KHAYR – خَيْر

Etymology & Literal Meaning: Literally means good, better, best, beneficial, or meritorious. Etymologically, it derives from the root kh-y-r ( خ ي ر ) — the same root from which the word ikhtiyâr (choice or free will) is derived — signifying the selection and preference of what is finest and most excellent, thereby expressing that the ultimate and absolute good is what Allah wills, chooses and decrees. This haqiqah lying in the deep meaning of this word is perfectly expressed in the saying:

الْخَيْرُ فِيمَا اخْتَارَهُ اللَّهُ1

reflecting that what Allah wills, chooses and creates is the absolute khayr.

As an Islamic Term: It expresses any form of righteous deed, thought and virtue informed and guided by the Sharî‘ah. It encompasses ‘amal as-sâlih filled with nûr, as well as essential ni‘mahs like the intellect, ‘ilm, ‘ibâdah, justice, beneficence, taqwâ, tawakkul, shukr, patience, worldly property and health — or even an event that appears outwardly as a calamity — that serve as a means of gaining the pleasure and acceptance of Allah, thereby becoming the source of eternal happiness in the âkhirah. It is the absolute opposite of sharr.

Moreover, it is one of the beautiful names and attributes of Allah, al-Khayr, as the absolute source and fountainhead of all goodness.

(For further explanation, please refer to the Eighteenth Word.)