What does the name Al-Basir mean?

Al-Basir means Allah who sees everything, even the most hidden and smallest thing. His seeing does not depend on eyes or light.

How does this name affect our behavior?

A person who believes that Allah constantly sees him behaves rightly even when alone; this awareness is called ihsan (Bukhari, 50).

Al-Asma al-Husna

The one who sees everything, even the most hidden

Arabic

الْبَصِير

Transliteration: al-Baṣīr
Meaning: Al-Basir means the one who sees everything, who sees even the smallest and most hidden thing in the darkness. His seeing does not depend on eyes or light; He sees the past, the present and the future, the outward and the inward, all at once. This name calls a person to remember constantly that he is in Allah's presence.

«...Indeed, He is the Hearing (Sami), the Seeing (Basir).»

Explanation

The one who sees everything
The Quran states: "Indeed, Allah is Seeing of what you do" (Al-Hujurat, 18). Even a black ant on a black stone on a dark night is not hidden from His sight.
Awareness of constantly being seen
A person who believes that Allah constantly sees him behaves rightly even when alone. This awareness (ihsan) is expressed in the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) words: "Worship Allah as though you see Him; for even if you do not see Him, He surely sees you" (Bukhari, 50).

This page is based on Quran verses and authentic hadith sources.

QuranSurah Al-Isra, 1
Allah's being As-Sami and Al-Basir occurs together in this verse.
HadithSahih Bukhari, 50
Allah's seeing us is stated in this hadith, in the definition of ihsan.
Classical sourceTDV İslam Ansiklopedisi, "Esmâ-i hüsnâ"
Academic source for the explanation of the name Basir.

Other Names with closely connected meanings.

Common questions about this Name.

What does the name Al-Basir mean?
Al-Basir means Allah who sees everything, even the most hidden and smallest thing. His seeing does not depend on eyes or light.
How does this name affect our behavior?
A person who believes that Allah constantly sees him behaves rightly even when alone; this awareness is called ihsan (Bukhari, 50).