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Fatwa CenterMeaning of Allaah’s name al-Awwal
Question
please explain allah attribute al-awal with reference to hadiths
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.
“Al-Awwal” (the First) is one of the names of Allaah The Almighty mentioned in the Quran and the Sunnah. It was mentioned in the Quran once in the verse (which means): {He is the First and the Last, the Ascendant and the Intimate, and He is, of all things, Knowing.}[Quran 57:3] In the Sunnah it was mentioned in the Hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: “…O Allaah! You are the First, and there is nothing before You…” [Muslim]
As for its meaning, Al-Bayhaqi 
said: “Al-Awwal is the One Whose existence has no beginning.” According to Ibn Jareer At-Tabari “He is Al-Awwal Who existed before everything without a limit (of beginning).” Something similar was reported from Al-Farraa’ who said “Al-Awwal means before all things.” According to Al-Khattaabi “Al-Awwal is the One Who preceded all things. He deserves to be the first since He existed when there was nothing before or with Him.”
All these definitions refer to the same meaning, which is the one stated by the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, “…O Allaah! You are the First, and there is nothing before You…” [Muslim]
Allaah Knows best.
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