“And the Face of your Lord, possessed of majesty and honor, will remain.”

And His words:

“Blessed is the Name of your Lord, Possessor of Majesty and Honor.”

In the codex of the people of Syria, the wording is: “Blessed is the Name of your Lord, possessed of majesty and honor,” with dhū al-jalāl wa-l-ikrām. This is the reading of Ibn ‘Āmir. Thus, the name itself is described as possessing majesty and honor. In all other codices and in the reading of the majority, the wording is dhī al-jalāl (“possessed of majesty”), referring to the One named Himself.

In the earlier verse, “And the Face of your Lord, possessed of majesty and honor, will remain,” it is His Face—glorified is He—that is described as possessing these qualities. This necessarily entails that He Himself possesses majesty and honor. For if His Face possesses majesty and honor, this points to His being so, just as, if His name possesses majesty and honor, this points to the One named.

This makes clear that what is meant is that He deserves to be revered and honored. For the name itself is glorified and mentioned, while what is intended is the One named. The name itself does nothing: it neither bestows honor nor performs any other act. Hence, the Quran does not attribute any acts or blessings to the name.

Rather, it says:

“Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High.”

“Blessed is the Name of your Lord.”

And similar expressions. For Allah’s name is blessed, and blessing is attained through it. The servant glorifies the Name of his Lord, the Most High, saying:

“Glory be to my Lord, the Most High.”

And when His words were revealed: “Glorify the Name of