Al-Khaliq or Khaliq (Arabic: الخالق) is one of the names of God (Arabic:Allah) in Islam, meaning "The Creator." This name shows that Allah is the one who, from nothing, created everything in existence.[1]
Khalq (arabic: خلق), which is the Arabic root word for the name of God Al-Khaliq, has three different meanings in the Arabic language:
1- Khalq means bringing something from non-existence into existence, which is believed to be an ability that God alone is capable of.[2] [3] For example, in verse 25 of chapter 31 in the Quran, it is asked to the polytheists, who created (made khalq of) the heavens and the earth?
Ibn Kathir, a renowned Theologian who died in 1373, commentated on this verse and said that the polytheists, which are the ones addressed by this verse, admit that Allah is the creator of the heavens and the earth and that everything is his creation and under his rule; and yet they refuse to worship Allah alone and still associate partners with him.[4]
2- Khalq can also mean assembling something or scaffolding a material into a certain shape. For example, the Quran mentions the story of Issa (Jesus), who designed (made khalq of) a bird from clay and made it alive with the permission of God.[5]
3- Khalq can also mean making something up or lying. This meaning is not believed to be attributable to God by Muslims. For example, the Quran mentions what the polytheists were saying about Muhammad's message and his creed of monotheism and that all that Muhammad is saying is fabrication (Arabic: ٱخۡتِلَٰقٌ, which comes from the root Khalq).[6]