Name 33 of 99
الْعَظِيمُ
Al-'Azim – The Magnificent, the Supreme in glory
- Transliteration
- Al-'Azim
- Meaning
- The Magnificent, the Supreme in glory
- Arabic root
- ع ظ م
- Theme
- Majesty and perfection
Meaning of Al-'Azim
Al-'Azim is the One whose greatness is beyond comprehension in His essence, attributes and actions. Ayat al-Kursi ends with this name. In the bowing position of prayer, Muslims commonly glorify their Lord by this name, saying "Subhana Rabbiyal-'Azim".
Al-'Azim in the Quran
Al-'Azim 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.
فَسَبِّحْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلْعَظِيمِ
Therefor (O Muhammad), praise the name of thy Lord, the Tremendous.
Reflection
Bowing in prayer is a physical expression of recognising Allah's magnificence.
Related names: majesty and perfection
Frequently asked questions
What does Al-'Azim mean?
Al-'Azim (الْعَظِيمُ) means "The Magnificent, the Supreme in glory". Al-'Azim is the One whose greatness is beyond comprehension in His essence, attributes and actions. Ayat al-Kursi ends with this name. In the bowing position of prayer, Muslims commonly glorify their Lord by this name, saying "Subhana Rabbiyal-'Azim".
Is Al-'Azim mentioned in the Quran?
Yes. Al-'Azim is mentioned as a name or description of Allah in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:255 and Surah Al-Waqi'ah 56:74.
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).