Blessed Names and Attributes of Allah

by Abdur Raheem Kidwai

"Allah's are the names most beautiful. Whatever is in the heavens and earth extols His glory."—The Qur'an (Al-Hashr 59:24) "Allah has 99 names. He who remembers these will certainly enter Paradise."—Prophet Muhammad (Bukharhi Hadith Kitab Ad-Dawat, 2,949) Remembering the Names of Allah is a sacred tradition in Islam. Both the Qur'an and sayings of the Prophet (Hadiths) state the importance of learning them and promise reward for reciting them in supplications and prayers. This beautiful presentation of Allah's most revered nintety-nine names draws the reader nearer to the Divine through contemplation and reflection of Allah's names, their meaning, and how each impacts our daily lives. They help to conceptualize Allah, Whose limitless greatness and glory is impossible to grasp. Each name is presented in the original Arabic and its translation into English. Accompanying each name is a commentary that is concise and easy to understand but rich in meaning. Abdur Raheem Kidwai (b. 1956) is a professor of English at the Aligarh Muslim University, India, and a visiting fellow at the School of English, University of Leicester, United Kingdom. He earned his two PhDs in English from the Aligarh Muslim University and the University of Leicester. He is a well-known author of many works on the Qur'an and Islam, The Qur' Essential Teachings; Daily Islamic Prayers and Supplications; Daily Selections from the Holy Qur'an; and What Should We Say?

Genres: Islam, Religion, Nonfiction, Spirituality

120 pages, Hardcover

First published July 12, 2016

About the author

Abdur Raheem Kidwai (b. 1956) is Professor of English at the Aligarh Muslim University, India and Visiting Fellow, School of English, University of Leicester, UK. He earned his two PhDs in English from the Aligarh Muslim University and the University of Leicester.

Reviews

[readingwithshelby · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so beautiful and very knowledgeable

[Jimmy Ele · Rating 2 out of 5]

I stopped reading it because on page 35 of 136 of the online Scribd version, the name Al-Alim which is the All-Knowing or the All-Knowledgeable is incorrectly translated as the All-Aware. The All-Aware is Al-Khabir. I do not know if this was done as a mistake or on purpose because in the description underneath, it states that THIS divine name underscores Allah’s perfect and all encompassing knowledge.

[Noor · Rating 3 out of 5]

3

[Najiyah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really simple and concise introduction but I think some of the explanations or translations are a bit lacking. While simple is appreciated, some fleshing out in places was needed

[Allia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to the names and attributes of Allah, in a simplistic format. In the preface the author stated that this book has been “Written in simple, easy to understand English…”, however I don’t believe this is always the case, munificent, abase, liturgical are a few of the words that I had to look up and I’m a native English speaker.
Also, as I’m not yet fluent in Arabic, I feel the rightful place for the transliteration of each name would be on each page and not in the index right at the end of the book. I had to continuously flip back and fourth to check if I had read the Arabic word correctly. Similarly, it would be more beneficial to non Arabic speakers/readers if transliterations were included for the supplications as well.

[najihah. · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ☆

✔️ quick and simple read.
✔️ examples of surahs, hadiths and prophetic duas under each name

it's a quick and simple read but i'd favor it more if it had more explanations so that readers could be more connected to the names. I find the translation to be a bit confusing too compared to the name translation i've read in other books.

Yet, there were parts where it really touched my heart because it gave me a new perspective to the names.

qotd: What's your favorite name of Allah that you always repeat in your duas?
aotd: Mine would be Al-Ghaffur (the forgiving), Al wahab (the loving) and Al Salam (the source of peace)

[Lyana A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introduction book on learning Allah’s beautiful names. I only recently realized that when making supplication and prayers we may use His names to call out to Him. I think it’s beautiful and after incorporating it in my life, my heart is at peace and ease knowing i have Him to rely upon.

[Anisah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time reading a book about Asma'ul Husna, as I didn't really pay attention to it before :"( This is book is a good introduction for those who tries to learn more about the beautiful name of Allah and use it daily.

[Hammers_k]

It's a short book to flick through but, personally, wouldn't recommend it. Feel like the descriptions/explanations beneath each name could have been clearer/more relevant.

That's not to say it wasn't without any gems at all.

Looking forward to finding a better 99 names book.

[Norshafarina Faharuddin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reflection of Asmaul Husna

[Brittany Ziglar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great and I love the summaries..

[Sidra · Rating 2 out of 5]

So many mistakes and wrong meanings. Not a reliable source to learn. Not Recommended.

[Jack Malik · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple 1-2 pager in regards to the names and attributes of Allah SWT. A light-reading.

[Athena]

Read for Ramadan 2024

[Anisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The descriptions are brief and it is written in very simple language. It would be a good read for pre-teens.

[Bilqis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely book, and true to its purpose, it is a summary of each of the 99 names of Allah SWT. I would recommend the transliteration on each page instead of at the back for easier access by non native Arabic speakers.

I have also seen where people have commented that the translations are incorrect. I don't think so, I think the author simply used more modern words to describe the meanings.

[Kalysta Fellatami · Rating 5 out of 5]

The real definition of "reminder book", thoroughly enjoyed with tears on cheeks.