Al-Baqi
Allah is Al-Baqi, the everlasting. The one who has always existed and who will never cease to be. He is the one whose existence doesn’t have a beginning nor an end. The virtue of this name signifies Allah as being perpetual, endless, and everlasting. He will remain forever and unaffected by time.
From the root b-q-y which has the following classical Arabic connotations:
- To continue, to remain, and to endure.
- To be permanent, everlasting and constant.
- To survive forever, to be eternal.
- To be incessant, continous, and endless.
Indeed, we have believed in our Lord that He may forgive us our sins and what you compelled us [to do] of magic. And Allah is better and more enduring. (Quran 20:73)
Whatever you have will end, but what Allah has is lasting. And We will surely give those who were patient their reward according to the best of what they used to do (16:96).
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported that some people from among the Ansar begged from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and he gave them. They again begged him and he again gave them, till when what was in his possession was exhausted he said:
Whatever good (riches, goods) I have, I will not withhold it from you. He who refrains from begging Allah safeguards him against want. and he who seeks sufficiency, Allah would keep him in a state of sufficiency, and he who shows endurance. Allah would grant him power to endure, and none is blessed with an endowment better and greater than endurance. (Sahih Muslim Book 12, Hadith 16)
|
Name: |
Al-Baqi |
|
Al-Baqi in Arabic: |
ٱلْبَاقِي |
|
Arabic root: |
ب ق ي |
|
Al-Baqi meaning in English: |
The Everlasting, the Eternal, Ever-Present, the Immutable |
|
Al-Baqi meaning in Urdu: |
ہمیشہ رہنے والا, سب کے بعد بھی رہنے والی ذات |
|
Appearance in the Quran: |
Although no direct mention in the Quran, it is mentioned indirectly in verses Surah Ar-Rahman 55:26-27, Surah Ta-Ha, and Surah Nahl. |
|
Tasbeeh: |
It can be used as Dhikr, no particular recommended practice by scholars |
|
Asma ul Husna with similar meaning: |
|
Al-Baqi pronunciation contains the distinctive Arabic letter "ق," which is a strong "Q." Pronounced as al-Baa-Qee, this word is derived from the Arabic root ba-qaf-ya (ب ق ي). In traditional Arabic, Al-Baqi carries the meanings of to endure, to remain, and to survive. These meanings also encompass notions of perpetuity, eternality, constancy, to survive forever, eternity, and an unceasing, continuous, and endless life.
This trait of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) describes the quality of Him being the one who has always existed and who will never cease to be, the one whose existence doesn’t have a beginning, nor an end. The virtue of Al-Baqi signifies Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) as being perpetual, endless, and everlasting, the ultimate reality that He will remain forever and unaffected by time. This trait of being “everlasting”, such that it transcends our concept of time is beautifully illustrated with the following visuals from Surah Rahman.
كُلُّ مَنْ عَلَيْہَا فَانٍۖ
Kullu man AAalayha fanin
All that is on the earth is passing,
وَّيَبْقٰى وَجْہُ رَبِّكَ ذُو الْجَلٰلِ وَالْاِكْرَامِۚ
Wayabqa wajhu rabbika thoo aljalali waalikrami
But abiding is the glory of your Lord, full of majesty and beneficence. (Quran 55:26-27)
As the earlier verses take us on a tour of the vast universe, more vast than we can comprehend, these verses bring everything to an abrupt end with the reminder that this world will end. However, there is only one existence that will last, and that is Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى), Al-Baqi.
According to Ibn Kathir, Dhu-al-Jalal wa-al-Ikram (Lord of Majesty and Generosity) is also used to describe this mention of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى)’s face (wajhu) in the ayah 55:27. Another commentary muses how this quality of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) being everlasting is “a blessing”.
“It is indeed a blessing; nay, it is the source of all blessings. It is this Eternal Existence that creates all and gives them their special characteristics, systems, forms, and laws. … It is then the truth of His being the Eternal that gives all blessings. Indeed, this world and all its affairs are put in place as a result of the truth of God's eternity while all else comes to an end.” (Fi Zilal ul Quran)
Reflecting on the trait of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) being Al-Baqi benefits a believer by reorienting his vision from worldliness to the absolute truth of the Hereafter. This was the case for the sorcerers of Firawn in the story of Musa (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) as they witnessed the miracle of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) by the hands of the Prophet Musa (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ). They proclaimed, “Indeed, we have believed in our Lord that He may forgive us our sins and what you compelled us [to do] of magic. And Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is better and more enduring.” (Quran 20:73)
As did the sorcerers, with these verses, we also realize the best thing for us is to worship Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ and seek His approval above any other person’s. The world, with all its perishable effigies, disqualifies itself from being praiseworthy or sought after. Al-Baqi (The Everlasting) reminds us that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is eternal, whereas life on this earth is temporary. It reminds us that all our troubles are nothing compared to the One Whose mercy is much greater than the temporariness of the life we lead. As Muslims, it is a lesson to ask for His assistance in our afflictions and to have our actions lead to what will lead us to eternal prosperity in the Hereafter.
Meditation over Al-Baqi (The Everlasting) distracts us from the worldly belongings we temporarily possess and causes us to think that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى), being Al-Ghaffar as well as Al-Ghafoor, is living forever. It fosters modesty and disinterest in material things.
The title Al-Baqi reminds us not to take our lives instead of short-lived pleasures. “And do not trade God's covenant for a paltry price. Remember, what is with God is better for you, if only you knew!” (16:95) With this verse of the Quran, we can teach children that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is everlasting so that they will be able to comprehend the aim and think about the Hereafter. We do this by showing how important it is to make preparations for the Hereafter using the name of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى), Al-Baqi.
Al-Badi' (The Incomparable), the name that comes before Al-Baqi in this listing, also defines the attribute of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) as the one who is the first. These two names paired, reflect how Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) came before and remains after and transcends any beginnings or ends.
Al-Hayy (The Ever-Living) and Al-Qayyum (The Self-Sustaining) are also similar in meaning to Al-Baqi, particularly Al-Hayy, the Ever-living Being. This quality of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى), who creates life and death, may sound beyond our human comprehension, but ultimately, with reflection, we can understand how the one who is the ultimate creator is unaffected by the worldly concepts of birth or death. As-Samad (The Eternal, The Absolute) is another name that similarly exhibits the enduring nature of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى).
While Al-Baqi (The Everlasting) as a word is not used as is in the Quran, its other Arabic variations, such as “Abqa” or “Baaq,” have been used in Surah Ta-Ha and Surah An-Nahl.
“Indeed, we have believed in our Lord that He may forgive us our sins and what you compelled us [to do] of magic. And Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is better and more enduring.” (Quran 20:73)
“Whatever you have will end, but what Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has is lasting. And We will surely give those who were patient their reward according to the best of what they used to do.” (16:96).
Al-Baqi (The Everlasting) is a reminder for us to ask for what we desire from the one whose existence is enduring. The following words of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى)’s Beloved (ﷺ) remind us how enduring and Sabr helps us in being safeguarded from endless desires. Abu Sa’id al-Khudri reported that some people from among the Ansar begged from the Messenger of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) (ﷺ) and he gave them. They again begged him, and he again gave them, till when what was in his possession was exhausted, he said, “Whatever good (riches, goods) I have, I will not withhold it from you. He who refrains from begging Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) safeguards him against want. And he who seeks sufficiency, Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) would keep him in a state of sufficiency, and he who shows endurance. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) would grant him the power to endure, and none is blessed with an endowment better and greater than endurance.” (Sahih Muslim 1053 a)