Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Allāh’s Attribute of As-Salām

Allāh’s Attribute  of As-Salām

(The source of Peace, Safety and Perfection)

By Dr. Muhammad Ratib An-Nabulsi

In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;
All the praise and Thanks is due to Allāh, the Lord of al-‘ālameen. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad, Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam is His Messenger. 



The meanings of Allāh’s name “As-Salām”:

The One who is perfect, whole, prosperous and content.
The One who is the source of all peace, wholeness,  security, tranquility and safety.
The One who has rendered all of creation to be perfect, whole, prosperous and content.
The One whose creation is free of imperfections, free of faults and free of error. 

From the root S-L-M which has the following classical Arabic connotations:

to be peaceful, quiet, tranquil, content, friendly, reconciled
to be free from imperfections, free from faults, complete, whole, sound
to be safe, secure, well, healthy, prosperous

This ancient Semitic root of S-L-M implies every manner of wholeness, completeness and prosperity.

Many seek peace by struggling, battling and trying to impose their will on others, yet external peace will only prevail as a reflection of inner peace. The only path to outer peace is awareness of the tranquil depths of  inner peace, and the only source of such inner peace is the One known as as-Salâm.

One of the meanings of Allāh’s name “As-Salām” is that remembering Him leads to seekings from him security, tranquility and safety
Allāh’s divine name “As-Salām” (The source of peace, safety and perfection) means that He is the source of peace and safety, and also means that He is free from any kind of defect or imperfection.

The name of Allāh “As-Salām is mentioned in the following verse in the Qur’ān:

“He is Allāh, besides Whom there is no other god, the King, the Holy, the Peace, the Securer, the Guardian, the Mighty, the Compeller, the Exalted. Glorified be Allāh above what partners they ascribe!”  (Al-Hashr , 59: 23)

The word (salām) is also mentioned in the following verses:

“Allāh calls to the Home of Peace (salam) (i.e. Paradise) and guides whom He wills to the Straight Path.” (Yunus 10: 25; Al-Waqi’ah, 56:90Maryam ,19:15)

Different Meanings of Allāh’s Divine Name of “As-Salām

1-The first meaning of Allāh’s name “As Salam” is that He is free from all kinds of imperfection, His attributes are free from all kinds of defects and His acts are free from any kind of evil. In line with that, any kind of purposeful evil that Allāh inflicts on his creatures is meant for the near or far benefit of mankind.

Hence, Allāh’s creation is perfect and faultless: “Verily, We have created all things in (perfect) measure.” (Al-Qamar, 54: 49)

2 - Allāh is “As-Salām” that He is the giver of safety to His slaves, i.e. there is no safety in the whole universe except that which is attributed to Him for He is the Creator, who designs and controls all things.
In the universe around us, as human beings we can find innumerable events, signs, evidence of the fact that Allāh is “As-Salām (The Source of Peace, safety and Perfection)”.
Allāh grants us safety in our body. He gave us organs and apparatuses. He gave us cells and tissues, marvelous accuracy of our digestive, nervous, muscular, and circulatory systems. If you are afraid, remember Him, and He fills your heart with peace. If you get connected with Him, He purifies you from all defects and faults; He purifies your soul, because He is “As-Salām (The Source of peace, safety, and perfection)”.
In your business, He guides you to peaceful ways; in your marriage He guides you to peaceful ways; and in your relationships with your neighbors He guides you to peaceful ways. If you adhere to His divine commands and enjoinments in His Qur’ān, He guides you, in everything and every issue, to peaceful ways. And He invites you to the Home of Peace, i.e. Paradise.
Let’s contemplate Allāh’s Words: “By the sky which gives rain again and again, and the earth which splits again and again!” (Al-Tariq, 86: 112)

In this context, Allāh also says: …Who has created the seven heavens one above another; you can see no fault in the creation of the Most Gracious. Then look again: Can you see any rifts?” (Al-Mulk 67: 3)

Allāh also says: “He (Pharaoh) said: ‘Who then, O Moses, is the Lord of you two?’ He (Moses) said: ‘Our Lord is He Who gave all things their form and nature, then guided them aright.’” (Ta Ha 20: 49-50)

3 - Of the meanings of Allāh’s name “As-Salām” is that remembering Him leads to feelings of security, tranquility and safety. To this effect, Allāh’s words go: Verily, in the remembrance of Allāh do hearts find rest.” (Al-Ra’d 13: 28)
In man’s heart there may dwell feelings of loneliness, fear, anxiety, and worry. Such feelings are not removed or minimized except by remembering Allāh and being conscious of Him.
“As-Salām”, therefore, is that if you remember Him, you feel peaceful as fear and loneliness is removed from you. With Him, you feel secure, and if you remember Him, you feel tranquil with Him and feel so near to Him.
Hence, Allāh’s name “As-Salām” brings comfort, because with it you live in peace, you live in tranquility, you live in comfort. You feel that He, the Creator of the universe, is always with you. He never lets you down or leaves you unprotected in the face of your enemies.
He defends you, protects you, helps you, gives you victory; and you reap the ripe fruits after you have paid the price. Allāh says:

“Indeed Allāh took the covenant from the children of Israel, and We appointed twelve leaders among them. And Allāh said: ‘I am with you if you perform prayer and give Zakat (Alms) and believe in My Messengers, honor and assist them, and lend a good loan to Allāh, verily, I will expiate your sins and admit you to Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise). But if any of you, after this, disbelieves, he has indeed gone astray from the Straight Path.” (Al-Māidah, 5: 12)

If you remember Him, you feel that He defends you, that you are in His care, protection, help and grace.

4 - One of the meanings of Allāh’s name “As-Salām” is that if you get connected to Him you have all your defects and faults purified.
Connection with Allāh purifies man from all defects, from avarice, from meanness, from malice, grudge, from feud, from envy, from arrogance and from a great many other defects and faults, which are the main source of human misery and wretchedness. If you get connected with Allāh, the source of peace, safety and perfection, you get purified from all such defects and faults.
Thus, remembrance of Allāh conduces to security and peace that connection with Him conduces to freedom from defects, faults and impurities, and rids of sins, grudge, envy, feud, and arrogance. All such grievous deadly evil qualities are purified and removed from you if you get connected with Allāh.

5 - Another meaning of “As-Salām” (The Source of Peace) is that if you adhere to His religion, He guides you to peaceful ways. Allāh says in the Qur’ān:

“Verily, this Qur’ān guides to that which is most just and right.” (Al-Isrā’,17: 9)
In other words, if you stick to Allāh’s divine law and legislation, He grants you safety in this life; if you turn to Him with love, He gives you security and safety; if you obey Him in all aspects of your life, He grants you safety in the world to come. Allāh says:
“He is Allāh: There is no god but Him, the King, the Holy, “As-Salām” (The Peace).” (Al-Hashr 59: 23)
However, if we abide by Allāh’s religion, Allāh will certainly bless our marriage, work, provision, health, and children. He will also guide us to ways of peace and safety. To this effect, He says:
“Verily, this Qur’ān guides to that which is more just and right.” (Al-Isrā17: 9; Ta Ha 20:123

6 -    The word “As-Salām” bears another meaning in the Qur’ān. To that Allāh says:

“And Allāh invites to Dar As-Salām (The Home of Peace) and guides whom He wills to the Straight Path.” (Yūnus 10: 25)
“Dar As-Salām” (The Home of Peace) is Paradise, wherein there is no distress or envy, wherein you are not chased by illness or worry, wherein you are not visited by fear or are transgressed against by anyone else, no wars, no persecution, nothing like this at all.
Such is Dar “As-Salām” (The Home of Peace, Paradise); what a good recompense and dwelling!

7 -    Also, the word “As-Salām” is mentioned in another Qur’anic verse:

“And if he (the dying person) be of those of the Right Hand, then there is Salam (safety and peace) for those of the Right Hand.” (Al-Waqi’ah 56: 90-1)
In this verse Allāh mentions “As-Salām” (i.e. safety and peace) that He grants to people of the “Right Hand” on the Day of Judgment.

8 - The word “As-Salām” also comes in Allāh’s Words:
And Salam (peace) be on him (Jesus) the day he was born, the day he dies, and the day he will be raised up to life.” (Maryam 19: 15)
In interpretation of the above Qur’ānic verse Sufian ibn ‘Uyaynah, a venerable Islamic scholar, said:
“Man is most lonely in three positions: First, the day he is born, when he comes out of his mother’s womb, in which he used to be in comfort and safety away from troubles and problems of life to which he comes.
The second station in which man feels most lonely is when he dies leaving everything (his wife, children and family, house, shop, work, friends, desires, hobbies …etc.) on a no-return trip to the Hereafter. The third station is the day he is raised up to life again, on the Day of Resurrection.”
Concerning that day, Aishah (radiyallāhu’anha) asked Prophet Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam):
“O Messenger of Allāh! Shall we know one another on the Day of Resurrection?”
Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) said:
“Yes, O Mother of the Faithful! Except for three positions: at As-Sirat (The Path), upon the Mustering, and when the Scrolls are spread out.”
Thawban Ibn Bajdad (radiyallāhu’anhu) reported: Whenever Allāh’s Messenger (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) completed his Solāh, Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) would ask Allah’s forgiveness three times and then he would say: 

“Allāhumma antas-Salām wa minkas-Salām [wa ilay kaya ‘ūdus-Salām, Fahaiyina-Rabbana-bis-Salām Wa ad-khilnal-Jannata Dārus-Salām] tabārakta [Rabbana wa ta’a layta,] Ya Dzal-Jalali wal-Ikram” 

(O Allāh, You are the One Who is free from all defects and deficiencies,[ from Thoucome well-being, to Thou shalt return the well-being; Thus bless  us with peace and Jannah, the Abode of Peace,] shower us  your  blessing O Allāh,[ Our Lord, the Most High]; O Allāh, our Lord Possessor of majesty and honour.)” 

[This is related by “the group: Muslim, Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidzi, An-Nasā’ie, Ibn Mājah except for Al-Bukhāri]

According to Râghib the word Islam, which arises form this same s-l-m root,  means to enter into salm... which means to enter into peace, or to enter into wholeness. That is, the word Islam means to be at peace with or reconciled with the ways and decrees of Allâh, and is often described as self-resignation, surrender or submission to the will of Allâh.

(Also written as al-salam, as-salam, al-salaam, as-salaam, the Source of Peace: Ya salam, Ya salaam)

And Allāh Almighty Knows best.

Related Links:
·        Man-God Relationship


[An Excerp from “Understanding Allāh's Attribute  of As-Salām  (The Source of Peace)”, By Dr. Muhammad Ratib An-Nabulsi via On Islam, Sunday, 16 March 2014 00:00, Dr. Muhammad Ratib An-Nabulsi is a Muslim Syrian preacher and writer. He has written a number of Islamic books, most remarkable of which are: “Encyclopedia of the Beautiful Names of Allāh”, “Encyclopedia of Scientific Miracles of the Holy Qur’ān and Prophetic Sunnah” , “Outlooks on Islam” and “Contemplations on Islam”. He delivers a number of lessons, orations, symposiums and chat programs broadcasted on the Syrian, Arab, and Islamic radios and Televisions.This article is a summarized version of the article (As-Salām) by the author, published at his web site www.nabulsi.com. First published in November 2010.]