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The Greatest Ayah in the Noble Quran (2 of 2)
By: Dawud Adib
Allah's
Absolute Knowledge
(f) "He knows what happened to them (His creatures) in this
world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter." This means Allah
knows what is going to happen to His creatures in this world and that world, in
the present life and the future life, what is now and what is next, in the
existence that is near and close and the existence that is far and beyond - in
ad-Dunya and in al-Aakhirah.
Allah is informing us that He has the attribute of absolute knowledge. Allah
also says (what means): "And we (angels) do not descend
except with the permission of your Lord. To Him belongs what is before us and
what is behind us and all that is between them, and your Lord is never
forgetful." The Qur'an (19:64).
Allah knows everything. His knowledge is complete and perfect. It is a
comprehensive, all-encompassing and all-inclusive knowledge. An example of His
knowledge can be seen in the Hadeeth (Bukhari vol. 4-430 and Muslim-6390) in
which the Prophet (SAWS) informed us about when the angel comes to the womb of
the mother and writes down four matters concerning the embryo. The only way that
the Prophet (SAWS) knew this was by Allah revealing it to him.
Allah knows all that is hidden in the depths of earth, in the darkness of the
seas, in the vastness of space, and all that is between them whether they are
wet or dry, dead or alive, visible or invisible, low or high, male or female,
human or not. He knows all of our feelings, thoughts, and secrets regardless if
they are in private or in public. He knows the past, the present, and the
future. He even knows things that never happened - how would they have been have
they had taken place. In short, Allah knows everything! And He doesn't forget
any of it.
The Creatures' Knowledge
(g) "And they will never compass anything of His knowledge except that which He
wills." No creature or thing - whether an angel, a jinn, an animal, or a human
being, an information telephone service, or anything else know anything unless
Allah allows it. Some instances of this are:
- Allah has meteors chasing the jinns away from the lowest heaven when they
eavesdrop on the angels who talk about some future events that Allah had told
them about. The angels obtained their knowledge only because Allah willed so;
and the opposite for the jinn, Allah did not will that they get that knowledge.
- The Companion Hudhayfah knew about the identity of the hypocrites because the
Prophet (SAWS) confided this to him. After the Prophet's death, Umar asked
Hudhayfah about them but Hudhayfah did not reveal them. Likewise was the case of
Musa and al-Khidr. Al-khidr knew events by Allah's teaching that Musa did not,
and al-Khidr informed Musa about them afterward.
This part of the ayah emphasizes the preceding part. Again, only Allah knows
everything. He is al-'Aleem (the Omniscient, the All Knowing), al-Khabeer (the
All Aware), and al-Hakeem (the Eternally Sagacious, the All Wise). He gives
knowledge to whom He pleases.
The Footstool
(h) "His Kursee extends over the heavens and the earth."
The Arabic word Kursee translates to footstool or chair. Allah's Kursee
is His Footstool as explained by the Prophet (SAWS). We must not confuse it with
the 'Arsh or Throne of Allah. Allah's throne is a separate creation different
from His footstool.
An authentic hadeeth states that the heavens and the earth compared to the
Footstool are like what a ring is to a large desert, that the same applies to
the Kursee as compared to the Throne, and that the Kursee is the place for the
foot. We don't even have a clue about the accurate dimensions of the universe.
Therefore, we can only wonder and imagine how great the Footstool is and the
Throne; and moreover, the Creator of them all is the Greatest. Allah Does Not
Toil in Preserving the Universe
(i) "And He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them
(the heavens and the earth)." Allah does not get tired, bothered, or
burdened by maintaing and preserving the universe, and keeping its system
running. Allah negates the attributes of sleep or slumber from Himself - whether
it is by force or by choice. This also implies that He is not tired, and He does
not get sick. All these deficiencies and limitations are attributes of the
creation, but Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala is free of them all.
The Most High, the Magnificent
(j) "And He is Al-'Aliyyu 'l-'Adheem - the Most High, the
Magnificent." Al-'Aliyy: We know that Allah is the Most High from His
Book, form the Prophet's Sunnah, from the understanding of the Companions and
the scholars of the righteous predecessors, from our common sense, and from our
inherent cognition. Within these there are innumerable evidences that state that
Allah is always above, separate, unattached, and beyond any comparison to His
creation.
Al-'Adheem: Allah concludes this ayah by telling us that He is the Magnificent,
the Glorious, the Tremendous. No one else has the absolute attributes of
Magnificence and Golly.
The Prophet (SAWS) said that this is the greatest ayah in the Qur'an
(Muslim-1768). All the Muslims should try to memorize and understand this ayah.
It may be recited before going to bed and after obligatory Salah as protection
form Shaytan, and at other times. We should recite the Qur'an correctly and we
should try to obtain the correct understanding of Allah's Words by understanding
the principles of exegesis.
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The Greatest Ayah in the Noble Quran (1 of 2)
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