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The meaning of the name is: The First
The Attribute "al-Awwal" means: the One upon Whom all others rely, the One Who advances all others. Applied to the Almighty, it means: He was never preceded in existence by anyone at all; He does not need anyone else at all; He is Independent of everything and everyone.
هُوَ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْآخِرُ وَالظَّاهِرُ وَالْبَاطِنُ ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden, and He has knowledge of all things. Al-Hadid : 3 نَحْنُ قَدَّرْنَا بَيْنَكُمُ الْمَوْتَ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ We have ordained death among you, and We are not to be outmaneuvered Al-Waaqia : 60