Al-Halim

The All-Forbearing.

Al-Halim is the Patient One, Who gives time but does not ignore. He veils sins and He delays punishments. He provides for the sinful in the same ways as He provides for the obedient; so take on His quality in your life and have patience and excuse people, and be in the most excellent way with them.

‘Allah has pardoned them. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, All-Forbearing.’ (3:155)

‘Allah will not call you to account for oaths you have uttered unintentionally, but He will call you to account for what you mean in your hearts. Allah is most Forgiving and Forbearing.’ (2:225)

‘If Allah were to punish people immediately for the wrong they have done, there would not be a single creature left on the surface of the earth, but He gives them respite for a stated time and, whenever their time comes, Allah has been watching His servants.’ (35:45)

Benefits of this Name include:-

• Hoping for His Mercy and not despairing of it, hastening to seek God’s forgiveness no matter how big the sin one has committed, for God postpones punishment so that sinners may turn to Him in repentance and seek His forgiveness.
• Taking care with one’s actions, for God’s forgiveness and forbearance does not mean that He is unable to punish sinners. He gives them the opportunity to turn to Him in repentance.
• God does not hasten to punish the unbelievers nor to grant victory to the unbelievers, rather, He, in His infinite wisdom, displays total forbearance in these cases.
• The seeker should strive hard to acquire the quality of forbearance, for God loves those who are forbearing and patient.

To repeat ‘Ya Halim’ x 100 each day, will reduce anger and increase patience in the seeker.

And God knows best.

Extracts from ‘The Meaning of the Names of Our Lord’ by Shaykh Muhammad Sa’id al-Jamal ar-Rifai ash-Shadhuli.