The Reality and Virtues of Allah’s Greatest Name (Ism al-A‘ẓam)
Source: Fatāwā al-Dīn al-Khāliṣ, Vol. 1, p. 153
What is Allah’s Greatest Name (Ism al-A‘ẓam), and what are its benefits and virtues?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ‘alā Rasūlillāh, ammā ba‘d!
✔ The answer to both your questions is found in the narrations of the Prophet ﷺ and the noble Companions (رضي الله عنهم), as shall be detailed below, inshā’Allāh.
Narrated by Ya‘qūb ibn ‘Āṣim (رضي الله عنه), that two Companions heard the Prophet ﷺ say:
“لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ”
“Whoever recites these words with sincerity from the heart, Allah looks towards him with mercy, and when Allah casts such a merciful gaze upon a servant, it becomes his right that whatever he asks for, Allah grants him.”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2/174; Mishkāt 1/170; Musnad Aḥmad 3/123)
Narrated by Buraydah (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet ﷺ heard a man saying:
“اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِأَنِّي أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ أَنْتَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، الْأَحَدُ الصَّمَدُ، الَّذِي لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“You have asked Allah using His Greatest Name (Ism al-A‘ẓam). When this name is used in supplication, Allah responds; and when invoked with it, He grants.”
(al-Ḥākim 1/504; al-Targhīb 2/485 – Authentic Chain)
Narrated by Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“يَا ذَا الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ”
“When anyone uses these words, their supplication is accepted.”
(Jāmi‘ al-Tirmidhī, ḥadīth 3774)
Narrated by Abū Umāmah (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Allah has appointed a special angel for the one who says ‘Yā Arḥam ar-Rāḥimīn’. When he says it three times, Allah says:
‘Turn to Arḥam ar-Rāḥimīn—Ask! Whatever you ask for will be granted.’”
(al-Ḥākim, 505)
Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet ﷺ heard Abū ‘Ayyāsh Zayd ibn aṣ-Ṣitt recite the following supplication:
“اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِأَنَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدَ، لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، يَا حَنَّانُ، يَا مَنَّانُ، يَا بَدِيعَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ، يَا ذَا الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ، يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“You have asked Allah using His Greatest Name. When He is called upon with it, He answers; when asked with it, He grants.”
(Musnad Aḥmad 3/120–158; Sunan Abū Dāwūd, ḥadīth 1495; al-Ḥākim 1/504; al-Targhīb 2/486)
Narrated by Asmā’ bint Yazīd (رضي الله عنها) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“The Greatest Name of Allah is found in these two verses:”
First Verse:
﴿وَإِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ﴾
“Your deity is one deity; there is no deity except Him—the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.”
(Surah al-Baqarah: 163)
Second Verse:
﴿اللَّهُ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَيُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ﴾
“Allah—there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all.”
(Surah Āl ‘Imrān: 2)
(Sunan Abū Dāwūd, ḥadīth 1498; Jāmi‘ al-Tirmidhī, ḥadīth 3723 – Sound Chain)
Narrated by Sa‘d ibn Abī Waqqāṣ (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
﴿لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ﴾
(Jāmi‘ al-Tirmidhī, ḥadīth 3753; al-Ḥākim 1/505; Sunan al-Nasā’ī – Authentic Chain)
✔ Ism al-A‘ẓam is the Name of Allah by which, when one supplicates, their supplication is accepted, and when one asks, they are granted.
✔ Among the most well-known phrases that contain Ism al-A‘ẓam are:
“الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ”, “ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ”, “الرَّحْمَٰنُ الرَّحِيمُ”, and “لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ”.
✔ Whoever calls upon Allah with these Names, Inshā’Allāh, their supplication will surely be accepted.
Wa-Allāhu A‘lam bi-ṣ-Ṣawāb.
Source: Fatāwā al-Dīn al-Khāliṣ, Vol. 1, p. 153
❖ Question:
What is Allah’s Greatest Name (Ism al-A‘ẓam), and what are its benefits and virtues?
❖ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ‘alā Rasūlillāh, ammā ba‘d!
✔ The answer to both your questions is found in the narrations of the Prophet ﷺ and the noble Companions (رضي الله عنهم), as shall be detailed below, inshā’Allāh.
① First Evidence: A Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ
Narrated by Ya‘qūb ibn ‘Āṣim (رضي الله عنه), that two Companions heard the Prophet ﷺ say:
“لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ”
“Whoever recites these words with sincerity from the heart, Allah looks towards him with mercy, and when Allah casts such a merciful gaze upon a servant, it becomes his right that whatever he asks for, Allah grants him.”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2/174; Mishkāt 1/170; Musnad Aḥmad 3/123)② Second Evidence: Supplication Using the Ism al-A‘ẓam
Narrated by Buraydah (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet ﷺ heard a man saying:
“اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِأَنِّي أَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ أَنْتَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، الْأَحَدُ الصَّمَدُ، الَّذِي لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“You have asked Allah using His Greatest Name (Ism al-A‘ẓam). When this name is used in supplication, Allah responds; and when invoked with it, He grants.”
(al-Ḥākim 1/504; al-Targhīb 2/485 – Authentic Chain)③ Third Evidence: The Phrase "Yā Dhāl-Jalāli wal-Ikrām"
Narrated by Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“يَا ذَا الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ”
“When anyone uses these words, their supplication is accepted.”
(Jāmi‘ al-Tirmidhī, ḥadīth 3774)④ Fourth Evidence: The Virtue of “Yā Arḥam ar-Rāḥimīn”
Narrated by Abū Umāmah (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Allah has appointed a special angel for the one who says ‘Yā Arḥam ar-Rāḥimīn’. When he says it three times, Allah says:
‘Turn to Arḥam ar-Rāḥimīn—Ask! Whatever you ask for will be granted.’”
(al-Ḥākim, 505)⑤ Fifth Evidence: A Supplication Containing the Ism al-A‘ẓam
Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet ﷺ heard Abū ‘Ayyāsh Zayd ibn aṣ-Ṣitt recite the following supplication:
“اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ بِأَنَّ لَكَ الْحَمْدَ، لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، يَا حَنَّانُ، يَا مَنَّانُ، يَا بَدِيعَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ، يَا ذَا الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ، يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“You have asked Allah using His Greatest Name. When He is called upon with it, He answers; when asked with it, He grants.”
(Musnad Aḥmad 3/120–158; Sunan Abū Dāwūd, ḥadīth 1495; al-Ḥākim 1/504; al-Targhīb 2/486)⑥ Sixth Evidence: Signs from the Qur’an
Narrated by Asmā’ bint Yazīd (رضي الله عنها) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“The Greatest Name of Allah is found in these two verses:”
First Verse:﴿وَإِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ لَّا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ﴾
“Your deity is one deity; there is no deity except Him—the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.”
(Surah al-Baqarah: 163)
Second Verse:﴿اللَّهُ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَيُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ﴾
“Allah—there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all.”
(Surah Āl ‘Imrān: 2)
(Sunan Abū Dāwūd, ḥadīth 1498; Jāmi‘ al-Tirmidhī, ḥadīth 3723 – Sound Chain)⑦ Seventh Evidence: The Supplication of Prophet Yūnus (عليه السلام)
Narrated by Sa‘d ibn Abī Waqqāṣ (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
﴿لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ﴾
(Jāmi‘ al-Tirmidhī, ḥadīth 3753; al-Ḥākim 1/505; Sunan al-Nasā’ī – Authentic Chain)❖ Conclusion:
✔ Ism al-A‘ẓam is the Name of Allah by which, when one supplicates, their supplication is accepted, and when one asks, they are granted.
✔ Among the most well-known phrases that contain Ism al-A‘ẓam are:
“الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ”, “ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ”, “الرَّحْمَٰنُ الرَّحِيمُ”, and “لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ”.
✔ Whoever calls upon Allah with these Names, Inshā’Allāh, their supplication will surely be accepted.
Wa-Allāhu A‘lam bi-ṣ-Ṣawāb.
