The Most Beautiful Names of Allah

1Allah introduces Himself

Allah says: "To Allah belong the most beautiful names, so call upon Him by them" Quran 7:180. And: "Say: Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Gracious; whichever you call upon, to Him belong the most beautiful names" Quran 17:110. In Arabic they are called al-Asma' al-Husna, "the most beautiful names".

Each of these names describes an attribute of Allah that is perfect and free of any shortcoming. When we call a person "merciful", we mean a limited mercy. When Allah calls Himself ar-Rahman, it is a mercy that encompasses everything Quran 7:156. "There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing" Quran 42:11.

Above all the names stands the name Allah itself – the proper name of the One God, which unites all the other names within it. That is why the Quran says: "He is Allah, other than whom there is no god …" and then lets the names follow.

2Ninety-nine names

The Prophet ﷺ said: "Allah has ninety-nine names, one hundred less one. Whoever enumerates them will enter Paradise" (al-Bukhari 2736, Muslim 2677). The hadith was narrated by the Companion Abu Hurayrah, and both collections record it in several places. The double phrasing – "ninety-nine, one hundred less one" – underlines the number so that no one mishears it. Another wording says "whoever preserves them", and adds: "Allah is One (witr) and loves what is odd."

Scholars understood the Arabic word ahsaha – "enumerates them" – not only as memorising. They describe several levels that build on one another:

1. 1Knowing – learning the names, pronouncing them correctly and retaining them.
2. 2Understanding – knowing what a name means and what it tells us about Allah.
3. 3Calling – asking Allah by the name that fits one's need Quran 7:180.
4. 4Living – letting the names shape you: being merciful because He is merciful; trusting because He is the Trustee; staying humble because greatness belongs to Him alone.

Allah's names are not limited to ninety-nine. In a well-known supplication reported by Ahmad in his Musnad, the Prophet ﷺ asks Allah "by every name that You have named Yourself with … or that You have kept with Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen". The hadith of the 99 names therefore mentions a special number without saying there are no more.

3Where the well-known list comes from

The list of 99 names found today in mosques, schools and calligraphy all over the world comes from a narration recorded by at-Tirmidhi in his Jami' (at-Tirmidhi 3507). At-Tirmidhi himself called it gharib, meaning it is known through only a single line of transmission. Hadith scholars have examined its chain closely. Many of them hold that the enumeration of the individual names does not come from the Prophet ﷺ himself but was added by one of the narrators as an explanation. The various versions of the list in at-Tirmidhi also differ slightly, and Ibn Majah records a list that differs in quite a number of names.

That is why scholars also took the opposite route: they gathered the names directly from the Quran and the authentic Sunnah. Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani, for example, compiled in Fath al-Bari, his commentary on al-Bukhari, ninety-nine names that all occur in the Quran. Such lists include names like ar-Rabb (the Lord), al-Akram the Most Generous, Quran 96:3, al-A'la the Most High, Quran 87:1 or al-Qarib the Near, Quran 11:61, which are missing from the well-known list. Conversely, the well-known list contains names such as al-Khafid or ad-Darr, which do not occur in the Quran as names but are derived from Allah's actions. The hadith of the ninety-nine names is also found in Shia tradition with its own list, for example in Shaykh as-Saduq's Kitab at-Tawhid.

For you this means: the following list is a trusted aid, taught for centuries, for getting to know the names of Allah. It is not a closed catalogue, and Allah knows best which ninety-nine names exactly are meant. The names themselves describe Allah as He is described in the Quran and the Sunnah.

How scholars understand the names

Most scholars hold that Allah's names are known only through revelation (Arabic tawqifi): we call upon Allah by the names He has given Himself in the Quran or that the Prophet ﷺ taught, and we do not invent new ones. In the very verse that tells us to call on Him by His names, Allah warns against those "who deviate concerning His names" Quran 7:180. Early commentators explained this as denying the names, twisting their meaning or deriving idols' names from them – as the idol al-Lat was named after "Allah" and al-'Uzza after "al-'Aziz".

How Allah's attributes relate to His essence is a question the theological schools – Ash'aris, Maturidis, Athari scholars and Shia theologians – have reflected on for centuries, giving different answers. At the core they agree: the names are true, they describe perfection, and "there is nothing like Him" Quran 42:11.

4The 99 names

Here are the ninety-nine names in their commonly taught order. The English meanings are approximations; each name is richer in Arabic than a single word can convey.

• 1الرحمنAr-RahmanThe Most Gracious, the Entirely Merciful
• 2الرحيمAr-RahimThe Most Merciful
• 3الملكAl-MalikThe King, the Sovereign
• 4القدوسAl-QuddusThe Most Holy, the Pure
• 5السلامAs-SalamThe Source of Peace, free of all flaws
• 6المؤمنAl-Mu'minThe Granter of Security, the Faithful
• 7المهيمنAl-MuhayminThe Guardian, the Overseer
• 8العزيزAl-'AzizThe Almighty, the Mighty
• 9الجبارAl-JabbarThe Compeller, the Restorer
• 10المتكبرAl-MutakabbirThe Supreme in Greatness
• 11الخالقAl-KhaliqThe Creator
• 12البارئAl-Bari'The Originator, who brings into being
• 13المصورAl-MusawwirThe Fashioner of forms
• 14الغفارAl-GhaffarThe Ever-Forgiving
• 15القهارAl-QahharThe Subduer, the Irresistible
• 16الوهابAl-WahhabThe Bestower
• 17الرزاقAr-RazzaqThe Provider
• 18الفتاحAl-FattahThe Opener, the Judge
• 19العليمAl-'AlimThe All-Knowing
• 20القابضAl-QabidThe Withholder
• 21الباسطAl-BasitThe Extender, who gives in abundance
• 22الخافضAl-KhafidThe Abaser
• 23الرافعAr-Rafi'The Exalter
• 24المعزAl-Mu'izzThe Bestower of Honour
• 25المذلAl-MudhillThe Bringer of Humiliation
• 26السميعAs-Sami'The All-Hearing
• 27البصيرAl-BasirThe All-Seeing
• 28الحكمAl-HakamThe Judge
• 29العدلAl-'AdlThe Just
• 30اللطيفAl-LatifThe Subtle, the Gentle
• 31الخبيرAl-KhabirThe All-Aware
• 32الحليمAl-HalimThe Forbearing
• 33العظيمAl-'AzimThe Magnificent
• 34الغفورAl-GhafurThe All-Forgiving
• 35الشكورAsh-ShakurThe Appreciative
• 36العليAl-'AliyyThe Most High
• 37الكبيرAl-KabirThe Most Great
• 38الحفيظAl-HafizThe Preserver
• 39المقيتAl-MuqitThe Sustainer, the Nourisher
• 40الحسيبAl-HasibThe Reckoner, the One who suffices
• 41الجليلAl-JalilThe Majestic
• 42الكريمAl-KarimThe Most Generous
• 43الرقيبAr-RaqibThe Watchful
• 44المجيبAl-MujibThe Responsive, who answers prayer
• 45الواسعAl-Wasi'The All-Encompassing
• 46الحكيمAl-HakimThe All-Wise
• 47الودودAl-WadudThe Loving
• 48المجيدAl-MajidThe Most Glorious
• 49الباعثAl-Ba'ithThe Resurrector
• 50الشهيدAsh-ShahidThe Witness
• 51الحقAl-HaqqThe Truth
• 52الوكيلAl-WakilThe Trustee, the Disposer of affairs
• 53القويAl-QawiyyThe Strong
• 54المتينAl-MatinThe Firm
• 55الوليAl-WaliyyThe Protecting Friend
• 56الحميدAl-HamidThe Praiseworthy
• 57المحصيAl-MuhsiThe One who counts and knows all
• 58المبدئAl-Mubdi'The One who begins creation
• 59المعيدAl-Mu'idThe One who brings back
• 60المحييAl-MuhyiThe Giver of Life
• 61المميتAl-MumitThe One who causes death
• 62الحيAl-HayyThe Ever-Living
• 63القيومAl-QayyumThe Self-Subsisting Sustainer of all
• 64الواجدAl-WajidThe Finder, who lacks nothing
• 65الماجدAl-MajidThe Noble, the Illustrious
• 66الواحدAl-WahidThe One
• 67الأحدAl-AhadThe Unique, the Only One
• 68الصمدAs-SamadThe Eternal Refuge, on whom all depend
• 69القادرAl-QadirThe Able, the Capable
• 70المقتدرAl-MuqtadirThe All-Powerful
• 71المقدمAl-MuqaddimThe One who brings forward
• 72المؤخرAl-Mu'akhkhirThe One who puts back
• 73الأولAl-AwwalThe First
• 74الآخرAl-AkhirThe Last
• 75الظاهرAz-ZahirThe Manifest
• 76الباطنAl-BatinThe Hidden
• 77الواليAl-WaliThe Governor, the Patron
• 78المتعاليAl-Muta'aliThe Most Exalted
• 79البرAl-BarrThe Source of all Goodness
• 80التوابAt-TawwabThe Accepter of Repentance
• 81المنتقمAl-MuntaqimThe Requiter
• 82العفوAl-'AfuwwThe Pardoner, who erases sins
• 83الرؤوفAr-Ra'ufThe Most Kind, the Compassionate
• 84مالك الملكMalik al-MulkThe Owner of all Sovereignty
• 85ذو الجلال والإكرامDhul-Jalali wal-IkramThe Lord of Majesty and Honour
• 86المقسطAl-MuqsitThe Equitable
• 87الجامعAl-Jami'The Gatherer
• 88الغنيAl-GhaniThe Self-Sufficient, the Rich
• 89المغنيAl-MughniThe Enricher
• 90المانعAl-Mani'The Preventer, the Withholder
• 91الضارAd-DarrThe One in whose hand harm also lies
• 92النافعAn-Nafi'The Bringer of Benefit
• 93النورAn-NurThe Light
• 94الهاديAl-HadiThe Guide
• 95البديعAl-Badi'The Incomparable Originator
• 96الباقيAl-BaqiThe Everlasting
• 97الوارثAl-WarithThe Inheritor
• 98الرشيدAr-RashidThe Guide to the Right Path
• 99الصبورAs-SaburThe Patient

5The names in groups

A list of ninety-nine names can feel overwhelming. It becomes easier when the names are arranged by meaning. The following groups are not a fixed classification by the scholars but a learning aid. Each name comes with a verse in which it occurs – you can listen to it with us and read the tafsir.

Mercy and love

• 1الرَّحْمَٰنُar-Rahmanthe Most Gracious, whose mercy embraces all creation: "The Most Gracious. He taught the Quran" (Quran 55:1–2).
• 2الرَّحِيمُar-Rahimthe Most Merciful; according to a common explanation, the mercy He grants especially to the believers: "… and He is ever merciful to the believers" (Quran 33:43).
• 3الرَّؤُوفُar-Ra'ufthe Most Kind, the Compassionate: "Indeed, Allah is to the people Kind and Merciful" (Quran 2:143).
• 4الْوَدُودُal-Wadudthe Loving: "Indeed, my Lord is Merciful and Loving" (Quran 11:90).
• 5الْبَرُّal-Barrthe Source of all Goodness: "Indeed, it is He who is the Beneficent, the Merciful" (Quran 52:28).
• 6الْكَرِيمُal-Karimthe Generous, the Noble: "O mankind, what has deceived you concerning your Lord, the Generous?" (Quran 82:6).

One hadith sums up this group: when Allah created creation, He wrote with Himself: "My mercy precedes My wrath" (al-Bukhari and Muslim).

Forgiveness and forbearance

• الْغَفُورُ – al-Ghafur – the All-Forgiving: "Inform My servants that it is I who am the Forgiving, the Merciful" Quran 15:49.
• الْغَفَّارُ – al-Ghaffar – the Ever-Forgiving: "Ask forgiveness of your Lord. Indeed, He is ever a Perpetual Forgiver" Quran 71:10.
• التَّوَّابُ – at-Tawwab – the Accepter of Repentance: Adam received words from his Lord, "and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, it is He who is the Accepter of Repentance, the Merciful" Quran 2:37.
• الْعَفُوُّ – al-'Afuww – the Pardoner, who erases sins: "If you show good or conceal it or pardon an offence – indeed, Allah is ever Pardoning and Competent" Quran 4:149.
• الْحَلِيمُ – al-Halim – the Forbearing, who does not hasten to punish: "Kind speech and forgiveness are better than charity followed by injury. And Allah is Free of need and Forbearing" Quran 2:263.

Some scholars explain the difference between maghfirah and 'afw like this: forgiveness covers the sin, pardon wipes it out as if it had never been.

Power and majesty

• 1الْعَزِيزُal-'Azizthe Almighty, who is never overcome: "… then know that Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise" (Quran 2:209).
• 2الْقَوِيُّal-Qawiyythe Strong, and **الْمَتِينُ** – al-Matin – the Firm: "Indeed, it is Allah who is the Provider, the Possessor of strength, the Firm" (Quran 51:58).
• 3الْقَهَّارُal-Qahharthe Subduer: "Are separate lords better, or Allah, the One, the Prevailing?" (Quran 12:39).
• 4الْمُقْتَدِرُal-Muqtadirthe All-Powerful: "… in a seat of honour near a Sovereign, Perfect in Ability" (Quran 54:55).
• 5الْكَبِيرُal-Kabirthe Most Great, and **الْمُتَعَالِي** – al-Muta'ali – the Most Exalted: "Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, the Grand, the Exalted" (Quran 13:9).
• 6مَالِكُ الْمُلْكِMalik al-Mulkthe Owner of all Sovereignty: "Say: O Allah, Owner of Sovereignty, You give sovereignty to whom You will and take it away from whom You will; You honour whom You will and humble whom You will" (Quran 3:26).
• 7ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِDhul-Jalali wal-Ikramthe Lord of Majesty and Honour: "And there will remain the Face of your Lord, Owner of Majesty and Honour" (Quran 55:27).

These names are not meant to intimidate but to steady you: whoever knows that all power lies with Allah need not bow and scrape before any human being.

Knowledge and wisdom

• 1الْعَلِيمُal-'Alimthe All-Knowing, and **الْحَكِيمُ** – al-Hakim – the All-Wise: the angels said: "Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise" (Quran 2:32).
• 2الْخَبِيرُal-Khabirthe All-Aware: "Does He who created not know, while He is the Subtle, the All-Aware?" (Quran 67:14).
• 3السَّمِيعُas-Sami'the All-Hearing, and **الْبَصِيرُ** – al-Basir – the All-Seeing: "Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing" (Quran 17:1).
• 4الشَّهِيدُash-Shahidthe Witness: "… and Allah is Witness over all things" (Quran 85:9).
• 5الرَّقِيبُar-Raqibthe Watchful: "Indeed, Allah is ever, over you, an Observer" (Quran 4:1).
• 6الْحَسِيبُal-Hasibthe Reckoner: "… and sufficient is Allah as Accountant" (Quran 4:6).

Whoever knows these names lives with the awareness of being seen – not as by a camera, but as by One who understands. The Prophet ﷺ described the highest level of faith, ihsan, like this: "that you worship Allah as if you see Him; and if you do not see Him, He surely sees you" (al-Bukhari and Muslim).

Creation and life

• الْخَالِقُ – al-Khaliq – the Creator, الْبَارِئُ – al-Bari' – the Originator, الْمُصَوِّرُ – al-Musawwir – the Fashioner: "He is Allah, the Creator, the Originator, the Fashioner" Quran 59:24.
• الْبَدِيعُ – al-Badi' – the Originator without precedent: "Originator of the heavens and the earth" Quran 2:117.
• الْمُحْيِي – al-Muhyi – the Giver of Life: "So observe the effects of the mercy of Allah – how He gives life to the earth after its lifelessness. Indeed, that same One will give life to the dead" Quran 30:50.
• الْوَارِثُ – al-Warith – the Inheritor: Zakariyya prayed: "My Lord, do not leave me alone, while You are the best of inheritors" Quran 21:89.

Provision and generosity

• 1الرَّزَّاقُar-Razzaqthe Provider: "Indeed, it is Allah who is the Provider, the Possessor of strength, the Firm" (Quran 51:58).
• 2الْوَهَّابُal-Wahhabthe Bestower: "Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from Yourself. Indeed, You are the Bestower" (Quran 3:8).
• 3الْفَتَّاحُal-Fattahthe Opener, the Judge: "… and He is the Opener, the All-Knowing" (Quran 34:26).
• 4الْغَنِيُّal-Ghanithe Free of need, and **الْحَمِيدُ** – al-Hamid – the Praiseworthy: "O mankind, you are those in need of Allah, while Allah is the Free of need, the Praiseworthy" (Quran 35:15).
• 5الْوَاسِعُal-Wasi'the All-Encompassing: "Allah multiplies for whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing" (Quran 2:261).
• 6الشَّكُورُash-Shakurthe Appreciative: "If you loan Allah a goodly loan, He will multiply it for you and forgive you. And Allah is Most Appreciative and Forbearing" (Quran 64:17).
• 7الْمُقِيتُal-Muqitthe Sustainer: "… and ever is Allah, over all things, a Keeper" (Quran 4:85).

Ash-Shakur is an especially tender name: Allah, who needs no one, "thanks" His servants – He sees the smallest good deed and rewards it many times over.

Protection, trust and nearness

• 1الْحَفِيظُal-Hafizthe Preserver: "Indeed, my Lord is, over all things, Guardian" (Quran 11:57).
• 2الْوَكِيلُal-Wakilthe Trustee: "Sufficient for us is Allah, and He is the best Disposer of affairs" (Quran 3:173).
• 3الْوَلِيُّal-Waliyythe Protecting Friend: "Allah is the ally of those who believe; He brings them out of darkness into the light" (Quran 2:257).
• 4الْمُجِيبُal-Mujibthe Responsive: "Indeed, my Lord is near and responsive" (Quran 11:61). And: "When My servants ask you concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the call of the caller when he calls upon Me" (Quran 2:186).
• 5الْهَادِيal-Hadithe Guide: "But sufficient is your Lord as a guide and a helper" (Quran 25:31).
• 6النُّورُan-Nurthe Light: "Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth" (Quran 24:35).

Oneness and eternity

• الْأَحَدُ – al-Ahad – the Unique, and الصَّمَدُ – as-Samad – the Eternal Refuge: "Say: He is Allah, the One; Allah, the Eternal Refuge" Quran 112:1–2.
• الْوَاحِدُ – al-Wahid – the One: "To whom belongs all sovereignty this day? To Allah, the One, the Prevailing" Quran 40:16.
• الْحَيُّ – al-Hayy – the Ever-Living, and الْقَيُّومُ – al-Qayyum – the Sustainer of all: "Allah – there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of existence" Quran 3:2.
• الْأَوَّلُ, الْآخِرُ, الظَّاهِرُ, الْبَاطِنُ – al-Awwal, al-Akhir, az-Zahir, al-Batin – the First, the Last, the Manifest, the Hidden: "He is the First and the Last, the Ascendant and the Intimate, and He is, of all things, Knowing" Quran 57:3.
• الْحَقُّ – al-Haqq – the Truth: "… and they will know that it is Allah who is the perfect Truth" Quran 24:25.

The Prophet ﷺ himself explained verse 57:3 in a supplication before sleep: "You are the First, there is nothing before You; You are the Last, there is nothing after You; You are the Manifest, there is nothing above You; You are the Hidden, there is nothing beyond You" (Muslim).

Justice

• الْحَكَمُ – al-Hakam – the Judge: "Shall I then seek a judge other than Allah?" Quran 6:114.
• الْمُقْسِطُ – al-Muqsit – the Equitable: Allah witnesses "that there is no deity except Him … maintaining His creation in justice" Quran 3:18.
• الْجَامِعُ – al-Jami' – the Gatherer: "Our Lord, surely You will gather the people for a Day about which there is no doubt" Quran 3:9.

Names from the Sunnah

Some names we know from the words of the Prophet ﷺ:

• الْجَمِيلُ – al-Jamil – the Beautiful: "Allah is beautiful and loves beauty" (Muslim 91).
• الطَّيِّبُ – at-Tayyib – the Good, the Pure: "Allah is good and accepts only what is good" (Muslim 1015).
• الرَّفِيقُ – ar-Rafiq – the Gentle: "Allah is gentle and loves gentleness, and He gives for gentleness what He does not give for harshness" (Muslim 2593).
• الشَّافِي – ash-Shafi – the Healer: in his supplication for the sick the Prophet ﷺ said: "… heal, You are the Healer; there is no healing but Your healing" (al-Bukhari and Muslim).

6Calling upon Allah by His names

Two verses lay the foundation. The first: "To Allah belong the most beautiful names, so call upon Him by them. And leave those who deviate concerning His names; they will be recompensed for what they used to do" Quran 7:180. The second: "Say: Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Gracious; whichever you call – to Him belong the most beautiful names. And do not recite your prayer too loudly or too quietly, but seek a way between" Quran 17:110. The second verse therefore teaches not only by what we call, but also how: calmly, without shouting and without falling silent.

How a supplication can be built

1. 1Begin with the praise of Allah. The Prophet ﷺ heard a man making du'a without praising Allah and without sending blessings on the Prophet, and said: "This man has been hasty." Then he taught to praise Allah first, then to send blessings on him, and then to ask for whatever one wishes (Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi).
2. 2Choose the fitting name. The name opens the request: Ya Rahman, irhamni – "O Most Gracious, have mercy on me"; Ya Razzaq, urzuqni – "O Provider, provide for me"; Ya Tawwab, tub 'alayya – "O Accepter of Repentance, accept my repentance"; Ya Hadi, ihdini – "O Guide, guide me".
3. 3Speak your own request – in your own words and in any language. Allah understands every language, and silence too.
4. 4Close with blessings on the Prophet ﷺ – and with trust that Allah hears: "Call upon Me; I will respond to you" Quran 40:60.

How the prophets prayed

The prophets often joined their supplications to the fitting name. When Ibrahim and Isma'il built the Kaaba, they said: "Our Lord, accept this from us. Indeed, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing" Quran 2:127, and: "Turn to us in mercy, for You are the Accepter of Repentance, the Most Merciful" Quran 2:128. More examples:

• Ayyub in his illness: "Indeed, adversity has touched me, and You are the most merciful of the merciful" Quran 21:83.
• Zakariyya, longing for a child: "… and You are the best of inheritors" Quran 21:89.
• Musa after his people's failing: "You are our Protector, so forgive us and have mercy upon us; and You are the best of forgivers" Quran 7:155.
• 'Isa, asking for the table from heaven: "… and provide for us, and You are the best of providers" Quran 5:114.
• Yusuf at the end of his long road: "Creator of the heavens and the earth, You are my protector in this world and in the Hereafter" Quran 12:101.

Each time the name matches the need exactly: the sick man calls on mercy, the childless man on the Inheritor, the one who has erred on forgiveness, the one in need on provision.

You can do the same: when you ask for forgiveness, call Ya Ghafur. When you ask for provision, Ya Razzaq. When you need guidance, Ya Hadi. Aishah asked the Prophet ﷺ what she should say if she witnessed the Night of Decree. He taught her: Allahumma innaka 'afuwwun tuhibbul-'afwa fa'fu 'anni – "O Allah, You are the Pardoner, You love to pardon, so pardon me" (at-Tirmidhi). You will find more supplications among our duas. And if you would like help putting it into words: our dua generator puts together a personal supplication for you – with the praise of Allah, blessings on the Prophet ﷺ and the beautiful names that fit your concern.

The "greatest name"

Several narrations speak of Allah's greatest name (al-ism al-a'zam), by which supplications are especially answered. The Prophet ﷺ heard a man pray: "O Allah, I ask You by my testifying that You are Allah, there is no god but You, the One, the Eternal Refuge, who neither begets nor is born, and to whom no one is equal." He said that this man had asked Allah by His greatest name, by which He gives when asked and answers when called (Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi). Scholars differ on which name exactly is meant; often mentioned are "Allah" itself and al-Hayy al-Qayyum, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer. The uncertainty has something good in it: it invites us to call upon Allah sincerely by all His names.

7Living with the names

The names of Allah are not something to tick off a list. They change how you pray and how you live.

Reflecting on the names

Take one name each week. Read where it appears in the Quran and ask yourself what it means for your life:

• Ar-Razzaq, the Provider: your provision is with Allah. That does not take away your work, but it takes away your fear.
• As-Sami', the All-Hearing: He hears every word – the prayer at night and the harsh word in an argument.
• Al-Latif, the Subtle: He arranges things in ways you only understand later – as in the life of Yusuf, who said: "My Lord is subtle in what He wills" Quran 12:100.
• Al-Wadud, the Loving: "And He is the All-Forgiving, the Loving" Quran 85:14. Allah does not only forgive – He loves those who return to Him.
• As-Sabur, the Patient: He gives us time, again and again. That teaches us to be patient with others too.

A good way to practise this: when you listen to the Quran, pay attention to how verses end. A great many verses close with a pair of names – "Allah is Forgiving and Merciful", "He is the Almighty, the All-Wise". These endings are no accident: they sum up what the verse has just shown. Listen, for example, to Surah al-Hadid verse by verse and notice which name closes each thought.

What the names make of us

Scholars speak of the human being having a "share" in many of the names. In his book al-Maqsad al-asna, al-Ghazali explained for almost every name what it means for the character of the servant. A few examples:

• Mercy: The Prophet ﷺ said: "The merciful are shown mercy by the Most Merciful. Be merciful to those on earth, and the One in heaven will be merciful to you" (Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi). And: "Whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy" (al-Bukhari and Muslim).
• Pardoning: Whoever calls on Allah as al-'Afuww learns to pardon others. "Let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you?" Quran 24:22.
• Gentleness and beauty: Because Allah is gentle, harshness is never the best way (Muslim 2593). Because He is beautiful and loves beauty, a Muslim may take care of cleanliness, order and a neat appearance (Muslim 91).
• Purity in earning: Because Allah is good and accepts only what is good, the believer makes sure that his income is lawful and honestly earned (Muslim 1015).
• Justice: Whoever knows al-'Adl and al-Muqsit is just – even towards people he does not like: "Do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness" Quran 5:8.
• Trust: Whoever knows al-Wakil plans, works – and leaves the outcome to Allah: "And whoever relies upon Allah – then He is sufficient for him" Quran 65:3.
• Humility: Some names belong to Allah alone, such as al-Mutakabbir, the Supreme in Greatness. Here the human share is not imitation but its opposite: humility. The Prophet ﷺ warned: "No one who has an atom's weight of arrogance in his heart will enter Paradise." When a man asked whether fine clothing was arrogance, he replied: "Allah is beautiful and loves beauty. Arrogance is rejecting the truth and looking down on people" (Muslim 91).

Hope and awe

Some names describe Allah's power and justice, such as al-Qahhar or al-Muntaqim. They also belong to the picture: Allah is merciful, but He does not let injustice go unseen. And some names are best understood in pairs: the Withholder and the Extender, the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden.

The Quran often places both side by side: "Inform My servants that it is I who am the Forgiving, the Merciful, and that it is My punishment which is the painful punishment" Quran 15:49–50. Ibn al-Qayyim compared the heart on its way to Allah to a bird: love is its head, and hope and fear are its two wings. With only one wing it cannot fly.

8Ayat al-Kursi

The Verse of the Throne Quran 2:255 is the greatest verse in the Book of Allah, as the Prophet ﷺ confirmed to his Companion Ubayy ibn Ka'b (Muslim 810). It opens with two of the greatest names: "Allah – there is no god except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all existence" – al-Hayy al-Qayyum. Neither drowsiness nor sleep overtakes Him. And it closes: "And He is the Most High, the Magnificent" – al-'Aliyy al-'Azim. Many Muslims recite it after every obligatory prayer and before sleeping. Listen to it with us: Ayat al-Kursi.

9The end of Surah al-Hashr

Hardly any passage of the Quran strings together so many names as the last three verses of Surah al-Hashr:

Read these verses slowly and listen to them verse by verse in Surah al-Hashr. You will notice that the list above begins with exactly these names.

10One love, many traditions

The most beautiful names unite all Muslims. In mosques they hang on the walls as calligraphy, children learn them by heart with melodies, and in many Sufi circles Allah is praised by His names in dhikr. In the Shia tradition the supplication Jawshan al-Kabir is especially well known: in a hundred sections it calls upon Allah by a thousand names and attributes, and it is recited above all in the Nights of Decree in Ramadan. In the supplications handed down from the Imams of the Ahl al-Bayt, such as the Sahifa Sajjadiyya, Allah is likewise called upon by His names again and again. However different the traditions are, they call upon the same One, by the same most beautiful names.

11A beginning for today

You do not have to learn all ninety-nine names at once. Start with ten. Say them slowly, learn their meaning, and call upon Allah tonight by one of them. A possible plan for the first month:

• Week 1: ar-Rahman, ar-Rahim, al-Ghafur and at-Tawwab – the names of mercy and of returning.
• Week 2: al-Hayy, al-Qayyum, al-'Aliyy and al-'Azim – the names in Ayat al-Kursi Quran 2:255.
• Week 3: the names at the end of Surah al-Hashr Quran 59:22–24.
• Week 4: al-Ahad and as-Samad from Surah al-Ikhlas Quran 112:1–2 and the four names of Quran 57:3.

With every name you truly come to know, you come to know Allah a little better – and that is the beginning of all love for Him.