The 99 'Names'
- philhoraia
- Oct 24, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Jul 13, 2022
We are told that Allah has 99 ‘names’. In Al-Bukhari we read: Narrated Abu Huraira:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah has ninety-nine names, i.e. one-hundred minus one, and whoever knows them will go to Paradise." (Please see Hadith No. 419 Vol. 8) https://sunnah.com/bukhari/54/23
But all the ‘name’ ahadith are, to my knowledge, da’if, and there is no agreed list. We read in Islamqa: Al-Bukhaari (2736) and Muslim (2677) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has ninety-nine names, one hundred less one. Whoever learns them will enter Paradise.”
Some of the scholars (such as Ibn Hazm – may Allaah have mercy on him) understood this hadeeth as meaning that the names of Allaah are limited to this number. See al-Muhalla, 1/51
But what Ibn Hazm said is not supported by the majority of scholars. Rather some of them (such as al-Nawawi) narrated that the scholars are agreed that the names of Allaah are not limited to this number. It seems that they regarded the view of Ibn Hazm as odd and as something that should not be paid any attention.
In support of the view that the beautiful names of Allaah are not limited to this number, they quoted the report narrated by Ahmad (3704) from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no-one who is afflicted by distress and grief, and says: ‘Allaahumma inni ‘abduka ibn ‘abdika ibn amatija naasyati bi yadika, maada fiyya hukmuka, ‘adlun fiyya qadaa’uka. As’aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw ‘allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw ista’tharta bihi fi ‘ilm il-ghayb ‘indaka an taj’al al-Qur’aana rabee’ qalbi wa noor sadri wa jalaa’ huzni wa dhihaab hammi (O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of Your maidservant; my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with You, that You make the Qur’aan the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety),’ but Allaah will take away his distress and grief, and replace it with joy.” He was asked: “O Messenger of Allaah, should we learn this?” He said: “Of course; everyone who hears it should learn it.”
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 199.
The phrase “or You have preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with You” indicates that there are beautiful names of Allaah that He has kept with Him in the knowledge of the Unseen, and which none of His creation has come to know. This indicates that there are more than ninety-nine Names.
Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] said concerning this hadeeth in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (6/374):
This indicates that Allaah has more than ninety-nine names.
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