Surah Al-Ikhlaas 112:1
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
Qul huwal laahu ahad
Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One,
Quran 112:1. Arabic: Uthmani text (Tanzil). English: Sahih International.
Al-Ahad, the Unique.
Name 67 of the 99 Names of Allah. See its root and meaning, the verse where it appears, and how to use it in your dua.
Name 67 of 99
الْأَحَدُ
Al-Aḥad
The Unique
Root أ ح د ʾ-ḥ-d
Meaning
Al-Ahad explained.
Al-Ahad (الْأَحَدُ) means The Unique. It is name 67 in the well-known list of the 99 Names of Allah. Al-Aḥad is uniquely One, with nothing like Him in any way. Bilal kept saying "Aḥad, Aḥad" while he was tortured for his faith.
The root and its meaning
Al-Ahad comes from the Arabic root أ ح د (ʾ-ḥ-d), which carries the sense of being one and unique.
Where it is in the Quran
The name opens Surah Al-Ikhlas.
Calling on Allah by this Name
Allah says: "And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them" (7:180). Begin your dua with يَا أَحَدُ (Yā Aḥad) and ask for what fits its meaning. For example: "Yā Aḥad, You are One, so unite my heart on You."
The Prophet ﷺ heard a man ask Allah as "the One, the Eternal, who neither begets nor is born", and said he had asked by the name that, when Allah is asked by it, He gives.
Sunan Abi Dawud and Jami at-Tirmidhi, from Buraydah, graded sahih
- Quran 112:1, translation by Sahih International.
- Sunan Abi Dawud and Jami at-Tirmidhi, from Buraydah, graded sahih.
Our teachers will check the Arabic, transliteration and meanings on this page before launch.
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.
Questions
Good to know.
What does Al-Ahad mean?
Al-Ahad (الْأَحَدُ) means The Unique. Al-Aḥad is uniquely One, with nothing like Him in any way.
Is Al-Ahad in the Quran?
The name opens Surah Al-Ikhlas.
How do I use Al-Ahad in dua?
Say Yā Aḥad (يَا أَحَدُ) at the start of your dua, then ask for what suits the Name, for example: "Yā Aḥad, You are One, so unite my heart on You."
Can a child be named after Al-Ahad?
Use Abdul-Ahad, "servant of Al-Ahad". Scholars say Ahad on its own should not be used as a person's name, because this Name belongs to Allah alone.