The verses of the Holy Quraan having this beautiful name of Allah are from surah Al-Nisaa (An-Nisaa) 1, Al-Ahzaab 52, and Al-Ma’idah 117. Their English translation is:
Surah Al-Nasaa verse 1 (translation):
(4:1) O men! Fear your Lord Who created you from a single being and out of it created its mate; and out of the two spread many men and women.*1 Fear Allah in Whose name you plead for rights, and heed the ties of kinship. Surely, Allah is ever watchful over you.
Exp. note *1:
*1. What are the mutual rights of human beings, what are the principles on which a sound and stable family life can be established, are questions that are discussed a little further on in this surah. As an appropriate introduction to the subject, the surah opens by exhorting the believers to fear God and to avoid courting His displeasure, and by urging them to recognize that all human beings have sprung from the same root and that all of them are, therefore, of one another’s flesh and blood. The expression ‘Who created you from a single being (nafs)’ indicates that the creation of the human species began with the creation of one individual. At another place, the Qur’an specifies that the one person from whom the human race spread in the world was Adam. (For Adam being the progenitor of mankind see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, (Surah 2, verses 31 f.) and (Surah al-A’raf: 11), etc. — Ed.)verse
The details how out of that ‘being’ its mate was created are not known to us. The explanation which is generally given by the commentators of the Qur’an and which is also found in the Bible is that Eve was, created out of a rib of Adam. (The Talmud is even more detailed in that it states that Eve was created out of Adam’s thirteenth rib on the left side.) The Qur’an, however, is silent on the matter and the tradition which is adduced in support of this statement does not mean what it is often thought to be. It is thus better that we leave the matter in the same state of ambiguity in which it was left by God, rather than waste our time trying to determine, in detail, the actual process of the creation of man’s mate.
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Surah Al-Ahzaab 52:
(33:52) Thereafter women will not be lawful for you, and it will not be lawful for you to take other wives in place of them, even though their beauty might please you, unless they be those whom your right hand owns. Allah is watchful over everything.
Surah Al-Ma’idah 117:
(5:117) I said to them nothing except what You commanded me, that is: ‘Serve Allah, my Lord and your Lord.’ I watched over them as long as I remained among them; and when You did recall me, then You Yourself became the Watcher over them. Indeed, You are Witness over everything.
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This verse can be understood by the context. Therefore, read the translation of the verse before it, that is verse 116:
(5:116) And imagine when thereafter Allah will say: ‘Jesus, son of Mary, did you say to people: “Take me and my mother for gods beside Allah?” and he will answer: “Glory to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right to. Had I said so, You would surely have known it. You know all what is within my mind whereas I do not know what is within Yours. You, indeed You, know fully all that is beyond the reach of human perception.
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The meanings of the above verses and their context, as well as the exp. note 1 of the surah Al-Nisaa will give you an idea of the meaning of Al-Raqeeb. We understand that by this name we must fear Allah who is not only a Watcher on us but also has appointed watcher angels on each and every person to make a record of deeds of every person and that record shall be a witness on us on the Day of Judgment!!!
So Allah is a Watcher on all of us as Allah hears all that we say, and sees all that we do. Allah is The All-Hearing and All-Seeing and also watches what is hidden in our hearts and minds because Allah’s Knowledge encompasses everything, internal and external in darkness and light!!!
When a Muslim believes in the muraaqibah of Allah on him (Allah’s watching him) and that nothing internal or external is hidden from Allah, then he / she will watch his/her own words, actions and even thoughts in his/her mind. He /she will try to do things according to the pleasure of Allah and will abstain from all words, actions and thoughts that make Allah angry. Thus he will fear from Allah’s watching at every place and time and even from an unjust thought and his interior and exterior both will become very clean and poise insha-Allah.
Allah said in surah Al-Hadeed 4, its translation is;
4. He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in Six Days, and is moreover firmly established on the Throne (of Authority). He knows what enters within the earth and what comes forth out of it, what comes down from heaven and what mounts up to it. And He is with you wheresoever you may be. And Allah sees well all that you do.
And the translation of surah Ghaafir 19 is:
19. Allah knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the hearts conceal.
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In a long hadeeth in Muslim, narrated by Umar rAa, Jibreel alaihi salaam asked Muhammad salla Allaho alaihi wa sallam about “Al-Ihsaan” (performing actions, especially the acts of worship, in a perfect manner).
He salla Allaho alaihi wa sallam replied: “It is to worship Allah as though you were seeing HIM and in the belief that although you are not seeing HIM, yet truly HE sees you”.
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Faith in this great name of Allah and then the watch on one’s own words, actions and thoughts results in high level of taqwa (fear of Allah and obedience to HIM) and then even in this life the Muslim gets a type of satisfaction and pleasure. Such a Muslim is pleased with Allah being his Rabb (Lord, Provider), Islam his deen (religion), and Muhammad salla Allaho alaihi wa sallam his Prophet and Messenger. According to a hadeeth shareef, such a Muslim then tastes / feels the pleasure of his eemaan (the faith of Islam).
Ibn. Al-Qayyim (a great scholar) said that when a Muslim’s heart feels pleasure with the remembrance of Allah and Allah’s obedience, then such pleasure is a blessing greater than all worldly blessings. This pleasure can be felt but cannot be expressed in words. Such a Muslim loves Allah and Allah’s Messenger more than anyone. His love for a person is for the sake of Allah, he hates to return to unbelief from which Allah protected him, just as he hates to go into the Fire. So he proceeds towards Paradise.
