الْبَارِئُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Al-Baari
The Inventor
The Name means that Allah created all things in proportion, and Al-Baari is the Maker who has the power to turn the entities. 59:24 sets it between the Creator and the Shaper; al-Baghawi's order is creating first, then bringing into being, then shaping.
Key verse
﴿هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْخَـٰلِقُ ٱلْبَارِئُ ٱلْمُصَوِّرُ ۖ لَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ﴾He is Allah: the Creator, the Inventor, the Shaper. He ˹alone˺ has the Most Beautiful Names. Whatever is in the heavens and the earth ˹constantly˺ glorifies Him. And He is the Almighty, All-Wise.
The scholar's text
This name only signifies that Allah created all things in proportion.
The Maker, The Creator who has the Power to turn the entities.
(هُوَ اللَّهُ الْخَالِقُ الْبَارِئُ الْمُصَوِّرُ) الحشر 59: 24
(He is Allah, the Creator, the Inventor, the Fashioner) Al-Hashr 59:24
It is mentioned 3 times in the Holy Quran
هذا الاسم يدل فقط على أن الله خلق كل شيء بتقدير.
الصانع، الخالق الذي له القدرة على تحويل الأعيان.
(هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْخَـٰلِقُ ٱلْبَارِئُ ٱلْمُصَوِّرُ) الحشر 59: 24
ورد في القرآن الكريم 3 مرات.
Between the Creator and the Shaper
Its verse lines up the Names in a row: He is Allah, the Creator, the Inventor, the Shaper (59:24). Al-Sa'di pairs each with what it acts on. The Creator is Creator of all creatures, the Inventor of all that He brings into being, the Shaper of all that is shaped, and in all three, creating, managing and decreeing, Allah acts alone with no partner. Al-Baghawi tells them apart. Al-Khaliq determines a thing and turns it, by His management, from one state to another; al-Bari' brings entities out of non-existence into existence; al-Musawwir gives each creature the marks that set it apart from the rest.
Arabic: بين الخالق والمصور
تجمع آيته الأسماء متتابعة: ﴿هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْخَـٰلِقُ ٱلْبَارِئُ ٱلْمُصَوِّرُ﴾. قال السعدي: الخالق «لجميع المخلوقات الْبَارِئُ للمبروءات الْمُصَوِّرُ للمصورات، وهذه الأسماء متعلقة بالخلق والتدبير والتقدير، وأن ذلك كله قد انفرد الله به، لم يشاركه فيه مشارك». وفرق البغوي بينها، فالخالق: «المقدر والمقلب للشيء بالتدبير إلى غيره»، والبارئ: «المنشئ للأعيان من العدم إلى الوجود»، والمصور: «الممثل للمخلوقات بالعلامات التي يتميز بعضها عن بعض».
Created in Proportion
﴿ٱلَّذِى لَهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ شَرِيكٌ فِى ٱلْمُلْكِ وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ فَقَدَّرَهُۥ تَقْدِيرًا﴾˹Allah is˺ the One to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, Who has never had ˹any˺ offspring, nor does He have a partner in ˹governing˺ the kingdom. He has created everything, ordaining it precisely.
The first line of the definition, that Allah created all things in proportion, is close to 25:2: He has created everything, ordaining it precisely. Al-Sa'di explains the ordaining. Each creature was given the build that suits it and that His wisdom called for, so that sound reason cannot picture it in any other shape, and every part of a single creature fits only the place where it sits.
Arabic: وخلق كل شيء فقدره تقديرا
وأول التعريف، أن الله خلق كل شيء بتقدير، قريب من آية الفرقان: ﴿وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ فَقَدَّرَهُۥ تَقْدِيرًا﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: أعطى كل مخلوق منها ما يليق به ويناسبه من الخلق وما تقتضيه حكمته من ذلك، بحيث صار كل مخلوق لا يتصور العقل الصحيح أن يكون بخلاف شكله وصورته المشاهدة، بل كل جزء وعضو من المخلوق الواحد لا يناسبه غير محله الذي هو فيه».
Turn in Repentance to Your Creator
﴿وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِۦ يَـٰقَوْمِ إِنَّكُمْ ظَلَمْتُمْ أَنفُسَكُم بِٱتِّخَاذِكُمُ ٱلْعِجْلَ فَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ بَارِئِكُمْ فَٱقْتُلُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ عِندَ بَارِئِكُمْ فَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلتَّوَّابُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ﴾And ˹remember˺ when Moses said to his people, “O my people! Surely you have wronged yourselves by worshipping the calf, so turn in repentance to your Creator and execute ˹the calf-worshippers among˺ yourselves. That is best for you in the sight of your Creator.” Then He accepted your repentance. Surely He is the Accepter of Repentance, Most Merciful.
Musa spoke of Allah as their Creator after his people worshipped the calf: turn in repentance to your Creator, and that is best for you in the sight of your Creator (2:54). Ibn Kathir says why Allah is named this way here: it points to how great their crime was. Turn back to the One who made you, when you worshipped another beside Him.
Arabic: فتوبوا إلى بارئكم
وفي قول موسى لقومه بعد عبادة العجل: ﴿فَتُوبُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ بَارِئِكُمْ فَٱقْتُلُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ عِندَ بَارِئِكُمْ﴾. قال ابن كثير: «وقال أبو العالية، وسعيد بن جبير، والربيع بن أنس: (فتوبوا إلى بارئكم) أي إلى خالقكم»، ثم قال: «تنبيه على عظم جرمهم، أي: فتوبوا إلى الذي خلقكم وقد عبدتم معه غيره».
Before We Bring It Into Being
﴿مَآ أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِىٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِى كِتَـٰبٍ مِّن قَبْلِ أَن نَّبْرَأَهَآ ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ﴾No calamity ˹or blessing˺ occurs on earth or in yourselves without being ˹written˺ in a Record before We bring it into being. This is certainly easy for Allah.
In 57:22, no calamity or blessing occurs on earth or in yourselves without being written in a Record before We bring it into being. Ibn Kathir takes it to mean before We create the creation and bring the soul into being, and reports al-Hasan's answer when asked about it: glory be to Allah, who doubts this? Every calamity between heaven and earth is in the Book of Allah before He brings the soul into being. All that befalls creation, good and bad, small and large, is written in the Preserved Tablet, al-Sa'di adds, a matter too great for minds to take in, yet easy for Allah. 57:23 gives the reason we were told: we neither grieve over what we missed nor exult in what we were given, knowing it came by Allah's favour, not our own strength.
Arabic: من قبل أن نبرأها
وفي آية الحديد: ﴿مَآ أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِىٓ أَنفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِى كِتَـٰبٍ مِّن قَبْلِ أَن نَّبْرَأَهَآ ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ﴾. قال ابن كثير: «من قبل أن نخلق الخليقة ونبرأ النسمة»، وروى أن الحسن سئل عنها فقال: «سبحان الله ! ومن يشك في هذا؟ كل مصيبة بين السماء والأرض، ففي كتاب الله من قبل أن يبرأ النسمة». وقال السعدي: «وهذا شامل لعموم المصائب التي تصيب الخلق، من خير وشر، فكلها قد كتبت في اللوح المحفوظ، صغيرها وكبيرها، وهذا أمر عظيم لا تحيط به العقول، بل تذهل عنده أفئدة أولي الألباب، ولكنه على الله يسير»، وفي الآية بعدها: ﴿لِّكَيْلَا تَأْسَوْا۟ عَلَىٰ مَا فَاتَكُمْ وَلَا تَفْرَحُوا۟ بِمَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمْ﴾، قال: «لعلمهم أنهم ما أدركوه بحولهم وقوتهم، وإنما أدركوه بفضل الله ومنه».
By Him Who Created the Soul
Ali ibn Abi Talib swore by Allah as the One who brings the soul into being. “By Him Who split up the seed and created something living, the Apostle (may peace and blessings be upon him) gave me a promise that no one but a believer would love me, and none but a hypocrite would nurse grudge against me” (Sahih Muslim 78). He used the same oath when Abu Juhaifa asked whether they had any revelation besides what is in Allah's Book: “by Him Who splits the grain of corn and creates the soul” (Sahih al-Bukhari 3047).
Arabic: والذي فلق الحبة وبرأ النسمة
أقسم علي بن أبي طالب بالله الذي برأ النسمة: «وَالَّذِي فَلَقَ الْحَبَّةَ وَبَرَأَ النَّسَمَةَ إِنَّهُ لَعَهْدُ النَّبِيِّ الأُمِّيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَىَّ أَنْ لاَ يُحِبَّنِي إِلاَّ مُؤْمِنٌ وَلاَ يُبْغِضَنِي إِلاَّ مُنَافِقٌ» (صحيح مسلم 78). وأقسم به أيضا حين سأله أبو جحيفة: هل عندكم شيء من الوحي إلا ما في كتاب الله؟ فقال: «وَالَّذِي فَلَقَ الْحَبَّةَ وَبَرَأَ النَّسَمَةَ» (صحيح البخاري 3047).
From the Sunnah
By Him Who split up the seed and created something living, the Apostle (may peace and blessings be upon him) gave me a promise that no one but a believer would love me, and none but a hypocrite would nurse grudge against me
وَالَّذِي فَلَقَ الْحَبَّةَ وَبَرَأَ النَّسَمَةَ إِنَّهُ لَعَهْدُ النَّبِيِّ الأُمِّيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَىَّ أَنْ لاَ يُحِبَّنِي إِلاَّ مُؤْمِنٌ وَلاَ يُبْغِضَنِي إِلاَّ مُنَافِقٌ
A du'a with this Name
اللَّهُمَّ فَاطِرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ عَالِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ رَبَّ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَمَلِيكَهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ نَفْسِي وَشَرِّ الشَّيْطَانِ وَشِرْكِهِ
O Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Who knowest the unseen and the seen, Lord and Possessor of everything. I testify that there is no god but Thee; I seek refuge in Thee from the evil within myself, from the evil of the devil, and his (incitement to) attributing partners (to Allah)
Sunan Abi Dawud 5067, graded sahih by al-Albani: what the Prophet ﷺ told Abu Bakr to say in the morning, in the evening and on going to bed
Related Names
Questions about Al-Baari
What does Al-Baari mean?
Al-Baari is the Maker, and the Name signifies that Allah created everything in proportion.
How many times is Al-Baari in the Quran?
Al-Baari is mentioned 3 times in the Quran; its verse is 59:24.
Al-Khaaliq, Al-Baari, Al-Musawwir: what is the difference?
Al-Baghawi orders them: a thing is first determined, then brought into being, then shaped, and al-Bari' gives entities existence where there was none.
Why your Creator in Musa's words in 2:54?
To show how big the sin was, Ibn Kathir says: they had worshipped another beside the very One who made them.