Al-Khaafidh (the Abaser) comes from the root kh-f-dh.
It was used to refer to the camel when he lowers his head.
When referring to Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He), Ibn Atheer said, “It is He who lowers the oppressors and humiliates them.”
This is the sunnah (path) of life. At times we see tyrants with so much power, but slowly they are toppled down. And this is not just for rulers who are oppressive. When Iblees said:
“I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay.” [Qur’an, 38:76]
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala expelled him from Paradise.
When Pharoah said, “I am your most exalted lord.” [Qur’an, 79:24]
He was drowned.
And this should scare us. We may not have the worldly status of Pharoah, but how many of us have a little Pharoah in us, or a little Iblees, justifying our arrogance? So the lesson for us is to be humble before Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala lowers us. As the Prophet (peace be upon him) told us:
من تواضع رفعه الله
“Whoever humbles himself to God, Allah will raise him.” (Muslim)
And this brings us to Allah ar-Raafi`—He who raises and exalts. Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala says to the Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam in the Qur’an:
“And We raised high (rafa`na) for you your repute.” [Qur’an, 94:4]
He says that He has exalted the Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam . And this is important for us to remember during these times, about the Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam . It is not so different to what was being said about him when he started inviting people to Islam. However, Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala said that He raised high his repute.
And when it comes to us, we must remember that there is a never a moment when we are obeying Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala except that we are elevated, and this should comfort us when we encounter opposition from other people. However, sometimes people act in a contradictory way. Their obedience to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala causes them to be arrogant—is this a person that Allah
Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala raises? Remember that we are told that a person will not enter Paradise if he has an atom’s worth of arrogance in his heart. So even our obedience to God should come with humility and a feeling of gratefulness. This is perfectly illustrated in the words of the people of Paradise:
“Praise to Allah, who has guided us to this; and we would never have been guided if Allah had not guided us.” [Qur’an, 7:43]
So understanding that Allah’s Names, al-Khaafidh ar-Raafi`, relate to us greatly is crucial. By humbling ourselves before Allah
Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala and striving to serve Him and help His creation, we are elevated to the rank of the Angels. Al-Ghazaali states:
“Whoever elevates his vision above tangible and imagined things, and his intention above blameworthy desires, God has raised him to the horizon of the angels close to Him [muqarrabun]; while whoever restricts his vision to tangible things and his aspiration to the passions the beasts share with him, God will reduce him to the lowest of ranks. None but God most high does this, for He is the Abaser and the Exalter.”
May Allah make us of those whom He loves and elevates!
Our Internal States
Allah’s Names Al-Khaafidh Ar-Raafi` also have to do with our internal state. When we do something wrong, we sometimes feel debased, uncomfortable, and down. But when we do good, we feel uplifted. And that is Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala raising our spirits. So we should even understand these feelings as signs from Allah
Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala, and we should turn to Him as a cure.
Wallahu ta’alaa ‘alem.
And Allah knows Best.
And Allah knows Best.