Glossary Of God’s All-Beautiful Names

Allah: Translated as God, Allah is the proper Name of the Divine Being Who creates and administers His creatures, individually and as a whole, Who provides, brings up, sustains, protects, guides each and all, Who causes to perish and revives each and all, Who rewards or punishes, etc. All His Attributes are Attributes of absolute perfection, and He is absolutely free from any and all defects. He is Unique and Single, having no like or resemblance and nothing is comparable to Him.

He is absolutely beyond any human conception: “Eyes comprehend Him not, but He comprehends all eyes (6: 103).” God is the Unique, Single Being with the exclusive right to be worshipped and to be made the sole aim of life. He is loved in and of Himself. Everything is dependent on Him and subsists through Him. Every truth has its source in Him. Knowledge of God (in the sense of the Arabic ‘ılm) is impossible in respect of His Being or Essence (Dhat). Because there is none like or comparable unto Him, it is therefore impossible to grasp or comprehend His Essence.

However, we can recognize God or have some knowledge of Him (in the sense of the Arabic ma‘rifah) through His works, acts, Names, Attributes and Essen- tial Qualities (shu‘un). Awareness of His works (what we see in the world, His creation) leads us to become aware of His acts, and that awareness leads us to His Names and Attributes which, in turn, lead us to His Essential Qualities, and thence to an awareness of the One Who has these Qualities.

(Al-)‘Adl: The All-Just

(Al-)‘Afuww: The All-Pardoning (Who overlooks the faults of His ser- vants); The One Who grants remission; The One Who excuses much.

(Al-)Ahad: The Unique One of Absolute Oneness (Who is beyond all kinds of human conceptions of Him and absolutely free from having any partners, likes, parents, sons or daughters; One Who manifests His certain particular Names on an individual thing or being to give that thing or being their unique individuality)

Ahkamu’l-Hakimin: The Best of judges (and the Most Powerful of sovereigns)

Ahlu’l-maghfirah: The Lord of forgiveness

Ahlu’t-taqwa: The Lord of righteousness and piety

Ahsanu’l-Khaliqin: The Creator Who creates everything in the best and most appropriate form and has the ultimate rank of creativity.

(Al-)akhir: The Last (Whom there is none that will outlive)

(Al-)‘Alim: The All-Knowing alimu’l-ghaybi wa’shshahadah: The Knower of the unseen (all that lies beyond sense-perception) and the witnessed (the sensed realm)

(Al-)‘Aliyy: The All-Exalted

(Al-)Aman: The One in Whom Refuge Is Sought

(Al-)‘Atuf: The All-Affectionate

(Al-)Awwal: The First (Whom there is none that precedes)

(Al-)‘Aziz: The All-Glorious with irresistible might (Whom none can prevent from doing what He wills)

Badi‘u’s-samawati wa’l-ard: The Originator of the heavens and the earth with nothing preceding Him to imitate

(Al-)Baith: The One Who restores life to the dead

(Al-)Baqi: The All-Permanent

(Al-)Bari: The All-Holy Creator (Who is absolutely free from having any partners and Who makes every being perfect and different from others)

(Al-)Barr: The All-Benign (Al-)

Basit: The All-Expanding (Al-)

Basir: The All-Seeing (Al-)

Batin: The All-Inward (Who encompasses the whole existence from within in His Knowledge, and there is none that is more penetrating than Him)

(Al-)Burhan: The All-Proving and Demonstrating

(Ad-)Darr: The Creator of evil and harm

(Ad-)Dayyan: The Supreme Ruler and All-Requiting (of good and evil)

Dhu’l-‘Arsh: The Owner (Lord) of the Supreme Throne

Dhu’l-Fadl: The One (or Lord) of grace and bounty

Dhu’l-Jalal wa’l-ikram: The One of Majesty and Grace

Dhu’l-Ma‘arij: The One Having Stairs of Ascent

Dhu’l-Quwwah: The Lord of all might

Dhu’t-Tawl: The One limitless in His bounty

Faliqu’l-habb wa’n-nawa: The splitting of the grain and the fruit-stone (so that they germinate by His command)

Faliqu’l-isbah: The Splitting of the dawn (from the darkness of night)

(Al-)Fard: The All-Independent, Single One (free from having any equals or likes in His Essence and Attributes)

(Al-)Fatir: The All-Originating (with a unique individuality)

Fatiru’s-samawati wa’l-ard: The Originator of the heavens and the earth (each with particular features)

(Al-)Fattah: The One Who judges between people with truth and separates them

(Al-)Ghafur: The All-Forgiving

Ghalibun ala emrihi: The One Who always prevails in whatever is His Will

(Al-)Ghaniyy: The All-Wealthy and Self-Sufficient

(Al-)Jabbar: The All-Compelling of supreme majesty (Who subdues wrong and restores right)

(Al-)Habib: The All-Loving and Loved

(Al-)Hadi: The All-Guiding

(Al-)Hafiyy: The All-Gracious

(Al-)Hafiz: The All-Preserving and Keeper of records

(Al-)Hakam: The All-Judging (Who settles the matters between people)

(Al-)Hakim: The All-Wise (in Whose every act and decree there are many instances of wisdom)

(Al-)Halim: The All-Clement (showing no haste to punish the errors of His servants)

(Al-)Hamid: The All-Praiseworthy (as the Lord Who creates, provides, and rears)

(Al-)Hannan: The All-Kind and Caring

(Al-)Haqq: The Ultimate Truth and Ever-Constant

(Al-)Hasib: The All-Sufficing as One Who reckons and settles the accounts (of His servants)

(Al-)Hayy: The All-Living

(Al-)Jalil: The All-Majestic

(Al-)Jami‘: The One Having All Excellences in the Infinite Degree; the All-Gathering

(Al-)Jamil: The All-Gracious and All-Beautiful

(Al-)Jawad: The All-Generous

(Al-)Kabir: The All-Great

(Al-)Kafi: The All-Sufficing

(Al-)Karim: The All-Munificent

(Al-)Khabir: The All-Aware

(Al-)Khaliq: The Creator (Who determines measure for everything and brings it into existence out of nothing)

(Al-)Khallaq: The Supreme Creator

Khayru’l-fasilin: The Best Judge between truth and falsehood

Khayru’l-Hakimin: The Best of judges

Khayru’r-Raziqin: The One Who is the Best to be sought as provider with the ultimate rank of providing

(Al-)Latif: The All-Subtle (penetrating into the most minute dimensions of all things)

(Al-)Mahmud: The All-Praised

(Al-)Majid: The All-Sublime

(Al-)Malik: The Sovereign

(Al-)Mani‘: The All-Preventing and Withdrawing

Maliku’l-mulk: The absolute Master of all dominion

Malik-i Yawm ad-Din: The absolute Master of the Day of Judgment

(Al-)Mannan: The All-Bounteous and Favoring

(Al-)Ma‘ruf: The One Known (with His works); the All-Recognized

(Al-)Matin: The All-Forceful

(Al-Mu‘afi: The Giver of Health

(Al-)Mu‘akhkhir: The One Who leaves behind

(Al-)Mubdi: The All-Initiating

(Al-)Mubin: The One Whom nothing is hidden and Who makes all truth manifest

(Al-)Mughni: The All-Enriching

(Al-)Muhaymin: The All-Watchful Guardian

(Al-)Muhit: The All-Encompassing

(Al-)Muhsi: The All-Counting and Recording

(Al-Muhsin: The All-Benevolent

(Al-)Muhyi: The One Who revives, Who gives life to the dead

(Al-)Mu‘id: The All-Returning and Restoring

(Al-)Mu‘in: The All-Helping and Supplying

(Al-)Mu‘izz: The All-Exalting and Honoring

(Al-)Mujib: The All-Answering (of prayers) and Meeting (of needs)

(Al-)Mu’min: The Supreme Author of safety and security Who bestows faith and removes all doubt

(Al-)Mumit: The One Causing to Die; the All-Dealer of death

(Al-)Mundhir: The All-Informing and Warning

(Al-)Muntaqim: The Ever-Able to requite

(Al-)Muqaddim: The One Who causes to advance , Who moves things forward

(Al-)Muqaddir: The All-Determining

(Al-)Muqit: The All-Aiding and Sustaining

(Al-)Muqsit: The All-Dealing of justice

(Al-)Muqtadir: The All-Omnipotent (Al-)Murid:The All-Willing

(Al-)Musi: The All-Expanding (of the universe and sustenance for His creatures)

(Al-)Musawwir: The All-Fashioning

(Al-)Musta‘an: The One Whose Help Is Ever Sought

(Al-)Muta‘al: The All-Transcending

(Al-)Mutakabbir: The One Who has exclusive right to all greatness

(Al-)Mudhill: The All-Abasing

(Al-)Mu‘ti: The All-Granting

(An-)Nafi‘: The All-Favoring and Giver of benefits

(An-)Nasir: The All-Helping and Giver of Victory

(An-)Nur: The All-Light

(Al-)Qaim: The All-Observing and Controlling

(Al-)Qabid: The All-Constricting

(Al-)Qadir: The All-Powerful

(Al-)Qahir: The All-Omnipotent (Who has full sway over all that exists)

(Al-)Qahhar: The All-Overwhelming (with absolute sway over all that exists)

(Al-)Qarib: The All-Near

(Al-)Qawiyy: The All-Strong

(Al-)Qayyum: The Self-Subsisting (by Whom all subsist)

(Al-)Quddus: The All-Holy and All-Pure (Who is absolutely free of any defect and keeps the universe clean)

(Ar-)Rabb: The Lord (God as the Creator, Provider, Trainer, Upbringer, and Director of all creatures)

Rabbu’l-‘alamin: The Lord of the worlds

(Ar-)Rafi‘: The All-Exalting

Rafi‘u’d-derejat: The All-Exalted above all degrees

(Ar-)Rahim: The All-Compassionate (Who has particular compassion for each of His creatures in their maintenance, and for His believing servants, especially in the other world)

(Ar-)Rahman: The All-Merciful (Who has mercy on the whole existence and provides for them without making a distinction between believers and unbelievers)

(Ar-)Raqib: The All-Watchful

(Ar-)Rashid: The All-Guide to what is correct

(Ar-)Rauf: The All-Pitying

(Ar-)Razzaq: The All-Providing

(As-)Sabur: The All-Patient (Whom no haste induces to rush into an action)

Sadiqu’l-wa‘d: The All-True to His promise

(As-)Salam: The Supreme Author of peace and salvation

(As-)Samad: The Eternally-Besought-of-All (Himself being needy of nothing)

(As-)Sami‘: The All-Hearing

(as-)Sani‘: The Maker

(As-)Sattar: The All-Veiling (of His servants’ shortcomings and sins)

Sari‘u’l-Hisab: The One Who is Most Swift in reckoning

Shadidu’l-‘iqab: The One Who is Most Severein in reckoning

(Ash-)Shafi: The All-Healing

(Ash-)Shahid: The All-Witnessing

(Ash-)Shakur: The All-Responsive (to the gratitude of His creatures)

(As-)Subhan: The All-Glorified

(As-)Sultan: The Absolute, Eternal Authority

(At-)Tawwab: The One Who accepts repentance and returns it with liberal forgiveness and additional reward

(Al-)Wacid: The Ever-Present and All-Finding

(Al-)Wadud: The All-Tender and Excusing; The All-Loving and All-Beloved

(Al-)Wahhab: The All-Bestowing

(Al-)Wahid: The One (having no partners and equals; One Who manifests all His Names upon the whole of the universe, or a species, or on a whole)

(Al-)Wakil: The One to rely on and to Whom affairs should be entrusted

(al-)Wali: The All-Governing

(Al-)Waliyy: The Guardian, the Protecting Friend (to rely on)

(Al-)Warith: The One Who survives all beings and inherits them

(Al-)Wasi‘: The All-Embracing (in His Mercy)

(Az-)Zahir: The All-Outward (Who encompasses the whole of existence from the outside, and there is none that encompasses Him)