Name 45 of 99
الْوَاسِعُ
Al-Wasi' – The All-Encompassing, the Boundless
- Transliteration
- Al-Wasi'
- Meaning
- The All-Encompassing, the Boundless
- Arabic root
- و س ع
- Theme
- Provision and generosity
Meaning of Al-Wasi'
Al-Wasi' is the One whose knowledge, mercy, generosity and power encompass everything. Nothing is too large for Him to provide and nothing too vast for His mercy. In the Quran it is often paired with Al-'Alim, the All-Knowing.
Al-Wasi' in the Quran
Al-Wasi' appears in the Quran as a name or description of Allah. Two of the verses where it occurs:
وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْمَشْرِقُ وَٱلْمَغْرِبُ ۚ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا۟ فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ
Unto Allah belong the East and the West, and whithersoever ye turn, there is Allah's Countenance. Lo! Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing.
ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ يَعِدُكُمُ ٱلْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِٱلْفَحْشَآءِ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةًۭ مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلًۭا ۗ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ
The devil promiseth you destitution and enjoineth on you lewdness. But Allah promiseth you forgiveness from Himself with bounty. Allah is All-Embracing, All-knowing.
Reflection
Allah's bounty is never exhausted, so there is no reason to envy what others have.
Related names: provision and generosity
Frequently asked questions
What does Al-Wasi' mean?
Al-Wasi' (الْوَاسِعُ) means "The All-Encompassing, the Boundless". Al-Wasi' is the One whose knowledge, mercy, generosity and power encompass everything. Nothing is too large for Him to provide and nothing too vast for His mercy. In the Quran it is often paired with Al-'Alim, the All-Knowing.
Is Al-Wasi' mentioned in the Quran?
Yes. Al-Wasi' is mentioned as a name or description of Allah in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:115 and Surah Al-Baqarah 2:268.
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).