أَلَا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ خَلَقَ وَهُوَ ٱللَّطِيفُ ٱلْخَبِيرُ
About Al-Lateef
Lateef comes from the root laam-Taa-faa, which points out to four main meanings.
1. The first meaning is to be kind, gentle, mild, affectionate, soothing, and to bestow with kindness.
2. The second main meaning is to be thin, delicate, and refined, and
3. the third to be subtle and to know the details of all affairs.
4. The fourth main meaning is to treat with regard for circumstances.
Linguistically, the concept of lutf refers to being so kind to someone that they don’t notice as well as something that’s too tiny or too subtle to be seen or felt. It also means to know secrets and minute details of things and to be able to do what others can’t do. Al-Lateef refers to His infinite kindness and His complete knowledge, with which He bestows gifts and favours on us, taking us gently from one situation to another and causing us to benefit without us even knowing it.
Al-Lateef Himself says: Vision perceives Him not, but He perceives [all] vision; and He is the Subtle, the Acquainted. [Quran, 6:103]
