great sermon

[Muhammad Zulqarnain]

Islamic Research Foundation replies...

By Tanvir Shaikh

It is with great trepidation and alarm and not a little grief that I read the article that you published in your magazine written by Dr. Zakir Naik declaring that Allah Subhanahu wa ta’ala may be called by any name that a person finds to his liking.

                                                                                                            - Mirza Yawar Baig

Dr. Zakir Naik has never claimed in any of his articles or talks that it is permissible for people to call Allah (swt) by any name of their choice or liking. Neither has he ever passed a blanket rule to invent or import names for Allah (swt). In his talks, he quotes the verse of the Glorious Qur’an from Surah Al-Isra 17:110, which says:

Say: “Call upon Allah, or Call upon Rahman; By whatever name ye call Upon Him, (it is well): For to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names”. [Al Qur’an 17:110]

Dr. Zakir simply explains the verse that Allah (swt)'s name should be beautiful and it should not conjure up a mental picture. He has never stated that a person can call Allah (swt) with any name he or she desires. It is understood that Allah (swt) should be only referred to according to the manner in which He and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) have described Him.

One cannot deduce a ruling just on the basis of one or two verses of the Glorious Qur’an unless one has analyzed the Qur’an as a whole. For example, it will be erroneous for someone to say that Muslims are allowed to gamble and drink wine because in them there is some profit for men, simply because Allah (swt) has mentioned in the Glorious Qur’an:

“They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: "In them is great sin and some profit for men; but the sin is greater than the profit." [Al-Qur’an 2:219]