{"id":3635,"date":"2012-09-06T08:00:55","date_gmt":"2012-09-06T00:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/muzlimbuzz.sg\/?p=3635"},"modified":"2012-08-31T12:10:07","modified_gmt":"2012-08-31T04:10:07","slug":"99-names-series-al-latif-the-gentle-the-subtle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyislam.sg\/muslimbuzz\/99-names-series-al-latif-the-gentle-the-subtle\/","title":{"rendered":"99 Names Series: Al-Latif (The Gentle, The Subtle)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Muzlimbuzz is starting a\u00a0series called \u201cThe 99 Names of Allah\u201d<\/a> where writers & readers reflect on one Name from the 99 Beautiful Names of Allah and talk about why that particular Name is significant to them, or how they have seen that Name manifest in their lives. If you would like to submit your writing for this series, please send it to\u00a0ameera@muzlimbuzz.sg.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Image Source: Arthafez.tumblr.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Does He who created not know, while He is the Subtle, the Acquainted?
\n<\/em>Surah Al Mulk, Verse 14<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

When I was younger, I was taught by my mother that whenever I encountered times of difficulty, I was to call upon Allah, making remembrance of His Name, \u201cAl-Latif\u201d. So as the years passed and final exams turned to job interviews, I recited \u201cYa Latif\u201d repeatedly, hoping to gain Allah\u2019s favour in whatever situation I was facing. I was told that in Malay, \u201cAl Latif\u201d was \u201cYang Maha Lembut\u201d, (The Most Gentle) but I never understood what that really meant or why I should call on that particular name of Allah in times of distress.<\/p>\n

I would learn later that Al Latif, besides meaning the Most Gentle, also meant the Most Subtle. Humans, as the creations of Allah and whose perceptions are governed by their five senses and limited by the boundaries of the human intellect, are often unable to comprehend or perceive the true extent of Allah\u2019s Generosity and Mercy to His creation. As an oft-quoted Christian hymn puts it, \u201cGod moves in mysterious ways\u201d.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on my life, I know that there are reasons why I didn\u2019t get into that class or why I didn\u2019t get that job. Why the best friendships came and went, why even the best-made plans didn\u2019t go through, and why the ups and downs of my life happened. I know these things didn\u2019t happen because Al Latif was not gentle to me. If I didn\u2019t understand then, and even if I don\u2019t completely understand it now, I know that what Allah wills is for the best. Allah is, after all, the best of planners.<\/p>\n

By making dhikr of Allah\u2019s name Al-Latif, I wasn\u2019t just asking for Allah\u2019s blessings. Instead I was recognising my own status as a slave of Allah, recognising that Allah truly knew what was best for me in every situation I was faced with<\/strong>. Knowledge that only Allah; the Most Subtle, the Most Gentle, could have.<\/p>\n

And what of the many millions of Allah\u2019s Mercies that my mind can barely comprehend? Every heartbeat and every breath I take without being conscious of it. The earth\u2019s atmosphere, the warmth of the sun . These are all subtle things, barely noticeable for the heedless, but allowing me to live each and every single day.<\/p>\n

And I come to realise as well that Allah is Most Gentle with me, not punishing me for every sin and every transgression I commit whether openly or secretly, instead allowing me every breath I take every day of my life as a means of seeking repentance with Him.<\/p>\n

Even as I sin, Allah still allows me to benefit from His Bounty, granting me the gift of life every day I wake up. Greater still is His gift of the religion of Islam, and allowing me to be of the ummah of our Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alaihi wasallam. I pray that He never take that gift away from me.<\/p>\n

Surah Ar-Rahman\u2019s repeated refrain comes to mind \u201cWhich of your Lord\u2019s favours, then, will you deny?\u201d<\/p>\n

In truth, I cannot deny the favours of Allah, nor can I truly separate the Names of Allah. All I can say is \u201cAlhamdulillah\u201d for all the gentleness and the subtle mercies and bounties of Allah, Al Latif. I pray that I too can be gentle with Allah\u2019s creation, and that I always be in a state of taqwa towards Al Latif, who is aware of all my affairs, whether subtle or obvious.<\/p>\n

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Ahmad Zhaki Abdullah<\/strong>
\n<\/strong>Ahmad Zhaki holds a degree in English Literature from the University of London. He is a full-time executive at a local research institute and a part-time writer.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Muzlimbuzz is starting a\u00a0series called \u201cThe 99 Names of Allah\u201d where writers & readers reflect on one Name from the 99 Beautiful Names of Allah and talk about why that particular Name is significant to them, or how they have seen that Name manifest in their lives. If you would like to submit your writing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3636,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[1916,1871,1934,1933,1809,1935,585],"class_list":["post-3635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spiritualreligious","tag-99-names","tag-99-names-of-allah","tag-al-latif","tag-al-lateef","tag-allahs-99-names","tag-allahs-names","tag-breaking"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/simplyislam.sg\/muslimbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3635","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/simplyislam.sg\/muslimbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/simplyislam.sg\/muslimbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/simplyislam.sg\/muslimbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/simplyislam.sg\/muslimbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3635"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/simplyislam.sg\/muslimbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3635\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3637,"href":"https:\/\/simplyislam.sg\/muslimbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3635\/revisions\/3637"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/simplyislam.sg\/muslimbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3636"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/simplyislam.sg\/muslimbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3635"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/simplyislam.sg\/muslimbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3635"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/simplyislam.sg\/muslimbuzz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3635"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}