As per Muslim traditions, based on the Quran and hadith, there are 99 Names of Allah. In the Quran Surah al-Isra, 17:110, Allah instructs Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to call Allah Almighty with his ‘beautiful names’ Asma al Husna (أسماء الحسنى):
قُلِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ أَوِ ٱدْعُوا۟ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنَ ۖ أَيًّۭا مَّا تَدْعُوا۟ فَلَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَٱبْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًۭا
Surah Al-Isra- 110
Say [to them], ‘Call on God, or on the Lord of Mercy- whatever names you call Him, the best names belong to Him.’ [Prophet], do not be too loud in your prayer, or too quiet, but seek a middle way
Translation of Surah AL-Isra, verse 110
Although the exact number and list of names is not available, but Muslim scholars have compiled a list that contains 99 names of Allah from the Quran and Hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad PBUH). The current list is compiled by the revered Muslim scholar al-Tirmidhi and is give below with Urdu translations.
99 names of Allah with Transliteration:
Urdu Translation (Tarjuma)
99 Names of Allah with Urdu Translation (tarjma)
99 Names of Allah with English Meaning
99 Names of Allah with English Meaning
Where did the beautiful 99 names of Allah come from?
As mentioned above, in the Quran, Allah Almighty instructs Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to remeber Him by His ‘beautiful names’ or Asma al Husna. Still, the number of those names are not mentioned in that specific surah or ayah. According to an authentic Hadith narrated in Sahih Bukhari, there are 99 names of Allah that are collectively called Asma al-Husna (beautiful names).
To mention the said Hadith; Abu Hurairah reported that:
Allah has ninety-nine Names, i.e., one hundred minus one, and whoever believes in their meanings and acts accordingly, will enter Paradise; and Allah is witr (one) and loves ‘the witr’ (i.e., odd numbers).
SAHIH BUKHARI – VOL. 8, BOOK 75, HADITH 419
There are other traditions that say Allah Almighty has in fact infinite names, but only these 99 names are revealed and their names known to us through Quran and Hadith. Thus, many early scholars compiled a list of these exalted names and the most popular among them is the list compiled by al-Tirmidhi.
As mentioned, the source of these names is mostly Quran, as exemplified by the Surah al-Hashr, 59:22-24:
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ عَـٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ ۖ هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
SURAH AL-HASHR, VERSE 22-24
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱلْقُدُّوسُ ٱلسَّلَـٰمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُ ٱلْمُهَيْمِنُ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْجَبَّارُ ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرُ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْخَـٰلِقُ ٱلْبَارِئُ ٱلْمُصَوِّرُ ۖ لَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ
He is Allah—there is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him: Knower of the seen and unseen. He is the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.
He is Allah—there is no god except Him: the King, the Most Holy, the All-Perfect, the Source of Serenity, the Watcher ˹of all˺, the Almighty, the Supreme in Might,1 the Majestic. Glorified is Allah far above what they associate with Him ˹in worship˺!
He is Allah: the Creator, the Inventor, the Shaper. He ˹alone˺ has the Most Beautiful Names. Whatever is in the heavens and the earth ˹constantly˺ glorifies Him. And He is the Almighty, All-Wise.
Translation Surah Al-Hashr, verse 22-24
Why do we need 99 names of Allah?
The 99 names of Allah or Asma al-Husna are attributes of Allah Almighty and embody the greatness of the Almighty. Thus, these exalted names, found in both the holy Quran and authentic Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) are used by Muslims across the globe to praise Allah, invoke his power, blessing and mercy and seek his guidance and justice. The Asma al Husna are recited in prayers and supplication to glorify Allah and feel connected to the creator through Dikr (remembrance).
Asma al Husna Audio
The Asma al Husna are full of meaning and power and bless whoever remembers them with the best of both worlds. You can memorize these or listen to the beautiful recitation of Asm al-Husna perfomred by various artists from across the world.
Here are a few:
In fact, these 99 names of Allah encapsulate the completeness of Allah Almighty and reflect his vast powers – thus, remembering these names and attributes strengthens one’s faith and love for the Almighty.
If you want to learn more about these beautiful 99 names of Allah, download this PDF book.