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.  We already discussed 10 names, Allah, Al-Rahman, Al-Rahime, Al-Malik, Al-Quddus, Al-Salaam, Al-Mu’min, Al-Muhaymin Al-Aziz, and Al-Jabbar, and today, we will Insha’Allah discuss the name Al-Mutakabbir.

11 Al-Mutakabbir (المتكبر) – The Greatest, the Proud, the Possessor of all Rights

Allah’s name Al-Mutakabbir (المتكبر) came once in the Qur’an and it is in surah Al-Hashr:

.

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

“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)

Allah’s name Al-Mutakabbir (المتكبر) represents an attribute of perfection, and it implies the possession of five things:

1. Absolute Greatness: Al-Mutakabbir means that everything relative to Allah is insignificant.
2. Infinite Authority: Al-Mutakabbir means that Allah has full authority over His infinite kingdom and this authority will never be diminished and He has absolute control and full knowledge of everything that happens within His Kingdom.  
3. Full Immunity against external influence: Al- Mutakabbir means that nothing affects Allah and thus His justice is absolute, and His forgiveness is immense.
4. Absolute will: Al- Mutakabbir means that Allah’s will is absolute and will always prevail and nothing or no one can persuade Him to change His will.
5. Ultimate Perfection: Al- Mutakabbir means that Allah is free from any imperfection or weaknesses and this attribute is also related to Allah’s name Al-Quddus.

Al-Mutakabbir can only be used for Allah and its English translation is “the Proud” but its claim by any creation of Allah whether men or Jinn is deplorable, and its English translation will be “the arrogant” and thus condemned by Allah.    Allah says regarding those people:

وَيَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ تَرَى ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَبُواْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ وُجُوهُهُم مُّسۡوَدَّةٌ‌ۚ أَلَيۡسَ فِى جَهَنَّمَ مَثۡوً۬ى لِّلۡمُتَكَبِّرِينَ (٦٠)

“And on the Day of Judgment, you will see those who lied against Allah— their faces are turned black. Is it not that Hell is an abode for the arrogant?” (Al-Zumur 39:60)

For a man to claim this attribute of Al-Mutakabbir is despicable because such a person regards everything as unworthy of consideration in relation to himself, and thus looks upon others as being their master and they are his slaves.  Emphasizing the condemnation of anyone who claims this attribute, the Prophet (PBUH) said: 

عن عبد الله قال : قال رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – : لا يدخل النار أحد في قلبه مثقال حبة خردل من إيمان ، ولا يدخل الجنة أحد في قلبه مثقال حبة خردل من كبرياء) صحيح مسلم(

 “No one will enter hell if he has an atom of faith (iman) in his heart and no one will enter Heaven if he has an atom of Kibriaa (arrogance) on his heart”.  

The Prophet (PBUH) said:

عن أبي هريرة قال : قال رسول الله – صلى الله عليه وسلم – : ( قال الله عز وجل : الكبرياء ردائي ، والعظمة إزاري ، فمن نازعني واحداً منهما قذفته في النار ) ، ) الحديث أصله في صحيح مسلم وأخرجه الإمام أحمد وأبو داود وابن ماجة وابن حبان في صحيحه وغيرهم (

“Allah said Al kibriaa (Pride) is my garment and greatness is my cloak, whoever claims any of them, I’ll throw him in Hell”.  

These are clear warnings because the character of “Kibriaa” (arrogance) for people diminishes the sense of servitude to Allah; a servant is expected to be humble toward his master.  Therefore, Allah rewards humbleness with heaven and penalizes arrogance with Hell. 

The Prophet (PBUH) said:

عن أبي سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله ﷺ قال : (من تواضع لله درجة رفعه الله درجة حتى يجعله في عليين، ومن تكبَّر على الله درجة وضعه الله درجة حتى يجعله في أسفل السافلين) [أخرجه أحمد(

 “Whoever humbles himself to Allah, Allah will raise his rank until He makes him in Eliyeen (Highest place in Heaven) and whoever shows arrogance toward Allah, Allah will lower his rank until he reaches the lowest of the Low (in Hellfire)”. 

The attribute, Al-Mutakabbir, suits none but Allah alone. Allah Al-Mutakabbir does not love the arrogant person. As it is said, “pride comes before the fall”, almost always Allah humiliates and brings down the arrogant person to become the lowest of the low. Just as rain, it does not gather on high mountains but on the bottom of it, Allah’s blessings and compassion are only with those who humble and lower themselves to Allah.

Satan was the first to claim “kibr” (arrogance) and therefore became arrogant. He claimed greatness over Adam.  In Satan’s footsteps follow those who think that Allah’s blessings to them – power, intelligence, knowledge, position, fame, fortune – are theirs to keep and gloat about them. An example in the Quran for such people is Qaroun (قَـٰرُونَ) who was a very wealthy Israelite

قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أُوتِيتُهُ ۥ عَلَىٰ عِلۡمٍ عِندِىٓ‌ۚ أَوَلَمۡ يَعۡلَمۡ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدۡ أَهۡلَكَ مِن قَبۡلِهِۦ مِنَ ٱلۡقُرُونِ مَنۡ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنۡهُ قُوَّةً۬ وَأَڪۡثَرُ جَمۡعً۬ا‌ۚ (٧٨)

“He said: “This has been given to me because of knowledge I possess.” Did he not know that Allah had destroyed before him generations were stronger than him in power and greater than him in the amount (of riches)”. (Al-Qasas 28:78)

All those who like Qaroun have completely forget that Allah’s blessings are tools to worship, to serve and to obey Him.  And if they claim it for themselves, Allah can take it away from them as He did with Qaroun, Allah said:

فَخَسَفۡنَا بِهِۦ وَبِدَارِهِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ فَمَا ڪَانَ لَهُ ۥ مِن فِئَةٍ۬ يَنصُرُونَهُ ۥ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُنتَصِرِينَ (٨١)

So, We caused the earth to swallow him and his home. Then he had no group or party to help him against Allah, nor was he one of those who could defend themselves. (Al-Qasa 28:81) 

The Prophet (PBUH) is our role model in illustrating the nature of humbleness and modesty.  A man approached the Prophet (PBUH) after the Prophet entered Mecca victorious and the man was shaken by the Prophet’s presence, so the Prophet told him:

عن قيس بن أبي حازم : أن رجلاً أتي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقام بين يديه فأخذته رعدة فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ( هوّن عليك فإني لست بملك ، إنما أنا ابن امرأة من قريش كانت تأكل القديد)) سنن ابن ماجه(

“Feel comfortable, I am not king, I am just a son of a woman from Quraysh that used to eat the old and dry meat in Mecca.”  

Elements to Adopt in our Character

Allah’s name, Al-Mutakabbir, must remind us of His greatness as compared to our lowly nature, meek power, and limited knowledge.  There are five ways that we can realize the divine attribute, Al-Mutakabbir, in our life:

1. Acknowledge our lowly nature compared to the greatness of Allah. This should impact us in three ways:
   1. Our egotism will be diminished and replaced by genuine obedience, service, and worship of the true Al-Mutakabbir (Allah); in return, Allah will reward us with true greatness and honor.
   2. We will gain true freedom from fear of and servitude to anyone other than Allah. We become immune to being belittled but this should not lead us to belittle others.
   3. We become aware that our dignity is elevated by how humble we are toward Allah and his creations.
2. Work very hard to maximize our potential and influence, while remembering that the gifts we acquire and the opportunities we have, are presented to us by Allah – Al-Mutakabbir.
3. Develop Immunity against being unjust when provoked and free ourselves from whatever distracts our hearts from truth and obedience to Allah.
4. Have full control over our desires and passions and align our will with Allah’s will
5. Purify ourselves from all imperfection or weaknesses to ensure that have a deserving self-worth, i.e. pride, but not arrogance.

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

هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلۡمَلِكُ ٱلۡقُدُّوسُ ٱلسَّلَـٰمُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُ ٱلۡمُهَيۡمِنُ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡجَبَّارُ ٱلۡمُتَڪَبِّرُ‌ۚ سُبۡحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشۡرِڪُونَ )٢٣(

هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡخَـٰلِقُ ٱلۡبَارِئُ ٱلۡمُصَوِّرُ‌ۖ لَهُ ٱلۡأَسۡمَآءُ ٱلۡحُسۡنَىٰ‌ۚ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُ ۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ )٢٤(

“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.” (23)

He is Allah, the Creator, the Inventor, the Fashioner. His are the most beautiful names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorify Him, and He is the Mighty, the Wise. (Al-Hashr 59:23-24)

DUA