Al Baseer
The All-Seeing
The All-Noticing, the One who sees all things by His eternal seeing.
Allah is Al-Baseer: He sees everything, even the insignificant, like a black ant on a black stone in the pitch black of night. Nothing is hidden from His sight. He has knowledge of all things in the heavens and on the earth, misses no detail, and sees what is truly within. This Name appears 42 times throughout the Quran, and it is the complementary Name to As-Samee: hearing and seeing, mentioned in tandem, complete awareness.
Mentions of Al Baseer
From the Quran & Hadith
From the root ba-sad-ra (ب ص ر), which carries the classical Arabic connotations of seeing, beholding, and noticing; understanding and knowing; perceiving and having insight; and being acutely aware. Al-Baseer sees by His eternal seeing, without a pupil or any other instrument, and His sight reaches what is within, not just the surface.
From the story of Musa
When Musa (peace be upon him) was commanded to confront the tyrannical Firaun, Allah reassured him and his brother with the words: 'Fear not. Indeed, I am with you both; I hear and I see' (Quran 20:46). Put yourself in his position, knowing Firaun's violent history against anyone who defied him, and weigh what that sentence carries. He is not just watching you; He is watching over you. Once understood, this Name instills peace, comfort, and protection: 'And rely upon the Exalted in Might, the Merciful, who sees you when you arise, and your movement among those who prostrate' (Quran 26:217-219).
Excellence is to live seen
In the famous hadith of Jibreel, the Prophet ﷺ defined ihsan, excellence: 'It is to worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He surely sees you' (Sahih al-Bukhari 50). The whole station of excellence in Islam is simply taking Al-Baseer seriously. The verse on trusts completes it: 'Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice. Excellent is that which Allah instructs you. Indeed, Allah is ever Hearing and Seeing' (Quran 4:58).
Qāla lā takhāfā, innanī maʿakumā asmaʿu wa arā.
“Allah said, Fear not. Indeed, I am with you both; I hear and I see.”
Inna-llāha ya'murukum an tu'addu-l-amānāti ilā ahlihā wa idhā ḥakamtum bayna-n-nāsi an taḥkumū bi-l-ʿadl. Inna-llāha niʿimmā yaʿidhukum bih. Inna-llāha kāna Samīʿan Baṣīrā.
“Indeed, Allah commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice. Excellent is that which Allah instructs you. Indeed, Allah is ever Hearing and Seeing.”
Wa quli-ʿmalū fa-sayara-llāhu ʿamalakum wa rasūluhu wa-l-mu'minūn. Wa saturaddūna ilā ʿālimi-l-ghaybi wa-sh-shahādati fa-yunabbi'ukum bimā kuntum taʿmalūn.
“And say, Do as you will, for Allah will see your deeds, and so will His Messenger and the believers. And you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you of what you used to do.”
From the hadith of Jibreel: the Prophet ﷺ said of excellence (ihsan): 'It is to worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He surely sees you.'
If we kept at the forefront of our minds that Allah is the All-Hearer and All-Seer, it would save us from a lot of trouble: we would avoid doing or saying what we would later regret. It works as a preventive filter over speech and action, raising awareness of our choices. There is also deep comfort here. Allah notices every detail, public or private. Sometimes we get no credit for our work, or our kindness is taken advantage of, or goes unappreciated. Nothing goes without His noticing, and on the day of judgment all accounts are measured accurately. Instead of seeking validation from people, realize that any good would be rewarded in multiples by Allah, and that His approval is all that matters. 'Is the reward of goodness anything but goodness?' (Quran 55:60). Continue to do good, because it will come back around; do things for Allah's sake and you will never be disappointed.
Yā Baṣīr, ijʿalnā naʿbuduka ka'annanā narāk
O Al-Baseer, let us worship You as though we see You.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 50
- Quran 55:60
Count "Al Baseer", The Seer of all
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