الْعَدْلُ
Al-Adl
The Utterly Just
What Al-Adl Means
Al-Adl comes from the root ‘ayn-dal-lam: straightness, balance, and absolute justice with no crookedness. The Quran presents Allah’s justice in perfected forms: He commands justice and excellence (16:90), His word is ‘perfected in truth and justice’ (6:115), and He ‘does not wrong anyone by even an atom’s weight’ — instead He multiplies the good deed (4:40). In His own words, reported by the Prophet ﷺ, He says: ‘O My servants, I have forbidden injustice for Myself and made it forbidden among you, so do not wrong one another.’ Scholars note that the definite name Al-Adl is known from the Prophet’s list of names, while the Quran establishes the attribute itself beyond doubt. For the believer, this name is complete reassurance: no wrong will be lost, no right will be denied, and no one will carry another’s burden on the Day when Al-Adl judges.
Al-Adl in the Quran
۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَٱلْإِحْسَـٰنِ وَإِيتَآئِ ذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱلْبَغْىِ ۚ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
“Allah enjoins to do justice and to adopt good behavior and to give relatives (their due rights), and forbids shameful acts, evil deeds and oppressive attitude. He exhorts you, so that you may be mindful.”
وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ صِدْقًا وَعَدْلًا ۚ لَّا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَـٰتِهِۦ ۚ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ
“The Word of your Lord is perfect in truth and justice. None is there to change His words, and He is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.”
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَظْلِمُ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ ۖ وَإِن تَكُ حَسَنَةً يُضَـٰعِفْهَا وَيُؤْتِ مِن لَّدُنْهُ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
“Surely, Allah does not wrong (anyone), even to the measure of a particle. If it is a good deed, He multiplies it, and gives a great reward out of His Own pleasure.”
What the Prophet ﷺ Taught Us
THE FOUNDATION OF THE 99 NAMES
“Allah has ninety-nine names, i.e. one-hundred minus one, and whoever knows them will go to Paradise.”
“Abu Dharr reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying that Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said: “O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another.”
“It has been narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullah b. `Amr that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Those who are fair and just will be near to Allah on thrones of light, at the Right Hand of the Most Merciful, Glorified and Exalted is He, and both of His Hands are Right, those who are fair and just…”
Calling Upon Allah by This Name
Allah Himself commands us to call upon Him by His beautiful names:
وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ فَٱدْعُوهُ بِهَا ۖ وَذَرُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِىٓ أَسْمَـٰٓئِهِۦ ۚ سَيُجْزَوْنَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
“For Allah there are the most beautiful names. So, call Him by them, and leave those who deviate in (the matter of) His names. They shall be recompensed for what they have been doing.”
Allah commands us to call upon Him by His names (7:180), so you may say, in your own words: ‘Ya Adl — O Utterly Just — You wrong no one by an atom’s weight; restore my right and judge my affair with Your perfect justice.’ The lesson of this name is twofold: trust that no wrong against you will vanish unrecorded, and fear wronging anyone yourself — for the Just One has forbidden injustice for Himself and made it forbidden among His servants.
Quran translations: Mufti Taqi Usmani. Hadith texts and gradings: the DeenHub hadith library. Every reference on this page is from the Quran or from hadith graded Sahih or Hasan.