Al-Azeez: (The All-Mighty):

This name of Allah came many times in the verses of the Holy Quraan. One of the verses is the verse 23 of the surah Al-Hashr. Its translation is here:

(59:23) He is Allah: there is no god but He: the King,³⁶ the Holy,³⁷ the All-Peace,³⁹ the Giver of security,³⁸ the Overseer,⁴⁰ the Most Mighty,⁴¹ the Overpowering,⁴² the All-Great.⁴³ Exalted is He from whatever they associate with Him.

Exp-note 41:

41. Al-Azeez: such an Almighty Being against Whom no one may dare raise his head, no one may have the power to resist His decrees, before Whom everyone may be helpless and powerless.

This great name of Allah has come in the Holy Quraan for about a hundred times. This also means that all types of izzah (Honor belongs only to Allah, as Allah said in surah Yoonus verse 65:

  
إن العزة لله جميعاً  

Surely all honor belongs to Allah alone. Here “all honor” means all kinds of honor and honor in all fields here and in the Here-After. This can be explained under three headings:

1. Izzah Al-Quwwah

That is the Honor of Power. Thisis a great attribute of Allah. So none of the creatures/creation is compareable to Allah in Power, no matter how tremendously huge the creature / creation may be.

Allah said in surah Al-Dhaariyaat verse 58 (translation only):

(51:58) Surely Allah is the Bestower of all provision, the Lord of all power, the Strong.⁵⁵

And Allah said in surah Al-Hajj verse 74

(22:74) They have not formed a true estimate of Allah. Indeed, Allah is All-Powerful, All-Mighty.

• Al-Izzah Al-Imtinaa’ (that is the honor that none else deserves. In other words no one else can reach it).

The examples are;None of the servants can be able to harm Allah while He ( God /Allah) does harm them. No one of the servants can be able to benefit Him (Allah) while Allah does benefit them. Allah is Addaar and an-Naafi’ (Al-Daar and Al-Naafi’) i.e. The Giver of harm and the Giver of benefit. Allah is high above any weakness. So none can reach Allah in any way. None deserves such a status. All are the creations while Allah alone is the Creator. Allah is Al-Ghanee and Al-Mu’tee and Al-Maani’. That is Allah is self-sufficient, does not depend upon anyone while all others depend upon Him. Allah gives blessings to whom He wills and prevents from whom He wills. Allah does not need any partner or helper and Allah is high above any weakness or defect. Allah said in the following verses:

Surah Al-Safaat (As-Safaat) verses 180—182 (translation only);

(37:180) Exalted is your Lord, the Lord of Glory, above what they attribute to Him,

(37:181) and peace be upon the Messengers,

(37:182) and all praise is for Allah, the Lord of the Universe.

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And Allah said in surah Al-Room (Ar-Room) verse 27 (translation only);

(30:27) It is He Who creates in the first instance and it is He Who will repeat the creation, and that is easier for Him.³⁸ His is the loftiest attribute in the heavens and the earth. He is the Most Mighty, the Most Wise.  

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• Izzatul-Qahar wal-ghalbah lijmee-il kaa-inaat (The Honor of overcoming and subjugating the whole universe /all creation).

The whole universe with all of the creatures and creations in it are overpowered by Allah and they are subservient to the Greatness of Allah, and obedient to the Will of Allah. The forelocks of all creatures are in Allah’s Hand. Nothing can move without the Will of Allah. Whatever is done by the creatures and people is done only by Allah’s leave. So whatever Allah wants happens and what Allah doesn’t want will not happen. There is no strength in or power with anyone except that which is given by Allah.

 Surah Aali-Imraan verses 26 and 27 (translation only):

(3:26). Say: ‘O Allah, Lord of all dominion! You give dominion to whom You will, and take away dominion from whom You will, and You exalt whom You will, and abase whom You will. In Your Hand is all good. Surely You are All-Powerful.

        (3:27) You cause the night to pass into the day and the day to pass into the night. You bring forth the living out of the dead, and You bring the dead out of the living, and You give sustenance to whom You will beyond all reckoning.’²⁴

Surah Al-Hadeed verse 1 (translation and explanation):

(57:1) All that is in the heavens and the earth extols the glory of Allah.¹ He is the Most Mighty, the Most Wise.²

Exp. note 2:

That is, not only is He All-Mighty and All-Wise, but the truth is that He alone is All-Mighty and All-Wise. The word Aziz signifies a mighty and powerful Being Whose decrees cannot be prevented by any power in the world from being enforced, Whom no one can oppose and resist, Who has to be obeyed by every one whether one likes it or not, Whose rebel cannot escape His accountability and punishment in any way. The word Hakeem signifies that whatever He does, He does it wisely. His creation, His administration and rule, His commands and guidance, all are based on wisdom. None of His works is tarnished by any tract of folly or ignorance.

There is another fine point here, which one should fully understand. Seldom in the Quran has Allah’s attribute of Azeez (All-Mighty) been accompanied by His attributes of being Qawi (Strong), Muqtadir (Powerful), Jabber (Omnipotent), Dhuntiqam (Avenger) and the like, which only signify His absolute power, and this has been so only in places where the context demanded that the wicked and disobedient be warned of Allah’s relentless punishment. Apart from such few places, wherever the word Azeez has been used for Allah, it has everywhere been accompanied by one or other of His attributes of being Hakeem (Wise), Aleem (Knower), Raheem (Merciful), Ghafur (Forgiving), Wahhaab (Generous) and Hameed (Praiseworthy). The reason is that if a being who wields un-limited power is at the same time unwise, ignorant, un-forgiving as well as stingy and devoid of character, its power and authority cannot but lead to injustice and wickedness. Thus, wherever injustice and wickedness is being committed in the world, it is only because the one who wields authority over others, is either using his power un-wisely and foolishly, or he is merciless and hardhearted, or evil-minded and wicked. Wherever power is coupled with these evil traits of character, no good can be expected to result. That is why in the Quran Allah’s attribute of Azeez has necessarily been accompanied by His attributes of being All-Wise and Knowing, Compassionate and Forgiving, Praiseworthy and Generous. So that man may know that the God Who is ruling this universe has, on the one hand, such absolute power that no one, from the earth to the heavens, can prevent His decrees from being enforced. But, on the other hand, He is also All-Wise: His each decision is based on perfect wisdom. He is also All- Knowing: whatever decision He makes, it is precisely according to knowledge. He is also Compassionate: He does not use infinite power mercilessly. He is Forgiving as well: He does not punish His creatures for trifling faults, but overlooks their errors. He is also Generous: He does not treat His subjects stingily, but liberally and benevolently. And He is also Praiseworthy: He combines in Himself all praiseworthy virtues and excellences.

The importance of this statement of the Quran can be better understood by those people who are aware of the discussions of the philosophy of politics and law on the question of sovereignty. Sovereignty connotes that the one who possesses it should wield un-limited power: there should be no internal and external power to change or modify his decision or prevent it from being enforced, and none should have any alternative but to obey him. At the mere concept of this infinite and un-limited power, man’s common-sense necessarily demands that whoever attains to such power, should be faultless and perfect in knowledge and wisdom, for if the one holding this power is ignorant, merciless and evil, his sovereignty will inevitably lead to wickedness and corruption. That is why the philosophers, who regarded a single man, or a man-made institution, or an assembly of men as the holder of this power, have had to presume that he or it would be infallible. But obviously, neither can unlimited sovereignty be actually attained by a human power, nor is it possible for a king, or a parliament, or a nation, or a party that it may use the sovereignty attained by it in a limited circle faultlessly and harmlessly. The reason is that the wisdom that is wholly free of every trace of folly, and the knowledge that fully comprehends all the related truths, is not at all possessed even by entire mankind, not to speak of its being attained by an individual, or an institution, or a nation. Likewise, as long as man is man, his being wholly free of and above selfishness, sensuality, fear, greed, desires, prejudice and sentimental love, anger and hate is also not possible. If a person ponders over these truths, he will realize that the Quran is indeed presenting here a correct and perfect view of sovereignty. It says that no one except Allah in this universe is possessor of absolute power, and with this unlimited power He alone is faultless, All-Wise and All- Knowing, Compassionate and Forgiving, and Praiseworthy and Generous in His dealings with His subjects.

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The effects of one’s faith in this Attribute of Allah i.e. Al-Azeez will be that the humility of a Muslim will be only to Allah, he /she will ask du’aa only from Allah, will request only Allah for protection, honor, sustenance etc. His /her head will bow only before Allah Ta’ala.