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Names of God in the Qur'an

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The 99 Names of Allah, also known as The 99 Attributes of God (), are the names of God which Muslims believe are revealed in the Qur'an and Sunnah. Though the names (as adjectives, word constructs, or otherwise) exceed ninety-nine in the Qur'an and Sunnah, Muslims believe that there are an elite group of names, or the Best names, which number 99.

Origin

In one Islamic tradition, the Islamic prophet Muhammad used to call God by all His names:
"Allahumma inni ad`uka bi asma'ika al-husna kulliha"
"اللهم اني ادعوك باسمائك الحسنى كلها"
"O God, I invoke You with all of Your beautiful names."
(Narrated by Ibn Majah, book of Du`a; and by Imam Malik in his Muwatta', Kitab al-Shi`r)

Muhammad is also reported to have said in a famous Hadith:

"Verily, there are ninety-nine names of God, one hundred minus one. He who enumerates [and believes in them and the one god behind] them would get into Paradise."
(Sahih Muslim, Vol. 4, no. 1410)

Of note is that this hadith does not say that there are only 99 names, but 99 names that are better than the others. This caused people to search them out in the Qur'an and Sunnah, and a list was compiled. Over time it became custom to recite the list in its entirety. While some Muslims believe that this list is mentioned by Muhammad himself, the specialist Muslim scholars argue strongly that the list was just compiled by a Muslim scholar as an addendum to the actual hadith, (Al Waleed ibn Muslim). If it was only an attempt of a scholar, they are not necessarily the names proper, and other attempts may still be made. A recent scholar, Dr. Mahmoud Abdel-Razek, made an attempt of this kind and explained in detail why he differs in opinion with Al Waleed about enlisting some of the names. However, reciting the traditional names has developed into a ritual by some Muslims (a bit like a Catholic litany of Saints) as an attempt to enumerate them, while most other Muslims believe that the "enumeration" is not just the act of recitation, but applying the attributes that the names suggest.

List of Names

The Qur'an refers to the attributes of God as God's “most beautiful names” (Arabic: al-asmāʾ al-ḥusnā) (see , , , )). According to Gerhard Böwering, "They are traditionally enumerated as 99 in number to which is added as the highest name (al-ism al-aʿẓam), the supreme name of God, Allāh. The locus classicus for listing the divine names in the literature of qurʾānic commentary is , “Call upon God, or call upon the merciful; whichsoever you call upon, to him belong the most beautiful names,” and also q 59:22-4, which includes a cluster of more than a dozen divine epithets."

Islamic theology makes a distinction between the attributes of God and the divine essence.

Below is a list of the 99 Names of God according to the tradition of Islam.

#
 Arabic
 Transliteration
 Translation (can vary based on context)
 Qur'anic Usage
1 الرحمن Ar-Rahman The All Beneficent, The Most Merciful in Essence ?
2 الرحيم Ar-Rahim The Most Merciful, The Most Merciful in Actions 114 times
3 الملك Al-Malik The King, The Sovereign, The True and Ultimate King ?
4 القدوس Al-Quddus The Most Holy, The Most Pure, The Most Perfect ?
5 السلام As-Salaam The Peace and Blessing, The Source of Peace and Safety, The Most Perfect ?
6 المؤمن Al-Mu'min The Guarantor, The Self Affirming, The Granter of Security, The Affirmer of Truth ?
7 المهيمن Al-Muhaymin The Guardian, The Preserver, The Overseeing Protector ?
8 العزيز Al-Aziz The Almighty, The Self Sufficient, The Most Honorable ?
9 الجبار Al-Jabbar The Powerful, The Irresistible, The Compeller, The Most Lofty, The Restorer/Improver of Affairs ?
10 المتكبر Al-Mutakabbir The Tremendous ?
11 الخالق Al-Khaliq The Creator ?
12 البارئ Al-Bari' The Rightful ?
13 المصور Al-Musawwir The Fashioner of Forms ?
14 الغفار Al-Ghaffar The Ever Forgiving
15 القهار Al-Qahhar The All Compelling Subduer
16 الوهاب Al-Wahhab The Bestower
17 الرزاق Ar-Razzaq The Ever Providing
18 الفتاح Al-Fattah The Opener, The Victory Giver
19 العليم Al-Alim The All Knowing, The Omniscient
20 القابض Al-Qabid The Restrainer, The Straightener
21 الباسط Al-Basit The Expander, The Munificent
22 الخافض Al-Khafid The Abaser
23 الرافع Ar-Rafi‘e The Exalter
24 المعز Al-Mu‘ezz The Giver of Honour
25 المذل Al-Mudhell The Giver of Dishonour
26 السميع As-Sami‘e The All Hearing
27 البصير Al-Basir The All Seeing
28 الحكم Al-Hakam The Judge, The Arbitrator
29 العدل Al-`Adl The Utterly Just
30 اللطيف Al-Latif The Subtly Kind
31 الخبير Al-Khabir The All Aware
32 الحليم Al-Halim The Forbearing, The Indulgent
33 العظيم Al-Azeem The Magnificent, The Infinite
34 الغفور Al-Ghafur The All Forgiving
35 الشكور Ash-Shakur The Grateful
36 العلي Al-Aliyy The Sublimely Exalted
37 الكبير Al-Kabir The Great
38 الحفيظ Al-Hafiz The Preserver
39 المقيت Al-Muqit The Nourisher
40 الحسيب Al-Hasib The Reckoner
41 الجليل Al-Jalil The Majestic
42 الكريم Al-Karim The Bountiful, The Generous
43 الرقيب Ar-Raqib The Watchful
44 المجيب Al-Mujib The Responsive, The Answerer
45 الواسع Al-Wasse‘e The Vast, The All Encompassing
46 الحكيم Al-Hakim The Wise
47 الودود Al-Wadud The Loving, The Kind One
48 المجيد Al-Majid The All Glorious
49 الباعث Al-Ba'ith The Raiser of The Dead
50 الشهيد Ash-Shaheed The Witness
51 الحق Al-Haqq The Truth, The Real
52 الوكيل Al-Wakil The Trustee, The Dependable
53 القوى Al-Qawaie The Strong
54 المتين Al-Matin The Firm, The Steadfast
55 الولى Al-Walaie The Protecting Friend, Patron and Helper
56 الحميد Al-Hamid The All Praiseworthy
57 المحصى Al-Muhsi The Accounter, The Numberer of All
58 المبدئ Al-Mubdi' The Producer, Originator, and Initiator of All
59 المعيد Al-Mu‘id The Reinstater Who Brings Back All
60 المحيى Al-Muhyi The Giver of Life
61 المميت Al-Mumit The Bringer of Death, The Destroyer
62 الحي Al-Hayy The Ever Living
63 القيوم Al-Qayyum The Self Subsisting Sustainer of All
64 الواجد Al-Wajid The Perceiver, The Finder, The Unfailing
65 الماجد Al-Majid The Illustrious, The Magnificent
66 الواحد Al-Wahid The One, The Unique, Manifestation of Unity
67 الاحد Al-Ahad The One, the All Inclusive, The Indivisible
68 الصمد As-Samad The Self Sufficient, The Impregnable,
The Eternally Besought of All, The Everlasting
69 القادر Al-Qadir The All Able
70 المقتدر Al-Muqtadir The All Determiner, The Dominant
71 المقدم Al-Muqaddim The Expediter, He Who Brings Forward
72 المؤخر Al-Mu'akhir The Delayer, He Who Puts Far Away
73 الأول Al-Awwal The First
74 الأخر Al-Akhir The Last
75 الظاهر Az-Zahir The Manifest, The All Victorious
76 الباطن Al-Batin The Hidden, The All Encompassing
77 الوالي Al-Wali The Patron
78 المتعالي Al-Muta'ali The Self Exalted
79 البر Al-Barr The Most Kind and Righteous
80 التواب At-Tawwab The Ever Returning, Ever Relenting
81 المنتقم Al-Muntaqim The Avenger
82 العفو Al-‘Afuww The Pardoner, The Effacer of Sins
83 الرؤوف Ar-Ra'uf The Compassionate, The All Pitying
84 مالك الملك Malik-al-Mulk The Owner of All Sovereignty
85 ذو الجلال و الإكرام Dhu-al-Jalali
wa-al-Ikram 		The Lord of Majesty and Generosity
86 المقسط Al-Muqsit The Equitable, The Requiter
87 الجامع Al-Jami‘e The Gatherer, The Unifier
88 الغنى Al-Ghanaie The All Rich, The Independent
89 المغنى Al-Mughni The Enricher, The Emancipator
90 المانع Al-Mani'e The Withholder, The Shielder, the Defender
91 الضار Ad-Darr The Distressor, The Harmer
This attribute can only be found in hadith
92 النافع An-Nafi‘e The Propitious, The Benefactor
93 النور An-Nur The Light
94 الهادي Al-Hadi The Guide
95 البديع Al-Badi The Incomparable, The Originator
96 الباقي Al-Baqi The Ever Enduring and Immutable
97 الوارث Al-Warith The Heir, The Inheritor of All
98 الرشيد Ar-Rashid The Guide, Infallible Teacher and Knower
99 الصبور As-Sabur The Patient, The Timeless.

Additional Names

Another epithet found in the Qur'an is Dhul Fadl al Azim (ذو الفضل العظيم) "The Lord of Infinite Grace" (2.105, 3.74, 8.29, 57.21, 57.29, 62.4), but it is not part of the traditional list of the 99 names of God.

The following list contains Names that are not in the traditional list of 99 Names above.

#
 Arabic
 Transliteration
 Translation
 Qur'anic Usage
1 المالك Al-Maalik The True, Complete and Controlling Owner of Everything 2 times
2 المليك Al-Maleek The Constant Owner and Controller of Everything 1 time
3 ذو الفضل العظيم Dhul Fadl al Azim The Lord of Infinite Grace

100th name

Sufism

In Sufism, the idea of the 100th name is most prominent. It has become the elusive object of mystic devotion, the symbol of God's transcendent being.

Sufis often describe their discipline as the quest to know the one-hundredth name of God and thus to merge their consciousness with the divine reality.

Mahdi

Other such Hadiths, which vary according to different Shi'a sects of Islam, suggest that the 100th Name will be revealed by the Mahdi.

Bahá'í

The Bahá'í Faith has claimed to fulfill the prophecy of the Mahdi, and the 100th name was revealed as "Bahá’" (an Arabic word بهاء meaning "glory, splendor" etc.), and is the root word for Bahá'u'lláh and Bahá'í. The Báb wrote a noted pentagram tablet with 360 derivatives of the word "Bahá'" used in it. While the Bahá'í Faith has roots in Islam and the monotheistic traditions, it is considered to be an independent religion, and its followers are not considered Muslims.

Personal Names

According to Islamic tradition, a Muslim may not be given any of the 99 names of God in the exact same form. For example, nobody may be named Al Malik (The King), but may be named Malik (King).

However the names/attributes of God can be combined with the word "‘Abd -" which means servant (of God) and are commonly used as personal names among Muslims. For example ‘Abd ar-Rahman ("servant of(or slave to) the Most Compassionate/the Beneficent").

Some Muslim people have names resembling those 99 (but without the article "The" which is only used to denote God) as the names could mean attributes people can have. Examples include

Numerology

Some Muslims believe that what could be interpreted as the number 99 written in Hindu-Arabic numeral system is imprinted on human hands. If one looks at his or her palms, thumbs facing upward, the lines in the hands appear as "١٨ ٨١", which are the Hindu-Arabic numerals -commonly used in eastern Arab countries- of 81 and 18, which sum to 99. If you subtract the numbers 81 and 18 you are left with 63 which was the age of which Muhammad along with 3 of his four companions died.

However, this has no Islamic or Qu'ranic basis supporting it and, from an Islamic perspective, is irrelevant to the concept of the names of God discussed in the previous section. In Islam nothing can be taken as Beliefs or Aqidah without clear proof which means that the belief should be found in definite source (Qur'an or authentic hadeeth) and its meaning should bring no confusion so that there is no possibility of difference of opinion except if apostates don't want to see it so. This is very likely a novelty of unknown origin that has developed in some Muslim cultures, especially those that use numeral system mentioned above. It also happens to work with a combination of Chinese and Western numerals, appearing as "八1 1八" - "81 18". In general, many Muslims have diverging views however Sunni Sect Islam has no documentation of this.

See also

Notes

External links



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Last updated on Thursday March 13, 2008 at 21:05:42 PDT (GMT -0700)
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