The 99 Names of Allah (Asmaul Husna) in Arabic, With Meanings

On this page

1. Where the 99 Names Come From
2. The Full List of the 99 Names of Allah
3. A Closer Look at Some of the Names
4. How Muslims Use the 99 Names
5. Pronunciation Tips for the 99 Names
6. FAQ

The 99 names of Allah, known in Arabic as al-Asmāʾ al-Ḥusnā (الأسماء الحسنى, “the most beautiful names”), are the names and attributes by which Muslims know and call upon God, such as ar-Raḥmān (the Most Merciful) and al-Ḥakīm (the All-Wise). The Quran says, “And to Allah belong the most beautiful names, so call upon Him by them” (Quran 7:180), and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “Allah has ninety-nine names, one hundred less one; whoever aḥṣāhā will enter Paradise” (Sahih al-Bukhari 7392, Sahih Muslim 2677).

Below you will find where the names come from, the full list of 99 in Arabic with transliteration and meaning, a closer look at several names, how Muslims use them in daily life, and tips for pronouncing them correctly.

Where the 99 Names Come From

The Quran

The phrase al-asmāʾ al-ḥusnā appears four times in the Quran. The best known is:

وَلِلَّهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا

“And to Allah belong the most beautiful names, so call upon Him by them.” (Quran 7:180)

The other three are Quran 17:110, 20:8, and 59:24. The closing verses of Surat al-Ḥashr (59:22–24) are especially rich, listing more than a dozen names in a row, including al-Malik, al-Quddūs, as-Salām, al-Muʾmin, al-Muhaymin, al-ʿAzīz, al-Jabbār, al-Mutakabbir, al-Khāliq, al-Bāriʾ, and al-Muṣawwir.

The hadith of the ninety-nine names

The number 99 comes from a hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah and recorded in both Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim:

إِنَّ لِلَّهِ تِسْعَةً وَتِسْعِينَ اسْمًا، مِائَةً إِلَّا وَاحِدًا، مَنْ أَحْصَاهَا دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ

“Allah has ninety-nine names, one hundred less one. Whoever aḥṣāhā will enter Paradise.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 2736 and 7392; Sahih Muslim 2677)

The verb aḥṣā literally means “to count” or “to enumerate.” Scholars explained it as more than rote memorization: learning the names, understanding their meanings, calling on Allah by them, and letting them shape one’s character and worship.

Where the familiar list comes from

The hadith in Bukhari and Muslim gives the number, but it does not list the names. The list most people memorize, beginning with ar-Raḥmān and ending with aṣ-Ṣabūr, comes from a longer narration in Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī (hadith 3507), transmitted through al-Walīd ibn Muslim.

Many hadith scholars, including Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Kathir, and Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, held that the enumerated list in that narration was most likely added by one of the narrators rather than being the Prophet’s own words. Other narrations, such as one in Sunan Ibn Mājah, give a somewhat different list, and scholars across the centuries compiled their own lists drawn directly from the Quran and authentic hadith. Manuscripts of the Tirmidhi narration also vary slightly; the popular count of 99 below includes al-Aḥad, and some versions omit it.

Scholars also generally agree that Allah’s names are not limited to 99. A well-known supplication taught by the Prophet ﷺ asks Allah “by every name that is Yours … or that You have kept in the knowledge of the unseen with Yourself” (Musnad Aḥmad). The hadith is understood to mean that there are 99 names with this special promise attached, not that there are only 99.

None of this makes the Tirmidhi list less valuable. Nearly all of its names are found in the Quran or authentic hadith, and it remains the list taught in mosques, schools, and homes around the world.

The Full List of the 99 Names of Allah

This is the standard order from the Tirmidhi narration. English meanings are short approximations; each name carries layers of meaning that one or two words cannot fully capture.

#	Arabic	Transliteration	Meaning
1	الرَّحْمَٰنُ	Ar-Raḥmān	The Most Merciful
2	الرَّحِيمُ	Ar-Raḥīm	The Especially Merciful
3	الْمَلِكُ	Al-Malik	The King
4	الْقُدُّوسُ	Al-Quddūs	The Most Holy
5	السَّلَامُ	As-Salām	The Source of Peace
6	الْمُؤْمِنُ	Al-Muʾmin	The Giver of Security
7	الْمُهَيْمِنُ	Al-Muhaymin	The Guardian Over All
8	الْعَزِيزُ	Al-ʿAzīz	The Almighty
9	الْجَبَّارُ	Al-Jabbār	The Compeller
10	الْمُتَكَبِّرُ	Al-Mutakabbir	The Supreme in Greatness
11	الْخَالِقُ	Al-Khāliq	The Creator
12	الْبَارِئُ	Al-Bāriʾ	The Maker
13	الْمُصَوِّرُ	Al-Muṣawwir	The Fashioner of Forms
14	الْغَفَّارُ	Al-Ghaffār	The Ever-Forgiving
15	الْقَهَّارُ	Al-Qahhār	The Subduer
16	الْوَهَّابُ	Al-Wahhāb	The Bestower
17	الرَّزَّاقُ	Ar-Razzāq	The Provider
18	الْفَتَّاحُ	Al-Fattāḥ	The Opener
19	الْعَلِيمُ	Al-ʿAlīm	The All-Knowing
20	الْقَابِضُ	Al-Qābiḍ	The Withholder
21	الْبَاسِطُ	Al-Bāsiṭ	The Extender
22	الْخَافِضُ	Al-Khāfiḍ	The Abaser
23	الرَّافِعُ	Ar-Rāfiʿ	The Exalter
24	الْمُعِزُّ	Al-Muʿizz	The Giver of Honor
25	الْمُذِلُّ	Al-Mudhill	The Giver of Dishonor
26	السَّمِيعُ	As-Samīʿ	The All-Hearing
27	الْبَصِيرُ	Al-Baṣīr	The All-Seeing
28	الْحَكَمُ	Al-Ḥakam	The Judge
29	الْعَدْلُ	Al-ʿAdl	The Just
30	اللَّطِيفُ	Al-Laṭīf	The Subtle, the Kind
31	الْخَبِيرُ	Al-Khabīr	The All-Aware
32	الْحَلِيمُ	Al-Ḥalīm	The Forbearing
33	الْعَظِيمُ	Al-ʿAẓīm	The Magnificent
34	الْغَفُورُ	Al-Ghafūr	The All-Forgiving
35	الشَّكُورُ	Ash-Shakūr	The Most Appreciative
36	الْعَلِيُّ	Al-ʿAliyy	The Most High
37	الْكَبِيرُ	Al-Kabīr	The Most Great
38	الْحَفِيظُ	Al-Ḥafīẓ	The Preserver
39	الْمُقِيتُ	Al-Muqīt	The Nourisher
40	الْحَسِيبُ	Al-Ḥasīb	The Reckoner
41	الْجَلِيلُ	Al-Jalīl	The Majestic
42	الْكَرِيمُ	Al-Karīm	The Most Generous
43	الرَّقِيبُ	Ar-Raqīb	The Watchful
44	الْمُجِيبُ	Al-Mujīb	The Responsive
45	الْوَاسِعُ	Al-Wāsiʿ	The All-Encompassing
46	الْحَكِيمُ	Al-Ḥakīm	The All-Wise
47	الْوَدُودُ	Al-Wadūd	The Most Loving
48	الْمَجِيدُ	Al-Majīd	The Most Glorious
49	الْبَاعِثُ	Al-Bāʿith	The Resurrector
50	الشَّهِيدُ	Ash-Shahīd	The Witness
51	الْحَقُّ	Al-Ḥaqq	The Truth
52	الْوَكِيلُ	Al-Wakīl	The Trustee
53	الْقَوِيُّ	Al-Qawiyy	The All-Strong
54	الْمَتِينُ	Al-Matīn	The Firm
55	الْوَلِيُّ	Al-Waliyy	The Protecting Friend
56	الْحَمِيدُ	Al-Ḥamīd	The Praiseworthy
57	الْمُحْصِي	Al-Muḥṣī	The Accounter
58	الْمُبْدِئُ	Al-Mubdiʾ	The Initiator
59	الْمُعِيدُ	Al-Muʿīd	The Restorer
60	الْمُحْيِي	Al-Muḥyī	The Giver of Life
61	الْمُمِيتُ	Al-Mumīt	The Bringer of Death
62	الْحَيُّ	Al-Ḥayy	The Ever-Living
63	الْقَيُّومُ	Al-Qayyūm	The Self-Sustaining
64	الْوَاجِدُ	Al-Wājid	The Finder
65	الْمَاجِدُ	Al-Mājid	The Noble
66	الْوَاحِدُ	Al-Wāḥid	The One
67	الْأَحَدُ	Al-Aḥad	The Unique
68	الصَّمَدُ	Aṣ-Ṣamad	The Eternal Refuge
69	الْقَادِرُ	Al-Qādir	The All-Able
70	الْمُقْتَدِرُ	Al-Muqtadir	The All-Powerful
71	الْمُقَدِّمُ	Al-Muqaddim	The Expediter
72	الْمُؤَخِّرُ	Al-Muʾakhkhir	The Delayer
73	الْأَوَّلُ	Al-Awwal	The First
74	الْآخِرُ	Al-Ākhir	The Last
75	الظَّاهِرُ	Aẓ-Ẓāhir	The Manifest
76	الْبَاطِنُ	Al-Bāṭin	The Hidden
77	الْوَالِي	Al-Wālī	The Governor
78	الْمُتَعَالِي	Al-Mutaʿālī	The Most Exalted
79	الْبَرُّ	Al-Barr	The Source of Goodness
80	التَّوَّابُ	At-Tawwāb	The Accepter of Repentance
81	الْمُنْتَقِمُ	Al-Muntaqim	The Avenger
82	الْعَفُوُّ	Al-ʿAfuww	The Pardoner
83	الرَّؤُوفُ	Ar-Raʾūf	The Most Kind
84	مَالِكُ الْمُلْكِ	Mālik al-Mulk	Owner of All Sovereignty
85	ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَامِ	Dhū al-Jalāl wa al-Ikrām	Lord of Majesty and Honor
86	الْمُقْسِطُ	Al-Muqsiṭ	The Equitable
87	الْجَامِعُ	Al-Jāmiʿ	The Gatherer
88	الْغَنِيُّ	Al-Ghaniyy	The Self-Sufficient
89	الْمُغْنِي	Al-Mughnī	The Enricher
90	الْمَانِعُ	Al-Māniʿ	The Preventer
91	الضَّارُّ	Aḍ-Ḍārr	The Bringer of Harm
92	النَّافِعُ	An-Nāfiʿ	The Bringer of Benefit
93	النُّورُ	An-Nūr	The Light
94	الْهَادِي	Al-Hādī	The Guide
95	الْبَدِيعُ	Al-Badīʿ	The Incomparable Originator
96	الْبَاقِي	Al-Bāqī	The Everlasting
97	الْوَارِثُ	Al-Wārith	The Inheritor
98	الرَّشِيدُ	Ar-Rashīd	The Guide to the Right Path
99	الصَّبُورُ	Aṣ-Ṣabūr	The Most Patient

Note that the name Allah itself (الله) is not numbered in this list. It is regarded as the proper name of God, the name to which all the others refer. Our guide to how to write Allah in Arabic explains the word and its spelling.

A Closer Look at Some of the Names

Ar-Raḥmān and Ar-Raḥīm (الرَّحْمَٰنُ، الرَّحِيمُ)

Both names come from the root ر-ح-م (r-ḥ-m), which carries the sense of mercy and tender care; the word raḥim, “womb,” shares the same root. Scholars often explain ar-Raḥmān as mercy that is vast and encompasses all creation, and ar-Raḥīm as mercy that is constant and especially directed toward the believers. Muslims say both names many times a day in Bismillah: بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ.

Al-Quddūs and As-Salām (الْقُدُّوسُ، السَّلَامُ)

Al-Quddūs means the One who is pure and free of every flaw. As-Salām means the One who is perfect, free of every deficiency, and the source of peace and safety. It is the same word Muslims use in the greeting as-salāmu ʿalaykum. Declaring Allah free of imperfection is also the idea behind the dhikr SubhanAllah.

Al-Ghafūr, Al-Ghaffār, and At-Tawwāb

Three names speak to forgiveness. Al-Ghafūr (الْغَفُورُ) and al-Ghaffār (الْغَفَّارُ) both come from the root غ-ف-ر (gh-f-r), which originally refers to covering or shielding. Al-Ghaffār’s doubled middle letter stresses that He forgives again and again. At-Tawwāb (التَّوَّابُ) is the One who keeps accepting repentance and turning back to His servants. Seeking that forgiveness is what Muslims express when they say Astaghfirullah, “I seek Allah’s forgiveness,” from the same gh-f-r root.

Al-Wadūd (الْوَدُودُ)

Al-Wadūd is the Most Loving: the One who loves His servants and is loved by them. The name appears in the Quran alongside al-Ghafūr (85:14) and ar-Raḥīm (11:90), a pairing many readers find moving.

Al-Ḥayy and Al-Qayyūm (الْحَيُّ، الْقَيُّومُ)

Al-Ḥayy is the Ever-Living, whose life has no beginning or end. Al-Qayyūm is the One who sustains Himself and sustains everything else. Together they open Āyat al-Kursī: اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ, “Allah: there is no god except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all” (Quran 2:255).

Aṣ-Ṣabūr (الصَّبُورُ)

The final name in the list is the Most Patient: the One who does not hasten punishment and gives people time to return. Patience is a quality the Quran praises in people too, as our article on the meaning of sabr explores.

How Muslims Use the 99 Names

In duʿāʾ (supplication)

Quran 7:180 directly instructs believers to call on Allah by His names, and many Muslims choose a name that fits what they are asking for. Someone asking for forgiveness might say Yā Ghafūr (يَا غَفُورُ); someone in need might say Yā Razzāq (يَا رَزَّاقُ). A well-known supplication the Prophet ﷺ taught for the last nights of Ramadan uses the name al-ʿAfuww:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي

Allāhumma innaka ʿafuwwun tuḥibbu al-ʿafwa faʿfu ʿannī: “O Allah, You are the Pardoner and You love to pardon, so pardon me.” (Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī)

In dhikr (remembrance)

Many Muslims recite the names as a form of dhikr, sometimes counting them on prayer beads (misbaḥa or tasbīḥ), repeating a single name, or chanting the full list in a melodic nashīd. Children in many countries learn the list as a song, which is one of the easiest ways to memorize all 99 in order.

In names for children

A very common Muslim naming pattern is ʿAbd (عَبْد, “servant of”) plus one of the names of Allah. The Prophet ﷺ said that the names most beloved to Allah are ʿAbdullāh and ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān (Sahih Muslim 2132). Other examples include:

Name	Arabic	Meaning
Abdullah	عَبْدُ اللَّهِ	Servant of Allah
Abdul-Rahman	عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ	Servant of the Most Merciful
Abdul-Aziz	عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ	Servant of the Almighty
Abdul-Karim	عَبْدُ الْكَرِيمِ	Servant of the Most Generous
Abdul-Malik	عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ	Servant of the King
Abdul-Ghafoor	عَبْدُ الْغَفُورِ	Servant of the All-Forgiving

Because ʿAbd and the name form one unit, Muslims generally avoid shortening these to “Abdul” alone, which would just mean “servant of the.” Some names, such as Allah and ar-Raḥmān, are used only for God, which is why a boy is called ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān and never “Raḥmān” on its own. Descriptive words like Karīm (generous) or Ḥalīm (gentle), by contrast, are commonly given as names without “al-.” For more ideas, see our guide to Arabic names.

In art and calligraphy

The 99 names are among the most popular subjects in Islamic art, from mosque walls to framed prints at home, often arranged in a circle or grid. If you are interested in how these are written, our overview of Arabic calligraphy covers the main scripts.

Pronunciation Tips for the 99 Names

You do not need to be fluent in Arabic to say the names respectfully and correctly, but a few patterns make a big difference. Our full guide to Arabic pronunciation goes deeper.

• Sun letters change “al-.” Before certain letters (such as ر, س, ش, ص, ض, ظ, ت, ن), the “l” of “al-” is absorbed and the next letter doubles. That is why it is ar-Raḥmān, not “al-Raḥmān,” and as-Salām, not “al-Salām.”
• ح (ḥ) is not h. Ar-Raḥmān, al-Ḥakīm, and al-Ḥayy use a breathy sound from deep in the throat, like fogging a mirror. It is different from the plain h in al-Hādī.
• ع (ʿ) is a real consonant. In al-ʿAlīm, al-ʿAzīz, and as-Samīʿ, the ʿayn is a tight sound from the throat. Skipping it can change the word.
• Hold the long vowels. ā, ī, and ū should be held about twice as long as short vowels: Raḥ-māān, Ra-ḥīīm, Ghaf-fūūr. Vowel length often changes meaning in Arabic.
• Double the doubled letters. A shadda (ّ) means the consonant is held or said twice: al-Jab-bār, al-Ghaf-fār, al-Quddūs. Al-Ghafūr and al-Ghaffār are different names because of this.
• Heavy letters darken the vowels. ص, ض, ط, ظ (ṣ, ḍ, ṭ, ẓ) and ق (q) give the vowels around them a deeper sound, as in aṣ-Ṣabūr, al-Bāṭin, and al-Qahhār.
• Endings depend on context. In the table, each name ends with -u (الرَّحْمَٰنُ). When you stop on a name, you drop that ending and say ar-Raḥmān. After yā, it becomes Yā Raḥmān.

Training your ear on sounds like ḥ and ʿ in everyday speech helps with recitation too. Kalam’s speaking drills give instant pronunciation feedback on these sounds as you learn spoken Arabic.

FAQ

What are the 99 names of Allah called in Arabic?

They are called al-Asmāʾ al-Ḥusnā (الأسماء الحسنى), meaning “the most beautiful names.” The phrase comes directly from the Quran, including 7:180: “And to Allah belong the most beautiful names, so call upon Him by them.” In English you will also see it spelled Asmaul Husna or Asma ul Husna.

Is the list of 99 names in Sahih al-Bukhari?

No. Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim record the hadith that Allah has ninety-nine names and that whoever aḥṣāhā will enter Paradise, but they do not list them. The familiar list comes from Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī, and many scholars considered that enumeration an addition by a narrator. Other scholars compiled lists directly from the Quran and authentic hadith.

Does Allah have only 99 names?

Most scholars say no. The hadith highlights 99 names with a special reward, but a supplication taught by the Prophet ﷺ refers to names Allah “kept in the knowledge of the unseen” with Himself. So the 99 are understood as a special set, not a complete count of every name.

What is the first and last of the 99 names?

In the standard Tirmidhi order, the list begins with ar-Raḥmān (the Most Merciful) and ar-Raḥīm (the Especially Merciful) and ends with aṣ-Ṣabūr (the Most Patient). The name Allah itself is usually not numbered, since it is regarded as God’s proper name to which all the others refer.

What is the best way to memorize the 99 names?

Many people learn them in small groups of five to ten, reviewing earlier groups before adding new ones. Listening to a melodic recitation helps the order stick, and learning the meaning of each name makes it easier to remember. Scholars also stress living by the names, not just memorizing the sounds.

Can I name my child with one of the 99 names?

Yes, in the ʿAbd form: ʿAbdullāh, ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān, ʿAbd al-Karīm, and so on. The Prophet ﷺ called ʿAbdullāh and ʿAbd ar-Raḥmān the names most beloved to Allah. Names reserved for God, like ar-Raḥmān, are not used alone for people, though descriptive words like Karīm commonly are.