Name 13 of 99
الْمُصَوِّرُ
Al-Musawwir – The Fashioner, the Shaper of forms
- Transliteration
- Al-Musawwir
- Meaning
- The Fashioner, the Shaper of forms
- Arabic root
- ص و ر
- Theme
- Creation
Meaning of Al-Musawwir
Al-Musawwir is the One who gives every creature its particular shape and appearance. No two faces, fingerprints or leaves are exactly alike, and each is formed as He wills. The Quran mentions that He shapes human beings in the womb as He pleases.
Al-Musawwir in the Quran
Al-Musawwir appears in the Quran as a name or description of Allah. A verse where it occurs:
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْخَٰلِقُ ٱلْبَارِئُ ٱلْمُصَوِّرُ ۖ لَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
He is Allah, the Creator, the Shaper out of naught, the Fashioner. His are the most beautiful names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorifieth Him, and He is the Mighty, the Wise.
Reflection
Accepting the form Allah gave us, and not mocking the appearance of others, is part of honouring this name.
Related names: creation
Frequently asked questions
What does Al-Musawwir mean?
Al-Musawwir (الْمُصَوِّرُ) means "The Fashioner, the Shaper of forms". Al-Musawwir is the One who gives every creature its particular shape and appearance. No two faces, fingerprints or leaves are exactly alike, and each is formed as He wills. The Quran mentions that He shapes human beings in the womb as He pleases.
Is Al-Musawwir mentioned in the Quran?
Yes. Al-Musawwir is mentioned as a name or description of Allah in Surah Al-Hashr 59:24.
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).