Al Haleem Name of Allah: Meaning And Benefits In English
Al Haleem name of Allah means The Forbearing, the one who does not immediately punish His servants for their sins, their shirk and their unbelief, but rather He gives them the opportunity to repent.
To be forbearing is to stick to deliberateness, patience, consideration and reason in all that one does or at least intends to do.
In this way, it is the opposite of foolishness and haste.
When it is attributed to Allah Almighty, it gives the meaning of tolerance, endurance and fortitude.
That’s because He has the characteristic of self-control and perseverance that no act of disobedience nor crime could ever provoke His anger, and drive him to transgress the due bounds.
On the contrary, He has made for everything a due measure and a limit, at which it terminates.
What Is The Meaning Of Allah’s Beautiful Name Al Halim?
Al Haleem means He is the One, Who forgives the sins of His servants which He screens from others to see in the world, Who is not hasty to call to account the disobedient and infidels (before warning them of His Punishment).
It is He, Who always overlooks faults and mistakes, plots out sins and crimes, and gives respite to the disobedient until he turns to Him in repentance.
Al-Haleem Meaning in English
This name means the One who is so patient that He does not punish His slaves for any sin they commit; rather, He gives them the opportunity to make amends and turn to Him in repentance.
He forgives them, in His immense mercy, even though He can, without delay, punish them for the sins they commit.
This Name occurs many times in the Qur’an; and a mention might be made here of the following:
- Surah Al-Baqarah verse 225
- Surah An-Nisa verse 12
- Surah At-Taghabun verse 17
It is noticeable that this Name does not come solely; but it always comes in the company of such Names as Al Aleem (the All-Knowing), Al-Ghafur (the Oft-Forgiving), Ash-Shakur (the Most Ready to appreciate (service)).
Allah Almighty described such as He chose from amongst His servants as His devotees with this good characteristic; and a reference might be made here to Abraham in His saying:
And Abraham prayed for his father’s forgiveness only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became clear to him that he was an enemy to Allah, he dissociated himself from him: for Abraham was most tender-hearted, forbearing. (Surah At-Tawbah 114) and:
For Abraham was, without doubt, forbearing (of faults), compassionate, and given to look to Allah.
Surah Hud 75
The same characteristic was given to his son Ishmael as shown in Allah’s saying: ” So We gave him the good news of a boy ready to suffer and forbear.
Surah As-Saffat 101
But, Allah’s Forbearance is uniquely matchless, since it has no like; and any kind of forbearance belonging to man is nothing to mention in relation to that of Allah Almighty.
He never hastens on punishment for anyone, no matter wicked, disobedient, and transgressing all the bounds he might be: on the contrary.
He always gives him respite, and keeps patient on him; and at the same time, he provides him with provision and sustenance, in spite of his wickedness and disobedience, and in many cases, He enlarges sustenance for him, and increases him in power and lifetime, perchance he might tum to Him in repentance.
But, when it is time to seize him with punishment, He then seizes him with punishment of One, Exalted in Might, Who has power to enforce His Will.
Al Haleem Benefits
- Loving Allah, showing due respect to Him and feeling ashamed to do things He does not like, hastening to obey Him and refraining from disobeying Him.
- Hoping for His mercy and not despairing of it, hastening to seek Allah’s forgiveness no matter how big the sin one has committed may be, for Allah only postpones punishment an that sinners may turn to Him in repentance and seek His forgiveness.
- Taking care not to make Allah angry, for His forgiveness and forbearance does not mean that He is unable to punish the sinners.
- Rather, He gives them the opportunity to turn to Him in repentance. When Allah, the Forbearing, becomes angry, He becomes very angry indeed.
- Allah does not hasten to punish the unbelievers or to grant victory to the believers; rather, He, in His infinite wisdom, displays total forbearance in the cases.
- Striving hard to acquire the quality of being forbearing, for Allah loves those who are forbearing and patient.
Al Haleem Name of Allah
It is narrated on the authority of lbn Abbas in a Qudsi tradition that Allah Almighty says:
- O son of Adam! If you remember Me, I surely will remember you; and if you forget Me, I will keep remembering you.
- If you obey Me, then, you might go wherever you will, so as to take Me for Friend, as well as I take you for friend; to come to Me with purity (of faith), so that I would choose you (as one of My devotees); or even to tum away from Me, but I would keep turning (in mercy) towards you: Who did provide you with sustenance when you were still fetus in the womb of your mother?
- I kept looking after you until My Plan was enforced pertaining to you; and when I brought you out to life, you committed so many sins; though this is not the (right way of showing) gratitude for Him, Who did good to you!
It is further narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah that Allah Almighty says:
O son of Adam! As much as you invoke Me, and hope for (My Mercy), I forgive for you whatever (sins and mistakes) were committed, and I do not care (whether they are so much grievous).
0 son of Adam! If you come to Me with sins and mistakes (as much as to) fill the whole earth, and you meet me (on the Day of Judgement), without ascribing anyone to Me (in worship), I will bring you forgiveness (for all of your sins, as much as to) fill the whole earth.
Furthermore, Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him, had no match nor rival from amongst the whole mankind in forbearance, patience, and perseverance.
His situation from those pagans and infidels who did harm to him, plotted to kill him, and then drove him away from his town, is typical in showing how patient and long-suffering he was.
When he was helped by Allah Almighty conquer Mecca, and prevail over those infidels, who thought he should exact retribution from them for what they did to him earlier, he pardoned them, and set them free: who from amongst mankind on the surface of the earth could have power to do the same?
The Qur’an highly appreciates forbearance, and Allah Almighty, on many occasions, calls the Muslims and faithful believers to stick to patience and deliberateness, and commends them not to make haste to behave in response to anger or fury that might instigate them.
The Prophets and Messengers act here as the greatest examples and patterns in their adherence to this characteristic:
They patiently persevered against the harm they received from their peoples, and they did not avert their ignorance and foolishness with similar ignorance and foolishness: on the contrary, they faced them with forbearance, patience and forgiveness; and it is their method of life that we should follow, as well as it is their guidance and conduct that we should copy.
How Does One Acquire The Good Manners Related to that Name?
Although the characteristic of forbearance is a Divine gift, bestowed by Allah Almighty upon such of His servants as He pleases, one might acquire it if he strives his utmost to have self-control, keep himself away from being provoked by anger, and rather stick to constant patience in all of his conduct.
It is narrated that once a man asked the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him, to give advice to him (upon which he might act in his life), thereupon the Messenger of Allah, may peace be upon him advised him not to be provoked by anger: the more he asked him for another advice, the more the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him gave him the same advice.
It is narrated in both Sahibs on the authority of Abu Hurairah: Allah’s Apostle “Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him” said:
The strong is not the one who overcomes the people with his power, but the strong is the one who controls himself while being in anger.
It is fitting for one who celebrates Allah by that Name to stick to patience, adhere to forbearance, and have the characteristic of forgiveness prevail in him over that of retribution.
Once, Umar lbn Abd Al-‘ Azeez, regarded the fifth of the rightly-guided successors of the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him, entered into the mosque and then he stumbled by the leg of a lying man who was asleep.
When the man was scared and he got up, he became angry and said to Umar, the Commander of the Believers: Are you mad? Umar answered him in the negative.
The guards intended to punish the man, but Umar cooled them, and ordered the man to keep lying. He then addressed the guards saying:
He has just asked me a question, and I’ve answered him.
It is for this that such men as Abu Bakr, Umar lbn Al-Khattab, Uthman, Ali, and Umar lbn Abd Al-‘ Azeez, and those who truly succeeded them prevailed over others, and became highly preeminent across centuries; and it is those whose guidance and conduct every Muslim should copy; and it is their way that every faithful believer should follow.
The following supplication is transmitted from the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessing and peace be upon him.
It is narrated in both Sahihs and Ahmad on the authority of Ibn Abbas: The Prophet, may peace be upon him used to supplicate Allah at the time of distress by saying:
There is no God but Allah, the Most Great, the Most Forbearing. There is no God but Allah, the Lord of the Thrown, the Most Great. There is no God but Allah, the Lord of the seven heavens, the Lord of the earth, and the Lord of the Thrown, the Most Generous.
A mention might be made also of the following supplication narrated from some righteous men:
O Allah: Most High, Most Magnificent, Most Forbearing, Full of Wisdom, Most Generous, Ever Near and Ready to respond (to Your servants), Most Loving: keep us far from the (splendour of this) life, (the affliction of) women, (the evil end of) heedlessness, lust and bad manners; forgive for us our sins; relieve us of our burdens; remove evil from us; and deliver us from distress, and make for us a way out of it: You have power over all things.
