#ninetyninenames

Surah Isra, verse 82. "And we send down from the Quran that which is a healing and mercy to those who believe."

Everything in the world is an ayah- signs of existence, signs of Allah (sw). The Quran is a mercy because it further clarifies the existence of God with its verses. It delineates stories and points to "Amthal," examples, in the world for us to learn from. This includes the story of Iblees.

All the angels prostrated to Adam (as) except Iblees, because of arrogance in his heart.

Arrogance is the seedling of separation from Allah (sw). It builds a barrier between creation and the Creator, because the creation thinks it is worthy of being separate from the Creator.

Surah Hijr, verse 31. "except Iblis; he refused to join those who prostrated."

This story of Iblees is also an ayah for the people who believe. The Shayateen, which are not constricted to only being Jinn, are signs. The bad repercussions of following the footsteps of Shaytan are clear signs for the believers.

If Allah did not allow for the story of Iblees to happen, then we would never be able to truly learn about God in the way He wants, nor would submitting to His will be anything to consider if everything we knew about creation and God was closeness to God. What does it mean to be far from God? God gives us stories and examples as a mercy. Iblees and His denial is an example for us, a reminder, a warning. Some even believe Iblees to be a manifestation of God's great power.

Regardless, the moral of the story is a powerful one. It even addresses one of the problematic issues afflicting humanity, an inherently evil and destructive belief: racism.

If God did not inform us of it, then on the Day of Judgment, humans would argue that God's proofs were not enough. But instead, we are given different ayat to contemplate on.

Surah Nisa, verse 82. "Do they not contemplate the Qur'an (so that they may be convinced that it is from God)? Had it been from any other than God, they would surely have found in it much (incoherence or) inconsistency."

All the stories of the prophets and nations punished before are also ayat for the people who contemplate on the Quran's verses.

Surah Fussilat, verse 15. "As for 'Aad, they were arrogant upon the earth without right and said, "Who is greater than us in strength?" Did they not consider that Allah who created them was greater than them in strength? But they were rejecting Our signs."

To submit to God, is to submit fully to His will. This includes accepting and learning from the stories He gave us, so we can grow closer to Him in the exact way He wants.

Al-Malik: the King, owner of all dominions, in complete supremacy and control of everything. Linguistically attributed to the word Mulk, which means possession, ownership, or power. Holder of all our affairs and holder of knowledge itself. Knowing this, we should humble ourselves in front of His laws and creation -- by respecting the laws of Al-Malik and by showing mercy to everything He owns. 

“So high above all is Allah, the true ruler; and do not [oh Muhammad] hasten in the recitation of the Quran before it is properly conveyed; and say ‘Oh my Lord, increase me in my knowledge.’” (Taha, 114)

Al-Rahman, the most kind, loving, and merciful. We open the recitation of every surah using this name. “Al-Rahman” occurs 57 times in the Quran (and it’s root appears 339 time in the Quran). A whole chapter of the Quran is also named “Al-Rahman.” 

One of the most prominent aspects of life is seeking forgiveness despite sinning. The fact that the first name of God to learn is “the Most Merciful” signifies the type of perception we should be having of God before learning any other name: the kindest, most merciful, more merciful than anyone on Earth. It does not matter who you are, how many sins you carry, how you perceive yourself as - God will forgive you if you are sincere. 

But “Al-Rahman” is more than just forgiveness. It encompasses a much broader type of tenderness and devotion and love. The root word “Rahma” is closely tied to love. God has, since the beginning, loved and cared for His creation much more than we discern. It is because of God’s love that we will enter Paradise. And sometimes, we need to experience hardship in life to realize God’s love and mercy.