56 - الْمُحْصِي

[Bint e Aisha]

 الْمُحْصِي

 

Translation

الْمُحْصِي  is translated as The Reckoner and The Appraiser. It comes from Ihsaab and has more of a quantification meaning i.e. it has the concept of enumeration, counting. Allah ta’ala says in the Qur’an, 

 

وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا ۗ 
 

If you want to count the favours of Allah, you will never be able to number them [Surah Nahl: 18]

 

Definition

الْمُحْصِي is that being that knows each separate thing absolutely and knows the limit of each object and its quantity and dimension. In Surah Jinn, verse 28, Allah ta’ala says, 

وَأَحْصَىٰ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ عَدَدًا  - and keeps a count of each and everything 

 

Allah ta’ala is that Being Who knows the exact numbers of particles of dirt on the mountains, the number of rain drops that fall, the number of drops of water in the ocean, the number of leaves on the trees. 

With all the technology in this age scientists give estimations and come up will mind boggling numbers of things in the universe however Allah ta’ala knows the exact number of everything in the universe from the beginning of time till the end. Someone said, “You can find God in the detail” 

 

Beautiful Du’a of a Bedouin which includes the Concept of Enumeration 

Anas RA reports that Rasoolullaah sallallahu ’alayhi wasallam passed by a bedouin while he was supplicating in Salaah and Rasoolullaah sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam stopped to listen to him. Thereafter Rasoolullah sallallahu’ alayhi wasallam sent someone to fetch him saying when he finished praying and when he was brought to him Rasoolullah sallallahu ’alayhi wasallam  gave him gold which had been given to him as a gift. The Du’a is as follows,

 

يا منْ لاَّ تَرَاهُ العُيُون  

Yaa Man La Taraahul ‘Uyoon
O the one who eyes cannot behold in this world

ولا تُخالِطُهُ الظُّنُون

Wa Laa Tukhaalituhudh-Dhunoon
and minds cannot comprehend His greatness

ولا يَصِفُهُ الْوَاصِفُون

Wa Laa Yasifuhul Waasifoon
and people cannot praise Him as he deserves to be praised

ولا تُغَيِّرُهُ الْحَوَادِث

Wa Laa Tughayyiruhul Hawaadith
and situations do not change him

ولا يَخْشَى الدَّوَائِر

Wa Laa Yakhshad-Dawaa’ir
and he does not fear the passing of time

يَعْلَمُ مَثاقِيلَ الْجِبال

Ya’lamu Mathaaqeelal Jibaal
He knows the exact weight of the mountains

وَمَكايِيْلَ الْبِحار

Wa Makaa-yeelal Bihaar
And the volume of the oceans

وَعَدَدَ قَطْرِ الأمْطار

Wa Adada Qatril Amtaar
And the number of drops of rain

وَعَدَدَ وَرَقِ الأشْجار

Wa Adada Waraqil Ashjaar
And the number of leaves on trees

وَعَدَدَ مَا أُظْلِمُ عَلَيْهِ الْلَيْل وَأشْرَقَ عَلَيْهِ النَّهار

Wa Adada Maa Udhlima Alayhil Layl. Wa Ashraqa Alayhin-Nahaar
And those things that the day illuminates with its light and the night hides in its darkness

ولا تُوَارِي مِنْهُ سَمَاءٌ سَمَاءً، وَلا أرْضٌ أرْضَاً

Wa Laa Tuwaari Minhu Samaa’un Samaa’, Wa Laa Ardun Ardaa’
And one sky cannot shield another sky, and no ground can shield another layer of ground from Allah

وَلا بَحْرٌ مَا فِي قَعْرِهِ

Wa Laa Bahrun Maa Fee Qa’rihi
And the ocean (in its depths and darkness) cannot hide anything from Allah

وَلا جَبَلٌ مَا فِي وَعْرِهِ

Wa Laa Jabalun Maa Fee Wa’rihi
And a mountain cannot (in its deepest darkest cave) hide anything from Allah

اِجْعَلْ خَيْرَ عُمْرِي آخِرَه

Make best part of my life the last part of my life

وَخَيْرَ أيَّامِي يَوْمَ ألْقَاَكَ فِيْه        

وَخَيْرَ عَمَلِي خَوَاتِيْمَه      

and make the best of my action the action that I do in this life and the best day the day I return back to meet You.

[Al-Mu’jamul-Awsat of Tabarani, hadith: 9448]

 

الْمُحْصِي - in terms of Recording Deeds

Allah ta’ala is الْمُحْصِي  in terms of our books of deeds. Everything is recorded , written down, preserved. Allah ta’ala says in the Qur’an, 

وَكُلَّ شَيْءٍ أَحْصَيْنَاهُ كِتَابًا  

“But We have placed on record every single thing [of what they did]” [Surah Naba’: 29]

 

Counsel

To have Yaqeen (Certainty) that Allah ta’ala is watching and everything, whether it’s our actions or intentions and feelings, is being recorded and preserved. Our deeds do not have to be written down but they are. People who have the Ma’rifah regarding this name are careful how they spend their time and how they use their bodies, wealth, etc. as they have Yaqeen that everything is being counted and recorded. 

 

There is Barakah in writing things down. In our age there are courses and advices given on how to be organised and one of the things which are emphasised is writing things down i.e. making lists, writing down goals and resolutions etc.   

 

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