In Thy Name, We Live

Episode 25: The Final Episode

In the name of Allah[1], The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful, all praises be to Allah, Lord of the worlds[2].  All prayers and blessings of Allah be upon the Messenger of Allah (SAWS)[3].  Today, we will live with the last episode of our program, “In Thy Name, We Live” which is a summary of the previous episodes as well as an affirmation of all what we have said so far.  Remember the way we approached Allah’s most beautiful Names.  Once you get attached to Allah’s most beautiful Names, this will be the way you live, aiming to reform and revive the whole earth. 

Let us have a quick review of the names tackled.  Remember, The Ever-Patronizing Patron, “Allah is The Ever-Patronizing Patron of (the ones) who have believed. He brings them out of the darknesses into the light…" (TMQ, 2:257).  Offer to be among the patrons of Allah simply by doing what Allah has ordered us to do.  Become other people's patron, so that Allah (SWT) will be your Ever-Patronizing Patron.

In Thy Name, “The Superb Comforter-The Superb Potentate” we live.  He is the One who comforts the oppressed and is the refuge to those with broken hearts.  Mend people’s hearts so that Allah (SWT) mends yours.  Allah (SWT) takes revenge from oppressors for the sake of the oppressed.  When you feel oppressed, run to The Superb Comforter.    

In Thy Name, “The Ultimate Trustee” we live.  When you give someone a general power of attorney, you allow him to do whatever he wants in your property.  He must be worthy of your trust, experienced, and he must truly care about you.  Allah (SWT) is the Ultimate Trustee who truly cares about His servants and never abandons them.  Entrust yourself to The Ultimate Trustee, do your best and never be afraid, because “Allah is The Reckoner enough for us, and how excellent is The Ever-Trusted Trustee!” (TMQ, 3:173).

In Thy name, The Almighty, we live.  Do not ever humiliate yourself to anybody.  You are the servant of The Almighty who dignified you.  You must preserve your dignity.

In Thy Name, The Effacer of sins, we live.  The Effacer of sins eliminates the sin, He makes you forget it and He makes the angels forget it.  It is not written in the scrolls anymore and you are not questioned about it on the Day of Judgment.  Effacing sins is more comprehensive than forgiveness.  When Allah forgives you, He does not expose you, either in this world or in the hereafter nor does He punish you.  However, your sins are still written and you will still be questioned about them.  The Effacer of Sins erases your sins, He becomes satisfied with you and then He gives you more.  Efface people’s mistakes in order to have your sins effaced.

In Thy Name, The Appreciative, we live.  The Appreciative is the One who appreciates your deeds, however small they are, and doubles the rewards for you.  "Who is he who will lend Allah a fair loan, so He will double it for him manifold? And Allah grasps and outspreads; and to Him you will be returned." (TMQ, 2:245).  Give as much as you can, help people and appreciate their deeds.

In Thy Name, The Supreme Answerer, we live.  Allah says what can be translated as, "And when My bondmen ask you concerning Me, then, surely I am near; I answer the invocation of the invoker when he invokes Me…" (TMQ, 2:186).  Raise your hands with dua’a(supplication) and ask Allah whatever you want, you will find Him, The Nearest One to you, for He promised to answer whoever asks Him.  Do you know how to pray with the confidence that Allah will answer your prayers?!  Allah is The Nearest One (al-Qareeb).  Try this, take your son and embrace him close to your heart.  Who is closer to you at this point?  Allah says what can be translated as, “…and We are nearer to him than the jugular vein” (TMQ, 50: 16).

In Your name the Ever-Affectionate we live in affection, tenderness and love.  Allah (SWT) named Himself the Ever-Affectionate and not the Lover because affection is higher in rank.  Love is an internal emotion but affection is a transformation of this love.  When Allah loves one of his worshippers, He calls out to Jibril (AS) (Gabriel), “I love so and so. Jibril, You should love him too!”  Then Jibril calls out to those who dwell in the heavens, “Allah loves so and so and you should love him too.”  Then he is loved in this world.  

In Thy name, O Watcher, we live.  You can be under surveillance by a hundred people and forced to perform your job properly but your conviction that Allah (SWT) is watching you must be much stronger. You must act bearing in mind that “Allah looks at you; Allah watches you; Allah witnesses you”.

Let us now conclude with our journey to meet Allah (SWT) as portrayed in one of the Prophet’s (SAWS) beautiful teachings.  It is retold by Ibnul-Qayem in the first person. Allah calls out to the people of al-jannah and asks them if they are satisfied.  They reply, “And how can we not be, O Allah.  You have honored us and brought us into al-jannah.”  Allah then says, “Only one thing remains.”  They ask, “What is it that remains, Allah?”  (Meaning, can there be anything better than what we have been granted?!)  He replies, “That I be pleased with you so that I am never upset with you again.”  Our main concern in this world is for Allah to be pleased with us; it is what we repeatedly mention in our supplications.  We end the month of Ramadan not knowing if we have been granted this rank or not.  Then a caller calls out, “O people of al-jannah! Come to visit the All-Merciful.  All excellent things are prepared for them until they reach a place where platforms of gold, silver, light and pearl (each according to his rank) are set up for them.  As they place themselves upon these platforms, a light rises from above them.  They think that this is Allah (AWJ)[4] but it is the light of Allah’s approach.  Allah then calls out to them, “Peace be upon you.”  They then reply, “O Allah, You are Peace and from You is Peace. Blessed are You with Your Glory and Honor.”  This is what we say at the conclusion of our prayers because our prayer is an encounter with Allah (SWT).  Therefore, He reminds of what we will say the day we meet Him.  Allah will then call out, “Where are my worshippers who have obeyed me without seeing me?”  Imagine yourself raising your hand and saying, “I, Allah, It is I who has obeyed you without seeing you.”  His reply then is, “Today is the day of augment.  They are allowed whatever they want in it (al-jannah) and we have plenty more in store for them.”

He then asks them what they wish for and they convene to ask one another and agree on one thing: that Allah be pleased with them.  Allah tells them that had He not been pleased with them, He would not have allowed them into al-jannah in the first place.  They then ask to be allowed the privilege of beholding His face.  Imagine this great moment when Allah says what can be translated as, “Faces upon that Day will be blooming, Looking towards their Lord” (TMQ, 75:22-23).  All veils will be drawn at this moment and they will see Allah’s glorious face and experience a pleasure, the like of which they had never experienced before; to the extent that they would be prepared to give up al-jannah. 

Allah will then converse at length with every single one of them.  He will tell each one, “So and so, do you remember this or that wrongdoing?”  The worshipper will then say, “O Lord, have You not forgiven me?”  Allah will reply, “Of course, it is My forgiveness that has brought you this far.”  Then Allah will tell him, “O so and so (imagine Allah calling you with your name) wish and desire anything!  For anything you wish for today, I will grant you.”  The worshipper will then say, “I want this and that and that,” until he runs out of wishes then Allah will remind him of other wishes that he had forgotten, until the worshipper is embarrassed with shame.  Then Allah tells him, “So and so, I am satisfied with you. Are you satisfied with Me?”  Do you now understand the meaning of the ayah where Allah says what can be translated as, “Allah is satisfied with them, and they are satisfied with Him” (TMQ, 98:8).  The worshipper is filled with shame and knows not what to say.  Then Allah tells him, “Go and take of al-jannah what you desire.”  All you need to do is strive in the 60 or 70 years you live in this world so that you are greeted at the gates of al-jannah to live an eternal life, beholding His glorious face day and night.  The ceiling of your home will be the Throne of the All-Merciful; your neighbor will be the Prophet (SAWS) and your companions will be Abu-Bakr, Omar, Othman, and the rest of the prophets. 

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