He is the One who abases the unbelievers by means of misfortune and the One who exalts the believers by means of good fortune. He exalts His elect by drawing them near to Him, and He abases His enemies by isolating them from Himself.

The one who raises his vision above the things that are perceptible and within the potential of human imagination and who guides his will away from the reprehensible objects of human appetites is the one whom God lifts up to the vision of the angels who are near to Him. The one who limits his vision to sensory things and limits his concerns to the appetites which the animal kingdom shares with him is the one whom God reduces to the lowest possible status. Only God Most High does that, for He is Al-Khāfiḍ Ar-rāfiʿ.

Man’s portion of this name lies in his exalting the truth and abasing falsehood. That happens when he champions the one in the right and restrains the one in the wrong. He becomes an enemy of the enemies of God so that he might abase them. He allies himself to the chosen ones of God so that he might exalt them. Therefore God said to one of His friends, “As for your renunciation of the world, you have earned your ease by it. As for your remembrance of Me, you have been honoured by Me. Have you allied yourself to anyone for My sake? Have you made an enemy for My sake?”