الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينه ونستغفره، ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا، ومن سيئات أعمالنا ، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له ، وأشهد أن سيدنا محمداً عبده ورسوله ، اللهم صلِّ وسلم وبارك على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وأصحابه  ومن تبعه إلى يوم الدين

We will continue in this talk by studying the names of Allah as part of our answer to the fourth question in the series of the topic entitled:” Your Life in Light of Eternity”, as a reminder, this topic addresses the following four questions:

1. What is the purpose of our lives on earth?
2. What is the nature of this life on earth?
3. What is our role on earth to fulfil the purpose of our lives on it?
4. What are the traits and qualities that we must possess to fulfill our role and achieve our purpose on earth?

We already addressed the first three questions, and we started the answer to the fourth question which is adopting in our character elements of the Names/Attributes of Allah, and we started with discussing the names, Allah, Al-Rahman, and Al-Rahime.  Then we proceeded with discussing the names in the last two verses of Surat Al-Hashr (59) and we discussed the names Al-Malik and Al-Quddus, Al-Salaam and Al-Mu’min and now we will Insha’Allah discuss the name Al-Muhaymin.

8 Al-Muhaymin (المهيمن) – The Guardian

Allah’s name, Al-Muhaymin, is only mentioned once in the Quran in Surah Al-Hashr (59:23)

هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلَامُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ الْعَزِيزُ الْجَبَّارُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

“He is Allah, there is no god but He, the King, the Holy, the Peace, the Inspirer of faith, the Guardian, the Eminent, the Compeller, the Proud, glory to Allah above the partners they attribute to Him.” (Al-Hashr 59:23)

The interpreters offered several translations for Allah’s name Al-Muhaymin (المهيمن) including: the Guardian, the Guardian over all creations, the Dominator, the Protector, the Watcher over His creatures, the Preserver of Safety, and the One who determines what is true and false.  The different translation illustrates the difficulty of selecting one word to represent the different attributes implied by the name. Allah’s name Al-Muhaymin (المهيمن) implies three main attributes: perfect knowledge, infinite power and full control, and these attributes are constant and eternal and are manifested by mercy and kindness.   These three elements involve: 

1. Allah Al-Muhaymin (المهيمن) has perfect knowledge:

Allah Al-Muhaymin (المهيمن) knows all things that exist in the universe whether they are open or secret and whether they are current or future.  Allah says in the Quran:

أَلَمْ يَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ سِرَّهُمْ وَنَجْوَاهُمْ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَّامُ الْغُيُوبِ

“Don’t they Know that Allah knows their secret (thoughts) and their secret counsels, and that Allah knows well all things unseen. “(Al-Tauba 9:78)

وَعِنْدَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا إِلَّا هُوَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِنْ وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا

“With Him are the keys of the Unseen, the treasures that none knows but He. He knows whatever is in the earth and the sea. Not a leaf does fall but He Knows it.” (Al-Ana’am 6:59)

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفۡسٍ۬ وَٲحِدَةٍ۬ وَخَلَقَ مِنۡہَا زَوۡجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنۡہُمَا رِجَالاً۬ كَثِيرً۬ا وَنِسَآءً۬‌ۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِۦ وَٱلۡأَرۡحَامَ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ رَقِيبً۬ا (١)

“O mankind! Be fully aware of your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them spread many men and women; fear Allah, in Whom you demand your (rights) and (honor) your kinship. Surely, Allah is watchful over you.” (Al-Nisa 4:1)

1. Allah Al-Muhaymin (المهيمن) has infinite power and full control:

Allah Al-Muhaymin (المهيمن) has infinite power and full control over everything that exist in the universe.  Allah says:

وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

“To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; and Allah has power over all things. “(Al-Imran 3:189)

قُلِ ٱللَّهُمَّ مَـٰلِكَ ٱلۡمُلۡكِ تُؤۡتِى ٱلۡمُلۡكَ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَنزِعُ ٱلۡمُلۡكَ مِمَّن تَشَآءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَآءُ‌ۖ بِيَدِكَ ٱلۡخَيۡرُ‌ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ قَدِيرٌ۬ (٢٦)

“Say: “O Allah, The Possessor of the kingdom, You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take the kingdom from whom You will, and You bestow honor on whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will. In Your Hand is the good (of everything). Indeed, You are powerful over everything.” (Al-Imran 3: 26)

تَبَـٰرَكَ ٱلَّذِى بِيَدِهِ ٱلۡمُلۡكُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ قَدِيرٌ (١)

“Glorious in the One in Whose hands is the kingdom: and He is powerful over everything,” (Al-Muluk 67:1)

Allah Al-Muhaymin (المهيمن) means that Allah has the both the perfect knowledge and full control, Allah says:

قُلۡ إِن تُخۡفُواْ مَا فِى صُدُورِڪُمۡ أَوۡ تُبۡدُوهُ يَعۡلَمۡهُ ٱللَّهُ‌ۗ وَيَعۡلَمُ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ ڪُلِّ شَىۡءٍ۬ قَدِيرٌ۬ (٢٩)

“Say: “Whether you conceal what is in your hearts or reveal it, Allah knows it. He knows what is in the heavens, and what is on earth. And Allah has power over all things.” (Al-Imran (3:29)

1. Allah’s knowledge and power and control are constant and eternal and are manifested by Mercy.

The knowledge and power of Allah Al-Muhaymin (المهيمن) are not subject to changes because Allah does not operate within the constraints of time and space as we do.  

However, unlike people, who get authority over others, Allah’s infinite power and full control are used as manifestation of His mercy, kindness, and love. 

The Mercy of Allah is discussed in more details under Allah’s name Al-Rahime.  But the following Hadith provides a practical illustration of Allah’s mercy.  On one occasion, the Prophet saw a woman holding her child and breast feeding him, so he asked his companions: 

عن عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه قال: (، فإذا امرأةٌ وجدَتْ صبيًّها فأخذَتْه، فألصقَتْه ببَطنِها وأرضعَتْه، فقال لنا النبيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم: أترَون هذه طارحَةً ولدها في النار؟ قُلنا: لا،  فقال صلى الله عليه وسلم: لَلّهُ أرحَمُ بعباده من هذه بولدها) رواه البخاري.

Can you ever imagine that this woman will ever throw her child in the fire?  

They said: No. 

He (PBUH) said: “Allah is more merciful with his slaves than this woman with her child.”  (Bukhari)

Allah is the Muhaymin when He protected Moses from the Pharaoh and his army, when He protected prophet Ibrahim from the fire, when He protected Prophet Younes while he was in the belly of the whale, and protected Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) from the many plots that were made against him.

Out of Mercy as an exercise of His perfect knowledge and total control, Allah Al-Muhaymin (المهيمن) sent to mankind his final guidance, the Quran, to include comprehensive knowledge beyond those in all past revelations such as Torah, Injeel, Zabour, etc., and to serve as controller, verifier and corrector of the information that reached us from past revelations, and thus Allah assigned to the Quran a role that is derivative of His name Al-Muhaymin (المهيمن).  Allah says:

وَأَنزَلۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ مُصَدِّقً۬ا لِّمَا بَيۡنَ يَدَيۡهِ مِنَ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبِ وَمُهَيۡمِنًا

“And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) the Book (this Qur’an) in truth, confirming those before it and Muhaymin (dominant, watcher, witness, verifier) over them.” (Al-Maeda 5:48)

The Prophet (PBUH) knew that Allah was the Muhaymin when he was promising his companions victory over the two great powers of his time, the Romans, and the Persians, at the time when Muslims were in their direst and most frightful situation during the Battle of the Trench.  This is the battle when all the tribes in Arabia gathered to eliminate the Muslims and to complicate the situation the Muslims’ back was exposed by the betrayal of the Jewish tribe, Bani Quriza.  At that time, the hypocrites who never knew Allah, the Muhaymin, said:  How can Muhammad promise us victory over Kaiser and Cesar when none of us feels safe to go to satisfy his call of nature. But the Muhaymin was in full control and defeated all the confederates without the Prophet and His companions engaging them in a battle.  The Muhaymin possesses all sources of power, and no one knows them except He, as He said:

وَلِلَّهِ جُنُودُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا

“To Allah belongs the Forces of the heavens and the earth; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Full of Wisdom.” (Al-Fat’h 48:and 7)

وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَ

“No One knows the forces of your Lord, except Him. “(Al-Moudather 74:31)

Elements to Adopt in our Character

Knowing that Allah is the Muhaymin, we must incorporate in our character at least the following traits:

1. Having full confident that Allah is the only One who has the power to protect and support us against all enemies
2. Having full confident that every statement made in the Quran is true and every promise Allah made to us, the believers, will be fulfilled. 
3. Having complete reliance on the Muhaymin who controls everything and thus having full trust in the bright future and your ultimate success as long as you are in His obedience.
4. Paying no attention to anyone other than Allah, the Muhaymin, and having no fear from anyone but Him. 
5. Seek knowledge to purify our heart from all diseases that reduces our love for Allah, the Muhaymin, our mind from falsehood and our senses from His disobedience.
6. Being fully aware that Allah the Muhaymin knows everything we think of, and what we do, therefore we should have a feeling of shame when we think about disobeying Him and we should hasten to repentance if we fall in the sin of His disobedience.

In the next talk, we will Insha’Allah discuss Allah’s name Al-Aziz.

هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلَامُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ الْعَزِيزُ الْجَبَّارُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ

(DUA)

EXTRA (THE Quran is Muhaymin over all previous revelations)

When Allah sends new Messenger while a previously sent messenger is still alive, this previous messenger must follow the new Messenger and this command must have been made clear in the revelation received by the previous messenger.  This was a covenant that Allah took from all those whom He designated as prophets to mankind before they were even assigned.  This point is clear in verse 81 of Surat Al-Imran:

وَإِذۡ أَخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِيثَـٰقَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ لَمَآ ءَاتَيۡتُڪُم مِّن ڪِتَـٰبٍ۬ وَحِكۡمَةٍ۬ ثُمَّ جَآءَڪُمۡ رَسُولٌ۬ مُّصَدِّقٌ۬ لِّمَا مَعَكُمۡ لَتُؤۡمِنُنَّ بِهِۦ وَلَتَنصُرُنَّهُ ۥ‌ۚ قَالَ ءَأَقۡرَرۡتُمۡ وَأَخَذۡتُمۡ عَلَىٰ ذَٲلِكُمۡ إِصۡرِى‌ۖ قَالُوٓاْ أَقۡرَرۡنَا‌ۚ قَالَ فَٱشۡہَدُواْ وَأَنَا۟ مَعَكُم مِّنَ ٱلشَّـٰهِدِينَ (٨١)  فَمَن تَوَلَّىٰ بَعۡدَ ذَٲلِكَ فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡفَـٰسِقُونَ (٨٢)

“And (recall) when Allah took the Covenant of the Prophets, saying: “If I give you a book and wisdom then comes to you a Messenger confirming what is with you; you must believe in him and support him.” Allah said: “Do you affirm and accept My Covenant in this respect?” They said: “We affirm.” He said: “Then bear witness; and I am with you among the witnesses.” (81)  Then whoever turns back after this, they are the rebellious.” (Al-Imran 3:81-82)

Regarding Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), these verses state in a very clear language, that Allah took the covenant from all prophets, from Adam to Jesus (peace by upon them all) that when He sends a messenger conforming what they have received, they should believe in him and support him and anyone who does not fulfill this covenant is rebellious and sinful.   Allah also tells us that they all agreed to this covenant and Allah confirmed that as their witness.

If all the Prophets agreed to follow Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), anyone who does not follow him after hearing about him, is declared by Allah as rebellious.    But for this to be just, previous revelations must have clear description of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) to leave no ambiguity that he is the one designated by Allah as the seal of the Prophets.

Allah affirms in the Quran that the nature of the mission and the attributes of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) are clearly identified in both the Torah and the gospel (in the new and Old Testament) and this should remove any doubt about the legitimacy of His prophethood.  Allah says:

ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ ٱلرَّسُولَ ٱلنَّبِىَّ ٱلۡأُمِّىَّ ٱلَّذِى يَجِدُونَهُ ۥ مَكۡتُوبًا عِندَهُمۡ فِى ٱلتَّوۡرَٮٰةِ وَٱلۡإِنجِيلِ يَأۡمُرُهُم بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَنۡہَٮٰهُمۡ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنڪَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡخَبَـٰٓٮِٕثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنۡهُمۡ إِصۡرَهُمۡ وَٱلۡأَغۡلَـٰلَ ٱلَّتِى كَانَتۡ عَلَيۡهِمۡ‌ۚ فَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ بِهِۦ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَٱتَّبَعُواْ ٱلنُّورَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ مَعَهُ ۥۤ‌ۙ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ (١٥٧)

“Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet whom they find written with them in the Torah and the Injeel (Gospel), he commands them with goodness and forbids them from indecency; he makes lawful for them all that is good, and prohibits them all that is foul, he relieves them from their heavy burdens and from the shackles that were upon them. So those who believe in him, honor him, help him, and follow the light that has been sent down with him, it is they who are successful”. (Al-Araf 7:157)

Note that this command is addressed to the Jews and Christians, and it clearly states that the attributes of Prophet Mahammad (PBUH) is revealed to them in their books. So, when they reject him, they are actually rejecting part of their own religion and anyone who does this is condemned to Hell.