Al-Majid
Allah is Al-Maajid, the most noble, magnificent and generous. He is the one who consistently gives for His wealth is endless. Truly Allah is most high and shows mankind a perfect example of richness and generosity.
From the root m-j-d which has the following classical Arabic connotations: to be glorious, dignified, noble and honorable to be lauded, exalted, sublime to be liberal, bountiful, exceedingly generous
Indeed, it is He who originates [creation] and repeats. And He is the Forgiving, the Affectionate, Glorious Owner of the Throne, Effecter of what He intends. (Quran 85:12-16)
They said, “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 Honorable.” (Quran 11:73)
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Name: |
Al-Majid |
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Al-Majid in Arabic: |
ٱلْمَاجِدُ |
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Arabic root: |
(م ج د) |
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Al-Majid Pronunciation: |
Al-Maa-jid |
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Al-Majid meaning in English: |
The Most Glorious One, The Most Honorable. |
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Al-Majid meaning in Urdu: |
بڑی بزرگی والا |
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Appearance in the Quran: |
None |
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Al-Majid Benefits: |
The believer who recites this Name frequently will Insha Allah be blessed with esteem, honor, a virtuous personality, righteousness, piety, and recovery from several diseases |
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Tasbeeh: |
Recite 99 times after the morning prayer and blow on the body |
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Asma ul Husna with similar meaning: |
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The name Al-Majid refers to Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) being Dignified, Glorious, Noble, Generous, and Honorable. It is one of the Names that covers a range of attributes. Al-Majid also tells us that Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) is the only one who really deserves honor and praise, as He is All-Glorious.
Al-Majid constitutes one of the Attributes of Allah’s (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) glory, magnificence, grandeur and greatness. Indeed, He is the One who is more exalted and honorable than anything and anyone. He is also magnified and glorified in the hearts of the believers, the awliya, and the ones close to Him. The believers’ hearts should overflow with the remembrance of His magnificence and greatness. By remembering this name of Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ), we also remember that we have to submit to Him and stay humble before Him.
Al-Majid is derived from the root letters mim-jim-dal (م ج د). Put together, these letters have certain connotations in the classical Arabic language. Some of these include: to be dignified, lauded, sublime, beautiful, glorious, majestic, extremely generous, and so on.
When we say Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) is Al-Majid, we also mean that His excellence is without any similarity or parallel. He is Unique, Alone, and Perfect. Perfection is not just one quality but a combination of several attributes.
Knowing that Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) is Al-Majeed has at least two main benefits. First, we get to know that it is only in worshiping Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) and praising Him that we can gain success. As He holds all glory and honor, we have to seek Him by being honest and sincere devotees. We invoke the names Al-Majid and Al-Hamid while reciting Durood-e-Ibrahimi during salah.
The second benefit stems from understanding how we can work on improving our qualities and attributes. With this effort, we may hope to rise in the ranks and become more in touch with our spiritual essence. A well-rounded Muslim works on his/her devotion, piety, studiousness, and kindness. They will also actively stay away from all falsehoods, hypocrisy, arrogance, etc.
According to Imam Al-Ghazali: "Al-Majid. the All-Glorious is one who is noble in essence, beautiful in actions, and bountiful in gifts and in favors." Ahmad Zarruq writes that this name comes from ‘al-majd,’ which means the utmost limit of nobility.
With these integrations, we know that Al-Majid teaches us the utmost Perfectness and Gloriousness of Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ). While the name may also be applied to things other than Him, the attribute’s completeness is His alone.
‘Al-Majid’ is not used in the Qur’an, but has a similar meaning and importance as the name ‘Al-Majeed’ only once as a direct name. Since both of them remind us to glorify Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ, we may keep in mind the shortest and easiest way to accomplish this.
This way is through frequently reciting the three phrases—SubhanAllah, Alhamdolillah, and Allahu Akbar. Each of these glorifies and praises Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ and helps us stay conscious of Him even during our regular routines. There is no set number for reciting the name ‘Al-Majid’ or these short phrases, but the reward will increase the more we recite them.
Some parents might want their children to have this name in order to connect with the virtues of esteem, honor, and kindness. Since the attribute of Majid is not limited to Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) alone, it is appropriate to use it as a regular name. The name ‘Abdul Majid’ is also acceptable and beneficial.
The main difference between ‘Al-Majid’ and ‘Al-Majeed’ is the intensity of their meaning. While both names refer to the Glory and Nobility of Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ, ‘Al-Majeed’ is in the form of a superlative. Grammatically, this level of intensity is meant only to describe Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ and no one else. The indication here is that Allah’s سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ Glory is permanent and everlasting. On the other hand, ‘Al-Majid’ can denote anyone who is generous, noble, and bountiful. With this difference in mind, we can have the name ‘Majid’ but not ‘Majeed’. In a nutshell, it’s the same pattern as some of the other Divine names such as ‘Ar-Rahim’ and ‘Ar-Rehman,’ ‘Al-Alim’ and ‘Al-Aleem,’ etc.
These are the names of Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) that hold a similar meaning to Al-Majid:
These attributes tell us about the glorious qualities of Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ). They remind the believer that the Lord is the most Noble and the Greatest. We need to keep these qualities in mind all the time to stay motivated and upbeat in our efforts. Duniya might seek to tempt us and make us believe that worldly attractions are the worthiest goal. However, since Allah is the most Exalted, we need to strive towards Him. Everything else comes secondary.
Some people might get confused while reading about the name ‘Al-Majid’. It sounds almost the same as the name ‘Al-Majeed’ and has the same root letters. Indeed, the two have very similar meanings, but they are still two distinct Divine names.
The literal name ‘Al-Majid’ has not been mentioned in the text of the Holy Quran. It is one of the reasons why some scholars dispute the inclusion of ‘Al-Majid’ into the list of the Names of Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ). However, there are quite a few examples of how the Quran and Hadith tell us to glorify and praise Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ), often using ‘Al-Majeed’ to signify the importance of this fact. In the Quran, we get this command:
سَبِّحِ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّكَ ٱلۡأَعۡلَى
Sabbihisma Rabbikal A’laa
"Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High,"— (Qur'an 87:1)
The only mention we get of ‘Al-Majid’ in the Hadith is where the names of Allah سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ are described in At-Tirmidhi (Tirmidhi, Da‘awat, 87). Apart from this, the root letters and meaning of ‘Al-Majid’ are conveyed by ‘Al-Majeed.’