The Giver of Life

This is your sister Danielle LoDuca, and we’re continuing our discussions about the beautiful Names of Allah and today we’ll be discussing the Name Al-Muhyi (The Giver of Life).

In the Quran Allah Almighty says: {How can you disbelieve in Allah when you were lifeless and He brought you to life.}

Can any of us remember where we were before we were conceived in our mothers’ wombs?

To have any recollection, any knowledge, any inclination as to where we were, what we were doing that we exist, that we not exist? It’s something on our own we can’t fathom, we can’t understand it, we don’t have any knowledge of that, we don’t know when we even born. So naturally we understand that we didn’t bring ourselves into existence, we didn’t give ourselves life.

Doesn’t that at least make one wonder if we didn’t give ourselves life, then how can we presume that life has no purpose or meaning?

Some people definitely don’t think about where their life actually came from and where are they came from and I heard from many people say when they have a baby: “I can’t believe I made her” or “look what we made” but if that baby was to miscarry or be still born, or live for few minutes before passing away… is there anyone can give them life after that?

Only Allah Al-Muhyi, God, the one and only, Giver of Life can do that.

We’re surrounded with people we love, our family, our friends, our children, our parents, brothers and sisters… what’s an average span today 60-70-80 years? Some live into their 90s… but there is clear evidence even old age doesn’t guarantee any of us… babies, children, student who have graduated… some die after that, they haven’t got toward their work. Some people get married and before having any children, they die.

Our life is not in our control, we can’t extend our own lifespans at all. Only Al-Muhyi, the Giver of Life is the one who is in complete control.

So when one recognizes that they didn’t give themselves life that they can’t give anything else life. This naturally points and directs our worship and devotion to the one who does, as so many of the signs, it humbles us and lets us acknowledge our dependence, our incapacity and let’s us realize that the one who imbued us with life and can and will take it away is the only one fully deserving of our attention and that we should probably following Hid guidance. It only makes sense.

This argument can be found in the Quran in surah 7:158, Allah says:

{There is nothing worthy of worship except Him He gives life and causes death.

So believe in Allah and His messenger, that unlettered Prophet who believes in Allah and His words and follow him that you may be guided.}

So we’re clearly reminded that it is Allah who gives life and who causes death. Therefore we should believe in Him and believe in His messenger and follow the messenger so that we may be guided to success. Because after this life is over Al-Muhyi will give us life again.

To continue the first verse I mentioned in surah Al-Baqarah 128, Allah says:

{How can you disbelieve in Allah when you were lifeless and He brought you to life. Then He will cause you to die, then He will bring you back to life and then to Him you will be returned.}

So people ask “after I die, will I be brought back to life after I’m dust and bones?” and they try to mock that concept. This was the contention of the Quraish at the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) but Allah clarifies that and answers that and the proof is that we were given life in the first time Allah mentions in surah Ar-Rum 30:50:

{God is indeed the one who can bring dead to life for He has the power to will anything.}

we know the creation for Allah is easy {He say Be and it is} simple as that.

So Allah has given us life in the first place. Allah will cause us to die. And Allah will give us life again and we’ll be returned to Him.

So what really matters is what we do with the life that He has given us. Do we use it wisely? Do we use it knowing that in the end we’ll have to answer for what we’ve done? Are we grateful for the life that He has given us? Or do we take it for granted and waste it?

Since we don’t know how long we have, let’s make this day, everyday as our last. How do you want to meet your Lord? You want to meet Him in best possible state; you want to meet Him while you’re trying your best to use the life that He gave you so generously, so mercifully in a responsible way, in a conscious way, were you grateful for that life?

Just remembering this Name alone is just powerful. It has the power to transform how we live our everyday lives, how we interact with our families, our neighbors, how we pray with Khushu’, it will transform our prayer, it will transform our dua, it will transform our love, our praise of the Giver of Life.

May Allah make us of those who truly understand His beautiful Names and appreciate them and use them to become closer to Him so that we can return to Him in a way that is pleasing to Him so that we’ll be pleased with Him and He will be pleased with us.

May Allah ease your way and bless you of the best of this world and the next. Ameen.

About Danielle LoDuca
Danielle LoDuca is a third generation American artist and author. Drawing inspiration from personal life experiences, her writings highlight the familiarity of Islam in a climate that increasingly portrays the Islamic faith as strange. She holds a BFA from Pratt Institute and has pursued postgraduate studies in Arabic and Islamic Studies at the Foundation for Knowledge and Development. LoDuca’s work has been featured in media publications in the US and abroad and she is currently working on a book that offers a thought-provoking American Muslim perspective, in contrast to the negative narratives regarding Islam and Muslims prevalent in the media today