الْوَاحِدُ
One of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah
Al-Waahid
The One
Al-Waahid is the Unique, the One, the One without a partner. Its verse is 13:16, which ends on Allah, the Creator of all things, the One, the Supreme, and the Name is mentioned 22 times in the Quran. For al-Sa'di that ending is the proof itself: nothing creates itself, so all things have one Creator.
Key verse
﴿قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ ۚ قُلْ أَفَٱتَّخَذْتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا ۚ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتُ وَٱلنُّورُ ۗ أَمْ جَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ خَلَقُوا۟ كَخَلْقِهِۦ فَتَشَـٰبَهَ ٱلْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ خَـٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَهُوَ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّـٰرُ﴾Ask ˹them, O Prophet˺, “Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?” Say, “Allah!” Ask ˹them˺, “Why ˹then˺ have you taken besides Him lords who cannot even benefit or protect themselves?” Say, “Can the blind and the sighted be equal? Or can darkness and light be equal?” Or have they associated with Allah partners who ˹supposedly˺ produced a creation like His, leaving them confused between the two creations? Say, “Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Supreme.”
The scholar's text
The Unique, The One, The One without a partner.
(قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ ۚ قُلْ أَفَٱتَّخَذْتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ نَفْعًۭا وَلَا ضَرًّۭا ۚ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتُ وَٱلنُّورُ ۗ أَمْ جَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ خَلَقُوا۟ كَخَلْقِهِۦ فَتَشَـٰبَهَ ٱلْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ خَـٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ وَهُوَ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّـٰرُ) الرعد 13: 16
(Ask ˹them, O Prophet˺, “Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?” Say, “Allah!” Ask ˹them˺, “Why ˹then˺ have you taken besides Him lords who cannot even benefit or protect themselves?” Say, “Can the blind and the sighted be equal? Or can darkness and light be equal?” Or have they associated with Allah partners who ˹supposedly˺ produced a creation like His, leaving them confused between the two creations? Say, “Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the One, the Supreme.”) Ar-Ra’d 13:16
It is mentioned 22 times in the Holy Quran
المتفرد، الواحد، الذي لا شريك له.
(قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ ۚ قُلْ أَفَٱتَّخَذْتُم مِّن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ لَا يَمْلِكُونَ لِأَنفُسِهِمْ نَفْعًا وَلَا ضَرًّا ۚ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتُ وَٱلنُّورُ ۗ أَمْ جَعَلُوا۟ لِلَّهِ شُرَكَآءَ خَلَقُوا۟ كَخَلْقِهِۦ فَتَشَـٰبَهَ ٱلْخَلْقُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ قُلِ ٱللَّهُ خَـٰلِقُ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ وَهُوَ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّـٰرُ) الرعد 13: 16
ورد في القرآن الكريم 22 مرة.
The One, the Supreme
The verse of Al-Waahid argues in steps. Can the blind and the sighted be equal, or darkness and light? No more, al-Sa'di says, than the worship of Allah alone and the worship of those who set partners beside Him. Then comes the proof. A thing cannot create itself, and it cannot come to be with no creator, so it must have one God who created it with no partner, because He is the One, the Supreme. Oneness and supremacy, al-Sa'di goes on, are found only in Allah: every created thing has something above it that overpowers it, and above that a greater power, until all power ends with the One, the Supreme. The two belong together, and they belong to Allah alone.
Arabic: وهو الواحد القهار
تمضي آية الاسم خطوة خطوة: ﴿قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلْأَعْمَىٰ وَٱلْبَصِيرُ أَمْ هَلْ تَسْتَوِى ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتُ وَٱلنُّورُ﴾، قال السعدي: «فما تستوي عبادة الله وحده، وعبادة المشركين به، كما لا يستوي الأعمى والبصير، وكما لا تستوي الظلمات والنور». ثم البرهان: «فإنه من المحال أن يخلق شيء من الأشياء نفسه. ومن المحال أيضا أن يوجد من دون خالق، فتعين أن لها إلها خالقا لا شريك له في خلقه لأنه الواحد القهار». وقال: «فإنه لا توجد الوحدة والقهر إلا لله وحده، فالمخلوقات وكل مخلوق فوقه مخلوق يقهره ثم فوق ذلك القاهر قاهر أعلى منه، حتى ينتهي القهر للواحد القهار، فالقهر والتوحيد متلازمان متعينان لله وحده».
One God, the Most Merciful
﴿وَإِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ﴾Your God is ˹only˺ One God. There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him: the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.
Your God is only One God, 2:163 says, and then it names Him: the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful. Al-Sa'di's list of what oneness rules out is long. No partner. No namesake. No equal, no likeness. No other creator, no other manager of things. And the mercy at the end of the verse is, for him, the evidence: every blessing that exists and every harm kept away comes from it, a proof in summary that He is One.
Arabic: وإلهكم إله واحد
تقول آية البقرة: ﴿وَإِلَـٰهُكُمْ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ لَّآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ﴾، قال السعدي: «أي: متوحد منفرد في ذاته، وأسمائه، وصفاته، وأفعاله، فليس له شريك في ذاته، ولا سمي له ولا كفو له، ولا مثل، ولا نظير، ولا خالق، ولا مدبر غيره». وجعل الرحمة في آخرها هي الدليل: «وهو إثبات رحمته التي من آثارها وجود جميع النعم، واندفاع [جميع] النقم، فهذا دليل إجمالي على وحدانيته تعالى».
Do Not Take Two Gods
﴿وَقَالَ ٱللَّهُ لَا تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟ إِلَـٰهَيْنِ ٱثْنَيْنِ ۖ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ فَإِيَّـٰىَ فَٱرْهَبُونِ﴾And Allah has said, “Do not take two gods. There is only One God. So be in awe of Me ˹alone˺.”
Do not take two gods, 16:51 says; there is only One God, so be in awe of Me alone. Al-Sa'di's step from belief to practice is short. One in essence, Names, attributes and acts, so one in worship. And awe, in his reading, means obeying: do what He says, keep away from what He forbids, and set nothing He created beside Him, since all of it is His.
Arabic: لا تتخذوا إلهين اثنين
تأمر آية النحل: ﴿وَقَالَ ٱللَّهُ لَا تَتَّخِذُوٓا۟ إِلَـٰهَيْنِ ٱثْنَيْنِ ۖ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَـٰهٌ وَٰحِدٌ ۖ فَإِيَّـٰىَ فَٱرْهَبُونِ﴾، قال السعدي: «فكما أنه الواحد في ذاته وأسمائه ونعوته وأفعاله، فلتوحِّدوه في عبادته». وفي آخرها: «أي: خافوني وامتثلوا أمري، واجتنبوا نهيي من غير أن تشركوا بي شيئا من المخلوقات، فإنها كلها لله تعالى مملوكة».
Sworn by the Angels
﴿إِنَّ إِلَـٰهَكُمْ لَوَٰحِدٌ﴾Surely your God is One!
As-Saffat opens with an oath by the angels ranged in rows, and 37:4 gives what is sworn: surely your God is One. Why swear by them? Because, al-Sa'di says, they are devoted to their Lord and never disobey Him for the blink of an eye. What follows for us is short in his telling: no partner shares His godhood, so love, fear, hope and every kind of worship go to Him alone. 21:108 puts the question straight: will you then submit? Those who do, al-Sa'di says, should praise their Lord for a favour above every favour.
Arabic: إن إلهكم لواحد
تفتتح الصافات بالقسم بالملائكة المصطفة صفوفا، وجوابه: ﴿إِنَّ إِلَـٰهَكُمْ لَوَٰحِدٌ﴾، قال السعدي: «فلما كانوا متألهين لربهم، ومتعبدين في خدمته، ولا يعصونه طرفة عين»، أقسم بهم، ثم قال: «ليس له شريك في الإلهية، فأخلصوا له الحب والخوف والرجاء، وسائر أنواع العبادة». وتسأل آية الأنبياء: ﴿فَهَلْ أَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ﴾، قال السعدي: «فإن فعلوا فليحمدوا ربهم على ما منَّ عليهم بهذه النعمة التي فاقت المنن».
Alone, With No Partner
The third word of the definition, the One without a partner, is in words of dhikr the Prophet ﷺ taught, and he gave their reward: “If one says one-hundred times in one day: "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, the Alone Who has no partners, to Him belongs Dominion and to Him belong all the Praises, and He has power over all things (i.e. Omnipotent)", one will get the reward of manumitting ten slaves, and one-hundred good deeds will be written in his account, and one-hundred bad deeds will be wiped off or erased from his account, and on that day he will be protected from the morning till evening from Satan” (Sahih al-Bukhari 3293, narrated by Abu Huraira). The same words open what he said after every obligatory prayer, given in the box below.
Arabic: لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له
والكلمة الثالثة في التعريف، الذي لا شريك له، في ذكر علمه النبي ﷺ، وذكر ثوابه: «مَنْ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ، وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، فِي يَوْمٍ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ، كَانَتْ لَهُ عَدْلَ عَشْرِ رِقَابٍ، وَكُتِبَتْ لَهُ مِائَةُ حَسَنَةٍ، وَمُحِيَتْ عَنْهُ مِائَةُ سَيِّئَةٍ، وَكَانَتْ لَهُ حِرْزًا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ يَوْمَهُ ذَلِكَ حَتَّى يُمْسِيَ» (صحيح البخاري 3293، عن أبي هريرة). وبها يبدأ ما كان يقوله دبر كل صلاة مكتوبة، في الصندوق الآتي.
From the Sunnah
If one says one-hundred times in one day: "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, the Alone Who has no partners, to Him belongs Dominion and to Him belong all the Praises, and He has power over all things (i.e. Omnipotent)", one will get the reward of manumitting ten slaves, and one-hundred good deeds will be written in his account, and one-hundred bad deeds will be wiped off or erased from his account, and on that day he will be protected from the morning till evening from Satan
مَنْ قَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ، وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ . فِي يَوْمٍ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ، كَانَتْ لَهُ عَدْلَ عَشْرِ رِقَابٍ، وَكُتِبَتْ لَهُ مِائَةُ حَسَنَةٍ، وَمُحِيَتْ عَنْهُ مِائَةُ سَيِّئَةٍ، وَكَانَتْ لَهُ حِرْزًا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ يَوْمَهُ ذَلِكَ حَتَّى يُمْسِيَ،
A du'a with this Name
لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ، وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهْوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ، اللَّهُمَّ لاَ مَانِعَ لِمَا أَعْطَيْتَ، وَلاَ مُعْطِيَ لِمَا مَنَعْتَ، وَلاَ يَنْفَعُ ذَا الْجَدِّ مِنْكَ الْجَدُّ
There is no Deity but Allah, Alone, no Partner to Him. His is the Kingdom and all praise, and Omnipotent is He. O Allah! Nobody can hold back what you gave, nobody can give what You held back, and no struggler's effort can benefit against You
Sahih al-Bukhari 844: what the Prophet ﷺ used to say after every obligatory prayer, as al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba wrote to Mu'awiya
Related Names
Questions about Al-Waahid
What does Al-Waahid mean?
Unique, One, and without a partner: those are the three words for Al-Waahid.
How many times is Al-Waahid in the Quran?
Al-Waahid is mentioned 22 times in the Quran. Its verse is 13:16, where the Supreme comes next to it.
Why does 13:16 pair the One with the Supreme?
13:16 pairs them because, al-Sa'di says, above every power is a greater one, and the last of them is the One, the Supreme; both are Allah's alone.
What is the reward for saying there is no god but Allah alone with no partner?
Said a hundred times in a day, the full words “None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, the Alone Who has no partners, to Him belongs Dominion and to Him belong all the Praises, and He has power over all things (i.e. Omnipotent)” are worth freeing ten slaves, the Prophet ﷺ said, with a hundred good deeds written, a hundred bad ones erased and protection from Satan until evening (Sahih al-Bukhari 3293).