Islamic Guide · Asma ul-Husna

The 99 namesof Allah

The Asma ul-Husna — the most beautiful names — are the names and attributes by which Allah is described in the Quran and the sunnah. All ninety-nine appear below in Arabic, with transliteration and English meanings, together with where the number comes from and what it means to "enumerate" them.

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Contents

What are the Asma ul-Husna?
Where the number 99 comes from
The complete list of 99 names
How the names are recited
Frequently asked questions

"To Allah belong the most beautiful names, so call upon Him by them" — al-A'raf 7:180. The Asma ul-Husna are not a list to be recited mechanically; each name describes a divine attribute, and the classical scholars understood knowing them as knowing something true about how creation is sustained, forgiven and judged.

Definition

What are the Asma ul-Husna?

Asma means names and al-husna means the most beautiful. Together they denote the names by which Allah is described in revelation — Ar-Rahman (the Exceedingly Merciful), Al-Alim (the All-Knowing), Al-Ghafur (the All-Forgiving) and the rest.

The Quran mentions the phrase in four places (7:180, 17:110, 20:8 and 59:24), the last of which closes with a sequence of the names themselves. They are not descriptions invented by scholars; they are the terms revelation itself uses.

Source

Where the number 99 comes from

The number appears in a hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah and recorded in both Bukhari and Muslim: "Allah has ninety-nine names, one hundred less one; whoever enumerates them will enter Paradise." The enumerated list most widely circulated today comes from a narration in Tirmidhi.

Two points are worth keeping in mind. First, the hadith does not say that Allah has only ninety-nine names — it identifies a set carrying a particular merit. Second, because the list was compiled from the Quran and hadith rather than revealed as a fixed sequence, different compilations vary slightly: some end with As-Sabur, while the ordering used here — the one common across Türkiye — counts the name Allah as the first.

Table

The complete list of 99 names

#	Arabic	Transliteration	Meaning
1	الله	Allah	The one and only God; the proper name of the Divine
2	الرحمن	Ar-Rahman	The Exceedingly Merciful, whose mercy encompasses all creation
3	الرحيم	Ar-Rahim	The Especially Merciful, above all to the believers in the hereafter
4	الملك	Al-Malik	The Sovereign, the sole owner of all dominion
5	القدوس	Al-Quddus	The Most Holy, free from every deficiency
6	السلام	As-Salam	The Source of Peace, the giver of security
7	المؤمن	Al-Mu'min	The Granter of Security, who gives faith and safety
8	المهيمن	Al-Muhaymin	The Guardian, who watches over and protects all
9	العزيز	Al-Aziz	The Almighty, invincible in might
10	الجبار	Al-Jabbar	The Compeller, who restores and enforces His will
11	المتكبر	Al-Mutakabbir	The Supreme in Greatness, to whom majesty belongs alone
12	الخالق	Al-Khaliq	The Creator, who brings into being from nothing
13	البارئ	Al-Bari	The Originator, who fashions without flaw
14	المصور	Al-Musawwir	The Shaper of Forms, who gives each thing its shape
15	الغفار	Al-Ghaffar	The Ever-Forgiving, who conceals and pardons sins repeatedly
16	القهار	Al-Qahhar	The Subduer, who prevails over all things
17	الوهاب	Al-Wahhab	The Bestower, who gives freely without expecting return
18	الرزاق	Ar-Razzaq	The Provider, who sustains every living thing
19	الفتاح	Al-Fattah	The Opener, who opens what is closed and judges between people
20	العليم	Al-Alim	The All-Knowing, from whom nothing is hidden
21	القابض	Al-Qabid	The Withholder, who constricts provision by His wisdom
22	الباسط	Al-Basit	The Extender, who expands provision and hearts
23	الخافض	Al-Khafid	The Abaser, who lowers whom He wills
24	الرافع	Ar-Rafi	The Exalter, who raises whom He wills in rank
25	المعز	Al-Mu'izz	The Giver of Honour, who grants dignity
26	المذل	Al-Mudhill	The Giver of Dishonour, who humbles the arrogant
27	السميع	As-Sami	The All-Hearing, who hears every sound and every prayer
28	البصير	Al-Basir	The All-Seeing, from whose sight nothing escapes
29	الحكم	Al-Hakam	The Judge, whose ruling is final and beyond appeal
30	العدل	Al-Adl	The Utterly Just, who never wrongs anyone
31	اللطيف	Al-Latif	The Subtle and Kind, gentle in ways unseen
32	الخبير	Al-Khabir	The All-Aware, who knows the inner reality of things
33	الحليم	Al-Halim	The Forbearing, who does not hasten to punish
34	العظيم	Al-Azim	The Magnificent, immense beyond comprehension
35	الغفور	Al-Ghafur	The All-Forgiving, whose forgiveness is vast
36	الشكور	Ash-Shakur	The Most Appreciative, who rewards small deeds abundantly
37	العلي	Al-Ali	The Most High, exalted above all creation
38	الكبير	Al-Kabir	The Most Great, greater than anything conceivable
39	الحفيظ	Al-Hafiz	The Preserver, who protects and keeps from harm
40	المقيت	Al-Muqit	The Sustainer, who provides nourishment and strength
41	الحسيب	Al-Hasib	The Reckoner, who is sufficient and takes account of all
42	الجليل	Al-Jalil	The Majestic, possessor of sublime attributes
43	الكريم	Al-Karim	The Most Generous, who gives without being asked
44	الرقيب	Ar-Raqib	The Watchful, who observes every soul at all times
45	المجيب	Al-Mujib	The Responsive, who answers the one who calls on Him
46	الواسع	Al-Wasi	The All-Encompassing, boundless in knowledge and mercy
47	الحكيم	Al-Hakim	The All-Wise, who places everything in its right order
48	الودود	Al-Wadud	The Most Loving, who loves His righteous servants
49	المجيد	Al-Majid	The Most Glorious, noble in honour and generosity
50	الباعث	Al-Ba'ith	The Resurrector, who raises the dead to life
51	الشهيد	Ash-Shahid	The Witness, present to and aware of everything
52	الحق	Al-Haqq	The Absolute Truth, whose existence is beyond doubt
53	الوكيل	Al-Wakil	The Trustee, upon whom affairs may be entrusted
54	القوي	Al-Qawiyy	The All-Strong, whose power never diminishes
55	المتين	Al-Matin	The Firm, unshakeable in strength
56	الولي	Al-Wali	The Protecting Friend of the believers
57	الحميد	Al-Hamid	The Praiseworthy, deserving of all praise
58	المحصي	Al-Muhsi	The Enumerator, who has counted all things precisely
59	المبدئ	Al-Mubdi	The Originator, who begins creation without precedent
60	المعيد	Al-Mu'id	The Restorer, who brings creation back again
61	المحيي	Al-Muhyi	The Giver of Life
62	المميت	Al-Mumit	The Bringer of Death, who ordains every appointed end
63	الحي	Al-Hayy	The Ever-Living, whose life has no beginning or end
64	القيوم	Al-Qayyum	The Self-Subsisting, by whom all else is sustained
65	الواجد	Al-Wajid	The Finder, who lacks nothing He wills
66	الماجد	Al-Majid	The Noble and Glorious, abundant in bounty
67	الواحد	Al-Wahid	The One, without partner
68	الأحد	Al-Ahad	The Unique, indivisible in His oneness
69	الصمد	As-Samad	The Eternal Refuge, needing nothing while all need Him
70	القادر	Al-Qadir	The Capable, who has power over all things
71	المقتدر	Al-Muqtadir	The Omnipotent, who prevails absolutely
72	المقدم	Al-Muqaddim	The Expediter, who brings forward whom He wills
73	المؤخر	Al-Mu'akhkhir	The Delayer, who postpones by His wisdom
74	الأول	Al-Awwal	The First, before whom there was nothing
75	الآخر	Al-Akhir	The Last, after whom there is nothing
76	الظاهر	Az-Zahir	The Manifest, evident through His signs
77	الباطن	Al-Batin	The Hidden, beyond the reach of perception
78	الوالي	Al-Wali	The Governor, who directs and manages all affairs
79	المتعالي	Al-Muta'ali	The Most Exalted, far above every deficiency
80	البر	Al-Barr	The Source of All Goodness, kind to His servants
81	التواب	At-Tawwab	The Acceptor of Repentance, who turns to those who turn to Him
82	المنتقم	Al-Muntaqim	The Avenger, who justly requites the persistent wrongdoer
83	العفو	Al-Afuww	The Pardoner, who erases sins entirely
84	الرؤوف	Ar-Ra'uf	The Most Kind, gentle and compassionate
85	مالك الملك	Malik al-Mulk	Owner of all Sovereignty, who gives and takes dominion
86	ذو الجلال والإكرام	Dhul-Jalali wal-Ikram	Lord of Majesty and Generosity
87	المقسط	Al-Muqsit	The Equitable, who acts with perfect fairness
88	الجامع	Al-Jami	The Gatherer, who assembles all creation on the appointed day
89	الغني	Al-Ghani	The Self-Sufficient, free of all need
90	المغني	Al-Mughni	The Enricher, who satisfies the needs of His servants
91	المانع	Al-Mani	The Preventer, who withholds harm by His wisdom
92	الضار	Ad-Darr	The Creator of Harm, by whose decree adversity comes
93	النافع	An-Nafi	The Creator of Good, by whose decree benefit comes
94	النور	An-Nur	The Light, who illuminates the heavens and the earth
95	الهادي	Al-Hadi	The Guide, who leads to the straight path
96	البديع	Al-Badi	The Incomparable Originator, who creates without model
97	الباقي	Al-Baqi	The Everlasting, who remains when all else perishes
98	الوارث	Al-Warith	The Inheritor, to whom everything returns
99	الرشيد	Ar-Rashid	The Guide to the Right Path, whose every act is sound

Transliteration is given in a simplified form without diacritics, so the names read naturally in English. The Arabic column is the authoritative text; transliteration can only approximate sounds such as ʿayn and the emphatic consonants.

Practice

How the names are recited

No single method is prescribed. The most common practices are reciting the names after the obligatory prayers, in the morning and evening, or as dhikr counted on a tasbih. Many people learn them gradually — a few each week, with their meanings — rather than memorising the whole list at once.

The hadith's word ahsaha ("enumerates") was understood by classical commentators to include memorising the names, understanding what they mean, and living in accordance with them. Calling upon the name that fits the need — Al-Ghafur when seeking forgiveness, Ar-Razzaq when seeking provision — follows directly from the Quranic instruction to call upon Him by them.

For everyday supplications with Arabic text and transliteration, see the duas page.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What are the 99 names of Allah?

The Asma ul-Husna — literally 'the most beautiful names' — are the names and attributes by which Allah is described in the Quran and the sunnah. The Quran instructs: 'To Allah belong the most beautiful names, so call upon Him by them' (al-A'raf 7:180). They describe divine qualities such as mercy, knowledge, power, forgiveness and justice.

Where does the number 99 come from?

From a hadith reported by Abu Hurayrah in Bukhari and Muslim: 'Allah has ninety-nine names, one hundred less one; whoever enumerates them will enter Paradise.' The names themselves are drawn from across the Quran and hadith. Scholars note that the hadith does not restrict Allah's names to exactly ninety-nine — it identifies a set with a particular merit.

Why do different lists of the 99 names differ?

Because the enumerated list in the well-known narration of Tirmidhi is a compilation, not a text revealed as a fixed list. Scholars compiled the names from the Quran and hadith, and made slightly different choices about which to include and how to order them. This is why some lists include As-Sabur at the end while others count Allah itself as the first name, as this page does.

What does 'enumerating' the names mean?

The Arabic word ahsaha carries more than counting. Classical commentators explain it as memorising them, understanding their meanings, and acting in accordance with them — for example, knowing that Allah is Ar-Razzaq (the Provider) and therefore trusting in provision rather than despairing. Mere recitation without reflection is understood as the least of its levels.

How are the names recited?

There is no single prescribed method. Many recite them after the obligatory prayers, in the morning and evening, or as part of dhikr on a tasbih. A common practice is to call upon the name most relevant to one's need — Ash-Shafi when seeking healing, Ar-Razzaq when seeking provision, Al-Ghafur when seeking forgiveness — as the Quranic instruction to 'call upon Him by them' suggests.

Can these names be given to people?

Some may be, with the prefix Abd ('servant of'): Abdullah, Abd al-Rahman, Abd al-Aziz. Names exclusive to the divine — such as Ar-Rahman or Al-Khaliq — are not given to people on their own. This is why the servant-form is used: it expresses the relationship rather than claiming the attribute.

What is the difference between Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim?

Both derive from the root r-h-m, meaning mercy, but classical scholars distinguish their scope. Ar-Rahman denotes an all-encompassing mercy extended to every creature in this world, believer or not. Ar-Rahim denotes a specific, sustained mercy directed toward the believers, particularly in the hereafter. The Basmala pairs them deliberately.

Are the names in the Quran itself?

The great majority appear in the Quran directly, many of them repeatedly, and often paired at the close of a verse — 'and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful'. A small number in the enumerated list come from hadith rather than the Quranic text. This is another reason compilations differ slightly from one another.

Related reading: daily duas, completing a khatm, how to pray, and the Turkish version of this page.

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