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Ibn Abi al-Dunya mentioned that Prophet Dawud (عليه السلام) asked Allah, “What is the least of Your blessings?” Allah revealed to him, “O Dawud, take a breath.” Dawud did so, and Allah told him, “This is the least of My blessings on you.”
— [excerpt from Patience and Gratitude by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, pg. 70]
Yahya ibn Muadh rahimahullaah said:
“In my view, the worst kind of delusion is to greatly sin, yet hope for forgiveness without feeling any regret; and to hope to draw close to Allah- the most High - without obedience to Him; and to await the fruits of paradise, by planting the seeds for hell-fire; and to seek the abode of the obedient ones, by doing acts of disobedience; and to expect a reward, without doing any worthy action; and to hope in Allah-the Mighty and Majestic-after overstepping the bounds. You hope for salvation but do not tread it’s path. A ship never sails upon dry land.”
(Rawdatul-uqalaa page. 284)
Shaikh Saalim At Taweel (hafithahuAllah) asked the attendees, "Tayyib [okay], here's a question and I hope it’s not hard for you [to answer], what's the meaning of Allah?"
[The attendees are silent]
The Shaikh continues: "Are you serious, oh Muslims; you don't know the meaning of Allah; what's the meaning of Allah? Oh Muslims, [in a situation] that a disbeliever stops and asks, 'Who do you worship?' You'll reply, ' I worship Allah.' He asks, 'and what's the meaning of Allah?' The name Allah, what's it mean, hmmm?"
An attendee replies, "Al-Waahid, Al-Ahad" (The One, The Only).
The Shaikh replies, "Al-Wahid, Al-Ahad, hmmm…"
Another attendee replies, "It's a phrase that describes holiness."
The Shaikh replies: "Phrase that describes holiness, hmmm, and what's the definition of such a phrase?"
Another attendee replies, "Allah is the compilation of all of Allah's names."
The Shaikh repeats, "What's the meaning of Allah?"
[The attendees are once again silent].
The Shaikh continues: "Tayyib [okay], this is the benefit of the day, and if for the next ten years you learn nothing but this, then it suffices you – it suffices you to know the meaning of 'Allah'. The origin of [the word] 'Allah' is Al-Ilaah [The Only One Worshipped In Truth]. 'Al-Ilaah' [The Only One Worshipped In Truth] and 'Allah' are one and the same. In [the word] Allah, the hamza was deleted for ease of pronunciation, so it [the word Al- Ilaah] became the word, 'Allah'. And as the brother had said before, we know that the meaning of Al-Ilaah means "The Only One Worshipped In Truth." So we know that the meaning of 'Allah' is "The Only One Worshipped In Truth. [The Shaikh Repeats]: Al-Ilaah – the hamza was deleted for ease of pronunciation and [the word] became 'Allah' instead of saying Al-Ilaah; so Allah means, 'The Only One Worshipped In Truth,' so He is indeed The Only One Who is worthy to be worshipped [alone], without any partners."
