, (3) to be great in age, oldest, (4) to be great in size, vast, formidable.

عٰلِمُ الۡغَيۡبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ الۡكَبِيۡرُ الۡمُتَعَالِ‏ 

(Surah 13 Ar-Ra'd: 9) He knows both what is hidden and what is manifest. He is the Supreme One, the Most High.

All attributes mentioned in the Qur'an of Al Kabīr glorify the Greatness of Allah  for Who else can be greater than glory and greater than greatness than Allah who is the master of the entire universe. When someone invents a thing, we glorify him beyond limits but have we ever paused to ponder on the Incomparably Greatness of the Creator of the fathomless universe, the ends of which may raven be found by the man.

Ibn `Abbas is quoted saying that the Messenger of Allah used to teach his companions a supplication whereby they could shun all ailments and types of fever which said, "In the Name of Allah Al-Kabīr; we seek refuge with Allah al-Azim from the evil of any feverish vein, and from the inferno of hellfire."

Other attributes of Allah related to Al Kabīr include: (1) Al-Jalil (الجليل) - The Majestic, The Glorious , (2) Al-Azim (العظيم) - The Supreme Glory, The Most Grand, and (3) Al Mutakabbir (المتكبر) - The Supremely Great.

"Allahu Akbar!" is a statement derived from "Al-Kabīr" and is pronounced to initiate the obligatory prayers, during the time of ruku`, sujood or qiyam, that is, when bowing, prostrating or standing during the performance of obligatory prayers. It is called takbeer, Glorification of al-Kabīr, the Great One, the Most Great. Takbeer is required on several occasions such as the athan, iqama, prayers, both feasts, funeral prayers, upon seeing the Ka`bah, throwing the stones [during the pilgrimage], and announcing the time for jihad, holy war. The Messenger of Allah is said to initiate anything of significance with "Allahu Akbar!"

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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What is Itikaf and how it is Observed in Ramadan

The month of Ramadan has almost come to an end with its lat ten days remaining. While the believers have observed fasting throughout the month and offered Taraweeh prayers in the masjids (or at home due to restrictions paced on offering Taraweeh in the masjids due to Coronation Virus), the two hallmarks of the month of Ramadan in which believers can draw maximum benefit of Allah's blessings are Itikaf and finding the Night worth Thousands of Nights (Laila tul Qadr) - a night i which the Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

We have already written about the Saum (fasting), Taraweeh Prayers, and Laila tul Qadr. In this post we will talk of Itikaf " اعتكاف‎ ".

In the month of Ramadan, Muslims fast during day and impose upon them an embargo by abstaining from eating and marital relations with one's spouse from dawn till dusk. However, besides these two restrictions they carryout all daily chores of their life, like attending to their office, business and performing all matters related to the sustenance and management of the their houses and family.

But there still remains yet another sacrifice from the believers during the last ten days of the month of Ramadan, in which the men relocate themselves to the masjids and remain there from night of 21st Ramadan till the Eid moon is sighted.This relocation is called Itikaf. Women can also observe Itikaf in masjids if adequate arrangements are made. Else she can find a corner in her house where she can observe Itikaf without being disturbed.

Thus Itikaf or E'tikaf is a period of retreat in a masjid, during the last ten days of the month of Ramadan. Literally translated, it is an Arabic word that means "to isolate oneself and to stick or adhere to something."

During this period, a person sitting in Itikaf is not supposed to leave the masjid and has all his needs like food or clothes provided to him by his family inside the masjid. However, he is allowed to take bath or attend to nature's call using the washrooms and toilets of the masjid. 

During this period, while he attends to all five prayers and Taraweeh prayers in the congregation, he is also lucky to be there in the masjid when the Laila tul Qadr appears during the odd days of the month of Ramadan. Since, the happening of this night is only known to Allah, the men in Itikaf are lucky to be there in the masjid and are benefited to find it by virtue of their Itikaf.  

The time spent in Itikaf is in fact a time for self-reflection. It provides an excellent opportunity to establish a close bond with Allah for he has secluded him from all other worldly needs and requirements of the outside word. During his stay in the masjid, a man should recite Quran as mush as possible to be spiritually benefited from it and repent of his sins throughout. However, it should be noted that one must not while away his time in gossiping with others present in the masjid about worldly affairs. Instead they may talk or discuss affairs related to the religion or better understanding of Qur'an.

Please listen to Dr Zakir A Naik, an eminent scholar on Itikaf:

To know more about fasting and importance of month of Ramadan, please consult our reference page: Ramadan - A month of fasting and Blessings. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

May Allah show us the right path so that we do not go astray due to what man has interpreted verses of religious scriptures to suit their own religions and faith. Aameen.

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99 Attributes of Allah: As-Sabūr - The Most Patient

As-Sabūr " ٱلْصَّبُورُ " - The Most Patient - That is The One who is not moved by haste to carry out any action before it's proper time. The One who does not quickly punish the sinners.

The name Sabūr is not specifically used as a Beautiful Name in the Qur'ān, but is derived from root "s-b-r - صَّبۡرِ" which appears at many places in the Qur'an:

اِلَّا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَ عَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوۡا بِالۡحَقِّ   ۙ وَتَوَاصَوۡا بِالصَّبۡرِ

(103:3) save those who have faith and do righteous deeds, and counsel each other to hold on to truth and counsel each other to be steadfast.

The root s-b-r in classical Arabic means: (1) to be patient, to be enduring, (2) to be steadfast, constant, (3) to be contented in trial or affliction without show of complaint.

We must appreciate that early Muslims saw the worst of oppression at the hands of the disbelievers of Makkah. One's body shudders when one hears the torment through which they went. But hats off to them that they remained steadfast in the name of Allah and bore all punishments, bodily and spiritually, with perseverance and patience. And the end result was the best rewards they collected from their Creator, Allah, the As-Sabūr.

At the same time, Allah also hold back His anger and wrath over those who transgress their limits of power and harm others, As Allah said in many verses like Surah Nuh - Noah said:

‘Worship Allah , fear Him and obey me, Allah will forgive you of your sins and delay you for a specified term. Indeed, the time [set by] Allah , when it comes, will not be delayed, if you only knew.’ “

Al-Khattaabi (RA) said: As-Sabūr is the One Who does not hasten to wreak vengeance upon the sinners; rather He delays that until an appointed time, and He gave them respite for a certain amount of time.

As for believers, Allah never pushes His servants to make haste. Rather He encourages us to take small leaps forward by understanding each tenant of Islam before moving on to other so that we are very clear what is expected us to be done. The Prophet ﷺ reminds us to “Do those deeds which you can do easily, as Allah will not get tired (of giving rewards) till you get bored and tired (of performing religious deeds),” [Bukhari].

Likewise, Allah Who is the Creator of the entire universe, sees patiently for wrong being done to His servants. If He was not the Most Patient, the world would have witnessed His wrath every now and then. But He, the As-Sabūr, an attribute related closely to another attribute Al-Halim (الحليم): the Forbearing - the One who sees the wrong of what people do, but does not hasten to punish. 

“And if Allah were to impose blame on the people for what they have earned, He would not leave upon the earth any creature. But He defers them for a specified term. And when their time comes, then indeed Allah has ever been, of His servants, Seeing.” [Qur’an, 35:45]

Therefore, Allah at many times i Qur'an commands us to be patient as in Surah ii Al Baqarah, verse 153:

يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوا اسۡتَعِيۡنُوۡا بِالصَّبۡرِ وَالصَّلٰوةِ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ مَعَ الصّٰبِرِيۡنَ‏ 

(2:153) Believers! Seek help in patience and in Prayer; Allah is with those that are patient.

It was narrated that Abu Moosa al-Ash‘ari (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No one is more patient in bearing offensive things that he hears than Allah, may He be glorified and exalted; others are associated with Him, a son is attributed to Him, but He still grants them health and provision.” Narrated by Al-Bukhari (7378) and Muslim (2804).

Imam Al-Ghazali says: “As-Sabūr—the Most Patient—is the one that does not let haste move Him to carry out an action before its time, but rather decides matters according to a definite plan, and brings them about in delineated ways.”

We must draw conclusions from this attribute of Allah and learn how to be patient. We have to weigh our decisions which should not be taken in haste and at the same time it should also be borne in mind that unnecessary delays sometimes are harmful. Therefore, one must use one's wisdom and knowledge to decide, instead of making decisions in an emotional state of mind, for Logic always bears fruits while illogical decisions are always harmful.

As the Prophet ﷺ tells us, “Whoever persists in being patient, God will make him patient. Nobody can be given a blessing better and greater than patience,” [Bukhari]. Patience is the key to that long road to a result that is noble. The Prophet ﷺ also tells us, “And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and ease with hardship,” (Tirmidhi).

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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Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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99 Attributes of Allah: Al Qābiḍ - The Withholder

Al Qābiḍ " ٱلْقَابِضُ " The Withholder, the Restrainer and the Absolute Seizer. While His graciousness sees no bounds and gives away His countless blessings to every living being, it is His wisdom due to which He sometimes Withholds His blessings for reasons known to Him.

As already mentioned in our earlier post on the attribute of Al Bāsiṭ, the Extender and the Expandera of provisions (rizq), life and death, He sometimes withholds His bounties as Al Qābiḍ as has been mentioned in the following 245th verse of Surah ii Al Baqarah (The Cow):

مَنۡ ذَا الَّذِىۡ يُقۡرِضُ اللّٰهَ قَرۡضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضٰعِفَهٗ لَهٗۤ اَضۡعَافًا کَثِيۡرَةً  ​ؕ وَاللّٰهُ يَقۡبِضُ وَيَبۡصُۜطُ وَ اِلَيۡهِ تُرۡجَعُوۡنَ‏ 

Who of you will lend Allah a goodly loan which He will return after multiplying it for him manifold? For Allah has the power both to decrease and increase, and to Him will you be returned. 

In the verse above two attributes of Allah have been mentioned: Al Qābid (The Withholder) and Al Bāsiṭ (The Extender). These these two attributes are opposite to each other. Allah usually and most of the time is at the giving end in Extending His countless bounties to His servants. If we look around, we will fail to count the bounties and blessings of Allah there are which have been laid out and extended to us.

But there are times, when as a test or as a punishment Allah With Holds His blessings and men become helpless and falls at mercy of his Creator. These are times of extreme weather, famine, drought and extreme floods and Tsunamis which sweep away lands and vegetation leaving behind lifeless stretches, devolving man of His blessings. This the display of His wisdom 

The name Qābid is not specifically used as a Beautiful Name in the Qur'ān. However, linguistically, "al-Qābiḍ," is derived from its root verb: Qabd, which  denotes to decrease, to take, hold, seize, grip or catch,  and words meaning like these. It is the holding of something with the hand such as a sword's handle,

The underlying roots of Qābid give a sense of give and take, a movement back and forth, an underlying rhythm of ebb and flow, like the rhythmical folding and unfolding of a bird's wings in flight, or the rising and setting of the sun, or the endless cycles of life and death.

The Arabic lexicon and commentary Tāj al-'Arūs, as interpreted by E.W. Lane, says:

Qabd [Qābid] and Bast [Bāsit] are terms applied by the investigators of truth among the Sūfīs to the two contrary states of the heart, from both of which it is seldom or never free: the former being an affection of the heart withholding it from dilation and joy; whether the cause thereof be known, as the remembrance of a sin or an offense, or of an omission, or be not known...

Thus Al Qābid is the One who decides who is to be given when and who is not to be given. This means both giving and withholding act as test to men. One gets more richer by getting more is tested whether he still remains thankful to Allah and helps those not given like him. And for those whose sustenance means have been squeezed and given less are tested whether they still look towards Allah for ease or follow Satan and indulge in unfair means to increase their means of sustenance. To this effect, God says: 

"And if Allah were to enlarge provision for His slaves, they would surely rebel in the earth, but He sends down by measure as He wills. Verily, He is, in respect of His slaves, the Well-Aware, the All-Seer (of things that benefit them)." [Surah Ash-Shura 42 :27]

Like wise it is His supreme wisdom that clouds come and go, somewhere they bring more rain, somewhere less and at places no rains, for Allah knows by which Measure He has to release His blessings.

There is yet another dimension to this attribute which Allah has infused into our minds. Dur to this ability given to us, we feel depressed and dispirited as soon as we wrong someone or commit a sinful deed, like lying to others, looking at indecent things etc.  We feel Al-Qabd only if your heart is still alive and you are sensitive.

This ability also tells us that there will be good times after we face debacles or setbacks. The Story of Prophet Yusuf  (Joseph, peace be upon him) is characterized by the ups and downs; from the well, to a palace, from prison to Minister, from separation to unity. He made the best of his situation and knew the relief was coming. Have this attitude and strength and you will succeed, no matter the situation!

This has lessons for us: We should too be always on the giving end and should seldom hold out our charities for we do not have enough wisdom as to when to give and when to withhold. To be blessing for others, we should always be on the giving end so as to help those who have less means of sustenance. Those who have adequate and still withhold their hands are those who are the losers in the end.

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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99 Attributes of Allah: Al Bāsiṭ - The Extender

Al Bāsiṭ  " الْبَاسِطُ " is the One who extends and expands the provisions (rizq), life and death.

The term Bāsiṭ is not specifically used as a Beautiful Name in the Qur'ān. Instead this attribute has been derived from the many qualities of Allah mentioned in the Qur'an. linguistically, "Al-Bāsiṭ" is from the root baa-seen-ta (b-s-t - bast) which means one who stretches his hand as a gesture of graciousness and good will to help others. And who else is more gracious and best helper than Allah Almighty for He alone extends his graciousness to everyone whether someone believes in Him or not.

اللَّهُ الَّذِي يُرْسِلُ الرِّيَاحَ فَتُثِيرُ سَحَابًا فَيَبْسُطُهُ فِي السَّمَاءِ كَيْفَ يَشَاءُ وَيَجْعَلُهُ كِسَفًا فَتَرَى الْوَدْقَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ خِلَالِهِ ۖ فَإِذَا أَصَابَ بِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ إِذَا هُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ ۝

"Allah is he Who sends forth the winds so they raise a cloud, then He spreads it forth in the sky as He pleases, and He breaks it up so that you see the rain coming forth from inside it; then when He causes it to fall upon whom He pleases of His servants, lo! they are joyful 

In the above quoted verse, from [Surat 30 Ar-Rūm: 48 (The Romans) - سورة الروم)], the attribute of Allah's graciousness is explained that it is He alone who raises the healthy clouds loaded with rain water and then spreads these to wherever He wants to turn the dead earth into life and grows life saving crops for man and animals. And we have seen that in one area it rains while the adjacent area is denied for it is He alone who knows how much is to be given and to whom.

In Surah ii Al Baqarah (The Cow), Allah exhibits this attribute of Him when He endowed His servant Saul (Talut), a mere thirty years old young man, with many intellectual and physical capacities so that he could rule over his people:

وَقَالَ لَهُمۡ نَبِيُّهُمۡ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ قَدۡ بَعَثَ لَـکُمۡ طَالُوۡتَ مَلِكًا ​ؕ قَالُوۡٓا اَنّٰى يَكُوۡنُ لَهُ الۡمُلۡكُ عَلَيۡنَا وَنَحۡنُ اَحَقُّ بِالۡمُلۡكِ مِنۡهُ وَلَمۡ يُؤۡتَ سَعَةً مِّنَ الۡمَالِ​ؕ قَالَ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ اصۡطَفٰٮهُ عَلَيۡکُمۡ وَزَادَهٗ بَسۡطَةً فِى الۡعِلۡمِ وَ الۡجِسۡمِ​ؕ وَاللّٰهُ يُؤۡتِىۡ مُلۡکَهٗ مَنۡ يَّشَآءُ ​ؕ وَاللّٰهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيۡمٌ‏ 

And their Prophet said to them: “Indeed Allah has sent forth Saul (Talut) as your king.”269 They said: “By what right shall he rule over us when we are more worthy than he to dominion, for he is not very wealthy?” He said: “Allah has chosen him over you and has endowed him abundantly with both intellectual and physical capacities. Allah indeed has the power to bestow dominion upon whomsoever He wills. Allah is All-Resourceful, All- Knowing.”

It may be noted that Allah, the Al Bāsiṭ  is always helping His servants and extending as much help that one may require, He sometimes also withholds His blessings as a test or as a punishment as has been said in the following 245th verse of Surah ii Al Baqarah (The Cow):

مَنۡ ذَا الَّذِىۡ يُقۡرِضُ اللّٰهَ قَرۡضًا حَسَنًا فَيُضٰعِفَهٗ لَهٗۤ اَضۡعَافًا کَثِيۡرَةً  ​ؕ وَاللّٰهُ يَقۡبِضُ وَيَبۡصُۜطُ وَ اِلَيۡهِ تُرۡجَعُوۡنَ‏ 

Who of you will lend Allah a goodly loan which He will return after multiplying it for him manifold? For Allah has the power both to decrease and increase, and to Him will you be returned. 

In the verse above two attributes of Allah have been mentioned: Al Qābid (The With holder) and Al Bāsiṭ (The Extender). Thus these two attributes are opposite to each other. Allah usually and most of the time is at the giving end in Extending His countless bounties to His servants. If we look around, we will fail to count the bounties and blessings of Allah there are which have been laid out and extended to us.

But there are times, when as a test or as a punishment Allah With Holds His blessings and men become helpless and falls at mercy of his Creator. These are times of extreme weather, famine, drought and extreme floods and Tsunamis which sweep away lands and vegetation leaving behind lifeless stretches, devolving man of His blessings.

The Arabic lexicon and commentary Tāj al-'Arūs, as interpreted by E.W. Lane, says:

Qabd [Qābid] and Bast [Bāsit] are terms applied by the investigators of truth among the Sūfīs to the two contrary states of the heart, from both of which it is seldom or never free: the former being an affection of the heart withholding it from dilation and joy; whether the cause thereof be known, as the remembrance of a sin or an offense, or of an omission, or be not known...

We will talk more about the attribute Al Qābid (The With holder) in one of our next posts.

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

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Who are the Rightful Recipients of Zakat

Zakat is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Its just disbursement creates financial equilibrium in a Muslim state. We have already written a post on Zakat as a Pillar of Islam which also lays down the minimum amount or precious metals or property held by a believer which makes him liable to pay Zakat. This post further elaborates on the rightful recipients of Zakat and clarifies any misconceptions that one may have.

During the times of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the hypocrites of Medina created hurdles in the paths of the Prophet of Allah and created fuss over the disbursement of Zakat and Alms. This has been mentioned in the 58th verse of Surat At Tawbah as under:

وَمِنۡهُمۡ مَّنۡ يَّلۡمِزُكَ فِى الصَّدَقٰتِ​ ۚ فَاِنۡ اُعۡطُوۡا مِنۡهَا رَضُوۡا وَاِنۡ لَّمۡ يُعۡطَوۡا مِنۡهَاۤ اِذَا هُمۡ يَسۡخَطُوۡنَ‏ 

( 58 )   And among them are some who criticize you concerning the [distribution of] charities. If they are given from them, they approve; but if they are not given from them, at once they become angry.

In order to streamline the Zakat disbursement and to shut the mouths of the miscreants, the following verse was revealed which laid down the guidelines for the rightful precipitants of Zakat and Alms :

 إِنَّمَا الصَّدَقَاتُ لِلْفُقَرَاءِ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَالْعَامِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَالْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِي الرِّقَابِ وَالْغَارِمِينَ وَفِي سَبِيلِ اللَّـهِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ ۖ فَرِيضَةً مِّنَ اللَّـهِ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ 

( 60 )   Zakah expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [zakah] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and for freeing captives [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveler - an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.

The detailed explanation of this verse is given herein under by the three eminent scholars and exegetes of Qur'an. These provide a guideline to those who want to know as to who the rightful recipients of Zakat and other forms of Alms / Charity given away in the name of Allah:

Explanation Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi:
According to the Arabic usage, fuqara are all those people who depend on others for the necessities of life. The Arabic word fuqara is a general word for all those who are needy because of some physical defects, or old age, or temporarily out of living means, and can become self-supporting if they are helped like orphans, widows, the unemployed, etc.

According to the Arabic usage, masakin are those indigent people who are in greater distress than the needy people usually are. The Prophet (peace be upon him) especially enjoined the Muslims to help such people as are unable to find the necessary means to satisfy their wants and are in very straitened circumstances, but are so self-respecting that they would not beg for anything, nor would others judge from their outward appearance that they were deserving people. According to a tradition miskin is one who cannot make ends meet, though his appearance does not show that he needs help nor does he beg for help. In short, he is a self-respecting person who has become needy.

“Those employed to administer thereof” are those who collect Zakat dues, supervise the collections and keep accounts, and help in their distribution, irrespective of the fact whether or not they are needy or indigent; their remunerations shall be paid out of the Zakat funds. In this connection it should be noted well that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had declared the Zakat funds to be unlawful for himself and for the members of his own family (Bani Hashim). Accordingly, he never received any remuneration for collecting or distributing Zakat funds. As regards the other members of Bani Hashim, they were allowed to do this service without receiving any remuneration, but otherwise it is unlawful for them. On the contrary, the payment of the Zakat dues was obligatory on Bani Hashim if their possessions warranted this under the prescribed limits, but under no circumstances whatsoever were they allowed to accept anything out of Zakat collected from others.

There is, however, a difference of opinion as to whether they should accept anything out of the collections made from their own family or not. Imam Abu Yusuf opines that they are allowed to accept these when they are needy or poor or wayfarers, but the majority of the jurists regard this also unlawful.

A portion of Zakat funds may also be given to win over to Islam those who might be engaged in anti-Islamic activities or to those in the camp of the unbelievers who might be brought to help the Muslims or to those newly converted Muslims, who might be inclined to revert to kufr if no monetary help was extended to them. It is permissible to award pensions to them or give them lump sums of money to make them helpers of Islam or submissive to it or at least to render them into harmless enemies. A portion of the spoils or other incomes may be spent on them and, if need be, also a portion of Zakat funds. In such cases, the condition of being needy or indigent or on a journey etc. is also waived; nay, they might be even rich people or chiefs who are otherwise not eligible for anything from Zakat funds.

All are agreed that during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) pensions and gifts were given under the category of winning over people, but there is a difference of opinion whether this category of expenditure was abolished or not after his death. Imam Abu Hanifah and his followers are of the opinion that it was abolished during the caliphate of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), and now it is not lawful to spend anything under this category. Imam Shafii is of the opinion that something may be given to sinful Muslims under this category from Zakat funds but not to unbelievers, while other jurists are of the opinion that expenses under this category are lawful even now, if a need arises for them.

The Hanafis base their opinion on an incident that happened after the death of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Uyainah bin Hisan and Aqraa bin Habis came to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him to allot to them a certain piece of land. So he gave them a written order for this. They took it to some other highly placed companions for further confirmation and some of them endorsed this order. But when they took it to Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), he tore the paper into pieces before their very eyes, saying, it is true that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to give something to win over your hearts because Islam was weak at that time, but now Allah has made Islam so strong that it does not stand in need of people like you. At this they went to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and complained to him about it and taunted him, saying” Are you the caliph or Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)? But he took no notice of this, nor did any of the companions differ with Umar's (may Allah be pleased with him) opinion. The Hanafis conclude from this incident that when the number and power of Muslims increased by the grace of Allah and they no longer stood in need of any support from such people; the reason for which expenses under this category were permitted in the first instance remained no longer there. Therefore the companions unanimously abolished expenditure under this head.

Imam Shafii says that there is nothing to prove that the Prophet (peace be upon him) ever spent anything out of Zakat funds under this category. All the incidents mentioned in the traditions show that whatever he spent for the purpose of winning over hearts to Islam, was spent out of the spoils of war and not out of Zakat funds.

In my opinion there is nothing to show that the expenses for winning over hearts have been made unlawful forever up to the Last Day. There is no doubt that the action taken by Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was absolutely right, for if and when the Islamic state does not consider it necessary to spend anything under this head, Islam does not make it obligatory to spend something for winning hearts. On the other hand, if need for this arises at any time, it is authorized to incur expenses under this category for Allah has kept a provision for this. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) and the other companions agreed only on this that there was no need to give anything for this purpose at that time because the circumstances did not warrant it. But there is no reason to conclude from this that the companions disallowed forever the expenses that were permitted by the Quran under certain circumstances for the good of Islam.

As regards the opinion of Imam Shafii, it appears to be correct in so far as it is not lawful to spend anything under this category out of Zakat funds, if these expenses can be met out of other funds. But if it is necessitated that something should be spent under this category out of Zakat funds, there is no reason why a differentiation should be made in this regard between sinful Muslims and unbelievers. For the Quran has not allocated the share because of the faith of the prospective recipients but because Islam required to win their hearts for its own good and because this could not be achieved except by giving them a portion of wealth. Therefore the Quran allows the Amir of the believers to spend a part of the Zakat funds to achieve this end, if, when and where the required conditions exist. The fact that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not spend anything from the Zakat funds on unbelievers for this purpose does not mean that it is unlawful to do so, for he did not spend from this fund because there was enough money in other funds for this purpose. Had it been unlawful to spend anything from Zakat funds on unbelievers, he would have explicitly forbidden it.

A portion of Zakat funds may be spent for the ransoming of slaves in two ways. 

First, help may be given to a slave for the payment of the ransom money, if he enters into an agreement with his master that he will set him free, if the slave pays him a certain amount of money. 

The second way is that the Islamic government may itself pay the price of his freedom and set him at liberty. 

There is a consensus of opinion about the first way, but there is difference of opinion about the second way. Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), Said bin Jubair, Laith Thauri, Ibrahim Nakhi, Shaabi, and Muhammad bin Sirin, (Hanafis and Shafiis) consider this as unlawful while Ibn, Abbas, Hasan Basri, Malik, Ahmad and Abu Thaur consider this as lawful expenditure from this fund.

Help may be given out of Zakat funds to such debtors as would be reduced to a state of poverty, if they paid off all their debts out of their own possessions, irrespective of the fact whether they are earning any money or not, whether they are indigent in the general sense or well off. According to some jurists, the only exceptions to this are those debtors who are spendthrifts or involve themselves in debts by spending money on wicked deeds. Help may be given to them only if and when they repent.

“For Allah’s cause” is a general term which implies all those good works which please Allah. That is why some jurists are of the opinion that Zakat funds may be spent on every kind of good work. But the fact is, and the majority of the earliest Muslim scholars have opined, that here the ‘Allah’s cause’ stands for Jihad in the path of Allah, that is, the struggle to eradicate the systems based on kufr and to establish the Islamic system in their stead. Therefore the Zakat funds may be utilized to meet the expenses of the journeys the people make, or for procuring means of conveyance, equipment, weapons and other articles needed for Jihad, irrespective of the fact whether they are so well off or not as to need any help for personal requirements. Likewise help of a temporary or permanent nature may also be given to those people who devote all of their time and energies, temporarily or permanently, for this work

It should also be noted that there has arisen a misunderstanding regarding the “cause of Allah” for the early scholars usually use for Jihad the Arabic word as (ghazyah) which is synonymous with “fight”. They, therefore, are of the opinion that Zakat fund may only be used for the purpose of fighting. But Jihad in the Way of Allah is a much more comprehensive term than mere fighting in the Way of Allah. Jihad applies to all those efforts that are made to degrade the word of kufr and to exalt the word of Allah and to establish the Islamic system of life, whether by propagating the message of Allah in the initial stage or by fighting in the final stage of the struggle.

Help from Zakat funds may be given to a wayfarer on a journey even though he might be quite well off at home.

Some of the jurists are of the opinion that according to this verse only that wayfarer who does not undertake a journey for a sinful purpose may be helped out of Zakat funds. But no such condition has been laid down in the Quran or the Hadith to this effect. Besides this, we learn from the fundamental principles of Islam that the sins of a needy person would in no way prevent us from helping him. As a matter of fact, such a help may prove very useful in reforming sinful and depraved persons. For if they get a support in the time of need, it may reasonably be expected that they would turn towards purifying their souls.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:
Alms or charitable gifts are to be given to the poor and the needy and those who are employed in their service. That is, charitable funds are not to be diverted to other uses, but the genuine expenses of administering charity are properly chargeable to such funds. Who are the needy? Besides the ordinary indigent, there are certain classes of people whose need is great and should be relieved. Those mentioned here are: (1) men who have been weaned from hostility to Truth, who would probably be persecuted by their former associates, and require assistance until they establish new connections in their new environment: (2) those in bondage, literally and figuratively: captives of war must be redeemed: slaves should be helped to freedom-, those in the bondage of ignorance or superstition or unfavourable environment should be helped to freedom to develop their own gifts: (3) those who are held in the grip of debt should be helped to economic freedom: (4) those who are struggling and striving in Allah's Cause by teaching or fighting or in duties assigned to them by the Islamic State, who are thus unable to earn their ordinary living: and (5) strangers stranded on the way. All these have a claim to charity. They should be relieved by individual or organised effort, but in a responsible way. In this verse, the word sadaqat refers to obligatory charity (Zakat).

Ibn Kathir Explanation:
After Allah mentioned the protest that the ignorant hypocrites mentioned to the Prophet about the distribution of alms. He stated that it is He who divided the alms, explained its rulings and decided in its division; He did not delegate this decision to anyone else. Allah mentioned the expenditures of Zakah in this Ayah, starting with the Fuqara' (the poor) because they have more need than the other categories, since their need is pressing and precarious. It was reported that Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Ibn Zayd and several others said that the Faqir is a graceful person who does not ask anyone for anything, while the Miskin is the one who follows after people, begging. Qatadah said, "The Faqir is the ill person, while the Miskin is physically fit.'' We will now mention the Hadiths about each of these eight categories:

(1) The Fuqara' (Poor):  Ibn `Umar said that the Messenger of Allah said:  (The alms should not be given to the wealthy and the physically fit.) Ahmad, Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi collected this Hadith.

(2) The Masakin (Needy): Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allah said:

(The needy person is not the one who goes round the people and asks them for a mouthful or two (of meals) or a date or two). They asked, "Then who is the needy person, O Allah's Messenger!'' He said, (The one who does not have enough to satisfy his needs and whose condition is not known to others, that others may give him something in charity, and who does not beg of people.) 

(3) Those employed to collect Alms: Those employed to collect alms deserve a part of the alms, unless they are relatives of the Messenger of Allah , who are not allowed to accept any Sadaqah.

Muslim recorded that `Abdul-Muttalib bin Rabi`ah bin Al-Harith and Al-Fadl bin Al-`Abbas went to the Messenger of Allah asking him to employ them to collect the alms. The Messenger replied,

(Verily, the alms are not allowed for Muhammad nor the relatives of Muhammad, for it is only the dirt that the people discard.) 

Al-Mu'allafatu Qulubuhum There are several types of Al-Mu'allafatu Qulubuhum. There are those who are given alms to embrace Islam. For instance, the Prophet of Allah gave something to Safwan bin Umayyah from the war spoils of Hunayn, even though he attended it while a Mushrik. Safwan said, "He kept giving me until he became the dearest person to me after he had been the most hated person to me.'' Imam Ahmad recorded that Safwan bin Umayyah said, "The Messenger of Allah gave me (from the spoils of) Hunayn while he was the most hateful person to me. He kept giving me until he became the most beloved person to me.'' Muslim and At-Tirmidhi collected this Hadith, as well. Some of Al-Mu'allafatu Qulubuhum are given from alms so that they become better in Islam and their heart firmer in faith.

For instance, the Prophet gave some of the chiefs of the Tulaqa' a hundred camels each after the battle of Hunayn, saying: (I give a man (from the alms) while another man is dearer to me than him, for fear that Allah might throw him on his face in the fire of Jahannam.)

It is recorded in the Two Sahihs that Abu Sa`id said that `Ali sent the Messenger of Allah a gold nugget still in its dirt from Yemen. The Prophet divided it between four men: Al-Aqra` bin Habis, `Uyaynah bin Badr, `Alqamah bin `Ulathah and Zayd Al-Khayr, saying: (To draw their hearts closer.) Some people are given because some of his peers might embrace Islam, while others are given to collect alms from surrounding areas, or to defend Muslim outposts. Allah knows best.

The Riqab
Al-Hasan Al-Basri, Muqatil bin Hayyan, `Umar bin `Abdul-`Aziz, Sa`id bin Jubayr, An-Nakha`i, Az-Zuhri and Ibn Zayd said Riqab means those slaves who make an agreement with the master to pay a certain ransom for their freedom.'' Similar was reported from Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari. Ibn `Abbas and Al-Hasan said, "It is allowed to use Zakah funds to buy the freedom of slaves,'' indicating that `Riqab' has more general meanings than merely giving money to slaves to buy their freedom or one's buying a slave and freeing him on an individual basis. A Hadith states that for every limb [of the servant﴾ freed, Allah frees a limb of the one who freed him from slavery, even a sexual organ for a sexual organ, for the reward is equitable to the deed,

(And you will be requited nothing except for what you used to do.) [37:39]

Virtue of freeing Slaves
In the Musnad, there is a Hadith from Al-Bara' bin `Azib that a man asked, "O Allah's Messenger! Direct me to an action that draws me closer to Paradise and away from the Fire.'' The Messenger of Allah said: (Emancipate the person and free the neck (slave).)

The man asked, "O Allah's Messenger! Are they not one and the same'' He said: (No, you emancipate a person by freeing him on your own, but you untie a neck (slave) by helping in its price.)

Al-Gharimun (the Indebted)
There are several types of indebted persons. They include those who incur expenses in solving disputes between people, those who guarantee a loan that became due, causing financial strain to them, and those whose funds do not sufficiently cover their debts. It also includes those who indulged in a sin and repented from it. These types have a right to a part of alms ﴿designated for Al-Gharimun﴾. Qabisah bin Mukhariq Al-Hilali said, "I carried a debt ﴿resolving a dispute between people﴾ and went to the Messenger of Allah asking him to help pay it.

The Messenger said: (Be patient until some alms are brought to us so that we give it to you.) He then said,

(O Qabisah! Begging is only allowed for three: a man who incurred debts solving disputes, so he is allowed to beg until he collects its amount and then stops. A man who was inflicted by a disaster that consumed his wealth, he is allowed to beg until he collects what suffices for his livelihood. And a man who was overcome by poverty, that three wise relatives of his stand up and proclaim, `So-and-so was overcome by poverty.' This man is allowed to beg until he collects what sustains his livelihood. Other than these cases, begging is an unlawful amount that one illegally devours.) 

 Muslim collected this Hadith. Abu Sa`id said, "During the time of the Messenger of Allah , a man was struck by disaster because of fruits that he bought, causing him extensive debts. The Prophet said,

(Give him charity.) The people did that but the amount collected did not cover his debts. The Prophet said to the man's debtors, (Take what was collected, you will have nothing beyond that.)'' Muslim collected this Hadith.

In the Cause of Allah
In the cause of Allah is exclusive for the benefit of the fighters in Jihad, who do not receive compensation from the Muslim Treasury.

Ibn As-Sabil (Wayfarer)
Ibn As-Sabil is a term used for the needy traveler in a land, where he does not have what helps him continue his trip. This type has a share in the Zakah for what suffices him to reach his destination, even if he had money there. The same is true for whoever intends to travel from his area but does not have enough money. This type also has a share in the Zakah money to suffice for his trip and back. This is proven in the Ayah as well as the following Hadith.

Imams Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah recorded that Ma`mar said that Zayd bin Aslam said that `Ata' bin Yasar said that Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri said that the Messenger of Allah said: (Sadaqah is not rightful for a wealthy person except in five cases: those employed to collect it, one who bought a charity item with his money, a Gharim (debtor), a fighter in the cause of Allah, or a poor man who gets a part of the Zakah so he gives it as a gift to a rich man.)

Allah's statement, فَرِيضَةً مِّنَ اللَّهِ (a duty imposed by Allah), means, a decision, decree and division ordained by Allah, وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ (And Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise), knowledgeable of all things outwardly and inwardly and what benefits His servants, (All-Wise), in all what he declares, does, legislates and decides, there is no true deity or lord except Him.

May Allah help us understand Islam correctly and help us in guiding on the true path by helping our brethren who have been given less as compared to us. Aameen 

For more Q &A about understanding Islam, please refer to our reference page: Understanding Islam: Frequently Asked Q & A.

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.

May Allah show us the right path so that we do not go astray due to what man has interpreted verses of religious scriptures to suit their own religions and faith. Aameen.

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Alhamdolillah: The Exegesis / Summary of all 114 Chapters of Quran Completed Today

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"

Alhamdolillah, this day of 11th of Ramadan 1441 / 5th May 2020, we at Islam: My Ultimate Decision have achieved a big landmark in the life of our blog as we have completed the Exegesis / Summary of all 114 Chapters of Quran. We took upon ourselves this sacred task in July 2018 for the benefit of the reverts to present to them exegesis / tafsir of all chapters / surahs of the Qur'an based on the commendable work by some of the most prestigious scholars and exegetes of Qur'an of al times.

Our aim was to put together explanation of each verse of Qur'an with the reference to the context of their revelation as interpreted by different scholars at one place so that the new reverts can understand Qur'an better by correlating the work of different scholars and exegetes. In doing so, nothing has been added or subtracted from the research work of the eminent scholars. 

Initially we started off with presenting the summary of the smaller surahs / chapters by starting from 114th chapter backwards. But later we switched over to the exegesis / tafsir in detail. And Alhamdolillah, today the summary of a portion and exegesis of the larger portion is completed, by the many blessings of Allah.

We now intend presenting the exegesis / tafsir of all those chapters / surah the summary only was presented earlier. In Sha Allah, we shall complete the exegesis of the entire Qur'an as early as possible.

It may be added here for the interest of of viewers / readers of our blog that this is an entirely a SOLO EFFORT - an honour for which I feel most humble and fortunate. lease pray that I complete my objective as early as possible. Thereafter, I will concentrate more on Q & A of the reverts to provide more knowledge and understanding of Islam - In Sha Allah.

You may refer to our post "114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, meaning and summary / exegesis of all chapters.

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.

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Reading the Holy Quran should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Holy Quran officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• The exegesis of the chapters of the Holy Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  [2]

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided by [2], additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle

In addition the references of  other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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