God

In the Beautiful Names

humankind is provided with an intellectual structure

to approach an understanding of a truth that is

intrinsically beyond our comprehension.

As a means of drawing close to what is ineffable,

we have been given a mirror to certain aspects of the Divine

in our own personal reflection of the human experience.

This structure has a depth, complexity and subtlety,

to satisfy the deepest spiritual and emotional needs,

while being capable of withstanding

the most rigorous and demanding of intellectual challenges.

And why would it not,

when it has been provided for us by our Creator

in the words of the Qur'an.

Of course it takes faith to believe in the Qur'an,

and at the root of all the Names, we still need faith to believe in Allah

The Beautiful Names

are scattered through the Qur'an like jewels,

and like jewels they shine with different colours

when looked at from different directions.

They sometimes appear in clusters,

sometimes in rhythmic repetition,

sometimes singly,

but most often in pairs

in a variety of combinations,

each casting a light on the understanding of the other.

When collected, the Names can also be grouped

into families of similar meaning,

such as those associated with Forgiveness,

or Protection, or Guidance, or Creation,

or Abundance, or Generosity,

the variety of expressions displaying

the subtleties of the themes.

But certainly the best known gathering of Names in the Qur'an

can be found in the last three ayats of the Sura called The Gathering,

beloved as one of the most beautiful passages

in all of the Beautiful Qur'an.

Similarly threaded throughout the Qur'an,

are references to God's Signs,

the occurrences of which can be grouped by several different meanings.

There are Signs that refer to the experiential world

in which humans live,

such as the rain giving life to a dead land,

or Signs within ourselves,

as in the love and mercy shared by marriage partners.

Then there are the Clear Signs brought by some Messengers,

miracles like those performed by Moses and Jesus,

and in the case of the miracle of the Message of Muhammad,

the defined phrases of the Qur'an

themselves are referred to as Signs,

pointers to the Source of the words passed on by the Messenger.

And as with the Names,

references to Signs cluster together in certain Suras,

often recurring in rhythmic phrases.

But the Signs of God are often given with something extra,

a way to approach the Signs mentioned.

We are told of the need to think,

to reflect and understand.

The Qur'an clearly tells us that the Signs are sent to satisfy our brains,

our need to consider the Signs is to strengthen our faith

by making sure that our minds can make sense of things.

Of course, the Qur'an also makes clear

that for true understanding humankind requires

not just brains but also hearts.

revisiting Ikhlas and the Throne Verse

Names in groups and pairs

Signs in Suras