The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Allah has ninety nine names, one hundred less one. And he who perfects it shall enter paradise.”(Bukhari and Muslim)

I’m sure we are all in search of short cuts to Jannah. An easy way there, an express ticket perhaps?

How easy is it for us to attain paradise? We memorise the names of celebrities, tv shows, lyrics and famous quotes…why? To fit in to society! Why not memorise the names of Allah, to fit into Jannah?!

Learning the names of Allah, is a method of getting to know Allah. When we know Allah and understand Him, only then can we appreciate His numerous blessings upon us. It is also a means of coming closer to Allah and Inshallah, tasting the sweetness of Iman.

The focus of the hadith is to ‘perfect’ the Names of Allah. The question arises; how? It is to affirm them, memorise them, understand them and apply them in our lives. We have to believe in these Names of Allah completely, without doubt or distortion.

The application of the names of Allah can be through duaa, by calling on Him by means of those names, or it can be through knowledge of the names and acting upon them. For example; knowing that Allah is Al-Baseer, understanding the implications of this name, i.e. Allah is All-seeing, He sees everything that is secret or done publicly, and His sight is eternal and unlike ours. A person would act upon this name by refraining from sin in public and private; as they are aware that Allah sees them at all times, and in every place. This is how we can apply the Names of Allah in our daily lives.

It’s not difficult to learn the names of Allah, and implement them in our lives. But we have to make the effort. Let’s reserve our place in Jannah, and begin learning the names of Allah.

Bibi Zainab Dowlut