الْمُقَدِّمُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Al-Muqaddim
The Expediter
The Expediter, the Promoter, the One who puts things in their right places: that is Al-Muqaddim, a Name that is not in the Quran but in hadith. It closes a du'a the Prophet ﷺ said near the end of his prayer: You are the Advancer, the Delayer (Abu Dawud 1509, sahih in al-Albani's grading).
Key verse
﴿وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّاسَ بِظُلْمِهِم مَّا تَرَكَ عَلَيْهَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ وَلَـٰكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَـْٔخِرُونَ سَاعَةً ۖ وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ﴾If Allah were to punish people ˹immediately˺ for their wrongdoing, He would not have left a single living being on earth. But He delays them for an appointed term. And when their time arrives, they cannot delay it for a moment, nor could they advance it.
The scholar's text
The Expediter, The Promoter, The One who puts things in their right places.
He who promotes or advances. This includes fostering high-ranking servants with substantial incentives.
(O Allah, forgive me what I have sent before me and what I have left behind me, what I have concealed and what I have done openly, what I have done in excess, and what You are better aware of than I. You are the One Who sends forth and You are the One Who delays. There is none worthy of worship but You.) Reference: Muslim 1/534.
اللّهُـمَّ اغْـفِرْ لي ما قَدَّمْـتُ وَما أَخَّرْت ، وَما أَسْـرَرْتُ وَما أَعْلَـنْت ، وَما أَسْـرَفْت ، وَما أَنْتَ أَعْـلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي . أَنْتَ المُقَـدِّمُ، وَأَنْتَ المُـؤَخِّـرُ لا إِلهَ إِلاّ أَنْـت
It is mentioned 0 times in the Holy Quran but mentioned in Hadith.
المقدم، الرافع، الذي يضع الأشياء في مواضعها.
الذي يقدم ويرفع، ومن ذلك أنه يكرم عباده رفيعي المنزلة بعطايا جزيلة.
اللّهُـمَّ اغْـفِرْ لي ما قَدَّمْـتُ وَما أَخَّرْت، وَما أَسْـرَرْتُ وَما أَعْلَـنْت، وَما أَسْـرَفْت، وَما أَنْتَ أَعْـلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي. أَنْتَ المُقَـدِّمُ، وَأَنْتَ المُـؤَخِّـرُ لا إِلهَ إِلاّ أَنْـت. المرجع: مسلم 1/534.
ورد في القرآن الكريم 0 مرة، لكنه ورد في الحديث.
At the End of the Prayer
The Name comes in the Prophet's ﷺ own du'a, the one quoted above. Sahih Muslim 771 places it among the last things he said between the tashahhud and the salam. In Sunan Abi Dawud 1509 Ali reports it as said when he ended the prayer with the salam, and al-Albani graded it sahih. Both narrations close on the pair of Names, You are al-Muqaddim and You are al-Mu'akhkhir: the One Who sends forth and the One Who delays, as the translation above has it.
Arabic: في آخر الصلاة
يأتي الاسم في دعاء النبي ﷺ المذكور أعلاه. وفي صحيح مسلم 771: «ثُمَّ يَكُونُ مِنْ آخِرِ مَا يَقُولُ بَيْنَ التَّشَهُّدِ وَالتَّسْلِيمِ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَفْتُ وَمَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَأَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ». ورواه علي في سنن أبي داود 1509 مما كان يقوله إذا سلم من الصلاة، وصححه الألباني، وكلتا الروايتين تختم بالاسمين.
Do Not Put Yourselves Ahead
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُقَدِّمُوا۟ بَيْنَ يَدَىِ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ۖ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ﴾O believers! Do not proceed ˹in any matter˺ before ˹a decree from˺ Allah and His Messenger. And fear Allah. Surely Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
Putting ahead becomes a rule of manners in 49:1: do not proceed in any matter before a decree from Allah and His Messenger. Believers walk behind Allah's commands, al-Sa'di explains, following the Prophet's ﷺ way in everything, neither speaking before he speaks nor commanding before he commands. Once a practice of the Prophet ﷺ is clear, he says, it must be followed and put before anything else, whatever that may be.
Arabic: لا تقدموا بين يدي الله ورسوله
ويصير التقديم أدبا في آية الحجرات: ﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُقَدِّمُوا۟ بَيْنَ يَدَىِ ٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ﴾، قال السعدي: «وأن يكونوا ماشين، خلف أوامر الله، متبعين لسنة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، في جميع أمورهم، و [أن] لا يتقدموا بين يدي الله ورسوله، ولا يقولوا، حتى يقول، ولا يأمروا، حتى يأمر»، وقال: «فإنه متى استبانت سنة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وجب اتباعها، وتقديمها على غيرها، كائنا ما كان».
I Had Already Given You a Warning
﴿قَالَ لَا تَخْتَصِمُوا۟ لَدَىَّ وَقَدْ قَدَّمْتُ إِلَيْكُم بِٱلْوَعِيدِ﴾Allah will respond, “Do not dispute in My presence, since I had already given you a warning.
On the Day of Judgment, when those who disbelieved and their companions argue, Allah answers: do not dispute in My presence, since I had already given you a warning (50:28). My messengers came to you with clear signs and proofs, al-Sa'di explains, so My case against you stands and yours is gone, and you have come to Me with the deeds you sent ahead, which must now be repaid.
Arabic: وقد قدمت إليكم بالوعيد
يوم القيامة حين يختصم الكافرون وقرناؤهم يقول الله: ﴿قَالَ لَا تَخْتَصِمُوا۟ لَدَىَّ وَقَدْ قَدَّمْتُ إِلَيْكُم بِٱلْوَعِيدِ﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: جاءتكم رسلي بالآيات البينات، والحجج الواضحات، والبراهين الساطعات، فقامت عليكم حجتي، وانقطعت حجتكم، وقدمتم علي بما أسلفتم من الأعمال التي وجب جزاؤها».
What It Sent Forth and Left Behind
﴿عَلِمَتْ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتْ وَأَخَّرَتْ﴾˹then˺ each soul will know what it has sent forth or left behind.
Sending forth and leaving behind are said of people too: all will then be informed of what they have sent forth and left behind (75:13), and each soul will know what it has sent forth or left behind (82:5). Al-Sa'di explains the first as every deed, good and bad, from the start of a life to its end. On the second he describes the winners: the God-fearing who sent good deeds ahead, who gain the great success, lasting bliss and safety from the Fire.
Arabic: علمت نفس ما قدمت وأخرت
ويأتي التقديم والتأخير في الناس: ﴿يُنَبَّؤُا۟ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنُ يَوْمَئِذٍۭ بِمَا قَدَّمَ وَأَخَّرَ﴾، و﴿عَلِمَتْ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتْ وَأَخَّرَتْ﴾. قال السعدي في الأولى: «أي: بجميع عمله الحسن والسيء، في أول وقته وآخره»، وقال في الثانية: «يفوز المتقون المقدمون لصالح الأعمال بالفوز العظيم، والنعيم المقيم والسلامة من عذاب الجحيم».
Neither Delayed Nor Advanced
16:61: if Allah were to punish people immediately for their wrongdoing, He would not have left a single living being on earth, but He delays them for an appointed term, and when their time arrives they cannot delay it for a moment, nor advance it. Al-Sa'di reads it as His perfect forbearance and patience after what the wrongdoers said of Him, and draws the warning: let them beware while they are still in the time of respite, before the time comes that has none. He knows those who went before and those who come after (15:24), al-Sa'di adds.
Arabic: لا يستأخرون ساعة ولا يستقدمون
تقول آية النحل: ﴿وَلَوْ يُؤَاخِذُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّاسَ بِظُلْمِهِم مَّا تَرَكَ عَلَيْهَا مِن دَآبَّةٍ وَلَـٰكِن يُؤَخِّرُهُمْ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى ۖ فَإِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَـْٔخِرُونَ سَاعَةً ۖ وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ﴾، قال السعدي: «لما ذكر تعالى ما افتراه الظالمون عليه ذكر كمال حلمه وصبره»، وقال: «فليحذروا ما داموا في وقت الإمهال قبل أن يجيء الوقت الذي لا إمهال فيه». وفي آية الحجر: ﴿وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا ٱلْمُسْتَقْدِمِينَ مِنكُمْ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمْنَا ٱلْمُسْتَـْٔخِرِينَ﴾، قال السعدي: «يعلم المستقدمين من الخلق والمستأخرين منهم».
From the Sunnah
O Allah, forgive me my former and latter sins, what I have kept secret and what I have done openly, and what I have done extravagance; and what You know better than I do. You are the Advancer, the Delayer, there is no god but You
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَفْتُ وَمَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَأَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ
A du'a with this Name
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي مَا قَدَّمْتُ وَمَا أَخَّرْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَرْتُ وَمَا أَعْلَنْتُ وَمَا أَسْرَفْتُ وَمَا أَنْتَ أَعْلَمُ بِهِ مِنِّي أَنْتَ الْمُقَدِّمُ وَأَنْتَ الْمُؤَخِّرُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ
O Allah, forgive me my former and latter sins, what I have kept secret and what I have done openly, and what I have done extravagance; and what You know better than I do. You are the Advancer, the Delayer, there is no god but You
Sunan Abi Dawud 1509, graded sahih by al-Albani: what the Prophet ﷺ said when he ended the prayer with the salam, as Ali ibn Abi Talib reported
Related Names
Questions about Al-Muqaddim
What does Al-Muqaddim mean?
Al-Muqaddim brings forward and promotes, and sets everything where it belongs.
Is Al-Muqaddim in the Quran?
No; Al-Muqaddim comes in hadith, at the close of a du'a of the Prophet ﷺ (Abu Dawud 1509, graded sahih by al-Albani).
When did the Prophet ﷺ say this du'a?
Among the last words of the Prophet's ﷺ prayer, between the tashahhud and the salam, in Sahih Muslim 771; Abu Dawud 1509 (graded sahih by al-Albani) has it right after the closing salam.
What does it mean to put oneself ahead of Allah and His Messenger?
Speaking or commanding before they have, al-Sa'di explains on 49:1; a clear Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ must come before anything else.