Allah has revealed His most beautiful names so that believers may know Him, worship Him, and call upon Him with understanding and devotion. In this first episode of the “In the Names of Allah” series, Dr. Bilal Philips explores the foundational verse from Surah Al-A’raf (7:180) — “The most beautiful names belong only to Allah, so call on Him with them” — and explains how knowing these names transforms every aspect of a Muslim’s life.
Two Levels of Worshiping Allah Through His Names
Calling upon Allah using His names operates on two essential levels. The first is the supplication of praise and worship — glorifying Allah frequently, as He commanded believers to remember Him often, morning and evening. The second is the supplication of requesting and asking — turning to Allah for every need, using the appropriate name for each request.
“When we seek forgiveness, we say: ‘Forgive me, O Allah, have mercy on me, for You are the Oft-Forgiving (Al-Ghaffar), the Most Merciful (Ar-Raheem).’ We use those names while calling upon and requesting Allah’s forgiveness and mercy.”
What It Truly Means to “Count” Allah’s Names
- Knowledge: Understanding the meanings of each name, not merely memorizing a list
- Belief: Believing in Allah in accordance with those names, so we never confuse the Creator with His creation
- Action: Living in a way that reflects those names, making our entire lives pleasing to Allah
- Allah loves when His creatures call upon Him often — unlike humans, He never tires of being asked
- For every attribute of Allah, there is a particular act of worship that results from understanding it
Turning Your Entire Life Into Worship
“Allah said: ‘Indeed my prayers, my sacrifices, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.’ This identifies the goal of the believer as turning his or her life in its entirety into the worship of Allah.”
The ultimate purpose of learning Allah’s names is not academic knowledge — it is transformation. When believers truly understand that Allah is As-Salaam (The Source of Peace), Al-Hakeem (The All-Wise), and Al-Hadi (The Guide), they stop giving the rights that belong to Allah to His creation. They stop seeking peace from material things, wisdom from human ideologies alone, and guidance from sources other than divine revelation. This series invites every Muslim to embark on a journey of knowing their Creator through His most beautiful names — and in doing so, to discover the purpose and peace they were created for.
