99 Attributes of Allah: Al-Muḥṣī - The Accounter, The Reckoner

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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Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us

The Day of Resurrection will be a terrible day - a day when man will forget all worldly relations and will be worried about self only. Every man will be trying to overtake the others to reach Paradise somehow. But it would be only those lucky ones who kept repenting in their worldly life and constantly seeking forgiveness of Allah will be shown the light towards Paradise, a light which will not be visible to the sinners and the condemned who did not believe in the life in the Hereafter nor repented their sins. They will be bumping into each other in utter darkness, not finding any light that could be their saviour.

Such a picture has been painted in the 8th verse of Surah 66. At-Tahrim:

يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا تُوۡبُوۡۤا اِلَى اللّٰهِ تَوۡبَةً نَّصُوۡحًا ؕ عَسٰى رَبُّكُمۡ اَنۡ يُّكَفِّرَ عَنۡكُمۡ سَيِّاٰتِكُمۡ وَيُدۡخِلَـكُمۡ جَنّٰتٍ تَجۡرِىۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِهَا الۡاَنۡهٰرُ ۙ يَوۡمَ لَا يُخۡزِى اللّٰهُ النَّبِىَّ وَالَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مَعَهٗ​ ۚ نُوۡرُهُمۡ يَسۡعٰى بَيۡنَ اَيۡدِيۡهِمۡ وَبِاَيۡمَانِهِمۡ يَقُوۡلُوۡنَ رَبَّنَاۤ اَ تۡمِمۡ لَـنَا نُوۡرَنَا وَاغۡفِرۡ لَـنَا​ ۚ اِنَّكَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ قَدِيۡرٌ‏ 

Believers, turn to Allah in sincere repentance; maybe your Lord will expunge your evil deeds and admit you to the Gardens beneath which rivers flow. This will be on the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who have embraced faith and are with him; their light will be running before them and on their right hands, and they will say: “Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Surely You have power over everything.”

This verse actually has two parts: The first part is about Allah's reassurance to the believers that they may be pardoned if they had sincerely repented of their sins in their worldly life, and second part is about the light which will be shown the light to paradise to those lucky and rewarded believers. 

We have already explained in detail the first part of the verse in a separate post on a series of posts under "Selected Verses from Qur'ān."  In this post,  the second part about the light and an invocation by believers on Day of Resurrection is being explained.

Just to summarize the first part, the words of the verse deserve deep consideration. It has not been said that if you repeat, you will surely be forgiven and will certainly be admitted to Paradise, but that: If you offer true repentance, it may well be that Allah will treat you kindly. It means that it is not incumbent upon Allah to accept the repentance of the sinner and to grant him Paradise instead of subjecting him to punishment but it will be His kindness and compassion that He may forgive well as reward His servant. One should have hope of His forgiveness, but one should not commit a sin with the confidence that he will achieve forgiveness by repentance. He will not allow the reward of their good deeds to go to waste. He will not let the disbelievers and the hypocrites taunt the believers that they had gained nothing in spite of their worship. Humiliation will be the fate of the rebels and the disobedient and not of the faithful and obedient.

Now coming over to the explanation of the second part:

When this verse is read along with (verses 12-13 of Surah Al-Hadid), it becomes clear that the running of the light before the believers will take place when they will be proceeding towards Paradise from the Plain of Resurrection. There it will be pitch dark all around and those who will have been condemned to Hell, will be groping about in it. The light will only be with the believers by which they will be traveling on their way. On this critical occasion, hearing the wailings and groaning of those groping in the dark the believers will be feeling terror stricken. In view of their past errors and shortcomings they will be afraid lest they too should be deprived of their light and made to grope about like those wretched people. Therefore, they will pray: O our Lord, forgive us our sins and let our light remain with us until we reach Paradise. 

Ibn Jarir has cited Abdullah bin Abbas as explaining the meaning of Rabbana-atimim lava nurana thus: They will implore Allah Almighty that their light be allowed to remain with them and kept from going out until they have crossed the bridge across Hell. The commentary given by Hasan Basri, Mujahid and Dahhak is also almost the same. Ibn Kathir has cited theirs this saying: When the believers see that the hypocrites have been deprived of the light, they will pray to Allah for the perfection of their light. 

As mentioned in verses 12-13  of Surah Al-Hadid, the light on the Day of Judgment will be specifically meant for the righteous believers only. As for the disbelievers and the hypocrites and the wicked people, they will be wandering about in the darkness as they had been in the world. The light there will be the light of righteous deeds. The sincerity of the faith and the piety of the character and conduct will turn into light that will lend brightness to the personality of the virtuous. The brighter the deed the more luminous will be his person, and when he will walk towards Paradise, his light will be running forward before him. The best explanation of it is Qatadah’s mursal tradition in which he says; The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The light of some one will be so strong and sharp that it will be running on before him equal to the distance between Al-Madinah and Aden, of another equal to the distance between Madinah and Sana, and of another even less than that; so much so that there will be a believer whose light will jsut extend beyond his steps. (Ibn Jarir). In other words, the intensity of the light of a person will be proportionate to the extent of the good done and spread by him in the world, and the beams of his light will be running on before him in the Hereafter extending as far as his good will have extended in the world.

Here, a question may arise in the mind of the reader: One can understand the meaning of their light running on before the believers but what does their light running on only on their right hand mean? Will there be darkness on their left side? The answer is: When a man is walking with a light on his right hand, his left side also will be bright, though the fact of the matter is that the light will be on his right hand. This has been explained by the Hadith, which Abu Dharr and Abu Darda have reported, saying that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: I shall recognize the righteous people of my ummah by their light which will be running on before them and on their right and on their left. (Hakim, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Marduyah).

Renowned Muslim scholar and exegete Yousaf Ali adds: The darkness of evil will be dispelled, and the Light of Allah will be realized by them more and more. But even so they will not be content: for they will pray for the least taint of evil to be removed from them, and perfection to be granted to them. In that exalted state they will be within reach of perfection,-not by their own merits, but by the infinite Mercy and Power of Allah.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:

The actual words are: اَتۡمِمۡ لَنَا نُوۡرَنَا. What do they mean? Imam Amin Ahsan Islahihas explained this. He writes:

… This light shall be shown to these people before they enter Paradise in order to guide them to it. At that time, there will be darkness around them except on their front and on their right. For this reason, these people while showing deep gratitude on this favour of the Almighty will pray to Him to complete their light, and to forgive them. Obviously, when they will be given the light to guide them on while they would be treading the path leading to Paradise, this will also induce in them the expectation that the Almighty will bless them with His forgiveness, and that will be the time when this light will completely manifest itself. Thus, they will pray that this expectation of theirs is fulfilled. (Amin Ahsan Islahi, Tadabbur-i Qur’an, vol. 8, 472)

The implication is that this was a person’s belief; however, on the Day of Judgement he will see from his very eyes that God has power over everything.

May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. May Allah  grant us the wisdom to foresee what is to come in the life of the Hereafter and let our tongues and hearts constantly seek His forgiveness from our sins and repent so that we are not doomed on that fateful day and that the light to Paradise continues to glow for us. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Invocations / Dua " دُعا " from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 3 |

Reading the Qur'ān 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 / verses (ayat) of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• The exegesis of the chapters of the 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: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• 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 Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Believers, turn to Allah in sincere repentance; for He may expunge your evil deeds

Repentance is a powerful tool in the hands of believers for when they sin, they immediately seek forgiveness of their sins and wrongdoings from Allah and repent. Allah has reassured believers that He would continue to accept their repentance and forgive them till the angel of death knocks at their door.

In the 8th verse of Surah 66. At-Tahrim, a picture painting of the Day of Resurrection has been done and believers are forewarned that those who repented sincerely in their worldly life have a chance that Allah may forgive them and reward them the Gardens of Paradise and that they will not be disgraced:

يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا تُوۡبُوۡۤا اِلَى اللّٰهِ تَوۡبَةً نَّصُوۡحًا ؕ عَسٰى رَبُّكُمۡ اَنۡ يُّكَفِّرَ عَنۡكُمۡ سَيِّاٰتِكُمۡ وَيُدۡخِلَـكُمۡ جَنّٰتٍ تَجۡرِىۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِهَا الۡاَنۡهٰرُ ۙ يَوۡمَ لَا يُخۡزِى اللّٰهُ النَّبِىَّ وَالَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مَعَهٗ​ ۚ نُوۡرُهُمۡ يَسۡعٰى بَيۡنَ اَيۡدِيۡهِمۡ وَبِاَيۡمَانِهِمۡ يَقُوۡلُوۡنَ رَبَّنَاۤ اَ تۡمِمۡ لَـنَا نُوۡرَنَا وَاغۡفِرۡ لَـنَا​ ۚ اِنَّكَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ قَدِيۡرٌ‏ 

Believers, turn to Allah in sincere repentance; maybe your Lord will expunge your evil deeds and admit you to the Gardens beneath which rivers flow. This will be on the Day when Allah will not disgrace the Prophet and those who have embraced faith and are with him; their light will be running before them and on their right hands, and they will say: “Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us. Surely You have power over everything.”

This verse actually has two parts: The first part is about Allah's reassurance to the believers that they will be pardoned if they had sincerely repented, and second part is about the light which will be shown to those lucky and rewarded believers who will be shown the light to paradise. We in this post will concentrate on the explanation of the first part. The second part is being explained in a separate post in our series of posts on  "Selected Invocations / Dua from Qur'ān."

Now coming over to the explanation of the Part I of this verse:

Literally, taubat an-nasuh-an " تَوۡبَةً نَّصُوۡحًا " may either mean that one should offer such true repentance as may have no tinge of pretense and hypocrisy in it, or that one should wish his own self well and repenting of sin should save oneself from the evil end, or that one should so adorn and improve his life after repentance as to become a cause of admonition for others, and seeing his example others also also reform themselves accordingly. These are the meanings of taubat an-nasuh which are indicated by its literal sense. As for its religious meaning, its explanation is found in the Hadith which Ibn Abi Hatim has related on the authority of Zirr bin Hubaish. He says: When I asked Ubayy bin Kaab the meaning of taubat an-nasuh, he said that he had asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) the same question, and he had replied: It implies that when you happen to commit an error, you should feel penitent for it, then should implore Allah for forgiveness remorsefully, and then should refrain from committing the same error again. 

This same meaning has been reported from Umar, Abdullah bin Masud and Abdullah bin Abbas also, and in a tradition Umar has defined taubat an-nasuh, thus: After offering repentance one should not even think of committing the sin, not to speak of repeating it. (Ibn Jarir). Ali once heard a desert Arab chanting the words of repentance and forgiveness quickly and mechanically and remarked: This is the repentance of the liars. The man asked: What is true repentance? Ali replied: It should be accompanied by six things

• (1) You should feel penitent for the wrong you have done. 
• (2) You should carry out the duties that you have ignored. 
• (3) Restore the rights that you have usurped. 
• (4) Ask forgiveness of him whom you have wronged. 
• (5) Make a resolve not to repeat the sin again. 
• (6) Consume yourself in obedience to Allah as you have so far been consuming it in wrongdoing, and cause it to taste the bitterness of obedience as you have so far been causing it to enjoy the sweet taste of disobedience and sin. (Al- Kashshaf).

In connection with repentance there are also some other points which should be well understood. (1) That repentance, in fact, is to show remorse for an act of disobedience only because it is a disobedience of Allah. Otherwise to make a resolve to refrain from a sin because it is harmful for health, for instance, or it is likely to cause defamation or financial loss, is no repentance. (2) That man should offer repentance as soon as he realizes that he has committed disobedience of Allah and should compensate for it without delay in whatever form possible and should not defer it in any way. (3) That violating one’s repentance again and making a jest of repentance and repeating the sin again and again of which one has repented, is a proof of the falsity of one’s repentance. For the essence of repentance is penitence, and breaking his repentance repeatedly is a sign that it has not been motivated by penitence. (4) that if the person who has repented sincerely and resolved not to repeat the sin again, happens to repeat it once again because of human weakness, it will not revive his past sin. However, he should offer a fresh repentance for the latter sin and should resolve more firmly that he would not commit the sin in future. (5) That it is not necessary to renew one’s repentance again every time one remembers the disobedience committed in the past, but if one’s self derives pleasure from the remembrance of the past, sinful life, one should offer repentance again and again until the remembrance of the sins causes remorse instead of pleasure and enjoyment. For the person who has actually repented of disobedience because of fear of God cannot derive pleasure from the thought that he has been disobeying God. His deriving pleasure from it is a sign that fear of God has not taken root in his heart.

The words of the verse deserve deep consideration. It has not been said that if you repeat, you will surely be forgiven and will certainly be admitted to Paradise, but that: If you offer true repentance, it may well be that Allah will treat you kindly. It means that it is not incumbent upon Allah to accept the repentance of the sinner and to grant him Paradise instead of subjecting him to punishment but it will be His kindness and compassion that He may forgive well as reward His servant. One should have hope of His forgiveness, but one should not commit a sin with the confidence that he will achieve forgiveness by repentance.

He will not allow the reward of their good deeds to go to waste. He will not let the disbelievers and the hypocrites taunt the believers that they had gained nothing in spite of their worship. Humiliation will be the fate of the rebels and the disobedient and not of the faithful and obedient.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:

The opposition of sex against sex, individual or concerted, having been condemned , we are now exhorted to turn to the Light, and to realise that the good and righteous can retain their integrity even though their mates, in spite of all their example and precept, remain in evil and sin. Whatever may have been the faults of the past, unite in good deeds, and abandon petty sectional jealousies, and Allah will remove your difficulties and distresses, and all the evils from which you suffer. Indeed He will grant you the Bliss of Heaven and save you from any humiliation which you may have brought on yourselves by your conduct and on the revered Prophet and Teacher whose name you professed to take.

Here ends the explanation of the first part of the verse. The second part is about the light which will be shown to the rewarded believers in the pitch darkness of the Day of Resurrection which will lead them to the Paradise. And the believers will be running towards that light and hurrying up lest the light may fade away. For this, they will be constantly praying: O our Lord, forgive us our sins and let our light remain with us until we reach Paradise.   

Please refer to the explanation of the second portion of this verse that appear separately in our series of posts on "Selected Invocations / Dua from Qur'ān."

May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 

Reading the Qur'ān 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 Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• The exegesis of the chapters of the 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: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• 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 Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

99 Attributes of Allāh: 'Al-Mubdi’ - The Originator, The Initiator

Allāh - The 'Al-Mubdi’ " ٱلْمُبْدِئُ  " - The Originator, The Initiator : He Who has created everything from nothing without any model for the first time. Now look around and imagine who trillions of stars, planets, living beings have been created from nothing. It is 'Al-Mubdi’ who planned and created and then shaped them beautifully everything that exists in the entire universe. and He alone is the producer, none can claim to be his co-producer or His equal.

This just our Solar System out of countless billions and trillions such systems of the universe- each planet different in colour and shape. It is only 'Al-Mubdi’ Who can originate, shape and produce such awesome creations [Photo: Pixabay]

Although 'Al-Mubdi’ is not specifically mentioned in the Quran as an attribute of Allah, it has been derived from many verses which mean creativity of Allah:

قُلۡ هَلۡ مِنۡ شُرَكَآئِكُمۡ مَّنۡ يَّبۡدَؤُا الۡخَـلۡقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيۡدُهٗ​ ؕ قُلِ اللّٰهُ يَـبۡدَؤُا الۡخَـلۡقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيۡدُهٗ​ؕ فَاَنّٰى تُؤۡفَكُوۡنَ‏ 

Ask them: 'Is there any among those whom you associate with Allah in His divinity Who brings about the creation of all beings in the first instance and will then repeat it?' Tell them: 'It is Allah Who brings about the creation of all beings and will then repeat it. How are you, then, being misled? [Surah 10 Yunus :34)

As can be seen from the above verse, the attribute is from the root b-d-' " بۡدَ "which in classical Arabic means: (1) to begin, create, make something new, (2) to make something be first, have precedence, (3) to contrive a new thing, (4) to invent, to do first, (5) to commence, start, at the beginning. 

اَمَّنۡ يَّبۡدَؤُا الۡخَـلۡقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيۡدُهٗ وَمَنۡ يَّرۡزُقُكُمۡ مِّنَ السَّمَآءِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ​ؕ ءَاِلٰـهٌ مَّعَ اللّٰهِ​ؕ قُلۡ هَاتُوۡا بُرۡهَانَكُمۡ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ صٰدِقِيۡنَ‏ 

Who is it Who creates in the first instance and then repeats it? Who is it Who provides you with sustenance from the heavens and the earth? Is there any god associated with Allah (in these tasks)? Say: "Bring forth your evidence, if you are truthful." [Surah 27. An-Naml:64] 

And the same theme is repeated again:

اَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡا كَيۡفَ يُبۡدِئُ اللّٰهُ الۡخَـلۡقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيۡدُهٗ ؕ اِنَّ ذٰ لِكَ عَلَى اللّٰهِ يَسِيۡرٌ‏ 

Have they never observed how Allah creates for the first time and then repeats it? Indeed (to repeat the creation of a thing) is even easier for Allah (than creating it for the first time). [Surah 29. Al-Ankabut: 19]

In fact this attribute 'Al-Mubdi’ is embodiment of many other attributes of Allah:

• Al Khaliq (The Planner) is the One Who originally creates and has the power to change things from one state to another, in and out of existence.
• Once  Allah creates a thing it is the Al Mussawar (The Fashioner) attribute of Allah that arranges forms and colors, and shapes objects and livings beings to give them beauty. Seen with the Al Khaliq attributes, for instance a lion is created, then it is the Al Mussawar that gives it a unique shape, colour and add tones to add to its beauty.
• Al Bāri' (The Evolver) creates from existing matter, making and evolving that which is free and clear of imperfections, free and clear of any other thing.
• Al Badi (The Originator) creates amazingly original ways that have no precedent whatsoever.
• In order to restore and add perfection it is Al Mu'īd Who repeats and revives that which had been previously invented. In 13th verse of Surat 85. al-Buruj, it is said: "Surely He it is Who originates and reproduces." 

The two attributes 'Al-Mubdi’ (the Originator) Al-Mu'īd (the Restorer) - have a thin line difference. When a thing is originated which had no precedence it is called a beginning. And when that creation is no more, like a man dies and is buried, it is Allah alone who would restore him on the Day of Resurrection and made answerable to their deeds.

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

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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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Our Lord! let not our hearts deviate after Thou hast guided us

Leaving one's faith of birth and entering into the fold of Islam is one's very difficult and ultimate decision, for it entails leaving one's family and friends besides age old habits and inclinations. But equally difficult is to maintain the faith once adopted and cling to it for it entails a lot of rebuttal and isolation. Such are the difficult times for the reverts as are experienced and expressed in many revert experiences that I have shared or are available on the social media.

For such reverts and even believers with weak faith, Allah has given them a supplication in the 8th verse of Surah 3. Al-i'Imran:

رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغۡ قُلُوۡبَنَا بَعۡدَ اِذۡ هَدَيۡتَنَا وَهَبۡ لَنَا مِنۡ لَّدُنۡكَ رَحۡمَةً ​ ۚ اِنَّكَ اَنۡتَ الۡوَهَّابُ‏ 

They pray to Allah: "Our Lord!" (they say) "let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast guided us but grant us mercy from Thine own Presence; for Thou art the Grantor of bounties without measure.

Ibn Kathir explains that the above said verse means meaning, "Do not deviate our hearts from the guidance after You allowed them to acquire it. Do not make us like those who have wickedness in their hearts, those who follow the Mutashabih in the Qur'an. Rather, make us remain firmly on Your straight path and true religion.'' And make our hearts firm, and increase in our Faith and certainty. Truly, You are the Bestower.

Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir recorded that Umm Salamah said that the Prophet used to supplicate:

يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِك

(O You Who changes the hearts, make my heart firm on Your religion.)

He then recited, the above said ayat: ("Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the Bestower.'')

At the end of the verse, a powerful attribute of Allah, Al-Wahhab (الوهاب) - The Liberal Bestower, The Giver of Gifts, has been mentioned. When Allah's blessings are asked for, it is this attribute of Allah which answer back and tell the believers not to be unhappy for He is a Liberal Bestower, never turns back any supplication made to him. 

Thus all Muslims who feel weak and reverts who come under immense pressure from those they have left, should more often than not supplicate to Allah reciting the above said ayat for help and satisfaction of the heart. May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Invocations / Dua " دُعا " from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 

Reading the Qur'ān 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 / verses (ayat) of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• The exegesis of the chapters of the 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: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• 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 Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Selected Invocations / Dua " دُعا " from Qur'an (Reference Page)

The five times prayers (Salah) are obligatory for all Muslims. These are to be offered no matter where one may be, even while travelling (for which compensation is allowed). But other than the Salah, the believers more often than not, supplicate to invoke the blessing of Allah for their special needs. The invocations / supplications (Dua / دُعا) are in fact a powerful tool in the hands of believers through which they are able to connect to their Creator through one-to-one connection by getting into a deeper spiritual state.

In fact, Allah loves his servants the most when he is in that spiritual state, with closed eyes, invoking His blessings. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is reported to have said "Dua is the very essence of worship." There are many special supplications mentioned in the Qur'ān which believers must remember and often include in their supplications for these have been specially chosen for them.

Before we list the Selected Invocations / Dua " دُعا " from Quran, please take a time out to read our posts in relation to making a Dua, the power of it and shunning a negative state of mind if Dua is not instantly made a difference in one's life:

• How to make a supplication / Dua (دُعا) 
• " The Power of Dua / Invocation - A real Life Experience " for a real-life fulfillment of Dua from total blindness of a person to total cure.
• Don't be dejected if your Dua / Supplication is not answered - Know how Dua works

Herein under, we have collected some of the most read supplications from Qur'ān to invoke the blessings of Allah: 

Selected invocations that begin with Rabbana: There are about forty invocations in Qur'an that begin with the prefix Rabbana. These have been separately compiled and you may refer to our reference page: Rabbana “رَبَّنَا“ Supplications (Dua / دُعا) in Qur’an to read more Rabbana specific invocations. 

Prophetic Supplications (Supplications attributed to Prophets in Qur'an)

• Supplication (Dua / دُعا) - attributed to Prophet Zechariah for Goodly and Pious Offspring (Surah 3 Al'Imran:38)
• Supplication by Prophet Eesa (Jesus, son of Mary) (Surah 5 Al Maida: 114)
• Supplication of Prophet Adam (and Eve) (Sūrah 7. Al A'raf (The Heights):24)
• Prayer of Prophet Musa (Moses, AS) - (Sūrah 7. Al A'raf (The Heights):155)
• Attributed to Prophet Shu'ayb  شعيب علي السلام for faith in Allah (Surah 11. Hud verse 88)
• Supplication Attributed to Prophet Noah (Nuh علي السلام) (Surah 11. Hud:47)
• Prayer of Prophet Yaqoob (Jacob, AS) - [Surah 12. Yusuf:86]
• Prayer of Prophet Ibraheem (Abraham) My Lord! Enable me and my offspring to establish Prayer [Surah 14. Ibrahim: 40]
• A powerful prophetic supplication attributed to Prophet Yunus (Jonah, sws) [Surah 21 Al Anbiya :87]
• A Comprehensive Supplication attributed to Prophet Ibraheem (Abraham علي السلام)
• Dua / supplication " دُعا " to attain trust of Allah - Attributed to Prophet Ibraheem (Abraham, AS) (Surah 60. Surah Al-Mumtahina;4)
• Prophetic Supplication attributed to Prophet Nuh (Noah) in Qur'an (Surah 71 Nuh:28)

General Supplications:

• Our Lord !! Guide us on Aṣ-Ṣirāṭ al-Mustaqīm - The Straight Path (Surah 1. Al-Fātiḥah: 6)
• Our Lord! Make of us Muslims, bowing to Thy (Will) - [Surah 2 Al-Baqarah: 128]
• Supplication when any affliction smites a believer [Surah 2 Al-Baqarah: 156]
• The Most comprehensive prayers of All Times - [Surah 2 Al-Baqarah: 285-286]
• Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You do not forgive us we shall surely be among the losers [Surah 7. Al A'raf:23]
• Our Lord! Shower us with perseverance and cause us to die as those who have submitted [to You].' (Surah 7. Al-A’raf: 126)
• Allah is sufficient for me; there is no god but He - The Lord of the Mighty Throne [Surah 9 At Tauba:129]
• Prayer of Prophet Yusuf: My Lord! Cause me to die in submission to You, and join me, in the end, with the righteous [Surah 12. Yusuf:101]
• Our Lord!  Forgive me and my parents and the believers on the Day of Reckoning [Surah 14. Ibrahim: 41]
• And pray: My Lord! Cause me to enter wherever it be, with Truth, and cause me to exit, wherever it be, with Truth [Surah 17 Al Israa:80]
• Our Lord! Grant us mercy from Yourself and provide for us rectitude in our affairs [Surah 18 Al Kahf verse 10]
• "Lord! Leave me not solitary - You are the Best Inheritor." [Surah 21 Al Anbiya :89]
• Refuge from Whisperings of Shayatin (Satan / Evil) [Surah 23 Al Muminun :97-98]
• Our Lord, we believe, so forgive us, and have mercy on us, for You are the Best of those that are merciful [Surah 23 Al Muminun :109, 111]
• Our Lord! Ward off from us the chastisement of Hell - Verily it is a wretched abode [Surah 25. Al Furqan: 65-66]
• Our Lord! Grant us that our spouses and our offspring be a joy to our eyes [Surah 25. Al Furqan: 74]
• My Lord! Endow me with knowledge and wisdom and join me with the righteous [Surah 26. Ash-Shu'araa verse 83]
• My Lord! Include me, out of Your Mercy, among Your righteous servants [Surah 27 An Naml: Verse 19]
• My Lord! I have indeed inflicted wrong on myself, so do forgive me [Surah 28. Al Qasas: 16]
• My Lord, I am truly in great need of any good that You might send down to me. [Surah 28. Al Qasas: 24]
• A Unique Invocation by the Angels for Forgiveness of the Repenting Believers [Surah 40 Al Mumin: 7-8]
• Supplication / Dua before mounting any means of transportation [Surah 43 Az-Zukhruf: 13]
• My Lord, dispose me that I may give thanks for the bounty that You have bestowed upon me and my parents [Surah 46 Al Ahqaf:15]
• My Lord: Verily I am vanquished; so come You to my aid [Surah 54. Al Qamar:10]
• Dua to attain confidence towards Allah [Surah 60 Al-Mumtaḥanah: 4]
• Our Lord, make us not [objects of] torment for the disbelievers [Surah 60 Al-Mumtaḥanah: 5]
• Our Lord, perfect for us our light and forgive us [Surah 66. At Tahrim: 8]

We will continuously update all our pages for the benefit of our readers. 

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān 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. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

For compiled verses for more specific subjects, please refer to our exclusive reference page: "Selected verses from Al-Qurʾān about a specific subject."

In addition, for more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

| Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 

Reading the Qur'ān 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 Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• The exegesis of the chapters of the 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: 

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

In addition, 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. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

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 Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Our Lord, Grant us Good of Both Worlds

One of the most offered invocations of believers around the world is the 201st verse of the Surah 2. Al Baqarah (The Cow). In fact it is also the most remembered by heart invocation, in which a believer not only begs for the best of the both worlds, but also seek protection from the chastisement of the raging fire of the Hell.

Allah encourages calling Him in supplication after remembering Him, because this will make it more likely that the supplication will be accepted. But Allah does not like those who only supplicate to Him about the affairs of this life, while ignoring the affairs of the Hereafter. Therefore the following supplication / invocation guides the believers how to ask blessings of Allah:

وَمِنۡهُمۡ مَّنۡ يَّقُوۡلُ رَبَّنَآ اٰتِنَا فِى الدُّنۡيَا حَسَنَةً وَّفِى الۡاٰخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَّ قِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ‏ 

(2:201) There are others who say: “Our Lord, grant us what is good in this world and what is good in the World to Come, and protect us from the chastisement of the Fire.”

Ibn Kathir explains this verse as under linking various related events:

Sa`id bin Jubayr said that Ibn `Abbas said, "Some Bedouins used to come to the standing area (`Arafat) and supplicate saying, `O Allah! Make it a rainy year, a fertile year and a year of good child bearing.' They would not mention any of the affairs of the Hereafter.

Such people are least liked by Allah, Who says: (But of mankind there are some who say: "Our Lord! Give us (Your bounties) in this world!'' and for such there will be no portion in the Hereafter.) meaning, they have no share in the Hereafter. This criticism serves to discourage other people from imitating those mentioned.

At the same time Allah praises those who ask for the affairs of both this life and the Hereafter. He said:(And of them there are some who say: "Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire!'')

The supplication mentioned and praised in the Ayah includes all good aspects of this life and seeks refuge from all types of evil. The good of this life concerns every material request of well-being, spacious dwelling, pleasing mates, sufficient provision, beneficial knowledge, good profession or deeds, comfortable means of transportation and good praise, all of which the scholars of Tafsir have mentioned regarding this subject. All of these are but a part of the good that is sought in this life. As for the good of the Hereafter, the best of this includes acquiring Paradise, which also means acquiring safety from the greatest horror at the gathering place. It also refers to being questioned lightly and the other favors in the Hereafter.

As for acquiring safety from the Fire, it includes being directed to what leads to this good end in this world, such as avoiding the prohibitions, sins of all kinds and doubtful matters.

Al-Qasim bin `Abdur-Rahman said, "Whoever is gifted with a grateful heart, a remembering tongue and a patient body, will have been endowed with a good deed in this life, a good deed in the Hereafter and saved from the torment of the Fire.''

This is why the Sunnah encourages reciting this Du`a' (i.e., in the Ayah about gaining a good deed in this life and the Hereafter). Al-Bukhari reported that Anas bin Malik narrated that the Prophet used to say: (O Allah, our Lord! Give us that which is good in this life, that which is good in the Hereafter and save us from the torment of the Fire.)

Imam Ahmad reported that Anas said, "Allah's Messenger visited a Muslim man who had become as weak as a sick small bird. Allah's Messenger said to him, `Were you asking or supplicating to Allah about something' He said, `Yes. I used to say: O Allah! Whatever punishment you saved for me in the Hereafter, give it to me in this life.' Allah's Messenger said:(All praise is due to Allah! You cannot bear it -or stand it-. You should have said: (Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire!))

The man began reciting this Du`a and he was cured.'' Muslim also recorded it.

Al-Hakim reported that Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "A man came to Ibn `Abbas and said, `I worked for some people and settled for a part of my compensation in return for their taking me to perform Hajj with them. Is this acceptable' Ibn `Abbas said, `You are among those whom Allah described: (For them there will be allotted a share for what they have earned. And Allah is swift at reckoning.)

Al-Hakim then commented; "This Hadith is authentic according to the criteria of the Two Shaykhs (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) although they did not record it."

Please listen to tafsir / exegesis of this verse from famous Muslim scholar Mufti Menk:

So we must never only eye the virtues and goodness of this world alone, for there is life in the hereafter which will be eternal and never ending. Unless we also pray for the goodness in the Hereafter and also seek refuge form the fire of hell, we shall be doing extreme injustice to us. While supplicating and asking Allah for His blessings, therefore, we must include the good of the Hereafter and refuge from Hell. May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Invocations / Dua " دُعا " from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 

Reading the Qur'ān 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 Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that:

• The plain translation has been taken from the Qur'ān officially published by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. [1]
• The exegesis of the chapters of the 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: 

• Towards Understanding the Quran
• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Al-Quran, Yusuf Ali Translation
• 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 Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More