99 names of Allah
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 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.
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 in the Quran - 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:
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.
This hadith is weak. Tirmidhi wrote about it:
Ibn Taimiyya said:
The list
The list (which is based on a weak hadith) probably looks attractive, because it contains references to the Quran. However it gets less amazing when you find out that in some of these references the word is not actually present in the Arabic Quran.
Num. | In Arabic | Transliteration | Offical translation | Actual translation | Reference | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 say "sovereign" [3] |
4 | القدوس | al-quddoos | The Holy | The Holy | Quran 59:23 | |
5 | السلام | as-salaam | The Peace | Free from defect | Quran 59:23 | Ibn Kathir understands it as "free from defect" [4] |
6 | المؤمن | al-mu'min | The Granter of Security | The Believer [5] | Quran 59:23 | Mu'min in all other verses means "believer" [6] |
7 | المهيمن | al-muhaymin | The Controller | The Controller | Quran 59:23 | |
8 | العزيز | al-'azeez | The Powerful | The Honorable [7] | Quran 3:6 | |
9 | الجبار | al-jabbar | The Strong | The Forceful [8] | Quran 59:23 | |
10 | المتكبر | al-mutakabbir | The Supreme | The Arrogant/The Boaster [9] | Quran 59:23 | |
11 | الخالق | al-khaaliq | The Creator | The Creator | Quran 6:102 | |
12 | البارئ | al-baari | The Maker | The Maker | Quran 59:24 | |
13 | المصور | al-musawwir | The Fashioner | The Fashioner | Quran 59:24 | |
14 | الغفار | al-ghaffaar | The Repeatedly Forgiving | The Forgiving | Quran 20:82 | |
15 | القهار | al-qahhaar | The Subduer | The Despot / The Conqueror | Quran 12:39 | |
16 | الوهاب | al-wahhaab | The Bestower | The Provider [10] | Quran 38:9 | Also a name of the founder of Wahhabism. |
17 | الرزاق | ar-razaaq | The Provider | The Provider | Quran 51:58 | |
18 | الفتاح | al-fattaah | The Opener | The Opener | Quran 34:26 | "fath" (opening) is a euphemism for Islamic conquests (futuhaat islamiyya, literally "islamic openings"). |
19 | العليم | al-'aleem | The Knowing | The Knowing | Quran 2:158 | |
20 | القابض | al-qaabid | The Restrainer | The Grabbing [11] | Quran 2:245 (it's not there) | قبضة qabda is fist |
21 | الباسط | al-baasit | The Extender | The Extender | Quran 2:245 (it's not there) | It should be actually باصط. |
22 | الخافض | al-khaafid | The Humiliator | The Lessener/Lowerer | Quran 56:3 (it's not there) | |
23 | الرافع | ar-raafee | The Exalter | The Raiser | Quran 56:3 (it's not there) | |
24 | المعز | al-muiz | The Giver of Honor | The Honored | Quran 3:26 (it's not there) | المعز also means "The Goat" |
25 | المذل | al-mudhil | The Giver of Dishonor | The Humiliating [12] | Quran 3:26 (it's not there) | |
26 | السميع | al-samii | The Hearing | The Hearing | Quran 2:127 | |
27 | البصير | al-baseer | The All-Seeing | The Seeing | Quran 4:58 | |
28 | الحكم | al-hakam | The Judge | The Judge | Quran 22:69 (it's not there) | |
29 | العدل | al-adl | The Just | The Justice | Quran 6:115 (it's not there) | |
30 | اللطيف | al-lateef | The Subtly Kind | The Kind | Quran 22:63 | |
31 | الخبير | ar-khabeer | The All-aware | The Informed [13] | Quran 6:18 | |
32 | الحليم | ar-haleem | The Forbearing | The Forbearing | Quran 2:235 | |
33 | العظيم | al-'azeem | The Great | The Great | Quran 2:255 | |
34 | الغفور | ar-ghafoor | The Much Forgiving | The Forgiving | Quran 2:173 | The list already contains Ghaffar, which means the same. |
35 | الشكور | al-shakoor | The Grateful | The Thankful | Quran 35:30 | |
36 | العلى | al-aliyy | The Sublime | The Exalted | Quran 4:34 | |
37 | الكبير | ar-kabeer | The Great | The Great | Quran 13:9 | Not akbar (اكبر) - the Greatest?? |
38 | الحفيظ | al-hafeez | The Preserver | The Preserver | Quran 11:57 | |
39 | المقيت | al-muqeet | The Nourisher | The Nourisher | Quran 4:85 | |
40 | الحسيب | al-haseeb | The Bringer of Judgment | The Accountant | Quran 4:6 | حساب hisaab means account |
41 | الجليل | al-jaleel | The Majestic | The Majestic | Quran 55:27 (it's not there), Quran 7:143 (it's not there) | |
42 | الكريم | al-kareem | The Bountiful | The Bountiful | Quran 27:40 | |
43 | الرقيب | ar-raqeeb | The Watchful | The Watchman | Quran 4:1 | |
44 | المجيب | al-mujeeb | The Responsive | The Responsive | Quran 11:61 | |
45 | الواسع | al-waasie | The Vast | The Vast | Quran 2:268 | |
46 | الحكيم | al-hakeem | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
47 | الودود | al-wadood | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
48 | المجيد | al-maajid | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
49 | الباعث | al-baaith | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
50 | الشهيد | ash-shaheed | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
51 | الحق | al-haqq | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
52 | الوكيل | al-wakeel | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
53 | القوي | al-qawee | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
54 | المتين | al-mateen | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
55 | الولي | al-walee | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
56 | الحميد | al-hameed | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
57 | المحصى | al-muhsee | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
58 | المبدئ | al-mubdi | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
59 | المعيد | al-mueed | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
60 | المحي | al-muhee | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
61 | المميت | al-mumeet | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
61 | الحى | al-hayy | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
63 | القيوم | al-qayyum | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
64 | الواجد | al-waajid | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
65 | الماجد | al-maajid | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
66 | الواحد | al-waahid | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
67 | الأحد | al-ahad | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
68 | الصمد | as-samad | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
69 | القادر | al-qaadir | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
70 | المقتدر | al-muqtadir | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
71 | المقدم | al-muqaddim | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
72 | المؤخر | al-muakhir | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
73 | الأول | al-awwal | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
74 | الآخر | al-aakhir | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
75 | الظاهر | az-zaahir | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
76 | الباطن | al-baatin | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
77 | الوالي | al-waali | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
78 | المتعالي | al-mutaali | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
79 | البر | al-barr | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
80 | التواب | at-tawwaab | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
81 | المنتقم | al-muntaqim | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
82 | العفو | al-'afuu | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
83 | الرؤف | ar-rauf | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
84 | مالك الملك | maalik ul-mulk | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
85 | ذو الجلال والإكرام | dhul jalaal wal ikraam | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
86 | المقسط | al-muqsit | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
87 | الجامع | al-jaami | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
88 | الغني | al-ghaani | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
89 | المغني | al-mughni | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
90 | المانع | al-maani | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
91 | الضار | ad-daar | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
92 | النافع | an-naafi | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
93 | النور | an-noor | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
94 | الهادي | al-haadi | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
95 | البديع | al-badee | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
96 | الباقي | al-baaqi | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
97 | الوارث | al-waarith | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
98 | الرشيد | ar-rasheed | The | The | Quran 1:1 | |
99 | الصبور | as-saboor | The | The | Quran 1:1 |
References
- ↑ http://quranx.com/7.180
- ↑ https://www.almaany.com/en/dict/ar-en/%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%83/
- ↑ http://quranx.com/59.23
- ↑ http://www.qtafsir.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1602&Itemid=115
- ↑ https://www.almaany.com/en/dict/ar-en/%D9%85%D8%A4%D9%85%D9%86/
- ↑ http://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=Amn
- ↑ https://www.almaany.com/en/dict/ar-en/%D8%B9%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B2/
- ↑ https://www.almaany.com/en/dict/ar-en/%D8%AC%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1/
- ↑ https://www.almaany.com/en/dict/ar-en/%D9%85%D8%AA%D9%83%D8%A8%D8%B1/
- ↑ https://www.almaany.com/en/dict/ar-en/%D9%88%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%A8/
- ↑ https://www.almaany.com/en/dict/ar-en/%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%B6/
- ↑ https://www.almaany.com/en/dict/ar-en/%D9%85%D8%B0%D9%84/
- ↑ https://www.almaany.com/en/dict/ar-en/%D8%AE%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B1/