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Names of God in Islam

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The 99 Names of God, also known as The 99 attributes of Allah (Template:ArB Template:ArTranslit), are the names of God revealed to man in The Qur'an; even though His names (as adjectives, word constructs, or otherwise) exceed ninety-nine in The Qur'an.

Origin

In one Islamic tradition, the 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 Maja, book of Du`a; and by Imam Malik in his Muwatta', Kitab al-Shi`r)

The Prophet 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 them would get into Paradise."
(Sahih Muslim, Vol. 4, p. 1410)

This caused people to search them out in the Qur'an, and a list was compiled. Over time it became custom to recite the list in its entirety. While most muslims believe that this list is mentioned by the prophet himself, the specialist muslim scholars argue that the list was just compiled by a muslim scholar, (Al Waaleed 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 some other muslims believe that the "enumeation" is not just the act of recitation, but applying the attributes that the names suggest.

As one Muslim puts it:

"...by reciting and contemplating the names, and by embodying them as far as possible in his actions, the devout Muslim strives to remember God and draws near to Him, and with God's grace makes them part of his own being."

Palm of the Hand

What could be interpreted as the number 99 written in Arabic 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 arabic numerals of 81 and 18, which sum to 99.

For Muslims this is a reference to the names of God. It should be noted that this has no Islamic or Qu'ranic basis supporting it, and is more likely a novelty that has developed in Muslim culture.

List of Names

The 99 Names of God according to the tradition of Islam are:

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

Another epithet found in the Qur'an is Dhul Fazl 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 Allah.

100th Name of God

Muslims teach that there are 99 names for God and that the 100th name is hidden. The idea has become a kind of mystery with little references to what it means. (Mellis)

Once again, the Hadith about the names of God says:

"Verily, there are ninety-nine names of God, one hundred minus one. He who enumerates them would get into Paradise."
(Sahih Muslim, Vol. 4, p. 1410)

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 on the day of resurrection, known as the day of Qiyamah.

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.), which is the root word for Bahá'í and Bahá'u'lláh. The Báb wrote a famous pentagram tablet with 360 derivatives of the word "Bahá'" used in it. While the Bahá'í Faith has roots in Islam, it is an independent religion, and its followers are not considered Muslims.

Other Traditions

Arab folklore says that the camel knows the 100th name of God but will tell no one. That is why he solemnly holds his head high and plods defiantly across the desert, holding the secret to himself.

Some people claim that the 99 names are adjectives of God and do not tell us the true entity of God. The 100th name may be the one that really is the name of God.

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'. An exception may be made in some cases — for example, the son of Khattab ibn Nufayl is named "Umar ibn Khattab", but since his father was famous, he is called Umar ibn al-Khattab. This implies "Umar, the son of the Khattab" and not "Umar, the son of the Khattab". In the same manner, there are people named "x ibn al-y".

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

Some notable people having names resembling those 99 (but without the article "The" which is only used to denote God) are:

  • Muhammad (Blessed) resembles al-Hamid (The Blesser).
  • Ali (High) resembles al-Ali (The High).
  • Khadija as-Salami resembles as-Salam (The God of Peace and blessing).

See also

References

  • Mellis, J.K., Abu Sharif: Mystery of the 100th Name

External links

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