Surah Al-A'raaf (7) — Ayah 180

(Ayah 180) ➊ {وَ لِلّٰهِ الْاَسْمَآءُ الْحُسْنٰى: ’’ الْحُسْنٰى ‘‘} is the feminine of {’’اَلْأَحْسَنُ‘‘}, the most beautiful names. By bringing the predicate {’’ لِلّٰهِ ‘‘} first, exclusivity is created, meaning that the most beautiful names and attributes belong solely and only to Allah. It is understood that the way to avoid the misguidance and Hell mentioned in the previous verse is to call upon Him with these very names. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِنَّ لِلّٰهِ تِسْعَةً وَّ تِسْعِيْنَ اسْمًا، مِائَةً إِلَّا وَاحِدَةً، مَنْ أَحْصَاهَا دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ ] “Indeed, Allah has ninety-nine names, that is, one less than a hundred; whoever enumerates them will enter Paradise.” [ بخاری، الشروط، باب ما یجوز من الاشتراط … : ۲۷۳۶، عن أبی ھریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ ] The meaning of “enumerate” includes to memorize, to count, and to preserve, that is, to have faith in their meanings, to recite them one by one with sincerity for blessing and reward, to memorize them, and to mold one’s actions according to their requirements. The words of the hadith mentioned above have come in many narrations with authentic chains, but in one narration of Tirmidhi, these ninety-nine names are also specified. However, there is almost consensus among the scholars that these names were arranged from the Qur’an by some narrators and included in the narration; otherwise, these names are not in the established narration from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). This does not mean that Allah has no other names besides these; rather, many other names have come in the Qur’an and Hadith. Scholars have written books on the Most Beautiful Names; some scholars have extracted more than a thousand Most Beautiful Names from the Qur’an and Hadith, and the reality is that just as Allah’s attributes cannot be counted, so too His names cannot be counted. In an authentic hadith, it is mentioned that Allah has some names which He has not told anyone. Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whenever a person is afflicted with worry or grief, if he recites this supplication, Allah will remove his worry and grief.” It was said to him: “O Messenger of Allah! Should we not learn it?” He said: “Whoever hears it should learn it.” The supplication is: [ اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ عَبْدُكَ وَ ابْنُ عَبْدِكَ وَابْنُ أَمَتِكَ نَاصِيَتِيْ بِيَدِكَ، مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ، عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاءُكَ اَسْأَلُكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ اَوْ عَلَّمْتَهُ اَحَدًا مِّنْ خَلْقِكَ أَوْ أَنْزَلْتَهُ فِيْ كِتَابِكَ اَوِ اسْتَأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِيْ عِلْمِ الْغَيْبِ عِنْدَكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ الْقُرْآنَ رَبِيْعَ قَلْبِيْ وَ نُوْرَ صَدْرِيْ وَجَلَاءَ حُزْنِيْ وَ ذَهَابَ هَمِّيْ ] “O Allah! Indeed, I am Your servant, the son of Your servant, and the son of Your maidservant. My forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is ever executed, Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or taught to any of Your creation, or revealed in Your Book, or kept with Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen, that You make the Qur’an the spring of my heart, the light of my chest, the remover of my sorrow, and the reliever of my distress.” [ أحمد : 391/1، ح : ۳۷۱۱ ] Ibn Hibban: (972) and Abu Ya’la (198/9, 199, H: 5297) have some variation in wording.

In this blessed supplication, supplication is made by means of all the names of Allah, and this is clear evidence that Allah’s names are not limited to ninety-nine. In the hadith of intercession, it is mentioned that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) will be granted permission to appear before Allah and will fall into prostration, at that time he will praise Allah with such praise that only then Allah will teach him. [ بخاری، التوحید، باب قول اللہ تعالٰی : «وجوہ یومئذ ناضرۃ…» : ۷۴۴۰۔ مسلم : ۱۹۴ ]

➋ {فَادْعُوْهُ بِهَا وَ ذَرُوا الَّذِيْنَ يُلْحِدُوْنَ فِيْۤ اَسْمَآىِٕهٖ:} The personal name of Allah is only one, and that is Allah; the rest are attributive names. It is said to supplicate to Allah with these names and to leave those who deviate concerning His names, that is, who turn away from the straight path. Turning away from the straight path means to invent a name for Him from oneself, or to call Him by a word that diminishes His majesty. In some nations, such names for Allah are common that are used for one among several deities, such as Yazdan, Bhagwan, and Ram, etc.; it is obligatory to avoid using such names for Allah. Another form of deviation is to distort Allah’s names and give them to idols, such as Al-Lat, Al-Uzza, and Manat, which are corrupted forms of Allah, Aziz, and Mannan. (Ibn Kathir) Shah Abdul Qadir (may Allah have mercy on him) has also written another form of deviation: “To use Allah’s names in charms and amulets; even if such people achieve worldly benefit, they will certainly be punished.” (Mawdhih) Another form of deviation in Allah’s names is to deny their clear meanings (this is ta’til), or to distort them and call it interpretation (ta’wil), or to liken them to the creation (this is tashbih), or to say that their meaning is not known at all (this is tafwid). Rather, the correct way is that the meaning of the words containing these attributes is known to all, for example, the meaning of {’’ سَمِيْعٌ‘‘} is “the All-Hearing,” but in a manner befitting Allah’s majesty. As for how it is, what its reality is, that is left to Allah. If any attributive name of Allah in Arabic is translated into one’s own language, there is no harm in it; for example, if “Rabb” is translated as “Lord” or “Sustainer,” or “Razzaq” as “Provider,” this is permissible.

180. 1 Husna is the feminine form of Ahsan. By Allah's beautiful names are meant those names of Allah through which His various attributes, His greatness and majesty, and His power and might are expressed. In the hadith of Sahihain, their number is stated as 99, one less than 100. It is said, "Whoever enumerates them will enter Paradise. Allah is odd and loves odd numbers." Also, scholars have clarified that the number of Allah's names is not limited to 99, but they are more than that. (Ibn Kathir)

180. 2 The meaning of ilhaad is to incline to one side; from this comes lahd, which refers to a grave that is made to one side. To adopt ilhaad in religion means to adopt deviation and misguidance. There are three forms of (deviation) ilhaad in the names of Allah: 1. To alter the names of Allah, as the polytheists did. For example, from Allah's own name, they named one of their idols Laat, and from His attribute name Aziz, they made 'Uzza. 2. Or to add to Allah's names from oneself, which Allah has not permitted. 3. Or to reduce from His names, for example, to call Him by only one specific name and consider it bad to call Him by other attribute names (Fath al-Qadeer). Another form of ilhaad in Allah's names is to interpret, deny, or liken them (Aysar al-Tafasir), as was the way of the misguided sects like the Mu'tazilah, Mu'attilah, and Mushabbihah, etc. Allah has commanded to avoid all of these.

180. Allah has the most beautiful names, so call upon Him by them. And leave those who deviate concerning His names. They will soon be recompensed for what they used to do.

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Ilhad and Its Types:

The personal name of Allah Almighty is only Allah; all other names are attributive. It is mentioned in authentic ahadith that Allah Almighty has ninety-nine names; whoever memorizes them will enter Paradise. [بخاري كتاب التوحيد باب ان لله مائة اسم الا واحدة]
And deviation in these names or attributes of Allah Almighty is another name for ilhad, and there are several types of ilhad. For example, one is to attribute to others those attributes that are exclusive to Allah Almighty, such as considering someone else to be ‘Knower of the unseen’ (Alim al-Ghaib), ‘Provider’ (Razzaq), ‘Bestower’ (Data), ‘Fulfiller of needs’ (Hajat Rawa), ‘Remover of difficulties’ (Mushkil Kusha), or ‘Solver of problems’ (Kar Saz). Another is to use these names as a basis to argue for the possibility of false things, such as saying: Allah Almighty knows everything, so does He also know the knowledge of magic? Or arguing: Allah is capable of everything, so is He also capable of lying? A third is to create philosophical subtleties in these attributes, such as saying: Are the attributes of Allah Almighty created (ḥādith) or eternal (qadeem)? For example, speaking is an attribute of Allah Almighty, and the Quran is the speech of Allah Almighty, so is the Quran created and a creature or not? Or saying: Allah, Who is present everywhere and closer than the jugular vein to every person, then how is He on the Throne? In short, all forms of ilhad lead to disbelief, polytheism, and misguidance; therefore, a Muslim should never try to delve into the depths of Allah Almighty’s attributes by making them a subject of discussion, because this is beyond his capacity. Human intellect is limited, and the vastness of Allah Almighty’s attributes is unlimited. Moreover, Allah Almighty Himself has prohibited such matters by saying ﴿فَلَا تَضْرِبُوْا لِلّٰهِ الْاَمْثَالَ ۭ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَعْلَمُ وَاَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُوْنَ﴾. Furthermore, these doctrinal diseases are not only transmitted further but also lead life onto the wrong paths.