Allah calls Himself "Seeing" to the end that His eye may every moment scare you from sinning. Allah calls Himself "Hearing" to the end that you may close your lips against foul discourse. Allah calls Himself "Knowing" to the end that you may be afraid to plot evil.

These names are not mere accidental names of Allah. They are names derived from Allah's essential attributes, not mere vain titles of the first cause. For if so, they would be only empty pleasantries, like calling the deaf a hearer and the blind a seer, or a name like "impudent" for a modest man, or "beautiful" for an ugly person, or such a title as "Haji" for a new-born boy, or that of "Ghazi" applied to a noble idler.

If such titles as these are used in praising persons who do not possess the qualities implied, 'tis wrong. 'Twould be jesting or mockery or madness. "Allah is exalted above" what is said by evil men.

~ RUMI ~