A complete guide to Al-Mutakabbir — Name 10 of the 99 Names of Allah and the final Name in the Quran 59:23 cluster. Covers the mutafa’il morphological pattern (intentional, rightful greatness), the Kibr vs Kibriya’ distinction, the rida’/izar garment hadith (Muslim 2620), why human pride is a usurpation of a divine attribute, and the Sujood connection.
The Source Entity — Al-Mutakabbir in the Quran
Quran 59:23 — The full Name cluster, ending with Al-Mutakabbir:
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱلْقُدُّوسُ ٱلسَّلَٰمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُ ٱلْمُهَيْمِنُ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْجَبَّارُ ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرُ ۚ سُبْحَٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
“He is Allah — there is no god but He — Al-Malik, Al-Quddus, As-Salam, Al-Mu’min, Al-Muhaymin, Al-Aziz, Al-Jabbar, Al-Mutakabbir. Exalted is Allah above what they associate with Him.”
Al-Mutakabbir closes the eight-Name sequence of Quran 59:23 — the longest unbroken chain of divine Names in the Quran. That it comes last is deliberate: after listing all the attributes of sovereignty, purity, peace, security, guardianship, might, and compulsion, the Quran seals them all with Al-Mutakabbir — the declaration that Allah stands supreme above everything and everyone that could be compared to Him. The verse then adds: “Exalted is Allah above what they associate with Him” — because the Name itself is a refutation of all shirk.
Arabic Root Analysis — ك-ب-ر
| Arabic | Transliteration | Meaning | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| ك-ب-ر | k-b-r | Greatness, largeness, seniority, importance | The root — neutral in itself; its moral quality depends on whether the claim of greatness is true or false |
| كَبِير | Kabīr | Great, large, senior, significant | Also a Name of Allah (Al-Kabir — The Great). Used for humans neutrally: “kabir al-qawm” = the elder/great one of the people |
| كِبْر | Kibr | Arrogance, pride (for humans — sin) | False claim to greatness by one who doesn’t truly possess it. “Kibr = rejecting truth and looking down on people” — Muslim 91 (Hadith definition) |
| كِبْرِيَاء | Kibriyā’ | Supreme greatness (for Allah — attribute) | True, essential, incomparable greatness that belongs only to Allah. “Kibriya’ is My Rida’ (mantle)” — Muslim 2620. Appears in the Jabarut dhikr: Abu Dawud 873. |
| مُتَكَبِّر | Mutakabbir | For Allah: The Supreme (rightful greatness). For humans: the arrogant (wrongful claim) | Same word. Positive for Allah (true claim). Negative for humans (false claim). Quran 59:23 (Allah) vs Quran 7:36, 40:35 (condemned humans) |
| أَكْبَر | Akbar | Greater, greatest — comparative/superlative | “Allahu Akbar” — Allah is the Greatest. Said at the opening of every Salah (Takbir al-Ihram) and 5x in the adhan. Every Salah begins by declaring Allah’s supreme greatness — Al-Mutakabbir’s greatness. |
| تَكْبِير | Takbīr | The declaration of Allahu Akbar | The act of declaring Al-Mutakabbir’s greatness. Takbir opens Salah, marks transitions between positions, and is said at moments of joy, gratitude, and spiritual intensity — 17+ times minimum per day in Fard Salah. |
The Morphological Key — Mutafa’il: Deliberate, Rightful Greatness
The pattern مُتَفَعِّل (mutafa’il) is critical to understanding this Name. In Arabic, this pattern indicates a deliberate, conscious, intentional enactment of a quality — not merely possessing it, but actively expressing it:
Ibn al-Qayyim: “Al-Mutakabbir is not merely ‘the great one’ — it is the One who consciously, deliberately asserts His greatness and manifests it over all creation. This is not arrogance — it is truth. Arrogance is claiming greatness falsely. Al-Mutakabbir’s takabbur is the truthful expression of what He genuinely and incomparably is.”
Kibr vs Kibriya’ — The Critical Distinction
The Garment Hadith — Muslim 2620
Muslim 2620 (Sahih) — Hadith Qudsi:
الْعِزُّ إِزَارُهُ وَالْكِبْرِيَاءُ رِدَاؤُهُ فَمَنْ يُنَازِعُنِي عَذَّبْتُهُ
“Al-‘Izz (Might/Honour) is My Izar (lower garment) and Al-Kibriya’ (Supreme Greatness) is My Rida’ (upper mantle) — whoever contends with Me for these two, I will punish them.”
The garment metaphor is profound: garments are not separate from the person — they are part of their identity and presentation. Al-‘Izz and Al-Kibriya’ are so intrinsic to Allah that they wrap around Him like garments. One who claims kibr (arrogance) is not merely sinning — they are grabbing the very garment of Allah. This explains the severity of the punishment: it is an act of usurpation of divine identity.
Allahu Akbar — Al-Mutakabbir Declared 17 Times Daily
Every Muslim says Allahu Akbar (Allah is the Greatest) a minimum of 17 times in the five daily Fard prayers — plus additional times in Sunnah prayers, adhan, and general dhikr. This declaration is the verbal expression of Al-Mutakabbir’s supremacy:
- Takbir al-Ihram — opening every Salah: “Allahu Akbar” declares that everything being left behind (worldly concerns, thoughts, desires) is smaller than Allah. You enter Salah by declaring Al-Mutakabbir’s supremacy.
- Between every position — rising, bowing, prostrating: each transition is marked by “Allahu Akbar” — every movement in Salah is framed by the declaration of divine greatness.
- Adhan — “Allahu Akbar” four times at the opening of every call to prayer — calling all of creation to turn toward Al-Mutakabbir five times daily.
- Eid Takbirat — the nights before Eid are filled with continuous Takbir — celebrating Al-Mutakabbir’s greatness as a community.
Al-Mutakabbir and Sujood — The Perfect Pairing
The Theological Logic of Sujood:
“Subhana Rabbiyal-A’la” — Glory be to my Lord, the Most High — is the dhikr of Sujood (prostration).
When the human being places their face — the most honoured part of the body — on the ground (the lowest point), they simultaneously declare Allah as Al-A’la (the Most High, connected to Al-Mutakabbir’s supremacy). The physical posture enacts the theological reality: in the presence of Al-Mutakabbir’s true greatness, the human’s appropriate response is total prostration. The Prophet ﷺ said: “The closest a servant is to his Lord is when in prostration.” — Muslim 482. It is in the position of maximum human smallness that one is nearest to Al-Mutakabbir.
Mutakabbir — Negative for Humans in the Quran
| Verse | Context | Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Quran 7:36 | “Those who deny Our signs and are mutakabbirun over them” | “Those are the companions of the Fire — they will abide therein eternally” |
| Quran 40:35 | “Every mutakabbir jabbar heart” — arrogance + tyranny combined | “Allah seals every arrogant, tyrannical heart” — spiritual blindness results |
| Quran 16:29 | Angels of death to the mutakabbirun | “Enter the gates of Hell — wretched is the residence of the arrogant” |
| Quran 39:60 | On the Day of Judgment | “The faces of those who lied about Allah will be blackened — is not in Hell a residence for the mutakabbirun?” |
How to Make Dua with Al-Mutakabbir
- “Allahu Akbar” — the Takbir itself is the primary invocation of Al-Mutakabbir’s greatness. Saying it with presence of heart — truly feeling its meaning — is the dua.
- In Sujood — “Subhana Rabbiyal-A’la” — declaring Al-Mutakabbir’s supreme height while at your physical lowest. Muslim 482.
- The Jabarut dhikr — Abu Dawud 873: “Subhana dhil-jabarut wal-malakut wal-kibriya’ wal-‘azamah” — Kibriya’ (the noun of Al-Mutakabbir) appears explicitly in this dhikr. Recited in Ruku’ and Sujood.
- When feeling overwhelmed by human greatness — a boss, a powerful person, a fear of someone’s status: “Allahu Akbar” said internally resets the perspective. No human greatness approaches Al-Mutakabbir’s — whatever you fear in creation is infinitely smaller than Allah.
- For curing arrogance in yourself — “Ya Mutakabbir, akhfi ‘anni kibri” — O Supreme One, remove arrogance from me. Invoking the One who alone has rightful greatness to remove the false claim of greatness from one’s own heart.
What Al-Mutakabbir Teaches the Believer
The Quran 59:23 Cluster — Complete Summary (Names 3–10)
These 8 Names form the most concentrated expression of divine majesty in the Quran — they appear together in a single verse: Al-Malik (sovereign authority) → Al-Quddus (absolute purity) → As-Salam (source of peace) → Al-Mu’min (giver of security) → Al-Muhaymin (watchful guardian) → Al-Aziz (invincible might) → Al-Jabbar (compeller and restorer) → Al-Mutakabbir (supreme greatness). Together they describe a God who is simultaneously sovereign, pure, peaceful, securing, watchful, mighty, just, and supreme. The verse ends: “Exalted is Allah above all they associate with Him” — these 8 Names are the proof.
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Mohammed Basheer Orsala is the founder of Sukoonly.com - an Islamic resource dedicated to verified Quranic duas and Sunnah-based supplications. A self-taught Islamic researcher, he has studied classical texts and authenticated hadith collections including the works of Imam al-Nawawi, Shaykh al-Albani, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, and Ibn al-Qayyim. He writes to make verified Prophetic supplications accessible to English-speaking Muslims worldwide.