Name 50 of 99
الشَّهِيدُ
Ash-Shahid – The Witness
- Transliteration
- Ash-Shahid
- Meaning
- The Witness
- Arabic root
- ش ه د
- Theme
- Knowledge and awareness
Meaning of Ash-Shahid
Ash-Shahid is the One who witnesses everything; nothing happens in His absence. He is present with His knowledge over all events, and His testimony is the most truthful. Several verses say that Allah is a witness over all things.
Ash-Shahid in the Quran
Ash-Shahid appears in the Quran as a name or description of Allah. Two of the verses where it occurs:
مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِلَّا مَآ أَمَرْتَنِى بِهِۦٓ أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبَّكُمْ ۚ وَكُنتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًۭا مَّا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِى كُنتَ أَنتَ ٱلرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَأَنتَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ شَهِيدٌ
I spake unto them only that which Thou commandedst me, (saying): Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. I was a witness of them while I dwelt among them, and when Thou tookest me Thou wast the Watcher over them. Thou art Witness over all things.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَٱلَّذِينَ هَادُوا۟ وَٱلصَّٰبِـِٔينَ وَٱلنَّصَٰرَىٰ وَٱلْمَجُوسَ وَٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ شَهِيدٌ
Lo! those who believe (this revelation), and those who are Jews, and the Sabaeans and the Christians and the Magians and the idolaters - Lo! Allah will decide between them on the Day of Resurrection. Lo! Allah is Witness over all things.
Reflection
Allah's witnessing is sufficient when others do not see our efforts or our hardships.
Related names: knowledge and awareness
Frequently asked questions
What does Ash-Shahid mean?
Ash-Shahid (الشَّهِيدُ) means "The Witness". Ash-Shahid is the One who witnesses everything; nothing happens in His absence. He is present with His knowledge over all events, and His testimony is the most truthful. Several verses say that Allah is a witness over all things.
Is Ash-Shahid mentioned in the Quran?
Yes. Ash-Shahid is mentioned as a name or description of Allah in Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:117 and Surah Al-Hajj 22:17.
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).