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29-11-2024
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Islamic Ideology - Names of Allâh 1996 : Al-Mutakabbir
   
 
 
In the Name of Allah, The Most Gracious, Most Merciful  
 
Dear noble brothers, we are discussing today the 8th lesson of the series The Most Beautiful Names of Allah. 

Dear brothers, we should know Allah's Most Beautiful Names and His Exalted Attributes, because this knowledge is part of knowing Allah the Almighty Who does exist, Who is the Only Deity, and Who is Perfect. Once again, it is indispensable for believers to know Allah's Most Beautiful Names and Exalted Attributes, for Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said: 

(( Allah has ninety-nine names, i.e. one-hundred minus one, and whoever knows them will go to Paradise.))

[ [Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Abi Huairah] ]


The truth is, however, that no one knows the reality of Allah's Divine Character except Allah Himself, Alone. Such a fact should be clear to everybody: No one knows Allah except Allah Himself, Alone. If we desire to know Him, it is like a drop of water in the ocean. To this effect, Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said:

(( (The worldly life does not take from the Hereafter except that which a needle takes from the ocean if it is dipped therein (i.e. compared to the Hereafter, the worldly life is just as tiny as a drop of water in the ocean).) ))


If knowing the reality of Allah's Divine Character is just like an ocean, man's knowledge of Allah's reality is not more than the water that a needle holds from the ocean if it is dipped therein. However, as Imam Ali, may Allah ennoble his face, said, "Taking a little is better than leaving a lot."

Now, the question is: Is it possible to set a few examples that enable us to know Allah the All-Mighty? I mean, is it permissible to set examples from our daily life in order to clarify some facts? Yes, it is possible, Allah Exalted be He above all things, and the proof is that Allah the All-High, desires to introduce Himself to us by setting the following example:

﴾ (He sets forth for you a parable from your ownselves, – Do you have partners among those whom your right hands possess (i.e your slaves) to share as equals in the wealth We have bestowed on you? Whom you fear as you fear each other? Thus do We explain the signs in detail to a people who have sense.) ﴿

[  [Ar-Rum, 28] ]


In order to let us know that there is no god but Allah, Alone, that He has no partners, and that He allows none to take part with Him in His Divine Decision, Allah Glory be to Him, sets such example as above-mentioned. Therefore, it is possible that we set a few examples that enable us to know Allah's Most Beautiful Names, particularly the Name we are going to discuss today which is Al-Mutakabbir, because when the word "Al-Mutakabbir"(the Sublime, the Supreme), is used to describe a human being, it has an evil negative connotation, while such an attribute belongs to Allah the All-Mighty, Alone.

Let us assume that someone is in bad need of 100.000 Liras in order to have a vital surgical operation, because the doctors said, "Such a surgical operation is indispensable." Thus, the amount of money is needed for the operation. Since he does not have such an amount of money, he goes to one of his relatives asking him to lend him the money, and if he asks, "Do you have the money?" and the relative says, "Yes, I do" while he does not actually have the money, then he is a liar! If he goes to another one asking him the same question, "Do you have the money?", and he truthfully answers, "Yes, I do", then is a perfect stance. Well, the one who falsely claimed to possess the money, although he did not have it, is a liar and is by no means perfect. The second one would also be imperfect if he said humbly, "No, I do not have the money", although he is truthful. He should say, "Yes, I do have the money! Here you are! Take it" if he desires to be perfect and truthful.

Accordingly, At-Takabbur (i.e. being Sublime and Supreme) reflects Divine Perfection but human imperfection. This is because Allah, All-Mighty, is the Creator of all worlds. In His Hand is the Dominion of all things. If He desires a thing, His Command is: "Be" and it is. To Him all matters are returned for judgment and decision. His Divine Glory and Might are Infinite. His Divine Perfection is Infinite. His Divine Knowledge is Infinite. His Divine Power is Infinite. 

If Allah is Al-Mutakabbir, this is because He knows that He is the All-Mighty. This notion takes us to another Divine Name of Allah's, namely Al-Mu'min, one of whose meanings is that Allah, Glory be to Him, knows Himself perfectly. 

To make things clear, we put forward the following example: If you have a PH.D. in Arabic language and literature and someone, who is a beginner, reads you a text in Arabic, making a lot of mistakes and errors, do you not certainly feel superior to him in your own specialization, and that his reading is full of mistakes? Of course you do! Your knowledge is undisputable!

Therefore, if a coward says, "I am brave", this would be a false claim that reflects a serious defect in him. If a mean person says, "I am generous", this would be imperfect of him. If someone ignorant says, "I am knowledgeable", it would also be imperfect of him. In contrast, if someone knowledgeable says, "I know, and I will answer your question.", and he does answer the question, it would be perfect of him. Similarly, if a brave person says, "I am brave, and I shall defend you.", and he really does, it would be perfect of him. Also, if someone generous says, "I am generous. Here you are! Take this money!", it would be perfect of him.

When we say: Allah the All-Mighty, is Al-Mutakabbir (the Sublime, the Supreme), it is in fact a Name that denotes Divine Perfection, but when we say that a certain human being is mutakabbir, it denotes serious imperfection, because it means that he is an insolent arrogant person. This is the first fact of this lecture.

Actually, al-mutakabbir is someone who sees that all others are little compared to him; and he sees neither might nor glory but in himself. In other words, he looks upon others just like kings do towards their slaves. As for Allah the All-Mighty, He is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. In His Hand is the Dominion over all things. To Him do return all matters for judgment and decision. If He desires anything, He says, "Be!", and it is. If Allah the All-Mighty, says about Himself that He is Al-Mutakabbir, this means that He, Glory be to Him, knows Himself perfectly. 

As I have just said, this Name, Al-Mutakabbir, has to do with another Divine Name of Allah's, Al-Mu'min, which means that He, Glory be to Him, perfectly knows Himself. In this context, pay attention to the following Hadith, please: 

(( (On the authority of Abi Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Allah (Exalted and Sublime be He) said: Pride is my cloak and greatness My robe, and he who competes with Me in respect of either of them I shall cast into Hell-fire.) ))

[ [Sunan Abi Dawood]  ]


In another narration of the Hadith:

(( (…, I destroy him and do not care.) ))


Some scholars said, "The word "Al-Mutakabbir" is derived from Al-Kibriya' (Sublimity, Pride); and he who has the right to claim for Sublimity or Pride is the king." To this effect, Allah the All-Mighty says: 

﴾ (They said: "Have you come to us to turn us away from that (Faith) we found our fathers following, – and that you two may have greatness in the land? We are not going to believe you two!") ﴿

[  [Yunus, 78] ]


Al-Mutakabbir (the Sublime) is Allah, the King, Whose Sovereignty never perishes, the Great, in Whose Kingdom nothing happens except by His Leave, the One, the Omnipotent. Such is one of the meanings of Allah's Most Beautiful Name Al-Mutakabbir (the Sublime). 

Another meaning is derived from the words Al-Kabeer (i.e. the Great). Allah the All-Mighty, says: 

﴾ So when she heard of their accusation, she sent for them and prepared a banquet for them; she gave each one of them a knife (to cut the foodstuff with), and she said [(to Yusuf (Joseph)]: "Come out before them." Then, when they saw him, they exalted him (at his beauty) and (in their astonishment) cut their hands. They said: "How perfect is Allah (or Allah forbid)! No man is this! This is none other than a noble angel!" ﴿


[ Yusuf, 31] ]


In other words, due to Yusuf's (Joseph's) great beauty, the women cut their fingers. Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, is also Mutakabbir in the sense that His Divine Sublimity is Infinite, and that He is Great; Whose Divine Greatness is Infinite. This is the second meaning of Allah's Beautiful Name Al-Mutakabbir.

A third meaning is that Al-Mutakabbir is Allah, Who is far Exalted above being unjust or unfair to His slaves. A fourth meaning is that Allah, Most Gracious, is Al-Mutakabbir in the sense that in His Hand is Beneficence and from Him is Forgiveness. A fifth meaning of Al-Mutakabbir is that His Sovereignty, Dominion and Greatness are imperishable.

Another meaning of Allah's Beautiful Name Al-Mutakabbir is the Great and Sublime, and sublimity comes from self-existence and self-guidance. Allah the All-Mighty, has a Free Will. Also, Al-Mutakabbir is Allah, Who is far above any kind of imperfection or defect that does not befit His Divine Perfection, and Who is far Exalted above anthropomorphic qualities of His creatures. Therefore, we have to know Allah, because if we know Him, we obey Him. Regarding this point, Allah the All-Mighty, says:

﴾ (And of men and Ad–Dawab (moving living creatures, beasts, etc.), and cattle, in like manner of various colours. It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Mighty, Oft-Forgiving.) ﴿

[  [Fatir, 28] ]


Our deeds are by no means proper and rightly guided unless we know Allah; and we are never happy in the worldly life or in the Hereafter unless our deeds are rightly guided. There are three interconnected facts concerning this point: We have to know Allah; if we know Him, we obey Him; and if we obey Him, we attain happiness of intimacy with Him in the worldly life and in the Hereafter. Therefore, Al-Mutakabbir is He, Allah, Who is far above all the anthropomorphic qualities of His creatures, Who is Perfect in His own Divine Character, in His Attributes, and in His Acts. 

Pay attention to the following Hadith, please: 

(( (Iyad. bin Himar reported that, while Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) was delivering an address, he stated that Allah commanded me The rest of the hadith is the same, and there is an addition in it: "Allah revealed to me that we should be humble amongst ourselves and none should show pride upon the others, And it does not befit one to do so, and He also said: 'There are among you people to follow not caring a bit for their family and property'." Qatada said: "Abu Abdullah, would this happen?" Thereupon he said, "Yes. By Allah, I found this in the days of ignorance that a person grazed the goat of a tribe and did not find anyone but their slave-girl (and he did not spare her) but committed adultery with her.") ))

[ [Sahih Muslim] ]


Also, in a Divine Hadith, Allah, Most Gracious, says:

(( (I love three, and My Love for three is greater: I love the obedient person, and My Love for a young obedient one is greater. I love the modest person, and My Love for a rich modest one is greater. I love the generous, and My Love for a poor generous one is greater. And I hate three, and My Hatred for three is greater: I hate the disobedient, and My Hatred for an old disobedient one is greater. I hate the arrogant, and My Hatred for a poor arrogant one is greater. And I hate misers, and My Hatred for a rich miser is greater.) ))


Do you believe, dear brothers, that Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said the following?
 

(( He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise.) ))

[ [Sahih Muslim] ]


Why? They said, "Because arrogance clashes with man's being a slave of Allah the All-Mighty. In other words, you are a slave, and Allah is the Lord: if you rival with Him concerning His Divine Lordship, He destroys you, as mentioned in the above Divine Hadith. That is why Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, says: 

(( (Whoever humbles himself one degree for the sake of Allah, Allah will raise him in status one degree, and whoever behaves arrogantly towards Allah one degree, Allah will lower him in status one degree, until He makes him among the lowest of the low.) ))

 

[ [Sunan Ibn Majah, on the authority of Abi Sa'id] ]


When Allah's Messenger, (PBUH), conquered Makkah, he entered it with a bowed head so that his hat almost touched the neck of his camel out of modesty and humbleness to Allah the All-Mighty, Most Gracious. 

(( (It was narrated that Abu Mas'ud said: A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his voice trembled out of awe as he spoke to him. The Prophet said to him, "Be calm, for I am not a king. Verily, I am only the son of a woman who ate dried meat.") ))


In fact, Allah's Divine Sublimity, Supremeness, Glory, Highness, Praiseworthiness, Exaltedness, Beauty, …etc, all betoken the fact that He the All-Mighty, Most Gracious, deserves all Attributes of Divine Majesty and Perfection and is Free from all kinds of defects and imperfection. 

A knowledgeable scholar made Du'a to Allah, "O my Lord! How can I draw near to You (i.e. attain Your Love and Compassion)?!" So he listened to a voice in his heart (as if Allah were addressing him), "O My slave! Seek My Love and Compassion by things that are not found in Me." He asked, "O Lord! What are the things that are not found in You?" The Almighty answered him, "Humbleness and lack of self-sufficiency." That is why showing both humbleness to Allah and desperate need of Him is the shortest way to attain Allah's Divine Love and Compassion. 

The other most successful way that leads you to Allah the All-Mighty is to hasten to Him with faithful obedience and sincere devotion.

Obey Our Command, and We unveil Our Veils for you, 
For We grant with pleasure those who love Us.
Seek refuge in Our Protection and seek help from Us, 
So that We may protect you from the evil ones from among Our creatures.
Let nothing divert you from remembering Us,
Be sincere to Us, and you will find happiness and contentment.
Surrender to Us the judgment of all matters,
For bringing near and casting away are but under Our Command.
Be with Allah, you find Allah with you.
Leave all others (but Allah) and beware of your greediness. 
Put yourself in humble submission to Him, 
Before your own self, by force, puts you.

One of the knowledgeable scholars whose belief in Allah is deep said that one day, after he had performed both the late night and dawn prayers but had not spent the night standing in prayer, he said to himself, "I would rather spend the night sleeping and get up with regret in the morning than spend the night standing in prayer and be self-conceited in the morning." In other words, he entered a state of arrogance. In this context, Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, was once quoted as saying:  

(( (If you did not commit sins, I would be more afraid for you of something that is more serious, namely self-conceitedness and vanity.) ))


Of course, only those who contemplate Allah's Divine Signs in the universe are able to deliberate Allah's Beautiful Name "Al-Mutakabbir" (the Sublime, the Supreme). Some astronomers say, "In the universe, there are more than a million-million galaxies, in each of which there are more than a million-million stars. Light needs one second in order to cross the distance between the earth and the moon, eight minutes in order to cross the distance between the earth and the sun, and four years in traveling to us from the nearest of the fixed stars, taking into consideration that in one single second, light crosses 300.000 km's." In other words, if we desire to travel by car the distance between the earth and the nearest star, we need about 50.000.000 years. So, what do you think of the Polar Star, from which light needs 4.000 years in reaching us (i.e. 50.000.000 X 1.000: fifty billion years), or a galaxy called Andromeda, from which light takes a million years in traveling to the earth, or even a newly discovered galaxy from which light needs 16.000.000.000 years in traveling to us? Regarding these facts, Allah the All-Mighty, says:

﴾ (So I swear by Mawaqi (setting or the mansions, etc.) of the stars (they traverse)* And verily, that is indeed a great oath, if you but know.) ﴿

[  [Al-Waqi'ah, 75-76] ]


A human being may quite often boast about himself and his achievements repeating, "I am so and so", but whom do you think you are before the great creation of Allah the All-mighty! Contemplate such fabulously great cosmic distances as above-mentioned! Such galaxy was in such place some 16.000.000.000 years ago, but where is it now? No one but Allah the All-Mighty, Alone, knows where it is now! 

In a previous lecture, I mentioned that the distance between the earth and the sun is 158.000.000 km's, that the sun is 1.300.000 times bigger than the earth, and that a small brilliant red star called Antares is as big as the earth plus the sun plus the distance between them. Therefore, Allah is Al-Mutakabbir, the Sublime, the Supreme! His Marvelous Creation bespeaks His Infinite Divine Greatness and Majesty.

Once again, I repeat: The whole universe is a mere manifestation of Allah's Beautiful Divine Names and Attributes. He the All-Mighty cannot possibly be seen by the human eye, but the universe, which is His Creation, is quite visible and clearly substantiates His Infinite Divine Might, Majesty and Power. To this effect, Allah the All-Mighty, says: 

﴾ (We will show them Our Signs in the universe, and in their ownselves, until it becomes manifest to them that this (the Qur’an) is the truth. Is it not sufficient in regard to your Lord that He is a Witness over all things?) ﴿

[  [Fussilat, 53] ]


Believe it or not, in a husband-wife sexual intercourse 300.000.000 seminal animalcules are ejected, on each of which there are millions of programmed pieces of information called genes. Such genes are only visible under the microscope. 

Well, in the human brain, there are 140.000.000.000 brown cells whose function has not been yet found out. Furthermore, in the retina of the human eye, there are 130.000.000 cone and bacilli cells (photoreceptor cells) to provide clear vision; and in each of the optic sensors, there are 900.000 optic nerves.

Do you believe that if someone goes to the Arctic, where the temperature is minus 70 degrees Celsius in winter, he can wear whatever heavy clothes to protect himself from the excessively cold weather, but he cannot cover his eyes, because if he does, he will not be able to see? That is why Allah the All-Mighty, Most Gracious, has equipped our eyes with a special kind of anti-freeze liquid, which protects the human eye from being frozen of the cold. Without such marvelous liquid, man would soon go blind because of the cold. Yes, indeed! It is Allah, Al-Mutakabbir, the Sublime, the Supreme, the One Free from all kinds of imperfection in both His Own Divine Self and Acts! Just ponder over Allah's following Words: 

﴾ (Those who remember Allah (always, and in prayers) standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and think deeply about the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): “Our Lord! You have not created (all) this without purpose, glory to You! (Exalted be You above all that they associate with You as partners). Give us salvation from the torment of the Fire* "Our Lord! Verily, whom You admit to the Fire, indeed, You have disgraced him, and never will the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers) find any helpers.) ﴿

 

[ [Aal-'Imran, 190-191] ]


Do you believe that in the human brain there is the most accurate organ that measures the difference of the sound received by both ears?! This is because the same sound reaches the ear that is nearer to the sound source 1/1.625 of a second before the other. The brain measures such difference and determines direction of sound-source. Without such an organ, direction of sound-sources cannot possibly be perceived. Indeed! Allah is Al-Mutakabbir, the Sublime, the Supreme!

In fact, Allah's Most Beautiful Names cannot be known except by means of His Divine cosmic Signs, which are wide-spread in the universe, and which betoken His Infinite Divine Might and Power. 

All of us have stores of liquid fuel for our heating systems; and it is known that five cubic meters of oil make five barrels. Do you believe that the human heart pumps eight cubic meters of blood in one single day, the size of the highest sky-scraper in the world in the average life-p of a human being.

Do you think you are a tiny creature,
While in you is imbedded the greater world?!

Do you believe that the human liver performs more than 5.000 tasks in the human body, and that without a liver man can survive only for three hours? The speech about Allah's Divine Miracles in both man and the universe is endless. In this context, Allah the All-Mighty, says:

﴾ (And also in your ownselves. Will you not then see?) ﴿

[  [Adh-Dharyat, 21] ]


Your own body, dear brothers, is a teaching means; the organs of your body, different and numerous as they are, are the greatest teaching means that leads you to Allah the All-Mighty. If you spend all your life contemplating the greatness of the creation of man, you will never be able to know the reality of Allah's Divine Character. 

Those who display arrogance from among the children of Adam wrong themselves! Just a few weeks ago, Allah, Most Gracious, had mercy on us when a very mild earthquake hit our country. Had such an earthquake been stronger, we would have been completely destroyed. It would have been possibly said, "80.000 killed people and 70.000 injured ones would have been found under the debris." There would have been complete destruction of houses and buildings. Yes, indeed! It was a faint earthquake, less than 5 degrees on the Rechter Scale! If it had been more than 5 degrees, we would not be here now in this Masjid. So, why should we ever display arrogance?! We live by Allah's Kindness and Care. 

A great many beautiful cities have been completely destroyed in only a few seconds, so why should we ever be arrogant?!

When rain was withheld and water became scarce, we felt that we would be deprived of even a glass of water! Is there on the whole earth anyone who could determine to send us rain?! Praise be to Allah the All-Mighty, Most Gracious, Who had mercy on us, and so showed us that it is He, Who is Al-Mutakabbir. It is He Who sends us rain out of His Divine Mercy! Who are we?! 

A space shuttle was given an arrogant name, "Challenger", which was insolent to the Lord, Allah the All-Mighty. On board of the shuttle were seven male astronauts accompanied by a female one that was supposed to get pregnant from one of the male astronauts and give birth to a baby in outer space. However, it burst into blazing flames only seventy seconds after it had been launched. Why should we be arrogant?! Who are we?! Our existence or extinction is but by one Divine Word; "Be!" or "Perish!" That is why it has been rightly said:

I have nothing but my need of You as a means,
And because of my need of You I supplicate to You my need.
I have no means but knocking at Your Door,
But if Your Door is closed before me,
at which other door shall I knock?!

Yes, indeed! You are in bad constant need of the Lord, Allah the All-Mighty! In weal and woe, even when you are at your best in health, knowledge and power, you are in bad need of Him! Therefore, whenever you desire to do anything, you should invoke the Lord, All-Mighty: "O Allah! I have forsaken my might and power to take refuge in Your Might and Power! O You, the Owner of Might and Power!

Do you believe (I put forward these examples in order to wake people from their heedlessness and carelessness, for it does not befit man to be arrogant: if he does show arrogance, it is most foolish of him) that if a drop of blood were to clot in a certain part of the brain, man would be paralyzed. In other words, after having been in a state of comfort and ease with all people around him showing due respect, love and care, a microscopic blood-clot in the brain suddenly renders him a feeble motionless semi-dead body lying in bed with the most intimate relatives looking forward to his death. Why should we be arrogant?! If such a blood-drop were to clot in another part of the brain, man may, quite suddenly, lose his memory. 

A dear brother told me that his father lost his memory before he died. He went back from work to his home in Al-Muhajireen quarter of Damascus, but he remained more than half an hour in desperate search for his home. In what condition will you be if you lose your memory?! If you lose your memory, you will lose even yourself, you will be just like a feather in the wind.

A son once entered upon his old father, who used to be a chemist. The father asked, "Who are you?" In great amazement, the son replied, "I am your son!" The father said, "I do not know you!" Therefore, a clot of blood in the man's brain caused him to lose his memory. If the clot is in a third part of the brain, man will lose his sight, and all the beautiful scenes will be gone: no colors, no green mountains, no blue seas, or no beautiful son or daughter. All the sense of visual beauty would be lost in the darkness of his eyes.

I was told that a famous blind writer used to spend the summer in the most beautiful place in Austria. I swear by Allah that even if he was put in a small air-conditioned room in his poor town, it would make no difference for him, for he sees nothing! Therefore, if man lowers his gaze at the things that Allah the All-Mighty, determines as unlawful for him, and if, out of obedience and devotion to the Lord, Most Gracious, he guards his eyes against indecent scenes, the Lord, will most probably protect his sight and keep his eyes safe and healthy for him. In this context, Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said: 

(( (The best ones among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Quran and teach it.) ))

[ [Sahih Al-Bukhari] ]


One of the venerable religious scholars of Damascus taught the Noble Quran to three consecutive generations. Whenever he met any one of his students, he would tell him, "O son! You were my student, and so were your father and grandfather!" He started teaching when he was eighteen and continued until he was ninety-eight, and he used to have an upright healthy body with sharp eyes and delicate ears. He was also granted the marital bliss until his death. Whenever he was asked, "O Master! To what do you attribute your good health?", he would humbly say, "O son! I have guarded my senses in my youth (against unlawful or indecent things), so Allah has protected them for me in my old age. He who lives in righteousness and piety will be blessed with strength and good health." Do you not wish, dear reader, to be in good health and great honor when you are old?! It has been rightly said, "If you desire to be dear to Allah, be dutiful to Him. If you desire to be the most powerful of all mankind, put your trust in Allah. If you desire to be the richest of all mankind, be more confident in what is in Allah's Hands than what is in your own hands."

Just reflect on  factories of the red blood corpuscles inside the bones; these factories of the red corpuscles produce 2.500.000 corpuscles per second, but they stop producing these cells properly if man is afflicted with an intractable disease (Leukemia). Sometimes they stop working for no known reason, so why should you be arrogant?! A million dangers threaten you! So, what can you do?

I know someone who was well-off and had a prominent social position in this country. One day, he lost his sight, and when a friend of his came to visit him, he said to him, "I swear by Allah, I would be happy without the Ph.D. and the high social rank I have, and I would be satisfied with being a poor beggar asking people for money in the streets if only Allah the All-Mighty gave me back my sight!" The bliss of eye-sight can be preserved by showing faithful obedience and sincere devotion to our Lord, Allah the All-Mighty.

Where does a malignant tumor come from? A healthy person may suddenly suffer from having his cells grown uncontrollably! Sometimes, for no known reason, man's kidneys fail to work properly, and thus he should go to hospital for artificial cleaning of his kidneys at least twice a week, which is unbearable. So, why should you be arrogant? Do you have control over your kidneys! Do you have control over your heart? Do you have control over the valves of your heart? Do you have control over the main artery that carries blood into your heart? Can you guarantee to keep blood-vessels inside your brain unblocked? Can you keep your sensory nerves well and in a good condition?! Can you guarantee the good functioning of the joints between your bones and that your body does not become one unmovable tough block of flesh?!

There are countless illnesses and diseases, so why should you be arrogant? Do you have control over your tongue? While you are asleep, saliva increases in your mouth, and therefore, a warning signal is sent to your brain, which, in turn, commands the uvula to open the way to your esophagus, into which the saliva flows automatically while you are soundly asleep. 

While you are soundly asleep, Allah the All-Mighty, causes you to turn over from side to side more than 38 times a night, so that you may not fall off your bed. Such are Allah's Graces and Blessings upon you!  Contemplate them and turn to your Lord, Allah, Most Gracious, with true love and sincere devotion! It was said, "Do not belittle sins, but rather think of Him, against Whom you transgress when you commit such sins!" 

If upon birth, Botallo's foramen in the baby's heart does not close automatically, a great amount of money is needed for a surgical operation in order to close it. It is an opening between both auricles of the heart. As I have been informed by some doctors, a clot is sent to close it. Whose Hand is inside the heart?! Whose Hand comes and closes Botallo's foramen? If it remained unclosed, the baby's color would be blue, simply because blood would not be carried from one auricle of the heart to the other or refined through the lungs.

When someone has a healthy baby, he invokes, "O Lord! Praise be all Yours!" What can we do if the baby is born blue and his health problem needs a costly surgical operation? Why should we be arrogant? Allah the All-Mighty, is Able to force you to sell both your home and store in order to pay for a single surgical operation! Why should you be arrogant? 

I stress the fact that Allah, Al-Mutakabbir, the Sublime, the Supreme, Alone, has the right to be Arrogant, for Arrogance reflects Divine Perfection as much as it reflects human imperfection. 

A friend of mine died because of an illness that resulted from lack of blood plates. Without such blood plates, man would bleed to death at the slightest wound. This is because in the human blood there are special hormones for both liquefaction and coagulation of the blood. Due to the balance between both kinds of hormones, the blood remains in a good condition, and it runs smoothly through the blood-vessels. Who regulates such hormones? The Lord, Allah the All-Mighty, Most Gracious, the Sublime, the Supreme does! 

While you are soundly and comfortably asleep, who controls breathing for you? The Lord, Allah the All-Mighty! If anything goes wrong with your breathing due to reflexive nervous failure, a very expensive medicine is needed, a tablet of which has to be taken every single hour during the night. A person who suffers from such a disease has to wake up every hour to take a tablet and then go back to sleep! He has to keep more than one alarm clock beside him if he desires to survive during the night! What a life! 

Due to Allah's Infinite Divine Grace, your breathing goes on, quite smoothly and comfortably, for long hours, while you are soundly asleep. In fact, the speech about man's miraculous nature is almost endless. The more knowledgeable man is the more humble and submissive to Allah, All-Mighty, Most Gracious, he is. To this effect, Allah, Most Merciful, says: 

﴾ (It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah.) ﴿

[  [Fatir, 28] ]


Yes indeed! Only the knowledgeable ones, and no other human beings, fear Allah the All-Mighty. Therefore, it has been rightly said, "One should be a knowledgeable person, a learner, a listener, or a lover of learning; otherwise one would be a great loser." In the same context, Imam Al-Ghazali said, "Knowledge does not lend you some of itself unless you dedicate yourself completely to it. If you dedicate to it some of yourself, it lends you nothing." Moreover, knowledge is the only value that Allah the All-Mighty, considers as a distinguisher between His slaves. In other words, people may excel one another in a great many things: wealth, health, beauty, power, intelligence, …etc, but knowledge is the only thing that makes people excel in the Sight of Allah. To this effect, He, Glory be to Him, says:

﴾ (Is one who is obedient to Allah, prostrating himself or standing (in prayer) during the hours of the night, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the Mercy of his Lord (like one who disbelieves)? Say: "Are those who know equal to those who know not?" It is only men of understanding who will remember (i.e. get a lesson from Allah's Signs and Verses). ﴿ 

 [Az-Zumar, 9] 

It was reported in the relic: 

(( (Blessed is He (Allah), who allotted intelligence differently among His Slaves, for two men may be equal in righteous deed, piety, fast and prayer but differ in intelligence like an atom compared to a mountain. Verily, no better thing has Allah allotted to His slaves than intelligence and true Faith.) ))


That is why it has been rightly said, "Every new -born dawn calls out, 'O son of Adam! I am the dawn of a new day and a witness of your work! Avail yourself of me, for I shall never return until the Day of Resurrection!'" Regarding this point, the venerable devoted worshipper, Rabi'ah Al-Adawiyah, may Allah have mercy upon her soul, was once asked, "What is a human being?" She answered, "He is but a few days; whenever a day passes away, a part of him (man) passes away." 

To wrap up, Al-Mutakabbir, the Sublime, the Supreme, is one of Allah's Most Beautiful Divine Names and Exalted Attributes, which reflects His Divine Perfection, and no human being should ever assume such Divine quality, for that would reflect not only great insolence and arrogance but also serious ignorance and imperfection. 

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