As-Salam

The Giver of peace — the One who bestows mercy and blessing upon His servants and makes them secure; whose essence is free of every fault and whose attributes are free of every deficiency; who protects His servants from dangers and grants them safety; who on the Day of Resurrection shields His believing servants from punishment and greets His servants with peace in Paradise. Allah Almighty says: "He is Allah, other than whom there is no deity, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Perfection, the Bestower of Faith, the Overseer, the Exalted in Might, the Compeller, the Superior. Exalted is Allah above whatever they associate with Him." (Al-Hashr, 23) The One who is in perfect safety and who grants safety. The word "Salam" occurs 33 times in the Noble Qur'an, but in only one of these (Al-Hashr, 23) does it appear as a name of Allah. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "O Allah, You are Peace and from You comes peace. Blessed are You, O Owner of Majesty and Honour." The name As-Salam affirms the whole of Allah's perfection and removes from Him every deficient attribute. Its meaning is captured in "Subhanallahi wa'l-hamdu lillah." This glorification encompasses the truth that Allah Most High is unique in divinity and in the veneration due to Him — as does "La ilaha illallahu wallahu akbar." Everyone born dies; everything that grows withers; everything built falls into ruin. The human being, the most honoured of creatures, is born, grows, ages, falls ill, hungers, sleeps and dies. Our Lord, who is As-Salam, is free of all of this. Our Lord, who sent down the religion of Islam and invited us to Paradise — the abode of peace — and who taught us the greeting of peace that bridges hearts in this world along with the rules of courtesy, is the One who keeps the believers safe from the punishment of Hellfire. Allah's attribute of As-Salam also means that He greets with peace the servants He admits into Paradise. Allah Almighty says: "'Peace,' a word from a Merciful Lord." (Ya-Sin, 58) and "Those will be awarded the Chamber for what they patiently endured, and they will be received therein with greetings and [words of] peace." (Al-Furqan, 75) — informing us that He will greet with peace those who enter Paradise. Without doubt, Allah's greeting of peace is the greatest glad tiding a believer could receive.

The noble name As-Salam is recited 131 times as "Ya Salam, jalla jalaluhu" in order to be delivered from trials and calamities, to be safe from every material and spiritual distress, and especially to be freed from insinuating whispers. If it is recited over a sick person 121 times as "Ya Salam, jalla jalaluhu", then, if his appointed term has not come, by the bounty and generosity of Allah Most High his illness is at once lightened and he finds healing. Whoever persists in this noble name, saying "Ya Salam, jalla jalaluhu", does not feel the agony of death, suffers no hardship, is protected from the devils, and goes to Almighty Allah with a sound heart.