المُذِلُّ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Al-Muzil
The Dishonourer
Al-Muzil: when Allah honours someone, no one can bring him low, and when He brings someone low, no one can honour him. The Quran says it in 22:18: whoever Allah disgraces, none can honour. The Name itself comes in a list of Names in at-Tirmidhi (3507, graded weak by al-Albani).
Key verse
﴿قُلِ ٱللَّهُمَّ مَـٰلِكَ ٱلْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِى ٱلْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَنزِعُ ٱلْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَآءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَآءُ ۖ بِيَدِكَ ٱلْخَيْرُ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴾Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “O Allah! Lord over all authorities! You give authority to whoever You please and remove it from who You please; You honour whoever You please and disgrace who You please: all good is in Your Hands. Surely You ˹alone˺ are Most Capable of everything.
The scholar's text
He gives esteem to whoever He willed, hence there is no one to degrade him; And He degrades whoever He willed, hence there is no one to give him esteem.
It is mentioned times in the Holy Quran
Note: The number is missing from this line in the original post.
يعز من يشاء فلا أحد يذله، ويذل من يشاء فلا أحد يعزه.
ورد في القرآن الكريم ... مرة.
ملاحظة: العدد ساقط من هذا السطر في المنشور الأصلي.
You Honour and You Disgrace
3:26 is a prayer the Prophet ﷺ is told to say, and its middle is the definition above: You honour whoever You please and disgrace who You please, and all good is in Your Hands. Al-Tabari reads the pair through rule. He honours a person by giving him authority, power and capacity, and He disgraces him by stripping his rule from him and setting his enemy over him. Al-Sa'di names the cause on the servant's side: He honours by obedience to Him and disgraces by disobedience.
Arabic: وتعز من تشاء وتذل من تشاء
تعلم آية آل عمران النبي ﷺ دعاء، وفي وسطه معنى التعريف السابق: ﴿وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَآءُ ۖ بِيَدِكَ ٱلْخَيْرُ﴾. قال الطبري: «وتعز من تشاء، بإعطائه الملك والسلطان، وَبسط القدرة له ، وتذلّ من تشاء بسلبك ملكه، وتسليط عدوه عليه». وقال السعدي: «وتعز من تشاء بطاعتك وتذل من تشاء بمعصيتك».
None Can Honour Him
﴿أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَسْجُدُ لَهُۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلشَّمْسُ وَٱلْقَمَرُ وَٱلنُّجُومُ وَٱلْجِبَالُ وَٱلشَّجَرُ وَٱلدَّوَآبُّ وَكَثِيرٌ مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ ۖ وَكَثِيرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْعَذَابُ ۗ وَمَن يُهِنِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن مُّكْرِمٍ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۩﴾Do you not see that to Allah bow down ˹in submission˺ all those in the heavens and all those on the earth, as well as the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, and ˹all˺ living beings, as well as many humans, while many are deserving of punishment. And whoever Allah disgraces, none can honour. Surely Allah does what He wills.
22:18 lists what bows to Allah: all in the heavens and on the earth, the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, living beings and many people, while many deserve punishment. Then it says: whoever Allah disgraces, none can honour. That is the second half of the definition, in the Quran's own words. Al-Baghawi explains it: whoever Allah abases, no one honours him; He honours and disgraces, and happiness and wretchedness are by His will. Al-Qurtubi says the disgrace here is wretchedness and disbelief, and no one can lift it from the person.
Arabic: ومن يهن الله فما له من مكرم
تذكر آية الحج من يسجد لله: من في السماوات ومن في الأرض، والشمس والقمر والنجوم والجبال والشجر والدواب وكثير من الناس، ثم تقول: ﴿وَكَثِيرٌ حَقَّ عَلَيْهِ ٱلْعَذَابُ ۗ وَمَن يُهِنِ ٱللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُۥ مِن مُّكْرِمٍ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ﴾. وهذا الشطر الثاني من التعريف بلفظ القرآن. قال البغوي: «أي من يذله الله فلا يكرمه أحد»، «أي يكرم ويهين فالسعادة والشقاوة بإرادته ومشيئته». وقال القرطبي: «أي من أهانه بالشقاء والكفر لا يقدر أحد على دفع الهوان عنه».
Among the Most Debased
﴿إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُحَآدُّونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥٓ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ فِى ٱلْأَذَلِّينَ﴾˹As for˺ those who defy Allah and His Messenger, they will definitely be among the most debased.
58:20 says those who defy Allah and His Messenger will be among the most debased, and 58:21 gives the other side: Allah has decreed, I and My messengers will certainly prevail. Al-Sa'di calls 58:20 a promise and a threat. The threat is for whoever defies Allah and His Messenger by disbelief and sin: he is forsaken and abased, with no good end and no banner that wins. The promise, he says on 58:21, is victory and the upper hand in this world and the next for those who believe and follow the messengers, and it is a promise that is not broken or changed.
Arabic: أولئك في الأذلين
تقول آية المجادلة: ﴿إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُحَآدُّونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥٓ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ فِى ٱلْأَذَلِّينَ﴾، وبعدها: ﴿كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَأَغْلِبَنَّ أَنَا۠ وَرُسُلِىٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ﴾. قال السعدي: «هذا وعد ووعيد، وعيد لمن حاد الله ورسوله بالكفر والمعاصي، أنه مخذول مذلول، لا عاقبة له حميدة، ولا راية له منصورة». وقال في الوعد لمن آمن واتبع المرسلين: «أن لهم الفتح والنصر والغلبة في الدنيا والآخرة، وهذا وعد لا يخلف ولا يغير».
He Is Never Humbled
﴿وَقُلِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ شَرِيكٌ فِى ٱلْمُلْكِ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ وَلِىٌّ مِّنَ ٱلذُّلِّ ۖ وَكَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيرًۢا﴾And say, “All praise is for Allah, Who has never had ˹any˺ offspring; nor does He have a partner in ˹governing˺ the kingdom; nor is He pathetic, needing a protector. And revere Him immensely.”
The One who abases is never abased. 17:111, the last verse of its surah, tells the Prophet ﷺ to praise Allah, who has no offspring and no partner in the kingdom, nor is He pathetic, needing a protector. Al-Sa'di explains: He takes no one from His creation as an ally to gain strength through him, for He needs no one, in the earth or the heavens. When He takes allies, it is out of His goodness to them and His mercy.
Arabic: ولم يكن له ولي من الذل
المذل لا يذل. تأمر آخر آية في الإسراء بحمد الله: ﴿وَقُلِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ شَرِيكٌ فِى ٱلْمُلْكِ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ وَلِىٌّ مِّنَ ٱلذُّلِّ ۖ وَكَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيرًۢا﴾. قال السعدي: «أي: لا يتولى أحدًا من خلقه ليتعزز به ويعاونه، فإنه الغني الحميد، الذي لا يحتاج إلى أحد من المخلوقات، في الأرض ولا في السماوات»، «ولكنه يتخذ أولياء إحسانًا منه إليهم ورحمة بهم».
Humble With the Believers
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَن يَرْتَدَّ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِۦ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِى ٱللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُۥٓ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ يُجَـٰهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لَآئِمٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ﴾O believers! Whoever among you abandons their faith, Allah will replace them with others who love Him and are loved by Him. They will be humble with the believers but firm towards the disbelievers, struggling in the Way of Allah; fearing no blame from anyone. This is the favour of Allah. He grants it to whoever He wills. And Allah is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing.
Humility can be praise. 5:54 describes the people Allah loves and who love Him: humble with the believers but firm towards the disbelievers. Their humility, al-Sa'di says, comes from their love for the believers, their sincerity, gentleness, kindness and mercy toward them, and their being easy to deal with. And the Prophet ﷺ taught al-Hasan ibn Ali to say in the witr: “and he is not humiliated whom You have befriended” (Sunan an-Nasa'i 1745, graded sahih by al-Albani). In Abu Dawud's narration (1425, graded sahih by al-Albani) it goes on: and the one You take as an enemy is not honoured.
Arabic: أذلة على المؤمنين أعزة على الكافرين
وقد يكون التذلل للمؤمنين مدحا: ﴿يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُۥٓ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ﴾، قال السعدي: «فهم للمؤمنين أذلة من محبتهم لهم، ونصحهم لهم، ولينهم ورفقهم ورأفتهم، ورحمتهم بهم وسهولة جانبهم». وعلم النبي ﷺ الحسن بن علي أن يقول في الوتر: «وَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ» (سنن النسائي 1745، صححه الألباني)، وفي رواية أبي داود (1425، صححه الألباني): «وَلاَ يَعِزُّ مَنْ عَادَيْتَ».
From the Sunnah
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught me some words to say in witr in Qunut: Allahumma ihdini fiman hadayta wa 'afini fiman afayta wa tawallani fiman tawallayta wa barik li fima a'tayta, wa qini sharra ma qadayta, fa innaka taqdi wa la yuqda 'alayk, wa innahu la yadhilluman walayta, tabarakta Rabbana wa at'alayt (O Allah, guide me among those whom You have guided, pardon me among those You have pardoned, turn to me in friendship among those on whom You have turned in friendship, and bless me in what You have bestowed, and save me from the evil of what You have decreed. For verily You decree and none can influence You; and he is not humiliated whom You have befriended. Blessed are You, O Lord, and Exalted
عَلَّمَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَلِمَاتٍ أَقُولُهُنَّ فِي الْوَتْرِ فِي الْقُنُوتِ اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنِي فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ وَعَافِنِي فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ وَتَوَلَّنِي فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ وَبَارِكْ لِي فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَقِنِي شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ إِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلاَ يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ وَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ
A du'a with this Name
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْفَقْرِ وَالْقِلَّةِ وَالذِّلَّةِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ أَنْ أَظْلِمَ أَوْ أُظْلَمَ
O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from poverty, lack and abasement, and I seek refuge in Thee lest I cause or suffer wrong
Sunan Abi Dawud 1544, graded sahih by al-Albani: what the Prophet ﷺ used to say, as Abu Hurayrah reported; abasement is al-dhillah (a stray quotation mark in the dataset's English is left out)
Related Names
Questions about Al-Muzil
What does Al-Muzil mean?
Al-Muzil is Allah, who gives esteem to whoever He wills and no one can degrade him, and degrades whoever He wills and no one can give him esteem.
Where does the Name Al-Muzil come from?
Al-Muzil comes from the Tirmidhi 3507 list of Names (weak in al-Albani's grading), and 3:26 says: You honour whoever You please and disgrace who You please.
Why does Allah abase some people?
Al-Sa'di on 3:26: He honours by obedience to Him and abases by disobedience; on 58:20 he says whoever defies Allah and His Messenger is forsaken and abased.
Is humility ever praised?
Yes. 5:54 praises believers who are humble with one another; al-Sa'di says it comes from love, gentleness and mercy.