Al-Qadir
Allah is Al-Qaadir, the most powerful with the ability to measure out everything. Whenever he decrees a thing, it is. Nothing can interrupt or disturb the will of Allah.
From the root q-d-r which has the following classical Arabic connotations: to measure something to make manifest the measure of something to distribute or apportion (as though by measure), measure-out to decree, to ordain, to decide a matter (as though measuring it to fit) to exercise thought in preparing something, to make use of reason (measuring out) to have the power to accomplish, to be rendered able, capable to be able to prevail, to be empowered, to have control over
Do they not see that Allah, who created the heavens and earth and did not fail in their creation, is able to give life to the dead? Yes. Indeed, He is over all things competent. (Quran 46:33)
Is not that [Creator] Able to give life to the dead? (Quran 75:40)
Say, “He is the [one] Able to send upon you affliction from above you or from beneath your feet or to confuse you [so you become] sects and make you taste the violence of one another.” Look how We diversify the signs that they might understand. (Quran 6:65)
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Name: |
Al-Qadir |
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Al-Qadir in Arabic: |
الْقَادِرُ |
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Arabic root: |
(ق د ر) |
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Al-Qadir meaning in English: |
The Able, The All Capable |
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Al-Qadir meaning in Urdu: |
بے پناہ صلاحيت رکھنے والا |
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Appearance in the Quran: |
45 |
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Tasbeeh: |
Reciting the name Al-Qadir in abundance at the time of performing ablution will control his anger |
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Asma ul Husna with similar meaning: |
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The name Al-Qadir means the Powerful and All-capable. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is the most competent and is the one who has the complete authority and power to make things happen. He does not need any means or permission to do anything. His power extends beyond our comprehension.
Al-Qadir has four different meanings that can be inferred from it. The first meaning is the most capable, someone having the power to do anything and achieve it. Another meaning inferred from Al-Qadir is to measure and to manifest. The third meaning is ordained or decree, and lastly, it refers to something or someone who is prevalent or prevails.
Throughout the Quran, the name Al-Qadir has been mentioned in different forms that are derived from its root. Due to the same linguistic root, all the forms reflect that Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is powerful and capable. He can do anything He wants at any time with unmatched perfection as His power envelopes even the tiniest thing in the world.
He is the one who knows the measure and is keeping this world in equilibrium. His knowledge is infinite and it is only He Who wills and things take place. He is the one who decrees everything in our life, everything that has been and will be.
Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is Al-Qadir because His power is unparalleled to any power that anything or anyone has in this world. His mercy and wrath are both signs of His power and the way our life unfolds is a reminder that He is the One who decrees whatever there is. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) mentions being Al-Qadir in the following verse: “Blessed is He in whose hand is dominion, and He is over all things competent” (Quran 67:1)
The mankind is weak and Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is the One with the strength and capabilities which He grants us to live the life He has given us. Our reliance is truly on Him. Quran mentions Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) as capable in the verse where Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) addresses the mankind that “Allah is the one who created you from weakness, then made after weakness strength, then made after strength weakness and white hair. He creates what He wills, and He is the Knowing, the Competent” (Quran 30:54).
Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is Al-Qadir and there is no limit to his capabilities. Be it our ease or any hardship in life, Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is the only One we can seek refuge in and He is the one with the power which extends even to the smallest atom in this world.
Al-Qadir is a recognition that we are dependent on Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) for everything that there is. The significance of the name can be understood from the life of Prophet Muhammad “If anyone constantly seeks pardon (from Allah), Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide sustenance for him from where he expects not” as reported in Abu Dawud.
Allah's power is like an umbrella that shades us in all of our times and makes us realize that we have to find our strength in Him, for He will determine and decree for us what is the best. Nothing can interfere with what He has decreed for us and what He chooses for us but we can pray with the conviction that from Him, all that comes to us is for our wellness.
The night of decree or Night of Qadr is among the signs that show his might and exaltedness. Writing down every second of the life of everything in this world and beyond is something that no one can do except Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى). the revelation of the Quran and the incident of Miraj where He ascended to the Heavens.
The name Al-Qadir is formed from the root qaf-dal-ra , which also forms the name Al-Muqtadir, which means All-determiner. Another name that resonated with the same meaning is Al-Qawiyy which means the All Powerful. These names hold their own significance and are mentioned in the Quran in different contexts; however, they are synonymous to each other because of Allah’s attributes that they describe.
Al-Qadir is a name that is based on Allah's characteristics rather than an attribute. Al-Qadir stems from both taqdeer (fate or decree) and qudrat (power). Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is Al-Qadir as His power and will encompass everything in this world and hereafter. Without His will and decree, nothing can happen or has in itself the property of just being.
This is described in the Quran in the verse, "Say: He has the power to send on you a chastisement from above you, or from beneath your feet, or throw you into confusion, (making you) different parties, and making some of you taste the fighting of others. See how We repeat the signs so that they may understand” (Quran 6:65).
Expanding on how Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is free from any accountability and All-Capable, He does not get exhausted and does not require means to make things happen. His authority is supreme and does not require validation from anyone. His existence is complete and to Him, no opponent can resist whatever He wills to do.
Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) knows the balance and measurements of what and how a certain thing should exist in the universe. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) testifies to these in the following verses of the Quran:
“So We proportion it: How well We are at proportioning (things)!” (Quran 77:23) and “Surely We have created everything according to a measure” (Quran 54:49).