Nouman Ali Khan – Finding Strength in Allah’s Names

			You said behold Allah Himself is somehow at Walmart fill out the molecule could do seller Aziz al
Hakim, I'll briefly translate this for you. Everything in the skies and in the earth, declares
Allah's perfection and will continue to do so. The king, the pure, the authority, the wise, this is
a simplified translation in which I'm going to emphasize the four names of Allah that have been
mentioned. And then we'll dig a little bit deeper once again in brief translation, everything in the
skies and everything in the earth continues to declare and we'll continue to declare the perfection
of Allah who is the King, the pure the authority, the wise in that order, the King, the pure the
		

			authority, the wise. Okay, so let's now talk about each one of these names a little bit and I what I
want to start with is actually an observation of Imam Medina. Razia Rahim Allah, who pondered over
these four names of Allah in this package together. And the thing that he felt ties them all
together is the fact that all each one of these names in its own way, draws you closer to Allah.
Each one of these names attracts you to Allah and keeps you in close company of Allah. And he wanted
to describe that. And so I'm taking some excerpts from from his commentary, I'll start with his
commentary on the name the king and the Lima lion Saudi for unmerge LISI mankind and the whole Illa
		

			Indian philosophy Medici, he will Ivani havens Rafi, him, when you're in the company of someone
great, in this case, in the company of the king, it's improper protocol for you to just walk away.
You can't just you know, you've been given the the honor of being in the company of royalty being
invited to the castle being invited to the inner quarters of a king. You it's you're not sitting in
a restaurant, you're not sitting at a train station or in a movie theater or something, you just get
up and walk away. There's a there's an actual, you know, proper etiquette, respect and protocol that
has to be observed. Because you are in the presence of royalty actually have experience with this to
		

			an extent in the human sense. I've had the opportunity to meet with presidents and you know, in some
cases, Royal Mint, members of royal families in different countries, etc. And before you meet them,
there's always a protocol team that tells you, here's how you're going to meet the president. Here's
how you greet the king, here's where you're gonna sit, here's how you're gonna you let him eat first
then you eat this that the other you know, there's there's all this stuff, you can't just like in
the middle of the conversation, pick up the phone and say, Hey, excuse me, King, I got to take a
phone call. That's not going to happen. What he's trying to get at is when you get introduced to
		

			Allah, you are in awe of the fact that you're in the presence of royalty. And you're going to feel
ashamed, embarrassed, walking away from that presence, that grand presence. You're so honored that
you got to be there. Why would you want to to leave that presence you will be you'll be reluctant to
leave that presence. So this first name of allah draws you in and keeps you there out of reverence
for Allah, the second name of Allah al conduce, which I simply translated as the pure, he says about
it. I'll Manasa who and inox well who are your humble 300 T, he is someone who is free from flaws.
And because they're free from flaws, they're refined, pure, pure individuals, such a person and such
		

			an entity is their company is desired. Let me put that in simple words for you. People like refined
company, we like people that that are pure in their speech and their mannerisms and their behavior.
Their kindness is pure, their advice is pure, the sincerity is pure. You're gravitating towards
those kinds of people, truthful people, honest people, people that are genuine with you, those are
the kinds of people that you want to be around. So human beings naturally are drawn towards
truthfulness, and cleanliness and pure kinds of company. But even in the physical sense, if you live
in a polluted area where there's smoke and smog and dust and all of that human beings want to move
		

			away from that towards what a natural environment a pure environment where they can breathe fresh
air, where they can drink pure water. Purity is something that attracts people in the personal
emotional sense. But even physically, we are drawn towards purity and cleanliness. We want to get
away from filth and dirtiness, you know, that's, that's a human inclination Allah put inside of us.
So in a sense, when you get introduced to Allah as the ultimately pure, being in his company starts
purifying you, and thus you feel a change inside of you. And you don't want to leave that company
that's attractive in and of itself. The third so two names of Allah says, so far, so good. The quick
		

			recap would be the king. That's the first name, the pure that would be the second name. The third
name of Allah is the authority al Aziz. He says about it. Yeah. Tehsil multiphone. How level for
moussaka to home Hydra Tahoe to Freetown villa is that those who are around the authority and by the
way, let me translate that a little better. I'm keeping it simple. So you remember the words the
king the pure the authority, the wise now we're on authority, the third one, but let me just give
you a little bit more about the word Allah Aziz from the Arabic language. It actually combines two
meanings. It combines the meaning of
		

			authority, which I've already translated, but it also includes the meaning of honor and dignity and
respect. And if you combine those two, the notion that comes from Allah Aziz is an authority that
commands respect. That's an important distinction, because there are people, and there are entities
that have authority, but they don't have any respect. There are neighborhoods in which the police
have a lot of authority, but the community doesn't respect them. That happens. There may be an
institution, there may be people that people respect, like a teacher may be respected, but he has no
authority that might happen. But Aziz is someone who has authority, and that authority is also
		

			respected. And so he says, Then, why is this name attractive because Tom Razi, all these names are
attractive in some way, right? They, they're drawing you in closer to Allah. He says, it's similar
to the king and authority, a noble, respected authority has invited you, you're in their company,
you walking away from that company is not degrading them. It's degrading you you missed out on an
honor. You got invited by somebody noble, you got invited by the authority. So you're showing your
loyalty you're showing you you coming up and showing up and staying there is actually being a means
of dignifying yourself. So one actually becomes dignified. In the company of Al Aziz, they get
		

			reserved because they're in the company of Al Aziz. And finally, I quickly get to the final name in
this list, Al Malik al cudos, Al Aziz and finally, Al Hakim, the King, the pure the authority. And
finally, the wise al Hakim is a Farakka I don't have Rita who Fatah who frequently earnin che on
Minal hikmah. Beautifully said, when you're in the company of someone wise, every moment you miss
out on getting wisdom from them is a loss for you, every moment you want to take the most of it. I
mean, I have personal experience with this. And you might tell there are people, very few people in
our life are a source of real wisdom. And if you have those kinds of people, you know that they're
		

			very sought after a company. So you getting their undivided attention is not easy. And if you do get
it, you want to cherish every moment that you possibly can to capture whatever wisdom they have to
offer you. There are some teachers in different parts of the world that I look up to, I'll travel
and not to go and give a talk or a speech, I'll just traveled to go see them and ask them questions.
And if they can give me an hour of their time, 20 minutes of their time, I'll be grateful because
those 20 minutes are more valuable to me than five, six hours of studying on my own. That wisdom to
me is priceless. That company is priceless. So with the wise, every moment is precious, and it's a
		

			close, intimate relationship with a teacher, a mentor, an elder, someone who cares and loves for you
and therefore gives you wisdom. Okay, so these are the four names of Allah, that are described
inside of this is the King, the pure, the authority, and the wise, this was some things about Imam
Razi, and how he framed these names together, I want to add some of my own observations to that
observation. And I'd like to share with you that these four names of Allah can be further paired up,
there are four of them, you can divide them into two pairs. And those two pairs will be the first
and the third name are similar. And the second and the fourth name have something in common. So one
		

			in three, two and four. Now, let me put words to that. That would mean that the king and the
authority have something in common, and the pure in the y's have something in common.
		

			So let's talk about that. On the one hand, what if it should be obvious to many of you, what is the
king and the authority have in common, a king is an authority. And a king ideally, is also a
respected authority, they have a lot in common, and they both demand loyalty. They are, you know,
their authorities that have to be respected, they have to be obeyed. You have to you have to
recognize that they're up here and you're down here, you know, and authority is superior, a king is
superior, the Royal and you're a subject, you're down here, these names of Allah, what did they what
effect do they have? The effect they have is they make me loyal to Allah, obedient to Allah, humble
		

			before Allah, they make me afraid of Allah. They may even be intimidating to me. They are
overwhelming to me about the power and the grandeur of Allah and my insignificance. That's what
these names highlight what two names and Malik and Aziz, they are about the greatness of Allah and
therefore how miniscule and insignificant I become a PhD. You know, I become humbled before these
two names, but if you look at the other two names, I'll produce and Al Hakim, the pure and the wise,
while purity refinement cannot be experienced from a distance like those first two names, purity and
refinement is when you get close to someone and you see their mannerisms and you wisdom is something
		

			that when someone puts their hand over your shoulder and gives you advice and understands your
situation and then gives you exactly relevant counsel pertaining to your situation. I'm reminded
particularly in the matter of Al Hakim of the story of look man in the Quran, look, man lovingly
gives advice to his son and Allah says Welaka Artina Luqman al hikma we gave Lookman wisdom and then
he imparts that wisdom on to his son, that that that intimate, close, loving, really
		

			sonship part of that is imparting wisdom. You can't just get wisdom from a distance you have to
develop a relationship with somebody for them to impart wisdom relevant to your life to you. The
other side, I know the first side I'll produce refined company, pure company company who, whose
presence makes you feel better about yourself brings you peace. In a sense, you can think of it like
I like to think of Elko Deus and Al Hakim, paired also in a sense that when you're in the company of
someone pure, your heart starts getting purified. And when you're in the company of someone wise,
your mind starts getting purified with their wisdom, right? So it's hearts and minds that are being
		

			refined by the produce, and the Hakim, the pure and the wise. So two names are distant, Royal,
grand, even intimidating, and two names are close and friendly. And they they they bring you near,
that kind of makes it seem like these four names are near, or rather far the near and far the near.
There's a push and a pull going on, as far as how I'm to react to these names between myself and
Allah, that dichotomy and that tension is actually something beautifully articulated in the Quran.
And they're both necessary components of my relationship with Allah, the distance and their
closeness with Allah. First, I want to give you an example of it. And the example My favorite
		

			example of it, among many is the example of Musa alayhis, salaam, Moses when he saw the fire he was
with his family, and he saw a fire up atop the mountain and he told his family you stay here, I see
a fire maybe I'll get some directions there. Little did he know he's going to be meeting with Allah
when he goes up there. When he gets there. What's the first experience he has? Allah says yah Musa
in the Anara book for like, Musa there is no doubt I am your master. Take your shoes off then. In a
couple waddle mocha Jesse tua. You are no doubt in the sacred value of tour. He's intimidated. Allah
has established his mastery over him. He's just a slave. Take your shoes off show proper etiquette.
		

			This is a an intimidating relationship and immediately following that, what does Allah say? Well, I
know Touka festa, malema, you and I'm the one that has chosen you. I've selected you listen
carefully to the inspiration being given. Like Allah is saying, I see good in you. That's why this
choice has been made. He's making him feel comfortable. Now all of a sudden its closeness with him.
And immediately following that, in many and Allah La ilaha illa Anna Farah Bodine. I am no doubt
Allah know what is to be worshipped and obeyed besides me, be my slave and slave yourself to me
worship me. That's again mastery in slavery and intimidating a powerful relationship and immediately
		

			following that a close relationship. Welcome to Salah Italy decree established the prayer so you can
remember me a remembrance of Allah of course as a matter of the heart and a matter of closeness with
Allah. Following that again, he scares him and says the hour is coming in Assata Altea tune OCADU
ofii Holly to Darko Luna FCMB matters Falaya sadaqa and harmala ubia What taba who fatorda The hours
coming and Kimi keeping it almost entirely hidden. So every person gets paid gets compensated in
accordance with the efforts they made. Don't let anybody distract you, especially the one who
doesn't believe in it distract you from it, and they follow their own way and fall off a cliff.
		

			Literally he says that because he's standing on a cliff. So he says they fall off a cliff
figuratively you might fall literally. As Musa is terrified of judgment day he says why material can
be aminika Musa, what is in your right hand there, Musa? What's there? What's that in your right
hand? Like a casual conversation, bringing him closer again. I wanted to highlight this because this
happens all over the Quran. But now it's important to understand why. Why does that happen? Why are
some names intimidating us scaring us, establishing Allah's authority and other names making him a
friend and a close ally? You know, even someone we love and who loves us? Those two things don't go
		

			hand in hand. How are they always they're together. You see, if you only have a relationship with
Allah about authority, then you're going to be so scared of Allah and so terrified of Allah, that
you will lose all hope.
		

			If you have a relationship with Allah, that's all friendship and love. Allah loves me, He knows what
I'm going through. I love him, he's my best friend, etc, etc. You know what happens with friends,
friends don't have authority over each other friend start saying yeah, I crossed the line. But so
what he's my friend, he loves me too much. If we became entirely connected to Allah through His
authority, we would become hopeless and fearful only it will be a very depressing outlook on our
relationship with Allah. If our relationship with Allah was only about closeness only about
friendship and intimacy, we would end up taking advantage of that relationship and disobeying Him
		

			and not regarding his guidelines. Allah keeps that balance between those two things just like he
does between hope and fear. It's between authority and closeness that it maintains that balance and
that balance is so beautifully knit together. In the first I have the Surah Al Malik al cudos Allah
Aziz al Hakim the King, the pure the
		

			authority the lies there close and far and close and far over and over again Subhan Allah