Riyad as-Salihin · Chapter 320

Prohibition of Addressing somebody as 'The King of Kings'

باب تحريم قول شاهنشاه للسلطان وغيره لأن معناه ملك الملوك، ولا يوصف بذلك غير الله سبحانه وتعالى

Words can quietly trespass on what belongs to Allah alone. This brief chapter forbids calling any person 'King of kings,' Malik al-Amlak, because absolute, all-encompassing kingship is a description of the Lord and no creature shares in it. To hand that title to a human being, or to crave it for oneself, is to blur the line between the servant and the Master.

Notice how the hadith frames it not as a small slip of etiquette but as something deeply disgraceful before Allah. The lesson belongs to tawhid and humility at once: keep the language of ultimate sovereignty for the One who truly owns it.

Hadith 1724

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said:

وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال‏:‏ ‏ "‏إن أخنع اسم عند الله عز وجل رجل تسمى ملك الأملاك‏" ‏ ‏(‏‏(‏متفق عليه‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏ قال سُفيانُ بن عُيَيْنَةَ: «مَلِكُ الأَمْلاَكِ» مِثْلُ: شَاهِن شَاهِ.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The most disgraceful man near Allah is a man who calls himself (or likes others to call him) Malikul-Amlak (i.e., king of kings)." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

In plain words

Calling oneself, or wishing to be called, 'King of kings' is named among the most disgraceful things before Allah, since absolute kingship belongs to Allah alone.

Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 1724 In-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 214