Ar Razzaq, The Provider

 

The Arabic calligraphy here is from vecteezy.com.  I liked it because of the playful colors, which speak to me of the many varied and surprising ways that God, the Provider, provides for us.

This name is (though not the sound of it) is comfortable for enjoyers of contemporary Christian music.  Jehovah Jireh, My Provider is for many of us a familiar song.  In fact, when I got to looking, I found several songs that focus on the Hebrew Jireh, meaning provider.

I have my own song along these lines, written long ago.  This tells the story of Abraham, at the time when he was called to sacrifice Isaac (or Ishmael according to Islamic teaching).  God stopped him from doing it at the last minute and provided a ram caught by his horns in a thicket for Abraham to sacrifice instead of his son.  There have been two occasions in my life when I felt like I had to hold something dear to my heart loosely, in case God would require me to lay it down, times when I felt I was identifying with Abraham.  The first time came when I was waiting for my husband-to-be to propose.  The second time came as I was considering going to seminary.  This song grew out of those times.

On the Mountain of the Lord

On the mountain of the Lord

It will be provided

All that You want me to give

On the mountain of the Lord

It will be provided

The strength and the courage to live.

I'll go walking up that mountain

With my hopes and my dreams in my hand.

I'll go walking up that mountain

Knowing You will allow me to stand.

Isaac was Abraham's deep delight, 

A hope that was too good to lose

And God spoke to Abraham in the night

Saying, "Come to the mountain I choose.

Will you lay down your son there?

Will you hand the child over to me?

Will you give up his life there,

As a sign that you're trusting in me?

Abraham left for the mountain that day

Leading his son by the hand.

I think tears filled his eyes as he tried to pray,

As he watched his dreams crumble to sand.

He took wood and he took fire,

And he carefully guarded the knife.

And he wondered how he'd do it.

Would you ask him to take his son's life?

Abraham knew that he had to do it –

Whatever You asked him to do.

And somehow he knew You would see him through it

And still make Your promises true.

He bound Isaac to the altar

He was ready to go all the way.

And then You sent an angel.

You provided the ram there that day.

Now by faith, we're the children of Abraham.

And sometimes we'll walk in his shoes.

I believe there are times

We will hear Your voice calling

To come to the mountain You choose

To lay down there what we cherish

Without knowing just what we'll get back.

We must trust that You are faithful

And that You will supply every lack.

On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided

All that You want me to give

On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided

The strength and the courage to live

I'll go walking up that mountain

with my hopes and my dreams in my hand

I'll go walking up that mountain

Knowing You will allow me to stand.

As I read about this name on the My Islam website,  I was struck by the distinction that they made between the action of God as the Giver, and the action of God as Provider.  They explained that while gifts are free, provision requires action on our part, whether the action of work for physical provisions, or prayer for spiritual provision.  I was reminded of God's provision of manna, and how the people had to gather it and prepare it and follow the rules (gather more the day before Sabbath).  

I was reminded of the words of a friend of mine, who in teaching gratitude, likes to say that the universe (or God) has always provided all that he truly needed (though not always all that he wanted).  He likes to say that he knows that because he is still here, he is still breathing.

I am disheartened this morning because of the political situation in the United States. Hard times are ahead.   I am reminded of several verses in the Bible.

 "Even in times of trouble we have a joyful confidence, knowing that our pressures will develop in us patient endurance.  And patient endurance will refine our character, and proven character leads us back to hope.  And this hope is not a disappointing fantasy, because we can now experience the endless love of God cascading into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who lives in us." Romans 5:3-5 (TPT).

"My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties, see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can! For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up in you the power of endurance.  And then as your endurance grows even stronger, it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking." James 1:3-4 (TPT)›

Provider

You have always provided

All that I need

I know that because I am breathing.

Through sorrow and joy

You have cared for us all

Through winter and summer and springtime and fall.

You have been there.

You surround us with care

Through hardship and even disaster.

Through rich times and poor times

You hold out Your hand.

And through trials our faith will grow faster.

You have always provided

All that we need

We know that because we are breathing.

Through sorrow and joy

You have cared for us all

Through winter and summer and springtime and fall.

You have been there.

You surround us with care

Through hardship and even disaster.

Through rich times and poor times

You hold out Your hand

God, help us be true

And to fully trust You

And to know in our hearts

You're the Master.

Al-Wahhab, The Bestower, The Giver

This image is made from components taken from vecteezy.com.  I wanted to display the bounty of the concept of Al-Wahhab, the Giver

When people think of God as a giver, and think of actually praying for specific things, this is sometimes derided as reducing God to a heavenly vending machine.  You pop in prayer, and he pops out stuff, and if the stuff doesn't arrive, then maybe it's a stuck vending machine, or you didn't add enough faith or something like that.

We think of the old Janis Joplin song, "O God, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?  My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.  O God, won't you buy me a Mercedes-Benz?"  And we are (rightfully, I think) scornful of the materialism derided in that song.   But it is not the case that the only good prayers are exclusively spiritual.  We are commanded to ask for our daily bread.  And Jesus expected tax money to be given to him, and provided miraculous catches of fish.  

When I started meditating on some of these scriptures, I was startled to find that the verse I was familiar with as "Every good and perfect gift is from above..." was actually about giving as well as gifts.  In time, that yielded a song.

"All generous giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change.  By his sovereign plan he gave us birth through the message. of truth, that we would be a kind of first fruits of all creation." (James 1:17-8 NET)

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matthew 7:9-11 NIV) 

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?  Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11-13 NIV)

All Good Gifts

All good gifts and all good giving

Come down from the Father of lights

All good gifts and all good giving

Come down from the Father of lights.

He gave us new birth by the word of his truth

So we could be first fruits of all creation

First fruits are his; they are given to God

He gave us as gifts to himself.

All good gifts and all good giving

Come down from the Father of lights

All good gifts and all good giving

Come down from the Father of lights.

If you who are evil know how to give 

Good gifts to the kids you adore.

How much more will your Heavenly Father

Give to his children so much more?

All good gifts and all good giving

Come down from the Father of lights

All good gifts and all good giving

Come down from the Father of lights.

If your child asks for bread, you won't give them a stone

If they ask you for fish you won't give a snake.

And those who ask God for the Holy Spirit

Will find He is given to them.

All good gifts and all good giving

Come down from the Father of lights

All good gifts and all good giving

Come down from the Father of lights.

Al-Qahhar, the Irresistible, the Prevailer, the Subduer

• This picture is taken straight from vecteezy.com but the austere gold and black seemed appropriate to the meanings of this word.

Grappling with this name has been a struggle that has taken months.  I set myself a goal of a new name each week, and now months have gone by since my last post.  That has not all been getting busy with other aspects of my life, but wrestling with what to do with this name in a Christian context.

The root of this word is ق ه ر and according to the myislam.com website, it has root meanings which include to subjugate, to overpower, to compel against one's wishes.  Two names al-Qaahhar and al-Qaahhir are based on this word, and of the two, al-Qaahhar is the most emphatic.  So this emphasizes the idea that God is completely overpowering.  Basically, that if you try to fight against God, you haven't got a chance.

Jacob did wrestle against God (or at least against the angel of God and "prevailed" and thereby won the approving name Israel.  Genesis 32:28 NIV "Then the man said, 'Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome."  Jacob calls the place where he fought, Peniel, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared." (Genesis 32:30).  

I think no one questions that God had the power to quash Jacob in this encounter.  He did dislocate his hip.  God allowed him to win, and blessed his endeavor.

Still, as Christians, we believe that God has said, "As surely as I live, every tongue will acknowledge God" (Romans 14:11 quoting Isaiah 45:23).  Isaiah 45:24 goes on to say that "Every tongue that has raged against him (clearly God in context) will come to him and be put to shame."  All of which makes it seem to me that there will be a time when God will compel assent to Himself.  We also have the similar statement in Philippians God gave Jesus "the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:8-11)

I must acknowledge that God is not always "a gentleman, who will not force me against my will" (as some popular sayings suggest that He is.)

Still, when will that day of God's forcefulness come?  In the book of 2 Peter, we read that, "in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.  They will say, 'Where is this 'coming' he promised.  Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation. (2 Peter 3:3-4 NIV).  The author goes on to say, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9 NIV). In other words, the day will when God will come as the Irresistible, the Prevailer, when God forces everyone to submit, whether they want to or not--but God is in no hurry to get there.  He would rather draw us patiently into submitting willingly to his rule.

As I considered this name, I was also strongly reminded about the story of Jesus calming the winds and waves of the storm. (Mark 4:35-41 and Luke 8:22-25).  In both tellings of the story, the disciples are amazed.  "Who is this, that even the winds and waves obey him?"  Why is this so amazing to them?  I think when people are healed or delivered there is always some lingering doubt that perhaps this is merely a psychological phenomenon.  Not that it is totally a placebo effect, but maybe when the human spirit is set right with God, then the body can heal itself.  But the winds and the waves?  No.  They are purely physical.  It takes someone special to control them.  And that someone was Jesus.

So where do I find myself in the midst of these considerations?  Right now, I am struggling with what I suppose I must acknowledge has become an addiction to computer games.  Challenged to lay them aside for a season, my own selfish desires are rising up like a storm of winds and waves in my soul.  I haven't yielded yet, but it's been an awfully near thing.  And I found myself singing, "O Subduer, come subdue me."  And perhaps I am getting a glimpse of what devout Muslims understand to be the "greater jihaad" the struggle against evil in ourselves.

Al-Qaahhar

I have no question, not a shred of doubt.

If we fight against You can take us all out.

Just a flick of Your finger, a puff of Your breath

We'd be flat on the floor at the gateway of death.

You've got the power, You've got the might.

You could wipe out our wills with a flash of Your light –

But You don't.

You wait

You are longing for folks to come in

To acknowledge your Kingship,

and turn from our sin.

To be rescued from death and be blessed with Your life

Still You patiently wait for us.

And I see in myself things that do not bow down 

Things that rise up and struggle against You

There are storms in my soul that I cannot control

Desires that I long to yield to

O Subduer, please come subdue me.

Great Subduer, come subdue me.

Al-Qaahhar, the Subduer

Come subdue me.

Al-Ghaffar, The One who Keeps on Forgiving

This word comes from the arabic root letterغ ف ر, ">which carries the meaning of covering something, concealing it, pardoning, forgiving, setting aright.  There are three related terms, al-Ghaffar, al-Ghaffur, and al-Ghaffir.  Of these three, al-Ghaffar implies the quantity and repetition of forgiveness.  Al-Ghaffur focuses on the magnitude  of what is forgiven.  I don't know about al-Ghaffir.  It just gets translated the forgiver.

In making the picture, I used the picture of a wave because waves keep coming.  I used red text, because red speaks of blood.  and for Christians, it is understood that Jesus died on the cross so that we might be forgiven.

In the gospels, there is a story that Peter came to Jesus, who was teaching the people to forgive each other, and asked "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" and Jesus answered "I do not say to you seven times but seventy-seven times (or seventy times seven)" (Matthew 18: 21-22).  God enjoins us to be freely and repeatedly forgiving.

One might wonder, if God keeps on forgiving us, do we make any progress at all?  It is true that sometimes we seem to make no progress, but I think if we keep seeking to improve, we find that God does give us victory but also shows us subtler sins.  At any rate, this song represents an aspect of my experience as I struggle to walk with God in integrity and faithfulness.

Over and Over

Over and over and over again

I find myself missing the mark.

Over and over and over again

I stumble and fall in the dark.

Sometimes I've tried and failed

And sometimes I've failed to try

Over and over and over again

I cry out for forgiveness from God on high.

Over and over and over again

You forgive me and help me to make a new start.

Over and over and over again

You clean up the mess in my heart.

And I stand here in wonder and awe that You

Would keep on forgiving a person who

In all of my blunders keeps coming to You

Over and over again.

Beginning Again

I started this blog back in 2011.  I had been teaching an introductory course in Great World Religions at Temple University as part of my Ph.D. studies at Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia.  I was working at giving students, many of whom started with a tendency to see Islam in a very negative light, some insight into the positive side of that religion.  I do not believe that all religions are equal.  I disagree with Islam in some very important ways.  But I do believe that the better we understand all of the people in the world, including their faith, the more equipped we are to love those people and to share with them the things that we believe are important.  As I was looking for ways to teach my students about positive aspects of Islam,  I found the 99 beautiful names of Allah, particularly in this Nasheed:

I have personally been captivated by the many ways that God describes God's self in the Bible.  I have many biblical self-descriptions of God painted on the walls of my house, and I love the verse that says "The name of the LORD is a strong tower.  The righteous run into it and is safe." (Proverbs 18:10 ESV).  In my understanding, to run into the name of the LORD is to run into the nature of God.  I thought that the above Nasheed was beautiful and it seemed to me that it would be an interesting and valuable devotional exercise for myself to spend time with each of these names of Allah, pondering them and understanding them better and seeing whether I could see them reflected in the Bible.  My goal was to understand how the words were understood by Arabic speakers, and by their usage in the Quran, and then to look at them from a Christian perspective.

As I began writing my Ph.D. dissertation, I felt that I had to cut back on activities that did not directly feed into that arduous process.  After a bunch of years, two different approved topics and a lot of fruitless effort, I decided to abandon my attempt to get a Ph.D. in historical theology, and proceed with my life as an A.B.D. (All but dissertation).  I had by this time completely forgotten about this blog.

Recently, I reconnected with a childhood friend, and she asked me whether I had any resources that would help her learn more about world religions.  Ha!  An assignment I would really enjoy!  As I began looking through what I had gathered over the years, I found not only the 99 names nasheed, but rediscovered this blog.  All of the links to pictures and songs were broken, but as I looked through the writing I had done back in 2011, I found that I still liked the work I had done.  Although I have recently taken on some new responsibilities, it seemed like the time has come to take this up again.

My new responsibilities are that I have been ordained and installed as a copastor at a small "dinner church".  

Who is my audience, and what is my purpose for doing this?  First and foremost, I am doing this for myself and for God.  That does not mean that I am not going to share it with people (I'm a pretty open person--if you know me, I am likely to share whatever is uppermost in my heart and mind at the time).  I would love it if the work I am doing here would come in time to bless other people.  But the first thing I am doing is coming before God to love and worship Him.

If it ministers to other Christians, I will rejoice.  If it allows me to share my faith with Muslims and other non-Christians, I will rejoice in that as well.  If these songs and thoughts and poems are valuable at some point for Arabic-speaking Christians that would also be great.  But my primary purpose in doing this is to worship God, and to grow in my own faith and love.

Over the past 3-4 weeks, as I have rewritten and re-recorded the songs that were on the blog, and fixed the broken links, I find that this work has given me a renewed appreciation for the awesomeness of God.  And so my plan at this point is to pick up the work where I left off, and to attempt to deal with one new name each week or so.

13. Al-Musawwir, The Bestower of Forms

I tried to use people who are such public figures that they wouldn't mind the use of their images.

Al-Musawwir, the Bestower of forms (and some say colors), the Shaper.  When I thought about this name, the image that first came to my mind was diatoms, the miniscule organisms whose skeletons make the diatomaceous earth that is white dust in swimming pool filters:

Picture courtesy of Wikicommons

Don't they look like buttons or beads?  I love the amazing variety.  God is an awesome designer.

The connotations of the root of this word:  s - w - r  ض و ر according to the Wahiduddin Web are

to make something incline, lean or bend towards

to form, fashion, sculpt, imagine or picture something

to have an inclination or desire towards something

This is supposed to be the most specific of the three names that have to do with God as creator, and as I thought about that I found myself thinking  particularly about the way God has made each and every person unique.  Of course, this applies not just to our bodies but also to our hearts and minds and spirits. And of course, Allah has shaped many many things other than people.  Lots of things to celebrate.

Al-Musawwir

Al-Musawwir

You give the shape to everything that's shaped

And everything is shaped

Al-Musawwir.

Every little snowflake that drifts from the sky

Has a form and fashion that you did supply.

Every person's body and each person's face,

Bears a special signature that You stamped in place.

The path of every river that flows

The shape of every flower that grows

Fancy guppy tails and the swirling shells of snails

The track of every planet spinning out in space

Each bump and every wrinkle on each rhino's face

Are crafted by the Great Engineer

Al-Musawwir

12. Al-Baari, The Shaper

Using colors that are meant to be reminiscent of clay.

This name is found once in the Qur'an (59:24), which is a list of names, and there I find it variously translated as the Evolver, the Shaper out of naught, the Inventor of all things, the Maker, the Originator, The Initiator.
One website tells me that the difference between three of the names that talk about Allah as creator is as follows.

Some scholars differentiated between al-Khaaliq (the Creator), al-Baari’ (the Maker) and al-Musawwir (the Bestower of forms) as follows:
Al-Khaaliq (the Creator) is the One Who created from nothing all creatures that exist, according to their decreed qualities.
Al-Baari’ is the One Who made man from al-baraa, i.e., clay.
Al-Musawwir is the One Who creates various forms and shapes.

But Haj Ali Dirani says that some say it is this name which refers to bringing things into existence from nothing.   Others say it is creation without a model (thus I presume, "the Inventor" and "the Originator").
Apparently the root can also mean cutting or separating something as in cutting a twig, or a woman separating from her husband, or a business partnership being severed.  Finally, it can mean to cure.  Some of the prayers addressed to Al-Baari are clearly based on this last meaning.meaning.

So where do I go to think about this name, with all these bits and pieces of insight, some of which contradict each other?  I ended up writing a poem, and not a song.

Al-Baari

Lord, you spoke the universe into being from nothing.

One step at a time, but stuff out of no-stuff and your word.

Lord, you drew Adam into being, 

bringing mankind

out of mud.

Lord, you drew me into being

From a tiny speck within my mother's womb

To a squalling baby in my mother's arms.

Lord, you still draw me into being

From nothing to something

From dark to light

Through the curtain of Christ's death

You draw me into the inheritance of the saints in light.

Lord, You are the one who keeps drawing forth

Who keeps shaping something out of nothing.

In the world

and in my life.