With the Divine

The Creator, the Producer, the Fashioner

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Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem

In the Name of God, Most Merciful, Most Beneficent

“He is Allah, the Creator, the Inventor, the Fashioner; to Him belongs the best names. Whatever is in the heavens and earth is exalting Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.” [Qur’an, 59:24]

I hope that this article will be short in words, but longer in reflection. In order to truly understand these names of Allah, we have to contemplate and think about the universe and ourselves.

Al-Khaaliq, al-Baari’, al-Musawwir

Allah is the Creator, the Producer and the Fashioner. These Names might seem synonymous but al-Ghazali explains the difference:

“God – may He be praised and exalted- is creator [khaliq] inasmuch as He is the planner [muqaddir], producer [bari’] inasmuch as He initiates existence, and fashioner [musawwir] inasmuch as He arranges the forms of things invented in the finest way.”

Perhaps the most pertinent way to experience this is the gift of life itself. It is important to just take a few moments to think of our existence and how Allah brought us into this world. Allah says:

“Has there [not] come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing [even] mentioned?” [Qur’an, 76:1]

At one point there was nothing, but now there are extraordinary, complex beings. Allah told the Angels:

“I am going to create a human being from clay.” [Qur’an, 38:71]

After that we were produced from nothing, and then we were fashioned—all of us with our physical differences, our unique fingerprints, and our characters and personalities. And this is simply on a human realm. Think of all of the animals, the plants and the microcosms that exist. As al-Ghazali points out: “He is Creator by virtue of planning these things, Fashioner by virtue of originating according to the planning, and Producer by virtue of sheer origination and invention from nothing into existence. For sheer origination is one thing, and origination according to planning is another.”

I’ve always found these verses in Surat al-Qiyaama incredible:

“I swear by the Day of Resurrection

And I swear by the reproaching soul [to the certainty of resurrection].

Does man think that We will not assemble his bones?

Yes. [We are] Able [even] to proportion his fingertips.” [75:1-4]

This verse is amazing because Allah says that on the Day of Judgment, He will bring us back as we were even to the extent of our banaan. Banaan are the tips of the fingers. And it was only in the past couple of hundred years that it was recognized that every human being has his own unique fingerprint. Subhan’Allah (glory be to God), the Creator, Producer and Fashioner!

Look at this short 1-minute video on how the face develops in the womb, it’s brilliant:

The Importance of Reflection

In order to truly understand these Names of Allah, reading about them is not enough. They require reflection. It is the act of pondering deeply—tafakkur—that brings about certainty in Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He). And this is because you truly witness His dominion.

Um Ad-Dardaa, the wife of the companion Abu Ad-Dardaa (may Allah be pleased with them), was asked what the greatest act of worship was that her husband used to do. She replied, “At-tafakkur,” meaning reflecting deeply. The great scholar, al-Hasan al-Basri said: “An hour’s contemplation is better than a year of qiyaam (the night prayer),” and one of the tabi’een (the generations following the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ, peace be upon him) said: “Reflection is the light of worship.” If we do not reflect, we take things for granted. Even praying without reflecting and devotion becomes monotonous.

When the Prophet ﷺ  used to go to the Cave of Hiraa, he used to reflect. He would reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth. He would reflect on his own creation and his purpose. As Allah says:

“Do they not contemplate within themselves? Allah has not created the heavens and the earth and what is between them except in truth and for a specified term. And indeed, many of the people, in [the matter of] the meeting with their Lord, are disbelievers.” [Qur’an, 30:8]

And:

“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding. Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], ‘Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.’” [Qur’an, 3:190-191]

So the practical exercise to understand these Names is to take some time and truly reflect on the beauty and creation of this world. One way is by stepping outside and simply seeing. And the second way is to understand how things work. I’ve posted a link to one video, but there are many more:

Inside a cell:

 

Finally, since He is The Creator, The Inventor, and The Fashioner, then He also knows best how we work. He created things in a beautiful order. Scientists still discover more and more about how the world works and one can only say Subhan Allah. He created us, and thus He knows us. When the Prophet ﷺ says, for example, “No human ever filled a vessel worse than the stomach. Sufficient for any son of Adam are some morsels to keep his back straight. But if it must be, then one third for his food, one third for his drink and one third for his breath,” [Ahmad] it is because he knows what is good for us. The Prophet ﷺ does not speak out of his own desires. So another point of reflection is the advice that is given to us in the Qur’an and by the Prophet ﷺ. Allah wants good for us, so we should reflect on the wisdom of His commandments.

About the author

Jinan Yousef

Jinan Yousef

Jinan's main interests within the field of Islamic Studies are the Names of Allah, the life and character of the Prophet ﷺ, tazkiya and Muslim personalities.

30 Comments

  • Mashallah, this is a wonderful argument. May I obey this heed in reflection of the creator, producer and fashioner.

    I have a thought that might invoke some conversation, inshallah. As a middle-management professional in Insurance and Technology, I often hear Imam Suhaibe speak to the relevance that my demographic hold in the community. We provide modern, western and innovative skills to our community enriching the material benefits of our community. When I say material I mean health/medical, technology, psychological, sociological, fiscal, organizational, political, historical as well as many other disciplines of the dunya. Inshallah the believers will be there when we cure cancer, create flying cars and create a new political system greater than constitutional democracy. Because of these disciplines we are required to reflect in our daily lives,” How can I use this algorithm to create a new solution.” So we are blessed that our reflection muscles are strong.

    Even more importantly as practicing Muslims we reflect on this Din. The best and most holy way. The Gracious and Merciful gift from our Soverign protector. Whom is Strong and Compels us towards his Greatness. From my experience in reflection, I reflect on new knowledge or old wisdom incorporating other experiences I have. In an obvious example, if I was a Senegalese child soldier I may think of Humiltiy and Strength as necessary values for keeping my family safe and responsible to our Din. Life impacts our reflection/contemplation. I use this strong example to show our our experiences in magnitude can affect our reflection.

    So I wish to post this thought and question. As professionals in the community won’t our reflection of Al Asma Ul Husna reflect our environments?

    Do you as the author feel it is positive, negative or just a normative that When I read your article on the Producer that I produce the reflection that I have an obligation to Allah(swt) to produce good works in my role at work? That I should be a servant to the Fashioner by trying to fashion computer programs in the most impressive and correct manner?

    Furthermore, if I am to see myself in my life as the servant of each Attribute of Al Ahad, then shouldn’t I know all of them and let those actions be my greatest Dawah? Doesn’t this also mean that I must be the best American I can be, the best Professional I can be, the best Scholar of Modern Culture as I can be so that I can fully exemplify these traits among people who are ignorant or deny the traits of Allah and potentially Allah himself?

    Being a muslim first wouldn’t our responsibility also be to be a model of the halal in modern culture?

    I am eager to here your thoughts!

    Thank you for writing this peace.
    As Salaam Alaikum

    • The picture of the Monarch brings back memories when as a child the placing of a caterpillar in a box with fresh milkweed leaves would suffice as food for the continuous life cycle of the Monarch Butterfly.
      Oh such awesome state of delivery when the chrysalis would present to mankind a butterfly.
      The metamorphose of our will can also be privileged
      with two sets of wings resting on our shoulders to remind us of our state of being and that to “be ”
      gives account to our state of life cycle!
      Subhan’Allah

    • I’m not the author, but I think it is normative. I think each of us is given a little of something of some attribute of Allah, by which to know Him when we receive the message. So I think it is necessarily natural that we derive our life service from the attributes that resonate best with us – for some of us, that life service may be fardh kifayah for our communities.

      The obvious corrollary to this is an appreciation for Allah’s statement that He created us in diversity to know each other. As we are each given from Him differently, and are sensitised differently to Him through life experience, we cannot ignore that others have different pieces of God’s gifts to man. So, if we are conscious of this, and appreciate the views of others, then it is not a flaw or weakness that we respond to what resonates most with us, because we can learn the rest from associating with others who are doing the same.

  • Salam, every creation of Almighty Allah (SWT) is a masterpiece.

    He it is Who created for you all that is in the earth. Then turned He to the heaven, and fashioned it as seven heavens. And He is knower of all things.(2 Surat-ul-Baqara . Aayat29).

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  • I agree with this article Allah is the creator and producer and no doubt Allah has created this world and the human. we are not aware of our real state we think we b are perfect but the reality is that we are not , any time our presence from this world can remove. we should have belief is these things because without this belief our life is not complete and useless appreciate author for this excellent article.

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