Names of Allah Series:

Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) has three beautiful Names that relate to His Goodness, but with some nuances. Allah (swt) is al-Barr, aṭ-Ṭayyib and al-Muḥsin. We will explore these nuances here. Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an:

“Indeed, we used to supplicate Him before. Indeed, it is He who is the Beneficent (al-Barr), the Merciful.” [52:28]

Al-Barr, according to Al-Ghazali, is the Doer of Good, the One from Whom every good deed and beneficence comes, and this Name brings together all kinds of goodness at the very highest level. Ibn al-Qayyim says that one of the signs of Allah’s birr is that He covers your mistakes from people.

The Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) also told us about Allah (swt):

“O people! Allah is Ṭayyib (Good) and He only accepts what is good. He has commanded the believers as He has commanded the Messengers: ‘O Messengers, eat from the good foods and work righteousness,’ [23:51]. And He says, ‘O you who have believed, eat from the good things which We have provided for you and be grateful to Allah if it is [indeed] Him you worship,’ [2:172].” (Muslim)

Because Allah (swt) is good, He expects us to be good. Additionally, the Prophet ﷺ said, “Allah is Muḥsin and He loves those who exhibit excellence,” [Tabarani].

Allah (swt) tells us that He is the One “who perfected (aḥsana) everything which He created and began the creation of man from clay,” [32:7].

We can see the signs of His excellence in His creation. One only needs to step out into nature to be completely in awe of its beauty; that is from Allah’s (swt) iḥsan, because He is al-Muḥsin.

He is Good, His Actions are Good and He Accepts Only Good

Allah (swt) is essentially Good – in His essence, in His actions and in what He accepts from us. Allah (swt) tells us about the things that He wants for us in the Qur’an:

“Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship.” [2:185]

“Allah wants to make clear to you [the lawful from the unlawful] and guide you to the [good] practices of those before you and to accept your repentance. And Allah is Knowing and Wise. Allah wants to accept your repentance, but those who follow [their] passions want you to digress [into] a great deviation. And Allah wants to lighten for you [your difficulties]; and mankind was created weak.” [4:26-28]

Allah (swt) also tells us what He does not want. He says:

“These are the verses of Allah. We recite them to you, [O Muhammad], in truth; and Allah wants no injustice to the worlds.” [3:108]

Throughout this series, we have been introduced to Allah’s (swt) love, His generosity, His mercy, and His wisdom. Allah (swt) leaves no room for doubt; He encompasses all forms of goodness at their very highest levels. This is why thinking well of Allah is considered an act of worship; you are affirming these attributes of goodness in your heart and in how you interpret events. Thinking well of Him is having hope that He will accept you when you mess up, that He will overlook your faults, that He will help you overcome, and that He teaches you through hardship. This is what all the Prophets and the righteous knew about Allah, and this is why they persevered. Jonah `alayhi as-salaam (peace be upon him) turned to Allah in the belly of a whale; Hajar accepted that there was good in her being left in the desert with her son; and Moses `alayhi as-salaam (peace be upon him) could say with utter certainty while being chased by Pharoah and his army, “No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me” (26:62).

Moreover, He expects us to be good. That is why Allah (swt) addresses both our inner and outer state. He tells us to purify our hearts and purify our actions. He tells us to have faith in our hearts and live that faith in what we do.

Pay it Forward

Sometimes the best way to understand Allah’s (swt) attributes is to see how beautiful they are when expressed by human beings, and then remember that whatever good we exhibit is nothing compared to Allah’s (swt) goodness. So as Muslims, we are encouraged to have birr (piety), iḥsan (excellence) and ṭeeb (goodness). Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an that He is “[He] who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best (aḥsanu) in deed – and He is the Exalted in Might, the Forgiving.” [67:2]

Ihsan (Excellence)

If we talk about iḥsan outside of its religious context, its basic meaning is ‘to do something to its best’. If an event organizer consistently organizes something to the highest standards, some might describe that as iḥsan. In a famous hadith (narration), the Prophet ﷺ teaches us the motivation behind doing things to their best, which is knowing that Allah (swt) sees you. When you know that Allah (swt) sees you, no deed is too small and every act can be decorated with excellence and perfection. While religiously iḥsan is an internal state, there are external signs. Moreover, Allah (swt) tells us that He loves those who show iḥsan. He speaks about those “who spend [in the cause of Allah] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people – and Allah loves the doers of good (al-Muḥsineen),” [3:134].

Even if we feel that our efforts are in vain, Allah (swt) assures us that they are not. Prophet Joseph `alayhi as-salaam (peace be upon him) spent years in hardship, but never compromised his integrity. Allah (swt) says of him:

“And thus We established Joseph in the land to settle therein wherever he willed. We touch with Our mercy whom We will, and We do not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good (al-muḥsineen).” [Qur’an 12:56]

Birr (Piety)

Allah (swt) also tells us:

“O you who have believed, when you converse privately, do not converse about sin and aggression and disobedience to the Messenger but converse about righteousness (al-birr) and piety. And fear Allah, to whom you will be gathered.” [Qur’an 58:9]

Birr is a type of goodness that is accompanied by gentleness. Allah (swt) tells us to have birr towards our parents. He shows us that birr is not easily attained unless you give from what you love. He says:

“Never will you attain the good [reward] (al-birr) until you spend [in the way of Allah] from that which you love. And whatever you spend – indeed, Allah is Knowing of it.” [Qur’an 3:92]

Thus, in our relationship with our parents, having birr is not simply a case of ‘obedience versus disobedience’. It is much more nuanced than that. Birr with our parents is about being good to them and having some sort of companionship, as Allah (swt) tells us to “accompany them in [this] world with appropriate kindness,” [31:15].

Teeb (Kindness)

Finally, Allah (swt) tells us:

“O you who have believed, spend from the good things (ṭayyibat) which you have earned…” [2:267]

Ṭeeb in regular parlance is also used for ‘kindness’ or purity of heart, and what is ṭayyib is also something good or pure. Before the Prophet ﷺ received revelation, Quraysh had rebuilt the Ka’ba. They were adamant to only use money from good or pure sources – e.g not from usury or gambling – and so the Ka’ba was built in the cube shape we know today because they did not have enough money from pure sources. Originally, it also encompassed an area called “Hijr Ismail”, which today is a small area outside the Ka’ba. The point is, the Ka’ba was so sacred to them that they knew they could only give for Allah (swt) what was good and pure.

In the Qur’anic context, it is frequently used in relation to the food we consume. As we mentioned above, Allah (swt) is good in His essence and in His actions, and He commands that from us as well. When we think of ‘halal’ (permissible) meat, we often only measure it by how the animal is slaughtered. But as Dr. Tariq Ramadan shows us, the way in which the animal is treated in its life is important as well. We may be missing the point when we focus on the technicalities of the law to the exclusion of its spirit.

Allah (swt) loves for us to try to emulate His characteristics of mercy and beauty. Elsewhere in this series, we have mentioned that if we want Allah’s (swt) infinite mercy, then we need to have mercy towards people. If we want Allah’s (swt) vast forgiveness, then we must forgive others. If we want to be a recipient of Allah’s (swt) good, then we should do good to others.

Connecting to the One who encompasses all forms of goodness

1- Reflect on Allah’s (swt) goodness in His creation and His actions.

2- Pay it forward: Give from the good that you have been given.

3- Do things with iḥsan by seeing whatever you do as a transaction with God. How do you want your deeds to be presented to Him?

4- Beautify your relationships with goodness. Be good to people, good to animals and good to the environment.

By Uzma Awan

Photo: Mike Bitzenhofer

It so happens, sometimes Shaytan (Satan) fools us into believing we are doing well. We are keeping up with our fard (obligatory) salah (prayer), Ramadan fasts, yearly zakat (a tax that is the duty and social obligation of every Muslim), and infrequent or daily readings of the Qur’an and that’s sufficient. We enter from one day into another being content with ourselves.

Then we read biographies; biographies of Muslim men and women of the past, of leaders and accomplished individuals. We meet people in our lives who have achieved much more than we can ever imagine. And then we wonder, “Why can’t I be like them too?”

Most of us aspire to tread in the footsteps of the prophets and their companions (may Allah be pleased with all of them), however only a handful actually do it. Aspirations are kept aside thinking we are not good enough, too young, the time has not come yet, one day, insha’Allah (God willing)!

Ask any person regarding what they would like to do in life and their response will be something that they value most. The question that arises here is that when “this” is what you most value in your life then why not start with it? Why put it on the backburner? If Jannah (paradise) is what we aspire towards, then what will get us to a higher level than others?

Doing Extra

Fard salah are okay, appreciable, but why not add to them sunnah (all the traditions and practices of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, peace be upon him) and voluntary prayers? Scholars have emphasized the importance of voluntary acts of worship because it is through them that a servant draws closer to his Lord.

Everybody is keeping up with the fard acts of worship, then how do we have a better chance of getting Jannah? What is it that we sacrificed?

The reward for offering duha (mid-morning) prayer has been compared with that of umrah (pilgrimage to Makkah). Stressing its importance, Abu Umamah radi Allahu `anhu (may God be pleased with him) narrated from the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) that he said, “…a prayer followed by a prayer with no worldly talk during the gap between them will be recorded in Illiyyun.” ((Extracted from a long hadeeth, Sunan Abu Dawoud, Book # 2, Hadeeth # 0558.))

Illiyyun is the plural of `ulayy which means “highness, high places or the people who sit in high places.” The more something ascends and rises, the more it increases and becomes greater. ((Tafseer Ibn Katheer, Surah Al-Mutaffifeen, Ayah 18.))

Encompassing all the trials and tribulations of this world, this life has been given to us to ascend our status in Jannah. There are several possibilities of achieving that status. As Abu Huraira (ra) narrates, “My friend [the Prophet ﷺ] advised me to do three things and I shall not leave them until I die, these are: To fast three days every month, to offer the duha prayer, and to offer witr before sleeping.” ((Saheeh Bukhari, Book # 21, Hadeeth # 274))

By adding voluntary prayers, reviving sunnah fasting, reading, teaching and memorizing the Qur’an, we can hope Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala, the Most Exalted, will overlook our shortcomings, help us see our mistakes and lift us up to perform more good deeds, insha’Allah.

Perfection

Those who have not been homeschooled know that from the first day that we entered the school building we are taught perfection. Perfectly made hair, properly trimmed nails, perfectly tied shoelaces, perfectly ironed uniforms, perfectly assembled school bags and stationery boxes, and perfectly straight assembly lines. If this is the code of conduct for the worldly life then what about the religious duties?

Many of us can keep up with the fard prayer but sometimes these prayers are half-hearted lacking khushu (humility, devotion, and concentration) and perfection. We come to the prayer mat as if one comes to an event merely for attendance or to show their face without feeling like coming.

Ibn Laila narrates from Umm Hani who said, “I never saw the Prophet ﷺoffering a lighter prayer than that (Duha) prayer, but he was performing perfect bowing and prostrations.” ((Saheeh Bukhari, Book # 59, Hadeeth # 587))

The Prophet ﷺ revered the voluntary prayers as he did the fard salah. Perfection, out of love for Allah! There are other similar ahadith (sayings and traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammadﷺ) where he advised his companions to save their heels and perfect their ablution.

Utilization of Time and Other Resources

Hasan al-Basri said, “O son of Adam! You are but a collection of days; whenever a day passes, a part of you ends with it.” One morning, when Muhammad ibn Wasi was asked how he was, he replied, “What can the condition of a man be who draws closer to the Hereafter with every passing day?”

We are getting closer to our death every day. Our life is coming to an end. Soon our role on earth will be over. What is it that we have done that is going to make us proud on the Day of Judgment? Will we be of those who would wish they had done more?

This calls for a poignant introspection of our lives and our times. Talking about productivity, Annie Dilliard writes in her book, The Writing Life, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing.”

If we look at our lives, what deeds consume most of our time, skills and energy? Are we really doing our best for the sake of Allah (swt) and His Cause, and for the sake of our own salvation in the Hereafter?

If we are good speakers, are we spreading the word of Allah (swt) by our talks? If we are good writers, are we using that talent for the sake of Allah (swt)? If we are great cooks, do we take out time to cook meals for a poor family at least once a month, if not every week? We spend so much on ourselves, sometimes in ostentation. What about impressing Allah?

Yes, it is toilsome to do the extra along with other stresses of a modern life, but what if we trained our minds to believe our Hereafter depends on it?

In Surah al-Balad, Allah, the Most Exalted talks about the steep path that He encourages us to choose. He says, “But he has not broken through the difficult pass.” (Qur’an 90:11)

He has shown us two paths – one that leads to Shaytan and the other that leads to Jannah. The one that leads to Shaytan has been likened to descending a hill. It’s easy but choosing this path will wreck our hereafter.

On the other hand, there is aqabah—a steep path. The word iqtiham means “to apply oneself to a hard and toilsome task”. ((Tafheem-ul-Qur’an, Maulana Maududi, Surah al-Balad))

Climbing a steep hill is tedious and causes fatigue but we also learn from a hadeeth recorded from `Amr ibn `Abasah that the Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever builds a Masjid so that Allah may be remembered in it, Allah will build a house for him in Paradise; and whoever frees a Muslim person, then it will be his ransom from Hell; and whoever grows grey in Islam, then it will be a light for him on the Day of Judgment.” ((Tafseer Ibn Katheer, Surah al-Balad, recorded by Imam Ahmad))

There are so many tasks that lie before us. There are masajid (mosques) to be built, renovated, improved and filled. There are orphans and needy to be fed and looked after. When one looks at war and the growing tribulation in the Muslim world one cannot ignore the statistics of hungry people. There are our brothers and sisters, unjustly imprisoned. They are waiting for our assistance. What are we doing for them?

We seek Allah’s refuge from living a negligent life and ignoring our responsibilities.