Al-Samad: The Eternal

"...Allah, the Eternal (Al-Samad)..." (112:2)

Allah's quality of the Eternal is one to which we turn for our needs and our desires and the one which satisfies needs. Allah is the only recourse, support, and response to our needs and pain. The Eternal meets the needs of all creatures in accordance with the need that they have. Ever-present, knowing their needs before we ourselves know them, the Eternal satisfies our needs in the way they should be satisfied. This may not be the way that we want our needs to be satisfied but we should know that Allah is the absolute Eternal and, therefore, we should be thankful for however Allah meets our needs. Even if we were not to ask Allah to meet our needs, the Eternal would satisfy our needs. As the Qur'an says, "They say: `Why is not a Sign sent down to him from his Lord?' Say: 'Allah certainly has the power to send down a sign but most of them understand not'" (6:37). However, Allah has said that He loves His servants who respond to His commands with joy and pleasure and who are thankful to Allah.