Name 47 of 99
الْوَدُودُ
Al-Wadud – The Most Loving
- Transliteration
- Al-Wadud
- Meaning
- The Most Loving
- Arabic root
- و د د
- Theme
- Mercy and love
Meaning of Al-Wadud
Al-Wadud is the One who loves His righteous servants and is beloved by them. The word wudd describes affectionate love that is shown openly. In Surah al-Buruj it comes right after Al-Ghafur, linking forgiveness with love.
Al-Wadud in the Quran
Al-Wadud appears in the Quran as a name or description of Allah. Two of the verses where it occurs:
وَهُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلْوَدُودُ
And He is the Forgiving, the Loving,
وَٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى رَحِيمٌۭ وَدُودٌۭ
Ask pardon of your Lord and then turn unto Him (repentant). Lo! my Lord is Merciful, Loving.
Reflection
Allah's love is earned by obeying Him and by loving what He loves, including kindness to people.
Related names: mercy and love
Frequently asked questions
What does Al-Wadud mean?
Al-Wadud (الْوَدُودُ) means "The Most Loving". Al-Wadud is the One who loves His righteous servants and is beloved by them. The word wudd describes affectionate love that is shown openly. In Surah al-Buruj it comes right after Al-Ghafur, linking forgiveness with love.
Is Al-Wadud mentioned in the Quran?
Yes. Al-Wadud is mentioned as a name or description of Allah in Surah Al-Buruj 85:14 and Surah Hud 11:90.
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).