Al-Raqib
The Watchful
Exalted and Glorious
Oh mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person and from him He created his wife, and from them both He created many men and women, and fear Allah through Whom you demand your mutual rights, and do not cut the relations of the wombs. Surely Allah is ever an All-Watcher over you. (4:1)
Never did I say to them aught except what You did command me to say, “Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord.” And I was a witness over them while I dwelt among them, but when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them, and You are a Witness to all things. (5:117)
And Allah is ever a Watcher over all things. (33:52)
This is one of the 99 attributes of the Almighty which means the Watchful. He watches all His creatures, and guards us and secures us from the evil designs of Satan.
He who repeats this name 7 times over himself, his family, and his property will be under the Protection of Allah.
Al-Raqib is the Watcher Who watches over the states of His slaves, for He knows what they are saying and counts their deeds. He is the Surrounder from Whom nothing is hidden; so fear Allah, and be attentive to all your movements and your stillness.
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)
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He is the one who watches everything, always. This scrutiny of every detail in the existence of all creation is in part protective. Allah watches His faithful servants proceeding on their allotted paths in harmony with each other and everything else, and protects them from the intentions and the actions of those who revolt, who are about to clash with what is rightful.
The ones under the watchful eye of ar-Raqib, who are heedful, aware, obedient, serving Allah for Allah’s sake, should know that not a speck of their good deeds will be lost: all will be rewarded. The heedless ones who dream that they are their own masters and that they can do and have all that they want should know that not one of their moves against the divine order and harmony will pass unnoticed and unpunished.
In accordance with this attribute of Allah, humanity should realize that in addition to Allah ar-Raqib, the loving merciful watcher, there are two other watchers, deadly enemies who watch you all the time to find an appropriate time and a weak spot to attach you; to possess, to torture, to kill you. These two wakeful enemies are the accursed Devil and the insatiable egoist, the nafs.
You must will all the awareness within your power, and watch every minute the moves of these two enemies who have surrounded you from four sides and from the inside.
‘Abd ar-Raqib is more aware of Allah watching him and everything else than he is aware of his own existence. Consequently he is unable to cross the borders of Allah’s prescriptions. Nobody but a person blessed by the manifestation of this Name is totally conscious and totally in control of himself and others around him. In reality, ‘Abd ar-Raqib is an expression of Allah’s watching over him and others.
This Divine Name is the litany of the faithful who have been given the gift of ihsan, the gift of the certainty that although they cannot see God, God at all times sees them – not only their form and their actions, but their most secret thoughts and feelings. If one such person recites this Name as often as possible in a hidden place for a month, the eye of his heart will see secrets, which others cannot see. He even may understand the language of the beasts, vegetation, and lifeless things.
If someone misplaces or loses something, recitation of this Name may help him find it.
If someone fears a curse or spell cast upon him, recitation of this Name 312 times a day for a week will render the spell ineffective.
From: The Name & the Named by Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti
