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In Thy Name, We Live
Episode 15: Al-Qahhar (The Superb Vanquisher)
In the name of Allah, The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful; and praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds. All prayers and blessings be upon the Prophet of Allah (SAWS). Today we will live with a new name of Allah’s most beautiful names. This name will make you feel the solemnity and grandeur of Allah (SWT). Unlike the previous episodes where we talked about the mercy and relentance of Allah, today’s name makes you sense His apprehension. The previously tackled meanings encourage you to be more benign. However, you must be acquainted with Allah and acknowledge Him His true magnificence. The aim of this episode is to fill your heart with the apprehension and surrender to The Superb Vanquisher, so that you may abandon some of the bad deeds you are used to. Today’s name is The Superb Vanquisher and tomorrow we will talk about The Ever-Affectionate.
First, let me ask you some questions.
- What does “Islam” mean?
- Allah says what can be translated as "As his Lord said to him, “Surrender,” (i.e., be muslim) he said, “I have surrendered to The Lord of the worlds.” (TMQ, 02:131). Does this mean that Ibrahim (AS) (Abraham) was not a muslim already?
- When Ibrahim (AS) was about to sacrifice his son Allah says what can be translated as "So, as soon as they had both surrendered, and he dashed him upon his brow." (TMQ, 37:103). Where they still beginning to surrender?
- Does the name The Superb Vanquisher invite you to fear Allah (SWT) and panic or to apprehend and surrender?
Linguistically, to vanquish something means to dominate, control and overpower. The Superb Vanquisher dominates everything in His kingdom. Everything submits and surrenders to Him. Allah says what can be translated as, “And He is The Vanquisher above His bondmen, and He is The Ever-Wise, The Ever-Cognizant.” (TMQ, 6:18). He is The Vanquisher without being unfair, on the contrary He is wise and knowledgeable, so be reassured.
All creatures surrendered to the Superb Vanquisher who submits and dominates the whole universe. Allah says what can be translated as "Upon the Day the earth will be exchanged to other than the earth and the heavens (will be exchanged); and they will go forth to Allah, The One, The Superb Vanquisher. (TMQ, 14:48).
“The Day they are going forth. Not a thing of theirs is concealed from Allah. “Whose is the Kingdom today?” “(It belongs) to Allah, The One, The Superb Vanquisher.” (TMQ, 40:16). “…, then said to it and to the earth, “Come up (you two) willingly (Or: in obedience) or unwillingly!” They (both) said, “We come up willingly.” (TMQ, 41:11). “Surely His Command, if He wills a thing, is only to say to it, “Be!” and it is.” (TMQ, 36:82). He who commands the existence of anything can also commands it to vanish. “And Allah judges; none reverses His judgment and He is swift at the reckoning.” (TMQ, 13:41). "And in no way can you (Literally: mankind) decide unless Allah (so) decides…" (TMQ, 76:30). "…and in case you turn away, then know that you are unable to be defiant to Allah;…(TMQ, 09:03). Hundreds of ayahs in the Qur’an invoke you to feel the solemnity, submission and apprehension to The Superb Vanquisher to Whom the whole universe surrenders. You need to worship Allah as if you can see Him.
The skies, the earth, the angels and all the creatures obey Him. He left us the choice; either to come to Him willingly or He will make us come to him anyway. “And in no way can you decide except “when” Allah “so” decides, The Lord of the worlds.” (TMQ, 81:29). This is the meaning of Islam; to surrender and submit to your Lord. A clear example of this comprehensive surrender is Ibrahim (AS) who obeyed Allah’s orders without question, “…“O my son, surely I see in a dream (Literally: time of sleeping) that I should slay you; so, look, what do you see?” He said, “O my (dear) father, perform whatever you are commanded; you will soon find me, in case Allah (so) decides, among the patient.” (TMQ, 37:102). Notice the attitude of Isma’il (AS) (Ishmael) and how he surrendered to the will of Allah. Their Islam was realized when they comprehensively surrenderd, “So, as soon as they had both surrendered, and he dashed him upon his brow.” (TMQ, 37:103). This is to remind us when we slaughter during the Eid the true meaning of our religion, which is to completely surrender to Him.
The tawaf (circumambulation of the Ka’ba) is another way of surrendering to Allah wearing these specific clothes and performing the tawaf following Allah’s orders.
Know your Lord, your heart must be filled with His love as well as His apprehension. We are living as if with two wings; one represents hope for His mercy and the other is dread of His fury. If the meaning of The Superb Vanquisher fills your heart you will find yourself unable to disobay Him after Ramadan. See how Allah (SWT) vanquishes everything in his kingdom. The sun and the moon, the night and the daytime, “It does not behoove the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night outstrip the daytime, and each is swimming in an orbit.” (TMQ, 36:40). He vanquishes the dust to be this human being and ordered him to move and speak while he was nothing, “Has there come upon man a while of (an) era when he was not a thing to be remembered?” (TMQ, 76:1). Can you imagine that this dust now reached the moon!
He is The Superb Vanquisher who vanquishes the unjust nations. He did not punish them while they were weak, but when they reached the peak of solidness and strength, "ÉIram comprising the columns, (i.e., It is the city of Aad, who were stalwart and huge buildings). The like of which was not created in the lands? And (with) Thamd? who carved out the rocks in the valley, And (with) Firaawn, (Pharaoh) owning the bulwarks? (Or: stakes). (They) who tyrannized in the lands, So they worked much corruption therein, Then your Lord poured on them the scourge of torment? Surely your Lord is indeed Ever-Observing." (TMQ, 89:7-14). Or teach your children at bedtime the story of the elephant and Abraha and how Allah defeated him with the weakest creatures; birds.
There is another example, Allah vanquishes things with its opposite. He (SWT) brings opposites together. Look at the water and how it is composed of H2O, that is hydrogen (flammable substance) and oxygen (flaming aid). He creates the water that extinguishes fire from these two flammable substances. Allah created other substances with certain fixed specifications to help us study and benefit. He also upon command changed their nature at His will, like the knife when it did not slaughter Isma’il (AS) and the fire when it did not burn Ibrahim (AS) or the whale when it swallowed Yunus (AS) (Jonah) but did not digest him.
The sea or a breeze of fresh air can be both deadly and yet at other times beautiful and calm. Moreover, The Superb Vanquisher has the ability to combine the soul with the body and made the emotions of the soul reflect on the body.
Look at all the creatures they are rejoicing because they are submissive to Allah. Thus, you have to bear in mind that submission is not a sort of humiliation but it is apprehension and glorification.
The Companions relate that the Prophet (SAWS) was used to say a certain dua’a (supplication) at the end of any gathering:" My lord, Grant us apprehension which keep us away from disobeying you. Grant us submission which delivers us to Jannah (paradise), and grant us faith which makes us endure the worldly trials."
On the day of the solar eclipse the Prophet feared that Allah might be angry and will punish them. He kept supplicating to the Superb Vanquisher to raise His anger away from his people as long as they ask forgiveness of Allah.
The aim of the today's episode is to abandon your sins and repent to Allah after knowing The Superb Vanquisher. Feel the Glory of Allah and let reverence sweep your sins away and let apprehension be manifested in your tears. The Prophet (SAWS) says that whoever cried because of apprehension won't enter hellfire.
Apprehension makes you treat people well, as it makes you remember the punishment of The Superb Vanquisher. That is why Omar Ibn-Abdul-Aziz ordered his servant remind him of The Superb Vanquisher if he found him oppressing anyone. Omar Ibnul- Khattab was full of apprehension. He asked his son to put his face on the dust while he was dying so that Allah would have mercy on him. See how submissive he was.
The superb Vanquisher compels your tongue at the time of your death. You may find yourself unable to utter "La Elah Ela Allah" (there is no god but Allah) because of your bad deeds. On the other hand, He may compel your tongue to utter what pleases Him because of your good deeds, although it is such a simple phrase that requires almost no effort to pronounce.
On the Day of Judgment, The superb Vanquisher is alone and will call out: "whose is the kingdom today?" but no body answers. Allah then replies "It belongs to Allah, The One, and The Superb Vanquisher." The Superb Vanquisher starts life on earth by a blow in Adam's body and it ends by a blow in the trumpet.
He compels the straight path to be lit for the believers. Allah says what can be translated as: "(On) the Day (when) you see the male believers and female believers, their light proceeding along before (Literally: between their hands) them and on their right hands..." (TMQ, 57:12).
How should we deal with Allah's name, The Superb Vanquisher?
1- Be apprehensive and submissive to Allah. Your apprehension will make you able to abandon your sins, besides, it will make you treat people with mercy and shed the tears of fear which will purify your soul.
2- Do not ever oppress the weak, especially the poor and the orphans. Allah says what can be translated as "Then, as for the orphan, then do not subdue (him), and as for the beggar, then do not scold (him)"(TMQ, 93:9-10).
Vanquish Satan by following Allah orders
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