Name 42 of 99
الْكَرِيمُ
Al-Karim – The Most Generous, the Most Noble
- Transliteration
- Al-Karim
- Meaning
- The Most Generous, the Most Noble
- Arabic root
- ك ر م
- Theme
- Provision and generosity
Meaning of Al-Karim
Al-Karim is the One whose generosity is unlimited and who is noble in every respect. He gives before being asked, gives more than is deserved, and forgives when He could punish. Surah al-Infitar asks the human being what has deceived him about his Lord, the Generous.
Al-Karim in the Quran
Al-Karim appears in the Quran as a name or description of Allah. Two of the verses where it occurs:
قَالَ ٱلَّذِى عِندَهُۥ عِلْمٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ أَنَا۠ ءَاتِيكَ بِهِۦ قَبْلَ أَن يَرْتَدَّ إِلَيْكَ طَرْفُكَ ۚ فَلَمَّا رَءَاهُ مُسْتَقِرًّا عِندَهُۥ قَالَ هَٰذَا مِن فَضْلِ رَبِّى لِيَبْلُوَنِىٓ ءَأَشْكُرُ أَمْ أَكْفُرُ ۖ وَمَن شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشْكُرُ لِنَفْسِهِۦ ۖ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّى غَنِىٌّۭ كَرِيمٌۭ
One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: I will bring it thee before thy gaze returneth unto thee. And when he saw it set in his presence, (Solomon) said: This is of the bounty of my Lord, that He may try me whether I give thanks or am ungrateful. Whosoever giveth thanks he only giveth thanks for (the good of) his own soul; and whosoever is ungrateful (is ungrateful only to his own soul's hurt). For lo! my Lord is Absolute in independence, Bountiful.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ مَا غَرَّكَ بِرَبِّكَ ٱلْكَرِيمِ
O man! What hath made thee careless concerning thy Lord, the Bountiful,
Reflection
Generosity toward others, especially when it is not deserved, reflects this name.
Related names: provision and generosity
Frequently asked questions
What does Al-Karim mean?
Al-Karim (الْكَرِيمُ) means "The Most Generous, the Most Noble". Al-Karim is the One whose generosity is unlimited and who is noble in every respect. He gives before being asked, gives more than is deserved, and forgives when He could punish. Surah al-Infitar asks the human being what has deceived him about his Lord, the Generous.
Is Al-Karim mentioned in the Quran?
Yes. Al-Karim is mentioned as a name or description of Allah in Surah An-Naml 27:40 and Surah Al-Infitar 82:6.
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).