Are there scholars who have spoken about the ruling on saying the word: "Azim" (great/mighty), to a person?
It is permissible to describe a person as "great" (عظيم) if he is held in high esteem by his people, as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, described Heraclius as "the great one of the Romans" (عظيم الروم).
Ibn Hajar clarified that what was meant was one whom the Romans revered and put forward for leadership. Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen was asked about the permissibility of describing a person as "mighty" (عزيز) or "noble/generous" (كريم), and he permitted it, citing Allah's saying about the Messenger: (Grievous to him is what you suffer) [Quran 9:128] and His saying about the throne: (And she has a great throne) [Quran 27:23], and the Prophet’s saying, peace and blessings be upon him: "Indeed, the noble, son of the noble, son of the noble is Yusuf." He affirmed that these descriptions are valid for Allah and for others, with a difference in the nature of the attribute between the Creator and the created.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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