The 99 Names of Allah (Asma'ul Husna): List, Meanings and Hadith

Few things soften the heart like getting to know Allah through His own names. The Asma'ul Husna, "the Most Beautiful Names", tell us who our Lord is: merciful, wise, near, forgiving and in full control of every affair. Below we cover what the Qur'an and Sunnah say about the 99 names of Allah, where the famous list comes from, and simple ways to learn them. If you want something to look at every day while you learn, our Beautiful Names of Allah poster puts all 99 names on a single printable page.

What the Qur'an says about the names of Allah

Allah Himself tells us that His names are beautiful and that we should call on Him by them:

  • Surah al-A'raf, 7:180: "And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them. And leave the company of those who practise deviation concerning His names."
  • Surah al-Hashr, 59:22–24: the closing verses of al-Hashr gather more of His names in one place than almost anywhere else in the Qur'an: Allah, al-Rahman, al-Rahim, al-Malik, al-Quddus, al-Salam, al-Mu'min, al-Muhaymin, al-'Aziz, al-Jabbar, al-Mutakabbir, al-Khaliq, al-Bari', al-Musawwir and al-Hakim. Verse 24 ends: "To Him belong the best names. Whatever is in the heavens and earth is exalting Him."

Here is something you can check for yourself: the first thirteen names on the commonly circulated list of 99, from al-Rahman to al-Musawwir, follow the exact order in which they appear in these verses of al-Hashr.

The hadith of the 99 names

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: "Allah has ninety-nine names, one hundred less one. Whoever ahsaha (enumerates or preserves) them will enter Paradise." It is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari (2736 and 7392) and Sahih Muslim (2677). Muslim's narration adds: "Allah is Witr (One) and He loves what is odd."

What does "ahsaha" mean?

The Arabic word ahsaha comes from a root meaning to count or keep track of something. Translators render it as "counts", "knows" or "memorises", and scholars explain that it covers more than reciting a list. Ibn al-Qayyim described levels of ihsa':

  1. Memorising the names and their wording.
  2. Understanding their meanings and what they tell us about Allah.
  3. Calling upon Allah by them in worship and du'a, and letting them shape how we live.

So knowing that Allah is al-Razzaq (the Provider) should calm our worry about rizq, and knowing He is al-Tawwab (the Ever-Accepting of Repentance) should bring us back to Him after we slip.

Where does the famous list of 99 come from?

The authentic hadith in Bukhari and Muslim gives the number but does not list the names. The list most people know comes from a longer narration in Jami' al-Tirmidhi (3507). Al-Tirmidhi himself called it gharib (a narration with an unusual chain) and noted that only this route mentions the names.

Many hadith scholars concluded that the list itself was added by a narrator rather than spoken by the Prophet ﷺ. Ibn Taymiyyah said the specialists in hadith agreed that the listed names are not authentically from the Prophet ﷺ, and Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani wrote in Fath al-Bari that the most likely view is that the listing is an insertion by some narrators. The common list remains a wonderful learning tool, as almost all of its names are established in the Qur'an and Sunnah.

Does Allah have more than 99 names?

Yes. In a well-known du'a for distress reported in Musnad Ahmad from Ibn Mas'ud, the Prophet ﷺ taught us to say: "I ask You by every name that belongs to You, which You have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or taught to any of Your creation, or kept with Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen." Scholars such as al-Nawawi understood from this that the hadith of the 99 is about a special reward for those particular names, not a limit on how many names Allah has.

The 99 names of Allah: full list with meanings

Below is the commonly circulated list (based on the Tirmidhi narration) with the Arabic, transliterations, short English meanings and a verse where each name (or its root) appears. Translations are approximate: each name carries layers of meaning that a few English words can only hint at.

# Arabic Name Meaning In the Qur'an
1 الرحمن Ar-Rahman The Most Merciful 1:3
2 الرحيم Ar-Rahim The Especially Merciful 1:3
3 الملك Al-Malik The King, The Sovereign 59:23
4 القدوس Al-Quddus The Most Holy 59:23
5 السلام As-Salam The Source of Peace 59:23
6 المؤمن Al-Mu'min The Granter of Security, The Faithful 59:23
7 المهيمن Al-Muhaymin The Guardian, The Overseer 59:23
8 العزيز Al-'Aziz The Almighty 59:23
9 الجبار Al-Jabbar The Compeller, The Restorer 59:23
10 المتكبر Al-Mutakabbir The Supreme in Greatness 59:23
11 الخالق Al-Khaliq The Creator 59:24
12 البارئ Al-Bari' The Originator, The Maker 59:24
13 المصور Al-Musawwir The Fashioner of Forms 59:24
14 الغفار Al-Ghaffar The Repeatedly Forgiving 20:82
15 القهار Al-Qahhar The Subduer 13:16
16 الوهاب Al-Wahhab The Bestower 3:8
17 الرزاق Ar-Razzaq The Provider 51:58
18 الفتاح Al-Fattah The Opener, The Judge 34:26
19 العليم Al-'Alim The All-Knowing 2:32
20 القابض Al-Qabid The Withholder 2:245*
21 الباسط Al-Basit The Extender 2:245*
22 الخافض Al-Khafid The Abaser 56:3†
23 الرافع Ar-Rafi' The Exalter 3:55*
24 المعز Al-Mu'izz The Giver of Honour 3:26*
25 المذل Al-Mudhill The Giver of Humiliation 3:26*
26 السميع As-Sami' The All-Hearing 42:11
27 البصير Al-Basir The All-Seeing 42:11
28 الحكم Al-Hakam The Judge 6:114
29 العدل Al-'Adl The Utterly Just 6:115*
30 اللطيف Al-Latif The Subtle, The Gentle 6:103
31 الخبير Al-Khabir The All-Aware 6:103
32 الحليم Al-Halim The Forbearing 2:235
33 العظيم Al-'Azim The Magnificent 2:255
34 الغفور Al-Ghafur The All-Forgiving 39:53
35 الشكور Ash-Shakur The Most Appreciative 35:30
36 العلي Al-'Aliyy The Most High 2:255
37 الكبير Al-Kabir The Most Great 13:9
38 الحفيظ Al-Hafiz The Preserver 11:57
39 المقيت Al-Muqit The Sustainer, The Nourisher 4:85
40 الحسيب Al-Hasib The Reckoner, The Sufficient 4:6
41 الجليل Al-Jalil The Majestic 55:27*
42 الكريم Al-Karim The Most Generous 82:6
43 الرقيب Ar-Raqib The Watchful 4:1
44 المجيب Al-Mujib The Responsive 11:61
45 الواسع Al-Wasi' The All-Encompassing 2:115
46 الحكيم Al-Hakim The All-Wise 2:32
47 الودود Al-Wadud The Most Loving 85:14
48 المجيد Al-Majīd The Most Glorious 11:73
49 الباعث Al-Ba'ith The Resurrector 22:7*
50 الشهيد Ash-Shahid The Witness 4:79
51 الحق Al-Haqq The Truth 22:6
52 الوكيل Al-Wakil The Trustee, The Disposer of Affairs 3:173
53 القوي Al-Qawiyy The All-Strong 22:40
54 المتين Al-Matin The Firm 51:58
55 الولي Al-Waliyy The Protecting Friend 42:9
56 الحميد Al-Hamid The Praiseworthy 14:8
57 المحصي Al-Muhsi The Counter, The Accounter 72:28*
58 المبدئ Al-Mubdi' The Originator 85:13*
59 المعيد Al-Mu'id The Restorer 85:13*
60 المحيي Al-Muhyi The Giver of Life 30:50
61 المميت Al-Mumit The Bringer of Death 15:23*
62 الحي Al-Hayy The Ever-Living 2:255
63 القيوم Al-Qayyum The Self-Subsisting Sustainer 2:255
64 الواجد Al-Wajid The Finder, The Self-Sufficient 93:6*
65 الماجد Al-Mājid The Noble, The Illustrious Not in the Qur'an as a name
66 الواحد Al-Wahid The One 13:16
67 الأحد Al-Ahad The Unique, The Only One 112:1
68 الصمد As-Samad The Eternal Refuge 112:2
69 القادر Al-Qadir The All-Capable 6:65
70 المقتدر Al-Muqtadir The All-Determining 54:42
71 المقدم Al-Muqaddim The Expediter 50:28*
72 المؤخر Al-Mu'akhkhir The Delayer 14:42*
73 الأول Al-Awwal The First 57:3
74 الآخر Al-Akhir The Last 57:3
75 الظاهر Az-Zahir The Manifest 57:3
76 الباطن Al-Batin The Hidden 57:3
77 الوالي Al-Wali The Governor 13:11*
78 المتعالي Al-Muta'ali The Most Exalted 13:9
79 البر Al-Barr The Source of Goodness 52:28
80 التواب At-Tawwab The Ever-Accepting of Repentance 2:37
81 المنتقم Al-Muntaqim The Avenger 32:22*
82 العفو Al-'Afuww The Pardoner 4:43
83 الرؤوف Ar-Ra'uf The Most Kind 2:143
84 مالك الملك Malik al-Mulk Owner of All Sovereignty 3:26
85 ذو الجلال والإكرام Dhul-Jalali wal-Ikram Lord of Majesty and Honour 55:27
86 المقسط Al-Muqsit The Equitable 3:18*
87 الجامع Al-Jami' The Gatherer 3:9
88 الغني Al-Ghaniyy The Self-Sufficient, The Rich 35:15
89 المغني Al-Mughni The Enricher 9:28*
90 المانع Al-Mani' The Preventer Not in the Qur'an as a name
91 الضار Ad-Darr The Bringer of Harm 48:11*
92 النافع An-Nafi' The Bringer of Benefit 48:11*
93 النور An-Nur The Light 24:35
94 الهادي Al-Hadi The Guide 22:54
95 البديع Al-Badi' The Incomparable Originator 2:117
96 الباقي Al-Baqi The Everlasting 55:27*
97 الوارث Al-Warith The Inheritor 15:23*
98 الرشيد Ar-Rashid The Guide to the Right Path Not in the Qur'an as a name
99 الصبور As-Sabur The Most Patient Not in the Qur'an as a name

Verse references link to quran.com. An asterisk (*) means the exact name does not appear in the Qur'an; the verse uses another form of the same root to describe Allah, for example "Allah withholds and extends" (2:245) for al-Qabid and al-Basit. † Verse 56:3 uses the root of al-Khafid to describe the Last Hour, "bringing down some and raising up others". Al-Majid (no. 65), al-Mani', ar-Rashid and as-Sabur are not found in the Qur'an as names; they come from the narration in al-Tirmidhi.

Patterns worth noticing

Names that come in pairs

Several names are best understood together, because each one balances the other:

  • al-Qabid and al-Basit: He withholds and He extends, whether provision, hearts or souls.
  • al-Khafid and al-Rafi', al-Mu'izz and al-Mudhill: He lowers and raises, honours and humbles.
  • al-Muhyi and al-Mumit: He gives life and He causes death.
  • al-Muqaddim and al-Mu'akhkhir: He brings forward and holds back.
  • al-Awwal, al-Akhir, al-Zahir and al-Batin: four names that appear together in Surah al-Hadid 57:3, "He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden."

Names you meet most often in the Qur'an

Some names appear again and again. Al-Rahman and al-Rahim open every surah except one through the Basmalah. Al-'Alim (the All-Knowing) and al-Hakim (the All-Wise) are among the most frequent names in the whole Qur'an and often close verses together, as do al-Ghafur al-Rahim and al-'Aziz al-Hakim.

The Greatest Name (al-ism al-a'zam)

Hadith in Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah mention the "Greatest Name" of Allah, by which a du'a is answered. Scholars differed about which name it is. Suggestions include "Allah" itself, the pairing al-Hayy al-Qayyum, and du'as mentioning al-Ahad al-Samad. Because it was not clearly specified, many scholars encouraged calling on Allah by all of His names with sincerity.

Practical ways to learn the 99 names

  • A name a day: learn one name each morning, read its meaning, and find one verse where it appears. In about three months you will have gone through all 99.
  • Use them in your du'a: match the name to the need, as 7:180 instructs. Ask al-Ghaffar for forgiveness, al-Razzaq for provision, al-Shafi for healing and al-Hadi for guidance.
  • Teach your children: start with names they can feel, like al-Rahman, al-Khaliq and al-Sami'. Ask "Who made the trees?" or "Who hears us when we whisper?" and connect the answer to a name.
  • Keep them in sight: a chart on the wall turns a glance into a moment of remembrance. Pair it with other learning tools, such as our guide to the 25 prophets in Islam.

Bring the Asma'ul Husna into your home

Our Beautiful Names of Allah poster is a digital download for $8, designed in Malaysia to make the 99 names clear, beautiful and easy to learn. Print it at home or at a local print shop for your living room, a child's bedroom, a classroom or the musolla, and let your family take in a name each time they walk past.

Frequently asked questions

What are the 99 names of Allah?

They are the names commonly known as al-Asma' al-Husna, "the Most Beautiful Names", which describe Allah's attributes, such as al-Rahman (the Most Merciful), al-Malik (the King) and al-Hakim (the All-Wise). The popular list of 99 comes from a narration in al-Tirmidhi.

Is there a hadith about memorising the 99 names?

Yes. The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah has ninety-nine names and whoever ahsaha them will enter Paradise (Sahih al-Bukhari 2736, 7392; Sahih Muslim 2677). Scholars explain this as memorising them, understanding them and acting upon them.

Is the list of 99 names authentic?

The number 99 is authentic. The specific list is from al-Tirmidhi 3507, and scholars such as Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Hajar held that the list was most likely added by a narrator.

Does Allah have only 99 names?

No. A hadith in Musnad Ahmad mentions names Allah has kept in His knowledge of the unseen, so His names are more than 99.

How can I teach my kids the names of Allah?

Start with a few simple names, link each to everyday life, revise one name a day, and keep a colourful chart where they can see it often.

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