NINETY-NINE NAMES OF GOD IN ISLAM of portion of CHARLES STADE DAYSTAR PRESS P. 1261 l 1970 in mosaic tiles of Press, P. Box 1261, Ibadan, Nigeria PREFACE Every Muslim, as well as every student of is aware of fact that the bears constant witness to the absolute unity of God. This basic tenet finds its essential expression in Chapter 112 where one reads, "Say: He, God, is one. God is He on whom all depend. He not, nor is begotten, and none is like Him." However, the fact remains that basic essence and nature of this God is expressed in many different ways in the It is to that variety of expression that this study is addressed. The itself supplies the authority for this effort, since in four chapters it speaks of the "most beautiful names" of God. 970 The verses in question are: Copyright Robert Stade 1970 (A-2-8) "God there is no God but He. His are the most beautiful names." 17,110 (A-3-4): "Say: Call on God or call on the Merciful. By whatever name you call on Him, He has the most beautiful names." (A-3-19): "And God's are the most beautiful names, so call on Him thereby.. (B- 2): "He is God; the Creator, the the Fashioner. His are the most beautiful names." In respect of the verse numbering used above, the first is the number found in the Cairo text and the second as found in the (Western) text. This fact should be borne in mind by the reader as he endeavours to locate in his the various verses referred to in this study. The letters and numbers to be found within the parentheses listed above refer to the time of life when the revelations were given: "A" refers to the Meccan period and "B" to the PRINTED BY PRINTING WORKS LTD. period. Since scholars have divided the Meccan period into three BYE-PASS parts, the first number following "A" refers to the period involved P. BOX 353, IBADAN and the second to the chronological order of a given chapter within INTRODUCTION that period. A-3-19 indicates the nineteenth chapter of the third period of the Meccan revelations. Since the period Muslims and students of it is common knowledge is considered as a unit, B-12 indicates the twelfth chapter of this that the beads of the Muslim rosary are ninety-nine in number period. This explanation should be helpful to the reader throughout and that individual adherent of the Islamic faith regularly uses this study, since every citation is identified in this manner. them in his worship life. As he fingers the individual bead, he An additional reference to the footnotes is in place at this point. quietly and reverently repeats the ninety-nine names of God that Undoubtedly many are already aware of the fact a second are particularly familiar to him. Perhaps it was in this manner source of truth in Islam is to be found in the the traditions that the non-Muslim world drew the conclusion that the names by ascribed to the Prophet and gathered by his companions and the God of Islam is known are only ninety-nine in followers during the years after his death. It is to be remembered one commonly hears the expression, "The ninety-nine names that these sayings in Islam are second in importance only to the of God." But this is not really the full truth of the itself. these two sources does the Muslim world In the commentary entitled Tafsir identify and eternal truth. Subsequently, it is only natural of the (Writers the authors add to writers quote from them on frequent occasion. their mention of the expression "the beautiful names" the In the translation which occupies the major portion of this study, remark, are ninety-nine in number." Thus one can conclude the reader will be referred to these traditions in the footnotes. Two that this particular number is not a European invention. examples are and "Muslim, However, further proves quite conclusively that the number p. In instance the first word is the ninety-nine is not a rigid one. In of the tmditionist, the second the title of book and third ibn an Arabic writer of origin who page number of the book in which citation in the lived in Mecca during the latter part of eighteenth century, one text is found. The six most important traditionists arc: finds the following statement, of the sects have asserted, 'Unto God -- may be magnified - (belong) a a. (d. (died in 256 of the Muslim A line beyond one reads. "But as for the Christian era) names of God - may He he magnified - b. Muslim b. (cl. is insufficient in respect of them, that is to say, the of God." c. (d. In other words, by God is known in are, d. (d. to say the least, numerous. This the case, in one sense it is incorrect to speak of THE ninety-nine of God. Perhaps it e. b. (d. 2831886) is more correct to refer to particular list of ninety-nine names as f. (d. 3031915) used by a group of believers in a given place at a It is our that the material found within book will be By the token, however, ninety-nine is the commonly of service to many people in their understanding of the God of used, since the Muslim rosary contains ninety-nine beads, divided into three of thirty-three each. The greater chaplet or rosary of the Dervish Orders contains nine hundred and ninety-nine beads, and thus one can conclude that at least in some parts of the was born in 450 died in 505 of the Muslim era (1058-1111 of Muslim world the individual group can and does refer to God with the Christian era). Together with Abii-l-Hasan (died one thousand names and more. he played a formidable role the House of Of interest in this respect is the odd, rather than the Islam in defining the traditional position of theology. even, number of names of God used by the Muslim world. Born in and a of brilliant intellectual prowess, he was to whose work the major portion of thisstudy isdevoted, trained under Al-Juwayni (d. who introduced him to gives us the explanation for this phenomenon when he quotes from study of theology. By the age of twenty-seven had a companion of the prophet and a most zealous already attained the rank of professor at the College propagator of his words and deeds: "The messenger of God - may in Baghdad, where he lectured to groups three hundred the blessings of God and peace be upon him-said that God has more. A crisis period in his life led him to leave his campus, and during ninety-nine names, one hundred minus one. He is the Odd and the following eleven years he spent his time in such leading centres loves the odd number. The one who numerates them enters of the Muslim world as Jerusalem, Medina and Mecca. It was Paradise." Perhaps this stress upon the odd number is only another during this time that he took part in the Throughout indication that the God of the is absolutely unique in this lengthy period he devoted himself solely to the search of truth, respect of His essence, with no other being like Him. as he tells us in his (Deliverancefrom Error), The great majority of the names of God as are listed on the an autobiographical work. It was also during this period that he following pages are taken either as they are found in the or produced his greatest work, (The of as they are implied by a given verse or verses of the Some Science of Religion). Throughout this time he lived as a poor of them are found with the definite article, some without; some are devoting himself to meditation and other spiritual exercises. made definite by a definite complement and some remain indefinite; Thus it is not surprising to learn that, in reality, was and some are definite in one passage and indefinite in another. much more than an intellectual. At heart he was a His When a given name is made definite, the word assumes a special years of searching for truth, self-examination and self-deprivation sense, attributing to God par that quality of which it brought him to the point where he found God through experience, speaks. that experience which in one sense of the word must be realized in In an article to be found in of the Royal Asiatic Society, order to be understood. And to this extent he did know a proximity vol. London, 1880, the author, J. W lists 552 names to God that can be understood only by one who has walked the of God as he found them in his research and then goes on to say, same path As Black Macdonald pointed out "Doubtless many another will be chanced upon, and there is every some years ago, two of his best contributions to the House of Islam probability that a thousand can be collected and surpassed." were his influence in leading men of his day back from their scholastic We now turn our attention to that Muslim theologian who, labours upon theological dogmas to "a living contact with, study above all others, devoted time effort to an understanding and and exegesis of, the and the and assuring that application of the meanings of the names of God in Islam.