الْبَاقِي
Al-Baqi
The Everlasting
What Al-Baqi Means
Al-Baqi is the Everlasting: the One who remains after everything else has ended. The Quran states it as an absolute contrast: ‘Everything will perish except His Face’ (28:88) — every person, fortune, empire and star has an expiry written into it, while Allah’s existence has no beginning and no end. Pharaoh’s magicians, facing execution within hours of their faith, steadied themselves with this name’s root: ‘Allah is better and more lasting (abqa)’ (20:73). Scholars explain that the believer’s connection to Al-Baqi is through what he attaches to Him: wealth and children are passing adornments, but ‘the lasting righteous deeds (al-baqiyat as-salihat) are better with your Lord in reward and better in hope’ (18:46). For the believer living among funerals, bankruptcies and fading youth, this name is an anchor: he grieves what passes, but he does not build his heart’s home in it. He banks his effort where it cannot be lost.
Al-Baqi in the Quran
وَلَا تَدْعُ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَـٰهًا ءَاخَرَ ۘ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجْهَهُۥ ۚ لَهُ ٱلْحُكْمُ وَإِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ
“And do not invoke any other god along with Allah. There is no god but He. Every thing is going to perish except His Face. He alone has the right to judge, and to Him you are to be returned.”
إِنَّآ ءَامَنَّا بِرَبِّنَا لِيَغْفِرَ لَنَا خَطَـٰيَـٰنَا وَمَآ أَكْرَهْتَنَا عَلَيْهِ مِنَ ٱلسِّحْرِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰٓ
“We have put our faith in our Lord, so that He forgives us for our sins and for the magic you compelled us to perform. And Allah is the Best and Everlasting.””
ٱلْمَالُ وَٱلْبَنُونَ زِينَةُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَٱلْبَـٰقِيَـٰتُ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتُ خَيْرٌ عِندَ رَبِّكَ ثَوَابًا وَخَيْرٌ أَمَلًا
“Wealth and children are the embellishment of the worldly life, and the everlasting virtues are better with your Lord, both in rewards and in creating good hopes”
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.”
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.”
Call on Him in your own words: ‘Ya Baqi — O Everlasting One — everything I love is passing and You alone remain; let me not lose my heart to what will perish.’ Ask Him by this name at funerals and when wealth or health slips away, and ask Him to make your deeds among the lasting righteous deeds (18:46). The practical lesson is investment: an hour of prayer, charity given quietly, a child taught the Quran — these are deposits with Al-Baqi that time cannot erode.
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.