Two Allah 'Names' and Two Egyptians
- philhoraia
- Oct 5, 2022
- 5 min read
In S 12 we come across two phrases that are supposed to be Allah titles or 'names'.
Al-Malik 'The King'.
S 12:43 And the king said: I see seven fat cows which seven lean eat and seven green ears and others dry. Chiefs, give me an advisory opinion on my vision if you used to interpret a vision.
S 12:50 And the king said: Bring him to me. And when the messenger came to him he said: Return to your lord and ask him what the mind of the women who cut their hands was. My lord is learned in their scheme.
S 12:54 The king said: Bring him to me. I shall choose him for myself. Then when he had spoken to him he said: You are today a favoured man, trustworthy, with us.
S 12:72 They said: We are missing the king’s goblet. And for him who has brought it is a camel’s load and I am a leader of it.
S 12:76 So he began with their vessels before his brother’s vessel then brought it out from his brother’s vessel. Thus did we scheme for Yusuf. He would not take his brother in the king’s law but that Allah wills. We raise in degrees whom we will and learned above every possessor of knowledge.
From an article: Allah is Al-Malik (in arabic: ٱلْمَلِكُ), the literal meaning in Arabic is "The King." He is the one who reigns dominion over the heavens and the earth and everything that resides within them. There is nothing above Him, and He is alone.
Al-'Aziz:
S 12:30 And women in the city said: Al-Aziz’s woman entices her slave boy from himself. He has impasssioned her with love. We see her in obvious error.
S 12:51 He said: What is your case when you enticed Yusuf from himself? They said: Far be it from Lah! We did not know any evil about him. Al-Aziz’s woman said: Now the truth has come to light. I enticed him from himself and he is of the truthful.
S 12:78 They said: Aziz, he has a very old father so take one of us in his place. We see you of the good-doers.
S 12:88 So when they had entered upon him they said: Aziz, harm has touched us and our family and we have come with mixed amounts. So cause the measure to be full for us and give alms to us. Allah recompenses the charitable.
From an article: Al-Aziz (in Arabic: ٱلْعَزِيزُ) is the one who is most powerful and all-strong. He is the conqueror that is never conquered and never harmed. This is because His strength, glory, and power are overwhelming, and cannot be overcome or resisted. He is the only one with complete mastery over all creation.
Further reading:
From an article:
According to Islamic theology, some of the names of Allah which relate to his sole unique sovereignty include al-Malik (the King), Al-Mâlik (the Master), and Rabb (Lord) either with or without the article:
The Divine Names Related to Lordship
Al-Malik; Al-Mâlik: The King, the Master
Al-Malik is the King, the Sovereign; Al-Mâlik is the Master, Owner, Malik is the governor of beings who have the consciousness of being governed, not the case with Mâlik, who owns everything.
Al-Malik is one of the Ninety-Nine Names…
Ar-Rabb: The Lord
Lord: master, owner; chief; the Cherisher, the one who takes care of a thing. Ar-Rabb is the one who puts right, manages, compels and guards. He is the One worshipped. Some scholars say that the name is the greatest name of Allah because of the great number of those who make supplication using it. It reflects the true relationship of a person with his Lord, containing both mastery and kindness, concern, and nurture.
"Lord of the heavens and the earth and everything between them. Lord of the Easts." (37:5) "Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. This is a straight path." (3:50) (Aisha Bewley, The Divine Names)
Here are just some of the many places in the Quran where Allah is called al-Malik:
Supremely exalted is therefore Allah, the King (al-maliku), the Truth, and do not make haste with the Quran before its revelation is made complete to you and say: O my Lord ! increase me in knowledge. S. 20:114 Shakir
Therefore exalted be God, the King (al-maliku), the Reality: there is no god but He, the Lord of the Throne of Honour! S. 23:116 Y. Ali
He is Allah, besides Whom there is no god; the King (al-maliku), the Holy, the Giver of peace, the Granter of security, Guardian over all, the Mighty, the Supreme, the Possessor of every greatness Glory be to Allah from what they set up (with Him). S. 59:23 Shakir
Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth declares the glory of Allah, the King (al-maliki), the Holy, the Mighty, the Wise. S. 62:1 Shakir
Islamic theology also teaches that such names can never be ascribed to any creature in their definite forms, i.e. a Muslim is expressly forbidden from calling any person besides Allah AL-Malik with the definite article. To do so is to commit the unpardonable sin called shirk ("association"), i.e. associating partners with Allah in his divine essence, attributes, dominion, worship, majesty and/or glory.
The Essence of Shirk in Tawheed al-Asma wa-Sifaat:
Shirk in Tawheed al-Asma wa-Sifaat is to give other than Allah, the qualities (Attributes), which are specific of Allah Alone. For example, amongst the Attributes of Allah is that He is the Knower of the Unseen (Ghayb) and He alone knows what the heart conceals. Allah says: "Say, ‘None in the Heavens and the earth know the Ghayb (Unseen) except Allah, nor can they perceive when they shall be resurrected."
Therefore, to consider someone other than Allah to have the knowledge of the past, future or the Unseen is Shirk (associating partners with Allah).
This concept of Tawheed distinguishes Islam from many other religions. Those who have studied comparative religion can very easily realize that, while the Jews made their Creator like the creation, the Christians make the creation like the Creator. (Sajid Abdul Kayum, The Jamaa'at Tableegh and the Deobandis, Chapter 2: The Islamic Concept of Tawheed (Monotheism); bold emphasis ours)
And:
Ibn al-Qayyim has listed some of the types of ilhad to include:
To deny (tatil) or distort (tawil) their meanings, or claim that they have no meaning (tafwid)
To consider them as human attributes (anthropomorphism)
To derive names for Allah that are not befitting Him (e.g. ‘Father’)
To name idols or other beings with the names of Allah or their derivates (e.g. al-Uzza, al-Manat)
May Allah (SWT) guide us all. Ameen. (What is Tawheed Asma wa al-Siffat?, July, 2007; bold emphasis ours) Pharaoh - Another Lord and King Besides Allah
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