Name 19 of 99
الْعَلِيمُ
Al-'Alim – The All-Knowing
- Transliteration
- Al-'Alim
- Meaning
- The All-Knowing
- Arabic root
- ع ل م
- Theme
- Knowledge and awareness
Meaning of Al-'Alim
Al-'Alim is the One whose knowledge is complete, covering the past, present and future, the seen and the unseen, the apparent and the hidden. His knowledge does not grow or fade. It is one of the names most frequently mentioned in the Quran.
Al-'Alim in the Quran
Al-'Alim appears in the Quran as a name or description of Allah. Two of the verses where it occurs:
قَالُوا۟ سُبْحَٰنَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَآ إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
They said: Be glorified! We have no knowledge saving that which Thou hast taught us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Knower, the Wise.
قُلْ يَجْمَعُ بَيْنَنَا رَبُّنَا ثُمَّ يَفْتَحُ بَيْنَنَا بِٱلْحَقِّ وَهُوَ ٱلْفَتَّاحُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ
Say: Our Lord will bring us all together, then He will judge between us with truth. He is the All-knowing Judge.
Reflection
Allah knows our hidden struggles and intentions, which is both a comfort and a reminder.
Related names: knowledge and awareness
Frequently asked questions
What does Al-'Alim mean?
Al-'Alim (الْعَلِيمُ) means "The All-Knowing". Al-'Alim is the One whose knowledge is complete, covering the past, present and future, the seen and the unseen, the apparent and the hidden. His knowledge does not grow or fade. It is one of the names most frequently mentioned in the Quran.
Is Al-'Alim mentioned in the Quran?
Yes. Al-'Alim is mentioned as a name or description of Allah in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:32 and Surah Saba 34:26.
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).