The Ninety-Nine Names · the 56th name
الْحَمِيد
Al-Hamid
The Praiseworthy
- The rootح م د
- From the roothamida: to praise; hamd is praise given for what a thing is, not only for what it gave you
The essay
Arabic separates thanking from praising. Shukr is a response to a benefit received; hamd is owed for what a thing is in itself, benefit or not. He is Al-Hamid whether or not you are grateful this morning, and whether or not anyone praises. The Book opens with this word and the surah is said in every unit of every prayer, which means a Muslim says it more often than any other sentence they will ever say.
In the Qur'an
لِلَّهِ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ هُوَ ٱلۡغَنِيُّ ٱلۡحَمِيدُ
To Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth. Allah is the Free of need, the Praiseworthy.
this Name is in the Qur’an
What it asks of you
Praise Him once today for something that has not benefited you at all. That is what the word actually means.
Read beside it
The words