Culled from Back to Jannah

Al-Ḥaqq is a name and attribute of Allah which means the True One or the Truth. This is in reference to Allah being the True One and a reality we must always submit to. His guidance is the best of guidance full of truth for our path to success.

“Ḥaqq” is an Arabic word which refers to believing in the existence of something, and that it is according to reality. In reference to Allah, the name “al-Ḥaqq” points to the essence of Allah being a model of truth, whose existence we believe in and that this is in accordance to reality.

This name of Allah has been used in the Qur’ān many times. Below are some examples:

“High above all is Allah, the True King! There is no god except Him, the Lord of the Honourable Throne.” (Qur’ān 23:116)

“Then all of them will be returned to Allah, their True Master. Undoubtedly, His is the judgement, and He is the swiftest of those who take account.” (Qur’ān 6:62)

“That is because indeed Allah is the Truth, and because indeed He gives life to the dead, and because indeed He has power over everything.” (Qur’ān 22:6)

The above verses use the name “al-Ḥaqq” for Allah describing Him as the “True King”, the “True Master” and “the Truth”, giving mankind an insight into the importance of this name of Allah and how it is deeply connected to Him.

This name of Allah has also been used in ḥadīth:
“When the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) woke up at night for prayer, he would supplicate with the following words:
أَنْتَ الحَقُّ، وَوَعْدُكَ الحَقُّ، وَقَوْلُكَ الحَقُّ، وَلِقَاؤُكَ حَقٌّ، وَالجَنَّةُ حَقٌّ ۔۔۔”
Transliteration:
Antal-ḥaq wa wa’dukal-ḥaq, wa liqā’uka ḥaq, wa qualuka ḥaq, wal-jannatu ḥaq wan-nāru ḥaq…
Translation:
“(O Allah) You are the Truth. And Your Promise is the truth. And Your Word is the truth. And to meet You is true And Paradise is true…” (Bukhārī)

The above narration shows how the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) praised Allah in his supplication by using Allah’s name “al-Ḥaqq”, saying “(O Allah) You are the Truth”. This teaches us how we should also acknowledge the name of Allah “al-Ḥaqq” by verbally praising Allah with this name, such as in our supplications too.

The Quran also explains how Allah is an example of “al-Ḥaqq” through His words and actions:

“And Allah wipes out falsehood and establishes the truth by His Words.” (Qur’ān, 42:24)

“Have you not seen that Allah has created the heavens and the earth with truth?” (Qur’ān, 14:19)

“And the earth will shine with the light of its Lord, and the book (of everyone’s deeds) will be placed, and the prophets and the witnesses will be brought, and matters will be decided between them in truth, and they will not be wronged.” (Qur’ān, 39,69)

The above verses from the Qur’ān make clear that the name of Allah “al-Ḥaqq” not only points to the essence of Himself, but also to His actions. Hence, Allah is an example of the truth, even through actions. This is what we should also always aim for. Therefore, even when supplicating to Allah, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) taught us to ask Allah to guide us to the truth:

“When the Prophet (ﷺ) got up to pray at night, he would start his prayer with the words:
اللهمَّ رَبَّ جِبْرَائِيلَ وَمِيكَائِيلَ وَإِسْرَافِيلَ، فَاطِرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ عَالِمَ الغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ، أَنْتَ تَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ، اهْدِنِي لِمَا اخْتُلِفَ فِيهِ مِنَ الحَقِّ بِإِذْنِكَ، إِنَّكَ تَهْدِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ
Transliteration:
Allāhumma Rabba Jibrāila, wa Mīkā’īla wa Isrāfīl, fāṭiras-s-samāwāti wa-l-arḍ, ‘ālim-l-ghaybi wa-sh-shahādah, Anta taḥkumu bayna ‘ibādika fīmā kānū fihi yakhtalifūn, ihdinī lima-khtulifa fīhi min-l- ḥaqqi bi-idhnik, innaka tahdī man tashā’u ilā Ṣirāṭ mustaqīm.

Translation:
O Allah, Lord of Jibril, Mika’il and Israfil, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen; You judge between Your servants in what they differ. O Allah, regarding the disputed matters, guide me to the truth by Your will. Indeed, You are the One Who guides to the straight path.” (Muslim)

The above verses of the Qur’ān and narrations from ḥadīth highlight the importance of Allah’s name and attribute “al-Ḥaqq”. This gives a true appreciation of how this attribute and quality of Allah being the True One and the Truth should be deeply embedded in our hearts and minds. Furthermore, even when we worship Allah, we should be aware and mindful of this attribute and name of His, in that we are worshipping the True One. Along with being mindful of this during our worship, we should follow the footsteps of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) by praising Allah with this name, such as in our supplications by saying, “(O Allah) You are the Truth…”. We should also ask Him to always guide us to the truth. Part and parcel of acknowledging, remembering and worshipping Allah as “al-Ḥaqq” – “the True One”, we should let this quality be part of our lives by always being truthful and calling each other towards the truth, just like Allah mentions:

“Indeed, mankind is in loss, except for those who believe, do good deeds, urge one another to the truth, and urge one another to steadfastness.” (Qur’ān 103:2-3)

References:

* al-Bukhārī, Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl ibn Ibrāhīm ibn al-Mughīra ibn
Bardizba al-juʿfī, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, ed. Muḥammad Zuhayr b. Nāṣir al-Nāṣir, Cairo: Dār Ṭawq al-Najāt, 1422 AH. Cited as Bukhārī.
* ar-Riḍwānī, Maḥmūd ‘Abdur-Razzāq, Asmāʾ ullāh al-ḥusnā fil Kitāb was-Sunnah, Shāmilah: n.d.
* as-Sa’dī, ‘Abdur-Raḥmān, Tafsīr Asmāʾ ullāh al-ḥusnā, Madina: al-Jami’ah al- Islamiyyah, 1421
* Muslim, Abū al-Ḥusayn Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj ibn Muslim ibn Ward ibn Kawshādh
al-Qushayrī an-Naysābūrī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, ed. Muḥammad Fu’ād ʿAbd al-Baqī, Beirut: Dār Iḥyāʾ al-Turāth al-ʿArabī, n.d. Cited as Muslim.
* Qur’ān
* Wehr, Hans. A dictionary of modern written Arabic, 3rd edition. Spoken Language Services. (1976).