Meaning of Samad (صمد) in Quran

The root “Samad” or “صمد” has two meanings: the first is “intention” and the next is a solid object, which is completely saturated, where there is no empty space in it, and has no disorder or harm in itself.

In fact, the first meaning of “Samad” is intending with trust. When it is said: “Samada” or “صَمَدَ …. “ (as a verb: intend) in paradigm of “Nasara” or “نَصَرَ،نصیر” (as a verb: help) it means the person who is intending something, he has trusted somebody.

Imam Sajad (the blessing of God upon him) says: Samad is the One who if He wants to create something just says “Be” then “It is”.

God’s independancy deduces from the second meaning of Samad, the solid thing. A solid object is ultimately perfect and it has no need of another thing to make it more perfect. Thus, it is free from every other things.

The true reality stands behind the “intention”. The first “Al” or “ال” in “Al-Samad” or “الصمد” is the restriction letter.

Samad means independent because He intends the universe then the universe exists: انما امره اذا اراد شیا ان یقول له کن فیکون- “Surely when He intends a thing and says “Be”, then the thing exists.” In Surah Yasin, verse 82. In other words, there is no distance between His will and the happening of His intention. Imam Sajjad (blessing of God upon Him) says: “ ‘صمد’ is One who wants to create a being, just says: “Be!” it comes into being in the universe.” Thus His Being is not dependent to other beings which mean “independency”, since dependency causes need. In fact, man and universe are God’s “intention”, consequently they are not God, and at the same time they are not separated from Him either. Read more about the concept of “Intention” in [1].

The body that we see of ourselves is a virtual image that is generated from the defect of our perceptual channels and we are not able to perceive the real truth of human [2].

Real truth of human is not God, but it is not separate from God, either. As it is said in the verse of “لم یلد و لم یولد” “He neither is produced or issued from something nor produces nor issues something.”

[1] M. Babaee, Translation and Interpretation of Hamd and Tawheed Surah, pp. 68-75, 2013.

[2] M. Babaee, The Inner World, Beyond the Prism of Senses: in Simple Words, pp. 60-63, 2013.