الْمُقِيتُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Al-Muqeet
The Maintainer
Four meanings sit together in Al-Muqeet: Maintainer, Guardian, Feeder, and the One who has the power. The early explanations in Ibn Kathir go over the same ground. One view al-Baghawi records is that He brings every living thing its food. The Name is in 4:85.
Key verse
﴿مَّن يَشْفَعْ شَفَـٰعَةً حَسَنَةً يَكُن لَّهُۥ نَصِيبٌ مِّنْهَا ۖ وَمَن يَشْفَعْ شَفَـٰعَةً سَيِّئَةً يَكُن لَّهُۥ كِفْلٌ مِّنْهَا ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ مُّقِيتًا﴾Whoever intercedes for a good cause will have a share in the reward, and whoever intercedes for an evil cause will have a share in the burden. And Allah is Watchful over all things.
The scholar's text
The Maintainer, The Guardian, The Feeder, The One who has the Power.
(مَّن يَشْفَعْ شَفَـٰعَةً حَسَنَةًۭ يَكُن لَّهُۥ نَصِيبٌۭ مِّنْهَا ۖ وَمَن يَشْفَعْ شَفَـٰعَةًۭ سَيِّئَةًۭ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كِفْلٌۭ مِّنْهَا ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ مُّقِيتًۭا) النساء 4: 85
(Whoever intercedes for a good cause will have a share in the reward, and whoever intercedes for an evil cause will have a share in the burden. And Allah is Watchful over all things.) An-Nisa 4: 85
It is mentioned 1 time in the Holy Quran
الحافظ، الرقيب، المطعم، صاحب القدرة.
(مَّن يَشْفَعْ شَفَـٰعَةً حَسَنَةً يَكُن لَّهُۥ نَصِيبٌ مِّنْهَا ۖ وَمَن يَشْفَعْ شَفَـٰعَةً سَيِّئَةً يَكُن لَّهُۥ كِفْلٌ مِّنْهَا ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ مُّقِيتًا) النساء 4: 85
ورد في القرآن الكريم مرة واحدة.
One Word, Many Meanings
What the definition gathers in one line, the first generations said one by one. In Ibn Kathir's list, Ibn Abbas, Ata, Atiyya, Qatada and Matar al-Warraq say Guardian; Mujahid says Witness, or in another report Reckoner; Sa'id ibn Jubayr, al-Suddi and Ibn Zayd say Able; Abdullah ibn Kathir says Constant; al-Dahhak says Provider. Closest to the word itself is the explanation al-Baghawi adds: the One who brings every living thing its food.
Arabic: أقوال السلف في المقيت
توافق المعاني الأربعة في التعريف أقوال السلف، قال ابن كثير عن ابن عباس وعطاء وعطية وقتادة ومطر الوراق: «أي: حفيظا. وقال مجاهد: شهيدا. وفي رواية عنه: حسيبا. وقال سعيد بن جبير، والسدي، وابن زيد: قديرا. وقال عبد الله بن كثير: المقيت: الواصب وقال الضحاك: المقيت: الرزاق». وقال البغوي: «وقيل: معناه على كل حيوان مقيتا أي: يوصل القوت إليه».
Over Every Intercession
Its verse ends a rule about speaking up for others. Intercede for good and you share in its reward; intercede for evil and you share in its burden. Then the Name, which al-Sa'di takes there as the One who witnesses, keeps and reckons these deeds and repays each as it deserves. The Clear Quran follows that sense with Watchful here.
Arabic: من يشفع شفاعة حسنة
تختم آيته حكم الشفاعة: من شفع في خير كان له نصيب منه، ومن شفع في شر كان عليه كفل منه، ثم ﴿وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ مُّقِيتًا﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: شاهدًا حفيظًا حسيبًا على هذه الأعمال، فيجازي كُلًّا ما يستحقه». ولذلك ترجمتها الترجمة الإنجليزية المعتمدة في الصفحة بالرقيب.
He Measured Out Its Sustenance
﴿وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا رَوَٰسِىَ مِن فَوْقِهَا وَبَـٰرَكَ فِيهَا وَقَدَّرَ فِيهَآ أَقْوَٰتَهَا فِىٓ أَرْبَعَةِ أَيَّامٍ سَوَآءً لِّلسَّآئِلِينَ﴾He placed on the earth firm mountains, standing high, showered His blessings upon it, and ordained ˹all˺ its means of sustenance, totaling four Days exactly, for all who ask.
Allah's measuring out of sustenance is part of the account of the earth's creation: He placed firm mountains on it, blessed it, and ordained all its means of sustenance in four Days (41:10). Al-Sa'di describes the stage it closes: He completed its creation, spread it out and brought out its sustenance, and he calls it the true account, with nothing added and nothing missing.
Arabic: وقدر فيها أقواتها
والأقوات في خبر خلق الأرض، بعد أن جعل فيها رواسي وبارك فيها: ﴿وَقَدَّرَ فِيهَآ أَقْوَٰتَهَا فِىٓ أَرْبَعَةِ أَيَّامٍ﴾، قال السعدي: «فكمل خلقها، ودحاها، وأخرج أقواتها»، وقال: «فهذا الخبر الصادق الذي لا زيادة فيه ولا نقص».
Every Creature's Provision
﴿وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا ۚ كُلٌّ فِى كِتَـٰبٍ مُّبِينٍ﴾There is no moving creature on earth whose provision is not guaranteed by Allah. And He knows where it lives and where it is laid to rest. All is ˹written˺ in a perfect Record.
11:6 says there is no moving creature on earth whose provision is not guaranteed by Allah. Al-Sa'di uses the Name's own word: Allah has taken on their provision and their food, and he draws the comfort from it, let hearts rest in the sufficiency of the One who took it on. On 29:60, about the creatures that cannot carry their own provision, he says you are all Allah's dependents, and He maintains your provision as He maintains your creation.
Arabic: وما من دابة إلا على الله رزقها
تقول آية هود: ﴿وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا﴾، قال السعدي: «فالله تعالى قد تكفل بأرزاقهم وأقواتهم»، وقال: «فلتطمئن القلوب إلى كفاية من تكفل بأرزاقها». وقال في آية العنكبوت عن الدواب التي لا تحمل رزقها: «فكلكم عيال اللّه، القائم برزقكم، كما قام بخلقكم وتدبيركم».
The Ones You Feed
Feeding is a duty people carry too. A person who feeds others has taken on something of that role, and the Prophet ﷺ warned: “It is sufficient sin for a man that he neglects him whom he maintains” (Sunan Abi Dawud 1692, graded hasan by al-Albani). Al-Baghawi cites this hadith beside 4:85. For his own household the Prophet ﷺ asked for no more than the same measure: “O Allah, make the provision of Muhammad's family sufficient just to sustain life” (Sahih Muslim 1055).
Arabic: كفى بالمرء إثما أن يضيع من يقوت
والإطعام واجب على الناس أيضا، فمن يقوت غيره قد حمل شيئا من هذا الدور، قال النبي ﷺ: «كَفَى بِالْمَرْءِ إِثْمًا أَنْ يُضَيِّعَ مَنْ يَقُوتُ» (سنن أبي داود 1692، حسنه الألباني)، وذكره البغوي عند آية النساء. ولم يسأل النبي ﷺ لأهله أكثر من ذلك: «اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ رِزْقَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ قُوتًا» (صحيح مسلم 1055).
From the Sunnah
It is sufficient sin for a man that he neglects him whom he maintains
كَفَى بِالْمَرْءِ إِثْمًا أَنْ يُضَيِّعَ مَنْ يَقُوتُ
A du'a with this Name
اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْ رِزْقَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ قُوتًا
O Allah, make the provision of Muhammad's family sufficient just to sustain life
Sahih Muslim 1055: the Prophet's ﷺ du'a for his family, as Abu Huraira reported it
Related Names
Questions about Al-Muqeet
What does Al-Muqeet mean?
Al-Muqeet is the Maintainer, Guardian, Feeder, and the One with power.
Where is Al-Muqeet in the Quran?
Al-Muqeet is mentioned once in the Quran, in 4:85.
Why does The Clear Quran say Watchful in 4:85?
The verse is about speaking up for others and what it earns, so al-Sa'di takes the word there as the One who witnesses and keeps account of those deeds.
What does the hadith say about those we feed?
That neglecting them is sin enough: “It is sufficient sin for a man that he neglects him whom he maintains” (Abu Dawud 1692, hasan in al-Albani's grading).