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The issue has a few aspects:

1. Allah’s creating people, equipping them with material and spiritual things, making the sun, sea and earth serve them are divine help for both believers and unbelievers. Nothing would exist but for that ontological help.

2. As for the issue in social life, Allah sometimes helps unbelievers too. 

For example, the reason for the victory of the unbelievers in the Battle of Uhud is explained as follows in the Quran:

“If a wound hath touched you (in Uhud), be sure a similar wound hath touched the others (in Badr). Such days (of varying fortunes) We give to men and men by turns: that Allah may know those that believe, and that He may take to Himself from your ranks Martyr-witnesses (to Truth).And Allah loveth not those that do wrong. Allah’s object also is to purge those that are true in Faith and to deprive of blessing Those that resist Faith.” (Aal-i Imran, 3/140-141)

That victory of the unbelievers is a law of Allah. They achieved victory not because Allah loved them, but because they fought patiently and determinedly. Those who work hard with patience and determination always achieve success. It is a divine law.

It is understood from the sentence "And Allah loveth not those that do wrong" in the verse that Allah does not love any unbelievers. It is unthinkable for Allah to help the oppressors whom He does not like. In addition, there are other reasons for the defeat of the Muslims in Uhud. Almighty Allah circulates those victories and defeats among people and makes both sides experience bad and good days in order to reveal sincere believers, to make some of them attain the rank of martyrdom, to purify them from their sins and faults, and to destroy unbelievers.

If the believers were winners and the unbelievers were losers in all wars, life's being a test would be of no value, and the possibility of believing with free will would vanish; the unbelievers would be forced to believe.

As it can be understood from those explanations, we do not say, "Allah helped the unbelievers" because it is not appropriate to evaluate a win that will have a bad ending as a victory and help.

3. Those who obey the laws that Allah imposed in the universe will be successful. There is no difference between a believer and an unbeliever, a religious person or an irreligious one, and a virtuous or an immoral one.

In fact, the good attributes and values such as “working, not despairing of Allah, taking precautions/measures, learning science and technology, preparing as much force as possible against the enemies, obeying the commander, acting in accordance with causes, praying actually and verbally for every job, and obeying sunnatullah (the laws of Allah)”, which are commands of Islam, are reasons for superiority and victory over the enemies.

If their value is not appreciated, if Islamic values, decrees, fards and prohibitions are not observed, if faith and Islam are not protected, those values will be transferred to unbelievers. With those facts, good deeds and values, they will advance and progress, avoid defeat, and might overcome Muslims.

b. Fasting helps the believer ascend to the level of the angels

Human beings have characteristics and faculties that are both carnal and spiritual. When they avoid their carnal feelings, these feelings weaken and the spiritual faculties prosper. Allah the Almighty has provided humanity with the will power to descend from a most exalted rank to the lowest of the low, or vice versa. Therefore, sometimes humans can be more revered than the angels and become closer to their Lord, while at other times some people are worse than any devil.

“Surely We have created human of the best stature as the perfect pattern of creation; then We have reduced him to the lowest of the low. Except those who believe and do good, righteous deeds, so there is for them a reward constant and beyond measure” [at-Tin 95:4–6].

The difference between human beings and angels is that humans have a carnal soul. Angels cannot eat, drink, have sexual relations, or be rebellious to their Lord. Because of their intrinsic characteristics they are occupied with the remembrance of Allah (dhikr) and worship continuously:

“They speak not before He speaks, and they act in all things by His Command. He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they do not intercede except for him whom He approves and for fear of Him they tremble” [al-Anbiya’ 21:27–8].

As for humans, they need food and drink to maintain their physical existence. They can rebel and they can commit sins. However, a true believer who observes fasting, controlling their desires and abstaining from food, drink, sexual intercourse, backbiting, and brutality is able to achieve an angelic stance.Such people may even surpass the angels.

Allah is pleased with them and He holds them up to the angels as an example.

c. Fasting teaches the worth of blessings

Allah the Almighty has ornamented the Earth with numerous blessings and has given them all to humanity, the caliphs, or vicegerents, of Allah on Earth. Each day they receive lavishly prepared dining tables, one after another. Their sustenance is sent to them from the Heavens via the trees, each of which gives a different fruit in a different season of the year and the Earth nourishes them with every kind of delicious provisions.

“He has granted you all that you would ask of Him. Should you attempt to count Allah’s blessings, you cannot calculate them. But humankind is innately inclined to extreme misjudgment and ingratitude” [Ibrahim 14:34].

Both the Earth and the skies were created to serve humanity. Allah, the most Gracious, gave us countless favors but unfortunately, for the most part we are unaware of these bounties. We are like a fish that is in the sea but is unaware of the water. Fasting helps us to become aware of the blessings of Allah and to appreciate them.

d. Fasting teaches a person how to economize

Fasting teaches people how to economize, a form of behavior that is recommended in Islam. During Ramadan, fasting takes on the role of a teacher who instructs us on how to economize. People who are accustomed to buying whatever they want without thinking too much will learn to be thrifty and careful. No matter how thirsty or hungry they are, they have to wait until sunset before eating or drinking something.

The pleasure the believer obtains at the time of breaking the fast becomes greater than the pleasure the glutton obtains from overeating, as this is accompanied by a weariness and lack of ap petite resulting from such excesses.

Allah calls Himself Al-‘Aleem— The All-Knowing, The Omniscient— on more than 150 occasions in the Quran. He is the One whose knowledge is complete and perfect. Al-‘Aleem knows the tiniest of details of all things hidden and manifest and He has recorded the properties of everything in a book that is with Him!

The All-and-Ever-Knowing, The Omniscient

‘Aleem comes from the root ‘ayn-laam-meem, which points to four main meanings. The first main meaning is to have knowledge and be aware and certain, and the second is to gather information. The third main meaning is to have deep knowledge of minute details, and the fourth main meaning is to act according to knowledge.

This root appears 854 times in the Quran in 14 derived forms. Examples of these forms are ‘ilm (knowledge), ‘alima (to know), ‘allama (to teach), and ‘aalemeen (the worlds).

Linguistically, Aleem is the intense form of ‘alim (knower). Al-‘Aleem is the All-and-Ever-Knowing. The name Al-`Allam is the most intense form of the word; it appears four times in the Quran and it points out to the perfection and totality of Allah’s knowledge. Al-‘Aleem comprehends everything with certainty; no knowledge is concealed from Him and He is intuitively aware of all things even before they take place.

Al-‘Aleem Himself says: That is the determination of the Exalted in Might, the Knowing. [Quran, 6:96] And to Him belongs that which reposes by night and by day, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing. [Quran, 6:13] and Indeed, your Lord— He is the Knowing Creator. [Quran, 15:86]

No ignorance, no learning, no forgetting

Allah’s knowledge can’t be compared to any other knowledge in creation. Our knowledge is preceded by ignorance and we gain knowledge by learning. We also forget. How many times have we studied something only to forget it the next day? Allah’s ‘ilm is neither acquired through learning nor preceded by ignorance; nothing in the heavens or on Earth escapes His notice.
Al-‘Aleem says: There falls not a leaf but He knows it, nor a grain in the darkness of the Earth, nor anything green nor withered but it is all in a clear book. [Quran, 6:59] His knowledge isn’t followed by forgetfulness, as Musa ‘alayhi salam said to Fir’awn: My Lord never errs, nor does He forget. [Quran, 20:52]

What is the most honourable knowledge?

We know of disciplines of knowledge such as physics, chemistry, math, medicine, engineering, and physiology, and we know Allah. The first kind of knowledge has to do with things created by Allah ‘azza wa jall, while the other has to do with Allah, the creator, Himself. That’s why the most honourable knowledge is to know Allah, His beautiful divine names and attributes, His religion, etc. And the way to this knowledge is through studying the Quran and the Sunnah.

How Can You Live by This Name?

1. Stick to the commands of Al-‘Aleem.
Al-‘Aleem says: And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein. [Quran, 50:16] If you know that He sees you while you’re alone and when you’re in the company of others, that He knows all of your secret thoughts and intentions, if you firmly believe that Allah ‘azza wa jall knows all things, then stick to His divine commands and know that they are the best for you.

2. Desire to learn.
Be eager to increase your knowledge, especially Islamic knowledge, since Allah loves knowledge and those who possess it just as He hates ignorance and those who are wilfully ignorant. Be patient and persevere in seeking beneficial knowledge, and recognize that learning is a form of worship; how else can you know what Allah wants from you? How else can you do what pleases Him and avoid what He dislikes? At the same time accept that there’s knowledge that He did not reveal to creation.

3. Acquire knowledge of the world.
Say: ‘Turn your regard (to ask): What is in the heavens and on Earth?’ [Quran, 10:101] Learn about the world around you with the niyyah (intention) to appreciate Allah’s creative power and wisdom even more so that it is an act of worship.

4. Be humble.
Let Allah’s perfect and detailed knowledge humble you. This is why it is said: the one who knows the most about Allah fears Him the most. Knowledge is a quality that we naturally admire in people; let the amazing ‘ilm of your creator increase your love and admiration for Him.

5. Contemplate yourself.
The human body is much more advanced than any machine; in your brains there are 140 billion cells whose function is not even known yet. It is from Allah’s generosity that He gave us the ability to think and to reason and that He gave us a natural hunger to learn. And within your own selves, do you not turn your regard? [Quran, 51:21]

6. Accept what is decreed for you.
Knowing Al-‘Aleem makes your heart able to accept what He decreed for you because you know He designed your destiny by His knowledge and wisdom. Whatever pain, stress, disappointment, and injustice you go through, Allah knows. Remind yourself of this to get closer to Him, especially during trials.

7. Ask Al-‘Aleem to increase your knowledge.
Allah Al-‘Aleem loves those who seek knowledge and teaches you to offer Him the following prayer: رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًا- My Lord! Increase me in knowledge [Quran, 20:114]

8. Do dhikr with this name.
The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Anyone who says three times in the evening:
بسم الله الذي لا يضر مع اسمه شيء في الأرض ولا في السماء وهو السميع العليم
In the name of Allah, with whose name nothing on earth or in the sky can harm. And He is the All-Hearing and All-Knowing— nothing will harm them until the morning, and anyone who says it three times in the morning, nothing will harm them until the evening. [Ahmad]

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not observe fast in any month of the year more than in the month of Sha'ban, and used to say: Do as many deeds as you are capable of doing, for Allah will not become weary (of giving you reward), but you would be tired (of doing good deeds) ; and he also said: The deed liked most by Allah is one to which the doer adheres constantly even if it is small.

It was narrated from 'Aishah that:

She performed Umrah with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), traveling from Al-Madinah to Makkah. Then, when she came to Makkah, she said: "O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), may my father and mother be ransomed for you, you shortened you prayers and I offered them in full, you did not fast and I fasted. He said: 'Well done, O 'Aishah!' and he did not criticize me."

Hz. Jibril (Gabriel) did not come to the earth after the death of the Prophet (pbuh) with the purpose of conveying revelation. For, revelation ended with the death of the Prophet. To convey revelation to prophets is only one duty of Hz. Jibril. He has some other duties. For instance, he is the head of the angels that are in charge of giving inspiration to all creatures; from this point of view, he is related to the world and can come to the world.

An important part of subtle creatures consists of angels. They were created from luminous light; their ranks are fixed since they are not subject to testing. They only obey divine orders. They always do good deeds and fulfil their duties. They never disobey. They do not have the ability to commit evil.

They are appointed to carry out almost all material and spiritual affairs in the universe. Every being has an angel appointed specially for it. Their degrees are different from one another based on the importance of their duties. The greatest angels are Jibril (Gabriel), Mikail (Michael), Israfil (Israfel) and Azrail (Azrael). There is an appointed angel for the sun and similar stars; it is narrated in hadiths that every rain dropp is carried by an angel.

These angels have special duties and there are dhikrs and tasbihat that they always say. Therefore, Jibril always mentions Allah and glorifies Him with his majestic state.

Angels do not have only one duty. Jibril’s conveying revelation to prophets is only one of his duties. They can do more than one thing simultaneously.

"Just as in this dense and dark narrow world the sun is present in the same way at the same time in numerous mirrors, so too, as is proved in the Sixteenth Word, a luminous being may be present in many places in the same way at the same time. For example, Gabriel (Peace be upon him) being on a thousand stars simultaneously, and at the Divine Throne, and in the presence of the Prophet (PBUH), and in the Divine Presence; and the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) meeting with most of the righteous of his community at the resurrection of the dead at the same time and appearing in this world in innumerable places simultaneously; and a strange group of the saints known as abdal, appearing at the same time in many places; and ordinary people sometimes carrying out as much as a year’s work in one minute in a dream and observing this; and everyone being in contact with and concerned with numerous places at the same time in their hearts, spirits, and imaginations – all these are well-known and may be witnessed. Most certainly, in Paradise, therefore, which is luminous, unrestricted, broad, and eternal, the people of Paradise, whose bodies have the strength and lightness of the spirit and the swiftness of imagination, being in hundreds of thousands of places at the same time, and conversing with hundreds of thousands of houris, and receiving pleasure in hundreds of thousands of ways, is fitting for that eternal Paradise, that infinite mercy, and as told by the Bringer of Sure News (PBUH), is reality and the truth. Nevertheless, these vast truths cannot be weighed on the scales of our tiny minds."

"This tiny mind cannot perceive the true meanings. / For, this scale cannot bear such a weight."

How can one Azrail be thousands of Azrail simultaneously?

The presence of a single speaker on TV simultaneously in every home and the instant transmitting of all news to every viewer should set a good example for the presence of Hazrat Azrael in the home of every person whose death time has come. As science develops, the proof of such events will become easier.

A civil servant who works at an electric supply system of a city can turn off thousands of lamps within one second. He can cause a city to be plunged into darkness in a split second. Besides, these examples are all from the material world. The beings we are mentioning here are from the spiritual world. That is, this becomes easier to understand.

As the real being of Hazrat Azrael, who is an individual of the world of similitude, waits at a headquarters, beings representing him become manifest near the people to die and take away their spirits. It is like a speaker who is in New York but is heard in all houses where there are television sets.

Can we say, “How will a man who is in New York be seen and heard all over the country?”

Death is one of the most painful things that happens to man; therefore, his relatives and friends become very sad. It is normal for their human nature to show this sorrow. 

Arabs of Jahiliyya before Islam mourned in an excessive way. The relatives of the dead person used to shout and cry as much as they could and tear their clothes; they would even hire professional criers. The wife of a dead man would not go out for a year, would not wear perfume and would not have a bath; she would be removed from this state after a year when they threw manure on her. The respect shown to the dead person by their relatives was evaluated based on the intensity of this mourning.

The custom of mourning, which was in extreme degrees in many distorted religions and nations, was transformed into a moderate state, and extremism in mourning was prohibited in Islam. Hz. Prophet (pbuh) stated the following regarding the issue:

"He who slaps his cheeks, tears his clothes and follows the ways and traditions of the Days of Ignorance is not one of us." (Bukhari, Janaiz, 36)

When the Prophet’s son, Ibrahim, and his grandson died; he cried and shed tears; when the Companions asked about this state, he said,

"It is mercy which Allah has lodged in the hearts of His slaves, and Allah is merciful only to those of His slaves who are merciful." (Bukhari, Janaiz, 33);

"The eyes are shedding tears and the heart is grieved, and we will not say except what pleases our Lord." (Bukhari, Janaiz, 44)

Thus, he stated that it was permissible to show one’s sorrow in a reasonable way.

SAHIHAYN

The works of Bukhari and Muslim are known as the Sahihayn (the two sahih). The hadith agreed upon by both are referred to as muttafaqun alayh and have been regarded as the soundest hadith.

Muslim has not adopted the approach of transmission by meaning, summarization and a hadith’s being narrated under different headings. He has placed primary importance on preserving the original words of the hadith and transmission verbatim. Hence, when hadith agreed upon by both Bukhari and Muslim are transmitted, the latter’s text is generally preferred. The legal dimension takes precedence in Bukhari’s text, while adherence to the methodology of hadith transmission holds sway in Muslim.

MAQBUL HADITH

Maqbul, or acceptable hadiths have been divided into two parts: sound (sahih) and fair (hasan). The term ‘fair’ hadith has been used to illustrate the differentiation in degree between different hadith in the absence of any flaw affecting the soundness of ahadith in terms of its transmission. As the Arabic word hasan denotes ‘beautiful’ and ‘pleasant’, it was employed by second-century scholars in their studies of hadith to also signify sound hadith, in line with its literal meaning. From the third Islamic century onwards, however, it became a specialized term representing acceptable hadith that could not be classified as sahih.

In addition to the terms sahih and hasan, the words jayyid, meaning good and amiable, thabit, and salih have been used in reference to acceptable (maqbul) hadith.

DEFINITION OF HASAN HADITH

The first individual to define the term hasan hadith was Abu Isa Muhammad ibn Isa at-Tirmidhi (d. 892 CE). Imam Tirmidhi defined hadith whose narrators were not alleged to have lied, that were not opposed to other authenticated hadith and which had a second supporting narration, as hasan. Tirmidhi kept the scope of the meaning of hasan hadith quite broad and accepted weak hadith that were corroborated with the second chain of transmission as fair. Referred to in this definition are narrations that are not themselves directly fair, but which achieve such status through a second supporting chain of narration. Consequently, Tirmidhi’s definition expresses those hadith that are hasan li-ghayrihi, or hasan due to other narrations.