Al-Wadud (الودود): Meaning of Allah’s Name

The One Who Loves His Prophet and Messengers and those who follow them, and they in turn love Him - He is more beloved to them than anything else. Their hearts are filled with love of Him, their tongues are constantly moist with praising Him, and their hearts are always drawn to Him in love, sincerity and repentance.

"And ask forgiveness from your Lord and turn to Him in repentance. Verily my Lord is the Most Merciful, the Loving." (11:90)

"And He is Oft-Forgiving, the Loving." (85:14)

God, the Exalted, said: “And He is Oft-Forgiving, full of love (towards the pious who are real true believers of Islamic Monotheism).” (Al Buruj: 14).

The Linguistic Meaning:

Al-wudd: Al-Wudd is the purest and greatest type of love. Al-Wadood has two meanings: The first: He loves His prophets, messengers, angels and faithful slaves. The second: He is the Lovable Who is greatly loved by His prophets and followers, to the extent that nothing is more lovable to them than Him, Who deserves to be loved by all the love and to be loved by the slave more than the slave’s hearing, sight and all of his loved ones. God, the Exalted: Loves His righteous slaves, He loves them and they love Him, and out of His Love to them He makes it easy for people to love them, makes them lovable to His creation; therefore, He makes His Love felt in the hearts of His followers, and people of heavens, and people of the earth, without their begging.

The Grandeur of Al-Wadood

He is so Glorious that the slave’s love for his God is considered as a favor and grace from Him, as it is not because of the slave’s ability, for He had loved His slave before; therefore, He had put the Love (of Him) inside the heart of the slave, and then when the slave loved Him -in return- God rewarded the slave with another love, and that is the favor of truth.