“The Prophet (ﷺ) heard a man supplicating, and he was saying: ‘O Allah, indeed, I ask you by my testifying that You are Allah, there is none worthy of worship except You, the One, As-Samad, the one who does not beget, nor was begotten, and there is none who is like Him (Allāhumma innī as’aluka bi annī ashhadu annaka antallāh, lā ilāha illā ant, al-aḥaduṣ-ṣamad, alladhī lam yalid wa lam yūlad, wa lam yakun lahu kufuwan aḥad).” He said: “So he said: ‘By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, he has asked Allah by His Greatest Name, the one which if He is called upon by it, He responds, and when He is asked by it, He gives.’”(One of the narrators) Zaid said: “So I mentioned it to Zuhair bin Mu`awiyah years after that, and he said: Abu Ishaq reported to me from Malik bin Mighwal.’” Zaid said: “Then I mentioned it to Sufyan, so he reported it to me from Malik.”
The Excellence of This Supplication
This narration from Jami' at-Tirmidhi (Hadith 3475) establishes that the Prophet (ﷺ) affirmed this specific supplication contains Allah's Greatest Name (Al-Ism al-A'ẓam). The man's invocation began with the testimony of faith (shahādah) and then recited Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ (Q112), which comprehensively describes Allah's absolute oneness and uniqueness.
Scholarly Commentary on "As-Samad"
The term "Aṣ-Ṣamad" denotes the Eternal Lord upon whom all creation depends for every need, while He is completely independent of all. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain it means "the Master who is perfect in all His attributes and actions, to whom all creatures turn in their needs and prayers."
Al-Qurṭubī states that combining the testimony of faith with the attributes in Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ makes this invocation particularly powerful, as it acknowledges Allah's lordship and perfect essence.
The Greatest Name of Allah
Scholars differ regarding which specific name constitutes Allah's Greatest Name. This hadith indicates it may be found within these particular phrases. Ibn al-Qayyim suggested the Greatest Name isn't one single word but exists in certain comprehensive descriptions of Allah's attributes, as demonstrated here.
The guarantee of response mentioned shows the tremendous virtue of this supplication format. When a believer calls upon Allah using these descriptions that affirm His perfect unity, it demonstrates profound understanding of tawḥīd.
Practical Implementation
This teaching encourages Muslims to learn proper supplication etiquette, beginning with Allah's praise and using His beautiful names and attributes. The narration's chain shows the care scholars took in preserving this knowledge, as evidenced by Zaid's verification years later.
Imam at-Tirmidhi included this in "Chapters on Supplication" to highlight effective methods of du'ā that follow prophetic example and contain special virtue according to divine promise.