The 99 Names of Allah are the "Most Beautiful Names" of God in Islam, such as Ar-Rahman (the Beneficent) and Al-Hakim (the Wise). The number 99 comes from an authentic hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, but the hadith does not list the names. The famous list comes from a separate narration in Jami' at-Tirmidhi that hadith scholars graded weak.
That gap between the authentic number and the less certain list is why different books give slightly different sets of names. This guide traces where the names come from in the Quran and hadith, how scholars assessed the famous list, how other lists compare, and which claimed "benefits" of reciting the names are authentic.
Key takeaways
- The Quran says "to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them" (Quran 7:180), the basis for the term al-Asma' al-Husna.
- The number comes from a hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah: "Allah has ninety-nine names, one hundred minus one," recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari 2736 and Sahih Muslim 2677.
- The common list of names is found in Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3507. At-Tirmidhi himself called the narration gharib (unusual), and scholars including Ibn Hajar, Ibn Taymiyyah and al-Albani judged the list weak.
- Many scholars hold that the list was added by a narrator as an explanation, not spoken by the Prophet, which is why later scholars such as Ibn Uthaymin compiled their own lists.
- God's names are not limited to 99: a dua in Musnad Ahmad asks God by every name He has, including those "kept in the knowledge of the unseen."
What are the 99 Names of Allah?
Al-Asma' al-Husna (al-asma' al-husna, الأسماء الحسنى) means "the Most Beautiful Names." The phrase is Quranic. It appears four times, including at the end of Surah al-Hashr after a long run of divine names:
He is Allah, the Creator, the Inventor, the Fashioner; to Him belong the best names. Whatever is in the heavens and earth is exalting Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise.
The other occurrences are Quran 7:180, 17:110 and 20:8. Each name expresses an attribute of God: mercy, knowledge, power, forgiveness, justice and so on. Muslims learn them to know God better and to call on Him in prayer.
Why are there 99 names of Allah? The hadith
The number 99 comes from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself, in a hadith narrated by his companion Abu Hurayrah. It is recorded in both of the most trusted hadith collections.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 2736: "Allah has ninety-nine names, one hundred minus one, and whoever knows them will enter Paradise."
- Sahih al-Bukhari 6410: the same report, adding "and Allah is witr (One) and loves the witr."
- Sahih al-Bukhari 7392: "whoever memorized them all will enter Paradise."
- Sahih Muslim 2677: the same hadith through parallel chains.
Two things stand out. First, the authenticity of this hadith is not in question. Second, none of these narrations names the 99. The Prophet gave the number and the reward, and left the names unlisted.
Why 99 specifically? The hadith does not explain. Some scholars connected it to the phrase "Allah is witr and loves the witr," since 99 is an odd number, but this is an observation rather than a stated reason.
Where does the famous list come from? Tirmidhi 3507
The list most Muslims know, beginning Ar-Rahman, Ar-Raheem, Al-Malik, Al-Quddus and ending Al-Warith, Ar-Rashid, As-Sabur, appears in Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3507. It is the same Abu Hurayrah hadith, but in this version, after the words about 99 names, a full list follows.
How scholars graded the Tirmidhi list
At-Tirmidhi himself commented that the narration is gharib, meaning it comes through an unusual, isolated route. He noted that it is known only through the narrator Safwan ibn Salih, whom he considered reliable, and that the names are not mentioned in the many other narrations of this hadith.
Later scholars examined the chain closely:
- Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani classed the list as weak in at-Talkhis al-Habir and discussed the problems in its chain, including the tadlis (concealing a link in the chain) of the narrator al-Walid ibn Muslim.
- Ibn Taymiyyah judged it weak in Majmu' al-Fatawa and held that the list is not the Prophet's words.
- Al-Albani, Ahmad Shakir and Zubair Ali Zai all graded it weak in the modern era.
The most common explanation is that the list is mudraj: an addition by a narrator, probably meant as a helpful explanation, that became attached to the Prophet's words. Many scholars believe it was compiled by early narrators from the Quran and Sunnah. The authentic part of the hadith, the number and the reward, stands either way.
Other early lists
Tirmidhi's is not the only list. Sunan Ibn Majah (3861) contains another version through a different chain, also graded weak, and several of its names differ from Tirmidhi's. Al-Hakim recorded a list as well. The differences between these early lists support the view that the enumerations came from narrators, not from a single fixed list taught by the Prophet.
Which names appear in the Quran?
Most names in the familiar list appear in the Quran word for word, often in the closing phrase of a verse, such as "He is the Forgiving, the Affectionate" (Quran 85:14). Others are derived from verbs or descriptions in the Quran rather than appearing as names. A few are not found in the Quran in any form and rest on the Tirmidhi list.
| Category | Examples | Quran source |
|---|---|---|
| Appear as names, word for word | Ar-Rahman, Al-Hayy, Al-Qayyum, Al-Awwal, Al-Akhir, An-Nur | 1:3, 2:255, 57:3, 24:35 |
| Derived from verbs about God | Al-Qabid, Al-Basit | "it is Allah who withholds and grants abundance" (2:245) |
| Derived from verbs about God | Al-Mubdi', Al-Mu'id | "it is He who originates [creation] and repeats" (85:13) |
| Derived from verbs about God | Al-Mu'izz, Al-Muzill | "You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will" (3:26) |
| Derived from verbs about God | Al-Muhsi | "has enumerated all things in number" (72:28) |
| Derived from a description | Al-Baqi | "there will remain the Face of your Lord" (55:27) |
This distinction matters to theologians. Many scholars, including Ibn Uthaymin, held that God's names are known only by revelation, and that a verb describing what God does should be affirmed as His action without being turned into a name. That principle is the main reason scholarly lists differ.
Each name page on Quran Universe, for example Al-Muhsi or Al-Baqi, shows the verses linked to that name.
How do the scholarly lists compare?
Because the Tirmidhi list is weak, several scholars compiled lists of their own, aiming to include only names established in the Quran or authentic hadith.
| List | Basis | Examples it includes | Examples from Tirmidhi it leaves out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tirmidhi 3507 (the familiar list) | Enumeration in a narration graded weak | Al-Khafid, Al-Muzill, Ad-Darr, Al-Muntaqim, As-Sabur | Not applicable |
| Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani | Names he traced in the Quran, set out in Fath al-Bari | Names stated in Quranic verses | Names that rest only on the narration |
| Ibn Uthaymin, al-Qawa'id al-Muthla | Names stated in the Quran and authentic Sunnah | Ar-Rabb, Al-Ilah, Al-Qarib, Al-Jamil, Ash-Shafi, Al-Witr, As-Subbuh, Ar-Rafiq | Al-Khafid, Ar-Rafi', Al-Mu'izz, Al-Muzill, Al-Adl, Al-Jalil, Ad-Darr, An-Nafi', As-Sabur, Al-Muntaqim |
Two observations help make sense of the table. First, the lists overlap far more than they differ: names like Ar-Rahman, Al-Malik, Al-Quddus, Al-Alim and Al-Hakim appear in every one. Second, names left out of a list are not denied as true of God. Scholars who omit Al-Mu'izz, for instance, fully affirm that God honors whom He wills. They simply hold that the Quran describes this as an action rather than giving it as a name.
The list used on Quran Universe's Names of Allah pages follows the familiar order based on the Tirmidhi narration, which remains the most widely recited around the world. Printed versions of this list vary slightly; some, like ours, include Al-Ahad.
Does Allah have more than 99 names?
Yes, according to the great majority of scholars. The key evidence is a dua for distress taught by the Prophet and narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, recorded in Musnad Ahmad (3712) and Sahih Ibn Hibban. In it, the believer asks God by every name that belongs to Him: names He has called Himself, revealed in His Book, taught to any of His creation, or kept in the knowledge of the unseen with Him.
Scholars have discussed the strength of its chain: Ibn Hibban included it in his Sahih, Ibn Hajar graded it hasan, and al-Albani graded it authentic, while the modern editor Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut considered Ahmad's chain weak. The wording above paraphrases its meaning.
If some names are kept in God's knowledge of the unseen, no one can count them all. Scholars such as Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Uthaymin therefore read the 99 hadith as describing a set of names with a special reward, not the total. An-Nawawi, in his commentary on Sahih Muslim, made the same point: the hadith tells us that whoever enumerates these 99 enters Paradise, not that God has no other names.
Benefits of the 99 Names: what is authentic and what is not
Authentic benefits
- Paradise for those who enumerate them, as in Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim. Scholars explain this as learning the names, understanding them and acting on them, as covered in our guide on how to learn the 99 Names of Allah.
- Calling on God by them in dua. The Quran commands it in 7:180, and the Prophet's own supplications are full of God's names.
- Knowing God. The names are the main way the Quran teaches who God is, a theme developed in classical tafsir. Our article on what tafsir is explains how commentators approach these verses.
Folk practices without authentic basis
Many books, websites and apps attach specific benefits to specific names: recite one name a fixed number of times to find a spouse, another for wealth, another to cure an illness. These specific counts and promised results are not found in the authentic hadith collections. Some come from devotional manuals written centuries later.
Scholars generally distinguish two things. Calling on God by a name that fits your need, such as asking Ar-Razzaq for provision, is encouraged by the Quran. Treating a name as a formula with a guaranteed result, tied to an exact number of repetitions, has no basis in the Quran or authentic Sunnah, and many scholars warn against it.
Read the names in the Quran on Quran Universe
To see the names in their original setting, read Surah al-Hashr 59:22–24, Ayatul Kursi and Surah al-Hadid 57:1–6 on Quran Universe, each with word-by-word meaning and Tafsir Ibn Kathir. Then explore every name, its meaning and its verses in the 99 Names of Allah index.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the 99 Names of Allah from?
The number 99 comes from an authentic hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari (2736) and Sahih Muslim (2677). The names themselves come from the Quran and Sunnah. The familiar list, in its traditional order, comes from a narration in Jami' at-Tirmidhi (3507) that scholars graded weak, and many believe a narrator compiled it as an explanation.
Are all 99 Names of Allah in the Quran?
Most are, but not all. Names such as Ar-Rahman, Al-Hayy and Al-Awwal appear word for word. Others, like Al-Qabid and Al-Basit, are derived from verbs describing what God does. A few names in the Tirmidhi list are not found in the Quran in any form, which is one reason scholars compiled alternative lists.
Is the 99 Names of Allah hadith authentic?
The hadith stating that Allah has 99 names, and that whoever enumerates them enters Paradise, is authentic and recorded in both Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. The version in Jami' at-Tirmidhi that lists the names is graded weak by scholars including Ibn Hajar, Ibn Taymiyyah and al-Albani.
Why are there different lists of the 99 Names of Allah?
Because the authentic hadith gives the number but not the names, scholars compiled lists from the Quran and Sunnah using different criteria. Some count names derived from verbs; others, such as Ibn Uthaymin, include only names stated explicitly. The lists overlap heavily, and a name missing from one list is never a denial of that quality in God.
What is the benefit of reciting the 99 Names of Allah?
Authentic sources promise Paradise to whoever enumerates the names, which scholars explain as memorizing them, understanding them and calling on God by them. The Quran tells believers to invoke God by His names (7:180). Specific counts tied to specific worldly results, common online, are not found in the authentic hadith collections.