Name 4 of 99
الْقُدُّوسُ
Al-Quddus – The Most Holy, the Pure
- Transliteration
- Al-Quddus
- Meaning
- The Most Holy, the Pure
- Arabic root
- ق د س
- Theme
- Majesty and perfection
Meaning of Al-Quddus
Al-Quddus means the One who is utterly pure and free from every defect, deficiency and anything unbefitting. The root carries the sense of holiness and purity. Whatever perfection the mind can imagine, Allah is beyond it, and whatever flaw can be imagined, He is free of it.
Al-Quddus in the Quran
Al-Quddus appears in the Quran as a name or description of Allah. Two of the verses where it occurs:
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱلْقُدُّوسُ ٱلسَّلَٰمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُ ٱلْمُهَيْمِنُ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْجَبَّارُ ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرُ ۚ سُبْحَٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
He is Allah, than Whom there is no other Allah, the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One, Peace, the Keeper of Faith, the Guardian, the Majestic, the Compeller, the Superb. Glorified be Allah from all that they ascribe as partner (unto Him).
يُسَبِّحُ لِلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ٱلْمَلِكِ ٱلْقُدُّوسِ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْحَكِيمِ
All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth glorifieth Allah, the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One, the Mighty, the Wise.
Reflection
Glorifying Allah with "SubhanAllah" is an affirmation of this name: declaring Him free of all imperfection.
Related names: majesty and perfection
Frequently asked questions
What does Al-Quddus mean?
Al-Quddus (الْقُدُّوسُ) means "The Most Holy, the Pure". Al-Quddus means the One who is utterly pure and free from every defect, deficiency and anything unbefitting. The root carries the sense of holiness and purity. Whatever perfection the mind can imagine, Allah is beyond it, and whatever flaw can be imagined, He is free of it.
Is Al-Quddus mentioned in the Quran?
Yes. Al-Quddus is mentioned as a name or description of Allah in Surah Al-Hashr 59:23 and Surah Al-Jumu'ah 62:1.
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).