Al-Wadud — The Most Loving

Al-Wadud is the One who loves His righteous servants and who is loved by them — the form carries both senses at once. Wudd in Arabic is affection that shows itself in action rather than a feeling kept private, so the name describes love that arrives as kindness. Shu'ayb tells his people that his Lord is Merciful and Loving (11:90), and the name appears again in 85:14 alongside forgiveness. Classical scholars find in it a corrective to imagining Allah only as power.

Updated July 16, 2026