The 99 Names of Allah (Asma ul Husna) With Meanings

Asma ul Husna (also written Asma al-Husna) is Arabic for “the most beautiful names”. It refers to the names by which Allah describes Himself in the Qur'an and by which the Prophet ﷺ described Him. Each name points to a quality of God: His mercy in Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem, His knowledge in Al-'Alim, His forgiveness in Al-Ghaffar and Al-Ghafur, His power in Al-Qadir. Taken together, they answer the question “who is Allah?” in the words of revelation itself.

The phrase “the most beautiful names” (al-asma' al-husna) appears four times in the Qur'an: in Surah al-A'raf (7:180), al-Isra' (17:110), Ta-Ha (20:8) and al-Hashr (59:24). The closing verses of Surah al-Hashr (59:22–24) gather many of the names in one passage, which is why numbers 3 to 13 in the table above all point to those verses.

Knowing Allah through His names is part of belief in Allah (Iman), the first of the six articles of faith, and it sits at the heart of the foundations of Islam. Many of the names come straight from the text of the Qur'an, so reading a name's verse in context is one of the best ways to understand what it means.

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: “Allah has ninety-nine Names — whoever memorises them will enter Paradise.” (Bukhari 2736)

This narration, reported by the Companion Abu Hurayrah, is recorded in both Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the two collections Muslims generally regard as the most reliable. The Arabic word translated “memorises” is ahsaha, which scholars explain as more than learning the sounds: it includes understanding the names, believing in what they mean, and calling on Allah by them. To learn more about how narrations like this are preserved, see our guide to hadith and how scholars grade them.

There is no single required method. These practical steps help most people move from recognising the names to knowing them.

• Study a few names a day. Three names a day takes you through the whole list in 33 days. Review yesterday's names before you add new ones.
• Learn the meaning, not just the sound. Read the English meaning with each Arabic name, and look up the verse where it appears. A name you understand is far easier to remember than a sound on its own.
• Learn related names together. Some names come in pairs or groups: Ar-Rahman and Ar-Raheem; Al-Khaliq, Al-Bari' and Al-Musawwir; Al-Awwal, Al-Akhir, Az-Zahir and Al-Batin, which appear together in Qur'an 57:3.
• Use the names in your du'a. The Qur'an says “invoke Him by them”, so call on Allah by the name that fits what you are asking for, such as Al-Ghaffar when asking forgiveness or Ar-Razzaq when asking for provision. Our guide to prayer and making du'a explains where supplication fits into the day.
• Review with a poster. Keep the list somewhere you will see it every day. You can download the poster below as a PNG image or an A4 PDF.
• Notice the names around you. Many Muslim names join “Abd” (servant of) to one of Allah's names, such as Abdur-Rahman or Abdul-Karim. Browse Islamic names that use Allah's names to see more.

If some Arabic terms are unfamiliar, our Islamic glossary explains them in plain English. If you are new to Islam, start with a handful of names and build up slowly; our guide for new Muslims suggests other first steps too.