As-Samad

The Eternal Refuge — the One in whom the needs of all beings find their end and their fulfilment. Allah Almighty says: "Say: 'He is Allah, [who is] One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge.'" (Al-Ikhlas, 1-2) The name As-Samad is a peerless pearl among the verses of Surah Al-Ikhlas, which sit upon the breast of the Qur'an like pearls strung in a single row. Whatever the secret that makes Al-Ikhlas special within the Qur'an, that must also be the secret that makes As-Samad special to Al-Ikhlas — for in the Qur'an the name As-Samad occurs only in Surah Al-Ikhlas. In the entire universe the only true possessor of power is Allah. He alone can remove every distress, difficulty and need a person faces. People sometimes forget their Creator and take protectors besides Him, seeking power, honour and help with them. Yet such people are deceived, for as stated above there is no possessor of power besides Allah. Unless He wills, no one can benefit or harm another. The only way for a person to be delivered from every distress is to take refuge in his Creator, the Owner of all strength and honour — for He answers the sincere servants who are in distress and need and who turn to Him, and He lifts from them their difficulties and hardships. Everything certainly has its treasuries with Allah Most High, and for this reason He is As-Samad. But those treasuries consist of unchanging knowledge, for they are fixed with Him. He knows and sees them and sees all that is within them; and because He knows and sees, He brings into existence and manifests whatever He wills of them and leaves whatever He wills. They are not finite or limited by being in His treasuries; they are infinite. All beings are in Allah's hand. Nothing of them is sent down outside the treasury to which it belongs; all are under protection with Allah. Since all the treasuries and their keepers belong to Allah, the world is in reality a single treasury from which nothing goes out — for all of it is in Allah's hand and with Him. It is for this reason that the only Samad to whom one may take refuge and to whom one may turn in every matter is He. Some place their trust in Allah, and some place their trust in means. But means often betray those who cling to them and take shelter in them, whereas Allah Most High certainly brings to safety the one who takes refuge in Him and entrusts his affairs to Him. If you know that all the treasuries are with Him, and that you too, as one of those treasuries, are His dominion, then because your heart will have trusted in Him, He is with you and you are with Him. Every Muslim should know that there is no Samad besides Allah. Knowing that He is one and unique, he should turn to Him alone. He should ask Him for all his needs and take refuge in Him from every distress. He should make his requests directly of Allah, without any intermediary from among people or other beings. In every disagreement he should turn to Allah's religion and accept only His laws as arbiter. The place where all distress is resolved is Allah Almighty. That is the station where material and spiritual troubles are ended. There is nothing He cannot resolve and bring to peace. For this Allah is As-Samad. In short, it means the final place of recourse and appeal for every creature.

The noble name As-Samad is recited 134 times as "Ya Samad, jalla jalaluhu" so that one may not be dependent upon anyone in matters that are Allah's gift, such as eating, drinking and sleeping, and may never grieve at the scarcity of these. In whoever recites the noble name As-Samad 125 times in the hour before dawn, saying "Ya Samad, jalla jalaluhu", the signs of truthfulness appear, and he does not feel the pain of hunger. Whoever is overcome by transgression and immorality and wishes to repent but is somehow unable to do so, let him fast on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. On those days let him refrain from eating products obtained from animals, and let him recite the noble name As-Samad a hundred times a day, saying "Ya Samad, jalla jalaluhu". God willing he will become a person of good.