Allah calls Himself Al-Quddoos— The Most Pure, The All-Perfect— on two occasions in the Quran. He is the One who is the absolutely pure in essence and attributes. Al-Quddoos is free from and far above any worldly imperfection, and He is beyond all human understanding of purity and perfection!

The Most Pure, the All-Perfect

Quddoos comes from the root qaaf-daal-seen, which points to three main meanings. The first main meaning is to be pure and clean. The second is to be far removed from impurity or imperfection, and the third main meaning is to be sacred or blessed.

This root appears ten times in the Quran in five derived forms. Examples of these forms are al-qudusi (“the Holy [spirit]”) and al-muqadasi (“the sacred”).

Linguistically, quddoos is on the intense structure of the attribute of quds, which refers to cleanliness or tahaarah and comes from the verb qadasa. Al-Quddoos is ‘clean’ or free from any partner, spouse, or child, from death, from injustice, lying, forgetfulness, error, poverty, and stinginess. Laa ilaaha illa huwa– there is no God but He.

Al-Quddoos Himself says: He is Allah , other than whom there is no deity, the Sovereign, the Pure . . . [Quran, 59:23] Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth is exalting Allah, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Exalted in Might, the Wise. [Quran, 62:1]

Subhanallah and alhamdulillah

They said, ‘Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?’ [Quran, 2:30]. The angels glorify and praise Allah al-Quddoos continuously and so does the whole universe. Al-Quddoos created us human beings to worship, glorify, and praise Him as He gave us something different: our hearts.
Using the human heart to reflect on His creations, His perfection and greatness, it realizes that glorification and praise of the Creator is inevitable. So we praise and thank Al-Quddoos (alhamdulillah) and glorify Him (subhanAllah) as He is high above anything that does not befit Him. Isn’t it a blessing to have such a perfect lord, and aren’t we blessed to be able to praise Him?

How can you live by this name?

1.Have a pure belief in Al-Quddoos.
Believe in the oneness of Al-Quddoos and make sure your creed (or aqeedah) is pure by studying the types of tawheed and their practical meanings in your daily life from trustworthy sources, like Kitaab ut -Tawheed (The Book of Tawheed) by ibn Abd Al-Wahhab.

2. Praise Al-Quddoos.
Say alhamdulilah and subhanAllah from the bottom of your heart. The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam used to say in his prayer while in the bowing position (ruku): subboohun quddoosun Rabbul-malaa’ikati war-rooh (praise and Holiness be to You, Lord of the angels and the Soul). [Muslim] You can add this beautiful invocation to enhance your prayer.

3. Purify yourself through prayer.
The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam asked the companions: If someone bathes in a river outside of his house five times a day, will there be any impurity left on him? [Muslim] Visualize your prayer as cleansing your body and soul. Your prayer also protects you: indeed the prayer prevents from the indecency and evil. [Quran, 29:45]

4. Give the best sadaqah.
Give zakah (obligatory) and sadaqah (charity) to “purify” and increase your wealth. Take, [O, Muhammad], from their wealth a charity by which you purify them and cause them increase. [Quran 9:103] Remind yourself when you give sadaqah to give the best, as Allah is Al-Quddoos and He deserves the best to be given for His sake. Aishah radiyalahu anha used to perfume the charity she gave!

5. Don’t be unjust.
Allah does not wrong a person even to the amount of an atom’s weight [Quran 4:40]. Even if people do dhulm (injustice) to Him, Al-Quddoos never does injustice to people. Allah ‘azza wa jall also made injustice and oppression forbidden for you; so don’t be unjust to anyone, family or stranger, child, adult or even to animals.

6. Be clean.
Be clean inside and out and strive to purify and keep renewing your intentions when you do a good deed. Be thoughtful with your wudu; do your best to not only keep your belongings and house clean, but also your environment by not throwing litter and by removing harmful objects. Consume healthy and permissable food and drink— bought with halaal earnings— and teach children this way of living.

7. Let the Quran purify you.
And who is more truthful than Allah in speech? [Quran, 4:122] The speech of Al-Quddoos is pure and is a cure, healing, and guidance for you to purify yourself. So turn to the Quran to seek cure from the diseases of your heart, let the ayaat help you to improve your character, and recite the Quran daily to clean your heart and bring tranquillity to your body.

8. Ask Al-Quddoos.
The Prophet salallahu’ alayhi wa sallam used to ask Al-Quddoos at the beginning of prayer:
اللهم باعد بيني وبين خطاياي كما باعدت بين المشرق والمغرب اللهم نقني من خطاياي كما ينقى الثوب الأبيض من الدنس اللهم اغسلني من خطاياي بالثلج والماء والب
O Allah, distance me from my sins just as You have distanced The East from The West, O Allah, purify me of my sins as a white robe is purified of filth, O Allah, cleanse me of my sins with snow, water, and ice. [Al-Bukharee, Muslim] Use and reflect on this supplication as it contains all forms of purification: distancing (moving far away from dirt and deficiencies), removing dirt or filth, and washing or cleansing, so no impurity remains at the end.

O Allah, Al-Quddoos, we know that You are the absolutely pure beyond imagination. Lead us to a sound belief in Your oneness, help us in purifying our hearts, deeds, and intentions, and guide us to purify our bodies and keep our environment clean. Aid us in performing the best salah, giving the best charity, and helping us to turn to the Quran so we can come to You with a pure heart, ameen!

And Allah knows best.

The Understand Quran Academy Team

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