- Names of Allah
- /
- Names of Allah- 1996
Allâh’s Beautiful Name: Al-Hakeem:
In His Divine Book, the Holy Quran, Allah, the All Wise, says
“And whosoever is granted wisdom is indeed granted abundant good.”
This Quranic Verse takes us to the twenty-fourth of Allah’s Beautiful Divine Names, “Al-Hakeem” (The All Wise).
Dear reader! Allah’s Beautiful Divine Names are quite numerous, ninety-nine, as mentioned in authentic religious relics. And Allah’s Divine Names are all Beautiful, because Allah, Glory to Him, is Existent, One and Perfect. In fact, All of Allah’s Divine Attributes can be summed up in three main notions, namely that He, Glory to Him, exists, that He is One: in His own Self, Attributes and Acts, and that He is Perfect. However, some of Allah’s Divine Names are nearer than sh3er to human beings; and the nearest of all of Allah’s Divine Names to human beings is “The Lord”, simply because He, All Mighty, is their Lord. To this effect, the Lord, Allah, All Mighty, says
“So wait patiently for your Lord’s Decision, for verily you are under Our Eyes; and glorify the Praises of your Lord when you get up from sleep.”
This Quranic Verse shows clearly that decision of all issues and matters belongs only to Allah, the Lord, Who knows everything, Who is Most Gracious, and Who is All Wise.
Also, Allah’s Divine Name “Al-Hakeem” (the All-Wise) is nearest to human beings.
Why did I put forward the foregoing introduction? The answer is: because sometimes, man sees or meets things that he does not like, i.e. unpleasant things, as Allah, All Mighty, sometimes afflicts man with things that seem to be unpleasant to him, i.e. things that he does not like. However, it is most unwise and ignorant of man to get angry or discontented with his Lord; it is wise for man, under all circumstances, to be contented with his Lord, and with His Foreordainment and Divine Decree.
It is necessary for man to know that nothing has happened, happens, or will happen, since the beginning of the creation of the universe until its end, except by Allah’s Divine Will and Power. In other words, if anything in existence happened against Allah’s Will, He would cease to be the Omnipotent, the Irresistible, the All-Powerful, and the Self-Sufficient. If anything in the whole universe happened against Allah’s Divine Will, all His Beautiful Divine Names and Attributes would be rendered void and meaningless. Therefore, nothing in the whole existence, which is Allah’s Dominion, happens except by His Divine Will.
Now, I would like my dear readers to excuse me for repeating the foregoing fact over and over again. This is because Allah, the All-Wise, very often repeats Quranic facts; and we repeat Surat Al-Fatihah (the first Chapter of the Holy Quran) in each and every prayer, tens of times every day, till the end of our lives:
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All the Praises and Thanks belong to Allah, Lord of all worlds.”
I reiterate: all things in the world happen only by Allah’s Divine Will, i.e. if Allah wills that something should happen, it happens. Moreover, there is no other Dominator of the whole universe except Allah. This is Islamic monotheism: in the whole existence, there is only one Hand that controls everything, namely the Hand of Allah, the Irresistible, the Omnipotent, the All-Wise, the All-Powerful, Who is Free to honor or dishonor, give or withhold, provide or deprive, exalt or disparage.
Also, I would like to emphasize the following facts: Everything happens by Allah’s Divine Will; everything that Allah wills happens; and Allah’s Divine Will is associated with His Absolute Divine Wisdom. To make this point clear, let us have the following example: Sometimes, someone says something that he does not really believe in. He does this because of a certain pressure or allurement. His words might be unwise simply because of pressure or allurement. This is the case with weak people: they fall under either pressure or allurement, i.e. they are sometimes forced and sometimes allured; and in both cases, they lose wisdom. In other words, a person might behave irrationally if he is subjected to pressure or allurement. Also, he might behave unwisely because of ignorance. In other words, irrationality, foolishness, and clumsiness may also come from ignorance. In short, there is no wisdom with pressure, ardent desire, or ignorance.
Now, ignorance, compulsion, and allurement are impossibly attributed to Allah, for there is no other god to compel Allah; and Allah is far Exalted above, and Free from, any such imperfection as ignorance or allurement.
Once again: all of Allah’s Divine Acts are associated with His Absolute Divine Wisdom, which is, in turn, associated with the Absolute Good. This is the golden motto of human happiness.
Everything has its own reality; and no human can ever attain the reality of true faith until he believes that what afflicts him is impossible to miss him, and what misses him is impossible to afflict him. Mistakes and errors are only human qualities; they are by no means possible for the Creator, Allah, the All-Wise. The seemingly wrong, unjust or unfair things are not really as such; they are under Allah’s Absolute Divine Wisdom. To make this point clear, let us have the following example:
A young woman, who had got the high school grade, applied for a teacher’s job, and was, therefore, required to carry out some medical tests, which, unluckily for her, showed that she had Tuberculosis. She suffered a lot and had to go into medical quarantine and complete isolation. This made her turn to the Lord, Allah, Most Gracious, with sincere devotion and faithful repentance. She began to offer prayers and practice Hijab (Islamic Veil). Sometime later, her brother consulted the hospital and was greatly surprised when they apologized to him that the results of the medical analysis, which showed that his sister suffered from Tuberculosis, belonged to someone else. They told him that his sister was perfectly healthy and had no Tuberculosis and that she was given the results of someone else’s analysis. In other words, Allah, Most Gracious, caused the people working in that hospital to commit such seemingly horrible, but unintended, mistake so that the young woman may return to Him.
Another Muslim sister, who attends lectures in this mosque, An Nabulsi mosque, was sent to one of the Arab oil countries in order to teach math there. However, the school headmistress asked her to teach Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and Quranic interpretation instead of math. When she apologized for not being able to teach such subjects, as they were not her specialization, the headmistress threatened to cancel her application and send her back to Syria. In other words, she had no other choice but teach Fiqh and Quranic interpretation. She had to read religious books in order to prepare for the lessons she had to give. By the way, that teacher did not believe in Hijab (Islamic Veil). However, while she was reading the Quranic Verses that had to do with Hijab (Islamic Veil), she suddenly burst into tears because she was greatly touched by them. In other words, that teacher’s repentance came when she was forced to read such Quranic Verses and teach them to her students. Allah, Most Gracious, made the headmistress’ insistence a means to the teacher’s sincere repentance.
The foregoing examples show clearly that all things happen by Allah’s Divine Will, that whatever Allah wills will inevitably come to pass, that Allah’s Divine Will is associated with His Absolute Divine Wisdom, and that His Divine Wisdom is associated with Absolute Good. No leaf of a tree could ever fall down except by Allah’s Absolute Divine Will and Wisdom. Too many seemingly evil things turn out good in the end; and in Allah’s Kingdom, there is no injustice, in the real sense of the word. Even unjust tyrannical rulers or leaders are, as it is said, Allah’s Sword in the earth: He retaliates by them and then He retaliates from them. Therefore, whenever we hear of an incident that seems to have any kind of injustice on Allah’s part, we should not give hasty judgments or think that Allah is unjust or unfair, since we do not know the whole story. If we knew the whole story, we would firmly believe that Allah is All Just and All-Wise.
Hence, the nearest of Allah’s Divine Names to you are “The Lord” and “The All-Wise”. You may ask: Then why do some people suffer from diseases? The answer is: You should say: This belongs to Allah’s Absolute Divine Wisdom. This is because if you had enough time and power to trace all the facts as they really are, you would inevitably find out that things are best as they are.
In this context, people may ask: Why is such a person barren? Why did such person die so early of age? Why did such one live long? Why is such one rich? Why is such one poor? The answer is always: This belongs to Allah’s Absolute Divine Wisdom. I reiterate: You should attribute all things that you see or hear to Allah’s Absolute Divine Wisdom. It is the same whether such things are seemingly pleasant or unpleasant. That is because it is impossible that Allah, Glory to Him, acts unwisely, for He is The Omniscient, the One, the Existent, the Perfect and, hence, the All-Wise. Allah is Infinitely Pre-Existent; and if you ask, “Where is Allah?” your question means that He does not exist. Nay! Allah, All Mighty is Pre-Existent. To this effect, He, Glory to Him, says
“Think not that Allah is unaware of that which the wrong-doers do. Nay! He only gives them respite up to a Day when the eyes will stare in horror.”
Once again, Allah is Pre-Existent; and He is One and Only. No existence is like His Infinite Divine Existence. He is Absolute and Perfect, and hence, He is All Wise.
The foregoing facts are only an introduction to our main topic, namely Allah’s Divine Name “Al-Hakeem” (The All Wise).
Now, the word “Hakeem” (The All Wise) is mentioned thirty-three times in Allah’s Divine Book, the holy Quran. Some examples are:
“And if all the trees on the earth were pens and the sea (were ink wherewith to write), with seven seas behind it to add to its (supply), yet Allah’s Words would not be exhausted. Verily, Allah All Mighty, All Wise.”
“Allah is Ever All-Sufficient, All Wise.”
“…and abundant spoils that they will capture. And Allah is Ever All Mighty, All Wise.”
“And Allah is Ever All Mighty, All Wise.”
“And Allah is All-Knowing, All Wise.”
“Verily, your Lord is All-Knowing, All Wise.”
“Alif Lam Ra: A Book, the Verses thereof are perfected and then elaborated from the Him (Allah), Who is All Wise, Well-Acquainted (with all things).”
“And had it not been for the Grace of Allah and His Mercy on you, and (had it not been that) Allah is All-Pardoning, Most Merciful.”
“Falsehood cannot come to it (the Quran) from before it or behind it; (it is) sent down by the All Wise One, the One Worthy of all Praise (Allah).”
There is something delicate I would like to call the readers’ attention to: When Allah’s Names come in couples, such as
“Verily, Allah is All Mighty, All Wise”
we should be very careful not to understand that Allah is All-Wise simply because He is All-Knowing. In Islamic theology, it is wrong to consider any of Allah’s Divine Names dependent on another. For example, it is wrong to say that Allah is All-Wise because He is All-Knowing, or that He is All-Mighty because He is Most Merciful, …etc. In other words, Allah’s Names are by no means interdependent. Allah is All-Wise just because He is All-Wise; and He is Praiseworthy just because He is as such.
Also, Allah’s Book, the Holy Quran is described as being “Hakeem” (i.e. a Book full of wisdom”. To this effect, Allah, the All-Wise, says
“Alif Lam Ra’: Such are the Verses of the Book, “Al-Hakeem” (i.e. full of wisdom).”
“Ya Seen. By the Quran, “Al-Hakeem” (i.e. full of wisdom)!”
“Verily, Allah conferred a great Favor upon believers when He sent to them a Messenger from among themselves, reciting unto them His Verses (the Quran), purifying them, and instructing them (in) the Book (the Quran) and wisdom (Prophetic Sunna), while before that they had been in manifest error.”
“Our Lord! Send among them a Messenger from among them who shall reauthor unto them Your Verses and instruct them in the Book (the Quran) and wisdom (Prophetic Sunna) and purify them. Verily, You are the All Mighty, the All Wise.”
In this context, scholars of Quranic interpretation hold that whenever the word “Hikmah” (i.e. wisdom) comes together with the Holy Quran, it means Prophetic Sunna and Tradition, because the Prophet’s Hadith and Tradition are the best interpreters of the Holy Quran.
Also, “Al-Hikmah” (wisdom) should be used in the Call for Allah and His Religion. To this effect, Allah All Mighty, says
“Invite to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and fair preaching and argue with them in a way that is better. Verily, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are rightly guided.”
“Al-Hikmah” (wisdom) can also be granted to people. I would like to say here that if Allah, All Mighty, gave you the best woman in the world, but He did not give you wisdom, you would make the worst woman of her. If Allah gave you the wealth of Korah, but He did not give you wisdom, you would soon waste it and make of it a source of sorrow and regret for you on the Day of Judgment. If He gave you good health, but He did not give you wisdom, you would use your health in trivialities and foolish things. And if He gave you good children, but He did not give you wisdom, your own children would be the cause of your entering Hell-Fire. In other words, if you lack wisdom, everything leads you to endless sorrows and losses on the Day of Resurrection. That is why Allah, Most Gracious, says
“He (Allah) grants wisdom to whomsoever He pleases; and he who is granted wisdom is indeed granted abundant good. But none remember except those possessed of understanding.”
With wisdom, you can be the happiest person in the world although your income might be little; and with foolishness, you incur misery with your big income. With wisdom, you are happy with your wife, ordinary and simple as she might be; and with foolishness you are miserable even with the best and most beautiful woman in the world. With wisdom, you help make your children happy and successful; and with foolishness, you make them unhappy and unsuccessful. Yes, indeed! Wisdom is the source of every success and happiness, just as foolishness is the fountain of misery and wretchedness.
I reiterate: Allah, All Mighty, may give you the wealth of Korah although He does not like you. To this effect, Allah Most Gracious, says
“Verily, Korah was of Moses’ people, but he behaved arrogantly towards them. And We gave him of the treasures whose keys would have been a burden to a body of strong men. Remember when his people said to him: ‘Do not exult. Verily, Allah likes not those who exult.”
Allah, All Mighty, gave Korah great wealth although He did not like him.
Also, Allah might give you power although He does not like you. To this effect, He, Glory to Him, says
“Verily, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and made its people sects, oppressing a group from among them, killing their sons and sparing the lives of their females. Verily, he was of those who do mischief.”
Therefore, Allah may give you wealth and power although He does not like you. But if He loves you, He gives you both knowledge and wisdom. He, Praise belongs to Him, says
“And when he (Moses) attained his full strength and was perfect in manhood, We bestowed on him wisdom and religious knowledge; and thus do We reward the good-doers.”
As a true believer, you should consider what Allah has conferred upon you: If He has conferred upon you wisdom and knowledge, you are beloved to Him, just as holy Prophets and righteous people are. If, after that, He endues you with wealth and good health, or increases you in power, you should praise Him and be thankful to Him. The first and foremost thing is that Allah provides you with wisdom and knowledge.
In this context, the venerable imam and scholar, Al-Ghazali, says, “He who knows all things but fails to know Allah is not called ‘a wise person’.”
Once, I met a person who had two Ph.D. degrees, in both education and physics. I thought he was a great man. Then, I knew that he did not offer prayers to Allah although he was fifty years old. By Allah! He dropped in my estimation! All this knowledge yet, he does not offer prayers to Allah! Doesn’t such Great Creator deserve our worship and gratitude?!
Once again, I repeat Al-Ghazali’s words: “He who knows all things but fails to know Allah is not called ‘a wise person’.”
I would like to express that as follows: There are two kinds of intelligence: partial and total. Partial intelligence is manifested when one is, for example, a doctor who is well versed in science and has a great experience and understanding. Nevertheless, he disobeys his Lord, Allah, All Mighty, because he does not think of what will be after death, because he does not think of the One Who created him, because he does not heed the Creator’s Religion, because he does not aspire to attain His Lord’s Good Pleasure, and because he does not see the Majestic Greatness of such Lord. Therefore, he is unintelligent, even if he were the most intelligent of all mankind.
Hence, there is partial intelligence that has to do with the different disciplines of human knowledge, such as medicine, physics, math, …etc, and there is total intelligence that has to do with totalities and fundamentals of human life in the present world and the world to come. In other words, if you are heedless of your Lord, Allah, All Mighty, Most Gracious, if you deviate from His Religion, and if you get indulged in sins and misdeeds, you are stupid even if you were the best and most experienced in your scientific or professional specialization, and even if you had the highest scientific degrees.
Also, people usually congratulate one another on having bought a house, occupied a prominent social position, having got a high scientific degree, having got a baby, having got married, having bought a new expensive car, having been dispatched for a mission abroad, …etc. But I reiterate that congratulations are deservedly offered only to those who have known the Lord, Allah, Most Gracious, and are in good terms with Him.
Some religious scholars used to congratulate their disciples most sincerely if they saw sincere repentance and devotion of them.
In His Divine Book, the Holy Quran, Allah, All High, says
“…(Allah) Who created you, fashioned you perfectly, and gave you due proportion.”
How come that you forget your Lord, Allah, All Mighty, Who created you, fashioned you, and gave you due proportion?! Some knowledgeable religious scholars used to invoke, “O Lord! What does he who finds you miss? And what does he who misses you find?” They also used to invoke, “If Allah is with you, who can ever be against you? But if He is against you, who can ever be with you?” Such invocations undoubtedly bespeak great wisdom!
Now, a learner’s honor is determined by the kind of knowledge he acquires. If knowledge is honorable, the learner is. Imagine someone who studies a book about how to rob banks, for example! Even when you see him study such a book hard, would you have any respect for him? Of course not! If someone reads and studies carefully a book that teaches people how to forge money, does he deserve any honor or respect?! Of course not! Such things are not only evil but also criminal!
Therefore, honor of the learner is derived from the kind of knowledge he acquires. The more sublime and noble knowledge is, the more honorable and respected the learner is. Some people study such branches of knowledge as physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology, history, psychology, sociology, atomics, …etc, all of which can help man attain sublimity and nobleness.
A person can attain more respect so long as the knowledge that he acquires is rare and needed. But what will the case be with those who get to know Allah, All Mighty? This is a very good question. The answer is: Those who acquire knowledge about some of Allah’s creatures attain a noble and respectable status in the sight of people. For example, those who acquire knowledge about poetry: imagery, metaphors, simile, style, ideas, …etc, are highly respected by a great many people. So how would the case be with those who acquire adequate knowledge about Allah, Lord, of all worlds, and study His Divine Words and analyze them? They are indeed the wisest, while those who do not acquire adequate knowledge about Allah, Glory to Him, are by no means wise.
I always reiterate that knowledge is of several kinds: knowledge that is interesting, knowledge that is both interesting and useful, and knowledge that is interesting, useful, and conducive to happiness. A rare specialization is knowledge that is both interesting and useful. Any kind of knowledge is interesting, i.e. any book that you read is usually interesting, because knowledge is interesting; and spread of knowledge is a holy job. Furthermore, the more sublime and noble your knowledge is, the more respected and honored you are.
Some religious scholars say, “He who knows Allah’s Words, uses words that differ from those of other humans.” Does a person who knows Allah stay up until 1 a.m. talking about kinds of food, for example? Does he spend five hours of his life playing trick track or chess, or slandering people? That is impossible except for the silly and foolish-minded! Those who get to know Allah, Praised and Exalted, and His Divine Book, the Holy Quran, speak out wisdom and their words are sublime and noble. It is rightly said, “Every pot gushes out the liquid it has.”
I have always given the following example: some vessels are filled from the top and have a tap at the bottom. The liquid that comes out of the tap must be the same liquid that exists in the vessel. If you fill the vessel with water, you get water from the tap. If you fill it with milk, you get milk from the tap. If you fill it with lemon, you get lemon from the tap. If you fill it with brackish water, you get brackish water from the tap. In other words, each human being has his own fountain from which he gets his knowledge; and man usually speaks out what is inside his mind, which he fills just like a vessel.
A person whose knowledge is derived from indecent magazines, love stories, and low TV series and programs is inclined to speak about trivial silly things. This is what he knows about life. This is what he has filled his mind with.
A person whose mind is filled with knowledge about Allah, Most Gracious, His Messenger, (PBUH), and his venerable Companions, speaks about noble sublime things. He speaks out wisdom and admonition. He speaks about facts and basics of human life. He speaks about noble human behavior and character. This is what he knows about life. This is what he has filled his mind with.
The most important thing in this regard is where to get knowledge from. From where should you drink? What should enter your ears and then your heart? What should enter you eyes and then your heart? This is because your ears and eyes are your gates to the world. What you read bespeaks your own personality. What you hear influences your own character. Tell me whom you sit with and whom you accompany, I tell you who you are. Tell me whom you befriend, I tell you who you are. This is because, as it is rightly said, birds of a feather flog together. Tell me who is your preacher, I tell you who you are.
Undoubtedly, there are lots of sources of knowledge, some of which are pure and clean, while sh3er are dirty and brackish. A person’s thoughts and words reflect clearly the source from which he received his knowledge and experience. If a person’s speech is indecent, his interests are crude and sexual, his words are biting, and his criticism is hurting, this means that the source of his knowledge is evil and the fountain from which he drinks is stinky. It smells of adultery, treason, treachery, disloyalty, selfishness, arrogance, tyranny, aggression and brutality. That is why it is forbidden in Islam to speak about deviant profligate people, because the speech about them is evil and breeds nothing but discomfort and misery. However, the speech about the righteous and pious people breeds comfort and happiness.
Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), says
“The zenith of wisdom is to fear Allah.”
This Hadith shows clearly that if you do not fear Allah, you possess no knowledge or wisdom. In other words, a wise person is someone who condemns himself and works for the Afterlife, and a desperate helpless person is someone who follows his own desires and caprices and raises false hopes as to Allah. A helpless desperate person is someone who lives his present moment and indulges in the perishable pleasures and enjoyments of this ephemeral worldly life. A wise person, however, is someone who gets ready for the Hereafter.
To have a few things that suffice one’s needs is better than to have too may a thing that distracts one from one’s main mission in life. I asked someone, “How are you?” He answered, “Very well. Praised be Allah! We have been afflicted with the invocation of him who invoked against us.” I wondered, “May Allah forbid! Who invoked against you?” The man said, “Haven’t you heard that Allah’s Messenger invoked, “O Allah! Make provision for those who love me sufficient only for their living!” I answered, “Yes, I have. Allah’s Messenger invoked his Lord, Allah, All Mighty, to provide those who love him only with that which they need for a decent living, and nothing more.” Yes, indeed! By virtue of the foregoing Prophetic Hadith, Allah’s Messenger invokes Allah, Most Gracious, to provide true believers with money that helps them make a decent living and not distracts them from their Lord. It is sufficient for a believer to be healthy and to earn a decent living in a simple lodge with his entire essential needs fulfilled. This is real richness! Real richness is not to waste your life multiplying your wealth and property.
In this context, Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), says
“He who is healthy as to his body, secure with his people, and has his food (that suffices him) for one day, (this means that) the entire world has been granted to him.”
He, (PBUH), also says
“Try to be pious if you desire to be the most devoted of all mankind, and try to be contended with what Allah as allotted to you if you desire to be the most thankful.”
“It is of a person’s good Islam to leave things that are none of his business.” “Happy are those who get admonished by that which happens to sh3er.”
“Silence is wisdom, and too few are those who are silent.” “Contentment is a never-ending treasure.”
And:
“Patience is one half of Faith; and certitude is the entire Faith.”
All the foregoing wise Prophetic Sayings are available to everyone; and everyone can buy a book, or books, that contain such wise Sayings. However, there is a great difference between buying and reading a book and adopting the things therein in one’s daily life. You are a real hero not when you buy or read the Prophet’s Sayings, but when you adopt them for yourself and put them into reality and practical behavior.
Now, let us go back to Allah’s Beautiful Divine Name “Al-Hakeem” (The All-Wise), which has three essential meanings:
First meaning: The Arabic word “Hakeem” means “someone who is well experienced and whose work is perfect, i.e. faultless”. It also means “someone who calculates and measures things most accurately and properly”.
For example, if a carpenter fails to cut a piece of wood accurately, his work is not satisfactory enough. In this case, we could say, “If his calculations were accurate, his work would be perfect and faultless.” And the more accurate calculations are, the better and more faultless work is.
Expensive machines are usually perfect and faultless, while bad cheap ones are full of faults and defects. In fact, accuracy and faultlessness are essential elements in good machines. This is what makes them more valuable and more expensive.
A friend of mine, who worked in textile, once told me that a whole roll produced by a certain cloth machine that we have imported to our country is sold at the price of only 200 Syrian Pounds, while we buy one meter, only one meter, of the production of the same machine in another foreign country for 700 Syrian Pounds. This is because accuracy and perfection of work makes a big difference.
Therefore, the word “Hakeem” means “someone who does his work most accurately and perfectly, because he knows how to calculate, measure and design perfectly well.” And the Lord, Allah, Praise to Him, is “Hakeem” in the sense that He, All Mighty, All Wise, creates all things in perfect faultless measurements. To this effect, He, Glory to Him, says
“Verily, We (i.e. Allah) have created all things with due measurements.”
Consider your human body: The blood that runs through your veins and arteries contains a very accurate amount of salt, 0,7%/8. If this very accurate amount of salt decreased, blood corpuscles would shrink and cause immediate death. If it increased, the corpuscles would burst and also cause immediate death. Who has made the ratio of salt in the human blood fixed? It is Allah, Most Bounteous, Who makes the kidneys maintain such fixed ratio of salt in the blood!
Blood viscosity is determined by special hormones of both coagulation and delusion, which are produced at a most accurate ratio. If the ratio of the hormone of coagulation increased more than that designed by the Lord, Allah, All Mighty, blood would stagnate in the blood vessels and cause immediate death. And if the ratio of the hormone of delusion increased, man would bleed to death even if slightly wounded.
Once, I visited a friend of mine in hospital; and I was greatly surprised to find a big mass of bandage on his mouth, about eight centimeters thick. I asked, “What’s matter?” “I suffer from a deficiency in the number of blood platelets!” He answered. In fact, these blood platelets are exactly like stones of which a wall is made: whenever a hole is made in the wall, they block it. The man suffered from a deficiency in the number of blood platelets in his blood. Usually, there are nearly 700,000 platelets in each cubic millimeter of blood. These special blood cells are there in order to block any opening in the blood vessels.
What a Great Divine Wisdom! Our brother specialist doctors know many more amazing things about the human body. It is, indeed, Allah’s Infinite Divine Wisdom!
Also, there are 2,5 billion types of tissues in the world. This means that only one human being in the whole world has a type of tissue similar to yours. Also, in the nucleus of the human cell, there are lots of programmed genes, only 800 of which have been so far known. So, what does “Hakeem” mean? It means “someone who does his work most accurately and perfectly, because he knows how to calculate, measure and design perfectly well.” In this context, Allah, All Mighty, All Wise, says
“He (Allah) has created everything and has measured it exactly according to its due measurements.”
Therefore, “Al-Hakeem” is He Who perfects all the things that He creates. To this effect, the Quranic Verse goes:
“It is He (Allah) Who has created seven heavens, one above another; you can see no fault in the creation of the Most Gracious. Then, look again: can you see any rifts?”
Consider creation of an ant, a fly, an elephant, a galaxy, an atom, or any other creature! They are all perfect, and they bespeak the Creator’s Absolute Divine Wisdom! This is the first meaning of Allah’s Beautiful Divine Name “Al-Hakeem”. The following Quranic Verses make this meaning clear:
“It is He (Allah) Who made everything that He has created perfect, and began the creation of man from clay.”
“Then, a person will know what he has sent forward and left behind. O man! What has made you careless about your Lord, the Most Generous, Who created you, fashioned you perfectly, and gave you due proportion? In whatever shape He willed, He put you together.”
“Verily, We created man in the best stature.”
“He has created everything and has measured it exactly according to its due measurements.”
“Verily, We have created all things in due measurements.”
Someone might ask you: Have you tested your eye-pressure? This gives rise to the question: What is eye-pressure? It is really something amazing! In the eye, there is a fluid that has to be constantly renewed. But how is the fluid renewed? The fluid comes into the eye through a special canal that has an opening at its end. If the end is blocked, the eye becomes congested as the pressure of the fluid increases, and, therefore, less blood flows to it. Ophthalmologists measure eye-pressure to make sure the eye is all right.
Such things are very accurate. A doctor once told me that they give patients undergoing surgical operations certain accurate amounts of Potassium. Should there be any mistake in the amount of Potassium given, the patient soon dies.
In the human body, there are most accurate and most amazing secrets and miracles that go beyond human imagination. This is one meaning of Allah’s Beautiful Name “Al-Hakeem” (The All Wise).
Second meaning: “Al-Hikmah” (Wisdom) is to possess the best knowledge; and Allah’s Divine Knowledge is Infinite, while man’s human knowledge is limited. To this effect, Allah, the All-Wise, says
“And over all those endowed with knowledge is the All-Knowing.”
No matter how much knowledge he acquires a true believer always says, “I still know nothing.” And the remarkable thing about real knowledgeable scientists is modesty, i.e. the more knowledge they acquire, the more modest they become. Imam Ash-Shafi’i, may Allah have mercy on him, says, “The more knowledge I acquire, the more I find out how ignorant I am.” But who is the Omniscient? The answer is: Allah, Alone. And the word “Al-Hakeem” is attributed to the One Who is Omniscient, Allah, Whose Divine Knowledge is Infinite, All-Embracing and Free from all kinds of ignorance, imperfection or defect. No human being can ever claim to have acquired all knowledge or experience, not even doctors, engineers or scientists. They often make mistakes. But Allah, Alone, is the One Who is the Omniscient. That is why Imam Al-Ghazali says, “No one knows Allah except Allah (Himself).”
Third meaning: “Al-Hakeem” (The All-Wise) is He Who is far above doing things that should not be done. In other words, He does the proper thing in the proper way in the proper place and the proper time. This is the third meaning of Allah’s Beautiful Divine Name “Al-Hakeem” (The All-Wise). As human beings, we sometimes do the proper thing but not in the proper way. Sometimes, we do the proper thing in the proper way but not in the proper place. And sometimes, we do the proper thing in the proper way in the proper place but not in the proper time. A wise person is someone who does the proper thing in the proper way in the proper place and the proper time. Such is a “Hakeem” (a wise person).
Now, what is your share of this beautiful Divine Name “Al-Hakeem” (The All-Wise)?
In fact, this Divine Name “Al-Hakeem” (The All-Wise) is one of Allah’s Names that can be adopted by human beings, according to the saying that goes, “Adopt Allah’s Names and Attributes” In other words, a true believer should be wise. But where should his wisdom come from? Where should he derive his wisdom? The answer is: He should derive his wisdom from his knowledge of Allah. Let’s have the following example: If you have a very complicated and sophisticated machine, and you have the operation instructions, it is wise to follow such instructions because they come from the manufacturer. This is very clear and easy. If you read and understand Allah’s Divine Book, the Holy Quran, and Prophetic Sunna and Tradition, and if you commit yourself to Allah and His Messenger’s Commands, then, you are a wise person. For example, lowering one’s gaze at indecent or forbidden things is most wise; and if you lower your gaze at women, Allah will help you have only one woman (i.e. your wife) in your life, and, as wisdom necessitates, you will be more loving and compassionate to her than if you have other women in your life.
There is a very delicate point that I would like to make clear: In logic, it is said, “Making use of something is not part of knowing it.” In other words, we may give a most developed and sophisticated car to a Bedouin, someone from the desert, who knows nothing about cars, and teach him how to drive it until he becomes a perfect driver. He will certainly get full benefit of the car: its speed, air-conditioning, low noise, luxurious furniture, …etc, although he knows nothing about how it was made or who made it. Most people, nowadays, have, and use, lots of sophisticated machines such as TV’s, air-conditioners, washing machines, dishwashers, fridges, hi-fi stereo sets, cars, airplanes, …etc, but it is not necessary for them to know how they were made or the laws that govern their work. It is enough for them to push certain buttons, and they enjoy all the benefits of such machines, very complicated as they are. Once again: “Making use of something is not part of knowing it.” Now, once you carry out Allah’s Divine Commands, no matter whether you know the Infinite Divine Wisdom behind them or not, no matter whether you study them deeply or not, you get all the benefits of such Divine Commands. This is what I would like to make clear to you. Allah commands you to lower your gaze at taboo or indecent things, He commands you to be honest and trustworthy, it is most wise to obey Him; and if you do obey him, you reap all the good fruits of decency and honesty.
I would like to retell the story of the handsome young taxi driver who was allured by a beautiful young woman who invited him to have an indecent and forbidden sexual relation with her, offering him a big amount of money. The man disobeyed his Lord, Allah, All Mighty, and slept with her. Before leaving, she gave him the money and an envelope. When he opened the envelope, he was greatly shocked to read: “You are welcome to the AIDS club.” By the way the money was also forged, and when he went to the bank to change it, he was arrested and taken to prison. The woman had the AIDS, and she just wanted to retaliate from other people by transferring it to them. Now, I would like to ask: Could a true believer fall in such a trap? It is impossible! A true believer obeys Allah’s Commands and never commits such an indecent sinful deed!
When you obey the Divine Commands of Allah, the All-Wise, you are wise. You need no justifications or excuses. You should say: I shall never cheat anyone simply because Allah bids me to be honest. I shall never tell lies because Allah forbids me to tell lies. By the way, some developed countries give loans to poor ones. By such loans, poor countries are caught up in big loans that put them under the mercy of such strong developed countries. This act on the part of rich countries is dishonest, and such economic laws and relationships are unfair. The system of Zakat (Alms Tax) in Islam prevents such unfair and unjust relationships and loans. Rich Muslims have to pay a certain amount of Zakat (Alms Tax) to the poor and needy. The money they pay enables the poor Muslims to buy the things they need without humiliation incurred by asking the rich ones for help. Also, when the rich Muslims give the Zakat to the poor, they do not strip the poor of their money or make them poorer, but rather enable them to be more powerful; and when the poor are powerful and happy, the rich are. The system of Zakat in Islam makes the entire society prosperous and powerful.
A western writer, called Alexy Carlil, wrote a book, “Man: that unknown”, in which, after long study and research, he confirms that human life does not work well unless the sexual relationship between men and women is done under the umbrella of married life. Even if you have not read the book, it is enough for you to obey Allah’s Command of lowering your gaze and abstaining from any sexual relation except with your own wife. In other words, you have to be wise. And how can you be wise? The answer is: It is enough to obey Allah and His Messenger.
A doctor may keep telling you for long hours about the danger of bad food habits. Irrespective of the doctor’s long advice about food habits, it suffices a true believer to stick to the Prophet’s Hadith:
“We are a people who do not eat unless we are hungry; and when we eat, we are never full.”
That is all. This is preventive medicine. I reiterate: You can reap the fruits of all human knowledge when you apply Allah’s Commandments. Hence, the question: who is a wise person? A wise person is someone who applies the Maker’s instructions!
Sometimes, however, there is no relevant Quranic or Prophetic text relevant to a certain sudden situation. In this case the Almighty Lord, Allah, Glory to Him, inspires wisdom to you. In other words, Allah, Most Gracious, grants you wisdom either by a certain Quranic or Prophetic text or by Divine Inspiration. Since you seek Allah’s Good Pleasure, He, Praise to Him, helps you be wise in all of your deeds and attitudes, particularly under circumstances for which there are no relevant Quranic or Prophetic texts, by His Divine Inspiration, through His angels. To this effect, Allah, All Mighty, says
“And We inspired Moses’ mother: ‘Suckle him! But when you fear for him, then cast him into the river! And fear not, nor grieve; verily, We shall bring him back to you and we shall make him one of (our) Messengers!”
This Verse refers to a kind of Divine Inspiration that Allah gave to Moses’ mother. It was not Divine Revelation such as that given to Prophets and Messenger but rather mere Divine Inspiration. While you are unaware, Allah, Most Gracious, drives to you lots of good things and protects you from lots of bad ones. Therefore, wisdom necessitates that you should always be with Allah. Whenever you face a situation for which there is no relevant Quranic or Prophetic text, Allah, All Mighty, inspires you to do the right thing. This is exactly what Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), meant when he invoked the Lord, Allah, Glory to Him
“Help us see the truth as it really is and help us to adopt it. And help us see falsehood as it really is, and help us to shun it.”
Hence, you are wise when you follow the Commands of Allah All-Wise, and His Messenger, (PBUH). As a true believer, whenever you feel comfortable, or uncomfortable, towards something, you should know that such a feeling is a kind of inspiration from the Lord, Allah, All Mighty. And the more believing a person is, the wiser he/she is. Moreover, Allah’s Messenger, Muhammad, (PBUH), was the wisest of all mankind because he was the nearest and most devoted to Allah, the Fountain of all Wisdom. A person may sometimes have to walk along a dark rough way that is full of pits, obstacles and harmful insects. But on both sides of the way, there are fruitful trees. If he has a lamp or a torch, does he make mistakes? No! With his lamp or torch, he can see the pits and obstacles and avoid them, he can see the insects and kill them, and he can see the ripe fruits and eat them. Where does foolishness come from? It comes from blindness! Allah, All Mighty, addresses this issue
“Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts, which are in the breasts, that do (grow blind).”
Sometimes, a man may foolishly and unreasonably divorce his wife. Such is real blindness! In other words, foolishness, which is very dangerous, is the fruit of blindness, while wisdom is the fruit of Divine Inspiration. In this context, Allah, All Mighty, says
“But whosoever turns away from My Reminder: verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up, on the Day of Resurrection, blind. He will say: ‘O my Lord! Why have you raised me up blind, while I had sight (before)?’ He (Allah) will say: ‘Like this: Our Signs did come to you, but you disregarded them, and so, this Day, you shall be disregarded.”
Yes, indeed! He was blind to Allah’s Commands, which symbolize Absolute Divine Wisdom, in the life of this present world, and turned away from them. Therefore, he was forgotten and neglected. As true believers, we derive our wisdom from Allah’s Book, the Holy Quran, and Prophetic Sunna and Tradition. The more devoted and committed we are, the wiser and more rightly guided. O Allah! Grand us wisdom and guide us to the Right Path!
Finally, I would like to tell you a story that might be already known to you. The story took place some fifty years ago, and its hero is the imam and orator of Al-Ward mosque in Damascus. One night, this imam dreamt of Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), telling him, “Tell your neighbor, so and so, that he will be with me in the Garden of Paradise.” Just imagine! The neighbor was a mere grocer, but the imam was a knowledgeable religious scholar and orator! However, The imam went to the grocer’s house and told him, “I have good news for you. But I’m not going to tell it to you unless you first tell me your secret and what you have done in order to be so beloved by Allah and His Messenger.” At first, the man refused to tell the imam his secret, but upon the imam’s great insistence, the man told the following story: “Five months after I had got married to a woman, I suddenly found out that she had been pregnant for nine months and that she had committed adultery before we got married. However, most regretfully and sorrowfully the woman, who had recently become my wife, beseeched me to keep that secret and not to tell it to anyone. At first, I thought that I had all the right to defame her publicly and to destroy her reputation and that I could divorce her. But then, after she had profoundly and sincerely asked for forgiveness, I felt sorry for her and decided to wait and give the whole matter a second thought. I waited until she gave birth to the child, which was a male baby. When it was time for the Dawn Prayer, I wrapped the baby with a blanked, put it under my ‘Aba (woolen wrap) and took it to the mosque. I waited outside until prayer began and everybody stood behind the imam to perform prayer, and then I put the baby behind the door and joined in prayer. When prayer was over, the people noticed a baby crying behind the door. Everybody went over to see what it was, and I went with them, asking, “What’s that?” as if I really knew nothing. “It’s a newborn baby!” They said. “Give it to me! I’ll take care of it!” I said; and I took the baby and told everybody that I would adopt it. I took it back to its real mother, my wife, and took it as my son.” In other words, instead of punishing his wife for a sin that she had ignorantly and naively committed before their marriage, the man was so tolerant and merciful. He did not only forgive the woman and keep her sin secret, but also adopted her baby and took him for a son. This is how he deserved Allah and His Messenger’s love! This is how good righteous people act! This is how wise people behave! Such simple grocer is really a wise man!
