Tafsir Ibn Kathir -> Surah Al-Hashr -> Glorifying Allah the Exalted by mentioning His Names and Attributes |
Allah the Exalted said, ﴿هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِى لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ عَالِمُ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَـدَةِ هُوَ الرَّحْمَـنُ الرَّحِيمُ ﴾ (He is Allah, beside Whom La ilaha illa Huwa, the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen. He is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.) Allah states that He Alone is worthy of worship, there is no Lord or God for the existence, except Him. All that is being worshipped instead of Allah are false deities. Allah is the All-Knower in the unseen and the seen, He knows all that pertains to the creations that we see, and those we cannot see. Nothing in heaven or on earth ever escapes His knowledge, no matter how great or insignificant, big or small, including ants in darkness. Allah's statement, ﴿هُوَ الرَّحْمَـنُ الرَّحِيمُ﴾ (He is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.) was duly explained before at the very beginning of this Tafsir, so it is not necessary to repeat it here, and it asserts that Allah is the Owner of the wide encompassing mercy that entails all of His creation. He is Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim of this life and the Hereafter. Allah the Exalted said in other Ayat, ﴿وَرَحْمَتِى وَسِعَتْ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ﴾ (And My mercy embraces all things.)(7:156), ﴿كَتَبَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ الرَّحْمَةَ﴾ (Your Lord has written (prescribed) mercy for Himself.)(6:54), and, ﴿قُلْ بِفَضْلِ اللَّهِ وَبِرَحْمَتِهِ فَبِذَلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُواْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِّمَّا يَجْمَعُونَ ﴾ (Say: "In the bounty of Allah, and in His mercy; -- therein let them rejoice.'' That is better than what (the wealth) they amass.)(10:58) Allah the Exalted said, ﴿هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِى لاَ إِلَـهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْمَلِكُ﴾ (He is Allah, beside Whom La ilaha illa Huwa, Al-Malik.) Al-Malik, meaning "The Owner and King of all things,'' Who has full power over them without resistance or hindrance. Allah's statement, ﴿الْقُدُّوسُ﴾ (Al-Quddus,) meaning "The Pure,'' according to Wahb bin Munabbih, while Mujahid and Qatadah said that Al-Quddus means "The Blessed.'' Ibn Jurayj said that Al-Quddus means "He Whom the honorable angels glorify.'' ﴿السَّلَـمُ﴾ (As-Salam,) meaning "Free from any defects or shortcomings that lessen or decrease His perfect attributes and actions.'' Allah's statement, ﴿الْمُؤْمِنُ﴾ (Al-Mu'min,) means "Who has granted safety to His servants by promising that He will never be unjust to them, '' according to Ad-Dahhak who reported it from Ibn `Abbas. Qatadah said that Al-Mu'min means that "Allah affirms that His statements are true,'' while Ibn Zayd said that it means, "He attested to His faithful servants' having faith in Him.'' Allah's statement, ﴿الْمُهَيْمِنُ﴾ (Al-Muhaymin,) means, according to Ibn `Abbas and others, "The Witness for His servants actions,'' that is, the Ever-Watcher over them. Allah said in similar Ayat, ﴿وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ﴾ (And Allah is Witness over all things.)(58:6), ﴿ثُمَّ اللَّهُ شَهِيدٌ عَلَى مَا يَفْعَلُونَ﴾ (and moreover Allah is Witness over what they used to do.)(10:46), and, ﴿أَفَمَنْ هُوَ قَآئِمٌ عَلَى كُلِّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا كَسَبَتْ﴾ (Is then He (Allah) Who takes charge (guards) of every person and knows all that he has earned)(13:33) Allah said, ﴿الْعَزِيزُ﴾ (Al-`Aziz,) meaning that "He is the Almighty, Dominant over all things.'' Therefore, His majesty is never violated, due to His might, greatness, irresistible power and pride. Allah said; ﴿الْجَبَّارُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُ﴾ (Al-Jabbar, Al-Mutakabbir), meaning "The Only One worthy of being the Compeller and Supreme.'' There is a Hadith in the Sahih Collection in which Allah said, «الْعَظَمَةُ إِزَارِي، وَالْكِبْرِيَاءُ رِدَائِي، فَمَنْ نَازَعَنِي وَاحِدًا مِنْهُمَا عَذَّبْتُه» (Might is My Izar and pride is My Rida; if anyone disputes any one of them with Me, then I will punish him.) Allah the Exalted said, ﴿سُبْحَـنَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ﴾ (Glory be to Allah! (High is He) above all that they associate as partners with Him.), then He said, ﴿هُوَ اللَّهُ الْخَـلِقُ الْبَارِىءُ الْمُصَوِّرُ﴾ (He is Allah, Al-Khaliq, Al-Bari, Al-Musawwir.) Al-Khaliq refers to measuring and proportioning, Al-Bari refers to inventing and bringing into existence what He has created and measured. Surely, none except Allah is able to measure, bring forth and create whatever He wills to come to existence. Allah's statement, ﴿الْخَـلِقُ الْبَارِىءُ الْمُصَوِّرُ﴾ (Al-Khaliq, Al-Bari, Al-Musawwir.) means, if Allah wills something, He merely says to it "be'' and it comes to existence in the form that He wills and the shape He chooses, ﴿فِى أَىِّ صُورَةٍ مَّا شَآءَ رَكَّبَكَ ﴾ (In whatever form He willed, He put you together.)(82:8) Allah describing Himself as being Al-Musawwir, Who brings into existence anything He wills in the shape and form He decides.
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