Allah’s Beautiful Names: 99 or More? (Hadith No. 2392)

Bismillah.

Ahadith 2389 – 2391 (below) are repeats. See linked text for related posts.

Take a DEEP breath, this one is quite long! Probably the longest so far.. I sometimes marvel at the hadith narrators who memorized such long narrations word by word and transmitted them. May Allah bless them, it is because of their efforts and appreciation of the knowledge of hadith that we have all this treasure readily available to us today. Alhamdulillah.

Volume 3, Book 50, Number 891 :
Narrated by Al-Miswar bin Makhrama and Marwan (radiallaahu `anhumaa)
(whose narrations attest each other) Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) set out at the time of Al-Hudaibiya (treaty), and when they proceeded for a distance, he said, “Khalid bin Al-Walid leading the cavalry of Quraish constituting the front of the army, is at a place called Al-Ghamim, so take the way on the right.” By Allah, Khalid did not perceive the arrival of the Muslims till the dust arising from the march of the Muslim army reached him, and then he turned back hurriedly to inform Quraish. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) went on advancing till he reached the Thaniyya (i.e. a mountainous way) through which one would go to them (i.e. people of Quraish). The she-camel of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) sat down. The people tried their best to cause the she-camel to get up but in vain, so they said, “Al-Qaswa’ (i.e. the she-camel’s name) has become stubborn! Al-Qaswa’ has become stubborn!” The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “Al-Qaswa’ has not become stubborn, for stubbornness is not her habit, but she was stopped by Him Who stopped the elephant.” Then he said, “By the Name of Him in Whose Hands my soul is, if they (i.e. the Quraish infidels) ask me anything which will respect the ordinances of Allah, I will grant it to them.” The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) then rebuked the she-camel and she got up. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) changed his way till he dismounted at the farthest end of Al-Hudaibiya at a pit (i.e. well) containing a little water which the people used in small amounts, and in a short while the people used up all its water and complained to Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam); of thirst. The Prophet took an arrow out of his arrow-case and ordered them to put the arrow in that pit. By Allah, the water started and continued sprouting out till all the people quenched their thirst and returned with satisfaction. While they were still in that state, Budail bin Warqa-al-Khuza’i came with some persons from his tribe Khuza’a and they were the advisers of Allah’s Apostle who would keep no secret from him and were from the people of Tihama. Budail said, “I left Kab bin Luai and ‘Amir bin Luai residing at the profuse water of Al-Hudaibiya and they had milch camels (or their women and children) with them, and will wage war against you, and will prevent you from visiting the Kaba.” Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “We have not come to fight anyone, but to perform the ‘Umra. No doubt, the war has weakened Quraish and they have suffered great losses, so if they wish, I will conclude a truce with them, during which they should refrain from interfering between me and the people (i.e. the ‘Arab infidels other than Quraish), and if I have victory over those infidels, Quraish will have the option to embrace Islam as the other people do, if they wish; they will at least get strong enough to fight. But if they do not accept the truce, by Allah in Whose Hands my life is, I will fight with them defending my Cause till I get killed, but (I am sure) Allah will definitely make His Cause victorious.” Budail said, “I will inform them of what you have said.” So, he set off till he reached Quraish and said, “We have come from that man (i.e. Muhammad) whom we heard saying something which we will disclose to you if you should like.” Some of the fools among Quraish shouted that they were not in need of this information, but the wiser among them said, “Relate what you heard him saying.” Budail said, “I heard him saying so-and-so,” relating what the Prophet had told him. Urwa bin Mas’ud got up and said, “O people! Aren’t you the sons? They said, “Yes.” He added, “Am I not the father?” They said, “Yes.” He said, “Do you mistrust me?” They said, “No.” He said, “Don’t you know that I invited the people of ‘Ukaz for your help, and when they refused I brought my relatives and children and those who obeyed me (to help you)?” They said, “Yes.” He said, “Well, this man (i.e. the Prophet) has offered you a reasonable proposal, you’d better accept it and allow me to meet him.” They said, “You may meet him.” So, he went to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) and started talking to him. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) told him almost the same as he had told Budail. Then Urwa said, “O Muhammad! Won’t you feel any scruple in extirpating your relations? Have you ever heard of anyone amongst the Arabs extirpating his relatives before you? On the other hand, if the reverse should happen, (nobody will aid you, for) by Allah, I do not see (with you) dignified people, but people from various tribes who would run away leaving you alone.” Hearing that, Abu Bakr (radiallaahu `anhu) abused him and said, “Do you say we would run and leave the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) alone?” Urwa said, “Who is that man?” They said, “He is Abu Bakr.” Urwa said to Abu Bakr (radiallaahu `anhu), “By Him in Whose Hands my life is, were it not for the favor which you did to me and which I did not compensate, I would retort on you.” Urwa kept on talking to the Prophet and seizing the Prophet’s (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) beard as he was talking while Al-Mughira bin Shu’ba (radiallaahu `anhu) was standing near the head of the Prophet, holding a sword and wearing a helmet. Whenever Urwa stretched his hand towards the beard of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam), Al-Mughira (radiallaahu `anhu) would hit his hand with the handle of the sword and say (to Urwa), “Remove your hand from the beard of Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam).” Urwa raised his head and asked, “Who is that?” The people said, “He is Al-Mughira bin Shu’ba.” Urwa said, “O treacherous! Am I not doing my best to prevent evil consequences of your treachery?” Before embracing Islam Al-Mughira (radiallaahu `anhu) was in the company of some people. He killed them and took their property and came (to Medina) to embrace Islam. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said (to him, “As regards your Islam, I accept it, but as for the property I do not take anything of it. (As it was taken through treason).
Urwa then started looking at the Companions of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam). By Allah, whenever Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of them (i.e. the Prophet’s companions) who would rub it on his face and skin; if he ordered them they would carry his orders immediately; if he performed ablution, they would struggle to take the remaining water; and when they spoke to him, they would lower their voices and would not look at his face constantly out of respect. Urwa returned to his people and said, “O people! By Allah, I have been to the kings and to Caesar, Khosrau and An-Najashi, yet I have never seen any of them respected by his courtiers as much as Muhammad is respected by his companions. By Allah, if he spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of them (i.e. the Prophet’s companions) who would rub it on his face and skin; if he ordered them, they would carry out his order immediately; if he performed ablution, they would struggle to take the remaining water; and when they spoke, they would lower their voices and would not look at his face constantly out of respect.” Urwa added, “No doubt, he has presented to you a good reasonable offer, so please accept it.” A man from the tribe of Bani Kinana said, “Allow me to go to him,” and they allowed him, and when he approached the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) and his companions, Allah’s Ap le I said, “He is so-and-so who belongs to the tribe that respects the Budn (i.e. camels of the sacrifice). So, bring the Budn in front of him.” So, the Budn were brought before him and the people received him while they were reciting Talbiya. When he saw that scene, he said, “Glorified be Allah! It is not fair to prevent these people from visiting the Ka’ba.” When he returned to his people, he said, ‘I saw the Budn garlanded (with colored knotted ropes) and marked (with stabs on their backs). I do not think it is advisable to prevent them from visiting the Ka’ba.” Another person called Mikraz bin Hafs got up and sought their permission to go to Muhammad, and they allowed him, too. When he approached the Muslims, the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “Here is Mikraz and he is a vicious man.” Mikraz started talking to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) and as he was talking, Suhail bin Amr came. When Suhail bin Amr came, the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “Now the matter has become easy.” Suhail said to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam), “Please conclude a peace treaty with us.” So, the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) called the clerk and said to him, “Write: By the Name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.” Suhail said, “As for ‘Beneficent,’ by Allah, I do not know what it means. So write: By Your Name O Allah, as you used to write previously.” The Muslims said, “By Allah, we will not write except: By the Name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.” The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “Write: By Your Name O Allah.” Then he dictated, “This is the peace treaty which Muhammad, Allah’s Apostle has concluded.” Suhail said, “By Allah, if we knew that you are Allah’s Apostle we would not prevent you from visiting the Kaba, and would not fight with you. So, write: “Muhammad bin Abdullah.” The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “By Allah! I am Apostle of Allah even if you people do not believe me. Write: Muhammad bin Abdullah.” (Az-Zuhri said, “The Prophet accepted all those things, as he had already said that he would accept everything they would demand if it respects the ordinance of Allah, (i.e. by letting him and his companions perform ‘Umra.)” The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said to Suhail, “On the condition that you allow us to visit the House (i.e. Ka’ba) so that we may perform Tawaf around it.” Suhail said, “By Allah, we will not (allow you this year) so as not to give chance to the ‘Arabs to say that we have yielded to you, but we will allow you next year.” So, the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) got that written. Then Suhail said, “We also stipulate that you should return to us whoever comes to you from us, even if he embraced your religion.” The Muslims said, “Glorified be Allah! How will such a person be returned to the pagans after he has become a Muslim? While they were in this state Abu Jandal bin Suhail bin ‘Amr (radiallaahu `anhu) came from the valley of Mecca staggering with his fetters and fell down amongst the Muslims. Suhail said, “O Muhammad! This is the very first term with which we make peace with you, i.e. you shall return Abu Jandal to me.” The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “The peace treaty has not been written yet.” Suhail said, “I will never allow you to keep him.” The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “Yes, do.” He said, “I won’t do.” Mikraz said, “We allow you (to keep him).” Abu Jandal (radiallaahu `anhu) said, “O Muslims! Will I be returned to the pagans though I have come as a Muslim? Don’t you see how much I have suffered?” Abu Jandal (radiallaahu `anhu) had been tortured severely for the Cause of Allah.
Umar bin Al-Khattab (radiallaahu `anhu) said, “I went to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) and said, ‘Aren’t you truly the Apostle of Allah?’ The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, ‘Yes, indeed.’ I said, ‘Isn’t our Cause just and the cause of the enemy unjust?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘Then why should we be humble in our religion?’ He said, ‘I am Allah’s Apostle and I do not disobey Him, and He will make me victorious.’ I said, ‘Didn’t you tell us that we would go to the Ka’ba and perform Tawaf around it?’ He said, ‘Yes, but did I tell you that we would visit the Ka’ba this year?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘So you will visit it and perform Tawaf around it?’ ” Umar (radiallaahu `anhu) further said, “I went to Abu Bakr (radiallaahu `anhu) and said, ‘O Abu Bakr! Isn’t he truly Allah’s Prophet?’ He replied, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘Then why should we be humble in our religion?’ He said, ‘Indeed, he is Allah’s Apostle and he does not disobey his Lord, and He will make him victorious. Adhere to him as, by Allah, he is on the right.’ I said, ‘Was he not telling us that we would go to the Kaba and perform Tawaf around it?’ He said, ‘Yes, but did he tell you that you would go to the Ka’ba this year?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, “You will go to Ka’ba and perform Tawaf around it.” (Az-Zuhri said, ” ‘Umar (radiallaahu `anhu) said, ‘I performed many good deeds as expiation for the improper questions I asked them.’ “)
When the writing of the peace treaty was concluded, Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said to his companions, “Get up and’ slaughter your sacrifices and get your head shaved.” By Allah none of them got up, and the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) repeated his order thrice. When none of them got up, he left them and went to Um Salama (radiallaahu `anhaa) and told her of the people’s attitudes towards him. Um Salama (radiallaahu `anhaa) said, “O the Prophet of Allah! Do you want your order to be carried out? Go out and don’t say a word to anybody till you have slaughtered your sacrifice and call your barber to shave your head.” So, the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) went out and did not talk to anyone of them till he did that, i.e. slaughtered the sacrifice and called his barber who shaved his head. Seeing that, the companions of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) got up, slaughtered their sacrifices, and started shaving the heads of one another, and there was so much rush that there was a danger of killing each other. Then some believing women came (to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam)); and Allah revealed the following Divine Verses:- “O you who believe, when the believing women come to you as emigrants examine them . . .” (60.10) Umar (radiallaahu `anhu) then divorced two wives of his who were infidels. Later on Muawiya bin Abu Sufyan married one of them, and Safwan bin Umaya married the other.
When the Prophet returned to Medina, Abu Basir (radiallaahu `anhu), a new Muslim convert from Quraish came to him. The Infidels sent in his pursuit two men who said (to the Prophet ), “Abide by the promise you gave us.” So, the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) handed him over to them. They took him out (of the City) till they reached Dhul-Hulaifa where they dismounted to eat some dates they had with them. Abu Basir (radiallaahu `anhu) said to one of them, “By Allah, O so-and-so, I see you have a fine sword.” The other drew it out (of the scabbard) and said, “By Allah, it is very fine and I have tried it many times.” Abu Bair (radiallaahu `anhu) said, “Let me have a look at it.” When the other gave it to him, he hit him with it till he died, and his companion ran away till he came to Medina and entered the Mosque running. When Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) saw him he said, “This man appears to have been frightened.” When he reached the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) he said, “My companion has been murdered and I would have been murdered too.” Abu Basir (radiallaahu `anhu) came and said, “O Allah’s Apostle, by Allah, Allah has made you fulfill your obligations by your returning me to them (i.e. the Infidels), but Allah has saved me from them.” The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “Woe to his mother! what excellent war kindler he would be, should he only have supporters.” When Abu Basir (radiallaahu `anhu) heard that he understood that the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) would return him to them again, so he set off till he reached the seashore. Abu Jandal bin Suhail (radiallaahu `anhu) got himself released from them (i.e. infidels) and joined Abu Basir (radiallaahu `anhu). So, whenever a man from Quraish embraced Islam he would follow Abu Basir (radiallaahu `anhu) till they formed a strong group. By Allah, whenever they heard about a caravan of Quraish heading towards Sham, they stopped it and attacked and killed them (i.e. infidels) and took their properties. The people of Quraish sent a message to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) requesting him for the Sake of Allah and Kith and kin to send for (i.e. Abu Basir and his companions) promising that whoever (amongst them) came to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) would be secure. So the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) sent for them (i.e. Abu Basir’s companions) and Allah I revealed the following Divine Verses: “And it is He Who Has withheld their hands from you and your hands From them in the midst of Mecca, After He made you the victorious over them. . . . the unbelievers had pride and haughtiness, in their hearts . . . the pride and haughtiness of the time of ignorance.” (48.24-26) And their pride and haughtiness was that they did not confess (write in the treaty) that he (i.e. Muhammad) was the Prophet of Allah and refused to write: “In the Name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the Most Merciful,” and prevented the Mushriks from visiting the Ka’ba.
Narrated Az-Zuhri: Urwa said, “Aisha (radiallaahu `anhaa) told me that Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) used to examine the women emigrants. We have been told also that when Allah revealed the order that the Muslims should return to the pagans what they had spent on their wives who emigrated (after embracing Islam) and that the Mushriks should not keep unbelieving women as their wives, ‘Umar (radiallaahu `anhu) divorced two of his wives, Qariba, the daughter of Abu Urhaiya and the daughter of Jarwal Al-Khuza’i. Later on Mu’awlya married Qariba and Abu Jahm married the other.” When the pagans refused to pay what the Muslims had spent on their wives, Allah revealed: “And if any of your wives have gone from you to the unbelievers and you have an accession (By the coming over of a woman from the other side) (Then pay to those whose wives have gone) The equivalent of what they had spent (On their Mahr).” (60.11) So, Allah ordered that the Muslim whose wife, has gone, should be given, as a compensation of the Mahr he had given to his wife, from the Mahr of the wives of the pagans who had emigrated deserting their husbands. We do not know any of the women emigrants who deserted Islam after embracing it. We have also been told that Abu Basir bin Asid Ath-Thaqafi (radiallaahu `anhu) came to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) as a Muslim emigrant during the truce. Al-Akhnas bin Shariq wrote to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) requesting him to return Abu Basir (radiallaahu `anhu).

Volume 3, Book 50, Number 892 :
Narrated by Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu)
Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) mentioned a person who asked an Israeli man to lend him one-thousand Dinars, and the Israeli lent him the sum for a certain fixed period.

Volume 3, Book 50, Number 893 :
Narrated by Amra
Aisha (radiallaahu `anhaa) said that Buraira came to seek her help in the writing of her emancipation. ‘Aisha (radiallaahu `anhaa) said to her, “If you wish, I will pay your masters (your price) and the wala’ will be for me.” When Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) came, she told him about it. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said to her, “Buy her (i.e. Buraira) and manumit her, for the Wala is for the one who manumits.” Then Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) ascended the pulpit and said, “What about those people who stipulate conditions which are not in Allah’s Laws? Whoever stipulates such conditions as are not in Allah’s Laws, then those conditions are invalid even if he stipulated a hundred such conditions.”

Today’s Hadith:

Volume 3, Book 50, Number 894 :
Narrated by Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu)
Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “Allah has ninety-nine names, i.e. one-hundred minus one, and whoever knows them will go to Paradise.”

“Leaning by heart”, which is mentioned in another version, implies the following:

1.     Memorising them

2.     Understanding their meaning

3.     Acting in accordance with the meanings. So if a person knows that He is One, he does not associate anything else with Him. If he knows that He is the Provider (ar-Razzaaq), he does not seek provision from anyone other than Him. If he knows that He is Most Merciful (ar-Raheem), then he does acts of obedience and worship that are the means of attaining this mercy… and so on.

4.     Calling upon Him by these names, as He, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allah, so call on Him by them’ [al-A‘raaf 7:180]. So he might say: O Most Merciful (Ya Rahmaan), have mercy on me; O Oft-forgiving (Ya Ghafoor), forgive me; O Accepter of repentance (Ya Tawwaab), accept my repentance, and so on.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen said:

Learning them by heart does not mean writing them down on a piece of paper then repeating them until one has memorised them. Rather what it means is:

Firstly: learning how to pronounce the names

Secondly: understanding their meanings.

Thirdly: worshipping Allah in accordance with what they signify, which involves two things:

(i)                Calling upon Allah by them, because He, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “… so call on Him by them” [al-A‘raaf 7:180], to that they may become a means of attaining what you seek, so choose a name that is appropriate to what you seek. When asking for forgiveness, say: O Oft-forgiving (Ya Ghafoor), forgive me. It is not appropriate to say: O You Who are stern in punishment (Ya Shadeed al-‘Iqaab), forgive me; rather that is more akin to mockery. What you should say (if you call upon Allah by this name) is: Save me from Your punishment.

(ii)              In your acts of worship you should do is what is implied by these names. What is implied by the name ar-Raheem (Most Merciful) is mercy, so do righteous deeds that will bring the mercy of Allah. This is what is meant by learning them by heart; if it is done like this, then it deserves to be the price of admission to Paradise. End quote.

Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 1/74

Taken from IslamQA

Are the Names of Allah limited to 99?

Some of the scholars (such as Ibn Hazm – may Allaah have mercy on him) understood this hadeeth as meaning that the names of Allaah are limited to this number. See al-Muhalla, 1/51

But what Ibn Hazm said is not supported by the majority of scholars. Rather some of them (such as al-Nawawi) narrated that the scholars are agreed that the names of Allaah are not limited to this number. It seems that they regarded the view of Ibn Hazm as odd and as something that should not be paid any attention.

In support of the view that the beautiful names of Allaah are not limited to this number, they quoted the report narrated by Ahmad (3704) from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Mas’ood who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There is no-one who is afflicted by distress and grief, and says: ‘Allaahumma inni ‘abduka ibn ‘abdika ibn amatija naasyati bi yadika, maada fiyya hukmuka, ‘adlun fiyya qadaa’uka. As’aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw ‘allamtahu ahadan min khalqika aw ista’tharta bihi fi ‘ilm il-ghayb ‘indaka an taj’al al-Qur’aana rabee’ qalbi wa noor sadri wa jalaa’ huzni wa dhihaab hammi (O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of Your maidservant; my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with You, that You make the Qur’aan the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety),’ but Allaah will take away his distress and grief, and replace it with joy.” He was asked: “O Messenger of Allaah, should we learn this?” He said: “Of course; everyone who hears it should learn it.”

Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 199.

The phrase “or You have preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with You” indicates that there are beautiful names of Allaah that He has kept with Him in the knowledge of the Unseen, and which none of His creation has come to know. This indicates that there are more than ninety-nine Names.

Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] said concerning this hadeeth in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (6/374):

This indicates that Allaah has more than ninety-nine names.

And he said (22/482):

Al-Khattaabi said: This indicates that He has names that He has preserved with Him, and that indicates that the words “Allaah has ninety-nine names, whoever learns them will enter Paradise” mean that there are ninety-nine of His names which whoever learns them will enter Paradise. This is like saying, “I have one thousand dirhams which I have prepared to give in charity,” even if his wealth is greater than that. In the Qur’aan Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allaah, so call on Him by them”

[al-A’raaf 7:180]

Allaah has commanded us to call upon Him by His names in general terms, He did not say that He has only ninety-nine names.

Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) stated in Sharh Saheeh Muslim that the scholars were unanimously agreed on that, and he said:

The scholars are unanimously agreed that this hadeeth does not mean that Allaah has only ninety-nine names, or that He does not have any other names apart from these ninety-nine. Rather what the hadeeth means is that whoever learns these ninety-nine will enter Paradise. The point is that one may enter Paradise by learning them, not that the number is limited to these names.

And Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked about that and replied:

The names of Allaah are not limited to a certain number. The evidence for that is the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the saheeh hadeeth: “O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave… I ask You by every name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with You.”

What Allaah has preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with Him cannot be known and what is not known is unlimited.

With regard to the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “Allaah has ninety-nine names, one hundred less one. Whoever learns them will enter Paradise,” this does not mean that He does not have any names apart from these, rather it means that whoever learns these ninety-nine of His names will enter Paradise. This is like when the Arabs say: “I have one hundred horses which I have prepared for jihad for the sake of Allaah,” which does not mean that the speaker has only these hundred horses, rather these hundred are prepared for this purpose.

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 1/122.

Taken from IslamQA

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