In the Arabic language, the meaning of ‘qahhaar’ is the one who overpowers. Thus, the one who has dominance over everything is called Al-Qahhaari.e. everything is subservient to Him and He dominates everything.
هو الذى لا موجود الا هو مسخر تحت قهره وقدرته، عاجز في قبضته
Al-Qahhaar is that Being under whose Control and Power all things that existent is subservient to, and are completely without power and strength, due to being under His Control. Whatever Al-Qahhaar Wants from them, He makes them do.
This is manifested in different ways in the creation:
a) Existence and non-existence of every creation is under His control.
b) The celestial bodies are extremely huge. Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo Keeps them in their place and does not allow them to move from their places. Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo States, “Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo (without any outward pillars) grasps the heavens and the earth lest they move away from their places, and if they were to move away from their places, there is not one that could grasp them after Him .” (Faatir)
c) Physical bodies are generally composed of sand, water, air and fire. These four elements naturally do not like to be blended together. It is only the perfect power of Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo which Keeps them blended so that they do not separate.
d) The soul is a luminous delicate creation, which is completely free of matter. Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo, through His Perfect Power has joined the soul with the physical body which is dark and dense, the complete opposite; and He does not allow them to separate.
e) Great and powerful kings have passed in history, but Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo’s Quality of Subjugation, made them completely helpless by sicknesses and death. In spite of great efforts to save themselves, they were forced to affirm the might and glory of Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo.
f) Man’s intellect is always attempting to investigate all matters, however it is completely helpless when trying to understand the reality of Allaah’s Being. This also establishes the great quality of His subjugation and invincibility.
g) We see daily that everything in the world is under His control. So many times, man desires to do something, but he cannot do anything contrary to the intention of Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo. Sayyiduna Ali RadhiAllaahu Anhu said, “I have recognized my Creator by the nullifying of my intentions.
When Sayyiduna Amr ibn Aas RadhiAllaahu Anhu conquered Egypt, then the inhabitants of Egypt came to him at the beginning of one of their months called “Bunah” and said, “Amir Saheb! We carry out a certain ritual at the Nile River. By not doing so, the river will not flow.”
Sayyiduna Amr RadhiAllaahu Anhu asked, “What is this ritual?”
They answered, “When twelve nights of the month pass, then we seek a virgin girl who is the solo child of her parents. We satisfy her parents, dress her up in the finest of clothing and jewellery, and throw her in this Nile River.”
Sayyiduna Amr RadhiAllaahu Anhu said, “This action cannot occur in Islam because Islam brings to an end to all past incorrect practices.”
The inhabitants of Egypt waited for three months – “Bunah, Abeeb and Masri”. Gradually, the water of the Nile River came to a standstill. Seeing this, these people intended to leave Egypt and reside elsewhere.
When Sayyiduna Amr RadhiAllaahu Anhu saw this, he wrote a letter to Sayyiduna Umar bin Khattab RadhiAllaahu Anhu .
Sayyiduna Umar RadhiAllaahu Anhu replied, “You have acted correctly. Islam brings an end to all former incorrect customs. I am sending a letter to you. When you receive my letter, throw it into the river.”
When the letter reached Sayyiduna Amr RadhiAllaahu Anhu , he opened it. It contained the following contents:
فاِنْ كُنتَ تَجْرِىْ مِنْ قِبَلِك فَلَا تَجْرِ واِنْ كان الواحد القهار يُجْرِيكَ فَنَسْأَلُ اللهَ الواحد القهارَ اَنْ يُجْرِيَكَ
From the slave of Allaah, Amirul Mu’mineen Umar RadhiAllaahu Anhu to the River Nile in Egypt. If you flow by your own will, then do not flow. If Allaah who is One, and Overpowering make you flow, then we ask that Allaah who is One and Overpowering that He causes you to flow.
Sayyiduna Amr RadhiAllaahu Anhu threw this paper into the Nile River one day before their day of celebration. On the other side, the people of Egypt had already completed preparations to migrate, since all their farming and livelihood was solely dependent on the water of the Nile River. On the morning of their celebration, the people saw that the water in the Nile River was flowing sixteen hand-spans high. In this way, Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo Ended this evil custom of the people of Egypt. (From that day till today, the Nile River has continued to flow).
(Al-Bidaayah Wan-Nihaayah)
From here we learn that whoever has conviction in One Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo, Who has no partner, in His being Invincible and Overpowering, and he invites people towards Him , then Allaah Jalla Jalaalahoo Makes the creation such as the river subservient to such a person.