The Meaning of the Name of Allah the Exalted, "Al-Zahir"

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Q: What is your opinion, Your Eminence, regarding one who says that the meaning of the Name of Allah "Al-Zahir" is: the One who is manifest in everything? Does this fall under the doctrine of pantheism (hulul) or not?
A: This is invalid; because it contradicts how the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) interpreted the noble verse. It is established from him (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:

You are the First and there is nothing before You; You are the Last and there is nothing after You; You are the Most High (Az-Zahir) and there is nothing above You, and You are the Most Near (Al-Batin) and there is nothing nearer than You. Settle my debt for me and spare me from poverty

اللهم أنت الأول فليس قبلك شيء، وأنت الآخر فليس بعدك شيء، وأنت الظاهر فليس فوقك شيء، وأنت الباطن فليس دونك شيء، اقض عني الدين وأغننا من الفقر

Sunan Ibn Majah 3873Sahih (Darussalam)

It was narrated by Imam Muslim in his Sahih. So "Al-Zahir" means: the One who is High above all creation. However, His signs and the proofs of His existence, His dominion, and His knowledge are present in everything. He is the Lord of the worlds, their Creator, and their Provider. So you, O human being, to whom Allah has given hearing, sight, and intellect, and to whom He has given this body and the limbs with which you grasp and walk, are among the signs indicating that He is the Lord of the worlds. Likewise, the heavens and the earth, the night and the day, the minerals, the animals, and everything else, are all signs of Him (Glorified and Exalted is He) indicating His existence, His power, His knowledge, and His wisdom, and that He is the One worthy of worship. As the poet said:
So wonder, how can the Lord be disobeyed
Or how can the denier deny Him?
In every thing there is a sign of His
Indicating that He is One
And Allah says (Exalted and Majestic is He):

And your God is one God; there is no god but He, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.

وَإِلَهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ لا إِلَهَ إِلا هُوَ الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُ

[Al-Baqarah: 163] Then He said after that:

Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, and the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what Allah has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every [kind of] moving creature, and [His] directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and the earth are signs for a people who use reason.

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَالْفُلْكِ الَّتِي تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنْفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مِنْ مَاءٍ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِنْ كُلِّ دَابَّةٍ وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ وَالسَّحَابِ الْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ

[Al-Baqarah: 164] So He (Glorified and Exalted is He) clarified in this verse types of His creations that indicate that He (Glorified and Exalted is He) is the true God, and that worship is not permissible for anyone other than Him (Glorified and Exalted is He). So in every thing there is a sign and proof that He is the Lord of the worlds, that He exists, that He is the Creator, that He is the Provider, and that He is the One worthy of being worshipped (Glorified and Exalted is He). As for the meaning of Al-Zahir, it is the One who is High above all creation, as mentioned previously in the authentic hadith from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).

Source binbaz.org.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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