الْوَارِثُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Al-Warith
The Heir
The Heir, the Inheritor of All: Al-Warith remains after all have passed, and every possession returns to Him. Its verse is 15:23, where Allah says He gives life and causes death and is the Successor, and Zakariyya calls Him the Best of Successors (21:89).
Key verse
﴿وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ نُحْىِۦ وَنُمِيتُ وَنَحْنُ ٱلْوَٰرِثُونَ﴾Surely it is We Who give life and cause death. And We are the ˹Eternal˺ Successor.
The scholar's text
Al-Warith Meaning: The Heir, The Inheritor of All. Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ is Al-Warith (in Arabic: ٱلْوَارِثُ), The One who remains after all has passed. He is everlasting, and to whom all possessions will be returned.
What does it mean for Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ to inherit?
We begin by defining what it means to receive an inheritance. It usually refers to the passing down of money, property, or some material thing from one person to another upon their passing. This is typically a transfer from a parent or spouse down the family tree to preserve whatever wealth they had. Now, with respect to Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ what does it mean to say He is Al-Warith, The Inheritor? As we discussed in the previous name Al-Baqi (The Everlasting) and Al-Akhir (The Last), He is the one who will exist after all possessors disappear.
(وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ نُحْىِۦ وَنُمِيتُ وَنَحْنُ ٱلْوَٰرِثُونَ)
(Surely it is We Who give life and cause death. And We are the ˹Eternal˺ Successor) Al-Hijr 15:23.
(وَزَكَرِيَّآ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥ رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِى فَرْدًۭا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ)
(And ˹remember˺ when Zachariah cried out to his Lord, “My Lord! Do not leave me childless, though You are the Best of Successors.”) Al-Anbiya 21:89
Understanding that Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ is Al-Warith is also a testament to the person's belief in tawhid (oneness). We recognize Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ works alone, and so the claim to everything is for Him solely. He has no partners with whom the inheritance must be shared.
(يَوْمَ هُم بَـٰرِزُونَ ۖ لَا يَخْفَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مِنْهُمْ شَىْءٌۭ ۚ لِّمَنِ ٱلْمُلْكُ ٱلْيَوْمَ ۖ لِلَّهِ ٱلْوَٰحِدِ ٱلْقَهَّارِ) غافر 40: 16
(the Day all will appear ˹before Allah˺. Nothing about them will be hidden from Him. ˹He will ask,˺ “Who does all authority belong to this Day? To Allah: the One, the Supreme!”) Ghafir 40:16
معنى الوارث: الوارث، وارث كل شيء. الله سبحانه وتعالى هو الوارث (بالعربية: ٱلْوَارِثُ)، الذي يبقى بعد فناء الكل، وهو الباقي الذي ترجع إليه الأملاك كلها.
ما معنى أن يرث الله سبحانه وتعالى؟
نبدأ بتعريف معنى الميراث. يطلق عادة على انتقال المال أو العقار أو شيء مادي من شخص إلى آخر بعد وفاته، وهو في الغالب انتقال من والد أو زوج إلى من بعده في الأسرة حفظا لما كان عندهم من ثروة. فما معنى أن نقول إن الله سبحانه وتعالى هو الوارث؟ كما ذكرنا في اسمي الباقي والآخر، هو الذي يبقى بعد زوال كل مالك.
(وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ نُحْىِۦ وَنُمِيتُ وَنَحْنُ ٱلْوَٰرِثُونَ) الحجر 15: 23
(وَزَكَرِيَّآ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥ رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِى فَرْدًا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ) الأنبياء 21: 89
وفهم أن الله سبحانه وتعالى هو الوارث شاهد أيضا على إيمان المرء بالتوحيد، فنحن نعلم أن الله سبحانه وتعالى منفرد بفعله، فالحق في كل شيء له وحده، ولا شريك له يقاسمه الميراث.
(يَوْمَ هُم بَـٰرِزُونَ ۖ لَا يَخْفَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مِنْهُمْ شَىْءٌ ۚ لِّمَنِ ٱلْمُلْكُ ٱلْيَوْمَ ۖ لِلَّهِ ٱلْوَٰحِدِ ٱلْقَهَّارِ) غافر 40: 16
We Are the Successor
Surely it is We who give life and cause death, and We are the Eternal Successor (15:23). He alone, al-Sa'di says, brings creatures to life out of nothing and makes them die at the terms He set, and he links the verse to 19:40: it is We who will succeed the earth and whoever is on it. On that verse he spells it out. The world and all in it will leave its people and they will leave it; Allah inherits the earth and those on it, brings them back to Him, and repays them for what they did there.
Arabic: ونحن الوارثون
قال تعالى: ﴿وَإِنَّا لَنَحْنُ نُحْىِۦ وَنُمِيتُ وَنَحْنُ ٱلْوَٰرِثُونَ﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: هو وحده لا شريك له الذي يحيي الخلق من العدم بعد أن لم يكونوا شيئا مذكورا ويميتهم لآجالهم التي قدرها»، وقرنها بآية مريم: ﴿إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَرِثُ ٱلْأَرْضَ وَمَنْ عَلَيْهَا وَإِلَيْنَا يُرْجَعُونَ﴾، وقال فيها: «فالدنيا وما فيها، من أولها إلى آخرها، ستذهب عن أهلها، ويذهبون عنها، وسيرث الله الأرض ومن عليها، ويرجعهم إليه، فيجازيهم بما عملوا فيها».
The Best of Successors
﴿وَزَكَرِيَّآ إِذْ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥ رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِى فَرْدًا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ﴾And ˹remember˺ when Zachariah cried out to his Lord, “My Lord! Do not leave me childless, though You are the Best of Successors.”
Zakariyya prayed: my Lord, do not leave me childless, though You are the Best of Successors (21:89). As his end drew near, al-Sa'di explains, he feared there would be no one after him to take his place in calling people to Allah. Best of Successors means the best of those who remain, and al-Sa'di voices what lay behind the request: You are more merciful to Your servants than I am, but I want what will settle my heart and keep its reward running in my scales. The answer came in the next verse (21:90): John was granted, and his wife, who had been barren, was made able to bear a child.
Arabic: وأنت خير الوارثين
ودعا زكريا: ﴿رَبِّ لَا تَذَرْنِى فَرْدًا وَأَنتَ خَيْرُ ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ﴾، قال السعدي: «أنه لما تقارب أجله، خاف أن لا يقوم أحد بعده مقامه في الدعوة إلى الله»، وقال: «أي: خير الباقين، وخير من خلفني بخير، وأنت أرحم بعبادك مني، ولكني أريد ما يطمئن به قلبي، وتسكن له نفسي، ويجري في موازيني ثوابه». وجاءت الإجابة: ﴿فَٱسْتَجَبْنَا لَهُۥ وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥ يَحْيَىٰ وَأَصْلَحْنَا لَهُۥ زَوْجَهُۥٓ﴾، قال السعدي: «بعدما كانت عاقرا، لا يصلح رحمها للولادة فأصلح الله رحمها للحمل، لأجل نبيه زكريا».
Why Should You Not Spend?
﴿وَمَا لَكُمْ أَلَّا تُنفِقُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِلَّهِ مِيرَٰثُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ لَا يَسْتَوِى مِنكُم مَّنْ أَنفَقَ مِن قَبْلِ ٱلْفَتْحِ وَقَـٰتَلَ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَعْظَمُ دَرَجَةً مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنفَقُوا۟ مِنۢ بَعْدُ وَقَـٰتَلُوا۟ ۚ وَكُلًّا وَعَدَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ﴾And why should you not spend in the cause of Allah, while Allah is the ˹sole˺ inheritor of the heavens and the earth? Those of you who donated and fought before the victory ˹over Mecca˺ are unparalleled. They are far greater in rank than those who donated and fought afterwards. Yet Allah has promised each a fine reward. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.
57:10 turns the Name into a reason to give: why should you not spend in the cause of Allah, while Allah is the sole inheritor of the heavens and the earth? Nothing is truly yours, al-Sa'di explains. Every possession will pass out of your hands, or you out of its reach, and ownership goes back to its Owner, so make use of spending while the wealth is still in your hands and take the chance.
Arabic: ولله ميراث السماوات والأرض
تجعل آية الحديد الاسم داعيا إلى الإنفاق: ﴿وَمَا لَكُمْ أَلَّا تُنفِقُوا۟ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلِلَّهِ مِيرَٰثُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ﴾، قال السعدي: «الحال أنه ليس لكم شيء، بل لله مِيرَاثُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ فجميع الأموال ستنتقل من أيديكم أو تنقلون عنها، ثم يعود الملك إلى مالكه تبارك وتعالى، فاغتنموا الإنفاق ما دامت الأموال في أيديكم، وانتهزوا الفرصة».
Withholding What Will Be Inherited
﴿وَلَا يَحْسَبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَبْخَلُونَ بِمَآ ءَاتَىٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ هُوَ خَيْرًا لَّهُم ۖ بَلْ هُوَ شَرٌّ لَّهُمْ ۖ سَيُطَوَّقُونَ مَا بَخِلُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۗ وَلِلَّهِ مِيرَٰثُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ﴾And do not let those who ˹greedily˺ withhold Allah’s bounties think it is good for them: in fact, it is bad for them! They will be leashed ˹by their necks˺ on the Day of Judgment with whatever ˹wealth˺ they used to withhold. And Allah is the ˹sole˺ inheritor of the heavens and the earth. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.
3:180 warns those who greedily withhold what Allah gave them: it is bad for them, and they will be leashed by their necks on the Day of Judgment with whatever they withheld, and it ends on the same words as 57:10. Al-Sa'di explains the ending. Every possession goes back to its Owner, and people leave this world with not a dirham or a dinar. The Prophet ﷺ described the leash: “Whoever is made wealthy by Allah and does not pay the Zakat of his wealth, then on the Day of Resurrection his wealth will be made like a baldheaded poisonous male snake with two black spots over the eyes. The snake will encircle his neck and bite his cheeks and say, 'I am your wealth, I am your treasure.'” (Sahih al-Bukhari 1403), and then he recited this verse.
Arabic: سيطوقون ما بخلوا به
تحذر آية آل عمران الذين يبخلون بما آتاهم الله وتخبر أن البخل شر لهم، وتنتهي بما انتهت إليه آية الحديد: ﴿سَيُطَوَّقُونَ مَا بَخِلُوا۟ بِهِۦ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۗ وَلِلَّهِ مِيرَٰثُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: هو تعالى مالك الملك، وترد جميع الأملاك إلى مالكها، وينقلب العباد من الدنيا ما معهم درهم ولا دينار، ولا غير ذلك من المال». ووصف النبي ﷺ ذلك الطوق: «مَنْ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ مَالاً، فَلَمْ يُؤَدِّ زَكَاتَهُ مُثِّلَ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ شُجَاعًا أَقْرَعَ، لَهُ زَبِيبَتَانِ، يُطَوَّقُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، ثُمَّ يَأْخُذُ بِلِهْزِمَتَيْهِ ـ يَعْنِي شِدْقَيْهِ ـ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ أَنَا مَالُكَ، أَنَا كَنْزُكَ»، ثم تلا الآية (صحيح البخاري 1403).
The Earth Belongs to Allah
﴿قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ ٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱصْبِرُوٓا۟ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلْأَرْضَ لِلَّهِ يُورِثُهَا مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ ۖ وَٱلْعَـٰقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ﴾Moses reassured his people, “Seek Allah’s help and be patient. Indeed, the earth belongs to Allah ˹alone˺. He grants it to whoever He chooses of His servants. The ultimate outcome belongs ˹only˺ to the righteous.”
Musa told his people, under Pharaoh: seek Allah's help and be patient, for the earth belongs to Allah alone, and He grants it to whoever He chooses of His servants (7:128). Not to Pharaoh and his people, al-Sa'di comments, to rule as they pleased. And he draws the servant's duty from it: when able, take the means that keep harm away, and when unable, be patient, seek Allah's help and wait for relief. Of the towns that were destroyed for being spoiled by ease, 28:58 says: We alone were the Successor. We make them die, al-Sa'di explains, every blessing We gave them comes back to Us, and then We bring them back and repay them.
Arabic: إن الأرض لله يورثها من يشاء
قال موسى لقومه تحت حكم فرعون: ﴿ٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱصْبِرُوٓا۟ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلْأَرْضَ لِلَّهِ يُورِثُهَا مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ﴾، قال السعدي: «ليست لفرعون ولا لقومه حتى يتحكموا فيها»، وقال: «وهذه وظيفة العبد، أنه عند القدرة، أن يفعل من الأسباب الدافعة عنه أذى الغير، ما يقدر عليه، وعند العجز، أن يصبر ويستعين اللّه، وينتظر الفرج». وعن القرى التي أهلكت لبطرها تقول آية القصص: ﴿وَكُنَّا نَحْنُ ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ﴾، قال السعدي: «للعباد، نميتهم، ثم يرجع إلينا جميع ما متعناهم به من النعم، ثم نعيدهم إلينا، فنجازيهم بأعمالهم».
From the Sunnah
Whoever is made wealthy by Allah and does not pay the Zakat of his wealth, then on the Day of Resurrection his wealth will be made like a baldheaded poisonous male snake with two black spots over the eyes. The snake will encircle his neck and bite his cheeks and say, 'I am your wealth, I am your treasure.'
مَنْ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ مَالاً، فَلَمْ يُؤَدِّ زَكَاتَهُ مُثِّلَ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ شُجَاعًا أَقْرَعَ، لَهُ زَبِيبَتَانِ، يُطَوَّقُهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، ثُمَّ يَأْخُذُ بِلِهْزِمَتَيْهِ ـ يَعْنِي شِدْقَيْهِ ـ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ أَنَا مَالُكَ، أَنَا كَنْزُكَ
A du'a with this Name
وَمَتِّعْنَا بِأَسْمَاعِنَا وَأَبْصَارِنَا وَقُوَّتِنَا مَا أَحْيَيْتَنَا وَاجْعَلْهُ الْوَارِثَ مِنَّا
and enjoyment of our hearing, and our seeing, and our strength as long as You keep us alive, and make it the inheritor of us.
Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3502, graded hasan by al-Albani: the part with the word inheritor, from the du'a the Prophet ﷺ rarely left a gathering without saying, as Ibn Umar reported
Related Names
Questions about Al-Warith
What does Al-Warith mean?
Al-Warith is the Heir, the Inheritor of All: the One who remains after all have passed, to whom every possession returns.
Where does the Quran call Allah the Inheritor?
The Quran calls Allah the Successor in 15:23 and the Best of Successors in 21:89, and 40:16 says that to Allah, the One, the Supreme, belongs all authority on that Day.
What did Zakariyya mean by the Best of Successors?
The best of those who remain, al-Sa'di explains; he feared no one would carry on calling people to Allah after him (21:89).
Why does the Quran link inheritance with spending?
Because every possession will leave our hands and return to its Owner, al-Sa'di says on 57:10, so the time to spend is while it is still ours.