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Meaning of Allaah’s name al-Awwal

Question

please explain allah attribute al-awal with reference to hadiths

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

“Al-Awwal” (the First) is one of the names of Allaah The Almighty mentioned in the Quran and the Sunnah. It was mentioned in the Quran once in the verse (which means): {He is the First and the Last, the Ascendant and the Intimate, and He is, of all things, Knowing.}[Quran 57:3] In the Sunnah it was mentioned in the Hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: “…O Allaah! You are the First, and there is nothing before You…” [Muslim]

As for its meaning, Al-Bayhaqi  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said: “Al-Awwal is the One Whose existence has no beginning.” According to Ibn Jareer At-Tabari  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  himHe is Al-Awwal Who existed before everything without a limit (of beginning).” Something similar was reported from Al-Farraa’  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him who said “Al-Awwal means before all things.” According to Al-Khattaabi  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  himAl-Awwal is the One Who preceded all things. He deserves to be the first since He existed when there was nothing before or with Him.

All these definitions refer to the same meaning, which is the one stated by the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, “…O Allaah! You are the First, and there is nothing before You…” [Muslim]

Allaah Knows best.

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