The Prophet ﷺ said, “Allah has ninety-nine names; whoever learns them will enter Paradise.” Indeed, among the most important aspects of faith in Allah Most High — the first pillar of faith — is knowing Him, Glorified be He, through His Names and Attributes. This knowledge produces khashyah (reverent fear) and guides a person to righteous actions — that is, it manifests in pious and virtuous deeds while deterring one from evil — in accordance with the methodology of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamāʿah. (See: Tafsīr Asmāʾ Allāh al-Ḥusnā li-al-Saʿdī’)
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Imām Ibn Qayim (rahimallāhu) states in Madārij al-Sālikeen:
أَسْمَاؤُهُ كُلُّهَا أَسْمَاءُ مَدْحٍ وَحَمْدٍ وَثَنَاءٍ وَتَمْجِيدٍ، وَلِذَلِكَ كَانَتْ حُسْنَى، وَصِفَاتُهُ كُلُّهَا صِفَاتُ كَمَالٍ، وَنُعُوتُهُ كُلُّهَا نُعُوتُ جَلَالٍ، وَأَفْعَالُهُ كُلُّهَا حِكْمَةٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَمَصْلَحَةٌ وَعَدْلٌ
“All of His names are names of praise, commendation, exaltation, and glorification; for this reason they are all Beautiful. All of His attributes are attributes of perfection, all of His descriptions are descriptions of majesty, and all of His actions are wisdom, mercy, benefit, and justice.”
Allah describes his names as beautiful in four places in the Qur’an:
First Verse
وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ فَٱدْعُوهُ بِهَا ۖ وَذَرُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِىٓ أَسْمَآئِهِۦ ۚ سَيُجْزَوْنَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ
“And 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.”
[Sūrah al-Aʿrāf (7:180)]
Second Verse
Allah, Most Exalted states:
قُلِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ أَوِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنَ ۖ أَيًّۭا مَّا تَدْعُوا۟ فَلَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَٱبْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًۭا
“Say: Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful—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 in between.”
[Sūrah al-Isrāʾ (17:110)]
Third Verse
Allah, Most Exalted states:
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ لَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ
“Allah—there is no deity except Him. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names.”
[Sūrah Ṭā Hā (20:8)]
Fourth Verse
Allah, Most Exalted states:
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْخَـٰلِقُ ٱلْبَارِئُ ٱلْمُصَوِّرُ ۖ لَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
“He is Allah—the Creator, the Originator, the Fashioner. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Whatever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Him, and He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise.”
[Sūrah al-Ḥashr (59:24)
In his book al-Shiʿar wa al-Shuʿarāʾ, Imām Ibn Qutaybah (rahimallahu) quotes the following poetic couplet:
وقد استأثر الله بالثناء وبالحمد وولى الملامة الرجلا
“Allah has reserved praise and commendation exclusively for Himself, while blame has been assigned to mankind.”
In conclusion, the more a person familiarises himself with knowledge of Allah, His Exalted Names, and Attributes, the stronger his faith becomes, influencing every aspect of his life. For example, if someone feels unappreciated by others despite their effort, or believes their righteous deeds are insignificant, they should take comfort in the fact that Allah is al-Shakūr (The All-Appreciative).
First Name: Allah
Introduction
Among the most exalted names of Allah is His supreme name: Allah — mentioned repeatedly throughout the Qur’an. Many scholars have included it among the Most Beautiful Names of Allah (al-Asma al-Husna).
A group of scholars consider this name to be the Greatest Name of Allah (al-Ism al-Aʿẓam). According to authentic narrations, whoever calls upon Allah with this name (al-Ism al-Aʿẓam), their supplication will be answered.
However, just like Laylat al-Qadr or the special hour of acceptance on Jumu‘ah, its exact identification has been concealed from us. The wisdom behind this is that a believer should invoke Allah using all of His Beautiful Names, not limiting themselves to one.
Linguistic Definition
The word Allah is derived in the Arabic language from al-ilah (أله).
However, Imam Abu Haytham said: “Its origin is أله ولاه (the deity to whom people turn with love, longing, and submission).
Surely people turn (يولهون) to Him with their needs, call upon Him in distress, and seek refuge in Him in all situations, just as a child seeks (يوله) its mother.”
Imam Az-Zajjaj weakened this view (that its root is walāh).
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim said: Its root is الإه: the One who encompasses all attributes of perfection and majesty. Therefore, this name (Allah) encompasses all of the “Most Beautiful Names” (asmā al-husnā).
That is why the correct opinion is that the root is الإله, and this is the view of the majority of the scholars.
Technical definition (Iṣṭilāḥ)
Al-ilāh is the One whom the servants worship with love, reverence, hope, fear, and obedience — the One to whom hearts are attached, and who is adored (maʿlūh) by all of His creation.
In other words, it signifies Allah as the true Lord, the One described with all of the Most Beautiful Names — such as the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful, the All-Forgiving, the Merciful, the All-Hearing, and the All-Seeing.
A beautiful couplet is mentioned in al-Nūniyyah:
هذا ولفظ الله أظهر لفظة
And this – the word “Allah” is the most manifest of all words.
نطق اللسان بها مدى الأزمان
Uttered by tongues throughout all ages of time.
True Richness: Worshipping Allah with Love and Humility
A believer should strive to worship Allah in the best manner — with the highest degree of love, humility, and reverence.
Imam Ibn Qayyim (Rahimallāhu) quotes a profound couplet:
غنيت بلا مال عن الناس كلهم
I became rich without wealth, independent of all people.
وإن الغنى العالي عن الشيء لا به
For true richness is to be free of need for something, not by possessing it.
He (Rahimallāhu) further explains:
“If you ponder on this name, you will find it encompassing everything: all perfection absolutely, all praise, all goodness, every grace, every act of generosity, every virtue, and every beauty.
For everything that is complete, praiseworthy, beautiful, good, and perfect is attributed to Allah. He alone deserves all praise, gratitude, remembrance, and worship.”
The Virtues of Reciting The Name Allāh
al-Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (Rahimallāhu) mentions some virtues of reciting the name Allāh:
- Whenever this name [Allah] is mentioned in times of scarcity, it brings abundance.
- Whenever it is mentioned in fear, it removes it.
- Whenever it is mentioned in distress, it relieves it.
- Whenever it is mentioned in worry or grief, it dispels it.
- Whenever it is mentioned in tight circumstances, it brings ease.
- No weak one clings to it except that he is granted strength.
- No humiliated one except that Allah grants him honor.
- No poor one except that he is made rich.
- No lonely one except that he finds comfort.
- No defeated one except that he is aided and given victory.
- No distressed one except that his hardship is removed.
- No displaced one except that he is given shelter.
Surely Allah says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ ذِكْرًا كَثِيرًا
O you who believe, remember Allah with much remembrance.
هُوَ الَّذِي يُصَلِّي عَلَيْكُمْ
And glorify Him morning and evening. It is He who confers blessing upon you..
[33:41-43 (Surah Al-Ahzab)]
The Name That Encompasses All Affairs
Imam Ibn Qayim (Rahimallāhu) states: It is the name through which:
- Calamities are lifted
- Blessings descend
- Supplications are answered
- Slips and errors are pardoned
- Evil is repelled, and good deeds are accepted.
It is the name by which:
- Heavens and the earth were established;
- By which the scriptures were revealed;
- By which the messengers were sent;
- By which the laws were legislated;
- By which the limits were established;
- And by which creation was divided into the blessed and the wretched.
- By it, the Day of Resurrection will be established,
- the Inevitable Event will occur
- the scales of justice will be set
- the bridge (al-ṣirāṭ) will be laid down,
- and the markets of Paradise and Hell will be opened (meaning people will either be rewarded or punished).
- And by it, the Lord of all worlds is worshipped.
Virtues of Reciting the Name Allah from Ahadith
al-Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (رحمه الله) mentions that the best form of dhikr is that which includes the name Allah, accompanied by words of praise, glorification, and reverence — connected to faith (īmān) — and that which has been authentically narrated from the Prophet ﷺ along with its virtues.
Some virtues of Dhikr are as follows:
Saying: سُبْحَانَ اللَّه (Subḥānallāh) – The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever says ‘Subḥānallāh wa bi ḥamdih’ one hundred times a day, his sins will be forgiven even if they are like the foam of the sea.” (Bukhārī, Muslim)
Saying: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّه (Alḥamdulillāh) – The Prophet ﷺ said: ““The best dhikr is Lā ilāha illallāh, and the best supplication is Al-ḥamdu lillāh.” (Tirmidhī, 3383)
Saying: اللَّهُ أَكْبَر (Allāhu Akbar) – The Prophet ﷺ said: “Saying Subḥānallāh, Alḥamdulillāh, and Allāhu Akbar is more beloved to me than everything the sun rises upon.” (Muslim, 2695)
Saying: لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّه (Lā ilāha illallāh) – The Prophet ﷺ said: “The best remembrance (adhkār) is Lā ilāha illallāh.” (Tirmidhī, 3383)
Saying: لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّه (Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh) – The Prophet ﷺ said: “Shall I not tell you of a phrase that is one of the treasures of Paradise? It is: Lā ḥawla wa lā quwwata illā billāh.” (Bukhārī, Muslim)
