The Names of Allah, the Most High, are all husnaa (beautiful), meaning that they reach the extremity of beauty. As Allah, the Most High said, “To Allaah belong the Most Beautiful Names“. (7:18). This is because they comprise perfect attributes which do not have any deficiency from any angle, neither in meaning, nor in implication.

When we look at words, we find that they can either:

• indicate the extremity of perfection
• indicate perfection that is not the extremity of perfection
• indicate perfection in one context and deficiency in another
• indicate a meaning that is deficient in all respects

A further explanation of these four types:

The first: If these words indicate the extremity of perfection, then they are from the Names of Allah, since they do not contain any defciency. Examples would include, as-Samee’ (the All-Hearer), al-Baseer (the All-Seer), al-’Adheem (the All-Mighty), al-’Aleem (the All-Knower). All these names indicate complete perfection, which is perfection that admits no deficiency.

The second: Those words that indicate a quality of perfection that can admit to deficiency. Allah is not to be named with them, however they can be used to inform about him. In other words, these would not be formal names, but they can be used in order to inform about Allah. For example, al-mutakallim (the one who speaks), ash-sha’ee (the one who wills), as-saani’ (the one who makes), al-faa’il (the one who does) - and whatever is similar to that. So it is permissible that we say Allaah is mutakallim (one who speaks), that Allaah is fa'’aal (one who does) and so on, but he is not to be formally named with them.

For al-mutakallim (the one who speaks) is not from the Names of Allah, because one who speaks could speak with that which is praiseworthy, or he could speak with that which is blameworthy. Even though speech in itself is a quality of perfection, specific instances of speech could denote imperfection or perfection. Hence, one who speaks with good is one who speaks with perfection, and one who speaks with evil is one who speaks with deficiency. Thus, speech itself is perfection, but its content can be praiseworthy or blameworthy. Thus, al-mutakallim (one who speaks) cannot be from the names of Allah, however Allaah can be described as “one who speaks” from the angle of informing about him.

The third: Those words that contain both perfection and deficiency within their actual meanings (instead of by implication with something else). These words are not applied to Allah, but they are to be mentioned restrictedly, with qualification. For example, makr (plotting), khidaa’ (deception), istihzaa (mockery), kaid (plot). It would not be correct for us to say that Allah plots or that he plans. This is because plotting divides into that which is praiseworthy and that which is blameworthy. Hence, the name al-Makir (the plotter), or al-Kaa’id (the planner, schemer) cannot be names of Allah. What is correct is that we are to qualify that, so we say that Allah plots against the one who plots, and Allah schemes against the one who schemes, and Allah mocks the one who mocks and so on.

The fourth: The words that are pure deficiency. Allah is not to be described with them at all, such as al-’umaa (blindness), as-samam (deafness), al-’ajz (incapacity). All of these are pure defciencies, hence they are not applied to Allah in any form, neither by way of a formal name, nor by way of description.

Thus, all of Allah’s Names are complete perfection and they do not entail or imply any deficiency whatsoever.

Examples of Allah’s Perfect Names

For example, al-Hayy (the Ever-Living) - this is a name of Allaah denoting the attribute of perfect life that was not preceded by non-existence, and is not followed by cessation. It is a life that necessitates all other perfect qualities such as knowledge, power, hearing, seeing and others.

Another example, al-’Aleem (the All-Knowing), a name denoting perfect and complete knowledge that is not preceded by ignorance, nor followed by forgetfulness. It is a complete, all-comprehensive, all-comprehending knowledge that covers everything in general and in detail, irrespective of whether that relates to His own actions or the actions of His creation.

Another example, ar-Rahmaan (the One Full of Mercy), this denotes perfect mercy, and about which the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said, “Indeed, Allah is more merciful to His servants than this (mother) is to her son”, referring to a mother who breastfed her child.

The esteemed and late Shaikh Muhammad bin Salih al-’Uthaimin of Saudi Arabia stated, during a tele-link in the evening of Friday, 28th July 2000:

…Likewise I invite you to have respect for those people who have the right that they should be respected, those between whom there is an agreement (of protection) for you. For the land in which you are living is such that there is an agreement between you and them. If this were not the case they would have killed you or expelled you. So preserve this agreement, and do not prove treacherous to it, since treachery is a sign of the hypocrites, and it is not from the way of the Believers. And know that it is authentically reported from the Prophet that he said, “Whoever kills one who is under and agreement of protection will not smell the fragrance of Paradise.”

Do not be fooled by those sayings of the foolish people, those who say ‘Those people are Non-Muslims, so their wealth is lawful for us (to misappropriate or take by way of murder and killing).’ For by Allaah - this is a lie. A lie about Allaah’s Religion, and a lie about Islamic societies.

So we may not say that it is lawful to be treacherous towards people whom we have an agreement with.

O my brothers. O youth. O Muslims. Be truthful in your buying and selling, and renting, and leasing, and in all mutual transactions. Because truthfulness is from the characteristics of the Believers, and Allaah - the Most High - has commanded truthfulness - in the saying of Allaah - the Most High -

“O you who believe - fear and keep you duty to Allaah and be with the truthful”

And the Prophet encouraged truthfulness and said, “Adhere to truthfulness, because truthfulness leads to goodness, and goodness leads to Paradise; and a person will continue to be truthful, and strive to be truthful until he will be written down with Allaah as a truthful person“.

And he warned against falsehood, and said, “Beware of falsehood, because falsehood leads to wickedness, and wickedness leads to the Fire. And a person will continue lying, and striving to lie until he is written down with Allaah as a great liar.”

O my brother Muslims. O youth. Be true in your sayings with your brothers, and with those Non-Muslims whom you live along with - so that you will be inviters to the Religion of Islaam, by your actions and in reality. So how many people there are who first entered into Islaam because of the behaviour and manners of the Muslims, and their truthfulness, and their being true in their dealings.

The Qur’an has outlined the base rule concerning the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims who do not fight the Muslims on account of their religion or expel Muslims from their homes or lands.

Allâh does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes. Verily, Allâh loves those who deal with equity. (Al-Mumtahinah 60:8)

The classical commentator Ibn Kathir stated in his exegesis of this verse:

“… meaning that you are benevolent towards them and deal justly with them.”

This verse was revealed during the truce between the Muslims and the Quraish of Mecca. The mother of Asma, the daughter of Abu Bakr came to Medina and brought with her some presents. Asma sought recourse to the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) on the matter.

Ibn Kathir brings a number of narrations from Asma, the daughter of Abu Bakr (radiallahu anhu), whose pagan mother came to visit her in Medina, explaining that this was the reason for the revelation of this particular verse. Asma said:

My mother who was a pagan approached (Madinah) during the truce with (the tribe of) Quraish, so I came to the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, my mother has come and she desires to see me, shall I keep ties with her?” He said, “Yes, keep the ties of kinship with your mother”.

Ibn Jarir at-Tabari, another classical commentator explains in his exegesis that there were a number of opinions regarding this particular verse, and mentions amongst them:

• That this verse was particular only to those Muslims who were residing in Mecca but had not yet emigrated.
• That this vere relates to people outside of Mecca who had not emigrated to Medina
• That this verse was regarding the pagans of Mecca who did not fight the Muslims nor expel them from their homes, but that it was later abrogated with the command to fight the pagans (on account of their breaking the truce)

Then at-Tabari explains the correct viewpoint:

The most correct of these sayings is the statement of the one who said that what is meant by, “Allâh does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion…” (is that it pertains to) all of the factions from the varying beliefs and religions. That you behave good towards them, and that you are just regarding them, because Allah, the Mighty and Majestic generalised with His saying, “…those who fought not against you on account of your religion and did not drive you out of your homes…” So this applies to everyone who is characterised by this. He did not specify some as opposed to others in this regard.

And then at-Tabari goes on to discredit the view of those who said this injunction was abrogated.

The esteemed Scholar from the last century Muhammad Ameen ash-Shanqiti (rahimahullah) has a lengthy discussion in his exegesis, “Adwaa ul-Bayaan”. Ash-Shanqiti mentions the various views, including the viewpoint that this verse was abrogated with the command to fight the pagans. He then goes on to provide historical and textual evidences to discredit this view bringing:

• The statements of at-Tabari, ash-Shafi’i,after which he said:
  

  This (view) that has been deemed correct by Ibn Jarir (at-Tabari) and which was authenticated by as-Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy upon him, is that which is necessitated by spirit of the Islamic legislation.

• The benevolence of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) towards specific non-Muslims, such as Thumama who had come to assassinate the Prophet but was captured by the Muslims. He was treated well, eventually released and he voluntarily became a Muslim.
• The various delegations that came to the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) in the 9^th year after the hijra. Such as the Christians of Najran, and the delegation of Tamim, and others. With all of them, the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was gentle and kind, he was benevolent towards them.
• The treatment of the Jews of Khaibar who despite being treacherous - scheming a variety of intrigues, instigating the Bani Quraiza, and plotting against the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) on numerous occasions - were spared. After being forced to surrender they were allowed to live off their land whilst giving a share of the produce to the Muslims.
• The verse in the Qur’an regarding the treatment of non-Muslim parents who force a person to worship others besides Allaah. Ash-Shanqiti said:
  

  And in closing, that which makes this clear very strongly, and about which no one has claimed abrogation is the saying of (Allah), the Exalted, “And if they both strive to make you associate with Me (in worship) that of which you have no knowledge, then do not obey them. But accompany them in this life with goodness.” (Luqman 31:15). This good behaviour and benevolence is towards the one who strove to make a Muslim associate others with Allah (in worship) but did not actually fight against the Muslims. Hence, the right of the parents are to be given precedence, even if they are upon disbelief, and strive to lead one to associationism (Shirk).

With these and other evidences ash-Shanqiti invalidates the view of those who spoke with abrogation of this verse. Ash-Shanqiti covered this issue in some depth in his Adwa ul-Bayan, explaining:

And we have lengthened the speech regarding this matter due to its importance and the dire need for it today.

Hence, it is established that the normal relation between Muslims and non-Muslims who do not show aggression or expel Muslims from their lands, as established in the Islamic texts, is one of benevolence and good behaviour.

Contemporary Islamophobes attempt to portray Islam and the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) as a violent, aggressive, murderous entity - and often distort, and outright lie, concerning historical occurrences and realities. Perhaps their distortions will be covered in later posts.

The late and renowned Hadith scholar, Shaikh al-Albani (rahimahullah) said on this subject:

“…Now we come to suicide missions, we have come to know of this from the Japanese and their likes when a man amongst them would attack an American war ship with his fighter jet. He would blow up along with his jet, however he would inflict damage upon the soldiers in that American war ship. We say: Suicide missions in the present time, all of them, are not legislated (by Islam) and all of them are unlawful. They could be of the types (of suicide) which cause a person to remain in the Hellfire eternally. As for suicide missions being (a means of) nearness, by which one seeks closeness to Allah, then today (we find) that a man fights for the sake of his land or his homeland. These suicide missions are not Islamic, absolutely…

From the cassette recording, “The Verdicts of the Scholars concerning Assassinations and Bombings”, quoted in the book, “The Verdicts of the Scholars in Englightening the (Muslim) Nation”, of Jamal bin Farihan al-Harithi (p.76).

In a question and answer session almost 20 years ago, the late Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Shaikh ‘Abdul-’Aziz Bin Baz (rahimahullah) was asked concerning the “Jama’at ul-Jihad” and co-operation with them. His response was:

They are not to be co-operated with, nor are they to be given salutations (the regular greeting amongst Muslims). Rather, they are to be cut off from, and the people are to be warned against their evil. Since they are a tribulation and are harmful to the Muslims, and they are the brethren of the Devil.

The Jama’at ul-Jihad was an organisation from Egypt whose ideological roots lied in the teachings of Sayyid Qutb and Abu A’la Maududi.

An report appearing on YNetNews:

According to statistics from the Population Administration, 2006 will be a record year for Israeli Jews joining the Muslim religion. In the past few years, the number of conversions to Islam was relatively stable at 35 per year, but over 70 conversions were expected this year. In 2003, 40 Jews converted to Islam; in 2004 the number dropped to 27; and last year it stood at 33. But the trend took a drastic turn this year, and Interior Ministry data showed that in the first half of 2006 alone 42 conversions were recorded, and a comparable number is expected throughout the second half of the year.

The process of converting to Islam is carried out at the Muslim religious court which operates according to Islamic law. In contrast to Jewish conversions, which last months and often years, to become Muslim one must only convince the court that one’s intentions are sincere and declare faith in Allah.

Most are Jewish and Christian women who convert after choosing to marry Muslim men. The number of men who convert to Islam is far lower, but has also seen a rise.

“Jews say they decided to convert after deepening their knowledge of Islam. Many are disappointed in Judaism,” a senior member of the Islamic court said.

In the past, the Religious Affairs and Interior Ministries made it very difficult for Jews to convert to Islam. “They are giving me the runaround, sending me back and forth from office to office. They made me see a psychiatrist, to ‘make sure I wasn’t brainwashed.’ They did everything so that I would despair and return to Judaism,” one convert related.

Shaikh Muqbil bin Hadi al-Wadi’i of Yemen (rahimahullah) stated, as was published in the Kuwaiti magazine “ar-Ra’i”, dated 19/12/1998:

“I absolve and exonerate myself (in front of Allah) from Bin Ladin, for he is a misfortune and a calamity upon the ummah (Muslim nation), and his actions are evil.”

Shaikh Salih Aal ash-Shaikh, the Minister of Islamic Affairs, Saudi Arabia, stated in a lecture on the subject of deviations in the understanding of Islam,

“… until in these times, perhaps you have heard some teachers praising Usama bin Ladin, and this is a deficiency in understanding Islam.”

Originally published in the newspaper, ar-Riyadh 8/11/2001. Refer to the book, “The Ideology of Terrorism and Violence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - Its Origin, Causes, Spreading and Cure” of ‘Abd us-Salam bin Salim bin Rajaa as-Sihimi.

JEDDAH, 25 November 2006 — More than 10,000 Umrah pilgrims who had overstayed their visas were arrested by the Passport Department in Makkah in the last lunar month of Shawwal, which ended a couple of days ago, a source of the department told Arab News yesterday. They were identified at various safe homes in and around the holy city.

The Ministry of Haj reports that so far this year about 200,000 Umrah pilgrims have not left their Kingdom after their visas expired. “The campaign found two types of overstayers: one who is waiting to perform the upcoming Haj even though their pilgrimage visas have expired, and the other intending to remain in the Kingdom to work illegally,” said Capt. Mansour Al-Otaiby, director of the local Passport Department in Makkah.

Read the full story.

Mutah Beale is the real name of the former “Outlawz” rapper, Napoleon. There is a nice audio interview on Islaam.Ca in which Mutah explains what made him turn to Islam and renounce his previous life of excessive indulgence.

An interesting interview with a former rapper who became inspired to learn about his Muslim roots. After following in the footsteps of Malcolm X and making the Hajj, he began to learn about the essence of Islam (Tawheed - the oneness of Allaah) and decided to leave a fast lifestyle of music, intoxicants and vice for the simplicity of Islam. Why you may ask?