Know your Lord- Who is Al-Ahad?
He
is the One who is singled out in all aspects of perfectionn such that
nothing else shares with Him in these. It is obligatory upon the
servants to single Him out aone in belief, saying ans action by
ackowneldigin His unrestricted perfection, His uniqueness and singling
Him out alone for all types of worship.
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O [my] two companions of prison, are separate lords better or Allah, the One, the Prevailing?- |Qur'an- 12:39|
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Say, "He is Allāh, Who is One- |Qur'an 112:1|
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Allāh Exalted is He is both Al-Wāhid and Al-Ahad. Most linguists say that they both come from the same root but differ slightly in meaning. The root is waw-haa-dal (و-ح-د), which means ‘to be one’, ‘the only one’ or ‘to unify’.
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Al-Ahad is completely unique. Al-Wāhid has no partner. So we can say that Al-Wāhid is the One and Al-Ahad is the Only One. So Allāh is the One and Only.
_
This Name brings us back to the essence of Islām. It brings us back to what this is really about.
It is about Allāh: One, Unique.
_
And we cannot really talk about al-Ahad without talking about the chapter which mentions this Name, the chapter on sincerity (Surat al-Ikhlās). How amazing that the Name Al-Ahad is only mentioned once in the Qur’ān, yet the chapter it appears in is equal to one third of the whole Qur’ān! It is possibly the most important name, since our profession of faith is based on it: “lā ilāha il- Allāh – there is no deity but God”. _
_
Some scholars have said that this chapter is equal to a third of the Qur’ān because one third of the Qur’ān talks about the attributes of Allāh. Yet if you only have this surāh, you have all you need to know Allāh.
_
This is why, when Bilal (may Allāh be pleased with him) said that one word, the Quraysh could not take it. It shattered all of their notions about their gods, as well as what they thought about Allāh. That is why this chapter was so beloved to the Companions Radiallāhu `anhum.
_
What are the implications of knowing He is One, Unique, Unparalleled?
Can you feel what Bilal felt when he said, “Ahadun Ahad”? He felt conviction in his heart that there is nothing equal to Him, from which he was able to derive his strength. Not even torture could bring him down – and this is what the best of people were tried for. This is what the Companion, `Ammar bin Yasir, was tried and tortured for. This is why Asiyah, the wife of Pharaoh, was tormented.
_
So we need to ask: ‘Is Allāh One in my life? Do I direct everything to Him – from fears and hopes to needs?’ Realizing that He is One is to know that there is no love like His love, that there is no One who gives like Him, and that there is no One else who can fill the void – only Him, the One.
_
His Oneness and Uniqueness force us to say to ourselves, ‘I cannot put my desires in one hand and Him in another. He is Al-Ahad.’ The weight of that knowledge should negate our lower desires and those subtle things that we worship – be it money, status or anything else. Knowing that He is al-Waahid al-Ahad reminds us that this life is about Him. He is our ultimate goal. This life is temporary; its joys and the pains will disappear, and this knowledge should negate our worldly attachments.
_
Sincerity: Since He is Al-Ahad, we should direct our intentions towards His pleasure and love. The effect of this is that we do not ‘see’ people any more in terms of their praise or their criticisms. It is all about Allah. This is the Name that brings everything to its essence and reminds us of the importance of sincerity. You might do things for praise but you may or may not receive it. Even if you do receive it, it will slowly wither. If you prevent yourself from doing the right thing because of what people will say or do, their reaction becomes a false idol that you worship alongside Allah. However, we know that anything done for Him in the right manner will remain. If this Oneness is realized in our hearts, that is when we actualize true freedom.That Oneness will weigh heavily on the scales
_
Renew your faith: The Prophet ﷺ told his Companions: “Renew your faith.” They said, “O Messenger of Allāh, how can we renew our faith?” The Prophet ﷺ said: “Say often, ‘there is no God but Allāh (la ilaha ill Allah)’.” - |Ahmad|
_
The Prophet ﷺ told his Companions: “Are you not able to read a third of the Qur’ān in one night?” They found this very difficult and replied that nobody amongst them could do so. The Prophet ﷺ replied: “Allāh, The One, the Self-Sufficient, Surah ‘Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad’, equals a third of the Qur’an.” - |Bukhāri|
_
O [my] two companions of prison, are separate lords better or Allah, the One, the Prevailing?- |Qur'an- 12:39|
_
Say, "He is Allāh, Who is One- |Qur'an 112:1|
_
Allāh Exalted is He is both Al-Wāhid and Al-Ahad. Most linguists say that they both come from the same root but differ slightly in meaning. The root is waw-haa-dal (و-ح-د), which means ‘to be one’, ‘the only one’ or ‘to unify’.
_
Al-Ahad is completely unique. Al-Wāhid has no partner. So we can say that Al-Wāhid is the One and Al-Ahad is the Only One. So Allāh is the One and Only.
_
This Name brings us back to the essence of Islām. It brings us back to what this is really about.
It is about Allāh: One, Unique.
_
And we cannot really talk about al-Ahad without talking about the chapter which mentions this Name, the chapter on sincerity (Surat al-Ikhlās). How amazing that the Name Al-Ahad is only mentioned once in the Qur’ān, yet the chapter it appears in is equal to one third of the whole Qur’ān! It is possibly the most important name, since our profession of faith is based on it: “lā ilāha il- Allāh – there is no deity but God”. _
_
Some scholars have said that this chapter is equal to a third of the Qur’ān because one third of the Qur’ān talks about the attributes of Allāh. Yet if you only have this surāh, you have all you need to know Allāh.
_
This is why, when Bilal (may Allāh be pleased with him) said that one word, the Quraysh could not take it. It shattered all of their notions about their gods, as well as what they thought about Allāh. That is why this chapter was so beloved to the Companions Radiallāhu `anhum.
_
What are the implications of knowing He is One, Unique, Unparalleled?
Can you feel what Bilal felt when he said, “Ahadun Ahad”? He felt conviction in his heart that there is nothing equal to Him, from which he was able to derive his strength. Not even torture could bring him down – and this is what the best of people were tried for. This is what the Companion, `Ammar bin Yasir, was tried and tortured for. This is why Asiyah, the wife of Pharaoh, was tormented.
_
So we need to ask: ‘Is Allāh One in my life? Do I direct everything to Him – from fears and hopes to needs?’ Realizing that He is One is to know that there is no love like His love, that there is no One who gives like Him, and that there is no One else who can fill the void – only Him, the One.
_
His Oneness and Uniqueness force us to say to ourselves, ‘I cannot put my desires in one hand and Him in another. He is Al-Ahad.’ The weight of that knowledge should negate our lower desires and those subtle things that we worship – be it money, status or anything else. Knowing that He is al-Waahid al-Ahad reminds us that this life is about Him. He is our ultimate goal. This life is temporary; its joys and the pains will disappear, and this knowledge should negate our worldly attachments.
_
Sincerity: Since He is Al-Ahad, we should direct our intentions towards His pleasure and love. The effect of this is that we do not ‘see’ people any more in terms of their praise or their criticisms. It is all about Allah. This is the Name that brings everything to its essence and reminds us of the importance of sincerity. You might do things for praise but you may or may not receive it. Even if you do receive it, it will slowly wither. If you prevent yourself from doing the right thing because of what people will say or do, their reaction becomes a false idol that you worship alongside Allah. However, we know that anything done for Him in the right manner will remain. If this Oneness is realized in our hearts, that is when we actualize true freedom.That Oneness will weigh heavily on the scales
_
Renew your faith: The Prophet ﷺ told his Companions: “Renew your faith.” They said, “O Messenger of Allāh, how can we renew our faith?” The Prophet ﷺ said: “Say often, ‘there is no God but Allāh (la ilaha ill Allah)’.” - |Ahmad|
_
The Prophet ﷺ told his Companions: “Are you not able to read a third of the Qur’ān in one night?” They found this very difficult and replied that nobody amongst them could do so. The Prophet ﷺ replied: “Allāh, The One, the Self-Sufficient, Surah ‘Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad’, equals a third of the Qur’an.” - |Bukhāri|
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