Al-Muhsi
Allah is Al-Muhsi, The One who takes account all things in the universe and knows the details of every moment or changes. He comprehends everything and possesses all knowledge. Every deed is known by Allah and written details are recorded by His angels.
From the root h-s-y which has the following classical Arabic connotations: to number, count, reckon, compute to collect in an aggregate by numbering to register or record something to take an account of something to comprehend or know altogether to possess full comprehension
That he may know that they have conveyed the messages of their Lord;
and He has encompassed whatever is with them and has enumerated all things in number. (Quran 72:28)
But all things We have enumerated in writing. (Quran 78:29)
On a Day when their tongues, their hands and their feet will bear witness against them as to what they used to do. (Quran 24:24)
And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], and you will see the criminals fearful of that within it, and they will say, “Oh, woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?” And they will find what they did present [before them]. And your Lord does injustice to no one. (Quran 18:49)
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Name: |
Al-Muhsi |
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Al-Muhsi in Arabic: |
الْمُحْصِي |
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Al-Muhsi Pronunciation: |
Al-Muh-See |
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Arabic root: |
(ح ص ي) |
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Al-Muhsi Meaning in English: |
The Counter, The Reckoner, The One whose count of things is known to him. |
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Al-Muhsi meaning in Urdu |
اپنے علم و شمار ميں سب کچھ رکھنے والا |
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Appearance in the Quran: |
None directly, but the root is mentioned 11 times in the Quran in 2 derived forms |
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Al-Muhsi Benefits: |
This name provides ease to the person if he is afraid of being questioned on the Day of Resurrection. |
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Tasbeeh: |
Recite 100 times after each fardh prayer insha’Allah for making things easier on the Day of Qiyamah |
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Asma ul Husna with similar meaning: |
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This name denotes the One who accounts for and considers everything in the universe. He knows all the details, changes, and moments in creation. He also holds all knowledge of every deed as well as the written details recorded by angels. This name comes from the root letters ha-sad-ya (ح ص ي). These letters hold the classical Arabic connotations of counting, reckoning, number, collecting, knowing, and possessing full comprehension.
This name is among the few disputed names of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى). Around 81 Names are directly in the Qur’an, while others are derived from words of the same root. Scholars have different criteria, so not everyone considers Al-Muhsi to be one of the official Names. Al-Ghazal, Ibn Arani and Imam al-Bayhaqi have considered this name as part of the official list. However, scholars like Ibn Hajr, Ibn Hazm, and Ubn Uthaymeen do not consider it as such.
In a Hadith, Abu Huraira (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: There are ninety-nine names of Allah; he who commits them to memory would get into Paradise. Verily, Allah is Odd (He is one, and it is an odd number), and He loves odd numbers. And in the narration of Ibn Umar (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ), the words are: "He who enumerated them." [Sahih Muslim 2677a]
The hadith here utilizes the same root letter as Al-Muhsi to describe counting or computation. When we say that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is Al-Muhsi, we bear witness to Him being the counter, the enumerator, the numberer. The meaning here is analytical; it signifies that Allah takes every single thing into account. He is aware of every falling leaf, every breath, every thought, and everything else. His knowledge is not comparable with anything else.
The name Al-Muhsi refers to a major aspect of Allah’s (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) knowledge. When humans make something, they are unaware of all its nuances. Even parents are not always fully in tune with what their children want and need or even what’s right for them. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى), on the other hand, knows absolutely every single detail. Not only that, but He knows the infinite possibilities of the universe. He has calculated all the results that might come out of a single choice or decision.
We may use this name as an invocation in our prayers and for seeking blessings while making dua. It may also be beneficial for helping us through the difficulties of the Day of Judgement.
We may use this name to remember the greatness and benevolence of our Lord in daily conversations. From the Quranic words of the same root letter as Al-Muhsi, we should realize that Allah’s (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) blessings are uncountable. We cannot possibly fathom them all, let alone thank Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) properly for their bestowal. In this way, we need to realize how indebted we are to our Creator for His mercy, kindness, and favors.
The name Al-Mushi denotes the meaning of absolutely encompassing, the ultimate number, and so on. With this in mind, it’s probably not appropriate to give the name ‘Muhsi’ to anyone. Some parents might want to cultivate a spiritual connection to Al-Muhsi in their children. In that case, they might choose the name ‘Abdul Muhsi.’
When we reflect upon the name Al-Muhsi, it should remind us that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is aware of everything. In this sense, we should also never feel unheard or alone. A child may rightly feel that their parent is not aware of all their needs, but we should remember that Allah accounts for everything. We should also remember and keep reminding those around us that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is always watchful, always guiding us. He will never forget us and knows our past, present, and future.
Whenever we have a difficult decision to make, remembering this name might help. Ask Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) what might be the best way forward. We should also make dua for guidance so that we make the decision that is most pleasing to Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى).
There are several names of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) that denote a similar meaning to Al-Muhsi. The ones closest to the exact meaning include the following:
All of these names point towards the all-encompassing Knowledge of Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى). They remind us how Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is acquainted with all that we do, is aware of our actions, and so much more. However, Al-Muhsi is the name that denotes how Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is also aware of every single detail, nuance and possibility. In this way, we may understand that Allah’s (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) decisions are the best and wisest. We cannot even think of claiming that a certain choice would have been better in the grand scheme of things.
لِّيَعۡلَمَ أَن قَدۡ أَبۡلَغُواْ رِسَٰلَٰتِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَأَحَاطَ بِمَا لَدَيۡهِمۡ وَأَحۡصَىٰ كُلَّ شَيۡءٍ عَدَدَۢا
English Translation:
"That he may know that they have conveyed the messages of their Lord; and He has encompassed whatever is with them and has enumerated all things in number."— (Qur'an 72:28)
وَكُلَّ شَيۡءٍ أَحۡصَيۡنَٰهُ كِتَٰبٗا
English Translation:
"But all things We have enumerated in writing."— (Qur'an 78:29)
وَوُضِعَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبُ فَتَرَى ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ مُشۡفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ وَيَقُولُونَ يَٰوَيۡلَتَنَا مَالِ هَٰذَا ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةٗ وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّآ أَحۡصَىٰهَاۚ وَوَجَدُواْ مَا عَمِلُواْ حَاضِرٗاۗ وَلَا يَظۡلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدٗا
English Translation:
"And the record [of deeds] will be placed [open], and you will see the criminals fearful of that within it, and they will say, "Oh, woe to us! What is this book that leaves nothing small or great except that it has enumerated it?" And they will find what they did present [before them]. And your Lord does injustice to no one."— (Qur'an 18:49)
وَءَاتَىٰكُم مِّن كُلِّ مَا سَأَلۡتُمُوهُۚ وَإِن تَعُدُّواْ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحۡصُوهَآۗ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ لَظَلُومٞ كَفَّارٞ
English Translation:
"And He gave you from all you asked of Him. And if you should count the favor of Allah, you could not enumerate them. Indeed, mankind is [generally] most unjust and ungrateful."— (Qur'an 14:34)
إِنَّا نَحۡنُ نُحۡيِ ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰ وَنَكۡتُبُ مَا قَدَّمُواْ وَءَاثَٰرَهُمۡۚ وَكُلَّ شَيۡءٍ أَحۡصَيۡنَٰهُ فِيٓ إِمَامٖ مُّبِينٖ
English Translation:
"Indeed, it is We who bring the dead to life and record what they have put forth and what they left behind, and all things We have enumerated in a clear register."— (Qur'an 36:12)