by Asma bint Shameem
🍃 Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala says:
“And to Allaah belongs the most beautiful names, so call on Him by them.” [Surah al-Aa’raaf:180]
All of Allaah’s Names are Most Excellent and His Attributes are Perfect and Sublime.
And we should make duaa using these Beautiful Names and call upon our Rabb with using them.
But of these Beautiful Names is That One Special Name that is the Greatest Name of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala (al-Ism al-Aadham).
And if one calls upon Allaah with that Name, his duaas would be accepted, and if one asks with it, he would be answered.
🍃1. Anas radhi Allaahu anhu said that he was sitting with the Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam and a man was praying then he said in supplication:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِأَنَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ الْمَنَّانُ بَدِيعُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ يَا ذَا الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ "
“O Allaah, I ask You by virtue of the fact that all praise is due to You; there is no god but You alone, and You have no partner or associate, the Bestower, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, the Possessor of majesty and honour, O Ever-Living, O Sustainer.”
The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:
“He has asked Allaah by His Greatest Name which, if He is called upon thereby He answers and if He is asked thereby He gives.”
(at-Tirmidhi (3544), Abu Dawood (1495), an-Nasaa’i (1300) and Ibn Maajah (3858). saheeh by al-Albaani)
🍃2. Buraydah ibn al-Husayb radhi Allaahu anhu said that the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam heard a man saying:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ أَنِّي أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ أَنْتَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ الْأَحَدُ الصَّمَدُ الَّذِي لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
“O Allaah, I ask You by virtue of the fact that I bear witness that You are Allaah, there is no god but You, the One, the Eternal Refuge, Who neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.”
The Messenger of Allaah Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam said:
“He has indeed asked Allaah by His Greatest Name, which if He is asked thereby, He gives and if He is called upon thereby, He answers.”
(at-Tirmidhi (3475), Abu Dawood (1493), Ibn Maajah (3857); saheeh by al-Albaani)
🍃3️. The Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said:
“The Greatest Name of Allaah is in three surahs of the Qur’aan: al-Baqarah, Aal ‘Imraan and Ta-Ha.”
(Ibn Maajah (3856); hasan by al-Albaani)
🔺What Name is Allaah’s Greatest Name?
Some scholars are of the opinion that there’s no specific Name of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala that’s better than the others; rather ALL of Allaah’s Names are Great.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said:
“It was said that what is meant by the greatest name is any of the names of Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala by which a person calls upon Him with complete submission and focus of mind, in the sense that at that moment he has nothing in his mind except Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala.
Whoever is like that will receive a response.”
But other scholars said that there is a special Name which is the Greatest Name (al-ism al-Aadham) but no one knows what that Name of Allaah is.
That knowledge is kept hidden from us.
The scholars have different opinions about WHICH Name (or Names) is al-Ism al-Aadham.
Some said it is “Allaah”.
Some said it’s al-Hayy al-Qayyoom.
Some included other Names.
🍃 Shaykh al-Albaani said:
“It should be understood that the scholars differed as to which is the greatest name of Allaah, and there are fourteen views, which were listed by al-Haafiz in al-Fath, followed by the evidence for each view.”
🔺 WHY was this name kept hidden from us?
As Muslims we believe that our Rabb, Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala, is Most-Wise and
Most-Knowledgable.
He does not do anything except that it’s based on His Ultimate Knowledge and Complete Wisdom.
The reason WHY the Greatest Name of Allaah is kept hidden from us is the SAME REASON why the “exact night” of Laylatul Qadr is hidden from us and why the “hour of acceptance” of duaa on Fridays is hidden from us.
And the reason is that Allaah wants us to STRIVE in His worship.
He wants us to PUSH ourselves and WORK HARD so that we can earn more REWARDS this way by doing more worship and good deeds.
If the timing of Laylatul qadr was known to us, we would only worship Allaah THAT night and not any of the other nights.
And we would be “satisfied” with that.
And if the exact “hour of acceptance of duaa” on Fridays was known to us, we would make duaa ONLY in that hour and not make duaa and ibaadah the rest of the day.
Similarly Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala has kept the knowledge of al-Ism al-Aadham hidden from us so that we can STRIVE in our worship and call upon Him using ALL His Beautiful Names and Perfect Attributes.
Amazing how our Rabb, the Most Merciful, the Most Generous, gives us opportunities to earn rewards and have our sins forgiven.
And Allaah knows best.
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