Al-Asma al-Husna
Al-Kabir: meaning, transliteration and explanation
Absolutely great in essence and attributes
- Appears in the Quran
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Arabic
الْكَبِير
- Transliteration
- al-Kabīr
- Meaning
- Al-Kabir means the one who is absolutely great in essence and attributes. His greatness cannot be measured; all of existence is small before His greatness. This name leads a person to perceive Allah's majesty and to be humble.
In the Quran
«Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, the Grand (Kabir), the Most High (Mutaali).»
Surah Ar-Ra'd, 9Explanation
Absolute greatness
People consider one thing great in comparison to another; Allah's greatness, however, is beyond comparison. The Quran states: "...He is the Most High (Aliyy), the Most Great (Kabir)" (Al-Hajj, 62).
Humility before majesty
A servant who reflects on Allah's greatness sees his own powerlessness and turns to Him only with humility. This protects a person from misplaced pride and attachment to worldly possessions.
Sources
This page is based on Quran verses and authentic hadith sources.
- QuranSurah Ar-Ra'd, 9
Allah's being Kabir and Mutaali occurs together in this verse.
- QuranSurah Al-Hajj, 62
Allah's being Aliyy and Kabir occurs in this verse.
- Classical sourceTDV İslam Ansiklopedisi, "Esmâ-i hüsnâ"
Academic source for the explanation of the name Kabir.
Related Names
Other Names with closely connected meanings.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions about this Name.
What does the name Al-Kabir mean?
Al-Kabir means Allah who is absolutely great in essence and attributes. His greatness cannot be measured.Do Al-Kabir and Al-Azim differ?
Both denote greatness and are close to each other; in classical explanations, Kabir tends to emphasize the greatness of the essence, while Azim emphasizes majesty in the attributes.