Updated on 13 August 2026 at 4:39 AM
📖 1 min readThe First is one of the 99 beautiful names of Allah. Its meaning: The One before whom nothing exists, without beginning.
To pronounce the name The First in Arabic, we say: Al-Awwal.
It is written in Arabic: الأول.
From the Arabic root أ-و-ل (ʾ-w-l, priority and return), أَوَّل (awwal) follows أَفْعَل and denotes the one before whom nothing exists.
The Name “The First” means: The One before whom nothing exists, without beginning. It affirms a perfection belonging to Allah without defect, limit, or resemblance to creation. In al-Ghazali’s perspective, the believer never claims to share the divine attribute in its reality; instead, the Name gives an orientation suited to the condition of a servant.
Meditating on this Name calls the believer to detach from what passes away, prepare to return to Allah, and devote the present to what endures. Knowledge of the Name thereby becomes worship, refinement of character, and trust in Allah alone.