Tafsir Asma Allah al-Husna li-al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (206)

Al-Rafīq (the Gentle), al-Raqīb (the Watchful), al-Sattār (the Concealer), al-Sittīr (the Concealer), al-Salām (the Source of Peace), al-Quddūs (the Most Holy), al-Salām (the Source of Peace)

39 - The Gentle:

He—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—said: “Among His names is ‘the Gentle’: He is gentle in His actions and His legislation. This is derived from the Prophet’s statement (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in the authentic hadith: ‘Indeed, Allah is gentle and loves those who are gentle, and Allah grants through gentleness what He does not grant through harshness.’ 2.

Allah Most High is gentle in His actions. He created all things gradually, little by little, in accordance with His wisdom and gentleness, although He is able to create them all at once, in a single instant3.

Whoever reflects on created things and on how He introduces His revealed laws gradually will behold extraordinary wonders in this. Thus, one who takes his time and approaches matters with gentleness, calm and dignity, following

(1) Al-Haqq al-Wādih al-Mubīn, pp. 78–79; and al-Tafsīr, 5:631. (2) Reported with similar wording by Muslim in his Sahīh (4:2003, 2004), Book of Righteousness and Maintaining Ties of Kinship, chapter on the virtue of gentleness, from ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her). (3) Al-Haqq al-Wādih al-Mubīn, p. 63.

الرفيق، الرقيب، الستار، الستير، السلام، القدوس، السلام ٣٩ - الرفيق: قال رحمه الله تعالى: "ومن أسمائه "الرفيق" في أفعاله وشرعه، وهذا قد أخذ من قوله ﷺ في الحديث الصحيح: "إن الله رفيق يحب أهل الرفق، وإن الله يعطي على الرفق ما لا يعطي على العنف" ٢. فالله تعالى رفيق في أفعاله خلق المخلوقات كلها بالتدريج شيئاً فشيئاً بحسب حكمته ورفقه مع أنه قادر على خلقها دفعة واحدة وفي لحظة واحدة٣. ومن تدبر المخلوقات وتدبر الشرائع كيف يأتي بها شيئاً بعد شيء شاهد من ذلك العجب العجيب، فالمتأني الذي يأتي الأمور برفق وسكينة ووقار إتباعاً

١ الحق الواضح المبين (ص٧٨ و٧٩) والتفسير (٥/ ٦٣١). ٢ أخرجه مسلم في صحيحه (٤/ ٢٠٠٣، ٢٠٠٤) كتاب البر والصلة باب فضل الرفق من حديث عائشة ﵂ بنحوه. ٣ الحق الواضح المبين (ص٦٣).