Assalaamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh

Tuesday, February 25, 2020

91. Ad - Darr


The Correcter, The Balancer, The Distresser, The Afflicter, The Punisher

The One whose wisdom may choose to use forceful corrections.

The One who creates adversity or distress in order to discourage or correct wrongful behavior.

The One whose wisdom may use situations that have an outward appearance of being harmful.


From the root d-r-r which has the following classical Arabic connotations:
to have an opinion that is opposing
to apply forceful correction
to do an act that is disliked
to make inconvenient, annoy, distress
to cause adversity, afflict
to harm, injure, hurt

The name Dārr is not specifically used as a Beautiful Name in the Qur'ān.

Nāfi' (creator of good) is the opposite of Dārr (distresser)

The names Dārr and Nāfi' are often used together to acknowledge the way that balance and harmony are established and maintained. These opposing attributes are often inseparable, since that which is the sweetest nectar to one person may be bitter poison to another.

Such opposites help to make one aware that every action accomplishes some purpose and is, in the grand scheme of things, subservient to the all-knowing hand of Allāh, through whom balance and harmony are created and maintained... even if we don't understand.

Abū Hāmid al-Ghazālī wrote:

Do not suppose that poison kills or harms by itself.... or that kings or men or satan, or any creature, are capable of good or evil, benefit or harm, by themselves. For all of these are subservient causes from which nothing proceeds except that for which they were utilized.

There is a grand intelligence who has a plan that is beyond our understanding, and these pairs of opposites serve to remind us to constantly focus our attention on the glory of the One, regardless of whether the situation is smooth and easy or rough and difficult.


There is only one virtue and one sin for a soul on the path:
virtue when he is conscious of God and sin when he is not.
Abu Hashim Madani


Wallahu ta’alaa ‘alem.

And Allah knows Best.