الْمُتَعَالِي
Al-Mutaali: The Supreme and Exalted One
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).
Allah has absolute highness in every sense above all else—highness with regard to His Being, majestic position, attributes and absolute dominance. He is high above His creation and everything and everyone is under His absolute control and superior authority.
This name occurs in 1 verse of 1 surah.
عَٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ ٱلْكَبِيرُ ٱلْمُتَعَالِ ٩
[He is] Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, the Grand, the Exalted.
This is because He, may He be glorified, knows about everything that is not perceived by His creation as well as everything that is perceived by them. He is the Majestic in His attributes, names and actions. The Supreme over every creation of His in His self and attributes.
