Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear  Brother Burhan,

As Salaam alei kum

Is Moulana Ali's name one of the attributes of Allah? Is it appropriate to keep such a name.

Jazak Allah Kheir

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Is Ali one of Allah Subhanah’s name?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His  forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Most of the Blessed Names of Allah or ‘asma-ul-husna’ are the exclusive Attributes of Allah Subhanah, and it would be a form of shirk to call someone by those names. For example, Ar-Rahmaan ( The Beneficent), Ar-Razzaak (The Provider), Al-Khaliq ( The Creator), Al-Mutakabbir ( The Majestic Greatest), etc. These Attributes are the exclusive right of Allah Subhanah.

Then among His Names are some attributes which Allah Subhanah has himself used for human beings. For example Allah Subhanah has called Prophet Mohamed’s (saws) attribute towards the believers as ‘rauf’(kind) and ‘raheem’ (merciful) in the Glorious Quran, and Prophet Yusuf (a.s.) has called himself ‘hafiz’ (one who preserves) and ‘aleem’ (knowing).

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah Taubah verse 128: Now hath come unto you a Messenger (Prophet Mohamed (saws)) from amongst yourselves: it grieves him that ye should perish: ardently anxious is he over you: to the believers is he ‘rauf’ (most kind) and ‘raheem’ (merciful).

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 12 Surah Yusuf verse 55: (Yusuf (a.s.)) said: "Set me over the storehouses of the land: I am a ‘hafiz’ (preserver) and a ‘aleem’ (one that knows their importance)."

Although these names of Ar-Rauf, Ar-Raheem, Al-Hafiz, Al-Aleem are the Attributes of Allah Subhanah, they can also be used for human beings. But when these attributes are used for human beings, their meaning will be measured and obviously not used in the same vastness and enormity in meaning as when the same names are used to describe the Noble Attributes of Allah Subhanah.

Similarly Al-Ali (The Most High) is one of the Attributes of Allah Subhanah when used in its fullest and vastest meaning of the term; but the term ‘Ali’ when used as a name or attribute for a human being, its meaning is measured and narrowed as compared to the vastness of meaning when used as an Attribute of Allah Subhanah.

There is absolutely no harm if one keeps his name or the name of his loved ones ‘Ali’, or ‘Rauf’, or ‘Raheem’, or ‘Hafiz’, or ‘Aleem’, etc.

But if one calls or believes that a human being can be compared to Allah Subhanah’s Attributes in the fullest meaning of the name, then it would become a form of the heinous crime of ‘shirk’.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan