Linguistically, "al-Qahhar" is derived from qahr, conquest, subduing, vanquishing, winning a
victory. It means the overtaking of something or someone with the intention to humiliate him.
One who takes another by way of qahr is one who takes him against his will. "Al-Qahhar" is
a superlative of "al-Qahir", the Victor or Subduer. Allah, indeed, is the One Who, by His
Might, has subdued everything He created to His Authority and Power, using His creatures as
He pleases, whether they like it or not. Al-Qahir is the One Who has the upper hand over all
creation; "... and Allah is the master of His affair" (Qura'n, 12:21).
Al-Qahhar is the One Whose vengeance nobody can withstand. He humiliates oppressors,
splits the spine of kings and emperors. He is the One besides Whose Might all creation is
powerless, without Whose Power all beings are helpless. If we submit to Him, He will satisfy
our needs, but if we do not, He will make us suffer as we try to achieve our objectives. He is
the One Who splits the spine of the tyrants and oppressors from among His foes, subduing
them by taking their lives away, and by humiliating them, while there is nothing in existence
that can escape His Might and Power: everyone and everything is helpless in His grip.
Al-Qahhar effects His will with regard to His creatures, whether they like it or not, whether
they are willing or unwilling. He has subdued the souls of the worshippers by instilling in the
hearts the fear of His retribution, and the hearts of those who are endowed with knowledge
with the Might of nearness to Him, and the souls of those who love Him by unveiling the
truth about Him to them. He has subdued all beings by death, so none is safe from Him, not
even an angel who enjoys a special status with Him, nor a prophet, nor a messenger. Allah
will make even the angel of death, Israel, taste of death; so, when his soul is taken out, the
angel of death will say, "By Your Honour do I swear that had I known the taste of death to be
like this, I would never have taken away anyone's soul at all!" It is to such a meaning that the
word qahr, upon the taking of the souls of all beings, conveys as implied in the verse saying,
"To whom does the kingdom belong this day? To Allah, the One, the Subduer (of
all)" (Qura'n, 40:16).
If one who believes in Allah desires to personify within him the meanings embedded in this
Attribute, he has to subdue his own self, his nafs, and control his evil desires, by not plotting
in cooperation with Satan, and by returning to Allah, submitting to His will in all matters. The
path whereby man derives light from the Attribute "al-Qahhar" is that one should view his
nafs, which is ever present within him, as the worst of his enemies, so he subdues it and
strangles it, doing exactly the opposite of what it tells him to do, so much so that it will have
no choice except to submit to divine commandments. Then he will have to subdue his
stubborn opponent, i.e. Satan, staying on his guard against his evil suggestions, blocking his
avenues. Then he will have to subdue his carnal desires and insinuations by not following
what they inspire him to do.
- "Al-Wahhab"