The Most Sacred

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَانِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the name of God, the most compassionate, the most merciful

From the moment we let go of the holiness of the divine signs and places, we lose the power over our own mind as well as that of the planet. Would we extract so much luxury from nature, a divine endowment if we had genuinely believed so? In a world where religions are looked at as backward thinking, we need to dive deep into the meaning of this name to re-orientate ourselves.

The name comes from the root word ق-د-س, which means holy or sacred. When the middle letter (دّ) is doubled, it indicates the multiple aspects or levels of God’s sacredness. The فُعُّول form indicates that the character trait of the root word points towards God himself, that is, the holiness comes from within God.

يُسَبِّحُ لِلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ٱلْمَلِكِ ٱلْقُدُّوسِ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْحَكِيمِ

“Whatever is in the heavens and the Earth constantly glorifies Allah, the the King, the Most Holy, the Almighty, the All-Wise.” Surah Al Jumu’a, Ayah 1

Here, the name Al Quddus is seen alongside Al Malik, the Sovereign. It makes sense that Al Quddus comes right after Al Malik in both mentions of it in the holy book because with the power of a king, comes the possibility for greater injustice. Al Quddus nips it in the bud saying that Allah is the only one who has the dominion over all worlds yet he is also the most sacred impervious to any flaws otherwise seen in the kings and presidents of today.

How do we live in a world that considers the divine as manmade? I truly believe that forging a closer connection with nature around us shows us signs of divine perfection. This will not only push us to treat the planet around us as a sacred space but also purify our minds, body and soul. It is also worth remembering the people of Al Quds, the holy land, and the sufferings they continue to go through to uphold the sacred space.