Distress intensifies, calamities grow grave, ordeals follow one another, and trials come in succession. A person looks around: where might there be a way out?!
And when will relief come?!
While the servant is bewildered by his questions, a hidden radiance and a bright light appear to him. He does not know where they came from or how they found the way to his heart!
Then the hardships clear away, worries are relieved, and distress loosens its grip.
How often a calamity leaves a person at the end of his strength — yet with Allah lies the way out of it.
It tightened, and when its rings had closed firmly around me — it was relieved, though I had thought it would never be relieved!
1—Allah’s prophet Joseph faced immense distress and great terrors. Allah saved him from captivity and slavery, from trials in religion, from the trials of kingship and women, and from other trials. At the end of that story, Allah Most High said: {إِنَّ رَبِّي لَطِيفٞ لِّمَا يَشَآءُۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ} [يوسف: 100]. Thus He brought gentle care out of the plotting against him, and ease out of hardship!
2—Al-Latif, glorified is He, shows gentle care to His servants, and He is subtle in bringing about whatever He wills. He, glorified is He, said: {ٱللَّهُ لَطِيفُۢ بِعِبَادِهِۦ يَرۡزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُۖ وَهُوَ ٱلۡقَوِيُّ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ} [الشورى: 19].
3—Al-Latif, glorified is He, knows the finest and most hidden aspects of what benefits His servants and brings that benefit to them through hidden means. He knows inward realities and secrets, what lies in consciences, and what hearts conceal: {أَلَا يَعۡلَمُ مَنۡ خَلَقَ وَهُوَ ٱللَّطِيفُ ٱلۡخَبِيرُ} [الملك: 14].
Al-Latif, glorified is He, brings you to what you need with gentleness and kindness. Whatever His servants may conceal from the Lord of all servants, Allah knows them fully and wills to bring good to them. In doing so, He treats them with subtle kindness!
4-{يَٰبُنَيَّ إِنَّهَآ إِن تَكُ مِثۡقَالَ حَبَّةٖ مِّنۡ خَرۡدَلٖ فَتَكُن فِي صَخۡرَةٍ أَوۡ فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ أَوۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يَأۡتِ بِهَا ٱللَّهُۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَطِيفٌ خَبِيرٞ} [لقمان: 16].
Al-Latif, glorified is He, guides His servants to supplication, answers them, and does good to them in secret, from where they do not perceive it!
5—Al-Latif, glorified is He, is hidden from His servants’ physical sight in this world.
{لَّا تُدۡرِكُهُ ٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرُ وَهُوَ يُدۡرِكُ ٱلۡأَبۡصَٰرَۖ وَهُوَ ٱللَّطِيفُ ٱلۡخَبِيرُ} [الأنعام: 103].
If created beings were to see Him in this world, life would cease, its wise purposes would be suspended, and trades and markets would fall idle.
It is part of al-Latif’s gentle care that He remains veiled from creation in this world out of mercy toward them, and is then seen in the Hereafter as an honor to His devoted servants.
{قَالَ رَبِّ أَرِنِيٓ أَنظُرۡ إِلَيۡكَۚ قَالَ لَن تَرَىٰنِي وَلَٰكِنِ ٱنظُرۡ إِلَى ٱلۡجَبَلِ فَإِنِ ٱسۡتَقَرَّ مَكَانَهُۥ فَسَوۡفَ تَرَىٰنِيۚ فَلَمَّا تَجَلَّىٰ رَبُّهُۥ لِلۡجَبَلِ جَعَلَهُۥ دَكّٗا وَخَرَّ مُوسَىٰ صَعِقٗاۚ فَلَمَّآ أَفَاقَ قَالَ سُبۡحَٰنَكَ تُبۡتُ إِلَيۡكَ وَأَنَا۠ أَوَّلُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ} [الأعراف: 143].
As for the Hereafter: {وُجُوهٞ يَوۡمَئِذٖ نَّاضِرَةٌ ٢٢ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٞ ٢٣} [القيامة: 22-23].
He is too subtle for the manner of His being to be comprehended.
Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said in his Nuniyyah:
He is al-Latif in His dealings with His servant and in what He does for him — and subtle care in His attributes is of two kinds:
Knowing the secrets of all things with full awareness — and gentle care wherever kindness is bestowed.
He lets you see His might and reveals His subtle care — while the servant remains heedless of this affair.
Subtle divine care is mercy and protection, and goodness bestowed unseen!
When the servant sees dangers before him and is overtaken by fears and perils, Allah’s hidden kindness comes to him and saves him through His mercy!
{فَإِنَّ مَعَ ٱلۡعُسۡرِ يُسۡرًا} [الشرح: 5].
{وَيَرۡزُقۡهُ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَحۡتَسِبُۚ} [الطلاق: 3].
{حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا ٱسۡتَيَۡٔسَ ٱلرُّسُلُ وَظَنُّوٓاْ أَنَّهُمۡ قَدۡ كُذِبُواْ جَآءَهُمۡ نَصۡرُنَا} [يوسف: 110].
Examples of the subtle care of al-Latif, glorified and exalted is He:
1—Allah’s gentle care for His servant as an unborn child:
Within three layers of darkness, the child is nourished in his mother’s womb through his navel until he is separated from her and nurses at her breast. Without a teacher, he learns to latch onto the breast, even in pitch darkness. Likewise, when a chick emerges from its egg, it comes out with its mouth wide open to pick up grain! The subtly kind Lord also brings forth pure milk for His weak servant from between digested matter and blood.
Then comes Allah’s gentle care for His servant as a young child: He creates teeth for him so that he may eat food, and He provides that food for him.
{فَلۡيَنظُرِ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِهِۦٓ ٢٤ أَنَّا صَبَبۡنَا ٱلۡمَآءَ صَبّٗا ٢٥ ثُمَّ شَقَقۡنَا ٱلۡأَرۡضَ شَقّٗا ٢٦ فَأَنۢبَتۡنَا فِيهَا حَبّٗا ٢٧ وَعِنَبٗا وَقَضۡبٗا ٢٨} [عبس: 24-28].
Through His gentle care, He, glorified is He, brings honey from bees, silk from worms, pearls from shells, and the human being from a foul-smelling drop of semen!
He likewise brings precious stones and valuable jewels out of inexpensive rocks!
2—Allah’s gentle care for particular servants:
His gentle care for His prophet Moses, peace be upon him.
His gentle care for His prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
His gentle care for some of the righteous and for scholars who act upon their knowledge.
The effects of faith in Allah’s name al-Latif:
The servant believes with certainty that nothing escapes His knowledge, however minute or hidden!
{وَعِندَهُۥ مَفَاتِحُ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ لَا يَعۡلَمُهَآ إِلَّا هُوَۚ وَيَعۡلَمُ مَا فِي ٱلۡبَرِّ وَٱلۡبَحۡرِۚ وَمَا تَسۡقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعۡلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٖ فِي ظُلُمَٰتِ ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا رَطۡبٖ وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِي كِتَٰبٖ مُّبِينٖ} [الأنعام: 59].
{يَٰبُنَيَّ إِنَّهَآ إِن تَكُ مِثۡقَالَ حَبَّةٖ مِّنۡ خَرۡدَلٖ فَتَكُن فِي صَخۡرَةٍ أَوۡ فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ أَوۡ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يَأۡتِ بِهَا ٱللَّهُۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَطِيفٌ خَبِيرٞ} [لقمان: 16].
2—The servant holds himself accountable for little and much, great and small, because his heart and innermost self are laid bare before his Lord.
{أَلَا يَعۡلَمُ مَنۡ خَلَقَ وَهُوَ ٱللَّطِيفُ ٱلۡخَبِيرُ} [الملك: 14].
{فَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيۡرٗا يَرَهُۥ ٧ وَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّةٖ شَرّٗا يَرَهُۥ ٨} [الزلزلة: 7-8].
3—When he knows that Allah combines subtle, all-encompassing knowledge with gentleness in His actions, his heart becomes bound to his Lord in love, veneration, awe, and devotion.
4—The servant strives to treat Allah’s creatures gently and kindly in their religious and worldly affairs alike. He follows the example of the compassionate and merciful Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him. He treated Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah kindly, buying his camel and then giving him both the camel and its price as a gift. He treated gently the Bedouin who urinated in the mosque, and the other man who pulled him by his cloak so hard that it left a mark on the side of his shoulder ﷺ. It is he ﷺ who said: «إِنَّ اللهَ رَفِيقٌ يُحِبُّ الرِّفْقَ، وَيُعْطِي عَلَى الرِّفْقِ مَا لَا يُعْطِي عَلَى العُنْفِ»[1].
5—When a calamity befalls the servant, he seeks Allah’s gentle care within it, looks for Allah’s favor within it, and awaits Allah’s relief within it: {ٱللَّهُ لَطِيفُۢ بِعِبَادِهِۦ يَرۡزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُۖ وَهُوَ ٱلۡقَوِيُّ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ} [الشورى: 19].
6—He reflects on Allah’s hidden kindness in allowing the servant to be tested with some sins so that he may repent, thereby gaining goodness beyond what the servant could imagine.
7—The servant recognizes that his Lord has opened wide doors of goodness for him that had never crossed his mind, through which blessings and good things follow one another.
8—The servant gains calmness and tranquility of heart and contentment with his Lord’s decree and ordainment, because he believes that his Lord is subtle in bringing about whatever He wills, especially when fears intensify.
9—When hardship or distress befalls him, he calls upon Allah by His names al-Latif and al-Khabir: “O Subtly Kind One, O Subtly Kind One, Your servant is weak.” One of their sayings that has been preserved is: “O You whose kindness is hidden, save us from what we fear.”
O Allah, show us Your gentle care by making every difficulty easy. Making every difficulty easy is easy for You. What an excellent Protector and an excellent Helper You are!
10—When the servant knows his Lord’s gentle care, his heart clings hopefully to Allah for His mercy and for relief from his distress, not only in this world but also in the Hereafter. His heart opens in hope and longing for the vast mercy of the Lord of all worlds, and he strives to be encompassed by that boundless mercy in the Hereafter!
[1] Reported by al-Bukhari (6024) and Muslim (2593).