Talk by Abu Iyyaad Amjad Rafiq
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My notes:
The 10 Benefits are:
1.
The servant by way of these
Names and Attributes acquires the happiness in this Life and the Hereafter.
Rather we see that happiness in this Life and the Next is itself directly
dependent upon and tied to this faith in Allaah and knowledge of Allaah’s Names
and Attributes. The worship of the heart is itself dependent upon the knowledge
it is filled with.
Knowledge of Allaah’s Names and Attributes
is like the life of the heart. This knowledge creates the emotions in the heart
of love, fear, hope and reliance. To drive these emotions there must be
knowledge of Allaah’s Names and Attributes. A person’s knowledge of Allaah’s
Names and Attributes is the foundation of a person’s worship of Allaah
outwardly. For this reason these people who deviate in Allaah’s Names and
Attributes are doing a great deal of damage and harm to people’s eemaan of
Allaah because they are eroding away the basis of people’s eemaan. The happiness
of a servant in this Life and the Next is tied and dependant on acquiring this
particular knowledge. So the extent of the eemaan of a person is directly tied
to his knowledge of Allaah’s Names and Attributes. The greater his knowledge,
the greater his eemaan and the greater his happiness in this Life and the Next.
2.
A believer having faith in
Allaah’s Names and Attributes is the greatest means of fearing Allaah. Fear الخوف and awe الخشية
propel a person to the obedience of Allaah. The more a servant knows his Lord,
the more he will be closer to his Lord and he will be more firm upon his
worship and keep away from disobedience. Knowledge makes him fearful of Allaah,
have awe of Him and be firm upon obedience.
3.
A believer with this
knowledge in his heart acquires tranquillity and his heart is at ease and he feels
secure in this Life and the Next. Why? Because it is by Allaah’s remembrance
that hearts find tranquillity. Allaah says in the Qur’aan:
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا
وَتَطْمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۗ أَلَا بِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ تَطْمَئِنُّ
الْقُلُوبُ
Those
who believe (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism), and whose hearts
find rest in the remembrance of Allah, Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do
hearts find rest. [Ra’d 13:28]
How do we remember Allaah? We remember Him on
account of what He has told us of His Names and Attributes. This shows that a
servant who knows Allaah and His Attributes is rooted in this knowledge. He
will be most tranquil and at ease and peace. He will feel safe and secure no
matter what happens around him because this knowledge is what brings safety,
serenity, calmness and ease in the heart as opposed to anxiety, stress and fear.
4.
The reward in the Hereafter
is all tied to this eemaan, faith - knowledge of Allaah’s Names and Attributes if a person acts upon what this knowledge requires. So if a person acts upon
what this knowledge entails then he will have in the Hereafter what no eye has
seen nor ear has heard; and what has never been imagined in the heart and mind
of a person. Likewise he will be saved from the Hell Fire. This is the benefit
of this knowledge. The effects and fruits of this knowledge is that he will be
saved from the Hellfire and have the great pleasure of seeing Allaah in the
Hereafter and looking at Allaah’s Face which comes on top of the reward of
entering Paradise.
5.
This eemaan in Allaah in
general (Tawheed of Worship, Tawheed of Lordship and Tawheed of Allaah’s Names
and Attributes) validates actions and makes them acceptable to Allaah. It makes
them correct and sound. The conditions of actions being acceptable are
sincerity, tawheed and that they are correct. Eemaan in Allaah’s Names and
Attributes validates actions and makes them acceptable. Allaah Says,
وَمَن
يَكْفُرْ بِالْإِيمَانِ فَقَدْ حَبِطَ عَمَلُهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ
And
whosoever disbelieves in the Oneness of Allah and in all the other Articles of
Faith [i.e. His (Allah's), Angels, His Holy Books, His Messengers, the Day
of Resurrection and Al-Qadar (Divine Preordainments)], then fruitless is
his work, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers. [Ma’idah 5:5]
وَمَنْ أَرَادَ
الْآخِرَةَ وَسَعَىٰ لَهَا سَعْيَهَا وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَأُولَٰئِكَ كَانَ
سَعْيُهُم مَّشْكُورًا
And
whoever desires the Hereafter and strives for it, with the necessary effort due
for it (i.e. do righteous deeds of Allah's Obedience) while he is a believer
(in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism), then such are the ones whose
striving shall be appreciated, thanked and rewarded (by Allah). [Israa 17:19]
He mentions eemaan and striving. Belief in
Allaah’s Names and Attributes, His Lordship and Worship. Actions depend upon
their acceptance. It has to be correct eemaan for the deeds to be acceptable.
6.
Eemaan which is sound and
correct is something that keeps a servant adhering to the truth and continuing
to benefit from admonitions and lessons. It maintains his fitrah (natural
disposition) being sound and not corrupt. It makes him maintain a pure, good
intention, desirous of good deeds and keeping away from evil things. This cultivation
and nurturing upon Allaah’s Names and Attributes keeps him healthy and robust
in these different ways (benefit from admonitions, heart remains clean and
sound, his fitrah is protected, good intention and it leads to good deeds). The
effect of the cultivation of sound eemaan keeps him in check.
7.
Faith in Allaah is what a
believer can recourse to and seek refuge in. All of the evils, harms that take
place, fear, disobedience (every believer falls into these things - stress,
anxieties, sadness, grieving, obedience and disobedience, sometimes sins and sometimes
he is pious. This happens to every single person. He always has eemaan to fall
back on. When nice, likeable, pleasurable things happen to him his eemaan
forces him to be grateful to Allaah and to praise and thank Allaah. When
harmful, dislikeable things happen to him he’s sad and he recourses back to his
eemaan and it leads him to have patience, anticipate rewards and make
repentance. Every situation that we have, a believer whether it is in religious
or worldly affairs recourses back to eemaan which is a foundation for his life
and Hereafter. It keeps him in check.
8.
Knowledge of Allaah’s Names
and Attributes brings about love of Allaah in the heart. It develops that love
in the hearts because the Names are such that they naturally produce love in
the heart. Allaah has created the hearts, mankind and souls. He has made
them incline to love things that have beauty and perfection. Likewise when they
learn Allaah’s Names and Attributes and the perfection and beauty in meaning
behind the Names and Attributes then without a doubt this naturally causes the
heart to love Allaah and when a heart loves Allaah then in turn it leads to the
limbs. Because the limbs are the soldiers and the heart is the king. Where the
king goes the soldiers always follow. This is why Allaah’s Names and Attributes
are the foundation of worship and why this is an area which we must give great
importance to learning.
9.
Knowledge of Allaah’s Names
and Attributes causes a person to inherit certainty (yaqeen) in the fact that Allaah
is alone and singled out in controlling all of the affairs in creation and
there is no partner to Allaah in anything. The servant will not be successful except
by reliance upon Allaah.
a.
First he will have
certainty then that will bring about
b.
Trust and reliance –
tawakkul upon Allaah
10.
Knowledge of Allaah’s Names and Attributes is
the foundation of every single type of worldly knowledge in the creation. Every
type of worldly knowledge arises from Allaah’s Names and Attributes. Everything
in terms of knowledge is either
a.
Al Khalq – from the creation
(knowledge of everything in the world, sciences etc.)or
b.
Al Amr – from Allaah’s commands
and prohibitions (sharee’ah).
Allaah’s Names and Attributes are tied to His Creation and His Command. Allaah Creates and Commands. Allaah’s Names and Attributes are tied to these two things. For example, from Allaah’s names you see that Allaah is
الخاق al Khaaliq The Creator
الرزاق ar Razzaaq The
Provider
المحي
al Muhyee The One who gives life
المميت
al Mumeet The One who takes life. All these Names are tied to the creation.
الحكيم
al Hakeem The Wise
يفعل ما
يشاء He does whatever He wills.
There are many
other descriptions, Attributes and Names. He Commands, He Wishes mercy upon His
servants. Some of His Names are tied to the Sharee’ah. All knowledge has a
basis in the knowledge of Allaah’s Names and Attributes. So this is why the one
who has the most knowledge of Allaah’s Names and Attributes is the one who is
the most knowledgeable of the creation and of Allaah’s sharee’ah. We should not
be deceived by thinking that just because the non-Muslims have their sciences and knowledge about the universe as if they are
the most knowledgeable of the creation. No! It is not true and real knowledge
from the right perspective of the creation. It is a misguided knowledge from
the wrong perspective. Despite having that knowledge they are still blind and
ignorant.
The ones who truly
know the most of the creation and the command are the most knowledgeable of
Allaah’s Names and Attributes and they are no doubt the Prophets, Messengers
and the scholars after them.
If you truly want
to have knowledge of the creation and command you must be someone who
understands Allaah’s Names and Attributes
Through Allaah’s
Names and Attributes a person sees everything taking place around them through Allaah’s
Names and Attributes. It is reflected in everything that takes place around us.
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My[1]
Summary of the Benefits of Knowing Allaah’s Names and Attributes:
1.
Happiness in this Life and
the Next.
2.
Greatest means of fearing
Allaah and therefore obeying Him.
3.
Tranquillity of the heart
and feeling safe and secure.
4.
He will be rewarded with
Paradise and saved from the Hellfire
5.
Validates actions making
them acceptable to Allaah.
6.
Adhering to the truth.
7.
In good and bad times a
believer in Allaah’s Names and Attributes has his faith to fall back on.
8.
Loving Allaah.
9.
It develops certainty and
trust in Allaah.
10.
It increases a person in
knowledge.
[1] Notes
taken and the benefits summarized at the end by Umm ‘AbdirRahmaan Tara Hashim
18/3/2018 1/7/1439
