Understanding Salat — Page 62
Understanding S al A t 62 name’ ( َ تَبَارَك َ اسْمُك ), we remind ourselves that the names we have been taught describe every color and beauty within the spectrum of our sight. However, when we say ‘exalted is Your majesty’ ( َ تَعَالَى جَدُّك ), we remind ourselves that the Majesty of the Being of Allah is far more broad than our spectrum of sight and far loftier than what any name can do true justice to. The Being of Allah Almighty is far greater than what any name can express. However great a name of Allah may be, it is only a sign for a greater reality behind it. The Majesty of Allah is far above what any name can describe. For example, the name ُ مَلِك (king) can apply to a person who is a king, and this word can encompass in its meaning the full extent of his attributes as a king. However, the name ُ اَلْمَلِك (The King) has also been revealed as an attribute of Allah Almighty. The difference between a person being ُ مَلِك (king) and Allah being ُ اَلْمَلِك (The King) is only in the word al ( اَلْ ). The ‘al’ signifies perfection, but that ‘al’ can never do justice to the infinite difference between a man being ُ مَلِك (king) and Allah Almighty being ُ اَلْمَلِك (The King). The word Al-Malik can- not encompass in its meaning the full extent of His attrib- ute as The King. In fact, no words can express or encompass any revelation of Allah. This is why revelation from Allah, in general, is referred to with the word wa hī , which means ‘to convey one’s intention or wish by means of quick signs’ ( Dictionary of the Holy Quran, pp. 820). Names cannot fully express reality of Allah