Is it Haleem or Daleem ?

[VCheng]

Before the illiterate mullah just around the corner declares jihad against food,


The 99 "names" of Allah (S.W.T) are more sifaat, i.e. attributes, than names. They did not originate out of thin air. They are superlative forms of regular, normal, pre-existing words. Without their prior and continued usage they would have no meaning. Don't get it? K2 is azeem, the universe is kabeer, the army is your hafeez, Capt. Karnal Sher Khan is shaheed, when you go to court you hire a wakeel, the engine in an F-35 is qawiyy. I stood awwal in my class, my friend stood akhir. I have a slice of cake baqi in the fridge. I have wahid son and he is my waris. All that I have sated is the haq, except for the cake.


Secondly, Haleem is not one of Allah's (S.W.T) "names". It is Al-Haleem and only Al-Haleem. The "Al" suffix is what makes it His (S.W.T) name. You can name anything else Haleem, including your slowest child, and it would not make a difference. You can even name a ride-share service, say, Careem.


Thirdly, unlike the examples above, Allah's (S.W.T) name "Al-Haleem" and "Haleem" the food have two completely different and mutually exclusive meanings, roots, and usages. They do not even belong to the same language. I might be going out on a limb here but no one, literally no one, would ever confuse the two.


Fourthly, and most importantly, Hareesah is not just some Arab dish "still consumed in West Asia, Iran and in Hyderabad’s Arab quarter". It is a staple big occasion dish in any self-respecting Kashmiri household. It was the only dish my grandmother would cook herself, well "bother enough to supervise". There are some famous hareesah joints in Lahore. It is neither simple nor bland. It takes a night's long effort to cook it. It is also completely different in everything, but the concept, than Haleem. The author and the people he hangs out with are clearly not the sharpest minds and/or palates in Kolkata.

Furthermore, haleem by any other name would be just as delicious!