99 Names of Allah

Ar-Rashid, the Guide to the Right Path.

Name 98 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 98 of 99

الرَّشِيْدُ

Ar-Rashīd

The Guide to the Right Path

Root ر ش د r-sh-d

A recording of this Name is coming: our reciter is recording the Names we do not have yet.

Meaning

Ar-Rashid explained.

Ar-Rashid (الرَّشِيْدُ) means The Guide to the Right Path. It is name 98 in the well-known list of the 99 Names of Allah. Ar-Rashīd guides to what is right, and everything He does is directed to its right end with wisdom.

The root and its meaning

Ar-Rashid comes from the Arabic root ر ش د (r-sh-d), which carries the sense of right guidance and maturity.

Where it is in the Quran

The exact name is not in the Quran. The young men of the cave prayed for rashad, right guidance, in 18:10.

Surah Al-Kahf 18:17

۞ وَتَرَى ٱلشَّمْسَ إِذَا طَلَعَت تَّزَٰوَرُ عَن كَهْفِهِمْ ذَاتَ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَإِذَا غَرَبَت تَّقْرِضُهُمْ ذَاتَ ٱلشِّمَالِ وَهُمْ فِى فَجْوَةٍۢ مِّنْهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ۗ مَن يَهْدِ ٱللَّهُ فَهُوَ ٱلْمُهْتَدِ ۖ وَمَن يُضْلِلْ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُۥ وَلِيًّۭا مُّرْشِدًۭا

Wa tarash shamsa izaa tala'at tazaawaru 'an kahfihim zaatal yameeni wa izaa gharabat taqriduhum zaatash shimaali wa hum fee fajwatim minh; zaalika min Aayaatillaah; mai yahdil laahu fahuwal muhtad, wa mai yudlil falan tajida lahoo waliyyam murshidaa

And [had you been present], you would see the sun when it rose, inclining away from their cave on the right, and when it set, passing away from them on the left, while they were [laying] within an open space thereof. That was from the signs of Allah. He whom Allah guides is the [rightly] guided, but he whom He leaves astray - never will you find for him a protecting guide.

Quran 18:17. Arabic: Uthmani text (Tanzil). English: Sahih International.

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 رَشِيْدُ (Yā Rashīd) and ask for what fits its meaning. For example: "Yā Rashīd, guide me to the right decision."

A dua from the Quran

إِذْ أَوَى ٱلْفِتْيَةُ إِلَى ٱلْكَهْفِ فَقَالُوا۟ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةًۭ وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًۭا

Iz awal fityatu ilal Kahfi faqaaloo Rabbanaaa aatinaa mil ladunka rahmatanw wa haiyi' lanaa min amrinaa rashadaa

[Mention] when the youths retreated to the cave and said, "Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance."

Quran 18:10. Arabic: Uthmani text (Tanzil). English: Sahih International.

  1. Quran 18:17, translation by Sahih International.
  2. Quran 18:10, translation by Sahih International.

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Questions

Good to know.

What does Ar-Rashid mean?

Ar-Rashid (الرَّشِيْدُ) means The Guide to the Right Path. Ar-Rashīd guides to what is right, and everything He does is directed to its right end with wisdom.

Is Ar-Rashid in the Quran?

The exact name is not in the Quran. The young men of the cave prayed for rashad, right guidance, in 18:10.

How do I use Ar-Rashid in dua?

Say Yā Rashīd (يَا رَشِيْدُ) at the start of your dua, then ask for what suits the Name, for example: "Yā Rashīd, guide me to the right decision."

Can a child be named after Ar-Rashid?

Yes, as Abdur-Rashid, "servant of Ar-Rashid", which is a beautiful choice. Rashid on its own, without "al", is also used for people as a description, because people can have this quality in a small, limited way.