As Samad
The Eternal
Exalted and Glorious
Allah-us-Samad, Allah, the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need. (112:2)
This name is a name from the names of Allah meaning that He is free from all the wants and needs of living creatures necessary for performing their normal functions of life such as eating and drinking. Allah is Omnipotent, Omniscient, All-Powerful, Complete and Perfect in every respect, and all His attributes are beyond description and imagination. He is not in need of anything, or of any duty from any being or creature for Himself. It is the entire universe and all the creatures living within that need His commands, awards and blessings.
Allah is the Only Being to appeal to if one has any need to be fulfilled or any trouble to be eliminated.
He who repeats this name frequently 119 times, Allah will provide for his needs and as a result, he will not need others, but they will need Him.
As-Samad is the One Who is Obedient with the command of His order which proceeds immediately to Him in whatever is necessary. He is the Destination towards which His slave is preoccupied both in his religion and in the material world. So do not ask for protection from anyone nor of anything that passes away. Ask for protection only from Him.
From: The Meanings of the Names of Our Lord 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)
*********
AS-SAMAD
Allah is the satisfier of all needs, and all is in need of Him. He is the sole recourse, the only place of support where one may go to rid oneself of all trouble and pain and to receive all that one needs through the blessings of this Name. Through as-Samad, inexhaustible treasures open and are distributed to all creatures in accordance with their needs.
There are people and other creatures of Allah who serve as source from whom we seek the cure for our troubles and the satisfaction of our needs. However, as our needs are different, the sources corresponding to our needs are different. If one needs wisdom, one seeks a person of knowledge. If one needs money, one goes to someone rich. If one is sick, one finds a doctor. It is not always certain that the scholar is going to answer your question, nor that the rich one will pay the money you need, nor that the doctor will be able to cure you, and they are not so readily available. One must go to them and wait for them to have time for you. These sources are the signs, the reflections of the attribute as-Samad, and indeed are a great gift from Allah.
The Satisfier of all needs is ever-present, knowing your needs before you do, satisfying your needs in the way they should be satisfied, not in the way you think they should be satisfied. It is good that you realize your need, that you ask for its satisfaction, and that you accept and are thankful for whatever manner it is in which He sees fit to satisfy it. It is good only to make you aware of your Creator and to make you aware of yourself. Otherwise, strictly for the satisfaction of the need, neither your feeling the need or asking for its satisfaction, nor your being cognizant of having received the satisfaction, are necessary. For Allah is the All-Knowing, All-Powerful, Generous, Compassionate Satisfier of all needs.
However, He loves His servants who are heedful more than those who are heedless. He loves His servants who are grateful more than those who are ungrateful.
‘Abd as-Samad has received from Allah the duty of the maintenance and education of His creation. His hand, his tongue, his whole being are a means through which Allah satisfies the needs of the creation. That is why all seek him for the elimination of their troubles, for receiving good, for acceptance of their repentance, to escape from God’s anger. He is the intercessor.
A believer who recites this Name 125 times after morning prayers and before sunrise, in a state of prostration, will be protected from lying and unlawful behavior as well as the hostility of others, and will find improvement in character and faith.
If one cares for someone who is under the influence of a bad person and is performing sinful acts, one may fast for a consecutive Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, breaking one’s fast without touching meat or dairy products, and then recite ya Samad 100 times over the food or drink. If one then feeds this to the person in trouble, it may help him to repent for his wrong ways and save him from bad influences.
From: The Name & the Named by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti
