Al Asmaa-ul-Husna - الاسماء الحسنى

"Allah has the most beautiful names, so call Him by them..." (S7: V180)

Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala is the Creator of everything. There is no Creator besides Allah Ta’ala. Everything has a beauty. The source of this beauty is Allah Ta’ala. The beauty that Allah Ta’ala has put in everything can give us a small idea of the beauty of Allah Ta’ala. The names of Allah Ta’ala are also beautiful. Just as it is impossible to describe Allah Ta’ala, similarly, it is impossible to describe the actual depth of His names. Whatever has been described and whatever will be described until Qiyaamah, is merely an effort to give a small idea of what He can be. The one who could understand this better than anyone else is none other than our beloved Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam). He also had to finally say:

"اَللّهُمَّ لا اُحْصِىْ ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ اَنْتَ كَمَا اَثْنَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ"

"O Allah, I am unable to enumerate Your praises. You are like the way You have praised Yourself."

In the verse, Allah Ta’ala has invited us to invoke Him by His names whose real profundity is known only to Him. If we cannot enumerate the benefits of a certain food, this does not prevent the food from having effect in our body. Similarly, if we cannot understand the real depth of the names of Allah Ta’ala, this will not deprive us of its benefits when we take these names.

According to a Hadith reported by Hazrat Abu Hurairah (Radiyallahu Anhu), Nabi (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) said:

"Allah Ta’ala has 99 names. The one, who will memorise it, will enter Jannah". (Muslim)

In a Hadith found in Tirmizi, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) has enumerated these names.

It should be noted that Allah Ta’ala has more than 99 names. It is not limited to 99. And in this Hadith also, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) did not limit them to 99. He has merely drawn our attention to the reward that there is, by reciting these 99 particular names. Besides that, Allah Ta’ala has other names. According to a Hadith reported by Hazrat Abdullah Bin Mas'ud (Radiyallahu Anhu) found in Al Baihaqui, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) had taught a Dua to the Sahaabah-e-Kiraam (Radiyallahu Anhum) which is as follows:

"اَسْئَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اِسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّيْتَ بِه نَفْسَكَ اَوْ اَنْزَلْتَه فِىْ كِتَابِكَ اَو عَلَّمْتَه اَحَدًا مِّنْ خَلْقِكَ اَوْ اسْتَاْثَرْتَ بِه فِىْ عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدِك…َ"

"O Allah! I ask you by all the names that belongs to You with which you have called yourself, or by the name that you have revealed in Your book, or what You have taught a being among Your creatures or (by the name) whose knowledge You have kept exclusively for You..." (Al Baihaqui)

This formula of Dua shows that there are more names of Allah Ta’ala that we do not know. Therefore, the names of Allah Ta’ala are not limited to 99 only.

The word حفظ or احصى that is found in the text of the Hadith signifies understanding and grasping the meaning of these names. So, whoever will recite these names with firm belief and conviction, will get Jannah. The one, who has not attained such a high stage, can also benefit by reciting them because we do not lose out on anything by taking the name of Allah Ta’ala with the pretext of not being able to concentrate. Its recitation should be continued. Everything will be acquired gradually by the command of Allah Ta’ala through a little willpower. If uttering a bad statement involuntarily, has its bad effect, then automatically taking the name of Allah Ta’ala also will have its huge benefit even if it is taken without concentration. This is because Allah Ta’ala is very kind and generous.

Allah Ta’ala and His attributes

Who is Allah Ta’ala? In reality, only Allah Ta’ala has this knowledge. Nonetheless, Allah Ta’ala has introduced Himself by His attributes and His qualities through which we may know Him. Allah Ta’ala has different names due to different aspects. For example, He is called Ar-Rahmaan because He has a lot of pity (mercy / kindness). He is Al-Ghaffaar because He is the Greatest Pardoner.

A person has the choice to make Dua to Allah Ta’ala by taking any name of Allah Ta’ala according to circumstances. For example, when a person has committed a sin and is asking for forgiveness from Allah Ta’ala, then it is more appropriate that he invokes Allah Ta’ala through His attributes such as Al-Ghaffaar, Ar-Ghafur, Ar-Rahmaan, Ar-Raheem, etc.

Al-Ism-oul-A'zam - الاسم الاعظم

Literally, Al-Ism-oul-A'zam signifies the greatest name. According to Hadith, Al-Ism-oul-A'zam is a name through which Dua is accepted. Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alaihi Wasallam) has identified different formulas that contain different names of Al-Ism-oul-A'zam. If there is any common name in all formulas, it is the name of Allah. This has led the majority of the Ulama to conclude that the Al-Ism-ul-A'zam, is the name Allah.

[English version of "Al Asmaa-oul Housna - الاسماء الحسنى" – Al Jamiat – Vol.2 No.8]