Name 68 of 99
الصَّمَدُ
As-Samad – The Eternal Refuge, the Self-Sufficient
- Transliteration
- As-Samad
- Meaning
- The Eternal Refuge, the Self-Sufficient
- Arabic root
- ص م د
- Theme
- Oneness and eternity
Meaning of As-Samad
As-Samad is the One to whom all creation turns in its needs, while He Himself needs nothing. Classical commentators explained it as the Master to whom people turn in their needs, and the One who is perfect in His attributes. It appears only once in the Quran, in Surah al-Ikhlas.
As-Samad in the Quran
As-Samad appears in the Quran as a name or description of Allah. A verse where it occurs:
ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ
Allah, the eternally Besought of all!
Reflection
All our needs, large and small, can be taken to As-Samad.
Related names: oneness and eternity
Frequently asked questions
What does As-Samad mean?
As-Samad (الصَّمَدُ) means "The Eternal Refuge, the Self-Sufficient". As-Samad is the One to whom all creation turns in its needs, while He Himself needs nothing. Classical commentators explained it as the Master to whom people turn in their needs, and the One who is perfect in His attributes. It appears only once in the Quran, in Surah al-Ikhlas.
Is As-Samad mentioned in the Quran?
Yes. As-Samad is mentioned as a name or description of Allah in Surah Al-Ikhlas 112:2.
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).