المهيمن
Al-Muhaimin
Al-Muhaimin (The Guardian, the Observer, the Overseer, the Protector)
This name of Allah came in the verse 23 of the surah Al-Hashr. Its translation and explanation is here:
(59:23) He is Allah: there is no god but He: the King, the Holy, the All-Peace, the Giver of security, the Overseer,*40 the Most Mighty, the Overpowering, the All-Great. Exalted is He from whatever they associate with Him.
Exp-note *40:
*40. The word Al-Muhaimin has three meanings:
(1) The Guardian and Protector.
(2) The Observer who sees what everyone does.
(3) The Being Who has taken up the responsibility to fulfill the needs and requirements of the people.
Here also, since the word Al-Muhaimin has been used absolutely, and no object has been mentioned of this subject, therefore, it by itself gives the implied meaning that He is guarding and protecting all creatures, is watching the acts and deeds of everyone, and has taken up the responsibility of sustaining and providing for every creature in the universe with its needs and requirements.
The other meanings of Al-Muhaimin are: The One who is very High, the One Who knows all hidden matters and knows the secrets of the hearts. Al-Muhaimin is the One Whose knowledge encompasses everything, Who is a Witness on all people’s actions, and is also an Observer and Watcher on the deeds of people, nothing of their action is hidden from Him, no particle in the heaven and the earth is hidden from Him.
Allah also gave this name to the Holy Quraan in the verse 48 of the surah Al-Maa’idah. Here is the translation and explanatory note 79 of the verse 48 of surah Al-Maa’idah:
(5:48) Then We revealed the Book to you (O Muhammad!) with Truth, confirming whatever of the Book was revealed before, and protecting and guarding over it.*79 Judge, then, in the affairs of men in accordance with the Law that Allah has revealed, and do not follow their desires in disregard of the Truth which has come to you. For each of you We have appointed a Law and a way of life. And had Allah so willed, He would surely have made you one single community; instead, (He gave each of you a Law and a way of life) in order to test you by what He gave you. Compete then, one with another in good works. Unto Allah is the return of all of you; and He will then make you understand the truth concerning the matters in which you differ.
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Exp. note *79:
*79. In Arabic, haymana, yuhayminu, hayamanah signify ‘to protect, to witness, to keep trust, to back and to support’. The expression ‘haymana al-rajul al-shay’ means that the man protected and guarded the thing. Likewise, ‘haymana al-ta’ir ‘alafirdkhih’ means that the bird took its young ones under the protection of its wings. Once ‘Umar said to the people: ‘Inni da’in fa hayminu’ (‘I am praying; support me by saying amen’). To say that the Qur’an is muhaymin of al-kitab means that it preserves all the true teachings of the earlier divine books; that it has secured them from loss. The Qur’an also confirms those Books in that the contents of the Qur’an testify to the truth of those parts which are indeed from God. The Qur’an is, further, a witness over those Books in the sense that, with its help, the elements which embody true revelations from God can be distinguished from the accretions which have corrupted them. Whatever in these Books accords with the Qur’an is from God, and whatever is not in conformity with it is from human beings.
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The Holy Quraan is ameen on those previous Divine Books in the sense that it preseves and secures all those statements in the Books of the past, those statements which were sent down by Allah. The meaning of Al-Muhaymin in the above exp.note 79 makes it more clear that the Al-Muhaymin attribute of Allah points to all those great qualities of Allah All-Mighty God.
