KNOWLEDGE
THE NAME OF ALLAH ADH-DHAHIR is grouped together with the names of Allah Al-Awwal, The First, Al-Akhir, The Last and Al-Baatin, The Hidden. All four names are mentioned once in the Qur’an. The meanings of these four names revolve around Allah’s encompassment of His creation with two types of encompassment – time and place.
WHO IS ADH-DHAHIR?
- Allah is The Most Apparent and Visible though we cannot see Him. Nothing can be above Him. He is the One Who gives support, gives help, is Irresistible, and is The Most High. He is in the highest place, above the seven heavens; He rose over the Throne in a manner that suits His Majesty and He is the Most High in all His names and attributes.
- He encompasses all that is above and all that is below. There is nothing high and apparent except Allah is higher and there is nothing hidden except Allah is closer to it, and this is encompassment by place.
- He is The Most Apparent by showing His signs, commands and legislations.
- He should be the most apparent in our life. We should not make anything else besides Him to appear more in our life. We should not forget Him, especially when He is The Most Apparent.
- He will make things appear for a purpose, to show the truth and to grant victory and support. He will always make His religion and the truth the most apparent, even if people try to put it out. He will make apparent who are the truthful ones and who are the liars.
- The heart of the one who does not believe Allah is, above all things, lost and scattered and does not have a direction to turn to.
IMPACTS
- Do not ignore or deal with Allah as if He is not there.
- When uncertain, confused or in doubt, ask Allah Adh-Dhahir to make the truth apparent to you.
- Sometimes a past sin is made apparent to us so that we may repent from it.
- When there is something that has not been made apparent to us, then we should not try to “lift the cover” because we will not be able to handle what we see.
IN THE QUR’AN
هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
“He is the First and the Last, the Most High (nothing is above Him) and the Most Near (nothing is nearer than Him). And He is the All-Knower of everything.”
[Surah Al Hadid [57:3]]
IN THE SUNNAH
Abu Zumayl said: “I asked Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them), saying: ‘What is that I find in my breast?’ He asked: ‘What is it?’ I replied: ‘I swear by Allah, I cannot speak about it.’ He asked me: ‘Is it something doubtful?’ and he laughed. He then said: ‘No one could escape that, until Allah, the Exalted, revealed: ‘If you are in doubt as to what We have revealed unto you, and ask those who have been reading the Book from before you.’” He said: “If you find something in your heart, say: ‘He is the First and the Last, the Evident and the Immanent (inherent), and He has full knowledge of all things.
[Sunan Abi Dawud 5110]