✨The Bestower

Knowing Allah Almighty through His Names and Attributes brings a person closer to his Lord and increases him in love of his Master and Creator. Indeed the human soul loves those who do good towards them.

And from Allah’s Most Beautiful Names is Al Wahab, The Bestower, which appeared three times in the Quran.

Al Wahab gives and grants continually without being asked. He bestows upon his servants from His great favor and grants them bounties and provides them His great graces. And only in His Hands are the repositories of everything and the realm of the heavens and the earth and control of the affairs.

Saad (38) 9: Or do they have the depositories of the mercy of your Lord, the Exalted in Might, the Bestower?

Al Wahab dispenses His dominion as He wills. So whatever He wills is and whatever He does not will is not. He grants to whom He wills. And withholds from whom He wills. There is no withholder for what He grants. And no granter for He withholds. For He Most Glorified bestows to whom He wills whatever He wills. And His bestowals are constant from the time that the clot forms in the uterus. Al Wahab nurtures the fetus in the best fashion until his mother gives birth to him and then he basks in the graces of Allah his entire life. And if his life is upon Iman (faith) this is the biggest bestowal. And if he dies on Iman (faith), he will be granted many fold of what he had in this world from what Allah Almighty has prepared for his righteous servants of what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived.

And the name Al Wahab can only refer to Allah Almighty. His granting is beyond comprehension. And He grants at all times and in all places and every situation and His granting includes all creation. In contrast to creation that can only grant little and in a limited fashion. They may give wealth or gifts in some cases and not in other cases. And they cannot give but to a limited number of recipients. And their giving is temporary and does not last. And what they can grant is limited. They cannot grant guidance to the deviated. And they cannot cure the ill. And they cannot grant a child to the barren. Nor can they grant life to the deceased. Allah alone is capable of that and Allah alone is the true Bestower and Allah alone is worthy of our worship.

Allah is abundant in bestowing and does not wait for a benefit in return. And if this was the case, He would have stopped His bestowals. For creation does not give anything and He is in no need of them. Allah bestows upon those whom believe in Him and those who deny Him. Al Wahab bestows upon the pious and the wicked. For His bestowals are not an indication of His pleasure or displeasure. Otherwise, He would have ceased His bestowals upon those who disbelieve in Him and associate others with Him. He bestows upon them wealth, provision, children, knowledge and strength so that they may worship Him alone. However, they did not worship Him. Al Wahab gives without anything in return because they are His creation and perhaps some of them will repent. For He reprieves but is not inattentive. Allah said:
At Tariq (86) 17: So allow time for the disbelievers. Leave them a while.

Indeed, it is not the abundance of wealth, status and children that brings one closer or further to Allah. So the wicked should not be deceived by the abundance of Allah’s bestowals to them. And a person should not think ill of his Lord because of the lack of Allah’s bestowals upon him. Allah Almighty said:
Saba (34) 37: And it is not your wealth or your children that bring you nearer to Us in position, but it is [by being] one who has believed and done righteousness. For them there will be the double reward for what they did, and they will be in the upper chambers [of Paradise], safe [and secure].

The bestowals of Al Wahab are immeasurable and innumerable. All that is in existence is a bounty from Allah to His creation. Allah is the Creator of all provisions and bounties. He grants wisdom, authority, knowledge, provision to whom He wills. And if Allah wills to give His servant something, all mankind and the jinn and all powers cannot prevent, decrease or delay it.

And when the Prophet Suleiman made his request he called Allah Almighty Al Wahab, The Bestower:
Saad (38) 35: He said, “My Lord, forgive me and grant me a kingdom such as will not belong to anyone after me. Indeed, You are the Bestower.”

And Ibrahim’s wife was barren. So reflect upon Allah’s words:
Al Ankabot (29) 27: And We gave to him Isaac and Jacob and placed in his descendants prophethood and scripture. And We gave him his reward in this world, and indeed, he is in the Hereafter among the righteous.

Allah gave him Ishaq and in addition to that bestowal, Jacob followed. And he placed in his progeny prophethood and scripture.

And Allah Most Glorified granted Musa his request and made his brother Haroon a prophet. Allah Almighty said:
Maryam (29) 53: And We gave him out of Our mercy his brother Aaron as a prophet.

And Allah bestowed Yahya to Zakariah even though his wife was barren. Allah Almighty said:
Al Imran (3) 39: So the angels called him while he was standing in prayer in the chamber, “Indeed, Allah gives you good tidings of Yahya, confirming a word from Allah and [who will be] honorable, abstaining [from women], and a prophet from among the righteous.”

Allah’s bestowals are varied and not limited to wealth. Allah bestows health, well-being and offspring. And safety and physical soundness. So one should not limit their understanding of the bestowals of Allah. For how many wealthy people would wish to spend all their wealth to regain their health or to be able to have a relaxing sleep?

And Allah bestows success upon His servants to perform acts of religious obedience such as voluntary prayers and fasting. These bestowals are worth more than the treasures of the earth and all that the world contains.

The greatest matter that Allah bestows is Iman (faith) in the correct creed. So a person should ask his Lord to safeguard that for him. And among the greatest supplications is:
Al Imran (3) 8: Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower.

Oh Muslims:Iman (faith) in Allah’s name Al Wahab bears many fruits and leads to tranquility in the heart, conscious, conduct and expression.

Among the fruits it that it results in one having firm belief in the self-sufficiency of the Creator and the need of the creation.

Allah Almighty said:
Fater (35) 15: O mankind, you are those in need of Allah, while Allah is the Free of need, the Praiseworthy.

And Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
Allah’s Hand is full, never affected by the continuous spending, night and day. And he said: ‘Do you not see how much He has spent since He created the heavens and the earth, yet it has not decreased what is in His Hand. [Bukhari 7411, Muslim]

As for people, Allah said to them:
An Nahl (16) 96: Whatever you have will end, but what Allah has is lasting.

And from the fruits of believing in Allah’s name Al Wahab is asking Allah alone for one’s needs. So if a person supplicates, he does so to Allah alone. And if he has a need, he turns to Allah alone. Because he knows that Allah alone is the Bestower. And it is what the Messenger of Allah ﷺ commanded when he said:
When you ask, ask Allah, and when you seek aid, seek Allah’s aid. Know that if the entire creation were to gather together to do something to benefit you- you would never get any benefit except that Allah had written for you. And if they were to gather to do something to harm you- you would never be harmed except that Allah had written for you. The pens are lifted and the pages are dried. [Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2516]

And from the fruits of faith in Allah’s name Al Wahab is having dignity. So long as a person knows that Allah- the Most High – is the Bestower, alone and exclusively, how can he lower his head to a created servant similar to him who does not possess benefit nor harm for himself. Rather he lives with dignity with his head high and does not bow it to anyone other than Allah, firmly believing:
Yunus (10) 107: And if Allah should touch you with adversity, there is no remover of it except Him; and if He intends for you good, then there is no repeller of His bounty. He causes it to reach whom He wills of His servants.

Also from the fruits is that a person gives others with humility. And why would the donor be proud if he realizes that all he did was transfer Allah’s grace and bounty to the recipient? And the donor is but a means for delivering the bestowal of the Bestower to the recipient. For the real Bestower is Allah alone. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
And Allah has revealed to me that you should be humble towards one another so that none of you boasts to another. [Muslim 2865d]

And from the fruits is having patience during adversity and being grateful during prosperity. So if a person is given, he firmly believes that Allah Almighty gave him through His Mercy. And if he is not given, he firmly believes that that the Almighty withheld through His wisdom. For this and that is from the decree of Allah. Because He alone is Al Wahab. So if He wills, He bestows and if He wills, He does not bestow. Thus, if a person knows that the adversity is the decree of Allah – the Most High – he is pleased; for patience upon the Divine decree is an obligation. And if he receives something, he knows that it is from Al Wahab, so he is grateful. And the Prophet ﷺ said:
How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him. [Muslim 2999]

And expressing gratitude to Allah is a bestowal in itself which requires expressing gratitude. As Ibn Abee Dunya said that person who says Al HamduliLah (all praise is due to Allah) should be grateful for that bestowal by saying Al HamduliLah and so on. And the graces of Allah Almighty do not run out.

So it is incumbent upon a person when he asks, to only ask Allah alone and when he gives, to give only for the sake of Allah alone. And to praise his Lord plentifully for what He has given him of bounties. So turn to Al Wahab in all your situations and at all times. And supplicate to your Lord for a sincere intention, guidance, steadfastness and righteous offspring. For if a person supplicates his Lord with certainty in the response, Allah will give him more than what he asked.

Oh Allah bestow upon us Iman (faith) and guidance. And bestow upon us having gratitude for Your countless gifts and bestowals. Indeed You are Al Wahab.

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