The Attribute "al-Basit" does not exist in the text of the Holy Qura'n, yet its derivatives
certainly do; these are examples where such derivatives exist:
Nay! His hands are spread out; He expends as He pleases. (5:64) Allah has made for you the
earth a wide expanse. (71:19) Allah is the One Who sends forth the winds, so they raise a
cloud, then He spreads it forth in the sky as He pleases, and He breaks it up, so you see rain
coming forth from it; when He causes it to pour upon whomsoever He pleases of His servants,
lo, they rejoice! (30:48)
The Holy Qura'n speaks of decorating the bodies with strength: "... and increased you in
excellence in respect of physique" (Qura'n, 7:69). And it speaks of pleasing through both
knowledge and excellence of physique when it says, "... and He has increased him abundantly
in knowledge and in physique" (Qura'n, 2:247).
We have to point out here that we ought to mention both divine Attributes of al-Qabid and al-
Basit together in order to convey the meanings of might and wisdom. The Almighty is al-
Qabid just as He is al-Basit.
- "Al-Khafid"
Some scholars say that both Attributes al-Khafid and al-Rafi` ought to be used
simultaneously. If applied to our Islamic creed, both Attributes connote misguidance and
guidance respectively. If applied to knowledge or obedience to Allah, they imply the highest
and the lowest of ranks respectively; it is in this sense that they occur in this verse: "Abasing
(one party), exalting (the other)" (Qura'n, 56:3), meaning abasing the unbelievers who occupy
the lowest ranks of hell while exalting the believers to the highest ranks of Paradise.
Allah has said, "And be kind to him who follows you from among the believers" (Qura'n,
26:215). Khafd is the opposite of raf`: the first implies vanquishing, lowering the status of,
abasing, insulting, humiliating. The Hour is sometimes described as such in 56:3: "Abasing
(one party), exalting (the other)" (Qura'n, 56:3), meaning abasing some people because of
their transgression, hurling them into the pit of hellfire. In Surat al-Hijr, we read more about
the khafd: "... be kind to the believers" (Qura'n, 15:88), and in Surat al-Isra' we read: "Be
submissively gentle to them, compassionate" (Qura'n, 17:24).
Al-Khafid is the One Who humiliates the oppressors and tyrants, lowering their ranks and
insulting them. He abases at will. Al-Khafid is the One Who lowers, through humiliation, all
those who think of themselves as being great, the arrogant and the conceited. He lowers entire
nations. He lowers falsehood. Al-Khafid is the One Who lowers the rank of all those who
disobey Him, Who humiliates those upon whom His wrath descends, Who lowers the ranks of
those who deserve to be treated as such. He humiliates the unbelievers by exposing them to
misery, His foes by distancing them from Him, and by exposing them to perdition.