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We begin with the greatest and best name humanity has ever known. It is the best name and the most beautiful letters to be uttered by the tongue. It is close to our hearts and souls and gives us a feeling of comfort and tranquility.
This is the name “Allah”, {...Do you know of any that is given His namesake?} [Surat Maryam: 65]
The name “Allah” exclusively belongs to Him, apart from all else. No one else is called as such or claims to have this name. Allah Almighty prevented people’s minds and tongues from using this name for anyone else.
Indeed, Allah Almighty is the Owner of majesty, beauty, grandeur, awe, and might.
No matter what we say to describe Your greatness, You are still far greater.
All Your attributes are holy, and we chant them in glorification of Your majesty.
When the name “Allah” is mentioned, what is little increases, fear goes away, distress and anguish are relieved, need turns into opulence, the weak become strong, the humiliated become honorable, the poor get rich, and the defeated become victorious.
It is the name by which distress is removed, blessings are brought, supplications are answered, good things occur, evil things are averted, and errors are forgiven. Nothing is greater than the Almighty Lord!
The name “Allah” comes from the word “ilāh”, which means deity. Allah Almighty says: {O People of the Book, do not exceed the limits in your religion, and attribute to Allah nothing except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was only a Messenger of Allah, and His command that He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So, believe in Allah and in His Messengers, and do not say: “(Allah is a) trinity.” Give up this assertion; it would be better for you. Allah is indeed just one God. Far exalted is He from having a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and on the earth. Allah is sufficient as a guardian.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 171]
Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) said: “Allah is the God and Lord of all His servants.”
Allah, Blessed and Exalted, is the Loved and Extolled One for Whom people’s souls yearn and they find tranquility and intimacy by remembering Him and drawing closer to Him. {And among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals [to Him]. They love them as they [should] love Allah. But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah...} [Surat al-Baqarah: 165]
He is the One Whose help is sought at the time of disasters and afflictions. {And whatever you have of favor - it is from Allah. Then when adversity touches you, to Him you cry for help.} [Surat an-Nahl: 53]
Minds and intellects get perplexed about Him and cannot grasp His essence, and His servants cannot encompass Him in knowledge. {...But they do not encompass Him in knowledge.} [Surat Tāha: 110]
Allah Almighty is the One Who is deified by people in love for Him and humiliation, fear, hope, glorification, and obedience.
He is the true God, and all beings worshiped apart from Him are nothing but false and helpless deities.
Allah Almighty is the Possessor of all divine attributes - the attributes of perfection, majesty, beauty, and greatness - and is far exalted above their opposites.
So, when a person knows the meaning of the name “Allah”, his heart gets attached to his Lord such as feeling such love, longing, and pleasure that are more beautiful and pleasant than all else. That is the greatest thing with which the worshipers worship Him and His pious servants get close to Him. {...He loves them, and they love Him...} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 54]. One’s real happiness depends on the degree of his knowledge of Allah’s names and attributes.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “There is a Paradise in the worldly life; whoever does not enter it will not enter Paradise in the Hereafter.”
One of the knowledgeable servants of Allah said: “Sometimes my heart experiences certain status in which I say: ‘If the dwellers of Paradise will be in a status like this, they will surely have a good life.’”
Ibn ‘Uyaynah said: “Allah has not bestowed upon His servants a better favor than letting them know ‘La ilāha illallāh’ (there is no god except Allah). To them, ‘La ilāha illallāh’ (there is no god except Allah) in the Hereafter will be like water to them in the worldly life.”
The believer knows that this condition can only exist through the power and will of Allah Almighty. If Allah loves a servant, He puts love in his heart; and when the servant loves Him, through guidance from Allah, He still rewards him with additional love, and that is utter benevolence from the Almighty Lord, as it all comes from Him.
Al-Qurtubi mentioned that some scholars said: “The name ‘Allah’ is the greatest name, which if He is invoked with, He answers the invocation, and if He is asked with, He gives.”
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) heard a man saying: “Allāhumma inni as’aluka bi’anni ash-hadu annaka anta Allāh la ilāha illa ant, Al-Ahad As-Samad al-ladhi lam yalid wa lam yūlad wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad (O Allah, I ask you by the fact that I testify that You are Allah, and there is no god but You, You are the Eternal Refuge, Who neither begets nor is He begotten, nor is there any equivalent to Him).” Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “By the One in Whose hand my soul is, he asked Allah by His greatest name, which if He is supplicated with, He answers the supplication, and if He is asked with, He gives.” [ Narrated by the Compilers of Sunan as well as Ahmad in his Musnad; Sahīh (authentic)]
It is the only name that occurs in all the Hadīths in which the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) informed about the greatest name of Allah.
It also occurs in and is closely associated with most reported Dhikrs like Tahlīl (saying: La ilāha illallāh (there is no god except Allah), Takbīr (saying: Allāhu akbar (Allah is the Most Great), Tahmīd (saying: Alhamdulillāh (praise be to Allah), Tasbīh (saying: Subhānallāh (glory be to Allah), Hawqalah (saying: La hawla wa la quwwata illa billāh (there is no power nor strength except through Allah), and Basmalah (saying: Bismillāh (in the name of Allah).
This name is the root of all the beautiful names of Allah. It is not attributed to any of them; rather, they are all attributed to this great name. No one says, for example: “Allah” is one of the names of the Most Compassionate or the Most Merciful; rather, we say: “The Most Compassionate” or “the Most Merciful” is one of the names of Allah. {And to Allah belong the most beautiful names...} [Surat al-A‘rāf:180]
The form by which Allah Almighty is most frequently supplicated is: “Allāhumma” (O Allah). The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) would often supplicate Allah Almighty saying: “Allāhumma” (O Allah).
Al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “‘Allāhumma’ (O Allah) is the comprehensive form of supplication. If a supplicant says: ‘O Allah, I implore You,’ it is as if he said: ‘I supplicate Allah, to Whom belong the beautiful names and sublime attributes, by His names and attributes.’”
With this name, every affair is commenced in pursuit of blessing.
Moreover, it is the first name in the first verse of the Qur’an: {In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful} or {Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds} [Surat al-Fātihah: 1]. It is also the last name mentioned in Surat al-Nās: {The God (ilāh) of mankind.} [Surat an-Nās: 3]
It is also the only name in the testimony of faith, which turns a person from disbelief into Islam: “Ash-hadu alla ilāha illallāh” (I testify that there is no god but Allah). This testimony is invalid without this name.
Due to the great honor attached to this great name, Allah will lift it off the earth at the end of time, after taking the souls of the believers. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “The Hour will not come while there is anyone who says: Allah, Allah.” [Narrated by Muslim]
This is the name that occurs most in the Noble Qur’an. It occurs more than 2200 times. Commenting on the verse that says: {Say: “Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Compassionate”...} [Surat al-Isrā’: 110], some scholars said: “He singles out these two names for mention in the above verse given their special merit, and He puts the name ‘Allah’ first because of its additional honor.”
The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) is authentically reported to have said: “Indeed, the dearest of your names to Allah Almighty is ‘Abdullah and ‘Abd ar-Rahmān.” [Narrated by Muslim]
If a person does not go to his Lord willingly, he will do so under the compulsion of need and necessity.
We should stand humble before Allah Almighty and call Him when we are in distress.
Indeed, the All-Generous Lord responds to those who call upon Him.
When people suffer hardships, distress, and severe crises and they become totally helpless, they call out saying: O Allah!
When a person becomes seriously ill and doctors cannot treat him, he calls out: O Allah! When the sea becomes rough and dark, those on a boat call out: O Allah! When the land becomes arid and people suffer famine and drought, they call out: O Allah!
He is Allah, the refuge at times of distress, the companion at times of loneliness, and the supporter at times of weakness.
People are too powerless to cause any harm or bring about any benefit not predestined by Allah Almighty. So, let your heart be deeply attached to Allah Almighty.
All ropes get cut off except for His rope, and all doors get closed except for His door. {Is He [not best] Who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil...} [Al-Naml: 62]
Al-Nasafi (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “Al-Wāsiti said: ‘Whoever asks from Allah alone will not be in need, and whoever seeks honor from Allah will not be humiliated.’” Al-Husayn said: “A person becomes self-sufficient as much as he stands in need before Allah.”
O you who are in distress, rejoice, for indeed your distress will be relieved. Despair may sometimes take its toll upon you; but Allah brings ease after hardship. So, if you are afflicted, put your trust in Allah and be content with whatever He wills, for you have none but Him.
Rejoice, for relief will come to you from Allah. Do not lose hope, for your needs will be fulfilled by Allah. Do not show impatience, for Allah is the One Who predestined all things and He is the One Who removes afflictions. So, Allah is sufficient for You in everything.
There is no god except Allah. O Allah, we have not worshiped You as properly as You deserve.
O Allah, I ask You Paradise and the words and deeds that bring one closer to it, and I seek refuge in You from Hellfire and from the words and deeds that bring one closer to it.