The 99 Names of Allāh.

What are the 99 Names of Allah?

The 99 Names of Allah — al-Asmāʾ al-Ḥusnā (الأسماء الحسنى, “the most beautiful names”) — are the attributes by which Allah has named Himself in the Qur'an and in the authentic hadith of the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ. Each name describes a facet of the divine — such as ar-Raḥmān (the Entirely Merciful), al-Ḥakīm (the All-Wise), or al-Ghafūr (the Most-Forgiving) — and Muslims are taught to invoke Allah by them. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Allah has ninety-nine names; whoever memorizes them will enter Paradise” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2736, Muslim 2677).

Ten Names Muslims Invoke Most Often

Classical scholars and daily practice converge on a handful of names that appear most often in du'ā — invocations for mercy, forgiveness, provision, and healing. Each name below links to a detail page with its full Quranic context, hadith references, and suggested usage in supplication.

• الرَّحْمَٰنُAr-RahmanThe Entirely MercifulQur'ān 55:1
• الرَّحِيمُAr-RahimThe Especially MercifulQur'ān 2:163
• الْغَفُورُAl-GhafurThe Ever-ForgivingQur'ān 39:53
• الرَّزَّاقُAr-RazzaqThe ProviderQur'ān 51:58
• السَّلَامُAs-SalamThe Source of PeaceQur'ān 59:23
• الْوَدُودُAl-WadudThe Most LovingQur'ān 85:14
• الْوَهَّابُAl-WahhabThe BestowerQur'ān 3:8
• الْمَلِكُAl-MalikThe King, the SovereignQur'ān 59:23
• الْحَكِيمُAl-HakimThe All-WiseQur'ān 2:32
• الْهَادِيAl-HadiThe GuideQur'ān 22:54

How to Use the 99 Names

1. In du'ā, pick the Name that fits your need. Seeking forgiveness → al-Ghafūr / al-Ghaffār. Seeking sustenance → ar-Razzāq. Seeking healing → ash-Shāfī (name of Allah mentioned in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5675, Muslim 2191 in the healing du'ā of the Prophet ﷺ). Seeking guidance → al-Hādī.
2. Memorise and reflect — not just recite. The hadith about “whoever memorizes them” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2736) is interpreted by Ibn Ḥajar al-'Asqalānī (Fatḥ al-Bārī) to mean comprehending their meanings and acting by them — not merely committing the words to memory.
3. Use them in daily remembrance (dhikr). Reciting ya Ḥayyu ya Qayyūm (“O Ever-Living, O Sustainer”) is narrated as part of the Prophet's ﷺ remembrance of distress (Jāmi' at-Tirmidhī 3524, graded ḥasan by al-Tirmidhī himself).
4. Do not invent names. Only names established in the Qur'an and authentic hadith are to be used for Allah. This is the position of Ahl al-Sunnah wa-l-Jamā'ah, articulated by Ibn Taymiyyah in al-'Aqīdah al-Wāsiṭiyyah.
5. Teach children by meaning. Pair every name with its gloss (ar-Raḥmān “the Entirely Merciful”, al-'Alīm “the All-Knowing”) so the names form a theology, not a word list.

All 99 Names

The full enumeration below follows the widely-cited at-Tirmidhī list (Jāmi' at-Tirmidhī 3507) — one of several classical enumerations that reach 99. Click any name to read its Qur'ānic source, meaning, and a short reflection.