Is Ali one of Allah Subhanahs name?
Mu' meneen Brothers
and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa
Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be
upon all of you)
One of our
brothers/sisters has asked this question:
Dear Brother
Burhan,
As Salaam alei kum
Is Moulana Ali's
name one of the attributes of Allah? Is it appropriate to keep such a
name.
Jazak Allah Kheir
(There may be some
grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not
change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our
readers for circulation in confidentiality.)
Answer:
Is Ali one of Allah
Subhanahs name?
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask
for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever
He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that
there is no one (no idol, no
person, no grave, no prophet, no imam,
no dai, nobody!) worthy of
worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His
slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
Most
of the Blessed Names of Allah or asma-ul-husna are the exclusive Attributes
of Allah Subhanah, and it would be a
form of shirk to call someone by those names.
For example, Ar-Rahmaan ( The
Beneficent), Ar-Razzaak (The
Provider), Al-Khaliq ( The
Creator), Al-Mutakabbir ( The Majestic
Greatest), etc. These Attributes are
the exclusive right of Allah Subhanah.
Then among His Names are some
attributes which Allah Subhanah has himself used for human beings. For example Allah Subhanah has called Prophet Mohameds (saws) attribute towards the believers as
rauf(kind) and raheem (merciful) in
the Glorious Quran, and Prophet Yusuf
(a.s.) has called himself hafiz (one who preserves) and aleem
(knowing).
Allah Says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 128: Now hath come unto you a Messenger (Prophet
Mohamed (saws)) from amongst yourselves:
it grieves him that ye should perish:
ardently anxious is he over you:
to the believers is he rauf
(most kind) and raheem (merciful).
Allah Says in the Holy
Quran Chapter 12 Surah Yusuf verse 55: (Yusuf (a.s.)) said: "Set me over the storehouses of the
land: I am a hafiz (preserver)
and a aleem (one that knows their importance)."
Although
these names of Ar-Rauf, Ar-Raheem, Al-Hafiz,
Al-Aleem are the Attributes of Allah Subhanah, they can also be used for human beings. But when these attributes are used for human beings, their meaning will be measured and obviously
not used in the same vastness and enormity in meaning as when the same names
are used to describe the Noble Attributes of Allah Subhanah.
Similarly
Al-Ali (The Most High) is one of the Attributes of Allah Subhanah when used in
its fullest and vastest meaning of the term;
but the term Ali when used as a name or attribute for a human
being, its meaning is measured and
narrowed as compared to the vastness of meaning when used as an Attribute of
Allah Subhanah.
There
is absolutely no harm if one keeps his name or the name of his loved ones
Ali, or Rauf, or Raheem, or Hafiz, or
Aleem, etc.
But
if one calls or believes that a human being can be compared to Allah Subhanahs
Attributes in the fullest meaning of the name,
then it would become a form of the heinous crime of shirk.
Whatever written of
Truth and benefit is only due to Allahs Assistance and Guidance, and whatever
of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows
Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.
Your Brother in
Islam,
Burhan