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Praising His sublime Self by His Name "the Witness", Allah Almighty says: {Indeed Allah is Witness over all things.} [Surat al-Hajj: 17]
Allah’s Name "the Witness" occurs 18 times in the Book of Allah.
Our Lord, Glorified and Exalted, is the One from Whom nothing is hidden, and He is the Preserver of all things, and His knowledge encompasses everything.
Our Lord, Glorified and Exalted, gives the true testimony, supports the oppressed, and inflicts retribution upon the oppressor. He hears all sounds, low and loud, and sees all creatures, great and minute, for He encompasses all things in knowledge.
Our Almighty Lord bears witness in favor of and against His servants with regard to their deeds. His testimony is the basis and origin of all other testimonies, and it is the greatest of them all. This is because nothing is hidden from Him, and He is a Witness to all; in other words, He knows the facts and truths of everything, as He sees and watches them.
Out of His Majesty, He testifies that He is the One and Just God. He says: {Allah witnesses that there is no god but Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge - [that He is] maintaining [creation] in justice.} [Surat Ᾱl-‘Imrān: 18]
And He bears witness to the truthfulness of the believers who believe in His Oneness, and He gives testimony about His messengers and angels. He says: {And We have sent you [O Muhammad] to the people as a messenger, and sufficient is Allah as Witness.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 79]
And He gives testimony on behalf of the oppressed who has no witness or supporter against the oppressor. This testimony from Him entails help and support. Allah Almighty says: {Indeed Allah is Witness over all things.} [Surat al-Hajj: 17]
His servants, on the other hand, testify to His Oneness and acknowledge their servitude to Him: {And [remember] when your Lord took from the children of Adam - from their loins - their descendants and made them testify of themselves, [saying]: “Am I not your Lord?” They said: “Yes, we have testified.”} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 172]
The testimony and watchfulness of people is limited to certain times and would necessarily come to an end. People sleep, lose their senses, weaken, and then die. Allah Almighty, on the other hand, is the Ever-Living Who never dies and His watchfulness is complete and enduring. {And I was a witness over them as long as I was among them; but when You took me up, You were the Observer over them, and You are Witness over all things.} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 117]
The testimony of Allah Almighty is the greatest ever. It is a testimony of a Lord Who is Omnipresent and sees all things, and no aspect of the truth is hidden from Him - unlike people. So, if Allah testifies for someone, that is enough for him, and he does not need the testimony of anyone else. {Say: "What thing is greatest in testimony?" Say: " Allah is witness between me and you. And this Qur'an was revealed to me so that I may warn you thereby and whomever it reaches. Do you [truly] testify that there are other gods with Allah?" Say: "I will not testify [with you]." Say: "Indeed, He is but one God, and I am free of what you associate [with Him]."} [Surat al-An‘ām: 19]
This testimony is one of the best means whereby we can confront the falsehood of our opponents: {And those who disbelieve say: “You are not a messenger.” Say: “Sufficient is Allah as Witness between me and you, and [the witness of] whoever has knowledge of the Scripture.”} [Surat ar-Ra‘d: 43]
When the servants stand before their Lord on the Day of Judgment, He will hold them accountable as a Lord Who knows them and is Aware of their secrets and a Preserver of their words and deeds. {Indeed Allah is Witness over all things.} [Surat al-Hajj: 17]
The believer knows that his deeds will not be lost with Allah Almighty. {Say: “Whatever reward I might have asked of you, it is yours. My reward is only from Allah, and He is Witness over all things.”} [Surat Saba’: 47]
As for the disbeliever, nothing of his deeds will be lost. Even if he forgets any of them, Allah Almighty has recorded them: {Allah had recorded it, while they forgot it; and Allah is Witness over all things.} [Surat al-Mujādilah: 6]
He who knows that Allah is a Witness over him inwardly and outwardly will feel shy that He should see him commit a sin or something not pleasing to Him. He who knows that Allah sees him will perfect his deeds and worship and perform them sincerely in order to reach Ihsān, and that is the highest level of worship, about which the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “To worship Allah as if you see Him. If you cannot see Him, He sees you.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
If you become alone sometimes,
do not say I am alone! But say: Allah is watching over me!
Do not ever think that there is something
hidden from Allah or unknown to Him!
The believers are always aware that Allah is Ever-Watchful over them and sees everything they do, great or small. He says: {There is nothing absent from your Lord [even] an atom’s weight on the earth or in the heaven or [anything] smaller than that or greater but it is in a clear record.} [Surat Yūnus: 61]
As the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was sending Mu‘ādh to Yemen, he said, “O Messenger of Allah, give me advice.” He said: “Fear Allah as much as you can, and remember Allah at every stone and tree.” [Narrated by Ahmad] [Sahīh (Authentic)]
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: “When a person engages in Dhikr a lot on the way, at home, on journeys, and in different locations, this increases the witnesses in his favor on the Day of Judgment.” {That Day, it will report its news.} [Surat az-Zalzalah: 4] {And Allah is sufficient as Witness.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 79]
It was said: He who heeds Allah with regard to his thoughts and feelings, He will preserve him with regard to the actions of his body organs.
If we consider the seven types of people whom Allah will cover under His shade on the Day of Judgment, we will find out that the common feature among them is that they all believe that Allah is Witness over them and so they worship Him as if they could see Him, thereby attaining this great status.
O Allah, the Witness, we implore You to forgive us, show mercy to us, and pardon us, O the Most Merciful of those who show mercy!