Shaykh al-Islām—may Allah sanctify his soul—said:

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.

All praise belongs to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help and forgiveness, and seek refuge in Him from the evil within ourselves and from our evil deeds. Whoever Allah guides, none can lead astray; and whoever He leads astray, none can guide. We testify that none is worthy of worship except Allah alone, without partner, and we testify that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May Allah Most High bless him and grant him abundant peace.

Section: Commentary on

“Say: He is Allah, the One;
Allah, the Eternal Refuge.
He neither begets nor was He begotten,
and there is none comparable to Him.”

The early generations offered several explanations of the name al-Samad that might be thought to differ. This is not so; rather, they are all correct.

The two best-known explanations are:

First, al-Samad is the One who has no hollow interior.

Second, He is the Master to whom people turn for their needs. The first is the view of