then that the intention is to call the person named. This is one of the benefits of language. A person may also be summoned by a gesture: the movement is not the person himself, but points to him.

As for His words:

“Blessed is the name of your Lord, Possessor of majesty and honor,”

there are two readings. Most reciters read “Possessor of majesty” as dhī al-jalāl. Thus, the Lord who is named is the Possessor of majesty and honor. Ibn ‘Āmir read “Possessor of majesty and honor” as dhū al-jalāl wa-l-ikrām. This is also how it appears in the Syrian Quran manuscript, whereas in the Quran manuscripts of the people of the Hijaz and Iraq it is written with yā’.

As for His words:

“And there will remain the Face of your Lord, Possessor of majesty and honor,”

all agree that it is written with wāw.

Ibn al-Anbārī and others said that tabāraka (“blessed is”) follows the pattern tafā‘ala and is derived from barakah (“blessing”). The meaning is that blessing is acquired and attained through mentioning His name. If the word “name” meant the one named, it would have sufficed to say, “Blessed is your Lord,” since, in their view, the name itself is the Lord Himself; the wording would thus be repetitive.

Some people have said that the word “name” here is merely supplementary, and that the intended meaning is “Blessed is your Lord,” rather than an assertion that His name is blessed. This is mistaken, for on this interpretation, when someone praying says, “Blessed is Your name,” it would mean, “Blessed are You,” while the Lord’s names themselves would contain no blessing. Yet it is well known that His names themselves are blessed, and their blessing comes from their signifying the One named.

For this reason, the Sharia distinguishes between that over which Allah’s name is mentioned and that over which His name is not mentioned, as in His words:

“So eat of that over which Allah’s name has been mentioned,”

and His words:

“And why should you not eat of that over which Allah’s name has been mentioned?”

and His words:

“And mention Allah’s name over it,”

and the words of the Prophet