The Many Names of Allah, Part Two

Islam is an Abrahamic religion, meaning it worships the single God worshipped by Abraham and his descendants. This monotheism is the cornerstone of the Islamic faith, with the oneness of Allah being stressed throughout the Quran and in the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. But while Muslims praise only one God, they refer to Him by many names. In fact, most Islamic scholars agree that the Quran uses a total of 99 names to refer to Allah. Each of these names refers to a different aspect of Allah's character, allowing us to better understand everything He is capable of. This article is the second in a series dedicated to compiling and discussing all 99 of Allah's names at length. In the first installment, we discussed numbers 1 to 25. Today, we'll be examining another 25 names the Quran utilizes to help us comprehend the extent of Allah's glory.

The 99 Names of Allah: 26 - 5026. Al-Muzil: The Humiliator

Allah is the most high being in the universe. It is not possible for a more powerful creature to exist. Of course, that has not stopped some people from believing themselves to be above His power. Consequently, it is sometimes necessary for Allah to remind powerful figures in our society of their place as His creation. In these situations, Allah takes on the role of Al-Muzil or, in English, "The Humiliator". By humiliating those most prone to hubris, Allah brings them back to Earth, putting them in a position to accept his divine authority and secure a place in Paradise.

27. Al-Mu'izz: The Bestower of Honor

The title of Al-Mu'izz is quite a bit different to the title of Al-Muzil. While Al-Muzil translates to "The Humiliator", Al-Mu'izz translates to "The Bestower of Honor". It reminds us that although Allah may be forced to occasionally humiliate us, He is just as quick to honor us when it is deserved. In fact, religious scripture would suggest that Allah much prefers to bestow honor than He does to purvey humiliation. Throughout the Quran, we are told of prophets and of great men and women who won Allah's favor. For every one person who incurs Allah's wrath, it seems like there are half a dozen more upon whom He heaps praise. It is the duty of every Muslim to strive to be among these honored individuals.

28. Al-Hakam: The Judge

Al-Hakam is odd in that it shares an exact meaning with another of the 99 names of Allah. Both Al-Hakam and Al-Fattaah (which we examined in the first installment of this series) translate to "The Judge". The fact that the Quran utilizes two separate words to describe the same aspect of Allah's character is a testament to the importance of Allah's role in judging humankind. Only He possesses the divine authority and wisdom required to determine whose deeds are worthy of Paradise and who must be cast into the Hellfire on the Day of Judgment.

29. Al-Baseer: The All-Seeing

In the first installment of this series, we looked at the title As-Samee', which translates to "The All-Hearing". Going hand in hand with As-Samee' is the title of Al-Baseer. Translating to "The All-Seeing", Al-Baseer describes an aspect of Allah accepted by virtually all monotheistic religions. With powers of perception far beyond anything the human mind can comprehend, Allah knows everything we do just as He knows everything we say. All of our acts, no matter how insignificant they may seem, are seen and documented by Allah in preparation for the Day of Judgment.

30. Al-Lateef: The Subtle

Al-Lateef has two primary English translations. These are "The Subtle" and "The Kind". Like many Islamic scholars, we choose to focus on the former of these interpretations. There are a number of reasons for this. For starters, there are so many titles used to describe the kindness and gentility of Allah that to focus on "The Kind" for Al-Lateef seems redundant. More importantly, however, we feel "The Subtle" accurately describes a particular strain of kindness dispensed by Allah. On some occasions, the blessings of Allah are almost imperceptible. They are so subtle that we may feel to identify them until long after they have benefited us, if we ever identify them at all.