الْحَكَمُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Al-Hakam
The Judge
A man known as Abu al-Hakam came to the Prophet ﷺ, and the Prophet ﷺ told him: Allah is Al-Hakam, and judgment is His. That hadith is where the Name comes from; it is not in the Quran. Al-Hakam is the ultimate authority and the final arbiter of justice, judging all people fairly on the Day of Judgment.
Key verse
﴿أَفَغَيْرَ ٱللَّهِ أَبْتَغِى حَكَمًا وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ إِلَيْكُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ مُفَصَّلًا ۚ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُۥ مُنَزَّلٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ بِٱلْحَقِّ ۖ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلْمُمْتَرِينَ﴾˹Say, O Prophet,˺ “Should I seek a judge other than Allah while He is the One Who has revealed for you the Book ˹with the truth˺ perfectly explained?” Those who were given the Scripture know that it has been revealed ˹to you˺ from your Lord in truth. So do not be one of those who doubt.
The scholar's text
Indeed, "Allah is the Judge" (Arabic: الله حكم) is another significant belief in Islamic theology. Muslims believe that Allah is the ultimate authority and the final arbiter of justice. He is the one who will judge all human beings fairly and justly on the Day of Judgment, weighing their deeds and intentions. This belief underscores the idea that ultimate justice rests with Allah alone, and it instills a sense of accountability and responsibility in adherents. Muslims strive to live righteous lives according to the teachings of Islam, knowing that they will ultimately be held accountable before Allah, the ultimate Judge.
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ، وَهُوَ ابْنُ الْمِقْدَامِ بْنِ شُرَيْحٍ { عَنْ أَبِيهِ، } عَنْ شُرَيْحِ بْنِ هَانِئٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، هَانِئٍ أَنَّهُ لَمَّا وَفَدَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَمِعَهُ وَهُمْ يَكْنُونَ هَانِئًا أَبَا الْحَكَمِ فَدَعَاهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ لَهُ " إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَكَمُ وَإِلَيْهِ الْحُكْمُ فَلِمَ تُكَنَّى أَبَا الْحَكَمِ " . فَقَالَ إِنَّ قَوْمِي إِذَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِي شَىْءٍ أَتَوْنِي فَحَكَمْتُ بَيْنَهُمْ فَرَضِيَ كِلاَ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ . قَالَ " مَا أَحْسَنَ مِنْ هَذَا فَمَا لَكَ مِنَ الْوُلْدِ " . قَالَ لِي شُرَيْحٌ وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَمُسْلِمٌ . قَالَ " فَمَنْ أَكْبَرُهُمْ " . قَالَ شُرَيْحٌ . قَالَ " فَأَنْتَ أَبُو شُرَيْحٍ " . فَدَعَا لَهُ وَلِوَلَدِهِ .
It was narrated from Shuraih bin Hani' from his father, that: When he came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he heard them calling Hani' by the nickname of Abu Al-Hakam, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called him and said to him: "Allah is Al-Hakam (the Judge) and judgment is His. Why are you known as Abu Al-Hakam?" He said: "If my people differ concerning something, they come to me, and I pass judgment among them, and both sides accept it." He said: "How good this is. Do you have any children?" He said: "I have Shuraih, and 'Abdullah, and Muslim." He said: "Who is the eldest of them?" He said: "Shuraih." He said: "Then you are Abu Shuraih," and he supplicated for him and his son.
It is mentioned 0 times in the Holy Quran. It is mentioned in the Hadith.
حقا، إن «الله هو الحكم» (بالعربية: الله حكم) عقيدة أخرى مهمة في العقيدة الإسلامية. يؤمن المسلمون بأن الله هو السلطة العليا والفيصل الأخير في العدل. وهو الذي سيحكم بين البشر جميعا بالعدل والإنصاف يوم القيامة، فيزن أعمالهم ونياتهم. وهذه العقيدة تؤكد أن العدل الأخير لله وحده، وتغرس في المؤمنين بها الشعور بالمحاسبة والمسؤولية. ويسعى المسلمون إلى أن يعيشوا حياة صالحة وفق تعاليم الإسلام، عالمين أنهم سيحاسبون في النهاية أمام الله، الحكم الأعلى.
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ، وَهُوَ ابْنُ الْمِقْدَامِ بْنِ شُرَيْحٍ { عَنْ أَبِيهِ، } عَنْ شُرَيْحِ بْنِ هَانِئٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، هَانِئٍ أَنَّهُ لَمَّا وَفَدَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَمِعَهُ وَهُمْ يَكْنُونَ هَانِئًا أَبَا الْحَكَمِ فَدَعَاهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ لَهُ " إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَكَمُ وَإِلَيْهِ الْحُكْمُ فَلِمَ تُكَنَّى أَبَا الْحَكَمِ " . فَقَالَ إِنَّ قَوْمِي إِذَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِي شَىْءٍ أَتَوْنِي فَحَكَمْتُ بَيْنَهُمْ فَرَضِيَ كِلاَ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ . قَالَ " مَا أَحْسَنَ مِنْ هَذَا فَمَا لَكَ مِنَ الْوُلْدِ " . قَالَ لِي شُرَيْحٌ وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَمُسْلِمٌ . قَالَ " فَمَنْ أَكْبَرُهُمْ " . قَالَ شُرَيْحٌ . قَالَ " فَأَنْتَ أَبُو شُرَيْحٍ " . فَدَعَا لَهُ وَلِوَلَدِهِ .
ورد في القرآن الكريم 0 مرة. وورد في الحديث.
Allah Is Al-Hakam
The hadith quoted above is about a nickname. Hani' came to the Prophet ﷺ with his people, who called him Abu al-Hakam, and the Prophet ﷺ called him over: “Allah is Al-Hakam (the Judge) and judgment is His. Why are you known as Abu Al-Hakam?” Hani' explained: “If my people differ concerning something, they come to me, and I pass judgment among them, and both sides accept it”. “How good this is”, the Prophet ﷺ said. He asked about his sons, and named him after the eldest: “Then you are Abu Shuraih” (Sunan an-Nasa'i 5387, graded sahih by al-Albani). He praised the judging and changed the kunya; Sunan Abi Dawud 4955 has the same report, also graded sahih by al-Albani.
Arabic: إن الله هو الحكم
والحديث المذكور أعلاه في كنية. وفد هانئ على النبي ﷺ مع قومه وهم يكنونه أبا الحكم، فدعاه فقال: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَكَمُ وَإِلَيْهِ الْحُكْمُ فَلِمَ تُكَنَّى أَبَا الْحَكَمِ». فقال هانئ: «إِنَّ قَوْمِي إِذَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِي شَىْءٍ أَتَوْنِي فَحَكَمْتُ بَيْنَهُمْ فَرَضِيَ كِلاَ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ». فقال ﷺ: «مَا أَحْسَنَ مِنْ هَذَا»، ثم سأله عن ولده وكناه بأكبرهم: «فَأَنْتَ أَبُو شُرَيْحٍ» (سنن النسائي 5387، صححه الألباني). فمدح الحكم بالعدل وغير الكنية، والقصة نفسها في سنن أبي داود 4955، وصححه الألباني أيضا.
A Judge Other Than Allah?
6:114 has the Prophet ﷺ ask: should I seek a judge other than Allah, when He has sent down the Book perfectly explained? Al-Sa'di gives the reason in one line. Anyone other than Allah is judged, not a judge. Every ruling made by a creature has some lack, fault or wrong in it, and the One to take as judge is Allah alone, to whom belong the creation and the command. The Book, he adds, sets out the lawful and the unlawful, the rulings, and the roots and branches of the religion, with no clearer explanation and no plainer proof than its own.
Arabic: أفغير الله أبتغي حكما
في الأنعام يقول النبي ﷺ: ﴿أَفَغَيْرَ ٱللَّهِ أَبْتَغِى حَكَمًا وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ إِلَيْكُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ مُفَصَّلًا﴾، قال السعدي: «أحاكم إليه، وأتقيد بأوامره ونواهيه. فإن غير الله محكوم عليه لا حاكم. وكل تدبير وحكم للمخلوق فإنه مشتمل على النقص، والعيب، والجور، وإنما الذي يجب أن يتخذ حاكما، فهو الله وحده لا شريك له، الذي له الخلق والأمر». وقال في الكتاب المفصل: «فيه الحلال والحرام، والأحكام الشرعية، وأصول الدين وفروعه، الذي لا بيان فوق بيانه، ولا برهان أجلى من برهانه».
The Most Just of All Judges
﴿وَنَادَىٰ نُوحٌ رَّبَّهُۥ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنَّ ٱبْنِى مِنْ أَهْلِى وَإِنَّ وَعْدَكَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَأَنتَ أَحْكَمُ ٱلْحَـٰكِمِينَ﴾Noah called out to his Lord, saying, “My Lord! Certainly my son is ˹also˺ of my family, Your promise is surely true, and You are the most just of all judges!”
Noah called out in 11:45, about his son: my son is of my family, Your promise is true, and You are the most just of all judges. Compassion moved him, al-Sa'di says. He may have thought the promise to save his family covered all of them, believers or not, and still he left the matter to Allah's perfect wisdom. 95:8 asks the same question of everyone: is Allah not the most just of all judges? Would His wisdom, al-Sa'di asks, leave creation to run loose, never commanded or forbidden, never rewarded or punished?
Arabic: وأنت أحكم الحاكمين
نادى نوح ربه: ﴿وَنَادَىٰ نُوحٌ رَّبَّهُۥ فَقَالَ رَبِّ إِنَّ ٱبْنِى مِنْ أَهْلِى وَإِنَّ وَعْدَكَ ٱلْحَقُّ وَأَنتَ أَحْكَمُ ٱلْحَـٰكِمِينَ﴾، قال السعدي: «لعله عليه الصلاة والسلام، حملته الشفقة، وأن الله وعده بنجاة أهله، ظن أن الوعد لعمومهم، من آمن، ومن لم يؤمن، فلذلك دعا ربه بذلك الدعاء، ومع هذا، ففوض الأمر لحكمة الله البالغة». وفي التين: ﴿أَلَيْسَ ٱللَّهُ بِأَحْكَمِ ٱلْحَـٰكِمِينَ﴾، قال السعدي: «فهل تقتضي حكمته أن يترك الخلق سدى لا يؤمرون ولا ينهون، ولا يثابون ولا يعاقبون؟».
It Is Only Allah Who Decides
﴿مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَسْمَآءً سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَـٰنٍ ۚ إِنِ ٱلْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۚ أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ﴾Whatever ˹idols˺ you worship instead of Him are mere names which you and your forefathers have made up: a practice Allah has never authorized. It is only Allah Who decides. He has commanded that you worship none but Him. That is the upright faith, but most people do not know.
Joseph said it in prison, to his two fellow prisoners: it is only Allah who decides (12:40). Because judgment is Allah's alone, al-Sa'di explains, He is the One who commands and forbids, lays down the laws and sets the rulings. 10:109 tells the Prophet ﷺ to follow the revelation and be patient until Allah passes His judgment, for He is the Best of Judges. His judgment, al-Sa'di says, holds complete justice, the fairness He is praised for.
Arabic: إن الحكم إلا لله
قالها يوسف لصاحبي السجن: ﴿إِنِ ٱلْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۚ أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ﴾، قال السعدي: «لأن الحكم لله وحده، فهو الذي يأمر وينهى، ويشرع الشرائع، ويسن الأحكام». وفي آخر يونس: ﴿وَٱتَّبِعْ مَا يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَيْكَ وَٱصْبِرْ حَتَّىٰ يَحْكُمَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ ٱلْحَـٰكِمِينَ﴾، قال السعدي: «فإن حكمه، مشتمل على العدل التام، والقسط الذي يحمد عليه».
Until They Accept You as Judge
﴿فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا۟ فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا۟ تَسْلِيمًا﴾But no! By your Lord, they will never be ˹true˺ believers until they accept you ˹O Prophet˺ as the judge in their disputes, and find no resistance within themselves against your decision and submit wholeheartedly.
4:65 sets the test for believers: they will never truly believe until they accept the Prophet ﷺ as judge in their disputes, find no resistance within themselves to his decision, and submit wholeheartedly. Al-Sa'di maps the three onto the three levels of the religion. Taking him as judge belongs to Islam, losing the resistance to faith, and full submission to excellence, ihsan.
Arabic: حتى يحكموك فيما شجر بينهم
تضع آية النساء ميزان الإيمان: ﴿فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا۟ فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا۟ تَسْلِيمًا﴾، قال السعدي: «فالتحكيم في مقام الإسلام، وانتفاء الحرج في مقام الإيمان، والتسليم في مقام الإحسان. فمَن استكمل هذه المراتب وكملها، فقد استكمل مراتب الدين كلها».
From the Sunnah
When he came to the Messenger of Allah [SAW] and he heard them calling Hani' by the nickname of Abu Al-Hakam, the Messenger of Allah [SAW] called him and said to him: "Allah is Al-Hakam (the Judge) and judgment is His. Why are you known as Abu Al-Hakam?" He said: "If my people differ concerning something, they come to me, and I pass judgment among them, and both sides accept it." He said: "How good this is. Do you have any children?" He said: "I have Shuraih, and 'Abdullah, and Muslim." He said: "Who is the eldest of them?" He said: "Shuraih." He said: "Then you are Abu Shuraih," and he supplicated for him and his son
أَنَّهُ لَمَّا وَفَدَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَمِعَهُ وَهُمْ يَكْنُونَ هَانِئًا أَبَا الْحَكَمِ فَدَعَاهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ لَهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَكَمُ وَإِلَيْهِ الْحُكْمُ فَلِمَ تُكَنَّى أَبَا الْحَكَمِ . فَقَالَ إِنَّ قَوْمِي إِذَا اخْتَلَفُوا فِي شَىْءٍ أَتَوْنِي فَحَكَمْتُ بَيْنَهُمْ فَرَضِيَ كِلاَ الْفَرِيقَيْنِ . قَالَ مَا أَحْسَنَ مِنْ هَذَا فَمَا لَكَ مِنَ الْوُلْدِ . قَالَ لِي شُرَيْحٌ وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَمُسْلِمٌ . قَالَ فَمَنْ أَكْبَرُهُمْ . قَالَ شُرَيْحٌ . قَالَ فَأَنْتَ أَبُو شُرَيْحٍ . فَدَعَا لَهُ وَلِوَلَدِهِ .
A du'a with this Name
اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّ جِبْرَائِيلَ وَمِيكَائِيلَ وَإِسْرَافِيلَ فَاطِرَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ عَالِمَ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ أَنْتَ تَحْكُمُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِكَ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ اهْدِنِي لِمَا اخْتُلِفَ فِيهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِكَ إِنَّكَ تَهْدِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ
O Allah, Lord of Gabriel, and Michael, and Israfil, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, Who knowest the unseen and the seen; Thou decidest amongst Thy servants concerning their differences. Guide me with Thy permission in the divergent views (which the people) hold about Truth, for it is Thou Who guidest whom Thou wilt to the Straight Path
Sahih Muslim 770: how the Prophet ﷺ opened his prayer when he got up at night, as A'isha reported
Related Names
Questions about Al-Hakam
What does Al-Hakam mean?
The Judge: Al-Hakam is the ultimate authority and the final word on justice, weighing every deed and intention on the Last Day.
Where does the Name Al-Hakam come from?
The Name Al-Hakam comes from the Hadith, not the Quran: the Prophet ﷺ called Allah Al-Hakam, the One to whom judgment belongs (Sunan an-Nasa'i 5387, graded sahih by al-Albani).
Why did the Prophet ﷺ change the kunya Abu al-Hakam?
The Prophet ﷺ gave the reason himself: Allah is al-Hakam, and to Him judgment belongs. He praised Hani's fair judging and named him Abu Shuraih after his eldest son (Sunan an-Nasa'i 5387, graded sahih by al-Albani).
What does accepting the Prophet's judgment involve?
Three things, al-Sa'di says on 4:65: taking the Prophet ﷺ as judge, finding no resistance within, and submitting wholeheartedly; that is Islam, faith and excellence.