Duas & remembrance
A Thoughtful Way to Study the Names of Allah
Study the Names of Allah one at a time from Quran 59:22-24, keep each source in your notes, and know what the narrations about 99 Names say.
Editorial writing date:
Study one Name at a time. Find where it appears in the Quran, read it in context, compare at least two translations, and write down what you still need to ask. Use a numbered list to find Names, then go back to the verse or narration for the evidence. Marking a card as learned records your own judgment; it is not a measure of understanding.
Key Takeaways
- Begin with a passage, such as Al-Hashr 59:22-24, where several Names appear together.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 2736 and Sahih Muslim 2677a mention ninety-nine Names but do not list them.
- The common numbered list follows Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3507, which at-Tirmidhi called gharib and Sunnah.com shows graded Da'if (Darussalam).
- Short English glosses differ between translators, so record whose wording you use.
- Pick a study pace you can keep, without attaching counts, times or outcomes to it.
Begin with the Quranic purpose
Al-A'raf 7:180 states that Allah has the Most Beautiful Names and directs believers to call on Him by them. Read the verse first. It frames the subject as knowing and calling on Allah, not as a memory challenge.
That gives you one study question for every Name: where is it established, and what do reliable explanations teach about it? For theological questions, or where explanations differ, learn with a qualified teacher rather than drawing a conclusion from a translation alone.
What the narrations say, and what they do not
Know three narrations before you use any numbered list.
| Narration | What it contains | What it does not contain |
|---|---|---|
| Sahih al-Bukhari 2736 | That Allah has ninety-nine Names, "one-hundred minus one," and the virtue of the one who knows them | A list of the Names |
| Sahih Muslim 2677a | The same number, with the wording "he who commits them to memory," and, in one narrator's wording, "he who enumerated them" | A list of the Names |
| Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3507 | The number followed by an enumerated list beginning with Ar-Rahman | A grading of sahih: at-Tirmidhi calls it gharib and knows it only through Safwan ibn Salih, and Sunnah.com shows Da'if (Darussalam) |
On the Tirmidhi page, at-Tirmidhi's comment appears in Arabic only. It opens: "هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ", "this is a gharib hadith," meaning one that reaches us through a single line of narrators at some point. He says he knows it only from the narration of Safwan ibn Salih, "وَهُوَ ثِقَةٌ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ", "and he is trustworthy according to the people of hadith." He then writes: "وَلاَ نَعْلَمُ - فِي كَبِيرِ شَيْءٍ مِنَ الرِّوَايَاتِ لَهُ إِسْنَادٌ صَحِيحٌ ذِكْرَ الأَسْمَاءِ إِلاَّ فِي هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ". In our working rendering: "we do not know, in much of the narrations, of a mention of the Names with a sound chain except in this hadith." A sound chain (isnad sahih) is an unbroken line of reliable narrators. He adds that a version through Adam ibn Abi Iyas also lists the Names "and it has no sound chain." Sunnah.com separately displays the grading Da'if (weak), from Darussalam. Ask a teacher how scholars weigh these comments.
In practice, use a numbered list to find a Name, then look for the verse or narration behind it and note what you find. Do not present a poster, card set or app list as more settled than its sources show. When you share a graphic, share the references you checked, without raising the certainty in the caption.
Use a small study record
For each Name, keep a record you can return to:
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
| Name | Arabic, copied from the verse or narration |
| Source | The verse number or hadith reference |
| Translations | Two glosses, each with the translator named |
| Explanation | The teacher or reference you used |
| Question | What you still need to understand |
| Review note | What you could recall next time, and what you could not |
Keep your own reflections under a separate heading. They should not look like a quotation or a scholarly explanation just because they sit next to the Arabic.
Worked example: Al-Quddus in Al-Hashr 59:23
The record below is an illustration of the method, not a prescribed order or a complete explanation of the Name.
1. Read the passage. Open Al-Hashr 59:22, 59:23 and 59:24. Several Names appear together. Verse 23 opens, in Dr. Mustafa Khattab's translation on Quran.com: "He is Allah—there is no god except Him: the King, the Most Holy, the All-Perfect, the Source of Serenity."
2. Pick one Name. The learner chooses ٱلۡقُدُّوسُ, Al-Quddus, as it is printed in verse 23 on Quran.com.
3. Compare two glosses. Quran.com's translation gives "the Most Holy." The Sunnah.com English of Tirmidhi 3507 gives "the Free of Deficiencies." The two glosses point at related ideas in different words. That difference is worth a question, not a guess.
4. Fill in the record:
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Name | ٱلۡقُدُّوسُ (Al-Quddus) |
| Source | Quran 59:23 |
| Translations | "the Most Holy" (Khattab, Quran.com); "the Free of Deficiencies" (Tirmidhi 3507, Sunnah.com English) |
| Explanation | To fill in after asking a teacher |
| Question | What does the root of this word convey that each English gloss leaves out? |
| Review note | Next session: recall the verse and both glosses before checking |
The useful result of this session is a sharper question, not a longer list.
The Quran translation guide explains why translation and context should stay together. That matters most when a single English word feels too narrow.
Using Everyday Muslim on iPhone or Android
The Names of Allah feature page includes the full numbered table with meanings and source notes, and it explains the Tirmidhi numbering in more detail. In the app, the Asma ul Husna (the Most Beautiful Names) collection follows the same numbering. Al-Quddus is number 4.
- Mark what you have learned. Tap the heart to mark a Name as memorized, then use the Memorized filter to review them. The app records your own choice; it does not test your recall or pronunciation.
- See one Name a day. The 99 Names widget shows a Name on your Home Screen on supported devices. On iPhone, touch and hold the Home Screen, tap Edit, then Add Widget (Apple's guide). On Android, touch and hold an empty area, tap Widgets and drag it into place (Google's guide). The widgets page has the details.
- Decide about sharing. Asma ul Husna is one of the worship areas you can choose to share in Khair Partners. Leave it off if you prefer to keep your study private.
Learn pronunciation without hiding uncertainty
Use the Arabic text and a reliable recording where one exists. Transliteration can help for a while, but different systems spell the same sound differently. "Al-Quddus" and "Al-Quddūs" are the same Name, not two Names.
If audio is missing for an entry, use another reliable source or ask a teacher.
Review meaning as well as recall
Choose a pace you can return to: one Name a week is a reasonable start. At the next session, try to recall the verse and the glosses before you open your notes. The spaced review guide explains how to space those returns.
A quiz can show you a gap worth studying, and the study questions guide shows how to use one that way. A quiz cannot measure faith. Do not attach a spiritual score to the number of cards you opened, and do not invent a repetition count or a promised result for any Name.
The weekly Islamic learning routine can help you set aside time for your questions. When you learn more, correct your notes. A record that can improve is more useful than a finished-looking list.
