Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
Ash-Shahid is Allah, the One who knows everything. Nothing is absent from His knowledge, and nothing is hidden from Him. He is the ever-present Witness over His creation, fully aware of their deeds, and a witness for them and against them regarding what they have done.
The term “Ash-Shahid” is used for one who is trustworthy in his testimony. It has also been said that it refers to the One from whose knowledge nothing is absent.
Ash-Shahid also means the present and witnessing One. Among its meanings is that Allah, Glorified and Exalted, will bear witness over His creation on the Day of Resurrection. He has also guided them to His Oneness through the signs and proofs that He created and brought into existence.
Allah is therefore a Witness over His creation because His knowledge encompasses them completely. Nothing concerning their conditions or deeds is hidden from Him.
The Names Ash-Shahid, Al-Khabir, and Al-‘Alim are all connected to the meaning of knowledge and encompassing awareness, although each Name indicates a different aspect:
Ash-Shahid relates to knowledge of matters that are apparent and witnessed.
Al-Khabir relates to matters that are hidden and the inner realities of things.
Al-‘Alim encompasses both what is apparent and what is hidden.
Nothing is hidden from Allah, and He knows everything perfectly, as one who witnesses it, because nothing is absent from Him.
Allah is aware of all things, and nothing of His servants’ deeds is hidden from Him.
He hears all voices, whether secret or audible, and sees all things that exist, whether subtle or obvious, small or great. His knowledge encompasses everything.
Therefore, He is the One who bears witness for His servants and against them concerning what they have done. No deed is lost with Him, and no intention or action is hidden from Him.
Among the meanings of Allah’s Name “Ash-Shahid” is that He is a witness for the oppressed person who has no witness. He is fully aware of the oppressor’s wrongdoing and aggression, and nothing of injustice or transgression is hidden from Him.
If the oppressed person is unable to obtain justice in this world, Allah remains a witness to what occurred, fully aware of the truth of the matter. Nothing concerning the rights of His servants or their deeds is hidden from Him.
Ash-Shahid is Allah, from whose knowledge nothing is absent and from whom nothing is hidden. He is the ever-present Witness over His creation, fully aware of the outward and inward aspects of their deeds, the Hearer of all voices, the Seer of all things that exist, and the One whose knowledge encompasses everything.
He is the Witness for His servants and against them regarding what they have done, and the Witness for the oppressed person who has no witness. Nothing true or false, no deed or statement, is hidden from Him.
And Allah knows best.