Al-Hafeez (the Ever-Preserving)
We often recall the benefits of anti-slip mechanisms,
The benefit of speed brakes,
The benefit of airbags,
And the benefit of seatbelts
But we forget Allah,
Al-Hafeez!
When you feel your life is in danger, when illness threatens your health, when your child is far from you, and you fear for him lose or bad friends, or when your hard-earned wealth is on the verge of loss—remember that one of your Lord’s Names is: Al-Hafeez. It is time to renew your faith in this Magnificent Name and reflect deeply upon it.
He alone preserves your life, health, children, wealth, and everything!
Get in touchO heart, be reassured…
Paths of Straying!
If Allah does not keep your heart firm upon His religion, doubts will surround you, and whims will snatch you away.
Some scholars spent their lives immersed in books and ink, but Allah did not will to grant the protection of their faith—some disbelieved in Allah, and others innovated in religion. And you, with your limited knowledge, you still prostrate to Him? This is because Al-Hafeez has preserved your faith!
Consider the scholar Abdullah Al-Qasimi, who once wrote a book defending Islam titled “The Conflict between Islam and Paganism.” It was said, perhaps in exaggeration, that it was his “dowry for Paradise,” and he was praised from the pulpit of the Haram. But years later, the fingers of deviation touched his heart—may Allah protect us. Doubts began to weave webs of uncertainty in his mind, turning certainties into mere possibilities and truths into mere opinions. Under the weight of these doubts and heaps of misguidance, he wrote a book attacking Islam titled “These Are the Shackles,” in which he claimed that Allah’s religion is a burden of chains and restrictions. We seek refuge in Allah from such disgrace!
Get in touchForgetting Allah!
Al-Hafeez is the One Who preserves your life. This is why, when we part from our loved ones, we entrust them to Him, saying: “I entrust you to Allah, whose trusts are never lost.” Nothing placed under Allah’s Preservation and Care may be lost.Every accident from which someone is saved has Al-Hafeez behind it. Yet, we remember the benefit of anti-slip brakes, the benefit of airbags, and the benefit of seatbelts—but forget Allah!
When waves violently toss a ship and hearts reach the throats in fear, who prevents the sea from swallowing it whole?
I once watched a recording of a ship being battered by waves. Inside, people were thrown violently from one side to the other. They owned nothing, and they could not even think of anything. The only thing they could do was clinging to anything they could grasp. The scene outside showed the ship as a mere speck amid the strong waves.
When a pilot announces a fault in the aircraft, the passengers—each previously immersed in their own worlds—suddenly turn to Allah. They take refuge in Allah and repent, forgetting their ambitions, dreams, and worries, consumed by the thought of death alone.
Who, by His power, repairs the fault, allowing the plane to land safely? Who turns those frightened shadows of humans back into living safely?
I once experienced severe turbulence while flying. At that moment, I truly grasped the enormity of the aircraft and how it was suspended midair over an endless desert. It was a fear beyond ordinary fear. How could I have been so heedless during all my previous flights of this terrifying image of this huge object flying into the air by Allah’s Power?
We call upon Him in the sea to save our ships
Yet when we reach the shore, we disobey Him
We ride the skies in peace and comfort
And we do not fall, for Al-Hafeez preserves us.
Get in touchThe Protecting Angels
A Bottle…
The Greatest, the Most Magnificent, the Most Supreme
The Name Al-Hafeez (The Preserver) holds a story with every creature. He does not create His creations and then abandon them; rather, He equips them with the tools with which they face life’s surprises. He grants each creature its unique weapon to navigate the battles of life:
He preserves some animals with their ability to run swiftly, like the gazelle and the rabbit.
He safeguards others with horns to pierce anyone who approaches them with harm, like the rhinoceros and the buffalo.
He preserves some of them with their massive size, crushing their enemies with their weight, like the elephant and the bear.
He preserves others with an electric shock as their defense mechanism, stunning anyone who touches them, like the jellyfish!
He preserves some creatures with the poison within their bodies, like snakes and scorpions.
He preserves the chameleon with its ability to change color when needed.
He preserves others with flying, some by their agility, and others by their climbing skills.
This is just a glimpse of His preservation, and what humanity does not know of His ways of safeguarding is far greater, more magnificent, and more supreme.
Get in touchHe Defends You
Valleys of the Lions
Allah the Al-Mighty protects and preserves you with His angels. Whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi before sleeping, Allah appoints an angel to stand by his head and protect him from anything not decreed by Allah.
What do you fear when Allah is with you?
This Name (Al-Hafeez – The Preserver) fills you with confidence in the Ever-Living, who never dies. It gives you the courage to walk in the dark, cross valleys full of lions, and wade through crocodile-infested swamps. The Preserver surrounds you with a shield of protection, rendering all these dangers as insignificant as child’s play.
Of course, this is consistent taking the necessary precautions, as we have been commanded to do so. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) consistently took measures during his migration, battles, and throughout his life. However, while these precautions hold importance, Allah remains in your heart as the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful, the Preserver.
If you read the story of Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sumait, who traveled to Africa to preach and spread Islam, you would understand the meaning of “Al-Hafeez.” Despite traversing treacherous swamps and desolate valleys in the depths of the African continent, enduring hunger, thirst, and illness, no harm befell him. For twenty-five years, he pursued his chosen path and eventually passed away peacefully in Kuwait on a bed. Reflecting on his story reveals the profound essence of Allah as Al-Hafeez.
Some stories, while unverifiable, are often cited as signs of Allah’s protection over His righteous servants. For example, it is said that two soldiers of Al-Hajjaj captured Saeed bin Jubair. On their journey, heavy rains forced them to seek shelter in a monk’s monastery, but Saeed refused to enter, abstaining from a place where Allah was worshipped in error. They left him outside. Then he was approached by a lion, and the soldiers and monk shouted at him to flee, but Saeed remained still, immersed in remembrance of Allah. The lion came, seemed to whisper something to him, and then walked away. Witnessing this, the two soldiers saw the situation with terror while the monk declared, “This is a friend of Allah!”
Take all your worldly possessions and leave,
My heart was free, unbound, and strange
For I am the wealthiest among you,
Even if you see me alone and deprived!
Who made the lion halt at the last moment? It was Al-Hafeez!
Get in touchThe Fragility of Humans and the Strength of Allah
Oh Young Man!
Sometimes, Allah protects you even through your enemies. How can this be?
It is said that a thief broke into a house, intending to steal it. In one room, he found a child with his parents. The thief carried the child to another room, but the child cried out, waking the parents. As they searched the house for their child, the thief took the opportunity to enter their room to steal. Suddenly, the ceiling of that room collapsed, burying the thief.
What brought the thief into that home to save the family from death under the rubble through a plot that was against not for him? It was Al-Hafeez Who preserves His servants even through their enemies.
One of the greatest ways to seek Allah’s preservation is to preserve His commands.
Reflect on the profound words of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): “O young man, I will teach you some words: Preserve Allah, and He will preserve you. Preserve Allah, and you will find Him before you. Get to know Allah in times of ease, and He will know you in times of hardship.”
Preserve Allah, and He will preserve you.
Preserve His commands by fulfilling them as He instructed.
And preserve His prohibitions by avoiding them as He forbade.
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