Updated on 13 August 2026 at 4:39 AM
📖 1 min readThe Pardoner is one of the 99 beautiful names of Allah. Its meaning: The One who erases sins and waives their penalty.
To pronounce the name The Pardoner in Arabic, we say: Al-'Afuww.
It is written in Arabic: العفو.
From the Arabic root ع-ف-و ('-f-w, to erase or pardon), عَفُوّ ('afuww) follows فَعُول and denotes abundant pardon that effaces sin.
The Name “The Pardoner” means: The One who erases sins and waives their penalty. 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 repent sincerely, conceal the faults of others, and forgive when forgiveness can bring reform. Knowledge of the Name thereby becomes worship, refinement of character, and trust in Allah alone.