The Watcher/Ar-Raqib

 

One of Allah’s attributes, an attribute that if we live by it and became very mindful of it we will eliminate the maximum amount of sins in today’s world.  That attribute of Allah is The Watcher/Ar-Raqib.

To help us all to live by Allah's name The Watcher who watch both deeds, the good and the bad.

Allah says:
أَلَمۡ يَعلَم بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرَىٰ

Knows he not that Allah does see? Qur'an 96:14…

So that is the attribute of Allah that will keep us always away from evil and having pure intentions and righteous deeds.

Now, what do we mean when we say that Allah is The Watcher? Omar Ibnl-Khattab (RA) explained to us in the following story, when he was checking on his people and found a shepherd boy and asked him “Would you sell to me this sheep?” The boy replied “It is belongs to my master” Omar (RA) said that “if your master asks tell him that the wolf has eaten her” the boy looked at Omar (RA) and said: “Allah is the Greatest, what would I say to Him?“ Omar (RA) then cried and said “By Allah you are right, what would you say to Him?” 
This question is actually posed to anyone who cheats without paying any attention that Allah, the Most high is over watching him or her, to such people we may ask “What would you say to Allah in the hereafter?”

In another occasion;  Omar Ibnl Khattab (RA) also was walking at night to check on his people when he heard a mother ordering her daughter to mix the milk with water before selling it, so the daughter replied her mother by saying “Do you not know that Omar (RA) has forbidden that?” the mother said “ Omar (RA) does not see us now” she replied “If Omar (RA) does not see us, His Lord sees us”  when Omar (RA) heard those words he made a mark on that house and went to his sons and said to them ““There is a young lady in that house; which of you will marry her?  By Allah, I will not let her marry a stranger. If you do not obey me, I will marry her myself.” And later on one of his sons married her, and in this way the son of leader of the believers married a milk seller, just because she feared Allah The Watcher.  Omar Ibn Abdel Aziz the well know just ruler descended from this woman, its like JUSTICE PREVAILED BY THE BLESSINGS OF THE WORDS OF A WOMAN WHO FEARED ALLAH, THE WATCHER.

Let us ponder over the following verse, Allah says:

وَعِندَهُ ۥ مَفَاتِحُ ٱلغَيبِ لَا يَعلَمُهَآ إِلَّا هُوَۚ وَيَعلَمُ مَا فِىٱلبَرِّ وَٱلبَحرِۚ وَمَا تَسقُطُ مِن وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعلَمُهَا وَلَا حَبَّةٍ۬فِى ظُلُمَـتِ ٱلأَرضِ وَلَا رَطبٍ۬وَلَا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِى كِتَـبٍ۬مُّبِينٍ۬
With Him are the keys of the unseen, the treasures that none knows but He. He knows whatever there is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf does fall but with His knowledge; there is not a grain in the darkness (or depths) of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry (green or withered) but is (inscribed) in a record clear (to those who can read) Qur’an 6:59

If Allah watches even a leaf, how much more will He be over watching you? Doesn’t he favor you over all other creatures? Then be reminded that He is watching every little bit of you.

Our slogan today is “Allah looks at me, Allah watches me, Allah witnesses me”, if we can live by this slogan, we will improve for the betterment of our society.

According to the Islamic history;  a man was cheated by another man who took his money and was not able to get it back due to lack of evidence, and so the man was so distressed and later on he became bed ridden and right before his demise he ordered his elder son to stop his funeral at the store of this unjust man and hand to him a letter, in that letter he wrote: ““I went to Allah; He knows what you did to me.  He watches both of us.  You will follow me soon; we will meet on the Day of Judgment, and I will have my money back”.
Imagine our life if we start to live with Allah who is The Watcher? If we were not raised on this concept, let us start today to bring the change of this world!!! Let us clean our intentions and purify our hearts and remember that we are living with Ar- Raqib who is over watching us.

Please remember that Allah The Watcher does not only see your bad deeds, He is also watching your good deeds, we all know the story of the Prophet Jonah when he was swallowed by the whale, can we imagine together how lonely and scared he was? He was in the darkness of the whale’s mouth, in the darkness of deep Oceean, and in the darkness of the night.

Allah says: But he cried through the depths of darkness, “There is no god but You: glory to You: I was indeed wrong!” Qur’an 21: 87

Imagine if you were locked in your house knowing very well that there is no one
there watching you to save you from your trouble how will you react? But if the watcher is there for you, will you panic or worry?

Let us also remember that there are three methods of watching you:
* Allah Himself watches us wherever we are, and so He is witnessing to what we are doing and He knows our unspoken intentions as well.
* The Angels on your left and right shoulders are also watching your deeds and recording exactly your actions every single moment of your life, Allah says:

Not a word does he utter but there is a sentinel/Raqibun ‘Ateed by him, ready (to note it) Qur’an 50:18
* Conscience: Allah has also created a very powerful sense to judge between right and wrong, which is our conscience, that makes us feel good when we do good deeds and feel guilty when we commit a sin or crime. Not only that but even on the day of Judgement your hands and feet testify to what we did and will not be able to speak.Allah says:

That Day shall We set a seal on their mouths, but their hands will speak to Us, and their feet bear witness to all that they did. Qur'an 36:65

That system of conscience is created by Allah to remind us that we will never escape from Him.  So let us carry with us today the slogan of "Allah looks, watches and witnesses me" and so I will do my very best to please Him and not to do anything that goes against His will.

May Allah keep us always awake and mindful of Him wherever and whenever we are. Ameen.