كِتَابُ أَسْمَاءِ اللهِ تَعَالَىThe Names of Allah

Allah the Exalted says:

"To Him belong the Best Names." (Ta-Ha 20:8)

And His saying:

"Say, 'Call upon Allah or call upon the Most Merciful. Whichever [name] you call, to Him belong the Best Names.'" (Al-Isra 17:110)

And His saying:

"And to Allah belong the Best Names, so call upon Him by them." (Al-A'raf 7:180)

¹ His statement: "Say, 'Call upon Allah...'" – The word "call" here means naming rather than supplication, and it takes two objects, the first of which is omitted as it is understood. The word "or" indicates choice and equivalence. Al-Tafsirat al-Ahmadiyyah mentions this.

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah the Exalted has ninety-nine names, one hundred minus one. Whoever enumerates them will enter Paradise." In another narration: "He is Odd (One) and loves the odd (singular)." [Agreed upon]

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah the Exalted has ninety-nine names, one hundred minus one. Whoever enumerates them will enter Paradise. He is Allah, besides whom there is no deity, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Source of Peace, the Granter of Security, the Overseer, the Almighty, the Compeller, the Supreme, the Creator, the Originator, the Fashioner, the All-Forgiving, the Subduer, the Bestower, the Provider, the Opener, the All-Knowing, the Withholder, the Extender, the Abaser, the Exalter, the Honorer, the Humiliator, the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, the Judge, the Just, the Subtle, the All-Aware, the Forbearing, the Magnificent, the All-Forgiving, the Appreciative, the Most High, the Greatest, the Preserver, the Sustainer, the Reckoner, the Majestic, the Generous, the Watchful, the Responder, the All-Encompassing, the All-Wise, the Loving, the Glorious, the Resurrector, the Witness, the Truth, the Trustee, the Strong, the Firm, the Protector, the Praiseworthy, the Counter, the Originator, the Restorer, the Giver of Life, the Causer of Death, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of Existence, the Perceiver, the Noble, the One, the Eternal Refuge, the All-Powerful, the Prevailing, the Expediter, the Delayer, the First, the Last, the Manifest, the Hidden, the Governor, the Exalted, the Source of Goodness, the Accepter of Repentance, the Avenger, the Pardoner, the Kind, the Owner of Sovereignty, the Possessor of Majesty and Honor, the Equitable, the Gatherer, the Self-Sufficient, the Enricher, the Preventer, the Afflicter, the Benefactor, the Light, the Guide, the Incomparable, the Everlasting, the Inheritor, the Guide, the Patient." [Narrated by Tirmidhi and Bayhaqi in Al-Da'awat al-Kabir]

Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) heard a man supplicating, "O Allah, I ask You by Your being Allah, the One, the Eternal, who neither begets nor is begotten, nor is there any equal to Him." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He has asked Allah by His Greatest Name, for when He is asked by it, He gives, and when supplicated by it, He answers." [Narrated by Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud]

Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I entered the mosque with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at night, and a man was reciting loudly. I said, "O Messenger of Allah, is this showing off?" He replied, "No, rather he is a believer turning to Allah." Abu Musa al-Ash'ari then recited loudly, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) listened to his recitation. Later, Abu Musa supplicated, "O Allah, I bear witness that You are Allah, there is no deity except You, the One, the Eternal, who neither begets nor is begotten, nor is there any equal to Him." The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He has asked Allah by His Name, for when He is asked by it, He gives, and when supplicated by it, He answers." I said, "O Messenger of Allah, should I inform him of what I heard from you?" He said, "Yes." So I told him, and he said to me, "Today, you are a beloved brother to me for narrating to me the words of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)." [Narrated by Razin]

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I was sitting with the Prophet (ﷺ) in the mosque when a man prayed and said, "O Allah, I ask You by the fact that all praise belongs to You; there is no deity except You, the Bestower of Mercy, the Originator of the heavens and earth, O Possessor of Majesty and Honor, O Ever-Living, O Sustainer of Existence, I ask You..." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He has supplicated Allah by His Greatest Name, for when He is supplicated by it, He answers, and when asked by it, He gives." [Narrated by Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa'i, and Ibn Majah]

Asma bint Yazid (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah’s Greatest Name is in these two verses: 'And your God is one God; there is no deity except Him, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful' (Al-Baqarah 2:163) and the opening of Surah Al 'Imran: 'Alif Lam Mim. Allah, there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of Existence' (Al 'Imran 3:1-2)." [Narrated by Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah, and Darimi]

Abu Hanifah said: "The Greatest Name of Allah is 'Allah.'" [Narrated by Muhammad ibn al-Hasan, mentioned by Al-Tahawi in Mushkil al-Athar] He said: "These narrations from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) agree that the Greatest Name is 'Allah,' Glorified and Exalted, and what we have mentioned aligns with Abu Hanifah’s view, removing any disagreement."

Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The supplication of Dhun-Nun (Prophet Yunus) when he called upon his Lord from the belly of the whale: 'There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers' (Al-Anbiya 21:87). No Muslim supplicates with it in any matter except that Allah answers him." [Narrated by Ahmad and Tirmidhi]