1. Seeking nearness to Allah through His names.

The Shaykh : The first category is seeking nearness to Allah the Exalted through His names, whether this is through the names in general or through a specific name. Pay attention to the first category: seeking nearness to Allah the Exalted through what? Through His names, whether through His names in general or through a specific one of them. What is the first example? Seeking nearness through the names in general. What is established in the authentic hadith from Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) in the supplication for distress and worry is: Where is the evidence in the hadith? In the phrase "by every name that is Yours." And we say, "O Allah, I ask You by Your beautiful names." What is the evidence for this category? Its evidence is the saying of Allah the Exalted: As for the second, which is seeking nearness through a specific name, it is like saying, "O Forgiver, forgive me," or "O Merciful, have mercy on me," or "O Allah, You are the Pardoner who loves pardon, so pardon me." This is seeking nearness through what? Through a name, but a specific one. In this type, the name must be appropriate to the supplication. So if you want to ask Allah for provision, you say, "O Provider"; for forgiveness, "O Forgiver"; for pardon, "O Pardoner," and so on. But if you said, "O Allah, O Severe in Retribution, pardon me," is that appropriate or not? How do you seek nearness through a name that indicates punishment to the pardon of Allah Mighty and Majestic? You only supplicate to Allah the Exalted with names that are appropriate to what you are supplicating for. Take this category.