Al-Wasi
Allah is Al-Wasi who’s knowledge, mercy, and provision are vast. He is of limitless capacity and abundance who gives without expecting anything in return. Allah embraces all things and His wisdom and mercy are boundless.
From the root w-s-‘ which has the following classical Arabic connotations: to be sufficient in capacity or size, wide, spacious to be ample, plentiful, bountiful, rich to comprehend, embrace, include, take in, pervade.
Satan threatens you with poverty and orders you to immorality, while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing. (Quran 2:268)
And do not trust except those who follow your religion.” Say, “Indeed, the [true] guidance is the guidance of Allah. [Do you fear] lest someone be given [knowledge] like you were given or that they would [thereby] argue with you before your Lord?” Say, “Indeed, [all] bounty is in the hand of Allah – He grants it to whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Wise.” (Quran 3:73)
O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion – Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers;
they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allah;
He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing. (Quran 5:54)
“Indeed, [all] bounty is in the hand of Allah – He grants it to whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Wise.” (Quran 3:73)
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Name: |
Al-Wasi' |
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Al-Wasi' in Arabic: |
الْوَاسِعُ |
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Arabic root: |
(و س ع) |
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Al-Wasi' meaning in English: |
The Vast, The All-Embracing, The Omnipresent, The Boundless |
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Al-Wasi' meaning in Urdu: |
بڑی وسعت والا |
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Appearance in the Quran: |
9 |
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Tasbeeh: |
Allah opens the doors of income if someone recites this name many times. His difficulties in earning vanished. |
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Asma ul Husna with similar meaning: |
Al-Khabir, "The All-Aware" Al-Rahman, "The Most Merciful" Al-Aleem, “The All-Knowing One” Al-Hakeem, “The Wise One” Al-Azeem, “The Magnificent One” |
Al-Wasi' pronunciation in Arabic is al-wa-si’ with an ع at the end. It is derived from the root waw-sin-ayn (و س ع) (w-s-’a), which has the following classical Arabic connotations: to be sufficient in capacity or size, wide, spacious, to be ample, plentiful, bountiful, rich to comprehend, embrace, include, take in, pervade, limitless capacity, and abundance.
While the word al-Wasi’ has profound meanings with several different ways to approach it, its initial explanation refers to His vastness. Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is everywhere. Wherever you may be, He is present with you. The vastness of His being encompasses the entirety of the universe. He is not limited or bounded to one geographic location. He listens and responds to all beings that seek Him because that is His attribute, being Al-Wasi. With regard to this attribute, Imam Ghazali writes, "His knowledge be considered, the sea of things He knows has no shore; in fact, the seas would be exhausted if they were ink for His words."
Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) is the One who is vast concerning His Attributes and qualities and those things linked to them; none can enumerate His praise as He deserves rather He is as He has praised Himself. He is Vast in grandeur, authority, and dominion and vast in bestowing grace and good. He, Al-Wasi' (The All-Encompassing), is great in majesty and nobility.
Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) has referred to Himself nine times as Al-Wasi' (The All-Encompassing) in the Quran itself.
مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ حَبَّةٍ أَنۢبَتَتْ سَبْعَ سَنَابِلَ فِى كُلِّ سُنۢبُلَةٍۢ مِّا۟ئَةُ حَبَّةٍۢ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يُضَـٰعِفُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ [2:261]
Translation: “The example of those who spend their wealth in the cause of Allah is that of a grain that sprouts into seven ears, each bearing one hundred grains. And Allah multiplies ⌜the reward even more⌝ to whoever He wills. For Allah is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing.”
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَن يَرْتَدَّ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِۦ فَسَوْفَ يَأْتِى ٱللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍۢ يُحِبُّهُمْ وَيُحِبُّونَهُۥٓ أَذِلَّةٍ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَعِزَّةٍ عَلَى ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ يُجَـٰهِدُونَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا يَخَافُونَ لَوْمَةَ لَآئِمٍۢ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ [5:54]
Translation: “O believers! Whoever among you abandons their faith, Allah will replace them with others who love Him and are loved by Him. They will be humble with the believers but firm towards the disbelievers, struggling in the Way of Allah; fearing no blame from anyone. This is the favor of Allah. He grants it to whoever He wills. And Allah is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing.”
Al-Wasi’, often translated as "The All-Encompassing" or "The Vast", conveys the concept of vastness, comprehensiveness, and infinite reach. As Al-Wasi', Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) personifies an immeasurable expansiveness that transcends all boundaries and limitations, the likes of which can not be imagined with the limited understanding of human beings.
The name Al-Wasi', mentioned in the Quran by Allah Himself, signifies Allah's (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى) inexhaustible knowledge, mercy, and sovereignty, with everything with a single exception circumscribed within His divine grasp. Al-Wasi’ epitomizes the idea that Allah's wisdom and mercy are not restricted or confined but that it extends to every aspect of creation, from each to the grandest universes.
The attribute Al-Wasi' reflects the infinity of the traits of Allah, helping the reflecting Muslim to understand His all-encompassing love, knowledge, and providence. It implies His capability to confine all things with His complete awareness of every minute detail within the universe.
The significance of Allah being Al-Wasi’ can be reckoned by the fact that Allah has referred to Himself as Al-Wasi’ in the Quran itself. In several reassuring verses of the Quran, Allah has reminded the believing man or woman that His faculty over everything is magnanimous to an unimaginable extent. Thus, the name Al-Wasi’ can be used by those struggling with their lives or livelihood as morning and evening remembrances as reassurance that Allah does not forget those oppressed. It can help set a contemplative tone for the day, strengthening the believers with the knowledge of Allah's all-encompassing attributes.
Reciting Al-Wasi benefits the Muslim as Allah opens the doors of income if someone includes it in Dhikr (remembrance) or Dua (supplication), this name many times. The difficulties in earning of the one struggling will vanish as they invoke Allah with this name. On other specific occasions, believers may invoke Al-Wasi' when seeking guidance, making decisions, or facing situations beyond their limited understanding, requiring Allah's all-encompassing wisdom.
This concept of Allah's all-encompassing faculty can be infused into daily conversations and used as a reminder of His infinite knowledge and mercy. Muslims should integrate the meaning into their daily actions. Those actions performed to emulate Allah's all-encompassing mercy will contribute to sustaining a compassionate community. The concept of Al-Wasi’ can be used by the believers to nourish their connection with Allah. By recognizing Allah as Al-Wasi', believers are inspired to cultivate inclusivity, empathy, and compassion in their own lives.
There are several other names of Allah that hold similar connotations with Al-Wasi’ (The All-Encompassing). Al-Khabir "The All-Aware" shares a similar aspect of Allah knowing every single detail regarding His creation with the Vastness of His Being. Al-Rahman, "The Most Merciful," and Al-Azeem, “The Magnificent One,” both refer to the unique quality of Allah to be unconditionally merciful to His beloved creation, with the expansiveness of being Al-Wasi’ (The All-Encompassing).
Al-Aleem, “The All-Knowing One,” and Al-Hakeem, “The Wise One,” can also be considered to have similar meanings to Al-Wasi’ as the root word (و س ع) includes connotations of rich to comprehend, embrace, or to have limitless capacity in regards to knowledge and wisdom.
There are several more mentions of Al-Wasi’ from the Quran. Some of which are the following.
ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ يَعِدُكُمُ ٱلْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُم بِٱلْفَحْشَآءِ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ يَعِدُكُم مَّغْفِرَةًۭ مِّنْهُ وَفَضْلًۭا ۗ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ [2:268]
Translation: “The Devil threatens you with the prospect of poverty and bids you to the shameful deed of stinginess, while Allah promises you forgiveness and great bounties from Him. And Allah is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing.”
وَإِن يَتَفَرَّقَا يُغْنِ ٱللَّهُ كُلًّۭا مِّن سَعَتِهِۦ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعًا حَكِيمًۭا [4:130]
Translation: “But if they choose to separate, Allah will enrich both of them from His bounties. And Allah is Ever-Bountiful, All-Wise.”
وَلَا تُؤْمِنُوٓا۟ إِلَّا لِمَن تَبِعَ دِينَكُمْ قُلْ إِنَّ ٱلْهُدَىٰ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ أَن يُؤْتَىٰٓ أَحَدٌۭ مِّثْلَ مَآ أُوتِيتُمْ أَوْ يُحَآجُّوكُمْ عِندَ رَبِّكُمْ ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ ٱلْفَضْلَ بِيَدِ ٱللَّهِ يُؤْتِيهِ مَن يَشَآءُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌۭ [3:73]
Translation: “And only believe those who follow your religion.” Say, O Prophet, “Surely, the only true guidance is Allah’s guidance.” They also said, “Do not believe that someone will receive revealed knowledge similar to yours or argue against you before your Lord.” Say, O Prophet, “Indeed, all bounty is in the Hands of Allah—He grants it to whoever He wills. And Allah is All-Bountiful, All-Knowing.”
On one instance, while relating a hadith, Ayesha Binte AbuBakr (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهَا) refers to Allah as being “Wasi’a,” proclaiming “Praise be to Allah Whose hearing encompasses all voices.” (Sunan an-Nasa'i 3460)