الْحَمِيدُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Al-Hameed
The Praiseworthy
Al-Hameed is the Praiseworthy, the praised One who deserves to be praised. Its verse is 22:64, where it follows the Self-Sufficient, and it is mentioned 17 times in the Quran. Al-Sa'di adds the line that holds the pair together: He is self-sufficient in His praise, and praiseworthy in His self-sufficiency.
Key verse
﴿لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَهُوَ ٱلْغَنِىُّ ٱلْحَمِيدُ﴾To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Allah ˹alone˺ is truly the Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.
The scholar's text
The Praiseworthy, The praised One who deserves to be praised.
(لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَهُوَ الْغَنِيُّ الْحَمِيدُ) الحج 22: 64
(To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Allah ˹alone˺ is truly the Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.) Al-Hajj 22:64
It is mentioned 17 times in the Holy Quran
الحميد، المحمود الذي يستحق أن يحمد.
(لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَهُوَ ٱلْغَنِىُّ ٱلْحَمِيدُ) الحج 22: 64
ورد في القرآن الكريم 17 مرة.
Praised in Everything
22:64 ends: Allah alone is truly the Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy. Al-Sa'di's note on the second Name goes through what He is praised for. His essence. His Names, because they are the finest. His attributes, all of them perfect. His acts, which never leave justice, kindness, mercy and wisdom. His law, which commands only what is purely or mostly good and forbids only what is purely or mostly harmful. And His servants, he says, cannot count the praise He is owed: He is as He praised Himself.
Arabic: وإن الله لهو الغني الحميد
تختم آية الحج: ﴿وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَهُوَ ٱلْغَنِىُّ ٱلْحَمِيدُ﴾، قال السعدي في الحميد: «أي: المحمود في ذاته، وفي أسمائه، لكونها حسنى، وفي صفاته، لكونها كلها صفات كمال، وفي أفعاله، لكونها دائرة بين العدل والإحسان والرحمة والحكمة»، «وفي شرعه، لكونه لا يأمر إلا بما فيه مصلحة خالصة أو راجحة، ولا ينهى إلا عما فيه مفسدة خالصة أو راجحة»، ثم قال: «الذي لا يحصي العباد ثناء على حمده، بل هو كما أثنى على نفسه، وفوق ما يثني عليه عباده، وهو المحمود على توفيق من يوفقه، وخذلان من يخذله، وهو الغني في حمده، الحميد في غناه».
The Path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy
﴿الٓر ۚ كِتَـٰبٌ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ إِلَيْكَ لِتُخْرِجَ ٱلنَّاسَ مِنَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنُّورِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطِ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْحَمِيدِ﴾Alif-Lãm-Ra. ˹This is˺ a Book which We have revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺ so that you may lead people out of darkness and into light, by the Will of their Lord, to the Path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy
14:1 says the Book was sent down to bring people out of darkness into light, to the path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy. Al-Sa'di reads the two Names as a promise to whoever walks that path. He is mighty with Allah's might and strong, even with no helper but Allah, and praised in his affairs, with a good end. The same verse says it happens by their Lord's permission, and he draws from that an urging: what Allah loves is reached only by His will and help, so ask for it.
Arabic: إلى صراط العزيز الحميد
تقول آية إبراهيم إن الكتاب أنزل ليخرج الناس من الظلمات إلى النور: ﴿إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطِ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْحَمِيدِ﴾، قال السعدي: «وفي ذكر العزيز الحميد بعد ذكر الصراط الموصل إليه إشارة إلى أن من سلكه فهو عزيز بعز الله قوي ولو لم يكن له أنصار إلا الله، محمود في أموره، حسن العاقبة». وقال في ﴿بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِمْ﴾: «أي: لا يحصل منهم المراد المحبوب لله، إلا بإرادة من الله ومعونة، ففيه حث للعباد على الاستعانة بربهم».
Hated for What Deserved Praise
﴿وَمَا نَقَمُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّآ أَن يُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْحَمِيدِ﴾who they resented for no reason other than belief in Allah, the Almighty, the Praiseworthy,
85:8 is about the people of the ditch, who burned believers alive and watched. The only thing they held against them, the verse says, was their faith in Allah, the Almighty, the Praiseworthy. Al-Sa'di notices the irony. The one trait they punished was a trait to be praised, the very source of their happiness, and the One they believed in is praised in His words, His attributes and His acts.
Arabic: وما نقموا منهم إلا أن يؤمنوا بالله العزيز الحميد
تتحدث آية البروج عن أصحاب الأخدود، الذين ألقوا المؤمنين في النار وقعدوا يشهدون ما يفعلون بهم، قال السعدي: «ومحاربة أهلها وتعذيبهم بهذا العذاب، الذي تنفطر منه القلوب، وحضورهم إياهم عند إلقائهم فيها». ثم قالت: ﴿وَمَا نَقَمُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّآ أَن يُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْحَمِيدِ﴾، قال السعدي: «والحال أنهم ما نقموا من المؤمنين إلا خصلة يمدحون عليها، وبها سعادتهم، وهي أنهم كانوا يؤمنون بالله العزيز الحميد أي: الذي له العزة التي قهر بها كل شيء، وهو حميد في أقواله وأوصافه وأفعاله».
Whoever Turns Away
﴿لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِيهِمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلْيَوْمَ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْغَنِىُّ ٱلْحَمِيدُ﴾You certainly have an excellent example in them for whoever has hope in Allah and the Last Day. But whoever turns away, then surely Allah ˹alone˺ is the Self-Sufficient, Praiseworthy.
60:6 holds up Abraham and those with him as a good example, then adds: whoever turns away, Allah alone is the Self-Sufficient, the Praiseworthy. The one who turns away, al-Sa'di says, harms only himself and does Allah no harm at all. And He remains Praiseworthy in His essence, Names, attributes and acts, praised for all of it, whether people praise Him or not.
Arabic: ومن يتول فإن الله هو الغني الحميد
تذكر آية الممتحنة الأسوة الحسنة في إبراهيم ومن معه، ثم تقول: ﴿وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلْغَنِىُّ ٱلْحَمِيدُ﴾، قال السعدي: «فلن يضر إلا نفسه، ولا يضر الله شيئا»، وهو الحميد «في ذاته وأسمائه وصفاته وأفعاله، فإنه محمود على ذلك كله»، حمده الناس أو لم يحمدوه.
Praise That Fills the Scale
The Prophet ﷺ weighed the word of praise itself: “al-Hamdu Lillah (all praise and gratitude is for Allah alone) fills the scale, and Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah) and al-Hamdu Lillah fill up what is between the heavens and the earth” (Sahih Muslim 223). And when a man behind him in prayer, rising from bowing, added the words of the du'a below, the Prophet ﷺ asked who had spoken and said: “I saw over thirty angels competing to write it first” (Sahih al-Bukhari 799).
Arabic: والحمد لله تملأ الميزان
وزن النبي ﷺ كلمة الحمد نفسها: «وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ تَمْلأُ الْمِيزَانَ، وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ تَمْلآنِ - أَوْ تَمْلأُ - مَا بَيْنَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ» (صحيح مسلم 223). ولما قال رجل خلفه في الصلاة بعد الرفع من الركوع كلمات الدعاء الآتي، سأل النبي ﷺ عن المتكلم وقال: «رَأَيْتُ بِضْعَةً وَثَلاَثِينَ مَلَكًا يَبْتَدِرُونَهَا، أَيُّهُمْ يَكْتُبُهَا أَوَّلُ» (صحيح البخاري 799).
From the Sunnah
Cleanliness is half of faith and al-Hamdu Lillah (all praise and gratitude is for Allah alone) fills the scale, and Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah) and al-Hamdu Lillah fill up what is between the heavens and the earth
الطُّهُورُ شَطْرُ الإِيمَانِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ تَمْلأُ الْمِيزَانَ . وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ تَمْلآنِ - أَوْ تَمْلأُ - مَا بَيْنَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ
One day we were praying behind the Prophet. When he raised his head from bowing, he said, "Sami`a l-lahu liman hamidah." A man behind him said, "Rabbana wa laka l-hamdu, hamdan kathiran taiyiban mubarakan fihi" (O our Lord! All the praises are for You, many good and blessed praises). When the Prophet completed the prayer, he asked, "Who has said these words?" The man replied, "I." The Prophet said, "I saw over thirty angels competing to write it first
كُنَّا يَوْمًا نُصَلِّي وَرَاءَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمَّا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مِنَ الرَّكْعَةِ قَالَ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ . قَالَ رَجُلٌ وَرَاءَهُ رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ، حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ، فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ قَالَ مَنِ الْمُتَكَلِّمُ . قَالَ أَنَا . قَالَ رَأَيْتُ بِضْعَةً وَثَلاَثِينَ مَلَكًا يَبْتَدِرُونَهَا، أَيُّهُمْ يَكْتُبُهَا أَوَّلُ
A du'a with this Name
رَبَّنَا وَلَكَ الْحَمْدُ، حَمْدًا كَثِيرًا طَيِّبًا مُبَارَكًا فِيهِ،
O our Lord! All the praises are for You, many good and blessed praises
Sahih al-Bukhari 799: what a Companion said on rising from bowing, which the Prophet ﷺ praised, as Rifa'a ibn Rafi' reported
Related Names
Questions about Al-Hameed
What does Al-Hameed mean?
Al-Hameed is the Praiseworthy: praised, and deserving of praise.
How many times is Al-Hameed in the Quran?
Al-Hameed is mentioned 17 times in the Quran. In its verse here, 22:64, it comes after the Self-Sufficient.
What is Allah praised for?
Allah is praised for His essence, Names, attributes, acts and law, al-Sa'di says on 22:64, and His servants cannot count that praise.
How heavy is saying al-hamdu lillah?
Saying al-hamdu lillah fills the scale, the Prophet ﷺ said (Sahih Muslim 223).