a List of al-Asmaa'ul-Husna (the Beautiful and Perfect Names of Allah)

[Muwahhidah.]

al-Wakil (The Disposer of Affairs, the One Who is relied upon)




The One Who has the responsibility to dispose the affairs of the creation in accordance with His Knowledge, perfect Power and all-encompassing Wisdom. The One who looks after His friends and makes the good easy for them, preserves them from the evil and suffices for them in all of their affairs. Therefore the one who takes Him as One to be relied upon, He suffices him: "Allah is the Friend of those who believe, He guides them from the darknesses into the light." (al-Baqarah 2/257); "Such is Allah your Lord! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Creator of all things. So worship Him Alone, and He is the Disposer of all affairs." (al-An'am 6/102); "And put your trust in Allah, and Allah is Sufficient as a Disposer of Affairs." (az-Zumar 39/62) He is al-Wakil, the Disposer of affairs to whom all matters are entrusted. He manages the sustenance of His creation, and He watches over them: “Men said to them: A great army is gathering against you: And frightened them: But it (only) increased their Faith: They said: For us Allah sufficeth, and He is the best disposer of affairs.” (Al-i Imran 3/173)

[Muwahhidah.]

Dhul Jalal wa’l-Ikram (The One possessing Majesty and Honor)




The One possessing Greatness and Grandeur, possessing Mercy and Generosity. The One Who shows beneficence in both its general and specific aspects. The One Who honors His friends and close ones; those who glorify, exalt and love Him: "Everything in the earth will perish. And the Face of your Lord, full of Majesty and Honor, will abide forever." (ar-Rahman 55/27); "Blessed be the name of your Lord, the Owner of Majesty and Honor." (ar-Rahman 55/78)

[Muwahhidah.]

al-Wadud (The Loving)




The One Who Loves His Prophet and Messengers and those who follow them and they in turn love Him; He is more beloved to them than anything else. Their hearts have been filled with love of Him, their tongues are constantly moist with praising Him and their hearts are always drawn to Him in love, sincerity and repentance: "And ask forgiveness from your Lord and turn to Him in repentance. Verily my Lord is the Most Merciful, the Loving." (Huud 11/90); "And He is Oft-Forgiving, the Loving." (al-Buruj 85/14) He is al-Wadud, the One who loves whoever turns to Him in repentance from his or her sins. A related meaning is the One who loves His allies and friends (awliya) and expresses it through His forgiveness. A third alternative is He who is loved by His servants.

[Muwahhidah.]

al-Fattah (The Judge, The Opener)




The One Who will judge between His Servants through His laws of the Shari'ah, His laws of Decree and His laws and recompense. The One who opens the eyes of the those who are truthful and sincere by His Kindness. The One who opens their hearts so that they can know Him, love Him and repent to Him. He opens the doors of mercy and sustenance for His servants and provides them the means of attaining both the good in this life and the Hereafter: "Whatever mercy Allah may grant to mankind, none can withhold it and none can grant it thereafter." (Fatir 35/2) The Judge who, on the day of Judgment, will judge with truth. He will support those who were guided, and punish those who were in error: "Say: Our Lord will assemble us all together (on the Day of Resurrection), then He will judge between them. He is the Judge, the All-Knowing." (Saba 34/26); "He said: My Lord! Verily, my people have belied me. Therefore judge You between me and them, and save me and the those of the believers who are with me." (ash-Shuara 26/117-118)

[Muwahhidah.]

ar-Razzaq (The Provider)




The Only Provider and Sustainer of His creation. He gives to everyone regardless of whether they accept Him or not. What He gives is understood to be anything which can be utilized, be it halaal or haraam. He is the One Who provides for all of His servants, there is not a creature on the earth except that Allah provides for it. His providing for His servants is of two types: The general provision which extends to the righteous and the sinner, the first and the last. This is the provision that is required by the bodies. The specific provision; this being granted to the hearts, nourishing them with knowledge and faith. Also the lawful provision that has been appointed for the benefit of the religion, this being specific to the believers and apportioned in accordance to their differing levels and what His Wisdom and Mercy dictates. "Say: Come I will recite to you what your Lord has prohibited you from: Join not anything in worship with Him; be good and dutiful to your parents; kill not your children because of poverty; We provide sustenance for you and for them; come not near shameful sins whether openly or secretly; kill not anyone who Allah has forbidden except for a just cause. This He has commanded you that you may understand." (al-An'am 6/151); "I created man and jinn only that they may worship Me. I seek not any provisions from them nor do I ask that they feed Me. Indeed Allah is the Provider, Owner of Power, the Most Strong." (adh-Dhariyat 51/56-58)

[Muwahhidah.]

al-Hakam (The Judge), al-Adl (The Just)





The One who judges between His Servants in this life and the Hereafter with His Justice and Fairness. He will not oppress anyone to the extent of an atoms weight and none will be made to carry the encumbrance of another. No servant will be recompensed in a way that is greater that the magnitude of his sin, he will be given only what he deserves. Not a single persons right will be denied him, He is the Just in His regulation and decree: "Indeed My Lord is upon the Straight Path." (Huud 11/56); "Say: I am on clear proof from my Lord, but you deny (the truth). I do not have what you are impatient for (i.e., the Punishment). The judgment is only for Allah, He declares the truth, and He is the best of judges." (al-An'am 6/57)

He is al-Hakam, the True Judge as it was referred in the hadith: It was narrated from Hani ibn Yazid that When Hani went with his people in a deputation to Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam), he heard them calling him by his kunyah (surname), Abu’l-Hakam (father of al-Hakam). So Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) called him and said: “Allah is the judge (al-Hakam), and to Him judgment belongs. Why are you given the kunyah Abu’l-Hakam? He replied: When my people disagree about a matter, they come to me, and I decide between them, and both parties are satisfied with my decision. He said: How good this is! What children have you? He replied: I have Shurayh, Muslim and Abdullah. He (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) asked: Who is the oldest of them? I replied: Shurayh. He (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: Then you are Abu Shurayh.” (Abu Dawud)

[Muwahhidah.]

Jamiu’n-Naas (The Gatherer of Mankind)





The One Who will gather mankind on the Day about which there is no doubt. He will gather their actions and provisions and will not leave out a single thing, be it large or small, except that He will take it to account. He will gather together the disintegrated remains of those that have died, the early and later by His perfect Power and All-Encompassing Knowledge, (and resurrect them): "Our Lord! Indeed it is you who will gather mankind together on the Day about which there is no doubt! Verily Allah never breaks His promise!" (Al-i Imran 3/9); "I swear by the Day of Resurrection. And I swear by the self-reproaching soul. Does man think that We shall not assemble his bones? Yes, We are Able to put together in perfect order the tips of his fingers." (al-Qiyamah 75/1-4)

[Muwahhidah.]

al-Hayy (The Living), al-Qayyum (The Sustainer)





The One Who has perfect life, existing in and of Himself and not dependant upon anyone else. The Sustainer of the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth, the One Who regulates their affairs and provisions. The Living includes all of the Attributes of His Self and The Sustainer includes all the Attributes of His Actions: "Allah! There is no deity worthy of worship but Him, the Living, the Sustaining." (Al-i Imran 3/1); "All faces shall be humbled before (Allah), the Living, the Sustaining. And the one who carried the burden of wrong-doing shall be in complete loss!" (Ta-Ha 20/111)

He is al-Hayy, the Ever-Living One who has no beginning and no end, He lives and does not die. Some scholars point towards an alternate meaning; namely, that He gives life to everything else in his disposing of all matters and apportioning of all things: “Allah! There is no god but He, al-Hayy (the Living), al-Qayyum (the Self-subsisting), Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all things in the heavens and on earth. Who is there can intercede in His presence except as He permitteth? He knoweth what (appeareth to His creatures as) before or after or behind them. Nor shall they compass aught of His knowledge except as He willeth. His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth, and He feeleth no fatigue in guarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (in glory).” (al-Baqarah 2/255)

He is al-Qayyum, the Caretaker who manages and regulates His creation. An alternative meaning is the Persistent, Everlasting One who does not change or end. Both meanings are supported in the Qur'an, and both can be derived from the root word, "qaama”.

[Muwahhidah.]

an-Nur (The Light)




The Light of the heavens and the earth, the One Who illuminates the hearts of the Gnostics with knowledge of Him, faith in Him and His guidance. He is the One Who has lit the heavens and the earth with lights that He has placed therein. His veil is light and were He to uncover it then the Face of the Glorious would burn everything from the creation that His Sight fell upon: "Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as if there were a niche and within it a lamp, the lamp is in a glass, and the glass as if it were a brilliant star, lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east or of the west, whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself) even though no fire touches it. Light upon light! Allah guides to His Light whom He Wills. Allah sets forth parables for mankind, and Allah Knows everything." (an-Nur 24/35)

[Muwahhidah.]

Badiu’s-Samaawaati wa’l-Ard (The Originator of the heavens and the earth)




Meaning their Creator and Orginator, done so in the best of ways, with the most marvelous of creations in amazing and perfect order, structure and harmony: "The Originator of the heavens and the earth. When he decrees a thing to be, He merely says: Be! and it is." (al-Baqarah 2/117); "He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. How can He have children when He has no wife? He created all things and He Knows everything." (al-An'am 6/101)

[Muwahhidah.]

al-Qaabid (The Taker), al-Baasit (The Extender)





The One Who takes the provisions and souls, the One Who gives provisions freely and gives (life to) the hearts; all of this in compliance to His Wisdom and Mercy: "Who will lend to Allah a goodly loan so that He may multiply it for him many times? And it is Allah Who takes and increases (your provisions) and unto Him you shall return." (al-Baqarah 2/245); "And they made not a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him. On the Day of Resurrection His Hand will grasp the whole of the earth and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand. Glorified be He, High is He above all that they associate as partners with Him!" (az-Zumar 39/67)

He is al-Qaabid, the One who takes and constricts the sustenance and wealth of His creation. He is al-Baasit, the Giver and Provider who lavishly extends sustenance and wealth to His creation. A reference concerning these names also is found in the following hadith: It was narrated from Anas (radiyallahu anh): “The people said: O Rasulullah, prices have shot up, so fix prices for us. Thereupon Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: Allah is the One who fixes prices, the One who takes (al-Qaabid), the One who gives (al-Baasit), and I hope that when I meet Allah, none of you will have any claim on me for an injustice regarding blood or property.” (Abu Dawud)

[Muwahhidah.]

al-Mu’ti (The Giver), al-Maani (The Preventer)





There is none who can prevent what He gives and none who can give
what He prevents. Every thing that can bring goodness or benefit is sought and desired from Him. He is the One Who gives to whomsoever He Wills and prevents from Whosoever He Wills, all of this in accordance to His Wisdom and Mercy.

Allah (azza wa jall) is al-Mu’ti, the Giver of wealth and knowledge as it was mentioned in the following hadith: It was narrated from Mu’awiya (radiyallahu anh) that Rasulullah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: "If Allah wants to do good for somebody, he makes him comprehend the religion (i.e., Islam), and Allah is the Giver (al-Mu’ti) and I am Al-Qasim (i.e., the distributor), and this (Muslim) nation will remain victorious over their opponents, till Allah's Order comes and they will still be victorious " (Bukhari)

[Muwahhidah.]

ash-Shahid (The Witness)





The One Who is Aware of everything. The One Who hears every voice in existence; the loud and quiet. The One Who Sees everything in existence; the insignificant and significant, the small and large. The One Whose Knowledge encompasses everything. The One Who will testify for or against His servants for what they did: "Say: What thing is the greatest witness? Say: Allah is Witness between you and I; this Qur’an has been revealed to me that I may warn therewith; you and whomsoever it may reach." (al-An'am 6/19); "It is He Who sent His Messenger with the guidance and the Religion of Truth that he make it prevail over all religions. And sufficient is Allah as a Witness." (al-Fath 48/28) He is ash-Shahid, the Witness over everyone and their actions, for which He will either reward or punish them: “Say: O People of the Book! Why reject ye the Signs of Allah, when Allah is Himself witness to all ye do?” (Al-i Imran 3/98)

[Muwahhidah.]

al-Mubdi (The Starter), al-Mu’id (The Recaller, The One Who repeats creation)





Allah (azza wa jall) says: "He is the One Who started the creation and He will repeat it." (Yunus 10/4) He began their creation to test them as to which one was best in action then He will recall them to reward those who did good and punish those who did evil for their evil. Similarly He is the one Who began by creating each individual thing and then continuously repeats it: "Is not He (better than your false gods) Who originates creation and shall thereafter repeat it, and Who provides for you from the heaven and the earth?" (an-Naml 27/64); "Allah originates the creation and then repeats it, then to Him you will be returned." (al-Buruj 85/13)

[Muwahhidah.]

al-Fa’aalu’l-Limaa Yurid (The One Who does what He Wills)





This is from the perfection of His Power and the implementation of His Will, Desire and Decree that anything that He Wishes to do, He does and there is none to prevent Him or protest. He has no assistant or supporter in anything that He does, rather when He Wills a thing to be He merely says: "Be! And it is. Despite the fact that He does what He Wills, His Will acts in accordance to His Wisdom and Praise. He is described with Perfect Ability and Power, and with the implementation of His Will and He is described with complete and all-encompassing Wisdom: "As for those who are wretched, they will be in the Fire, moaning in a high and low tone. They will dwell therein for all the time that the heavens and the earth endured except as your Lord Will. Indeed your Lord does what He Wills." (Huud 11/106-107)