The Essence of Islam – Volume I — Page 70
70. Essence of Islam-1 animals and affords them protection so that their capacities should not remain in the realm of potentiality. . The existence of this Divine attribute is established by the observation of the law of nature. No reasonable person would deny that the sun, the moon, the earth, and the elements, and all other necessary things which are found in the universe, and upon which the life of all animates depends, are manifested through this grace. The name of this grace, of which everything that breathes takes advantage according to its needs, without distinction of man or beast, believer or non-believer, good or bad, and of which no animate is deprived, is Raḥmāniyyat, and by virtue of it. God has been called Raḥmān in Surah Fātiḥah after Rabbul-'Alamin. The attribute al-Raḥmān is referred to at several other places in the Holy Qur'ān. For instance: 37 وإذَا قِيلَ لَهُمُ اسْجُدُ وَ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالُوْاوَ مَا الرَّحْمَنُ آنَسْجُدُ يما أمُرُنَا وَزَادَهُمْ نُفُورًا ٥ تبركَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ فِي السَّمَاءِ برُوجًا وَ جَعَلَ فِيهَا سِرجًا وَ قَمَرًا مُنِيرًا وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ اليلَ وَالنَّهَارَ خِلْفَةً لِمَنْ أَرَادَ انْ يَذَكَرَ أَوْا رَا دَ شُكُورًا . وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَمًا 0 37. This means that: When the disbelievers, pagans and atheists are admonished that they should prostrate themselves before the Raḥmān, they feel aversion towards the name. Raḥmān and enquire: What is Raḥmān? The answer is that Raḥmān is the Blessed Being, Who is the perpetual source of all good and Who has made mansions in the heaven and has placed the sun and the moon in those mansions which provide light to the whole creation with37 al-Furqan, 25:61-64 [Publisher] 39 al-A'raf, 7:157 [Publisher]