Abjad for “Ha”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Arabic numerology is known as abjad.  This article is about the spiritual meaning of the letter, Ha. 

The Arabic letter “Ha” is the 5^th letter with numerical value 5.  “Ha” is a Muqaththa’at letter.  That is, it is a letter found in the opening verses of two suwar, Surah Maryam and Surah ThaHa, the 19^th and 20^th suwar. 

“Ha” denotes hidayat, Guidance.  We rely on our five major senses: hearing, sight, touch, smell and taste, in our acquisition of knowledge.  The believers and disbelievers have a different relationship with these five senses.  The disbelievers are slaves of these give senses.  They require constant stimulation of the senses, their chase of the world to feed the nafs.  Likewise, they require an idol to worship, a “god” they can see, and touch; they need to hear words to follow.  The believers are masters of these five senses.  They only rely on these senses in order to gather information.  They accept the existence of Allah (s.w.t.) because the soul knows, and what they gain from these senses affirms Reality.  This is their witnessing, what we call the shahadah.  Therefore, hidayat is the utilisation of the senses to discern the truth from falsehood. 

A large part of faith is to control the sense.  This is found in the Qur’an: 

سُوۡرَةُ الاٴنعَام

فَكُلُواْ مِمَّا ذُكِرَ ٱسۡمُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡهِ إِن كُنتُم بِـَٔايَـٰتِهِۦ مُؤۡمِنِينَ (١١٨) 

So eat of (meats) on which Allah’s Name hath been pronounced, if you have faith in His Signs. (Surah al-An’am:118) 

سُوۡرَةُ النُّور

قُل لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ يَغُضُّواْ مِنۡ أَبۡصَـٰرِهِمۡ وَيَحۡفَظُواْ فُرُوجَهُمۡ‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ أَزۡكَىٰ لَهُمۡ‌ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا يَصۡنَعُونَ (٣٠) وَقُل لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتِ يَغۡضُضۡنَ مِنۡ أَبۡصَـٰرِهِنَّ وَيَحۡفَظۡنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبۡدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنۡهَا‌ۖ وَلۡيَضۡرِبۡنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِہِنَّ‌ۖ وَلَا يُبۡدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ ءَابَآٮِٕهِنَّ أَوۡ ءَابَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ أَبۡنَآٮِٕهِنَّ أَوۡ أَبۡنَآءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوۡ إِخۡوَٲنِهِنَّ أَوۡ بَنِىٓ إِخۡوَٲنِهِنَّ أَوۡ بَنِىٓ أَخَوَٲتِهِنَّ أَوۡ نِسَآٮِٕهِنَّ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَـٰنُهُنَّ أَوِ ٱلتَّـٰبِعِينَ غَيۡرِ أُوْلِى ٱلۡإِرۡبَةِ مِنَ ٱلرِّجَالِ أَوِ ٱلطِّفۡلِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ يَظۡهَرُواْ عَلَىٰ عَوۡرَٲتِ ٱلنِّسَآءِ‌ۖ وَلَا يَضۡرِبۡنَ بِأَرۡجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعۡلَمَ مَا يُخۡفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ‌ۚ وَتُوبُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ (٣١) 

Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is Well Acquainted with all that they do.  And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons, their husbands’ sons, their brothers, or their brothers’ sons, or their sisters’ sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments.  And O you Believers!  Turn you all together towards Allah that you may attain Bliss. (Surah an-Nur:30-31) 

سُوۡرَةُ یُوسُف

وَلَمَّا فَصَلَتِ ٱلۡعِيرُ قَالَ أَبُوهُمۡ إِنِّى لَأَجِدُ رِيحَ يُوسُفَ‌ۖ لَوۡلَآ أَن تُفَنِّدُونِ (٩٤) 

When the caravan left (Egypt), their father said, “I do indeed scent the presence of Joseph: nay, think me not a dotard.” (Surah Yusuf:94) 

سُوۡرَةُ حٰمٓ السجدة / فُصّلَت

كِتَـٰبٌ۬ فُصِّلَتۡ ءَايَـٰتُهُ ۥ قُرۡءَانًا عَرَبِيًّ۬ا لِّقَوۡمٍ۬ يَعۡلَمُونَ (٣) بَشِيرً۬ا وَنَذِيرً۬ا فَأَعۡرَضَ أَڪۡثَرُهُمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا يَسۡمَعُونَ (٤) 

A Book, whereof the verses are explained in detail ― a Qur’an in Arabic, for people who understand ― Giving Good News and Admonition: yet most of them turn away, and so they hear not. (Surah Fuswswilat:3-4) 

سُوۡرَةُ المُمتَحنَة

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ إِذَا جَآءَكَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتُ يُبَايِعۡنَكَ عَلَىٰٓ أَن لَّا يُشۡرِكۡنَ بِٱللَّهِ شَيۡـًٔ۬ا وَلَا يَسۡرِقۡنَ وَلَا يَزۡنِينَ وَلَا يَقۡتُلۡنَ أَوۡلَـٰدَهُنَّ وَلَا يَأۡتِينَ بِبُهۡتَـٰنٍ۬ يَفۡتَرِينَهُ ۥ بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيہِنَّ وَأَرۡجُلِهِنَّ وَلَا يَعۡصِينَكَ فِى مَعۡرُوفٍ۬‌ۙ فَبَايِعۡهُنَّ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لَهُنَّ ٱللَّهَ‌ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ۬ رَّحِيمٌ۬ (١٢) 

O Prophet!  When believing women come to you to take the oath of fealty to you that they will not associate in worship any other thing whatever with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit adultery (or fornication), that they will not kill their children, that they will not utter slander, intentionally forging falsehood and that they will not disobey you in any just matter then do you receive their fealty and pray to Allah for the Forgiveness (of their sins): for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surah al-Mumtahinah:12) 

Four of the five senses are localised to the organs: smell, sight, taste and hearing.  The sense of touch is spread all over the body. 

We need to control the 5 senses because Punishment or Reward is based on these five senses: 

سُوۡرَةُ حٰمٓ السجدة / فُصّلَت

حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا مَا جَآءُوهَا شَہِدَ عَلَيۡہِمۡ سَمۡعُهُمۡ وَأَبۡصَـٰرُهُمۡ وَجُلُودُهُم بِمَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ (٢٠) وَقَالُواْ لِجُلُودِهِمۡ لِمَ شَهِدتُّمۡ عَلَيۡنَا‌ۖ قَالُوٓاْ أَنطَقَنَا ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنطَقَ كُلَّ شَىۡءٍ۬ وَهُوَ خَلَقَكُمۡ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ۬ وَإِلَيۡهِ تُرۡجَعُونَ (٢١) 

At length, when they reach the (Fire), their hearing, their sight, and their skins will bear witness against them, as to (all) their deeds.  They will say to their skins, “Why bear you witness against us?”  They will say, “Allah has Given us speech ― (He) Who Gives speech to everything: He Created you for the first time, and unto Him were you to return.” (Surah Fuswswilat:20-21) 

Since the sense of touch is spread all over the body, the punishment of burning in the fire is the most difficult to bear. 

The hidayat of “Ha” came from Hu to His Messengers, and they, in turn, taught it to their communities.  Therefore, hidayat comes from Allah (s.w.t.), since Allah (s.w.t.) is Hu.  Hu Sent hidayat to a hadi, guide, Chosen by Him.  That hadi, for us, is Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). 

سُوۡرَةُ الشّوریٰ

۞ وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُكَلِّمَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِلَّا وَحۡيًا أَوۡ مِن وَرَآىِٕ حِجَابٍ أَوۡ يُرۡسِلَ رَسُولاً۬ فَيُوحِىَ بِإِذۡنِهِۦ مَا يَشَآءُ‌ۚ إِنَّهُ ۥ عَلِىٌّ حَڪِيمٌ۬ (٥١) وَكَذَٲلِكَ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ رُوحً۬ا مِّنۡ أَمۡرِنَا‌ۚ مَا كُنتَ تَدۡرِى مَا ٱلۡكِتَـٰبُ وَلَا ٱلۡإِيمَـٰنُ وَلَـٰكِن جَعَلۡنَـٰهُ نُورً۬ا نَّہۡدِى بِهِۦ مَن نَّشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا‌ۚ وَإِنَّكَ لَتَہۡدِىٓ إِلَىٰ صِرَٲطٍ۬ مُّسۡتَقِيمٍ۬ (٥٢) 

It is not fitting for a man that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by the sending of a Messenger to Reveal, with Allah’s Permission, what Allah Wills: for He is Most High, Most Wise. ( And thus have We, by Our Command, Sent inspiration to you: you knew not (before) what was Revelation, and what was faith; but We have Made the (Qur’an) a Light, wherewith We Guide such of Our servants as We will; and verily you do guide (men) to the Straight Way― (Surah ash-Shura’:51-52)