THE LINGUISTIC MEANING
The word (العز) means strength (القوة), severe power (الشدة) and dominance (الغلبة).
Allāh said: ( وَلِلَّهِ ٱلۡعِزَّةُ ) “And to Allāh belongs [all] ʿIzzah” [1], meaning to Him belongs strength, might and domination (over all else). And (it is said) (رجل عزيز), meaning one who is invincible, who cannot be overcome or overwhelmed.
ITS OCCURRENCE IN THE QURAN
The word “al-ʿAzīz” is mentioned 92 times in the Qur’an, including:
- ( وَٱعۡلَمۡ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمࣱ )
And know that Allâh is All-Mighty, All-Wise.[2] - ( وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزࣱ ذُو ٱنتِقَامٍ )
And Allâh is All-Mighty, All-Able of Retribution.[3] - ( وَإِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ )
And verily, your Lord! He is truly the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful.[4] - ( إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ )
Verily, Allâh is AllMighty, OftForgiving.[5] - ( ذَ ٰلِكَ تَقۡدِيرُ ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلۡعَلِيمِ )
That is the Decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing.[6] - ( رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَمَا بَينَهُمَا ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡغَفَّـٰرُ )
The Lord of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving.[7] - ( وَمَا نَقَمُوا مِنۡهُمۡ إِلَّاۤ أَن يُؤۡمِنُوا بِٱللَّهِ ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلۡحَمِيدِ )
They had nothing against them, except that they believed in Allâh, the All-Mighty, Worthy of all Praise![8]
THE MEANING OF THIS NAME WITH RESPECT TO ALLĀH
From that which has been related or said by the mufassirūn:
- Qatādah said: “Al-ʿAzīz, meaning, in his vengeance, when He seeks revenge”[9]
- Al-Ṭabarī said: “Al-ʿAzīz, (meaning) severe in His vengeance to those from His enemies against whom He seeks revenge .”
- Al-Ṭabarī also said: “Al-Azīz, in His vengeance to those from whom He seeks revenge, and no one is able to repel that from them”[10]
- Ibn Kathīr said: “Al-ʿAzīz, meaning the one who has overcome everything thing such that He has subdued it, and He has overcome all things…”[11]
- Al-Qurṭubī said: “Al-ʿAzīz, its meaning is the invincible who cannot be reached and overcome.”
- Ibn Kaisān said: “Al-ʿAzīz, its meaning is the one who is not overcome by anything.”
- Al-Kasāʾī said: “Al-ʿAzīz (meaning) the one who overcomes, the victor (al-ghālib)…”
- And it is also said: “Al-ʿAzīz, meaning the one for whom there is no equal.”[12]
- Al-Halīmī said: “Al-ʿAzīz, its meaning is the one (whose status) cannot be reached and nor is it possible to compel him with something…”[13]
- Al-Saʿdī said: “Al-ʿAzīz, the one to whom all honour and power (العزة) belongs, the honour of power (القوة), the honour of conquest and overcoming (الغلبة), the honour of restraining (الامتناع), so He has disallowed that anyone should reach His level, and He has subdued all things in existence, the whole of creation has submitted to him and has humbled itself on account of His greatness (العظمة).”[14]
IBN AL-QAYYIM ON THE MEANINGS OF AL-ʿAZĪZ
Ibn al-Qayyim (رحمه الله) said in his Nooniyyah:
And He is al-Azīz whose (status) cannot be reached. How can He be reached, the owner of all Power? And He is al-ʿAzīz, the Overpowering (al-Qāhir), the Subduing Overcomer (al-Ghallāb). Nothing overcomes Him, so these are two characteristics. And He is al-Azīz, with Strength (quwwah) and this is His description Al-Izz, therefore, has three meanings. And these are the ones that are perfected for Him, free is He of all imperfection, from every single aspect, the One who is devoid of any deficiency.
SUMMARY OF THE MEANINGS
The meaning of this name has four aspects:
- Al-Azīz with the meaning of invincible who cannot be overcome.
- Al-Azīz with the meaning of the Overpowering who cannot be overcome and nor subdued.
- Al-Azīz with the of strong (qawiyy) and severe (shadeed) (in strength).
- Al-Azīz with the meaning that he is extremely precious and that nothing equals Him or is like Him or is a peer to Him.
THE EFFECTS OF BELIEF IN THIS NAME
ONE: Having faith in this name leads to having courage and boldness because one knows that His Lord cannot be prevented and His command or affair cannot be repelled, whatever He wills will happen, even if the people will otherwise, and whatever He wills not will not happen, even if the people willed it. And all of this is amply illustrated in the stories of the Prophets that are mentioned in the Qur’ān. One can refer to Surāh Shuʿarā (36) in which the name al-Azīz is continuously repeated following the story of each Prophet.
TWO: That the one who is ʿAzīz, i.e. honourable with strength, might and honour, in this world and Hereafter, is the one who has been strengthened and granted honour and power by Allāh.
Say: “O Allâh! Possessor of the kingdom, You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take the kingdom from whom You will, and You endue with honour whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will. In Your Hand is the good. Verily, You are Able to do all things.” (Sūrah Āli ʿImrān 3:26)
Hence, whoever desires honour and power (العزة), then He should seek it from Allāh, “Whosoever desires honour, power and glory then to Allâh belong all honour…” (Fātir 35:10). And this means that whoever wishes to have honour in this life and the next then he should obey Allāh and His Messenger, and this will allow him to reach that, because Allāh is the Owner of the World and Hereafter and to Him belongs all Power and Honour. And this is different to those who seek honour from other things, whether it be from the Unbelievers, such as the Jews, Christians and Pagans, while showing enmity to the Believers and to Allāh and His Sharee’ah and to His religion, as Allāh said, “Those who take disbelievers for Auliyâ' (protectors or helpers or friends) instead of believers, do they seek honour, power and glory with them? Verily, then to Allâh belongs all honour, power and glory.” (Sūrah al-Nisā 4:139).
So with greatness of obedience, one’s honour increases. The most honourable of people are the Prophets, then those who follow after them from the Believers, those who follow their way.
THREE: The name al-ʿAzīz is often connected to the name al-Raḥīm such as what occurs in Surah Shu’arā (26) and others. Hence Allāh is ‘Azīz (strong, severe) in his mercy (الرحمة) and Raḥīm (merciful, kind) in his honour, power, strength and might (العزة), and this is perfection embodied.
FOUR: Amongst the causes of might and honour (العزة) are forgiveness, pardoning and humility. From Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) from Allāh’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) who said, “Charity never decreased anything from one’s wealth, and Allāh does not increase a person who is forgiving, pardoning except in honour. And no one showed humility to Allāh except that Allāh raised him (in rank).” (Reported by Muslim, no.2588 and al-Tirmiẓī no.2097).
Hence, whoever pardoned someone for something while having the capability to seek revenge, then he will become great in the hearts of the people in the life of this world, or in the Hereafter, in the sense that his reward will be great. And whoever showed humility seeking nearness to Allāh, and not for any other objective, then Allāh will raise him amongst the people and make his status a lofty one.
FIVE: Allāh, the Blessed and Exalted, has named his Book “al-ʿAzīz” in His saying, “Verily, those who disbelieved in the Reminder (i.e. the Qur'ân) when it came to them (shall receive the punishment). And verily, it is an honourable respected Book. Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it (it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise (Allâh).” (Fussilat 41:41-42). Qatādah said, “Allāh has strengthened it and honoured it since it is His Speech and He safeguarded it from falsehood.” (al-Ṭabarī 24/79).
Footnotes
1. Sūrah al-Munāfiqūn (63:8)2. Sūrah al-Baqarah (2:260).
3. Sūrah Āli Imran (3:4).
4. Sūrah al-Shu'ara (26:68).
5. Sūrah Fatir (35:28).
6. Sūrah Ya-Sin (36:38).
7. Sūrah Sad (38:66).
8. Sūrah al-Buruj (85:8).
9. Tafsīr al-Tabarī (28/36).
10. Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī (7/90, 28/36).
11. Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr (4/343).
12. Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī 2/131, Fatḥ al-Qadīr 5/208) and others.
13. Al-Minhāj (1/95).
14. Taysīr al-Karīm al-Raḥmān (5/300-301).
