Discover the meaning of the term Al-khalq (خَلق) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 5 min readWith damma: an entrenched disposition of the soul from which beautiful actions proceed with ease, by reason and by Law; it is then named 'good character' (khuluq hasan), and if it is blameworthy it is likewise named 'bad character' (khuluq sayyi'); and if that disposition is not entrenched, it is not called khuluq so long as it is not firmly fixed. (With fatha): a masdar in the sense of
One of the names of Allah, the Most High: al-Khaliq (the Creator), the One who brought all things into existence after they did not exist. The root of khalq is determining (taqdir): He is Creator in respect of determining that from which their existence proceeds, and in respect of bringing into existence in accordance with that determination. In the hadith of the Khawarij: 'They are the worst of creation and creatures.'
It denotes an entrenched disposition of the soul from which actions proceed with facility and ease, without need of thought or deliberation. If the disposition is such that beautiful actions proceed from it with ease, by reason and by the Sharia, the disposition is named 'good character' (khuluq hasan); if what proceeds from it are ugly actions, the disposition is named 'bad character' (khuluq sayyi'). We say 'entrenched disposition' because one from whom the spending of wealth on good works proceeds only in a passing state is not described as 'having generosity as his character' so long as it has not become fixed in his soul; likewise one who forces himself to silence when angry by effort or deliberation is not described as 'having forbearance as his character'. Character does not denote the act itself: a man may have generosity as his character and yet not spend, whether for loss of wealth or some hindrance; and a man may have miserliness as his character and yet spend, for some motive or out of show.
The bringing about of an existence obtained from matter and form, whatever they may be.
A collective name for dispositions, shapes and images perceived by sight.
The measuring of the form of the mixtures one wishes to bring forth after their blending and composition; thus mentioned al-Harali. Another said it (al-Raghib al-Isfahani, al-Mufradat, p. 157): 'Its root is the straight determining; it is used for the originating of a thing without prior root or model, hence: "He created the heavens" (al-Nahl, 30), and it is used for producing a thing from a thing, as: "He created you from a single soul" (al-Nisa, 1; al-A'raf, 189). Creation as sheer origination belongs to Allah alone; but by transformation (istihala) Allah sometimes granted it to another, like 'Isa, may Allah's blessings be upon our Prophet and upon him ("'alayhi" with damma).' (Then:) an entrenched disposition of the soul from which actions proceed with ease, without need of thought or deliberation: if the disposition is such that beautiful actions proceed from it with ease, by reason and the Sharia, it is named 'good character'; if ugly actions proceed from it, it is named 'bad character'. We say 'entrenched' because one who spends wealth only rarely, in a passing state, is not described as 'generous in character' until it is fixed in his soul; likewise one who forces silence upon himself in anger by effort or habit is not described as 'forbearing in character'. Character does not denote the act itself: a man may be generous in character and not spend, from loss of wealth or a hindrance; and may be miserly in character while spending, for a motive such as modesty or out of show; al-Raghib mentioned it (al-Raghib did not mention this; the one who mentioned it is Ibn Kamal in al-Ta'rifat, p. 106).
﴿يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُمْ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ﴾
« O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous - »
Surah البقرة : 21
﴿هُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ لَكُم مَّا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰٓ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَسَوَّىٰهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَـٰوَٰتٍۢ ۚ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌۭ﴾
« It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth. Then He directed Himself to the heaven, [His being above all creation], and made them seven heavens, and He is Knowing of all things. »
Surah البقرة : 29
﴿وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ مَا تَتْلُوا۟ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينُ عَلَىٰ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَـٰنَ ۖ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَـٰنُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلشَّيَـٰطِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ يُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ ٱلسِّحْرَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ عَلَى ٱلْمَلَكَيْنِ بِبَابِلَ هَـٰرُوتَ وَمَـٰرُوتَ ۚ وَمَا يُعَلِّمَانِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ حَتَّىٰ يَقُولَآ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ فِتْنَةٌۭ فَلَا تَكْفُرْ ۖ فَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُمَا مَا يُفَرِّقُونَ بِهِۦ بَيْنَ ٱلْمَرْءِ وَزَوْجِهِۦ ۚ وَمَا هُم بِضَآرِّينَ بِهِۦ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۚ وَيَتَعَلَّمُونَ مَا يَضُرُّهُمْ وَلَا يَنفَعُهُمْ ۚ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمُوا۟ لَمَنِ ٱشْتَرَىٰهُ مَا لَهُۥ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَـٰقٍۢ ۚ وَلَبِئْسَ مَا شَرَوْا۟ بِهِۦٓ أَنفُسَهُمْ ۚ لَوْ كَانُوا۟ يَعْلَمُونَ﴾
« And they followed [instead] what the devils had recited during the reign of Solomon. It was not Solomon who disbelieved, but the devils disbelieved, teaching people magic and that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut. But the two angels do not teach anyone unless they say, "We are a trial, so do not disbelieve [by practicing magic]." And [yet] they learn from them that by which they cause separation between a man and his wife. But they do not harm anyone through it except by permission of Allah. And the people learn what harms them and does not benefit them. But the Children of Israel certainly knew that whoever purchased the magic would not have in the Hereafter any share. And wretched is that for which they sold themselves, if they only knew. »
Surah البقرة : 102
﴿إِنَّ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱخْتِلَـٰفِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ وَٱلْفُلْكِ ٱلَّتِى تَجْرِى فِى ٱلْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنفَعُ ٱلنَّاسَ وَمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مِن مَّآءٍۢ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ ٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَآبَّةٍۢ وَتَصْرِيفِ ٱلرِّيَـٰحِ وَٱلسَّحَابِ ٱلْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَعْقِلُونَ﴾
« Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, and the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what Allah has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every [kind of] moving creature, and [His] directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and the earth are signs for a people who use reason. »
Surah البقرة : 164
﴿فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُم مَّنَـٰسِكَكُمْ فَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ كَذِكْرِكُمْ ءَابَآءَكُمْ أَوْ أَشَدَّ ذِكْرًۭا ۗ فَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ رَبَّنَآ ءَاتِنَا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَمَا لَهُۥ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ مِنْ خَلَـٰقٍۢ﴾
« And when you have completed your rites, remember Allah like your [previous] remembrance of your fathers or with [much] greater remembrance. And among the people is he who says, "Our Lord, give us in this world," and he will have in the Hereafter no share. »
Surah البقرة : 200
﴿وَٱلْمُطَلَّقَـٰتُ يَتَرَبَّصْنَ بِأَنفُسِهِنَّ ثَلَـٰثَةَ قُرُوٓءٍۢ ۚ وَلَا يَحِلُّ لَهُنَّ أَن يَكْتُمْنَ مَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ فِىٓ أَرْحَامِهِنَّ إِن كُنَّ يُؤْمِنَّ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ۚ وَبُعُولَتُهُنَّ أَحَقُّ بِرَدِّهِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ إِنْ أَرَادُوٓا۟ إِصْلَـٰحًۭا ۚ وَلَهُنَّ مِثْلُ ٱلَّذِى عَلَيْهِنَّ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ ۚ وَلِلرِّجَالِ عَلَيْهِنَّ دَرَجَةٌۭ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ﴾
« Divorced women remain in waiting for three periods, and it is not lawful for them to conceal what Allah has created in their wombs if they believe in Allah and the Last Day. And their husbands have more right to take them back in this [period] if they want reconciliation. And due to the wives is similar to what is expected of them, according to what is reasonable. But the men have a degree over them [in responsibility and authority]. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise. »
Surah البقرة : 228
This term appears in 174 verses of the Quran.