38/4. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 2143a — No King but Allah
The Prohibition Of The Names Malik Al-Amlak Or Malik Al-Muluk "King Of Kings"
Malik al-Amlak Hadith: No King but Allah
Sahih Muslim : 2143a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 2143a
حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو الأَشْعَثِيُّ، وَأَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ، وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ - وَاللَّفْظُ لأَحْمَدَ - قَالَ الأَشْعَثِيُّ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ الآخَرَانِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّ أَخْنَعَ اسْمٍ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ رَجُلٌ تَسَمَّى مَلِكَ الأَمْلاَكِ " . زَادَ ابْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ فِي رِوَايَتِهِ " لاَ مَالِكَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ " . قَالَ الأَشْعَثِيُّ قَالَ سُفْيَانُ مِثْلُ شَاهَانْ شَاهْ . وَقَالَ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَنْبَلٍ سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَمْرٍو عَنْ أَخْنَعَ فَقَالَ أَوْضَعَ .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: The vilest name in Allah's sight is Malik al-Amidh (King of Kings). The narration transmitted on the authority of Shaiba (contains these words): There is no king but Allah, the Exalted and Glorious. Sufyan said: Similarly, the word Shahinshah (is also the vilest appellation). Ahmad b. Hanbal said: I asked Abu 'Amr about the meaning of Akhna. He said: The vilest.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2143aIn-book reference : Book 38, Hadith 25USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 25, Hadith 5338
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 2143a
This hadith about Malik al-Amlak gives a strong warning about a title that claims too much greatness for a human being. Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said that the vilest name in Allah's sight is a man calling himself Malik al-Amlak, meaning King of Kings. Another wording adds that there is no king but Allah, the Exalted and Glorious. The report also mentions Shahinshah as a similar title. The lesson is not about ordinary names only. It is about titles that give a person a level of greatness that belongs to Allah alone. People searching for King of Kings hadith or no king but Allah hadith are usually looking for this exact meaning.
What we learn from this hadith
- Titles should not give a human a rank that belongs to Allah.
- Malik al-Amlak is strongly condemned in this report.
- The hadith points to Allah's sole kingship.
- Grand titles can carry wrong meanings if they overpraise a person.
