<b>Episode 2: Al-Fattah (The Superb Arbiter)</b>
In the name of Allah, The All-Merciful, praise be to Allah the Lord of the worlds. All Prayers and Blessings of Allah be upon the Prophet of Allah (SAWS) . Welcome to today’s episode and the first name of Allah’s most beautiful names, Al-Fattah; The Superb Arbiter. The episode is divided into four main parts: the first part tackles the meanings of The Superb Arbiter; the second part mentions four important points to bear in mind when remembering The Superb Arbiter, the third part is that Ramadan is the month of conquests and grants and the last part is about our duties towards The Superb Arbiter.
The name Al-Fattah has three meanings. The first meaning is that when all doors are closed, Allah with His will and power opens all of them, reveals all distresses, and resolves all difficulties. Bearing this meaning always in heart would make you the most powerful person in the world. Prostrate, abase yourself, and cry between His hands, Allah will grant you all what you desire. Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “Whatever mercy Allah opens for mankind, then none can be holding it back; and whatever He holds back, then none can be sending it forth after Him; And He is The Ever-Mighty, The Ever-Wise” (TMQ, 35:2) .
In the battle of Badr, the Muslims numbered 300, with only two horses, and the rejecters of faith numbered 1000 men and 100 horses. The Prophet (SAWS) kept on supplicating Allah over and over to fulfill what He had promised him, to the extent that Abu-Bakr patted him and told him to calm down, fearing for him from the urgency of his supplication. Then the Prophet (SAWS) stood up and announced to the Muslims that Jibril (AS) (Gabriel) is leading 1000 angels to fight with them. Thereafter the Muslims were granted victory.
It is said that when facing a scientific problem, Ibn-Taymiah used to go to the desert, lay his face in the sand, and ask for Al-Fattah’s forgiveness, for as long as it took. He said that he never came back except that Allah had resolved his problem. Furthermore, the son of a friend of mine went through a difficult delivery, where he was pulled with an instrument that damaged the neurological cells, resulting in a severe tremble. The doctors predicted that he would either be paralyzed or die; that his father wished for his son to pass away and not have to endure paralysis. He sought Allah’s help and supplicated Him. Once when he was going to a friend he met another doctor, by chance, who told him that there was another form of medicine available, and the boy was cured by the grace of Al-Fattah. He is now 12 years old and is alive and well.
The second meaning is The Superb Arbiter, who opens the doors of success at the beginning of everything. Allah says what can be translated as, “And in His Providence are the keys of the Unseen; none knows them except He” (TMQ, 6:59). Allah (SWT) says “And in His Providence are the keys of the Unseen” not “the keys of the Unseen are in his Province” to indicate that He alone holds these keys not any one else.
The last meaning is that Al-Fattah arbitrates with justice between opponents. Allah (SWT) says what can be translated as, “Say, Our Lord will gather us together; (Literally: “between” us) thereafter He will arbitrate between us with the Truth, and He is The Superb Arbiter, The Ever- Knowing” (TMQ, 34:26). Allah also says what can be translated as, “Our Lord! Arbitrate with the truth between us and our people, and You are The Most Charitable of arbiters” (TMQ, 7:89).
Lady Aisha (RA) was unfairly accused of adultery. The people kept on slandering her for a whole month. When the Prophet (SAWS) asked her to ask for Allah’s forgiveness if she had committed any sin, she kept weeping and asked her father Abu-Bakr (RA) to answer for her. However, he could not. She could only say what can be translated as, “So, patience is becoming. And Allah is (The One) Whose help is to be sought against what you describe” (TMQ, 12:18). Hence, Allah revealed Surat An-Nûr (The Light) to refute the alleged charges and declare her innocence. The same happened to Yusuf (AS) (Joseph) when he was unlawfully charged with soliciting the wife of al-Aziz (the governor). He entered prison for nine years, only to leave due to a vision seen by the king. At the end, the wife of al-Aziz said what can be translated as, “…Now the truth has come to light; I did solicit him” (TMQ, 12:51). Throw yourself into Al-Fattah’s hands and ask for His forgiveness for we seek His freedom from the hellfire.
We approach Allah in Ramadan with humility and ask him for inspiration or settlement of our matters. Approach Allah with humility tonight, go to your room, close the door and make a sajdah (prostration) asking Allah to help you solve your problems and chase away your sadness. You never know where you will be next year, or whether you will be alive or not, so ask Allah to inspire you and open doors for you with a simple act of prostration, or while you make dua’a (supplication), or as you shed a tear.
How should we deal with Allah's name Al-Fattah (The Superb Arbiter)? First of all, Al-Fattah wants us to work diligently and full-heartedly because we never know when He may open doors for us. Sometimes Allah delays granting us solutions to test our sincerity and trust, so we should never lose hope. No matter how many times you knock on Allah's door without it opening, it will eventually, so don't give up and keep on trying. Keep knocking on His door even if you were rejected or denied at first. Sometimes we see people in hajj making tawaf (circumambulation of the Ka’ba) making dua’a with tearful eyes. Be an intruder then, these people may have been accepted by Allah so go make dua’a with them instead. Allah wants us to be insistent. Sometimes we refuse to take a certain phone call, but the phone keeps on ringing and ringing till we finally do answer. Al-Fattah gives us hope that nothing is really impossible and that every problem has a solution. If you love serving Islam, Allah will test your persistence, just like He tested the Prophet's (SAWS) persistence when he called the people of tribes of Aus and Khazraj into Islam. In addition, Al-Fattah sends solutions when we least expect it. Some matters may seem like dilemmas at first when in fact they could be the key to a solution. Prophet Yusuf's (AS) imprisonment may have seemed like a problem that was impossible to solve, but it was actually a source of good, and he later became the king of Egypt. Our nation may be in a similar state right now, even it if seems like we are only facing hardships. Remember when the Prophet (SAWS) and Omar Ibnul-Khattab (RA) were not allowed to make umrah during the treaty of Hudaybiya? When the ayah, which can be translated as, "Surely We have given you an evident conquest” (TMQ, 48:1) was revealed, Omar (RA) couldn't understand how the treaty's terms could allow for such a solution. The proof was that the number of people who embraced Islam shortly after the treaty of Hudaybiya was equal to the number of all those who joined it ever since the Prophet (SAWS) started his da’wa (missionary activity).
Moreover, the simplest of things could be lead to solutions, such as a simple word, a tear or even an ayah. We sometimes pass by an ayah we've read a hundred times in the Qur'an, yet one day we hear or read that ayah from a totally different perspective which completely changes our life.
Allah sends us solutions that exceed our expectations. When Lady Hajar kept running back and forth between the two hills of Safa and Marwa in Makkah, looking for water for her son Isma’il (AS) (Ishmael), Allah sent her zamzam water which we still drink till this very day. All I'm trying to tell you in this episode is that you should ask Allah by his name Al-Fattah to aid you, open doors for you this Ramadan, and solve all your problems. Would you like this Ramadan to be exceptional? Ask Allah. Remember that on the very first night of Ramadan, the gates of heaven are opened and we are granted great rewards: good deeds are multiplied by more than seventy times; our sins are forgiven every time we fast and make qiyam (voluntary night prayer). Remember the great rewards of Lailat Al-Qadr (the Night of Determination) which equals a thousand months of worship in reward. In addition, every night of Ramadan, some people are freed from the hellfire.
How should we deal with Allah's name, Al-Fattah (The Superb Arbiter)? First, approach Him with humility. Second, have great hope in Allah's victory, and third, be a source of good for others. Help someone tomorrow so that Allah will open doors for you. Allah's name Al-Fattah (The Superb Arbiter) has an important meaning in our death as well as our lives. Allah helps us when the angels ask us in our graves and opens a door from which we can see our seat in heaven. Allah is with us all the time.
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1- Mankind, jinn and all creation.
2- Salla Allah alayhe Wa Salam [All Prayers and Blessings of Allah be upon him].
3- SWT = Suhanahu wa Ta'ala [Glorified and Exalted Be He].
4- TMQ = Translation of the Meaning of the Qur'an. This translation is for the realized meaning, so far, of the stated (Surah:Ayah) of the Qur'an. Reading the translated meaning of the Qur'an can never replace reading it in Arabic, the language in which it was revealed.
5- AS = Allihi as-salam [Peace be upon him].
6- May Allah be pleased with him/her.
7- A chapter; the Qur’an is comprised of 114 surahs.
8- The pilgrimage to Makkah during the first half of the month of Dhul-Hijjah, and is the fifth pillar of Islam.
9- voluntary short pilgrimage that can be performed at any time of the year