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Fatwa CenterMeaning of '...it would not cause any loss to Me than that which is caused to the ocean by dipping a needle in it'
Question
Assalam Alaykum Wa rahmatullahi Wa Barakatu, I read in a Hadith Al Qudsi and towards the end of the Hadith ALLAH says: " that would not decrease what I have, any more than a needle decreases the sea if put into it" I would like to know is this comparison just an example ALLAH has used to indicate nothing decreases from his Power and his Power is Great so our minds get a slight idea ? Even though if a needle took something out like a drop this does not mean that ALLAH'S power decreases at all as ALLAH'S attributes are infinite. Someone told me that this could have been a saying amongst the Arabs to give an example about something that does not decrease ? Could you please clarify Jazak ALLAH kheir Wa Salaam
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and messenger.
The meaning of the Hadeeth is quite clear. It highlights the generosity and enormous richness of Allaah, The Exalted. It emphasizes that the treasures of Allaah, The Exalted, do not decrease the slightest if He gives each one what he asks and answers the supplications of everyone who implore Him.
The wording of the Hadeeth reads, “O My servants, if the first among you and the last among you and the whole human race of yours and that of Jinn all stand in one plain ground and all ask Me and I confer upon every person what he asks for, it would not, in any way, cause any loss to Me (even less) than that which is caused to the ocean by dipping a needle in it.”
It is known that the ocean does not decrease the slightest upon the dipping of a needle in it. The meaning of the Hadeeth is that if Allaah answered all supplications and requests of those who asked Him and gave each what he asked, this would not decrease the vast treasures and kingdom of Allaah. Blessed is He, the Lord of the Worlds.
However, there is no mention of the Ability and Power of Allaah in the Hadeeth.
Allaah Knows best.
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