Allah has 99 Beautiful Names that have been revealed to us through the Qur’an. Some of the Names of Allah are quite specific, and when we hear the meaning we have an immediate understanding of what it is about – for example, Al-Fattah means the Opener, or Al-Razzaq means the Provider, while Al-Shakur means the Appreciative One. With these and other Names we can quite easily understand how they relate to us as the creation of Allah.
But the meanings of other Names of Allah, and how we can apply them in our everyday lives, might be less obvious (at first), though no less great. Al-Majeed is one of those – it is usually translated as The Glorious, or the Most Honourable.
It has other translations too: to be dignified, noble; to be lauded, exalted, sublime; to be liberal, bountiful, exceedingly generous.
We can categorise this Name Al-Majeed with those that relate to Allah’s Magnificence, such as Al-Jalal. The nobility and generosity in this Name also connect it to Al-Wahhab (the Bestower of Gifts) and Al-Kareem (The Generous). It also makes us think of Al-A’la, the Most High, or Al-Ghani, the Self-Sufficient/ Rich.
Understandably, people may tend to use the Names that seem obviously applicable to their own situations in life, such as the ones mentioned at the start. If people are in need they may seek from Allah through His qualities as Provider; if they are in search of forgiveness, they will ask from Allah the Forgiver.
But there is also something special about turning to those Names of Allah that don’t always have an immediate connection to the creation. Al-Majeed reminds us of Allah’s Glory and Perfection regardless of the creation.
This Name of Allah is mentioned just a few times in the Qur’an. We can learn more about this Name and how to relate to it by better understanding how it has been selected to appear in the Qur’an.
Al-Majeed is Above Everything – Putting things in perspective
In the first example, Al-Majeed appears in Surah Al Burooj, The Constellations.
“Indeed, it is He who originates [creation] and reproduces. And He is the Forgiving, the Affectionate; He is the Glorious (Majeed) Owner of the Throne, Doer of what He wills,” (Qur’an 85:12-16)
Allah sets the scene at the start of the Surah when He makes an oath by the constellations. This makes us reflect on the stars, the vastness of space and the universe, and is a reminder of how insignificant we as humans are in comparison to other creations of Allah. Then Allah tells us about the People of the Ditch – a community of believers who were thrown into a mass pit of fire simply for believing in God, while their perpetrators looked on.
The Qur’an then immediately switches to verses about Allah’s qualities, ending with His attribute Al-Majeed, the Glorious.
What can we draw from pondering on these connections?
Those that commit evil do so thinking their deed is done, they will not be held to account, and that they rule theirs and others destiny. But there are creation that have been around for far longer, and are far mightier than them, such as the great constellations. They, and the rest of Allah’s creation will be able to give testimony of what these people did. Ultimately though the perpetrators think they have succeeded, in the long-run they will have failed; meanwhile the people they oppressed will enjoy gardens of paradise. People who oppress others are drunk on their belief in their own power – but their power is nothing in comparison to Allah and the power He wields over all his creation. Allah, the Most Glorious, is far above everything.
There are similarly major oppressions happening around the world today, that leave us feeling helpless and pessimistic about the future. But Allah is Al-Majeed, high above all the oppressors, His plans are greater and can never be overturned. But there may also be far more minor issues we face on a daily basis in our own lives – difficult people, challenging situations, annoyances, grievances. Sometimes these things can accumulate and feel overwhelming, making us give bigger space to those things in our minds than they deserve. Remembering that Allah is Al-Majeed, the Glorious, who is far above the petty things that bother us regularly, helps us to put things into perspective, and to aim for a more noble mentality.
Allah Al-Majeed Can Make Miracles Happen
The second example of Al-Majeed in the Qur’an is in Surah Hud. We are told about the three angels that visited Prophet Ibrahim (as) and his wife Sara (as). The angels came in the form of humans, so at first Ibrahim and Sara did not know who they were and thought they were travellers on a journey. So, being hospitable people, Ibrahim and Sara invited the angels for a meal, as their honoured guests. While there, the angels revealed they were sent from Allah on the way to the town of Lut (as), but they also had glad tidings for Ibrahim and Sara that – despite their old age – they would soon be having a baby boy. At this news, Sara expressed her shock, saying she was an elderly woman for whom having a child would be impossible. The angels then replied:
“Are you amazed at the decree of Allah? May the mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you, people of the house. Indeed, He is Praiseworthy and Glorious (Majeed).” (Quran 11:73)
Here the angels referred to Allah as Al-Hameed – reminding Sara and Ibrahim to be thankful to Allah for this wonderful news. But the angels also referred to Allah as Al-Majeed, the Glorious. What seems amazing, impossible even, to us as humans, is simple for Al-Majeed, because He has no limitations. So here, the Name Al-Majeed is associated with the fact anything is possible for Allah, including miracles, for He is far above the obstacles we perceive for ourselves.
Allah’s Word is Majeed
The third example of Majeed in the Qur’an is not in reference to Allah but to the Qur’an itself. This occurs in Surah Qaaf where Allah says:
“Qaaf. By the Qur’an that is Glorious (Majeed)” [Qur’an, 50:1]
Here we are reminded that the best way to know Allah and to understand His Attributes is through reading and reflecting on His Word. In any other situation, if you want to know a person, their qualities, and their instructions, the most obvious thing you would do is listen to what they say.
Similarly, we should listen to the Qur’an since it is KalamAllah, the Word of Allah. It contains the things He wants us to know about Him and the worlds he created – the one we can see, and the ones we cannot. When Allah uses one of His Names to describe His Book, it is a reminder that it is from Him. To respect the Qur’an is to respect Allah; to love the Qur’an is to love Allah; to know the Qur’an is to know Allah better.
With the Qur’an being elevated with the name Al-Majeed, we are also reminded that just as Allah can make miracles happen, the Qur’an itself is a miracle. Musa (as) was given the miracle of the staff that could turn into a snake; Isa (as) was given the miracle of healing and bringing the dead to life; Sulayman (as) was given the miracle of understanding the speech of the animals. But with all these miracles, you had to be alive at the time to witness them. However, with the Prophet Muhammad (saw) Allah chose to send to him the miracle of the Qur’an, a miracle that outlasted the Prophet’s life, so that all of us living today are still able to witness it. Every single day, at any time. SubhanAllah. The genius of the language of the Qur’an is a miracle. The effect of the Qur’an on the attentive heart is a miracle. The power of the word of Allah to ward off harm is a miracle. The fact every dot and letter of the Qur’an remains preserved is a miracle. So in naming the Qur’an Majeed, the Glorious, Allah is reminding us that if we want to witness something miraculous, we only need to open the Qur’an.
Final Reflections
Let us sum up what we have pondered on so far. Al-Majeed reflects Allah’s Glory and Honour. The first lesson we gained through Surah Al-Burooj is that Allah is above everything -so in remembering this Name Al-Majeed, we too can find hope amid the big tests, or we too can try to rise above the petty things in life that bring us down. Allah’s Name Al-Majeed helps us put things into perspective, within the bigger purpose of the universe.
Secondly we reflected on the fact Al-Majeed means Allah is above all limitations, there are no obstacles to His decree, no matter how impossible it seems in our eyes. This means when we make du’a we should never discount Allah answering it. Allah can make miracles happen precisely because He is Al-Majeed. So calling on this Name in Du’a shows that we believe Allah can do anything.
The third lesson we took was that Allah’s Magnificence is also reflected in His Words, Al-Qur’an Al-Majeed. The awe we have for Allah’s Glory should be shown through a deep interest and love for His words. If we want to elevate ourselves, we should study and memorise these words. But in the same way – if a person studies and memorises the Qur’an, they should also show this in their character through good deeds, trustworthiness, and morality.
Finally, we can manifest an understanding of Al-Majeed, Allah’s Glory, by:
- Reflecting on Allah’s creation, like the stars, the mountains, the sky – and remind ourselves that if the creation is this magnificent, then what about the Creator?
- Treating others with Nobility. Allah is Noble – and even though noone can compare to Allah, we can try to instil divine qualities in our character, especially the way we are with others. Thank people even for small things, overlook trivial mistakes, be hospitable to guests and strangers. This is what it means to be majeed.
- Allah is the Most Glorious, so He deserves to be glorified! So we should do Tahmid (saying Alhamdulillah) and Takbir (saying Allahu Akbar) and Tasbih (saying SubhanAllah) often.
We remind ourselves that when we glorify Allah Al-Majeed regularly, we also elevate ourselves.
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