الْقَوِيُّ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Al-Qawiyy
The All-Powerful
Al-Qawiyy is the Most Strong, the Strong, the One with complete power. Its verse is 42:19, where Allah's kindness and provision end on this Name and the Almighty, and it is mentioned 9 times in the Quran. All strength is His, al-Sa'di says there: no one has might or power except through Him.
Key verse
﴿ٱللَّهُ لَطِيفٌۢ بِعِبَادِهِۦ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْقَوِىُّ ٱلْعَزِيزُ﴾Allah is Ever Kind to His servants. He provides ˹abundantly˺ to whoever He wills. And He is the All-Powerful, Almighty.
The scholar's text
The Most Strong, The Strong, The One with the complete Power.
(ٱللَّهُ لَطِيفٌۢ بِعِبَادِهِۦ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْقَوِىُّ ٱلْعَزِيزُ) الشورى 42: 19
(Allah is Ever Kind to His servants. He provides ˹abundantly˺ to whoever He wills. And He is the All-Powerful, Almighty.) Ash-Shura 42:19
It is mentioned 9 times in the Holy Quran
الأقوى، القوي، صاحب القوة الكاملة.
(ٱللَّهُ لَطِيفٌۢ بِعِبَادِهِۦ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْقَوِىُّ ٱلْعَزِيزُ) الشورى 42: 19
ورد في القرآن الكريم 9 مرات.
All Strength Is His
42:19 says Allah is Ever Kind to His servants and provides to whoever He wills, and ends: He is the All-Powerful, Almighty. Al-Sa'di, closing his long note on kindness in that verse, says of al-Qawiyy that all strength is His, so that no created being has any might or power except through Him, and all things have yielded to Him. Ibn Kathir puts it in a few words: nothing is beyond Him.
Arabic: وهو القوي العزيز
تقول آية الشورى إن الله لطيف بعباده يرزق من يشاء، ثم تختم: ﴿وَهُوَ ٱلْقَوِىُّ ٱلْعَزِيزُ﴾، قال السعدي: «الذي له القوة كلها، فلا حول ولا قوة لأحد من المخلوقين إلا به، الذي دانت له جميع الأشياء». وقال ابن كثير: «أي: لا يعجزه شيء».
Not Even a Fly
﴿مَا قَدَرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَقَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ﴾They have not shown Allah the reverence He deserves. Surely Allah is All-Powerful, Almighty.
Not one fly. The idols people call on could not create one if they all came together, 22:73 says, and if a fly snatched something from them they could not get it back. The verdict follows in 22:74: they have not shown Allah the reverence He deserves; Allah is All-Powerful, Almighty. For al-Sa'di their mistake was to make the poor and helpless equal to the rich and strong in every way. Then his picture of complete strength: every forelock in His hand, nothing moving or resting except by His will, and one blast to raise all creation, first and last.
Arabic: ما قدروا الله حق قدره إن الله لقوي عزيز
تضرب آية الحج مثلا للأصنام التي يدعونها من دون الله: ﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌ فَٱسْتَمِعُوا۟ لَهُۥٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ لَن يَخْلُقُوا۟ ذُبَابًا وَلَوِ ٱجْتَمَعُوا۟ لَهُۥ ۖ وَإِن يَسْلُبْهُمُ ٱلذُّبَابُ شَيْـًٔا لَّا يَسْتَنقِذُوهُ مِنْهُ ۚ ضَعُفَ ٱلطَّالِبُ وَٱلْمَطْلُوبُ﴾، ثم تقول: ﴿مَا قَدَرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِۦٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَقَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ﴾، قال السعدي: «حيث سوى الفقير العاجز من جميع الوجوه، بالغني القوي من جميع الوجوه»، و«أي: كامل القوة، كامل العزة، من كمال قوته وعزته، أن نواصي الخلق بيديه، وأنه لا يتحرك متحرك، ولا يسكن ساكن، إلا بإرادته ومشيئته»، «ومن كمال قوته، أنه يبعث الخلق كلهم، أولهم وآخرهم، بصيحة واحدة».
Your Support Is the Strong
﴿ٱلَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا۟ مِن دِيَـٰرِهِم بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ إِلَّآ أَن يَقُولُوا۟ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلنَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍ لَّهُدِّمَتْ صَوَٰمِعُ وَبِيَعٌ وَصَلَوَٰتٌ وَمَسَـٰجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا ٱسْمُ ٱللَّهِ كَثِيرًا ۗ وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُۥٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَقَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ﴾˹They are˺ those who have been expelled from their homes for no reason other than proclaiming: “Our Lord is Allah.” Had Allah not repelled ˹the aggression of˺ some people by means of others, destruction would have surely claimed monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which Allah’s Name is often mentioned. Allah will certainly help those who stand up for Him. Allah is truly All-Powerful, Almighty.
22:40 speaks of believers driven from their homes only for saying our Lord is Allah, and promises: Allah will certainly help those who stand up for Him; Allah is truly All-Powerful, Almighty. Al-Sa'di turns to the reader with good news. Even if your numbers and means are few and your enemy's are many, your support is the Strong, the Almighty, so take the means you were commanded to take and then ask Him for victory, and it will come.
Arabic: ولينصرن الله من ينصره إن الله لقوي عزيز
تذكر آية الحج من أخرجوا من ديارهم بغير حق إلا أن يقولوا ربنا الله، ثم: ﴿وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُۥٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَقَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ﴾، قال السعدي: «فأبشروا، يا معشر المسلمين، فإنكم وإن ضعف عددكم وعددكم، وقوي عدد عدوكم وعدتهم فإن ركنكم القوي العزيز، ومعتمدكم على من خلقكم وخلق ما تعملون، فاعملوا بالأسباب المأمور بها، ثم اطلبوا منه نصركم، فلا بد أن ينصركم».
Saved, and Destroyed
﴿فَلَمَّا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا صَـٰلِحًا وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا وَمِنْ خِزْىِ يَوْمِئِذٍ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ ٱلْقَوِىُّ ٱلْعَزِيزُ﴾When Our command came, We saved Ṣâliḥ and those who believed with him by a mercy from Us and spared them the disgrace of that Day. Surely your Lord ˹alone˺ is the All-Powerful, Almighty.
Near the end of the story of Salih, 11:66 tells of his rescue: when Our command came, We saved Salih and those who believed with him, by a mercy from Us, from the disgrace of that Day; surely your Lord alone is the All-Powerful, Almighty. Al-Sa'di sees both sides of the Name in one verse. Of His strength and might is that He destroyed the tyrant nations and saved the messengers and those who followed them.
Arabic: إن ربك هو القوي العزيز
قرب ختام قصة صالح تذكر آية هود نجاته ونجاة المؤمنين معه: ﴿فَلَمَّا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا صَـٰلِحًا وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ بِرَحْمَةٍ مِّنَّا وَمِنْ خِزْىِ يَوْمِئِذٍ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ ٱلْقَوِىُّ ٱلْعَزِيزُ﴾، قال السعدي: «ومن قوته وعزته، أن أهلك الأمم الطاغية، ونجى الرسل وأتباعهم».
The Strong Believer
The Prophet ﷺ asked for strength in believers too: “A strong believer is better and is more lovable to Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in everyone, (but) cherish that which gives you benefit (in the Hereafter) and seek help from Allah and do not lose heart” (Sahih Muslim 2664). And he named the words that hand all strength back to Allah. Abu Musa was saying them quietly behind him when he said: “Should I not direct you to a treasure from amongst the treasures of Paradise?” (Sahih Muslim 2704). The words are in the box below.
Arabic: المؤمن القوي خير
وطلب النبي ﷺ القوة في المؤمن: «الْمُؤْمِنُ الْقَوِيُّ خَيْرٌ وَأَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِ الضَّعِيفِ وَفِي كُلٍّ خَيْرٌ احْرِصْ عَلَى مَا يَنْفَعُكَ وَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللَّهِ وَلاَ تَعْجِزْ» (صحيح مسلم 2664). وسمى الكلمة التي ترد القوة كلها إلى الله، وكان أبو موسى يقولها خلفه سرا، فقال: «أَلاَ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى كَنْزٍ مِنْ كُنُوزِ الْجَنَّةِ» (صحيح مسلم 2704)، والكلمة في آخر الصفحة.
From the Sunnah
A strong believer is better and is more lovable to Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in everyone, (but) cherish that which gives you benefit (in the Hereafter) and seek help from Allah and do not lose heart, and if anything (in the form of trouble) comes to you, don't say: If I had not done that, it would not have happened so and so, but say: Allah did that what He had ordained to do and your" if" opens the (gate) for the Satan
الْمُؤْمِنُ الْقَوِيُّ خَيْرٌ وَأَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِ الضَّعِيفِ وَفِي كُلٍّ خَيْرٌ احْرِصْ عَلَى مَا يَنْفَعُكَ وَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللَّهِ وَلاَ تَعْجِزْ وَإِنْ أَصَابَكَ شَىْءٌ فَلاَ تَقُلْ لَوْ أَنِّي فَعَلْتُ كَانَ كَذَا وَكَذَا . وَلَكِنْ قُلْ قَدَرُ اللَّهِ وَمَا شَاءَ فَعَلَ فَإِنَّ لَوْ تَفْتَحُ عَمَلَ الشَّيْطَانِ
A du'a with this Name
لاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ
There is no might and no power but that of Allah
Sahih Muslim 2704: the words the Prophet ﷺ called a treasure from the treasures of Paradise, as Abu Musa reported
Related Names
Questions about Al-Qawiyy
What does Al-Qawiyy mean?
Al-Qawiyy is the Most Strong, the Strong, the One with complete power.
How many times is Al-Qawiyy in the Quran?
Al-Qawiyy is mentioned 9 times in the Quran. In its verse here, 42:19, the Almighty follows it.
Does relying on Allah mean doing nothing?
No: relying on Allah comes after using the means He ordered, al-Sa'di says on 22:40, and then you ask Him for help.
Why is a strong believer better?
Strive for what benefits you, seek Allah's help and do not lose heart: the Prophet ﷺ said this after saying a strong believer is better (Sahih Muslim 2664).