The Eighth Point

The Answer:

First: Sāni-i Dhu’l-JalālAllah, Who creates with perfect artistry and Whose greatness and majesty are boundless. attaches great importance to displaying the beauty of His creation. He veils what is unpleasant and adorns His blessings so that attention is drawn to them. Likewise, He wills His creatures and servants to appear beautiful and becoming in the sight of other conscious beings. To appear in unbecoming or ugly states is, in a sense, contrary to the manifestations of His names such as al-JamīlAllah, the Infinitely Beautiful One and the Possessor of all beauty., al-MuzayyinAllah, the One who adorns all creation with His perfect artistry., al-LatīfAllah, the Most Subtle and Gentle., and al-HakīmAllah, the All-Wise, Whose wisdom is infinite., and is therefore inconsistent with proper etiquette. Accordingly, following the SunnahThe sayings, actions, and approvals of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) that serve as a model for Muslims. of the Prophet (saw)Sallallāhu alayhi wa sallam (Peace and blessings be upon him) means adopting a manner of conduct that accords with the etiquette required by the names of Sāni-i Dhu’l-JalālAllah, Who creates with perfect artistry and Whose greatness and majesty are boundless..

Second: A physician may, in the course of medical treatment, examine parts of a patient’s body that would ordinarily be impermissible to look at, and necessity may require that they be exposed to him. In such circumstances, this is not considered contrary to etiquette; rather, medical ethics require it. Outside the context of treatment, however, that same physician has no permission to look at those parts, nor does etiquette allow them to be exposed. To do so would be indecent.

Likewise, Sāni-i Dhu’l-JalālAllah, Who creates with perfect artistry and Whose greatness and majesty are boundless. possesses many beautiful names, each with its own distinct manifestation. For example, the name al-GhaffārAllah, the Ever-Forgiving One. necessitates the existence of sins, and the name as-SattārAllah, the One who conceals people’s faults and shortcomings and grants them forgiveness. presupposes the existence of faults. Yet the name al-JamīlAllah, the Infinitely Beautiful One and the Possessor of all beauty. does not desire to behold ugliness. Similarly, names that express Divine beauty and perfection — such as al-LatīfAllah, the Most Subtle and Gentle., al-KarīmAllah, the Most Generous One., al-HakīmAllah, the All-Wise, Whose wisdom is infinite., and ar-RahīmAllah, the Most Merciful. — require that creation appear in its most beautiful form and in the best possible state. Through the beautiful conduct and refined manners of His creatures, these names display their beauty before the angels, the spiritual beings, the jinnSpiritual beings created from smokeless fire., and humankind.

Thus, the etiquette embodied in the SunnahThe sayings, actions, and approvals of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) that serve as a model for Muslims. of the Prophet (saw)Sallallāhu alayhi wa sallam (Peace and blessings be upon him) serves as a sign, a principle, and a practical example of the exalted etiquette required by the names of Allah.

The Eighth Point

After the verse

لَقَدْ جَٓاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِنْ اَنْفُسِكُمْ عَزٖيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرٖيصٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْمُؤْمِنٖينَ رَؤُفٌ رَحٖيمThere has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Your suffering grieves him; he is deeply concerned for you and is compassionate and merciful toward the believers. — The Quran 9:128

which proclaims the Prophet’s (saw)Sallallāhu alayhi wa sallam (Peace and blessings be upon him) perfect compassion and mercy towards his UmmahThe worldwide Muslim community., the Qur’an continues with the verse

فَاِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَقُلْ حَسْبِىَ اللّٰهُ لَٓا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظٖيمBut if they turn away, then say: ‘Allah is sufficient for me. There is no god except Him. In Him I place my trust, and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne.’ — The Quran 9:129

and conveys the following message:

O people! O Muslims! There is one who guides you to the Straight Path with boundless compassion, devotes all his efforts to your well-being, and, through the rulings he brought and his SunnahThe sayings, actions, and approvals of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) that serve as a model for Muslims., heals your spiritual wounds with perfect mercy. You should realize how heartless and irrational it is to turn away from his SunnahThe sayings, actions, and approvals of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) that serve as a model for Muslims. and the guidance he proclaimed. To do so is, in effect, to deny the evident compassion of such a merciful person and to cast doubt upon his evident compassion and mercy.