The Letters of the Unique Name (Part One) – Abdur Rahman’s Corner
Peace, one and all…
Ibn Ata’illah’s The Pure Intention: On Knowledge of the Unique Name is a beautiful book exploring the meaning and significance of the Divine Name Allah! This heart has been called to focus on this Name and so, God wills, Ibn Ata’illah’s work offers us an invitation to journey together a little more deeply.
Now this unique Name of the Godhead is composed of four letters: alif, lam, lam, and ha, as the poet said:
Four letters in which my heart is absorbed,
And into which all my thoughts and concerns have disappeared:
Alif, by which creation was assembled (ta’allaf) by design,
Lam, to signal the way of self-reproach (malama),
Another lam to add to the meanings,
Then a ha through which I love (uhim) and comprehend.
(attributed to Mansur al-Hallaj)
Each of these letters has a special meaning, just as every one of God’s Names has a special meaning. The alif comes from love (ulfa) and union (ta’lif); God united all of His creation in recognition of His Oneness and acknowledgement of Him as their God, Maker, Creator and Provider. God says, ‘If you ask them who created them, they will say, ‘Allah’ (Quran 43:87), If you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they will say, ‘Allah’ (Quran 31:25). Allah was and there was nothing before Him, and there will be nothing after Him, as He said, ‘I was a hidden treasure, and I wanted to be known, so I created creation and made them know Me, and they knew Me’. And He united the hearts of His servants in love for Him and worship and obedience to Him in faith and tawhid, as He said, ‘Had you spent all that is in the world entire, you would not have been able to unite their hearts; but God united their hearts, for He is Mighty, Wise’ (Quran 8:63). He also united their hearts in recognition of His worship and acknowledgement of His Oneness of Lordship. God says, ‘All in the heavens and the earth shall come to the Compassionate as a servant’ (Quran 19:93). A poet said:
Blessed be Him whose servant I am proud to be,
Glory be to Him, glory be to Him, and may He be praised.
There is no dominion but His, mighty is He.
He is the First in His authority, and the Last.
He united the hearts of His servants with grace, favour and blessing, and made it a part of the provisions He gave them; sometimes He withholds and sometimes He gives forth. God says, ‘I created the jinn and man only that they might worship Me; I desire of them no provision, nor do I desire that they nourish Me’ (Quran 11:56-57)
