One God, Many Names

I read somewhere that Eskimos have more 200 names for the word ‘snow.’ Obviously, it plays an important role in their lives. Americans have many words for money: buck, bills, benjamins, big ones, bones, grand, and dough are few of the fifty words they use for money. Naturally, money plays a major role in popular American culture. What is striking is that Muslims have more than 99 names for God, an indication of how central God is to Islam. Here is a list of some beautiful divine names:

Allah: The God

Ar Rahman: The Beneficent

Ar Raheem: The Merciful

The attribute of mercy – which both of these names are derived from – is one of out Lord's greatest attributes. A believer's meets a fellow believer with the greeting: "May peace be upon you and the mercy of God."

 Al Malik: The King

 In Arabic, the word for "owner" (maalik) is closely related to the word "king" (malik). God is "the owner of sovereignty." He is the King of Kings, since the lives and destinies of all earthly kings are in His hands. God 's sovereignty is absolute and limitless. God gives and bestows without measure, and the bounty He gives to His servants does not decrease what He possesses in the least.

 Al-Quddus: The Holy One

 The Holy One is among God 's beautiful names. The Arabic word is derived from a linguistic root which conveys the meaning of "purity". As a name of God, it conveys the meaning of being free from all imperfections, transcendent above any deficiency or dependency, or any other meaning that does not suit His divine perfection, which includes that of having a child, a companion, or a partner of any kind. Another meaning of "the Holy One" is that God has attributes of perfection, for indeed God's attributes do not resemble those of created beings. God is the one whom we glorify. When we say: "Glory be to God", we are asserting God’s transcendence above every deficiency and dependency while affirming for Him every attribute of perfection and beauty. Another meaning of "the Holy One" is that God is the possessor of blessings. It may be from this connotation that the word conveys the meaning of that which is sanctified and blessed.

 As-Salaam: The Source of Peace

 God is the bringer of peace who spreads peace throughout creation. Since life was first created, it has been predominated by long stretches of peacefulness, security, tranquility, and contentment. God is Peace and from Him emanates all peace. The name al-Salam also connotes “soundness”, the idea of being free from blemish. It conveys that meaning that God is free from every shortcoming and deficiency, like fatigue, sleep, sickness, or death. God’s existence is one of absolute perfection. His pronouncements are true and His decrees are just. His Law and every expression of His will are perfect. God’s Law is full of wisdom and knowledge, as is the Quran He revealed to His Prophet.

 Al-Muhaymin: The Guardian

 The Watcher, the Protector: God is the Guardian over His creation, watchful of everything that takes place therein. One connotation of the name al-Muhaymin is that God watches over His creatures and is their protector. Another meaning of al-Muahymin is “the one who is responsible for the care of something, the one who has charge over it”.

The Giver of Just Recompense: Another meaning of the name al-Muhaymin is “the one who does not give the obedient servants less than their full award, nor punishes the sinners with greater than they deserve.” He punishes the sinful only to the extent of their transgressions. He is never unjust to any soul. rather, He bestows rewards far beyond what we deserve, and pardons most of our sins.

 Al-Mu’min: The Giver of Security

 This name has various shades of meaning.

The Fulfiller of Promises: One meaning of this name is: “the true one who always fulfills His promise.” God provides His servants with their sustenance and wellbeing in this world. He forgives them their sins, and in the Hereafter, He rewards them for their good deeds. He is also the one who fulfills the good expectations that His servants have of Him. He does not disappoint them.

The Giver of Security: Another meaning of the name al-Mumin is “the one who bestows security upon His servants.” God bestows the blessing of security upon His servants in so many ways. He promises the believers who fear Him that He will exchange their fear for security,

The Giver of Faith: Another meaning of al-Mumin is “the giver of faith”. God sends to us His Messengers and reveals to them His Books. He establishes for us the proof that His Messengers are genuine in what they relate from Him. He teaches us, through them, about His noble names and His attributes of perfection.

 Al-Jabbar: The Compeller

 When the name al-Jabbar describes God, it is an attribute of praise and glory. By contrast, when the word is used to describe human beings, it is to rebuke and censure them for their pride and self-aggrandizement. One of the meanings conveyed by the name al-Jabbar is that God compels His creatures through His very act of creating them in the manner that He wills them to be. They are compelled to accept the forms, shapes, and essential characteristics that constitute their natural makeup. Likewise, their involuntary actions – like the beating of the heart, the circulation of blood, the firing of nerve cells, and the mysterious workings of the brain – are all compelled by God’s power in ways that we can understand and ways that we are not even aware of. There are so many aspects of our lives – like falling asleep, waking up, being alert or absentminded – where are not entirely up to our own decisions. Another connotation of al-Jabbar is “the one who resets or restores something to its full state”. The root word from which this name is derived can mean “to compel”, but is also used to describe the act of setting a broken bone as well as the act of setting things right in general. God puts our lives in order for us. He provides us with our means of livelihood, relieves our want, and hides our mistakes. He shows mercy for the weak. He compensates the hardships we suffer in life with rewards and blessings from Himself. He consoles our hearts so we can be at peace and more accepting of what befalls us in life. Likewise, those who worship God with piety, devotion, submission, and awe find that God sets their hearts right with certainty of faith, humility, and sublime meaning.

 Al-Kabir: The Great

Al-Mutakabbir: The Supreme

 The name al-Kabir (the Great) appears six times in the Quran. God’s greatness encompassed all things. He is great in His essence, His attributes, His names, and His actions. This is why a Muslim proclaims in prayer Allahu akbar! – God is the Greatest. God is the possessor of greatness and grandeur. God is Supreme; transcendent above every limitation and deficiency that is inherent in created beings. He is exalted in glory, to whom every overbearing tyrant on Earth must ultimately bow. God alone is possessed of such greatness. His is the glory. Any created being who presumes to aspire to it is arrogant and blameworthy. The greatest strength that human beings can attain is to place their reliance in God and seek His support. The highest level of greatness they can attain is to show humility to their Lord and defer to His honor.

 Al-Khaliq: The Creator

Al-Bari: The Maker

Al-Musawwir: The Fashioner

 God is the Creator. He is al-Khaliq, al-Khallaq, and he is Ahsan al-Khaliqin – “the best of Creators”. The name al-Khaliq (the Creator) appears in the Quran eleven times. The more emphatic term al-Khallaq appears twice in the Quran. The Quran also refers to God as “the best of creators” in two places. Al-Khaliq (the Creator), al-Bari (the Maker), al-Musawwir (the Fashioner) are three of God’s name that are mentioned together sometimes. When these three names are mentioned together, each of them conveys a specific meaning. Here, the attribute of creation refers specifically to God’s determination of what He creates, so it comes first. The name al-Bari (the maker) refers to the creative act of bringing about what God wills to create. Finally, the name al-Musawwir (the Fashioner) refers to giving each created thing its particular form. So God decrees what He creates, brings it into existence, and specifies its particular, unique form. God originates the form of each created thing according to His wisdom, knowledge, and mercy. He gives each thing the form it has without need of a pre-existing model. These three actions – creation, making, and fashioning – manifest themselves in created things sequentially, the last of which is the fashioning of the form, which gradually comes to completion. We can see this in the growth of a plant from a seed and in the growth of an animal from an embryo.

 

Al-Ghafur, al-Ghaffar, al-Ghaafir: The Forgiving

These three names refer to God’s forgiveness. The name al-Ghafir means the Forgiver, while the names al-Ghafur and al-Ghaffar are more emphatic, indicating that God is most forgiving, oft-forgiving. Taken together, these three names occur in the Quran ninety-eight times. As for those who turn to God in sincere repentance, God will turn to them in forgiveness. God forgives whom He pleases. God makes it clear that His forgiveness is determined by his will. God refers to Himself as the Oft-Forgiving because He created us knowing that our natures would make us prone to sin, and that we would seek His forgiveness and He would forgive us.

 Al-Qaahir, al-Qahhar: The Subduer

 God’s name al-Qahir is mentioned in two verse of the Quran. Everything in creation is directly subjected to God’s power and will. Likewise, God sends His angels to carry out His will over creation. God’s absolute sovereignty over creation is clearly evident in the world, in how God maintains and governs all of its affairs. It will be even more evident in the Hereafter. In six places in the Quran the emphatic form of the name – al-Qahhar – appears.

The Subduer of False Arguments: One connotation of God’s name al-Qahhar is that He subdues the arguments of those who deny Him. He does so by placing in creation many irrefutable proofs and signs that attest to His existence and lordship and to the fact that He alone deserves to be worshipped. We see these clear and undeniable signs in the universe around us and within our very selves. Moreover, we have been given instinctive knowledge of our Lord and a natural belief in His existence. The evidence in creation that proclaims God’s existence can be witnessed by the scientist who studies the universe in depth with state-of-the-art instrumentation as well as by the simplest farmhand who looks at how a seed sprouts and grows in the soil, and by the coarse Bedouin who witnesses the rains and sees the desert bloom. With signs like these, God subdues the doubts people have and inspires their hearts to faith.

The Hereafter: Another connotation of God’s name al-Qahhar is that His creatures will be wholly subject to His will on the Day of Resurrection. They will have no choice in their being brought forth and gathered together for the final judgment. They will have no refuge place to flee to on that Day.

 Al-Wahhab: The Bestower

Ar-Razzaq: The Provider

 God bestows upon us His gifts and His providence. He bestows upon us His mercy and His blessings and He provides for our needs in every way. God provides two kinds of sustenance to His creatures:

1. General sustenance: This is the sustenance God provides for everyone, whether they are righteous or wicked and whether they believe in Him or not.

2. Special sustenance: This God provides to His choicest servants. It is the providence of faith. The one who received it is to be inclined to the worship of one’s Lord, to know Him, and to obey Him, and to thereby attain His pleasure.

Al-Fattah: The Opener of the Way

God is the Opener. He is the one who lays open all matters in truth and justice, and He does so in innumerable ways.

The Remover of Hardships: God relieves our sorrows. He shows us the way out of our difficulties and distresses. He removes our afflictions and covers us with His mercy. He opens up the gates of His bounty.

The Giver of Religious Knowledge: God opens up for His devotees the gates of knowledge and wisdom. He blesses them with insight and religious understanding. This is why we see that scholars differ in their knowledge and proficiency.

The Discloser of All Affairs in the Hereafter: God will judge between all of His creatures in truth on the Day of Judgment. No matter how elusive the question of justice might have been on Earth, God will bring it to the surface in the Hereafter. God will open the way for the oppressed to finally find redress from their oppressors.

 Al-Alim: The All-Knowing

 God’s knowledge is complete and perfect. It comprehends the past, present and future and always corresponds to reality. God’s knowledge is neither acquired through learning nor preceded by ignorance. God’s knowledge compasses all things, as does His mercy and wisdom. Nothing in the heavens or on Earth escapes His notice. Just as His knowledge is not preceded by ignorance, likewise it is not followed by forgetfulness. God knows the minutest of details of all things hidden and manifest. He knows every generality and every particular, from the most abstract concepts to the most concrete object. He has recorded the properties of everything in a book that is with Him. Our awareness of the vastness of God’s knowledge should also inspire within us love and admiration for God, since knowledge is a quality that we naturally admire. Religious knowledge is especially beloved, since it increases our knowledge of our Lord, which in turn draws us closer to Him. Religious knowledge also teaches us what God wants from us, so we can do what pleases Him, and also what He detests so we can shun what displeases Him. Acquiring knowledge of the world around us is also beloved to God. Such knowledge increases our appreciation of God’s creative power and His wisdom. It also helps us to derive benefit from the world.

 Al-Qabid: The Withholder

Al-Basit: The Giver of Abundance

 These two names – Al-Qabid (the Withholder) and al-Basit (the Giver of Abundance) – are opposites in their meaning. However, they come together as a complementary pair. The acts of withholding and giving in abundance are mentioned together and separately with respect to God on a number of occasions. God will also hold back the Earth in His grasp on the Day of Judgment. God is the Giver of Abundance who extends His bounty widely among His creatures. He provides for them, enables them in many ways, and is generous towards them far in excess of their needs. He is also the Withholder. He withholds the souls of the living at the time of death, which is a time appointed for all living things. At the same time, it is He who gives the soul to the body, thus enabling life.

 Al-Sami: The All-Hearing

 God hears all sounds. He hears everything we say, no matter how privately we speak. Our most secretive speech is an open declaration before God. Indeed, he hears even our innermost thoughts. Everything is evident to Him, since He is its Creator and He is the one who enables and sustains all that unfolds.

The One Who Answers Prayers: The idea that God hears every sound and every utterance is the most obvious connotation of His name “The All-Hearing”, but this noble name all also conveys the meaning that God hears and answers our prayers. God answers the prayers of those who beseech Him humbly with firm faith and who perform righteous deeds. When we know that God hears every word we utter, it should make us fearful of uttering false or evil speech.

 Al-Basir: The All-Seeing

 God is referred to as “the All-Seeing” forty-two times in the Quran. Everything in existence is under God’s purview. His sight not only compasses the visible, but also every state of existence and every circumstance. Whenever God creates something, grants something, brings something to life, causes death, guides someone, or allows someone to stray, it is in accordance with His wisdom, His perfect knowledge, and complete vision that nothing can escape. For the believers, knowledge that God sees and hears all things is a reassurance and comfort. It comforts the heart to know that God sees and hears us when we beseech Him. It strengthens our resolve and fortitude in the face of all obstacles and sorrows.

 Al-Latif: The Most Kind, Aware of Subtleties

 The Arabic word latif has many meanings. In essence, it connotes “gentleness”. However, it is used in many contexts and takes on a wide spectrum of meanings depending on the manner in which it is used.

When it refers to someone’s behavior towards others, it usually conveys the meaning of kindness. When we describe a person with the word latif, we are saying that he or she is a kind person. When referring to someone’s knowledge, it communicates an acute awareness of subtleties. When describing someone or some thing’s physical being, the word latif means that it is either delicate or very hard to perceive. As a name of God, al-Latif appears in the Quran seven times, conveying a number of these meanings.

The Knower of Subtleties: Nothing escapes God’s knowledge, no matter how insignificant or fleeting it might seem. God knows the intricacies of all affairs. He knows where every benefit is to be found, no matter how hidden or indirect, because He is the Creator of those benefits. From His immense kindness to His creatures, He delivers those benefits to them, even when they are unable to determine for themselves what is good for them.

God is Most Kind: God shows His kindness to us by not taking us to task immediately when we sin. Instead, God often guides us in our lives in subtle ways that we are not aware of, and in doing so He helps us to return to Him and to conduct ourselves in ways that please Him. God also places kindness in the hearts of His creatures so that they help one another. He places children in the care of their parents and, when the parents reach old age, He places the parents in the care of their children. He places all human beings under the care of His angels. God is not only Kind in what He provides for us. He shows His kindness in what He withholds from us.

 Al-Khabir: The All-Aware

 God is referred to as “the All-Aware” forty-five times in the Quran. This name is implied whenever the Quran discusses how God’s knowledge embracing all things visible and hidden and how nothing, no matter how seemingly imperceptible, escapes God’s awareness. An aspect of our knowing that God is All-Aware is the assurance that He knows everything about what we are going through as well as everything about the things that we do. When God recompenses us in this world and the Hereafter for our deeds, he does so knowing every aspect of what is in our hearts.

 Al-Haleem: The Forbearing

 The Quran refers to God as “the Forbearing” eleven times. God is Forbearing, He does not hasten to punish his creatures for their sins. He is patient and withholds His wrath. To describe God as Forbearing is to give witness to His strength. Forbearance implies having might and power. We do not say that a person is forbearing unless that person, when angered, holds back and willfully refrains from doing what he or she is capable of doing in response to that anger. As for someone who is weak and incapable of taking vengeance and suffers the abuse of others, such a person is not described as forbearing. Forbearance is an attribute of the strong, not the weak.

 Al-Azeem: The Magnificent

 This name appears nine times in the Quran. The word `azīm connotes greatness without limitation. God is unlimited in His power and knowledge. Human knowledge cannot compass Him and no one apart from God Himself can fathom the extent of His greatness in His essence and attributes. The angels, prophets, and all of created existence glorify Him and acknowledge His magnificence. God is magnificent in His essence and in the complete perfection of His attributes. He is Great, Almighty, Glorious, and All-Aware. God is beyond estimation. He transcends the limits of human reason and imagination. We glorify His magnificence by submitting to Him in faith with our hearts and minds, and by obeying Him with our limbs and deeds.

 Al-Shakir, As-Shakur: The Grateful

 The name Shakir (Grateful) appears twice in the Quran. The name in its emphatic form, Shakur (Most Grateful), appears in the Quran four times. God’s gratitude is manifest in the way He accepts from us the smallest of good deeds and recompenses them with immense rewards. Though God accepts from us the smallest of good deeds, He is willing to forgive us the greatest, most wanton of sins. He multiples every good deed ten times, but He never punishes a sin for more than deserves, and that only if He does not forgive it. Moreover, if the sinner is penitent, God will certainly forgive that sin. God always responds to the good that we do by blessing us even more.

Al-Ali, al-Ala, al-Muta’ali: The Most High

 Al-Ali, al-Ala, al-Mutaali: taken together, these names, all of which connote God's loftiness and sublimity, appear in the Quran eleven times. Human beings are instinctively aware of God's loftiness and transcendence. This is why people have a natural tendency to direct their attention up to the heavens when they pray and supplicate. In spite of God 's sublimity and transcendence, He is close to His creatures. He hears them and answers their prayers, no matter how secretive the supplicant might be.

 Al-Hafiz, al-Hafeez: The Protector

 The name al-Hafiz, along with its emphatic form al-Hafeez, appear six places in the Quran. These two names convey the meaning that God is the Protector who safeguards His creatures. These names have other connotations as well. They convey the meaning that God is our Keeper, our Guardian, and that He is Ever-Watchful over our affairs. All of these meanings are implied by these names.

 Al-Mujeeb: The Answerer of Prayers

 God answers the prayers of those who beseech Him. He relieves those who seek refuge in Him and he placates their fears. He even answers the prayers of the unbelievers and those who are heedless when, in the throes of despair, they call out to Him. God is the one who answers the prayers of those who beseech Him and place their hopes in Him. God alone is the one to whom all prayers and supplications are to be made. Our supplications to God are a means to dispel calamities and hardships, and to draw blessings and opportunities to us. However, supplications are not the only cause for these desired effects. There are other causes that need to be acknowledged as well, including natural cause-and-effect relationships.

 Al-Wasi: The All-Embracing

 This name appears for God nine times in the Quran, sometimes on its own and sometimes in connection with another of God’s names. The name connotes that God’s grace encompass everything His creatures need, and that His management of the universe is complete. Therefore, this name communicates to us the interconnectedness of God’s knowledge, His all-embracing awareness, His care, and His beneficence to everything in existence. The name also communicates something about God’s essence: that He is complete in His names and attributes and His greatness and perfection are without limitation. No amount of praise can encompass God’s due. God is as He extols Himself, for no words that humans can utter will ever do Him justice.

 Al-Hakeem: The Wise

Al-Haakim: The Judge

 The Quran mentions two names for God that are closely related linguistically. The first is al-Hakeem (the Wise) and the second is al-Haakim (the Judge). God is referred to in the Quran as “the Wise” 93 times and as “the Judge” six times. To be wise means to know things as they are, act towards them accordingly, and afford everything in its proper place and function. God’s wisdom can be witnessed in His creation, and especially in the creation of the human being, with its mind and soul. God is the Wise who bestows wisdom upon those of His servants He deems fit. Also, God has sovereignty over all matters in creation, nothing occurs in Creation except by His authority and decree. Likewise, His decree can be of a legislative nature. God makes certain deeds lawful and other deeds sinful. He commands us to do certain things and prohibits us from doing others. His decree cannot be revoked or overturned by anyone.

 Al-Wadood: The Loving

 The Quran refers to God by this name in two places. Love refers to a beautiful relationship towards someone or between two beings. God refers to this quality as existing between the husband and wife. God also describes it as a quality that He is pleased with people aspiring towards in resolving their conflicts and arguments. God loves those who are righteous. He is pleased with them, near to them, and He accepts their good deeds. Then there is the love that God has for all humanity. This love manifests itself in His honoring humanity, granting them authority on Earth, and providing for them. It also shows itself in the patience and forbearance that He shows to all people. This is why God speaks about His love for humanity in general terms, and His desire for them to engage in what is good. God expresses His love here in to encourage those who are being persecuted to be patient and steadfast in faith. Yet, He does so in general terms, so He is also encouraging the persecutors to relent and turn to Him in repentance. His love embraces them as well.

 Al-Majeed: The Glorious

 This name conveys the idea of one who is in possession of every praiseworthy quality to the utmost extreme. God excels all limitations in everything worthy of praise. He is perfect in every way, in all of His attributes. He possesses perfect knowledge, complete power, supreme wisdom, unfathomable mercy, total self-sufficiency, and every other laudable attribute in its most absolute sense.

 Al-Shaheed: The Witness

 The Quran refers to God by this name eighteen times. God is the Witness for whom nothing escapes His sight and nothing eludes His knowledge. And He is the just Witness, a Witness for truth. He is the Witness for the oppressed and downtrodden against those who wrong them. This name reminds us that what may go unseen by human eyes is still witnessed by God.

 Al-Mubeen: The Evident

 That which is evident is clear and manifest. It is something about which there is no doubt. In speech, being evident means that it is eloquent and understood without any difficulty. The name al-Mubeen, the Evident One, is a name of God that applies both to God’s essence as well as the fact that He has conveyed His Message to humanity in a clear, complete manner.

 Al-Haqq: The Truth

 The Quran attributes this name to God ten times. It follows that God loves the truth and those who are truthful. He enjoins honesty upon us and exhorts us be honest. The truth can be defined as that which is established with certainty about which there can be no legitimate doubt. God is the Truth in His enduring essence which shall never perish or diminish. His nature is the truth that shall never be supplanted. Hs teachings are the truth, never mixed with falsehood. His promise is true and it will never be broken. He guides us to the truth, decrees the truth, and speaks the truth.

Al-Fatir: The Bringer into Existence

The Quran refers to God as al-Fatir six times in connection with the creation of the heavens and the Earth. This name conveys the meaning of bringing into existence from nonexistence – of God creating the heavens and the Earth from absolute nothingness. Another connotation of the name al-Fatir is that of bringing something forth by cleaving something asunder, like plants from seeds and rain from storm clouds. This name seems to point to the very moment of creation, when the universe first came into existence. It inspires the heart to dwell on God’s might, power and wisdom, in His bringing the universe into being and then His determining how everything in it is to be.

 Al-Qawi: The Strong

Al-Mateen: The Unyielding in Strength

Al-Aziz: The Mighty

 The name al-Aziz appears seventy-two times in the Quran, usually in conjunction with other names of God. God is the possessor of strength who faces no incapacity. Nothing can overpower Him or harm Him. God’s might transcends and surpasses all might and power. None can aspire to it. Rather, all might and power that created beings possess is bestowed on them by Him. He gives might in this world to whom he pleases. Whoever aspires to be mighty – whether it be through wealth, lineage, prestige, health, worldly success, or through the attainment of the Hereafter – they should seek it from the true Possessor of Might, the invincible one who is the source of strength and support for all who rely on Him. Whoever seeks out God to be their refuge and appeals to Him to fulfill their needs and give them strength, they will find Him to be the Mighty one who grants their requests, safeguard their dignity, and preserve their status. There is no indignity in begging from God, whereas begging from others is a shameful act, whether the beggar receives anything or not.

 The name al-Qawi (the Strong) appears nine times in the Quran. This name conveys the idea of God’s unlimited capability, that nothing is outside of His power and nothing can triumph over Him. God is Strong; nothing can stand as an obstacle to His will. This is why we often see this name in conjunction with His name al-Aziz (the Mighty), especially in the context of His giving support to the believers and the downtrodden against the tyrannical and unjust. At the same time, God detests strength that is built upon violence and tyranny. The strength of justice and equality keeps the strength of the individual within reasonable bounds. Strength, therefore, is like other qualities of God which He loves to see manifested among His servants. God expresses those qualities in the most perfect and complete way.

 al-Hameed: The Praiseworthy

 This name is mentioned seventeen times in the Quran. God is al-Hameed – the One who is praised by His creatures in the heavens and on Earth. He would be worthy of praise even if no one existed to praise Him. God is worthy of every possible praise on account of His very existence, as well as for His generosity, mercy, and all of His other noble qualities. Everything and everyone in creation extols God’s praises, even if some people might do so unwillingly. The believers praise God happily of their own free will. Even those who deny God praise Him. They do so by merely existing, since their very existence testifies to His creative power, magnanimity, grace, and forbearance. All the praises that the angels, prophets, and the rest of creation offer up to God is nothing compared to the praise that God deserves.

 al-Hayy: The Ever-Living

 The Quran refers to God as “the Ever-Living” on five occasions. God’s life is the most complete and perfect life without deficiency or weakness. Life is an attribute of God’s essence. It is intrinsic to His existence. This is in contrast to created beings, whose lives are something that God grants them from His favor. Their existence and their sustenance are fully dependent upon Him. God is the Living who confers life upon others. He creates and sustains all living things in their mortal lives in this world. Then, in the Hereafter, He confers eternal life upon the dwellers of Paradise.

 al-Qayyum: The Sustainer, the Self-Sustaining

 God is referred to by this name in three verses of the Quran. This name connotes that God is completely self-sustaining in His essence and existence. He is completely independent, unlike created things which depend on Him to create and sustain them. Indeed, this name also connotes that God is the Sustainer of everything in existence. He watches and governs over all of their affairs from every possible angle. He is also the Assessor of the actions His creatures carry out of their own free will and the one to recompense those actions in this world and the Hereafter. God is watchful over everything that transpires in creation, especially the deeds of human beings.

 al-Ahad, al-Wahid: The One

 Both names share a common etymological origin, and both refer to “oneness”. The word wahid is simply the Arabic word for the number “one”. As a name of God, it refers to His being the one and only true God. It also refers to His being the First, before whom nothing existed. This in turn, communicates that no one deserves to be worshipped besides God, and that He has no partner in divinity. The word ahad, by contrast, conveys an uncountable oneness. It is not one in a series. It cannot be added to or divided into fractions. Its stands for a singular, unique entity. Also, in Arabic grammatical usage, it is the form of the word “one” used to distinguish an individual from others, like in the phrase “one of them” in “Only one of them showed up.” Consequently, the name al-Ahad, it is more exclusive in its meaning than the name al-Wahid, referring specifically to God’s essence, communicating that God is absolutely singular in His essence and utterly unique in His attributes. No one is like Him in any way.

 as-Samad: The Self-Subsisting

 This name of God appears only once in the Quran, in the second verse of the chapter entitled al-Ikhlās: “God, the Self-Subsisting.” (112:2)

The name al-Samad has many aspects to its meaning. It refers to one who is Lord, who possesses and disposes of all affairs, one whom people come to with their needs, but who at the same time is complete and self-sufficient, needing and depending upon no one else. The word samad is also defined as: “one whom everyone depends to fulfill their needs, but who needs no one and depends upon no one else.” God provides everything for His creatures, but He is not dependent on them for anything. God did not create us to enrich Him or empower Him. He created us merely to worship Him. He is free from all deficiency and dependency.

 al-Qadir: The All-Powerful

al-Qadeer: The Able

The name al-Qadir (the Able) derives from the Arabic verb that has two connotations, one being that of strength and ability, the other being that of giving measure and making determinations. Divine name al-Qadir, which appears in the Quran twelve times, comes with both of these meanings. These two meanings are interrelated. God is capable of all things. Nothing that He intends fails to take place. Therefore, whatever he determines and decrees must come to pass precisely according to His determination.

 The name al-Qadeer (the All-Powerful) also derives from the same verb, but is more emphatic. This name appears for God forty-five times in the Quran. God can replace certain legal rulings and religious teachings with those that are better for His Messenger Muhammad and those who follow him. God’s power is total and comprehensive. He brought the heavens and Earth into existence with it. By His power, all of creation is maintained, the cycle life and death unfold, and hearts are turned to the truth. By His power, He recompenses His servants.

 al-Muqaddim: The Expediter

al-Mu’akkhir: The Deferrer

 al-Muqaddim and al-Mu’akhkhir (the Expediter and the Deferrer) are two names that go together. We can see why these two names of God always appear together. Their meanings are complimentary, and are not fully expressed in isolation from one another. Prophet Muhammad used to offer the following supplication to God where he called upon God with these two names:

 God expedites what He wills, and He defers what He wills.

It applies to the provisions that He apportions to His creatures. It applies to the events that take place in history.

It also encompasses the affairs of people. God makes some people to excel others in various ways. No one can challenge God’s decree.

 Brochure 1

One God, Many Names

 I read somewhere that Eskimos have more 200 names for the word ‘snow.’ Obviously, it plays an important role in their lives. Americans have many words for money: buck, bills, benjamins, big ones, bones, grand, and dough are few of the fifty words they use for money. Naturally, money plays a major role in popular American culture. What is striking is that Muslims have more than 99 names for God, an indication of how central God is to Islam.

Here is a list of some beautiful divine names:

 Allah: The God

Ar Rahman: The Beneficent

Ar Raheem: The Merciful

Al Malik: The King

Al-Quddus: The Holy One

As-Salaam: The Source of Peace

Al-Muhaymin: The Guardian

Al-Mu’min: The Giver of Security

Al-Jabbar: The Compeller

Al-Kabir: The Great

Al-Mutakabbir: The Supreme

Al-Khaliq: The Creator

Al-Bari: The Maker

Al-Musawwir: The Fashioner

Al-Ghafur, al-Ghaffar, al-Ghaafir: The Forgiving

Al-Qaahir, al-Qahhar: The Subduer

Al-Wahhab: The Bestower

Ar-Razzaq: The Provider

Al-Fattah: The Opener of the Way

Al-Alim: The All-Knowing

Al-Qabid: The Withholder

Al-Basit: The Giver of Abundance

Al-Sami: The All-Hearing

Al-Basir: The All-Seeing

Al-Latif: The Most Kind, Aware of Subtleties

Al-Khabir: The All-Aware

Al-Haleem: The Forbearing

Al-Azeem: The Magnificent

Al-Shakir, As-Shakur: The Grateful

Al-Ali, al-Ala, al-Muta’ali: The Most High

Al-Hafiz, al-Hafeez: The Protector

Al-Mujeeb: The Answerer of Prayers

Al-Wasi: The All-Embracing

Al-Hakeem: The Wise

Al-Haakim: The Judge

Al-Wadood: The Loving

Al-Majeed: The Glorious

Al-Shaheed: The Witness

Al-Mubeen: The Evident

Al-Haqq: The Truth

Al-Fatir: The Bringer into Existence

Al-Qawi: The Strong

Al-Mateen: The Unyielding in Strength

Al-Aziz: The Mighty

al-Hameed: The Praiseworthy

al-Hayy: The Ever-Living

al-Qayyum: The Sustainer, the Self-Sustaining

al-Ahad, al-Wahid: The One

as-Samad: The Self-Subsisting

al-Qadir: The All-Powerful

al-Qadeer: The Able

al-Muqaddim: The Expediter

al-Mu’akkhir: The Deferrer

al-Awwal: The First

al-Aakhir: The Last

az-Zaahir: The Manifest

al-Baatin: The Hidden

al-Barr: The Benevolent

Al-Wali, al-Mawla: The Patron

Al-Wakeel: the Disposer

Al-Muqeet: The Giver of Sustenance

Al-Haseeb: The Reckoner, The Sufficer

Al-Jameel: The Beautiful

Al-Kareem: The Generous

Al-Akram: The Most Generous

Ar-Raqeeb: The Ever-Watchful

Al-Qareeb: The Near One

at-Tawwab: The Acceptor of Repentance

ar-Rabb: The Lord

al-Afoo: The Pardoner

ar-Rauf: The Compassionate

Dhul-Jalala wal-Ikram: The Lord of Bounty and Honor

Al-Ghani: The Self-Sufficient

Al-Witr: The Indivisible

Al-Haadi: The Guide

Al-Badi: The Originator

Al-Warith: The Inheritor

At-Tayyib: The Good

Rafi ul-Darajat: The Exalter of Status

Al-Mannan: The Benefactor

An-Naasir: The Helper

Al-Muheet: The All-Encompassing

Al-Ilah: The God

Al-Jawwad: The Magnanimous

Al-Hayy: The Possessor of Modesty

Ar-Rafiq: The Gentle

Al-Muhsin: The Good

As-Sittir: The Coverer (of faults)

As-Subbooh: The Most Glorified

As-Sayyid: The Noble One

As-Shafi’: The Healer

Al-Hafi: The Most Gracious