Amr Khaled: 99 Names of Allah

The 99 Most Beautiful Names taught by Amr Khaled (عمروخالد): Allah the One and Only (Episode 5)

Arabic 99 Names of Allah — 99 Most Beautiful Names of Allah

The Quran speaks of Allah’s most beautiful names (Quran 7:180), and Muhammad is also reported to have said that Allah has 99 names (Sahih Muslim 35:6475).

The Most Beautiful Names of Allah

The Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾan says of the 99 most beautiful names of Allah,

“The divine names of the Qur’an may best be understood as multifarious expressions in praise of God rather than as doctrinal expositions concerning the nature of God. They give expression to Muḥammad’s rich and multi-faceted perception of that ultimate reality which he personally experienced as the only God. This experience filled him with awe before the transcendent God, who could not be known in his very self, yet could be glorified in his names. Filled with knowledge of God as “the lord of the heavens and the earth” (Quran 19:65), the Prophet also was aware of God’s nearness, nearer to a person than his own “jugular vein” (Quran 50:16). This overpowering transcendence and intimate immanence of Allah in Muḥammad’s religious experience was transformed in his qurʾanic proclamation into the praise of the most beautiful names. They are landmarks of his prayer rather than tenets of his theology” (Gerhard Böwering, “God and his Attributes”, Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾan).

To learn more about the 99 most beautiful names in Islam, I have been learning from Amr Khaled (عمرو خالد). This is the fifth of seven episodes and the focus of this episode is the reward Allah gives for sincerity (Click here for Episodes 1-2 of Allah the One and Only).

Amr Khaled calls Muslims to live sincerely believing the Sincerity of Faith chapter of the Quran: Surah 112

0:00-2:03

“”O God! To You I commit myself…and turn in repentance for You I fight, and through You I pass judgement…” Muhammad (PBUH) submitted himself to God! He would fight and pass judgments seeking God’s pleasure! Can you be so devout to God like Virgin Mary’s mother who said: “My Lord! I have solemnly pledged to You what is in my womb as a consecrated gift…” she devoted her child-to-be. Mary, to God alone! Can you follow in her example and be a devout servant for 10 days?”

“Live by “Sincerity of Faith” Chapter and act according to its implications! Read this Chapter in the light of my words! Try to be sincere deep down while reciting “Sincerity of Faith” Chapter.” [there are video problems here]

“Muhammad said, “A man who gives charitable gifts so secretly that his left hand does not know what his right hand has given.” Can you conceal your charity during the next ten days so that nobody can know how much you have given in charity? Can you be so devout to God? Muhammad continued: “A person wo remembers God in seclusion that tears welled up in his eyes.” These 2 are among the seven Whom God would shade on Doomsday. So, if you pay charity today so secretly that none can see you except God, God will grant you shade on Doomsday! “A person who remembers God in seclusion and… (weeps)…” Remember God in private to be sincere.”

“You can pray in a crowded mosque, yet feel it is you and God alone, forgetting everything around you and submitting yourself to God! Do worship acts sincerely during the next 10 days! Fortunate is he who prostrates himself before God sincerely! Such a person would attain a very sublime rank, and so would anyone who devotes himself to God for a whole day!”

Amr Khaled says good deeds done in sincerity can be rewarded 700-fold or more

2:04- 3:42

“It was reported that whoever devoted himself to God for 40 consecutive days, the light of knowledge and wisdom would fill his heart and words, and show on his face!”

“Devote yourself to God during the last days of Ramadan, and act during this period with the intention to please God alone! Let your actions prove your sincerity! Live by “Sincerity of Faith” Chapter and God’s Name, the Only! “God ordered that the good and bad deeds be written, and…showed how. If somebody intends to do a good deed and he does not do it, then God will write for him a full good deed; and if he intends to do a good deed and actually does it, then God will write for him from 10 to 700 times to many more times.” (see Nawawi Hadith 37)

“God increases the reward according to one’s sincerity; a good deed that anyone does is rewarded 10-fold, but you could have your good deed rewarded 700-fold or more!”

“For example, we are all gathering now to listen to these words; many of us will be rewarded for this ten-fold, and others will be rewarded 200-fold or 700-fold! Some others may be rewarded more and more!”

“The reward for circumambulating the Kaaba is great, but it differs from one person to another: One may be rewarded 700-fold! Another 10,000 fold, or maybe he’s so sincere the angels may not know how to estimate his act! Then God may tell them to record it and He will decide the reward Himself! This is the reward of sincerity.”

Amr Khaled exhorts Muslims for the next 10 days of Ramadan to do everything to please God

3:43-6:37

“Submit yourself to God and please Him alone with everything you do! [there are video problems here] … “This is how to live by God’s Most Beautiful Names, the One and Only. Can you imitate Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz in the coming 10 days? Whenever Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz took a step, he would intend to please God! Do so in the coming 10 days! Whenever you act, intend to please God! Let all your acts in the next 10 days please God! Intend to please God whenever you meet anyone! Whenever you dine with someone, intend to please God, through giving him a tape of religious speeches, reminding him of God or being nice to him just to please God and so on! Whenever you sit with your wife or dine with her, think of pleasing her to please God! Study hard as God will grant those seeking knowledge a way leading to Paradise! Perfect your work bearing in mind God loves those who perfect their work! ”

“Devote your deeds to God in the next 10 days, even if no one is watching! Devote all your acts sincerely to God! Whenever Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz took a step, he intended to please God! Before one of the Followers joined a funeral procession, he waited for a while so he would dedicate that act to God and then he went to join the funeral procession!”

“Men and women, young or old, should act similarly in the coming ten days and they will then taste a unique sweetness. Devote all your prostrations to God alone! Devote all your acts of charity to God! Visit your relatives or call your parents to please God! Kiss your mother’s hands even if they do not know you are doing this just to please God! Devote all your acts to God alone! Can you do so in the last ten days of Ramadan living by God’s Name, the One?”

“Owners of companies or bosses at work should devote their acts to God just like Sulaiman ibn Abdul-Malek! On dying, he intended to do an act that would displease Satan for sure! He was determined to do an act devoting it to God alone! He was really determined to do that act that would displease Satan for sure! Know that that act was? He appointed Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz a Caliph instead of his own sons!”

“Can you intend to devote all your acts to God alone? In the last ten days of Ramadan, vow before God you will devote your acts to Him like giving your siblings their shares in the inheritance! Devote all your acts to God to please God and displease Satan!”

Amr Khaled tells a story about devoting all ones deeds to God alone

6:38-end

“I will tell you a story to clarify this point; those who love Islam must be devoted to God! Maybe Islam and Muslims are persecuted because of our insincerity! [there are video problems here] “We may do a lot of talking wishing for victory, but nothing will happen unless we act out of devotion to God! In a battle, Muslims tried to conquer a fortress, but they failed. They spent a long time trying to conquer it, but in vain! Then, a simple Muslim man started digging a tunnel near the fortress; he dug every night without anyone noticing! Muslims besieged the fortress for 60 days, all the while, he was digging, till he managed to get inside the fortress through that tunnel and opened its gate from inside, saying “God is the Greatest!” and Muslims conquered the fortress! The Muslim army commander asked who the tunnel digger was, but he received no answer! He told that digger to reveal himself to him but no one did! Then he ordered that anonmous digger to meet him in his tent at once! Then a masked man went to him and said he had been sent by the digger adding that the digger had 3 conditions to reveal himself: He did not want to receive any financial reward, he did not want anyone in the Muslim army to know his name and he did not want the Caliph to know his name! The commander wondered why he wanted that and the messenger said the digger did not want to sacrifice God’s reward for worldly gains! The leader promised to observe the 3 conditions and the masked man revealed he was the digger, then left!”

“Can you live in the coming ten days acting as such? Be keen to devote all your deeds to God alone! Prophet Moses became great due to his devotion and sincerity; “And mention in the Book Moses, truly he was sincere…”

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