In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, and may His peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
This post provides a brief definition of the meanings of 99 Names of Allah.
Allah
Meaning: The word ‘Allah’, the proper name of God, indicates that Allah is the true God who alone deserves to be worshipped, whom all creatures worship out of love, praise His greatness, revere Him and turn to Him in times of need and adversity. In fact, this name comprises all the meanings of His beautiful names.
Ar-Rabb (The Lord)
Meaning: He is the creator, the owner and disposer of all affairs who bestows His blessings upon His creatures and looks after His righteous servants by setting their hearts aright. This name must not be attributed to other than Allah, Exalted be He. However, when used to refer to other than Allah, it is always used in the genitive case, to mean ‘the owner or proprietor of something’, such as rabb al-‘usrah; that is, the head of the family.
Al Wahid, Al Ahad (The Only One, The One and Only)
Meaning: He is, and has always been, one, without anyone else with Him. He is unique and there is no one like Him in His being, just as He is unique in His attributes, actions and Lordship. He is the only One who deserves to be worshipped.
Ar-Rahmaan, Ar-Raheem (The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful)
Meaning: These two names indicate (a) Allah’s comprehensive mercy which He shows to all His creation without exception by creating them and providing for them, and (b) the particular mercy that He has exclusively for the believers, both in this life and in the hereafter.
Al-Hayy (The Ever-Living)
Meaning: He is the One who will remain and will never die. His Life is perfect in every sense, which requires all perfect attributes and negates all their opposites in every sense. This perfect attribute requires that neither sleep nor slumber overtake Him.
Al-Qayoom (The All-Sustainer)
Meaning: He is the Self-Sufficient Master who is not in need of anyone; everything exists because of Him and everything other than Him needs Him and totally depends on Him.
Al-Awwal, Al-Aakhir (The First, The Last)
Meaning: Al-Awwal (The First): There was nothing before Him, and everything other than Him He brought into existence from absolutely nothing. Al-Aakhir (the Last): There is nothing after Him and, being Infinite, He will exist for all eternity.
Adh-Dhaahir, Al-Baatin (The Outward, The Inward)
Meaning: Adh-Dhaahir (the Outward) is the Most Great who is above everything and nothing is above Him. Al-Baatin is the One who is nearest to everything and everyone due to His full awareness of all secrets, and what is yet more hidden.
Al-Waarith (The Inheritor)
Meaning: The One who will ever remain after the creation perishes. He is the One who will repossess whatever He has granted them after their death. He is, and has always been, the owner of everything which He bequeaths to whomever He wills and gives to whomever He likes.
Al-Quddoos (The Holy)
Meaning: He is free of any imperfection, and evil is not attributed to Him, for all perfect and sublime attributes belong to Him.
As-Subbooh (The Supremely Glorified)
Meaning: Allah is free of any imperfection and anything that does not befit His majesty and the One who has no partners. All creation glorifies and declares Him free of any imperfection due to His perfect and beautiful names and attributes.
As -Salaam (The Flawless,The Source of Peace)
Meaning: Allah is free of any imperfection in His Being, names, attributes and actions. He is also the One who grants peace and security to all his creation.
Al-Mu’min (The Granter of Security)
Meaning: Allah testifies to His Oneness and Unity with substantial evidence and confirms the truthfulness of His messengers and their followers. He is also the One who grants peace and security to His slaves, assuring them that He will not wrong them in any way and provides peace and security to His righteous servants. This is evident in the peace and tranquility they find in their hearts, as well as the absence of fear when they turn to Him in this life, and the absence of which they will feel on the Day of Judgement, the Day of the Great Fear.
Al-Haqq (The Truth)
Meaning: He is the One who truly exists and who is undeniably the Lord and King, the One who is perfect regarding His actions and attributes. His speech, His decree, His promise and His legislation is the truth.
Al-Mutakabbir (The Supremely Proud)
Meaning: He is the Supreme Being to whom supremacy belongs. He is exalted far above the attributes of His creation and destroys the tyrants among them. No one should be called by this name except Allah, Exalted and Glorified be He.
Al-‘Adheem (The Tremendous, The Supreme in Glory)
Meaning: This name comprises all attributes of greatness, majesty and glory. He is the Greatest and Tremendous in His Being, names and attributes, and thus none of His creation deserves to be exalted with the heart, the tongue and all body parts as He should be.
Al-Kabeer (The Most Great)
Meaning: He is the Magnificent, the Sublime and the Most Great in His Being, attributes and actions, and there is nothing greater than Him.
Al-’Aliyy, Al-A’laa, Al-Muta’aal (The High, The Most High, The Exalted)
Meaning: Allah has absolute highness in every sense above all else—highness with regard to His Being, majestic position, attributes and absolute dominance. He is high above His creation and everything and everyone is under His absolute control and superior authority.
Al-Lateef (The All Subtle)
Meaning: He has knowledge of all things, subtle and hidden, and He shows His immense mercy to His slaves in very subtle ways known to no one but Him.
Al-Hakeem (The All Wise)
Meaning: He has supreme wisdom in everything, in whatever He has decreed, in His legislation and reward and punishment on the Day of Judgement. He has given everything its perfect form and created everything in the best possible manner. He never creates anything in vain, nor does He legislate or judge in vain. He does things in His absolute wisdom.
Al-Waasi‘ (The Boundless, the All Embracing)
Meaning: He embraces everything in mercy and knowledge, His sustenance reaches all His creation without exception and no one is capable of praising Him as much as He has praised Himself.
Al-‘Aleem, Al-‘Aalim, Allaam-ul-Ghuyoob (The All-Knowing, The Omniscient, The Knower of the Unseen)
Meaning: He is the One whose knowledge is comprehensive and extends to everything seen and unseen, apparent and hidden. Nothing whatsoever is hidden from Him and He knows what was in the past, what is in the present, and will be in the future.
Al-Malik, Al-Maleek, Al-Maalik (The Sovereign, The King, The Possessor)
Meaning: He is the One to whom belongs the absolute dominion of the heavens and the earth and everything in them. The entire universe is under His control. There is nothing above Him. He alone has true and supreme dominion and disposes of the entire universe in the manner He pleases. He is the owner of everything. The name Al-Maleek points to Allah’s absolute and glorious sovereignty.
Al-Hameed (The Praiseworthy)
Meaning: He is worthy of all praise for all His actions, statements, attributes, names, legislation and decree. He is worthy of all praise under all circumstances, and He is worthy of all thanks and praise due to His perfect attributes and abundant kindness to His creation.
Al-Majeed (The All-Glorious)
Meaning: He has all perfect attributes and whatever is related to them. He is the Greatest and all His actions are great. His generosity is boundless, and everyone and everything glorify Him because of His greatness.
Al-Khabeer (The All-Aware)
Meaning: He is fully aware of everything: apparent, hidden, all the secrets, and what is yet more hidden.
Al-Qawiyy (The All- Strong)
Meaning: He is the All-Powerful, to whom perfect power belongs. His commands are carried out, He is never overpowered, His decree cannot be averted and whatever He decrees certainly takes place. He gives assistance and support to the believers and severely punishes those who disbelieve His signs and arrogantly turn away from declaring His Oneness.
Al-Mateen (The Powerful)
Meaning: He is the possessor of the ultimate strength and ability, and who endures neither hardship, nor weariness.
Al-‘Azeez (The All- Mighty)
Meaning: He is the All-Strong, All-Dominant who reigns supreme over His creatures. He has subjugated all His creatures, all of whom have humbled themselves before Him and have totally submitted to His authority.
Al-Qaahir, Al-Qahhaar (The All- Dominant, the Irresistible)
Meaning: He is the One before whom everyone, including tyrants, is humbled. He is also the One who prevails over all His creation and to whom everyone and everything submits.
Al-Qaadir, Al-Qadeer, Al-Muqtadir (The Able, The Ever Able, The Perfect in Ability)
Meaning: Al-Qaadir is the One who is able to do whatever He wills, nothing in the heavens or the earth escapes Him or frustrates His plan. Al-Qadeer (the Ever Able) is the One whose ability is complete and perfect. Al-Muqtadir (the Perfect in Ability) is an intensive form that stresses Allah’s perfect ability.
Al-Jabbaar (The Compeller)
Meaning: He is the Most High, the Irresistible and the Sublime. Whatever He decrees will certainly come to pass without fail. He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds, and brings comfort to the weak and to those who turn to Him and seek His refuge.
Al-Khaaliq, Al-Khallaaq (The Creator, The All-Creator)
Meaning: Al-Khaaliq is the One who creates things out of nothing and with no precedents. The name Al-Khallaaq is the intensive form of Al-Khaaliq, which indicates that He increases in creation what He pleases and in a perfect manner.
Al-Baari’ (The Originator)
Meaning: Allah causes things He has decreed to exist out of nothing and in a specific manner.
Al-Musawwir (The Fashioner)
Meaning: Allah brings into existence whatever He wills in the manner He wills it. He shapes and fashions His creatures in different forms and shapes in His infinite wisdom.
Al-Muhaymin (The Ever Watchful)
Meaning: He is the One who watches over His creatures and is fully aware of all their actions, sustenance and the terms He has fixed for them in this life. He knows all their affairs, has power over all of them, has a record of everyone’s deeds and is aware of them and encompasses them from all sides.
Al-Haafidh, Al-Hafeedh (The Protector, The Guardian)
Meaning: He is the One who protects the heavens and the earth and all that is in them, records the deeds of His slaves and protects the believers from danger and Satan, and from committing sins.
Al-Waliyy, Al-Mawlaa (The Protector, The Guardian)
Meaning: He is the guardian who manages everything and disposes of all affairs. Allah, Exalted be He, is the Master of all creation; that is, He is their Creator, Ruler and True God who alone deserves to be worshipped. He loves the believers and provides them with special help and support.
An-Naseer, Khayr-un-Naasireen (The Helper, The Best of Helpers)
Meaning: Allah grants victory to whomever of His believing servants He pleases; no one will overcome those Allah helps, nor will anyone be able to help those Allah forsakes.
Al-Wakeel, Al-Kafeel (The Disposer of Affairs, The Guarantor)
Meaning: Al-Wakeel is the One who disposes of the affairs of all His creatures, the One who provides for them, grants their requests and fulfils their needs. He assists and protects those who seek His refuge, takes charge of His righteous servants’ affairs by guiding them to all that is easy, keeping them away from all that causes them hardship and assists them in everything. Al-Kafeel means the witness, the guardian, the protector and the guarantor.
Al-Kaafe (The All-sufficient)
Meaning: He is sufficient for all His creation. He sufficiently provides for His slaves, manages their affairs and sets right their condition. He is sufficient for His righteous servants, whom He cares for and grants assistance, support and victory.
As-Samad (The Eternal One)
Meaning: He is the Master with absolute sovereignty to whom all His creatures turn for their needs and for whatever happens to them, and to whom all hearts turn, hoping for His mercy and fearing His punishment.
Ar-Raaziq, Ar-Razzaaq, (The Provider, The Sustainer)
Meaning: He takes it upon Himself to provide sustenance to all His creatures without exception. He also takes it upon Himself to grant, with His immense mercy and grace, His righteous servants, special provision, namely, blessings of faith and lawful earnings. The word Ar-Razzaaq points to His abundant provision and plentiful sustenance.
Al-Fattaah (The Superb Arbiter, the Opener)
Meaning: He judges between His servants, opens the doors of sustenance and mercy for them, as well as the doors closed in their faces and thus makes things easy for them.
Al-Mubeen (The Evident)
Meaning: He is the One whose Oneness is evident with the proofs supporting it. He is the One who makes the truth evident to His slaves and conveys it to them.
Al-Haadee (The Guide)
Meaning: He is the One who helps His creation to get to know Him as being their Lord and Creator, guides them to whatever is in their best interests and to earn their livelihoods. He shows people the path of good and the path of evil and guides to His Right Path whomever of them He wills.
Al-Hakam, Khayr-ul-Haakimeen (The Judge, The Best of Judge)
Meaning: He is the One who helps His creation to get to know Him as being their Lord and Creator, guides them to whatever is in their best interests and to earn their livelihoods. He shows people the path of good and the path of evil and guides to His Right Path whomever of them He wills.
Al-Ra’oof (The Most Compassionate)
Meaning: He bestows mercy upon His servants and is compassionate towards them. The attribute of ra’fah (compassion), from which this name is derived, is the highest form of mercy (rahmah), and He bestows it upon all His creation in this world and upon some of them in the hereafter.
Al-Wadood (The Most Loving)
Meaning: Allah loves His prophets, messengers and obedient servants who also love him. He is the most beloved, who deserves to be loved with all our hearts and better than ourselves, better than our children, and better than everyone and everything else we love and cherish.
Al-Barr (The Source of All Goodness)
Meaning: Allah showers His apparent and hidden blessings upon His slaves. All His creation totally depends on Him at all times and cannot do without His absolute kindness. He multiplies the rewards of the righteous among the Muslims and forgives the wrongdoers among them, and His promise is true.
Al-Haleem (The All-Forbearing)
Meaning: Allah is so patient and forbearing that He does not punish His slaves for any sin they commit; rather, He gives them the opportunity to make amends and turn to Him in repentance. He forgives them, in His infinite mercy, even though He can punish them for the sins they commit.
Al-Gafoor, Al-Ghaffar, Ghaafir-udh-Dhamb (The Ever Forgiving, The Most Forgiving, The forgiver of Sins)
Meaning: He is the One who forgives sins and accepts the repentance of all those who turn to Him; He conceals the sins of His servants, shows never-ending compassion to them and lavishes kindness on them. The word Al-Ghaffaar points to His immense and constant forgiveness of sins.
Al-‘Afuww (The Ever-Pardoning)
Meaning: He forgives sins and overlooks the transgression of wrongdoers and gives general pardon that erases all sins committed by His servants, especially if they do something that is bound to bring about His forgiveness, such as sincerely declaring His Oneness, seeking His forgiveness, turning to Him in repentance and doing righteous deeds.
At Tawwaab (The Acceptor of Repentance)
Meaning: He is the One who helps His slaves repent and submit completely to Him after turning to Him, and then He accepts their repentance and pardons their sins
Al-Kareem, Al-Akram (The Most Gracious, The Most Bountiful)
Al-Kareem is the One who gives His slaves abundantly and benefits them immeasurably, the One who bestows blessings on His slaves even before they become deserving of them and the One who gives without measure and without being asked. Al-Akram is the Most Bountiful whose generosity is matchless.
Ash-Shaakir, Ash-Shakoor (The Thankful, The Grateful)
Meaning: He frequently blesses and rewards His obedient servants abundantly and is pleased with little gratitude from His servants in return for His countless blessings.
As-Samee’ (The All-Hearing)
Meaning: Allah hears and is aware of all secrets without exception. He hears everything people say and whatever His creation utters. Nothing is hidden from Him, and He is the All-Hearing who answers the prayer of those who pray to Him.
Al-Baseer (The All-Seeing)
Meaning: He is the One whose sight encompasses everything that is conceivable, hidden or apparent, no matter how hidden or small it may be.
Ash-Shaheed (The Witness)
Meaning: He is the One who is aware of everything and knows it in detail, the One from whom nothing the weight of an atom on earth or in heaven is hidden.
Ar-Raqeeb (The Ever Watchful)
Meaning: He is the One whose hearing, seeing and knowledge encompass everything and the One from whom nothing is hidden.
Al-Qareeb (The One Who is Ever Near)
Meaning: He is close to everyone because of His immense knowledge and constant observation and awareness. He is also close to those of His slaves who worship Him, invoke Him and love Him, and He gives them the assistance and support they need and answers their prayers.
Al-Mujeeb (The Ever Responsive)
Meaning: Allah favourably responds to the supplications and requests of His slaves. He answers their supplications and grants their requests.
Al-Muheet (The All- Encompassing)
Meaning: He is the One from whom nothing is hidden. He encompasses everything with His knowledge and keeps strict count of all things.
Al-Haseeb (The Reckoner)
Meaning: Allah is sufficient for those who rely on Him, is aware of His slaves and will take account of their actions and reward them or punish them accordingly in His immense wisdom and absolute knowledge. He is sufficient for the believers.
Al-Ghaniyy (The Self-Sufficient)
Meaning: Allah is not in need of His creation. He does not stand in need of anyone at all, while His creation is in need of Him.
Al-Wahhaab (The Ever Giving)
Meaning: Allah is so generouos that His immense generosity reaches all His slaves. He grants whatever he wills to whomever He wills. This includes guidance to His true religion, sustenance and cure from diseases.
Al-Muqeet (The Maintainer, The One who has Power Over Everything)
Meaning: He has power over all things and is the One who provides sustenance. Allah decrees the needs of His creation, in His immense knowledge, and then provides them with whatever they need according to His will and thus preserves them with whatever He grants them.
Al-Qaabidh, Al-Baasit (The Withholder, The Expander)
Meaning: The Withholder is the One who takes away souls, provision and whatever He pleases, and the Expander is the One who gives provision, mercy and whatever He wishes. He is also the One who stretches out His Hands so that the believers may repent and turn to Him. These two names are among those names of Allah which always come together, for absolute perfection is realized in their combination, and they cannot be used separately.
Al-Muqaddim, Al-Mu’akh-khir (The Advancer, The Delayer)
Meaning: He places things where they should exactly belong. He advances and postpones whatever He pleases in His infinite wisdom and absolute justice. He decreed everything before He created the creation. He promotes whomever He wills to the higher positions of the righteous predecessors and delays and holds back whomever he wills, in His absolute wisdom and justice. No one can advance whatever He delays, nor delay whatever He advances.
Ar-Rafeeq (The Most Gentle)
Meaning: Allah is gentle in His actions, His legislation and His judgement. He created the creation and legislated laws in gradual stages with His immense wisdom and in such a way as to make these laws appropriate and simple for his servants. Ar-Rafeeq also means the One who treats His servants with kindness and leniency.
Al-Mannaan (The Bestower)
Meaning: He is the One who graciously gives favours and gifts even before He is asked. He is the One who shows kindness to His creation by bestowing His blessings upon them and providing them with everything they need. He also bestows His kindness on the righteous believers by guiding them, assisting them and granting them true faith.
Al-Jawwaad (The Most Generous)
Meaning: He gives abundantly to all His creatures without exception and bestows on them His kindness and countless graces and blessings. He exclusively bestows on the righteous believers certain blessings in this life and in the hereafter.
Al-Muhsin (The Benefactor, The Doer of Good)
Meaning: He provides whatever He has created with countless blessings and the One who has perfected, sustained, and guided everything He has created.
As-Sitteer (The Concealer of Sins)
Meaning: Allah always covers His slaves’ faults and never exposes them. He also likes them to conceal their sins and avoid whatever is bound to dishonour them, being aware of His presence and showing Him the respect due to Him.
Ad-Dayyaan (The Supreme Judge)
Meaning: He is the Irresistible and All-Powerful Judge and Ruler who rewards or punishes people according to their deeds.
Ash-Shaafee (The Curer)
Meaning: He is well aware of all physical and spiritual diseases as well as their remedy, and He is the only One who can heal them. There is no cure except His cure, and none can relieve suffering. His legislation is the panacea for all humanity’s ills and the source of humanity’s good and well being.
As-Sayyid (The Master)
Meaning: He is the Master of all creation and all creation without exception are His slaves who turn to none but Him and who act by His command.
Al-Witr (The Who Has No Equal)
Meaning: He is the One and Unique for whom there is no partner or equal.
Al-Hayiyy (The All-Modest)
Meaning: Modesty, as a divine attribute, is a perfect quality befitting none but Him and suits His majesty and greatness to the exclusion of all creation. This modesty is in no way similar to modesty displayed by any of His creatures, for it denotes His all-encompassing mercy, perfect grace and kindness, and great forgiveness and forbearance.
At Tayyib (The Good and Pure One)
Meaning: Allah is free of any imperfection. He is good and pure in His being, His actions, His names and His attributes. He loves those who are good and pure and accepts only that which is good and pure.
At-Mu’tee (The Giver)
Meaning: He is the real provider. No one can withhold what He gives, nor can anyone give what He withholds. There is no limit to what He gives, and whatever He gives reaches all His creation.
Al-Jameel (The Beautiful)
Meaning: He has the best and perfect qualities. He is Beautiful in His Being, and all His names, attributes and actions are also beautiful.