Lesson: Allah’s Beautiful Names

Allah has beautiful names

Allah has many names. They are not ordinary names. They are beautiful names. Each name tells us something true and wonderful about Allah.

Allah says in the Qur’an that the most beautiful names belong to Him. He tells us to call on Him by these names (Qur’an 7:180).

Muslims call these names the Asma ul-Husna. It means “the most beautiful names.”

How many names?

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ told us something special. He said that Allah has ninety-nine names — one hundred less one. He said that whoever learns them and keeps them in their heart will go to Paradise (Sahih al-Bukhari 2736; Sahih Muslim 2677).

That does not mean Allah has only ninety-nine names. It means these ninety-nine are well-known for us to learn and love. Today we will meet just a few, like tasting the first sweet drops of honey.

A few beautiful names to know

• Ar-Rahman — the Most Merciful. Allah’s kindness is for everyone and everything. It never runs out (Qur’an 1:1–3).
• Al-Khaliq — the Creator. Allah made everything that exists — the sky, the sea, and you (Qur’an 39:62).
• Ar-Razzaq — the Provider. Allah gives every living thing what it needs. He gives the bird its food and you your daily bread (Qur’an 51:58).
• As-Sami’ — the All-Hearing. Allah hears everything, even a quiet whisper or a secret du’a. His partner-name is Al-Basir, the All-Seeing — Allah sees everything, always (Qur’an 42:11).

Each name is like a little window. When you look through it, you learn something true about Allah.

We call on Allah by His names

Allah’s beautiful names are not only for us to know. They are for us to use.

When we make du’a (when we ask Allah for something), we can call on Him by a fitting name. If you feel sad and want kindness, you might say, “O Most Merciful.” If you need something, you might remember that Allah is the Provider (Qur’an 7:180).

So when you learn a beautiful name, you also learn a beautiful way to talk to Allah.

Let’s recap

1. What do we call Allah’s beautiful names? The Asma ul-Husna — the most beautiful names.
2. How many well-known names are there? Ninety-nine.
3. Tell me one name and its meaning. For example, Ar-Rahman (the Most Merciful), Al-Khaliq (the Creator), or Ar-Razzaq (the Provider).
4. What can we do with Allah’s names? Call on Him by them when we make du’a.

Glossary

• Allah — the one and only God. He made everything and looks after everything.
• Asma ul-Husna (As-maa ul-Hus-naa) — Allah’s most beautiful names.
• Ar-Rahman (Ar-Rah-maan) — the Most Merciful, the Most Kind.
• Al-Khaliq (Al-Khaa-liq) — the Creator, who made everything.
• Ar-Razzaq (Ar-Raz-zaaq) — the Provider, who gives everything what it needs.
• As-Sami’ (As-Sa-mee’) — the All-Hearing, who hears everything.
• Al-Basir (Al-Ba-seer) — the All-Seeing, who sees everything.
• Du’a (Du-’aa) — calling on Allah, asking Him or talking to Him.