Interacting with Allah’s Names and Attributes

A sincere and deep look into one’s inner self reveals that doubt regarding the existence of God is, in reality, impossible. A person’s very being is a clear and manifest proof of His existence. Those who torment themselves with existential questions, striving to deny the existence of a Higher Being, are merely caught in deceptions born of a heedless soul — veils that divert them from the truth and from their innate natural disposition (fiṭrah).

The simple, yet profound, answer to this matter was delivered by Allah Almighty through the tongues of His messengers, who said: “Is there any doubt about Allah, the Originator of the heavens and the earth? He invites you so that He may forgive you your sins and grant you respite until your appointed term” (14:10).

Yet, the question that truly guides a person to the straight path and draws them near to this true, noble, and merciful Lord is not “Does God exist?” but rather: “Who is God?”

Among the manifestations of Allah’s infinite mercy is that He did not leave humanity lost, wandering, or ignorant of its Creator. Instead, He made Himself known to His servants so that they may honor Him, revere Him, and recognize their own reality — that they are His servants, utterly in need of Him, with no protector nor helper besides Him. He is the One who guides them to success, grants them happiness, and honors them with His nearness and pleasure. He is the Provider, the Generous, the All-Hearing, the Near. And, in answer to the question “Who is Allah?,” Allah Himself says: “And to Allah belong the Most Beautiful Names, so call upon Him by them, and leave those who deviate concerning His Names” (7:180).

His saying, the Exalted: “So call upon Him by them” indicates that supplication is worship, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Supplication is the essence of worship.” And specifying supplication with the Most Beautiful Names defines the very core of worship. It guides one to know the Lord — and thus to know oneself — so that the servant rises to a form of worship filled with steadfastness, certainty, and tranquility. For, whoever knows their Lord, knows themselves, and his/her heart is guided.

The Most Beautiful Names (Al-Asma Al-Ḥusna) means the Names that possess complete perfection in both essence and attributes. As for the servants, if they are described with any form of goodness, it is only a relative and limited description. His Names, exalted is He, are called Al-Husna – Most Beautiful – because they indicate absolute and complete realities befitting the One they refer to, Glorified and Exalted.

Thus, the greatest thing that servants can seek is to know their Lord, so that their lives may be set aright. This was the way of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them. In the narration of Ubayy ibn Kaʿb, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: “Do you know which verse from the Book of Allah that you have is the greatest?” After hesitating out of reverence for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Ubayy replied, “Ayat al-Kursī: ‘Allah—there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all.’’’ The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) struck Ubayy ibn Kaʿb’s chest with his hand and said: “May knowledge delight you, O Abū al-Munḏir.”

A servant’s knowledge of his Lord is the first step on the path toward Him, as Allah said to His Prophet: “So, know ˹well˺ that there is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Allah. And seek forgiveness for your shortcomings and for ˹the sins of˺ the believing men and women” (47:19).

Calling upon Allah by His Beautiful Names is not limited to merely uttering them; rather, it carries profound meanings, including:

- Avoiding deviation regarding the Names and distancing oneself from the people of misguidance concerning them, as Allah says: “And leave those who deviate concerning His Names.” This is the way of pure monotheism: striving against the soul to keep it from inclining toward falsehood.

- Enumerating the Names, meaning: memorizing them, understanding their meanings, and acting according to their implications.

Whoever does so secures Paradise for themselves, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Indeed, Allah has ninety-nine Names, one hundred minus one; whoever enumerates them will enter Paradise.”

Whoever interacts with the Beautiful Names with this understanding will find in them guidance, refuge, a place of escape to Allah, protection in Him, and a means of drawing closer to Him. Thus, the Beautiful Names become the servants’ path to their Lord, a light for their heart, and a source of steadiness for their steps.

The beginning lies in the principle: “If reverence endures, fear endures.” Fear of Allah cannot be attained without reverence, and reverence cannot be realized without deep knowledge of Allah Almighty. The straight path is found through enumerating and knowing the Names of Allah, for by knowing them, servants increase in reverence, awe, and humility before their Lord.

One of the ways to attain this is by attaching oneself to the Divine Names — striving to acquire a share of their meanings and to embody the qualities they imply. The servant embodies them only in the way that is appropriate for human beings. So, let the servant ask him/herself: What is my share of the Names of Allah? Is it merely understanding the meanings of the terms and outwardly affirming them? If so, then the servant remains heedless of the greatness and the immense blessing contained within these Names.

To truly benefit from them and follow the path of the righteous, sincere ones who seek closeness to their Lord, one must give these Names due care — by striving to acquire what is humanly possible of their corresponding qualities and to adorn oneself with their noble traits. Through this embodiment, the servant becomes Rabbani (godly), as Allah, the Exalted, says: “Be you Rabbâniyyûn (devoted to the worship of your Lord), because you are teaching the Book, and you are studying it” (3:79). Their distinguishing sign is their sincerity to Allah alone and their holding fast to Him.

For the servant to become Rabbani — one who belongs to the Lord, colored with His coloring, near to Him, and constant in His remembrance — he/she must embody the Beautiful Names of Allah and His exalted attributes.

For example, consider your share of the Name Al-Raḥmān (The Most Merciful). Allah said: "So by mercy from Allah, you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you” (3:159).

A person being merciful to themselves, to their brothers and sisters, and to their family – this is how the effect of this Divine Name manifests in His servants. They perceive Allah’s mercy, reflect upon it, recognize that the mercy placed in their heart is from Allah, and then extend it to His creation, beautify their character through it, and call others to Allah by means of it. Look, for example, at the mercy of Ibrahim (Abraham), peace be upon him, in his call and in his dealings with his father and his people.

Likewise, what is your share of the Name Al-‘Azīz (The Almighty, The All-Powerful)? Allah says: “Whoever seeks honor and power, then ˹let them know that˺ all honor and power belongs to Allah” (35:10). Thus, if a person desires honor, dignity, and nobility, they must not seek them, except from Allah. For this reason He said: “But all honor and power belongs to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers, yet the hypocrites do not know” (63:8).

Let the servant look at how the effects of Allah’s Names manifest in the soul: increased resolve, patience, humility, trust, clarity of mind, and firmness of footing in planning, embarking, and accomplishing — while remaining attached to Allah, relying upon Him, being humble, and steadfast upon the truth. Consider the example of Hud (peace be upon him) with the Name Al-Wakīl (The Disposer of Affairs) when he said: “So plot against me all together, then give me no respite. Indeed, I have relied upon Allah, my Lord and your Lord” (11:55-56).

And reflect on Musa (Moses), peace be upon him, with the Name Al-Hādī (The Guide) — for Allah is the One who guides. Musa sought refuge in the One who guides, saying: “No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me” (26:62). One can see in his words a strong tone, firmness, strength, and complete trust in Allah, exalted is He.

Know that none will stand under the shade of the Throne except the supporters of Allah. From this, we derive the practical methodology for the seeker on the path to Allah: to be among the supporters of Allah’s cause, for none will stand under the shade of the Throne on the Day of Judgment, except those who supported Allah.

Therefore, a servants must seek Allah’s support in all actions. They do this by beginning each deed while embodying one of Allah’s attributes that corresponds to that deed. Allah’s support is the manifestation of the effects of His Names and Attributes upon the soul — refining one’s character, filling it with reverence, and humbling it in awe. These effects then appear in the heart, on the tongue, and through one’s actions.

The first step on this path is to train the soul to revere Allah. Even merely hearing the Name of Allah should prompt the servant to respond with reverence and humility whenever it is mentioned, “The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts become fearful, and when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith; and upon their Lord they rely” (8:2).

One cannot imagine the magnitude of blessings that will be showered upon one who attains the true meaning of reverence for Allah. The following story of Malik Ibn Dinar will help to grasp the scope of such blessings. While Malik Ibn Dinar (may Allah have mercy on him) was walking on the road, he saw a drunken man whom wine had cast to the ground, with foam on his lips, muttering in his intoxication: “Allah… Allah.” Mālik was struck by the greatness of the Name of Allah being uttered from a mouth polluted by wine. So, he approached him gently, wiped his mouth, honored him despite his state, and offered him sincere advice.

When the man later regained his senses, he was asked: “Do you know who cared for you and looked after your condition?” He was told: Malik Ibn Dinar. It seems that this subtle, divine kindness toward the sinner touched his heart, and he wept out of regret and remorse.

Later that night, Malik Ibn Dinar, slept and saw in a dream someone saying to him “O Malik, you purified his mouth for Our sake, so We purified his heart for your sake.” The next morning, when Malik went to the mosque, he saw a man praying, weeping, and supplicating earnestly. He approached him and asked: “Who are you? May Allah have mercy on you.” The man replied: “The One who guided me is the One who informed you of my state.”