Al Lateef Name of Allah Meaning And Benefits In English

Al Lateef name of Allah means The Subtle And Kind, the one who is fully aware of the hidden details of all affairs, and of that which will benefit the servants.

And Who is kind to them and Who causes that which is good for them to reach them, via means of which they had no expectation of.

Al-Lateef in Arabic

Al Lateef can be written in Arabic as,

اللَّطِيفُ

According to lbn Manzhur, a famous linguist and lexicographer, the composer of Lisan Al-Arab (the Language of the Arabs), a fundamental well-known dictionary in the Arabic literacy, Al-Lateef is one of Allah’s Most Beautiful Names, which contains one of the characteristics essential to the nature of Allah Almighty.

When it is attributed to Allah, in His relation with His servants, it gives the meaning of His Being the Most Generous, Gracious and Compassionate towards them; and when it is joined to Him in relation to knowledge, it refers to His Being the All-Knowing of the finest mysteries and the deepest secrets of things, which none barring He could ever learn.

Al-Latif In The Quran

This Name occurs seven times in the Holy Qur’an. They are;

• Surah Al-An’am verse 103
• Surah Al-Hajj verse 63
• Surah Luqman verse 16
• Surah Ash-Shura verse 19
• Surah Al-Mulk verse 14
• Surah Al-Ahzab verse 34

The main significance of that Name understood from those Holy Verses mentioned above is that “Al-Lateef” is the One, Who has full knowledge of the finest and the most accurate mysteries and the deepest and the most fundamental secrets of all things He has created, as well as the One Who has the will and power to benefit all of His servants, and be a source of profit to them so much generously, kindly and courteously.

Al Lateef The All-Subtle Allah, Exalted be He, says,

“No vision can grasp Him, but he grasp is over all vision and He the Al-Subtle, the All-Aware.

Surah Al an’am 103

Al Lateef Name of Allah Meaning

Al-Lateef means the One who has knowledge of all things, subtle and hidden, and the One who shows His immense mercy to His slaves and shows thorn ways leading to goodness in very subtle ways not known to anyone.

He is also the One who is fully aware of all the secrets, and what is yet more hidden, and the One who shows immense kindness to His slaves by fulfilling their needs, in His all-encom-passing kindness and is ways they do not perceive.

Positive Effects Of Allah’s Subtlety And Graciousness to His Slaves

• He determines their sustenance, knowing full well what is best for them, according to His foreknowledge and immense wisdom, but not as a result of His slaves’ own desires.
• He inflicts trials and tribulations on them to multiply their rewards and raise them to higher degrees of honour in the Hereafter.
• He does not test His servants with weak faith by subjecting them to tests that might otherwise undermine their faith and certainty.
• He makes the sins His slaves commit a means to turn in repentance to Him.
• He makes His righteous servants abhor whims and desires so that they would not incline to them.

Benefits Of Belief In The Name Al Lateef

• Loving Allah and experiencing peace and tranquillity in His presence for being so subtle and so gracious that He does not punish us and continues to bestow His blessings on us and fulfil our needs in ways we do not perceive.
• Experiencing tranquillity and serenity which this beautiful name instils in our hearts.
• Demonstrating true reliance on Allah, Glorified and Sublime be He, happily accepting what-ever He decides for as and repeatedly reciting the supplication in which we seek Allah’s guidance when we are not sure about a choice (du’aa’ al-istikhaarah), fully assured of Allah’s wise decision for as and His graciousness to us.

• Bringing ourselves to account and avoiding acts that show disobedience to Allah, for Allah, Exalted be He, is fully aware of all our actions, no matter how small they may be, and “He is the All Subtle, the All Aware.
• Striving hard to acquire this excellent quality and trying our best to be gracious to others, being gentle with them, showing kindness to them, loving good for them and even doing it for them and hating to harm them in any way.

The first side of the meaning then is one of the characteristics essential to the nature; and the other belongs to the characteristics of acts and deeds.

The One Who has such a good characteristic should be charitable, openhanded and bountiful, unique in removing whatever distresses and disasters befall any of His servants, without even their making sense to the fact that it is He, Who does so to them, although it is taken for granted that none barring He has the power to do so.

He is the Only One, to Whom both generosity of acts and deeds, and the full knowledge of the finest mysteries of things are combined; and there is no doubt that such generosity cheers up anyone therewith his distress is removed.

It is characteristic of this generosity of deed that it always accompanies the Divine Decree, in order to dilute whatever evil effects and consequences it might have.

Whenever one is doomed to be smitten by an evil distress, Allah’s Kindness is bestowed upon him, so as to lighten the grievous impact which afflicts him with the first stroke of the distress.

Al-Lateef is also the One Who always intends good to His servants, decides what is in their benefit, and makes easy for them the ways of righteousness and piety.

He is the One Who removes every difficulty, sets right the state of everyone stricken with calamity.

It is He, Who helps one start his work successfully, and directs it to be admittedonce it is concluded.

It is out of His courteousness that He Almighty takes care of the babe while being still a fetus in the womb of his mother, inside three depths of darkness; and this is shown in saving food, drink and oxygen for him until he is born; and once he is born, He ensures for him those who look after him until he grows up and becomes too strong and powerful enough to be independent from them.

It is out of His Graciousness towards man in general that He sets for him the principle that whenever he does a good deed, it will be recorded as ten in his account; and if he intends to do it, and he does not really do it, it will be recorded as it is in his account.

But if he does an evil deed, it will be recorded in his account as only a single evil deed; and if he intends to do it, but he does not really do it, it will be recorded as a good deed in his account.

It is out of Allah’s Kindness towards mankind that He did not leave them lost in their confusion and distraction: on the contrary,

He sent to them so many Messengers and Prophets, to convey to them Allah’s Message, teach them His method of life, instruct them in what is right so that they would do, and what is false so that they might refrain from.

Moreover, He has made subject to mankind all things on the earth to be in his service in the world, and in the hereafter, Allah’s Kindness and Graciousness will never be far from the faithful believers: is there any sort of generosity and kindness beyond that which Allah Almighty has bestowed upon man?

How Does Man Get The Etiquette of the Name?

If man intends to have a good portion of that Name, he should not be harsh in all of his treatments, nor should he be hardhearted towards others in both words and deeds.

On the contrary, he should stick to leniency and kindness when he deals with such as are in contact with him: his fellows, friends, companions, family members, chiefs and those inferior or subject to him.

Moreover, he has to be gentle and tender in his kindness towards the poor and needy ones among the people, so that he would not do harm to their shyness.

As to the celebration of Allah by that Name Al Lateef, the religious scholars tell that Allah Almighty is ever swift in response to the invocation of him. who celebrates Him by it.

Whoever sticks to calling it to remembrance, Allah Almighty enlarges provision for him, and removes whatever difficulties that might afflict him. If one recites Allah’s saying:

No vision can grasp Him. But His grasp is over all vision: He is the Most Subtle and Courteous, Well-Acquainted with all things”

(Al-An’am 103)

He then becomes secure against terror and horror.

When cure for any ailment is sought, one might then recite that Name, in the company of Allah’s saying:

Who created me, and it is He Who guides me; Who gives me food and drink, And when I am ill, it is He Who cures me; Who will cause me to die, and then to live (again); And Who, I hope, will forgive me my faults on the Day of Judgment.” (Ash-Shu’ara 78:82)

The following supplication of some righteous men in the shade of this Name is important in this respect:

O my God! (The aspects of) Your Graciousness and Courteousness comprehend all things in existence, and extend over all beings: You have Breathes (of certainty and mercy) which, when they are conferred upon the heart (and mind) of anyone of good understanding, they will, to be sure, stimulate it; and (if they are bestowed upon the heart) of a sinful servant, they will bring him much closer (to Your Presence);

And You have certain moments (of forgiveness) which make Your devotees attain the highest ranks and positions; and You have (of the phenomena of) Graciousness, Courteousness and Kindness that occupy those in contact with You so much that in no way do they turn to (the material benefits and affairs of this present) life.

0 my God! Be gracious and kind towards us at the time the pure angels will question us (in the grave about our deeds), and make us witness the manifestation of the (Light and Glory of) Your Graciousness and full Knowledge of the finest mysteries of all things in ourselves as well as in the horizons:

You are the One and Only, the Creator Who creates generations and generations in succession, and You have power over all things.

0 (Allah) the Knower of the finest mysteries and secrets: deliver us from all that we fear!

O Allah! The Most Beautiful, the Most Glorious, the Most Courteous, Who know the finest mysteries and the deepest secrets of all things: be kind to us in the same way You are towards Your devotees; and help us emerge victorious over Your enemies, by great terror (to be cast in their hearts): You have power over all things; and Allah’s Blessing and Peace be upon Muhammad, his family and companions.

Al Basit is another beautiful name of Allah SWT.