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Assabile

الْعَلِيُّ

Al-Aliyy (العلي): Meaning of Allah’s Name

Name 37 of 998 verses of the Quran

Al-Aliyy: The Exalted

Recitation: Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary · 24 voices to choose from

Explanation of the name Al-Aliyy

To Him belongs highness in all of its aspects, Highness of His Essence, Highness of His Attributes and esteem, Highness of Strength and Power. He is the One Who has risen over His Throne and the One Who Has encompassed the dominion. He is the One in Whom all the attributes of greatness, grandness, magnificence and beauty find perfection and fulfillment.

"To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth, and He is the High, the Great." (42:4)

"Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High" (87:1)

— ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sa‘di

God, the Exalted said: “And He is the Most High, the Most Great”.

(Al-Baqarah 255).

And He, the Exalted said: “Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High”. (Al-A’la: 1)

He, the Exalted, also said: “All-Knower of the Unseen and the seen, the Most Great, the Most High”. (Ar-Rad: 9)

The Linguistic Meaning:

Al-Aaliyy: Is derived from (Alooluw) which is loftiness and sublimity, which indicates the highness of the place or the position. Al-Aala means comparatively the highest, indicates higher than everything and better in its description. Al-Mutaal: Derived from Alooluw and it is the complete loftiness, indicating this Attribute (Name) is exclusive only to Him. These Glorious Names indicate derivation and similar meaning, thus entail the perfect and absolute height of God, for He is the High, the Highest and the Sublime by His Essence over all of His creation, Settled over His Throne in a manner that only suits His Majesty and Grandeur. He is the High in His Stature, Significance and Esteem Who has the highest of all attributes of perfection and none can compete with Him. He has the highest of dominance and supremacy, and none can dispute nor defeat Him. He is High above any flow, defect, and deficiency. He is sublimely High over the equals, peers and opponents. He is above what the disbelievers and atheists had ascribed to Him. He is the High above every perfection that attempts to approach Him or approach His Sublimity.

The Grandeur of Al-Aaliyy, Al-Aala and Al-Mutaal

They indicate the attributes of His Highness which is inseparable from Him forever, which is a part of His Essence, for He is always High over His creation. The grandeur of His Highness above everything is evident in the fact that nothing between His Throne and the bottom of the earth can be hidden from Him, for He sees and hears all secrets. And He descends to this life every night while He is at the ultimate height (altitude).

— Maher bin Moqaddam · Explanation shared with: Al-Mutaali

The name in the Quran

This name occurs in 8 verses of 7 surahs.

ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ لَا تَأْخُذُهُۥ سِنَةٌ وَلَا نَوْمٌ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِى يَشْفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِۦ يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَىْءٍ مِّنْ عِلْمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَ وَسِعَ كُرْسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفْظُهُمَا وَهُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْعَظِيمُ ۝٢٥٥

Allāh - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Self-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursī extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.

Explanation: Al-Mukhtasar

Allah is the One Who alone deserves to be worshipped. He is the One who lives perfectly without any death or deficiency. He exists by Himself and is not in need of any of His creation. The creation only exists through Him and is always in need of Him. Drowsiness or sleep does not come upon Him due to the perfection of His life and existence. He alone controls the heavens and the earth. No one can intercede before Him without His acceptance and permission. He knows what has happened in the past and what will happen in the future. The creation has no share in His knowledge unless He wills to grant them some of it. His Throne covers the vastness of the heavens and the earth. It is not difficult for Him to preserve the heaven and the earth. He is High in His essence and attributes and Great in His dominion and authority.

Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 255

ٱلرِّجَالُ قَوَّٰمُونَ عَلَى ٱلنِّسَآءِ بِمَا فَضَّلَ ٱللَّهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ وَبِمَآ أَنفَقُوا۟ مِنْ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ فَٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتُ قَٰنِتَٰتٌ حَٰفِظَٰتٌ لِّلْغَيْبِ بِمَا حَفِظَ ٱللَّهُ وَٱلَّٰتِى تَخَافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَٱهْجُرُوهُنَّ فِى ٱلْمَضَاجِعِ وَٱضْرِبُوهُنَّ فَإِنْ أَطَعْنَكُمْ فَلَا تَبْغُوا۟ عَلَيْهِنَّ سَبِيلًا إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيًّا كَبِيرًا ۝٣٤

Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allāh has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allāh would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance - [first] advise them; [then if they persist], forsake them in bed; and [finally], strike them [lightly]. But if they obey you [once more], seek no means against them. Indeed, Allāh is ever Exalted and Grand.

Explanation: Al-Mukhtasar

Men are responsible for women, protecting and taking care of them, because of the bounty He has given men over them, and because of their duty to maintain and take care of them. Righteous women are devoted to their Lord, and devoted to their husbands, protecting things for them in their absence through Allah’s help. The women who you fear would not show devotion to their husbands in what they say or do, first remind them of how they should act according to the sacred laws; if they do not change their ways, then leave them alone in bed, turning your back to them and not having sexual relations; and if they still do not change their ways, then strike them without any ferocity. If they become loyal again, then do not do anything against them, not wronging them nor blaming them. Allah is High in His essence, Great in His attributes, so be mindful of Him.

Surah An-Nisa, Verse 34

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَأَنَّ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦ هُوَ ٱلْبَٰطِلُ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْكَبِيرُ ۝٦٢

That is because Allāh is the True Reality, and that which they call upon other than Him is falsehood, and because Allāh is the Most High, the Grand.

Explanation: Al-Mukhtasar

The aforementioned, i.e. entering the night into the day and the day into the night, is because Allah is truly existent, and so His religion is the truth, His promise is also true and His helping the believers is also true. The idols that the idolaters worship instead of Allah are false and have no basis. And Allah is supreme over His creation in being, in power and in subjugation; the Grand to Whom belongs all majesty, grandeur and exaltedness.

Surah Al-Hajj, Verse 62

ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَأَنَّ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ ٱلْبَٰطِلُ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْعَلِىُّ ٱلْكَبِيرُ ۝٣٠

That is because Allāh is the True Reality, and that what they call upon other than Him is falsehood, and because Allāh is the Most High, the Grand.

Explanation: Al-Mukhtasar

That organisation and decree bears testimony to Allah alone being true; He is true in His being, attributes and actions. It also bears testimony to everything that the idolaters worship being unfounded falsehood, and that Allah is the Exalted in His being and His attributes over all His creation; there is none higher than Him, and He is greater than everything.

Surah Luqman, Verse 30

The 4 other verses

The name in the hadiths

Authentic Sunan Ibn Majah 3878

“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ‘Whoever wakes up in the morning and says upon waking: La ilaha illallah wahdahu la sharika lahu, lahul-mulku wa lahul-hamdu, wa Huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in Qadir; Subhan-Allah walhamdu lillahi, wa la ilaha illallahu, wa Allahu Akbar, wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa…

"‏ مَنْ تَعَارَّ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ حِينَ يَسْتَيْقِظُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ…

Narrated by Ubādah ibn as-Sāmit + 5 other versions

Supplications with this name

Thursday, October 15, 2026 4 جمادى الأولى 1448 هـ