Many of us have experienced, are experiencing or will experience difficult moments that make us wonder whether there is any hope for our future. These moments rock the foundations of our inner selves. They can throw us into abysses of doubt and devastate our self-esteem, nearly obliterating our sense of hope for a life that we dreamed of.

These moments are often full of anger, sadness, regret, or a combination of all. They show up in our lives as the death of our child, emotionally painful marital strife or divorce, through difficult living situations, or health problems that wage war upon our physical bodies which leave us in constant pain. They can materialize through financial losses, physical assault, or sexual abuse and victimization.

How does one recover from these traumatic times? How does one trudge through them and come out of the other side still capable of functioning and finding some semblance of joy in life? And how does one deal with the realities of these problems, and find the strength to develop optimism and happiness again?

If you are being victimized or have thought about hurting yourself – seek help from professionals immediately.

Before we discuss how to turn towards God to withstand tribulations and heal the rifts in our hearts, I want to mention that if you are being hurt physically in any way, you should not hesitate for a single moment in seeking help from the authorities. Contact a friend, a school counselor, a teacher, or the police. Many people hold off on doing so, thinking that their situation will get better or that reporting their victimization will somehow bring dishonor on their family; they think their abuser will one day stop. This  only makes bringing an end to the abuse more difficult. You need empowering to end the situation immediately, and then we can begin to discuss your healing process. The same goes for anyone thinking about hurting themselves or have already self-harmed. Before any progress can begin spiritually, this physical complication needs to end.

Islam values the roles of expertise and professionalism, as the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) said: “Verily Allah has prescribed proficiency (إحسان) in all things” (Muslim). We should remember that religion alone is not a ‘cure all’ – but that each subject field has its own set of professionals and licensed workers who can help us through various issues. Thus, if victimized, we should always seek to protect ourselves through the professionals in law enforcement, and sound medical advice – in addition to prayer and faith.

The Trap We Fall Into: “When my situation is better, I will be able turn to God and practice my religion better.”

One of the reasons for Islam’s revelation, along with improving the human condition and pointing the way towards Allah’s worship and love, is to give us the spiritual sustenance we need to navigate through life’s tribulations.

As Muslims we can make the mistake of idealizing Islam as being some kind of perfect lifestyle that if implemented ‘we will have the perfect life, without the trials and difficulties we face today’. We may think that Islam is a set of teachings, rules, and acts that we can only incorporate fully when our lives aren’t so messed up. What happens when we think this?

Firslty, we may suffer withdrawal symptoms of finding sweetness in our prayers and pray just to get salat out of the way, if we pray at all. We break our relationship with the Qur’an. We might start to withdraw emotionally and spiritually from engaging with Islam as an active path to allow God’s Light to burn away the impurities, the anger, the sadness, the depression, and the burden in our hearts. Finally we may completely stop thinking about Islam altogether, learning about it, and conversing with it. We instead believe that before we can engage with Islam and partake in strengthening an ongoing relationship with God – we need to lick our wounds and heal from the calamity that has befallen us.

This thinking is a fatal mistake that first and foremost is one of Shaitan’s (Satan) best tricks: to push us away from engaging Islam and pursuing a relationship with God, precisely when our hearts are bursting with negative emotions and sadness. Shaitan dupes us precisely when we NEED GOD THE MOST. This in turn misplaces the reason why Islam came with a form of worship to God and functional way of life. Islam came to strengthen us, heal us, and ultimately guide us to salvation from these trials of life. Whether those trials are spiritual, material, emotional, or all of the above, we must maintain that Allah (swt) is our Friend. The One Who will never leave His worshipper alone. The One God Who will never forsake His slave. He is Allah. And His names tell us about His true attributes:

As-Salam – The Source of Peace
Al-Muhaymin – The Guardian
Al-Qahhaar – The One Who Subdues with Strength
Ar-Razzaaq – The Provider
Al-Fattah – The Giver of Victory
Al-Latif – The Gentle
Al-Nur – the Light
Al-Mu’eed – The Restorer

So, we come to the main question. If we are going through a tribulation and we are stressed with what no-one in the world understands, why would we not want the Source of Peace on our side? Why wouldn’t we want to engage with Ar-Razzaaq, The Provider to strengthen us? Why do we shy away from studying and delving into life’s trials that the Giver of Victory has sent down to us?

It is time to ask the only One Who Subdues with Strength to subdue our sorrow, and ask God to shine His light into our lives and Restore our joy. This is why Muslims use du`a’ (supplication) for anxiety as taught to us by the Prophet ﷺ:

“O Allah, I am Your servant, son/ daughter of Your servant, son/ daughter of Your maidservant, my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You, which You name Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Qur’an the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety.”

Just look at this beautiful du`a’ taught to us by our Prophet ﷺ. Here, we are reminded of Allah’s (swt) Overwhelming Dominance over everything and over ourselves. We are also reminded of His Names, so that we can feel connected to His unlimited abilities that help us understand His roles in our lives. And finally, we are reminded of the Book – the Qur’an – that He sent, and through the Qur’an, the religion that is outlined for us.

But how can the Qur’an be our heart’s light and a release for our sorrows if we never read it? How, if we did not drown ourselves in it and in learning its secrets?

The Test is Not Whether We Bear Calamity, But Whether it Pushes Us Towards Allah

We know from Surat-al-Mulk that Allah (swt) has created life and death in order to try us and test us. We also know that Allah (swt) tries those whom He loves. However, there is more to life than simply passing a test of difficulty.

The test is not only whether or not we will bear the burden we are given, with patience. The test is also accepting that for our patience, at the end of the road is a guaranteed reward. It is accepting that a child we lost will insha`Allah (God willing) play with Prophet Ibrahim (as) in Paradise. That through patience a broken marriage devoid of love will be replaced by one that is better in this world or in the Hereafter. And that a painful sickness endured with remembrance of God, only results with each ounce of pain forgiving a sin clean.

The test is not simply to remember these things either, though they are the key to being patient. The ultimate test is whether the calamity pushes us towards Allah (swt). Whether we are able to take our difficult situation, and rather than relying on ourselves alone, recognize our dependency on and rely on God. From this we can then pursue a stronger relationship with God Who can bring peace to our hearts, and we can seek knowledge of how the deen (way of life) He revealed can in fact ease our pain.

It may be easy to worship Allah and engage with His deen when our lives are perfect. But that is exactly the wrong point. Our lives are not perfect, and will never be. So will we worship Him by participating fully in His Religion, even when things fall apart around us? Will we accept that the Sovereign King has the power and the mercy to bring us what we so desperately need? We must begin turning back to Allah, today, because He loves us unconditionally every day. And how does Allah love His servants? This story from the Prophet ﷺ should give us the answer:

“…Suddenly, a woman saw an infant in the midst of the captives. She took hold of it, brought it into her bosom, and started nursing it. The Prophet then told the Companions, “Do you think that this woman would throw her child in the fire?” We said, “No, By Allah she would not, if she is able not to.” He then said, “Allah the Exalted is more merciful with His slave than this woman with her child.” (Al-Bukhari)

“Say, ‘O Allah , Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent.’” (Qur’an, 3:26)

The beautiful poem in the video above by Brother Ammar al-Shukri reminds us of Allah Maalik al-Mulk. We will explore these meanings today.

Recently, we were all shocked to hear the news of the tragic murder of three beautiful souls: Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha and Razan Abu-Salha. For many of us, this violence was, and still is, hard to process. Perhaps what made it more infuriating was some of the media coverage: some giving ample airtime to the wife of the man who committed the murders while others used it to talk about how to calmly get parking space. In Canada, a dear brother, Mustafa Mattan, was also shot and killed, but the media coverage was almost non-existent. We look around and the world seems to be overtaken by tyrants and oppressors. And those people act as though they are kings or possessors of other people, acting how they will with the lives of innocents.

But who is ultimately in control?

Al-Ghazali stated about Allah, al-Malik, that “everything other than He is subject in its essence and its attributes, while He is independent of everything—and this is what it is to be king absolutely.”

At the end of it all, even if it seems that people are able to act in unjust ways, they are all subject to Allah, who is both al-Malik and al-Maalik; He is both the King and the Ultimate Possessor. When we recite Surat al-Fatiha, we say, “Maaliki youm ad-deen” or “Maliki youm ad-deen”  (“Sovereign of the Day of Recompense”) depending on the type of recitation. They both come from the same root, m-l-k (م-ل-ك), which means to have power over, to possess, and to have kingship.

Maalik means a possessor, while Malik means that you have sovereignty over something and can do with it as you wish. And Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala (exalted is He) is both Maalik and Malik. He fully controls and has ownership over the Day of Judgment and what occurs therein. He is also Maalik al-Mulk, to emphasize and intensify these meanings, that He is the Sovereign over all worlds. And this is something we seldom reflect upon; there will be a day when we will be face to face with the One who has true sovereignty over everything.

Allah tells us that He is “Maaliki youm ad-deen” after He tells as that He is Lord of the worlds. If He is the Lord of the worlds, then He must also be the Lord on the Day of Judgment. But to specifically single out the Day of Judgment is for all of us, who either behave in unethical ways or wonder how others are allowed to behave in such ways. But Allah reminds us that the innocent lives lost are not lost forever. Power will fade. And we will all be before Allah, al-Malik al-Maalik.

Ultimate Justice

While the above Names speak of the reality of who is truly in control, we need to be acquainted with another Name of Allah to understand how Allah exercises His power. We know that “Indeed, Allah does what He intends,” (Qur’an, 22:14). We are also told that on the Day of Judgment:

“And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], and you will see the criminals fearful of that within it, and they will say, ‘Oh, woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?’ And they will find what they did present [before them]. And your Lord does injustice to no one,” (Qur’an, 18:49).

We are also told in a beautiful hadith (narration):

“O my servants, I have forbidden oppression for myself and I have made it forbidden among you, so do not oppress one another. ” (Muslim)

Allah is al-`Adl. This word comes from the root `a-d-l (ع-د-ل) which is the opposite of transgression, and thus means to act justly and fairly. Allah has no desires and so His judgment is never clouded, and thus He is able to apply true justice. Al-Ghazali states that to know Allah is Most Just enables us to feel tranquility and prevents us from objecting to God’s judgment or cursing Fate. We know that He is the Most-Merciful as well as the Most-Just.

Connecting to these Names

Al-Malik

Al-Ghazali recounts a story where one person said “to a certain shaykh: ‘Advise me’, and he said to him: ‘Be a king in this world and you will be a king in the next.’ When he said: ‘How might I do that?’ The shaykh answered: ‘Renounce this world and you will be a king in the next.’ He meant: detach your needs and your passions from this world, for kingship lies in being free and able to dispense with everything.”

Al-`Adl

In knowing that Allah is just, we must seriously consider whether we apply justice in our own lives. Are we just to our souls, in ensuring that we have connected to Allah? Are we just to our relatives? And are we just to animals?

Allah (swt) tells us that He has forbidden oppression for Himself and made it forbidden for us. So we should be vigilant over our souls and actions.

In the end, we must know with certainty that Allah is the Ultimate Possessor of everything, and this will be made apparent on the Day of Judgment. We are reminded of this everyday when we recite Surat al-Fatiha so that we never lose sight of that, even when tyrants act like they run the world And Allah, the Possessor and the Most Just, will surely make justice prevail.

Are you a Mu’min?

Think hard. Are you?

A Mu’min is usually translated as ‘believer’. So some may answer yes. Others may remember the verse in the Qur’an that says:

“The Bedouins say, “We have believed (aamanna).” Say, “You have not [yet] believed; but say [instead], ‘We have submitted (aslamna),’ for faith (iman) has not yet entered your hearts. And if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not deprive you from your deeds of anything. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”” (Qur’an, 49:14)

And thus the answer to the question might be: “God willing! I try.”

Now, what does it mean to you when Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) tells us that one of His Names is Al-Mu’min? Does it mean that Allah (swt) has faith? In what?

This Name of Allah (swt), when realized, is beautiful and can do much to strengthen our hearts. Mu’min comes from the root a-m-n can mean to be secure, safe, free from fear and also to believe in. Allah (swt) says in Surat Quraysh:

“Let them worship the Lord of this House, Who has fed them, [saving them] from hunger and made them safe (aamanahum), [saving them] from fear.”

Allah (swt) uses the word “aamanahum“, from the same root, to describe how He had made Quraysh safe from any fear.

In an insightful narration, the Prophet ﷺ tells us that, “Whoever among you wakes up secure (aaminan) in his property, healthy in his body, and he has his food for the day, it is as if he were given the entire world,” (Tirmidhi). The same root gives rise to the word the Prophet ﷺ uses—”aaminan”—for someone to be secure in his home.

A-m-n also means to believe or affirm truth. Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an in the story of Prophet Joseph `alayhi as-salaam (may peace be upon him):

“They said, “O our father, indeed we went racing each other and left Joseph with our possessions, and a wolf ate him. But you would not believe (bi-mu’min) us, even if we were truthful.”” (Qur’an, 12:17)

To bring it back to Allah’s Name (swt), you can only truly believe in someone if they make you feel secure. Allah (swt) is al-Mu’min; He grants you that security of faith and through faith. As al-Ghazali says:

“Al-Mu’min—the Faithful—is the one whom security and safety are ascribed because He conveys the means to attain them and blocks the paths of dangers… The absolutely faithful one is God—may He be praised and exalted—as the one from whose direction alone security and safety may conceivably emanate.”

As human beings, we have weaknesses. We have fears. And as al-Ghazali explains, the biggest fear is eternal damnation, and nothing can protect us from that but the profession of faith in the unity of God. That is where true security and safety lie. If you believe in Allah (swt), truly believe, then He is the source of security. He will give you safety.

Aasiya, the wife of Fir’on (Pharoah) was one such person who was granted this security of faith. Her husband was a tyrant, and eventually she would be the object of his tyranny. But in her heart, she did not falter. She was secure, unwavering. Allah (swt) tells us:

“And Allah presents an example of those who believed: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said, “My Lord, build for me near You a house in Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds and save me from the wrongdoing people.”” (Qur’an, 66:11)

Aasiya could see what was beyond. As Imam Suhaib taught us, she does not simply ask for a house in Paradise. The crucial part is “near You”, meaning priority is nearness to Allah (swt). And that was how she could face a tyrant: iman (faith) in Al-Mu’min.

It is through faith in Allah (swt) that we are given true security. When we recite the Qur’an, we can see how its teachings and lessons are directly applicable to the world today. We can find comfort in the fact that Allah (swt) makes after hardship, ease (Qur’an, 65:7); we widen our vision when we understand that we may dislike something that might actually be good for us (Qur’an, 2:216); and we force ourselves to self-reflect when Allah (swt) tells us that the corruption we see around us may very well be what our own hands have wrought (Qur’an, 30:41). This iman means that we are secure in our hearts. Therefore, when we say we have iman, what we are saying is that we have been granted security and tranquility.

May al-Mu’min grant us true iman!

Living with Allah’s Names

• Give other people security

Al-Ghazali counseled: “A man’s share in the name and attribute lies in all creatures’ being safe from him… Those men will be most worthy of the name ‘faithful’.” As the Prophet ﷺ emphatically declared: “By Allah he does not believe, by Allah he does not believe, by Allah he does not believe!” The companions asked, “Who, O Messenger of Allah?” And the Prophet ﷺ replied: “He whose neighbor is not safe from his misdeeds,” (Bukhari).

• Let your actions affirm the truth of your speech

Mu’min is also to believe or affirm the truth. Allah’s actions and speech in the Qur’an confirm one another and there is no contradiction. Sheikh Ratib an-Nabulsi advises that our actions must correspond and affirm our speech. 

• Guide others to safety

And the most deserving person to be called a Mu’min is he who guides others to what will gives them ultimate safety and security; he guides others to Al-Mu’min Himself. While we know that it is only Allah (swt) who guides, guidance here means in advising with wisdom and informing.

Names of Allah Series:  

Sometimes we just don’t know where to turn. We have needs and we also have aspirations, wants and hopes. We get confused. Sometimes we just need someone to talk to. Sometimes we need shelter from the storm. And this is why Allah is as-Samad (the Eternal).

Some Names of Allah contain meanings that acknowledge His other attributes. For example, when we say Allah is al-Mujeeb (the One who responds), it is implicit that He is as-Samee` (the all-Hearing), al-Baseer (the all-Seeing) and al-Qawiyy (the Strong). Other Names seem to be very similar in meaning, but the context reveals the nuances. For example, al-Ghafur (the Forgiving) and at-Tawwab (the One who accepts repentance): They both have to do with repentance. Al-Ghafur refers to Allah covering up our sin and forgiving the sin, whereas at-Tawwab is more. He is the One that accepts the servant when he turns back. He listens to our excuses and reasons and still accepts us.

Today’s Name is similar in that regard. As-Samad has many meanings but what it is important is how we relate to Him. Al-Ghazali states that as-Samad is “the One to whom one turns to in need and the One who one is intended in our desires, for ultimate dominion culminates in Him.”

In the dictionary Samad is defined as the eternal; to remain unaffected or unchanged; to intend or turn to; something that is solid, with no holes or emptiness inside; and the ultimate Master who is obeyed. We say sumood (from the same root s-m-d), which is to remain firm and steadfast. Ali bin Abi Talib radi allahu `anhu (may God be please with him) said:

فصمدا صمدا حتى يَتَجلى لكم عمود الحق

“So stay firm, stay firm (samdan samdan) so that you may reach the pillars of truth.”

Thus Allah is the One who we turn to for both our needs and desires and who is our ultimate goal, because fundamentally He is the Master, the Eternal, the One who remains firm and unchanged – so who else can we turn to?

This Name has been mentioned in the Qur’an once, in Surat al-Ikhlas:

Say, “He is Allah, [who is] One,

Allah, the Eternal Refuge.

He neither begets nor is born,

Nor is there to Him any equivalent.”

Surat al-Ikhlas was revealed when the people of Mecca asked the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) to describe to them His Lord. This Surah answers their question and tells them (and us) about Allah. So when the people of Mecca were being told who Allah was, His being as-Samad was mentioned. Why would this be mentioned out of all His attributes? Because essentially what you need to know is that Allah is One and Unique (Ahad), and also that He is as-Samad, the Eternal Refuge, that One who is our means and our end. We go to Him for our desires but we should also ultimately desire Him—this is sincerity (ikhlas). The Prophet ﷺ told us that Surat al-Ikhlas is equal to the a third of the Qur’an (Muslim). And the reason is that if you want to know Allah, Surat al-Ikhlas summarizes His attributes. Thus knowing that He is as-Samad is crucial.

We all have hopes—marriage, sustenance, good kids, peace of mind. And we ask Allah for them. We turn to Him in good and bad, for needs and for desires. And don’t think that the One who has named himself as-Samad will let you down. At Ta’if, when the Prophet ﷺ went to seek refuge with the people, they pelted him with rocks in return. So he turned to Allah as-Samad for his needs—even if it was just for Allah to provide him with some peace at that moment. “If you are not angry with me, I do not care,” he ﷺ said, “only that Your favor is a more expansive relief to me.” When the Prophet ﷺ migrated to Medina with the companions, they were not used to the conditions there. Many companions (ra) fell ill. Bilal (ra) even recited poetry about returning to valley of Mecca. And the Prophet ﷺ turned to Allah for that need, and indeed Medina became as beloved as Mecca, if not more.

When we think of du`a’ (supplication), we tend to think of material or physical things that we need or want. “I want a house, I want a car, I want a job, I want to be healthy…” and so we ask al-Mujeeb, the One who responds to His servants. But as-Samad is slightly different because you turn to Him with all the needs of your heart, body and soul. And you can, because as-Samad is unshakeable. You can be confident and assured, because the One you are turning to is the Master, unaffected by the changes around us. Sheikh Ratib an-Nabulsi gives an example for this. In fiqh (jurisprudence), the child of a wealthy person is not eligible for zakaat. While he may be technically in need and poor in that he does not possess anything himself, his parents are wealthy and so he is regarded as being wealthy because he is taken care of by them. Now switch this to our relationship with Allah. We may be in need, but in actual fact, because we have Allah to turn to for our needs, we are not really in need at all (in terms of in this dunya). Rest assured because you have as-Samad.

There are many sayings of the Prophet ﷺ that encourage us to turn to Allah for all of our needs. The Prophet ﷺ said: “You should ask Allah for all of your needs, even if the strap of your sandal breaks,” [Tirmidhi, Ibn Hibban]. Sheikh Ratib an-Nabulsi says that implicit in this is that Allah wants you to turn to Him for your needs. He quotes al-Ghazali who said that Allah has chosen this Name so that His servants would turn to Him, because they know that He is the One who does not waver and is there for His servants to turn to, for ALL of their needs. Indeed, the Prophet ﷺ said that “Allah descends during the last third of the night asking: ‘Is there a person asking, or a person turning back, or a person seeking forgiveness from sin?’ And this continues until the sun rises.” [Muslim] A beautiful verse of poetry reads:

Do not ask the son of Adam for your needs

But ask the One whose doors do not close

Allah is angry when you do not ask

And the son of Adam, if asked, is angry

We need both dunya (this life) and akhirah (the hereafter), so we shouldn’t be ashamed when we feel we have worldly needs. The Prophet ﷺ makes a beautiful du`a’ where he asks for both dunya and akhirah:

اللَّهُمَّ أَصْلِحْ لِي دِينِي الَّذِي هُوَ عِصْمَةُ أَمْرِي ، وَأَصْلِحْ لِي دُنْيَايَ الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَاشِي ، وَأَصْلِحْ لِي آخِرَتِي الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَادِي

وَاجْعَلِ الْحَيَاةَ زِيَادَةً لِي فِي كُلِّ خَيْرٍ وَاجْعَلِ الْمَوْتَ رَاحَةً لِي مِنْ كُلِّ شَرٍّ

Allahumma aṣliḥ lī dīn al-lathi huwa `iṣmatu amrī, wa aṣliḥ lī dunya-ya al-lati fīhā ma`āshī, wa aṣlih lī ākhirati al-lati fīhā ma`ādī, wa-j`al al-ḥayāta ziyādatan lī fī kuli khayr, wa-j`al al-mawta rāḥatan lī min kuli sharr.

“O God, set right for me my religion which is the safeguard of my affairs. And set right for me the affairs of my world wherein is my living. And set right for me my Hereafter to which is my return. And make the life for me (a source) of abundance for every good and make my death a source of comfort for me protecting me against every evil.” [Muslim] ((Translation and transliteration can be found here: http://www.tayyibaat.com/2011/08/25/ramadan-supplication-series-deen-dunya-and-akhirah/))

So we need to ask, what is our relationship to as-Samad? Do we really turn to Him for all of our needs?

A final point with regards to as-Samad—some may ask whether turning to Allah with all our needs negates striving and using the physical means around us. This is obviously not true because Allah commands us to strive. But turning to as-Samad is recognizing where all these physical means come from, and that they can only work with the help of God. When Musa `alayhi as-salaam (peace be upon him) felt that he couldn’t go to Pharoah because he wasn’t as eloquent as his brother Harun (as), he went to Allah first and said, “And appoint for me a minister from my family—Aaron, my brother. Increase through him my strength and let him share my task,” [Qur’an, 30:29-32]. So he asked Allah for his need to have someone with him, and ultimately he was reliant on Allah, not his brother.

Being with As-Samad

First, go to Allah with every need. Rely on Him only. Don’t ever think that a need or a want is too small or too great to go to Allah with. As the Prophet ﷺ said, go to Him even if the strap of your sandal breaks.

Secondly, be there for people. Allow people to turn to you and offer them your help. The Prophet ﷺ told us that “The best of people are those that bring most benefit to the rest of mankind,” [Tabarani]; and “If Allah wants good for a person then He uses him,” [Ahmad]. Al-Ghazali says: “The one whom God has appointed to be a model for His servants in fulfilling their worldly and religious duties, and who secures the needs of His creatures by his word and action—to that one God bestows a share in His attribute. But the absolutely eternal is the One to whom one turns to in every need, and He is God—may He be praised and exalted.”

May we always turn to as-Samad for all of our needs.

Names of Allah Series:

Al-Khaafidh (the Abaser) comes from the root kh-f-dh. It was used to refer to the camel when he lowers his head. When referring to Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He), Ibn Atheer said, “It is He who lowers the oppressors and humiliates them.”

When we look around, the signs of Allah (swt) are apparent. Look at Hitler who was unbelievably powerful at his time, who, despite all odds, was able to make his country a world power. But his power was based on oppression. He was humiliated, brought down, and debased—he ended up committing suicide. And we have more recent examples. The Arab Spring in Egypt saw Mubarak—who had a hold on power for 30 years and profited from his position while the people lived in poverty—removed from his place. There is a beautiful verse in the Qur’an:

“And these days [of varying conditions] We alternate among the people so that Allah may make evident those who believe and [may] take to Himself from among you martyrs – and Allah does not like the wrongdoers.” [Qur’an, 3:140]

This is the sunnah (path) of life. At times we see tyrants with so much power, but slowly they are toppled down. And this is not just for rulers who are oppressive. When Iblees said:

“I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay.” [Qur’an, 38:76]

Allah (swt) expelled him from Paradise.

When Pharoah said, “I am your most exalted lord.” [Qur’an, 79:24]

He was drowned.

And this should scare us. We may not have the worldly status of Pharoah, but how many of us have a little Pharoah in us, or a little Iblees, justifying our arrogance? So the lesson for us is to be humble before Allah (swt) lowers us. As the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) told us:

من تواضع رفعه الله

“Whoever humbles himself to God, Allah will raise him.” (Muslim)

And this brings us to Allah ar-Raafi`—He who raises and exalts. Allah (swt) says to the Prophet ﷺ in the Qur’an:

“And We raised high (rafa`na) for you your repute.” [Qur’an, 94:4]

He says that He has exalted the Prophet ﷺ. And this is important for us to remember during these times when vicious lies are being spread about the Prophet ﷺ. It is not so different to what was being said about him when he started inviting people to Islam. However, Allah (swt) said that He raised high his repute; so no matter how many cartoons or films are made about him, Allah (swt) has raised him and no one can humiliate him. While some people will do disrespectful things out of ignorance, some people use it as an opportunity to spread light. The 1 Billion Salawat initiative was launched on November 4^th in which Muslims all over the world pledged to send prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ. As of today, the pledge count is 80 million—subhan Allah (glory be to God). More than 1400 years after his death, people are still exalting his remembrance.

And when it comes to us, we must remember that there is a never a moment when we are obeying Allah (swt) except that we are elevated, and this should comfort us when we encounter opposition from other people. However, sometimes people act in a contradictory way. Their obedience to Allah (swt) causes them to be arrogant—is this a person that Allah (swt) raises? Remember that we are told that a person will not enter Paradise if he has an atom’s worth of arrogance in his heart. So even our obedience to God should come with humility and a feeling of gratefulness. This is perfectly illustrated in the words of the people of Paradise:

“Praise to Allah, who has guided us to this; and we would never have been guided if Allah had not guided us.” [Qur’an, 7:43]

So understanding that Allah’s Names, al-Khaafidh ar-Raafi`, relate to us greatly is crucial. By humbling ourselves before Allah (swt) and striving to serve Him and help His creation, we are elevated to the rank of the Angels. Al-Ghazaali states:

“Whoever elevates his vision above tangible and imagined things, and his intention above blameworthy desires, God has raised him to the horizon of the angels close to Him [muqarrabun]; while whoever restricts his vision to tangible things and his aspiration to the passions the beasts share with him, God will reduce him to the lowest of ranks. None but God most high does this, for He is the Abaser and the Exalter.”

May Allah make us of those whom He loves and elevates!

Our Internal States

Allah’s Names al-Khaafidh ar-Raafi` also have to do with our internal state. When we do something wrong, we sometimes feel debased, uncomfortable, and down. But when we do good, we feel uplifted. And that is Allah (swt) raising our spirits. So we should even understand these feelings as signs from Allah (swt), and we should turn to Him as a cure.

Relationship to Other Names

Another pair of Allah’s Names has a very similar meaning—Al-Mu’izz al-Muthil, the Honorer, He who humbles. While I will not be expanding on these Names too much here, I will say that they are related to dominion; He is the One who gives dominion to whomever He wills and removes it from whomever He wills. These Names are also related to dignity—that it is Allah (swt) who honors and dignifies, and it is He who humbles and shames. As al-Ghazali states, “true dominion consists in deliverance from the shame of need, the dominance of passion, and the disgrace of ignorance.” May we all be of those whom Allah elevates.

Names of Allah Series:

Tawba (Repentance) does not need much. It does need for you to think that you are at a level in which you can face Him. He tells us in the Qur’an:

“Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves.” (Qur’an, 2:222)

Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) loves those who always return to Him. Imagine being beloved to Allah (swt) because you always go back to Him. Nothing deters you—not your sins, nor your heedlessness. You go because you know you have a Lord who accepts you turning back to Him.

Sometimes what prevents us from returning is the feeling of “I’m not good enough.” Or even that we feel we cannot become better. But Ibn Ata’illah says:

“When a person commits a sin, this is accompanied by darkness. Indeed, disobedience is like a fire, and darkness is its smoke. It is like someone kindling a fire in a room for seventy-years. Do you not think that the roof of that room will be blackened? In the same way the heart is blackened by disobedience. And nothing wipes it clean except repentance to God. Humiliation, darkness, and being veiled from God are thus natural accompaniments of disobedience. But when you repent to God, the effects of these sins disappear.” ((Sufism for non-Sufis, Ibn Ata Allah al-Sakandari’s Taj al-Arus, translated by Dr. Sherman Jackson, p. 45))

The key to relieving ourselves of these burdens is precisely to return—because the act of returning erases all of that. When you return to Allah (swt), it should not be something heavy. It should actually be a liberating act. If you come home and find that your clothes are dirty, you would remove them. You would take a shower. And what happens afterwards? You feel good. You feel clean. You may get dirty again tomorrow. You will avoid getting dirty, but it may happen. And then you shower again when you get home. We don’t avoid taking a shower because we are sick of getting dirty. The feeling of being cleansed again is much too great, much too invigorating.

And Allah is so Generous, so Merciful, so accepting of our return to Him, that the following things happen:

• Forgiveness of the sin: Allah (swt) says, “The revelation of the Book is from Allah, the Exalted in Might, the Knowing. The forgiver of sin, acceptor of repentance […]” (Qur’an, 40:2-3). When He forgives you, Allah (swt) protects you from the effect of your sin on the Day of Judgment.
• Erasure of the sin: Allah (swt) tells us about Himself, “And He pardons much,” (Qur’an, 42:34). This means the sin is as though you never did it.
• Replacement of the sin with good deeds: Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an, “Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful,” (Qur’an, 25:70).
  This is the highest level of acceptance of your tawba. Allah (swt) will change the ghafla (heedlessness), the mistakes, and the sins into good deeds. You may see mountains of good deeds on the Day of Judgment and think to yourself, “When did I do that?” and you will be told that Allah (swt) accepted your tawba and turned all the bad into good.

And this is just with regards to sin. Sometimes our return to Allah (swt) is when we decide we want to do more, that we want to become better. When you return to Allah (swt) in this way, or by leaving sins, the greater thing that happens is that you become one of the people that Allah (swt) loves. And if Allah (swt) loves you, He will show it in His affection because He is al-Wadud. So why then do we not return to the One who accepts our turning back to Him?

The conditions of repentance from sin are the following, as stated by some scholars:

1. You regret what you did; you recognize that it is wrong: This does not mean that you hate yourself. If you hate yourself, then you don’t want good for yourself. ((For more on this, see Br. AbdelRahman Mussa’s iPersonalenrichment program: https://ipersonalenrichment.com/1a/)) However, you see the act that you did or the state that you are in as something that is not good, and which should change.
2. Stop the sin at that moment: Sometimes we don’t stop the sin because we think we will not be able to continue in desisting, that we will slip back into it. It’s ok. Just stop it at the moment. Don’t sabotage yourself with negative thinking. It’s like saying, “I’ll cut myself now because I will probably cut myself tomorrow.” That’s silly.
3. Intend never to do the sin again: In Huda’s article about well-formed goals, she gives us ways to help achieve our goals. Only use positive language and use the present tense. Tell yourself that you are doing good now. And ask Allah (swt) to help you. But what if you fall into it again? Remember: hate the sin, not yourself. Allah (swt) tells us in the Qur’an that He will tell the people of Jannah (Paradise), “Indeed, this is for you a reward, and your effort has been appreciated,” (Qur’an, 76:22). It is your striving that is rewarded.
4. If your sin has to do with the rights of another person, you should return the rights of those you have violated if you can. If you cannot, then make du`a’ (supplication) for them.

Someone may ask, so what do I do afterwards? I was a person in ghafla. I didn’t do that much bad nor was I striving for closeness to Allah (swt). Or I lived my life in complete disobedience, and I don’t know how to turn that around. The answer is to take it step by step. Your return to Allah (swt) was the first step, a beautiful step. The next step is to work on yourself and work on your surroundings. Pick something that you need to work on, and something that you need to stop doing. Work on them for a while until they become habit, or are easier to do. Then add. Don’t be discouraged if you feel that your development is slow and you didn’t suddenly turn into “Super-Muslim.” Remember that the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him)said:

“The most beloved of actions to Allah are the most consistent ones even if little in amount.” [Bukhari]

Start with what is obligatory, because that is what brings us close to Allah (swt). Then add the extra. You can do them simultaneously of course, but don’t prioritize the extra over the foundation. Many of us are familiar with Allah’s saying:

“Nothing endears My servant to Me more 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.” [Bukhari]

And what is crucial is to get aid from a good friend, your spouse, your mentor. Even if you don’t have that now, keep seeking it—Allah is the Guide, and He is ar-Razzaq (the Provider), and He will provide. But let us take the first step in returning.

Before moving on to this week’s Name, I wanted to make a request: I’d like you to read over and reflect on the other Names that we went through so far. Our purpose is to know Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He); when we know Allah (swt) this life is easier to understand and Islam is more beautiful to live by. We then realize how Allah (swt) is truly with us, every step of the way, even when we are unaware of Him.

Today’s Name is at-Tawwab. Taaba in Arabic means to return. And at-Tawwab is the One who accepts all those who return to Him. And how many of us need to return to Him?

“And it is He who accepts repentance from his servants and pardons misdeeds, and He knows what you do.” [Qur’an, 42:25]

Despite knowing all that we do, He accepts our turning back to Him. Human beings, even our own parents sometimes, get tired of us. When we’ve ignored them for a while or have done something they dislike, they may reject us. But Allah (swt) reminds us:

“Do they not know that it is Allah who accepts repentance from His servants and receives charities and that it is Allah who is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful?” [Qur’an, 9:104]

That is why He has named Himself at-Tawwab: so we know that whatever level we are at, He will accept us if we return to Him sincerely. Allah (swt) makes it clear who He has addressed to return to Him:

“[…] And turn to Allah in repentance, all of you, O believers, that you might succeed.” [Qur’an, 24:31]

As the verse tells us, tawba (repentence) is for everyone because we all need to return. It does not simply have to be from a hideous sin. It can be because we are far, so we need to return. It can be because we have slipped here and there, so we need to return. It can be because we want to take that step to get closer to Allah (swt), so we need to return. That is the essence of tawba.

Dr. Ratib an-Nabulsi states that in order to understand tawba, we need to understand Allah’s Mercy. His (swt) being at-Tawwab is because He is the Most-Merciful towards us. He invites us to return to Him. In a beautiful hadith (narration) of the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him), we are told:

“Indeed, Allah extends His Hand in the night to forgive the one who sins in the day, and He extends His Hand in the day to forgive the one who sins at night, and this continues until the sun rises from the west.” [Muslim]

Allah (swt) also gives us signs that push us to return to Him. Al-Ghazali states:

“Al-Tawwab makes reference to facilitating the causes of repentance in His servants time and again by making manifest some of His signs, conveying His counsel to them, and disclosing His deterrents and warnings to them.”

Whatever causes you return to Him—whether it is an ayah (verse) in the Qur’an, an article, a friend who reminds you, or even the realization of a sin you committed—is only because He wants to accept your repentance. Then you come within the realm of at-Tawwabeen: those who constantly return.

Issue #4 – Changing the name of a new Muslim

It was the summer of 1999 in Tulsa, OK, when I walked into a sandwich shop. My pants sagging and hat turned back and to the side, I looked at the seemingly Greek guy behind the desk and said, “Let me get a Gyro with extra sauce yo.” After I sat down waiting for my sandwich, I heard the guy answer the phone with As-Salamu `alaykum (Islamic greeting of peace) and thought, “Wow that Greek cat is Muslim.” You see I had been reading the Qur’an for over a year and believing it to be the message of God, yet heavily struggling with a corrupt lifestyle. I had only met 3 Muslims before, but they didn’t practice hence they don’t even know where a Mosque might be. So when I went to get my Gyro I told him As-Salamu Alaiakum. He looked me up and down and asked, “Are you a Muslim???” I quickly affirmed confused by his question “Yeah man, can you hook me up with a Mosque around here?” He had no clue what a Mosque is but after I explained, he said that they had just opened a nice newly built mazjid and he gave me directions. So then I asked him if many Greeks are Muslim and he said, “I’m not Greek I’m Syrian!” That was the first time I had ever heard of Syria in my life.* There is a lot to learn from that event, primarily that we need to step up our da`wah (call to Islam) skills folks!*

So the next day I went to the Mosque around 1pm. I walked in and—thanks to the disorderliness we often have—I noticed a pair of shoes sitting in front of the doors to the Prayer Sanctuary (musalla). So I took off my shoes and saw a man praying and went in and did my own form of prayer which I learned from the scene where Denzel is praying on his Hajj pilgrimage in the movie Malcolm X. Then as I was walking out, the elderly gentleman followed me and made salaam (Islamic greeting) to me and I responded. He then asked if I was Muslim and I affirmed. Then he asked me, “What is your name?” I told him my name is John. He responded, “No, no. That’s not a Muslim name. That is a name of the kuffar (disbelievers).”  I was like whaaat? He said yeah that is not an Islamic name. So I told him that John originally means “God is gracious” and it is the name of Jesus’ cousin who is a Prophet mentioned in the Qur’an, but he said, “No, his name is `Esa and his cousin is Yahya, so your name is Yahya.” I thought okay this guy is hardcore, man, taking it back to the original…

Since that day, I have been called Yahya among my Muslim brothers and sisters. It is a beautiful name that I don’t mind being called by, but as we mentioned before it wasn’t the exact name of the prophet who was Jesus’ cousin nor was عيسى  (`Esa) the name by which Jesus was called. John was more like Yohanna (( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_the_Baptist)) and Jesus more like Yeshu’a  (( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_of_Nazareth)) . So after realizing that this is just an Arabization of their names to facilitate the Qur’an’s Arabic flow I regretted having changed my name since it now seemed Islamically logical to have kept my name in English for the flow and familiarity of English. Let’s now discuss the issue of changing your name from an Islamic legal perspective.

The vast majority of scholars throughout our history say that it is an obligation to change a name only if it represents other, polytheistic beliefs or if it is a foul name with a bad meaning. For example if someone’s name was Christian then upon becoming Muslim they would change their name. The customary practice of encouraging a new revert to Islam to change their name is not an Islamic teaching as the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) left mostly all of his companions with common names that carry little or no meaning like `Umar, Talhah, Khadeejah, etc. Some of these people with very simple names became great leaders. As a matter of fact Salman is a Persian name and while the Prophet ﷺ witnessed his embracing Islam and spent much time with him, he never suggested Salman radi allahu `anhu(may God have mercy on him) change his name. He only changed the names which were either indicating the worship of other than God or a name that was a bad meaning like the following:

1. ‘Aasiyah (sinner) to Jameelah (beautiful)
2. Abdul-Shams (Slave of the sun) to Abdul-Rahman (Slave of the Merciful God)
3. Haram (forbidden) to Halal (permissible)
4. Thalim (oppressor) to Rashid (rightly guided)
5. Harb (war) to Muslim (committed to God)

In retrospect, after being trained in the Islamic sciences and objectives, I have come to realize that this brother who sought to change my name was no doubt sincere, but ignorant of the big picture of Islam in America. This settled in when I was sitting with a sheikh (scholar) in Egypt who asked me my name. I told him Yahya to which he responded, “That can’t be your name!” I was like, “Eh al-Kalam dah?” (What is he talking about?) So I tried to explain how that is my Islamic name. He responded, ghalat (you’re mistaken). He then went on to give two reasons why I should have not changed my name and why I should return to John.

1. Islam teaches the utmost respect and honor for ones parents—Muslim or not. This is clear in the many verses of the Qur’an which command us to do so and some of them specify that the only exception is in obeying a parent’s call to an evil lifestyle. Changing your name not only erases and invalidates their very first interaction with you as parents, but gives the idea of you splitting from your family which can be perceived as breaking the ties of the womb.
2. As long as your original name’s meaning isn’t contrary to Islam then it would be in the best interest of promoting our faith (da`wah). When people see that Matt, Dave, Robert, Sarah, Lisa, Emily, etc, are Muslims whose language and general customs are similar to them it takes away that “Islam is a foreign religion” vibe we often give off. This in light of the hadith (record of the words or actions of the Prophet ﷺ): “Facilitate things for people and don’t make things difficult for them. Give glad tidings and don’t alienate people,” (Bukhari 69).

Of course for someone who has been known to many people by a name for some time it would be a hassle to change it back. The fact is that, as the Sheikh said, my mother was indeed somewhat offended and told me that “my brothers” can call me what they want, but that she will always call me John. It is no one’s business what a person chooses to be called as long as it carries a good meaning. The advice of this article is that it is not part of the sunnah (prophetic tradition) to change someone’s name as a result of their embracing Islam. If someone,of their own accord, wishes to change their name, then that is their right, but don’t encourage it as the benefits are there for them to keep it. And God knows best!

Issue #2 – Names of Prophets and Naming Kids

Our love of the Qur’an is something very special and nothing should ever hinder that. That said, once again, I pray that this special reality doesn’t confuse us regarding our understanding or representation of Islam in America. Islam is something natural to all of us. It should not seem foreign at all. Our Creator exalted be He said:

“Direct yourself toward the pure monotheistic way of life. It is the natural inclination to God in which we were all created […]” (Qur’an 30:30).

It was brought up in response to the last article that what we are presenting makes perfect sense to most when we are dealing with non-Muslims, but why use these words when talking amongst Muslims? My response is that the reality I’m presenting is seen by some as a compromise just for teaching non-Muslims (i.e. da`wah, calling to Islam). What we are proving here with the Qur’an, sunnah (traditions of the Prophet ﷺ, peace be upon him) and logic is that the Arabic words are for Arabic speakers in an Arabic discussion on Islam (or religion) and generally the equivalent of these words should be expressed in English for English speakers in an English discussion. And it is perfectly fine to do so regardless of to whom you are speaking. I say ‘generally’ because some words will need to be brought into the English lexicon because they simply can’t be translated as a single word or simple phrase. An example of this is ‘salat’, which some English dictionaries such as Random House and Encyclopedia Britannica have already included).

The point is that we don’t translate many words which have an equivalent in English and that is seen as some sort of religious arrogance or Arabic bias rather than showing the beauty of Islam in our native tongue. In my experience, the more one is accustomed to using this terminology in their native tongue the more likely they will engage in discussions with their kids as well as with non-Muslims while not seeming to be presenting some foreign religion. What we are doing doesn’t change or hide the fact that our faith was revealed and preserved in Arabic and anyone who so chooses can go learn it in its original form. So before going on let’s remind you of the founding verse of this discussion:

“We merely sent messengers preaching in their people’s native tongue so that they may clarify to them the guidance […]” (Qur’an 14:4).

The fact is that the English language has had scriptural teachings in it for a long time. As you know, there are 25 Prophets mentioned by name in the Qur’an. Since the English language already has a representation of most of these very Prophets’ names there is no need to force an Arabic representation of them. I mean the point is that similarly to the previously mentioned “God vs. Allah” discussion, generally we are referring to the same person and it is our mission to teach people about any differences we might have in belief about these things. Someone might say, “Well, these are the names God used in the book He revealed and preserved so it is better to use them.” The next point should indeed interest the one who sees it that way.

Any student of Arabic grammar would notice that most of the Prophets’ names mentioned in the Qur’an are of the “prevented from morphology” category (ممنوع من الصرف). You see, in Arabic grammar there are many special types of words that are prevented from taking certain morphological case markings and thus do not get kasrah (-/i/) or tanween (-/n/). One of the categories that is “prevented from morphology” is the non-Arabic proper noun (العلم الأعجمي). Indeed, most of the Prophets’ names are of this category because those Prophets were not Arabs and therefore their names are not Arabic. So when revealing the Qur’an, God Arabized those names in order for the Arabs to relate to them. Whereas had he kept those names in their original Hebrew or otherwise it wouldn’t have flowed right for them. Ponder the following verse:

“Surely we have revealed it (the scripture) as an Arabic Qur’an (recitation) so that you (Arabs) may understand it,” (Qur’an 12:2).

Based on this, these Prophets were not called, in their time and by their people, by their Arabized names, like Ibrahim, Is’haaq, Ya`qoob, Yusuf, Musa, `Isa, etc. What I am suggesting we do is follow the example of the All-Wise and Omniscient and thus we refer to the Prophets in English according to the translations of the Bible already available so as to help English speakers relate to it.

On a related note, I remember when a brother named his son Noah and the Muslims were bothered by this and somehow found fault with it. So I reminded them that first of all nowhere does the Qur’an or sunnah say that all Muslims must use Arabic names to name their kids. Sadly, we do see many scholars saying this based upon the concept of the universal Arabization of Islam we are dealing with. Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying; our religion was revealed in Arabic and those divine words and the tradition that gives detail and wisdom to them can only be mastered in Arabic. That said, this research shows that there is a clear difference between scholarly reference to Islam and everyday expression of Islam for a common non-Arab Muslim. So yes, you can name your children in Malay, Urdu, Persian, or English, etc. The only condition is that the name you choose has a good spiritually sound meaning because the Prophet ﷺ said:

“You will be called on the Day of Judgment by your name and you father’s name so pick the best names,”  (Abu Dawood 4948).

Issue #3 – The Language of Adam and the Hereafter

I was once giving a lecture about Islam and mentioned the Semitic languages (i.e. Hebrew, Aramaic, Amharic, Tigrinya, Arabic, etc.) and how they are descendants of older Afro-Asiatic languages like Chaldean or Akkadian. So someone then asked if Adam spoke Arabic and I said that this is impossible since Arabic is one of the youngest Semitic languages whose oldest documented written form was in the 3^rd century C.E.  At the conclusion, a sincere brother snatched the microphone and told the crowd that this is the speaker’s personal opinion, but that Islam teaches that Adam indeed spoke Arabic!!!

You see, here’s where many modern educated youth are getting turned off from religion in general these days—religious arrogance/ignorance dominating the discussion. The fact is there is nothing in the Qur’an or sunnah which teaches that Adam spoke Arabic. In the beginning of Surat al-Baqarah (the Chapter of the Cow, Qur’an 2) it says very clearly that God taught Adam the names of everything. Many of our commentators of the Qur’an mention that this refers to the mother tongue which holds all keys that over time will become many languages including Arabic. This brother’s belief comes from the over-exaggerated emphasis on the precedence of the Arabic language. The truth is that the Arabic language is one of the richest languages—if not the richest language—with the ability to convey many meanings in short expressions. Obviously, God chose it for this reason so that it would be the final revelation which holds the means of undoubtedly translatable guidance for all of mankind until the Last Day.

On another occasion someone asked me what language we will speak in the Hereafter. I first answered- whatever language you know, and then added that I don’t really know since I have never read of any text which clarifies that to us. Once again a no-doubt sincere brother was bothered by that and interjected that it is well-known, and all scholars teach, that the language of the Hereafter is Arabic! Another brother added that there is a hadith (recording of the words or actions of the Prophet ﷺ) confirming this. So I told them that I would research it for them and get back to them next time. So in my research I found this hadith:

“The speech of Heaven is Arabic and the language spoken in front of God on the Day of Judgment is Arabic.”

The following notable scholars of hadith ruled this hadith and a few others like it to be an outright fabrication (موضوع): Ibn al-Jawzi, Imam al-Dhahabi, al-Shawkani, Ibn Hibban, Ibn Hazm, and Albani (May God have mercy on them).

I’m sure many of you know that Ibn Taymiyyah (ra) was called Shaikh al-Islam. A handful of others have been given this title in Islamic history by their peers, but undoubtedly he has become the most famous for it. This title refers to a scholar—other than the 4 well-known codifiers of the schools of Islamic Law—who comprehensively mastered all of the sciences of Islamic Law. Here is Ibn Taymiyyah’s response when asked about the aforementioned hadith and others like it:

“All praises to God the Lord of the Universe; it is not known which language people will be spoken to on that Day. This is because neither God nor His messenger has informed us of such a thing. The claim that the people of Heaven speak Arabic and the people of Hell speak Persian is not reliable and we know of none of the companions who held such a view—may God be pleased with them. The debate started after the early generations of Muslims when some scholars started to make such claims. All of these claims have no basis either in text or logic and God knows best,” (Mujmoo’ al-Fatawa 4/299).

The last point I would like to make is regarding another angle from which many people try to prove that both the language of Adam and of the Afterlife is Arabic. I was a little taken back as to the ignorance about and exaggerated belief in Arabic when one brother tried to say that the proof that the language of Adam and the Afterlife is Arabic is simply because when we read the Qur’an and hadith Adam is speaking Arabic, and God and the angels are speaking Arabic on the Day of Judgment and in Heaven! I was completely blown away having this conversation with a scholar of hadith sciences who reiterated the same argument in response to the fact that there is no reliable proof from hadith. So I asked him if Abraham, Pharoah, Moses and the rest of the people whose stories were mentioned were also speaking Arabic since the Qur’an narrates their stories in Arabic. I also reminded him of the abovementioned second verse of Surat Yusuf (the Chapter of Joseph, Qur’an 12):

“Surely we have revealed it (the scripture) as an Arabic Quran (recitation) so that you (Arabs) may understand it,” (Qur’an 12:2).

In that discussion and many other ones like it with PhD-level scholars, I came to realize that although we love, respect and learn from our scholars, we cannot assume that whatever they say is somehow untouchable, absolute, divine truth.

I pray from the bottom of my heart that our knowledge is purified from arrogance and biased or un-Islamic cultural influence.

Think of a person you consider to be very popular, someone everyone loves. Now think of all the names this person is known by – endearments or nicknames. Today, the number of names a person has is an indication of people’s love for him and his high nature. Not only that but a person’s different names often symbolize some quality of the person. For example, if a girl is called ‘smiley’ by her friends, it indicates she was always smiling; similarly if a boy is called ‘beast’ by his friends, it indicates that he is tough and fierce. A principle in the Arabic language states, “The more names an object has, the more prestigious and magnificent it is.” It is through this principle that we understand why Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) has so many names just as the Day of Judgment does as well.  Similarly, our beloved Messenger ﷺ (peace be upon him) had many names and each of these names is an indication of a quality of his. We can learn a lot about our Prophet ﷺ through his names and get an idea of his honorable nature through the amount of names he had.

Mohammed:

The first name of our Messenger ﷺ is his birth name and the name we call him by the most: Mohammed. Mohammed was the name given to him by his grandfather and it means ‘the praised one’. His Grandfather, Abdul Muttalib, named him this in hopes that he would be the one who is praised in the heavens and in the earth. Abdul Muttalib’s hopes were not lost. Mohammed ﷺ is constantly praised.

He is praised by Allah (swt) and His angels:

إن الله وملائكته يصلون على النبي يا أيها الذين آمنوا صلوا عليه وسلموا تسليما

Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace. [Qur’an 33:56]

He is praised by people throughout the Earth:

He is praised in some form during the athaan (call to prayer), in the supplication after the athaan, and in the durood (said near the end of prayer which starts with ‘allahuma Sali `ala Muhammad) that is said during salah (prayer). At every second on earth, there is someone somewhere making athaan, saying the du`a’ (supplication) after the athaan, or praying—so at  every second on earth there is someone somewhere praising the Messenger ﷺ.

He is praised by having many children named after him:

How many Mohammeds do you know today? Chances are, you know more than one, or have at least heard of more than one. The name ‘Mohammed’ is used widely throughout the Muslim communities and is a form of praise since one would only name their beloved child after someone who is more beloved and whom your child should strive to be like, ﷺ.

Ahmed:

Another name of our Messenger is ‘Ahmed’, which means ‘the one who praises the most’. The Prophet ﷺ was not one who was looking for a free ride. He constantly praised Allah (swt), thanked Allah (swt), and did actions that would please Allah (swt).

Al-Mahi:

RasulAllah (Messenger of Allah) ﷺ was also known as al-Mahi, or the Eliminator. This name referred to the blessing that Allah (swt) bestowed upon him, causing him to be the one by whom Allah (swt) will eliminate disbelief.

Al-Ameen:

Al-Ameen, or the trustworthy, was also a name of our beloved ﷺ. He was known to never speak a lie and he was one with whom you would always feel safe. This name was spoken about more in the article ‘A Man of Character’.

These names are just a glimpse at the many that were given to our Messenger ﷺ. Imam al-Suyuti, tried to find and count all the names of our beloved Messenger ﷺ and he found roughly 500 names!  Imagine 500 names that indicate a positive quality. How many people have you met that you think deserve 500 names?

May Allah (swt) cause us to meet the beloved Messenger ﷺ and witness for ourselves the many blessed qualities that he embodies.