Al-Baseer (The All-Seer)

Source:

An-Nahj Al-Asma Fii Sharh Asma’u-Allahul-Husna, by Shaikh Muhammad Al-Humoud Al-Najdi.

The Name of Allah, Al-Baseer, is mentioned in the Noble Qur’an forty two times. Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) said in Surat al-Baqarah (2:233):

وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللّهَ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ

“And fear Allah and know that Allah is All-Seer of what you do.”

In Surat al-Hadid (57:4), Allah   (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) said:

وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ

“And He is with you (by His Knowledge) wherever you may be. And Allah is the All-Seer of what you do.”

The meaning of the Name:

1. Ibn Jarir (Rahimahullaah) said: “Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) means with His Statement;

وَاللّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ

“And Allah is All-Seer of what they do.” (Al-Baqarah 2:96)

that He sees what they (the disbelievers) do. Nothing of their deeds are hidden from Him, but He encompasses them all, keeps and remembers them until He makes them taste the punishment because of their deeds.” [Jami’e al-Bayan]

2. Al-Khattabi (Rahimahullaah) said: “Al-Baseer is the All-Knower of the hidden matters.” [Sha’n ad-Du’a]

3. Ibn Kathir (Rahimahullaah) said as regards the following verse in Surat Aal-Imran (3:15,20):

وَاللّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ

“And Allah is All-Seer of the (His) slaves.”

“For He has perfect knowledge of who deserves to be guided and who does not deserve to be guided. Verily, ‘He cannot be questioned for what He does, while they will be questioned.’ [Al-Anbiya 21:23], because of His perfect Wisdom and Mercy.” [Tafseer Ibn Kathir]

4. Shaikh as-Sa’di (Rahimahullaah) said: “Al-Baseer is the One Who sees all things even if they are insignificant and minute. He sees the black ant on a black stone in a black (dark) night. He sees what is below the seventh earth and what is above the seventh heaven. Also He is hearing and seeing of those that deserve recompense in accordance to what His Wisdom dictates.” [Tayseer al-Kareem]

The impact of believing in this Name:

1.The affirmation of the Attribute of Seeing to Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) because He Attributed Himself with it, and because He knows Himself well.

The Attribute of Seeing is one of the perfect Attributes of Allah like the Attribute of Hearing.

The One Who is attributed with both of them is more perfect than the one who is not. Allah said in Surat al-An’am (6:50):

قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الأَعْمَى وَالْبَصِيرُ أَفَلاَ تَتَفَكَّرُونَ

“Say: ‘Are the blind and the one who sees equal?’ Will you not then give thought.”

Prophet Ibrahim (‘Alayhis-salaam) argued with his father when he saw his father worshiping what does not see or hear, and he said:

لِمَ تَعْبُدُ مَا لَا يَسْمَعُ وَلَا يُبْصِرُ وَلَا يُغْنِي عَنكَ شَيْئاً

“Why do you worship that which hears not, nor sees, nor can avail you in anything.” (Maryam 19:42)

• Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) rebuked the disbelievers and stultified their minds for worshiping idols which are made of stones and which do not move nor possess hearing or seeing:

أَلَهُمْ أَرْجُلٌ يَمْشُونَ بِهَا أَمْ لَهُمْ أَيْدٍ يَبْطِشُونَ بِهَا أَمْ لَهُمْ أَعْيُنٌ يُبْصِرُونَ بِهَا أَمْ لَهُمْ آذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا

“Have they feet wherewith they walk? Or have they hands wherewith they hold? Or have they eyes wherewith they see? Or have they ears wherewith they hear?” (Al-A’raf 7:195)

That is to say, you are more perfect than these idols because you hear and see, then how come you worship them while you are better than them!

•  Al-Asbahani said: “Man is born small and cannot see, nor distinguish by his sight between the ambiguous (indistinctive) things. When he becomes mindful, he distinguishes between good and bad, ugly and beautiful. Allah gives him that for a certain period, then takes it away from him. There are those who will be deprived of it during their lives and others by death.

In contrast, Allah is Ever Baseer. Nothing escapes from Him, not even the weight of an atom that is hidden in the darkness of the earth.

If a creature sees what is before his hands, he cannot see what is behind it or what is far from him.” [Al-Hujja Fil-Mahajjah]

2. Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) the Blessed, the Most High, sees the state of His slaves, and is All-Aware of them. He sees (knows) who deserves the guidance from amongst them and who does not. He sees (knows of) those whose affairs are mended with richness and wealth and whose state will be spoiled with them (richness and wealth).

وَلَوْ بَسَطَ اللَّهُ الرِّزْقَ لِعِبَادِهِ لَبَغَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَكِن يُنَزِّلُ بِقَدَرٍ مَّا يَشَاءُ إِنَّهُ بِعِبَادِهِ خَبِيرٌ بَصِيرٌ

“And if Allah were to enlarge the provision for His slaves, they would surely rebel in the earth, but He sends down by measure as He wills. Verily! He is in respect of His slaves, the Well-Aware, the All-Seer (of things that benefit them).” (Ash-Shura 42:27)

He is Seeing His slaves and is a Witness over them, He knows who is righteous and who is wicked and who is a believer and who is a kafir (a disbeliever):

هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ فَمِنكُمْ كَافِرٌ وَمِنكُم مُّؤْمِنٌ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرٌ

“He it is Who created you, then some of you are disbelievers and some of you are believers. And Allah is All-Seer of what you do.” (At-Taghabun 64:2)

إِنَّهُ كَانَ بِعِبَادِهِ خَبِيراً بَصِيراً

“Verily! He is the All-Knower, the All-Seer of His slaves.” (Al-Isra’ 17:96)

He (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) sees and is All-Aware of their deeds and sins.

وَكَفَى بِرَبِّكَ بِذُنُوبِ عِبَادِهِ خَبِيرَاً بَصِيراً

“And sufficient is your Lord as an All-Knower and All-Beholder of the sins of His slaves.” (Al-Isra’ 17:17)

And He (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) will recompense them for it perfectly.

3. Whoever knows that his Lord is All-Watched over him, feels shy of Him seeing him committing sins or doing what He dislikes.

And whoever knows that Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) sees him, then he will perfect his deeds and acts of worship and perform them with sincerity for His Lord’s Sake and with submissiveness.

It is reported by al-Bukhari (Rahimahullaah) that Jibreel (Gabriel) (‘Alayhis-salaam) asked the Prophet (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) about perfection (ihsan), and He (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve that state of devotion then you must consider that He sees you (is looking at you).”

• Imam an-Nawawi (Rahimahullaah) said: “This (narration) is considered from the Jawami’ al-Kalim (the shortest expressions bearing the widest meanings) which has been granted to him (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam). If one of us stood performing an act of worship while being aware of His Lord (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala), then he will perform it in the best way such that he will not leave anything that will help him to perfect his act of worship (such as submissiveness, humility, concentration, etc.) but he will take care of it.

The Prophet  (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) meant (by his statement) to worship Allah in all situations as if we see Him. That is better and more perfect because of the awareness of the slave of the watching of His Lord (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) over him. Therefore, he will not have any shortcomings in this state.

His statement (Salla-Allaahu alaihi wa sallam) indicates exhortation (urging) to sincerity in our worship and observation by the slave of his Lord  (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) in perfecting the submissiveness, humbleness, etc.” [Sharh Muslim]