الْحَفِيظُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Al-Hafiz
The Preserver
The Preserver and Protector, who protects whatever and whoever He wills: that is Al-Hafiz, and its verse is Ya'qub's words in 12:64, only Allah is the best Protector. Al-Sa'di's gloss on 34:21 widens it to the keeping of every deed and of its reward.
Key verse
﴿قَالَ هَلْ ءَامَنُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا كَمَآ أَمِنتُكُمْ عَلَىٰٓ أَخِيهِ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ فَٱللَّهُ خَيْرٌ حَـٰفِظًا ۖ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ﴾He responded, “Should I trust you with him as I once trusted you with his brother ˹Joseph˺? But ˹only˺ Allah is the best Protector, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.”
The scholar's text
The Preserver, The Protector, The One who protects whatever and whoever He willed to protect.
(قَالَ هَلْ ءَامَنُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا كَمَآ أَمِنتُكُمْ عَلَىٰٓ أَخِيهِ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ فَٱللَّهُ خَيْرٌ حَـٰفِظًۭا ۖ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ) يوسف 12: 64
(He responded, “Should I trust you with him as I once trusted you with his brother ˹Joseph˺? But ˹only˺ Allah is the best Protector, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.”) Yusuf 12:64
الْحَفِيظُ is mentioned 3 times in the Holy Quran, and الحافظ is mentioned 3 times
الحافظ، الحامي، الذي يحفظ ما شاء ومن شاء حفظه.
(قَالَ هَلْ ءَامَنُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا كَمَآ أَمِنتُكُمْ عَلَىٰٓ أَخِيهِ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ فَٱللَّهُ خَيْرٌ حَـٰفِظًا ۖ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ) يوسف 12: 64
ورد الحفيظ في القرآن الكريم 3 مرات، وورد الحافظ 3 مرات.
Allah Is the Best Protector
Its verse is Ya'qub's answer when his sons asked to take their brother with them: should I trust you with him as I once trusted you with his brother Yusuf? But only Allah is the best Protector, and He is the Most Merciful of the merciful (12:64). They had promised more than this over Yusuf, al-Sa'di explains, and did not keep it, so he trusted not their promise but Allah; he hoped Allah would have mercy on him, protect the boy and bring him back.
Arabic: فالله خير حفظا
آيته جواب يعقوب لأبنائه حين طلبوا أن يرسل معهم أخاهم: ﴿قَالَ هَلْ ءَامَنُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ إِلَّا كَمَآ أَمِنتُكُمْ عَلَىٰٓ أَخِيهِ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ فَٱللَّهُ خَيْرٌ حَـٰفِظًا ۖ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: تقدم منكم التزام، أكثر من هذا في حفظ يوسف، ومع هذا لم تفوا بما عقدتم من التأكيد، فلا أثق بالتزامكم وحفظكم، وإنما أثق بالله تعالى»، وقال: «أي: يعلم حالي، وأرجو أن يرحمني، فيحفظه ويرده علي».
A Keeper over All Things
﴿وَمَا كَانَ لَهُۥ عَلَيْهِم مِّن سُلْطَـٰنٍ إِلَّا لِنَعْلَمَ مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ مِمَّنْ هُوَ مِنْهَا فِى شَكٍّ ۗ وَرَبُّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَفِيظٌ﴾He does not have any authority over them, but ˹Our Will is˺ only to distinguish those who believe in the Hereafter from those who are in doubt about it. And your Lord is a ˹vigilant˺ Keeper over all things.
34:21 closes the account of Iblis: he had no authority over them, only that We might distinguish those who believe in the Hereafter from those in doubt, and your Lord is a vigilant Keeper over all things. Allah made him a test, al-Sa'di says, that brings out the bad from the good. And the Keeper protects His servants, keeps their deeds, and keeps their recompense to pay it in full. Hud ends his message with the same Name (11:57): your harm, al-Sa'di comments, falls back on you; the disobedience of the disobedient does not harm Allah, nor does the obedience of the obedient benefit Him.
Arabic: وربك على كل شيء حفيظ
تختم آية سبأ خبر إبليس: ﴿وَمَا كَانَ لَهُۥ عَلَيْهِم مِّن سُلْطَـٰنٍ إِلَّا لِنَعْلَمَ مَن يُؤْمِنُ بِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ مِمَّنْ هُوَ مِنْهَا فِى شَكٍّ ۗ وَرَبُّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَفِيظٌ﴾، قال السعدي: «فاللّه تعالى جعله امتحانا، يمتحن به عباده، ويظهر الخبيث من الطيب»، وفي الحفيظ: «يحفظ العباد، ويحفظ عليهم أعمالهم، ويحفظ تعالى جزاءها، فيوفيهم إياها، كاملة موفرة». ويختم هود رسالته بالاسم نفسه: ﴿إِنَّ رَبِّى عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَفِيظٌ﴾، قال السعدي: «فإن ضرركم، إنما يعود عليكم، فالله لا تضره معصية العاصين. ولا تنفعه طاعة المطيعين».
Guardians Before and Behind
﴿لَهُۥ مُعَقِّبَـٰتٌ مِّنۢ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِۦ يَحْفَظُونَهُۥ مِنْ أَمْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا۟ مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ ۗ وَإِذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ سُوٓءًا فَلَا مَرَدَّ لَهُۥ ۚ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِۦ مِن وَالٍ﴾For each one there are successive angels before and behind, protecting them by Allah’s command. Indeed, Allah would never change a people’s state ˹of favour˺ until they change their own state ˹of faith˺. And if it is Allah’s Will to torment a people, it can never be averted, nor can they find a protector other than Him.
He protects through angels too. For each one there are successive angels before and behind, protecting them by Allah's command (13:11). They guard a person's body and soul from anyone who means him harm, al-Sa'di explains, and keep his deeds, so that nothing of his states or acts is hidden or forgotten. 86:4 says there is no soul without a vigilant angel, one who keeps its good and bad deeds, al-Sa'di says, for which it will be repaid.
Arabic: له معقبات من بين يديه ومن خلفه
ويحفظ بملائكته: ﴿لَهُۥ مُعَقِّبَـٰتٌ مِّنۢ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِۦ يَحْفَظُونَهُۥ مِنْ أَمْرِ ٱللَّهِ﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: يحفظون بدنه وروحه من كل من يريده بسوء، ويحفظون عليه أعماله، وهم ملازمون له دائما، فكما أن علم الله محيط به، فالله قد أرسل هؤلاء الحفظة على العباد، بحيث لا تخفى أحوالهم ولا أعمالهم، ولا ينسى منها شيء». وتقول آية الطارق: ﴿إِن كُلُّ نَفْسٍ لَّمَّا عَلَيْهَا حَافِظٌ﴾، قال السعدي: «يحفظ عليها أعمالها الصالحة والسيئة، وستجازى بعملها المحفوظ عليها».
Watchful over Them
﴿وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ ٱللَّهُ حَفِيظٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَمَآ أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِوَكِيلٍ﴾As for those who take other protectors besides Him, Allah is Watchful over them. And you ˹O Prophet˺ are not a keeper over them.
42:6 turns the Name toward those who took other protectors besides Him: Allah is Watchful over them, and you, O Prophet, are not a keeper over them. He keeps their deeds, al-Sa'di explains, and repays them for the good and the bad; the Prophet ﷺ is only the one who delivers, and he has done his part. 82:10 reminds everyone that they are watched by vigilant angels: Allah set noble angels over you, al-Sa'di says, who write your words and deeds, the heart's acts included, so it befits you to honour and respect them.
Arabic: الله حفيظ عليهم
توجه آية الشورى الاسم إلى من اتخذ أولياء من دونه: ﴿وَٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ ٱللَّهُ حَفِيظٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَمَآ أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِوَكِيلٍ﴾، قال السعدي: «يحفظ عليهم أعمالهم، فيجازيهم بخيرها وشرها»، وإنما النبي ﷺ مبلغ أدى وظيفته. وتقول آية الانفطار: ﴿وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَـٰفِظِينَ﴾، قال السعدي: «وقد أقام الله عليكم ملائكة كراما يكتبون أقوالكم وأفعالكم ويعلمون أفعالكم، ودخل في هذا أفعال القلوب، وأفعال الجوارح، فاللائق بكم أن تكرموهم وتجلوهم وتحترموهم».
Protect It as You Protect Your Righteous Servants
The Prophet ﷺ taught a bedtime du'a that asks for this protection, after shaking out the bed and lying on the right side: “in case Thou withholdst my being (if thou causest me to die), then grant pardon to my being, and if Thou keepst (this process of breathing on), then protect it with that with which Thou protected Thine pious servants” (Sahih Muslim 2714). Sahih al-Bukhari 6320 has the same plea for protection, with have mercy on it, farhamha, in place of forgive it.
Arabic: فاحفظها بما تحفظ به عبادك الصالحين
علم النبي ﷺ دعاء عند النوم يطلب هذا الحفظ، بعد نفض الفراش والاضطجاع على الشق الأيمن: «إِنْ أَمْسَكْتَ نَفْسِي فَاغْفِرْ لَهَا وَإِنْ أَرْسَلْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا بِمَا تَحْفَظُ بِهِ عِبَادَكَ الصَّالِحِينَ» (صحيح مسلم 2714)، وفي صحيح البخاري 6320 طلب الحفظ نفسه، وفيه «فارحمها» مكان «فاغفر لها».
From the Sunnah
in case Thou withholdst my being (if thou causest me to die), then grant pardon to my being, and if Thou keepst (this process of breathing on), then protect it with that with which Thou protected Thine pious servants
إِنْ أَمْسَكْتَ نَفْسِي فَاغْفِرْ لَهَا وَإِنْ أَرْسَلْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا بِمَا تَحْفَظُ بِهِ عِبَادَكَ الصَّالِحِينَ
A du'a with this Name
اللَّهُمَّ احْفَظْنِي مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَىَّ وَمِنْ خَلْفِي وَعَنْ يَمِينِي وَعَنْ شِمَالِي وَمِنْ فَوْقِي وَأَعُوذُ بِعَظَمَتِكَ أَنْ أُغْتَالَ مِنْ تَحْتِي
O Allah! guard me in front of me and behind me, on my right hand and on my left, and from above me: and I seek in Thy greatness from receiving unexpected harm from below me
Sunan Abi Dawud 5074, graded sahih by al-Albani: from the du'as the Prophet ﷺ never left in the evening and the morning, as Ibn Umar reported
Related Names
Questions about Al-Hafiz
What does Al-Hafiz mean?
Al-Hafiz is the Preserver and Protector, who protects whatever and whoever He wills.
How many times is Al-Hafiz in the Quran?
Al-Hafeez is mentioned 3 times in the Quran and al-Hafiz 3 times. Its verse is 12:64.
Who are the angels that guard us?
Successive angels before and behind each person (13:11); al-Sa'di says they guard body and soul from harm and keep the person's deeds.
Is there a du'a for protection from every side?
Yes, in the morning and evening: O Allah, guard me in front of me and behind me, on my right and my left, and from above me (Abu Dawud 5074, graded sahih by al-Albani).