1. ar-Raḥmān
The Most Gracious
2. ar-Raḥīm
The Most Merciful
3. al-Malik
The King
4. al-Quddūs
The Holy
5. as-Salām
The Source of Peace
6. al-Mu’min
The Source of Safety
7. al-Muhaymin
The Guardian
8. al-ʿAzīz
The Exalted
9. al-Jabbār
The All-Compelling
10. al-Mutakabbir
The Proud
11. al-Khāliq
The Creator
12. al-Bāriʿ
The Maker
13. al-Muṣawwir
The Fashioner
14. al-Ghaffār
The All-Forgiving
15. al-Qahhār
The All-Subjugating
16. al-Wahhāb
The All-Bestower
17. ar-Razzāq
The All-Provider
18. al-Fattāḥ
The Opener
19. al-Alīm
The Knowing
20. al-Qābiḍ
The One Who Constricts
21. al-Bāsiṭ
The One Who Expands
22. al-Khāfiḍ
The Abaser
23. ar-Rāfiʿ
The Exalter
24. al-Muʿizz
The Giver of Honor
25. al-Mudhill
The Abaser
26. as-Samīʿ
The Hearing
27. al-Baṣīr
The All-Seeing
28. al-Ḥakam
The Judge
29. al-ʿAdl
The Jus
3o. al-Laṭīf
The Gentle
31. al-Khabīr
The All-Aware
32. al-Ḥalīm
The Forbearing
33. al-ʿAẓīm
The Most Great
34. al-Ghafūr
The Ever-Forgiving
35. ash-Shakūr
The Grateful
36. al-ʿAlī
The High
37. al-Kabīr
The Great
38. al-Ḥafīẓ
The Preserver
39. al-Muqīt
The Nourisher
40. al-Ḥasīb
The Reckoner
41. al-Jalīl
The Majestic
42. al-Karīm
The Noble
43. ar-Raqīb
The Watchful
44. al-Mujīb
The Responder
45. ’al-Wāsi‘
The Vast
46. al-Ḥakīm
The Wise
47. al-Wadūd
The Loving
48. al-Majīd
The All-Glorious
49. al-Bāʿith
The Resurrector
50. ash-Shahīd
The Witness
51. ʾal-Ḥaqq
The Real
52. al-Wakīl
The Trustee
53. al-Qawī
The Strong
54. al-Matīn
The Firm
55. al-Walī
The Friend
56. al-Ḥamīd
The Praiseworthy
57. al-Muḥṣī
The Enumerator
58. al-Mubdi’
The Originator
59. al-Muʿīd
The Restorer
60. al-Muḥyī
The Giver of Life
61. al-Mumīt
The Bringer of Death
62. al-Ḥayy
The Living
63. al-Qayyūm
The Subsisting
64. al-Wājid
The Perceiver
65. al-Mājid
The Illustrious
66. al-Wāḥid
The One
67. aṣ-Ṣamad
The Self-Sufficient
68. al-Qādir
The All-Powerful
69. al-Muqtadir
The Determiner
70. al-Muqaddim
The Expediter
71. al-Muʿakhkhir
The Delayer
72. al-ʿAwwal
The First
73. al-ʿAkhir
The Last
74. aẓ-Ẓāhir
The Manifest
75. al-Bāṭin
The Hidden
76. al-Wālī
The Patron
77. al-Mutaʿālī
The Supremely Exalted
78. al-Barr
The Good
79. at-Tawwāb
The Ever-Returning
80. al-Muntaqim
The Avenger
81. al-ʿAfū
The Pardoner
82. ar-Raʿūf
The Kind
83. Māliku ʼl-Mulk
The Owner of the Kingdom
84 – 85. Dhuʼl-Jalāli waʼl-ʼIkrām
The Possessor of Majesty and Generous Giving
86. al-Muqsiṭ
The Equitable
87. al-Jāmiʿ
The Gatherer
88. al-Ghanī
The Unneedy
89. al-Mughnī
The Enricher
90. al-Māniʿ
The Preventer
91. aḍ-Ḍārr
The Harmer
92. an-Nāfiʿ
The Benefiter
93. an-Nūr
The Light
94. al-Hādī
The Guide
95. al-Badīʿ
The Innovating
96. al-Bāqī
The Immutable
97. al-Wārith
The Heir
98. ar-Rashīd
The Guide to the Right Path
99. aṣ-Ṣabūr
The Patient
“Unto God belong the Most Beautiful Names; so call Him by them.” (Quran 7:180)
These Names are beautiful in sound as well as substance; they are beautiful to the ear as well as to the heart. To call upon His Names is to practice remembrance of the Divine. Their recitation has long been a practice of the followers of the inner path to Him as a means of allowing an attribute of God to penetrate to the heart of the caller. It is a way to draw near, however slightly, to the Infinite.
“Allah has ninety-nine names, one hundred less one. Whoever learns them will enter Paradise.” (Ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ)
Traditionally it is said in Islam that God has ninety-nine Names. These Names may vary slightly in different established lists, and some lists contain more than ninety-nine, but each of them is derived from the many terms used to describe Him in the Quran and Hadith. Therefore, when invoking these Names we are inviting into our being the very Names and attributes which He has enumerated for Himself.
The Names in this recording are from the most standard list, narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah, and is one on which many Quranic commentators, including al-Ghazali, base their commentaries. It should be noted that even though the list of ninety-nine Names used here is one that commentators often rely on, it is not definitive. Moreover, it does not feature some of the Names mentioned in the Quran such as al-Aḥad, and there are alternative lists of divine Names compiled by authoritative Quran and Hadith experts.
“Wheresoever you turn, there is the Face of God.” (Quran 2:115)
In a sense, the Names can be viewed as aspects of the Face that God shows to us, and these encompass all of creation. Just as light from one source passing through a prism reveals numerous colors contained with the light, the fact that God has many Names does not compromise His Oneness; rather, they reveal qualities contained within His One Essence. The Names are called the “most beautiful,” for each carries a meaning of the perfection, mercy, glory, grandeur, or eternity particular to it, and each is like a window opening onto an aspect of the Divine Nature. By contemplating these meanings our minds, which are limited, can perceive something of that Infinite Nature.
The 99 Names
1. ar-Raḥmān
The Most Gracious
2. ar-Raḥīm
The Most Merciful
3. al-Malik
The King
4. al-Quddūs
The Holy
5. as-Salām
The Source of Peace
6. al-Mu’min
The Source of Safety
7. al-Muhaymin
The Guardian
8. al-ʿAzīz
The Exalted
9. al-Jabbār
The All-Compelling
10. al-Mutakabbir
The Proud
11. al-Khāliq
The Creator
12. al-Bāriʿ
The Maker
13. al-Muṣawwir
The Fashioner
14. al-Ghaffār
The All-Forgiving
15. al-Qahhār
The All-Subjugating
16. al-Wahhāb
The All-Bestower
17. ar-Razzāq
The All-Provider
18. al-Fattāḥ
The Opener
19. al-Alīm
The Knowing
20. al-Qābiḍ
The One Who Constricts
21. al-Bāsiṭ
The One Who Expands
22. al-Khāfiḍ
The Abaser
23. ar-Rāfiʿ
The Exalter
24. al-Muʿizz
The Giver of Honor
25. al-Mudhill
The Abaser
26. as-Samīʿ
The Hearing
27. al-Baṣīr
The All-Seeing
28. al-Ḥakam
The Judge
29. al-ʿAdl
The Jus
3o. al-Laṭīf
The Gentle
31. al-Khabīr
The All-Aware
32. al-Ḥalīm
The Forbearing
33. al-ʿAẓīm
The Most Great
34. al-Ghafūr
The Ever-Forgiving
35. ash-Shakūr
The Grateful
36. al-ʿAlī
The High
37. al-Kabīr
The Great
38. al-Ḥafīẓ
The Preserver
39. al-Muqīt
The Nourisher
40. al-Ḥasīb
The Reckoner
41. al-Jalīl
The Majestic
42. al-Karīm
The Noble
43. ar-Raqīb
The Watchful
44. al-Mujīb
The Responder
45. ’al-Wāsi‘
The Vast
46. al-Ḥakīm
The Wise
47. al-Wadūd
The Loving
48. al-Majīd
The All-Glorious
49. al-Bāʿith
The Resurrector
50. ash-Shahīd
The Witness
51. ʾal-Ḥaqq
The Real
52. al-Wakīl
The Trustee
53. al-Qawī
The Strong
54. al-Matīn
The Firm
55. al-Walī
The Friend
56. al-Ḥamīd
The Praiseworthy
57. al-Muḥṣī
The Enumerator
58. al-Mubdi’
The Originator
59. al-Muʿīd
The Restorer
60. al-Muḥyī
The Giver of Life
61. al-Mumīt
The Bringer of Death
62. al-Ḥayy
The Living
63. al-Qayyūm
The Subsisting
64. al-Wājid
The Perceiver
65. al-Mājid
The Illustrious
66. al-Wāḥid
The One
67. aṣ-Ṣamad
The Self-Sufficient
68. al-Qādir
The All-Powerful
69. al-Muqtadir
The Determiner
70. al-Muqaddim
The Expediter
71. al-Muʿakhkhir
The Delayer
72. al-ʿAwwal
The First
73. al-ʿAkhir
The Last
74. aẓ-Ẓāhir
The Manifest
75. al-Bāṭin
The Hidden
76. al-Wālī
The Patron
77. al-Mutaʿālī
The Supremely Exalted
78. al-Barr
The Good
79. at-Tawwāb
The Ever-Returning
80. al-Muntaqim
The Avenger
81. al-ʿAfū
The Pardoner
82. ar-Raʿūf
The Kind
83. Māliku ʼl-Mulk
The Owner of the Kingdom
84 – 85. Dhuʼl-Jalāli waʼl-ʼIkrām
The Possessor of Majesty and Generous Giving
86. al-Muqsiṭ
The Equitable
87. al-Jāmiʿ
The Gatherer
88. al-Ghanī
The Unneedy
89. al-Mughnī
The Enricher
90. al-Māniʿ
The Preventer
91. aḍ-Ḍārr
The Harmer
92. an-Nāfiʿ
The Benefiter
93. an-Nūr
The Light
94. al-Hādī
The Guide
95. al-Badīʿ
The Innovating
96. al-Bāqī
The Immutable
97. al-Wārith
The Heir
98. ar-Rashīd
The Guide to the Right Path
99. aṣ-Ṣabūr
The Patient
Credits
Performed, Composed & Arranged by Sami Yusuf
Words: Traditional
Backing Vocalists:
Raihanah, Isshrathquadhre, Khatija Rahman & Raheema Rahman
All percussions performed by Ömer Avci
Recorded, Mixed & Mastered by Vishnu Rajan @ Andante Studios
Additional Recording Studios:
Omer Avci Studio (Istanbul) recorded by Omer Avci
Panchathan Record Inn (Chennai) recorded by AR Ameen
Lyric Video by M. @ Andante Studios
Calligraphy by Muzaffar Zaidi
Artwork Design by Madi Jahangir @ Andante Studios
We wish to thank all those involved in the creation of this project.
Special thanks to:
Elouafi Mohammed
Dr. Yousef Casewit
Katherine O’Brien
The Rahman family