Here is the explanation from the chapter in Shaykh AbdurRazzaaq's Book: Fiqhul Asmaa al Husnaa.
Please note that the Shaykh wrote two books on the same topic: a full version and a summarized version. The translation is of the chapter from the full version.
To download the English translation of this chapter on as Samad Click here
Mukhtasir (Summarized) Fiqh al Asmaa al Husnaa Download pdf in Arabic Click here
Full version Fiqh al Asmaa (in Arabic) Shaykh 'Abdur Razaaq 'Abdul Muhsin al Badr Click here
Understanding Allaah’s
Beautiful Names
Fiqhul Asmaa al Husnaa
by Shaykh Dr. AbdurRazzaaq bin ‘Abdul Muhsin
al Badr[1]
This name is found
in Suratul Ikhlaas:
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ (1) اللَّهُ
الصَّمَدُ (2) لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ (3) وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
1. Say (O Muhammad): "He is Allah, (the) One.
2. "Allah-us-Samad (The
Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks).
4. "And there is none co-equal or
comparable unto Him."
This is the Surah
that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم informed us is equal to a third of the Qur’aan. In
Saheeh al Bukhaari, Abee Sa’eed al Khudree said that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said to his Companions, “Would one of you
not be able to read a third of the Qur’aan in one night? This was difficult
upon them and they said, “Which of us would be able to do that O Messenger of
Allaah?” So he صلى الله عليه وسلم said, “Allaah al
Waahid as Samad is a third of the Qur’aan.” [3]
‘As Samad’ means السيد العظيم The Great Master who has complete and
perfect knowledge, wisdom, forbearance, power, honour, greatness and is Perfect
in all His Attributes and descriptions.
So He possesses
great and encompassing descriptions. All of the creation depend upon Him. All
beings, even the most hidden, call upon Him in all their affairs. They do not
have a Lord other than Him. They do not have anyone other than Him that they
can call on to rectify their religious or worldly matters. They take refuge in
Him at times of calamities and troubles. They humbly implore Him when disasters
and hard times strike. They ask Him for help during hardships and
trials. This is because they know that He can meet their needs and remove the
calamities due to His Perfect and complete Knowledge, encompassing Mercy and Compassion,
His perfection, great Ability, His Honour and His Authority.
Ibn Jareer at Tabaree narrated in his Tafseer from ‘Abdullaah bin ‘Abbaas
رضي الله
عنهما
that he said, “As Samad The Self-Sufficient Master: The Master who is complete
in his Mastership; The Sublime الشريف who is complete in
His Sublimity; The Great who is complete in His Greatness; The Forbearing who
is complete in His Forbearance and Clemency; The Rich who is complete in His
Richness; The Wise who is complete in His Wisdom.
He is the One who is complete and perfect in types of Exaltedness
and Mastership. He is Allaah, the One removed from every defect who deserves
these descriptions which are only befitting for Him.”[4]
It is worth mentioning that this great name is from a group of
Allaah’s Beautiful Names that indicate numerous descriptions and not one
meaning. This name الصمد as Samad points to Allaah’s many great and perfect Attributes.
Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله said, As Samad: The
Master who is complete in His Mastership. Due to this reason the Arabs used to
call their nobles with this name because of the many praiseworthy descriptions
contained within it. Their poets said:
Did not the announcer of death come early for
the two good ones from Banee Asad
Amru
bin Mas’ood and as Sayyid as Samad
As samad is the master whom the hearts turn to in hope and fear.
This is due to the many characteristics of good and the many praiseworthy
attributes in him.
Due to this the consensus of the Salaf (including ‘Abdullaah bin ‘Abbaas
رضي الله
عنهما)
said:
“as Samad is the One who is perfect in his Mastership. He is the Knowing
with perfect knowledge, the Able with complete Ability, the Wise with complete
Wisdom, the Merciful with complete Mercy and the Generous with complete
generosity.”[5]
Ibnul Qayyim explained that its derivatives point to that. It is
from gathering and intending. He is the One who all the people’s desires and purposes
are gathered towards and in Him are gathered all the Attributes of Mastership. This
is the origin in the language.
The Arabs call their Nobles ‘as samad’ because the people’s
intentions and focus are on them and also because the characteristics of nobility
are all gathered in them.[6]
Due to this the Pious Predecessors (Salaf) differed in expressions
in the tafseer of this Name as Samad.
Some of them said:
1.
As Samad the Self-Sufficient Master is
not hollow. He does not eat nor drink.
2.
He is the One to Whom the creation turns
to for their needs and requests.
3.
He is the One from Whom nothing issues
forth. For example, no prominent noble comes from Him and He does not have
children.
4.
He is the Master with ultimate mastery.
5.
He is the One with no-one above Him.
Ibn Jareer at Tabaree brought all of these sayings in his Tafseer [7] and mentioned which
of the Imaams of the Salaf said them رحمهم الله. Al Haafidth Ibn Katheer
also mentioned the sayings in his Tafseer[8]. Other Mufassiroon
who explained the Qur’aan also did the same. All of these sayings are true
because this Name (as Samad) indicates many descriptions and not only one as we
have previously made clear.
Al Haafidth Ibn Katheer quoted Abul Qaasim at Tabaraanee in his
book ‘As Sunnah’ after bringing many of the sayings in the explanation of ‘as
Samad’ by saying, “and all of this is correct and from the descriptions of our
Lord the Exalted and Mighty. He is the One who is turned to when in need; He
has the complete Mastership; He is the Perfect Master who is not hollow and
does not eat nor drink; and He is the Eternal after His creation.[9]
Al-Baghawee رحمه الله said,
“It is better that the word ‘as Samad’ carries all of these
meanings that have been said about it because it encompasses them all. So this
means that no samad (perfect master) exists except Allaah the Exalted, the
Great, the Able to do all things. This is a name specific to Allaah alone. He
has beautiful Names and lofty Attributes.”
لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ ۖ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ
There is nothing
like Him and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.
Shooraa [42:11][10]
Shaykh Muhammad al Ameen ash-Shinqeetee رحمه الله said,
“It is well-known in the speech of the Arabs that they use ‘as
samad’ meaning the Great Master and the One who is turned to who has no hollowness.
So Allaah, the Exalted is the Master who is turned to alone during hardships
and needs. He is the Purified and above having characteristics of the creation
such as eating food and so on. Far removed indeed is Allaah the Exalted from
that.[11]
If a servant knows that His Lord is described with this Perfection
and Majesty and that He, the far removed from every imperfection, there is
nothing above Him, and that nothing is impossible for Him. He the far removed
from every imperfection, is a sanctuary and refuge for the creation. There is
no refuge nor safe haven from Him except to Him. To Him alone is the escape and
to Him alone does the creation turn to for their needs, requests and wishes.
It is obligatory upon a person that he does not seek refuge in
other than Him, that he does not ask anyone except Him for his needs, that he
does not direct his worship except to Him and that he does not seek help except
from Him and that he does not put his trust except in Him.
أَمَّن يُجِيبُ الْمُضْطَرَّ إِذَا دَعَاهُ
وَيَكْشِفُ السُّوءَ وَيَجْعَلُكُمْ خُلَفَاءَ الْأَرْضِ ۗ أَإِلَٰهٌ مَّعَ
اللَّهِ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ
“Is not He (better
than your gods) Who responds to the distressed one when he calls on Him, and
Who removes the evil and makes you inheritors of the earth, generations after
generations? Is there any ilaah (god) with Allaah? Little is it that you
remember.”
Suratun Naml [27:62]
The Noble Qur’aan – The
Self-Sufficient Master
Abu Talhah رحمه الله -
The Perfect Lord and Master upon whom everything depends totally
Moosa Richardson – The
Eternal
[3]
Saheeh al Bukhaaree no. 4727.
[4]
(24/736 At Turki Print); Suyooti in ‘Dur al Manthoor’ (15/780) Ibn al Mundhir;
Ibn Abee Haatim. Abee ash Shaykh in ‘al Udthmaa’. Al Bayhaqi in ‘The Names and
Attributes’.
[5]
As Sawaa’iq al Mursalah (3/1025).
[6]
Faa’idah al Jaleelah fee Qawaa’id al Asmaa al Husnaa. P21-22
[7]
(Tafseer at Tabaree) 24/731-737
[8]
(Tafseer Ibn Katheer) 8/548
[9]
As above.
[10]
Ma’aalim at Tanzeel. 7/321
[11]
Adwaa al Bayaan (2/187).
