In Thy name, we live

Episode 24:  Al-Kareem (The Generous)

In the name of Allah[1] (God), The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful.  All Prayers and Blessings of Allah be upon our master, the most noble Prophet Muhammad (SAWS)[2].

Today’s episode is about Allah’s Name “The Generous”.  As a human being, you should not humiliate yourself because you are so precious to Allah (SWT)[3].  To know how, let’s live for a while with Allah’s most beautiful Name “The Generous” (Al-Kareem). 

Before we start, you have to keep in mind the message and aim of this episode, especially on these last days of Ramadan: 

-      Do not humiliate yourself through committing sins after Ramadan.

-      Do not follow Satan; he wants to see you degraded.

-      Never give up your good manners or your soul.

There are two meanings for Allah’s Name, “The Generous”: one is general and the other is exclusive only to mankind.  The general one is that “The Generous” is a comprehensive Name for Allah’s all other beautiful Names.  The exclusive one is that Allah, “The Generous”, has honored mankind for we are so precious to Him.

The General Meaning:

People always connect the word “generous” or “generosity” to financial offerings, which is a very limited interpretation for the word.  In the Arabic language, the meaning of this word is much more comprehensive, as it represents the meaning of every good, praised and noble trait.  Hence, the generous is someone with noble and good traits and manners. 

Consequently, “The Generous” is a comprehensive Name representing all the good we thank Allah (SWT) for.  It includes all Allah’s beautiful Names.  For His generosity, He is the Superb Provider, the Effacer of sins, the Ever-Forgiving, the Superb Bestower, the Supreme Answerer…etc.

The Prophet (SAWS) expresses that Allah (SWT) is so generous that He does not let down His slaves when they supplicate to Him.  This is related to His Names “The Supreme Answerer” and “The Ever-Forgiving”.  Allah is “The Most Honorable” because no one in the universe is so generous in everything like Him.

Remember that “The Generous” takes the initiative by treating you with kindness, never reminds you with His favors upon you and never lets you down.  The Prophet (SAWS) explains that no one loves your excuses but Allah, The Generous.  Most people get really sick of your silly excuses each time you go apologize, but not “The Generous”.

The Exclusive Meaning:

The second meaning of “The Generous”, which is exclusive only to man, is that man is the most precious creature to Allah, The Generous.  He (SWT) has honored man and has distinguished him from among the rest of creatures.  Allah says what can be translated as, “And indeed We have already honored the Seeds (Or: sons) of Adam and carried them on land and sea, (Literally: in the land the sea) and provided them of the good (things), and graced them over many of whom We created with marked graciousness” (TMQ, 17:70).

Allah (SWT) created man in the best form that can be.  Allah says what can be translated as, “O you man! What has deluded you concerning your Generous Lord, Who created you, then molded you, then proportioned you?” (TMQ, 82:6-8).  If you have not been molded and proportioned, you would have acted like animals, for example, when eating, drinking, etc. 

As a believer, your honor is even more tangible.  The angels asked Allah what can be translated as, “Will You make therein one who will corrupt in it and shed blood (Literally: bloods) while we (are the ones who) extol (with) Your praise and call You Holy? Literally: hallow for you)” He said, “Surely I know whatever you do not know” (TMQ, 2:30).  Although the angels might be correct, since some of us commit corruption and shed blood on earth, Allah (SWT) knew that the good in the believers, prophets, messengers and reformers was worth it.  Allah says what can be translated as, “Surely (the ones) who have believed and done deeds of righteousness, those are they who are the most charitable (i.e., best) of beings” (TMQ, 98:7). 

Allah (SWT) commanded the angels in what can be translated as, “So, when I have molded him and breathed into him of My Spirit, fall down to him prostrating!” (TMQ, 15:29).  All angels, including Jibril (AS) “Gabriel”, prostrated to Adam (AS) except Satan, who was expelled for refusing to prostrate.  This ayah[4] demonstrates three forms of honor to man: molding, breathing into man of Allah’s Spirit and commanding the angels to prostrate to him. 

Allah created us from dust and water, which are the purest two elements on earth, in addition to a breath from His Spirit.  Hence, man is pure by nature and should not stain his purity or degrade himself by committing sins.  Man was the last being created to live on earth, which means that all was created for him to master.  Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “And the cattle-He created them for you…” (TMQ, 16:5).

Allah (SWT) has honored and has chosen you from among all other creatures to be His successor on earth.  Allah says what can be translated as, “Surely I am making in the earth a successor” (TMQ 2:30).  He (SWT) made all creatures bound to your service and made you free to think, innovate, invent and do what you like.  However, you should never forget that you are still His worshipper. 

He enjoined you to have good manners and sent His messengers and books to teach you manners.  He created jannah (Paradise) for you and made the angels your guardians in life and servants in the hereafter.  Moreover, when you get close to Him, you become higher in rank than the angels themselves.  However, when you turn your back on Him and disobey Him, He turns you back to the basest of the base. 

How would one protect himself/herself from being degraded?  It is only by loving oneself, which has two meanings.  The first is selfishness, which certainly I do not mean.  The second is the positive one, which is to respect oneself and like being respected, appreciated and praised by people, and this is what I mean. 

You should love your self because Allah (SWT) created you and honored you.  Allah (SWT) created you with an instinct called self-respect and self-appreciation, which makes you love to be respected and appreciated.  Psychologists say that man has three main instincts:

1. The instinct for food and water

2. The instinct for sex

3. The instinct for self-respect and self-appreciation

Allah (SWT) created the instinct of self-respect and self-appreciation to act like a high fence that surrounds and protects you from your lusts.  This instinct makes one likes to take pride in his origin, family, name, etc. and hides his/her faults and failure.  Everybody fears to get scandalized.  Allah, The Generous, has put such an instinct in you to make you always seek self-respect because you are so special and precious to Him. 

When you commit a sin, you feel so small because you have degraded yourself.  Why do you think “major” sins are given such a classification?  It is because they are sins that deeply degrade oneself in one’s eyes.  For example, one of the reasons why Allah (SWT) has made drinking wine a major sin is that it degrades man.  You can understand exactly what I mean if you see a drunkard vomiting or urinating in the street.  You will think to yourself, “How degraded he made himself!”  O worshipper of The Generous, you are honored by Him; therefore, do not ever degrade yourself.  

Do not ever cheat, steal, lie or be a hypocrite!  Even if no one knew about your sin or fault, you would still feel so small within yourself and you would always wonder whether people knew about your shameful secret.  Allah (SWT) tells us about the hypocrites what can be translated as, “… they reckon every shout is against them.” (TMQ, 63:4).

Allah (SWT) honors you as He accepts your repentance when you fall into sins.  Moreover, He veils your faults and sins to protect your self-respect and people’s respect to you.  Sometimes, He unveils them so that you would wake up, repent and retrieve your lost self-respect.  However, He does this gradually.  It is like medical treatment; the stronger the illness is the bigger the dosage should be until you are completely cured.  When you degrade yourself, He discloses you slightly.  If this does not work and you insist on not repenting, He keeps widening the disclosure bit by bit until you stop degrading yourself. 

Unfortunately, some people have already lost their self-respect after having completely degraded themselves until nothing seems to make a difference to them anymore.  On the other hand, others have nothing but their self-respect; they keep holding tight to it no matter how poor and needy they are. 

Always remember that your battle with Satan is a battle against degradation.  Satan simply wants to degrade and humiliate you.  When Allah (SWT) created Adam (AS) and commanded Satan to prostrate to him, Satan said, “I am more charitable (i.e., better) than he; You created me of fire, and him You created of clay” (TMQ, 38:76).  Satan thus wants to prove he is better than Adam (AS) and all his offspring. Therefore, he told Allah (SWT) in the ayah that can be translated as, “Have You seen?  This, whom you have honored above me, indeed in case you defer me to the Day of the Resurrection, indeed I will definitely bring his offspring under my subjection, (Literally: under my palate; i.e., between my jaws) except a few” (TMQ, 17:62).

One last thing before we go, do not ever humiliate others as well!  The Prophet (SAWS) said that if one gibed at someone for committing a sin or a fault, he would not die until he himself had committed the same fault he gibed at.  He (SAWS) also warned us not to glee at another’s misfortune, or Allah will grant His mercy upon the unfortunate and inflict us with misfortune.

Now, I shall ask you all to do two assignments after this episode:

1.      Sit to yourselves, think of a sin that degrades you and decide that you will stop doing it from this moment on.

2.      Never degrade or humiliate others!  Honor people and treat them in good manners so that Allah, The Generous, would honor you. 

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