knows all hidden things, and He is Cognizant of all things" (Qura'n, 57:3).
Al-Akhir is the Last without having to have a first, the Last in His Attribute of eternity and
perpetuity; He postpones anything that is to come later. He is the Last by virtue of being
above any adjectives whereby He may be described, the Last above extinction. He is the Last
without anyone having delayed Him and made Him so, and He is the Last due to His
sustaining us. He is the Last according to the rule of necessity: He is the First to grant
guidance; He is the Last to look after those whom He guides.
Allah permits the rewards to reach those who earn them and the penalty to afflict those who
deserve it; so, just as He was the first since time immemorial, when there was nothing with
Him at all, so will He remain the Last One and nothing will be with Him at all.
Among the good manners of a believer with respect to this Attribute is that he keeps
remembering it quite often so that its light may manifest itself unto his heart, and so that he
should escape this vanishing abode and look forward for the lasting one; he flees from his
own self seeking Allah, the Lord of the heavens and the earth.
- "Al-Zahir"
Allah has said, "... the One Who knows the unseen! So He does not reveal His secrets to
any..." (Qura'n, 72:26).
Linguistically speaking, "al-Zahir" is derived from "zuhoor," manifestation, appearance,
sighting, etc. It means something hidden coming to appearance. It also conveys the meaning
of "victor." This meaning occurs in this verse: "... and they became the uppermost" (Qura'n,
61:14), that is, in a higher status and rank. "zahr" also means back, the opposite of "ban,"
stomach or belly; so, what is zahir is the opposite of what is batin. It also means: animals
used to transport people and luggage on their backs, their hrs, that is, beasts of burden,
whether it is used as a figure of speech or literally. Something zaheer is very strong.
According to hadith, "There is no verse in the Holy Qura'n except that it has an apparent
meaning and a hidden one." What is apparent may be the wording, and what is hidden may is
the meaning, or it may mean recitation or reading versus comprehension and learning.
The meaning of the Attribute of the Almighty "al-Zahir" permits more than one
interpretation:
- He subdues His creation. 2) He knows everything apparent, just as the Attribute "al-Batin"
means He knows everything hidden. 3) He is al-Zahir due to the abundance of dazzling
proofs and the enlightening evidence testifying to His Glory.
Suppose someone says that if He is al-Zahir, the Apparent or the Evident One, the One about