الْقُدُّوسُ
Al-Quddus
The Most Sacred
What Al-Quddus Means
Al-Quddus is built on the root q-d-s, purity and holiness. It means the One who is utterly pure and free from every defect, every weakness and everything that does not befit Him. In Surah Al-Jumu’ah the whole of creation is presented as glorifying Him under this name: ‘Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth glorifies Allah, the King, the Most Sacred, the Almighty, the All-Wise’ (62:1). His holiness is not something He acquired; it is what He eternally is, while every purity found in creation is a small, borrowed reflection. For a believer this name teaches reverence: he worships a Lord without flaw, and so he works to purify what he can — his intention, his prayer and his heart. It is fitting that the Prophet ﷺ pronounced this name in bowing and prostration, the postures of greatest humility before the All-Holy.
Al-Quddus in the Quran
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱلْقُدُّوسُ ٱلسَّلَـٰمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُ ٱلْمُهَيْمِنُ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْجَبَّارُ ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرُ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
“He is Allah, besides whom there is no god, the Sovereign, the Supreme-In-Holiness, the Safe (from all defects), the Giver-Of-Peace, the Guardian, the All-Mighty, the All-Repairer, the Sublime. Pure is Allah from what they associate with Him.”
يُسَبِّحُ لِلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ٱلْمَلِكِ ٱلْقُدُّوسِ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْحَكِيمِ
“All that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth proclaim the purity of Allah, the Sovereign, the Supreme in Holiness, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.”
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.”
“‘A’isha reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) used to pronounce while bowing and prostrating himself: All Glorious, All Holy, Lord of the Angels and the Spirit.”
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 call Him ‘Ya Quddus — O Most Sacred’ in your own words, for example asking Him to purify your heart from pride, envy and showing off. The lesson comes from the Prophet’s ﷺ own practice: he kept this name on his tongue in ruku’ and sujud, his lowest and nearest moments. Purity of heart is sought from the Pure One — ask Him for it as you bow to Him.
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.