99 Names of Allah

A close up of the final stage.
This canvas reads the Name 'Allah' and the translation of the verse is, "To Allah belong the most beautiful Names, so call upon Him by them." 
This canvas measures 150cm x 100cm and all artwork is original.

This blog post has been inspired by the recent weekend intensive on the 99 Names of Allah, organised by Guidance Hub (Manchester) - delivered by Shaykh Waseem Ahmed and Shaykh Muhammad Yaseen. Alhamdulillah, Nuri Artwork had the honour of painting the canvas used as the central display.

The subject of the 99 Names brought back memories of a Y9 R.E. lesson that took place in my secondary school.

The teacher, a non Muslim, asked a Muslim child to describe Allah. The child responded, 'God is so Great, He is indescribable.'

At first, the students thought it was a sufficient response but shortly after, an awkward silence filled the classroom as the Muslims and non-Muslims alike were confused.

The teacher, whose response was beautiful, smiled and replied, 'Your God has 99 Names you can use to describe Him by.'

I guess this was as an eye opener for many students and it was beautiful how a non-Muslim understood that although we cannot fathom or describe God in the physical sense*, we can use His Names to describe Him through His Divine Actions and Attributes.

Over the course of the two days, I felt my heart and soul being taken on a journey - a journey to recognising and knowing my Creator better, learning about my 'self' and a zeal to adopt beautiful attributes.

It also brought me to this realisation: each individual has a unique attachment to Allah Almighty. You may not connect to Allah Almighty in the same way that someone else will. When we truly make an effort to learn about Him, we find our individual path to Him.

Photograph: Shaykh Muhammad Yaseen 
Photo credits: Guidance Hub

Here is a short extract from my notes taken during Shaykh Muhammad Yaseen's session on the Most Glorious  Name, Allah. I pray that we are able to benefit from these notes and that they are a means of us drawing closer to our Lord, Most High.

الله / Allah

The Majestic Name, Allah, occurs in the Qur'an 2699 times.

The 'ulama (scholars) differ over the origin/root of 'الله':
• Some say it comes from 'al-ilaah' - The God.
• Others say that Allah Almighty has chosen this Name for Himself and it has no derivation.

Allah Almighty chose a Name for Himself that reflects His Being - it leaves the mind in awe and wonder. His Name and Being leave you in wonder, Mighty is He.

There is no equivalent or translation for the Name 'Allah' in any other language; this is a miracle within itself. 
Imam al-Razi in his tafsir states that if you remove any letter from the Name of Allah, the remaining letters will still lead you to Allah:
الله
لِله - meaning for Allah (lillah) 
لَهُ - meaning for/to Allah (lahuu)
هُ - the Pronoun referring to Him (Huu) 
E.g. هُوَ الله

This miracle is not to be found in any other name or word.

The Name, Allah, is unique. All of the other Divine Names/Attributes denote one meaning. E.g. when you call upon Allah as 'Raheem', you are calling upon the Most Merciful and not upon Allah as the Jabbaar (the Compeller). However, when you call upon His Name, Allah, then you are calling upon Him in all His Divine Attributes, Mighty and Majestic is He.

The Name الله represents the following:
• al Ma'būd (the Worshipped)
• al Ilāh (the Deity)
• al Khaaliq (the Creator)

The scholars of the past have stated regarding the Divine Name:
'The Name of that Being who is worshipped, the One who encompasses (al mujmi') all attributes of perfection and free from all attributes of imperfection.

'Allah', the Superior Name encompasses all of the other Divine Attributes of Allah Almighty - this is a specialty of the Name Allah. When you have a need and call upon Him as 'yā Allah', you are calling upon Him as ar-Razzāq (the Provider).

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May Allah Almighty preserve the teachers of sacred knowledge, reward their efforts and enable us to benefit from them.

*Time and space are creations of Allah and He is free from this.

All good is from Allah and any mistakes are from myself.