The Name 'Al Khaaliq' is found in the Qur'aan 8 times.
Example from the Qur'aan:
57:24
Explanation by Abu Talhah (Nahj al Asmaa):
Explanation by Shaykh 'Abdur Rahmaan as Sa'dee:
Here is the explanation from the chapter in Shaykh AbdurRazzaaq's Book: Fiqhul Asmaa al Husnaa.
Please note that the Shaykh wrote two books on the same topic: a full version and a summarized version. The translation is of the chapter from the full version.
To download the English translation of this chapter on al Khaaliq Click here
Mukhtasir (Summarized) Fiqh al Asmaa al Husnaa Download pdf in Arabic Click here
Full version Fiqh al Asmaa (in Arabic) Shaykh 'Abdur Razaaq 'Abdul Muhsin al Badr Click here
Understanding Allaah’s Beautiful Names
Fiqhul Asmaa al Husnaa
Chapter (p91-94): al Khaaliq الخالق The Creator
Al Khallaaq الخلاق the Ever-Creating
The name of Allaah al Khaaliq is found in many places in the Qur’aan. For example:
هُوَ اللَّهُ الْخَالِقُ الْبَارِئُ الْمُصَوِّرُ
“He is Allah, the Creator, the Inventor of all things, the Bestower of forms.”
Hashr 59:24
اللَّهُ خَالِقُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ ۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَكِيلٌ
“Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the Wakil (Trustee, Disposer of affairs, Guardian, etc.) over all things.”
“Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the Wakil (Trustee, Disposer of affairs, Guardian, etc.) over all things.”
Zumar 39:62
Al Khallaaq الخلاق in the intensive form occurs in two places in the Qur’aan in the Saying of Allaah the Exalted:
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ الْخَلَّاقُ الْعَلِيمُ
“Verily, your Lord is the All-Knowing Creator.”
Hijr 15:86
بَلَىٰ وَهُوَ الْخَلَّاقُ الْعَلِيمُ
“ Yes, indeed! He is the All-Knowing Supreme Creator.”
“ Yes, indeed! He is the All-Knowing Supreme Creator.”
Yaseen 36:81
Creation (al Khalq) refers to and means two matters:
1. The first meaning of al Khalq is bringing something new into existence from nothing:
أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا خَلَقْنَا لَهُم مِّمَّا عَمِلَتْ أَيْدِينَا أَنْعَامًا فَهُمْ لَهَا مَالِكُونَ
“Do they not see that We have created for them of what Our Hands have created, the cattle, so that they are their owners.”
“Do they not see that We have created for them of what Our Hands have created, the cattle, so that they are their owners.”
Yaseen 36:71
إِنَّا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَاهُ بِقَدَرٍ
“ Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments).”
Qamar 54:49
الَّذِي خَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ وَالَّذِي قَدَّرَ فَهَدَىٰ
“Who has created (everything), and then proportioned it;
And Who has measured (preordainments for each and everything even to be blessed or wretched); then guided (i.e. showed mankind the right as well as wrong paths, and guided the animals to pasture);”
“Who has created (everything), and then proportioned it;
And Who has measured (preordainments for each and everything even to be blessed or wretched); then guided (i.e. showed mankind the right as well as wrong paths, and guided the animals to pasture);”
Al Alaa 87:2-3
وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَقَدَّرَهُ تَقْدِيرًا
He has created everything, and has measured it exactly according to its due measurements.
He has created everything, and has measured it exactly according to its due measurements.
Al Furqaan 25:2
كَمَا بَدَأْنَا أَوَّلَ خَلْقٍ نُّعِيدُهُ ۚ
“We began the first creation, We shall repeat it,”
Al Anbiyaa 21:104
2. The second meaning of al khalq is ‘measuring’ at taqdeer.
They used to say ‘he measured (khalaqa) the skins’ which means he measured it. If you decreed something, it would come to pass, whereas if someone else decreed it, it would not come to pass. Allaah’s Saying:
وَتَخْلُقُونَ إِفْكًا
“and you only invent تخلقون falsehood”.
“and you only invent تخلقون falsehood”.
Al Ankaboot 29:17
Which means that you believe it and make people inclined to it.
Another example is Allaah the Exalted’s Saying:
فَتَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ أَحْسَنُ الْخَالِقِينَ
“So blessed be Allah, the Best of creators”.
“So blessed be Allah, the Best of creators”.
Al Mu'minoon 23:14
So ‘creation’ الخلق when it is used in terms of humans means taqdeer ‘measuring’. As for creation which is inventing and bringing into existence from nothing then this only for the Lord of the worlds. As Allaah the Exalted said:
هَلْ مِنْ خَالِقٍ غَيْرُ اللَّهِ
“Is there any creator other than Allah!”
“Is there any creator other than Allah!”
Faatir 35:3
هَٰذَا خَلْقُ اللَّهِ فَأَرُونِي مَاذَا خَلَقَ الَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِ ۚ بَلِ الظَّالِمُونَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ
“This is the creation of Allah. So show Me that which those (whom you worship), besides Him have created. Nay, the Zalimun (polytheists, wrong-doers and those who do not believe in the Oneness of Allah) are in plain error.”
Luqmaan 31:11
“This is the creation of Allah. So show Me that which those (whom you worship), besides Him have created. Nay, the Zalimun (polytheists, wrong-doers and those who do not believe in the Oneness of Allah) are in plain error.”
Luqmaan 31:11
In the aayah is a challenge for the whole of creation. Allaah, far removed is He from every imperfection, affirmed that the whole of mankind is unable to do it even if they all gathered together to create one fly which is the weakest and looked down upon of all animals. Allaah the Exalted said,
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ ضُرِبَ مَثَلٌ فَاسْتَمِعُوا لَهُ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ لَن يَخْلُقُوا ذُبَابًا وَلَوِ اجْتَمَعُوا لَهُ ۖ وَإِن يَسْلُبْهُمُ الذُّبَابُ شَيْئًا لَّا يَسْتَنقِذُوهُ مِنْهُ ۚ ضَعُفَ الطَّالِبُ وَالْمَطْلُوبُ
مَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ
O mankind! A similitude has been coined, so listen to it (carefully): Verily! Those on whom you call besides Allah, cannot create (even) a fly, even though they combine together for the purpose. And if the fly snatched away a thing from them, they would have no power to release it from the fly. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought.
They have not estimated Allah His Rightful Estimate; Verily, Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty.Hajj 22:73-74
O mankind! A similitude has been coined, so listen to it (carefully): Verily! Those on whom you call besides Allah, cannot create (even) a fly, even though they combine together for the purpose. And if the fly snatched away a thing from them, they would have no power to release it from the fly. So weak are (both) the seeker and the sought.
They have not estimated Allah His Rightful Estimate; Verily, Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty.Hajj 22:73-74
Following on from this, Allaah did not create the creation without purpose, in vain or for fun. Allaah is far removed and purified from that. Allaah the Exalted said,
وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاءَ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا لَاعِبِينَ
لَوْ أَرَدْنَا أَن نَّتَّخِذَ لَهْوًا لَّاتَّخَذْنَاهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا إِن كُنَّا فَاعِلِينَ
بَلْ نَقْذِفُ بِالْحَقِّ عَلَى الْبَاطِلِ فَيَدْمَغُهُ فَإِذَا هُوَ زَاهِقٌ ۚ وَلَكُمُ الْوَيْلُ مِمَّا تَصِفُونَ
We created not the heavens and the earth and all that is between them for a (mere) play.
17. Had We intended to take a pastime (i.e. a wife or a son, etc.), We could surely have taken it from Us, if We were going to do (that).
18. Nay, We fling (send down) the truth (this Qur'an) against the falsehood (disbelief), so it destroys it, and behold, it (falsehood) is vanished. And woe to you for that (lie) which you ascribe (to Us) (against Allah by uttering that Allah has a wife and a son).
Al Anbiyaa 16-18
أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ
فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ ۖ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ
"Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?"
116. So Exalted be Allah, the True King, La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Lord of the Supreme Throne!
Al Mu’minoon 23:115-116
Indeed Allaah far removed is He from every imperfection, created the creation to know Him and worship Him.
اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الْأَرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ يَتَنَزَّلُ الْأَمْرُ بَيْنَهُنَّ لِتَعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عِلْمًا
It is Allah Who has created seven heavens and of the earth the like thereof (i.e. seven). His Command descends between them (heavens and earth), that you may know that Allah has power over all things, and that Allah surrounds (comprehends) all things in (His) Knowledge.
Talaq 65:12
The second proof is Allaah the Exalted’s Saying,
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
And I (Allah) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone).
Dhaariyaat 51:56
Most of the creation has gone astray in this field. They know that the One who created them is Allaah alone without partner, and that He alone is the only One to create them, the sky, the earth, the mountains, the trees and other than that of the creation. Yet despite this recognition they divert worship to other than Him.
This is the meaning of Allaah the Exalted’s Saying,
وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُم بِاللَّهِ إِلَّا وَهُم مُّشْرِكُونَ
And most of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute partners unto Him [i.e. they are Mushrikun -polytheists].
Yusuf 12:106
Ibn ‘Abbaas رضي الله عنهما said, “From their belief if it were said to them ‘who created the sky? Who created the earth? Who created the mountains?’ They would say ‘Allaah’ even though they were polytheists.
‘Ikrimah said, ‘Asking them who created the heavens and the earth – they would say ‘Allaah’. That was their belief in Allaah even though they worshipped other besides Him.’[2]
Allaah the Exalted Said,
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمَاتِ وَالنُّورَ ۖ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ
All praises and thanks be to Allah, Who (Alone) created the heavens and the earth, and originated the darkness and the light, yet those who disbelieve hold others as equal with their Lord.
Al Anaam 6:1
Ibn ‘Abbaas رضي الله عنهما said the meaning of ‘adaloo ‘hold others as equal’ to Me of My creation such as rocks and idols after they recognise My favours and My Lordship.
There are many instances in the Noble Qur’aan of proofs where the disbelievers recognise that Allaah alone is the Khaaliq Creator, ar Raaziq the Provider, the Mun’im the Giver, al Mutasaarif, the One who disposes of affairs. This should mean that they single Him out alone for worship and make their religion sincere for Him. Allaah the Exalted said,
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَسَخَّرَ الشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ ۖ فَأَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ
If you were to ask them: "Who has created the heavens and the earth and subjected the sun and the moon?" They will surely reply: "Allah." How then are they deviating (as polytheists and disbelievers)?
So when it mentions that they recognise this, He rebukes them for their shirk (setting up partners with Allaah) by saying ‘how then are they deviating?’
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّن نَّزَّلَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الْأَرْضَ مِن بَعْدِ مَوْتِهَا لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ ۚ
If you were to ask them: "Who sends down water (rain) from the sky, and gives life therewith to the earth after its death?" They will surely reply: "Allah."
So when it mentions that they recognise this, He rebukes them for their shirk (setting up partners with Allaah) by saying
قُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ
Say: "All the praises and thanks be to Allah!" Nay! Most of them have no sense.
Al Ankaboot 29:63
Allaah the Exalted said,
اللَّهُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ ثُمَّ رَزَقَكُمْ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمْ ثُمَّ يُحْيِيكُمْ ۖ هَلْ مِن شُرَكَائِكُم مَّن يَفْعَلُ مِن ذَٰلِكُم مِّن شَيْءٍ ۚ
Allah is He Who created you, then provided food for you, then will cause you to die, then (again) He will give you life (on the Day of Resurrection). Is there any of your (so-called) partners (of Allah) that do anything of that?
Room 30:40
There is no doubt that the reply which there is no reply to is ‘no’ which means ‘there are none of our partners who can do any creating, providing, giving life or death. So when this is known, Allaah the One free from all defects, criticizes them by saying,
سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
Glory be to Him! And Exalted be He above all that (evil) they associate (with Him).
Allaah the Exalted said,
قُل لِّمَنِ الْأَرْضُ وَمَن فِيهَا إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (84) سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ ۚ قُلْ أَفَلَا تَذَكَّرُونَ (85) قُلْ مَن رَّبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ السَّبْعِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ (86) سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ ۚ قُلْ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ (87) قُلْ مَن بِيَدِهِ مَلَكُوتُ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ يُجِيرُ وَلَا يُجَارُ عَلَيْهِ إِن كُنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ (88) سَيَقُولُونَ لِلَّهِ ۚ قُلْ فَأَنَّىٰ تُسْحَرُونَ
Say: "Whose is the earth and whosoever is therein? If you know!"
87. They will say: "Allah." Say: "Will you not then fear Allah (believe in His Oneness, obey Him, believe in the Resurrection and Recompense for each and every good or bad deed)."
88. Say "In Whose Hand is the sovereignty of everything (i.e. treasures of each and everything)? And He protects (all), while against Whom there is no protector, (i.e. if Allah saves anyone none can punish or harm him, and if Allah punishes or harms anyone none can save him), if you know."
89. They will say: "(All that belongs) to Allah." Say: "How then are you deceived and turn away from the truth?"
Mu’minoon 23:84-89
قُلِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَسَلَامٌ عَلَىٰ عِبَادِهِ الَّذِينَ اصْطَفَىٰ ۗ آللَّهُ خَيْرٌ أَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
أَمَّنْ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَأَنزَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ مَاءً فَأَنبَتْنَا بِهِ حَدَائِقَ ذَاتَ بَهْجَةٍ مَّا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَن تُنبِتُوا شَجَرَهَا ۗ أَإِلَٰهٌ مَّعَ اللَّهِ ۚ بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ يَعْدِلُونَ
Say (O Muhammad): "Praise and thanks be to Allah, and peace be on His slaves whom He has chosen (for His Message)! Is Allah better, or (all) that you ascribe as partners (to Him)?" (Of course, Allah is Better).
60. Is not He (better than your gods) Who created the heavens and the earth, and sends down for you water (rain) from the sky, whereby We cause to grow wonderful gardens full of beauty and delight? It is not in your ability to cause the growth of their trees. Is there any ilah (god) with Allah? Nay, but they are a people who ascribe equals (to Him)!
Naml 27:59-60
Allaah the Exalted said,
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمَاتِ وَالنُّورَ ۖ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ
All praises and thanks be to Allah, Who (Alone) created the heavens and the earth, and originated the darkness and the light, yet those who disbelieve hold others as equal with their Lord.
Al An’aam 6:1
It is here where a person given intellect is extremely surprised at the mindset of the polytheists. How could they make equals to Allaah, something that does not possess for himself or others a grain of corn in the heavens or on the earth while Allaah is He who created the heavens and the earth and made the light and darkness.
أَيُشْرِكُونَ مَا لَا يَخْلُقُ شَيْئًا وَهُمْ يُخْلَقُونَ
وَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ لَهُمْ نَصْرًا وَلَا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَنصُرُونَ
Do they attribute as partners to Allah those who created nothing but they themselves are created?
Al A’raaf 7:191-192
So how can they equate dust with the Lord of the Lords. And how can they equate the insignificant servant with the Possessor of the necks. And how can they equate the servants like them with the Great Lord, the Noble Creator who is free from every imperfection.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ عِبَادٌ أَمْثَالُكُمْ ۖ فَادْعُوهُمْ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا لَكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
Verily, those whom you call upon besides Allah are slaves like you. So call upon them and let them answer you if you are truthful.
Al A’raaf 7:194
The Lord be free and above what those people describe Him with. Allaah is far above what they associate with Him.
