الْقَادِرُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Al-Qaadir
The Capable
The Able, the Capable, the One attributed with power: that is Al-Qaadir, and its verse is 6:65, a warning of punishment that could come from above them or from beneath their feet. When it came down, the Prophet ﷺ sought refuge in Allah's Face (Bukhari 4628).
Key verse
﴿قُلْ هُوَ ٱلْقَادِرُ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابًا مِّن فَوْقِكُمْ أَوْ مِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعًا وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُم بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ ۗ ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَفْقَهُونَ﴾Say, “He ˹alone˺ has the power to unleash upon you a torment from above or below you or split you into ˹conflicting˺ factions and make you taste the violence of one another.” See how We vary the signs, so perhaps they will comprehend.
The scholar's text
The Able, The Capable, The One attributed with Power.
(قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَىٰ أَن يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابًا مِّن فَوْقِكُمْ أَوْ مِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعًا وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُم بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ ۗ انظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ الْآيَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَفْقَهُونَ) الأنعام 6: 65
(Say, “He ˹alone˺ has the power to unleash upon you a torment from above or below you or split you into ˹conflicting˺ factions and make you taste the violence of one another.” See how We vary the signs, so perhaps they will comprehend.) Al-Anam 6:65
القادر، القدير، الموصوف بالقدرة.
(قُلْ هُوَ ٱلْقَادِرُ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابًا مِّن فَوْقِكُمْ أَوْ مِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعًا وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُم بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ ۗ ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَفْقَهُونَ) الأنعام 6: 65
He Has the Power
Say, He alone has the power to unleash upon you a torment from above or below you, or split you into conflicting factions and make you taste the violence of one another (6:65). He is able to send punishment from every side, al-Sa'di says, so beware of persisting in sin; yet in His mercy He lifted from this community the stoning from above and the swallowing from below, and some of them He punished by setting them against each other.
Arabic: قل هو القادر
قال تعالى: ﴿قُلْ هُوَ ٱلْقَادِرُ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابًا مِّن فَوْقِكُمْ أَوْ مِن تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعًا وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُم بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ ۗ ٱنظُرْ كَيْفَ نُصَرِّفُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَفْقَهُونَ﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: هو تعالى قادر على إرسال العذاب إليكم من كل جهة»، «فاحذروا من الإقامة على معاصيه»، و«ولكن من رحمته، أن رفع عن هذه الأمة العذاب من فوقهم بالرجم والحصب، ونحوه، ومن تحت أرجلهم بالخسف. ولكن عاقب من عاقب منهم، بأن أذاق بعضهم بأس بعض، وسلط بعضهم على بعض، عقوبة عاجلة يراها المعتبرون، ويشعر بها العالمون».
I Seek Refuge with Your Face
Jabir reported how the Prophet ﷺ met 6:65 as each part of it came down: “When this Verse was revealed: "Say: He has power to send torment on you from above." (6.65) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "O Allah! I seek refuge with Your Face (from this punishment)." And when the verse: "or send torment from below your feet," (was revealed), Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "(O Allah!) I seek refuge with Your Face (from this punishment)." (But when there was revealed): "Or confuse you in party strife and make you to taste the violence of one another." (6.65) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "This is lighter (or, this is easier)” (Sahih al-Bukhari 4628). He sought refuge from the punishment from above and from below, the two that al-Sa'di says Allah in His mercy lifted from this community.
Arabic: أعوذ بوجهك
روى جابر كيف استقبل النبي ﷺ آية الأنعام جزءا جزءا: «لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ ﴿قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابًا مِنْ فَوْقِكُمْ﴾ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَعُوذُ بِوَجْهِكَ، قَالَ ﴿أَوْ مِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ﴾ قَالَ أَعُوذُ بِوَجْهِكَ ﴿أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعًا وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ﴾ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم هَذَا أَهْوَنُ، أَوْ هَذَا أَيْسَرُ» (صحيح البخاري 4628). فاستعاذ من العذاب من فوق ومن تحت، وهما اللذان رفعهما الله برحمته عن هذه الأمة كما قال السعدي.
Able to Give Life to the Dead
﴿أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَلَمْ يَعْىَ بِخَلْقِهِنَّ بِقَـٰدِرٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يُحْـِۧىَ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ ۚ بَلَىٰٓ إِنَّهُۥ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴾Do they not realize that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth and did not tire in creating them, is able to give life to the dead? Yes ˹indeed˺! He is certainly Most Capable of everything.
46:33 argues from the greater to the lesser: do they not realize that Allah, who created the heavens and the earth and did not tire in creating them, is able to give life to the dead? Yes indeed, He is Most Capable of everything. Al-Sa'di calls it a proof of the return from something more striking than the return itself: the Maker of the heavens and the earth, vast and perfect, without effort, how could bringing you back defeat Him? Surah al-Qiyamah ends on the same question (75:40), after the stages of man's making.
Arabic: بقادر على أن يحيي الموتى
تستدل آية الأحقاف بالأكبر على الأصغر: ﴿أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَلَمْ يَعْىَ بِخَلْقِهِنَّ بِقَـٰدِرٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يُحْـِۧىَ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ ۚ بَلَىٰٓ إِنَّهُۥ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ﴾، قال السعدي: «هذا استدلال منه تعالى على الإعادة بعد الموت بما هو أبلغ منها، وهو أنه الذي خلق السماوات والأرض على عظمهما وسعتهما وإتقان خلقهما من دون أن يكترث بذلك ولم يعي بخلقهن فكيف تعجزه إعادتكم بعد موتكم وهو على كل شيء قدير؟». وتختم سورة القيامة بالسؤال نفسه بعد ذكر «هذه الأطوار المختلفة»: ﴿أَلَيْسَ ذَٰلِكَ بِقَـٰدِرٍ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يُحْـِۧىَ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ﴾.
A Term Set, and a Wise Delay
﴿أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ قَادِرٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يَخْلُقَ مِثْلَهُمْ وَجَعَلَ لَهُمْ أَجَلًا لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهِ فَأَبَى ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ إِلَّا كُفُورًا﴾Have they not realized that Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth, can ˹easily˺ re-create them? He has ˹already˺ set for them a time, about which there is no doubt. But the wrongdoers persist in denial.
17:99 asks whether they have not realized that the Creator of the heavens and the earth can easily re-create them; He has already set for them a time about which there is no doubt. Al-Sa'di explains the delay: He fixed a term for it, without doubt, and were it not for that, if He willed He would bring it upon them suddenly. 86:8 says the same of each person: the One who made man from a gushing fluid, al-Sa'di says, is able to bring him back for the resurrection. And 23:95: We are indeed able to show you what We have threatened them with; if We delay it, al-Sa'di explains, it is for a wisdom, otherwise Our power is fit to bring it on them.
Arabic: وجعل لهم أجلا لا ريب فيه
تقول آية الإسراء: ﴿أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ قَادِرٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يَخْلُقَ مِثْلَهُمْ وَجَعَلَ لَهُمْ أَجَلًا لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهِ فَأَبَى ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ إِلَّا كُفُورًا﴾، قال السعدي: أجلا لا ريب فيه «ولا شك، وإلا فلو شاء لجاءهم به بغتة». وتقول آية الطارق: ﴿إِنَّهُۥ عَلَىٰ رَجْعِهِۦ لَقَادِرٌ﴾، قال السعدي: «فالذي أوجد الإنسان من ماء دافق، يخرج من هذا الموضع الصعب، قادر على رجعه في الآخرة، وإعادته للبعث، والنشور». وفي آية المؤمنون: ﴿وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّرِيَكَ مَا نَعِدُهُمْ لَقَـٰدِرُونَ﴾، قال: «ولكن إن أخرناه فلحكمة، وإلا، فقدرتنا صالحة لإيقاعه فيهم».
Able to Send Down a Sign
﴿وَقَالُوا۟ لَوْلَا نُزِّلَ عَلَيْهِ ءَايَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ ۚ قُلْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَادِرٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يُنَزِّلَ ءَايَةً وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾They ask, “Why has no ˹other˺ sign been sent down to him from his Lord?” Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Allah certainly has the power to send down a sign”: though most of them do not know.
Those who denied the Prophet ﷺ demanded a sign, and 6:37 answers: Allah certainly has the power to send down a sign, though most of them do not know. There is nothing lacking in His power, al-Sa'di says, but out of ignorance they ask for signs that would be bad for them: if such a sign came and they still did not believe, they would be punished at once, as His way has always been.
Arabic: إن الله قادر على أن ينزل آية
طلب المكذبون آية فجاء الجواب: ﴿قُلْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَادِرٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَن يُنَزِّلَ ءَايَةً وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾، قال السعدي: «فليس في قدرته قصور عن ذلك، كيف، وجميع الأشياء منقادة لعزته، مذعنة لسلطانه؟! ولكن أكثر الناس لا يعلمون فهم لجهلهم وعدم علمهم يطلبون ما هو شر لهم من الآيات، التي لو جاءتهم، فلم يؤمنوا بها لعوجلوا بالعقاب، كما هي سنة الله، التي لا تبديل لها».
From the Sunnah
When this Verse was revealed: "Say: He has power to send torment on you from above." (6.65) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "O Allah! I seek refuge with Your Face (from this punishment)." And when the verse: "or send torment from below your feet," (was revealed), Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "(O Allah!) I seek refuge with Your Face (from this punishment)." (But when there was revealed): "Or confuse you in party strife and make you to taste the violence of one another." (6.65) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "This is lighter (or, this is easier)
لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ { قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابًا مِنْ فَوْقِكُمْ } قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَعُوذُ بِوَجْهِكَ . قَالَ { أَوْ مِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ } قَالَ أَعُوذُ بِوَجْهِكَ { أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعًا وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ } قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم هَذَا أَهْوَنُ . أَوْ هَذَا أَيْسَرُ
A du'a with this Name
ضَعْ يَدَكَ عَلَى الَّذِي تَأَلَّمَ مِنْ جَسَدِكَ وَقُلْ بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ . ثَلاَثًا . وَقُلْ سَبْعَ مَرَّاتٍ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ وَقُدْرَتِهِ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا أَجِدُ وَأُحَاذِرُ
Place your hand at the place where you feel pain in your body and say Bismillah (in the name of Allah) three times and seven times A'udhu billahi wa qudratihi min sharri ma ajidu wa uhadhiru (I seek refuge with Allah and with His Power from the evil that I find and that I fear)
Sahih Muslim 2202: what the Prophet ﷺ taught Uthman ibn Abi al-As for a pain in his body
Related Names
Questions about Al-Qaadir
What does Al-Qaadir mean?
Al-Qaadir is the Able and Capable, the One attributed with power.
What did the Prophet ﷺ say when 6:65 came down?
I seek refuge with Your Face, for the punishment from above and from below; for the factions the Prophet ﷺ said this is lighter, or easier (Sahih al-Bukhari 4628).
If Allah is able, why does punishment come late?
Because He set a term for it, al-Sa'di says on 17:99, and on 23:95: if He delays it, it is for a wisdom, not for any lack of power.