The Everlasting Refuge - Aṣ-Ṣamad

Aṣ-Ṣamad, The Eternal, The Absolute, The Self-Sufficient

In the dictionary Samad is defined as the eternal; to remain unaffected or unchanged; to intend or turn to; something that is solid, with no holes or emptiness inside; and the ultimate Master who is obeyed. We say sumood (from the same root s-m-d), which is to remain firm and steadfast. Thus God is the One who we turn to for both our needs and desires and who is our ultimate goal, because fundamentally He is the Master, the Eternal, the One who remains firm and unchanged – so who else can we turn to? There are many sayings of the Prophet ﷺ that encourage us to turn to God for all of our needs. The Prophet ﷺ said: “You should ask God for all of your needs, even if the strap of your sandal breaks,” [Tirmidhi, Ibn Hibban]. Sheikh Ratib an-Nabulsi says that implicit in this is that God wants you to turn to Him for your needs. He quotes Imam Al-Ghazali, may God have mercy on him, who said that God has chosen this Name so that His servants would turn to Him, because they know that He is the One who does not waver and is there for His servants to turn to, for ALL of their needs.