Verses 180–186

Introduction

16:250This section builds on the last section by defining the criterion of guidance and error: it is whether one calls God by His excellent names, or commits sacrilege with respect to His names. All people—whether religious or atheist, educated or illiterate—acknowledge God through their fiṭrah (primal nature, innate disposition, initial makeup). They know intuitively that this visible world depends on a reality that upholds all its parts and gives order to it. That reality is God, from Whom everything originates, and to Whom everything returns. He is the One Who bestows upon the world any beauty or perfection that it has. All is from Him and belongs to Him. Notwithstanding this essential agreement, people can be classified into three groups with respect to their view of God:

(1) Some people describe God with names that are only befitting of Him. These are names that affirm all perfection for God, and negate all defect and deficiency from Him.

(2) Some people commit sacrilege in His names, meaning that they distort the divine names and ascribe them to other beings. Here are some examples of such people:

(a) Atheists and materialists: they ascribe qualities that are exclusively God’s—such as creating, giving life, and providing sustenance—to nature or matter.

(b) Idol-worshipers: they ascribe good and prosperity to their gods. (c) Some People of the Book, who describe their prophets or saints with divine qualities.

(d) Some believers [that is, Muslims in particular, or monotheists more generally] who treat the means and instruments in the world as independent causes, while the only independent force in the world is God.

(3) Some people believe in God, but they too commit sacrilege in His names through ascribing certain qualities and actions to Him that are not befitting of Him. Here are some examples of such beliefs:

(a) God is physical.

(b) He has a location.

(c) He can be perceived with our senses in certain conditions.

(d) His knowledge, will and power are like our knowledge, will and power.

(e) His existence endures in time.

16:251(f) It is possible for wrong actions or ignorant rulings to issue from

Him.

All of these are forms of committing sacrilege with respect to His names.

These three groups can be further generalized into two groups in reality: (i) One group calls God through His excellent names. They worship Allah, Who is possessor of glory and grace. They are those who are guided to the truth. (ii) Another group commits sacrilege in His name, through either applying His names to other beings, or applying their names to Him. They are straying, and their path leads to hell, although they are at different levels and degrees of error.

God further clarifies that all guidance is from Him. Guidance is a positive quality, and its reality belongs to God. Meanwhile, it is not possible to attribute ḍalāl (misguidance, straying, error) to God whatsoever. The reality of ḍalāl is lacking God’s guidance, which makes it a privative and non-existential quality. Yet, sometimes it is used as a quality that the person “possesses” or an inseparable trait of a soul. What is meant in these cases is being deprived and cut off from God’s blessing. This is itself a divine punishment for those who choose error over guidance. It is how God penalizes those who reject His signs and communications. It is in this sense that the Qur’an attributes ḍalāl to God. His role here is to give them respite (imlāʾ) and lead them step-by-step into temptation (istidrāj).

The previous set of verses said that guidance and error are all from God [7:178]. These verses elaborate on the essence and reality of that. They clarify that one’s guidance depends on calling God by His excellent names—and all excellent names belong to God—while one’s error is a result of committing sacrilege in His names. A group of people are guided by God’s guidance, such that they do not deviate from Him to others. And a group of people stray, deviate from His names, and deny His signs. God drives the second group to hell because of denying His signs and communications, as He said: Certainly We have created for hell many of the jinn and humans… (7:179). He does this through a gradual process of leaving them on their own and giving them respite.

Commentary

وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ فَٱدْعُوهُ بِهَا ۖ وَذَرُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِىٓ أَسْمَـٰٓئِهِۦ ۚ سَيُجْزَوْنَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ ۝١٨٠

16:2527:180 To Allah belong the most excellent names (al-asmāʾ al-ḥusná), so supplicate Him by them, and abandon those who commit sacrilege in His names. Soon they shall be requited for what they used to do.

Linguistically speaking, the word ism (name, noun) is something that serves to denote and indicate something. This can be in two ways: (1) Sometimes it is a word that indicates a certain meaning, such as nonproper nouns. (2) Sometimes it is a proper noun that refers to a certain being, such as Zayd and ʿAmr. The latter is especially true about improvised proper nouns [which are unprecedented by any particular meaning]. The word al-ḥusná is the feminine form of aḥsan (best, most beautiful, most excellent). This shows that what is meant by “names” here is not merely proper names, but names that indicate a meaning and describe the qualities of the being. In fact, one may question whether any of God’s names is purely a proper name. Furthermore, the verse is not merely about meaningful and descriptive names, but names that have an element of ḥusn (goodness, beauty, excellence); and not just that, but the highest degree of ḥusn when compared to other names with respect to God. For instance, “courageous” and “self-restrained” are good qualities, but they are not applicable to God’s sanctity since they imply an integral element of physicality that cannot be stripped from them. If such elements [of deficiency and materiality] can be divested of a name, then it can be applied to God, such as al-Jawād (the Generous), al-ʿAdl (the All-Just) and al-Raḥīm (the Ever-Merciful).

Therefore, an “excellent name” of God would be a name that has two properties: (1) It denotes a quality of perfection. (2) It is free from all defect, and unmixed with any non-existential aspect, unless it can be divested and abstracted from that aspect. The second condition refers to anything that implies some need or deficiency on the part of God, such as being physical, having physical properties, ¹ committing evil, being unjust or having a lack.

It should be noted that all divine names are still part of our language. They are words that we have designed for human applications, which always have an element of limitation, need and imperfection. However, even though all these names and qualities originate from the limited world of human existence, they can be classified into two types: (1) There are some concepts that are inherently limited, such that we cannot negate their element of need and deficiency. Some examples are body, color and size. (2) There are other concepts that can be divested from human limitations, such as knowledge, power and life. In the case of human knowledge, we develop a mental image of something from the outside world through our physical senses. Our knowledge is to conceptually encompass that mental image. Human power is the capacity to act through the physical movement of our muscles. Human life is our state of having knowledge and power through the means and instruments of each. None of these qualities is befitting of God, but we can strip their material aspects from their core meanings. Then knowledge would be encompassing something through the presence of that thing before the knower. Power would be the capacity to give existence to something. And life would be the quality of having knowledge and power.² These abstracted meanings can be safely applied to God, since they are free from the human aspects of limitation and need.

16:253Based on both rational proof and scriptural evidence, all qualities of perfection belong to God. He is the One Who bestows³ these qualities upon other beings without any previous model or example to follow. Hence, God is Knowledgeable, Powerful, and Living. He does not possess these attributes in the way that we do, but in a way that is appropriate to His precinct of sanctity, which means the reality and essence of these perfections, without any element of imperfection.

The verse literally says, “Belong to God the most excellent names,” where the predicate (Belong to God) precedes the subject (the most excellent names). This way of expression indicates exclusivity. Al-asmāʾ is a plural noun (asmāʾ) used with the article al-. Such usage shows universality and encompassment. This means that all beautiful names in existence belong to God alone, and no one else has any part in them. Nevertheless, we see [in the Qur’an] that God sometimes describes others with these qualities—such as knowledge, life, creation and mercy. Therefore, what is meant here is that the reality of these qualities exclusively belongs to Him.

16:254This is confirmed by the apparent meaning—or rather, by the explicit text—of many verses, such as: that power, altogether, belongs to Allah (2:165); all honor belongs to Allah (4:139); they do not comprehend anything of His knowledge except what He wills (2:255); He is the Living One, there is no god except Him (40:65). These verses show that the reality of any quality of excellence and perfection belongs to God alone. No other being has any share of these qualities except to the extent and in the way that He bestows upon them according to His will.

The same can be inferred from other verses that talk about God’s names in plural: Allah—there is no god except Him—to Him belong the most excellent names (20:8); Say: Invoke “Allah” or invoke “the All-Merciful.” Whichever [of His Names] you may invoke, to Him belong the most excellent names (17:110); To Him belong the most excellent names. Whatever there is in the heavens glorifies Him and [whatever there is in] the earth (59:24). The apparent meaning of all these verses is that the reality of any beautiful name belongs to God alone.

Some exegetes have suggested that the article alin al-asmāʾ [“the” in the most excellent names] is a definite article.⁴ However, this is an unwarranted interpretation, and there is no evidence for it in the verses. This interpretation stems from certain narrations which enumerate the most excellent names of God. We shall discuss them in our next examination of the narrations, by God’s will.

… so supplicate Him (fa-udʿūhu, from daʿwah) by them…: The word daʿwah can have three meanings: (1) Naming. When someone is given a certain name or title, it is said: daʿawtuhu Zaydan or daʿawtuka ʿAbd-Allāh.⁵ (2) Calling. The meaning would be: Call God by these names like O All-Merciful, O Ever-Merciful. (3) Worshiping. The meaning would be: Worship God while you admit that He possesses these excellent qualities and beautiful meanings.

16:255Exegetes have offered all of the above three interpretations, but the usage of duʿāʾ in other similar contexts in the Qur’an favors the last. Here are a few examples:

(i) A verse that we already quoted above: Say: Invoke (udʿū) “Allah” or invoke “the All-Merciful.” Whichever [of His Names] you may invoke, to Him belong the most excellent names (17:110).

(ii) Your Lord has said, “Call Me (udʿūnī), and I will answer you!” Indeed those who are disdainful of My worship (ʿibādatī) will enter hell in utter disgrace (40:60). In this verse, the words duʿāʾ (call) and ʿibādah (worship, service) are used interchangeably.

(iii) Another similar substitution is found in these verses: Who is more astray than him who invokes (yadʿū) besides Allah such as would not respond to him until the Day of Resurrection, and who are oblivious of their invocation (duʿāʾihim)? When humankind are mustered [on the Day of Judgement] they will be their enemies, and they will disavow their worship (ʿibādatihim) (46:5-6).

(iv) He is the Living One, there is no god except Him. So supplicate Him (fa-udʿūhu), putting exclusive faith in Him (40:65). What is meant here is exclusive worship (ʿibādah) of God.

The above interpretation is also confirmed by the subsequent part of this very verse: and abandon those who commit sacrilege in His names. Soon they shall be requited for what they used to do (7:180). The verse talks about being requited for their actions. If the intended meaning of supplicate Him by them was that “you should give these names to God” or “you should call Him with these names” then the verse should have ended by referring to their speech and descriptions—much like the verse: Soon He will requite them for their descriptions (waṣfahum) (6:139)—not by referring to their actions. Nevertheless, naming and calling are also implications of worship.

The meaning is: “All names that are the best of names belong to God. So worship Him and turn to Him through these names.” God knows best.

… and abandon those who commit sacrilege (yulḥidūna) in His names…: The word in the verse can be recited as either yalḥadūna, derived from laḥd; or as yulḥidūna, derived from ilḥād (following the transitive verbal pattern if ʿāl). The two are synonymous. Both laḥd and ilḥād mean “inclining from the middle to one side.” Laḥad is a part of a grave that is on one side, as opposed to ḍarīḥ, which is in the middle. It is narrated from some lexicographers that laḥd means “inclining to one side,” while ilḥād means “dispute, quarrel.”

16:256… Soon they shall be requited for what they used to do: This part of the verse is not connected to the previous part with a conjunction [like and, or, then, so, because]. The reason for this is that the sentence serves to answer an implied question (called a prolepsis). When the verse says: abandon those who commit sacrilege in His names, one would naturally ask, “What will happen to them?” The verse explains: Soon they shall be requited for what they used to do.

There is more to discuss on the topic of God’s most excellent names, which we shall continue after we finish the exposition of this set of verses, by God’s will.

وَمِمَّنْ خَلَقْنَآ أُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَبِهِۦ يَعْدِلُونَ ۝١٨١

7:181 Among those We have created are a nation who guide by the truth and do justice thereby.

We discussed some of the points relating to this verse under a similar verse above: Among the people of Moses is a nation who guide [the people] by the truth and do justice thereby (7:159). The current verse is in a set of verses that divide all humankind into either guided or misguided. Based on the previous verse, the criterion for this division is whether one calls God through the best names that befit Him, or one commits sacrilege with respect to His names. The verse is saying that humankind consists of some group—either small or large—that are truly guided.

What is intended here is genuine guidance and misguidance, which are attributable to God’s doing: Whomever Allah guides is rightly guided (al-muhtadī), and whomever He leads astray—it is they who are the losers (7:178). Muhtadī is derived from ihtidāʾ (being guided, receiving guidance). If one is truly guided (muhtadī), it shows that the person has received genuine guidance (hidāyah), which can only come from God as its sole possessor.

God’s act of guidance does not fail or miss its objective in any way. It secures one from error and straying. We discussed this under other verses such as: So if these disbelieve in them, We have certainly entrusted them to a people who will never disbelieve in them (6:89). Furthermore, one who guides to the truth cannot receive guidance from anyone other than God. This is inferred from the verse: Is He who guides to the truth worthier to be followed, or he who guides not unless he is [himself] guided? (10:35). The reader should reflect on this.

16:257Given the above explanations, the ascription of guidance to the nation mentioned in this verse shows that they are immune from error and fault through clinging and subscribing to God. This can be interpreted in two ways: (1) The entire nation in this verse has this infallibility, which means that the verse is specifically about the prophets and saints. (2) The verse uses the quality of some members of a group to describe the whole. There are other examples of this usage in the Qur’an: Certainly We gave the Children of Israel the Book, judgement and prophethood (45:16); He [God] made you [O Children of Israel] kings (5:20); that you may be witnesses to the people (2:143). In these verses, only a subset of the audience is characterized by the qualities described in the verse. God knows best.

The meaning is: We do not expect from you something that is unfeasible and beyond human capability, because among those We have created are a nation who are genuinely covered with divine guidance, and who guide to the truth. This is because God has blessed them with His particular guidance.

وَٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا سَنَسْتَدْرِجُهُم مِّنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۝١٨٢

7:182 As for those who deny Our signs, We will draw them imperceptibly [into ruin] (sa-nastadrijuhum, from istidrāj), whence they do not know.

Istidrāj is “to raise or lower something or someone step by step.” It is to gradually approach something or some place. Given the verse’s context, what is meant here is to approach ruin and destruction, either in this world or in the hereafter.

… whence they do not know: This qualification means that they do not see, feel, or realize their gradual damnation. This is because they are completely engrossed in the apparent glamor, pleasures and occupations of the material life.

There are two possible interpretations for istidrāj (gradual ruin) in this verse:

(1) They constantly get closer to their own destruction through adding to their wrongdoing, but they do not pause to reflect on their grim end since God keeps renewing and perpetuating His material bounties upon them. We discussed this idea under the verses: Then We changed the evil for good until they multiplied [in numbers] (7:95); Never be misled by the bustle of the faithless in the towns. It is a trivial enjoyment; then their refuge is hell, and it is an evil resting place (3:196-197).⁶

16:258(2) Those who deny the signs and communications of God cut off themselves from the remembrance of their Lord. They cling to the apparent means and instruments in order to secure themselves. As a result, they lose inner peace and the composure of the heart. This is their punishment; they are afflicted by inner agitation, anxiety and stress. The means and sources that they hope in will fail them, and difficulties will pile up on them. They think that this is what life is all about, not realizing the true meaning of a blissful life. Hence they fall into a vicious cycle: they continue seeking and accumulating the adornments of this world, and see that as an extension and increase of blessings upon them. But that only adds to their punishment, until they eventually land on eternal punishment in the hereafter, which will be most calamitous and bitter (54:46). This is how they are on a slippery slope toward punishment from when they deny the signs and communications of their Lord, until they encounter their day, which they are promised (43:83, 70:42).

The second interpretation can be matched with these verses: Lo! The hearts find rest in Allah’s remembrance (13:28); But whoever disregards My remembrance, he shall have a tight life (20:124); So let not their wealth and children impress you: Allah only desires to punish them with these in the life of this world, and that their souls may depart while they are faithless (9:55). However, this sense of istidrāj is not compatible with the next verse: And I will grant them respite (7:183). Hence, we must go with the first interpretation.

وَأُمْلِى لَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّ كَيْدِى مَتِينٌ ۝١٨٣

7:183 And I will grant them respite (umlī, from imlāʾ), for My devising is indeed sure.

Imlāʾ is synonymous with imhāl (to postpone, to delay, to extend). This verse involves a shift of address from the first person plural to the first person singular. There are two explanations for this shift: (1) It shows extra emphasis on their deprivation of divine mercy, and their leading into damnation.⁷ (2) The verse is about postponing their judgment and punishment until their appointed time. This is more elaborately stated in the verse: were it not for a prior decree of your Lord [granting them reprieve] until a specified time, decision would have been made between them (42:14). That is what God said to Adam upon his fall on the earth: On the earth shall be your abode and sustenance for a time (2:36). This is a decree of God’s that is attributable to Him alone. That is why it is expressed in the first person singular. However, in the case of istidrāj, which means bestowing and renewing blessings one after another upon the servant, God’s angels are also involved as intermediaries. That is why the last verse was in the first person plural.

16:259… for My devising is indeed sure: This sentence explains and justifies both the last verse and the current one. This part is also in the first person singular because it encompasses both istidrāj (gradual ruin through blessings) and imhāl (giving respite).

أَوَلَمْ يَتَفَكَّرُوا۟ ۗ مَا بِصَاحِبِهِم مِّن جِنَّةٍ ۚ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ ۝١٨٤

7:184 Have they not reflected that there is no madness (jinnah) in their companion, [and that] he is just a manifest warner?

There is much disagreement among the exegetes about the composition of this verse. The most apparent and direct meaning that springs to the mind, given the context, is that the verse consists of two complete sentences: (1) Have they not reflected? This is a rhetorical question which implies a negation and rebuke. (2) There is no madness in their companion. This is a confirmation of the Prophet’s claim to prophethood. Meanwhile, the second sentence also clarifies what the audience should reflect upon.

The verse can be elaborated as follows: Have they not reflect on the fact that their companion is not a madman—so that this fact would become clear to them? Indeed, there is no madness in him, for he is only a manifest warner.

By referring to the prophet as their companion (ṣāḥib), the verse gives them direction on how to reflect. It is pointing out that the Prophet was among them and in their company throughout his life. So if there were any madness in him, they would have surely known by now. This proves that the news that he has brought is a message of warning, not a symptom of madness.

16:260It is said that jinnah is a specific kind of madness. Another possibility is that it means a person of the jinn. This is based on a common belief at the time that madness is when one of the jinn enters the person and talks using the madman’s tongue.

أَوَلَمْ يَنظُرُوا۟ فِى مَلَكُوتِ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا خَلَقَ ٱللَّهُ مِن شَىْءٍ وَأَنْ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَكُونَ قَدِ ٱقْتَرَبَ أَجَلُهُمْ ۖ فَبِأَىِّ حَدِيثٍۭ بَعْدَهُۥ يُؤْمِنُونَ ۝١٨٥

7:185 Have they not contemplated the kingdom (malakūt) of the heavens and the earth, and whatever things Allah has created, and that maybe their time has already drawn near? So what discourse will they believe after this?!

As we discussed previously, malakūt in the Qur’an refers to the inner aspect of things, through which they face and connect to their Lord. This is deduced from these verses: All His command, when He wills something, is to say to it “Be,” and it is. So glory be to Him in Whose hand is the kingdom (malakūt) of all things (36:82-83). Moreover, observing this divine aspect of things is a necessary concomitant of yaqīn (certitude, conviction). This is inferred from the verse: Thus did We show Abraham the kingdom (malakūt) of the heavens and the earth, that he might be of those who possess certitude (6:75).⁸

The verse reprimands the audience for neglecting and turning away from the divine aspect of things. Why are they oblivious of this aspect? Why do they not look into it, so that it may realize that the Prophet is calling them to the truth?

… and whatever things Allah has created…: The conjunction “and” joins this phrase to the heavens in the previous part. The verse literally says, “And what God has created of anything,” where “of anything” (min shayʾ) describes and clarifies “what” (mā).

The meaning is: Why do they not reflect on the creation of the heavens, the earth, and anything else that God has created? Not in the sense that they are particular objects—which only leads one to a scientific knowledge of their physical properties—but in the sense that they are dependent beings, that they are connected to another source, that they are in need of a Lord Who directs their affairs and the affairs of all things. That is the Lord of the worlds.

16:261… and that maybe their time has already drawn near…: The verse literally says, “And the possible closing on them of their time,” which is treated as a singular noun.⁹ That is why the conjunction “and” is used to add this entire phrase [as a single item] to kingdom in the previous part of the verse.

The implied meaning is: “Do they not contemplate on the fact that their death might have drawn near?” Taking this possibility into account could awaken them and help them stop continuously straying in error. Indeed, the forgetting of death is the primary motive that diverts people’s attention from building their eternal life and makes them fall prey to the illusions of this world. Death is a reality that one does not know when it shall occur. If one only realizes that they have no idea about their time of death, and that it could be any time, then that would uproot their inadvertence, and would prevent them from following their desires and prolonging their hopes.

… So what discourse will they believe after this?!: This means that it is rather hopeless that they would believe. Given the context, the demonstrative pronoun “this” refers to the Qur’an. God has manifested Himself to the people through His speech—the Qur’an—which comprises of rational arguments and moral admonitions that stand to reason. At the same time, the Qur’an is also a clear miracle. Now, if they do not believe in the religion despite the Qur’an, they will not believe by any other means. As God says elsewhere, He has sealed their hearts, so they do not understand the message of guidance, and do not believe in the truth. Thus He says in the next verse: Whomever Allah leads astray has no guide (7:186).

مَن يُضْلِلِ ٱللَّهُ فَلَا هَادِىَ لَهُۥ ۚ وَيَذَرُهُمْ فِى طُغْيَـٰنِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ ۝١٨٦

7:186 Whomever Allah leads astray has no guide, and He leaves them bewildered (yaʿmaḥūna, from ʿamah) in their rebellion.

16:262There are two possible meanings for ʿamah: (1) wandering in error; (2) lack of understanding. The complement of this verse is: “Whomever God guides, no one can mislead.” This is not mentioned here because the verse serves as an explanation and justification for the last verse: So what discourse will they believe…? (7:185). It is as though one has asked, “Why is it that they do not believe?” and this verse explains: “Because whomever Allah leads astray…”

Discussion on the Excellent Names of God

1. What is Meant by the Divine Names and How Can We Know Them?

When we open our eyes, the first thing we get to know is ourselves and the closest things to us. We realize our relation to the outside world based on our need for survival. We notice our organs, faculties and functions that revolve around this need. Those are the first elements of our knowledge. It does not take long for us to find ourselves as needy beings that do not sustain themselves. And so are our faculties and functions. “Need” is one of the first things that we observe in ourselves, as well as in all other things, including our faculties, our functions, and the outside world. Thus we intuitively arrive at a source that fulfills our needs and removes our deficiency. That is God, Who is the end point of all needs and relations. This primary observation and inference of ours is confirmed by the verse: O humankind! You are the ones who stand in need of Allah, and Allah—He is the Ever-Sufficient (35:15).

History is incapable of pinpointing the origin of the human belief in a deity. As one traces humankind to the most ancient people, one continues to find the belief in some supernatural forces that they subscribed to. For instance, such beliefs have been discovered in the aboriginals of the Americas and Australia who lead primitive lives in simple communities. They all believe in some deity, although some might have gone astray with the exact application of this belief. This shows that the belief in some origin—from whom all things emanate—is a necessary requirement of the human fiṭrah (original intuition, primal nature, initial makeup). If one does not arrive at it this, it shows a deviation from one’s fiṭrah. That is like one who accustoms themself to a toxic substance: their physical nature opposes that at first, but they persist until the substance becomes enjoyable to them.

16:263One of the most basic principles of theology is that the existence of all things traces to God. This means that God possesses everything; otherwise, He would not be able to bestow and confer it on others. Nevertheless, the reality of certain things is a sense of need; they indicate an element of imperfection. God, however, is free from all need and imperfection, because He is the Source Whom all beings depend on to fulfill their need and complete their imperfection. This clarifies that God is the absolute holder of all mulk (kingdom, sovereignty) and milk (ownership, possession). To Him belongs any quality of perfection that we find in existence, such as life, power, knowledge, hearing, sight, sustenance, mercy, might, and so on.

This is how we can arrive at the names and attributes of God. For instance:

(i) He is Ever-Living, Omnipotent, Omniscient, Ever-Hearing and Ever-Seeing, because otherwise He would be imperfect. But He is clear of all imperfection.

(ii) He is the Sustainer, the Ever-Merciful, the Ever-Mighty, the Life-Giver, the Death-Giver, the Originator, the Returner and the Resurrector. These are His attributes of action. He possesses these qualities because these acts—giving sustenance, showing mercy, being mighty, giving life, giving death, originating, returning and resurrecting—are His acts.

(iii) He is the All-Glorious, the All-Sacred, the Ever-Sublime, the Ever-Great and the Supreme. These names serve to negate from Him all non-existential traits and anything that indicates some deficiency. The above is how we can prove the divine names and attributes in a straightforward way. The Qur’an confirms this through attributing mulk (kingdom, sovereignty) and milk (ownership, possession) to God in their absolute sense. There are numerous verses to this effect, which we do not need to quote here.

2. Defining the Divine Names and Attributes

There are some aspects of lack that we find in various parts of the world, such as death, deficiency, poverty, abasement, impotence, ignorance, and so on. As we clarified in the last part, we negate these qualities of imperfection from God. Now we should add that the negation of some imperfection reduces to the affirmation of its opposite perfection. For instance, negating poverty means affirming richness; negating dishonor means affirming honor; negating weakness means affirming power; and negating ignorance means affirming knowledge.

16:264We also said that we attribute qualities of perfection to God, such as life, power and knowledge. This is because all perfections in existence emanate from Him. Meanwhile, sometimes there are some aspects of deficiency and imperfection that accompany certain qualities of perfection in some of their instances and applications. We should also negate these aspects from God. For example, consider knowledge. Our knowledge is to conceptually encompass a mental image of an object that we obtain from the outside world through our physical senses. There are some elements of this process that do not befit God, such as the prior existence of the object in the outside, the intermediation of a mental image, and the need of physical organs and senses. These are due to some deficiency in our existence, while God is free from that. What is applicable to Him is the essence and reality of knowledge, which is to encompass something through the presence of that thing. In short, whenever there is an instance of a positive quality, we should affirm for God its core, which is an existential perfection; and we should negate from Him the aspects that boil down to some need or imperfection.

There remains another imperfection that we must negate from God: being limited and defined. If something is limited in any aspect of its existence, it means that there is some greater being that has defined and confined it from outside, for something cannot limit itself. Hence, we also negate all limits and boundaries from God. This means that God is not limited by anything, whether in His essence or in His qualities. That is what He says in the Qur’an: He is the One, the All-Dominant (13:16). This means that His oneness is such oneness that dominates everything. So He is the Being that encompasses all other beings, but Himself is not encompassed by any boundary.

Based on this negation of limits, we arrive at another conclusion: The divine attributes are identical with one another, and they are all identical with the divine essence. They differ only conceptually, but they all refer to the same external reality. If His knowledge, for instance, were different from His power, or if any of His attributes were different from His essence—as is the case in us humans—then that would mean that His attributes and His essence restrict one another. Then one would be limited, and the other would be its limitation; one would be bounded, and the other would be its boundary. This would mean that the divine essence is composed, and needs some boundaries to define it. However, God is free from having components and limits. This is the quality of divine oneness (aḥadiyyah), which does not accept any division whatsoever, and does not take on any external or mental multiplicity.

16:265Some scholars favor an apophatic theology, which says:

All divine attributes should be interpreted as negations, because we must clear Him of the qualities of His creation. Hence, when we say that God has knowledge, power and life, what is meant is that He is free from ignorance, impotence and death. The same goes with the other divine attributes.

Our explanations above should clarify the problem with this view. This view necessitates a negation of all qualities of perfection from God, which is against both our intuitive understanding, and the apparent text of the Qur’an. There are also other similarly implausible views in this regard, such as:

(i) The divine attributes are additional and external to the divine essence.

(ii) We should negate all attributes from God, and only affirm the impacts and effects of those attributes for Him.

All such views are contrary to our intuitive understanding. A more elaborate discussion of them is beyond the scope of the current work.

3. The Classifications of the Divine Names and Attributes

a) Affirmative and Negational Attributes

As we said above, through our intuitive quest, we arrive at certain attributes of God that have an affirmative nature, such as life and knowledge. These attributes denote divine perfections. He also has some negational attributes, such as al-Quddūs (the All-Sacred) and al-Subbūḥ (the All-Glorified). These attributes denote tanzīh (incomparability, transcendence). Hence, the divine attributes can be classified in two categories: thubūtiyyah (affirmative, positive) and salbiyyah (negational, negative, apophatic).

b) Attributes of Essence and Attribute of Action

16:266The divine attributes can also be classified as attributes of essence, and attributes of action. The former are qualities that are identical with the divine essence, such as life, power and essential knowledge. The latter are qualities that are additional and external to the divine essence, such as creation and sustenance. The divine essence takes precedence to them in existence. These qualities are extracted and derived from divine actions.

Here is an example to illustrate what is meant by derivation here: Consider all the bounties and blessings that we have and enjoy. They can be compared to rations that a king allots to his soldiers. We call these blessings “sustenance” (rizq), and we call God “the Sustainer” (al-Rāziq). The same can be said about other qualities of action, such as creation, mercy and forgiveness. These qualities are applied to God, and we derive names for Him based on them, but their meanings are not found in Him in the same way that His essential attributes are found in Him, such as life and power. If the divine essence were really characterized by these qualities, then they would also be attributes of essence, not something external to God’s essence. In short, the divine attributes can also be classified as either attributes of essence or attributes of action.

c) Non-Relational, Relational, and Purely Relational Attributes

Some of God’s attributes have an independent reality of their own, without being tied to anything outside the divine essence, such as life. These are called nafsiyyah (independent, absolute, non-relational). They do not bear some relation to anything outside the divine essence. There are other attributes which also denote an independent quality, but that quality is relational, such as creation (khalq) and fashioning (ṣunʿ). These are called dhāt iḍāfah (with relation). Finally, there are some attributes that denote a purely relational meaning, such as creatorship (khāliqiyyah) and sustainership (rāziqiyyah). These are called iḍāfiyyah maḥḍah (purely relational).¹

16:267d) Exclusive and Common Names

There are some divine names that are only used for God, as it is said about Allāh and al-Raḥmān. Allāh denotes God as a proper noun, not through its lexical meaning. Al-Raḥmān is among the most excellent names of God, in the sense that its meaning [of mercy] is also found among God’s creatures, as we discussed above.² This is what we can say within the scope of tafsīr (exposition, commentary) of the Qur’an. There is also a legal discussion here, which is beyond the scope of this book.

4. The Relation of the Divine Names and Attributes to Us and to Themselves

There is no real difference between a ṣifah (attribute, quality) and an ism (name). Their distinction is in terms of what they primarily denote. In the case of an attribute, what comes first is a meaning or quality that is found in some essence, whether that is a separable or inseparable aspect of the essence. In the case of a name, what comes first is the essence itself, although it is viewed in the sense that it bears a certain quality. Therefore, “life” and “knowledge” are attributes, while “living” and “knowledgeable” are names. The function of a word is to denote and indicate a meaning. This means that the reality of an attribute is not its letters, but the meaning that the letters indicate. Similarly, the reality of a name is the meaning indicated by that word. For instance, the reality of God’s quality of life is not the word “life” but the meaning that corresponds to them. In this case, that reality is the very essence of God, which is identical with divine life. Hence, the words “life” and “living” are both only “names”¹ that denote their corresponding meanings. The actual attributes and names of God are not the letters and sounds, but the reality and meaning indicated by them.

We said above that, following our intuitive approach, we discover the divine names through observing certain qualities of perfection in existence. From this we can know that God certainly has these qualities, because He is the One Who bestows them upon us. Similarly, by observing limitations and deficiencies in the world, we realize that God is clear from them, and is characterized by their opposite qualities of perfection. That is how He fulfills our needs and removes our imperfections. For example, when we observe knowledge and power in the world of existence, we ascertain that God possesses knowledge and power, through which He bestows these qualities upon His creation. Similarly, when we observe ignorance and impotence, we deduce that He is free from them, but is characterized by their opposites, which would be knowledge and power. Through them He removes our need of knowledge and impotence. The same analysis can be applied to the other divine attributes.

16:268(Trans.)

From this we can deduce an important realization: It is through the divine attributes that God’s creation connects to Him and receives various aspects of existence. In other words, the divine attributes are intermediaries between the divine essence and His creation. If we have knowledge, power, sustenance and comfort, we receive them from God in the sense that He is Knowledgeable, Powerful, Sustainer and Comforter. Similarly, it is His knowledge that removes our ignorance; it is His power that removes our impotence; it is His glory that removes our abasement; it is His richness that removes our poverty; and it is His forgiveness that removes our sins. From another angle, we can say that He dominates us through His dominion; He limits us through His limitlessness; He binds us through His boundlessness; He lowers us through His highness; He humbles us through His honor; He rules over us as He wills through His sovereignty; and He manipulates us as He wills through His possession. The reader should reflect on this.

What we just said is in line with how we behave intuitively, according to our fiṭrah (primal nature, innate disposition, initial makeup). For instance, when one wants riches from God, they do not say, “O Death-Giver! O Humiliator! Make me solvent!” Instead, they call God by relevant names like the Ever-Rich, the Ever-Mighty and the Powerful. Similarly, a sick person who wants to pray for their wellness would say, “O Healer! O Recoverer! O Ever-Kind! O Ever-Merciful! Show me mercy and heal me!” The person would not say, “Heal me, O Vengeful!” The same can be said and observed about the other divine attributes.

The Noble Qur’an also confirms our intuitive understanding and practice, and this is the best evidence for to the truth of the above theory of God’s names. We see that the verses of the Qur’an end with names that match the content of that verse. Whenever the Qur’an makes a statement, it justifies and backs it by mentioning one or two of God’s name at the end, in accordance to the context. Among all revealed scriptures that we have, the Qur’an is the only book that uses the divine names to establish its claims. Thus it teaches us about the names of God.

16:269We connect to God through His names, and to His names through their effects in our world. The signs of His beauty and majesty link us to His names of beauty and majesty, such as life, knowledge, power, might, magnificence and grandeur. And these names in turn link us to the holy divine essence, on which the entire world of existence depends.

The effects of God’s names differ in terms of breadth and scope. In this sense, they correspond to their concepts, some of which are more inclusive than others. For instance, our qualities of hearing, sight, imagination and intellection are branches of our knowledge [which is their parent quality]. Then our knowledge, together with power, life and other qualities, is classified under God’s sustenance, bestowment, blessing and benevolence. And these qualities, together with pardon, forgiveness and other qualities, fall under the universal mercy of God.

This shows that the divine names differ in terms of inclusion, restriction, universality and specificity, in accordance to their effects in our world. Some of these effects are more general, while others are more specific. Their degrees of generality and specificity stem from the realities that they indicate. Our concepts of these qualities would reveal how their underlying realities relate to one another in terms of breadth and inclusion. For example, divine knowledge is more specific compared to divine life, but it is more general compared to divine hearing, seeing, witnessing, subtlety and awareness. Similarly, “the Sustainer” is a more specific name compared to “the All-Merciful,” but it is more general compared to “the Healer,” “the Helper” and “the Guide.” The same set of relations can be sketched among other names.

The excellent names of God have a wide spectrum that extends vertically. At the bottom of the spectrum, there is one or few names that are most specific and restricted, such that no other name can be classified under them. Then as we go up, the names become broader and more inclusive. Each name falls under another name that is more encompassing and universal, until they reach the highest name, which alone embraces the realities of all names. A diverse range of realities come under it together. That is what is often called the Greatest Name (al-ism al-aʿẓam).

16:270It should be clear that the more extensive a name is, the greater, more perfect and more powerful will be the effects and blessings that descend from it upon the world. This is based on the fact that the divine names are intermediaries for any effect or event in existence. That is why the universality and particularity of each name is matched by the universality and particularity of its effect. For the same reason, all effects go back to the Greatest Name, and all affairs are subject to it.

5. The Greatest Name of God (al-Ism al-Aʿẕam)

It is widely believed that the Greatest Name is a word, just like the other common names of God. It is also believed that if one calls God by this name, their wish will come true. The Greatest Name is believed to be a magical formula that does not fall short of bringing about anything. However, since people have not found this quality in any of the common names of God, including Allah, they have come to the conclusion that the Greatest Name must have a unique composition of letters that is unknown to us. Otherwise, if we were to discover it, everything would be subservient to our will.

The experts on miraculous prayers and spells believe that the Greatest Name is composed of letters, but not like regular words that are assigned conventionally. Rather, there is an intrinsic connection between the letters and the power of the name. Moreover, the letters and their composition differ according to one’s need and wish. They have their special ways of extrapolating the letters first, and then combining them to make up the desired word in each case. One should refer to their discipline for these ways.¹

There are some narrations which may seem to confirm the above view—that the Greatest Name is a word which is made up of letters. For instance, there are narrations that say:

(1) “In the name of God, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful” (bism Allāh al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm) is closer to the Greatest Name of God than the white part of the eye is to the black part.

(2) The Greatest Name is to be found in verse 2:255 (Āyat al-Kursī) and at the beginning of Chapter 3 (Āl-i ʿImrān).

16:271(3) The letters of the Greatest Name are dispersed in Chapter 1 (al-Ḥamd). The Imams know them. Whenever they want, they can assemble them and call God by them, whereby their wish will be granted.

(4) Asaph son of Berachiah (Āṣaf b. Barkhiyā) could summon the throne of the Queen of Sheba in less than the blink of an eye because he prayed to God through some letters of His Greatest Name that he knew.

(5) The Greatest Name is composed of 73 letters. God has divided 72 of them among His prophets, and has preserved one letter for Himself in His hidden knowledge.

However, an adequate analysis of causality and its properties would make clear that the above notion cannot be correct [in its unrefined, apparent and literal sense]. The law of causality tells us the following principles: (i) What has real impact in the universe is the existence of a thing [not the verbal utterance of a word that designates something conventionally].

(ii) Every cause has as much power as the degree of its existence. (iii) There must be a real existential concordance between every effect and its cause.

Based on these principles, the Greatest Name cannot be merely a set of letters and sounds that are uttered, for letters and sounds are forms of qualities, which are a sub-category of accidents.² Nor can it be the meaning indicated by some letters, because a meaning is a mental image, and mental images cannot have a causal effect in the external world, inasmuch as they are mental entities. It is impossible that a sound which we create through our vocal cords—or a concept that we imagine in our minds—would be at such a high plane of existence that we can use it to influence and rule over everything as we wish. That sound or mental image is itself subject to our volition, and is created by us. So how could it be a causal agent in the universe—to the extent that it can turn the earth and the sky upside down, and convert this world to the hereafter and vice versa?

16:272We should remember that the only reality that acts as a cause in the world is God. So when we say the divine names—and especially the Greatest Name—effect changes in the universe and act as channels for God’s effusions in our world, it means that they act through their realities. And the reality of each name is God Himself, viewed in the light of a specific attribute that corresponds to that name. Otherwise, it is neither the letters of these names, nor the meanings that we conceive from them in our minds, which act in the universe.

God has promised to respond to the prayer of anyone who calls Him: I answer the supplicant’s call when he calls Me (2:186). As we said in our exposition of the verse, ³ this promise implies two conditions: (1) It must be a true prayer. (2) It must be requested from God alone. If one breaks off from all apparent means and instruments, and instead connects to their Lord for any wish that they may have, then they have indeed connected to the reality of the divine name which would be relevant in the case of their request. Thus that name will function through its existential reality and respond to the person’s request. This is what is meant by “praying to God through His names.” Now, the extent to which one’s prayer is granted depends on the breadth of the name to which one connects. If one resorts to the Greatest Name, the person will enjoy an unconditional fulfillment of their prayer, because all things are subservient to the reality of the Greatest Name. This is how we should interpret the narrations and supplications in this regard, as opposed to the verbal or mental aspect of the names.

When it is said [in some narrations] that God taught some of His names—or His Greatest Name—to one of His prophets or servants, it means that He opened the way for that servant to totally cut off themselves from everything and turn wholeheartedly to God through calling Him with that name. This could be accompanied by some verbal utterance or mental concept, but that utterance or conception is meant as a shell to preserve those existential realities [of the person’s total detachment, and/ or the effects of the Greatest Name]. The letters and meanings are rather means and instruments in one way or another [not the reality of the Greatest Name]. The reader should reflect on this.

6. The Number of the Excellent Names

16:273The verses of the Qur’an do not confine the excellent names of God to any particular number. Instead, what we can infer from the verses is that any name in the world of existence which is the best of names in terms of meaning belongs to God. Hence, there is no limit for the number of God’s excellent names. This is deduced from verses like: Allah—there is no god except Him—to Him belong the most excellent names (20:8); To Allah belong the most excellent names, so supplicate Him by them (7:180); To Him belong the most excellent names. Whatever there is in the heavens glorifies Him and [whatever there is in] the earth (59:24).

There are 120-odd divine names that appear in the Qur’an. They are:¹ (1) Al-Abqá (the Most Lasting).

(2) Al-ʿAfuww (the Ever-Pardoning).

(3) Al-Aḥad (the Unique).

(4) Aḥkam al-ḥākimīn (the Firmest of rulers).

(5) Ahl al-maghfirah (the Worthy of forgiveness).

(6) Ahl al-taqwá (the Worthy of fear).

(7) Aḥsan al-khāliqīn (the Best Creator).

(8) Al-Ākhir (the Last).

(9) Al-Akram (the Most Gracious, the Noblest).

(10) Al-Aʿlá (the Most Sublime).

(11) Al-Aʿlam (the Most Knowledgeable).

(12) ʿAllām al-ghuyūb (the All-Knower of unseen things).

(13) Al-ʿAlī (the Ever-Sublime).

(14) Al-ʿAlīm (the Omniscient).

(15) ʿĀlim al-ghayb wa al-shahādah (the Knower of the unseen and the visible).²

(16) Al-Aqrab (the Nearest).

(17) Arḥam al-rāḥimīn (the Most Merciful of all merciful).

(18) Al-Awwal (the First).

(19) Al-ʿAẓīm (the Ever-Magnificent).

16:274(20) Al-ʿAzīz (the Ever-Mighty).

(21) Al-Badīʿ (the Ever-Innovator).

(22) Al-Bāriʾ (the Producer).

(23) Al-Barr (the Righteous).

(24) Al-Baṣīr (the Ever-Seer).

(25) Al-Bāṭin (the Hidden).

(26) Dhū al-ʿarsh (the Possessor of the Throne).

(27) Dhū al-faḍl al-aẓīm (the Possessor of great bounty).

(28) Dhū al-intiqām (the Possessor of vengeance).

(29) Dhū al-jalāl wa al-ikrām (the Possessor of majesty and grace). (30) Dhū al-maʿārij (the Possessor of the stairways).

(31) Dhū al-quwwah (the Possessor of power).

(32) Dhū al-raḥmah (the Possessor of mercy).

(33) Dhū al-ṭawl (the Possessor of opulence).

(34) Fāliq al-ḥabb wa al-nawá (the Splitter of the grain and the date-stone).

(35) Fāliq al-iṣbāḥ (the Splitter of mornings).

(36) Al-Fāṭir (the Originator).

(37) Al-Fattāḥ (the All-Arbiter).

(38) Al-Ghaffār (the All-Forgiver).

(39) Ghāfir al-dhanb (the Forgiver of sins).

(40) Al-Ghafūr (the Ever-Forgiver).

(41) Al-Ghālib (the Dominant, the Conqueror).

(42) Al-Ghanī (the Ever-Rich).

(43) Al-Hādī (the Guide).

(44) Al-Ḥafī (the Ever-Caring, the Ever-Gracious).

(45) Al-Ḥafīẓ (the Ever-Protector).

(46) Al-Ḥakīm (the Ever-Wise).

(47) Al-Ḥalīm (the Ever-Tolerant).

(48) Al-Ḥamīd (the Ever-Praiseworthy).

(49) Al-Ḥaqq (the Truth).

(50) Al-Ḥasīb (the Ever-Reckoner, the Ever-Sufficer).

(51) Al-Ḥayy (the Ever-Living).

(52) Al-Ilāh (the Deity).

(53) Al-Jabbār (the All-Dominating).

(54) Al-Jāmiʿ (the Gatherer).

(55) Al-Kabīr (the Ever-Great).

16:275(56) Al-Kāfī (the Sufficer).

(57) Al-Karīm (the Ever-Gracious, the Ever-Noble).

(58) Al-Khabīr (the Ever-Aware).

(59) Al-Khāliq (the Creator).

(60) Al-Khallāq (the All-Creator).

(61) Al-Khayr (the Best, the Good).

(62) Khayr al-fāṣilīn (the Best Separator).

(63) Khayr al-fātiḥīn (the Best Arbiter).

(64) Khayr al-ghāfirīn (the Best Forgiver).

(65) Khayr al-ḥākimīn (the Best Judge).

(66) Khayr al-mākirīn (the Best Plotter).

(67) Khayr al-munzilīn (the Best Descender).

(68) Khayr al-rāḥimīn (the Best One to show mercy).

(69) Khayr al-rāziqīn (the Best Provider).

(70) Khayr al-wārithīn (the Best Inheritor).

(71) Al-Laṭīf (the Ever-Subtle).

(72) Al-Majīd (the Ever-Glorious).

(73) Al-Malik (the King).

(74) Mālik al-mulk (the Possessor of the kingdom).

(75) Al-Matīn (the Ever-Robust).

(76) Al-Mawlá (the Master).

(77) Al-Mubdiʾ (the Commencer).

(78) Al-Mubīn (the Manifest).

(79) Al-Muhaymin (the Guardian, the Pervading).

(80) Al-Muḥīṭ (the Encompassing).

(81) Al-Muḥyī (the Life-Giver).

(82) Al-Mujīb (the Answerer, the Responder).

(83) Al-Muʾmin (the Trusty, the Faithful).

(84) Al-Muqīt (the Guard, the Nourisher).

(85) Al-Muqtadir (the All-Powerful).

(86) Al-Muṣawwir (the Designer, the Shaper).

(87) Al-Mustaʿān (the Succorer, One Whose help is sought). (88) Al-Mutaʿāl (the Supreme, the Exalted).

(89) Al-Mutakabbir (the Grandiose, the Superb).

(90) Al-Naṣīr (the Ever-Helper).

(91) Al-Nūr (the Light).

(92) Qābil al-tawb (the Acceptor of repentance).

16:276(93) Al-Qadīr (the Omnipotent).

(94) Al-Qādir (the Powerful).

(95) Al-Qahhār (the All-Dominant, the Overpowerer).

(96) Al-Qāhir (the Dominant).

(97) Al-Qāʾim ʿalá kull nafs bi-mā kasabat (He who stands over every soul for what it has earned).

(98) Al-Qarīb (the Ever-Near).

(99) Al-Qawī (the Strong).

(100) Al-Qayyūm (the All-Upright).

(101) Al-Quddūs (the All-Sacred).

(102) Al-Rabb (the Lord).

(103) Rafīʿ al-darajāt (the Uplifter of ranks).

(104) Al-Raḥīm (the Ever-Merciful).

(105) Al-Raḥmān (the All-Merciful).³

(106) Al-Raqīb (the Ever-Watchful).

(107) Al-Raʾūf (the Ever-Kind).

(108) Al-Razzāq (the All-Provider).

(109) Al-Salām (the Peaceful, the Peaceable).

(110) Al-Ṣamad (the Absolute, the Besought-of-all, the All-Perfect). (111) Al-Samīʿ (the Ever-Hearing).

16:277(112) Sarīʿ al-ḥisāb (the Swift in reckoning).

(113) Sarīʿ al-ʿiqāb (the Swift in punishing).

(114) Shadīd al-ʿiqāb (the Mighty in punishment).

(115) Shadīd al-miḥāl (the Mighty in strategy).

(116) Al-Shahīd (the Ever-Witness).

(117) Al-Shākir (the Grateful).

(118) Al-Shakūr (the Ever-Grateful).

(119) Al-Tawwāb (the All-Relenter, the All-Returner). (120) Al-Wadūd (the Ever-Lover).

(121) Al-Wahhāb (the All-Bestower).

(122) Al-Wāḥid (the One).

(123) Al-Wakīl (the Ever-Trustee, the Ever-Guardian). (124) Al-Wālī (the Ally, the Patron).

(125) Al-Walī (the Ever-Guardian, the Ever-Friend). (126) Al-Wāsiʿ (the Vast, the Expansive).

(127) Al-Ẓāhir (the Apparent).⁴

16:278As we said, the apparent meaning of these verses—To Allah belong the most excellent names (7:180) and To Him belong the most excellent names (59:24)—is that God is the sole real owner of these qualities. If they are found in others, it is a secondary possession, subordinate to God’s primary possession. Other beings do not possess anything of these names except to the extent that God bestows upon them. Even then, He continues to possess the same qualities that are held by the other beings. Nothing exits God’s absolute ownership despite His bestowal. For example, the reality of knowledge belongs to God alone. Others may have a share of it if He bestows it upon them, while it does not reduce His possession.⁵

It is in the same sense that some qualities are found in God and others.⁶ This can be inferred from divine names in the comparative and superlative degrees—such as al-Aʿlá (the Most Sublime) and al-Akram (the Most Gracious)—because the apparent meaning of these adjectives is that the quality is found in both sides of the comparison. The same can be said about two-part comparative adjectives, such as Khayr al-ḥākimīn (the Best Judge), Khayr al-rāziqīn (the Best Provider) and Aḥsan al-khāliqīn (the Best Creator). They also apparently imply a common ground.

16:279(the Descender), al-Mursil (the Sender), al-Wārith (the Inheritor) and al-Zāriʿ (the Planter, the Raiser). Perhaps one could also add the phrase: al-qāʾim bilqisṭ (Standing with justice). (6) The name al-Qāʾim ʿalá kull nafs bi-mā kasabat is clearly out of place. Apparently the author included it because the word qāʾim is in the subject form, used in a nominal sentence, as opposed to using a verb in a verbal sentence. However, one would then have to include many other phrases as divine names by the same token. The same can be said about the name al-Ghālib. There are many other nouns that can be added to the list using this standard, such as: al-Bāligh (the Achiever), al-Jāʿil (the Maker, the Assigner), al-Mughayyir (the Modifier), al-Munazzil (the Descender), al-Muṭahhir (the Purifier), al-Mutawaffī (the Taker, the Seizer), al-Mutimm (the Perfecter) and al-Rāfiʿ (the Uplifter, the Exalter, the Exalted). All these points bring us back to what the author said at the beginning of the current discussion: that the divine names cannot be enumerated (18:109, 31:27, 74:31, 48:4, 48:7). Rather, any beautiful name and attribute belongs to the God. There are myriad manifestations of the divine, all of which are good and perfect. (Trans.)

7. Are the Divine Names Reserved?

Based on our above discussions, it should be clear that there is no evidence for the reservation of the names (tawqifiyyat al-asmāʾ).¹ Instead, we have evidence against it. Some have drawn on the current verse—To Allah belong the most excellent names (al-asmāʾ al-ḥusná), so supplicate Him by them, and abandon those who commit sacrilege in His names (7:180)—to argue that the divine names are reserved [to what is found in the Qur’an and hadith]. This argument hinges on two conditions: (1) It assumes the article al-(“the” in the most excellent names) to be definite article, indicating what is already known and introduced (ʿahd). (2) It assumes that “committing sacrilege in the divine names” means going beyond what is strictly found in scriptural sources. Both of these conditions can be disputed, as we explained above.²

They have also drawn on mustafīḍah (multiple, diffused, numerous) narrations which effectively say: “Indeed there are 99 names for God—one less than 100. Whoever enumerates them shall enter paradise.” However, this does not prove the reservation and restriction of the divine names [to only what is transmitted through scriptural sources].

What we said here is from the exegetical (tafsīrī) point of view. There is also a jurisprudential aspect to this topic, which should be sought in Islamic law. We must also distinguish between formal appellation and general description. With respect to the former, caution in religion requires us to not name God with what is not found in the scriptural sources. With respect to the latter, permissible descriptions certainly go beyond that.

Examining Narrations

16:280(1) Imam ʿAlī said: The Almighty God has 99 names. Whoever calls God by them, He shall answer their call. And whoever enumerates them shall enter paradise.¹

Author’s comment: We shall soon present a similar narration to this from the Prophet, narrated by the Ahl al-Bayt. What is meant by “enumerating them” is the belief (īmān) that God is characterized by all realities and meanings denoted by these names, without leaving out any of them. (2) The Messenger of God said: There are 99 names for God—one less than 100. Whoever enumerates them shall enter paradise. He is Odd and He likes the odd.²

(3) The Messenger of God said: God has 100 names minus one name.

Whoever prays with them, God will answer their prayer.³

(4) The Messenger of God said: God says, “I have 99 names. Whoever enumerates them shall enter paradise.”⁴

(5) The Messenger of God said: Indeed God has 99 names—one less than 100. Whoever enumerates them shall enter paradise.⁵

(6) The Messenger of God said: God has 99 names. Whoever enumerates them shall enter paradise. They are in the Qur’an.⁶

Author’s comment: The last narration contravenes the narrations which list these names, because all of them include names that are not exactly found in the Qur’an. Unless what is meant is that their meaning is found in the Qur’an.

16:281(7) Imam al-Ṣādiq narrated from his fathers, from Imam ʿAlī: The Messenger of God said, “Indeed God has 99 names—one less than 100. Whoever enumerates them shall enter paradise.” They are:⁷ (1) Allāh, (2) al-Ilāh (the Deity), (3) al-Wāḥid (the One), (4) al-Aḥad (the Unique), (5) al-Ṣamad (the Absolute, the Besought-of-all, the All-Perfect), (6) al-Awwal (the First), (7) al-Ākhir (the Last), (8) al-Samīʿ (the Ever-Hearing), (9) al-Baṣīr (the Ever-Seeing), (10) al-Qadīr (the Omnipotent), (11) al-Qāhir (the Dominant), (12) al-ʿAlī (the Ever-Sublime), (13) al-Aʿlá (the Most Sublime), (14) al-Bāqī (the Enduring), (15) al-Badīʿ (the Ever-Innovator), (16) al-Bāriʾ (the Producer), (17) al-Akram (the Most Gracious, the Noblest), (18) al-Ẓāhir (the Apparent), (19) al-Bāṭin (the Hidden), (20) al-Ḥayy (the Ever-Living), (21) al-Ḥakīm (the Ever-Wise), (22) al-ʿAlīm (the Omniscient), (23) al-Ḥalīm (the Ever-Tolerant), (24) al-Ḥafīẓ (the Ever-Protector), (25) al-Ḥaqq (the Truth), (26) al-Ḥasīb (the Ever-Reckoner, the Ever-Sufficer), (27) al-Ḥamīd (the Ever-Praiseworthy), (28) al-Ḥafī (the Ever-Caring), (29) al-Rabb (the Lord), (30) al-Raḥmān (the All-Merciful), (31) al-Raḥīm (the Ever-Merciful), (32) al-Dhāriʾ (the Creator), (33) al-Rāziq (the Provider), (34) al-Raqīb (the Ever-Watchful), (35) al-Raʾūf (the Ever-Kind), (36) al-Rāʾī (the Seer), (37) al-Salām (the Peaceful, the Peaceable), (38) al-Muʾmin (the Trusty, the Faithful), (39) al-Muhaymin (the Guardian, the Pervading), (40) al-ʿAzīz (the Ever-Mighty), (41) al-Jabbār (the All-Dominating), (42) al-Mutakabbir (the Grandiose, the Superb), (43) al-Sayyid (the Master), (44) Subbūḥ (the All-Glorified), (45) al-Shahīd (the Ever-Witness), (46) al-Ṣādiq (the Honest), (47) al-Ṣāniʿ (the Artisan, the Maker), (48) al-Ẓāhir (the Apparent), ⁸ (49) al-ʿAdl (the All-Just), (50) al-ʿAfuww (the Ever-Pardoning), (51) al-Ghafūr (the Ever-Forgiver), (52) al-Ghanī (the Ever-Rich), (53) al-Ghiyāth (the Rescuer), (54) al-Fāṭir (the Originator), (55) al-Fard (the Single), (56) al-Fattāḥ (the All-Arbiter), (57) al-Fāliq (the Splitter), (58) al-Qadīm (the Ever-Ancient), (59) al-Malik (the King), (60) al-Quddūs (the All-Sacred), (61) al-Qawī (the Strong), (62) al-Qarīb (the Ever-Near), (63) al-Qayyūm (the All-Upright), (64) al-Qābiḍ (the Contracter), (65) al-Bāsiṭ (the Expander), (66) Qāḍī al-ḥājāt (the Fulfiller of needs), (67) al-Majīd (the Ever-Glorious), (68) al-Mawlá (the Master), (69) al-Mannān (the All-Favorer), (70) al-Muḥīṭ (the Encompassing), (71) al-Mubīn (the Manifest), (72) al-Mughīth (the Savior), (73) al-Muṣawwir (the Designer, the Shaper), (74) al-Karīm (the Ever-Gracious, the Ever-Noble), (75) al-Kabīr (the Ever-Great), (76) al-Kāfī (the Sufficer), (77) Kāshif al-ḍurr (the Remover of harm), (78) al-Witr (the Odd), (79) al-Nūr (the Light), (80) al-Wahhāb (the All-Bestower), (81) al-Nāṣir (the Helper), (82) al-Wāsiʿ (the Vast, the Expansive), (83) al-Wadūd (the Ever-Lover), (84) al-Hādī (the Guide), (85) al-Wafī (the Ever-Faithful), (86) al-Wakīl (the Ever-Trustee, the Ever-Guardian), (87) al-Wārith (the Inheritor), (88) al-Barr (the Righteous), (89) al-Bāʿith (the Resurrector), (90) al-Tawwāb (the All-Relenter, the All-Returner), (91) al-Jalīl (the Ever-Majestic), (92) al-Jawād (the Generous), (93) al-Khabīr (the Ever-Aware), (94) al-Khāliq (the Creator), (95) Khayr al-nāṣirīn (the Best Helper), (96) al-Dayyān (the Retributer), (97) al-Shakūr (the Ever-Grateful), (98) al-ʿAẓīm (the Ever-Magnificent), (99) al-Laṭīf (the Ever-Subtle), (100) al-Shāfī (the Healer).⁹

16:282(8) The Messenger of God said: Indeed there are 99 names for God— one less than 100. Whoever enumerates them shall enter paradise. Indeed He is Odd and He likes the odd. He is Allah, beside Whom there is no god, ¹⁰ (1) al-Raḥmān, (2) al-Raḥīm, (3) al-Malik, (4) al-Quddūs, (5) al-Salām, (6) al-Muʾmin, (7) al-Muhaymin, (8) al-ʿAzīz, (9) al-Jabbār, (10) al-Mutakabbir, (11) al-Khāliq, (12) al-Bāriʾ, (13) al-Muṣawwir, (14) al-Ghaffār, (15) al-Qahhār, (16) al-Wahhāb, (17) al-Rāziq, (18) al-Fattāḥ, (19) al-ʿAlīm, (20) al-Qābiḍ, (21) al-Bāsiṭ, (22) al-Khāfiḍ (the Abaser), (23) al-Rāfiʿ, (24) al-Muʿizz (the Giver of Honor), (25) al-Mudhill (the Giver of Dishonor), (26) al-Samīʿ, (27) al-Baṣīr, (28) al-Ḥakam, (29) al-ʿAdl, (30) al-Laṭīf, (31) al-Khabīr, (32) al-Ḥalīm, (33) al-ʿAẓīm, (34) al-Ghafūr, (35) al-Shakūr, (36) al-ʿAlī, (37) al-Kabīr, (38) al-Ḥafīẓ, (39) al-Muqīt, (40) al-Ḥasīb, (41) al-Jalīl, (42) al-Karīm, (43) al-Raqīb, (44) al-Mujīb, (45) al-Wāsiʿ, (46) al-Ḥakīm, (47) al-Wadūd, (48) al-Majīd, (49) al-Bāʿith, (50) al-Shahīd, (51) al-Ḥaqq, (52) al-Wakīl, (53) al-Qawī, (54) al-Matīn, (55) al-Walī, (56) al-Ḥamīd, (57) al-Muḥṣī, (58) al-Mubdiʾ, (59) al-Muʿīd, (60) al-Muḥyī, (61) al-Mumīt, (62) al-Ḥayy, (63) al-Qayyūm, (64) al-Wājid (the Possessor, the Finder), (65) al-Mājid (the Magnificent), (66) al-Wāḥid, (67) al-Aḥad, (68) al-Ṣamad, (69) al-Qādir, (70) al-Muqtadir, (71) al-Muqaddim (the Hastener), (72) al-Muʾakhkhir (the Delayer), (73) al-Awwal, (74) al-Ākhir, (75) al-Ẓāhir, (76) al-Bāṭin, (77) al-Barr, (78) al-Tawwāb, (79) al-Muntaqim (the Avenger), (80) al-ʿAfuww, (81) al-Raʾūf, (82) al-Mālik al-mulk, (83) Dhū al-jalāl wa al-ikrām, (84) al-Wālī, (85) al-Mutaʿāl, (86) al-Muqsiṭ (the Just), (87) al-Jāmiʿ, (88) al-Ghanī, (89) al-Mughnī (the Enricher), (90) al-Māniʿ (the Ever-Sublime, the Ever-Withholder), (91) al-Ḍārr (the Harmer, the Distressor), (92) al-Nāfiʿ (the Benefactor), (93) al-Nūr, (94) al-Hādī, (95) al-Badīʿ, (96) al-Bāqī, (97) al-Wārith, (98) al-Rashīd (the Ever-Guide, the Ever-Correct), (99) al-Ṣabūr (the Ever-Patient).¹¹

16:283(9) The Messenger of God said: Indeed God has 99 names. Whoever enumerates them shall enter paradise. I ask (1) Allāh, (2) al-Raḥmān, (3) al-Raḥīm, (4) al-ilāh, (5) al-Rabb, (6) al-Malik, (7) al-Quddūs, (8) al-Salām, (9) al-Muʾmin, (10) al-Muhaymin, (11) al-ʿAzīz, (12) al-Jabbār, (13) al-Mutakabbir, (14) al-Khāliq, (15) al-Bāriʾ, (16) al-Muṣawwir, (17) al-Ḥakīm, (18) al-ʿAlīm, (19) al-Samīʿ, (20) al-Baṣīr, (21) al-Ḥayy, (22) al-Qayyūm, (23) al-Wāsiʿ, (24) al-Laṭīf, (25) al-Khabīr, (26) al-Ḥannān (the All-Kind), (27) al-Mannān, (28) al-Badīʿ, (29) al-Ghafūr, (30) al-Wadūd, (31) al-Shakūr, (32) al-Majīd, (33) al-Mubdiʾ, (34) al-Muʿīd, (35) al-Nūr, (36) al-Bādiʾ (the Beginner) [version: al-Qāʾim (the Standing)], (37) al-Awwal, (38) al-Ākhir, (39) al-Ẓāhir, (40) al-Bāṭin, (41) al-ʿAfuww, (42) al-Ghaffār, (43) al-Wahhāb, (44) al-Fard [version: al-Qādir], (45) al-Aḥad, (46) al-Ṣamad, (47) al-Wakīl, (48) al-Kāfī, (49) al-Bāqī, (50) al-Mughīth, (51) al-Dāʾim (the Everlasting), (52) al-Mutaʿāl, (53) Dhā al-jalāl wa al-ikrām, (54) al-Mawlá, (55) al-Naṣīr, (56) al-Ḥaqq, (57) al-Mubīn, (58) al-Wārith, (59) al-Munīr (the Ever-Illuminator, the Bringer of Light), (60) al-Bāʿith, (61) al-Qadīr [version: al-Mujīb], (62) al-Muḥyī, (63) al-Mumīt, (64) al-Ḥamīd [version: al-Jamīl (the Ever-Beautiful)], (65) al-Ṣādiq, (66) al-Ḥafīẓ, (67) al-Muḥīṭ, (68) al-Kabīr, (69) al-Qarīb, (70) al-Raqīb, (71) al-Fattāḥ, (72) al-Tawwāb, (73) al-Qadīm, (74) al-Witr, (75) al-Fāṭir, (76) al-Razzāq, (77) al-ʿAllām, (78) al-ʿAlī, (79) al-ʿAẓīm, (80) al-Ghanī, (81) al-Malīk, (82) al-Muqtadir, (83) al-Akram, (84) al-Raʾūf, (85) al-Mudabbir, (86) al-Mālik, (87) al-Qāhir, (88) al-Hādī, (89) al-Shākir, (90) al-Karīm, (91) al-Rafīʿ, (92) al-Shahīd, (93) al-Wāḥid, (94) Dhā al-ṭawl, (95) Dhā al-Maʿārij, (96) Dhā al-Faḍl, (97) al-Khallāq, (98) al-Kafīl, (99) al-Jalīl.

16:284Author’s comment: The name Allāh is not part of the list. It is rather mentioned in these narrations as the subject to be predicated by the other names.

(10) Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar says: I once asked my father, [Imam] Jaʿfar b. Muḥammad al-Ṣādiq, about the 99 divine names, which whoever enumerates them shall enter paradise. He said: “They are mentioned in the Qur’an. There are five names in Sūrah al-Fātiḥah (Chapter 1): (1) Yā Allāh, ¹² (2) Yā Rabb, (3) Yā Raḥmān, (4) Yā Raḥīm, (5) Yā Mālik.

There are 33 names in Sūrah al-Baqarah (Chapter 2): (6) Yā Muḥīṭ, (7) Yā Qadīr, (8) Yā ʿAlīm, (9) Yā Ḥakīm, (10) Yā ʿAlī, (11) Yā ʿAẓīm, (12) Yā Tawwāb, (13) Yā Baṣīr, (14) Yā Walī, (15) Yā Wāsiʿ, (16) Yā Kāfī, (17) Yā Raʾūf, (18) Yā Badīʿ, (19) Yā Shākir, (20) Yā Wāḥid, (21) Yā Samīʿ, (22) Yā Qābiḍ, (23) Yā Bāsiṭ, (24) Yā Ḥayy, (25) Yā Qayyūm, (26) Yā Ghanī, (27) Yā Ḥamīd, (28) Yā Ghafūr, (29) Yā Ḥalīm, (30) Yā Ilāh, (31) Yā Qarīb, (32) Yā Mujīb, (33) Yā ʿAzīz, (34) Yā Naṣīr, (35) Yā Qawī, (36) Yā Shadīd, (37) Yā Sarīʿ, (38) Yā Khabīr.

16:285In Sūrah Āl-i ʿImrān (Chapter 3): (39) Yā Wahhāb, (40) Yā Qāʾim, (41) Yā Ṣādiq, (42) Yā Bāʿith, (43) Yā Munʿim, (44) Yā Mutafaḍḍil. In Sūrah al-Nisāʾ (Chapter 4): (45) Yā Raqīb, (46) Yā Ḥasīb, (47) Yā Shahīd, (48) Yā Muqīt, (49) Yā Wakīl, (50) Yā ʿAlī, (51) Yā Kabīr.

In Sūrah al-Anʿām (Chapter 6): (52) Yā Fāṭir, (53) Yā Qāhir, (54) Yā Laṭīf, (55) Yā Burhān.

In Sūrah al-Aʿrāf (Chapter 7): (56) Yā Muḥyī, (57) Yā Mumīt. In Sūrah al-Anfāl (Chapter 8): (58) Yā Niʿm al-Mawlá, (59) Yā Niʿm al-Naṣīr.

In Sūrah Hūd (Chapter 11): (60) Yā Ḥafīẓ, (61) Yā Majīd, (62) Yā Wadūd, (63) Yā Faʿ ʿālan li-mā yurīdu.

In Sūrah al-Raʿd (Chapter 13): (64) Yā Kabīr, (65) Yā Mutaʿāl. In Sūrah Ibrāhīm (Chapter 14): (66) Yā Mannān, (67) Yā Wārith. In Sūrah al-Ḥijr (Chapter 15): (68) Yā Khallāq.

In Sūrah Maryam (Chapter 19): (69) Yā Fard.

In Sūrah Ṭā-Hā (Chapter 20): (70) Yā Ghaffār.

In Sūrah qad aflaḥa (Chapter 23): (71) Yā Karīm.

In Sūrah al-Nūr (Chapter 24): (72) Yā Ḥaqq, (73) Yā Mubīn. In Sūrah al-Furqān (Chapter 25): (74) Yā Hādī.

In Sūrah Sabaʾ (Chapter 34): (75) Yā Fattāḥ.

In Sūrah al-Zumar (Chapter 39): (76) Yā ʿĀlim.

In Sūrah Ghāfir (Chapter 40): (77) Yā Ghāfir, (78) Yā Qābil al-tawb, (79) Yā Dhā al-ṭawl, (80) Yā Rafīʿ.

In Sūrah al-Dhāriyāt (Chapter 51): (81) Yā Razzāq, (82) Yā Dhā al-quwwah, (83) Yā Matīn.

In Sūrah al-Ṭūr (Chapter 52): (84) Yā Barr.

In Sūrah iqtarabat (Chapter 54): (85) Yā Malīk, (86) Yā Muqtadir. In Sūrah al-Raḥmān (Chapter 55): (87) Yā Dhā al-jalāl wa al-ikrām, (88) Yā Rabb al-mashriqayn, (89) Yā Rabb al-maghribayn, (90) Yā Bāqī, (91) Yā Muḥsin.

In Sūrah al-Ḥadīd (Chapter 57): (92) Yā Awwal, (93) Yā Ākhir, (94) Yā Ẓāhir, (95) Yā Bāṭin.

In Sūrah al-Ḥashr (Chapter 59): (96) Yā Malik, (97) Yā Quddūs, (98) Yā Salām, (99) Yā Muʾmin, (100) Yā Muhaymin, (101) Yā ʿAzīz, (102) Yā Jabbār, (103) Yā Mutakabbir, (104) Yā Khāliq, (105)

16:286Yā Bāriʾ, (106) Yā Muṣawwir.

In Sūrah al-Burūj (Chapter 85): (107) Yā Mubdiʾ, (108) Yā Muʿīd. In Sūrah al-Fajr (Chapter 89): (109) Yā Watr.

In Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ (Chapter 112): (110) Yā Aḥad, (111) Yā Ṣamad.”¹³ Author’s comment: There are several problems in this narration: (i) It includes the name Allāh as one of the 99, while it is not one of them. (ii) Some names are repeated, such as al-Kabīr. (iii) It says 99 at the beginning, but adds up to 110 [excluding Allāh]. (iv) It has listed al-Burhān as a divine name that appears in Sūrah al-Anʿām, and al-Fard as a divine name that appears in Sūrah Maryam. There are further issues that one can raise regarding this narration.¹⁴

The above [numbers 7-10] were some narrations that we found, which enumerate the divine names. Given the difference between them, it becomes clear that none of these narrations is meant to restrict the divine names to the given list. Moreover, some of them include names that are not found in the Qur’an in the nominal form, while there are some names in the Qur’an which are missing from them. All these narrations say is that there are 99 divine names which have these special features: (i) Whoever prays with them, their prayer will be answered. (ii) Whoever enumerates them shall enter paradise.

There are other narrations which suggest that God has more than 99 names, as we shall see presently. Furthermore, there are many other divine names which are found neither in the Qur’an nor in the narrations that enumerate the divine names, but are found in some supplications narrated from the Prophet and the Imams.

(11) Imam al-Ṣādiq said: God has created a name that is not pronounced through letters, that is not uttered by words, that is not embodied in a person, that is not described by any analogy, and that is not colored by any color. Sides and locations do not apply to it; definitions are far from it; and the senses of all thinkers are veiled from it. It is covered without having a covering. Then He made it a complete word based on four concomitant parts that none precedes the others. He manifested three of them due to His creatures’ need of them, and He veiled one of them which is the name that is concealed and reserved. So these are the names that have appeared. The manifest names are Allāh, Tabāraka (He is Blessed) and Taʿālá (He is Exalted). God has subordinated four pillars for each of these names, making twelve pillars [in total].¹⁵ Then He created thirty names for each pillar, as actions that are attributable to that [pillar]. He is (1) al-Raḥmān, (2) al-Raḥīm, (3) al-Malik, (4) al-Quddūs, (5) al-Khāliq, (6) al-Bāriʾ, (7) al-Muṣawwir, (8) al-Ḥayy, (9) al-Qayyūm, (10) Lā taʾkhudhuhu sinah wa lā nawm (no nap or sleep overtakes Him), (11) al-ʿAlīm, (12) al-Khabīr, (13) al-Samīʿ, (14) al-Ḥakīm, (15) al-ʿAzīz, (16) al-Jabbār, (17) al-Mutakabbir, (18) al-ʿAlī, (19) al-ʿAẓīm, (20) al-Muqtadir, (21) al-Qādir, (22) al-Salām, (23) al-Muʾmin, (24) al-Muhaymin, (25) al-Bāriʾ, (26) al-Munshiʾ, (27) al-Badīʿ, (28) al-Rafīʿ, (29) al-Jalīl, (30) al-Karīm, (31) al-Rāziq, (32) al-Muḥyī, (33) al-Mumīt, (34) al-Bāʿith, (35) al-Wārith.¹⁶

16:287These names, and the rest of the most excellent names up to 360 names, are related to those three names. The three names are the pillars, while He has veiled the one [fourth] name—that is concealed and reserved—with them.¹⁷ This is [the meaning of] His words: Say: Invoke “Allah” or invoke “the All-Merciful.” That which 16:288you may invoke, to Him belong the most excellent names (17:110)¹⁸.¹⁹ Author’s comment: Let us discuss this hadith part by part:

“God has created a name that is not pronounced through letters…” The descriptions given at the beginning of this hadith explicitly show that what is meant by “name” here is not a word, nor the mental concept indicated by the word. It should be clear that neither a word, nor the mental concept corresponding to it, has the features described in this hadith. Similarly, the next part of the hadith is not compatible with the common notion of a “name” [as a word or a mental concept]. Even if there is some word involved, what is meant by “name” here can only be an external entity that is designated by the word. In particular, when we take into account its three-fold elements of Allāh, Tabāraka and Taʿālá, we realize that this sense of the “name” cannot be anything but the divine essence—or something that subsists by the divine essence, and is certainly not external to it.

“God has created a name.” Given the above explanation, what is meant here is not what is commonly understood by “creation.” Rather, it means a certain appearance or manifestation of the divine essence, such that a particular name emerges from it. This confirms what we said previously: that there is a hierarchy within the divine names. Some of them are causes with respect to others; they act as a channel for the appearance and existence of their subordinate names. The chain extends all the way up, to a name whose particular determination is a total lack of determination. The qualification of the divine essence by that name is tantamount to an absolute unconditionality.

“The manifest names are Allāh, Tabāraka and Taʿālá.” Here the hadith is describing general aspects which are a point of reference for all particular aspects of perfection. Every need and lack in the world of creation is fulfilled by these three aspects of the divine: (1) Allāh: this name indicates the divine essence in its most inclusive sense, as a collection of all perfections. (2) Tabāraka: this name indicates an affirmative aspect of the divine. It affirms every quality of perfection for it, and presents it as a source of every good and blessing. (3) Taʿālá: this name indicates a negational aspect of the divine. It negates all deficiency from it, and presents it as the remover of every need.

16:289“As actions that are attributable to that [pillar].” The demonstrative pronoun “that” here refers to the [three manifest] names. This is effectively what we said above: there is a causal hierarchy between the names, such that one emanates from another. The explicit mention of number 360 in this hadith proves that the divine names are not limited to 99.

“The three names are the pillars, while He has veiled the one [fourth] name.” The one which is “concealed and reserved” is still a “name,” which means that it is an expression and determination of the transcendent essence of God. At the same time, it is concealed and unmanifest by the virtue of its very nature and reality. This means that its expression lies in being unexpressed; its determination is lack of determination.²⁰ This is what is meant by the idea that God is not delimited by any definition, including this very negational definition. He does not fall into any description or attribute, including this very negational description. The reason is that these expressions are descriptions from us, while the divine essence is greater and higher than all our descriptions.

This means that the name Allāh—which embraces all divine qualities of perfections—is a reality that is inferior to the divine essence. It is also inferior to the concealed and reserved name of God. The same goes with Tabāraka and Taʿālá. These three names together veil and guard the concealed name, without any of them being higher than others. Then the four of them—the three names, as well as the concealed name—are inferior to the divine essence. The divine essence, however, cannot be indicated by any expression or hint. That is because any phrase or sign that one may devise would serve as a “name,” which means that it is delimited [by the particular definition and determination of that name], while the divine essence is greater than and superior to any definition.

The hadith then refers to the verse: Say: Invoke “Allah” or invoke “the All-Merciful” (al-Raḥmān) That (ayyan) which you invoke, to Him belong (lahu) the most excellent names (17:110). The relevance of this verse to the hadith is that the pronoun in lahu (Him or It) refers to the word ayyan (that), and ayyan is a conditional noun (ism al-sharṭ) which indicates an indeterminate meaning. Its determinate meaning is lack of determination. It should also be evident that what is meant in this verse by Allāh and al-Rāḥmān is not the actual words, but the reality indicated by them. That is why the verse does not say, “Invoke with [the name] Allah (udʿū bi-Allāh)” but it says, “Invoke Allah [directly] (udʿū Allāh).” Hence, the verse is saying that all divine names are ascribed to, and supported by, a certain station of which there cannot be any report or indication except the lack of report and indication. The reader should reflect on this.²¹

16:290Some of the divine names in this hadith—such as Tabāraka (He is Blessed), Taʿālá (He is Exalted) and Lā taʾkhudhuhu sinah wa lā nawm (no nap or sleep overtakes Him)—are rather verbs and phrases, not nouns proper. They are “names” not in the linguistic sense, but in the sense that they denote God’s essence from the angle of a particular quality.

This is among the key narrations in this regard. Its content is much loftier than what is found in common discussions and understood by ordinary minds. For the same reason, we did not comment on it beyond some basic intimations. A full exposition of it would be beyond the scope of the current work. Nevertheless, we already presented the principles needed to decode the hadith under number 4 of our discussion on the excellent names of God, titled “The Relation of the Divine Names and Attributes to Us and to Themselves.” The reader should contemplate that discussion so that the matter may become clear to them as it should. And God is the support.

16:291(12) Imam al-Bāqir said: The Greatest Name of God comprises of 73 letters. Asaph son of Berachiah (Āṣaf b. Barkhiyā) had only one letter of that. He cut through the land between him and the Queen of Sheba’s throne, brought the throne with his hand, and then the earth reverted to its original condition. He did all that in less than the blink of an eye through uttering that one letter. We [Ahl al-Bayt] have 72 letters. And one letter is reserved with God in His knowledge of the unseen. There is no movement and no power save by God, the Supreme, the Magnificent.²²

(13) Imam al-Ṣādiq said: God made His Greatest Name composed of 73 letters. He gave twenty-five letters of it to Adam, fifteen letters to Noah, eight letters to Abraham, four letters to Moses, and two letters to Jesus—with which He used to bring the dead to life, and cure the blind and the leper. He gave 72 letters to Muḥammad, and concealed one letter. Thus no one may know what He holds within, but He knows what His servants hold within.²³

Author’s comment: There are other narrations in line with the last two. The idea that the Greatest Name can be broken into 73 letters, or that it is composed of these letters, should not lead one to imagine that it is literally composed of alphabetical letters. We already clarified this. Both narrations talk about the letters of a single name being divided among the prophets, except for one letter. If the Greatest Name were really a word composed of alphabetical letters, then it would indicate a meaning with all its components, and dividing it among the prophets would certainly not benefit any of them [since the meaning is conveyed only by all letters together]. (14) Imam ʿAlī said in a sermon: My Lord is Subtle in subtlety, ²⁴ yet He cannot be described with subtlety. He is Magnificent in magnificence, yet He cannot be described with magnificence. He is Great in greatness, yet He cannot be described with greatness. He is Immense in immensity, yet He cannot be described with thickness. He is before everything, so one cannot talk about something “before” Him. He is after everything, so one cannot talk about something “after” Him. He willed all things not through [mental] deliberation. He achieves [what He seeks] not through deception. He is within all things, but He is neither mixed with them, nor separate from them. He is Apparent, but not in the sense of direct contact. He is Manifest, but not to be seen through observation. He is Distinct, but not through distance. He is Near, but not in the sense of mutual proximity. He is Subtle, but not as a physical body. He is Existent, but not after being non-existent. He is a Maker, but without being forced. He wills, but not through deliberation. He hears, but not through any instrument. He sees, but not through any tool.²⁵

16:292Author’s comment: In this hadith, as one can see, the Imam affirms the root meaning of the names and attributes for God, but negates their particular properties that arise due to contingence (imkān) and material deficiency. This confirms what we said in our exposition of the verse [7:180]. The same idea is found in very many narrations from the Imams, especially in sermons by Imams ʿAlī, al-Ḥasan, al-Ḥusayn, al-Bāqir, al-Ṣādiq, al-Kāẓim and al-Riḍā. Interested readers should refer to the compendiums of hadith. And God is the Guide.

(15) Imam al-Ṣādiq said: He has no like, counterpart or equivalent. To Him belong the most excellent names, which cannot be applied to anyone else, and which He has described in His Book: so supplicate Him by them, and abandon those who commit sacrilege in His names (7:180); [they commit sacrilege in His name] out of ignorance, not knowledge. One who commits sacrilege in His names without knowledge, commits polytheism unknowingly, and disbelieves while they think they are doing good. That is why He says: And most of them do not believe in Allah without ascribing partners to Him (12:106). They are those who commit sacrilege in His names (7:180) not out of knowledge, by placing His names where they do not belong²⁶.²⁷

Author’s comment: This hadith confirms our discussion on what makes the divine names “most excellent” and what it means to commit sacrilege in them. What “cannot be applied to anyone else” is the meaning of the names after being divested of their material and deficient aspects, which makes them applicable to God. For instance, the name “the Creator” (al-Khāliq) cannot be applied to anyone else in its real sense that is applicable to God. The same can be said about the other divine names.

16:293(16) Concerning To Allah belong the most excellent names, so supplicate Him by them (7:180) Imam al-Ṣādiq said: By God, we [Ahl al-Bayt] are the most excellent names [of God]. He does not accept any act [of worship and goodness] from His servants unless they acknowledge us [as divine leaders].²⁸

Author’s comment: In this narration, “name” is meant as something that designates something else, whether it is a word or not. The prophets and their successors are divine names in a few ways: (i) They guide to God. (ii) They are intermediaries between God and His creation. (iii) They are at such level of servitude that they do not have anything other than God. Hence, they manifest the divine names and attributes. This should also clarify the next two narrations.

(17) Once Imam al-Ṣādiq was asked about the verse: Among those We have created are a nation who guide by the truth and do justice thereby (7:181). He said: They are the Imams.²⁹

(18) Concerning the same verse Imam al-Bāqir said: That is us [Ahl al-Bayt].³⁰

(19) Concerning Among those We have created are a nation who guide by the truth and do justice thereby (7:181) the Messenger of God said: There is a group among my nation (ummah) who persist with the truth until Jesus son of Mary descends—whenever he descends.³¹

16:294(20) Imam ʿAlī said: This nation [of Muslims] will divide into 73 sects. 72 of them will be in hell, and one will be in paradise. Those [in paradise] are the ones whom God has described: Among those We have created are a nation who guide by the truth and do justice thereby (7:181). They are me and my followers (shīʿah).³²

Author’s comment: Al-ʿAyyāshī has also narrated the same hadith, except that the last sentence is: “They are on the right path.”³³ We already presented two similar hadiths to this from the Imam under the verse: Among the people of Moses is a nation who guide [the people] by the truth and do justice thereby (7:159). One of them [hadith 14] was from Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, on the authority of Abū al-Ṣahbāʾ; and the other [hadith 15] was from al-Durr al-manthūr through various chains.

(21) Imam al-Ṣādiq said: When a servant sins, if God wants good for that servant, He sends a punishment for them and makes them remember to ask forgiveness. When a servant sins, if God wants evil for that servant, He sends a bounty to make them persist with that [sin] and forget to ask forgiveness. That is what He says: We will draw them imperceptibly [into ruin], whence they do not know (7:182): [He draws them] through bestowing bounties upon them when they sin.³⁴

(22) Once Imam al-Ṣādiq was asked about the verse: We will draw them imperceptibly [into ruin], whence they do not know (7:182). He said: That is when a servant sins, but their bounties are renewed for them, such that they make the person forget to ask forgiveness for that sin.³⁵

16:295(23) Al-Ḥasan b. al-Ṣayqal says: Once I asked Imam al-Ṣādiq about what some people have narrated: “One hour³⁶ of contemplation is better than one [entire] night of standing [in prayer].” I asked, “What kind of contemplation?” He explained, “It is to stop when you pass by a ruined place or house, and say: Where are your residents? Where are your builders? How come you don’t speak?”³⁷ Author’s comment: This narration offers a clear example of contemplation [but meritorious and constructive contemplation is not limited to this].

(24) Imam al-Riḍā said: Worship is not to pray or fast a lot. Indeed worship is but to contemplate upon the affairs³⁸ of God, Mighty and Majestic He is.³⁹

(25) Imam ʿAlī said: Contemplation leads one to goodness and acting upon it.⁴⁰

(26) Imam al-Ṣādiq said: The best worship is to continually contemplate on God and His power.⁴¹

(27) Concerning and He leaves them bewildered in their rebellion

7:186 Tafsīr al-Qummī says: He leaves the person to themself. Author’s comment: What is meant by God leaving them bewildered in their rebellion (7:186) is that He will not assist them against their egos. He leaves them alone in this regard by cutting off His aid. This is effectively the same as “leaving the person to themself ” [as interpreted by al-Qummī].