Pondering Over Al-Halim, One of the 99 Names of Allah
Al-Halim Implies
That Despite Having the Unlimited Power to Punish, Allah Almighty Forgives
Sinners
Main
Points:
1. Halim literally denotes a person who has the power to punish but
chooses not to.
2. Even while Allah possesses unlimited power to exact rapid
vengeance, He is not someone who is motivated by hurry and recklessness to do
so, because He is Al-Halim.
3. Our Lord Allah is Al-Halim, So we also must be kind to others
and forgive their transgressions.
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By Kaniz Fatma,
New Age Islam
26 July 2022
Al-Halim is one
of the 99 names of Allah which are revered by Muslims. The word
"Halim" derives from the Arabic word "hilm" which
has the following traditional connotations: being forbearing, moderate,
lenient, clement; being forgiving, gentle, and methodical; acting deliberately
and not hastily; being calm and serene; managing one's temper; or displaying
moderation. Halim is used in the Quran, the Sunnah, and other Islamic books to
denote the attribute of Allah that, although having the ability to punish, He
Almighty forgives offenders when they repent.
Imam Al Ghazali
translates Al-Halim as "The Non-Precipitate and Forbearing One" in
his work "Al-Maqsad Al-Asna fi Sharah Asma' Allahu al-Husna"
("The greatest way in describing Allah's Beautiful Names"). He
asserts that Allah is “the One Who is not angered or inflamed by anger despite
witnessing the disobedient disobey and the command (amr) being violated.
Even while He possesses unlimited power to exact rapid vengeance, He is not
someone who is motivated by hurry and recklessness to do so”. He then reads
verse 35:45 from the Quran, which states that “If Allah were to
impose blame on the people for what they have earned, He would not leave upon
the earth any creature....”
Al-Sa’di wrote in
his Tafsir book that “Al-Halim is the One Who continues to shower His creation
with blessings, both obvious and subtle, despite their disobedience and
numerous errors. As a result, He pardons sinners and spares them from receiving
the just punishment they deserve; He also inspires them to repent and provides
them time to turn to Him.”
Although Allah
has the power to chastise offenders and destroy them all, He chooses to have
mercy on them and postpones the punishment. Allah Almighty is al-Halim (the
Forgiving) in this regard. Those who disobey Him are not immediately punished
by Him. In case they decide to alter their minds, He gives them some time. He
has the power to punish and seize all violators at once, yet He chooses not to.
If a person lacks
the power to punish, they cannot be called Halim. There are so many powerless
individuals who, if given the power, would destroy towns and populations. If
they do not punish, they are not considered Halim since they lack the power to
do so. Halim denotes a person who has the power to punish but chooses not to.
In this sense, Allah is the Halim. Despite having the ability to command the
stars to move like catapult stones with a single command, He does not chastise
those who offend Him and does not immediately capture them. He offers them time
to repent.
The Word
‘Al-Halim’ in the Quran
Numerous verses
in the Quran make reference to Al-Halim. Examples include 2:235, 2:263, 4:12,
5:101, 17:44, 22:59, 33:51, 35:41, and 64:17. Al-Halim appears frequently
alongside other Names of Allah in the Quran.
For instance,
Al-Halim may occasionally be paired with Al Ghafur in the
Quran (The Most Forgiving One). In such a place, the commentators suggest that
in addition to forgiving us and covering up our transgressions, Allah also
remains patient and overlooks them. He also protects us from the repercussions
of our transgressions. This is the case due to the assertion that Al
Ghafur derives from the word Ghafara, which means to
cover.
Al-Halim is also
combined with Al-Aleem (The All-Knowing), another attribution
name. According to the commenters, this combination shows that even though He
is aware of our actions, He is still in control of His rage even though we
deserve to be the ones to experience His rage.
Al-Halim is also
combined with Al-Ghani (The Self Sufficient, Rich beyond any
need). Some commentators interpret this coupling to suggest that although He
doesn't require anything from us, He nonetheless pardons us for our
transgressions and sins. This demonstrates His Clemency Attribute. It can be
argued that when a judge or a police officer absolves someone of a crime, they
may have done so because of some benefits. In no way, shape, or form does Allah
gain anything from any of his creations. When the Prophet Moses (peace be upon
him) said in verse 14:8 of the Quran, "If you were to be ungrateful,
you and everyone on Earth, Allah is Rich beyond Need, Praiseworthy,"
he was expressing a profound understanding of this.
In the
Quran, Al-Halim is likewise coupled with His Name As-Shakur (The
Appreciative). Combining these two facts could mean that believers will not
only have their sins forgiven, but will also get blessings that go above and
beyond what they deserve.
The Word
‘Al-Halim’ in the Hadith
Imam Ahmad, Imam
Bukhari, and Imam Muslim mention a hadith in their Hadith
books, that it was narrated by Hazrat Ibn Abbas that the Messenger of Allah
(peace be upon him) advocated uttering this supplication during times of
difficulty:
“La ilaha
illallahul-Azimul-Halim. La ilaha illallahu Rabbul-'Arshil-'Azim. La ilaha
illallahu Rabbus-samawati, wa Rabbul-ardi, wa Rabbul-'Arshil- Karim.”
This means “None
has the right to be worshipped but Allah the Incomparably Great, the
Compassionate. None has the right to be worshipped but Allah the Lord of the
Mighty Throne. None has the right to be worshipped but Allah the Lord of the
heavens, the Lord of the earth, and the Lord of the Honourable Throne."
(Riyad as-Salihin, Book 17, Hadith 1502)
On the authority
of Hazrat Ali ibn Abi Talib, Imam Tabarani related that the Prophet of Allah
(peace be upon him) instructed him (Hazrat Ali) to use the following phrases at
times of fear:
“La Ilaha Illallahu
al-Halim al-Karim, Subhanallah wa Tabarak Allah Rabb al-Arsh al-Adheem, wal
Hamdulillahi Rabbil Aalameen”
This means:
“There is no god but Allah, The Generous and Forgiving. All praise is due to
Allah, The Lord of the Mighty Throne, and Blessed is He, The Creator of the
Universe.”
He is such a
Halim that He covers errors, forgives sins, and absolves the repentant. His
mercy and forgiveness both outweigh His wrath and torture. He offers rebels
safety, gives those who despair hope, and saves those who sin. He does not
instantly chastise the culprits. He hides unpleasant stuff. He doesn't rip the
covering off of misdeeds. His pity is great, His forgiveness is great, and his
forbearance is lovely.
We should learn
the following lessons from His Name Al-Halim. First and foremost, we need to
understand that the reason we are not immediately punished for our misdeeds is
not that they are unknown or because we are invisible. Because of the
revelation of the name of al-Halim on us, we do not immediately
incur the consequences of our misdeeds. We shouldn't imagine that Allah is
unaware of us, unconcerned about our disobedience, unaware of our wrongdoings,
or willing to absolve us of the consequences of our disobedience.
Absolutely not!
And by God! He is familiar with us. He is closer to us than the veins in our
jugulars. But since He is Halim, He gives us some time and does not
catch us right away. His gracious treatment of us is for His being Al-Halim.
In contrast, He will treat us with His names al-Aziz (the Mighty), al-Jalil (the
Glorious), and al-Qahhar (the Subduer) instead of His name al-Halim when
we no longer merit this name. Knowing this, we must all pray for one another,
asking Allah to always treat and forgive us in the name of Al-Halim.
We can infer the
following things from understanding this Attribute of Allah. Almighty Allah
is al-Halim; He is kind to us. He doesn't immediately capture us
because of our crimes, and He doesn't humiliate us because of our disobedience.
Therefore, we ought to be trained in this good behaviour and be kind to those
who make mistakes. We should ignore their transgressions, cover them up, and
allow them some leeway; we should also avoid being egotistical or arrogant.
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Kaniz Fatma is a classic Islamic
scholar and a regular columnist for New Age Islam.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-spiritualism/al-halim-99-names-allah/d/127569
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