“The most beautiful names belong to Allah (God): so call on Him by them;…” (The Noble Quran 7:180)

“Remember the One until you forget ‘two’. After following ’Namer’ and ’Name’,
lose your way in the Named.”
~ Jellalaludin Mevlana Rumi[1] [2]

In Islam the main characteristic of a Muslims life is too draw closer to the Creator for His love and thus work towards a reliance of Him that will lead to growth, health, transformation and transcendence of the self.

There are many conceptions of the Creator and human beings are not able to fully understand or comprehend the Creator directly by His Essence – “Dhat”. The Glorious Qur’an explains Allah’s Essence as the Ultimate Source of all created things. He is the Creator and Owner of the Heavens and the Earth and no words are appropriate to describe Him fully or precisely. He is Unique and inherently One and not dependent on any other entity or creation in any way. [3]

However, the Noble Qur’an guides us and teaches us that Allah can be recognised and appreciated by His Attributes – His Most Beautiful Names. These Attributes of Allah are not separate from each other and are a part of the whole which is His Essence. We therefore approach Allah from His Attributes and we contemplate upon His book of guidance, the Noble Quran and the life and character of the Rasul’s (s) for advice, thoughts and reflections on this subject. As a result we can obtain the necessary wisdom for our understanding and practice and to achieve a benefit in our lives that will bring us closer to the Creator.

Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri’s [4] view on Allah’s Attributes is beautifully and succinctly expressed as follows: “The enlightened believer aspires to a point of knowledge where he sees Allah’s Attributes in everything and every situation, realising that he is truly witnessing his Creator as evident in everything that exists by His grace. Everything in the cosmos descends as a wave of mercy in tiny portions and each portion contains the meaning of that Oneness. Thus, one drop of the ocean contains the secret of the entire ocean.”

Mohammed Haj Yousef [5] in his explanation of Ibn Al Arabi’s book [6]– Time and Cosmology states that the Shaykh al Akbar describes how he sees the Essence of the Creator from one of his prayers: “It is enough for me that You know my ignorance. You are as I know. And beyond what I know to a degree that I do not know.” 

Allah and His Most Beautiful Names

Allah tells us of His Most Beautiful Names in Surah 20 Taha Verse 8 from the Noble Qur’an that, “Allah – There is no God but Him. His are the Most Beautiful Names.”He describes His Essence and His Lordship – Rubbubiyya and acknowledges His Most Beautiful Names. This verse of the Glorious Qur’an defines and verifies the status of Allah’s Oneness -Tauheed and confirms His existence. A pronouncement is made by the Creator for His Most Beautiful Names to be appreciated and accepted by all creation. The ownership of these Names is verified and declared by Allah and as the Most Beautiful. They are expressed as the essence of His Majesty, Beauty, of correctness and perfection.

This verse further confirms the name “Allah” as the Creators Supreme and Unique name. Within this name, Allah, are all His Most Beautiful Names. These Most Beautiful Names indicate the Quintessence of His Lordship – Rubbubiyya, for all creation.

According to several Arabic lexicons the word Allah means “the Being Who comprises all the attributes of perfection”, i.e. the Being Who is perfect and unique in every way – in His knowledge, power, will, etc, and possesses the best and the noblest qualities imaginable in the highest degree.

The Ownership and invoking of His Most Beautiful Names

Surah 7 Al Ar’af Verse 180 tells us how we can call on His Most Beautiful Names and how to approach them.  “The Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah. So call on Him by them; but shun such men who use profanity in His names: for what they do, they will soon be requited.” In this verse Allah verifies that the Most Beautiful Names belong to Him. He emphasises that this ownership belongs to Him alone and in particular to His unique name Allah. Here a method is shown as to how His creation can call on Him.

The above verse elaborates, that these Most Beautiful Names are a means to invoke, call, appeal, supplicate and pray to Him. “These Most Beautiful Names manifest to a greater degree according to the preparedness and orientation of the individual”[7]. There is a descriptive warning to shun people who use His names improperly. One must be cautious and careful not to invoke His Name with an evil or abusive action or idea as this will produce an unfavourable or opposite result. On the other hand to invoke anyone else other then the Creator will similarly produce a negative and retributive effect. Careful consideration must be shown in the calling of these Most Beautiful Names as this action will benefit the person invoking the Names profoundly.

The invocation and the calling of these Most Beautiful Names must be done with the utmost respect and cleanliness of the body, mind and soul. [8] The positive aspect of calling on Allah’s Attributes or Most Beautiful Names will realize the innate nature of the Names invoked. From the intrinsic nature of these Most Beautiful Names there will be a healing and characterise the person that is invoking by the characteristics of the particular Name that is being called upon.  In this way and by experiencing and resonating with these Most Beautiful Names an unveiling – kashf can take place, which enables one to understand His Essence. This occurs by His will and responding to our need on calling upon Him. 

Some of His Most Beautiful Names become clear

How these Beautiful Names of Allah become clear to us, is when we reflect and call on them as in the Glorious Qur’an in Surah 59 Al-Hashr – The Gathering (of forces) Verse 21-24.

21. “Had We sent down this Quran on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rending asunder by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect.

22.He is Allah than Whom there is La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He) the King, the Holy, the One Free from all defects, the Giver of security, the Watcher over His creatures, the All-Mighty, the Compeller, the Supreme. Glory be to Allah! (High is He) above all that they associate as partners with Him.

23. He is Allah than Whom there is La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He) the King, the Holy, the One Free from all defects, the Giver of security, the Watcher over His creatures, the All-Mighty, the Compeller, the Supreme. Glory be to Allah! (High is He) above all that they associate as partners with Him.

24. He is Allah, the Creator, the Inventor of all things, the Bestower of forms. To Him belong the Best Names . All that is in the heavens and the earth glorify Him. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.”  

The explanation of these four verses opens a door to Allah as He knows all that is in the unseen, secret and otherwise. Allah gives us similitude’s and examples which guide humankind and lovingly implores them to reflect and think carefully about their purpose and role in life. The Qur’an was not sent down on a mountain as it would not be able to withstand its Power and Message. In this way He shows us the strength of the human heart that can embrace His message and guidance of the Noble Quran. His Mercy is Manifest and He comforts creation by reminding us that He is in control even in the most guarded and unknown places. Allah mentions some of His Most Beautiful Names in these verses of the Noble Qur’an and declares His ownership of them and the Heavens and the Earth.

These Attributes are expressed by Allah and provide us with an elucidate meaning and description of them and Him. Allah always emphasises the principal and unique Name Allah and the Unity of His Oneness – Tauheed. To call upon each Name for one’s need is the basis of faith – Iman and is a healing for the believer. Allah mentions some of these Most Beautiful Names in these verses and they are tabulated below to give a better understanding and appreciation of them.

His names are categorise as either from His Essence or Majestic – Jamal or Beauty – Jalal. The Name that categorise His Essence is – Allah.

Al Quddus- The Most Pure, Al Aziz – The Almighty, A; Adhim- The Magnificent, Al Kabir- The Incomparably Great, Al Jalil – The Majestic,  Al Hay- The Ever Living are Majestic – Jalali.

Those that are of Beauty – Jamali are, Al Jabbar –The Compellor, Al Qabid – The Restrictor, Al Raqib – The all Vigilent,  Al Matin – the Firm, etc and some of Allah’s Jamali Names are as, Ar Rahim – The all Compassionate, Ar Razaak – The Ever Providing, Al Kareem – The Most Generous, Al Afuw – The Pardoner,  Al Jamil – The Beautiful, etc [9].

Within these Most Beautiful Names, Allah has hidden His Greatest Name so that we are vigilant and reverential of each and every one of them and our desire to invoke and in remembrance of them will receive the secrets and healing that we seek. 

Scott Kugle’s translation of the Arabic work of Shaykh Ibn Ata’alla Iskandari [10], The Book of Illumination, wherein it is expressed that at times Allah seats us in the expanse of poverty and we call out to Him, “Ya Ghani! O self- sufficient One!” At time He seats us on the expanse of humility and we call out to Him, “Ya Aziz! O mighty One!” and at times we are seated on the expanse of weakness and we call out to Him, “Ya Qawi! O powerful One!” The Shaykh tells us that there are other patterns on this widespread carpet, each corresponding to one of the Divine Names. The healing and comfort that each Name (Asma) brings for our nature – changes and assists us to develop and are essential tools for our states, perfection, transformation and transcendence. The total reliance on Allah, the appeal and petitioning improves our inner state and He will honour us with generous gifts for our upliftment.  They are antidotes and answers and will produce a result for various matters and issues in our lives.

Some of Allah’s Most Beautiful Names as mentioned in Surah 59 Al-Hashr – The Gathering (of forces) Verse 21-24:

Allah                                        His Most unique Name

Ar-Rahman                              The Most Gracious

Ar- Rahim                                The Most Merciful

Al-Malik                                  The King

Al-Quddus                               The Most Pure

As-Asalam                               The Bestower of Peace

Al-Mu’min                               The Guardian of Faith

Al Muhaymin                          The Safe guarder

Al-Aziz                                     The Exalted in Might

Al-Jabbar                                 The Compeller

Al-Mutakabbir                         The Supremely Great

Al Khaaliq                                The Creator

Al-Bari                                     The Maker

Al-Musawwiru                         The Fashioner

Al- Hakim                                The Most wise

Selections from Imam Al Ghazzali’s work, “The Noblest Aims in the explanation of Allah’s Fairest Names”[11] it is explained how the Most Beautiful Names of Allah are precise and not synonyms as when we see the meaning of three of the Most Beautiful Names that seem similar as Al Ghafir, Al Ghafur, and Al Ghaffar. Yet on careful examination of them they must be considered as three separate names. The first, Al Ghafir, indicates only “pardoning’; the second Al Ghafur, indicates multiplicity of pardoning in relationship to multiplicity of sins; the third, Al Ghaffar, indicates multiplicity by way of repeated pardoning. In general there is no synonymity in the names included in the ninety-names, because the latter are intended, not for their letters or pronunciation, but for their semantic contents and meanings. From this example we can see how precise and well-defining each of these Most Beautiful Names can be relied upon and petitioned to during our need and supplication or prayer

The Verse of the Footstool – Ayat al Kursi

A closer look and study of the famous Verse from the Noble Quran known as Ayat ul Kursi – The Verse of the Foot stool: Surah 2 The Heifer or Hidayah, Verse 255:

255. “Allah — there is no god but He, the Ever-living, the Self-subsisting by Whom all subsist. Slumber overtakes Him not, nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him but by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them. And they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He pleases. His knowledge extends over the heavens and the earth, and the preservation of them both tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Great.”

There is a beautiful story to this great verse Ayat al Kursi as the best protector for the believer from Evil and Shaytan and it is mentioned In the Shahih al Bukhari and narrated by Abu Hurayrah as follows:

“Allah’s Messenger assigned me to keep watch over the Sadaqah (charity) of Ramadan. A person snuck in and started taking handfuls of foodstuff. I caught him and said, `By Allah, I will take you to Allah’s Messenger.’ He said, `Release me, for I am meek and have many dependents and am in great need.’ I released him, and in the morning Allah’s Messenger asked me, `What did your prisoner do yesterday, O Abu Hurayrah’ I said, `O Allah’s Messenger! He complained of being needy and of having many dependents, so I pitied him and let him go.’ Allah’s Messenger said, `Indeed, he told you a lie and will be coming again.’ I believed that he would show up again, for Allah’s Messenger had told me that he would return.

So, I watched for him. When he (showed up and) started stealing handfuls of foodstuff, I caught hold of him again and said, `I will definitely take you to Allah’s Messenger.’ He said, `Leave me, for I am very needy and have many dependents. I promise I will not come back again.’ I pitied him and let him go. In the morning Allah’s Messenger asked me, `What did your prisoner do last night, O Abu Hurayrah!’ I replied, `O Allah’s Messenger! He complained of his great need and of too many dependents, so I took pity on him and set him free.’ Allah’s Messenger said, `Verily, he told you a lie; he will return.

‘I waited for him attentively for the third time, and when he (came and) started stealing handfuls of the foodstuff, I caught hold of him and said, `I will surely take you to Allah’s Messenger as it is the third time you promised not to return, yet you returned.’ He said, `Let me teach you some words which Allah will give you benefit from.’ I asked, `What are they’ He replied, `Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat Al-Kursi- Allahu la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum, till you finish the whole verse. (If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no Shaytan will come near you until morning.’ So, I released him.

In the morning, Allah’s Messenger asked, `What did your prisoner do yesterday’ I replied, `O Allah’s Messenger! He claimed that he would teach me some words by which Allah will grant me some benefit, so I let him go.’ Allah’s Messenger asked, `What are they’ I replied, `He said to me: Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat Al-Kursi from the beginning to the end, Allahu la ilaha illa Huwal-Hayyul-Qayyum. He further said to me: (If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no Shaytan will come near you until morning.’ (One of the narrators) then commented that they (the Companions) were very keen to do good deeds. The Prophet said, `He spoke the truth, although he is a liar. Do you know whom you were talking to, these three nights, O Abu Hurayrah’. Abu Hurayrah said, `No.’ He said, `It was Shaytan.”’ An-Nasa’i also recorded this Hadith in Al-Yawm wa Al-Laylah.

When one looks carefully at the meaning of one of the Most Beautiful Names in this verse as Al Kayyum and its root comes from the Arabic word qa’eem. This word means to protect and refers to a human being who does so. However when Allah protects, the word is one of His most beautiful Names – Al Kayyum.

A consistent trend that is confirmed by the Noble Qur’an, that He – Allah is the Creator and that he is Ever Living and Self Subsisting and does not sleep. As everything in the Cosmos is subservient and belongs to Him, therefore it is essential that you rely absolutely on Him and He will answer your call and your plea.

The common denominator in the above Qur’anic verses quoted, emphasises the Oneness of the Creator – Tauheed and the Supreme Name Allah. These factors contribute to the first foundational verbal testament for all believers which have two parts, i.e. To Testify that there is no ilah (God) accept Allah and to testify that Muhammad (S) is the Messenger (Rasul) of Allah.

Significantly, Allah consistently begins the Surah’s (Chapters) in the Noble Qur’an with His most supreme Name – Allah and special Attributes as the Most Gracious (Ar Rahman) and the Most Merciful (Ar Rahim), الرَّحِيمِ الرَّحْمنِ اللهِ بِسْمِ. His generosity expands and manifests His Mercy for mankind collectively (Ar Rahman) and individually (Ar Raheem). The calling on these two Most Beautiful Names can be general and specific. The General aspect of His Mercy is always all-encompassing for anyone and specifically when the believer, believes in His Oneness and especially requires His assistance.

Many verses in the Noble are ended with two variations of His Most Beautiful Names and as shown in the following verse 122 in Surah 26 as Shu’ara – The Poets.

“ Truly your Lord is the Al-Aziz – The Almighty, The Ar Raheem – The Most Merciful.”

Calling upon the Supreme Name – Allah

Imam Al-Ghazali [12] said about the Name Allah:

“You should know that this name is the greatest of the 99 names of Allah – Great
and Glorious – because it refers to the essence which unites all the attributes of
divinity, so that none of them is left out, whereas each of the remaining names
only refers to a specific attribute. It is also the most specific ….since no one
uses it for anything other than Him”.[13] [14]

It is clearly understood from the various verses in the Noble Qur’an on the importance and the nature of the Supreme Name of the Creator, which is Allah. This name has the sum total of the description of all His Most Beautiful Names. The total power and focus on this Name is the source of all knowledge and certainty. It is the basis of all that is in the Heavens and Earth and therefore a foundation for all created things. This Name Allah contains whatever is known and unknown and the concentration and calling on the Supreme Name is the essence of the journey of life for all creation. The source of all healing, protection, sustaining, invoking and power is within the Name – Allah. The attainment of the ultimate station of certainty and bondmanship for the believer is the submission, recognition and acknowledgement of the one Creator – Allah. When we call on this Most Beautiful Name, to add the prefix of Ya-(Oh). So the word Allah becomes, Ya-Allah and we enter the sacred realm of reliance and await a healing from Him.

In Surah An-Nur 24 Verse 35 shows Allah as a light – Nur of the Heavens and Earth and can be described as a metaphor that expresses a deeper understanding about the Supreme nature of Allah – the Creator, on reflection and contemplation.

35. “Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth. A likeness of His light is as a pillar on which is a lamp — the lamp is in a glass, the glass is as it were a brightly shining star — lit from a blessed olive-tree, neither eastern nor western, the oil whereof gives light, though fire touch it not — light upon light. Allah guides to His light Whom He pleases. And Allah sets forth parables for men, and Allah is Knower of all things” —

Great things have been explained about this verse and many details have been expressed about their inner and outer meanings. Five things are specific in the verse as the light, the lamp, the glass, olive-tree and the oil. Each explained differently according to one’s own understanding of the Majesty and Beauty of the Creator.  His resemblance is a light that is solid pillar that rest a lamp that is covered by a glass. This Light is a guiding light and yet it is still and continuous and does not flicker and clear for everyone to see, which emanates with purity and goodness that is unequalled, unique and reaches everything. He is the Light upon light and will shine forever and forever and will benefit, whoever wishes to be guided by Him. He will show Himself through the Cosmos by allegory, a parable or metaphor and to people who reflect, contemplate or think, as He is the owner of all Knowledge. The Noble Quran tells us In Surah Qaf, Verse 16 that “He is closer to us then our jugular vein” and He will guide us according to our thirst, submission, knowledge and sincerity.

Other descriptions are explained or shown as, He is the Light upon Light and His message emanates from Him and shines brightly and clearly by the Noble Qur’an and revealed to the Final Messenger, The Prophet of Islam – Habibullah – Muhammed the son of Abdullah is for humanity.  The Olive-trees branches extends to humanity and the oil is the Noble Qur’an that was made known to the Prophet, which gives guidance to Humankind and it is bright with purity and goodness and cannot be spoiled by “fire” or anything else.   

A third perspective to this verse is to know that Allah is the Light of the Heavens and Earth. He is the Creator and has placed the perfected soul within us and covered it with the glass over the lamp that is our heart and if there is less soot on this glass then the clarity of knowing ourselves will know the Creator. Our character is relative to the knowledge and consciousness of this light that is within us and will guide us to Him by using the correct prescription of the Noble Quran and the Prophetic way.

The Prophet (S) is a Mercy for the entire world. The olive-tree is such a tree that can survive for up to five thousand years. This tree is shown as a simile as the centre of the Cosmos and its oil give of its lights to generation of civilisations and it is repeated continuously as a Mercy and guidance for all humanity and all the Worlds. This Olive-tree is the message of Islam and its principal significance is for creation to submit to the Love of the Creator and to be in Peace with one self, with the Creator and with all creation. 

Truly, Allah is the Light of the Heavens and Earth and He gives it life, guidance, sustenance and death. The strength of the Creator and His subtleties of His qualities are expressed for our guidance and assistance.  The Noble Qur’an not only illustrates a vivid description of the Creator from His Most Beautiful Names but also beautifies and personifies by illustrating many axioms, metaphors, similes and stories in thoughtful language and from the Unique Qualities of the Creator.

The Courtyard and 99 Names of Allah

Allah’s Essence can be described and appreciated within the graphic illustration of His Most Beautiful Names. An analogy can be shown from an example of a courtyard. Allah is this courtyard and there are 99 doors to it. To realize the light of the Creator when we open one door as Ar Rahman then we are given a full blown view of this Attribute and of His Beauty.

Similarly this practice continues with all His Most Beautiful Names until we realize the one Creator who is He – Allah. In reality we call His Name when are in need and supplicate and implore Him for our redemption, recovery and our return to Him. This analogy beautifully explains the transformative and healing nature of His most Beautiful Names when we call or invoke them.

Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri in his book Calling Allah tells us that, “All of the Divine Attributes or Names are like heavenly rivers or shafts of light, connecting the physical and material realities with the unseen. Therefore, when the believer addresses any of the Attributes with complete dedication and sincerity, it is like opening the doors of connecting our world to the Originator of patterns in the realm of the unseen. Then these energy patterns of Attributes reverberate in the self and enhance that desirable state within the heart, and manifest the outcome”.   

Traditions of the Rasul (S)

Let us now consider a tradition of our beloved Rasul (S) who said that Allah has ninety-nine Names, i.e., one hundred minus one, and whoever believes in their meanings and acts accordingly, will enter Paradise; and Allah is Witr – One and loves ‘the Witr’ (i.e., odd numbers).[15] This Hadith is authentic and recorded in Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.

However the chronological and the popular format and order that we are familiar with of the ninety nines Names of Allah was reported by a well known Hadith and mentioned in Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and reported in the Miskat as: The Messenger of Allah, said, “Allah has ninety-nine Names. He, who enumerates them, believes in them, ponders their meanings, worships Allah by them and supplicates with them, and acts by them according to one’s belief in them will enter Paradise. He is God, other than whom there is no god, the Compassionate, the Merciful, the King, the Holy, the Source of Peace, and the Preserver of Security…” The Hadith continues to list ninety nine Names of Allah. However, many of the scholars of Hadith – muhadithun confirm that this Hadith is weak.

Most of these scholars consider the actual listing of Names to be of a later addition by one of the narrators of the Hadith and some narrators erroneously included it as part of the Hadith. Among those scholars who are critical of this Hadith as weak are at-Tirmidhi, al-Baihaki, ibn Hazm, al-Dawud, ibn Taymiyya, ibn Katheer, ibn Hajr, al-Juwaini, ibn Baz, al-Albani, ibn Uthaimin and Abdul Qadir al-Arnaut. [16] Although this Hadith is weak it shows the relevance when we consider the science of Hadith and to differentiate from a weak to an authentic one as well as relating to us a particular listing of some of His Most beautiful Names.

Furthermore, many scholars have concluded that Allah has an infinite number of names. This opinion is based on the following Hadith. The Prophet (S) made the following supplication, “O Allah, I ask You of You by every Name that You have named Yourself or that You have revealed in Your book or that You have taught any of Your creation or that You have kept hidden, in the unseen knowledge, with Yourself.” (Recorded by Ahmad, According to Shaykh al-Albani, it is Sahih.)[17] 

Imam Al Ghazzali further explains that the Names of Allah are more than Ninety-nine by positive tradition (tawqifan); the permission to describe Allah by whatever He is known by or can be described by, even though there has come no positive tradition regarding it, providing it is not [explicitly] prohibited.[18]

It should be noted that the original authentic Hadith, states that Allah has ninety-nine names, one hundred less one, is not meant to be all inclusive. That is, it does not mean that Allah has ninety-nine and only ninety-nine Names. Indeed, in going through the Noble Quran and the authentic Hadith of the Prophet (S) many scholars have been able to discover more than ninety-nine names of Allah.

Names as Al Faatir – The Spliter, Al Kafi – The All Sufficient,  Al Nasir – The Giver of victory and many others that are not shown in the popular or usual listing are a part of the whole as pointed out.

Shaykh Fadhlallah Haeri an Alim and a renowned teacher of the “self” and the founding member of the Academy of the Self [19], advices that when invoking or calling on His Most Beautiful Names is to synchronise and resonate with them, so that you are in unison with that specific Name that one is invoking or calling upon – becomes a reality for change and movement for that person. This synchronicity is like going into the tent of the Creator and being in Awe of His magnificence, His presence and your obedience, humbleness, sincerity, submission and absence can make the difference and perhaps an unveiling is probable.

Each of these Most Beautiful Names of Allah is required to be emulated so that these Attributes are imbibed in one’s character. As Allah is our Creator and calling on His Most Beautiful Names, demonstrate His affection on all creation. By our reliance and calling on these Most Beautiful Names we can become cautiously aware of Him and be close to Him, which can assist in our healing and to realize our full potential. The realizations of these potentials are assistance, support and a guidance of the self, which will hopefully draw us closer to the Creator and ensure success in this world and the Hereafter.

It is in “the remembrance of Allah that the heart finds tranquillity”.  Thus memorising or calling on His Most Beautiful Name or Attributes of Allah will result in remembering Him and will produce an enlightened and illumined heart. To live the value of these Most Beautiful Names will result in the total obedience, submission and reliance to the Creator, which will assist us to perfect our character to know ourselves by knowing the Creator, which is the journey back to Him. Thus to remember Allah, to live by and call on these Most Beautiful Names is the ultimate experience of wanting to be close to Allah, which are measurements of the righteous deeds or actions and the branches of the Original, Living Islam.

The Asma-al-Husna – the Most Beautiful Names of Allah makes us wholesome, righteous, humble and sincere. Calling upon them assist us to practise our faith – Iman and perfect our worship – Ibadah and our reliance –Tawakkul, to gain contentment and satisfaction – Rida with the Creator. He is the owner of all creation and as mentioned in a Hadith a Qudsi, “That I (Allah) was hidden treasure and Loved to be known, so I created”.

Truly, Allah is Most Merciful and Generous with us, for each of His Most Beautiful Names we can add the word kareem to all of them as Kareem Jabbar or Kareem Rahman or Basith kareem and so on.  The Qur’an is also honoured in the same way and referred to as the Qur’an Al Kareem – The Noble Quran. Our Prophet (S) is also respectfully referred to as the Nabi e kareem. 

May these Most Beautiful Names of Allah, on our calling on them, fill our hearts with a peace of mind and the acceptance of our prayer as He is the Owner of knowledge and all that is in the Cosmos.  May he endow us with knowledge that will teach us to be people of honour and virtue by practising, knowing and living these Most Beautiful Names so that we attain this closeness of the Creator that we seek, which will release us from our worries, concerns and become aware of His Majesty – Jalal and Beauty – Jameel. 

May He guide us on the straight path of the Original, Living, Enlightened, Islam. That is our Celebration and May He accept it from us and is pleased with us and we with Him. Amen.   

ABUBAKR KAROLIA, SOUTH AFRICA    

Allah’s Most Beautiful Names and Attributes [20]

ALLAH

Al Rahman – The All-Merciful.

Al-Rahim – The All-Compassionate.

Al-Malik – The King.

Al-Quddus – The Most Pure.

Al Salaam – The Bestower of Peace.

Al-Mu’min – The Trustworthy.

Al-Muhaymin – The Protector, The Safeguarder.

Al-Aziz – The All-Mighty.

Al-Jabbar – The Compeller.

Al-Mutakabbir – The Supremely Great.

Al-Khaliq – The Creator.

Al-Bari’ – The Maker.

Al Mussawir – The Fashioner.

Al-Ghaffar – The Coverer of all Faults.

Al-Qahhar – The Subduer.

Al-Wahhab – The Bestower.

Al-Razzaq – The Ever Providing.

Al-Fattah – The Opener.

Al-Alim – The All-Knowing.

Al-Qabid – The Restrictor.

Al-Basit – The Expander.

Al-Khafid – The Debaser, The One Who Lowers.

Al-Rafi’ – The Exalter.

Al-Mu’izz – The Honourer.

Al-Mudhill – The Abaser.

Al-Sami’ – The All-Hearing.

Al-Basir – The All-Seeing.

Al-Hakam – The Judge.

Al-‘Adl – The All-Just.

Al-Latif – The Subtle.

Al-Khabir – The All-Cognisant.

Al-Halim – The Clement.

Al-Adhim – The Magnificent.

Al-Ghafir – The All-Forgiving.

Al-Shakur – The Grateful.

Al-Ali – The Most High.

Al-Kabir – The Incomprehensibly Great.

Al Hafidh – The Preserver.

Al-Muqit – The Sustainer.

Al-Hasib – The Reckoner, The One Who Satisfies Needs.

Al-Jalil – The Majestic.

Al-Karim – The Most Generous.

Al-Raqib – The All-Vigilant.

Al-Mujib – The Responder.

Al-Wasi – The vast, The All-Encompassing.

Al-Hakim – The Most Wise.

Al-Wadud – The All-Loving.

Al-Majid – The Most Glorious.

Al-Ba’ith – The Resurrector.

Al-Shahid – The All Witnessing

Al-Haqq – The Absolute Truth.

Al-Wakil – The Guardian Trustee.

Al-Qawi – The Most Strong.

Al-Matin – The Most Firm.

Al-Wali – The Patron. 

Al-Hamid – The Praiseworthy.

Al-Muhsi – The Appraiser.

Al-Mubdi – The Originator.

Al-Mu’id – The Returner.

Al-Muhyi – The Life Giver.

Al Mumit – The Death Giver.

Al Hayy – The Ever-Living.

Al-Qayyum – The All-Sustaining.

Al-Wajid – The Manifestor,  

Al-Majid – The Most Splendid.

Al-Ahad – The Absolute One.

Al-Samad – The Self-Sufficient.

Al-Qadir – The Most Able.

Al-Muqtadir – The All-Powerful.

Al-Muqaddim – The Expediter.

Al-Mu’akhir – The Postponer.

Al-Awwal – The First.

Al-Akhir – The Last.

Al-Dhahir – The Manifest.

Al-Batin – The Concealed.

Al Wali – The Govenor

Al Muta’ali – The Most Exalted

Al-Barr – The Benefactor.

Al-Tawwab – The Most Accepting of Repentance.

Al-Muntaqim – He who brings about Trial and Affliction, The Avenger.

Al-Afu – The Pardoner.

Al-Ra’uf – The Most Affectionate.

Malik al-Mulk – The Master of the Kingdom.

Dhul-Jalali wa al-Ikram – The Master of Majesty and Nobility.

Al-Muqsit – The All-Equitable.

Al-Jami – The Gatherer.

Al-Ghani – The Rich Beyond Need.

Al-Mughni – The Enricher.

Al-Mani – The Preventer.

Al-Darr – The Bestower of Affliction.

Al-Nafi – The Bestower of Benefit, The Beneficial.

Al-Nur – The Light.

Al-Hadi – The Guide.

Al-Badi – The Innovator, The Originator.

Al-Baqi – The Everlasting.

Al-Warith – The Inheritor.

Al-Rashid – The Most Discerning.

Al-Sabur – The Patient. Al-Wahid – The One.

Al RABB – The Lord.

[2] Born 1207-1273 – A Jurist, Theologian, A sufi and an Arif

[3] See Surah The Noble Quran, Al Ikhlas -112

[4] Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri is an Alim-scholar and spiritual teacher and the founder of the Academy of Self Knowledge (ASK)-http://www.askonline.co.za. He is the author of numerous books.

[5] Mohamed Haj Yousef is a lecturer in the Department of Physics, United Arab Emirates University.

[6] Ibn ‘Arabī (Arabic: ابن عربي‎) (July 28, 1165 – November 10, 1240) was a Sufi and philosopher and an Arif. His full name was Abū ‘Abdullāh Muḥammad ibn ‘Alī ibn Muḥammad ibn al-`Arabī al-Hāṭimī al-Ṭā’ī.

[7] Calling Allah by His Most Beautiful Names – By Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri. published 2002

[8] Calling Allah by His Most Beautiful Names – By Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri. published 2002

[9] See Calling Allah for further detail – Shaykh Fadhlalla -2002 page 36-37

[10] The third in line of the Shadiliyya Path and died in 1309 C.E.

[11] Imam Ghazzali’s Deliverance from Error, Translated and Annotated by R J McCarthy- the above work, Appendix 1V- page 289. 

[12] 1058-1111 C.E – Imam Ghazali was born in 1058 in Tus, a city in Khorasan province of Persia. – Islamic theologian, jurist, philosopher, cosmologist, psychologist and an Arif.

[13] (Al-Ghazali – The Ninety-nine Beautiful Names of God. Trans. Burrel/Daher: ITS: 1992.)

[14] http://www.zahuri.org/99Names/99Allah.html

[15] Hadith – Sahih Bukhari 8:419, Narrated Abu Huraira

[16] http://www.hknet.org.nz/names-of-Allah-page.htm

[17] http://www.hknet.org.nz/names-of-Allah-page.htm

[18] Imam Ghazzali’s Deliverance from Error, Translated and Annotated by R J McCarthy- the above work, Appendix 1V-pages 285-286

[19] http://www.askonline.co.za

[20] As they appear in Calling Allah – By His Most Beautiful Names – Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri – 2002

by Mahmoud Ayoub, Ph.D
Professor of Islamic Studies
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.

Say: Were the sea to be ink for the words of my Lord, the sea would be exhausted before the words of my Lord are exhausted, even if We brought the like of it to add [thereto].

The Qur’an 18:109

The Qur`an is the transcendent Word of the Transcendent Lord, Creator and Sustainer of all things. With it, creation began when God took our covenant with the question: ‘Am I not your Lord?’ (Qur`an 7:172). With it, history began, when He announced to the angels: ‘Behold, I am about to set a representative (khalîfah) on earth!’ In it, history will continue its cosmic journey from the multiplicity of things and names to the One, when ‘the earth shall shine forth with the Light of its Lord’, and the eternal voice of the Ever-Living and All-Sovereign Lord shall challenge all creation: ‘To whom shall all dominion today belong?’ The resounding answer will then echo: ‘To God, the One, the All-Conquering!’ Yet, God in His infinite mercy willed that His timeless Word, the Qur`an, should enter into our finite history to shape and guide it to its fulfillment on a day when He alone shall be King and Master.

The Qur`an, which we write in our books (masâhif), preserve in our hearts and recite with our tongues, was sent down onto the heart of Allah’s (Allah in Arabic means God) beloved servant and Messenger, Muhammad, may God’s blessing and mercy rest forever on him, his family and his righteous Companions.

The science of writing, understanding and interpreting the Qur`an has occupied the best minds of the Muslim ummah (community) throughout its long history. The fruits of these labors are contained in the vast literature of tafsîr (interpretation). The Qur`an, in its inner and infinite dimensions, is known only to God. Yet, to the Prophet and the chosen few of his followers, the veils were removed, and they were able to touch the inner mysteries of the Qur`an with their purified hearts and minds, ‘for none but the pure shall touch it.’ The righteous friends of God (awliyâ Allah al-sâlihîn), who purified their hearts in this ocean of knowledge, left for us allusions and glimpses to guide us in our journey (sulûk) to Allah.

Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri’s commentaries are dedicated to the task of making the Qur`an available to the men and women of the present age, that they may contemplate, understand and be guided by it in their daily lives, and in their spiritual quest. He has undertaken to present the Qur`an in Arabic, its original language, and to study its inner and outer meanings. The present work, in addition, presents the Qur`an in both its exoteric and historical dimension and its inner dimension to the Western reader. In the task of tafsîr (interpretation), standard works in this field will be used, but in ways that are relevant to the present age and its needs. This volume is the first of five volumes aimed at achieving this objective.

The Qur`an must speak to the condition of every age — this it can most effectively do through an inner and primary exposition of its revelations. Thus, through the reflection of Shaykh Fadhlalla Haeri, as God shall illuminate his heart, the inner dimension of the Qur`an will be touched.

Say: Work! For God Alone shall see your work, His Messenger, and the people of faith. In Him alone do we trust, for with Him is right guidance, and to Him shall be our return.

The Qur`an 9:105

Worship means ‘to value, to consider worthy, to consider of value’. 

Prayer requires separation from this life’s daily demands by first doing ritual ablution. Then comes recollection that what we are about to do is nothing less than addressing The Creator, our Rabb, our Sustainer. 

These thoughts are foreshadowed by the realization that we do as we have been commanded and for our own good; in fact it is required of everything in existence including humankind and jinn. 

“…yusabbihu lahu maa fis-samawati wal-‘ardi wa Huwal-‘Azizul-Hakim”

Everything in the heavens and the earth praises Him; He is the Precious the Knower. 

The Prophet of Allah has said

“During prayer, God lifts the veils and opens the gates of the invisible, so that the servant is standing in front of Him.  The prayer creates a secret connection between the one praying and the One prayed to. Prayer is a threshold at the entrance to God’s reality”. 

The requirements for the perfection of salaat (prayer) are stringent and not easily acquired.  It is very surprising that we jump into and out of prayer so quickly. 

The Prophet once asked his companions “Can any of you perform even the shortest form of the formal prayer and keep his mind solely on Allah” 

No one rushed to answer the challenge until the boldest said he would try it.  The Prophet said that if he could do it then he would give him his cloak.  The companion began to pray and the Prophet watched closely and intensely.

In the second half the Prophet relaxed his attention and smiled briefly.  When the companion finished the prayer he explained that the first half went perfectly and he kept his mind fixed on Allah, but in the second half the thought came to him that the Prophet had two coats and which one would he get. 

 It is no surprise, then, that we lesser mortals would find true prayer challenging. 

A very similar story is told by Ahmed the brother of Imam Muhammad al-Ghazali.

Muhammad had criticized his brother Ahmed for not praying behind him when so many people came from everywhere to follow him in prayer.  Ahmed replied “If you stand to lead the prayers and struggle your utmost to say them in the full sense of the word, I will never turn away from following you”. 

At the noon prayer Imam al-Ghazzali stood to lead the prayer and half way thru Ahmed, his brother, moved away to a corner of the mosque to complete his prayers. 

When the prayer was finished the Imam came to confront his brother and criticize his action. Ahmed replied “We were faithful to our promise.  We followed you until you went to the stable to water your camel. We were not able to finish our prayer after that because we lacked an Imam to lead us”. 

With affection and friendship, Muhammad replied, “Glory be to God! He indeed has a group of His friends who are spies of our hearts.  My brother spoke the truth, for it passed thru my mind as I was delivering the prayer that I had forgotten to give water to my camel”. 

This shows a very remarkable gift in Ahmed to know what is in the heart of his brother Muhammad.  It also makes clear that our task is to reach the pinnacle of mindfulness if we are to approach even close to true worship. We need help to achieve mindfulness. 

Ibn ‘Arabi has said

“Do everything you do in order to come close to your Lord in your worship and prayers.  Think that each deed may be your last act, each prayer your last prostration, that you may not have another chance.  If you do this, it will be another motivation for becoming heedful and also for becoming sincere and truthful”. 

A strong emotional link to thought can help to sharply focus the mind. As Rumi has said 

“If you could get rid of yourself just once, the secret of secrets would be open to you.

The face of the unknown, hidden beyond the universe, would appear on the mirror of your perception.” 

We can conclude from this that unless that Self, what we call “I”, is absent we cannot be in the presence of Allah. 

To return to Ibn ‘Arabi again, this point is made even more clearly 

“One dies when, by Allah’s will, ones borrowed time ends. One’s material being -  which is called life – ending at an appointed hour, loses all its character and qualities both good and bad, and nothing remains.  In their place Allah comes to be. One’s self becomes Allah’s self; one’s attributes Allah’s attributes. 

That is what the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) meant when he said, “Die before dying”. 

It is only recently that I have begun to realized how wildly in error was the French Philosopher Rene Descartes when he said “cogito ergo sum: “I think therefore I am”.

Descartes made the error of equating thinking with Being. Thinking is at the root of the ego. That “I” is exactly what keeps me from knowing Allah. The self cannot merge with the ruh, the soul, if the wayward mind (ego) is always intervening. 

Yes, indeed the thinking mind might well define the extent of a person’s existence, but who has complete control over this wayward mind which we mistake for the true self?

What we strive to achieve is to transcend the self to merge with God. Unless the “I” is absent He is not present. 

We may be aware of this self, but who or what is the observer?   It was Jean Paul Sartre who 300 years after Descartes seems to have first realized this separation of the thinker and the consciousness, but seems not to have fully realized its profound significance. For us this must be the beginning of wisdom and it marks the way forward in the struggle to be in complete mindfulness. Without complete awareness how can we ever pray as did Imam Muhammad al-Ghazali, or better yet with the sensitive, open mind of his brother Ahmed? 

Researching this subject of “Power of devotion, Prayer and Worship: awareness of the unseen” leaves me acutely aware how far removed am I from what it means to be called a Muslim i.e. in true submission. After 30 years I now feel unworthy of that title. 

 But, let us not be discouraged by the lofty challenge that prayer offers. Let us press on doing our best until we too can “Witness Perfection”.

Fast for the Body – Feast for the Soul

By Muhammad Harun Riedinger

One of the most difficult things for the sons and daughters of Adam is to break habits, especially those which are not ‘bad habits’ as such, because with these, our conscience is not lending us a helping hand. The gracious month of Ramadan, which we have been blessed with once again, is contrary to the general notion, not about fasting in the sense of depriving our body of nourishment – usually people rather gain weight and suffer from the effects of overeating, in which they indulge when food intake is permitted during this month, which of course was not intended by God, when He gave the concession that we could break the fast – Ramadan is, as a matter of fact all about breaking habits. This of course falls very well within the meaning of fasting, if it is taken in its real and inner meaning, because by breaking habits we are in fact depriving ourselves of certain indulgences, which have become part of our nature.

A very learned man in Egypt once told me, that habits – good ones as well as bad ones – are actually invisible creatures of our own making, which we beget as soon as we carry out any action. These creatures then come back to us and urge us to repeat the very action which brought them into existence, because our repetition of that action is their nourishment, and keeps them alive, and the more often we repeat it, the stronger this creature becomes, and the stronger it becomes, the more powerful becomes its soliciting, until it reaches dimensions of irresistibility, and we cannot but give in to its compelling demands. This is quite a gruesome scenario, when it comes to bad habits; imagine some hideous monster standing behind a drug addict or a gambler, whose willpower it has crushed completely, that poor fellow will stop at nothing to do its bidding, i.e. satisfy his addiction. Of course on the other hand, there are also these beautiful creatures, which fill the hearts and souls of those who are habitual good-doers (and those who benefit by their goodness) with joy and happiness. These kinds of habits need not be broken, because they include within their very essence some degree of self-denial and sacrifice, otherwise they could not possibly lead to real happiness.

Our eating habits of course are not particularly good or bad in the above sense, they are just habits, but Ramadan uproots them entirely, and it does so with a lot of other every day affairs as well, which we will, just because of this habit-loving nature of ours, perceive to some degree as hardship. It is of course not proper for us to ask why Allah ordains what He prescribed for His bondmen and bondwomen, He does what He pleases, and no one can question Him, but we can rest assured that He does not intend to oppress us, and that all that is prescribed for us is for our own good. Either it gives us protection against the machinations of our ancient foe and the self-destructive tendencies of our lower selves (nafs), or it facilitates us in the achievement of our very purpose of existence, which is the gnosis and inevitably ensuing love of God. Among all forms of Islamic worship, the fast has been given a very special place: the Noble Prophet – Blessings of Allah upon him – has informed us in a hadith qudsi that Allah says that the fast was purely for Him. From this it is obvious that the fast of Ramadan is not a physical affair, but an intensely spiritual one!

Since man is a very complex being, whose essence is the soul, and whose other components and faculties are but offshoots of this essence, all aspects of worship are likewise multi-layered, and to consider and perform them as purely physical acts is to deprive them of their very meaning, and to fall utterly short of fulfilling our obligation of gratitude towards our Creator who has endowed us so generously as no other of our fellow creatures in this world – perhaps in all the worlds.

Let us have a closer look at the implications of this in regard to the fast. Our being does not only consist of stomach and sexual organs, for which the fast has – perhaps because of their particularly ferocious appetite – literally been defined. What of the mind, the senses, the hands, feet and the tongue? Like all other forms of worship such as the prayer, charity, pilgrimage and jihad, the fast too, and perhaps in a particular intense manner, involves all of these too, if we want to take ourselves serious as being “sound” Muslims, otherwise we are spiritually not much more than “partially paralyzed” worshippers.

What then does the fast of the mind and its faculties along with the organs controlled by it imply? The key to this question is again our habits. What are we thinking about most of the time? What gives us the greatest pleasure looking at and listening to? What do we do, and which places do we frequent in our free time? What do we talk about, and with whom? An in-depth analysis of these questions would overstep the limitations of this feature, but there is perhaps no need for it either, because if we put them to ourselves with a little bit of sincerity and self-critique, our conscience will give us very clear answers. That much however can be said, that those things we think and do, which do not benefit anyone, but which we indulge in only for their own sake, deriving some degree of self-satisfaction from them, are the most befitting areas for an abstinence or fast, not to speak of impure and detrimental occupations, of which we anyway know we should shun them, and for which Ramadan, by the way, is a most advantageous opportunity to do something about them. If our thoughts revolve most of the time around worldly loss and gain, to the point that we can’t divert our attention even during prayers, a good “fasting practice” is to put apart a short time of our day and meditate about what our state will be in the grave, where our worldly pursuits will have abandoned us, and perhaps take a tasbih and recite some istaghfar with full attention to what we are reciting. If we are fond of listening to and reading gossip, the traditional practice of reading or listening to the Qur’an (preferably along with a translation) is a formidable fasting practice for the involved faculties of seeing and/or hearing. I could go on and on, but as already indicated, the divinely inspired counselor, our conscience is a very reliable advisor in this matter, and training ourselves to listen to him instead of the insatiable demands of our lower self is another very virtuous fasting practice.

Our daytime abstinence from food drink and sex could hardly be of any gratification for the Creator of the universe. What is pleasing to Allah is that we sacrifice a number of our habits for His sake only, without any apparent benefit for ourselves. Not withstanding that, the well pleasure of the Creator is certain to have very rewarding repercussions on our lives! These may not necessarily be in the form of worldly benefits and physical comforts – although they may just as well, just think of the scientifically proven good effects that a properly conducted fast does have on our health – their main effect will be a definite uplift of our souls, by which not only our own lives, but the entire social environment around us will be illuminated and permeated by bliss. This is the reason for the very special atmosphere, which is prevailing in all Muslim communities throughout Ramadan everywhere in the world. It is the practical interpretation of the well-known hadith, which states that the devils are tied up during Ramadan. On a few occasions I had the misfortune of having to spend this blessed month or part of it in non-Muslim countries, and I can assure you, the blessings from Allah which descend on the Muslims during this month cannot be fathomed, and not taking advantage of them by actively and wholly participating in this generous feast for the soul is like going into the shower with an umbrella….

Once upon a time he experienced great joy
…and then the opposite occurred
He experienced great sadness
Thereafter he wandered
Never going home again

His life was unravelled with profound experiences
Experiences that would make one shudder
Experiences that would make one love again
Experiences that would make one bear vengeance
In the mists of all this
A fire grew deep in the soul

The world never loved him but he would be great
Because once in his life through the culmination of experiences
He would be able to create a miracle
He would create an art – an art that would never be able to be replicated

Even though some would not perceive this as the greatest ever work
They would know that this was no ordinary piece
And the Creator was a Wiseman

A creation so profound that when one pondered and lingered over it
One would unravel all the mysteries and masteries of life
The deftness and swishes of the brush
Would show the exactness of expression

But this fire only comes once
A nirvana which comes forth from the depths of our soul
Either we are burdened by it
Or we are set free
to wander amongst life experiences
Awakened

BISMILLAH-IR RAHMAN-IR RAHEEM

We are the drops in Your Ocean

We are the grains in the desert sands

We’re symbols of Your Majesty

Created and moulded by Your Hand

Creation appears by Your Divine Light

Just as shadows appear by the sun shining bright

We cannot sever our shadow

So how can we separate from the One?

What is this pain burning in my soul?

Where the flames of neglect scorches my world

And the heat of the moment conflagrates states of conflictions

Inflicting afflictions

Consumed by the fire of my wretched condition

Smoldering aspects of my lower self

Clutching onto the “I”, the “me”

Only sinks me further into the labyrinth of uncertainty

Sparking inner confusions & incinerating accord

Bringing my heart to naught but to cry unto thee, “Oh Lord”

What is this yearning pulling me towards its Ocean?

But anxiety & dis-appointment fuel my emotions

Through clouds of vexation my eyes cannot see clearly

Veiled by the darkened fumes of disharmony

Visibly, I see myself outwardly dying

Inwardly lying to the universe

Behind smokescreens of “well-being” I hide

In the waters of Khidr let me dive

And if I should drown, then let me drown deep in Your Sea

Submerged in Humility

In the undulating torrents of Your Mercy

Where I attempt to reach that depth in me

To arrive at that shore of certainty in this drowning world

Before I drown in my tears of despair

Wading through the waves of chaos

Teach me to embrace that Love within

For only You my heart yearns to be near

And as I swim, let the waters of Your Compassion

Put out the fires of negligence

And ignite the spark of Truth & Remembrance

To burn within my soul like Dhikr

That which causes my heart to flicker

Through the refiner’s fire of purification

The soul must burn until glows within

The Eternal flame of illumination

What is this pain burning in my soul?

What is this pain burning in my soul?

It is the pain of Separation…

Cosmological order, and thus the order of nature, has long since been considered as sacred theophany (The Book of Nature) by the saints, sages and prophets of Divine Order. Seyyed Hossein Nasr defines theophany as, “a symbolic showing of God [i.e. the Divine Attributes] in the mirror of created form.” Since humans are considered to be the barzakh (interspace) between the heavens and the earth – as well as being the stewards of cosmological order – one can only conclude that an ecological depreciation must reflect a distortion in human perception/behaviour: a failure to attain correct cognition of who we are, where we are, where we come from, and how we should behave on this currently fragile planet.

“Nature, Theophany and the Rehabilitation of Consciousness” [NTRC] explores human society’s alienation from, and disregard for, natural order and the resulting ecological / climatological crisis that has ensued. Expounding on concepts and principles of theophany, interconnectedness, interdependence, equilibrium and harmony, NTRC argues that roots of our various socio-environmental crises lie primarily in a (human) crisis of consciousness. In order to resolve our ecological dilemmas, therefore, we cannot simply rely on the enforcement of environmental legislation and a rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems: parallel to these commendable disciplines, we need to move towards an understanding and rehabilitation of consciousness itself. This includes developing a knowledge of self that is attuned to Divine Presence, that is ontologically transformative, and thus ultimately grounded in the unified Divine Absolute: Pure Consciousness (rûh al-quddûs) – the sacred centre of Being. In light of the necessity of this ontological recognition (dhikr) and alignment (Islam), it can be deduced that it will not be possible to find any political, social, religious or ecological reconciliation, if we cannot first learn to reconcile our personal, limited, conditioned self (nafs), with the trans-personal, eternal, unbounded and unconditioned Spirit (rûh): the prototypical pattern for any and all reconciliation. God-willing.

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