Al Malik

The Meaning of the Name ‘AL MALIK’

See actual post here from understand quran

Allah calls Himself Al-Malik— The King and Owner of Dominion— on five occasions in the Quran. He is the King, the owner and ruler of the whole creation. Al-Malik gives authority to whomever He wants in this world, and He has supreme authority and is ruled by no one!

The King, the Ruler, the Owner of Dominion

Malik, Maalik and Maleek all come from the root maa-laa-kaa, which points to three main meanings. The first main meaning is to have possession and ownership. The second is to have power and ability and the third main meaning is to control and have authority.

This root appears 206 times in the Quran in ten derived forms. Examples of these forms are malakat (“possess”), mulku (“dominion”) and al-malaa’ikatu (“the angels)”.

Linguistically malik refers to the attribute of mulk; which points to power and ability: They do not possess ability. [Quran 13:16] Mulk also means possession and ownership: To Him belongs the Ownership of the heavens and earth [Quran 2:107] as well as control and authority: O my people, sovereignty is yours today, [your being] dominant in the land. But who would protect us from the punishment of Allah if it came to us? [Quran 40:29] Al-Malik is simultaneously the Ultimate King, Ruler, and Owner of all beings.

Al-Malik Himself says: So high [above all] is Allah, the Sovereign, the Truth . . . [Quran, 20:114] Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth is exalting Allah , the Sovereign, the Pure, the Exalted in Might, the Wise . . . [Quran, 62:1] The Sovereign of mankind . . . [Quran, 114:2]

A breathtaking scene with the King

Describing an amazing and humbling moment on the Day of Judgment, the Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Allah will grasp the earth and fold up the heavens with His Right Hand and proclaim, I Am the King! Where are the kings of the earth? Where are the tyrants? Where are the arrogant? [Al-Bukharee, Muslim] No one will speak and the kings and rulers of this world will be left with none of their “power.”

How can you live by this name?

1. Stay within the limits of Al-Malik.

Would you drive 60 mph while in a 30 mph zone when you know a camera is ready to record you and fine you accordingly? In your daily life keep reminding yourself to remain within the bounds set by Allah, al-Malik, your King, and imagine both His punishment and reward.

2. Don’t use the name Al-Malik.

The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam also said: The most despicable name to Allah is a person who calls himself the king of kings, while there are no owners except Allah [Al-Bukharee, Muslim]. The name Al-Malik belongs to Allah ‘azza wa jall only.

3. Be patient and be a king in the Hereafter.

The real sovereignty in this world for you is to strive for self-control. Don’t be a slave of money, fashion, or desire, but suppress your desires and constantly strive against the whims of your ego to please Al-Malik. As is beautifully quoted: Desire can turn kings into slaves and patience can turn slaves into kings! Recognize His ways of bestowing kingship: Say, O Allah, Possessor of sovereignty, You give kingdom to whom You will and take it away from whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent! [Quran, 3:26] So be patient in times of hardship and in striving to stay away from what is forbidden by Al-Malik and He will give you an eternal kingdom in the Hereafter in-sha-Allah.

4. Ask Al-Malik.

Whenever you feel disheartened tell yourself Allah ‘azza wa jall is your Malik and you are part of His Kingdom. He does whatever He wants [Quran 36:82] and when something “bad” happens to you, know this is from His wisdom and that no matter how impossible your situation or ambitions seem, you can always ask Him only for a way out. Nothing is impossible for Al-Malik.

5. Be just.

All kings and owners, just or unjust, are low compared to Al-Malik. You are responsible for whatever you have authority over, and you will be accountable for it. In reality you don’t own anything; it all belongs to Al-Malik. So be just to your spouses, children, and even animals, and remind yourself that you will be dealt with by the King on the Day of Judgement.

6. Humble yourself in heart and body.

Never be arrogant, and keep reminding yourself that you are an ‘abd (slave) of Al-Malik, no matter how rich or self-sufficient you might feel. Al-Malik reminds you of what your priority in your daily-life should be: Then High above all be Allah, the True King. [Quran 20:114] Be humble in your heart but also in your speech and appearance. Using foul language, speaking poorly of others, or having an arrogant body posture are not features of a believer who humbles himself or herself for Al-Malik— He sees you 24/7.

7. Praise Al-Malik.

The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, whoever says: la ilaha il Allahu waHadu, la shareeka lahu, lahul Mulk, wa lahul Hamdu, wa huwa ‘alaa kuli shayyin Qadeer -None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, alone, without partner, to Him belongs all sovereignty and praise, and He is over all things omnipotent- 100 times he will receive the reward of freeing ten slaves,one hundred hasanaat will be written for him and one hundred misdeeds will be washed away. He will be shielded from shaytan until the evening. No one will be able to present anything better than this except for someone who recited more than this. [Al-Bukharee, Muslim] The Prophet also used to say immediately following the witr prayer: Subhaan al-Malik al-Quddoos (Glory is to the King, the Holy) three times, and raising and extending his voice on the third time and then saying: Rabbil-malaa’ikati warroohi ( Lord of the angels and the spirit) [An-Nasaa’i].

O Allah, Al-Malik, we know that You are our only King and Owner. Help us in following Your commands and in being Your righteous slaves, and adorn us with patience and humility.  Guide us in being just in all our daily affairs, and admit us to Your Kingdom of Paradise, ameen!

And Allah knows best

MY NOTES:

I will add after hearing the lectures in this post Inshallah

Ar Raheem

The Meaning of the Name ‘Ar Raheem

See actual post here from understand quran

Allah calls Himself Ar-Raheem— The Bestower of Mercy, The Most Compassionate— on 93 occasions in the Quran, 112 times in the basmalah. Ar-Raheem is the One who bestows His continuous mercy on all of creation and who bestows even more grace and greater rewards in response to the good deeds of the believers!

The Most Compassionate, the Bestower of Mercy

Both raheem and rahmaan come from the root raa-haa-meem, which points to four main meanings. The first meaning is to have gentleness and to love, the second is to have mercy. The third meaning is to show favour, and the fourth meaning is to have all that is required for beneficence.

This root appears 339 times in the Quran in nine derived forms. Examples of these forms are turhamoona (“receive mercy”), ruhman (in affection”), and ar-raahimeena (“[of]those who show mercy”).

Linguistically, raheem shows continuity or repetition (the ending of –ee(m)). For example jameel means beautiful and kareem means honourable or generous, which reflect characteristics or states. Related to Ar-Rahmaan, Ar-Raheem refers to the action or the effect of Allah’s intense mercy on creation, indicating how this mercy encompasses creatures. Imagine a shower of blessings, and imagine the shower as very intense and continuous. Allah is the intensely and the continuously Merciful.

Ar-Raheem Himself says: He said,

 “I will ask forgiveness for you from my Lord. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful [Quran, 12:98] . . . 

[O Muhammad], inform My servants that it is I who am the Forgiving, the Merciful [Quran, 15:49] and. . .

 And indeed, your Lord – He is the Exalted in Might, the Merciful. [Quran, 26:9]

The merciful of the creation

Certain names Allah ‘azza wa jall uses only to describe Himself. He says: Say: Invoke Allah or invoke Ar-Rahmaan, by whatever name you invoke Him (it is the same), for to Him belong the Best names. [Quran, 17:110] As for Allah’s name Ar-Raheem, Allah ‘azza wa jall has described others by it: Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He (Muhammad) is anxious over you (to be rightly guided) for the believers kind and merciful. [Quran 9:128]

Being kind to others is a blessing

Know that kind and compassionate treatment is liked by Ar-Raheem and is in fact His blessing from Him to you. A person who is hardhearted is deprived of this divine blessing and mercy. Aishah radiyallahu ‘anha reported that some Bedouins came to the Messenger of Allah salallahu ‘alayhi wasallam and asked, ‘Do you kiss your children?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ They then said: ‘By Allah, we do not kiss them.’ He then replied, ‘I cannot help you if Allah has snatched kindness from your hearts.’ [Al-Bukharee, Muslim] So open up your heart to others and constantly warm your heart with the remembrance of Allah ‘azza wa jall.

How can you live by this name?

1. Obey Ar-Raheem, hold onto the Quran.

And He is Merciful (Raheem) to the believers [Quran, 33:43]. Allah ‘azza wa jall mentions ways for you in the Quran to receive His special mercy as a believer. He says: and obey Allah and His Messenger so that you all may receive Mercy [3:132]. This mercy is only reserved for those who try their best to hold on to the guidelines, prohibitions, and commandments mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah. And this is a book, We have sent it down as one blessed, so follow it and fear Allah so that you all may receive Mercy [6:155].

2. Strive for taqwa.

O you who have believed, have taqwa of Allah and believe in His Messenger; He will [then] give you a double portion of His mercy and make for you a light by which you will walk and forgive you; and Allah is Forgiving and Merciful [Quran, 57:28]. Taqwa can be described as consciousness which inspires you to be on guard against wrong action and eager for actions which please Allah ‘azza wa jall and to stay away from those actions which displease and anger him. Tips to increase your taqwa are: be alert to whatever may divert you from Allah, and be alert to your desires that may lead you to the forbidden. Ascribe each success, material or spiritual, to Allah only, and long for His pleasure in everything you do, big or small. Renew your emaan by reflecting on Ar-Raheem’s creation and remember death by living each day with the knowledge it can happen anytime.

3. Pray four units of prayer before ‘asr.

The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: May Allah have mercy on one who prays four raka’aat before the ‘asr Prayer [At-Tirmidhee].

4. Listen to the Quran attentively.

And when the Quran is recited, listen to it with attention, that you may receive mercy [Quran, 7:204]. Have you noticed the effect on your heart when you sit and listen to the Quran with your ears and heart, with no distractions around you? The more you respect and honour the Book of Allah, the more cure, guidance and mercy you will receive through it.

5. Turn to Ar-Raheem.

Whenever Ar-Raheem gives you a trial, know that no one can give you a way out but Him, so turn to Him as soon as hardship hits you. And if Allah should touch you with adversity, there is no remover of it except Him; and if He intends for you good, then there is no repeller of His bounty. He causes it to reach whom He wills of His servants. And He is the Forgiving, the Merciful [Quran, 10:107]. No matter what sin you commit, Allah ‘azza wa jall forgives you if you repent of it. That’s the beauty of Al-Ghafoor Ar-Raheem.

6. Ask Ar-Raheem for compassion.

The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: He who is not merciful to our young (people) and who shows no respect to our elderly is not one of us. [At-Tirmidhee] Ask Allah ‘azza wa jall to bless you with a soft heart and to enable you to feel compassion towards your relatives, friends, and the whole Muslim nation. How many do not feel responsible or attached to the ummah? The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: The similitude of believers in regard to mutual love, affection, fellow-feeling is that of one body; when any limb of it aches, the whole body aches, because of sleeplessness and fever. [Muslim]

O Allah, Ar-Raheem, we know that You bestow Your mercy perfectly and continuously on all that exists. Guide us to hold onto Your book and the sunnah so we may attain your special mercy and adorn our actions, speech, and thoughts with a deep sense of taqwa. Make us turn to You at all times, asking for Your Mercy, and make us compassionate so we will enter through the gates of Your paradise by Your mercy, ameen!

And Allah knows best.

MY NOTES:

I will add after hearing the lectures in this post Inshallah

Ar Rahman

The Meaning of the Name ‘Ar Rahman’

See actual post here from understand quran

Allah calls Himself Ar-Rahmaan— The Most Gracious, the intensely Merciful— on 55 occassions in the Quran and 133 times in the basmalah. Ar-Rahmaan is the One whose intense and perfect Mercy embraces the whole creation!

The Most Gracious, Most Lovingly Beneficent

Rahmaan comes from the root raa-haa-meem, which points to four main meanings. The first meaning is to have gentleness and to love, and the second is to have mercy. The third meaning is to show favour, and the fourth meaning is to have all that is required for beneficence.

This root appears 339 times in the Quran in nine derived forms. Examples of these forms are rahima (“bestows mercy”), al-arhaam (the wombs”) and rahmatan (“mercy”).

Linguistically, rahmaan shows intensity (thus the ending is –aan). For example ghadbaan means extremely angry. Ar-Rahmaan points out to the intensity, abundance, and vastness of the mercy (rahmah) of Allah ‘azza wajal, and the attribute of grace is inseperable from the Almighty.

Allah first mentioned His name – Allah – that is exclusively His and described this name by Ar-Rahmaan, which no one else is allowed to use, just as Allah said, Say (O Muhammad) invoke Allah or invoke Ar-Rahmaan, by whatever name you invoke Him (it is the same), for to Him belong the Best names. [Quran, 17:110] [Tafseer ibn Katheer]

Ar-Rahmaan Himself says: [This is] a revelation from the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful . . . [Quran, 41:2] That Day, no intercession will benefit except [that of] one to whom the Most Merciful has given permission and has accepted his word. [Quran, 20:109]

The mercy of Allah

Explaining the mercy of Allah, ar-Rahmaan, the Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Allah has divided mercy into 100 parts, and He retained with Him 99 parts, and sent down to earth one part. Through this one part creatures deal with one another with compassion, so much so that an animal lifts its hoof over its young lest it should hurt it. [Al-Bukharee] Be amazed at the fact that the other 99 parts are yet to come and they are with Allah Himself. You will not enter Jannah because of your deeds, but by the rahmah of Allah only.

The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam also said, When Allah created the creatures, He wrote in the Book, which is with Him over His Throne: Verily, My Mercy prevailed over My Wrath. [Al-Bukharee]

How can you live by this name?

1. Never despair.

No matter how many sins you commit, He can have mercy on you if you just turn to Ar-Rahmaan. Every mistake or sin is an opportunity and a sign that it’s time to get closer to Him! Whenever you commit a sin, call Him by this name to have mercy on you and remind yourself of one of the most optimistic ayaat in the Quran: Say, O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful. [Quran 39:53].

2.Be merciful to others.

Be merciful to not only the needy but also to your family if you want the mercy of Ar-Rahmaan! The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Allah will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to the people. [Al-Bukharee] The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam gave a simple formula on how to deal with others: Whoever wishes to be delivered from the fire and enter the garden should die with faith in Allah and the Last Day and should treat the people as he wishes to be treated by them. [Muslim] So no matter how big or small, think how you would like to be treated in the same situation.

3.Keep family ties.

Be active in being in touch with your family: regularly visit, call, and exchange gifts, and never abandon your family. The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:  . . The womb (rahm) is derived from the Merciful, so whoever keeps relations with his family then Allah will keep relations with him, and whoever abandons his family then Allah will abandon him. [At-Tirmidhee] Be the first to make up after an argument. The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: It is not permitted for a Muslim to forsake his brother for more than three (days); whoever does this and dies, he will enter Hell. [Abu Dawud]

4. Be good to your parents.

Daily ask Ar-Rahmaan to have mercy on your parents! Ar-Rahmaan instructs you: And your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not to them [so much as], “uff,” and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word. And lower to them the wing of humility out of mercy and say, “My Lord, have mercy upon them as they brought me up [when I was] small. [Quran, 17:23-24]

5. Recognize mercy and be grateful.

Reflect upon Allah’s mercy when you see all the blessings around you; food, water, oxygen. Only Ar-Rahmaan can make it rain and He made the rain sweet and not salty. When you love someone or are loved, know that this feeling was manifested by the mercy of Allah. Think about the mercy of Ar-Rahmaan in sending the Prophet Muhammad salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam to you, and be intensely happy and grateful to have such a merciful Lord.

Note: We have to be careful if translating the names of Allah ‘azza wa jall into a different language. The name Ar-Rahmaan is most commonly translated as The Most Merciful, The Entirely Merciful, The Most Gracious.

O Allah, Ar-Rahmaan, we know that Your mercy is perfect. Let us never despair of Your mercy, guide us to be merciful to others, to maintain our family ties, and to seek Your pleasure. Enable us to reflect on Your mercy around us, adorn us with gratefulness, and enter us into Paradise by Your mercy, ameen!

And Allah knows best.

MY NOTES:

I will add after hearing the lectures in this post Inshallah

Accepted Dua

How your Duas Will Be Accepted

 

(dont't like the background sound)

Yet again a wonderful reminder.....The lessons from the story of  Adam Alaihissalam are a refreshing look at the story... listen for yourself !

"O Allah Al Samee' ul Aleem The All Hearing and All Knowing You are Ar Razaaq The Provider of Everything........Al Wadood The All Loving grant me my duas"

Change Your Destiny

Dua can Change your Destitiny

"Ya Al Muqtadir ul Qadir The Creator of All Power and the All Power Ya Al Hakeem ul Hadi The Perfectly Wise and the Ultimate Guide, steer me towards beneficial and sound decisions in this life to reap rewards in the Akhirah...... "

But among them is he who says, "Our Lord, give us in this world [that which is] good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire." Al Baqarah 2:201

 "Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance." Al Kahaf 18:10

Ameen

What do we hope to intercede for us ?

The impact of witnessing true Taqwa

"Ya Malikal Mulk (The Eternal Owner of Sovereignty) Ya Al Afuw ur Rauf  (The Pardoner and The Compassionate) Help me to increase in taqwah, eiman, ibadah and ihsan to ease the trial of the Day of Judgement"

Sincere Repentance

Please help me list all the verses and duas mentioned in this video 

Sahih International

The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts become fearful, and when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith; and upon their Lord they rely -

Sahih International

They said, "Our Lord, we have wronged ourselves, and if You do not forgive us and have mercy upon us, we will surely be among the losers."

Sincere Dua

"Ya Majeed u Ya Kareem The Most Glorious and Generous One, Ya Samee u Ya Raqeeb The All Hearing and The Watchful One  soften my heart and grant me tears as I humble myself in dua to you.......  Ya Al Malik ul Mutakabbir Oh My Majestic Sovereign Lord Only You do I worship and only You do I ask for Help"

Have Allah accept your Duas

 A very important Reminder for people of all ages

Allah accepts Dua of the ones who are Dutiful to their parents

"Ya As Sami' The All Hearing One and Ya Latif The Subtle, The Most Gentle make me a obedient, dutiful, responsible and devoted to my parents... Ameen"

Building Tahajjud Dua # 1

Building the Habit

"Ya Al Mujeeb The Responder to Prayer....... Make me among the ones who seek you through Tahajjud......May you find me bowing to You when You Al Muta'ali The Supreme One  descend to the lowest Heaven in the last part of the night"

Tears of the Prophet in the last part of the Night

Tears of the Prophet in the last part of the Night

(I wish they didn't add the background sound!)

Allaho Akbar

Allah The Only One God

The Meaning of the Name ‘Allah’

See actual post here

The word Allah means “the Being Who comprises all the attributes of perfection”, the Being Who possesses the best and the noblest qualities imaginable in the highest degree. This is supported by the Quran:

“His are the best (or most beautiful) names.” (17:110; 20:8; and 7:180)

Allah is a proper name, not derived from anything and the Al is inseparable from it. The word al-ilah (the god) is a different word.

The word Allah is unique and it is the Name which refers to the Being Himself as His personal name.

Amazing Facts about the Name ‘Allah’ :

-          The Name ‘Allah’ is the only Name of Allah, the rest are all Attributes!

-          The first and the last Word of the Adhan is ‘Allah’..

-          The first word of Salah is ‘Allah’..

-          In a typical Salah [namaz], the word that comes most is ‘Allah’..

-          The beginning of our life starts with ‘Allah’ (the adhan)..

-           and the end of our life should be..’la ilaha illa Allah’..!

MY NOTES:

I will add after hearing the lectures in this post Inshallah

How to Live by the Names of Allah

A Phenominal Series by Understand Quran

Excerpt from How to Live by the Names of Allah.  

Read Full article here

Abu Hurayra reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said,

“Allah has ninety-nine names; whoever memorizes them will enter Paradise.” Sahih Muslim

Does that mean just memorize the list of Names and you will enter Jannah? Ihsa’ which is mentioned in the hadith means not only to memorize, but also:  

contemplate, understand and act according to them!

99 Names - Understand Quran

PDF DOWNLOAD

Download PDF from here

You can print them on card stock and cut out as individual cards

Make Dua to Allah like a Child

 

Very aptly explained here

Dua of Ibrahim Alaihissalam

Empower your Dua with the 99 Names of Allah

BEAUTIFY ADORN and ENHANCE your DUA with the BEATIFUL NAMES OF ALLAH

The concept of starting your dua by calling out to Allah by His Attributes brings about an unexplainable excitement and adds an extra beat to the heart....... Such a dua is by all means more heart felt.

For example: Maintaining Tahajjud is a heart felt dua for me, so .......

"Ya Al Mujeeb The Responder to Prayer....... Make me among the ones who seek you through Tahajjud......May you find me bowing to You when You Al Muta'ali The Supreme One  descend to the lowest Heaven in the last part of the night"

OR

"May Allah Al Muhaiman The Guardian..... Guard protect and preserve our family"

OR

" Ya Al Fattah The Opener..... open my heart to your words..... Allahumma Faqaihni fiddeen O Allah grant me understanding of the Deen"

OR

"Ya Al Haqq  The AbsoluteTruth make me the one who does watawasauw bil huqq-  who believes truth (haq) and recommends it to others ...Ameen"

To achieve that power in the Duas one needs to KNOW the Names of Allah and their meanings so as to use the most appropriate names for the particular dua.

It's so strange and almost shameful how I never thought of doing that before.........

More strange is the fact that I never gave that emphasis on remembering and understanding the meaning of each attribute besides memorizing the Beautiful Names of Allah.

As Arabic is such an eloquent language, the translations hardly do any justice to the Magnificent names of Allah...... Therefore I am hoping to do some comparative study of different translations and make my own chart of the most accurate and heart felt meaning Inshallah. 

Better yet! Invite your family members and friends to join in this blessed endevour.

Here is a pdf download copied from Islamicity

This chart is my favorite, you cut and join them as one long wall poster or file it. 

The following posts can be used for ones own self and/or children from Iman Homeschool & Rahmah Muslim Homeschool :

Names of Allah Matching Cards find the remaining sets on the blog

Names of Allah Unit Study

Names of Allah Coloring sheets 

Trace & practice 1-99 Names of Allah

Review Sheets find the remaining on the blog

Names of Allah Word Search

Get the printable download for this tree here

Allah's Beautiful Name Activity by Umm an Numan

Names of Allah Bulletin Board and Progress number line excellent for kids competing with each other

Next I want to take notes from the following videos Inshallah.

The Barakah of Allah's name.....

The Names and Attributes of Allah by Yasir Qadhi

A 26 Part series covering the Asma ul Husna by Dr Bilal Philips. The following is the 1st part

May Allah The An Nafi' The Benefitter enable me in this undertaking Ameen.  

Dua for Parents # 1

A beautiful dua from the heart of a revert

Oh Allah ar Rashid Al Hadi, grant me the pleasure of hearing Walaykumsalam in reply to my Salams to my parents and family after their guidance to Islam ameen.

"Our Lord, forgive me and my parents and the believers the Day the account is established."