Al-Khafid is the One Who has lowered the status of those who do not believe in Him, of those
who are arrogant, of the liars, and of those who swerve away from His Path, the Path of
Islam, His final Word of truth.
- "Al-Rafi`"
The Holy Qura'n states the following: "Allah will exalt those of you who believe, and those
who are granted knowledge, to high degrees" (Qura'n, 58:11).
Al-Rafiis one of the Attributes of Allah whose root word is raf, lifting, raising, exalting,
elevating, and the like. It can be used for objects as in 2:63: "... and lifted the mountain over
you," and in 13:2: "Allah is the One Who raised the heavens without any pillars so that you
may see [His might] and He is firm in power." It can also be used for raising the structure of a
building as is the case in the verse saying, "And when Abraham and Ishmael raised the
foundations of the House..." (Qura'n, 2:127). It is also used for exalting or revering someone's
status as in this verse: "... and exalted your esteem" (Qura'n, 94:4). It is also used to exalt the
status or degree of someone honoured as in the verse saying, "... and We have exalted some of
them above others in degrees" (Qura'n, 43:32), and also, "... and exalted thrones..." (Qura'n,
56:34), that is, thrones the status of which is exalted by nearness to Him.
Al-Rafi` is Allah Who exalts the status of His friends, granting them victory over their foes
and His, and that of the righteous, to the highest degrees. He exalts the truth; He exalts the
believers by granting them happiness; He exalts His friends from among the believers by
getting closer to them; He exalts the status of His friends by granting them the upper hand,
and He exalts the status of those who befriend Him in truth and in equity. Al-Rafi' raised the
heavens without pillars, raised the clouds over the winds, raised the birds in the air: "Have
they not seen the birds above them expanding (their wings) and contracting (them)? Who
withholds them save the Beneficent God? Surely He sees everything" (Qura'n, 67:19).
Al-Rafihas raised the status of His friends in the life of this world by making the believers humble themselves before them, and by making people pay homage and respect to them even if they do not wield any power, even if they have no wealth at all: "Now surely the friends of Allah shall have no fear, nor shall they grieve. Those who believed and guarded (themselves against evil) shall have glad tidings in the life of this world as well as in the life hereafter; there is no alteration to the words of Allah; that is the mighty achievement" (10:62-65). Al- Rafi exalts the reputation of those who are regarded as weaklings among their own people,
supporting the wronged against those who wrong them.
In Surat al-Baqarah, the Almighty says, "We have made some prophets excel over others;
among them are those to whom Allah spoke, and some of them He exalted by (many degrees
of) rank" (Qura'n, 2:253). In Surat al-Ana`m, He says, "And this was Our argument which We
gave to Abraham against his people; We exalt in dignity whomsoever We please; surely your