

Allah’s most excellent attributes ( asma al-husna or ‘beautiful names’) inspire awe and gratitude and humility. And the more we reflect on any of these qualities, the closer we get to experiencing the Divine. ” Quran 59:23Įach name deserves contemplation. “He is Allah Who-there is no god but Him- Al-Malik, Al-Quddus, As-Salam, Al-Mu’min, Al-Muhaymin, Al-Azeez, Al-Jabbar, Al-Mutakabbir. We are in the most natural, most excellent state a human being can be in, whenever we are reaching out and seeking God. And Allah says we were not created except for His worship. In reflecting on these names, and trying to reach out to Allah with our heart and mind, we are in a state of worship.

He teaches us some of His names so that we can seek to understand our Lord. He tells us what it is we need to know in order to have a successful relationship through worship. We can’t know God except through our worship of Him. But Allah, Who we can’t see or hear or touch…? We can only focus on Him through our intellect and our heart. We can see and hear and feel it with all of our physical senses. It’s easy for us to relate to the tangible world we live in. But divine relationship is unlike any other for a human being. The next ayat repeats, “He is Allah, the one who there is no deity but Him.” This time did we hear His words? Did we absorb this one critical truth? Nothing and no one else in existence is worthy of attention like Allah is. Instead, we should be spending all our energy on pleasing the One who created us, who constantly cares for us, because only in Him will be find true peace. When we fear other people and what they think of us, we spend our energy trying to appease or impress them. And then, distracted as we are, we make others the focus of our attention and our efforts. But He also cares for us more and better than anyone else ever could. What a loving gesture! He knows us inside and out, deep down, and all our flaws or virtues. That’s why he then he tells us his is the “Knower of the unseen and the witnessed”, and that he is Ar-Rahman (the Compassionate), and he is Ar-Raheem (The Most Merciful). He knows it is human nature to become distracted and forget our true selves. When we become distracted by the dunya-this temporary life-Allah calls us back to Him. It is Allah, who we were made to serve, to worship, to thank, to depend on-and nothing or no one else. We worship that on which we focus our attention.

It is ALLAH-and no other-that is worthy of worship. That is the essence of worship-focusing on your Lord, and letting good of all else.īy re-directing His servants to Himself, he reminds us of our real purpose. I am the Only One you need.’ He’s like one who puts their hands on your shoulders so you’ll look them in the eyes and feel peace. Huwa ALLAH, allathee la ilaha illa huwa… “ He is ALLAH, the one who no other god existing-only HIM.” He seems to say, ‘Look at Me. He does this by repeating certain words to refer back to Himself. But instead, He emphasizes that it is He who has this incomparable quality. He could’ve chosen to just simply say, la ilaha il Allah-(there is no god but GOD). What I found so powerful in this passage was the way Allah draws your attention back to Himself again and again. Clearly Allah was guiding me to reflect these words. Not knowing which ayat this was referring to, I looked it up in my Quran app and there it was: the same passage. Helwa-(an inspiring book for anyone searching for a way to draw closer to God, whether you’re Muslim or non-Muslim.) Not long after that, I came across a hadith which mentioned the virtues of the last three verses in Surah al-Hashr. First, when I was reading Secrets of Divine Love by A. This passage was brought to my attention twice recently. But in Surah al-Hashr, he lists eight in a row-which is what makes it so unique and beautiful. Usually, when Allah mentions his names in a verse, he uses one or two. This ayat the one that tells us about Allah’s most beautiful names ( asma al-husna), and lists several of them all at once. This is a well-known passage in the Quran-it’s beautiful and poetic, so it’s easy to see why it’s a favorite. Lately I’ve been reflecting on the last three verses of Surah al Hashr, the fifty-ninth chapter of the Quran. (By the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.)
