names of allah
Al-Majid: The Illustrious — Name 65 of Allah
Al-Majid: The Illustrious — Name 65 of Allah — sourced from authentic Quran and hadith references.
The name Al-Majid (المجيد), “The Illustrious” or “The Glorious,” describes the One whose essence, attributes, and acts are characterised by absolute majesty, honour, and boundless generosity. It affirms that Allah’s glory is intrinsic to Him, not contingent on creation, and that His honour is manifest in His perfections and His lavish giving.
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The Linguistic Root of Al-Majid
Al-Majid derives from the Arabic root mīm-jīm-dāl (م ج د), which conveys the meaning of honour, glory, and expansive generosity. In the Arabic language, majd refers to the combination of nobility, dignity, and abundant giving. A person described as majīd is one whose noble qualities are abundant and whose generosity is vast. When applied to Allah, the name encompasses the perfection of His attributes and the magnificence of His actions, without any limitation or comparison.
The name Al-Majid appears explicitly in the Qur'an, paired with another divine name: “He is the Praiseworthy, the Glorious” (Qur'an 11:73). This pairing highlights that Allah’s glory is inseparable from His praiseworthiness — whatever He does is both magnificent and worthy of praise.
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Al-Majid and the Manifestation of Glory in Creation
The glory of Al-Majid is not a hidden reality; rather, it is reflected in the very fabric of existence. The Qur'an draws attention to the signs of His majesty in the natural world, describing how He has made the night an apparel and the day a means of revival:
> He is the One who has made the night an apparel for you, and the sleep a means of rest, and has made the day a means of revival. >
The alternation of day and night, the provision of rest, and the renewal of vigour — these are not random occurrences but deliberate acts of a Majestic Creator. His glory is visible in the precision of His design, the balance of His creation, and the mercy embedded in every natural cycle. Yet the glory of Al-Majid exceeds all His creation; the heavens and the earth cannot contain His majesty, and human intellect can only perceive a fragment of His perfection.
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The Glory of Al-Majid and the Means He Grants
One of the most tangible ways Al-Majid manifests His glory is through the means (sa’ah) He provides to His servants. The Qur'an repeatedly connects Allah’s provision with His knowledge of each individual's capacity. In the context of spending and maintenance, the revelation states:
> Whoever has abundant means, let him spend according to his means; and he whose means are straitened, let him spend out of what Allah has given him. Allah does not burden any human being beyond the means that He has bestowed upon him. Possibly Allah will grant ease after hardship. >
This verse reveals the justice and generosity of Al-Majid. He does not hold His servants accountable beyond what He has granted them, and He proportions every gift — wealth, health, knowledge, opportunity — according to perfect wisdom. The glory of Allah is thus not an abstract concept but a lived reality: He is the One who measures, grants, and eases. When a servant recognises that every means he possesses comes from Al-Majid, his heart fills with gratitude, and his spending becomes an act of worship.
The same principle appears in the ruling on divorced women, where the provision is scaled to the husband's capacity:
> It is no sin for you if ye divorce women while yet ye have not touched them, nor appointed unto them a portion. Provide for them, the rich according to his means, and the straitened according to his means, a fair provision. (This is) a bounden duty for those who do good. >
Here, Al-Majid's glory is shown in the very act of legislation — He establishes a law that honours both the giver and the receiver, demanding fairness from the wealthy and from the limited alike. His Majesty is not merely in His power but in His ability to craft rulings that elevate human dignity while remaining entirely just.
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Al-Majid and the Firmly Grounded in Knowledge
The glory of Al-Majid is also revealed in His speech. The Qur'an is described as containing clear, decisive verses alongside those that are ambiguous, and the response to this is a hallmark of true knowledge:
> it is He who has sent this Scripture down to you [Prophet]. Some of its verses are definite in meaning — these are the cornerstone of the Scripture — and others are ambiguous. >
The existence of verses whose meaning is clear and others whose meaning is known only to Allah is itself a manifestation of His majesty. The glory of Al-Majid is such that He reveals exactly as much as His servants need, while preserving the ultimate knowledge of interpretation for Himself. The response of the firmly grounded in knowledge — “We believe in it: it is all from our Lord” — is a fitting act of submission, acknowledging that the Majestic One communicates with His creation in a manner that tests their humility and rewards their sincerity. Recognising this aspect of Al-Majid invites the believer to approach the Qur'an with reverence, to rely on the clear verses, and to entrust the ambiguous ones to Allah's infinite knowledge.
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Living with the Name Al-Majid
To internalise the name Al-Majid is to cultivate a profound awareness of Allah's honour and generosity. A believer who knows his Lord as Al-Majid:
- Acknowledges Allah's glory in all circumstances — recognising that whether he is given abundant means or straitened ones, the Giver is Majestic and His choice is wise.
- Aspires to noble character — since Allah is Glorious, His servants strive to reflect nobility in their manners, speech, and dealings, avoiding anything base or dishonourable.
- Surrenders to Allah's rulings — knowing that every command and prohibition issues from the Majestic, who legislates with perfect wisdom and unmatched justice.
- Finds contentment in trust — because Al-Majid is the One who grants ease after hardship, the believer does not despair when means are limited, knowing that glory belongs to Allah and will manifest in His timing.
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Sources
- Qur'an 65:7 — https://quran.com/65/7
- Qur'an 25:47 — https://quran.com/25/47
- Qur'an 3:7 — https://quran.com/3/7
- Qur'an 2:236 — https://quran.com/2/236