Is it permissible to praise people with phrases like "the great" and similar expressions, and is the description "the Great" exclusively reserved for Allah Almighty?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
"Al-Kabeer" (The Great) is an attribute used for Allah Almighty, and nothing resembles Him in His Greatness. Similarly, a creature can be described as "kabeer" (great/elder), as stated in the Holy Quran: "Their chief (kabeeruhum) said, 'Do you not know?'" (Quran 12:80). Therefore, it is not religiously forbidden to describe a person as "kabeer" or to say that their action is good and only emanates from a "kabeer," provided one avoids excessive praise.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/164128
Where this answer came from
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 164128
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy