Now, we continue our trip with the eighth of Allah’s Beautiful Divine Names: Al-Mutakabbir.

Dear reader, it is necessary for a true believer to know Allah; and to know His Beautiful Divine Names and Attributes is part of knowing Him. He exists and He is One and Perfect. Once again I repeat: it is indispensable for believers to know Allah’s Beautiful Names and Attributes, for Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), says, “Verily, Allah has ninety-nine Names, one hundred but one, Whosoever knows each and every one of them (believes in them, and works according to them) enters the Garden (of Paradise).” [narrated by Al-Bukhari]

The truth is, however, that no one knows the reality of Allah’s Divine Self except Allah Himself, Alone. Such fact should be clear to everybody: No one knows Allah except Allah Himself, Alone. If we desire to know Him, it is like a drop of water in the ocean. To this effect, Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), says, “The present world does not take from the Hereafter except that which a needle takes from the ocean if it is dipped therein (i.e. compared to the Hereafter, the present world is just as tiny as a drop of water in the ocean).”

If knowledge of the reality of Allah’s Divine Self is just like an ocean, man’s knowledge of Allah’s reality is not more than the water that a needle holds from the ocean if it is dipped therein. However, as Imam Ali, may Allah honor his face, said, “Taking a little is better than leaving a lot.”

Now, is it possible to set a few examples that enable us to know Allah, All-Mighty? But is it permissible to set examples derived from our daily life in order to clarify some facts? 

Yes, it is possible, although nothing is the like of Allah. Here is the evidence: Allah, All-High, desires to introduce Himself to us by setting the following example: “He (Allah) sets forth for you a parable from your own selves: do you have partners among those whom your right hands possess (i.e. your slaves) to share as equals in the wealth that We have bestowed on you whom you fear as you fear each other? Thus do We explain the Signs in detail to a people who have sense.” [XXX; 28]

In order to let us know that there is no god but Allah, Alone, that He has no partners, and that He allows none to take part with Him in His Divine Decision, Allah Glory to Him, sets such example as above-mentioned. Therefore, it is possible that we set a few examples that enable us to know Allah’s Beautiful Names, particularly because the Name that we are going to study now is Al-Mutaabbir; and if the word “Al-Mutakabbir”(the Sublime, the Supreme), is also used to describe a human being, it has an evil negative connotation, simply because such an attribute belongs to Allah, All-Mighty, Alone.

Let’s imagine that someone is in bad need of a hundred thousand pounds in order to have a vital surgical operation. Doctors said: “Such surgical operation is indispensable; and so is the amount of money needed for the operation.” Since he does not have such amount of money, he goes to one of his relatives asking him to lend him the money: “Do you have the money?” The relative says: “Yes, I do.” But if he does not actually have the money, he is a liar! He goes to another one asking him the same question: “Do you have the money?”, and he truthfully answers: “Yes, I do.”  Now, the one who falsely claimed to possess the money, although he did not have it, is a liar and is by no means perfect. The second one would also be imperfect if he said humbly: “No, I do not have the money.”, although he is truthful. He should say: “Yes, I do have the money! Here you are! Take it!” if he desires to be perfect and truthful.

Therefore, At-Takabur (i.e. being Sublime and Supreme) reflects Divine Perfection but human imperfection. This is because Allah, All-Mighty, is the Creator of all worlds. In His Hand is the Dominion of all things. If He desires a thing, His Command is: “Be!”; and it is. To Him all matters are returned for judgment and decision. His Divine Glory and Might are Infinite. His Divine Perfection is Infinite. His Divine Knowledge is Infinite. His Divine Power is Infinite. If Allah is Al-Mutakabbir, this is because He knows that He is All-Mighty. This notion takes us to another Divine Name of Allah’s, namely Al-Mu’min, one of whose meanings is that Allah, Glory to Him, knows Himself perfectly. To make things clear, we put forward the following example: If you have a PH.D. in Arabic literature and language and someone, who is a beginner, reads you a text in Arabic, making a lot of mistakes and errors, don’t you certainly feel superior to him in your own specialization and that his reading is full of mistakes? Of course you do! Your knowledge is undisputable!

Therefore, if a coward says: “I am brave!”, this would be a false claim that reflects a serious defect in him. If a mean person says: “I am generous!”, this would be imperfect of him. If someone ignorant says: “I am knowledgeable!”, it would also be imperfect of him. But if someone knowledgeable says: “I know, and I will answer your question.”, and he does answer the question, it would be perfect of him. If a brave person says: “I am brave, and I shall defend you.”, and he really does, it would be perfect of him. If someone generous sys: “I am generous. Here you are! Take this money!”, it would be perfect of him.

When we say: Allah, All-Mighty, is Al-Mutakabbir (the Sublime, the Supreme), it is in fact a Name that denotes Divine Perfection. But when we say that a certain human being is mutakabbir, it denotes serious imperfection because it means that he/she is an insolent arrogant person. This is the first fact of this lecture.

Al-Mutakabbir is someone who sees that all others are little compared to him; and he sees neither might nor glory but in himself. In other words, he looks upon others just like kings do towards their slaves.

Allah, All-Mighty, is the Creator of the heavens and the earth. In His Hand is the Dominion over all things. To Him do return all matters for judgment and decision. If He desires anything, He says: “Be!”, and it is. If Allah, All-Mighty, says about Himself that He is Al-Mutakabbir, this means that He, Glory to Him, knows Himself perfectly. And this Name, Al-Mutakabbir, has to do with another Divine Name of Allah’s, Al-Mu’min, which means that He, Glory to Him, perfectly knows Himself.

In this context, Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), says, “Allah, All-Mighty, says: ‘Sublimity is My cloak, and so is Might: if anyone rivals with Me for either of them, I shall cast him into the Fire.” [Sunan Abi Dawood]

In another narration of the Hadith: “…, I destroy him and do not care.”

Some scholars hold that: “The word “Al-Mutakabbir” is derived from Al-Kibria’ (Sublimity, Pride); and he who has the right to claim for Sublimity or Pride is the king.” To this effect, Allah, All-Mighty, says, “They said (to Moses): ‘You have come to us to turn us away from that (Faith) which we found our fathers following, and that you two may have sublimity in the land? We are not going to believe you two!” [X; 78]

Al-Mutakabbir (the Sublime) is Allah, the King, Whose Sovereignty never perishes, the Great, in Whose Kingdom nothing happens except by His Leave, the One, the Omnipotent. Such is one of the meanings of Allah’s Beautiful Name Al-Mutakabbir (the Sublime).

Another meaning is derived from the words Al-Kabeer (i.e. the Great). Allah, All-Mighty, says, “So when she heard of their accusation, she sent for them and prepared a banquet for them; she gave each one of them a knife (to cut the foodstuff with); and she said (to Joseph): ‘Come out before them.’ Then, when they saw him (Joseph), they exalted him (because of his great beauty) and (in great astonishment) cut their hands. They said: ‘How Perfect is Allah, (Who created Joseph)! This is not a human being! This is none other than a noble angel!” [XII; 31] In other words, due to Joseph’s great beauty, the women cut their fingers.

Allah, Glorified and Exalted, is also Mutakabbir in the sense that His Divine Sublimity is Infinite, He is Great, Whose Divine Greatness is Infinite. This is the second meaning of Allah’s Beautiful Name Al-Mutakabbir.

A third meaning is: Al-Mutakabbir is Allah, Who is far Exalted above being unjust or unfair to His slaves. A fourth meaning is that Allah, Most Gracious, is Al-Mutakabbir in the sense that in His Hand is Beneficence and from Him is Forgiveness. A fifth meaning of Al-Mutakabbir is that His Sovereignty, Dominion and Greatness are imperishable.

Another meaning of Allah’s Beautiful Name Al-Mutakabbir is: the Great and Sublime. And sublimity comes from self-existence and self-guidance. Allah, All-Mighty, has a Free Will. And Al-Mutakabbir is Allah, Who is far above any kind of imperfection or defect that does not befit His Divine Perfection, and Who is far Exalted above anthropomorphic qualities of His creatures.

Therefore, we have to know Allah, since if we know Him, we obey Him. To this effect, Allah, All-Mighty, says, “And likewise of men and moving living creatures, beasts and cattle, are of various colors (species). It is only those who have knowledge from among His (Allah’s) slaves that fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Mighty, Oft-Forgiving.” [XXXV; 28]

Our work is by no means proper and rightly guided unless we know Allah; and we are never happy in this present world or the world to come unless our work is rightly guided. Three things: we have to know Allah; if we know Him, we obey Him; and if we obey Him, we attain happiness of intimacy with Him in the present world and the Hereafter.

Therefore, Al-Mutakabbir is He, Allah, Who is far above all the anthropomorphic qualities of His creatures, Who is Perfect in His own Divine Self, in His Attributes, and in His Acts. To this effect, Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), says, “Verily, Allah revealed to me that you should be modest so that no one boasts before another and so that no one transgresses against another…” [Sahih Muslim]

Also, in a Divine Hadith, Allah, Most Gracious, says, “I love three, and My Love for three is greater: I love the obedient, and My Love for a young obedient one is greater. I love the modest, and My Love for a rich modest one is greater. I love the generous, and My Love for a poor generous one is greater. And I hate three, and My Hatred for three is greater: I hate the disobedient, and My Hatred for an old disobedient one is greater. I hate the arrogant, and My Hatred for a poor arrogant one is greater. And I hate misers, and My Hatred for a rich miser is greater.”

Do you believe, dear reader, that Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), says, “He who has the weight of an atom of arrogance shall never be admitted into Paradise.” [Sahih Muslim]?!

Why? They said: Because arrogance clashes with man’s being a slave of Allah, All-Mighty. In other words, you are a slave, and Allah is the Lord: if you rival with Him concerning His Divine Lordship, He destroys you, as afore-mentioned in the above Divine Hadith. That is why Allah’s Messenger says, “He who humbles himself to Allah one degree, Allah raises him (in honor) one degree, (and so on) until He makes him among the most honorable; and he who shows one degree of arrogance to Allah, Allah degrades him one degree, (and so on) until He makes him among the lowest of the low.” [Sunan Ibn Majah]

When Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), conquered Mecca, he entered it with a bowed head so that his hat almost touched the neck of his camel out of modesty and humbleness to Allah, All-Mighty, Most Gracious. And when once a man entered upon him, he was overtaken by his holy apparel and started shivering. He, (PBUH), addressed the man in great moderation, “Take it easy my brother! I am but the son of a (simple) woman - from Quraish – who used to eat Al-Qadeed (simple food of dried meat) in Mecca!”

In fact, Allah’s Divine Sublimity, Supremeness, Glory, Highness, Praiseworthiness, Exaltedness, Beauty, …etc, all betoken the fact that He, All-Mighty, Most Gracious, deserves all Attributes of Divine Majesty and Perfection and is Free from all kinds of defects and imperfection.

A knowledgeable holy scholar supplicated Allah: “O my Lord! How can I draw near to You (i.e. attain Your Love and Compassion)?!” So he felt in his heart (as if Allah were addressing him): “O My slave! Seek My Love and Compassion by things that are not found in Me.” He asked: “O Lord! What are the things that are not found in You?!?” The Almighty answered him: “Humbleness and lack of self-sufficiency.” That is why showing both humbleness to Allah and bad need of Him is the shortest way to attain Allah’s Divine Love and Compassion. Another most successful way that leads to Him is to hasten to Him with faithful obedience and sincere devotion.

Obey Our Command, and We unveil Our Veils for you,

For We grant with pleasure those who love Us.

And seek refuge in Our Protection and seek help from Us,

So that We may protect you from the evil ones from among Our creatures.

And let nothing divert you from remembering Us,

And be sincere to Us, and you will find happiness and contentment.

And surrender to Us the judgment of all matters,

For bringing near and casting away are but under Our Command.

Be with Allah, you find Allah with you.

And leave all others (but Allah) and beware of your greediness.

And put yourself in humble submission to Him,

Before your own self, by force, puts you.         

One of the knowledgeable scholars who knew Allah said that one day, after he had performed both the late night and dawn prayers but had not spent the night standing in prayer, he said to himself: “I would rather spend the night sleeping and get up with regret in the morning than spend the night standing in prayer and be self-conceited in the morning.” In other words, he entered a state of arrogance. In this context, Allah’s Messenger was once quoted as saying, “If you did not commit sins, I would be more afraid for you of something that is more serious, namely self-conceitedness.”

Of course, only those who contemplate Allah’s Signs in the universe are able to deliberate Allah’s Beautiful Name: Al-Mutakabbir (the Sublime, the Supreme). Some astronomers say: “In the universe, there are more than a million-million galaxies, in each of which there are more than a million-million stars. Light needs one second in order to cross the distance between the earth and the moon, eight minutes in order to cross the distance between the earth and the sun, and four years in traveling to us from the nearest of the fixed stars, taking into consideration that in one single second, light crosses 300,000 km’s.” In other words, if we desire to travel by car the distance between the earth and the nearest star, we need about 50,000,000 (fifty million) years. So, what do you think of the Polar Star, from which light needs 4,000 years in reaching us (i.e. 50,000,000X1,000: fifty billion years), or a galaxy called Super Nova, from which light takes a million years in traveling to the earth, or even a newly discovered galaxy from which light needs 16,000,000,000 (sixteen billion) years in traveling to us. In this context, Allah, All-Mighty, says, “So, I swear by the settings of the stars! And verily, that is indeed a great Oath if you but know!” [LV; 75,76]

A human being may quite often boast: “I am what I am!” But who is a human being in reality?! Contemplate such fabulously great cosmic distances as above-mentioned! Such galaxy was in such place some 16,000,000,000 years ago. But where is it now?! No one but Allah, All-Mighty, Alone, knows where it is now!

In a previous lecture I mentioned that the distance between the earth and the sun is 158,000,000 km’s, that the sun is 1,300,000 times bigger than the earth, and that a small brilliant red star in the Cancer Constellation is as big as the earth plus the sun plus the distance between them. Therefore, Allah, is Al-Mutakabbir, the Sublime, the Supreme! His Marvelous Creation bespeaks His Infinite Divine Greatness and Majesty.

Once again, I repeat: The whole universe is a mere manifestation of Allah’s Beautiful Divine Names and Attributes. He can not possibly be seen by the human eye, but the universe, which is His Creation, is quite visible and clearly substantiates His Infinite Divine Might, Majesty and Power. To this effect, Allah, All-Mighty, says, “We shall show them Our Signs in the universe and in their own selves until it becomes manifest to them that this (the Quran) is the truth. Is it not sufficient in regard to your Lord that He witnesses all things.” [XLI; 53]

Did you know that in a husband-wife sexual intercourse 300,000,000 seminal animalcules are ejected, on each of which there are millions of programmed pieces of information called genes?! Such genes are only visible under the microscope. In the human brain there are 140,000,000,000 brown cells whose job has not been yet found out. In the retina of the human eye there are 130,000,000 cells to provide clear vision; and in each of the optic sensors, there are 900,000 optic nerves.

Do you believe that if someone goes to the Arctic, where the temperature is minus 70 degrees Celsius in winter, he can wear whatever heavy clothes to protect himself from the excessively cold weather, but he can not cover his eyes, because if he does, he will not be able to see?! That is why Allah, All-Mighty, Most Gracious, has equipped our eyes with a special kind of anti-freeze liquid, which protects the human eye from being frozen of the cold. Without such marvelous liquid, man would soon go blind because of the cold. Yes, in deed! It is Allah, Al-Mutakabbir, the Sublime, the Supreme, the One Free from all kinds of imperfection in both His Own Divine Self and Acts! Just deliberate Allah’s Words, “Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of the night and day, there are indeed Signs for men of understanding: those who (constantly) remember Allah (while they are) standing, sitting and lying on their sides, and contemplate the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): ‘Our Lord! You have not created (all) this in vain! Glory to You! Give us salvation from the Fire-Torment.” [III; 190,191]

Do you believe that in the human brain there is a most accurate organ that measures the difference of the sound received by both ears?! This is because the same sound reaches the ear that is nearer to the sound-source 1/1000 of a second before the other. The brain measures such difference and determines direction of sound-source. Without such organ direction of sound-sources cannot possibly be perceived. Yes, indeed! Allah is Al-Mutakabbir, the Sublime, the Supreme! 

In fact, Allah’s Beautiful Names can not be known except by means of His Divine cosmic Signs, which are wide-spread in the universe, and which betoken His Infinite Divine Might and Power. All of us have stores of liquid fuel for our heating systems; and it is known that five cubic meters of oil make five barrels. Do you believe that the human heart pumps eight cubic meters of blood in one single day, the size of the highest sky-scraper in the world in the average life-span of a human being.

Do you think you are a tiny creature,

While in you is imbedded the greater world?!

Do you believe that the human liver performs more than 5,000 (five thousand) jobs in the human body and that without a liver man can survive only for three hours. The speech about Allah’s Divine Miracles in both man and the universe is endless. In this context, Allah, All-Mighty, says, “And also in your own selves (are Signs): will you not then see?!” [LI; 21]

Your own body, dear reader, is a teaching aid; the organs of your body, different and numerous as they are, are the greatest teaching aid that leads you to Allah, All-Mighty. If you spent all your life contemplating greatness of the creation of man, you would never be able to know the reality of Allah’s Divine Self. But Allah, Glory to Him, guides you to seek some knowledge about Him through contemplation on His Divine Miracles that He has imbedded in your own human body. That is why He, Most Gracious, calls our attention: “And also in your own selves (are Signs): will you not then see?!”

Those who display arrogance from among the children of Adam wrong themselves! Just a few weeks ago, Allah, Most Gracious, had mercy on us when a very mild earthquake hit our country. Had such earthquake been stronger, we would have been completely destroyed. It would have been possibly said: 80,000 killed and 70,000 injured would have been found under the debris. There would have been complete destruction of houses and buildings. Yes, indeed! It was a faint earthquake, less than 5 degrees on the Rechter Scale! If it had been more than 5 degrees, we would not be here now in this mosque. So, why should we ever display arrogance?! We live by Allah’s Kindness and Care. A great many beautiful cities have been completely destroyed in only a few seconds. Why should we ever be arrogant?!

When rain was withheld and water became scarce, we felt that we would be deprived of even a glass of water! Is there on the whole earth anyone who could determine to send us rain?! But Allah, All-Mighty, Most Gracious, had mercy on us and showed us that it is He, Who is Al-Mutakabbir. It is He Who sends us rain out of His Divine Mercy! Who are we?! A space shuttle that was given an arrogant name, “Challenger”, which was insolent to the Lord, Allah, All-Mighty. On board of the shuttle were seven make astronauts accompanied by a female one that was supposed to get pregnant from one of the male astronauts and give birth to a baby in outer space. However, it burst into blazing flames only seventy seconds after it had been launched. Why should we be arrogant?! Who are we?! Our existence or extinction is but by one Divine Word: “Be!” or “Perish!” That is why it has been rightly said:

I have nothing but my need of You as a means,

And because of my need of You I supplicate to You my need.

I have no means but knocking at Your Door,

But if Your Door is closed before me, at which other door shall I knock?!

Yes, indeed! You are in bad constant need of the Lord, Allah, All-Mighty! In weal and woe, even when you are at your best in health, knowledge and power, you are in bad need of Him! Therefore, whenever you desire to do anything, you should invoke the Lord, All-Mighty: “O Allah! I have forsaken my might and power to take refuge in Your Might and Power! O You, Owner of Might and Power!                                                                         

Do you believe (I put forward these examples in order to wake people from their heedlessness and carelessness, for it does not befit man to be arrogant: if he does show arrogance, it is most foolish of him) that if a drop of blood were to clot in a certain part of the brain, man would be paralyzed. In other words, after having been in a state of comfort and ease with all people around him showing due respect, love and care, a microscopic blood-clot  in the brain suddenly renders him a feeble motionless semi-dead body lying in bed with the most intimate relatives looking forward to his death. Why should we be arrogant?! If such a blood-drop were to clot in another part of the brain, man may, quite suddenly, lose his memory. A dear brother told me that his father lost his memory before he died. He went back from work to his home in Al-Muhamjireen quarter of Damascus, but he remained more than half an hour in desperate search for his home. In what condition would you be if you lost your memory?! If you lost your memory, you would lose even yourself, you would be just like a feather in the wind.

A son once entered upon his old father, who used to be a chemist. The father asked, “Who are you?” In great amazement, the son replied, “I am your son!” The father said, “I don’t know you!” Therefore, a clot of blood in the man’s brain caused him to lose his memory. If the clot were in a third part of the brain, man would lose his sight, and all the beautiful scenes would be gone: no colors, no green mountains, no blue seas, no beautiful son or daughter. All the sense of visual beauty would be lost in the darkness of his eyes.

I have heard that a famous writer’s blind father used to spend the summer in a most beautiful place in Austria. I swear by Allah! Even if he was put in a small air-conditioned room in his poor town, it would make no difference for him, for he sees nothing!

Therefore, if man lowers his gaze at the things that Allah, All-Mighty, determines as unlawful for him, and if, out of obedience and devotion to the Lord, Most Gracious, he guards his eyes against indecent scenes, the Lord, will  most probably protect his sight and keep his eyes safe and healthy for him. In this context, Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), say, “The best ones from among you are those who learn the Quran and teach it.” [Sahih Al-Bukhari] One of the venerable religious scholars of Damascus taught the Holy Quran to three consecutive generations. Whenever he met any one of his students, he would tell him: “O son! You were my student, and so were your father and grandfather!” He started teaching when he was eighteen and continued until he was ninety-eight; and he used to have an upright healthy body with sharp eyes and delicate ears. He was also granted a happy married life until his death. Whenever he was asked, “O Master! To what do you attribute your good health!”, he would humbly say, “O son! I have guarded my senses in my youth (against unlawful or indecent things), so Allah protected them for me in my old age. He who lives in righteousness and piety lives in strength and good health.” Don’t you wish, dear reader, to be in good health and great honor when you are old?! It has been rightly said: “If you desire to be dear to Allah, be dutiful to Him. If you desire to be the most powerful of all mankind, put your trust in Allah. If you desire to be the richest of all mankind, be more confident in what is in Allah’s Hands than what is in your own hands.”

Just contemplate factories of the red blood corpuscles inside the bones! There is a disease that affects the production of such corpuscles. These factories of the red corpuscles produce 2,500,000 corpuscles per second. Sometimes they stop working for no known reason. So, should you be arrogant?! A million dangers threaten you! So, what can you do?!

I know someone who was well-off and had a good social position in this country. He lost his sight; and when a friend of his came to visit him, he said: “I swear by Allah! I wish I had no Ph.D. or such a prominent social rank. I wish I were a poor beggar asking people for money in the streets if Allah, All-Mighty, gave me back my sight!” The bliss of eye-sight can be preserved by showing faithful obedience and sincere devotion to our Lord, Allah, All-Mighty.

Where does an evil tumor come from?! A healthy person may suddenly suffer from a kind of disorder in the growth of the cells of his body! Sometimes, for no known reason, man’s kidneys fail to work, and therefore, he has to go to hospital for artificial cleaning of his kidneys at least twice a week, which is unbearable… So why should you be arrogant?! Do you have control over your kidneys?! Do you have control over your heart?! Do you have control over the valves of your heart?! Do you have control over the main artery that carries blood into your heart?! Can you guarantee to keep blood-vessels inside your brain unblocked?! Can you keep your sensory nerves well and in good order?! Can you guarantee the good functioning of the joints between your bones and that your body does not become one unmovable tough block of flesh?!

There are countless illnesses and diseases, so why should you be arrogant?! Do you have control over your tongue?! While you are asleep, saliva increases in your mouth, and therefore, a warning is sent to your brain, which, in turn, commands the uvula to open the way to your esophagus, into which the saliva flows automatically while you are soundly asleep. Also, while you are soundly asleep, Allah, All-Mighty, causes you to turn over from side to side more than 38 times a night, so that you may not fall off your bed. Such are Allah’s Graces and Blessings upon you! Contemplate them and turn to your Lord, Allah, Most Gracious, with true love and sincere devotion! Do not belittle sins but rather think of Him, against Whom you transgress when you commit such sins!

If upon birth, Potall Opening in the baby’s heart does not close automatically, a great amount of money is needed for a surgical operation in order to close it. It is an opening between both auricles of the heart. And as I have been informed by some doctors, a clot is sent to close it. Whose Hand is inside the heart?! Whose Hand comes and closes Potall Opening?! If it remained unclosed, the baby’s color would be blue, simply because blood would not be carried from one auricle of the heart to the other or refined through the lungs.

When someone has a healthy baby, he invokes: “O Lord! Praise is all Yours!” But if the baby were to be born blue, it would need a costly surgical operation. What can we do?! Why should we be arrogant?!

Allah, All-Mighty, is Able to force you to sell both your home and store in order to pay for a single surgical operation! Why should you be arrogant?!

I repeat once again: Allah, Al-Mutakabbir, the Sublime, the Supreme, Alone, has the right to be Arrogant, for Arrogance reflects Divine Perfection as much as it reflects human imperfection.

A friend of mine died because of an illness that resulted from lack of blood plates. Without such blood plates, man would bleed to death at the slightest wound. This is because in the human blood there are special hormones for both liquefaction and coagulation of the blood. Due to the balance between both kinds of hormones blood remains in a good condition and runs smoothly through the blood-vessels. Who regulates such hormones?! It is the Lord, Allah, All-Mighty, Most Gracious, the Sublime, the Supreme! While you are soundly and comfortably asleep, who controls breathing for you?! It is the Lord, Allah, All-Mighty! If anything goes wrong with your breathing due to reflexive nervous failure, a very expensive medicine is needed, a tablet of which has to be taken every single hour during the night. In other words, a person who suffers from such disease has to wake up every hour to take a tablet and then go back to sleep! He has to keep more than one alarm clock beside him if he desires to survive during the night! What a life! Due to Allah’s Infinite Divine Grace, your breathing goes on, quite smoothly and comfortably, for long hours, while you are soundly asleep. In fact, the speech about man’s miraculous nature is almost endless. The more knowledgeable man is the more humble and submissive to Allah, All-Mighty, Most Gracious, he is. To this effect, Allah, Most Merciful, says, “It is only those who have knowledge among His (Allah’s) slaves that fear Allah.” [XXXV; 28] Yes, indeed! Only the knowledgeable ones, and no other human beings, fear Allah, All-Mighty. Therefore, it has been rightly said: “One should be a knowledgeable person, a learner, a listener, or a lover of learning; otherwise one would be a great loser.”

In the same context, Imam Al-Ghazali said: “Knowledge does not lend you some of itself unless you lend it all of yourself. If you lend it some of yourself, it lends you  nothing.” Moreover, knowledge is the only value that Allah, All-Mighty, considers as a distinguisher between His slaves. In other words, people may excel one another in a great many things: wealth, health, beauty, power, intelligence, …etc, but knowledge is the only thing that make people excel in the sight of Allah. To this effect, He, Glory to Him, says, “Is one who is obedient to Allah, prostrating himself or standing (in prayer) during the night, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the Mercy of his Lord (like one who disobeys)?! Say: ‘Are those who know equal to those who know not?!’ It is only men of understanding who will remember.” [XXXIX; 9] Also, a religious relic goes: “Blessed is He (Allah), who allotted intelligence differently among His Slaves, for two men may be equal in righteous work, piety, fast and prayer but differ in intelligence like an atom compared to a mountain. No better thing has Allah allotted to His slaves than intelligence and true Faith.”

That is why it has been rightly said: “Every new-born dawn calls out, ‘O son of Adam! I am the dawn of a new day and a witness of your work! Avail yourself of me, for I shall never return until the Resurrection Day!” Also, the venerable devoted worshipper, Rabi’ah Al-Adawiyah, may Allah have mercy on her, was once asked, “What is a human being?” She answered, “He is but a few days; whenever a day passes away, a part of him (man) passes away.”

To wrap up, Al-Mutakabbir, the Sublime, the Supreme, is one of Allah’s Beautiful Divine Names and Attributes, which reflect His Divine Perfection. But no human being should ever assume such Divine quality, for that would reflect not only great insolence and arrogance but also serious ignorance and imperfection. Be careful! Be careful! Allah has mercy on those who know their human limitations and abide by them!

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