Al-Majeed (The Glorious)

Source:

An-Nahj al-Asma Fii Sharh Asma Allahu al-Husna by Shaikh Muhammad an-Najdi

Allah (Subhanaahu wa Ta’aala) said in Surat Hud (11:73):

رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ إِنَّهُ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ

“The Mercy of Allah and His Blessings be on you, O the family, (of Ibrahim). Surely, He (Allah) is All-Praiseworthy, All-Glorious.”

Allah (Subhanaahu wa Ta’aala) said in Surat Hud (11:73):

رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ إِنَّهُ حَمِيدٌ مَجِيدٌ

“The Mercy of Allah and His Blessings be on you, O the family, (of Ibrahim). Surely, He (Allah) is All-Praiseworthy, All-Glorious.”

The Meaning of this Noble Name:

Ibn Jarir said: “Al-Majeed means The Owner of Glory, and Praise.” [Jami’ ul-Bayan]

Al-Qurtubi said: “Al-Majeed is The One Who is Noble in His Essence, Beautiful in His Actions, Abundant is His Favors and in that which He gives.” [Al-Maqsad al-Asna]

Ibn Kathir (Rahimahullaah) said: “He is Most Praiseworthy in all His Actions and Statements. He is Praised and Glorified in His Essence and Attributes.” [At-Tafseer 2/452]

Ashawkaani said: “Al-Majeed is He Whose Benevolence upon His slave is abundant, with what He bestows upon them of goodness and blessings.” [Fath al-Qadeer]

Shaikh Abdur-Rahman as-Sa’dee (Rahimahullaah) said: “Al-Majeed (The Glorious), Al-Kabeer (The Great), Al-Adheem (The Exalted), Al-Jaleel (The Noble): He is described with the Attributes of Glory, Grandeur, Greatness and Magnificence. He is The One Who is Greater, More Exalted and Magnificent than anything else. He is glorified and magnified in the hearts of His Awliya’ (allies) and chosen ones, whose hearts overflow in exalting and magnifying Him, submitting to Him and humbling themselves before His Grandeur.” [Tayseer al-Kareem]

The Impact of Believing in this Noble Name:

1-    Al-Azhari said: “Allah (Subhanaahu wa Ta’aala) is The Majeed, Who is glorified by His Actions and who is glorified by His creation due to His Greatness and Grandeur.” [Al-Lisaan]

To Allah (Subhanaahu wa Ta’aala) belongs All Glory, Highness and Grandeur for His Great Actions, Noble Attributes and Most Beautiful Names. There is no glory except His, no grandeur except His, and all glory and honor of anyone other than Him is a gift and a grace from Him.

The joining of the Name Al-Hameed with Al-Majeed is an indication, (a manifestation) that He (Subhanaahu wa Ta’aala) is praised for His Glory, Greatness and Perfect Attributes, because not every noble one is praiseworthy nor is every praiseworthy one noble (or glorious).

2-    Allah’s Bounty indeed is vast, His Grace is abundant. It encompasses the believer and the disbeliever, the righteous and the wicked. Allah (Subhanaahu wa Ta’aala) glorified Himself with that in His Statement in Surat Ibraheem (14:34):

وَإِنْ تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا

“And if you count the Blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count them.” 

3-    Allah (Subhanaahu wa Ta’aala) glorified Himself in His Noble Book in many verses, and also in the authentic traditions of His Messenger (Salla Allaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam). The greatest verses of the Qur’an and the greatest Surahs are the one which comprise Allah’s Glorification, such as Ayat ul-Kursi (2:255), Surat al-Fatiha (The opening chapter of the Qur’an) and Surat al-Ikhlas (chapter 112).

One of the greatest means with which the slave glorifies his Lord is by reciting His Book during some of the hours of the night, and at the ends of the day. No one is capable of praising and glorifying Him as He truly deserves. He is as He has praised and lauded Himself.

In the Sacred Hadeeth (Hadeeth Qudsi), Allah (Subhanaahu wa Ta’aala) said: “I have divided the prayer between Myself and My servant, into two halves: half of it is for Me and half is for My servant, and My servant shall have what he has asked for.” If the servant says, “Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds;” Allah the Exalted says, “My slave has praised Me.” If the servant says, “The Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent;” Allah says, “My servant has extolled Me.” If the servant says, “Master of the Day of Judgment;” Allah the Exalted says, “My servant has glorified Me.” [Muslim]

Included in the glorification of Allah is remembering Him with Dhikr, Tasbeeh (saying “Subhaan-Allah”), Tahmeed (saying “al-Hamdulillah”), Takbeer (saying “Allahu-Akbar”) and Tahleel (saying “La ilaha illa Allah”), and other kinds of Dhikr, Istighfaar (asking forgiveness), and Du’aa (invocation) for worldly and religious goodness.

This is the state of the people of remembrance of Allah from among the Prophets, the truthful ones, the martyrs, and the righteous ones, and no one is wretched by sitting with them.

It is reported by al-Bukhaari (Rahimahullaah) that Abu Hurairah (Radia Allaahu ‘anhu)narrated that the Prophet (Salla Allaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: “Allah has some angels who look for those who remember (glorify the praises of) Allah on the roads and paths. And when they find some people remembering (glorifying the praises of) Allah, they call each other, saying, ‘come to the object of your pursuit.’ Then the angels encircle them with their wings up to the lowest heaven (the sky of the world). [After those people remembered and glorified the praises of Allah, and the angels go back], their Lord (Azza wa Jal)asks them – though He knows better than them – ‘What do my slaves say?’ The angels reply, ‘They say: Subhaan Allah, Allahu Akbar, Al-Hamdulillah and they glorify You.’ Allah then says, ‘Did they see Me?’ The angels reply, ‘No! By Allah, they didn’t see You.’ Allah says, ‘How would it have been if they saw Me?’ The angels reply, ‘If they saw You, they would worship You more devoutly and remember You (glorify Your Praises) more deeply, and declare Your freedom from any resemblance to anything more often.’ (….. Until) Allah says, ‘I make you witnesses that I have forgiven them.’  One of the angels would say, ‘There was so-and-so amongst them, and he was not of them, and he had just come for some need.’ Allah would say, ‘These are those people whose companions will not be reduced to misery.'” [Al-Bukhaari – the Book of Invocation]

4-    Allah (Subhanaahu wa Ta’aala) called His Book with “Al-Majeed” in two verses in the Qur’an:

In Surat Qaf (50:1):

ق وَالْقُرْآَنِ الْمَجِيدِ

“Qaf, by the Glorious Qur’an.”

And in Surat al-Buruj (85:21-22):

بَلْ هُوَ قُرْآَنٌ مَجِيدٌ (21) فِي لَوْحٍ مَحْفُوظٍ

“Nay! This is a Glorious Qur’an, inscribed in al-Lawh al-Mahfoudh (Preserved Tablet).”

Qatadah said regarding “Nay! It is a Glorious Qur’an,” that it is Noble Qur’an.” [Ibn Jarir]

 The Qur’an is Glorious, i.e. Noble and Great. There is no doubt, because it is the Speech of Allah, the Glorious (Al-Majeed), and falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it. It is sent down by The All-Wise, Worthy of all Praises, (Allah I).

Of the nobility and glory of the Qur’an is that neither Jinn (demons) nor humans can bring a Qur’an like it nor a Surah (a chapter) from it.

Allah (Subhanaahu wa Ta’aala) said in Surat al-Isra’ (17:88):

قُلْ لَئِنِ اجْتَمَعَتِ الْإِنْسُ وَالْجِنُّ عَلَى أَنْ يَأْتُوا بِمِثْلِ هَذَا الْقُرْآَنِ لَا يَأْتُونَ بِمِثْلِهِ وَلَوْ كَانَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ ظَهِيرًا

“Say: ‘If the Mankind and the Jinns were together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another.'”

This is shown clearly in many aspects:

•      It is not possible for the Jinns and humans to bring the like of the legislations that are in the Qur’an, of the commands and prohibitions, the lawful and unlawful, the acts of worship and worldly transactions. This is one of its greatest miracles.
•      Its eloquence, beautiful style, structure, and its impact on the self (spirit) are all incomparable (unique).
•      Its numerous benefits which are unending, which the scholars over the centuries never feel with sufficiency of it.
•      Of its nobility and highness, is that Allah (Subhanaahu wa Ta’aala) preserved it from the plot of the disbelievers and hypocrites and those who hate this way of life, (the religion). Allah protects it from any alterations, additions or deletions.   

Allah (Subhanaahu wa Ta’aala) said in Surat al-Hijr (15:9):

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ

“Verily! it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (the Qur’an) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption).” 

• Due to the greatness of this Book and its glory, that Allah elevates through it whoever acts upon it and adopts Islam as a way of life (religion). On the other hand, Allah humiliates and disgraces whoever abandons it and leaves it behind his back, claiming that acting upon it is considered backward and retrogressive.

Amir bin Wathilah reported that Nafi’ bin Abdul-Harith met ‘Umar (Radia Allaahu ‘anhu)in ‘Usfan.

‘Umar (Radia Allaahu ‘anhu)used to employ Nafi’ as ruler for Makkah. ‘Umar (Radia Allaahu ‘anhu)asked: “Whom have you appointed for the people of the valley?” He said: “Ibn Abza.” ‘Umar (Radia Allaahu ‘anhu)said: “Who is he?” Nafi’ said: “He is one of our freed slaves.” ‘Umar (Radia Allaahu ‘anhu)said: “Have you appointed a freed slave?” Nafi’ said: “He knows the Qur’an by heart and he knows the Laws of Inheritance.” ‘Umar (Radia Allaahu ‘anhu)said: “Your Prophet (Salla Allaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: ‘Allah (Subhanaahu wa Ta’aala) raises some people by this Book (Qur’an) and lowers others by it.'” [Muslim]

Allah (Subhanaahu wa Ta’aala) elevated this freed slave because he memorized His Book and had knowledge of it despite of his humble genealogy compared to the people of Makkah who were noble.

Likewise, glory and elevation in ranks in the Hereafter will only be for the one who has taken and acted upon this Book. However, humiliation and lowly ranks will be for those who abandoned it and turned away from it.