"He is Allah besides Whom there is no other god, the Sovereign, the Holy, the Source of peace (and perfection), the Guardian of Faith, the Preserver of safety, the One Exalted in Might, the Irresistible, the Supreme; Glory to Allah! (High is He) above the partners they attribute to (Him)" (Qur'an, 59:23).
Linguistically, "al-Jabbar" is derived from jabr, the opposite of breaking. It suggests the forceful mending of something broken, fractured, shattered, crushed..., etc. It is also said that the adjective jabbar means great, huge, and inaccessible. Linguists say that al-Jabbar is the Most Great. It is a superlative adjective derived from jabr; He is the One Who not only mends what is broken but also enriches the one who is incapacitated by poverty and want. In short, He is the One who repairs everything broken or impaired.
Abdullah ibn `Abbas says that al-Jabbar is the Great King, while Ibn al-Anbari says that al-Jabbar is the One Who is beyond anyone's reach. Others have said that "al-Jabbar" means the One Who cannot be harmed by any mighty oppressor, and nobody can dispute with Him about anything. It is said that "al-Jabbar" conveys the same meaning conveyed by the Attribute "al-Mutakabbir," the Proud or the Supreme One. Pride and Supremacy are commendable Attributes only when applied to Allah. If applied to anyone else, on the other hand, they become abominable qualities. It is also said that the meaning of "al-Jabbar" connotes: the One Who forces His will on others. Nothing can happen in His domain except whatever He pleases, whether His beings like it or not. Or it may mean the One Who repairs, improves, or reforms, as is the analogy with one who mends, say, a broken limb.
One of its derivatives is jabaroot, supremacy or greatness. According to one tradition, the Messenger of Allah has supplicated thus, "Glory to the One Who has all the jabaroot and the entire domain."
In one of his statements, Imam `Ali ibn Abu Talib has said, "He is the One Whose will has manifested itself on the nature of hearts," that is, He firmed the hearts according to the way He created them and according to their level of knowing Him; those who know Him are the happy ones, while those who do not are the wretches.
"Al-Jabbar" implies forcefulness and forcibleness. We can find out that all parts of the body have been driven to perform their functions without any will of their own. Cast a look at the sun as it moves in its orbit without deviating from it as little as an inch, whether it likes it or not.
Man has no control over the time when Allah chooses his life to begin, or how he is born, or when he dies, or the family in which he is to be born. All these are predestined for him, and he has no control over them. So is the case with all other beings on the face of earth. They all have been created with the ability to adapt to life on earth, and nobody has any choice in this matter:
"It is He who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures; therein are fruits and date-palms, producing spathes (containing dates)" (Qur'an, 55:10-11).
All of these things are created without the choice of any human being.
He who recites this name will not be compelled to do anything against his wishes, and will not be exposed to violence, severity, or hardness.
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