IN THE QUR’AN

لَهُ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ

“To Him belongs the Most Beautiful Names.” 

[Surah Al-Hashr [59:24]]

IN THE SUNNAH

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Allah has ninety-nine Names, i.e., one hundred minus one, and whoever believes in their meanings and acts accordingly, will enter Paradise.” 

[Sahih al-Bukhari 2736]

IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE NAMES OF ALLAH

Deep understanding of the names of Allah is an honorable branch of knowledge, it is the greatest understanding. As the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “When Allah wants good for a person then He makes him comprehend the religion.” [Sahih al-Bukhari 71]​

For every building there is a foundation and the foundation of the religion is belief in:

1. Allah
2. His Names
3. His Attributes

When the foundation is firm then the building can be strong and safe from falling.

Ibn Al Qayyim said: “Whoever wants to build his building then he should ensure the soundness of his foundation. The deeds are levels and the foundation is faith.”

The one who has knowledge will make his concern to correct his foundation which is faith, and this is through the names of Allah. The ignorant person is the one who builds his building without a foundation.

There are two matters to this foundation:

1. Correct and sound knowledge of Allah, His commands, names and attributes.
2. Purification of submitting only to Allah and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

 

Knowledge of His names, attributes and action is the foundation of the religion. It is the foundation of the “haneefiah” and the way of Ibrahim (عليه السلام). It is the religion which all messengers are upon and the central point of their message.

Thus to be occupied with knowing Allah’s names and attributes is to be truly occupied with what we are created for. While leaving it and losing it shows lack of concern for what a person is created for. It is not for a slave to be ignorant of his Lord while He has granted him blessings. A person has not lived if he did not know Allah.

Correct and sound knowledge of Allah, His Commands, Names and Attributes.

Purification of submitting only to Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم).

The kingship of Allah is real and true.

 

BENEFITS OF KNOWLEDGE OF THE NAMES OF ALLAH

 

Knowledge of Allah’s names and attributes is a blessed knowledge with much benefits, fruits and impacts. There are many benefits, among them:

1. The knowledge of Allah’s names and attributes is the most virtuous, highest ranking and most honorable knowledge because the One being learned about is The Most Honorable.
2. Knowing Allah calls to His love, to magnify Him, to fear Him, to be humble to Him, to hope from Him and to be sincere in deeds to Him. The stronger the knowledge about Allah, the greater one’s submission and surrendering to His commands and legislations. When we know Allah then our hearts will move and we will submit to Him.
3. Allah loves His names and attributes and loves the impacts of His names to be apparent on the creation. Allah is The Most Forgiving and loves those who forgive. He is the Most Beautiful and loves beauty. He is All-Knowing and loves the knowledgeable ones. He is the Most Generous and loves those who are generous. He is the Most Strong and loves the strong believer more than the weak one. He is the Most Modest and loves those who are modest. He is The Acceptor of Repentance and loves those who repent. He is merciful to those who show mercy. He is just and loves those who are just. He rewards His slaves according to how much the slave is affected by His names and attributes.
4. Allah created the creation and made them to exist while they were nothing, and He subjected what is in the heavens and the earth to know Him and worship Him. Allah nurtures us to know He is Ar-Rabb. Allah provides us to know He is Ar-Razzaq. Allah says: “It is Allah Who has created seven heavens and of the earth the like thereof (i.e. seven). His Command descends between them (heavens and earth), that you may know that Allah has power over all things, and that Allah surrounds all things in (His) Knowledge.” [Surah At Talaq: 12].
5. One of the six pillars of faith is “Belief in Allah” and it is not faith to only say “I believe in Allah” while not knowing Him. The reality of faith is to know Allah; He is the One Whom we need to believe in. A person continues to know Allah until he reaches the level of certainty. And according to how much a person knows about Allah is how much his faith will increase and the opposite is true. The lesser he knows about Allah, the weaker his faith will be. The one who does not know Allah, does not know himself. Whoever forgets Allah then Allah will cause Him to forget the benefit of himself.
6. Knowledge about Allah’s names is the origin of all things. A person will understand the reality of everything, and he will understand His attributes, actions and what He legislates from commands and prohibitions. Allah does not do anything except that it is linked to His names and attributes. And this makes us to always think good of Allah because all His names and actions are the peak in goodness.
7. Knowledge of Allah’s names is a winning trade. And from its profits are tranquility of the self, soundness of the heart, expansion of the heart, residing in Firdous Al A’la on the Day of Judgement, seeing the Noble Face of Allah, attaining His pleasure and being saved from His wrath. We ask Allah of His favor. When the heart is at rest that is Allah is One, and He is his Rabb, his Ilah, the One Worshipped, and the One Whom we return to, then it will cause the person to do his best, and seek His love and pleasure.
8. Knowledge about Allah’s Names is protection from deviation, a door of hope, a support for being patient and keeping one away from laziness. It also makes one keen to perform worships and draw closer to Allah and stay away from sins, a refuge in times of calamities and pain, protection from the shaitan, and a way to attain Allah’s love.

 

Taken from:  فقه الأسماء الحسنى - الشيخ عبد الرزاق البدر