al-Mubdi'
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The Originator, The Starter, The Beginner
The One who is the originator of all creation. The One who is the founder of
creation.
The One who begins all things. The One who initiates all creation.
From the root b-d-' which has the
following classical Arabic connotations:
to begin, create, make something new
to make something be first, have precedence
to contrive a new thing
to invent, to do first
to commence, start, at the beginning
The term Mubdi' is not specifically used as a Beautiful Name in the Qur'ān.
The terms al-Mubdi' (the Starter) and al-Mu'īd (the Restorer) are often used
together in the hadith, and are also paired together by many commentators
including al-Ghazālī who described them as:
al-Mubdi' (the Beginner) al-Mu'īd (the
Restorer) - these terms mean the One who bestows existence, and when this
origination is not preceded by something like it, it is called a beginning;
but when it is preceded by something like it, then it is called
restoration.... all things began with Him and are restored to Him; began in
Him and in Him are restored.
And similarly, the two attributes al-Mubdi'
al-Mu'īd are defined together in the lexicon
Tāj al-'Arūs
as:
He who createth mankind, and who returneth them after life to death...
In some Classical Arabic literature, the participles Mubdi' and
Badī' are used interchangeably. However, some commentators suggest that
these terms are used to describe slightly different
attributes, with the name Mubdi' emphasizing the initiation of creation, while
Badī' emphasizes the awesome innovation of such creation.
Related names:
Mubdi' is the One who initiates, starts or
begins the production or creation of all things.
Badī' is the One who creates in awesome,
wonderful, amazingly original ways that have no precedent whatsoever.
Mu'īd is the One who repeats, restores and
revives that which had been previously invented.
Bāri' is the way the One works with
substances, often creating from existing matter, making and evolving that
which is free and clear of imperfections, free and clear of any other thing.
Khāliq is the One who continues to plan,
measure out and create and who has the power to change things from one state
to another, in and out of existence.
Musawwir is the One who arranges forms
and colors, and who is the shaper of beauty.
(Also written as al-mubdi, the Originator: ya mubdi)