The Beatutiful Names of God

Asalamu alaikum dear br. Harun,

I do not think we knew each other, now that God put us in touch through a brother, called Enes, we can pray for each other from now on. Apparently, you have read some of Said Nursi’s writings and his compilation of some of the supplications widespread among the Muslim community, which is called “Jawshan”.

I am very happy with my Creator that He introduced you to me. I really appreciate your meticulousness about the sources of the matters related to the Truth.

Thank you very much for bringing the problems which bothered you, into the light, rather than keeping them for yourself.

A disclaimer: I am not a scholar or any thing like that, i am an ordinary person, a creature, trying to understand the reality of my existence and take a right stand amid the rest of the creation, pay my due gratitude towards my Lord, be conscious of my Owner, turn in worship to the One who deserves it.

In my discourse, i usually avoid to give reference to any names knowing that every body can be disputed in one way or the other. I exchange my views with the inquirers at equal levels, we are all human beings, and we are all fallible. They are my conclusions from my readings or reflections, and any body may challenge them.

The Beautiful Names of God

“Haqaiq al-ashya’u thabitatun wa hiya al-asmau al-husna”. The truths of the things are constant and they are the Beautiful Names (Attributes) of the Creator.

I belive that the above statement is true and important for any body who tries to understand the meaning and the purpose of her/his existence.

The universe and the Qur’an must be read together. The universe is the Speech of the Creator by action; the Qur’an is the Speech of the same Creator by Word. They witness the truthfulness of each other.

As a conscious creature, i experience that my Creator has equipped me with the tools to know Him. This verse refers, alongside other meanings, to this reality: “Wa allama adama al-asmaa kullaha” (2: 31). This “asma” is the same “asma” in the above statement i quoted.

Any human being, if they prefer so, can see the properties (signs = “ayat”) of the creation and conclude that they are the sings, “ayat” of the Creator. Otherwise, i cannot see how i could be certain in the existence of the Creator. The Qur’an draws its readers’ attention to the creation and expects them to ponder over the sings of the Creator manifested in the creation, and then to attribute every sing in its absolute, infinite form which is beyond the reach of any human perception, to its real Owner, Who is God. This attribution is the source of my belief in God as the Sustainer of the Words.

Apart from the practical reasons (as mentioned in the narrated hadith), as we cannot reduce the properties of the creation to a certain number, so, we cannot restrict the Attributes, Names of the Creator to a limited number. The Creator is Absolute, and the manifestations of His Qualities must of necessity be limitless.

Whether we can find a name or not for these qualities, every single quality we see on the created things must be attributed to its real Owner, the Creator. Otherwise, if these qualities are not regarded as a result of the act of the Creator, then, who else can we refer them to?

This is how i understand what we should mean by the Names of God, and this is how i see the Names of God tought in the Jawshan.

With reading the Jawshan we can understand how we should supplicate to God with His Names on every occasion: “Wa lillahi al-asmau al-husna fa ud’uhu biha” (7:180).

After listing some Names of God in the verses of the Sura al-Hashr (59: 22-24) the verse ends as: “…Lahu al-asmau al-husna yusabbihu lahu ma fi al-semawati wa al-ard…” I understand from this that i have to read the “ayat” of the universe and attribute all the qualities i gather from them, with their ABSOLUTE FORM to the Creator as befits His Glory.

I believe that this verse, alongside many others (around 20), is a good guide “for those who think” “Li qawmin yatafakkarun”: “…Wa in min shay’in illa yusabbihu bihamdih…” (17:44).

“Narrative” as such is never the purpose of the Qur’an

The Qur’an is the Speech of the Omniscient Creator. It is beyond any time and space restrictions. I am expected to read the Qur’an for myself as my Creator is speaking to me right now in order to guide me to the right understanding of my existence.

The Qur’an reverts again and again to the same stories, but every time with a slight variation of stress on this or that aspect of the fundamental truths underlying the Qur’anic revelation as a whole.

The Speech of the Creator is not to be read at all as a story or a history book.
Stories of the prophets are not for the sake of the story but to be applied in the lives of its readers. Whatever the nature of the affliction ma be, not important. The example is for me, to help me interpret my life, my problems, and my happiness in accordance with the example demonstrated in the story of a particular prophet. The point is for me to see the similar kind of event in my life and learn how to react the situation as it is told in the Qur’an.

Can one not see the beauty in Nursi’s interpretation of the verses narrating the stories of the Prophets Yunus and Ayyub (a.s.), in order to enable us to implement the fundamental truths of the Qur’anic revelation into my life?

Here, i remain with my full respect to any answer to this question.

May Allah guide us to understand His message through His Word in the revelations to His Messengers, through His acts in the creation, with the “trust” “amanah” He endowed us. Amin!

All the truth is from God; all the mistakes remain on me.

Please pray for me to internalize the Message of God as long as i am given life in this “nasha’ah ula”.

All praise is due to the Lord of the Worlds.

Your brother, ali