ASMA AL-HUSNA — THE BEAUTIFUL NAMES OF ALLAH

"Asma al-husna" — "the most beautiful names" — refers to the names attributed to God, a phrase that appears in the Quran itself (see Al-A'raf 7:180: "To Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them"). A report in Bukhari and Muslim states that Allah has ninety-nine names and that whoever "encompasses" (ihsa) them will enter Paradise — "ihsa" here is explained as more than memorization: knowing, understanding, and living by them. This doesn't claim God's names are limited to these 99; the Quran and hadith attribute other names and attributes to God as well — this page covers a first group from the widely accepted list of 99.