Names of God in Islam

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Names of God in Islam (Arabic: أَسْمَاءُ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ, romanized: ʾasmāʾu llāhi l-ḥusnā, lit. 'Allah's Beautiful Names') are 99 names that each contain Attributes of God in Islam,^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]} which are implied by the respective names.^[7]

These names usually denote his praise, gratitude, commendation, glorification, magnification, perfect attributes, majestic qualities, and acts of wisdom, mercy, benefit, and justice from Allah, as believed by Muslims. These names are commonly called upon by Muslims during prayers, supplications, and remembrance, as they hold significant spiritual and theological importance, serving as a means for Muslims to connect with God. Each name reflects a specific attribute of Allah and serves as a means for believers to understand and relate to the Divine.

Some names are known from either the Qur’an or the hadith, while others can be found in both sources, although most are found in the Qur’an.^[8] Additionally, Muslims also believe that there are more names of God besides those found in the Qur'an and hadith, and that God has kept knowledge of these names hidden with himself, and no one else knows them completely and fully except him.

The Quran refers to God's Most Beautiful Names (al-ʾasmāʾ al-ḥusná) in several Surahs.^[9] According to Islamic belief, the names of God must be established by evidence and direct reference in the Qur'an and hadiths (the concept of tawqif). Thus, it is impermissible (haram) for Muslims to give Allah names except with what has been mentioned in the Qur'an or in authentic Hadiths, according to Sheikh Abd al-Muhsin al-Abbad, Muhammad ibn al-Uthaymin, and others, are as following Hadith:

الخافضُ، المعزُّ، المذِل، العَدْلُ، الجَلِيلُ، البَاعِثُ، المُحْصِي، المُبْدِئُ، المُعِيدُ، المُمِيتُ، الوَاجِدُ، المَاجِدُ، الوَالِي، المُقْسِط، المُغْنِي، المَانِعُ، الضَّارُّ، النَّافِعُ، البَاقِي، الرَّشِيدُ، الصَّبُور.

^{[citation needed]}

According to Sahih al-Bukhari Hadith:^[10]

Abu Hurairah reported that God has ninety-nine Names, i.e., one hundred minus one, and whoever believes in their meanings and acts accordingly, will enter Paradise; and God is witr (one) and loves 'the witr' (i.e., odd numbers).

— Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 8, Book 75, Hadith 419

According to Sahih Muslim Hadith:^[11]

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "God has ninety-nine Names, one-hundred less one; and he who memorized them all by heart will enter Paradise." To count something means to know it by heart.

— Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 9, Book 93, Hadith 489

Gerhard Böwering refers to Surah 17 (17:110) as the locus classicus to which explicit lists of 99 names used to be attached in tafsir. A cluster of more than a dozen Divine epithets which are included in such lists is found in Surah 59.^[12]

Different sources give different lists of the 99 names. The following list is based on the one found in the Jamiʿ at-Tirmidhi (9th century), which is the most commonly known.^{[citation needed]} Other hadiths, such as those of al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Ibn Majah, al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi or Ibn ʿAsākir, have variant lists. All attribute the original compilation of the list of names to Abu Hurairah.^{[citation needed]} Various early Muslim exegetes, including Jaʿfar al-Sadiq, Sufyan ibn `Uyaynah, Ibn Hazm, al-Qurtubi, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, have given their own versions of lists of 99 names.

There are several names that usually not included in the interpretation of al-Tirmidhi's Hadith list of 99, but also found in Qur'an and authentic Hadiths. Those names including al-Ilah (The only One Who deserve to be worshipped),^[16] ar-Rabb (The Most authoritative/Most regulative/Possessor/Arranger).,^[17] Muqallibal-qulub (Changer of the hearts),^[18] al-Mannan (The all-giving/Giver without being asked),^[4] or al-Muhsin (The One who continually perform good deeds);^[4] among others.

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On the other hand, there is no universal agreement among Islamic exegesis scholars, as to how many as a name of God, since it was only Ibn Hazm who only agreed the limitation of 99 names. Instead, Islamic scholars such as al-Khattabi, al-Qurtubi, Abi Bakr bin Thayyib, Ibn al-'Arabi (not Ibn Arabi),^[a] Abu Abdillah ar-Razi, Ibn Taymiyya, Al-Nawawi, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani,^[20] Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya^[21] and Ibn Rajab,^[22] has stated that Allah has Infinite numbers of name. This with the rulings that only few names and each of its attributes revealed and known in Qur'an and Hadiths, while the uncountably unrevealed names and their attributes are only known by Allah Himself.^[23][24] The basis of this rulings was the Hadith which said:

Arabic: أَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ أَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِكَ أَوْ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ, romanized: "I beg You by every Names that is Yours, which You have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or taught to any of Your creation, or (which you) kept them secret to Yourself in the mysterious knowledge of Yours." Transmitted by Abdullah ibn Masud.^[25]

— Ahmad ibn Hanbal,^[20] Ibn Hibban, Al-Hakim al-Nishapuri.^[22], Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal,^[20] Sahih Ibn Hibban, Al-Mustadrak ala al-Sahihayn.^[22] graded authentic by Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut.^[21]

And also another Hadith with multiple chain of transmitters:

Arabic: اَللَّهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَعُوْذُ بِرِضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ، وَبِمُعَافَاتِكَ مِنْ عُقُوْبَتِكَ، وَأَعُوْذُ بِكَ مِنْكَ، لاَ أُحْصِيْ ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ., romanized: “O Allah, indeed I seek refuge in Your blessing from Your wrath, and I seek refuge in Your salvation from Your torment, and I seek refuge in You from You. I cannot limit the amount of praise to You. You are as You praise Yourself." Transmitted by Aisha^[26]

— Ibn Majah, Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, Sunan ibn Majah,^[27] Sahih Muslim.^[26]

As for the established Islamic creed about these unrevealed names of Allah, majority fatwas of scholars said it is obligatory for a Muslim to believe in those names existence along with their attributes, but it is forbidden for Muslims to trying to searching for them without literal evidences from Qur'an and authentic Hadiths.^{[20][22][23][21]} In the creed of Islamic eschatology, Those hidden names are believed to be hidden from anyone but Allah, and will only be revealed personally to Muhammad during the Judgement Day^[21]

Islamic tenets has detailed descriptions about to differentiate names with attributes (Arabic: صِفَة, romanized: ṣifāh plural of sˤi.faːt), which has literal abilities of their owns. Examples of the attributes are the name of "ar-Rahman" contains the attributes "mercifulness in general",^[3] or "fundamental mercy".^[28] According to Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, Allah has 100 kinds of Rahmat (grace/godsend), whereas only one of them already revealed to this world, while the other 99 still withheld for the afterlife. One of the "Rahmat" which sent to the world are sufficient to fulfil the needs of all creatures until the Judgement Day; including humans, Jinns, and even non-sentients such as animals, so the parents of animals would not trample their babies under their foots or wasting.^[29] Another example is name of al-ʿAliyy contains several attributes, such as "heightness" and "above all".^[3]

Samee-Ullah gave example the attribute of 'Anger' (Gadb) of Allah cannot be likened to the anger of humans. And also the naming of Allah solely with his attribute are deemed wrong by Samee-Ullah, such as "al-Gaadib (the Angry one)," as example,^{[citation needed]} since This ruling is because the naming of Allah are limited by the evidences from Qur'an and Hadith.^[4] Thus, postulating the tenet in Islam's creed that essentialy, the name-bearing of Allah are different from attributes of Allah.^[5] Nevertheless, Al-Uthaymin stated the principal ruling of giving attributes to Allah is similar with the ruling about giving name to Allah; that is forbidden to gave attributes without evidences from Qur'an and Sunnah.^[30] One of the disputed name of Allah among the Islamic academic is "al-Hannan",^[4] Since it is considered as one of the attribute of "ar-Rahman" name in Maryam 19:13, not because al-Hannan is a name itself.^[31]

Both Ibn Taymiyya in his work, The treaty of Tadmur, and Ibn al-Qayyim has published their statements refuting Jahmiyya,^[4] and al-Juwayni respectively; as Jahmiyya scholars and al-Juwayni rejected the existence of the attributes of Allah and consider the names of Allah are just semantics without any substances in them.^[3] Both Ibn Taymiyya and Ibn al-Qayyim statement became the ruling which established by Saudi Council of Senior Scholars, as they stated that each of Allah's name contains multiple attributes.^[3] The Salafi scholars such as Abdul-Aziz Ibn Baz does not consent the interpretation of the attributes of Allah.^[32] Moreover, Walid Muhammad Abdullah Muhammad al-'Ali, exegesis professor of Islamic University of Madinah, has quoted Ibn al-Qayyim's concern regarding the importance names and its attributes of Allah as part of the first article of the six Articles of Faith, the Tawhid (oneness [of God]') article.^[33]

There is a tradition in Sufism to the effect the 99 names of God point to a mystical "Most Supreme and Superior Name" (ismu l-ʾAʿẓam (الاسْمُ ٱلْأَعْظَم).^[34] This "Greatest Name of God" is said to be "the one which if He is called (prayed to) by it, He will answer."^[35] More than 1000 names of God are listed in the Jawshan Kabir (جَوْشَنُ ٱلْكَبِير—literally "the Great Cuirass") invocations.^{[citation needed]} Sufi mystic Ibn Arabi surmised that the 99 names are "outward signs of the universe's inner mysteries".^[8]

Ibn Arabi (26 July 1165 – 16 November 1240) did not interpret the names of God as mere epithets, but as actual attributes paring the universe both in created and possible forms. By these names, the divine traits disclose for humans, whose divine potential is hidden, can learn to become a reflection of such names. However, such reflections are limited; the divine traits do not equal the divine essence of the names.^[36] Influenced by the metaphysical teachings of Ibn Arabi, Haydar Amuli assigned angels to the different names of God. Accordingly, the good angels as a whole are a manifestation of God's Names of Beauty. Shaitan (shayatin) on the other hand are a manifestation of God's Names of majesty, such as "The Haughty".^[37]

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The Arabic names of God are used to form theophoric given names commonly used in Muslim cultures throughout the world, mostly in Arabic speaking societies.

Because the names of God themselves are reserved to God and their use as a person's given name is considered religiously inappropriate, theophoric names are formed by prefixing the term ˁabd (عَبْدُ: "slave/servant of") to the name in the case of male names;

This distinction is established out of respect for the sanctity of Divine names, which denote attributes (of love, kindness, mercy, compassion, justice, power, etc.) that are believed to be possessed in a full and absolute sense only by God, while human beings, being limited creatures, are viewed by Muslims as being endowed with the Divine attributes only in a limited and relative capacity. The prefixing of the definite article would indicate that the bearer possesses the corresponding attribute in an exclusive sense, a trait reserved to God.

Quranic verse 3:26 is cited as evidence against the validity of using Divine names for persons, with the example of Mālik ul-Mulk (مَـٰلِكُ ٱلْمُلْكُ: "Lord of Power" or "Owner of all Sovereignty"):

Say: "O God! Lord of Power, You give power to whom You please, and You strip off power from whom You please. You endue with honour whom You please, and You bring low whom You please. In Your hand is all Good." Verily, over all things You have power.

— Quran 3:26

The two parts of the name starting with ˁabd may be written separately (as in the previous example) or combined as one in the transliterated form; in such a case, the vowel transcribed after ˁabdu is often written as u when the two words are transcribed as one: e.g., Abdur-Rahman, Abdul-Aziz, Abdul-Jabbar, or even Abdullah (عَبْدُ ٱللّٰه: "Servant of God"). (This has to do with Arabic case vowels, the final u vowel showing the normal "quote" nominative case form.)

Examples of Muslim theophoric names include:

• Raḥmān, such as Abdul-Raḥman Al-Sudais (عَبْدُ ٱلْرَّحْمَان ٱلْسُّدَيْس): Imam of the Grand Mosque of Makkah, KSA
• Salām, such as Salam Fayyaḍ (سَلَام فَيَّاض): Palestinian politician
• Jabbār, such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (كَرِيم عَبْدُ ٱلْجَبَّار): American basketball player
• Ḥakīm, such as Sherman "Abdul Ḥakim" Jackson (عَبْدُ ٱلْحَكِيم—ˁabdu ʼl-Ḥakiym): American Islamic Studies scholar
• Ra'ūf, such as Ra'ouf Mus'ad (رَؤُوف مُسَعد): Egyptian-Sudanese novelist
• Mālik, such as Mālik bin ʼAnas (مَـٰالِك بِن أَنَس): classical Sunni Muslim scholars after whom the Maliki school of fiqh was named
• Abdul Muqtedar as in Muḥammad Abdul Muqtedar Khan (مُحَمَّد عَبْدُ ٱلمُقْتَدِر خَان): Indian-American academic

Baháʼí sources state that the 100th name was revealed as "Baháʼ" (Arabic: بهاء "glory, splendor"), which appears in the words Bahá'u'lláh and Baháʼí. They also believe that it is the greatest name of God.^[38][39] The Báb wrote a noted pentagram-shaped tablet with 360 morphological derivation of the word "Baháʼ" used in it.^[38]

According to Baháʼí scholar ‘Abdu’l-Hamíd Ishráq-Khávari, Bahāʾ al-dīn al-ʿĀmilī adopted the Persian poetic pen name "Bahāʾ" after being inspired by the words of the fifth Twelver Imam, Muhammad al-Baqir, and the sixth Imam, Ja'far al-Sadiq, who stated that the greatest name of God was included in either the Duʿāʾu l-Bahāʾ, a dawn prayer for Ramadan, or the ʾAʿmal ʿam Dawūd.^[38] In the first verse of the duʿāʾu l-Bahāʾ, the name "Bahāʾ" appears four times.^[40]

• The 99, a comic book based on the 99 names of God in Islam
• Basmala
• List of Arabic theophoric names
• Names of God
• Names of God in Zoroastrianism
• Names of God in Christianity
• Names of God in Judaism
• Names of God in Sikhism
• Sahasranama, the Hindu lists of 1000 names of God
• "The Nine Billion Names of God", a short story by Arthur C. Clarke

• ʾIbrahīm bin ʿAlī al-Kafʿamī (1436–1500 CE), al-Maqām al-asnā fī tafsīr al-asmāʼ al-ḥusnā. Beirut: Dār al-Hādī (1992) (WorldCat listing).
• Namira Nahouza (2009), Contemporary Wahhabism Rebranded as Salafism: The Issue of Interpreting the Qur'anic Verses and Hadith on the Attributes of God and its Significance, University of Exeter, retrieved 20 August 2024

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Names of God in Islam.

• Al-Rahman al-Rahim. Problems of Interpretation and Translation
• Al-Bayhaqi (1999). Allah's Names and Attributes. Translated by Gibril Fouad Haddad. ISCA. ISBN 1930409036. Retrieved 16 August 2024.