attributes of God – Virtual Mosque

He Has Your Back: Al-Wali

Jinan Yousef — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 12:00:27 +0000

Photo: Brook Ward

We have different categories of friends. Some friends are fun to hang out with, but that is pretty much it; you cannot exactly rely on them. Other friends are there for you but don’t always give you the best advice. But there are some friends – or that one friend – that truly has your back. The friend you would call to bail you out, because you have no doubt that they will, no matter how much trouble you are in. This friend is actually protective of you. Think for a moment: do you have a friend like that?

Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala (Exhalted is He), tells us that He is that Protective Friend. He is al-Wali. Allah says in the Qur’an:

“And it is He who sends down the rain after they had despaired and spreads His mercy. And He is the Protective Friend (al-Wali), the Praiseworthy.” (Qur’an, 42:28)

When looking into the root of this word, we cannot help but feel close to Allah (swt). The nuances that come with understanding His Names and the relationship of those Names with us shows us the beautiful intimacy of Allah’s knowledge of His servants. Al-Wali comes from the three-letter root: w-l-y. The root of the word means to be very close, without any barrier. For example, if someone was sitting somewhere, the person right next to him – not separated by anyone else – is the one yaleehi or the wali:

وجَلَسَ ممّا يَلِيني، أي يُقارِبُني

Hence it also has the following meanings: to be a friend and a helper; to defend and to guard. Al-Ghazali states that al-Wali is also “lover and protector.”

And so what does it mean for Allah (swt) to be al-Wali – the Protective Friend? It means that He has your back. He could have just been a ‘friend,’ but some friends are flaky. Abu Abdullah ‘Amr bin Al-‘as, radi Allahu ‘anhu (may Allah be pleased with him), said that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ (peace be upon him) saying openly not secretly, “The family of so-and-so (i.e., Abu Talib) are not my supporters (awliya’). My supporter (wali) is Allah and the righteous believing people. But they (that family) have kinship with whom I will maintain the ties of kinship.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

He is the true Wali, demonstrating His closeness to you and His protectiveness of you. This beautiful verse encapsulates how Allah (swt) manifests this attribute in our lives:

“Allah is the wali of those who believe. He brings them out from darknesses into the light…” (Qur’an, 2:257)

Allah says He is the Protective Friend of those who believe. Nouman Ali Khan explained that Allah did not use the word mu’minoon meaning “the believers.” He said “those who believed.” Who are they? They are the people who have entered into iman (faith) but it has not settled in their hearts yet. He is the Protective Friend of those people! Not the perfect ones, but the ones who struggle- the ones who are not there yet. And how is He a Protective Friend? He has the constant attribute of pulling them – pulling us, those who go up and down in their faith – out of darknesses, and bringing us into light. Not just one time, but over and over again. Just like He forgives over and over, He has your back always.

This is the general meaning of Allah (swt) being al-Wali. There is the general meaning of this Name, and then the specific one- the wilaya of those who are close to Him. Look at what Allah al-Wali said to the Prophet ﷺ:

“And be patient, [O Muhammad], for the decision of your Lord, for indeed, you are in Our eyes…” (Qur’an, 52:48)

While we all enjoy this friendship with Allah (swt), those who take their relationship with Him seriously, and do what they can to cultivate this relationship and be true slaves of the Most-Merciful, receive the special protection and friendship. This is alluded to in the hadith qudsi, where Allah (swt) tells us that:

“Whosoever acts with enmity towards a closer servant of Mine (Wali), I will indeed declare war against him. Nothing endears My servant to Me than doing of what I have made obligatory upon him to do. And My servant continues to draw nearer to Me with the supererogatory (nawafil) so that I shall love him. When I love him, I shall be his hearing with which he shall hear, his sight with which he shall see, his hands with which he shall hold, and his feet with which he shall walk. And if he asks (something) of Me, I shall surely give it to him, and if he takes refuge in Me, I shall certainly grant him it.” (Bukhari)

By focusing on what Allah loves – the obligatory acts – we begin on this journey of closeness to Him. And it is not just by doing the actions, but understanding the true meaning behind them: seeking to connect to Him with our prayer; restraining the lower self when we fast; being humble when we give charity; and remembering that we are brothers and sisters when we perform the Hajj (greater pilgrimage). Then by moving on and adding those things that are voluntary, we become beloved to Him, and then become part of His special friendship and protection. Al-Ghazali states that the one who is a wali of Allah befriends His friends, and shows enmity towards His enemies. And who are the enemies? “One’s own [lower] self and Satan.” The fruit of that is having neither fear nor grieving (Qur’an, 10:62).

We have countless examples from the life of the Prophet ﷺ. The people of Qureish in Makkah were planning on assassinating the Prophet ﷺ. On that night, he escaped Madinah with his closest friend, Abu Bakr (ra), but they were followed by his would-be assassins. So the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr hid in the Cave of Thawr, but they were followed there too. They were inches away from being discovered by their persecutors and with calm, the Prophet ﷺ said to Abu Bakr (ra): “Do not be sad, Allah is with us.” And they were not discovered and were able to make it to the security of the city of Madinah.

Look at what happened to Aisha (ra), the beloved wife of the Prophet ﷺ. She was the subject of a horrible rumor that attacked her very character and morals. But she was very sick for a whole month, and had no idea what was going on. That sickness was a protection for her. When she was better and finally made aware of the rumors, she was devastated. But that only lasted 3 days. She was hoping the Prophet ﷺ would receive a vision declaring her innocence, but something even more amazing happened. Verses of the Qur’an were revealed in Surat an-Nur (the Chapter of Light), so that there could be no ambiguity about her innocence.

In understanding this concept of wilaya, we need to go beyond the superficial. It is not just external protection that Allah (swt) gives; it is also the internal strength and tranquility that enables us to withstand the external hardships that is gifted to us. There will always be external struggles in this world, especially when we are striving to do good. The life of the Prophet ﷺ was not easy, nor was it for the companions or those who strived and continue to strive for justice and goodness for His sake. But the awliya’ (the recipients of His special friendship and protection) are given a tranquility to continue, and the vision to see beyond the superficial nature of things.

So do not worry. Allah (swt) is your Protective Friend. He has your back. Strive for Him and be ambitious in your goals, and do not let fear prevent you from doing good. As the Qur’an tells us:

“Indeed, my protector (wali) is Allah, who has sent down the Book; and He is an ally to the righteous.” (Qur’an, 7:196)

May we enhance the relationship with the Best Friend we could ask for, our Wali, Allah (swt).

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More on Al-Wali in this article: https://www.virtualmosque.com/personaldvlpt/character/to-become-allahs-wali/

Who Is Your Protector?

Jinan Yousef — Tue, 13 May 2014 12:00:13 +0000

One of my dearest friends is currently working in a war zone.

In late February, the government building she frequents came under attack, killing one of her colleagues. When I began writing this a couple of weeks ago, she had just called me to tell me about another ordeal. She was woken up in the middle of the night to the sound of bomb blasts, and the electricity was cut off. She had never been so afraid. She is a beautiful, brave human being who wants to help her homeland—so despite the great risk to her life, she stays.

When I was alerted about the first attack, there was nothing I could do. I tried calling, but her phone was switched off. So I turned to the One who sees and hears all. I called Allah subhanahu wa ta `ala (exalted is He) by His Names and made a desperate supplication:

“Ya Hafidh, ya Maani’, ya Qawwiy, Allahumma ihfadha, Allahumma imna’ al-sharr, ya Qawiyy, ya ‘Azeez.”

“O Guardian, O Preventer of Harm, O Strong One, O God protect her, O God prevent harm, O Strong One, O All-Powerful.”

At that moment of helplessness I could not remember any of the du`a’ (supplications) I had memorized. But I remembered Allah’s name and attributes. No one could protect her but Him.

When you are in the depth of helplessness, when you feel overpowered, when you feel unsafe, call on the All-Preserver, the Protector, the Strong.

Al-Hafidh, Al-Maani`, Al-Qawiyy

Al-Hafidh is The Guard (al-haaris, الحارس) and it comes from the root H-F-Dh (ح-ف-ظ). When the brothers of the Prophet Yusuf `alayhi as-salam (peace be upon him) asked their father to send with them their youngest brother, Prophet Jacob (as) said:

“He said, ‘Should I entrust you with him except [under coercion] as I entrusted you with his brother before? But Allah is the best guardian, and He is the most merciful of the merciful.’” (Qur’an, 12:64)

He said that Allah (swt) is the best guardian (khayrun hafidha – خير حافظا). Despite knowing that his sons had something to do with the disappearance of his son Yusuf, he knew who the ultimate protector was. And Allah (swt) guarded both Yusuf and his younger brother and returned them to him. And Yusuf underwent extreme hardship: from being thrown into a well by his brothers and sold into slavery to being seduced by a powerful woman and then wrongfully accused and thrown into jail. But Allah (swt) protected him in protecting his morals and character from corruption, and from any serious bodily harm, and finally he was made a minister and reunited with his family. Such is His protection even in the most difficult circumstances!

Al-Maani` comes from the root m-n-a’ (م-ن-ع), and it means to prevent, restrain or deny. Allah (swt) is the One who prevents harmful actions from coming to you. When a lifeguard rescues a drowning child, it is Allah (swt) who prevents the drowning. In Bukhari, Abu Bakr radi Allahu `anhu (may God be pleased with him) narrated the story of when he and the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) were on the journey from Makkah to Madina and being hunted down by Suraqa bin Malik. Abu Bakr (ra) exclaimed, “We have been discovered, O Messenger of Allah!” And the Prophet ﷺ replied, “Do not grieve, for Allah is with us.” The Prophet ﷺ made a du`a’ to Allah, and the legs of his horse sank into the earth up to its belly.

Al-Qawiyy indicates “perfect power” according to Imam al-Ghazali. This Name is mentioned numerous times in the Qur’an, as we are told over and over:

“Indeed, Allah is Powerful (Qawiyy) and Exalted in Might.” (Qur’an, 57:25)

The first battle the Muslims were confronted with was the battle of Badr. They were few in number (three hundred and thirteen, according to the narration) and faced with the more powerful army of Quraish of about nine hundred and fifty strong men. But Allah (swt) tells us:

“And already had Allah given you victory at [the battle of] Badr while you were few in number. Then fear Allah; perhaps you will be grateful.” (Qur’an, 3:123)

This is the other meaning of al-Qawiyy: you may not be powerful yourself but are made powerful because your protector is the Most Powerful. Relying on the Most Powerful also means doing our due diligence. The Prophet ﷺ did not go to battle unprepared. He did as much as he could with what was given to him, was frequently innovative and always asked the opinions of his companions radi Allahu `anhum (may God be pleased with them).

Can you think of a time when you were protected?

Think back to your childhood: the time when you escaped a major accident with minor bruises. When you broke your bones, but Allah al-Jabbar healed you. When you said goodbye to your child as they went away for college, worried. When you just barely avoided that major accident.

We do not often remember that most of our life is spent under the protection of Allah (swt); accidents and harm are usually an anomaly. In the 24 hours that we have in a day, we are under protection for most or all of it. Because we take it for granted, we are often unaware that this protection of Allah (swt) is an active act and is constant. The Prophet ﷺ reminds us:

“Whoever wakes up safely in his home and is healthy in his body and has provisions for his day, would have acquired all the worldly possessions he is in need of.” (Tirmidhi)

Tests

Sometimes we may be harmed and experience pain. The Prophet ﷺ tells us in that case:

“No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that.” (Bukhari)

Even when we are harmed, there is a wisdom as well as compensation for it. Nothing that happens to us is overlooked by God.

In situations of war, it may seem that Allah’s protection is absent. But this is why the rules of our religion command us to protect the weak and establish justice. In essence, the true application of Islam brings about the very visible manifestation of all of Allah’s Names and attributes. When you build a shelter for battered women, like Sister Asma Hanif of Muslimat Al-Nisaa, you are embodying this characteristic of God, which we are commanded to do. When you follow the example of Muhammad Ali, who was not only a world famous boxer but an outspoken critic of the Vietnam war, you are actively trying to protect the lives of innocent. When, like Sister Ameena Mathews, you work to stop violence in your community, you are that shining light that our faith commands us to be. After all, what else were the Quraish so angry with when the Prophet ﷺ commanded that the weak be protected and justice be served? You may suffer hardship as these roles are not easy, but there is no strength like the inner strength that comes with conviction of purpose and faith in God.

Some other meanings

Another meaning of al-Haafidh is also that Allah (swt) has guarded and preserved the Qur’an. Allah (swt) says:

“Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur’an and indeed, We will be its guardian.” (Qur’an, 15:9)

It is a great honor and gift to be able to memorize the Qur’an. The Prophet ﷺ tells us:

“It will be said to the companion of the Qur’an after he has entered Paradise, ‘Recite, and rise!’ For every verse he recites he will rise one level (in Paradise), until he recites the last verse with him [i.e. in his memory].” (Abu Dawud)

You become a haafidh—in essence, a preserver or a guardian of the Qur’an—with your memory. May Allah (swt) make us of them.

Al-Maani’ on the other hand, not only prevents physical harm but spiritual harm as well. So ask Him to protect your soul and your faith.

Finally, al-Ghazali pairs Allah’s Name al-Qawiyy (the Strong) with al-Mateen (the Firm) in his book, as Allah does in this verse:

“Indeed, it is Allah who is the [continual] Provider (ar-Razzaq), the firm possessor of strength (thul qiwwatil-mateen)” (Qur’an, 51:58).

Al-Ghazali says that “strength indicates perfect power, while firmness indicates firmness of strength.” So Allah does not waiver in His strength.

So whenever you feel helpless, weak or afraid, call on the One whose strength does not waiver and the One who can protect you both spiritually and physically. Please make du`a’ for my friend. Thank you.