KNOWLEDGE

THE NAME OF ALLAH AR-RAFEEQ is confirmed in the Prophetic Sunnah.

WHO IS AR-RAFEEQ?

• This hadith is a clear confirmation of the name of Allah, Ar-Rafeeq and His attribute of Ar-Rifq (Gentleness).
• Rifq means gentleness, ease and deliberation in all matters, and its opposite is harshness and severity. Allah is Rafeeq in His decrees and actions. He is Rafeeq in His commands, rulings, religion and legislation.
• From the Rifq in His actions is that He created the creation in stages according to His wisdom and gentleness, although He is able to create everything at once in a single moment. This is an indication of Allah’s forbearance, wisdom, knowledge and subtleness.
• From Allah’s Rifq to His slaves is His gentleness with them in His rulings, commands and prohibitions. He does not burden His slaves beyond their capacity.
• From Allah’s Rifq is that He gives respite to the one who has sinned and does not hasten the punishment upon him in order that he returns to his Lord, repents from his sin, and returns to the rightly guided way.
• Our Lord is Rafeeq and He loves gentleness. Our religion is all gentleness and ease, our Prophet (ﷺ) is the leader and role model for the people of gentleness, and we should adorn ourselves with gentleness in our affairs.
• Gentleness in any matter beautifies it and whoever is deprived of gentleness is deprived of much good.
• Allah Ar-Rafeeq is The Companion Who accompanies us in every station of life by His knowledge, hearing and seeing. This is general gentle companionship to all.
• As for the believers, they will have Allah’s special gentle companionship which is complete love, protection, victory and support in all parts of their life.

IMPACTS

• Ask Allah Ar-Rafeeq to bring gentleness in your life and to anything you are facing.
• To avoid harshness in talking and dealing with others – to be gentle with our parents, spouses, children, employees, housekeepers, animals and to ourselves.
• To be gentle in all affairs, away from hastiness, recklessness and acting on impulse.

IN THE SUNNAH

'Abdullah ibn Mughaffal reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: “Allah is Gentle, likes gentleness, and gives for gentleness what he does not give for harshness.”

[Sunan Abu Dawud 4807, Authenticated by Al Albani as Sahih]