The Watchful - Ar-Raqīb

Ar-Raqīb, The Watchful

Linguistically, ra-qa-ba (the three letter root of Raqeeb) means to be erect in order to care for something. A marqab is a high place that the watcher stands on to observe what is beneath him. And from this comes ar-raqaba, which is the neck, because it is erect, and one must be upright when he is observing. And from this root comes ar-Raqeeb. Imam Al-Ghazali, may God have mercy on him, states that the All-Observant “is one who knows and protects. For whoever cares for something to the point of never forgetting it, and observes it with a constant and persistent gaze.” So God Almighty is watching over us, all the time, out of His care for us. And this should have a profound effect on the way we live. One of things that should warm our hearts when we know God is ar-Raqeeb is that we are never, ever alone. When we are up late at night working on an essay, or awake in the early hours of the morning getting ready for work, God is with us. This Name should also make us want to impress God Almighty. When we know our parents or someone we love is watching us, we try to do better—so we should be like that when we know Ar-Raqeeb. The All-Observant does not only see our bad deeds, but also our good deeds.

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