Probably what makes pain and sorrow is bearable is the fact that Allah is Al-Aleem on a personal and universal level. What makes you fear Allah more is that He is Al-Aleem. When you intend to commit a sin, understanding the manifestations of Allah’s Name, Al-Aleem can prevent you from committing this sin. When your heart contemplates all the meanings behind this Name, it feels immense care from Allah to all His creatures. Allah is watching you, He is Al-Aleem, the All-Knowing. So what does the Name of Allah Al-Aleem mean?
Al-Aleem is the Knowledgeable, the Omniscient One, and the Knower. He is the One for Whom nothing is hidden from His Knowledge. Allah said in Surah Al-Anbyia, Ayah 4 “My Lord knows whatever is said throughout the heaven and earth, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing” (قَالَ رَبِّي يَعْلَمُ الْقَوْلَ فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ). The Knowledge of Allah is endless and everlasting, was never preceded by ignorance and will never be followed by forgetfulness. Allah’s Knowledge is comprehensive and extends to all that is seen and unseen, apparent and hidden, present and future, and near or far. All Glory to Allah, He has the Perfect Knowledge, He knows what is in front of His creatures, and behind them, ”And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darknesses of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record.” Surah Al-Anaam, Ayah 59. The Name of Al-Aleem is mentioned 157 times in the Qur’an and its variations are mentioned 17 times. The word Aleem means knower and is derived from the Arabic ‘ilm meaning knowledge. Al-Aleem takes on the form of being the Knower, the All-Knowing, and the Omniscient. His Knowledge encompasses everything in existence even before anything begins to exist. Nothing at all can escape His knowledge. He is the One Whose knowledge is inclusive, be it apparent or hidden, minute or grand. He knows its beginning and its end, what is above or underneath it, and what results from it.
The Name of Allah, Al-Aleem, includes:
1- His Knowledge of the object before it exists, which is Allah’s secret concerning His creation, that no one knows, not even His close angels. Allah said in Surah Luqman, Ayah 34 ”And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darknesses of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record. (إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْحَامِ ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ مَّاذَا تَكْسِبُ غَدًا ۖ وَمَا تَدْرِي نَفْسٌ بِأَيِّ أَرْضٍ تَمُوتُ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ).
2- His Knowledge of the object in the Preserved Tablet after it is written and before it is executed according to His Will. Allah Almighty has written all destines of creatures before they were created. Allah said in Surah Al-Hajj, Ayah 70 ”Do you not know that Allah knows what is in the heaven and earth? Indeed, that is in a Record. Indeed that, for Allah, is easy. (أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۗ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ فِي كِتَابٍ ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ).
3- His Knowledge of the object once it exists, executed, created and made.
4- His Knowledge of the object after it existed and everything that is relevant.
What Are the Reflections of Allah’s Name Al-Aleem Upon Us?
When we supplicate to Allah, we supplicate with the Name of Allah, Al-Aleem as the prophet Muhammed did, for example, ”O Allah, by Your Knowledge of the unseen and by Your Power over creation, let me live if You know that life is good for me, and let me die if You know that death is good for me. O Allah, I ask You to grant me fear of You in private and in public.” When we enlighten our minds and hearts with the understanding of Name of Allah, Al-Aleem, we strengthen our faith in fate and destiny. We understand that everything was written and determined before we were created. We strongly believe that fate ordained by Allah always brings goodness, even if it seems painful and difficult because Allah is the Knowledgeable, the Omniscient One, and the Knower. Also, when you know that Allah encompasses everything, you fear Allah more, and you refrain from doing or saying what displeases Him. It is mentioned in Holy Quran, ”Man does not utter any word except that with him is an observer prepared [to record]. (مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌ). And, it will urge you to purify your heart, and your intentions. We understand that no matter how much knowledge we gain, we can never reach the Knowledge of Allah, nor can we know all the secrets of this universe ”And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little”.
