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Review-Article:
HOW THE DIVINE ATTRIBUTES
CAN BECOME
MARYAM JAMEELAH
The Ninety-Nine Beautiful Names of God. Al-Ghazali, translation and notes by David B. Burrell and Nazih Daher, The Islamic Texts Society, 5 Green Street, Cambridge CB2-3JU. U.K, 1992, pp.205, L11.95 pbk, L25.95 HB. How can man seek knowledge and contemplation of God? In the present work under review, al-Ghazali, one of the most influential thinkers in Islamic history (1058-1111) seeks to answer that crucially important question by a comprehensive explanation of each of the ninety-nine Names or Attributes of God as mentioned in Quran and Hadith. In a sound Hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah in Sahih al-Bukhari, the Holy Prophet upon whom be peace, has told Believers to recite and contemplate the ninety-nine enumerated beautiful Names of God. Al-Ghazali not only does this but demonstrates how each of these attributes can become an integral part of the spiritual-seeker. All creation reflects signs of the Creator - minerals, plants, animals and man. But only man, being central, was made in the image of God, all other creatures being peripheral. Islam teaches that man was not made for himself but for God, He neither owns himself nor is his earthly happiness and well-being an end in itself. Holy Quran says that. “I (God) created man and Djinn only that they may worship Me.”
The sacred Divine Names or
Attributes as listed and explained by al-Ghazali are as follows: ALLAH AL-Rahrnan, the Merciful Al-Rahim, the Compassionate Al-Malik, the King Al-Quddus, the Holy Al-Salam, the Perfect Al-Mumin, the Faithful Al-Muhaymin, the Gurdian Al-Aziz, the Eminent Al-Jabbar, the Compeller Al-Mutakabbir, the Proud Al-Khaliq, the Creator Al-Bari, the Producer Al-Musawwir. the Fashioner Al-Ghaffar, the Forgiver Al-Qahhar, the Almighty Al-Wahhab, the Bestower Al-Razzaq, the Provider Al-Fattah, the Opener Al-Alim, the All-knowing Al-Qabid, He Who contracts Al-Basit, He Who expands Al-Khafid, the Abaser Al-Raff, the Exalted Al-Mu ‘izz, the Honoured Al-Sami, the All-Hearing AI-Basir, the All-Seeing Al Hakam, the Judge Al- Adl. the Just AI-Latif, the Benevolent Al-Khabir, the Aware Al-Halim, the Mild AI-Aziru, the Tremendous Al-Ghafur, the All-Forgiving Al-Shakur, the Greetful Al-Ali, the Most High Al-Kabir, the Great Al-Hafiz, the All-Preserver Al-Muqit, the Nourisher Al-Hasib, the Reckoner Al-Jalil, the Majestic Al-Karim, the Generous Al-Raqib, the All-Observer Al-Mujib, the Amswerer (of prayers) Al-Wasi, the Vast Al-Hakim the Wise Al-Wadud, the Most Loving-Kind Al-Majid, the Glorious Al-Baith, the Raiser of the Dead Al-Shahid, the Universal Witness Al-Haqq, the Truth Al-Wakil, the Guardian Al-Qawi, the Strong Al-Matin, the Firm Al-Walii, the Friend Al-Hamid, the Praised Al-Muhsi, the Knower of each separate thing Al-Mubdi. the First Cause Al-Mu ‘id, the Restorer Al-Muhyi, the Life-Giver Al-Mumit. the Slayer Al-Hayy, the Living Al-Qayyum, the Self-Existing Al-Wajid, the Resourceful Al-Majid, the Magnificent Al-Wahid, the Unique Al-Samad, the Eternal Al-Qadir, the All-powerful Al-Muqtadir, the All-Determiner Al-Muqaddim, the Promoter Al-Mu ‘akhir, the Postphoner Al-Awwal, the First Al-Akhir, the Last Al-Zahir, the Manifest Al-Batin, the Hidden Al-Wali, the Ruler Al-Muta’ali, the Exalted Al-Barr, the Doer of Good Al-Tawwab, the Ever-Relenting Al-Muntaqim, the Avenger Al-Afu, the Effacer of sins Al-Rauf, the All-Piting Malik al-Mulk, the King of Absolute Sovereignty Dh’ul Jalal wa`I Ikram, Lord of Majesty and Generousity Al-Muqsit, the Equitable Al-Jami. the Unite’. Al-Ghani. the Rich Al-Mughni, the Enricher Al-Mani, the Protector Al-Darr, the Punisher Al-Nafi, He Who benefits Al-Nur, the Light Al-Hadi, the Guide Al-Bach, the Absolute Al-Baqi, the Everlasting Al-Warith, the Inheritor Al-Rashid, the Righteous Al-Sabur, the Patient In a most illuminating exposition of the Name, Al Baith, (p, 120) or the Raiser of the Dead, Al-Ghazali asserts, Islam teaches that man was created for Eternity. Contrary to what most- people today believe, death is not oblivion. There is no way for a man to become non-existent. The dead are either happy in Paradise or wretched in Hell. If people were really convinced of that fact, suicide would be unthinkable. Because Islam means total submission to the Divine Will, in explaining the Name, Al-Basir, the All-Seeing, Al-Ghazali exclaims, “How insolent is the one who commits an act of disobedience when he knows God great and glorious sees him and how profane is the one who thinks that God the most high, does not see him!” (p.85) Today the notion is widespread among modern Muslims that monarchy is forbidden in Islam. This makes nearly all rulers of Dar-ul-Islam for more than twelve centuries regarded now as usurpers, that, if only the monarchies were transformed into republics, all good for Muslims would automatically follow: Like their counterparts in Christendom, modernist leaders within Dar ul Islam were fully aware that traditional cultural, social, moral and spiritual values would be given a deadly blow by the destruction of the monarchy. All the traditional hierarchies that stratified society around the monarch, including all qualitative distinctions between the classes, would be eliminated by the overthrowing of the Khalifa, Sultan, Amir, Imam or King as the case may be. This would revolutionize Muslim society into a standardized proletarian mass easily controlled or manipulated by democratic demagogues. Much more crucial would be the destruction of the hierarchal relationship between God and creation for, if kingship in this world is intrinsically wrong, then on what basis to establish relationship between man and God, one of whose most important Divine Names or Attributes is Al-Malik Al Qahhar, The Almighty King! This is a book which could not possibly have been written by a modern Muslim writer today but only in the “medieval” Age of Faith where religion was taken for granted as the indisputable fact of life and, when the overwhelming majority of believers had probably never in their lives encountered an unbeliever and absolute transcendental values reigned supreme. |