✨The Greatness of Allah Almighty
From Allah’s most beautiful names is the name Al ‘Atheem (the Most Great) and from His most lofty attributes is the attribute of Greatness. For He is the Most Great and everything is subjected to His command. And yields to His decree. And everything is under His authority and control. And He is the greatest and there is nothing greater than Him. Allah Almighty said:
Al Baqarah (2) 255: His Kursi (chair) extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.
His Kursi (chair) extends over the heavens and the earth and the seven heavens compared to it is nothing but like a ring thrown out upon the open space of the desert. And the greatness of His ‘Arsh (throne) compared to the Kursi (chair) is like the greatness of the open space of the desert compared to a ring. And Allah is upon His thrown.
The close angels know His greatness so they fear, obey, magnify and glorify Him. And they do not disdain from nor are they too proud to worship Him. Allah said:
Al Anbiya (21) 19-20: (19) And those near Him [i.e., the angels] are not prevented by arrogance from His worship, nor do they tire. (20) They exalt [Him] night and day [and] do not slacken.
The greats of this worldly life, no matter how eminent they are, only know what they witness or what is conveyed to them. Therefore, they are in need of the service of their subjects. What is hidden from them about the affairs of their kingdoms is more than what appears to them, and some of those close to them may deceive them. And nothing of the conditions of the Lord’s creation is hidden from Him even if it is not transmitted to Him. Rather the angels inform Him of news and He the Majestic is more knowledgeable than them about which they informed Him.
The Imam Abu Al Qassem Al Asbahaany (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Greatness is an attribute of Allah the Exalted. None of the creation can attain it. And Allah, the Most High, has created among His creation greatness by which they magnify one another. So there are some people who are magnified because of wealth. And some are magnified because of their favor. And some are magnified because of their knowledge. And some are magnified because of their power. And some are magnified because of their influence. And the ones magnified are done so in one way and yet not another. And Allah the Majestic is magnified in all circumstances. So it is imperative for the one who knows the greatness of Almighty to not utter a word that Allah hates. Nor commit a sin that displeases Allah Almighty. He witnesses what each soul earns. The messengers knew the greatness of the Most Great. So they strived in worshipping Him and called their people to fear Him. And cautioned them from His retribution. The first of them was Noah who said to his people:
Noah (71) 13-14: (13) What is [the matter] with you that you do not attribute to Allah [due] grandeur (14) While He has created you in stages?
That it, what is the matter with you that you do not see the Greatness of Allah.
And the seal and best of the Prophets, Muhammad ﷺ was addressed by His Lord, the Mighty and Sublime:
Al Haaqa (69) 52: So exalt the name of your Lord, the Most Great.
So he said to his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) : say this in your bowing during prayer. And the Prophet ﷺ used to plentifully magnify and glorify his Lord in the bowing and prostration of prayer.
And the Prophet ﷺ demonstrated something of the greatness of his Lord in what He the Almighty created saying:
I have been permitted to speak about one of Allah’s angels who bears the throne that the distance between the lobe of his ear and his shoulder is a journey of seven hundred years. [Sunan Abi Dawud 4727]
So if the length of the neck of this honorable angel is this large, what is his full size? And he is one creature from the creation of Allah the Most High, the Most Great. So how about His other creations.
And when some of the righteous predecessors were asked about the greatness of Allah they responded: what do you say about the One Who has a servant named Jibreel who has 600 wings and if he spread two of those wings it would block off the light from the horizon.
And the evidence within the existence indicates the greatness of our Lord, Most Majestic. And the believers in their Lord, those pondering upon His creation, realize His greatness. So they affirm His Lordship, submit to His Godship and worship Him alone. And do not associate anything with Him, not in love and not in hope and not in fear. They reflect upon His verses and contemplate upon His creatures. So their hearts humble and their bodies shiver and their eyes overflow with tears. In reverence, veneration and magnification of Allah alone. And their tongues move with the remembrance of Him glorifying, exalting and praising Him saying:
Al Imran (3) 191: Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
And when some people associated others with Him and claimed that He has a son, the universe panicked from this great slander. The universe was about to go into chaos, turmoil and disorder in veneration of and utmost fear from Allah that some of His creation would associate others with Him, were it not that Allah decreed for it to calm down and be orderly.
Maryam (19) 90-92: (90) The heavens almost rupture therefrom and the earth splits open and the mountains collapse in devastation (91) That they attribute to the Most Merciful a son. (92) And it is not appropriate for the Most Merciful that He should take a son.
And from His greatness nothing in the universe remains except Him Most Exalted, Most Glorified. Allah said:
Ar Rum (30) 25-26: (25) And of His signs is that the heaven and earth stand [i.e., remain] by His command. Then when He calls you with a [single] call from the earth, immediately you will come forth. (26) And to Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and earth. All are to Him devoutly obedient.
And the horrors and conditions that will happen on the Day Resurrection, and the descriptions of paradise and hell. All of this is evidence of the greatness of the Most High. And from that is what Salmaan (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated from the Prophet ﷺ that he said:
The Scale will be placed on the Day of Resurrection. If the heavens and the earth were to be weighed on it, it would accommodate them. So the angels will say: O Lord, for whom is this Scale? Allah Almighty will say: for whoever I will from my creation, then the Angels will say: Glorified be to You, we did not worship You as You are entitled to be worshipped. And the Sirat (bridge) will be placed having the sharpness of a blade and the Angels will say: who will you permit on this? He the Almighty will say: whoever I will from my creation. So the Angels will say: Glorified be to You, we did not worship You as You are entitled to be worshipped. [Al Hakem, authentic upon the condition of Muslim]
For He the Majestic is Most Great in His Lordship, Most Great in His Godship, Most Great in His names and attributes. Most Great in His dominion and creation. Most Great in His wisdom and mercy. Most Great in the utter need of His creation for Him and His sufficiency from them. Most Great in the administration of the affairs of His creation. Most Great in judging between His creation. And every greatness in existence is evidence of its Creator and Regulator, exalted in highness, and magnified in glory.
Oh Muslims: Belief in the greatness of Allah Almighty has fruits that the believer reaps.
And among the greatest fruits of belief in the greatness of Allah and magnifying Him is the joy of the heart, happiness and tranquility. Because he magnified the One who deserves to be magnified. And this is the paradise of this worldly life that the one who enters it will enter the paradise of the hereafter.
And whoever magnifies Allah Almighty describes Him in a manner befitting His majesty. And affirmed Almighty’s actions. And attributed the favors to Him alone. Allah said:
An Nahl (16) 53: And whatever you have of favor – it is from Allah.
And the more that magnification of Allah strengthens in a person’s heart, the more that he downplays himself and downplays his knowledge. Because if Allah Almighty manifests himself to something, it will be humbled to Him.
Whoever magnifies Allah Almighty reveres His ordainments. And reveres its people and those knowledgeable in it and those acting upon it. For revering them is part of revering Allah and magnifying Him.
And whoever magnifies Allah, stops at His limits. And carries out His commands. And avoids His prohibitions. Allah Almighty said:
Al Hajj (22) 32: That [is so]. And whoever honors the symbols [i.e., rites] of Allah – indeed, it is from the piety of hearts.
And whoever magnifies Allah Almighty priorities the love of Allah Almighty and the love of His Prophet ﷺ and love of what Allah loves over his self, his desires, his family, his children, his wealth and everything loved. Because what was in his heart of magnifying Allah Almighty wiped out everything loved except Him, the Exalted and Majestic. So if his soul that invites to evil calls him to disobeying Allah Almighty for the sake of something he loves or something he wants, his glorification of Allah repels him from that.
And whoever magnifies Allah Almighty increases in remembrance of Him. For people continue to praise those whom they esteem. So how can someone claim to magnify Allah and yet make minimal mention of Him the Exalted?
And whoever magnifies Allah, relies upon Him and holds on to Him. And does not fear the greats among creation. For what is in his heart from the magnification of Allah Almighty is stronger and more powerful than the created no matter how strong and numerous they are.
And whoever magnifies Allah Almighty does not place any words above His Words. Rather, he is constantly looking at His great Book. Reciting, memorizing and acting upon it. He ponders upon reciting the attributes of the Most High, Most Great. And he extracts His wisdom from His rulings. And His mercy and justice from His actions. So he does not abandon His Lord’s Book. Rather he does not conclude his day until he has recited his daily portion. Allah said:
Al Hijurat (49) 1: O you who have believed, do not put [yourselves] before Allah and His Messenger but fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Knowing.
We ask Allah Almighty to fill our hearts with love, reverence and veneration of Him. Indeed Allah is All Hearing, Responding.
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