al-ʿAzīz

The Almighty, never overcome; honour that cannot be taken

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Recited as it sounds in the Qur'an, 59:23.

Heard together with: al-ʿAzīz al-Ḥakīm (57:1); al-Qawiyy al-ʿAzīz

Start with what we know

Then take away everything it needs. What is left is not a bigger version of us. It is the Name.

Episode 1

In us

Reverse ladder of invincibility. Humans: bones break at roughly 3,000-4,000 N of force (femur)

But: Every body has a breaking point

Episode 2

In nature

Mountains: Everest is 8,848.86 m (2020 survey), yet erodes and is pushed up only millimetres a year by colliding plates

Episode 3

At our best

The hardest natural material, diamond, still shatters along cleavage planes

But: Strength in one direction is weakness in another

Episode 4

The Break

Take away a weak point, a breaking strain, wear, an equal.

Not the strongest thing, but strength with no breaking point and no rival.

Read: Q 59:23; 57:1; 63:8 honour belongs to Allah, His Messenger and the believers

From the tradition: al-Ghazālī: al-ʿAzīz is rare, much needed and hard to reach, all three at once. Classical note: the Qur'an most often pairs ʿAzīz with Ḥakīm, so might is usually shown with wisdom; it also pairs it with ar-Raḥīm (26:9), al-Ghaffār (38:66), al-Ḥamīd (85:8) and al-ʿAlīm (6:96)

On screen

Every hero we invent needs a weakness to be interesting. al-ʿAzīz has none, and is most often named beside 'the Wise'.

Where it shows up

In scripture: Q 57:1; 35:10; 63:8. Deut 10:17
The same thread in Jewish and Christian scripture: Moderate. Deut 10:17 'the great, the mighty, and the awesome God'
In the universe: NASA: even the Sun will exhaust its hydrogen
In nature: Planet Earth II 'Mountains', BBC
In people: People who keep their dignity in prison or poverty
In science: Materials science: hardness vs toughness; diamond is hard but brittle

Living it

Seek honour in Him, not over others (35:10); dignity without pride

Its kind

Beyond: majesty: what He is not, and how far beyond.

In the Qur'an: 59:23; 3:6; 57:1

Sources for this page

api.quran.com; sefaria.org Deut 10:17