الْخَالِقُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Al-Khaaliq
The Creator
Al-Khaaliq is the One who gives things existence where there was none, and its verse is 39:62. Al-Sa'di takes a rule from the wording of that verse. The heavens, the earth and souls were all created; nothing besides Allah has always existed.
Key verse
﴿ٱللَّهُ خَـٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ ۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَكِيلٌ﴾Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the Maintainer of everything.
The scholar's text
The One who brings everything from non-existence to existence
(الزمر 39: 62) (اللَّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْء وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَكِيلٌ)
(Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is, over all things, Disposer of affairs.) 39:62 Az-Zumar
It is mentioned 8 times in the Holy Quran
الذي يوجد الأشياء من العدم.
(الزمر 39: 62) (ٱللَّهُ خَـٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ ۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَكِيلٌ)
ورد في القرآن الكريم 8 مرات.
Creator of All Things
In its verse Allah is the Creator of all things (39:62), wording that al-Sa'di notes is frequent in the Quran. He says it shows that everything other than Allah is created, and so answers anyone who claims some created thing has always existed, the heavens, the earth or souls, a claim that empties the Creator of His creating. He adds one point of belief from the same verse: the speech of Allah is not among created things, because speech is an attribute of the One who speaks.
Arabic: الله خالق كل شيء
تقول آيته: ﴿ٱللَّهُ خَـٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ﴾، وهي عبارة ذكر السعدي أن مثلها كثير في القرآن، ويدل لفظها عنده على أن كل ما سوى الله مخلوق، قال: «ففيها رد على كل من قال بقدم بعض المخلوقات، كالفلاسفة القائلين بقدم الأرض والسماوات، وكالقائلين بقدم الأرواح، ونحو ذلك من أقوال أهل الباطل، المتضمنة تعطيل الخالق عن خلقه». ثم قال: «وليس كلام اللّه من الأشياء المخلوقة، لأن الكلام صفة المتكلم».
Created by Nothing?
﴿أَمْ خُلِقُوا۟ مِنْ غَيْرِ شَىْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ ٱلْخَـٰلِقُونَ﴾Or were they created by nothing, or are they ˹their own˺ creators?
52:35 asks two questions: were they created by nothing, or are they their own creators? Al-Sa'di calls it an argument they cannot meet except by accepting the truth or leaving reason and religion behind. He then walks through the options. Out of nothing, with no maker? Impossible. Made by their own hands? Just as impossible. So Allah created them. And if He created them, he says, then He is the One to be worshipped, and no one else.
Arabic: أم خلقوا من غير شيء
تطرح آية الطور سؤالين: ﴿أَمْ خُلِقُوا۟ مِنْ غَيْرِ شَىْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ ٱلْخَـٰلِقُونَ﴾. قال السعدي: «وهذا استدلال عليهم، بأمر لا يمكنهم فيه إلا التسليم للحق، أو الخروج عن موجب العقل والدين»، ثم قال: «إما أنهم خلقوا من غير شيء أي: لا خالق خلقهم، بل وجدوا من غير إيجاد ولا موجد، وهذا عين المحال. أم هم الخالقون لأنفسهم، وهذا أيضا محال، فإنه لا يتصور أن يوجدوا أنفسهم فإذا بطل [هذان] الأمران، وبان استحالتهما، تعين [القسم الثالث] أن الله الذي خلقهم»، وإذا تعين ذلك «علم أن الله تعالى هو المعبود وحده».
A Creator Other Than Allah?
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ هَلْ مِنْ خَـٰلِقٍ غَيْرُ ٱللَّهِ يَرْزُقُكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ فَأَنَّىٰ تُؤْفَكُونَ﴾O humanity! Remember Allah’s favours upon you. Is there any creator other than Allah who provides for you from the heavens and the earth? There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him. How can you then be deluded ˹from the truth˺?
35:3 opens with a command to remember Allah's favours, and then the question: is there any creator other than Allah who provides for you from the heavens and the earth? The heart remembers by admitting the favour, al-Sa'di says, the tongue by praising Allah for it, the limbs by obeying Him, and remembering leads to thanks. Of all the favours he singles out creation and provision as the roots. Everyone knows no one else creates or provides, and that knowledge, he argues, already proves that worship is His alone.
Arabic: هل من خالق غير الله
تأمر آية فاطر بذكر نعمة الله ثم تسأل: ﴿هَلْ مِنْ خَـٰلِقٍ غَيْرُ ٱللَّهِ يَرْزُقُكُم مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ﴾. قال السعدي: «وهذا شامل لذكرها بالقلب اعترافا، وباللسان ثناء، وبالجوارح انقيادا، فإن ذكر نعمه تعالى داع لشكره»، و«ثم نبههم على أصول النعم، وهي الخلق والرزق»، و«ولما كان من المعلوم أنه ليس أحد يخلق ويرزق إلا اللّه، نتج من ذلك، أن كان ذلك دليلا على ألوهيته وعبوديته».
The Master Creator
﴿أَوَلَيْسَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ بِقَـٰدِرٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يَخْلُقَ مِثْلَهُم ۚ بَلَىٰ وَهُوَ ٱلْخَلَّـٰقُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ﴾Can the One Who created the heavens and the earth not ˹easily˺ resurrect these ˹deniers˺?” Yes ˹He can˺! For He is the Master Creator, All-Knowing.
36:81 answers those who doubt the resurrection: can the One who created the heavens and the earth not resurrect them? Yes, for He is the Master Creator, All-Knowing. He is able to, al-Sa'di says, since creating the heavens and the earth is a greater thing than creating people. He explains al-Khallaq: every creature, early or late, small or large, is a trace of His creating and His power, and no creature He wills to create can resist Him.
Arabic: وهو الخلاق العليم
ترد آية يس على من شك في البعث: ﴿أَوَلَيْسَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ بِقَـٰدِرٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يَخْلُقَ مِثْلَهُم ۚ بَلَىٰ وَهُوَ ٱلْخَلَّـٰقُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ﴾. قال السعدي: «قادر على ذلك، فإن خلق السماوات والأرض أكبر من خلق الناس»، وقال: «فإنه تعالى الخلاق، الذي جميع المخلوقات، متقدمها ومتأخرها، صغيرها وكبيرها، كلها أثر من آثار خلقه وقدرته، وأنه لا يستعصي عليه مخلوق أراد خلقه».
Let Them Create a Grain
In a hadith qudsi Allah challenges anyone who tries to imitate His creating: “Who are most unjust than those who try to create something like My creation? I challenge them to create even a smallest ant, a wheat grain or a barley grain” (Sahih al-Bukhari 7559). His decree of the measures came long before the heavens and the earth: “Allah ordained the measures (of quality) of the creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, as His Throne was upon water” (Sahih Muslim 2653). The Quran's own praise after describing a child formed in the womb is: so Blessed is Allah, the Best of Creators (23:14).
Arabic: فليخلقوا حبة أو شعيرة
في الحديث القدسي يتحدى الله من يضاهي خلقه: «وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ ذَهَبَ يَخْلُقُ كَخَلْقِي، فَلْيَخْلُقُوا ذَرَّةً، أَوْ لِيَخْلُقُوا حَبَّةً أَوْ شَعِيرَةً» (صحيح البخاري 7559). وقبل خلق السماوات والأرض كان التقدير: «كَتَبَ اللَّهُ مَقَادِيرَ الْخَلاَئِقِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ بِخَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ - قَالَ - وَعَرْشُهُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ» (صحيح مسلم 2653). وبعد وصف خلق الجنين يقول القرآن: ﴿فَتَبَارَكَ ٱللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ ٱلْخَـٰلِقِينَ﴾ (المؤمنون 23: 14).
From the Sunnah
Who are most unjust than those who try to create something like My creation? I challenge them to create even a smallest ant, a wheat grain or a barley grain
وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ ذَهَبَ يَخْلُقُ كَخَلْقِي، فَلْيَخْلُقُوا ذَرَّةً، أَوْ لِيَخْلُقُوا حَبَّةً أَوْ شَعِيرَةً
A du'a with this Name
اللَّهُمَّ خَلَقْتَ نَفْسِي وَأَنْتَ تَوَفَّاهَا لَكَ مَمَاتُهَا وَمَحْيَاهَا إِنْ أَحْيَيْتَهَا فَاحْفَظْهَا وَإِنْ أَمَتَّهَا فَاغْفِرْ لَهَا اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْعَافِيَةَ
O Allah, Thou created my being and it is for Thee to take it to its ultimate goal. And its death and life is due to Thee, and if Thou givest it life, safeguard it; and if Thou bringst death, grant it pardon. O Allah, I beg of Thee safety.
Sahih Muslim 2712: what Ibn Umar taught to say on going to bed, which he heard from the Prophet ﷺ
Related Names
Questions about Al-Khaaliq
What does Al-Khaaliq mean?
Al-Khaaliq is the One who brings everything from non-existence into existence.
How many times is Al-Khaaliq in the Quran?
Al-Khaaliq is mentioned 8 times in the Quran; its verse is 39:62.
How does the Quran argue for a Creator?
With a question in 52:35: did people come from nothing, or make themselves? Neither can be, al-Sa'di shows, so Allah made them, and only He is worshipped.
When were the measures of creation written?
Fifty thousand years before the heavens and the earth, the Prophet ﷺ said (Sahih Muslim 2653).