بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Continuation: #8 - Allah is "مالك يوم الدين" (The Only King of the Day of Recompense)
In Surah Al-Fatihah [1:3], Allah tells us that He is the only true King of the Day of Judgement.
What is the wisdom behind Allah particularizing the Day of Judgement while He is the Owner of all days? Because on the Day of Judgement, the true sovereignty of Allah will be shown clearly to all people, including the kings of this world. On that Day, they will stand with the rest of the slaves of Allah waiting for the recompense of Allah, in fear of His punishment and in hope of His forgiveness. No one will dispute with Allah regarding His kingship on the Day of Judgement.
In this world we see the kings of the Dunya, forgetting the true King. On the Day of Judgement, His true sovereignty will be shown to all of mankind.
When Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhab رحمه الله interpreted this Surah, he said:
بسبب معرفتها دخل الجنة من دخلها، وسبب الجهل بها دخل النار من دخلها
Because of their knowledge of it (i.e. The verse "مالك يوم الدين" (The Owner of the Day of Recompense) and restricting Al-Malik to the Day of Judgement although Allah is the Owner of everything), those who entered Paradise entered it, and because of their ignorance of it, those who entered Hell entered it.
Why?
In Surah Al-Infitar [82:17-19]:
"And what will make you know what the Day of Recompense is?"
"Again, what will make you know what the Day of Recompense is?"
"(It will be) the Day when no person shall have power (to do) anything for another, and the Decision, that Day, will be (wholly) with Allah."
No one can do anything for anyone because the decision belongs to Allah in entirety.
No person, regardless how great they are, can do anything - not even an atoms weight of goodness - for anyone, no matter how beloved that person may be to them. Ibrahim عليه السلام cannot save his father. The Prophet ﷺ cannot help his companions. No one can help the other because the decision belongs to Allah.
If you repeat this to yourself you will feel at rest in your heart. You just need to focus on yourself. On that Day no one can save you nor can you save anyone. This should be clear in our hearts.
True success and entering Paradise on the Day of Judgement belongs to Allah. He is the One who admits whomever He wills into Paradise. The Prophet ﷺ said:
" لَنْ يُدْخِلَ أَحَدًا عَمَلُهُ الْجَنَّةَ ". قَالُوا وَلاَ أَنْتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ " لاَ، وَلاَ أَنَا إِلاَّ أَنْ يَتَغَمَّدَنِي اللَّهُ بِفَضْلٍ وَرَحْمَةٍ"
"The good deeds of any person will not make him enter Paradise." (i.e., None can enter Paradise through his good deeds.) They (the Prophet's companions) said, 'Not even you, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)?' He said, "Not even myself, unless Allah bestows His favor and mercy on me." [Bukhari]
When Adam عليه السلام and his wife asked for forgiveness they said, as mentioned in Surah A'raf [7:23]:
"They said: "Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers."
Those who are attached to dead people and go to the graves invoking them, vowing in the name of the dead person and slaughtering in their name, do not know the meaning of "مالك يوم الدين" (The Owner of the Day of Recompense). If they knew that, they would know that the dead person cannot do anything for them.
If you are seeking the intercession of the Prophet ﷺ, ask Allah to make the Prophet ﷺ an intercessor for you. We do not ask the Prophet ﷺ to intercede for us, we ask Allah. This is what our attitude should be when we know that intercession is not in the hand of the Prophet ﷺ, but in the Hands of Allah. Allah will then guide you in this world to do acts by which you will attain the intercession of the Prophet ﷺ. The matter belongs to Allah, not anyone else. Those who invoke the Messenger ﷺ have exalted him to a status higher than the one Allah has given him; they have resembled him to Allah.
The Prophet ﷺ protected the sanctity of the Tawheed. Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما narrated that a man said to the Prophet ﷺ, "What Allah willed and (what) you willed." The Prophet ﷺ said:
أجعلتني لله ندا؟ بل ما شاء الله وحده
Have you made me a rival with Allah? Rather, what Allah Alone willed. [An-Nasa'i]
Even when he was on his death bed, he ﷺ said:
اللهم لا تجعل قبري وثنا يعبد
"O Allah do not make my grave an idol that is worshipped."
The polytheists fell into Shirk because they did not know who Allah is. If they knew who He is, they would not commit Shirk with Him.
If your heart turns to someone else, repeat these verses to remind yourself that no one can benefit you except Allah. Nothing and no one can benefit anybody except after the permission of Allah. Everything occurs by the permission of Allah. If Allah gives the permission, then that child will benefit, that medicine will benefit, etc. The matter is in the Hands of Allah. In this world we forget and fall into heedlessness, but on the Day of Judgement we will see the effect of our attachment to other than Allah - we will see who the true sovereignty belongs to on that Day.
جَاءَ حَبْرٌ مِنَ الأَحْبَارِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ، إِنَّا نَجِدُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلُ السَّمَوَاتِ عَلَى إِصْبَعٍ وَالأَرَضِينَ عَلَى إِصْبَعٍ، وَالشَّجَرَ عَلَى إِصْبَعٍ، وَالْمَاءَ وَالثَّرَى عَلَى إِصْبَعٍ، وَسَائِرَ الْخَلاَئِقِ عَلَى إِصْبَعٍ، فَيَقُولُ أَنَا الْمَلِكُ. فَضَحِكَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَتَّى بَدَتْ نَوَاجِذُهُ تَصْدِيقًا لِقَوْلِ الْحَبْرِ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم {وَمَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ وَالأَرْضُ جَمِيعًا قَبْضَتُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَالسَّمَوَاتُ مَطْوِيَّاتٌ بِيَمِينِهِ سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ}
A (Jewish) Rabbi came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and he said, "O Muhammad! We learn that Allah will put all the heavens on one finger, and the earths on one finger, and the trees on one finger, and the water and the dust on one finger, and all the other created beings on one finger. Then He will say, 'I am the King.' Thereupon the Prophet (ﷺ) smiled so that his pre-molar teeth became visible, and that was the confirmation of the Rabbi. Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) recited: 'No just estimate have they made of Allah such as due to Him.' (39.67). [Bukhari]
In Surah Ta-Ha [20:108]:
"On that Day mankind will follow strictly (the voice of) Allah's caller, no crookedness (that is without going to the right or left of that voice) will they show him (Allah's caller). And all voices will be humbled for the Most Beneficent (Allah), and nothing shall you hear but the low voice of their footsteps."
Out of His mercy with His creation is that He will judge the creation on the Day of Judgement and no one else.
Out of His mercy with His creation is that He will judge the creation on the Day of Judgement and no one else.
Al-Malik with other names in the Qur'an
-> الملك (Al-Malik) with الرحمن (Ar-Rahman)
Allah is a Merciful King. He is attributed with perfect mercy. There are many verses in the Qur'an where Allah connected His Mulk to His mercy. In Surah al-Furqan [25:26]:
"The sovereignty on that Day will be the true (sovereignty), belonging to the Most Beneficent (Allah), and it will be a hard Day for the disbelievers (those who disbelieve in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism)."
This grants us safety and peace in our heart - that Allah, our King, is attributed with mercy. He will not wrong us, oppress us, or deal us with injustice. This should remove any fear of injustice and oppression you have. That is why Allah said الحمد لله الرب العالمين - He is the One who will judge us and no one else.
In Surah Al-Hashr [59:22-23]:
"He is Allah, than Whom there is La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He) the All-Knower of the unseen and the seen (open). He is the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful."
"He is Allah than Whom there is La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He) the King, the Holy, the One Free from all defects, the Giver of security, the Watcher over His creatures, the All-Mighty, the Compeller, the Supreme. Glory be to Allah! (High is He) above all that they associate as partners with Him."
These are all descriptions of the King.
-> الملك (Al-Malik) with القدوس (Al-Quddus)
In the Qur'an and Sunnah, the name of Allah Al-Malik is joined with Al-Quddoos. For example, in Surah Al-Hashr. Also, in Surah Al-Jum'ah [62:1]:
"Whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth glorifies Allah, the King (of everything), the Holy, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise."
And when the Prophet ﷺ finished the Witr prayer, he would say:
سبحان الملك القدوس
Subhaan Al-Malik Al-Quddoos
Glory be to the Most Soverign, the Holy.
three times, raising his voice the third time. [An-Nasaa'i]
There is a connection between the name of Allah Al-Malik and Al-Quddus; it is joined together in both the Qur'an and Sunnah to emphasize that the attribute of the Malik is Quddus. Al-Quddus has two meanings:
a) The Pure
b) Free of Resemblance from His Creation
And some Scholars added a third meaning:
c) المبارك (The Blessed)
a) The Pure
Allah is free from every imperfection, defect, and shortcoming. He is perfect. He is free of everything that negates His perfect attributes. To Him belongs the pinnacle perfection.
E.g. Knowledge
Allah's knowledge is perfect and He is Al-Quddus. That means His knowledge is free from ignorance, forgetfulness, anything escaping it or hidden from Him.
E.g. Life
Allah's life is perfect and He is Al-Quddus. He is free of death, sickness, fatigue, sleep. His life is perfect and pure (مقدس).
b) Free of Resemblance to His creation
Allah does not resemble His creation or have a partner or a peer in any aspect, regardless of how great that creature is.
Humans can never be Quddus. This is why this name is one of the names which are particular to Allah; no one can be called Quddus. If humans become perfect humans in their generosity, knowledge, this attribute has been given them to Allah. On top of that, their perfect attribute is defective. No matter how much knowledge they have, they forget, their knowledge comes to end with their death, they do not know everything that is happening in the whole world, etc. They can never reach the perfection of Allah.
Thus, when we want to praise Allah, it is not enough to say: Allah does not sleep. Allah does not forget. When we want to glorify and praise Allah we should do two things: Negate the deficienct attribute and affirm perfection.
E.g. Allah is Ever-Living; never dies.
E.g. No sleep or slumber overtakes Allah; to Him belongs perfect power
E.g. Allah does oppress anyone; to Him belongs perfect justice
You know that Allah is Al-Malik, the Only one to whom the entire dominion belongs to, the Only one who judges in His dominion with His decreed, legal, and recompense rulings. Sometimes something we do not like happens. Allah is the One who ordained it. Who is Allah? He is Quddus. He is pure; His ordainment is pure from injustice or oppression.
-> الملك (Al-Malik) and السلام (As-Salaam)
In addition, Allah is السلام (As-Salaam). It is very close in meaning to Al-Quddus. It has three meanings:
a) The One who is free from all defects that decreases His perfect attributes.
With the name of Allah Al-Quddus we free Allah from all defects in general. With the name As- Salaam we free even Allah's perfect attributes from defects. As-Salaam is a very comprehensive name; it pertains to Allah's essence and all of His attributes and actions.
E.g. Allah's knowledge is سلام from forgetfulness, His actions are سلام from being void of wisdom, etc.
b) The Granter of Security and Peace
c) The One who will greet people in Paradise
In Surah Ya-Sin [36:58]:
"(It will be said to them): Salamun (peace be on you), a Word from the Lord (Allah), Most Merciful."
Allah's Essence is سلام (Salaam) from any defect or shortcoming that may come to our mind. His attributes are سلام from all defects. His actions are سلام from defects, evil, oppression. He is سلام from having a wife or an offspring. He is سلام from having a partner with Him. Allah is سلام in all aspects.
His life is Salaam from slumber, sleep, and death overtaking Him.
His Qayoomiyah (Self subsistence and subsisting the whole creation) is Salaam from fatigue or tiredness from overtaking Him.
His knowledge is perfect and سلام from forgetfulness, need for reminder, etc. We need someone to remind us. If we want to decide a matter in our lives, we don't have all the knowledge to help us decide, which is why many of the decisions we make go wrong. Allah wants to tell us that no one is Salaam except Him.
His will is Salaam - if He wills something, He just says Be and it is. Everything He wills is based on perfect wisdom and knowledge. If He wills something, no one can repel or reject it.
His words are Salaam. He has two kinds of words:
1) كلمات كونية
2) كلمات شرعية
His richness is Salaam from need of others.
His divinity is Salaam from having associates or partners; He is One God.
His forgiveness is Salaam from need to anyone or humility; He forgives and He is 'Aziz.
His punishment is Salaam from oppression, harshness, strictness. Sometimes when we punish our children because we want to satisfy ourselves. Our anger will not be calmed until we punish them and take it out. Allah's punishment is سلام from taking revenge. For example, when Allah punishes the disbelievers, He does not do it out of oppression. His punishment is full of justice and wisdom. He puts reward in the place of reward and punishment in the place of punishment.
He is سلام of what the ignorant think of Him - that He does actions without wisdom. So whenever Allah's punishment descends upon someone you cannot say they do not deserve it. Allah's punishment is سلام of oppression and being void of wisdom.
To Allah belongs all the praise in the heavens and earth. On the Day of Judgement, when the people of Hell enter Hell, they will praise Allah, because they know that they deserve the punishment Allah enjoined upon them. Allah is سلام in all aspects. Therefore, when Allah decrees any matter upon us, and we believe He is Qudoos and Salaam, we will be content with whatever Allah ordained upon us.
If you study every name that comes after Al-Malik in Surah Al-Hashr, you will know who Al-Malik is.
Jazaki khairan
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