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"[Allah] it is Who is the One to be Worshipped in the Heavens and the One to be Worshipped on the earth, and He is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing.” [Qur’an, 43:84]

If we look at the amazing perfection and remarkable precision in this immense universe, we notice the magnificent organization of the successions and series of events that occur in it. We see, for example, that our eyes are created in the wombs of our mothers, amidst deep darkness, although they need light in order to function. This indicates that the Creator of these eyes knows that these fetuses will emerge from the wombs into a world containing light. Also, we look at ourselves, and at our capability to learn in spite of being created weak, and recognize that knowledge is a worthy attribute, and that its absence - ignorance - is a defect. Taking this into consideration, we can realize that Allah, Who has created and perfected the universe, and created mankind in this manner, must Himself be All-Knowing and All-Aware, nothing being hidden from Him,. “And with Him are the keys to the unseen; none know them save He. And He knows what is in the land and sea. There is no leaf which falls except that He knows it, nor any seed in the darknesses of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry, except that it is in a clear record.” [Qur’an, 6:59] “Those who disbelieve say, “The hour will not come to us.” Say : Nay, by my Lord! Indeed, it shall surely come to you! [My Lord is] the Knower of the Unseen. There escapes not from His knowledge the weight of an atom in the heavens or the earth, nor anything smaller or bigger, except that it is in a clear record.” [Qur’an, 34:3]

The name of Allah “al-`Aleem” means : the possessor of complete knowledge of all things, whether actual, hypothetical or inconceivable. Allah’s knowledge differs from ours, in that our knowledge is little and limited, acquired after ignorance and prone to forgetfulness, whereas Allah’s knowledge is all-encompassing, eternal and complete, not acquired, not preceded by ignorance nor susceptible to forgetfulness. “He knows what is before them and what is behind them. And, they do not encompass any of His knowledge except that which He wills.” [Qur’an, 2:255]

The name “al-Hakeem” is also related to knowledge, and means : the All-Wise One. We notice, for example, that every species of creation is fashioned according to a pattern, equipping it for certain functions. We know that we breathe in air, expend oxygen from it and exhale carbon dioxide. However, to counter this, Allah has created plants to take in carbon dioxide and give out oxygen in photosynthesis. We notice also that the nostrils contain small hairs and nasal mucus which serve to filter out dust and certain microbes from the inhaled air. There are numerous other examples which indicate that these things are created by an All-Knowing, All-Wise Fashioner.

Knowing that Allah is al-`Aleem al-Hakeem, we should trust that His decree is for the best. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that Allah said, “There are some of my believing servants for whom nothing is good but wealth, and if I were to make them poor, that would ruin them. And, there are some of My believing servants for whom nothing will improve their faith but poverty, and if I were to expand [their sustenance] for them, that would ruin them . . . . Indeed, I am All-Knowing and Well-Aware of them.” [al-Bayhaqi]
al-Rahman al-Raheem
The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
At the start of every surah of the Qur’an (except for Surah al-Tawbah), we read the words, ("In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"). The word ‘mercy’ covers the meanings of mildness, compassion, benevolence and goodness. When describing the mercy of creatures, we associate the attribute with a softness of the heart which makes the creature incline towards kindness, but this sense, evidently, does not apply to Allah, Who is free of all needs and influences.

Allah is the Unsurpassed in Mercy, unequalled in this attribute. He is the possessor of mercy and the granter of it. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa-sallam) once saw a woman frantically searching for her missing child. When she found him, she took him, held him against her stomach and breast-fed him. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam) said, “Can you imagine this woman throwing her child in the fire?” The Companions said, “No, by Allah!” Whereupon he said, “Allah is more merciful to His servants than this [woman] to her child.” [Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim]

In another hadith, he says, “Indeed, Allah has a hundred mercies, of which He has sent down a single mercy amongst the jinn, mankind, beasts and venomous creatures. By virtue of [this mercy], they are compassionate and merciful towards one another; by virtue of it do wild animals have mercy on their offspring. Allah, the Exalted has deferred ninety-nine mercies with which He will have mercy on His servants on the Day of Arising.” [Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim]

Allah’s mercy, then, has two stages. The first is in this world, where His mercy is for all creatures. For in this world. it is by Allah’s that all creatures, whether human, animal or plant, whether righteous or wicked, believer or disbeliever, receive sustenance, health, benefits and facilities.

In the Hereafter, however, Allah’s mercy is exclusively for the believers. “And My mercy has encompassed all things [i.e. in this world]. But, I shall prescribe it [exclusively] for those who are pious, and who give zakat; and those who believe in Our signs. Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet . . . . “ [Qur’an, 7:156-157] “And He is Most Merciful to the believers.” [Qur’an, 33:43] On the Day of Judgement and thereafter, there is no longer any mercy for those who refused to accept faith. They had their chance to acquire it, but they refused the truth, and must face the consequences of which they were warned. “Those who disbelieve in the signs of Allah and His meeting, they are those who have despaired of My mercy, and they are those for whom there is a painful punishment.” [Qur’an, 29:23]

As for the believers, they should be hopeful of Allah’s mercy in the Hereafter. On the Day of Judgement, after the intercessions on behalf of sinful people, some more sinful Muslims will be emancipated from the Fire by the sheer mercy of Allah. Allah will say, “The angels have interceded, the prophets have interceded and the believers have interceded. None remains but the Most Merciful of the merciful ones.” [Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim]

However, of our hope of mercy is to be genuine rather than vain and foolish, we must work to earn this mercy by obeying Allah. We should maintain our ties with our blood relatives. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Allah, the Mighty, the Majestic said, ‘I am al-Rahmaan. I created kinship (al-raHim) and derived a named for it from My name. So, whoever maintains it, I shall maintain him, and whoever severs it, I shall cut him off.’” [Narrated by al-Bayhaqi via `Abdu’r-Razzaaq] “He who does not have mercy on mankind, Allah, the Mighty, the Majestic, will not have mercy on him.” [Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim]
al-Razzaaq
The Provider
“Indeed, Allah is the Provider, the Lord of Power, the Strong.” [Qur’an, 51:58]

Allah is the Provider. He bestows upon creatures that without which their bodies cannot survive, and He fulfils their needs. He has taken the responsibility of providing for every creature, be it a fish in the depths of the ocean, a bird soaring through the sky, a worm crawling on a rock, a fetus in its mother’s womb, or a new shoot emerging from a seed.
“There is not any creature upon the earth except that it is up to Allah to provide their sustenance.” [Qur’an, 11:6]
Allah is the provider of not only physical needs (such as food, drink and clothing) but also of other favors, such as knowledge and guidance.

When the human being is a fetus, enclosed in the dark depths of his mother’s womb, no mortal - not even his own father, nor his own mother in whose belly he is - can proffer him any food or drink. Yet, during this time, he receives nourishment via the umbilical cord, by the mercy of his Lord, the Provider. After the child emerges from the womb and the umbilical cord is severed, Allah provides milk for him, and inspires him to suck his mother’s breasts. In this way, the newborn receives sustenance, although he can scarcely see, hear or understand anything.

Plants and trees manufacture food from a combination of water, soil, air and sunlight. Allah has created and coordinated this wondrous process to provide food which mankind requires. Were it not for Allah’s providing suitable water, and the requisite soil and weather conditions, this food would not be produced.
“So, let man look at his food; that We pour the water in showers, and then split the earth in clefts. Thereupon, We cause to grow therein grain, grapes, green fodder, olives, dates, enclosed gardens dense with foliage, and fruits and grasses - a provision for you and for your cattle.” [Qur’an, 80:24-32]
Vegetation is consumed by animals, and is thereby transformed to flesh, providing another form of nourishment for man.

Then, when the human or animal eats the food, and digests it by means of whatever digestive apparatus Allah has provided, Allah, the Provider, directs it to every part of the living body - be it in the middle of the brain, on the surface of the skin, inside the bones, or elsewhere - to build and replenish tissue or to provide energy.
“Or, who is there that can provide for you if [Allah] were to withhold His provision? Nay, they obstinately persist in insolence and flight [from the truth].” [Qur’an, 67:21]

Although Allah is the Provider, we are required to make effort to acquire our sustenance, and to seek out only lawful (Halal) provision.
“If Allah were to enlarge the provision for His Servants, they would indeed transgress beyond all bounds through the earth; but he sends down in due measure what He wills.” [Qur’an, 42:27]
“O mankind! Eat out of that which is on the earth, lawful and good.” [Qur’an, 2:168]

One who becomes certain that his sustenance is granted by Allah, and that no-one can deprive him of the sustenance which is destined for him, will not fear anyone with regard to his sustenance except Allah.
“O mankind! Remember the favor of Allah upon you. Is there any creator besides Allah who provides for you from the sky and the earth? There is no god but He; how, then, are you perverted?” [Qur’an, 35:3]
al-Haafiz, al-Hafeez
The Protector, the Preserver
Allah is al-Haafiz, the One Who protects His servant from destruction in both worldly and religious matters. “Allah is the best protector.” [Qur’an, 12:64] He is also the Protector of the Qur’an : “Indeed, We; it is We Who have sent down the Reminder, and surely We shall protect it.” [Qur’an, 15:9] He has protected the skies with meteorites against devils trying to eavesdrop on the Qur’an and other matters of the unseen. “And to guard from every rebellious devil.” [Qur’an, 37:7]

Allah protected us from danger while we were being formed in the wombs of our mothers. He protects the delicate brain with the strong bone enclosure of the skull, the eyes with the eyelids and eyelashes, and the organs of the chest with the rib-cage. He has protected our life, and facilitated for us its means - such as food, drink, light, water and heat. He has not tasked us with the conscious inhalation and exhalation of air for our bodies during wakefulness or sleep. Had He tasked us with that, we would scarcely have been able to do anything else, and were we to fall asleep, our breathing would stop and we would die.

Allah, the Protector, causes the rain to fall gently such that it does not annihilate life and vegetation. The Protector is the One Who has enclosed the earth in a layer of air - the atmosphere - so that it is protected from the fatal radiation emanating from the sun and stars, such that life and living creatures are not exterminated. He has also made the atmosphere a shield against the shooting stars and meteorites which pelt the earth by the millions every day.

We should thank Allah, Who has protected us from within and without, from above and below. Moreover, once we are confident that Allah is our protector, we will not fear harm anything or anyone in the heavens or the earth. “Say : Nothing shall befall us, except that which Allah has ordained for us.” [Qur’an, 9:51]

Allah is also al-Hafeez, which means the Preserver or Guardian; the One with Whom things are safe from perishing. “Your Lord is a Preserver over all things.” [Qur’an, 34:21] He preserves the heavens and the earth and all that they contain, so that they endure for the durations of their existences, not becoming obliterated nor passing away. “And He is not fatigued by preserving [the heavens and the earth]” [Qur’an, 2:255] It is the same Protector Who protects His servants from destruction, devastation and evil. “[The human being] has successive [angels] in front of him and behind him, who protect him by the order of Allah.” [Qur’an, 13:11]

Allah preserves the deeds of mankind, and keeps a record of their words, and knows their intentions and that which their breasts conceal, for nothing escapes Him. “Indeed, my Lord is a Guardian over all things.” [Qur’an, 11:57] He protects His pious servants from sins, and from the designs of Satan, so that they are safe from his evils and temptations.

The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam) advised `Abdullah ibn `Abbas, in part of a longer hadith, “Protect Allah, so that He may protect you. Protect Allah so that you may find Him before you.” [Tirmidhi, Ahmad] ‘Protecting Allah’ means protecting the commands and limits of Allah from violation, for Allah is free of all needs and weaknesses. This includes taking care of one’s prayers, oaths and bodily parts. Whoever takes care of these and other commands of Allah will be protected by Allah, in body and in soul, and will find Allah’s help, support and protection ready for him when he needs it. If we wish Allah to preserve our bodily parts for us in old age, we should sustain His commands from our youth.

We should also ask for Allah to preserve our souls in faith such that we die as believers. The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa-sallam) said, “When [any] one of you comes to his bed, let him take off his interior lower garment and shake off his bed with it. Then, let him lie on his right hand and say, ‘With Your name, my Lord, I have laid down my side, and with Your name I raise it up. O Allah! If you retain it, then have mercy on it, and if you send it [back (in the morning)] then protect it with that whereby You protect Your righteous servants.” [Bukhari]
al-Khaaliq al-Baari’
The Creator, The Fashioner
“He is Allah, there is no god but He, the Creator, the Fashioner, the Shaper; to Him belong the best names.  All that is in the heavens and earth glorify Him.” [Qur’an, 60:24]

Allah is the only independently existing being, everything else having been brought into existence by Him.  This is the highest meaning of ‘the Creator’ : the originator from nothingness.  “Is there any creator besides Allah who provides for you from the sky and the earth?” [Qur’an, 35:3] Al-Khaaliq also means : the assorter of originated things, Who has made a certain number of various types of creatures, ranging from small to huge, from short through tall.  Inanimate objects, insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals and humans are all the handiwork of Allah.  Another related name of Allah is Al-Khallaaq - the One Who creates one creation after another.  “Is not He who created the heavens and the earth capable of creating the like of them?  Yes, indeed! And He is the Repeatedly-Creating, the All-Knowing.” [Qur’an, 36:81]

Al-Baari’ means ‘the One Who brings into existence according to His pre-existing knowledge,’ i.e. that He did not create at random or by accident, but according to plan.  It also means ‘the transformer of substances.’ For example, Allah created man from clay and water, but man’s resultant nature differs from that of his constituents.  “Indeed, we created man from an extract of clay; then we made him a mixture of drops, [lodged] in a safe lodging place.  Then, We made the drops into a clot, then made the clot into an amorphous lump.  Then, We formed bones from the lump, then clothed the bones with muscle.  Then, we brought him forth as another creation.  So, blessed be Allah, the best of creators!” [Qur’an, 23:12-14]

We should reflect over the marvels of our creation, and also realize that we are only a tiny part of creation in its entirety, and that the One Creator has created us for a specific purpose.  “Or, were they created by nothing?  Or are they [themselves] the creators?!  Or, did they create the heavens and the earth?!  Nay, but they are not firm in faith.” [Qur’an, 52:35]
“Indeed, the creation of the heavens and the earth is a greater [thing] than the creation of mankind, but most of mankind do not know.” [Qur’an, 40:57]
Our investigation and experience of the creation should lead us to greater appreciate the power of Allah, and the futility of worshipping any other.  Even science and technology, at their greatest heights, cannot match Allah’s creation; they can but make use of it and build from it.
“O mankind!  A similitude has been coined, so listen to it!  Those whom you call upon besides Allah will never create a fly, even if they cooperate for that purpose.  And, if the fly snatched something away from them, they would not be able to release it from [the fly].  So weak are [both] the seeker and the sought!.” [Qur’an, 22:73]

al-Awwal al-Aakhir
The First, The Last
“He is the First and the Last.” [Qur’an, 57:3]

Allah is al-Awwal, the First, meaning the One before whom there is none. Allah was always in existence and always will be. Allah has no beginning, for if He did, He would have needed a creator, who would have existed before Him, and He could not have preceded all other beings. Allah alone existed, before anything or anyone else - even before time and space, and then He created everything else as He willed. Hence, Allah does not need a creator. In a hadith we find, “People will ask you about everything, until they (even) ask you, ‘It is Allah Who created everything, but who created Allah?’” According to some narrations, the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, then said, “So, if you are asked, then say, ‘Allah was before everything, and is the creator of everything, and exists [even] after everything.’” [Bayhaqi, “al-Asma wa al-Sifat"]

It is abundantly clear from the Qur’an and sunnah that Allah alone existed before bringing anything or anyone else into existence. There is consensus of the Muslims on this point, and in fact it is also the belief of followers of previous revealed books and of virtually every religion.  One of the points on which Imam Ghazzali pronounced kufr on some of the philosophers was their claim that the universe is pre-eternal.

Some people from Yemen came to the Prophet sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam and asked him about the universe.  The Prophet sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam told them, “Allah was, and there was not anything besides Him, and (then) His ‘arsh was over the water. He wrote everything in the Reminder (the Preserved Tablet - al-LawH al-MaHfooz), and [then] He created the heavens and the earth.” [Bukhari] By looking at this narration in conjunction with others, we find that Allah first created the water, then the ‘arsh and the Pen. (The majority of scholars are of the view that the Pen was created after the `arsh, but some hold the opposite).  Then, Allah ordered the Pen to write destiny, and so it proceeded to write what would occur until the Day of Judgement.  Fifty thousand years later, Allah created the heavens and the earth.

Allah is also the First in the sense that everything originates from Him. So, knowing this, and that Allah created everything without anyone to challenge Him, should convince us to seek, rely on and trust in the help of Allah.

Allah is also al-Aakhir - the Last, after Whom there is none, for He has no end. Thus, Allah’s being ‘The Last’ does not mean that all other beings will cease to exist. For example, we know that Heaven and Hell and their inhabitants will continue to exist without end, all of which occurs by Allah’s power and will to sustain them in existence.  However, when the Horn is blown at the end of this world, all creatures in the heavens and earth shall die except for those whom Allah wills.
“All who are upon [the earth] will pass away, and there shall endure the Countenance of your Lord, the Posessor of Majesty and Honor.” [Qur’an, 55:26-27]

So, Allah, the Ever-Living, will remain alive, and in this way will be the Last as He was the First.  In a hadith we find that Allah will roll up the heavens and the earth, and then declare, ‘I am the Sovereign; where are the kings of the earth?” [Bukhari and Muslim] And, in another narration, “Where are the mighty ones?  Where are the haughty ones?” [Muslim] Another narration tells us that Allah will say, “To whom belongs sovereignty today?” and then will reply Himself, saying, “To Allah, the One, the Overcomer.” [Tabari, Ibn al-Mubarak]

Another interpretation of Allah’s being the Last is that everything returns to Him, just as He created it. “And that to your Lord is the End [of everything].” [Qur’an, 53:42] Knowledge of Allah is also the destination of the seekers of truth, and meeting Allah is the destination of every human being.  “O mankind!  Indeed, you are striving towards in your deeds towards your Lord and [towards] meeting Him.” [Qur’an, 84:6]

The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, used to supplicate, “O Allah!  Lord of the heavens, Lord of the earth, Lord of all things, splitter of the seed and date-stone [causing them to sprout], Revealer of the Torah and the Injeel and the Qur’an! I seek refuge with You from the evil of every evil-bearing [creature], whose forelock is in Your Hand.  You are the First, for there is none before You. You are the Last, for there is none after You.  You are the Manifest, for there is none beyond You. You are the Hidden, for there is none beneath You. [Relieve me of debt and make free me from poverty.]” (Muslim)

“So, place your trust in the Living One Who dies not.” [Qur’an, 25:58]

From Suheil Laher's Islam Page