Al-Basit
Allah is Al-Baasit, The One who amplifies all abundance, who makes the way wide open. He gives plentiful to whoever he wills and reaches out a helping hand to all mankind. Allah gives provision and mercy as he wishes.
From the root b-s-t which has the following classical Arabic connotations: to expand, enlarge, extend to grant abundance, to provide amply to spread, widen, to make spacious to extend a hand.
Who is it that would loan Allah a goodly loan so He may multiply it for him many times over? And it is Allah who withholds and grants abundance, and to Him you will be returned. (Quran 2:245)
“Verily, Allah Almighty stretches out his hand by night to accept the repentance of those who sin by day, and he stretches out his hand by day to accept the repentance of those who sin by night, until the sun rises from the west.”
Source: Sahih Muslim #2759 Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Muslim.
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Name: |
Al-Basit (The Expander) |
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Al-Basit in Arabic: |
الْبَاسِطُ |
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Arabic root: |
(ب س ط) |
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Al-Basit meaning in English: |
The Enlarger, The Expansive, The Munificent |
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Al-Basit meaning in Urdu: |
رزق ميں وسعت پيدا کرنے والا, روزی کشادہ کرنے والا |
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Appearance in the Quran: |
Appears in several other forms in the Quran, such as the Expander and One which provides in abundance. |
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Tasbeeh: |
Recite Al-Basit anytime during the day to incorporate remembrance of Allah into your daily routine and ask for help in affairs. |
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Asma-Ul-Husna with similar meaning: |
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The name “Al-Basit” is one of the 99 Asma-Ul-Husna – the most Beautiful Names of Allah, also referred to as the Attributes of Allah. The name "Al-Basit" literally translates to The One who amplifies or "The Expander."
It has its roots in bay-seen-tuyen, which is in Arabic and has meanings related to expanding, enlarging, and granting blessings in abundance. Derived from the Arabic word "Bast," Al-Basit refers to openness. The opposite of this term would be “qabd," which means to clench or seize. Usually, these two terms are mentioned together in verses to emphasize how Allah is the One with the power to grant or withhold things for whomever He sees fit.
"Al-Basit" refers to Allah as the One who can provide anything and everything. However, that is only part of the name, as it also means that Allah can open our hearts. He has the Power and Wisdom to expand the hearts and souls of believers. Al-Basit emphasizes Allah's generosity by highlighting that Allah gives abundance to anyone He wills and anyone reaching out for help.
Al-Basit appears in the Quran through concepts and attributes associated with the Name; however, the Name itself doesn't appear. A few verses mentioning these different forms of the name reiterate the attribute of Allah of being the Expander.
Surah Al-Maidah, verse 64 mentions Allah being open-handed and giving as He pleases:
وَقَالَتِ ٱلْيَهُودُ يَدُ ٱللَّهِ مَغْلُولَةٌ ۚ غُلَّتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَلُعِنُوا۟ بِمَا قَالُوا۟ ۘ بَلْ يَدَاهُ مَبْسُوطَتَانِ يُنفِقُ كَيْفَ يَشَآءُ ۚ وَلَيَزِيدَنَّ كَثِيرًۭا مِّنْهُم مَّآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ طُغْيَـٰنًۭا وَكُفْرًۭا ۚ وَأَلْقَيْنَا بَيْنَهُمُ ٱلْعَدَٰوَةَ وَٱلْبَغْضَآءَ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۚ كُلَّمَآ أَوْقَدُوا۟ نَارًۭا لِّلْحَرْبِ أَطْفَأَهَا ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَيَسْعَوْنَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَسَادًۭا ۚ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ
˹Some among˺ the Jews said, “God is tight-fisted.” May their fists be tied and they be condemned for what they said. Rather, He is open-handed, giving freely as He pleases. That which has been revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺ from your Lord will only cause many of them to increase in wickedness and disbelief. We have stirred among them hostility and hatred until the Day of Judgment. Whenever they kindle the fire of war, Allah puts it out. And they strive to spread corruption in the land. And Allah does not like corruptors. (Surah Al-Maidah, 5:64)
The name Al-Basit appears in different forms in the Quran and means various things in different contexts; however, the essence of its meaning remains how Allah is the one that widens and opens doors, opportunities, and things for mankind, how He makes things easier and extends knowledge, His mercy, and forgiveness.
Al-Basit can be explained in the Quran's three derivatives – physical, spiritual, and emotional expansion. The physical expansion explained by Al-Basit refers to how Allah has created and expanded the Universe, life in it, and everything else in between. It explains how He continues to provide for His creations and remains the Source of sustenance. It is only Allah who leads mankind to opportunities, and it is only Him who can turn your life around by providing for you in the best way possible.
Spiritual expansion highlights how Al-Basit has the Power to expand a believer's heart and mind. It is only Allah who can help an individual understand the world better and accept the truth around them. Similarly, emotional expansion, explained by Al-Basit, is how it is Only Allah who can hold our hand and bring us out of our hardships and limitations.
Remembrance of Allah as Al-Basit can help the believers remain connected to The Almighty. It will serve as a reminder that Only Allah makes the souls happy by providing them with happiness. It reiterates the faith and belief in Allah being the only One who can sustain life. He widens a believer’s knowledge, heart, mind, and soul through His Mercy and Generosity.
The Name also inspires hope and optimism in believers since it reminds them that even in times of difficulty, when there seems to be no way out, Allah is ready to open doors for us that we may not have realized were possible. It brings about hope that Allah can expand our lives and bless us with unexpected gifts.
Al-Basit’s significance lies in how it represents Allah’s limitless capacity to expand, bless and guide us, His creation. With increased knowledge about Allah and how much generosity He bestows upon us, it is easier for believers to form a personal connection with Him. Reflecting on Allah’s attributes and how He offers help can assist in deepening our faith, opening our hearts to His blessings, and ultimately becoming more grateful. It can be a motivating factor for believers to embrace a life of gratitude.
The word “Al-Basit” is a divine attribute of Allah and is often paired with Al-Qabid, which translates to The Constrictor. These two are often mentioned together in verses and Ahadith. The names are used together to emphasize Allah's control and power over everything. The frequent pairing of these Names highlights how Allah can provide for us believers limitlessly, but He also has the Authority to constrict things to make everything work in our favor.
While no word mentioned in the Quran translates to the Expander other than Al-Basit, other names carry synonymous or complementary meanings, such as Al-Fattah, which means The Opener and signifies Allah’s ability to open doors and remove obstacles from a believer’s path. It also means that Allah can bring ease after hardships.
Another synonymous name is Al-Wasi, which refers to Allah being The Vast and The All-Encompassing. It emphasizes how nothing is beyond His reach and how He has all the knowledge. Al-Karim, meaning The Generous, is also an attribute similar to Al-Basit. It reiterates Allah's generosity and tendency to bless His believers with uncountable blessings, as Al-Basit refers to Allah's Expanding ways, hearts, minds, and souls.
Each of these names offers unique insights into the beautiful attributes of Allah.
Al-Basit has been mentioned in Ahadith several times. One narration by Anas ibn Malik is as follows,
“The people said, ‘Messenger of Allah, the prices have shot, so fix the prices for us.’ Thereupon the Prophet Muhammad said, ‘Allah is the One who fixes prices, withholds, gives lavishly, and provides, and I hope when I meet Allah, none of you will have any claim on me for an injustice regarding blood or property.”
In this hadith, Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) referred to Allah as Al-Basit when highlighting "…gives lavishly…" which is the meaning of the Name. The hadith also mentions the word Al-Qabid, which, as mentioned in the previous sections, is used along with Al-Basit to shed light on how Allah can withhold (Qabd) and provide in abundance (Bast).
Another appearance of the word Al-Basit is in Sahih Muslim, a hadith narrated by Abu Musa; he reported Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) saying:
“Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, stretches out His hand during the night so that the people may repent for the fault committed from dawn till dusk, and He stretches out His Hand during the day so that the people may repent for the fault committed from dusk to dawn. (He would accept repentance) before the sun rises in the west (before the Day of Resurrection).”
The Name Al-Basit has been referred to as Allah stretching out His Hands here in a way that it is an “open” hand for the believers to hang onto and ask for forgiveness.
Another mention of Allah's attribute of blessing His servants in Abundance is in the Quran in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 247:
وَقَالَ لَهُمْ نَبِيُّهُمْ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَدْ بَعَثَ لَكُمْ طَالُوتَ مَلِكًۭا ۚ قَالُوٓا۟ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لَهُ ٱلْمُلْكُ عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِٱلْمُلْكِ مِنْهُ وَلَمْ يُؤْتَ سَعَةًۭ مِّنَ ٱلْمَالِ ۚ قَالَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰهُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَزَادَهُۥ بَسْطَةًۭ فِى ٱلْعِلْمِ وَٱلْجِسْمِ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يُؤْتِى مُلْكَهُۥ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ
Their Prophet told them, "God has appointed Saul to be your king.” They protested, “How can he be our king when some of us are more deserving of kingship than he, and he has not been blessed with vast riches?” He replied, “Allah has chosen him over you and blessed him with knowledge and stature. Allah grants kingship to whoever He wills. And Allah is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing.” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:247)