It is not a choice of freedom, but of threatening. Choose, but be careful, there is a punishment if choose to do wrong. Allah does not need our worship.
E.g. Parents and children. If your child complains about studying, you tell them it is not going to affect you, but them. But you want them to pass.
Allah possesses attributes of Dominance and Might as well as attributes of Wisdom, Fairness, Mercy. With His ability, He conquered the oppressors, and with Hus ability, He gave victory to the oppressed.
We all know the story of Pharoah and the Children of Israeel. When they ran away to save their religion, Pharoah called for his soldiers and followed them. But then Musa was saved by Allah and Pharoah was drowned with the water he was proud of, when he said [as mentioned in Sarah Zukhruf 47:51]:
"And Fir'aun (Pharaoh) proclaimed among his people, saying: "O my people! Is not mine the dominion of Egypt, and these rivers flowing underneath me. See you not then?"
We should be careful and not be unjust to those under us. And if there is someone who is higher than us in rank whom we are working under, and is unjust to us, we should resort to Allah الكبير الجبار.
When you do a good job, who do you expect to thank you? Do not want praise. If you do a tiny thing or a great thing, and expect a smile, or a جزاك الله خيرا (expecting in the sense of wanting), then you have got your appreciation. The more we want other people around us to appreciate it, the more we lose it. And it means we have not done it for the sake of Allah.
In Surah Al-Insan [76:9]:
"(Saying): "We feed you seeking Allah's Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you."
They do not even want a thank you. When you do a favour for someone, do not expect or want anything.
You might make a meal for someone and they say it is too sour, to sweet, to salty, to watery. If you get upset, it means you were expecting to be thanked, and did not do it for the sake of Allah.
When you do a good job, expect الشاكر الشكور to thank you.
الشاكر:- The Appreciative
الشكور:- The Most Appreciative
Allah says in Surah An-Nisa [4:47]:
"Why should Allah punish you if you have thanked (Him) and have believed in Him. And Allah is Ever All-Appreciative (of good), All-Knowing."
When you do something, your heart should look up; not caring what people say. You should look forward to Allah's appreciation and acceptance. When Allah appreciates your deed, you will get appreciation in both this life and the hereafter.
In Surah Fatir [35:34]:
"And they will say: "All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has removed from us (all) grief. Verily, our Lord is indeed OftForgiving, Most Ready to appreciate (good deeds and to recompense)."
The Linguistic Meaning: الشكر is growth and appearance. It is a good commendation for great deeds.
The Religious Meaning: Allah is الشاكر الشكور, He appreciates any obedience no matter how small it is. That is why we should not belittle any act of obedience, even if it is removing a harmful thing from the road.
When we see something people do not see on the road, it is a test from Allah. Are we going to remove it from the road or not? But how many times have we seen it and overlooked? Allah gives multiple rewards in return. One good deed with ten rewards, and the ten can be multiplied up to 700 and so on.
Allah provides plenty of graces while He is satisfied with little thanks. However, He does not accept the thanking of the mouth which contradicts the heart. Allah accepts a little thanking when it comes from the heart, because He looks at our hearts. Our hearts are the kings from which speech and action comes from.
E.g. The Prophet ﷺ said:
إذا أحب الله العبد نادى جبريل: إن الله تعالى يحب فلانًا، فأحببه، فيحبه جبريل، فينادي في أهل السماء: إن الله يحب فلانًا، فأحبوه، فيحبه أهل السماء، ثم يوضع له القبول في الأرض
"When Allah loves a slave, calls out Jibril and says: 'I love so-and-so; so love him'. Then Jibril loves him. After that he (Jibril) announces to the inhabitants of heavens that Allah loves so- and-so; so love him; and the inhabitants of the heavens (the angels) also love him and then make people on earth love him" [Agreed Upon]
Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, calls the greatest Angel. And He orders Jibreel to love this person. And He mentions your name in a better place, to those better than you..
This gathering is a blessing from Allah. So many people do not have anyone to gather with, talk about their religion with. We think it is something normal......
Then Jibreel calls all the Angels. How many Angels are there? All the Angels will love this person.
Sometimes you do a small favour to someone and completely forget about it. It comes to this persons heart and they supplicate for you. You meet them after a while and so not remember them but they say you did such and such at this time and I needed it the most at the time of my life, and I always supplicate for you. Who did this? Allah, الشاكر الشكور.
Allah even rewards the disbelievers who perform good deeds by giving then benevolence in this life and reducing punishment in the hereafter.
E.g. Abu Talib, the Uncle of the Messenger ﷺ. Because he backed the Messenger, Allah reduced his punishment, although he was a disbeliever.
Allah gives the slave what they should thank Him for; He graces us with obedience.
E.g. When you fast on Mondays, Allah is the One who opened your heart to fast and gave you the ability and pushed you smoothly to the love of such an action, so that you do not feel that you are forced to perform it.
Allah is the One who gave us the love of the action, the ability to do it, and He is the One who thanks us for such a grace.
Allah does not need our worship.
The grandeur of these two names is evident in the Hadith where Allah forgave the prostitute who gave water to a thirsty dog. The condition is that the deeds should be solely for Him. These deeds are done in a few years, with the reward of an eternal Paradise. Even if we live 100 years, how much are they in comparison to everlasting life in Paradise?
You want to change your job. Where do you go? Allah القادر القدير المقتدر
القادر: The All Able
In Surah Al-An'am [6:65]:
"Say: "He has power to send torment on you from above or from under your feet, or to cover you with confusion in party strife, and make you to taste the violence of one another." See how variously We explain the Ayat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.), so that they may understand."
القدير : The Omnipotent
In Surah AlBaqarah [2:106]:
"Whatever a Verse (revelation) do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring a better one or similar to it. Know you not that Allah is able to do all things?"
المقتدر: The Dominant
In Surah AlKahf [18:45]:
"And put forward to them the example of the life of this world, it is like the water (rain) which We send down from the sky, and the vegetation of the earth mingles with it, and becomes fresh and green. But (later) it becomes dry and broken pieces, which the winds scatter. And Allah is Able to do everything."
These grand names indicate full ability. Allah is Able to do everything.
Sometimes we are astonished by things that occur all of a sudden; we could not have imagined that such a thing could happen.
No power overcomes Allah, and He does not miss anything. No matter how dedicated a person is in his work, he must have overlooked something, was not aware of something, made a mistake. Because we are human beings. Allah is extremely capable, nothing is hard for Him. He has total disposal over the universe. None can resist Him and no disobedient person can escape His grasp.
That is why Allah says in Surah Dhariyat [51:50]:
"So flee to Allah (from His Torment to His Mercy Islamic Monotheism), verily, I (Muhammad ﷺ) am a plain warner to you from Him."
Allah's Ability is glorious in that it is free from fatigue, weakness, deficiency. Allah is Able to bring us all together wherever we are.
Sometimes you go to far place and Allah brings you someone from another place and you meet without previous appointment. It is because Allah is Able to do everything and He is the One who decides.
In Surah AlBaqarah [2:148]:
"For every nation there is a direction to which they face (in their prayers). So hasten towards all that is good. Wheresoever you may be, Allah will bring you together (on the Day of Resurrection). Truly, Allah is Able to do all things."
You wanted to change your job, and you went to Allah, but you could not change it. Because Allah is الحكيم - The AllWise.
In Surah Al-Hadid [57:1]:
Allah is Wise. His sayings, deeds, rules, judgements are right and true. He has ultimate wisdom in His creation, arrangements. He is the One who perfected everything He created. He does not create anything in vain, nor creates useless laws.
Someone looked at a beetle and while belittling it, said, "Why did Allah create it?"
Later on, his knee got swollen, and he used so many medicines, but in vain. He went to a doctor who dealt with herbs, and the doctor told him to take a beetle, crush it, heat it, and put it on his knee. The man did that and got healed. Everything is created for a wisdom.
When Allah orders, His order must be good in and of itself. When He prohibits something, it must be bad in and of itself. When He says something it must be true. Whenever He does something, it must be right. Sometimes occurrences happen which we do not like, but it is right, and out of the Will of Allah. Perfection can only be ascribed to Allah alone.
So, who should you really deal with at work? الله - Allah
Allah says in Ayaat al Kursi [2:255]:
"Allah! La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. Neither slumber, nor sleep overtake Him. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them in the Hereafter . And they will never compass anything of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great."
This is the greatest verse in the Noble Quran. This Exalted Name is the greatest of all Names. It is inclusive and indicative of all His Names. He has uniquely distinguished Himself by it and prevented the ignorant ones from calling themselves by it. There is no one that claimed he was a Lord who called himself Allah. Allah protected this Name from being dealt with by other than Him. In Surah Luqman [31:25]:
"And if you (O Muhammad ﷺ) ask them: "Who has created the heavens and the earth," they will certainly say: "Allah." Say: "All the praises and thanks be to Allah!" But most of them know not."
If the slave invokes Allah by this Name (by saying اللهم), he would be invoking Allah by all His Names. Allah adds all other Names to this Perfect Name, as He said in Surah A'raaf [7:180]:
"And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against) His Names. They will be requited for what they used to do."
The Linguistic Meaning: The origin of the Name is إله; which has four meanings:
1) The Worshipped
2) The Refuge
3) The Greatly Beloved
4) The One by which minds are bewildered
The Religious Meaning: The One whom which the hearts of slaves idolize with love and magnification, hope, obedience, as a refuge during times of calamity. He is the true worshipped, who deserves to be worshipped alone. All that is worshipped other than Him from His throne to the bottom of the earth is wrong and false. Nothing else deserves to be worshipped except Him because they are all but slaves.
The Prophet Muhammed ﷺ said in a supplication, "لا أحصى ثناء عليك أنت كما أثنيت على نفسك" - I cannot enumerate your praises, You are as you praised yourself.
How can anyone count the grandeur of this Name? Whenever this great name is mentioned on something little it will make it a lot. Whenever it is mentioned upon anything good it will make it grow and be blessed. It removes sickness and fear, calamities are dispelled by it, and whenever it is held on by the weak, it will make him stronger.
Bani Israeel were victorious over their enemy, Pharoah, without any war. In Surah Saffaat [37:116]:
"And helped them, so that they became the victors;"
The humble becomes more powerful by this Name, the poor richer, the defeated victorious, for by this Name distresses disappear, blessings descend, supplications are answered, ranks are raised, and harms are averted, because there is nothing greater then the grandeur of Allah.
Most scholars state this great name is the greatest Name of Allah, the Name when invoked by it He would respond, when asked by it He would give, because it is the only Name mentioned in all the Hadiths:-
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَمِعَ رَجُلاً يَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ أَنِّي أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ أَنْتَ اللَّهُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ الأَحَدُ الصَّمَدُ الَّذِي لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ . فَقَالَ " لَقَدْ سَأَلْتَ اللَّهَ بِالاِسْمِ الَّذِي إِذَا سُئِلَ بِهِ أَعْطَى وَإِذَا دُعِيَ بِهِ أَجَابَ
"Narrated Buraydah ibn al-Hasib: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) heard a man saying: O Allah, I ask Thee, I bear witness that there is no god but Thou, the One, He to Whom men repair, Who has not begotten, and has not been begotten, and to Whom no one is equal, and he said: You have supplicated Allah using His Greatest Name, when asked with this name He gives, and when supplicated by this name he answers." [Abu Dawud #1493]
عَنْ أَنَسٍ، أَنَّهُ كَانَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم جَالِسًا وَرَجُلٌ يُصَلِّي ثُمَّ دَعَا اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِأَنَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ الْمَنَّانُ بَدِيعُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ يَا ذَا الْجَلاَلِ وَالإِكْرَامِ يَا حَىُّ يَا قَيُّومُ . فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لَقَدْ دَعَا اللَّهَ بِاسْمِهِ الْعَظِيمِ الَّذِي إِذَا دُعِيَ بِهِ أَجَابَ وَإِذَا سُئِلَ بِهِ أَعْطَى " .
"Narrated Anas ibn Malik: I was sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and a man was offering prayer. He then made supplication: O Allah, I ask Thee by virtue of the fact that praise is due to Thee, there is no deity but Thou, Who showest favour and beneficence, the Originator of the Heavens and the earth, O Lord of Majesty and Splendour, O Living One, O Eternal One.
The Prophet ﷺ then said: He has supplicated Allah using His Greatest Name, when supplicated by this name, He answers, and when asked by this name He gives." [Abu Dawud #1495]
Do you only deal with Allah at work? You should deal with Him wherever you are, whenever, however you are. In Surah Al-An'am [6:162]:
"Say (O Muhammad ﷺ): "Verily, my Salat (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists)."
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