the Lectures of Nokounam, (Session 1721)
The study of the Divine Names in the Holy Qur'an serves as a gateway to a profound understanding of the knowledge and infinite presence of the Almighty Truth within existence. This treatise, relying upon the luminous verses of the Holy Qur'an and contemplation of Names such as Al-Mu'allim, Al-Munabbi, As-Sam, Al-Bar, Al-Laf, Ash-Shhid, and Ash-Shahd, delves into the sublime meanings of these attributes. The objective is to elucidate these Names with a clear and dignified language so that the reader is guided towards experiential and intuitive knowledge, as if walking through a garden of epistemic blossoms and inhaling the fragrance of truth.
The attribute Al-Mu'allim in the Holy Qur'an represents a manifestation of the boundless Divine grace that guides humanity from the darkness of ignorance to the illumination of knowledge. This attribute, appearing twenty-one times in Qur'anic verses, signifies the role of the Almighty as a direct teacher who grants knowledge to His select servants.
عَلَّمَ الْإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ (Al-Alaq: 5)
He taught man what he did not know.
This verse testifies to Divine teaching that transcends superficial knowledge, imparting divine insights to humanity. Divine teaching is conditional upon the piety of the servants, as stated in another verse:
وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ اللَّهُ (Al-Baqarah: 282)
And fear Allah; and Allah teaches you.
This teaching is reserved for select individuals who, by virtue of spiritual merits, are worthy of receiving Divine grace. This grace is sometimes bestowed through revelation and sometimes through inspiration to the prophets and the saints. The attribute ar-ri, as in the verse بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللَّهُ (Al-Anfl: 43) meaning that which Allah showed you, is another aspect of Divine teaching that reveals grand signs and specific knowledge to the messengers.
The attribute Al-Munabbi, mentioned twenty-one times in the Qur'an, refers to Divine informing about the deeds and intentions of servants. This attribute reflects the Almighty's complete knowledge of past and future.
فَسَوْفَ يُنَبِّئُهُمُ اللَّهُ بِمَا كَانُوا يَصْنَعُونَ (Al-M'idah: 14)
Soon Allah will inform them of what they used to do.
This verse points to future Divine informing, while verses such as نَبَّأَنِيَ الْعَلِيمُ الْخَبِيرُ (At-Tarm: 3) (The All-Knowing, the Aware informed me) and فَإِنَّبَأْنَاكُمْ بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ (Al-Anm: 60) (We informed you of what you used to do) pertain to informing about past deeds. The use of the word sawfa in some verses indicates the servants limited capacity, resulting in Divine informing being deferred to the future due to their lack of qualification.
The Divine Names As-Sam (mentioned 45 times) and Al-Bar (42 times) are key attributes that play an unparalleled role in spiritual progression and relief from difficulties.
فَسَيَكْفِيكَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ (Al-Baqarah: 137)
Then Allah will suffice you against them, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.
This verse refers to Divine sufficiency against enemies, and the phrase As-Sam Al-Alm indicates God's complete hearing and knowledge of the needs of His servants. The invocation Y Sam quietly and in solitude is effective for spiritual matters and the subjugation of unseen beings such as jinn and angels. Conversely, the invocation Y Bar openly and in daily affairs brings insight and clarity in selection and recognition.
The combination of these two Names in هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ (Ghafir: 20) (He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing) is used for general and epistemic matters and guides the seeker towards comprehensive perception of realities. The invocation Y Bar, especially on Fridays, is like a delicate lens enabling one to perceive the truth of matters.
The attribute Al-Laf, mentioned seven times in the Qur'an, refers to the delicacy and immediate Divine presence in all levels of existence.
لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الْأَبْصَارَ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ (Al-Anm: 103)
Vision perceives Him not, but He perceives [all] vision; and He is the Subtle, the Acquainted.
This verse describes Divine subtlety as an effortless and immediate presence in all vessels of existence, as though the Almighty is present everywhere like the scent of a flower in a garden, without domination or violence. Divine subtlety necessarily involves kindness and gentleness and, contrary to some lexical interpretations, it does not merely mean precision but points to the soft and merciful Divine presence in existence.
The invocation Y Laf, repeated 129 times (calculated from the letters Lm=30, =9, Y=10, F=80, Y=10), is effective in spiritual practice for softening the heart, dispelling hypocrisy, opening affairs, nullifying magic, and subjugating hearts. This invocation is particularly a guide for those afflicted by doubt and uncertainty in faith and knowledge, akin to dredging a dried qanat of the heart.
The Names Ash-Shahd (mentioned 19 times) and Ash-Shhid (7 times) refer to Divine witnessing and existential presence. The most prominent manifestation of these Names is in a verse regarded as the greatest testimony in the Qur'an:
شَهِدَ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَأُولُو الْعِلْمِ قَائِمًا بِالْقِسْطِ (l Imrn: 18)
Allah witnesses that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge [maintaining] justice.
This verse expresses the testimony of God, angels, and the possessors of knowledge to the Oneness of God. The attribute Ash-Shahd is an affirmative and existential quality, indicating Divine immediate and actual presence in all matters, as in verses such as هُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ (Al-M'idah: 117) (He is a witness over all things). Conversely, Ash-Shhid may also apply to entities other than God, for example, وَإِنَّا مَعَكُمْ مِنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ (Ash-Shuar: 61) (And indeed, We are with you among the witnesses).
This verse, due to its intense spiritual impact, ignites a fire in the heart of the seeker and guides him towards witnessing Divine unity. The possessors of knowledge mentioned in this verse are those whose knowledge is direct, certain, and immediate, who alongside God and the angels testify to Divine unity.
