We know that Ad-Dahr (time) is not one of the Names of Allaah, for it does not possess a meaning that reaches the highest extent of goodness. As for the Prophet’s (saws) statement: “Do not curse time, for indeed, Allaah is Ad-Dahr (time)”,[2] then its meaning is that He is the “Owner of time – the One who dispenses it”. This change occurs based on the evidence found in his (saws) statement in the second narration (of this hadeeth) in which Allaah said: “In My hand is the Command. I turn (in cycles) the night and the day.” [3]
Footnotes:
[2] Saheeh Muslim: Book of Words from Good Manners (no. 2246) from the hadeeth of Abu Hurairah. Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajr said in Al-Fath (10/565): “Ahmad has transmitted it from another path from the hadeeth of Abu Hurairah with the wording: ‘Do not curse time, for indeed Allaah has stated: ‘I am Ad-Dahr (Time). The days and the nights belong to Me. I will renew them, vanquish them and bring forth kings after kings.’ And its chain of narration is authentic.”
A Point of Benefit:
The great scholar Ibn Al-Qayyim said in Zaad Al-Ma’aad (2/355): “Anyone that curses time is lingering between two states of which there is no doubt that he is from one of them. Either he has cursed Allaah Himself or he has ascribed a partner to him (Shirk). For indeed, if he believes that Allaah is the only one that did that and he curses whomsoever did it, then he has cursed Allaah.”
[3] Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree: Book of Tawheed (no. 7491) and Saheeh Muslim: Book of Words from Good Manners (no. 2246) from the hadeeth of Abu Hurairah.
Source : Important Principles concerning Allaah’s Names & Attributes
Author:Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saalih Al-‘Uthaimeen
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Question: What is the ruling on abusing time (ad-Dahr)?
Answer: ad-Dahr (Time) is a subjugated form of creation from Allah’s many creations. It is not permissible to abuse it. It has been established in the Saheeh that the Messenger of Allah (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) said: {Indeed Allah says, “The son of Adam harms Me when he abuses ad-Dahr (Time), and I am ad-Dahr (Time), I turn the night and the day, by My hand I control every thing.”} Thus regarding ad-Dahr (Time) there is nothing that is in His Hand in which He created ad-Dahr in addition to creating the universe to be confined to ad-Dahr. So the meaning of Allah is ad-Dahr is that He created ad-Dahr and the entire universe is confined to ad-Dahr and Allah knows best.
Shaykh ‘Abdullah bin Humayd (rahimahullah)
Translated by Aboo ‘Imraan al-Mekseekee-may Allah guide him
Arabic source: fatawa.al-islam.com/fatawa/Display.asp?FatwaID=847&ParentID=707&Page=3
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(Do not abuse Ad-Dahr (time), for Allah is Ad-Dahr.) They said, “During the time of Jahiliyyah, when an affliction, a calamity or a disaster struck them, the Arabs used to say, `Woe to Ad-Dahr (time)!’ So they used to blame such incidents on Ad-Dahr, cursing Ad-Dahr in the process. Surely, it is Allah the Exalted and Most Honored Who causes these (and all) things to happen. This is why when they cursed Ad-Dahr, it was as if they were cursing Allah Himself, since truthfully, He causes all incidents to happen. Therefore, abusing Ad-Dahr was prohibited due to this consideration, for it was Allah Whom they meant by abusing Ad-Dahr, which — as we said– they accused of causing (distressful) incidents.” This is the best explanation for this subject, and it is the desired meaning. Allah knows best.
We should mention that Ibn Hazm and those of the Zahiriyyah like him made an error when they used this Hadith to include Ad-Dahr among Allah’s most beautiful Names.
Source : Tafseer Ibn kathir, 45. Al-Jathiyah
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