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Introduction

All praise and thanks are due to Allah; we praise Him, seek His help, and ask Him for forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides, none can misguide, and whoever Allah leaves to stray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone, who has no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His servant and Messenger.

Translations and Explanations:

  1. Praise: Tareef - Expression of admiration or respect. (Hindi: प्रशंसा, Roman Urdu: tareef)

  2. Forgiveness: Maafi - The act of pardoning or excusing an error or offense. (Hindi: क्षमा, Roman Urdu: maafi)

  3. Stray: Bhatakna - To wander or go off the correct path or intended course. (Hindi: भटकना, Roman Urdu: bhatakna)

  4. Misguide: Gumraah karna - To lead someone in the wrong direction or cause them to make a mistake. (Hindi: गुमराह करना, Roman Urdu: gumraah karna)

  5. Bear witness: Gawah hona - To formally declare or affirm something as true. (Hindi: गवाही देना, Roman Urdu: gawah hona)

  6. Deity: Maabood - A being worshipped as a god. (Hindi: देवता, Roman Urdu: maabood)

Allah, the Exalted says,

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To Allah belong the most beautiful and perfect Names, so invoke Him by them. Abandon those who desecrate His Names; they will be recompensed for what they did.

[al-A'raf 7:80]

Translations and Explanations:

  1. Invoke: Pukarna - To call upon or appeal to someone, especially in prayer. (Hindi: आह्वान करना, Roman Urdu: pukarna)

  2. Abandon: Chhod dena - To leave or give up on someone or something. (Hindi: त्याग देना, Roman Urdu: chhod dena)

  3. Desecrate: Bay hurmati karna - To treat something sacred with disrespect. (Hindi: अपवित्र करना, Roman Urdu: bay hurmati karna)

  4. Recompensed: Badla diya jana - To be repaid or given a reward or punishment. (Hindi: प्रतिफल दिया जाना, Roman Urdu: badla diya jana)

From the most noble and lofty stations of cognisance is to know the Lord, the Glorious, through His beauty. This is the knowledge possessed by the elite of this creation. All of them know Him through an Attribute from amongst His Attributes, but those amongst them who have the most complete cognisance are those who know Him through His perfection, magnificence, and beauty. There is nothing comparable to Him in any of His Attributes. If you were to assume that the whole of creation was in its most exquisite form, and you were to try and compare their collective outward and inward beauty to the beauty of the Lord, the Glorious, the comparison would be more ineffectual than a faint torch being held against the blazing disk of the sun.

Translations and Explanations:

  1. Noble: Sharif - Honorable or having high moral qualities. (Hindi: श्रेष्ठ, Roman Urdu: sharif)

  2. Lofty: Aali - High in status or character. (Hindi: ऊँचा, Roman Urdu: aali)

  3. Cognisance: Maarifat - Awareness or deep understanding. (Hindi: ज्ञान, Roman Urdu: maarifat)

  4. Elite: Chuninda - The select or superior group within a larger group. (Hindi: उत्कृष्ट, Roman Urdu: chuninda)

  5. Perfection: Kamal - The state of being flawless or complete. (Hindi: पूर्णता, Roman Urdu: kamal)

  6. Magnificence: Shan o shaukat - Great beauty or splendor. (Hindi: भव्यता, Roman Urdu: shaan o shaukat)

  7. Ineffectual: Be asar - Unable to produce the desired effect; ineffective. (Hindi: निष्प्रभावी, Roman Urdu: be asar)

  8. Exquisite: Nihayat khoobsurat - Extremely beautiful and delicate. (Hindi: अति सुंदर, Roman Urdu: nihayat khoobsurat)

  9. Blazing: Chamakta hua - Extremely bright or shining intensely. (Hindi: चमकता हुआ, Roman Urdu: chamakta hua)

It is sufficient to know of His beauty that if His veil were lifted, everything upon which the splendor of His Face fell in His creation would be obliterated. It is sufficient to know that all beauty, external and internal, to be found in this world and the Hereafter is from the resultant effects of His work, so what then would one think of the beauty of the One from whom this beauty emanated? It is sufficient to know of His beauty that to Him belongs nobility in its entirety, strength and power in its entirety, generosity and kindness in its entirety, beneficence in its entirety, knowledge in its entirety, and grace in its entirety.

Translations and Explanations:

  1. Sufficient: Kafi - Enough or adequate. (Hindi: पर्याप्त, Roman Urdu: kafi)

  2. Splendor: Shan o shaukat - Magnificence or great beauty. (Hindi: भव्यता, Roman Urdu: shaan o shaukat)

  3. Obliterated: Mit jana - Completely destroyed or wiped out. (Hindi: नष्ट करना, Roman Urdu: mit jana)

  4. Resultant: Nateeja - Caused or produced as a result of something else. (Hindi: परिणाम स्वरूप, Roman Urdu: nateejay mein)

  5. Emanated: Nikalna - To come out from a source. (Hindi: प्रस्फुटित होना, Roman Urdu: nikalna)

  6. Nobility: Sharafat - Quality of being noble in character. (Hindi: कुलीनता, Roman Urdu: sharafat)

  7. Beneficence: Bhalai - Doing good or being kind and charitable. (Hindi: परोपकार, Roman Urdu: bhalai)

  8. Grace: Rehmat - Elegant beauty or kindness shown by a higher power. (Hindi: कृपा, Roman Urdu: rehmat)

From the light of His Face, all darkness is illuminated, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said when supplicating at Ta'if:

"I take refuge with the Light of Your Face that illuminates the darknesses and upon which the affairs of the world and the Hereafter are rightly ordered."

Abdullah bin Mas'ud said, "There is no night and day with your Lord; the light of the heavens and the earth comes from the light of His Face." Therefore, He, the Glorious, is the light of the heavens and the earth, and on the Day of Judgment, when He comes to judge mankind, His light will illuminate the earth.

Translations and Explanations:

  1. Illuminate: Roshni dena - To light up or make something visible. (Hindi: उजागर करना, Roman Urdu: roshni dena)

  2. Supplicating: Dua karna - To pray earnestly or humbly. (Hindi: प्रार्थना करना, Roman Urdu: dua karna)

  3. Refuge: Panaah - A place of safety or shelter. (Hindi: शरण, Roman Urdu: panaah)

  4. Affairs: Amor - Matters or business that require attention. (Hindi: मामले, Roman Urdu: amor)

  5. Judgment: Faisla - The act of making a decision or forming an opinion. (Hindi: निर्णय, Roman Urdu: faisla)

  6. Mankind: Insaniyat - Human beings collectively; humanity. (Hindi: मानवता, Roman Urdu: insaniyat)

One of His Names is al-Jamil (the Beautiful). In the Sahih, it is reported from him (peace be upon him) that he said,

"Allah is Jamil, and He loves beauty."

His beauty is of four levels: the beauty of His Essence (dhat), the beauty of His Attributes, the beauty of His Actions, and the beauty of His Names.

All of His Names are beautiful, all of His Attributes are perfect, and all of His Actions are based upon pure wisdom; they are beneficial, just, and serve as a mercy....

Therefore, it is upon the servant to know that there is none worthy of worship besides Him; it is upon him to love Him simply because He is who He is and due to His perfection. It is also upon him to know that in reality, there is none who favors one with every type of outward and inward blessing except He, and therefore he should love Him for this as well and praise Him. Hence, the servant should love Him for both of these matters.....

Translations and Explanations:

  1. Al-Jamil: Al-Jamil - The Beautiful; one of the names of Allah reflecting His beauty. (Hindi: अल-जमील, Roman Urdu: Al-Jamil)

  2. Attributes: Sifat - Characteristics or qualities of a person or deity. (Hindi: गुण, Roman Urdu: sifat)

  3. Essence: Dhat - The intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something. (Hindi: सार, Roman Urdu: dhat)

  4. Beneficial: Fayda mand - Producing good results or helpful effects. (Hindi: लाभकारी, Roman Urdu: fayda mand)

  5. Wisdom: Hikmat - The ability to make sound decisions based on knowledge and experience. (Hindi: ज्ञान, Roman Urdu: hikmat)

  6. Worthy: Laiq - Deserving of respect or attention. (Hindi: योग्य, Roman Urdu: laiqq)

  7. Blessing: Barkat - A beneficial thing for which one is grateful. (Hindi: आशीर्वाद, Roman Urdu: barkat)

  8. Favor: Nehar - To prefer or show kindness to someone. (Hindi: कृपा, Roman Urdu: nehar)

  9. Praise: Tareef - Expression of admiration or approval. (Hindi: प्रशंसा, Roman Urdu: tareef)

  10. Matters: Masail - Subjects or topics requiring attention or consideration. (Hindi: मामले, Roman Urdu: masail)

In compliance with the above exhortation, this treatise has been extracted from the opening words of Shaykh Nasir as-Sa'di, may Allah have mercy upon him, in his tafsir of the Qur'an, Taysir al-Karim al-Rahman, in which he succinctly and beautifully explains the Names of Allah that occur in the Qur'an. After each explanation, the translator has added some verses of the Qur'an showing the usage of the particular Name in question. It should also be noted that the author, may Allah have mercy upon him, only mentioned those Names that occur in the Qur'an, and these come to a total of eighty-nine in his view. Additional Names mentioned in the Qur'an have been added from the work of ibn 'Uthaymin, Qawa'idu-l-Muthla fi Sifati-Allahi wa Asma'ihi-l-Husna, bringing the total to one hundred and three.

Translations and Explanations:

  1. Compliance: Palan karna - The act of following a request, rule, or command. (Hindi: अनुपालन, Roman Urdu: paalan karna)

  2. Exhortation: Naseehat - Strong urging or encouragement. (Hindi: उपदेश, Roman Urdu: naseehat)

  3. Treatise: Risala - A written work dealing formally and systematically with a subject. (Hindi: निबंध, Roman Urdu: risala)

  4. Extracted: Nikala gaya - To remove or take out, especially by effort. (Hindi: निकाला गया, Roman Urdu: nikala gaya)

  5. Tafsir: Tafseer - An explanation or interpretation, especially of the Qur'an. (Hindi: तफ़सीर, Roman Urdu: tafseer)

  6. Succinctly: Mukhtasir tareeqay se - In a brief and clearly expressed manner. (Hindi: संक्षेप में, Roman Urdu: mukhtasir tareeqay se)

Before proceeding to the treatise, it would be beneficial to present some general principles regarding the Names of Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent.

  1. Principles: Usool - Basic truths or foundations of belief or practice. (Hindi: सिद्धांत, Roman Urdu: usool)

  2. Treatise: Risala - A written work dealing formally and systematically with a particular subject. (Hindi: ग्रंथ / निबंध, Roman Urdu: risala)

  3. Mighty: Shaktishali - Having great power, strength, or importance. (Hindi: शक्तिशाली, Roman Urdu: shaktishali)

  4. Magnificent: Shandar - Extremely beautiful, elaborate, or impressive. (Hindi: शानदार, Roman Urdu: shandar)

1. All of Allah's Names are Beautiful and Perfect

This is because they comprise perfect descriptions and attributes that contain absolutely no defect; they do not even suggest the mere possibility of a deficiency. As is mentioned in the Qur'an:

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"To Allah belong the most beautiful and perfect Names..."
(al-'Araf 7:180)

2. The Names of Allah are proper names and descriptions

They are proper Names with respect to their referring to the Essence or Person of Allah and descriptions with respect to the meanings they carry. Allah, the Exalted, says:

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"He is the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Merciful"
(al-Ahqaf 46:8)

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"Your Lord is the Ever-Forgiving, possessing Mercy"
(al-Kahf 18:58)

Hence, the second verse proves that the Most Merciful is one who possesses and is described with mercy. There also exists a consensus among linguists that the term "one who knows" ('alim) is only given to one who has knowledge, and "the one who sees" (sami') is only given to one who sees, and so on.

Translations and Explanations:

  1. Attributes: Sifat - Characteristics or qualities of a person or deity. (Hindi: गुण, Roman Urdu: sifat)

  2. Defect: Khami - A fault or imperfection. (Hindi: दोष, Roman Urdu: khami)

  3. Suggest: Ishara karna - To imply or indicate something indirectly. (Hindi: सुझाव देना, Roman Urdu: ishara karna)

  4. Possibility: Sambhavana - The likelihood or chance of something happening. (Hindi: संभावना, Roman Urdu: sambhavana)

  5. Deficiency: Kami - A lack or shortage of something. (Hindi: कमी, Roman Urdu: kami)

  6. Essence: Dhat - The intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something. (Hindi: सार, Roman Urdu: dhat)

  7. Consensus: Ijma - General agreement among a group. (Hindi: सहमति, Roman Urdu: ijma)

 


3. If a Name of Allah points to a description that is Transitive

It is necessary to affirm three matters:

  1. That particular Name.
  2. The Attribute that the Name points to.
  3. The ruling and necessary implications contained in the mention of that Name.

This is why the scholars stated that the prescribed punishment for highway robbers is lifted if they repent, based on the saying of Allah:

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"... except for those who repent before you gain power over them. Know that Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
[al-Ma'idah 5:34]

This is because the necessary implications of these two Names are that Allah has forgiven them their sins and shown them mercy by lifting the application of the prescribed punishment upon them.

Similarly, the Name as-Sami' (the All-Hearing) necessitates that you affirm this Name, the Attribute of hearing, and the necessary implication that He hears everything, both open and secret.

If the Name is not Transitive, then it is only necessary to affirm the first two matters mentioned above. For example, the Name al-Hayy (the Living): it is only necessary to affirm this Name and its corresponding Attribute of life.

Translations and Explanations:

  1. Transitive: Nafiz - Referring to an attribute or action that extends outward and affects something else. (Hindi: संप्रेषणीय, Roman Urdu: nafiz)

  2. Affirm: Tasdeeq karna - To confirm or acknowledge the truth of something. (Hindi: पुष्टि करना, Roman Urdu: tasdeeq karna)

  3. Attribute: Sifat - A quality or characteristic of someone or something. (Hindi: गुण, Roman Urdu: sifat)

  4. Implication: Ishara - A suggested meaning or effect of something that isn’t directly stated. (Hindi: संकेत, Roman Urdu: ishara)

  5. Corresponding: Munasib - Having a direct or logical connection. (Hindi: अनुरूप, Roman Urdu: munasib)

 

 

4. The Names of Allah can only be known through revelation

This is because there is no way for the intellect to independently come to know them. Allah, the Exalted, says:

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"Do not pursue what you have no knowledge of; indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the hearts will all be questioned."
[Al-Isra' 17:36]

5. The Names of Allah are not limited to a particular number

This is due to the authentic hadith of Ibn Mas'ud, reported by Ahmad and others, in which the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said:

"I ask You by every one of Your Names with which You have named Yourself, or which You have revealed in Your Book, or taught to anyone of Your creation, or which You have kept to Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen."

It is not possible to confine those Names that Allah has kept with Him in the knowledge of the unseen to a particular number or to encompass them. As for the hadith which mentions ninety-nine Names, its meaning is that whoever memorises, understands, and implements this number of Names in their daily life will enter Paradise.

Translations and Explanations:

  1. Transitive: Nafiz - Referring to an attribute or action that extends outward and affects something else. (Hindi: संप्रेषणीय, Roman Urdu: nafiz)

  2. Affirm: Tasdeeq karna - To confirm or acknowledge the truth of something. (Hindi: पुष्टि करना, Roman Urdu: tasdeeq karna)

  3. Attribute: Sifat - A quality or characteristic of someone or something. (Hindi: गुण, Roman Urdu: sifat)

  4. Implication: Ishara - A suggested meaning or effect of something that isn’t directly stated. (Hindi: संकेत, Roman Urdu: ishara)

  5. Corresponding: Munasib - Having a direct or logical connection. (Hindi: अनुरूप, Roman Urdu: munasib)

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