Reflections on the Name of Allah: Al-Malik
The Sovereign Lord, The One with the complete Dominion, the One Whose Dominion is clear from imperfection. Al-Malik
(هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلَامُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ الْعَزِيزُ الْجَبَّارُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُ ۚ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ الحشر 59: 23)
( He is Allah than Whom there is La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He) the King, the Holy, the One Free from all defects, the Giver of security, the Watcher over His creatures, the All-Mighty, the Compeller, the Supreme. Glory be to Allah! (High is He) above all that they associate as partners with Him.) Al-Hashr 59: 23
Definition of Al-Mulk (Ownership):
In Arabic the word “Mulk” means “the ability to deal with things limitlessly”, and hence, Allah’s Beautiful Name “The King” is derived from His Divine Character, but it can also be derived from His Acts as the Possessor of all things.
Allah the Almighty is the King and Owner of kings. In other words, everything that can be owned belongs to Allah, All-High. Some scholars say that a king is someone who rules but does not own, while an owner is someone who owns but does not rule; but Allah, may His Glory be glorified, is the Owner and the King. Therefore, Allah’s Ownership is Supreme and Absolute.
A Bedouin who owned cattle was once asked, “Whose are the cattle?” In reply, he said, “They belong to Allah, but they are in my hand (i.e. I have been allowed by Allah, their real Owner to deal with them).” Hence, a true believer is someone who believes that his house, shop, car, expertise, and social position …etc. belong to Allah the All-Mighty. Well, the very best and most specialized physician may sometimes lose his memory or even become insane because of a blood-clot in his brain and is, therefore, sent to an asylum. So, who is the Owner of the Kingdom? It is, undoubtedly, Allah, Glory and Praise belong to Him.
Who is the Owner of our eyes with which we see things? Who is the One Who owns our ears, tongue, movement, power…etc? Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, is. True Faith necessitates that one firmly believe that everything in one’s possession belongs to Allah the All-Mighty, Who allows one to deal with it.
If we say, “Someone is a king”, do we mean that he is really or metaphorically a king? Scholars said, “No one can really own anything except Allah; and any kind of ownership other than that of Allah is only metaphoric and unreal. This is because the real king is someone who is self-sufficient regarding himself
The Real King is He, Who is Self-Sufficient in Himself and Attributes and needs nothing but all things in existence need Him for everything. In other words, He is the King by Himself, His Existence, and His Attributes. He is in need of nothing, but all things do need Him. Such is the accurate definition of “The King”, and none but Allah the All-Mighty, the All-High, deserves it. Allah the All-Mighty says:
﴾ Say (O Muhammad PBUH): “O Allah! Possessor of the kingdom, You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take the kingdom from whom You will, and You endue with honour whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will. In Your Hand is the good. Verily, You do all things. ﴿ Aal-‘Imran 3:26
Scholars of Quran interpretation said, “This is real sovereignty that never perishes – sovereignty whereby one is happy forever – i.e. to get control of one’s ownself and dominate over one’s whims and caprices.
Whenever you read Yusuf’s Du’a (supplication to Allah), you really should deliberate its great connotation:
﴾ “My Lord! You have indeed bestowed on me of the sovereignty, and taught me the interpretation of dreams; The (only) Creator of the heavens and the earth! You are my Wali (Protector, Helper, Supporter, Guardian, etc.) in this world and in the Hereafter, cause me to die as a Muslim (the one submitting to Your Will), and join me with the righteous.” ﴿ Yusuf 12:101
Some say that the King is He Who possesses the hearts of worshippers and makes them preoccupied with their love for Him. When someone gets to know Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, he enters a state of love and becomes possessed. He becomes great after having been trivial. Hence, he enters a state of permanent anxiety (he works hard in order not to deviate from the Right Path) until he meets his Lord, wondering, “Is my Lord contented with me? Does my work appeal to Allah, Most Gracious? Does Allah love me? Is my deed sincere enough? Is there any deviation in my deeds? Is there anything or anyone I seek other than Allah?
They also say that the King is He Who possesses the hearts of those who know Him and causes such hearts to burn (out of love to Him); the King is He Who, if He so desires, grants ownership, or, if He so desires, causes to perish:
﴾ Verily, (O Muhammad (PBUH)) the Grip (Punishment) of your Lord is severe. ﴿ Al-Burooj 85:12
If He gives, He amazes; and if He brings someone to account, He inquires about everything. A few years ago, Allah the Al-Mighty gave us heavy rain that amazed us and produced seventy folds as much as previous years of wheat; but if rain is withheld from us, who can ever order such rain to fall down?! Even if all nations, counsels or leaderships gather together, they can by no means cause rain to fall down. Moreover, if rain is withheld from us, plants, animals and humans will inevitably die. We are slaves because we cannot survive without rain:
﴾Say (O Muhammad PBUH): “Tell me! If (all) your water were to be sunk away, who then can supply you with flowing (spring) water?”﴿ Al-Mulk 67:30
Allah the All-Mighty is The King, Who, if He so desires, grants ownership and dominion, and, if He so desires, causes to perish. He is the Real King, Whom none could ever defy or dispute with. None could ever resist His Irresistible Divine Will or prevent His Judgment. He is the King, by Whose Command all stars and planets run.
In one Ayah Allah All-Mighty, mentions five basic elements of ownership. He, Most Gracious, says:
﴾Say (O Muhammad PBUH): “O Allah! Possessor of the kingdom, You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take the kingdom from whom You will, and You endue with honour whom You will, and You humiliate whom You will.)
And (remember) when Musa (Moses) said to his people: “O my people! Why do you hurt me while you know certainly that I am the Messenger of Allah to you? So when they turned away (from the Path of Allah), Allah turned their hearts away (from the Right Path). And Allah guides not the people who are Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah) ﴿ As-Saff 61:5
Who has made you the owner of your own house? It is Allah, Most Gracious. Who did your house previously belong to? It belonged to someone else. How did he sell it? He needed money, so he sold it. Who has made you the new owner of such a house? It is Allah, Most Generous. As for your job, who has given it to you? It is Allah, Most Gracious. Why was someone else made to leave a job, so that it became yours? It is Allah, Most Wise, by His Infinite Divine Wisdom and Judgment. This is the second connotation of Allah’s Words in the above Ayah from Surat Aal-‘Imran, “You grant kingdom (and ownership) to whom You will” in the worldly life.
Allah, All-Mighty, says:
﴾And it is He Who has made you generations coming after generations… ﴿ Al-An’am 6:165
What is the wisdom behind this? Why does Allah, Most Wise, give someone ownership and deprive someone else of it? Why does he raise someone in rank above another and make someone else inferior to another? The answer is simply:
﴾ …That He may test you which of you is best in deed. ﴿ Al-Mulk 67:2
Allah tries you in both richness and poverty, in both good health and sickness, and in both powerfulness and weakness. If someone is rebellious and disobedient to Allah the All-Mighty, what is the remedy? The answer comes from the Lord, All-Mighty:
﴾ …and certainly He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful ﴿ Al-An’am 6:165
On the other hand, if man is obedient and devoted, then let him listen to this Ayah:
﴾ And verily, I am indeed Forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them, (till his death). ﴿ Ta-Ha 20:82
﴾ You make the night to enter into the day… ﴿ Aal-‘Imran 3:27
It denotes Allah’s Divine Disposal with the universe. The earth goes round the sun in an elliptical orbit. Who makes it move in its accurate orbit round the sun? Is there in the whole universe any other power that can put the earth back to orbit if it were to go away from it? If it went away from its orbit round the sun, the earth would perish and be attracted by other heavenly objects!
﴾ Verily! Allah grasps the heavens and the earth lest they move away from their places, and if they were to move away from their places, there is not one that could grasp them after Him. Truly, He is Ever Most Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving. ﴿ Fatir 35:41
The above Quranic Ayah denotes that Allah the All-Mighty, holds the heavens and the earth in their orbits. If a train goes out of its rails, can a tiny creature like a baby, an ant or a fly bring it back to its rails?
﴾ …And if they were to move away from their places, there is not one that could grasp them after Him. ﴿ Fatir 35:41
Who has made the earth go 30 km/hour round the sun? Ho has made it turn round itself 1600 km/hour. Who has made it that big? Who has made it so far away? This is one of the connotations of Allah’s Divine Name “The King”.
﴾ You make the night to enter into the day, and You make the day to enter into the night (i.e. increase and decrease in the hours of the night and the day during winter and summer), You bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living. And You give wealth and sustenance to whom You will, without limit (measure or account). ﴿ Aal-‘Imran 3:27
The phenomenon of animal, plant, and human generation is indicated in this part of the Ayah:
﴾ …and You bring the dead out of the living. ﴿ Aal-‘Imran, 3:27
An olive seed seems like a lifeless piece of wood, but a real olive tree is hidden inside it. Consider types and circles of life: a tree is dry and dead in winter, but no sooner does spring come than it is brought back to life.
One of the connotations of Allah’s being The King is that He alternates day and night and brings the living out of the dead and the dead out of the living. Consider this Ayah please:
﴾ You bring the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living ﴿ Aal-‘Imran 3: 27 ]
One of its meanings is that a disbeliever might give birth to a believer and vice versa.
﴾ And Nuh (Noah) called upon his Lord and said, “O my Lord! Verily, my son is of my family! And certainly, Your Promise is true, and You are the Most Just of the judges.” *He said: “O Nuh (Noah)! Surely, he is not of your family; verily, his work is unrighteous, so ask not of Me that of which you have no knowledge! I admonish you, lest you be one of the ignorant.”﴿ Hud 11; 45-46
The last item of Allah’s being The King is:
﴾ And You give wealth and sustenance to whom You will, without limit (measure or account). ﴿ Aal-‘Imran 3: 27
He, Most Merciful, also says:
﴾ And He is Allah; La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). His is all praise, in the first (i.e. in this world) and in the last (i.e.in the Hereafter). And for Him is the Decision, and to Him shall you (all) be returned.) ﴿ Al-Qasas, 28: 70
Shaqeeq Al-Balkhi was once quoted as saying, “My repentance began when, in a year of drought and famine, I saw a boy playing joyfully while all people were deeply depressed. I reproached him angrily, ‘O you there! Playing happily while others are very sad? Are you not ashamed? Do you not see how miserable people are?’ The boy replied, ‘Why should I be unhappy? My master owns a whole village wherein I keep all that I need?’ I said to myself, ‘This boy, who is enslaved by a human master, does not feel unhappy or lonely at times of distress, because his master owns a village on earth, so why should I be unhappy or feel lonely and my Master is the King of all kings?!’ So I knew the truth and repented.” The slave-boy gave him a lesson in repentance. That is why wise people say, “Whether you plan or not, the Disposer is Allah, Glory be to Him.”
It has been rightly said, “He who knows that the Real King is Allah rejects haughtily to humiliate himself to any other human being. It has also been said, “How come that a free person humiliates himself to slaves while he gets from
It was reported that Allah, Exalted and Sublime be He, says:
(( If you obey Me, I shall make you ever-living in a the Garden of Paradise, w hose width is the heavens and the earth. I am the King, Who never perishes. Come unto Me in obedience and devotion, and I shall make you kings that never perish, kings of the Hereafter. I am the King, Who, if He desires a thing, He says to it, ‘Be!’ And it is. Come unto Me in obedience and devotion, and I shall make you as such (i.e. if you ask me anything, I grant it to you), for I am as you think of me. If you ask Me, I shall give you; and if you pray to Me, I shall answer you. ))
The above are some definitions, qualities, and meanings denoted by Allah’s Beautiful Name “Al-Malik” (The King/The Eternal Lord).
It is mentioned 5 times in the Holy Quran
The Perfection of Divine Authority
Al-Malik, The Eternal Lord, represents the ultimate authority and perfect sovereignty over the entire universe. Unlike human rulers whose power is often flawed and limited, the authority of The Eternal Lord is absolute, boundless, and free from any imperfection.
“He is Allah, other than whom there is no deity, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Perfection, the Bestower of Faith, the Overseer, the Exalted in Might, the Compeller, the Superior. Exalted is Allah above whatever they associate with Him.” (Al-Hashr 59:23)
This verse exemplifies the unparalleled nature of Allah’s sovereignty, emphasizing His autonomy and the completeness of His reign. For believers, this means recognizing that every occurrence, from cosmic events to personal affairs, unfolds under His wise command. Understanding that The Eternal Lord governs all aspects of life reassures believers and instills in them a profound sense of security and trust in His divine plan.
The Source of All Ownership
As The Eternal Lord, Allah’s ownership encompasses every aspect of creation. This ownership is absolute, extending far beyond human concepts of possession, influencing every element of the natural and spiritual realms.
“Say, ‘O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will, and You take sovereignty away from whom You will. You honor whom You will and humble whom You will. In Your hand is [all] good. Indeed, You are over all things competent.'” (Aal-‘Imran 3:26)
This powerful verse drives home the reality that all forms of power, authority, and status are distributed according to His will. It encourages believers to live with the awareness that their possessions, talents, and even their time are not truly their own but are entrusted to them by The Eternal Lord. This understanding promotes humility, encourages responsible stewardship of their gifts, and aligns their actions with Allah’s commands, recognizing that everything they “own” is merely on loan from The Eternal Lord.
The Impartial Judge
The kingship of Allah also encompasses His role as the ultimate judge, whose decrees are final and whose justice is delivered without favoritism or bias. His judgments are the epitome of fairness, derived from His all-encompassing knowledge and wisdom.
“Indeed, to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He gives life and causes death. And you have not besides Allah any protector or any helper.” (At-Tawbah 9:116)
This verse reminds believers of the comprehensive nature of Allah’s rule and His capacity as the ultimate adjudicator whose decisions are definitive. It inspires a life lived in full consciousness of the eventual accountability to The Eternal Lord, motivating believers to adhere strictly to His laws and seek His forgiveness and favor. Knowing that The Eternal Lord administers perfect justice helps believers strive for fairness in their own lives and provides comfort that all matters will ultimately be resolved justly.