الْوَهَّابُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Al-Wahhab
The Giver of All Bounties
Al-Wahhab is the One who gives plenty and asks nothing back. His gifts are vast and reach every creature, al-Sa'di says, and nothing we do earns them, al-Qurtubi says on 3:8; it is grace. It is mentioned 3 times in the Quran; its verse, 38:9, answers people who rejected the revelation.
Key verse
﴿أَمْ عِندَهُمْ خَزَآئِنُ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّكَ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْوَهَّابِ﴾Or ˹is it because˺ they possess the treasuries of the mercy of your Lord: the Almighty, the Giver ˹of all bounties˺.
The scholar's text
The One who is Generous in giving plenty without any return.
Note: The earlier published wording added "He is everything that benefits whether Halal or Haram." Read literally, it describes Allah as the beneficial things themselves rather than the One who gives them, so it was removed.
(أَمْ عِندَهُمْ خَزَائِنُ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّكَ الْعَزِيزِ الْوَهَّابِ ) ص 38: 9
(Or ˹is it because˺ they possess the treasuries of the mercy of your Lord: the Almighty, the Giver ˹of all bounties˺). Sad 38: 9
It is mentioned 3 times in the Holy Quran
الكريم الذي يجود بالعطاء الكثير بلا عوض.
ملاحظة: جاء في النص المنشور سابقا أنه «كل ما ينفع، حلالا كان أو حراما»، وهذا يصف الله بأنه المنافع نفسها لا معطيها، فحُذف.
(أَمْ عِندَهُمْ خَزَآئِنُ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّكَ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْوَهَّابِ) ص 38: 9
ورد في القرآن الكريم 3 مرات.
Grace, Not Payment
A gift, in the plain sense, is given with nothing owed in return, and that is the definition: generous in giving plenty without any return. The prayer of 3:8 asks for mercy from Him directly, and al-Qurtubi says that means grace, with no cause or deed on our side behind it. Al-Sa'di's gloss on the same verse is wide: vast in gifts and grants, His goodness reaching every creature. Its verse, 38:9, is aimed at people who objected to the revelation.
Arabic: تفضل لا عوض
وعطاء الوهاب كثير بلا عوض. وقال السعدي في آية آل عمران: «واسع العطايا والهبات، كثير الإحسان الذي عم جودك جميع البريات». وقال القرطبي في قوله تعالى: ﴿وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً﴾: «من عندك ومن قبلك تفضلا لا عن سبب منا ولا عمل». وآيته (ص 38: 9) إنكار على المكذبين بالوحي.
A Prayer for a Steady Heart
﴿رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْوَهَّابُ﴾˹They say,˺ “Our Lord! Do not let our hearts deviate after you have guided us. Grant us Your mercy. You are indeed the Giver ˹of all bounties˺.
This is the prayer of those firm in knowledge (3:8). In al-Sa'di's reading they ask not to be turned from the truth, and for a great mercy that leads them to good and keeps them from wrong. Abu Bakr recited it in his prayer. A man who prayed Maghrib behind him in Madinah came so close in the third rak'a that his clothes almost touched Abu Bakr's, and heard him recite al-Fatiha and then this verse (Muwatta' Malik 172, a Companion's practice, graded sahih by Salim al-Hilali). The Prophet's ﷺ own most frequent prayer asked for the same steadiness of heart (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3522, below).
Arabic: دعاء الثبات
هذا دعاء الراسخين في العلم (آل عمران 3: 8)، قال السعدي: «لا تملها عن الحق جهلا وعنادا منا، بل اجعلنا مستقيمين هادين مهتدين،»، ﴿وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً﴾ «عظيمة توفقنا بها للخيرات وتعصمنا بها من المنكرات». وقرأ أبو بكر الصديق هذه الآية في الركعة الثالثة من المغرب (موطأ مالك 172، موقوف صحيح). وكان أكثر دعاء النبي ﷺ: «يا مقلب القلوب ثبت قلبي على دينك» (جامع الترمذي 3522، صححه الألباني).
Whose Treasuries?
Its verse, 38:9, answers people who refused to accept that revelation came to Muhammad ﷺ. Al-Tabari spells out the question. Do these deniers hold the keys of your Lord's mercy, so that they could keep from you what Allah has honoured you with? He is the Almighty in His authority, and the Giver, to whomever He wills, of whatever He wills: kingdom, authority, prophethood. The pairing of the two Names carries the argument. No one can block a gift when the Giver is also the Almighty.
Arabic: خزائن من؟
آيته في الرد على من أنكر الوحي إلى محمد ﷺ: ﴿أَمْ عِندَهُمْ خَزَآئِنُ رَحْمَةِ رَبِّكَ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْوَهَّابِ﴾ (ص 38: 9)، قال الطبري: «أم عند هؤلاء المشركين المنكرين وحي الله إلى محمد خزائن رحمة ربك, يعنى مفاتيح رحمة ربك يا محمد, العزيز في سلطانه, الوهاب لمن يشاء من خلقه, ما يشاء من ملك وسلطان ونبوة, فيمنعوك يا محمد, ما من الله به عليك من الكرامة, وفضَّلك به من الرسالة».
Sulayman's Request
﴿قَالَ رَبِّ ٱغْفِرْ لِى وَهَبْ لِى مُلْكًا لَّا يَنۢبَغِى لِأَحَدٍ مِّنۢ بَعْدِىٓ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْوَهَّابُ﴾He prayed, “My Lord! Forgive me, and grant me an authority that will never be matched by anyone after me. You are indeed the Giver ˹of all bounties˺.”
Ibn Kathir takes Sulayman's request (38:35) at its plain sense: a kingdom no human after him would have the like of. Al-Sa'di says Allah answered all of it. He forgave him, gave his kingdom back and added one no one after him received, with the devils put at his service, building what he wanted and diving for pearls. The Prophet ﷺ once caught a jinn that came to break his prayer and meant to tie it to a pillar of the mosque for everyone to see. He remembered his brother Solomon's prayer and let it go (Sahih al-Bukhari 3423).
Arabic: سؤال سليمان
قال ابن كثير في دعاء سليمان (ص 38: 35): «والصحيح أنه سأل من الله تعالى ملكا لا يكون لأحد من بعده من البشر مثله». وقال السعدي: «فاستجاب اللّه له وغفر له، ورد عليه ملكه، وزاده ملكا لم يحصل لأحد من بعده، وهو تسخير الشياطين له، يبنون ما يريد، ويغوصون له في البحر، يستخرجون الدر والحلي،». وقال النبي ﷺ عن عفريت من الجن تفلت عليه ليقطع عليه صلاته: «فَأَمْكَنَنِي اللَّهُ مِنْهُ، فَأَخَذْتُهُ، فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَرْبُطَهُ عَلَى سَارِيَةٍ مِنْ سَوَارِي الْمَسْجِدِ حَتَّى تَنْظُرُوا إِلَيْهِ كُلُّكُمْ فَذَكَرْتُ دَعْوَةَ أَخِي سُلَيْمَانَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مُلْكًا لاَ يَنْبَغِي لأَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِي . فَرَدَدْتُهُ خَاسِئًا» (صحيح البخاري 3423).
Children Are His to Give
﴿لِّلَّهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۚ يَهَبُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ إِنَـٰثًا وَيَهَبُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ٱلذُّكُورَ﴾To Allah ˹alone˺ belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He creates whatever He wills. He blesses whoever He wills with daughters, and blesses whoever He wills with sons,
After 42:49 above, the next verse completes the list: “or grants both, sons and daughters, ˹to whoever He wills˺, and leaves whoever He wills infertile. He is indeed All-Knowing, Most Capable” (42:50). Marriage is a means to children, al-Sa'di says, and still it is Allah who gives whatever children He wills, acting by His knowledge and His power. Ibrahim knew the gift twice over: “All praise is for Allah who has blessed me with Ishmael and Isaac in my old age” (14:39). The children were among the greatest blessings, al-Sa'di says, their coming in old age was another, and their being prophets was greater still. Zakariya's wife had been barren: “So We answered his prayer, granted him John, and made his wife fertile” (21:90).
Arabic: الأولاد هبة منه
وتتم الآية التالية القسمة: ﴿أَوْ يُزَوِّجُهُمْ ذُكْرَانًا وَإِنَـٰثًا ۖ وَيَجْعَلُ مَن يَشَآءُ عَقِيمًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِيمٌ قَدِيرٌ﴾ (الشورى 42: 50)، قال السعدي: «فإن النكاح من الأسباب لولادة الأولاد، فاللّه تعالى هو الذي يعطيهم من الأولاد ما يشاء»، «فمن الخلق من يهب له إناثا، ومنهم من يهب له ذكورا، ومنهم من يزوجه، أي: يجمع له ذكورا وإناثا، ومنهم من يجعله عقيما لا يولد له»، «فيتصرف بعلمه وإتقانه الأشياء، وبقدرته في مخلوقاته». وقال إبراهيم: ﴿ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى وَهَبَ لِى عَلَى ٱلْكِبَرِ إِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ﴾ (إبراهيم 14: 39)، قال السعدي: «فهبتهم من أكبر النعم، وكونهم على الكبر في حال الإياس من الأولاد نعمة أخرى، وكونهم أنبياء صالحين أجل وأفضل،». وقال في زوج زكريا: «بعدما كانت عاقرا، لا يصلح رحمها للولادة فأصلح الله رحمها للحمل، لأجل نبيه زكريا،» (الأنبياء 21: 90).
One Giver, Many Gifts
﴿وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥ مِن رَّحْمَتِنَآ أَخَاهُ هَـٰرُونَ نَبِيًّا﴾And We appointed for him, out of Our grace, his brother, Aaron, as a prophet.
The verse above (19:53) tells how Allah made Harun a prophet for Musa, out of His grace. Musa had asked for his brother as a partner in his mission, al-Sa'di says, and Harun helped him carry it. Ayyub, who was patient, was given back his family: “And We gave him back his family, twice as many” (38:43). And the servants of the Most Merciful pray for spouses and children who bring joy (25:74). Asking to reach something, al-Sa'di notes, is asking for everything it takes to get there.
Arabic: واهب واحد وعطايا كثيرة
ومن عطايا الوهاب لعباده: ﴿وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥ مِن رَّحْمَتِنَآ أَخَاهُ هَـٰرُونَ نَبِيًّا﴾ (مريم 19: 53)، قال السعدي: «أنه سأل ربه أن يشركه في أمره، وأن يجعله رسولا مثله، فاستجاب الله له ذلك، ووهب له من رحمته أخاه هارون نبيا. فنبوة هارون تابعة لنبوة موسى عليهما السلام، فساعده على أمره، وأعانه عليه». وقال في أيوب: ﴿وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥٓ أَهْلَهُۥ وَمِثْلَهُم مَّعَهُمْ﴾ (ص 38: 43)، قال السعدي: «حيث صبر فأثبناه من رحمتنا ثوابا عاجلا وآجلا». ودعاء عباد الرحمن: ﴿وَٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَٰجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّـٰتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَٱجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا﴾ (الفرقان 25: 74)، قال السعدي: «ومن المعلوم أن الدعاء ببلوغ شيء دعاء بما لا يتم إلا به،».
From the Sunnah
A strong demon from the Jinns came to me yesterday suddenly, so as to spoil my prayer, but Allah enabled me to overpower him, and so I caught him and intended to tie him to one of the pillars of the Mosque so that all of you might see him, but I remembered the invocation of my brother Solomon: 'And grant me a kingdom such as shall not belong to any other after me.' (38.35) so I let him go cursed
إِنَّ عِفْرِيتًا مِنَ الْجِنِّ تَفَلَّتَ الْبَارِحَةَ لِيَقْطَعَ عَلَىَّ صَلاَتِي، فَأَمْكَنَنِي اللَّهُ مِنْهُ، فَأَخَذْتُهُ، فَأَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَرْبُطَهُ عَلَى سَارِيَةٍ مِنْ سَوَارِي الْمَسْجِدِ حَتَّى تَنْظُرُوا إِلَيْهِ كُلُّكُمْ فَذَكَرْتُ دَعْوَةَ أَخِي سُلَيْمَانَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِي مُلْكًا لاَ يَنْبَغِي لأَحَدٍ مِنْ بَعْدِي . فَرَدَدْتُهُ خَاسِئًا
The supplication he said most frequently was: “O Changer of the hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion (Yā Muqallibal-qulūb, thabbit qalbī `alā dīnik).
كَانَ أَكْثَرُ دُعَائِهِ يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ
A du'a with this Name
رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْوَهَّابُ
˹They say,˺ “Our Lord! Do not let our hearts deviate after you have guided us. Grant us Your mercy. You are indeed the Giver ˹of all bounties˺.
The Quran, Al Imran 3:8: the prayer of those firm in knowledge, which Abu Bakr recited in Maghrib (Muwatta' Malik 172)
Related Names
Questions about Al-Wahhab
What does Al-Wahhab mean?
Giver of all bounties is how The Clear Quran renders Al-Wahhab. He is generous in giving plenty without any return, and in al-Qurtubi's explanation of 3:8 the gift comes as pure grace, never as a wage for something we did.
How many times is Al-Wahhab mentioned in the Quran?
Al-Wahhab is mentioned 3 times in the Quran.
Which du'a uses the Name Al-Wahhab?
Two prayers in the Quran close with it: the prayer for a steady heart in 3:8, and Sulayman's prayer in 38:35. There is also a night prayer of the Prophet ﷺ ending with this Name in Sunan Abi Dawud (5061). Its grading is split, weak according to al-Albani and hasan according to Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut, which is why the Quranic prayers come first here.
Why is Al-Wahhab paired with Al-Aziz in 38:9?
Because the verse answers people who wanted to stop a gift. In al-Tabari's reading Allah is Almighty in His authority and gives whomever He wills whatever He wills, so the deniers had no way to hold back the prophethood given to Muhammad ﷺ.
Does praying to Al-Wahhab mean I will be given a child?
No promise of that kind is made. 42:50 says some are left without children, and al-Sa'di adds that He gives and withholds by His knowledge and power. Asking is still right: Ibrahim called on his Lord and was not let down, and Zakariya's prayer was answered. And al-Sa'di, on 25:74, reminds the one who asks to work for what the request needs.