Name 66 of 99
الْوَاحِدُ
Al-Wahid – The One
- Transliteration
- Al-Wahid
- Meaning
- The One
- Arabic root
- و ح د
- Theme
- Oneness and eternity
Meaning of Al-Wahid
Al-Wahid is the One who has no partner, equal or rival in His divinity, lordship, names or attributes. Tawhid, the core of Islamic belief, comes from the same root. In the Quran this name is often joined with Al-Qahhar.
Al-Wahid in the Quran
Al-Wahid appears in the Quran as a name or description of Allah. Two of the verses where it occurs:
قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ ۚ قُلْ أَفَٱتَّخَذْتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ نَفْعًۭا وَلَا ضَرًّۭا ۚ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِى ٱلظُّلُمَٰتُ وَٱلنُّورُ ۗ أَمْ جَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ خَلَقُوا۟ كَخَلْقِهِۦ فَتَشَٰبَهَ ٱلْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ خَٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ وَهُوَ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّٰرُ
Say (O Muhammad): Who is Lord of the heavens and the earth? Say: Allah. Say: Take ye then (others) beside Him for protectors, which, even for themselves, have neither benefit nor hurt? Say: Is the blind man equal to the seer, or is darkness equal to light? Or assign they unto Allah partners who created the like of His creation so that the creation (which they made and His creation) seemed alike to them? Say: Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Almighty.
وَإِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌۭ وَٰحِدٌۭ ۖ لَّآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
Your Allah is One Allah; there is no Allah save Him, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Reflection
Directing worship, hope and fear to the One God alone is the foundation of a Muslim's life.
Related names: oneness and eternity
Frequently asked questions
What does Al-Wahid mean?
Al-Wahid (الْوَاحِدُ) means "The One". Al-Wahid is the One who has no partner, equal or rival in His divinity, lordship, names or attributes. Tawhid, the core of Islamic belief, comes from the same root. In the Quran this name is often joined with Al-Qahhar.
Is Al-Wahid mentioned in the Quran?
Yes. Al-Wahid is mentioned as a name or description of Allah in Surah Ar-Ra'd 13:16 and Surah Al-Baqarah 2:163.
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).