القدوس
AL-QUDDUS
The Most Holy, utterly free of every imperfection
Meaning and Explanation
Al-Quddus comes from the root for purity/holiness and expresses that God's essence, attributes, and actions are absolutely free of every deficiency, flaw, partnership, or trait belonging to created beings. This name is one of the most concentrated expressions of tanzih — holding God above any resemblance to creation: He neither forgets, nor tires, nor is touched by any imperfection.
Traditional Note — Abjad Value
This name's abjad (letter numerical value) calculation is 170.
Letter-by-letter abjad calculation (root "قدوس"): ق (100) + د (4) + و (6) + س (60) = 170.
Quranic Usage and Related Verses
Dhikr Counter
Dhikr Counter
Historical abjad value: 170.
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Specific counts, days, or times are not religious obligations or guarantees of outcomes. Dhikr and abjad methodology
Remembrance and Reflection
Some sources describe reciting Al-Quddus with the intention of purifying the heart as a traditional recommendation; this should not be presented as a guarantee of any worldly outcome.
Understanding This Name
Holiness beyond every imperfection
Al-Quddus declares God utterly free from defect, need, injustice, and every comparison unworthy of the Creator. In Al-Hashr 59:23 it appears within a sequence of names that holds holiness beside sovereignty, peace, security, guardianship, and might. The name therefore does not describe sterile distance. Divine transcendence is joined with active knowledge and care. Human imagination must remain disciplined: no image, body, location, or creaturely limitation should be projected onto God.
Purification without moral superiority
A believer may respond to the name by cleansing worship from show, income from dishonesty, and speech from contempt. This is not permission to label other people impure or to imagine personal holiness has been secured. Ritual purity has its own legal rules, while moral purification concerns intention and conduct. Obsessive washing or repeating an act because of uncontrolled doubt should not be praised as greater devotion; it may require informed religious and clinical support.
Other Names
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Al-Quddus mean that God is physically clean?
The name expresses absolute holiness and freedom from imperfection. It is not a bodily description, because physical states and needs belong to created beings.
Sources
- Turkey's Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), Kur'an Yolu Tafsir (Haşr 59:23, Cum'a 62:1) (in Turkish)
- TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, entry "Kuddûs" (in Turkish)
- Al-Ghazali, al-Maqsad al-Asna fi Sharh Asma' Allah al-Husna, chapter on El-Kuddûs
- English Translation — Noor International Center (v1.1.2)
- TDV Encyclopedia of Islam — Esmâ-i Hüsnâ — in Turkish
- Diyanet High Council of Religious Affairs — The 99 Names of God — in Turkish
Prepared by: Kadir Özbek · Updated: