99 Names of God: Encyclopedia - 99 Names of God

99 Names of God

The 99 Names of God also known as The 99 attributes of Allah, according to Islamic tradition, are the names of God revealed to man in the Qur'an.

99 Names of God - Source

In one Islamic tradition, the prophet Muhammad used to call God by all his names:

The Prophet is also reported to have said in a famous Hadith:

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. To some it developed into a ritual, while to others the "enumeration" was not just the act of recitation, but applying the attributes that the names suggest.

As one Muslim puts it:

99 Names of God - Personal Names

The names/attributes of Allah (God) can be combined with the word "'Abd" which means servant and are commonly used as personal names among Muslims. For example Abd ar-Rahman ("servant of the Most Compassionate [God]").

According to Islamic tradition, people may not be named after any of the 99 names of God, for example, nobody may be named Al Malik (The King), but may be named Malik (King).

Some notable people having names resembling those 99 are:

• Muhammad (Blessed) resembles Al Hamid (The Blesser). "The" is only used to denote God.
• Ali (High ) resembles Al Ali (The High),"The" is only used to denote God.
• Khadija al-Salami resembles Al Salam (The God of Peace and blessing),"The" is only used to denote God.

99 Names of God - Palm of the Hand

The number 99 is written in Arabic on everybody's hands. If you look at your palms, thumbs facing upward, the lines in the hands appear as "٨١ ١٨", which are the arabic numerals of 81 and 18, which sum to 99.

For Muslims this 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.

99 Names of God - List of Names

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

1. ALLAH (الله) The God
2. Al Rahman (الرحمن) The All Beneficent
3. Al Rahim (الرحيم) The Most Merciful
4. Al Malik (الملك) The King, The Sovereign
5. Al Quddus (القدوس) The Most Holy
6. Al 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. Al 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. Al Rafi' (الرافع) The Exalter
25. Al Mu'izz (المعز) The Giver of Honor
26. Al Mudhill (المذل) The Giver of Dishonor
27. Al 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. Al 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. Al 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. Al 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 Wali (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. Al 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. Al 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'al (المتعالي) The Self Exalted
79. Al Barr (البر) The Most Kind and Righteous
80. Al Tawwab (التواب) The Ever Returning, Ever Relenting
81. Al Muntaqim (المنتقم) The Avenger
82. Al 'Afuww (العفو) The Pardoner, the Effacer of Sins
83. Al 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. Al Darr (الضار) The Distressor, the Harmer (This attribute can only be found in hadith.
92. Al Nafi' (النافع) The Propitious, the Benefactor
93. Al Nur (النور) The Light
94. Al Hadi (الهادئ) 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. Al Rashid (الرشيد) The Guide, Infallible Teacher, and Knower
99. Al Sabur (الصبور) The Patient, the Timeless

• Dhul Fazl al Azim (ذو الفضل العظيم) The Lord of Infinite Grace (Q 2.105, 3.74, 8.29, 57.21, 57.29, 62.4) Note: This name, although found in the Qur'an, is not and never was part of the traditional list of the 99 names of Allah.

Please note that the English translation of names may have a slightly different meaning than the original Arabic word due to the words available in each language.

99 Names of God - 100th Name of God

Muslims teach us 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 J.K.)

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

99 Names of God - 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. [2]

99 Names of God - Mahdi

Other such Hadiths, which vary according to different sects of Islam, suggest that the 100th Name will be revealed by the Mahdi on the day of resurrection, known as Qiyamah. ^{[citation needed]}

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.

Note: followers of the Bahá'í Faith are not Muslims.

99 Names of God - 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. [3]

See also

• Names of God in Judaism

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "99 Names of God", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki