Some scholars said: The first obligation God imposed upon His creation is His knowledge. When people know Him, they worship Him. Allah said in Surah Muhammad, Ayah 19;
Therefore, know that there is no god except Allah and ask for forgiveness of your sins and for the believers, men and women. Allah knows your going to and fro, and your lodging.
فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنْبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مُتَقَلَّبَكُمْ وَمَثْوَاكُمْ
Therefore, Muslims should know the Names of Allah and their meanings/interpretations so that they may glorify God with the reverence He deserves. The knowledge of Allah through His Names and Attributes is a means of interacting with Him through the fruits of that knowledge, such as fear, hope, reliance (Tawakkul), and all other inner acts of worship (worships of the heart). The Names of Allah- Al-Azeem (The Mighty) and Al-Haleem (The Forbearing)- carry a profound meaning and leave a powerful impact on the soul.
The Mighty
الْعَظِيم
This name is mentioned nine times in the Noble Qur’an, including the saying of Allah, the Exalted in Surah Al-Baqarah:255; ”And the preserving of them does not weary Him. He is the High, the Great.” (وَلَا يَئُودُهُ حِفْظُهُمَا وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظِيمُ), and in Surah Al-Waqiah:74; ”Then, exalt the Name of your Lord, the Great.” (فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الْعَظِيمِ). Al-Azeem (The Mighty) is the One whom His creation glorifies, fears, and reveres. He, exalted is He, possesses the attribute of greatness in all things. He is mighty in His Essence, mighty in His actions, and mighty in His attributes. Everything besides Him, glorified and exalted be He, is insignificant and small. He is the One possessing majesty and grandeur in His dominion and sovereignty, exalted and Glorified be He. Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “He is Al-Azeem (The Mighty) in every sense that necessitates greatness, which no human being can enumerate. Such is His greatness in His knowledge and His power that it does not burden Him in the least to preserve the seven heavens, the seven earths, and all those within them.”
From the effects of believing in the Name of Allah: Al-Azeem (The Mighty), is that Muslims realize that Allah is great in His Names, His attributes, His actions, His commands, and His prohibitions, they will revere their Lord in all circumstances. For Al-Azeem, the Most Merciful, deserves to be glorified, loved, worshipped, feared, and hoped in. Allah said in Surah Al-Hajj:30 ”All that; and whosoever venerates the sacred rites of Allah it shall be better for him with his Lord.” (ذَلِكَ وَمَنْ يُعَظِّمْ حُرُمَاتِ اللَّهِ فَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لَهُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِ). In addition, if the servant believes in the Name of Allah, Al-Azeem (The Magnificent), he will cleanse his soul and heart of all pride and arrogance; On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ”Allah (mighty and sublime be He) said: Pride is my cloak and greatness My robe, and he who competes with Me in respect of either of them I shall cast into Hell-fire.”
The Forbearing
الحلِيمُ
The Name of Allah Al-Haleem (The Forbearing) was mentioned in the Holy Quran 11 times, such as Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 263; ”Kind words and the covering of faults are better than charity followed by injury. Allah is free of all wants, and He is Most-Forbearing.” (قَوْلٌ مَعْرُوفٌ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ يَتْبَعُهَا أَذًى وَاللَّهُ غَنِيٌّ حَلِيمٌ), and in Surah Fatir, Ayah 41 ”Verily He is Most Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving.” (إِنَّهُ كَانَ حَلِيمًا غَفُورًا). He is the One who does not hasten in inflicting punishment on His servants for their sins. He shows forbearance toward those among His creation who commit shirk and disbelief in Him, delaying their punishment or refraining from hastening it. He is the One who does not withhold His blessings and favors from His servants because of their sins. He provides sustenance to the sinner just as He provides to the obedient. He witnesses the disobedience of the sinners and sees the violation of His commands, yet neither anger provokes Him nor rage overtakes Him. He is the Forbearing, exalted is He, because He pardons much; indeed, He forgives many of their misdeeds.
When the above mentioned meanings take root in a believer’s heart, they inspire deep reverence for Allah, humility before Him, and gracious conduct with others. The believer abandons pride and haste, striving instead to embody patience, forgiveness, and forbearance. Thus, understanding these two noble Names is not mere knowledge; it is a way of life that elevates one’s faith and character. May our hearts be filled with His love, fear of Him, and hope in Him.
