Names of God in Islam

In Islam, the names of God, known as the "Most Beautiful Names" (ʾasmāʾu l-Lāhi l-ḥusnā), each describe a distinct attribute of God implied by that name. Some of these names appear only in the Quran, others only in hadith, and many are found in both, though the majority come from the Quran. Traditionally, there are 99 such names, with an additional supreme name (al-ism al-ʾaʿẓam) considered the highest.

The word *Allāh* is the Arabic term for God in the Abrahamic faiths. It is thought to come from a contraction of *al-ʾilāh*, meaning "the god"—the one and only deity, reflecting the principle of Tawhid—and is related to the Hebrew *El* and Aramaic *Elah*. Whether *Allāh* is God’s personal name is debated among modern scholars. In Islamic practice, *Allāh* was regarded as God’s most unique and proper name, often called *Lafẓ al-Jalālah* (The Word of Majesty). Those who see it as a personal name also argue it is not derived from another word. Muslims may also use other names, such as *Rabb*, *Ar-Rahman*, or simply "God" in English, as frequently as *Allāh*. The Quran itself refers to God’s attributes as "most beautiful names."

Key verses for listing these names include 17:110, which states, "Call upon Allah, or call upon The Merciful; whichsoever you call upon, to Allah belong the most beautiful Names," and 59:22–24, which contains over a dozen divine epithets. These names express praise, gratitude, glorification, perfection, majesty, and acts of wisdom, mercy, justice, and benefit, as Muslims believe. They are commonly used in prayers, supplications, and remembrance, serving as a spiritual means to connect with God. Muslims of non-Arab backgrounds may also use names from their own languages, such as *Khuda* in Persian, Bengali, and Urdu, or *Tangri* (or *Tengri*) in Ottoman Turkish as an equivalent of *Allāh*.

In Sufism, the inner, mystical dimension of Islam, names like *Hu* or *Huwa* (meaning "He") and *Parvardigar* in Persian are used. *Hu* derives from the final letter of *Allāh*, read as *Allahu* mid-sentence, and appears in verses such as "La ilaha illa Hu" (Quran 3:18). According to the *Wahdat al-wujūd* interpretation, the universe is a manifestation of God’s names—the absolute being—and these names are merely manifestations or notions without real existence. The scholar Haydar Amuli saw no distinction here, arguing that even evil beings like Satan are manifestations of God’s imperial names.

Translating these names into other languages can create challenges, especially when moving from a personal to a universal, transcendent concept of God. For example, *al-ʿAẓīm* literally means "He was, or became, great in his bone," then metaphorically "great." Efforts to convey transcendence in translation are seen in names like *al-Mutakabbir* (The Proud Oneself), *al-Jalīl* (The Angry), *al-Muntaqim* (The Avenger), and *at-Tawwāb* (The Returner). Islamic theology rejects any comparison between God and His creations, as He cannot be likened to them in any attribute. Yet many names are translated in a comparative form, such as *Allāhu ʾAkbar* ("God is the greatest"), which is also an Islamic slogan. The concept of *shirk* forbids any partnership in God’s will and actions, including likening His attributes to those of created beings or viewing them as limited.

In the Quran, angel names like Gabriel and Michael are linked to *El* (or *Il*), as in other Abrahamic religions. The phrase *Allāhumma*, used at the start of Islamic prayers, is thought to be the Arabic pronunciation of the Hebrew *Elohim*, a plural word (singular *El*) used for exaltation, similar to "Your Majesty!" Though the Quran frequently connects its prophets and holy book to *Jehovah*, the name Yahweh/Jehovah is unknown in Islam. Instead, *Rabb* (Lord, Master), used in Judaism in place of Yahweh, is commonly used for Allah in the Quran. The silence around the name Yahweh in Judaism for millennia is believed to relate to the commandment: "You shall not take the name of your God Yahweh in vain."

Different sources offer varying lists of the 99 names. The most common list comes from the *Jamiʿ at-Tirmidhi* (9th century), narrated by al-Walid ibn Muslim. However, al-Tirmidhi noted that this version of the hadith is *gharib* (unusual), and the names are not mentioned in other narrations from Abu Hurayrah. Other hadith collections—such as those of al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Ibn Majah, al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi, and Ibn ʿAsākir—present variant lists. Early Muslim exegetes like Jaʿfar al-Sadiq, Sufyan ibn `Uyaynah, Ibn Hazm, al-Qurtubi, and Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani also produced their own versions. Sheikh Abd al-Muhsin has specified which names from al-Tirmidhi’s list lack clear evidence.