Name 29 of 99
الْعَدْلُ
Al-'Adl – The Utterly Just
- Transliteration
- Al-'Adl
- Meaning
- The Utterly Just
- Arabic root
- ع د ل
- Theme
- Justice and judgement
Meaning of Al-'Adl
Al-'Adl means justice itself: Allah never wrongs anyone, even by the weight of an atom. Everything He decrees is placed exactly where it belongs. The Quran states that Allah commands justice, so justice is both His attribute and His instruction to people.
The word al-'Adl does not appear as a name of Allah in the Quran, though justice is affirmed of Him throughout; this name is included in the list narrated by at-Tirmidhi.
Al-'Adl in the Quran
The exact form Al-'Adl is not used in the Quran, but its meaning is affirmed through a related word from the same root:
Related verse
۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَٱلْإِحْسَٰنِ وَإِيتَآئِ ذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱلْبَغْىِ ۚ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
Lo! Allah enjoineth justice and kindness, and giving to kinsfolk, and forbiddeth lewdness and abomination and wickedness. He exhorteth you in order that ye may take heed.
Reflection
Being fair, even to people we dislike, is a way of honouring this name.
Related names: justice and judgement
Frequently asked questions
What does Al-'Adl mean?
Al-'Adl (الْعَدْلُ) means "The Utterly Just". Al-'Adl means justice itself: Allah never wrongs anyone, even by the weight of an atom. Everything He decrees is placed exactly where it belongs. The Quran states that Allah commands justice, so justice is both His attribute and His instruction to people.
Is Al-'Adl mentioned in the Quran?
Al-'Adl does not appear in exactly this form, but its meaning is affirmed in the Quran through a related word from the same root, for example in Surah An-Nahl 16:90.
The list of 99 names follows the order of the narration in Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3507, without the name “Allah”, and adds Al-Ahad from Sunan Ibn Majah 3861. The hadith that Allah has ninety-nine names is in Sahih al-Bukhari 2736 and Sahih Muslim 2677. Quran text: Tanzil (Uthmani); translation: Marmaduke Pickthall (1930, public domain).