Name 36 of 99
الْعَلِيُّ
Al-'Aliyy – The Most High
- Transliteration
- Al-'Aliyy
- Meaning
- The Most High
- Arabic root
- ع ل و
- Theme
- Majesty and perfection
Meaning of Al-'Aliyy
Al-'Aliyy is the One who is exalted above all creation in rank, power and essence. Nothing is above Him and nothing compares with Him. Muslims glorify Allah by this quality in prostration, saying "Subhana Rabbiyal-A'la".
Al-'Aliyy in the Quran
Al-'Aliyy appears in the Quran as a name or description of Allah. Two of the verses where it occurs:
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ ۚ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌۭ وَلَا نَوْمٌۭ ۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۚ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ ۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ ۚ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ ۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ
Allah! There is no deity save Him, the Alive, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep overtaketh Him. Unto Him belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that intercedeth with Him save by His leave? He knoweth that which is in front of them and that which is behind them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge save what He will. His throne includeth the heavens and the earth, and He is never weary of preserving them. He is the Sublime, the Tremendous.
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَأَنَّ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ هُوَ ٱلْبَٰطِلُ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْكَبِيرُ
That is because Allah, He is the True, and that whereon they call instead of Him, it is the false, and because Allah, He is the High, the Great.
Reflection
The lowest physical position in prayer is used to glorify the Most High, which teaches humility.
Related names: majesty and perfection
Frequently asked questions
What does Al-'Aliyy mean?
Al-'Aliyy (الْعَلِيُّ) means "The Most High". Al-'Aliyy is the One who is exalted above all creation in rank, power and essence. Nothing is above Him and nothing compares with Him. Muslims glorify Allah by this quality in prostration, saying "Subhana Rabbiyal-A'la".
Is Al-'Aliyy mentioned in the Quran?
Yes. Al-'Aliyy is mentioned as a name or description of Allah in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:255 and Surah Al-Hajj 22:62.
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).