Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
The statement “This is the ‘withness’ of His Name, so what then about the ‘withness’ of His Essence?” is incorrect because it may give the impression that Allah’s Name is something separate from Allah in this context, and that there is a “withness of the Name” corresponding to a separate “withness of the Essence.”
The correct understanding is that the Name “Allah” refers to Allah, Glorified be He. Thus, seeking refuge by His Name is seeking refuge in Him, and calling upon Him by His Names is calling upon Him. What is intended is not seeking refuge in the mere letters and sounds of the Name separately from the One named by it.
A name indicates and identifies the one named by it. Thus, when we say “Allah,” it is a Name referring to the Divine Essence described by the Attributes of perfection.
Therefore, when a Muslim says:
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful,”
this does not mean that he seeks help from mere words and letters detached from Allah. Rather, he seeks help from Allah, Glorified be He, while mentioning His Name.
Likewise, when he says “O Allah” or “O Most Merciful,” the One being called upon is one and the same: Allah Almighty, even though His Most Beautiful Names are many.
Allah Almighty says:
“Say: Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful. Whichever you call upon, to Him belong the Most Beautiful Names.”
[Al-Isra’: 110]
Thus, what is intended by the Name “Allah” and the Name “Ar-Rahman” is the Lord, Glorified be He, to whom these Names refer.
What is intended in this remembrance is not that the bare Name itself possesses an independent power that protects a person from harm.
Rather, the servant mentions Allah’s Name, seeks refuge in Allah, and turns to Him, asking Him for protection from harm.
Therefore, it is incorrect to divide the matter into “the withness of the Name” and “the withness of the Essence” as though they were two opposing or separate things.
The Name refers to the One named, and what is intended in this remembrance is Allah, Glorified be He, not merely the verbal expression of His Name.
Allah Almighty says:
“Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High.”
[Al-A‘la: 1]
This does not mean that a person glorifies the mere wording of the Name separately from Allah. Rather, he glorifies Allah, Glorified be He, while mentioning His Name.
Allah also says:
“So glorify the Name of your Lord, the Magnificent.”
[Al-Waqi‘ah: 96]
Ibn Uthaymeen explained that what is intended is that glorification be performed with both the heart and the tongue: the servant declares his Lord free of all imperfection in his heart and mentions His Name with his tongue.
Complete remembrance therefore combines remembrance of the heart and remembrance of the tongue, while the ultimate purpose is to magnify and glorify Allah.
Allah Almighty says:
“To Allah belong the Most Beautiful Names, so call upon Him by them.”
[Al-A‘raf: 180]
The verse commands us to call upon Allah by His Most Beautiful Names.
For example, we say:
“O Most Merciful, have mercy on me.”
“O All-Forgiving, forgive me.”
“O Provider, provide for me.”
The One being called upon is Allah, Glorified be He, while these are His Names, which refer to Him and indicate His Attributes of perfection.
Ibn Taymiyyah explained that a name may be mentioned while the one named is intended, and that calling upon Allah by one of His Names is a supplication directed to the one Lord who possesses the Most Beautiful Names.
It is advisable to avoid vague philosophical expressions in this matter.
On the one hand, the written or spoken expression, such as the letters forming the word “Allah,” is not the Essence of Allah, Glorified be He.
On the other hand, when “the Name of Allah” is mentioned in supplication and remembrance, what is normally intended is not an abstract word detached from the One it names. Rather, the Name refers to Allah and is mentioned as one turns to Him, Glorified be He.
Therefore, making a distinction that suggests that the servant first sought refuge in “the Name alone,” and that there is then another separate level consisting of seeking refuge in “the Essence,” is not correct.
Yes, according to what the fatwa establishes.
Seeking refuge by the Name of Allah is not seeking refuge in something independent of Him, Glorified be He. Rather, it is turning to Allah and seeking refuge in Him while mentioning His Name.
Therefore, it is incorrect to imagine that the bare Name has an independent protective power or an effect separate from Allah.
This understanding is consistent with the fundamental principle of supplication: Allah is the One who protects, benefits, and repels harm, while His Most Beautiful Names are His Names by which we call upon and worship Him.
There are two main reasons:
First: It may suggest a separation between the Name and the One named in a context where such a separation is not intended.
Second: It introduces a meaning that is not indicated by the hadith. The hadith does not intend to establish one type of “withness” called “the withness of the Name” and then compare it with another type called “the withness of the Essence.”
It is better to retain the clear meaning of the remembrance: the Muslim mentions the Name of Allah and turns to Allah, asking Him for protection, and He, Glorified be He, is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.
The statement “This is the withness of Allah’s Name, so what then about the withness of His Essence?” is imprecise and is better avoided because it may suggest that Allah’s Name in the hadith is something independent of Allah Almighty.
The Name refers to the One named. When a Muslim says:
“In the Name of Allah, with whose Name nothing can cause harm,”
he is turning to Allah and seeking refuge in Him, not in the mere letters of His Name considered separately from Him.
Likewise, calling upon Allah by His Names and glorifying His Name means calling upon and glorifying Allah while mentioning His Most Beautiful Names.
And Allah knows best.