Name 27 of 99
الْبَصِيرُ
Al-Basir – The All-Seeing
- Transliteration
- Al-Basir
- Meaning
- The All-Seeing
- Arabic root
- ب ص ر
- Theme
- Knowledge and awareness
Meaning of Al-Basir
Al-Basir is the One who sees all things, outward and inward, without limit. Nothing is hidden from His sight, whether in darkness or in the depths of the heart. Like As-Sami', it is often mentioned with the reminder that nothing resembles Him.
Al-Basir in the Quran
Al-Basir appears in the Quran as a name or description of Allah. Two of the verses where it occurs:
فَاطِرُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًۭا وَمِنَ ٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ أَزْوَٰجًۭا ۖ يَذْرَؤُكُمْ فِيهِ ۚ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِۦ شَىْءٌۭ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ
The Creator of the heavens and the earth. He hath made for you pairs of yourselves, and of the cattle also pairs, whereby He multiplieth you. Naught is as His likeness; and He is the Hearer, the Seer.
سُبْحَٰنَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِۦ لَيْلًۭا مِّنَ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ إِلَى ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْأَقْصَا ٱلَّذِى بَٰرَكْنَا حَوْلَهُۥ لِنُرِيَهُۥ مِنْ ءَايَٰتِنَآ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ
Glorified be He Who carried His servant by night from the Inviolable Place of Worship to the Far distant place of worship the neighbourhood whereof We have blessed, that We might show him of Our tokens! Lo! He, only He, is the Hearer, the Seer.
Reflection
Remembering that Allah sees us is the essence of ihsan: worshipping Him as though we see Him.
Related names: knowledge and awareness
Frequently asked questions
What does Al-Basir mean?
Al-Basir (الْبَصِيرُ) means "The All-Seeing". Al-Basir is the One who sees all things, outward and inward, without limit. Nothing is hidden from His sight, whether in darkness or in the depths of the heart. Like As-Sami', it is often mentioned with the reminder that nothing resembles Him.
Is Al-Basir mentioned in the Quran?
Yes. Al-Basir is mentioned as a name or description of Allah in Surah Ash-Shura 42:11 and Surah Al-Isra 17:1.
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).