The Attributes of Allah in the First Three Verses of Suratul Kahf

 ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ عَلَىٰ عَبْدِهِ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ عِوَجَا ۜ

قَيِّمًا لِّيُنذِرَ بَأْسًا شَدِيدًا مِّن لَّدُنْهُ وَيُبَشِّرَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا حَسَنًا

مَّٰكِثِينَ فِيهِ أَبَدًا

 Verse[1-3] Surah Al Kahf (The cave) - الكهف 

 three verses from suratul kahf that mention some of Allah’s attributes. These are:

  • Allah is the one who revealed the Book to His slave and did not place therein any crookedness. This implies that Allah is al-Hamid (the Praiseworthy), al-Wahid (the One), al-Munzil (the Revealer), and al-Qayyim (the Upright).
  • Allah is the one who warns of a severe punishment from Him and gives glad tidings to the believers who do good works. This implies that Allah is al-Mundhir (the Warner), al-Shadid (the Severe), al-Basir (the All-Seeing), al-Bashir (the Giver of Good News), and al-Wahhab (the Bestower).
  • Allah is the one who has prepared a beautiful reward for the believers where they will abide forever. This implies that Allah is al-Karim (the Generous), al-Jawad (the Bountiful), al-Rahman (the Most Gracious), al-Rahim (the Most Merciful), and al-Baqi (the Everlasting). 

The word قَيِّمًا (qayyiman) in the first verse of suratul kahf means “upright”, “straight”, “correct”, or “appropriate”. It implies that the Book (the Quran) that Allah has revealed to His slave (the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) is free from any deviation, distortion, contradiction, or falsehood. It also implies that the Book is a guidance and a criterion for humanity to follow the right path and avoid the wrong one. The word قَيِّمًا (qayyiman) is derived from the root Q-W-M, which means “to stand”, “to establish”, “to maintain”, or “to uphold”. This root is also the source of other words related to Allah’s attributes, such as al-Qayyum (the Self-Existing), al-Muqim (the Establisher), and al-Qawi (the Strong). 

The hereafter is endless, and people will not die there. This is because Allah has promised the believers a beautiful reward where they will abide forever, as stated in the third verse of suratul kahf. This does not mean that people will share the attribute of immortality with Allah.

Allah SWT does not have a beginning. He is the first and the last, the eternal and the absolute. He is not created or originated by anything or anyone. He is the originator and the creator of everything and everyone. He is al-Awwal (the First), which means that nothing preceded Him, and al-Akhir (the Last), which means that nothing will succeed Him. He is al-Samad (the Eternal Refuge), which means that He is independent of all things and all things depend on Him. He is al-Qadir (the All-Powerful), which means that He has power over all things, and nothing has power over Him.

Allah SWT is beyond our comprehension and imagination. We cannot grasp His essence or His attributes with our limited minds and senses. He is al-Batin (the Hidden), which means that He is subtle and unseen, and al-Zahir (the Manifest), which means that He is evident and apparent through His signs and creation. He is al-Ali (the Most High), which means that He is exalted above everything, and al-Qarib (the Near), which means that He is close to everything. He is al-Ghani (the Self-Sufficient), which means that He is free of all needs and wants, and al-Mughni (the Enricher), which means that He fulfills the needs and wants of His creatures.

Allah SWT is the only one who knows Himself fully and perfectly. We can only know Him through what He has revealed to us in His names, His attributes, His books, His messengers, His creation, and His decree. We can only worship Him by acknowledging His oneness, His lordship, His divinity, His names, and His attributes. We can only love Him by obeying His commands, following His guidance, seeking His pleasure, and avoiding His wrath.

All the names of Allah SWT mentioned in the selected text, with Arabic text and meaning, are as follows:

- الحميد al-Hamid: The Praiseworthy, The One who is praised for His perfect attributes and actions.

- الواحد al-Wahid: The One, The Unique, The One who has no partner or equal.

- المنزل al-Munzil: The Revealer, The One who sends down His books and messengers to guide humanity.

- القييم al-Qayyim: The Upright, The Straight, The One who maintains everything in a correct and appropriate way.

- المنذر al-Mundhir: The Warner, The One who warns His servants of the consequences of their deeds and the punishment of the Hereafter.

- الشديد al-Shadid: The Severe, The Mighty, The One who is severe in His punishment of the wrongdoers and His retribution of the oppressors.

- البصير al-Basir: The All-Seeing, The One who sees everything, whether hidden or manifest, small or large, far or near.

- البشير al-Bashir: The Giver of Good News, The One who gives glad tidings to His servants of His mercy and reward.

- الوهاب al-Wahhab: The Bestower, The Giver of Gifts, The One who grants His bounties and favors to His servants without any limit or condition.

- الكريم al-Karim: The Generous, The Noble, The One who is generous in giving and honorable in His dealings.

- الجواد al-Jawad: The Bountiful, The Munificent, The One who gives abundantly and freely without expecting anything in return.

- الرحمن al-Rahman: The Most Gracious, The Most Compassionate, The One who has mercy on all His creation and bestows His blessings upon them.

- الرحيم al-Rahim: The Most Merciful, The Especially Merciful, The One who has mercy on the believers and forgives their sins.

- الباقي al-Baqi: The Everlasting, The Eternal, The One who remains after everything else perishes and whose existence has no end.