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huwa llāhu l-khāliqu l-bāriʾu l-muṣawwiru lahu l-ʾasmāʾu l-ḥusnā yusabbiḥu lahū mā fī s-samāwāti wa-l-ʾarḍi wa-huwa l-ʿazīzu l-ḥakīmu
He is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, and the Former. To Him belong the Best Names. Whatever there is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Him and He is the All-mighty, the All-wise.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah al-Hashr - Verse 24
The Arabic word bari’ denotes one who invents something unprecedentedly. God Almighty is the Creator Who in creating His creatures bestowed forms on things without resorting to already existent patterns and forms. The blessed Verse, the last Verse of the Chapter in question, proceeds to enumerate six more Divine Attributes, saying that He is the Creator (al-khlaliq) Who invented creatures in the best forms without resorting to already existent forms (al-bari’); the Creator who bestowed a specific form to each being (al-musawwir).
Since Divine Attributes are not restricted to these attributes, but They are Infinite like His Infinite Essence, the blessed Verse proceeds to say that The Most Beautiful Attributes belong to Him; consequently, He is free from any defect and all beings in the heavens and the earth glorify Him. Finally, to lay further emphasis on the system of creation and the order prevailing over it, mention is made of two more Attributes of His: He is the Unrivalled All-Mighty, the All-Wise. The former reflects His Omnipotence over all things and the latter alludes to His Omniscience regarding the system of creation and the precise order prevailing over creation.
Therefore, besides treating of Divine Unity twice, the last three Verses enumerate seventeen Divine Attributes:
1. the Omniscient of the seen and the unseen (al-‘alim al-ghayb wa al-shahada)
2. All-Gracious (al-rahman)
3. All-Merciful (al-rahim)
4. The Sovereign (al-malik)
5. The Holy (Quddus)
6. The Peace (al-salam)
7. The Bestower of Security (al-mu’min)
8. The Protector (al-muhaymin)
9. The All-Mighty (al-‘aziz)
10. The Most Powerful (al-jabbar)
11. The Magnificent (al-mutakkabir)
12. The Creator (al-khaliq)
13. The Inventor (al-bari’)
14. The Bestower of forms (al-musawwir)
15. The All-Wise (al-hakim)
16. Possessing the Most Beautiful Attributes
17. The One Glorified by all the creatures of the world.
Taking into account Divine Unity, eighteen Divine Attributes have been enumerated herein. It is to be noted that Divine Unity and All-Mighty have been mentioned twice. The enumeration of the Attributes follows a specific order in the three blessed Verses. The first blessed Verse treats of the most general Attribute of Divine Essence, the Omniscient and the most general Attributes of Action, All-Gracious from which all Divine Acts spring. The second Verse treats of His Sovereignty and the aspects of His Absolute Sovereignty, e.g. the Holy, the Peace, the Bestower of Security, the All-Mighty, the Magnificent. The last Verse treats of creation and its aspects, e.g. order, bestowing of forms, Omnipotence, and Wisdom.
Thus, the blessed Verses in question guide those treading the path of knowing Allah at different stages, beginning with His Pure Essence, proceeding toward the world of creation, and guiding them from creatures to the Creator and thereby purifying the heart as the abode of Divine Attributes and the center of Divine forms. Thus, they are fostered in the light of such teachings and their souls blossom with the fear of God Almighty and thereby deserve nearness unto Him. Thus, unanimous with all the constituent elements of the world, they glorify His Holiness.
Great significance has thereby been accorded to these blessed Verses in Islamic traditions. It is noteworthy that the blessed Chapter in question opens and closes by the glorification of God Almighty and two Divine Most Beautiful Attributes, the All-Mighty and the All-Wise, since the final goal of the recitation of the Chapter is to know God Almighty, glorifying him, and knowing His Holy Attributes. It is also worthy of note that a detailed discussion is to found above under 7:18.
May God Almighty, by His Most Beautiful Attributes, humble our hearts before the Holy Qur’an and protect us, out of His Mercy, from satanic temptations.