Al-Qabid, Al-Basit
He is the One who withholds provision for anyone He wishes from His creation by His Justice, and He is the One who gives without limit to whomever He wishes out of His Mercy and Generosity.
Exalted is He, the Withholder, and the Giver. So surrender to the Order of Allah in times of withholding, have patience and praise Him and thank Him and be sure to spend out of what He gives you in times of ease.
From: The Children Around the Table of Allah by Shaykh Muhammad Sa’id al-Jamal ar-Rifa’i Head of the Higher Sufi Council in Jerusalem and the Holy Land Teacher at the Dome of the Rock (al-Aqsa)
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He is the one who constricts, and He is the one who releases. All existence is in the palm of Allah’s Hand of Power. He may close His hand and prevent wealth, happiness, family, children, and comfort from coming to us. The rich turn poor, the healthy become sick, and the happy become sad. The comfortable heart becomes constricted, and the clear mind becomes depressed. These are manifestations of Allah’s attribute al-Qabid.
Then He opens His hand and releases abundance, joy, relief, and ease. These are manifestations of His attribute al-Basit.
Allah knows all. He is the All-Merciful, He is the Judge, and He is the One who guides the life of His creation. His is the will. Life on this planet is a test for us, but Allah does not test His servants above their ability. He tries us with trials that He knows we can pass.
At times of constriction, your self and your flesh will suffer, but your essence should balance that state with patience (Sabr), which is the companion of faith.
Allah loves those who are patient (Surah al-‘Imran 146)
Profit from the times of constriction (qabd) which may be means of strengthening your faith, bringing you closer to your Creator, and making you His beloved.
Do not be spoiled by the periods of comfort and ease (bast), when all is going well, forgetting Allah in your excitement and pleasure, by becoming arrogant, thinking that you are the cause of your success and your security. Those are the times to remember the other companion of faith, thankfulness (Shukr).
Adab, right behavior, is the means by which we can encounter and solve the problems which may arise in the states of constriction (qabd) and ease (bast). It can prevent us from falling into a state of disorientation, confusion, and doubt at times of depression, qabd, and overexuberance at times of ease, bast.
Keep a balanced state with the knowledge that “all good and bad comes from Allah,” and that fine wisdom, unknown to us, is in Allah’s judgment. Whatever happens, tie your heart to Allah’s prescriptions and Allah’s pleasure, and continue doing your duties as Allah’s good servant.
Such faithful ones, well-balanced and serious, will certainly gain Allah’s help, approval, and love.
‘Abd al-Qabid is the one who closes his own being to prevent unworthy influences from entering, and who helps others to do the same. At the same time, he knows that it is not right to hold too tight to one’s own and others’ egos, as Allah is the Best Judge and knows best. If one held control of one’s ego too tight, it would be like trying to control one’s destiny. ‘Abd al-Qabid holds with the hand of Allah and as tight as Allah, al-Qabid wills.
Ya Qabid is the litany of the angel of death, Azrael. Whoever is tyrannized is advised to recite ya Qabid 903 times. Either the tyrant or the tyranny will eventually be eliminated, or that person will be protected from it.
‘Abd al-Basit gives freely of his efforts, and from what he possesses in accordance with Allah’s will, brings joy to the hearts of Allah’s servants. He is generous in the exterior world and generous in his inner being. In him, the secret of al-Batin, the Inner Existence is also manifested. He brings that which is innermost in himself and in others to the surface but in this and in other actions, he does nothing which is contrary to the shari’ah (Islamic law), Allah’s prescriptions.
Ya Basit is the litany of the archangel Israfil. Whoever makes a habit of reciting this Name often receives peace of heart, is rid of stresses and problems, finds increased income, is loved and respected, and is enabled to give happiness to others.
From: The Name & the Named by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti
