99 names of Allah: Difference between revisions

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===The list===
===The list===
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5" class= "wikitable sortable"
!Num.
!In Arabic
!Transliteration
!Offical translation
!Actual translation
!Reference
!Comment
|-
|1||الرحمان||''ar-rahmaan''||The Most Gracious||The Gracious||{{Quran|1|1}}||
|-
|2||الرحيم||''ar-raheem''||The Most Merciful||The Merciful||{{Quran|1|1}}||
|-
|3||المالك||''al-maalik''||The King||The Posessor <ref>https://www.almaany.com/en/dict/ar-en/%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83/</ref>||{{Quran|59|23}}||Some translations sasy "sovereign" <ref>http://quranx.com/59.23</ref>
|-
|4||القدوس||''al-quddoos''||The Holy||The Holy||{{Quran|59|23}}||
|-
|5||السلام||''as-salaam''||The Peace||Free from defect <ref>http://www.qtafsir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1602&Itemid=115</ref>||{{Quran|59|23}}||Ibn Kathir understands it as "free from defect"
|-
|6||المؤمن||''al-mu'min''||The Granter of Security||The Believer <ref>https://www.almaany.com/en/dict/ar-en/%D9%85%D8%A4%D9%85%D9%86/</ref>||{{Quran|59|23}}||''Mu'min'' in all other verses means "beliver" <ref>http://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=Amn</ref>
|}


==References==
==References==

Revision as of 12:46, 17 June 2018

The Quran talks about "beautiful names of Allah" and the hadiths further specify that there is exactly 99 names. Muslims are supposed to learn these these names of Allah, but there is a problem, because Muhammad didn't offer the full list of these names. Islamic scholars had to rely on ijtihad to find these names in the Quran and sunnah and different scholars came up with different lists. Out of the supposed 99 names of Allah, they together found at least 276 names.

The phrase "beautiful names of Allah" mentioned in the Quran

The Quran says that Allah has beautiful names (الأسماء الحسنى, al-asmaa' ul-husnaa), but doesn't specify what these names are and how many.

And to Allah belong the best names (الأسماء الحسنى), so invoke Him by them. And leave [the company of] those who practice deviation concerning His names. They will be recompensed for what they have been doing.
Quran 7:180
Say, "Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful. Whichever [name] you call - to Him belong the best names (الأسماء الحسنى)." And do not recite [too] loudly in your prayer or [too] quietly but seek between that an [intermediate] way.
Quran 17:110
Allah - there is no deity except Him. To Him belong the best names (الأسماء الحسنى).
Quran 20:8
He is Allah, the Creator, the Inventor, the Fashioner; to Him belong the best names (الأسماء الحسنى). Whatever is in the heavens and earth is exalting Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
Quran 59:24

حسنى (husnaa) is translated as "beautiful", "best", "excellent" or "finest" [1]. The phrase "beaufiful names of Allah" and the word pig (خنزيير) were both mentioned exactly 4 times - for more word count "miracles" click here.

Hadith

There are many hadith claiming Allah has 99 names, this is one of them from Sahih Bukhari:

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah has ninety-nine Names, one-hundred less one; and he who memorized them all by heart will enter Paradise." To count something means to know it by heart.
Sahih Bukhari 9:93:489

Some apologetic sources (including Wikipedia) claim that according to the hadith, there are at least 99 names. But the hadith doesn't say "at least". It says simply ninety-nine (تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ) and even adds that it's one hundred minus one, which seems to emphasize, that it is exactly 99 and not 100 or more. And the hadith also says that who memorizes all these names would go to paradise - such a task would be hard in the time of Muhammad, considering that in that time the ummah was illiterate. And even today, as we'll see, it seems impossible to find the 99 names.

The popular list

Source

The most popular list of 99 names of Allah among Muslims (which is also used on Wikipedia) seems to be a list from a weak (da'if) hadith from the collection of Tirmidhi.

Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Indeed, Allah has ninety-nine Names, one hundred less one, whoever counts them shall enter Paradise. He is Allah, the one whom there is none worthy of worship except for Him (Allāhu Lā Ilāha Illā Huwa), the Most Merciful (to the creation) (Ar-Raḥmān), the Most Beneficent (to the believers) (Ar-Raḥīm), the King (Al-Malik), the Free of Deficiencies (Al-Quddūs), the Granter of Safety (As-Salām), the Granter of Security (Al-Mu’min), the Watcher (Al-Muhaimin), the Mighty (Al-`Azīz), the Compeller (Al-Jabbār), the Supreme (Al-Mutakabbir), the Creator (Al-Khāliq), the Originator (Al-Bāri’), the Fashioner (Al-Muṣawwir), the Pardoner (Al-Ghaffār), the Overwhelming (Al-Qahhār), the Giving (Al-Wahhāb), the Provider (Ar-Razzāq), the Opener (Al-Fattāḥ), the Knowing (Al-`Alīm), the Taker (Al-Qābiḍ), the Giver (Al-Bāsiṭ), the Abaser (Al-Khāfiḍ), the Exalter (Ar-Rāfi`), the One who grants honor (Al-Mu`izz), the One who humiliates (Al-Mudhil), the Hearing (As-Samī`), the Seeing (Al-Baṣīr), the Judge (Al-Ḥakam), the Just (Al-`Adl), the Kind (Al-Laṭīf), the Aware (Al-Khabīr), the Forbearing (Al-Ḥalīm), the Magnificent (Al-`Aẓīm), the Oft-Forgiving (Al-Ghafūr), the Grateful (Ash-Shakūr), the Most High (Al-`Aliyy), the Great (Al-Kabīr), the Guardian (Al-Ḥafīẓ), the Powerful (Al-Muqīt), the Reckoner (Al-Ḥasīb), the Glorious (Al-Jalīl), the Generous (Al-Karīm), the Watcher (Ar-Raqīb), the Responder (Al-Mujīb), the Liberal Giver (Al-Wāsi`), the Wise (Al-Ḥakīm), the Loving (Al-Wadūd), the Majestic (Al-Majīd), the Reviver (Al-Bā`ith), the Witness (Ash-Shahīd), the Truth (Al-Ḥaqq), the Guarantor (Al-Wakīl), the Strong (Al-Qawiyy), the Firm (Al-Matīn), the One Who Aids (Al-Waliyy), the Praiseworthy (Al-Ḥamīd), the Encompasser (Al-Muḥṣi), the One Who Begins things (Al-Mubdi’), the One Who brings things back (Al-Mu`īd), the One Who gives life (Al-Muḥyi), the One Who causes death (Al-Mumīt), the Living (Al-Ḥayyu), the Self-Sufficient (Al-Qayyūm), the One Who brings into existence (Al-Wājid), the Illustrious (Al-Mājid), the One (Al-Wāḥid), the Master (Aṣ-Ṣamad), the Able (Al-Qādir), the Powerful (Al-Muqtadir), the One who hastens (Al-Muqaddim), the One who delays (Al-Mu’akhkhir), the First (Al-Awwal), the Last (Al-Ākhir), the Apparent (Aẓ-Ẓāhir), the Inner (Al-Bāṭin), the Owner (Al-Wāli), the Exalted (Al-Muta`āli), the Doer of Good (Al-Barr), the Acceptor of repentance (At-Tawwāb), the Avenger (Al-Muntaqim), the Pardoning (Al-`Afuww), the Kind (Ar-Ra’ūf), the Owner of Dominion (Mālikul-Mulk), the Possessor of Glory and Generosity (Dhul Jalāli wal Ikrām), the One who does justice (Al-Muqsiṭ), the Gatherer (Al-Jāmi`), the Rich (Al-Ghaniyy), the Enricher (Al-Mughni), the Preventer (Al-Māni`), the Harmer (Aḍ-Ḍār), the One who benefits (An-Nāfi`), the Light (An-Nūr), the Guide (Al-Hādi), the Originator (Al-Badī`), the Lasting (Al-Bāqi), the Inheritor (Al-Wārith), the Guide (Ar-Rashīd), the Tolerant (Aṣ-Ṣabūr).”
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 6:45:3507 (weak)

This hadith is weak. Tirmidhi wrote about it:

"This (version of the) hadith is gharib [unusual, scarce]; it has been narrated from various routes on the authority of Abu Hurairah, but we do not know of the mention of the Names in the numerous narrations, except this one."
Tirmidhi comment on the list

Ibn Taimiyya said:

"Al-Walid (one of the narrators of the hadith) related the Names from (the saying of) one of his Syrian teachers ... specific mention of the Names is not from the words of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), by the agreement of those familiar with Hadith."
Ibn Taimyya

The list

Num. In Arabic Transliteration Offical translation Actual translation Reference Comment
1 الرحمان ar-rahmaan The Most Gracious The Gracious Quran 1:1
2 الرحيم ar-raheem The Most Merciful The Merciful Quran 1:1
3 المالك al-maalik The King The Posessor [2] Quran 59:23 Some translations sasy "sovereign" [3]
4 القدوس al-quddoos The Holy The Holy Quran 59:23
5 السلام as-salaam The Peace Free from defect [4] Quran 59:23 Ibn Kathir understands it as "free from defect"
6 المؤمن al-mu'min The Granter of Security The Believer [5] Quran 59:23 Mu'min in all other verses means "beliver" [6]

References

  1. ↑ http://quranx.com/7.180
  2. ↑ https://www.almaany.com/en/dict/ar-en/%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83/
  3. ↑ http://quranx.com/59.23
  4. ↑ http://www.qtafsir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1602&Itemid=115
  5. ↑ https://www.almaany.com/en/dict/ar-en/%D9%85%D8%A4%D9%85%D9%86/
  6. ↑ http://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=Amn
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