Explaining the name of Allah Al Hafizh and Al Hafeezh (All-Watching and the Protector

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

Explaining the name of Allah Al Hafizh and Al Hafeezh (All-Watching and the Protector)

Dr. Amin ibn `Abdullah Ash-Shaqawy


All praise be to Allah and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone who has no partner. I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger.
Al Bukhari and Muslim reported in their books of authentic Hadiths from the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Allah has ninety-nine names, i.e. one-hundred minus one, and whoever knows them will go to Paradise."[1]
One of the beautiful names of Allah that were mentioned in the Glorious Qur'an is Al Hafeezh and Al Hafizh. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Surely, my Lord is Guardian over all things." [Surat Hud: 57]
Allah (Exalted be He) says: "And your Lord is a Hafiz over everything. (AllKnower of everything i.e. He keeps record of each and every person as regards deeds, and then He will reward them accordingly)." [Surat Saba': 21].
As for Al Hafizh, it came in Allah's Saing: "But Allah is the Best to guard, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy." [Surat Yusuf: 64].
Allah (Glory be to Him) says: "Verily We: It is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Quran) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)." [Surat Al Hijr: 9].
Al Khattaby said: He is Al Hafizh who protects the heavens and the earth and that therein so that they would not go away or be destroyed. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is the Most High, the Most Great. [This Verse 2:255 is called Ayat-ul-Kursi.]" [Surat Al Baqarah: 255].
Allah (Exalted be He) says: "And to guard against every rebellious devil." [Surat As-Saffat: 7].
Allah (Exalted be He) says: "Verily! Allah grasps the heavens and the earth lest they move away from their places, and if they were to move away from their places, there is not one that could grasp them after Him. Truly, He is Ever Most Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving." [Surat Fatir: 41].
He (Glory be to Him) preserved His Servant from perils and from bad death. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "For each (person), there are angels in succession, before and behind him. They guard him by the Command of Allah." [Surat Ar-Ra`d: 11].
Moreover, He protects the lifetimes of people, counts for them their sayings, and protects His Pious Servants by making them avoid sins and guards them against the plots of Satan to be safe of his evil.[2]
Of the impacts of believing in those two great names:
First, the keeper to these seven heavens and earths and all that therein is Allah (Glory be to Him) alone, for He alone is able to keep heavens from falling on the earth. "And We have made the heaven a roof, safe and well guarded. Yet they turn away from its signs (i.e. sun, moon, winds, clouds, etc.)." [Surat Al Anbiya': 32].
He also says: "He withholds the heaven from falling on the earth except by His Leave." [Surat Al Hajj: 65].
Second, Allah (Glory be to Him) preserves the actions of His Servants and does not waste anything of them, and shall reward them for their actions on the Day of Recompense. It was reported in the Divine Hadith: "O My Servants, they are your actions which I reckon for you and shall reward you for."[3]
Allah (Exalted be He) says: "And all things We have recorded in a Book." [Surat An-Naba': 29].
The actions of people are recorded by honorable recorders of angels. Allah says: "But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind) to watch you. * Kiraman (honorable) Katibin writing down (your deeds). * They know all that you do." [Surat Al Infitar: 10 - 12]
Nothing can be missed from these records even if it is tiny. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "They will say: Woe to us! What sort of Book is this that leaves neither a small thing nor a big thing, but has recorded it with numbers!" [Surat Al Kahf: 49].
Third, Allah (may He be Exalted) is the one who protects a servant from evils and diseases, and protects him from His Punishment and Torment if a person preserves the limits of Allah and avoids His Prohibitions. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient (to Allah and to their husbands), and guard in the husband's absence what Allah orders them to guard (e.g. their chastity, their husband's property, etc.)." [Surat An-Nisa': 34].
Because of their preserving to the rights, honor, money, and children of their husbands, Allah protected them. At-Tirmidhy reported in his Sunan from the Hadith of Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Be watchful of Allah (Commandments of Allah), He will preserve you. Safeguard His Rights, He will be ever with you."[4]
Fourth, Allah (Glory be to Him) praised those who preserve His Rights and Limits. After Allah had mentioned some of their qualities, He said: "and who observe the limits set by Allah (do all that Allah has ordained and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which Allah has forbidden). And give glad tidings to the believers." [Surat At-Tawbah: 112].
Allah (Exalted be He) says: "(It will be said): This is what you were promised, - (it is) for those oft-returning (to Allah) in sincere repentance, and those who preserve their covenant with Allah (by obeying Him in all what He has ordered, and worship none but Allah Alone, i.e. follow Allah's Religion, Islamic Monotheism). * Who feared the Most Beneficent (Allah) in the Ghaib (unseen): (i.e. in this worldly life before seeing and meeting Him), and brought a heart turned in repentance (to Him - and absolutely free from each and every kind of polytheism)," [Surat Qaf: 32 - 33].
A believer must preserve his head and belly, which means: Protecting hearing, sights, and the tongue from prohibited matters, whereas protecting the belly includes preserving the heart from insisting on prohibited matters. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "And know that Allah knows what is in your minds, so fear Him." [Surat Al Baqarah: 235].
Allah collected the things which must be preserved in His Saying: "And follow not (O man i.e., say not, or do not or witness not, etc.) that of which you have no knowledge (e.g. one's saying: I have seen, while in fact he has not seen, or I have heard, while he has not heard). Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those you will be questioned (by Allah)." [Surat Al Isra': 36].
Preserving of the belly includes preserving it from unlawful foods and drinks. Of the things that must be protected are the tongue and the private parts. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "The men and the women who guard their chastity (from illegal sexual acts)." [Surat Al Ahzab: 35].
Imam Ahmad reported in his Musnad from the Hadith of Abu Musa Al Ash`ary (may Allah be pleased with him) who narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever preserves what is between his mouth and private parts shall enter paradise."[5]
Fifth, one of the things that a Muslim must preserve is monotheism because the one who preserves this right, Allah shall protect him on the Day of Recompense and grant him security from His Torment. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "It is those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah and worship none but Him Alone) and confuse not their belief with Zulm (wrong i.e. by worshipping others besides Allah), for them (only) there is security and they are the guided." [Surat Al An`am: 82].
Al Bukhari and Muslim reported in their books of authentic Hadiths from the Hadith of Mu`adh (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to Mu`adh: "O Mu'adh! Do you know what are Allah's rights on His slaves, and what are the right of His slaves on Him?" I replied: "Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) know better." He said, "Allah's right on His slaves is that they should worship Him (Alone) and should not worship any besides Him. And slave's right on Allah is that He shall never torture him who worships none besides Him." I said, "O Allah's Messenger! Should I not inform the people of this good news?" He said, "Do not inform them of it, lest they should depend on it (absolutely)."[6]
In general, a believer is commanded to preserve his entire religion, and whenever a believer preserves the rights and limits of Allah, Allah preserves him. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "O Children of Israel! Remember My Favor which I bestowed upon you, and fulfill (your obligations to) My Covenant (with you) so that I fulfill (My Obligations to) your covenant (with Me), and fear none but Me." [Surat Al Baqarah: 40].
Sixth, the protected person is the one who is preserved by Allah, whereas the one whom Allah predestined to put in chaos, shall be lost. Moreover, Allah (Glory be to Him) has undertaken to preserve His Book from alteration and change until the Day of Recompense. Allah (may He be Exalted) says: "Verily We: It is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Quran) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)." [Surat Al Hijr: 9].[7]
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds [i.e., people]. and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions.

[1] No. 2736 and Sahih Muslim No. 2677.

[2] The book of "the status of invocation" p. 67-68.

[3] Part from a Hadith in Sahih Muslim No. 2577.

[4] No. 2516 and At-Tirmidhy said: A good and authentic Hadith.

[5] (32/330) No. 19559 and the verifiers of the chains of transmission graded it as authentic by the virtue of another Hadith.

[6] No. 2856 and Sahih Muslim No. 30.

[7] See Al Manhaj Al Asma fi Sharh Asma' Allah Al Husna (The most sublime method in explanation of the beautiful names of Allah) of An-Najdy (1/339 - 354).