The Impact of Faith in the Names and Attributes of God
Belief in the beautiful names and supreme attributes of God – exalted be He – has a profound effect on the life of a believer. This belief holds significant importance for Muslims, as a person’s faith is not complete without an understanding of God’s names and attributes. The foundation of faith revolves around three main aspects of monotheism: the belief in God’s divinity, His lordship, and His names and attributes.
The Influence of Belief in God’s Names and Attributes on a Muslim’s Character
When a believer comprehensively recognizes the names and attributes of God, it positively influences their character and serves them greatly. This recognition elevates their standing and enhances their personality. As one’s understanding of God’s names and attributes deepens, their character transforms. Here are some examples:
- Belief that God is the sole benefactor and harm dealer empowers a Muslim profoundly, instilling courage as they no longer fear harm from anyone. Such a person understands that all benefit and harm lie in God’s hands, leading them to seek help solely from Him and fostering self-confidence, dignity, and honor. When believing that all harm is under God’s control, there’s no fear of injury from others, as they recognize that only God has authority over such matters.
- Recognizing God as the one who advances and delays enables the believer to understand that any postponement of provisions, promotions, marriage, or success is a result of God’s wisdom and careful planning. This conviction brings comfort and complete satisfaction with life’s circumstances, keeping them at bay from sadness and depression. Similarly, when faced with unfortunate events, like loss or bereavement, they come to realize that such occurrences hold greater good, allowing for contentment without resentment or discontent.
- Understanding God as the wise, gentle, knowledgeable, and aware greatly influences the serenity, calmness, and stability a person experiences. This belief enhances the conviction that their life journey is divinely orchestrated and not random or chaotic.
The Influence of Belief in God’s Names and Attributes on Prayer
It can be asserted that faith in God’s names and attributes significantly impacts the acceptance of a believer’s prayers, manifested in three key points:
- Calling upon God using His beautiful names increases the likelihood of response. God – exalted be He – states, “Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful; whichever you call, to Him belong the best names.” Additionally, God commands us to invoke Him using His excellent names, making this approach more favorable for acceptance. When a supplicant addresses God with His beautiful names, they approach Him with reverence and humility.
- Praying using the Greatest Name of God enhances the chances of having one’s prayer answered. In a narration, it is stated that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) heard a man supplicating, saying: “O Allah, I ask You because I bear witness that You are Allah, there is no deity except You, the One, the Eternal Refuge, who neither begets nor is born, and there is none comparable to Him.” The Prophet responded that the man had called upon God using His Greatest Name, which when invoked yields a response.
The Greatest Name of God is concealed from His creations to encourage them to approach Him through all His names, urging them to seek that name among the beautiful names of God, thereby inspiring them to engage with all of God’s beautiful attributes in their prayers.
- Choosing the appropriate name of God in supplication is important. For example, those seeking provision should invoke the name of the Provider, while those seeking kindness should address God as the Gentle One. Similarly, if someone seeks forgiveness and mercy, they should pray using the names of the Forgiving and the Merciful. This practice not only increases the likelihood of prayers being accepted but also reinforces the believer’s faith in God’s attributes and their reliance on Him.