الْمُقْتَدِرُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Al-Muqtadir
The Most Powerful
Nothing is withheld from the perfect power of Al-Muqtadir. Surah al-Qamar ends with it: the righteous seated at the Seat of Honour in the presence of the Most Powerful Sovereign (54:55). Earlier in the same surah, that power seized the people of Pharaoh (54:42).
Key verse
﴿فِى مَقْعَدِ صِدْقٍ عِندَ مَلِيكٍ مُّقْتَدِرٍۭ﴾at the Seat of Honour in the presence of the Most Powerful Sovereign.
The scholar's text
The Powerful, The Dominant, The One with the perfect Power that nothing is withheld from Him.
Muqtadir: the One who exercises all divine wisdom, whatever he decides; all-powerful and capable of doing everything.
القمر 54: 55 (فِى مَقْعَدِ صِدْقٍ عِندَ مَلِيكٍۢ مُّقْتَدِرٍۭ)
(at the Seat of Honour in the presence of the Most Powerful Sovereign.) Al-Qamar 54:55
Note: The verse quoted above is 54:55 (Surah al-Qamar is the 54th surah); the original gave its number as 55:56.
It is mentioned 4 times in the Holy Quran
القادر، القاهر، صاحب القدرة التامة الذي لا يمتنع عليه شيء.
المقتدر: الذي يمضي حكمته في كل ما يقضي، القادر على كل شيء.
القمر 54: 55 (فِى مَقْعَدِ صِدْقٍ عِندَ مَلِيكٍ مُّقْتَدِرٍۭ)
ملاحظة: الآية المذكورة هي الآية 55 من سورة القمر، وهي السورة 54، وجاء رقمها في الأصل 55: 56.
ورد في القرآن الكريم 4 مرات.
Power That Nothing Escapes
Powerful and Dominant, with a power that is perfect and from which nothing is withheld; carrying out His wisdom in whatever He decides, able to do everything. Two lines, and one Name. Al-Baghawi's words on 54:55 run close: a King who is able, whom nothing can make unable. Most Powerful is how The Clear Quran renders it, in 54:42 and again in 54:55.
Arabic: لا يمتنع عليه شيء
يعرف الاسم سطران: القادر القاهر صاحب القدرة التامة الذي لا يمتنع عليه شيء، والذي يمضي حكمته في كل ما يقضي، القادر على كل شيء. وقال البغوي في آيته: «ملك قادر لا يعجزه شيء». وتترجمه الترجمة الإنجليزية المعتمدة في هذه الصفحة بالأشد قدرة، كما في القمر 54: 42 و54: 55.
At the Seat of Honour
﴿إِنَّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ فِى جَنَّـٰتٍ وَنَهَرٍ﴾Indeed, the righteous will be amid Gardens and rivers,
Surah al-Qamar closes with the reward of the righteous: Gardens and rivers first (54:54), then the Seat of Honour, which al-Baghawi calls an assembly of truth, with no idle talk and no sin. The presence is that of the great King, Ibn Kathir says, who created all things and measured them, able to give whatever they ask and want. Al-Sa'di stops at that point: after this, do not ask what their Lord gives them of His honour and generosity.
Arabic: في مقعد صدق عند مليك مقتدر
تختم الآية سورة القمر بجزاء المتقين بعد ﴿إِنَّ ٱلْمُتَّقِينَ فِى جَنَّـٰتٍ وَنَهَرٍ﴾. قال البغوي: «في مجلس حق لا لغو فيه ولا تأثيم». وقال ابن كثير: «أي: عند الملك العظيم الخالق للأشياء كلها ومقدرها، وهو مقتدر على ما يشاء مما يطلبون ويريدون». وقال السعدي: «فلا تسأل بعد هذا عما يعطيهم ربهم من كرامته وجوده، ويمدهم به من إحسانه ومنته».
The Grip of the Almighty, Most Powerful
﴿كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا كُلِّهَا فَأَخَذْنَـٰهُمْ أَخْذَ عَزِيزٍ مُّقْتَدِرٍ﴾˹But˺ they rejected all of Our signs, so We seized them with the ˹crushing˺ grip of the Almighty, Most Powerful.
The same surah uses the Name for the people of Pharaoh: they rejected all of Our signs, so We seized them with the grip of the Almighty, Most Powerful (54:42). Al-Sa'di tells how it ended, with Pharaoh and his soldiers drowned in the sea, and gives the purpose of telling it: a warning to the people and to those who rejected Muhammad ﷺ.
Arabic: أخذ عزيز مقتدر
وفي السورة نفسها جاء الاسم في آل فرعون: ﴿كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا كُلِّهَا فَأَخَذْنَـٰهُمْ أَخْذَ عَزِيزٍ مُّقْتَدِرٍ﴾، قال السعدي: «فأخذهم أخذ عزيز مقتدر، فأغرقهم في اليم هو وجنوده»، «والمراد من ذكر هذه القصص تحذير» الناس والمكذبين لمحمد ﷺ.
Like Plants After Rain
﴿وَٱضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا كَمَآءٍ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَٱخْتَلَطَ بِهِۦ نَبَاتُ ٱلْأَرْضِ فَأَصْبَحَ هَشِيمًا تَذْرُوهُ ٱلرِّيَـٰحُ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ مُّقْتَدِرًا﴾And give them a parable of this worldly life. ˹It is˺ like the plants of the earth, thriving when sustained by the rain We send down from the sky. Then they ˹soon˺ turn into chaff scattered by the wind. And Allah is fully capable of ˹doing˺ all things.
18:45 gives a parable of this worldly life: plants that thrive on the rain, then turn into chaff scattered by the wind, and the verse ends that Allah is fully capable of all things. Al-Sa'di carries the parable into a life. Its owner is pleased with his youth, gathers his money and his pleasures, and thinks it will last, until death or loss takes it, and he is left alone with his deeds, good or bad.
Arabic: وكان الله على كل شيء مقتدرا
تضرب آية الكهف مثل الحياة الدنيا، وتختم: ﴿وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ مُّقْتَدِرًا﴾. قال السعدي: «وأن مثل هذه الحياة الدنيا، كمثل المطر، ينزل على الأرض، فيختلط نباتها، تنبت من كل زوج بهيج، فبينا زهرتها وزخرفها تسر الناظرين، وتفرح المتفرجين، وتأخذ بعيون الغافلين، إذ أصبحت هشيما تذروه الرياح»، وكذلك صاحب الدنيا يغتر بشبابه وماله ولذته، ويظن أنه لا يزال فيها، حتى يصيبه الموت أو التلف لماله فينفرد بعمله، صالحا كان أو سيئا.
Able, and Wise in the Timing
﴿أَوْ نُرِيَنَّكَ ٱلَّذِى وَعَدْنَـٰهُمْ فَإِنَّا عَلَيْهِم مُّقْتَدِرُونَ﴾Or if We show you what We threaten them with, We certainly have full power over them.
43:42 tells the Prophet ﷺ that whether or not he lives to see what they were threatened with, We certainly have full power over them. Al-Sa'di explains why the punishment may still wait: the power is complete, but hastening it or delaying it depends on what wisdom requires. The prayer for guidance in a choice asks for exactly that power and wisdom, and it says so plainly: “You are capable and I am not” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1166).
Arabic: فإنا عليهم مقتدرون
تقول آية الزخرف للنبي ﷺ إنه سواء رأى ما وعدوا به من العذاب أو لم يره: ﴿أَوْ نُرِيَنَّكَ ٱلَّذِى وَعَدْنَـٰهُمْ فَإِنَّا عَلَيْهِم مُّقْتَدِرُونَ﴾، قال السعدي: «ولكن ذلك متوقف على اقتضاء الحكمة لتعجيله أو تأخيره». ودعاء الاستخارة يسأل الله بقدرته وعلمه، وفيه: «فإنك تقدر ولا أقدر» (صحيح البخاري 1166).
From the Sunnah
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to teach us the way of doing Istikhara (Istikhara means to ask Allah to guide one to the right sort of action concerning any job or a deed), in all matters as he taught us the Suras of the Qur'an. He said, "If anyone of you thinks of doing any job he should offer a two rak`at prayer other than the compulsory ones and say (after the prayer): -- 'Allahumma inni astakhiruka bi'ilmika, Wa astaqdiruka bi-qudratika, Wa as'alaka min fadlika Al-`azlm Fa-innaka taqdiru Wala aqdiru, Wa ta'lamu Wala a'lamu, Wa anta 'allamu l-ghuyub. Allahumma, in kunta ta'lam anna hadha-lamra Khairun li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa'aqibati `Amri (or 'ajili `Amri wa'ajilihi) Faqdirhu wa yas-sirhu li thumma barik li Fihi, Wa in kunta ta'lamu anna hadha-lamra shar-run li fi dini wa ma'ashi wa'aqibati `Amri (or fi'ajili `Amri wa ajilihi) Fasrifhu anni was-rifni anhu. Waqdir li al-khaira haithu kana Thumma ardini bihi.' (O Allah! I ask guidance from Your knowledge, And Power from Your Might and I ask for Your great blessings. You are capable and I am not. You know and I do not and You know the unseen.
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُعَلِّمُنَا الاِسْتِخَارَةَ فِي الأُمُورِ كَمَا يُعَلِّمُنَا السُّورَةَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ يَقُولُ إِذَا هَمَّ أَحَدُكُمْ بِالأَمْرِ فَلْيَرْكَعْ رَكْعَتَيْنِ مِنْ غَيْرِ الْفَرِيضَةِ ثُمَّ لِيَقُلِ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتَ عَلاَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ،
A du'a with this Name
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْتَخِيرُكَ بِعِلْمِكَ وَأَسْتَقْدِرُكَ بِقُدْرَتِكَ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ فَضْلِكَ الْعَظِيمِ، فَإِنَّكَ تَقْدِرُ وَلاَ أَقْدِرُ وَتَعْلَمُ وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ وَأَنْتَ عَلاَّمُ الْغُيُوبِ،
O Allah! I ask guidance from Your knowledge, And Power from Your Might and I ask for Your great blessings. You are capable and I am not. You know and I do not and You know the unseen.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1166: the opening of the prayer for guidance (istikharah), which the Prophet ﷺ taught as he taught a surah
Related Names
Questions about Al-Muqtadir
What does Al-Muqtadir mean?
Powerful and Dominant: nothing can be held back from Al-Muqtadir's perfect power.
How many times is Al-Muqtadir in the Quran?
Al-Muqtadir comes 4 times in the Quran, and Surah al-Qamar closes with it in 54:55, at the Seat of Honour.
If Allah has power over the wrongdoers, why does punishment wait?
Because hastening or delaying it follows His wisdom, al-Sa'di says on 43:42. The power itself is never in doubt.
Which du'a asks Allah by His power?
The istikharah: O Allah, I ask guidance from Your knowledge and power from Your might (Sahih al-Bukhari 1166).