The name of Allah Al-Barr is mentioned once in the Noble Qur’an and that is in Surat at-Tur (52:28):
“Verily, We used to invoke Him (Alone and none else) before. Verily, He is Al-Barr, the Most Merciful.”
The Meaning of the Name:
Ibn Jarir said: “’Verily, He is Al-Barr,’ means He is the Most Subtle with His servants.” [Jami’ul-Bayan]
Az-Zajjaj said after mentioning the linguistic meaning of Al-Barr: “And Allah is Barr with His creation, i.e. He is doing good to them and reforming their states.” [Tafseer al-Asmaa’]
Al Khattabi said: “Al-Barr is the One Who is Kind with His servants, being good to them. His kindness and benevolence encompassed all His creations; He has been generous with them by His provision. He is Al-Barr with the good-doer by multiplying the reward for him, and is Barr with the wrong-doer by forgiving and pardoning him.
As what pertains the attributes of the creatures: a man is called Barr if he is beneficial and good (to others). A man is Barr with his parents, i.e. he is dutiful to his parents and this is the opposite to ‘Aaq (i.e. undutiful).”[Sha’n ud-Du’aa]
Al-Haleemi said: “Al-Barr means He Who is gentle with His servants, He wants for them ease, and He does not want to make things difficult for them. He pardons them their evil deeds, and will not punish them for all their crimes, He recompenses them for every good deed ten times the like thereof, and whoever brings an evil deed shall have only the recompense of the like thereof, and He writes for them (in their records) their intentions for doing good and will not write upon them the intention for doing evil.” [Al-Minhaj]
Al-Qurtubi said: “This is one of Allah’s practical Attributes (the attribute of His action) which is extended to all of His servants in this world and it is particular (for the believers) in the Hereafter. There is no one in this world but Allah’s benevolence and kindness have extended to him and are bestowed upon him. Allah says in Surat Luqman (31:20):
And (He) has completed and perfected His Graces upon you, (both) apparent (i.e. Islamic monotheism, and the lawful pleasures of this world, including health, good looks) and hidden [i.e. one’s faith in Allah (of Islamic monotheism), knowledge, wisdom, guidance for doing righteous deeds, and also the pleasures and delights of the Hereafter in Paradise].
As for in the Hereafter, only the one upon whom will be bestowed the nearness to Allah will be particularized with Allah’s Birr, dwelling in the delight of His light, and not the one who is dwelling in His fire.” [Al- Kitab al-Asna]
The impact of believing in this Name:
1. Allah, the Exalted, is Barr, Merciful with His servants, Kind with them, good to them and reforming their religion and their states (conditions) in this world. In this world, He has granted them and given them their share of good health, strength, wealth, position,children and supporters without limitation.Allah says in Surat Ibraheem (14:34):
“And if you count the Blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count them.”
This includes every good and benevolence because they all return to the Barr. The believer and the disbelievers both partake in that. As for the religion, He has bestowed upon the believers the guidance to belief and performance of acts of obedience to Him, then giving them abundant reward for that in this world and Hereafter, and He is the One Who has guided and helped them, and given the reward in this world and in the Hereafter. It is He Who has brought everything into existence, from Him are the means and the provisions.All praises and thanks be to Him (both) in the first (i.e. in this world) and in the last (i.e. in the Hereafter).
2. Out of Allah’s goodness (kindness) with His servants is giving respite to the evil doer among them and giving him chance after chance for repentance, despite of His ability of taking him with punishment. Allah (Ta’ala) says in Surat al-Kahf (18:58):
“And your Lord is Most Forgiving, Owner of Mercy. Were He to call them to account for what they have earned, then surely, He would have hastened their punishment. But they have their appointed time, beyond which they will find no escape.”
Ibn Al-Qayyim (Rahimahullaah) said in explaining the subtle secrets of repentance: “Of them (the secrets) is to know His Birr (kindness, courteousness, etc.) in concealing him(the slave) while committing the sin with His perfect sighting of him. If He wills He would expose (scandalize) him among His creation such that they be cautious of him; and this is out of His perfect and complete Birr (kindness).
One of His Names is Al-Barr and this Birr (kindness) with him was from his Master despite of His complete richness of him and complete need of the slave for Him. So, he(the slave) will be occupied with —– this Grace, Birr and Ihsaan (benevolence) and generosity (of his Lord) and forget his sin and stay with Allah and that is more beneficial for him than being occupied with his crime, witnessing the humility of his sin, and being occupied with Allah (Ta’ala) and being heedless of other than Him; this is the utmost goal that should be attained.
(Also) of the secrets is witnessing Allah’s Hilm (Forbearance) in giving respite to the person who committed the sin. If He willed, He would hasten the punishment for him,but He is Al-Haleem (The Forbearing) Who is not hasty; this will make the person to know his Lord by His Name Al-Haleem and witness the Attribute of Hilm (forbearance)and worship Him with this Name, and (know) the wisdom and the interest that were behind that sin and this state is more beloved to Allah and more reforming for the slave and more beneficial than missing it. (Also) of the secrets of the repentance is that the slave would know the generosity of his Lord in accepting His excuse if he asked that from Him without taking the Qadar (the Decree) as an excuse for committing the sin, otherwise that is considered as opposition to Allah. Allah would then accept his excuse with His generosity and this will result in making the slave be occupied with remembering and thanking Him and result in an extra love for Him which was not there before (this event). This is because your love for who has appreciated, thanked you for your benevolence and recompensed you for it, then he forgave you your wrong deed and did not punish you will be multiplied love, more than your love for his favors and benevolence. (Also) of the secrets of repentance is that the slave witnesses His Grace in His Forgiveness. In fact, forgiveness is a grace from Allah; for if He would have taken you with punishment (for not fulfilling His Right), He would have been just and praiseworthy. But He has pardoned by His Grace and not because you deserve it. This will result in leading you to gratitude to Him, loving Him, turning to Him in repentance, rejoicing with Him and knowing Him with His Name Al-Ghaffar (the Forgiving) and witnessing this Attribute of forgiveness and worshipping Him in accordance to it. And this is the perfect servitude, love and knowledge.” [Madarij As-Salikeen]
3. Allah, the Exalted, is Baarr (Kind, Subtle, Courteous, etc.) with His Awliyaa’ (chosen believing slaves, friends, etc.) and Truthful in His Promise to them of reward.Allah (Ta’ala) says in Surat al-A’raaf (7:44):
“And the dwellers of Paradise will call out to the dwellers of the fire (saying), “We haveindeed found true what our Lord had promised us; have you also found true what yourLord promised (warned)?” They shall say: “Yes.””
In Surat az-Zumar (39:74), Allah (Ta’ala) says:
“And they will say: “All the praises and thanks are to Allah who has fulfilled His promise to us and has made us inherit (this) land. We can dwell in paradise where we will; how excellent a reward for the (pious, good) workers!””
4. Allah the Majestic is Barr and loves the Birr (i.e. all kinds of righteousness and every act of obedience to Allah) and He commands with it. He loves the ones who are characterized with this attribute from among His pious believers. One of the most comprehensive verses that mentions the deeds of the Birr (good and righteousness) is the statement in Surat al-Baqarah (2:177):
“It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness and every act of obedience to Allah) that you turn your faces towards east and (or) west (in prayers); but Al-Birr is (the quality of) the one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, and to the poor, and to the wayfarer, and to those who ask, and to set slaves free, performs As-Salaat (the prayer) and gives the Zakaat, and who fulfill their covenant when they make it, and who are patient in extreme poverty and ailment (disease) and at the time of fighting(during the battles). Such are the people of the truth and they are pious.”
Allah (Ta’ala) praised the two cousins ‘Iesa (Jesus) and Yahya (John) for their dutifulness to their parents. He (Ta’ala) says in the description of ‘Iesa in Surat Maryam (19:32):
“And Barr (dutiful) to my mother, and made me not arrogant unblessed.”
He (Ta’ala) says in the description of Yahya in verse (19:14):
“And Barr (dutiful) towards his parents, and he was neither arrogant nor disobedient(to Allah or to his parents)”
Allah’s Messenger (Salla Allaah alaihi wa sallam) made (considered) all the virtuous good conduct as acts of Birr. An-Nawwas bin Sam’aan (Radia Allaahu ‘anhu) narrated that the Prophet (Salla Allaah alaihi wa sallam) said, “Al-Birr (piety) is good manner, and sin is that which pinches the heart (one feels scruples in committing it) and you do not like people to know of it.”[Muslim]
Wabisah bin Ma’bad (Radia Allaahu ‘anhu) reported: “I went to the Messenger of Allah (Salla Allaah alaihi wa sallam) and he asked me, ‘Have you come to inquire about Al-Birr (piety)?’ I replied in affirmative. Then he (Salla Allaah alaihi wa sallam) said, ‘Ask your heart regarding it. Al-Birr (piety) is that which contents the soul and comforts the heart,and sin is that which causes doubts and perturbs the heart, even if people pronounce it lawful and give you verdicts on such matters again and again.”’ [Ahmad]
5. The slave will never attain the Birr of Allah (Ta’ala) in the Hereafter except in following what will lead him to His Birr, Pleasure and Mercy.
He (Ta’ala) says in Surat Aal-Imran (3:92):
“By no means shall you attain Al-Birr [piety, righteousness-here it means Allah’s reward,i.e. Paradise], unless you spend (in Allah’s Cause) of that which you love; and what ever of good you spend, Allah knows it well.”
Qatadah said: “By no means shall you attain the Birr of your Lord unless you spend out of that which you love and desire of your wealth.” [Tafseer Ibn Jarir]
Ibn Jarir said: “By no means you attain the Birr O believers, the Birr of Allah which they seek by their obedience to Him, worshipping Him and hoping that from Him, except by His Grace upon them of entering them into His Paradise and driving away His punishment from them. Therefore, many interpreters said that Al-Birr means Paradise,because the Birr of the Lord to His slave in the hereafter and His honor for him will be by admitting him into Paradise.” [Tafseer Ibn Jarir]
What pertains this meaning is the following statement of the Prophet (Salla Allaah alaihiwa sallam): “Truthfulness leads to Al-Birr (righteousness) and Al-Birr (righteousness)leads to paradise. And a man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes a Siddeeq (truthful person). Falsehood leads to Al-Fujur (i.e. wickedness, evil-doing), and Al-Fujur (wickedness) leads to the (Hell) Fire, and a man may keep on telling lies till he is written before Allah, a liar.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajar said: “Basically Al-Birr is expansion in doing good. It is a comprehensive name (denotation) which refers to all kinds of good and every sincere continuous action is called Birr.” [Al- Fat-h]
His (Salla Allaah alaihi wa sallam) statement, “Al-Birr leads to Paradise” confirms the statement of Allah in Surat Al-Mutafifeen (83:22):
“Verily, Al-Abraar (the pious believers of Islamic monotheism) will be in Delight(Paradise).” [As said by Ibn Battal in Al-Fat-h]
6. Ibn Al-Qayyim said in his book “Ad-Daa’ wad-Dawaa’”: “Do not think that Allah’s Statement in Surat al-Infitaar (82:13-14):
“Verily, Al-Abraar (the pious believers of Islamic monotheism) will be in Delight(Paradise); and verily, the Fujjaar (the wicked disbelievers, polytheists, sinners and evildoers) will be in the blazing Fire (Hell).” is specific to the Day of Resurrection. Rather, these are in delight in their third abode as those (the wicked) are in the blazing fire (Hell) in their third abode. There is no pleasure and joy in this world that is more delightful than the Birr of the heart, the soundness of the breast, knowing the Lord the Exalted, loving Him and acting upon what He has commanded.
Is not the real life the life of the sound, pure heart? Allah praised His Khalil (Ibraheem) for his sound heart in Surat As-Saffat (37:83-84):
“And, verily, among those who followed his [Nuh’s (Noah’s)]way was Ibraheem (Abraham). When he came to his Lord with a pure heart (attachedto Allah Alone and none else, worshipping none but Allah Alone -true Islamicmonotheism, pure from the filth of polytheism).”
Also Allah mentioned the statement of Ibraheem in Surat Ash-Shu’raa (26:88-89):
“The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail. Except him who brings to Allah a clean heart [clean from shirk (polytheism) and nifaq (hypocrisy)].”
The sound, clean heart is the heart which is clean from shirk, hatred, malice, envy, miserliness,arrogance, pride, love of the world and leadership, etc. so it is clear from every lesion that keeps him away from Allah, and it is clean from every doubt that opposes Allah’s news, and it is clean from every lust that opposes His command, and it is clean from every will that competes with what He wants, and it is clean from every matter that cuts him off from Allah. This sound, clean heart is in hastened delight of Paradise in this world and in delight in the Barzakh (in the grave)and in Paradise on the Day of Resurrection.
Always feel free to share the khair!
