Names of God

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As-Samad

Allah is Independent of all and all are dependent on Him. (The Holy Quran, 112:2)

The word used in the original is Samad of which the root is SMD. A look at the derivatives in Arabic from this root will show how comprehensive and vast this word is in meaning.

On the basis of these lexical meanings the explanations of the word As-Samad in the verse Allah-us-Samad, which have been reported from the Companions, their immediate successors and the later scholars are given below:

Hadrat AIi. Ikrimah and Kab Ahbar:

"Samad is he who has no superior. "

Hadrat Abdullah bin Masud, Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas and Abu Wail Shaqiq bin Salamah:

"The chieftain whose chieftancy is perfect and of the most extraordinary kind. "

Another view of Ibn Abbas:

"Samad is he to whom the people turn when afflicted with a calamity." Still another view of his: "The chieftain who in his chieftaincy, in his nobility and glory, in his clemency and forbearance,. in his knowledge and wisdom is perfect. "

Hadrat Abu Hurairah:

"He who is independent of all and all others are dependent upon him. "

Other views of Ikrimah:

"He from whom nothing ever has come out, nor normally comes out:"

"Who neither eats nor drinks."

Views containing the same meaning have been related from Shabi and Muhammad bin Kab al-Kurazi also.

Suddi:

"The one to whom the people turn for obtaining the things they need and for help in hardships. "

Said bin Jubair:

"He who is perfect in all his attributes and works."

Rabi bin Jubair:

"He who is immune form every calamity."

Muqatil bin Hayyan:

"He who is faultless."

Ibn Kaysan:

"He who is exclusive in his attributes."

Hasan Basri and Qatadah:

"He who is ever-living and immortal."

Similar views have been related from Mujahid, Mamar and Murrat al Hamadani also.

Murrat al Hamadani's another view is:

"He who decides whatever he wills and does whatever he wills, without there being anyone to revise his judgement and decision."

Ibrahim Nakhai:

"He to whom the people turn for fulfilment of their desires."

Abu Bakr al-Anbari

"There is no difference of opinion among the lexicographers that Samad is the chief who has no superior and to whom the people turn for fulfilment of their desires and needs and in connection with other affairs."

Similar to it is the view of Az-Zajjaj, who says

"Samad is he in whom leadership has been perfected, and to whom one turns for fulfilment of one's needs and desires."

Now, let us consider why Allahu-Ahad has been said in the first sentence and why Allah-us-Samad in this sentence.

About the word Ahad we have explained above that it is exclusively used for Allah, and for none else. That is why it has been used as Ahad, in the indefinite sense. But since the word Samad is used for creatures also, Allah-us-Samad has been said instead of Allah Samad, which signifies that real and true Samad is Allah alone. If a creature is Samad in one sense, it may not be Samad in some other sense, for it is mortal, not immortal; it is analysable and divisible, is compound, its parts can scatter away any time; some creatures are dependent upon it, and upon others it is dependent; its chieftaincy is relative and not absolute; it is superior to certain things and certain other things are superior to it; it can fulfil some desires of some creatures but it is not in the power of any creature to fulfil all the desires of all the creatures.

On the contrary, Allah is perfect in His attributes of Samad in every respect; the whole world is dependent upon Him in its needs, but He is not dependent upon needs; everything in the world turns to Him, consciously or unconsciously, for its survival and for fulfilment of the needs of everyone; He is immortal and Ever-living; He sustains others and is not sustained by anyone; He is Single and Unique, not compound so as to be analysable and divisible; His sovereignty prevails over entire universe and - He is Supreme in every sense. Therefore, He is not only Samad but As-Samad, i e. the Only and One Being Who is wholly and perfectly qualified with the attribute of Samad in the true sense.

Then, since He is As-Samad, it is necessary that He should be Unique, One and Only, for such a being can only be One, which is not dependent upon anyone and upon whom everyone else may be dependent; two or more beings cannot be self-sufficient and fulfillers of the needs of all. Furthermore, His being As-Samad also requires that He alone should be the Deity, none else, for no sensible person would worship and serve the one who had no power and authority to fulfil the needs of others. [Tafheemul Quran]

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Al-Azeez Al-Hakeem

The All-Mighty, the All-Wise

Allah, the One and Only God, is the All Mighty and the All Wise. He is not only the All Mighty and All Wise, but the truth is that He alone is All Mighty and All Wise. The Arabic word Azeez signifies a mighty and powerful Being Whose decrees cannot be prevented by any power in the world from being enforced, Whom no one can oppose and resist, Who has to be obeyed by every one whether one likes it or not, Whose rebel cannot escape His accountability and punishment in any way; and Hakeem signifies that whatever He does He does it wisely. His creation, His administration and rule, His commands and guidance, all are based on wisdom. None of His works is tarnished by any trace of folly or ignorance.

There is another fine point here, which one should fully understand. Seldom in the Quran has Allah's attribute of Azeez (All Mighty) been accompanied by His attributes of being Qawi (Strong), Mugtadir (Powerful), Jabber (Omnipotent), Dhuntiqam (Avenger) and the like, which only signify His absolute power, and this has been so only in places where the context demanded that the wicked and disobedient be warned of Allah's relentless punishment. Apart from such few places, wherever the word Azeez has been used for Allah, it has everywhere been accompanied by one or other of His attributes of being Hakeem (Wise), Alim (Knower), Raheem (Merciful), Ghafur (Forgiving), Wahhab (Generous) and Hameed (Praiseworthy). The reason is that if a being who wields un-limited power is at the same time foolish, ignorant, un-forgiving as well as stingy and devoid of character, its power and authority cannot but lead to injustice and wickedness. Thus, wherever injustice and wickedness is being committed in the world, it is only because the one who wields authority over others, is either using his power un-wisely and foolishly, or he is merciless and hardhearted, or evil-minded and wicked. Wherever power is coupled with these evil traits of character, no good can be expected to result. That is why in the Holy Quran Allah's attribute of Azeez has necessarily been accompanied by His attributes of being All-Wise and Knowing, Compassionate and Forgiving, Praiseworthy and Generous, so that man may know that the God Who is ruling this universe has, on the one hand, such absolute power that no one, from the earth to the heavens, can prevent His decrees from being enforced, but, on the other, He is also All Wise: His each decision is based on perfect wisdom; He is also AII-Knowing whatever decision He makes, it is precisely according to knowledge; He is also Compassionate: He does not use infinite power mercilessly; He is Forgiving as well: He does not punish His creatures for trifling faults, but overlooks their errors; He is also Generous: He does not treat His subjects stingily, but liberally and benevolently; and He is also Praiseworthy: He combines in Himself all praiseworthy virtues and excellences.

The full importance of this statement of the Quran can be better understood by those people who are aware of the discussions of the philosophy of politics and law on the question of sovereignty. Sovereignty connotes that the one who possesses it should wield un-limited power: there should be no internal and external power to change or modify his decision or prevent it from being enforced, and none should have any alternative but to obey him. At the mere concept of this infinite and un-limited power, man's common-sense necessarily demands that whoever attains to such power, should be faultless and perfect in knowledge and wisdom, for if the one holding this power is ignorant, merciless and evil, his sovereignty will inevitably lead to wickedness and corruption. That is why the philosophers who regarded a single man, or a man-made institution, or an assembly of men as the holder of this power, have had to presume that he or it would be infallible. But obviously, neither can unlimited sovereignty be actually attained by a human power, nor is it possible for a king, or a parliament, or a nation, or a party that it may use the sovereignty attained by it in a limited circle faultlessly and harmlessly. The reason is that the wisdom that is wholly free of every trace of folly, and the knowledge that fully comprehends all the related truths, is not at all possessed even by entire mankind, not to speak of its being attained by an individual, or an institution, or a nation. Likewise, as long as man is man, his being wholly free of and above selfishness, sensuality, fear, greed, desires, prejudice and sentimental love, anger and hate is also not possible. If a person ponders over these truths, he will realize that the Quran is indeed presenting here a correct and perfect view of sovereignty. It says that no one except Allah in this universe is possessor of absolute power, and with this unlimited power He alone is faultless, All Wise and All-Knowing, Compassionate and Forgiving, and Praiseworthy and Generous in His dealings with His subjects. (Tafheemul Quran)

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The First, The Last, The Evident and The Immanent

57:3 He is the First and the Last, the Evident and the Immanent: and He has full knowledge of all things.

When there was nothing, Allah was, and when there will be nothing, He will be. He is the most Manifest of all the manifest, for whatever manifests itself in the world, does only by His attributes and His works and His light. And He is the Most Hidden of all the hidden, for not only do the senses fail to percieve Him but the intellect and thought and imagination also cannot attain to His essence and reality.

The best commentary in this regard are the words of a supplication of the Holy Prophet:

"You alone are the First; none is before You; You alone are the Last: none is after You; You alone are the Exalted none is above You; You alone are the Hidden: none is more hidden than You."

Here, the question arises: How does this accord with the immortality and eternal life of the dwellers of Paradise and Hell mentioned in the Quran when Allah alone is the Last and Eternal? Its answer has been provided by the Quran itself: "Everything is perishable except Allah Himself." (Al-Qasas: 88). In other words no creature is immortal in its personal capacity; if a thing exists or continues to exist, it does so because Allah keeps it so, and can exist only by His letting it exist; otherwise in its own capacity everything is perishable except Allah. Immortality in Heaven and Hell will not be bestowed upon somebody because he is immortal by himself, but because Allah will grant him eternal life. The same is true of the angels: they are not immortal by themselves. When Allah willed they came into existence, and will continue to exist only as long as He wills.

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