الرَّقِيبُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Ar-Raqeeb
The Watchful One
Ar-Raqeeb is the Watcher, the One from whom nothing is absent, and its meaning is tied to the attribute of knowledge. In its verse, 33:52, Allah is ever Watchful over all things. On 4:1 Ibn Kathir reads in the Name a command: watch the Watcher, as the hadith of ihsan teaches.
Key verse
﴿لَّا يَحِلُّ لَكَ ٱلنِّسَآءُ مِنۢ بَعْدُ وَلَآ أَن تَبَدَّلَ بِهِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَٰجٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ حُسْنُهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُكَ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ رَّقِيبًا﴾It is not lawful for you ˹O Prophet˺ to marry more women after this, nor can you replace any of your present wives with another, even if her beauty may attract you: except those ˹bondwomen˺ in your possession. And Allah is ever Watchful over all things.
The scholar's text
The Watcher, The One that nothing is absent from Him. Hence, its meaning is related to attribute of Knowledge.
(لَّا يَحِلُّ لَكَ ٱلنِّسَآءُ مِنۢ بَعْدُ وَلَآ أَن تَبَدَّلَ بِهِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَٰجٍۢ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ حُسْنُهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُكَ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ رَّقِيبًۭا) الأحزاب 33: 52
(It is not lawful for you ˹O Prophet˺ to marry more women after this, nor can you replace any of your present wives with another, even if her beauty may attract you: except those ˹bondwomen˺ in your possession. And Allah is ever Watchful over all things.) Al-Ahzab 33: 52
It is mentioned 3 times in the Holy Quran
الرقيب، الذي لا يغيب عنه شيء، ولذلك يتصل معناه بصفة العلم.
(لَّا يَحِلُّ لَكَ ٱلنِّسَآءُ مِنۢ بَعْدُ وَلَآ أَن تَبَدَّلَ بِهِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَٰجٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكَ حُسْنُهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ يَمِينُكَ ۗ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ رَّقِيبًا) الأحزاب 33: 52
ورد في القرآن الكريم 3 مرات.
Nothing Is Absent From Him
The Name is defined by what it excludes: nothing is absent from Him, which is why it sits beside the attribute of knowledge. Its verse closes the rulings on the Prophet's ﷺ marriages with it, and al-Sa'di reads raqib there in three parts: He watches over affairs, He knows where they will end, and He manages them in the most perfect order and the best arrangement. Al-Baghawi gives it one word, the Keeper.
Arabic: الذي لا يغيب عنه شيء
يُعرَّف الاسم بما ينفيه: لا يغيب عنه شيء، ولذلك يقترن بصفة العلم. وتختم آيته أحكام أزواج النبي ﷺ: ﴿وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ رَّقِيبًا﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: مراقبًا للأمور، وعالمًا بما إليه تؤول، وقائمًا بتدبيرها على أكمل نظام، وأحسن إحكام». وقال البغوي: حافظا.
Ever Watchful Over You
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَٰحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَآءً ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِۦ وَٱلْأَرْحَامَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا﴾O humanity! Be mindful of your Lord Who created you from a single soul, and from it He created its mate, and through both He spread countless men and women. And be mindful of Allah, in Whose Name you appeal to one another, and ˹honour˺ family ties. Surely Allah is ever Watchful over you.
The first verse of Surah an-Nisa ends on the Name, after commands to be mindful of Allah and to honour family ties (4:1). Al-Sa'di explains raqib there as aware of His servants in their movement and their stillness, in secret and in public, in every state, and says this calls for watching Him and for a deep shyness before Him that keeps a person mindful. Ibn Kathir adds that He watches all your deeds and states, and calls the verse guidance and a command to watch the Watcher.
Arabic: إن الله كان عليكم رقيبا
تفتتح سورة النساء بالأمر بالتقوى وصلة الأرحام، ثم تقول: ﴿إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا﴾. قال السعدي: «وكذلك الإخبار بأنه رقيب، أي: مطلع على العباد في حال حركاتـهم وسكونـهم، وسرهم وعلنهم، وجميع أحوالهم، مراقبا لهم فيها مما يوجب مراقبته، وشدة الحياء منه، بلزوم تقواه». وقال ابن كثير: «أي: هو مراقب لجميع أعمالكم وأحوالكم»، «وهذا إرشاد وأمر بمراقبة الرقيب».
You Were the Watcher Over Them
﴿مَا قُلْتُ لَهُمْ إِلَّا مَآ أَمَرْتَنِى بِهِۦٓ أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبَّكُمْ ۚ وَكُنتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا مَّا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِى كُنتَ أَنتَ ٱلرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَأَنتَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ﴾I never told them anything except what You ordered me to say: “Worship Allah: my Lord and your Lord!” And I was witness over them as long as I remained among them. But when You took me, You were the Witness over them: and You are a Witness over all things.
In 5:117 Isa answers his Lord about his people. He was a witness over them while he was among them, and after Allah took him, Allah was the Watcher over them. Al-Sa'di explains: the One aware of their secrets and what their hearts held. The verse ends on Allah as Witness over all things, which al-Sa'di reads as knowledge, hearing and sight that take in everything, so that He repays His servants for the good and evil He knows in them.
Arabic: كنت أنت الرقيب عليهم
يجيب عيسى ربه عن قومه: ﴿وَكُنتُ عَلَيْهِمْ شَهِيدًا مَّا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا تَوَفَّيْتَنِى كُنتَ أَنتَ ٱلرَّقِيبَ عَلَيْهِمْ﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: المطلع على سرائرهم وضمائرهم». ثم ﴿وَأَنتَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ شَهِيدٌ﴾: «علما وسمعا وبصرا، فعلمك قد أحاط بالمعلومات، وسمعك بالمسموعات، وبصرك بالمبصرات، فأنت الذي تجازي عبادك بما تعلمه فيهم من خير وشر».
As If You See Him
﴿أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرَىٰ﴾Does he not know that Allah sees ˹all˺?
Ibn Kathir cites the hadith of ihsan on 4:1, and it is the Name in practice. When Jibril asked what ihsan is, the Prophet ﷺ answered: “To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you” (Sahih al-Bukhari 50). The second half is the Name itself: even when the servant does not reach the first state, he is still seen. 96:14 asks the same of the one who turns others away from prayer: does he not know that Allah sees?
Arabic: كأنك تراه
ذكر ابن كثير حديث الإحسان في آية النساء، وهو الاسم في العمل. سأل جبريل عن الإحسان فقال النبي ﷺ: «أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ» (صحيح البخاري 50). فالشطر الثاني هو الاسم نفسه: إن لم يبلغ العبد المقام الأول فإنه مرئي. وتسأل آية العلق من ينهى عن الصلاة: ﴿أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرَىٰ﴾.
Wherever You Are
Two short commands carry the Name into daily life. To Abu Dharr: “Have Taqwa of Allah wherever you are, and follow an evil deed with a good one to wipe it out, and treat the people with good behavior” (Jami at-Tirmidhi 1987, graded hasan by al-Albani). And to the young Ibn Abbas, behind him: “Be mindful of Allah and He will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him before you” (Jami at-Tirmidhi 2516, graded sahih by al-Albani).
Arabic: اتق الله حيثما كنت
وصيتان قصيرتان تنقلان الاسم إلى الحياة اليومية. قال النبي ﷺ لأبي ذر: «اتَّقِ اللَّهَ حَيْثُمَا كُنْتَ وَأَتْبِعِ السَّيِّئَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ تَمْحُهَا وَخَالِقِ النَّاسَ بِخُلُقٍ حَسَنٍ» (جامع الترمذي 1987، حسنه الألباني)، وقال لابن عباس وهو خلفه: «احْفَظِ اللَّهَ يَحْفَظْكَ احْفَظِ اللَّهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَكَ» (جامع الترمذي 2516، صححه الألباني).
From the Sunnah
What is Ihsan (perfection)?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) replied, "To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you
مَا الإِحْسَانُ قَالَ أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ
I was behind the Prophet(s.a.w) one day when he said: 'O boy! I will teach you a statement: Be mindful of Allah and He will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him before you
كُنْتُ خَلْفَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَوْمًا فَقَالَ يَا غُلاَمُ إِنِّي أُعَلِّمُكَ كَلِمَاتٍ احْفَظِ اللَّهَ يَحْفَظْكَ احْفَظِ اللَّهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَكَ
A du'a with this Name
اللَّهُمَّ آتِ نَفْسِي تَقْوَاهَا وَزَكِّهَا أَنْتَ خَيْرُ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا أَنْتَ وَلِيُّهَا وَمَوْلاَهَا
O Allah, grant to my soul the sense of righteousness and purify it, for Thou art the Best Purifier thereof. Thou art the Protecting Friend thereof, and Guardian thereof
Sahih Muslim 2722: from the Prophet's ﷺ supplication, as Zaid ibn Arqam reported it
Related Names
Questions about Ar-Raqeeb
What does Ar-Raqeeb mean?
Ar-Raqeeb is the Watcher from whom nothing is absent, a meaning tied to His knowledge.
How many times is Ar-Raqeeb in the Quran?
Ar-Raqeeb is mentioned 3 times in the Quran. Its verse is 33:52.
Is raqib used for anyone other than Allah?
Yes. In 50:18 it is the observer who is ready to write down every word a person utters.
What is muraqabah?
Watching the Watcher, as Ibn Kathir puts it on 4:1. The hadith of ihsan describes it: “To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that He is looking at you” (Sahih al-Bukhari 50).