Dhul-Jalali wal-Ikram

The root. Dhul-Jalali wal-Ikram joins jalāl and ikrām, two nouns from separate roots preceded by dhū, "possessor of." Jalāl comes from j-l-l, meaning greatness or magnitude in a sense that inspires awe — a jalīl matter is one too weighty to treat lightly. Ikrām comes from k-r-m, generosity or honoring, the same root behind karīm, noble or generous. The title reads literally as "Possessor of Majesty and Generosity," awe and warmth held together in a single phrase rather than kept apart.

What it means here. Dhul-Jalali wal-Ikram is read as holding two qualities that might seem to pull against each other — the majesty that commands reverence and even a kind of fear, and the generosity that draws a servant close and gives without being asked. Classical commentary treats the pairing as deliberate: awe alone risks distance, and generosity alone risks a mistaken familiarity, so the name is given whole, both registers present in the same breath, neither read as softening or overriding the other.

Where it is met. Dhul-Jalali wal-Ikram appears in Surah Ar-Rahman, closing two of its refrains: "And there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor" at 55:27, and "Blessed is the name of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honor" at the surah's very end, 55:78. Hadith literature also records the Prophet ﷺ urging his companions to persist in calling upon Allah by this name in supplication, "cling to it," a name given particular weight in personal dua beyond its two Quranic appearances.