Friday 15 April 2011

AL Batin (The Hidden One)

  God created pain and sorrow
that happiness might show itself by contrast.
For hidden things are made manifest
by means of their opposites:
since God has no opposite, He is hidden.
Mathnawi 1:1130-1, tr. Helminski

Al-Walí (The Protecting Friend)


The Protecting Friend, He who directs, manages, conducts, governs, measures, plans every action which happens at any moment in the entire universe. 


God is the Protector of all who are conscious of Him.
Al-Jathiyah 45:19, tr. Asad

Al Muta'ali ( The Supreme One)


The Supreme One, He who is higher than any action, manner or condition, and any thought that any being may have. 


He knows all that is beyond the reach of a created being's perception
as well as all that can be witnessed by a creature's senses or mind --
the Great One, the One far above anything that is or could ever be!
Ar-Ra'd 13:9, tr. Asad

Al Barr (Source of All Goodness)


The source of All Goodness, He who is tolerant to His servants, to all creatures, and is good to them. 


And He it is who has set up for you the stars so that you might be guided by them
in the midst of the deep darkness of land and sea:
clearly, indeed, have We spelled out these messages unto people of innate knowledge!
Al-An'am 6:97, tr. Asad

Al Mantaqim (The Avenger)

The Avenger, he who punishes wrongdoers. 


Canst thou, perchance, O Muhammad, make the deaf hear,
or show the right way to the blind
or to such as are obviously lost in error?
But whether We do or do not take thee away ere thy message prevails --
verily, We shall inflict Our retribution on them;
and whether We show thee or do not show thee in this world
the fulfilment of what We have promised them
verily, We have full power over them!
Zukhruf 43:40-42, tr. Asad