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Al-Qawiyy

الْقَوِيُّ

Al-Qawiyy is the All-Strong — whose strength is complete, never borrowed and never diminished by use.

Name 53 of 99

الْقَوِيُّ

Al-Qawiyy

The All-Strong

In Arabic
الْقَوِيُّ
Transliteration
Al-Qawiyy
Position in the list
Name 53 of 99
Meaning

Al-Qawiyy — The All-Strong

What the name means

Quwwah is strength in the plain sense, but applied to Allah it excludes what strength means in creation: no source it was drawn from, no limit it runs into, no fatigue after exertion.

The Quran uses it where a weak party faces a strong one, closing the account: Allah is Qawiyy, Aziz — strong and unassailable.

Living by this name

It resizes odds. The believers at Badr are described as few and the outcome is attributed to the name, not to the numbers.

It also warns the strong: strength that will be questioned is on loan. See also Al-Matin and Al-Aziz.

Al-Qawiyy in the Quran

Al-Qawiyy in the Quran

The 4 verses below contain this name. Every reference is checked against the Arabic text of the Quran before it is published, so Al-Qawiyy really is in each verse it is cited from.

  1. فَلَمَّا جَآءَ أَمْرُنَا نَجَّيْنَا صَٰلِحًۭا وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مَعَهُۥ بِرَحْمَةٍۢ مِّنَّا وَمِنْ خِزْىِ يَوْمِئِذٍ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ ٱلْقَوِىُّ ٱلْعَزِيزُ

    So when Our command came, We saved Salih and those who believed with him, by mercy from Us, and [saved them] from the disgrace of that day. Indeed, it is your Lord who is the Powerful, the Exalted in Might.

  2. ٱلَّذِينَ أُخْرِجُوا۟ مِن دِيَٰرِهِم بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّ إِلَّآ أَن يَقُولُوا۟ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَلَوْلَا دَفْعُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلنَّاسَ بَعْضَهُم بِبَعْضٍۢ لَّهُدِّمَتْ صَوَٰمِعُ وَبِيَعٌۭ وَصَلَوَٰتٌۭ وَمَسَٰجِدُ يُذْكَرُ فِيهَا ٱسْمُ ٱللَّهِ كَثِيرًۭا ۗ وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُۥٓ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَقَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ

    [They are] those who have been evicted from their homes without right - only because they say, "Our Lord is Allah." And were it not that Allah checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of Allah is much mentioned. And Allah will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.

    Surah Al-Hajj 22:40Read the full surah
  3. ٱللَّهُ لَطِيفٌۢ بِعِبَادِهِۦ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْقَوِىُّ ٱلْعَزِيزُ

    Allah is Subtle with His servants; He gives provisions to whom He wills. And He is the Powerful, the Exalted in Might.

    Surah Ash-Shura 42:19Read the full surah
  4. لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِ وَأَنزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ ٱلنَّاسُ بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۖ وَأَنزَلْنَا ٱلْحَدِيدَ فِيهِ بَأْسٌۭ شَدِيدٌۭ وَمَنَٰفِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُۥ وَرُسُلَهُۥ بِٱلْغَيْبِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ قَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌۭ

    We have already sent Our messengers with clear evidences and sent down with them the Scripture and the balance that the people may maintain [their affairs] in justice. And We sent down iron, wherein is great military might and benefits for the people, and so that Allah may make evident those who support Him and His messengers unseen. Indeed, Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might.

    Surah Al-Hadid 57:25Read the full surah
On the list itself

How reliable is the list of ninety-nine?

That Allah has ninety-nine names is established in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, and both are agreed upon. The specific enumeration — this list of ninety-nine — comes from a narration in Jami' at-Tirmidhi that at-Tirmidhi himself called gharib, and which many hadith scholars grade weak; several held that a narrator compiled the names by searching the Quran and Sunnah. Classical scholars including al-Khattabi, Ibn Hazm, al-Qurtubi and al-Ghazali compiled lists of their own that differ from it. None of this touches the names themselves, every one of which is established elsewhere; it means the count of exactly these ninety-nine is a scholarly arrangement rather than a revealed roster, and Allah's names are not limited to them.

About this name

Questions about Al-Qawiyy

Al-Qawiyy (الْقَوِيُّ) means "The All-Strong". Like every one of the ninety-nine names, it describes an attribute of Allah rather than serving as a label — the names are how the Quran teaches who Allah is.

Yes. This page cites 4 verses containing Al-Qawiyy, each checked against the Arabic text before publishing.

Address Allah with "Ya" before the name — "Ya Qawiyy" — and ask for what that attribute gives. The Quran instructs it directly: "To Allah belong the most beautiful names, so call upon Him by them" (7:180).

It is number 53 in the well-known list. The order comes from the narration of at-Tirmidhi and is a scholarly arrangement, so numbering can differ slightly between printed lists — the names themselves do not.