Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
The Name of Allah, “Al-Jabbar”, contains profound meanings. The scholars have mentioned three principal meanings:
Allah سبحانه وتعالى is Al-Jabbar, possessing perfect power, might, and majesty. He subdues the tyrants and overcomes them through His greatness and authority.
No matter how powerful, authoritative, or tyrannical a human being may become, he remains subject to the power and authority of Allah, and is entirely within His grasp.
Allah تعالى says:
﴿And He is the Subduer above His servants, and He is the All-Wise, the All-Aware﴾ [Al-An'am: 18].
The majesty and power of Allah do not resemble the power of created beings, because His might is founded upon perfect ability, greatness, and honor.
One of the meanings of Al-Jabbar is: the One who restores and mends His servants. He restores the weakness of the weak, provides for the needy, mends the broken, and heals broken hearts by removing their pain and sorrow and replacing them with relief and tranquility.
He also restores His servant by preparing for him goodness and a favorable outcome when he is patient and seeks reward from Allah.
Thus, He is the One who mends the weak and those whose hearts are broken, restoring their brokenness through His mercy, grace, and kindness.
This meaning is among the greatest things that inspire hope in Allah in the believer's heart. When a believer experiences weakness, grief, or heartbreak, he knows that his Lord is capable of restoring him and removing his pain.
Another meaning of the Name Al-Jabbar is loftiness, elevation, and overwhelming authority.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى is high above His creation, above them, and despite His loftiness, He is near to them: He hears their words, sees their deeds, and knows what their hearts conceal and what their souls whisper.
Allah's loftiness does not contradict His nearness to His creation, just as His nearness does not mean that He is dwelling within His creation or mixed with them. Rather, He is above His creation in a manner befitting His majesty, while being fully aware of them through His knowledge, hearing, and sight.
Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله brought these meanings together in the following verses:
Likewise, “Al-Jabbar” is among His attributes,
and jabr in His attributes has two meanings.
Jabr of the weak, and every heart
that has become broken—His mending is near.
The second is jabr through overpowering might,
a might that no human being deserves.
And it has a third meaning: loftiness,
from which no human being can draw near.
They say “jabbārah” of the palm tree,
the lofty one that surpasses every hand.
The Name of Allah, “Al-Jabbar,” encompasses great meanings, including:
Jabr of power and overwhelming authority: He is the Powerful, the Subduer, who overcomes tyrants and is incapable of being defeated by anything.
Jabr through mercy and restoration: He restores the weakness of His servants, mends their brokenness, removes their sorrow and distress, and grants them relief and tranquility.
Jabr of loftiness: He is exalted above His creation and has authority over them, while encompassing them through His knowledge, hearing, and sight.
All of these meanings befit the perfection and majesty of Allah, and none resembles the attributes of created beings.
And Allah knows best.