Monday 20 June 2011

99 attributes of Allah

Praise be to Allah,
full of Grace and Mercy; Peace and Blessings be upon His servant
Muhammad, along with his Family and Companions.

"
'Wa Lillahil Asmaaul Husna, Fad'uhu Biha', i.e, The Most Beautiful
Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by Them."
(Quran
A'raf 7: 180)

Abu Hurairah (may
Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Peace
and Blessings be upon him) said, "There
are 99 Names that are Allah's alone, one-hundred less one.

Whoever (learns, understands, and) enumerates Them, enters Paradise.


Allah is 'Witr', i.e, Odd in number, and loves Witr."

(Related by Imaam Bukhari, Vol. 8, Kitab 'Da'wat'; also related
by Imaam Muslim in Kitab 'Dhikr wa Du'aat'; See Lu'lu wal Marjan,
Hadith #1714)

The
Evidences for Allah's Beautiful Names:

The hadith most often quoted and
widely distributed all over is the one contained in Sunan Tirmidhi
(5/530, Hadeeth no.3507), in which is listed 99 Names of Asmaaul
Husna in detail fully. This hadith was deemed by the scholars of
hadith as being one that is 'Dhaeef', i.e, weak, in caliber of narration.
Similarly, other ahadith list 99 Names in full as well, but they
were all deemed 'Dhaeef'. None of the hadith texts that have 99
Names listed is graded higher than 'Dhaeef'. Therefore, we do not
recommend the use of those Ahadith. However, we are not saying those
Names are 'Maudhuc', i.e, fabricated, rather their grade level of
those ahadith are 'Dhaeef', though they contain many authentic Names
in their listings.

Since exalting Allah is a must from
all kinds of unclear, not-so-strongly reported Names and Attributes,
we list for you, dear brothers and sisters in Islam, Names and Attributes
that can be found in the Holy Quran and in the 'Sahih' Ahadith,
i.e, high caliber authenticated narrations, below.

We have limited ourselves to just
one sufficient proof for each name, though many Names occur in the
authentic texts in several instances. Those found in the Quran are
listed first, though many of them occur in the hadith as well, followed
by those found in the Sahih texts. The meanings in English or other
can be found in their respective verses mentioned in texts of the
translated Quran. We have, however, compiled meanings for the first
seven Exalted Names.

NAMES IN THE QURAN:

First Category:
Those Names found not in annexation nor in plural form,

but in Singular Word or Noun :

1.
ALLAH, la Ilaha illa Huwa, i.e, there is no god but He:

The most common Name found in the Quran and Sunnah.

First proof in the Quran (1:1) meaning Surah (i.e, chapter) 1, and
Ayah (i.e, verse) 1.

2.
Ar-RAHMAAN: (1:3)

3.
Ar-RAHEEM: (1:3)

4.
Al-MALIK: (59:23)

5.
Al-QUDDUUS: (59:23)

6.
AS-SALAAM: (59:23)

7.
Al-MU'MIN: (59:23)

8. Al-MUHAYMIN:
(59:23)

9. Al-AZEEZ:
(59:23)

10. Al-JABBAAR:
(59:23)

11. Al-MUTAKABBIR:
(59:23)

12. Al-KHAALIQ:
(59:24)

13. Al-BAARI':
(59:24)

14. Al-MUSAWWIR:
(59:24)

15. Al-HAKEEM:
(59:24)

16. Al-AWWAL:
(57:3)

17.
Al-AAKHIR: (57:3)

18. At-THAAHIR:
(57:3)

19. Al-BAATIN:
(57:3)

20. Al-HAYY:
(2:255)

21. Al-QAYYUM:
(2:255)

22. Al-ALIYY:
(2:255)

23. Al-ATHEEM:
(2:255)

24. Al-AHAD:
(112:1)

25. As-SAMAD:
(112:2)

26. Al-ALEEM:
(22:59)

27. Al-HALEEM:
(22:59)

28. Al-AFUW:
(22:60)

29. Al-GHAFUUR:
(22:60)

30. As-SAMEE':
(22:61)

31. Al-BASEER:
(22:61)

32. Al-HAQQ:
(22:62)

33. Al-KABEER:
(22:62)

34. Al-LATEEF:
(22:63)

35. Al-KHABEER:
(22:63)

36. Al-GHANIYY:
(22:64)

37. Al-HAMEED:
(22:64)

38. Ar-RA'UUF:
(22:65)

39. Al-WAAHID:
(39:4)

40. Al-QAHHAAR:
(39:4)

41. Al-GHAFFAAR:
(39:5)

42. Al-WAHHAAB:
(3:8)

43. Ar-RAZZAAQ:
(51:58)

44. Al-MATEEN:
(51:58)

45. Al-FATTAAH:
(34:26)

46. Al-KAAFI:
(39:36)

47. Al-HAKAM:
(6:114)

48. As-SHAAKIR:
(2:158)

49. As-SHAKUUR:
(35:30)

50. Al-HAFEEDH:
(11:57)

51. Al-HASEEB:
(4:6)

52. Al-MUQEET:
(4:85)

53. Al-KAREEM:
(82:6)

54. Al-AKRAM:
(96:3)

55. Al-QAREEB:
(11:61)

56. Al-MUJEEB:
(11:61)

57. Al-WAASI':
(2:115)

58. As-SHAHEED:
(85:9)

59. Al-WADUUD:
(85:14)

60. Al-MAJEED:
(85:15)

61. Al-KAFEEL:
(16:91)

62. Al-QAAHIR:
(6:18)

63. Al-WAKEEL:
(6:102)

64. Al-GHAALIB:
(12:21)

65. Al-QAWIYY:
(42:19)

66. Al-WALIYY:
(42:28)

67. Al-MAWLAA:
(47:11)

68. Al-MUBEEN:
(24:25)

69. Al-MUHEEDH:
(2:19)

70. Al-QAADIR:
(75:40)

71. Al-MALEEK:
(54:55)

72. Al-MUQTADIR:
(54:55)

73. Al-MUTA'AAL:
(13:9)

74. Al-BARR:
(52:28)

75. At-TAWWAAB:
(49:12)

76. Al-MUSTA'AAN:
(21:112)

77. Al-KHALLAAQ:
(15:86)

78. Al-QADEER:
(2:284)

79. Al-HAADI:
(25:31)

80. An-NASEER:
(25:31)

81. Ar-RAQEEB:
(4:1)

82. Al-A'LAA:
(87:1)

Second Category:
Those Names that were derived as they happened

in plural form though the meaning is singular since Allah is One:

83. Al-WAARITH:
(15:23)

Third Category:
Those Names found in annexation with other Nouns:

84. Al-ALLAAM:
(5:109)

85. Al-FAATIR:
(35:1)

86. Al-MUHYI:
(41:39)

87. Ar-RABB:
(1:2)

88. Al-MAALIK:
(3:26)

89. Al-AALIM:
(59:22)

90. Al-GHAAFIR:
(40:3)

91. Al-BADEE':
(2:117)

92. An-NUUR:
(24:35)

93. Al-JAAMI':
(3:9)

Fourth Category:
Those Names found with 'Dhu' or 'Dhi' or 'Dhal':

94. Dhul
Fadhl
:
(2:105)

95. Dhul
Arsh
:
(85:15)

96. Dhil
Ma'aarij
:
(70:3)

97. Dhul
Jalali wal Ikram
:
(55:27)

98. Dhul
Tawl
:
(40:3)

NAMES FOUND
IN THE SUNNAH:

99. SUBBUUH
(i.e, The Exalted):



A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger
of Allah (Peace be upon him) would say while in Salaah in Ruku'
(i.e, bowing) and in Sujuud (i.e, prostrating):

'Subbuuh, Qudduus, Rabbul
Malaaikah
wa Ruuh'

(i.e, Exalted is He, Holy is He, Lord of the angels and the Ruuh,
i.e, Jibreel)
."

(Related by Muslim; See Husnil Muslim of Qahtaani, #35)

100,101,102. QAYYIM,
MUQADDIM, MU'AKHKHIR


(i.e, The Keeper, The Expeditor, The Delayer):



Ibn Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: When the Prophet
(Peace be upon him) got up at night (for Tahajjud, i.e, latenight
prayer), he would say in Du'aa Istiftah (i.e, opening his
prayer):


'O Allah! All Praise belongs to You, You are Nuur (i.e, The
Light) of the heavens and the earth and all that is within them.
All Praise is due to You, You are Qayyim (i.e, The Keeper)
of the heavens and the earth and all that is within them. To You
belongs all Praise, You are Rabb (i.e, The Lord) of the heavens
and the earth and all that is within them. Praise be to You, to
You belong the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and all that
is within them. Praise to You, You are Malik (i.e, The King)
of the heavens and the earth. And 'Lakal Hamdu' (i.e, All Praise
due to You), You are Al-Haqq (i.e, The Truth), Your promise
is true, Your Word is true, meeting You (in the hereafter) is true,
Al-Jannah (i.e, the Garden of Paradise) is true, An-Naar
(i.e, Hellfire) is true, the Prophets are true, Muhammad (PBUH)
is true, and the Final Hour (of the end this world) is true. O Allah!
unto You I submit, in You I believe, upon You I rely, to You I turn
in repentance, for you I have fought, and to you I seek arbitration.
So forgive me of my sins: for what I have done in the past, and
what will come to pass, and what I have hidden, and what I have
confessed, and what You know better than me (of what I did or will
do). You are Al-Muqaddim (i.e, The One who favours and puts
forward whom He pleases), and You are Al-Mu'akhkhir (i.e,
The One who delays and holds back whom He pleases), there is no
god but You, and You are my Ilah (i.e, God), none has the
right to be worshipped except You.
" (Related by Bukhari and
Muslim and others; See Husnil Muslim of Qahtaani, #32)

103, 104. HANNAAN,
MANNAAN
(i.e, The Compassionate, The Benefactor):



Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I was sitting
in a gathering with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and a man was
standing for Salaah, after bowing and prostrating he sat. He said
Tashahhud and then supplicated saying, 'O Allah! Verily,
I ask of You, by the fact that to You belongs all Praise, there
is no god except You, You alone and You have no partners, Al-Mannaan
(i.e, The Benefactor), O Badee' (i.e, Originator) of the
heavens and the earth, O Dhal Jalali wal Ikram (i.e, Lord
of Majesty, Bounty and Honour), O Hayy (i.e, The Everliving)
and O Qayyum (i.e, The Self-subsisting): Indeed I ask of
You Al-Jannah (i.e, The Garden of Paradise), and I seek refuge
with You from An-Naar (i.e, Hellfire)'. The Prophet (PBUH)
said to his companions, 'Do you know with
what he had supplicated?'
They said, 'Allah and His Messenger
know best. He (PBUH) said, 'By Him in Whose
Hand is my soul! he has supplicated Allah with His Greatest Name,
The One with Which if He is supplicated (in Duaa) He answers, and
with Which if He is asked He gives'
." (Related by Abu Dawud,
Tirmidhi, Nasaa'i, Ibn Maajah; Albaani declared it Sahih in 'Sifatu
Salatu Nabi'; See Husnil Muslim of Qahtaani, #64)

In a version of the
same above hadith of Anas ibn Malik, related by Imaam Ahmed in his
Musnad: The Name of Allah Al-Hannaan (i.e, The Compassionate),
is there instead of Al-Mannaan (i.e, The Benefactor). (Musnad,
Vol. 3, p. 158; Albaani said it is Sahih in Mishkat Masaabih, Kitab
Da'wat, #2290; See Fath Rabbani by Ahmed Al-Banna, Vol. 14, p. 279)

105. AS-SHAAFI
(i.e, The Curer or Healer):



A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: Whenever the Prophet
(Peace and Blessings be upon him) paid a visit to a patient or a
patient was brought to him, he used to supplicate,

' O Allah! Rabbi Naas (i.e, Lord of
Mankind)! Remove the trouble and heal the patient, for You are As-Shaafi
(i.e, The Healer). No healing is of any avail but Yours, healing
that will leave behind no trace'.
" (Related by Bukhari, Vol.
7, Kitab 'Dhib'; and Muslim in Kitab 'Salaam';

See Lu'lu wal Marjan, #1414)

106. HAYIYY
(i.e, The Modest):



Salmaan Al-Faarisi (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The
Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said,
"Verily, Allah (Most High) is Hayiyy (i.e, Modest), and Kareem
(i.e, Generous), and He is ashamed to turn away empty the hands
of His slave when he raises them to Him."
(Related by Abu
Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah, and Ahmed; See Sahih Jaami Sagheer
of Albaani, #1757)

107. SITTEER
(i.e, The One Who covers faults):

Ya'ala ibn Umayyah
(may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (Peace and
Blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Verily,
Allah is Hayiyy (i.e, Modest), and Sitteer (i.e, Covers
faults), and He loves modesty and covering other's faults."

(Related by Abu Dawud, Nasaa'i, and Ahmed; See Sahih Jaami Sagheer
of Albaani, #1756)

108. TAYYIB
(i.e, The Good):



Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger
of Allah (Peace and Blessings be upon him) said, "
Verily, Allah (Most High) is Tayyib (i.e, Good), and He accepts
only that which is good."
(Related by Muslim in Kitab 'Zakaah';
See Arba'iin Nawawi, #10)

109. RAFEEQ
(i.e, The Kind):



A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Messenger
of Allah (Peace and Blessings be upon him) said,
" Verily, Allah is Rafeeq (i.e, Kind), and likes kindness
in all matters."
(Related by Bukhari and Muslim; See Riyadh
Saleheen of Nawawi, #633)

110. JAMEEL
(i.e, The Beautiful or Elegant):



Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The
Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings be upon him) said, "
'Anyone who has an iota of 'Kibr' (i.e, Pride and Arrogance) will
not Paradise'.
Someone said, 'What about a man who likes
to have nice clothes and nice shoes? He (PBUH) replied, 'Verily,
Allah is Jameel (i.e, Beautiful), and He loves beauty (and
elegance). 'Kibr' (i.e, Pride and Arrogance) means rejecting the
truth and looking down on other people.'
" (Related by Muslim;
See Riyadh Saleheen of Nawawi, #612)

111. MUHSIN
(i.e, Doer of that which is best)



Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet
(Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "
If you discharge judgment between people be just, and if you kill
do it well, verily, Allah is Muhsin (i.e, Doer of that which
is best), and He loves those who do the best (i.e, the appropriate,
or be just, or be humane, or be more efficient)."
(Related
by Ibn Abi Aasim and Abu Nu'aim; See Silsilah Sahihah of Albaani,
#469)

112, 113, 114, 115.
QAABIT, BAASIT, RAAZIQ, MUSA'IR,

(i.e, Constrictor, Releaser, Nourisher, Appraiser):



Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The people
said to the Prophet (Peace and Blessings be upon him), 'O Messenger
of Allah! Prices (for goods) are expensive, so can you set them
aright for us?' He (PBUH) replied, 'Verily,
He is Allah Who is Al-Khaaliq (i.e, Creator), Al-Qaabit
(i.e, The Constrictor), Al-Baasit (i.e, The Releaser), Ar-Raaziq
(i.e, Sustainer), and Al-Musa'ir (i.e, The Appraiser). Indeed
I hope to meet my Lord without anyone of you holding against me
any act of injustice with respect to blood or wealth'
." (Related
by Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Maajah, and Ahmed; See Sahih Jaami Sagheer
of Albaani, #1846)

116. AL-MU'DHI
(i.e, The Giver)



Mu'awiya (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of
Allah (Peace and Blessings be upon him) said,
" If Allah wants to do good for somebody, He makes him comprehend
the religion. And Allah is Al-Mu'dhi (i.e, The Giver) and
I am Al-Qasim (i.e, the distributor)."

(Related by Bukhari, Vol. 4, Kitab 'Fardh Khumus', #3116)

117. DAYYAAN
(i.e, Final Supreme Justice)



Abdullah ibn Unais (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard
the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) say, "Allah
(Mighty and Glorious is He) will gather the people, and call them
with a Voice which will be heard by those who will be far away and
those who will be near, by saying,

'I am Al-Malik (i.e, The True and Only King), I am Ad-Dayyaan
(i.e, The Final Supreme Judge)."


(Related by Bukhari, Vol. 9, Kitab 'Tawhid')

 


 

CONCLUSION:

Allah, therefore, we must
remember and draw near by learning His Names or His Attributes.
His Name is His proper Name Allah and His Names and
Attributes are innumerable. This does not mean, however, there are
only these above Exalted Names mentioned in the Quran and Sunnah,
there are more names mentioned in Quran and Sunnah not accounted
for in the above list, we have only listed those we ourselves studied
and had strong clear evidence for. As a matter of fact, some people
got confused about the above hadith of Abu Hurairah, RA, which mentions
99 Names of Allah as being a proof of the limit to just the number
99, though it clearly states that the meaning of the hadith is whoever
guards those 99 Names will enter Paradise, not that this is the
limit of the number of Names. Allah's Names and Attributes are numerous
while some were revealed by Him and some were kept with Him (Mighty
and Wise is He) as attested to by this following hadith:

Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud,
RA, reported that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "
There is no one who becomes afflicted with anxiety and sorrow and
then says: ' O Allah! I am your slave, son of your slave, son
of your maidservant, my forelock is in Your Hand (i.e, You have
total mastery over me), Your command over me is forever executed,
and Your decree over me is just, I ask You by every Name which belongs
to You which You named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book (i.e,
the Quran), or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved
in the knowledge of the unseen with You, that You make the Quran
the life of my heart, and the light of my breast, and a departure
for my sorrow, and a release for my anxiety.
' Unless Allah releases
him of his sorrow and anxiety, and He (Most High) exchanges them
in their place happiness for him. And then they (the companions
of prophet Muhammad, Radiya Allahu Anhum) said: O Messenger
of Allah! shouldn't we learn it? He (PBUH) said: Indeed! it is better
for everyone who heard it to learn it
." (Related by
Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal in his Musnad; Albaani declared it Sahih;
See Husnil Muslim of Qahtaani, section of 'Duaa ul Hammi wal Hazn',
i.e, invocation for anxiety and sorrow)

Naming someone
in relation to Allah's Names


It is a good practice of Islam to
name oneself or name his offspring Abd' (i.e, slave of, for boys)
or Amah (i.e, female slave of) along with One of the Most Exalted
Names of Allah: For example, a boy can be named Abdul-Waahid or
a girl can be named Amatil-Waahid. However, we should avoid naming
someone after Names that are not authenticated strongly in the texts
of Quran and Sunnah: For example, Abdul-Rasheed or Abdul-Sabuur
or Abdul-Mun'im.

On the other hand, naming oneself
after One of the Names of Allah word for word like Raheem or Hakeem
is permissible with exceptions: For example, one should never name
himself Allah, or Rahman, or Ahad (i.e, The
One), or Samad (i.e, One whom all creatures need and He does
not need anyone), or Khallaaq (i.e, Creator Supreme), or
Jabbaar (i.e, One who cannot be resisted), or Mutakabbir
(i.e, Full of Pride), or Atheem (i.e, The Greatest), or Hayy
(i.e, the Everliving), or Qayyum (i.e, Self-subsisting),
or A'laa (i.e, Most High), or Akram (i.e, Most Noble),
or Razzaaq (Sustainer Supreme), or Mannaan (i.e, The
Benefactor), or Dayyaan (i.e, the Final Supreme Judge), for
those Names are exclusively for Allah Most High. Similarly, other
Names should be approached carefully so that one should not name
himself Maalikul Mulk (i.e, Owner of All), or Rabbul 'Aalimeen
(i.e, Lord of the Worlds), or Rabbul A'laa (i.e, Lord Most
High), or Aalimul Ghayb (i.e, the knower of the unseen),
for such exaltation belongs only to Allah, but one can be called
Maalik for instance.

It is not recommended, though, to
name oneself Word for Word Allah's Names unless it is accompanied
by Abd' or 'Ubayd or Amah, to demonstrate clearly our belonging
to Allah as we are His own hand-crafted slaves and creation. On
the opposite, it is not permissible to use the prefix Abd' or Ubayd
or Amah expressing servitude to other than Allah: For example, Abdul-Rasuul
(i.e, the slave of the Messenger), or Abdul-Shams (i.e, the slave
of the Sun), or Abdul-Hassan (i.e, the slave of a someone named
Hassan).

 


 

This above presentation
was compiled from:

- Mu'jam Mufahris li'alfadhi Quran Kariim, compiled by Sh. Muhammad
Fuad AbdulBaaqi.

- Qawaa'id Muthla, written by Sh. Muhammad Saleh Uthaymeen.

- Asmaaul Allah wa Sifaatihi, written by Sh. Umar Suleyman Al-Ashqar.

- Al Usratu Muslimah, vol. 4, named Ufladu Akbaduna, written by
Muhammad al Jibali.

- Husnil Muslim min Adhkar Kitab wa Sunnah, compiled Saeed ibn Ali
ibn Wahf Qahtaani.

- Sifatu Salatu Nabi, written by Sh. Nasiruddin Albaani.

- Lu'lu wal Marjan, compiled by Sh. Muhammad Fuad AbdulBaaqi.

- Arba'iin Nawawi, compiled by Imaam Nawawi.

- Riyadh Saleheen, compiled by Imaam Nawawi.

- Mishkat Masaabih, authenticated by Sh. Nasiruddin Albaani.

- Sahih Bukhari, compiled by Imaam Bukhari.

- Sahih Muslim, compiled by Imaam Muslim.

- Sahih Jaami Sagheer, compiled by Sh. Nasiruddin Albaani.

- Silsilah Sahihah, compiled by Sh. Nasiruddin Albaani.

 

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