Hearts That Do Not Comprehend, and the Beautiful Names

Allah (swt) then speaks of how grave disbelief can be. Whence does disbelief come, when everything is so evident? In the previous sūrah, al-Anʿām, the whole was given to so many evidences, to tawḥīd and the removal of shirk; its chief theme was shirk and the avoidance of it. Allah (swt) says here that the difficulty is this:

Lahum qulūb: We have given people hearts, and they do not comprehend by them. They do not understand the truth by them. Indeed they appear to think it merely an organ that pumps blood, a cardiac organ; they believe in no spirituality of the heart, whereas Muslims believe in a spirituality belonging to the heart. Wa-lahum aʿyunun lā yubṣirūna bihā: they have eyes and do not see by them — that is, they do not see the truth by them; they see everything else. Wa-lahum ādhānun lā yasmaʿūna bihā: they have ears and do not hear the truth by them. And then Allah makes this striking and oft-quoted statement: ulāʾika ka-l-anʿāmi bal hum aḍallu ulāʾika humu al-ghāfilūn. These people are as cattle. Indeed they are worse, for the cattle at least do no wrong. They do only what Allah has appointed them to do: they chew the cud, they crop the grass and the hay; they give their milk; they do what they must. These people are wholly heedless.

Then Allah says:

Wa-lillāhi al-asmāʾu al-ḥusnā: to Allah belong the beautiful names. Fa-dʿūhu bihā — that is verse 180. Call upon Allah. This is something we ought to do and do not do enough: to call upon Allah by the name that fits the occasion. When applying a medicine, when taking a tablet, say yā Shāfī, O Giver of cure. When seeking forgiveness, say yā Ghafūr. When seeking an opening, say yā Fattāḥ. When one feels overwhelmed, say yā Laṭīf. Think of the names, learn the names, use the names. And you will find your understanding of Allah grow, and your connection with Him. The names of Allah are a way in to His maʿrifah. It is of the first importance.