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Reference & nasheed

The 99 Names of Allah

The full list of al-Asma ul-Husna — Arabic, transliteration, and English meaning — plus the hadith behind the names, how they are sung as a nasheed, and where to hear them without music.

The 99 Names of Allah — known in Arabic as al-Asma ul-Husna (الأسماء الحسنى), "the most beautiful names" — are the names of God in Islam, each describing one of His attributes, such as mercy, wisdom, or generosity. In a famous hadith, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ taught that Allah has ninety-nine names, and that whoever preserves and internalises them will enter Paradise. Because of that promise, the names are among the most memorised and most sung texts in the Muslim world — and vocals-only nasheed versions exist for listeners who prefer to avoid musical instruments.

What are the 99 Names of Allah?

The Qur'an tells believers that the most beautiful names belong to Allah and invites them to call on Him by those names (Qur'an 7:180). In a hadith recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ said that Allah has ninety-nine names — one hundred less one — and that whoever ahsaha (preserves, counts, and lives by them) will enter Paradise. Scholars explain that this "preserving" goes beyond memorisation: it means understanding what each name tells us about God and letting that understanding shape how we live.

The full listing most people know today comes from a narration in Jami' al-Tirmidhi. It is worth knowing that narrations vary slightly in exactly which names they enumerate — the ninety-nine below follow the widely published Tirmidhi listing, which is the version you will hear recited and sung around the world. If you search for "99 names of Allah song lyrics", this list is essentially what you are looking for: in most renditions, the lyrics are the names themselves, sung in order.

The full list — Arabic, transliteration, and English meaning

Here are the 99 names in English and Arabic, in the traditional order. Allah's own name — الله, Allah — stands above the list; the ninety-nine that follow each describe an attribute.

  1. الرَّحْمَٰن — Ar-Rahman — The Most Merciful
  2. الرَّحِيم — Ar-Raheem — The Bestower of Mercy
  3. الْمَلِك — Al-Malik — The King
  4. الْقُدُّوس — Al-Quddus — The Most Holy
  5. السَّلَام — As-Salam — The Source of Peace
  6. الْمُؤْمِن — Al-Mu'min — The Granter of Security
  7. الْمُهَيْمِن — Al-Muhaymin — The Guardian Over All
  8. الْعَزِيز — Al-Aziz — The Almighty
  9. الْجَبَّار — Al-Jabbar — The Compeller
  10. الْمُتَكَبِّر — Al-Mutakabbir — The Supremely Great
  11. الْخَالِق — Al-Khaliq — The Creator
  12. الْبَارِئ — Al-Bari' — The Maker
  13. الْمُصَوِّر — Al-Musawwir — The Fashioner
  14. الْغَفَّار — Al-Ghaffar — The Constant Forgiver
  15. الْقَهَّار — Al-Qahhar — The Subduer
  16. الْوَهَّاب — Al-Wahhab — The Great Bestower
  17. الرَّزَّاق — Ar-Razzaq — The Provider
  18. الْفَتَّاح — Al-Fattah — The Opener
  19. الْعَلِيم — Al-Aleem — The All-Knowing
  20. الْقَابِض — Al-Qabid — The Withholder
  21. الْبَاسِط — Al-Basit — The Extender
  22. الْخَافِض — Al-Khafid — The Abaser
  23. الرَّافِع — Ar-Rafi' — The Exalter
  24. الْمُعِزّ — Al-Mu'izz — The Giver of Honour
  25. الْمُذِلّ — Al-Mudhill — The Humbler
  26. السَّمِيع — As-Samee' — The All-Hearing
  27. الْبَصِير — Al-Baseer — The All-Seeing
  28. الْحَكَم — Al-Hakam — The Judge
  29. الْعَدْل — Al-Adl — The Utterly Just
  30. اللَّطِيف — Al-Lateef — The Most Subtle and Kind
  31. الْخَبِير — Al-Khabeer — The All-Aware
  32. الْحَلِيم — Al-Haleem — The Most Forbearing
  33. الْعَظِيم — Al-Azeem — The Magnificent
  34. الْغَفُور — Al-Ghafoor — The Great Forgiver
  35. الشَّكُور — Ash-Shakoor — The Most Appreciative
  36. الْعَلِيّ — Al-Aliyy — The Most High
  37. الْكَبِير — Al-Kabeer — The Most Great
  38. الْحَفِيظ — Al-Hafeedh — The Preserver
  39. الْمُقِيت — Al-Muqeet — The Sustainer
  40. الْحَسِيب — Al-Haseeb — The Reckoner
  41. الْجَلِيل — Al-Jaleel — The Majestic
  42. الْكَرِيم — Al-Kareem — The Most Generous
  43. الرَّقِيب — Ar-Raqeeb — The Ever-Watchful
  44. الْمُجِيب — Al-Mujeeb — The Responsive
  45. الْوَاسِع — Al-Wasi' — The All-Encompassing
  46. الْحَكِيم — Al-Hakeem — The All-Wise
  47. الْوَدُود — Al-Wadood — The Most Loving
  48. الْمَجِيد — Al-Majeed — The Most Glorious
  49. الْبَاعِث — Al-Ba'ith — The Resurrector
  50. الشَّهِيد — Ash-Shaheed — The Witness Over All
  1. الْحَقّ — Al-Haqq — The Absolute Truth
  2. الْوَكِيل — Al-Wakeel — The Trustee
  3. الْقَوِيّ — Al-Qawiyy — The All-Strong
  4. الْمَتِين — Al-Mateen — The Firm
  5. الْوَلِيّ — Al-Waliyy — The Protecting Friend
  6. الْحَمِيد — Al-Hameed — The Praiseworthy
  7. الْمُحْصِي — Al-Muhsi — The All-Enumerating
  8. الْمُبْدِئ — Al-Mubdi' — The Originator
  9. الْمُعِيد — Al-Mu'eed — The Restorer
  10. الْمُحْيِي — Al-Muhyi — The Giver of Life
  11. الْمُمِيت — Al-Mumeet — The Bringer of Death
  12. الْحَيّ — Al-Hayy — The Ever-Living
  13. الْقَيُّوم — Al-Qayyoom — The Self-Subsisting Sustainer
  14. الْوَاجِد — Al-Wajid — The Perceiver
  15. الْمَاجِد — Al-Majid — The Illustrious
  16. الْوَاحِد — Al-Wahid — The One
  17. الْأَحَد — Al-Ahad — The Unique
  18. الصَّمَد — As-Samad — The Eternal Refuge
  19. الْقَادِر — Al-Qadir — The All-Capable
  20. الْمُقْتَدِر — Al-Muqtadir — The All-Powerful
  21. الْمُقَدِّم — Al-Muqaddim — The Expediter
  22. الْمُؤَخِّر — Al-Mu'akhkhir — The Delayer
  23. الْأَوَّل — Al-Awwal — The First
  24. الْآخِر — Al-Akhir — The Last
  25. الظَّاهِر — Az-Zahir — The Manifest
  26. الْبَاطِن — Al-Batin — The Hidden
  27. الْوَالِي — Al-Wali — The Governor
  28. الْمُتَعَالِي — Al-Muta'ali — The Self-Exalted
  29. الْبَرّ — Al-Barr — The Source of Goodness
  30. التَّوَّاب — At-Tawwab — The Acceptor of Repentance
  31. الْمُنْتَقِم — Al-Muntaqim — The Just Requiter
  32. الْعَفُوّ — Al-Afuww — The Pardoner
  33. الرَّءُوف — Ar-Ra'oof — The Most Compassionate
  34. مَالِكُ الْمُلْك — Malik-ul-Mulk — The Owner of All Sovereignty
  35. ذُو الْجَلَالِ وَالْإِكْرَام — Dhul-Jalali wal-Ikram — The Possessor of Majesty and Honour
  36. الْمُقْسِط — Al-Muqsit — The Equitable
  37. الْجَامِع — Al-Jami' — The Gatherer
  38. الْغَنِيّ — Al-Ghaniyy — The Self-Sufficient
  39. الْمُغْنِي — Al-Mughni — The Enricher
  40. الْمَانِع — Al-Mani' — The Preventer
  41. الضَّارّ — Ad-Darr — The Distresser
  42. النَّافِع — An-Nafi' — The Benefactor
  43. النُّور — An-Nur — The Light
  44. الْهَادِي — Al-Hadi — The Guide
  45. الْبَدِيع — Al-Badi' — The Incomparable Originator
  46. الْبَاقِي — Al-Baqi — The Everlasting
  47. الْوَارِث — Al-Warith — The Inheritor of All
  48. الرَّشِيد — Ar-Rasheed — The Guide to the Right Path
  49. الصَّبُور — As-Saboor — The Most Patient

A note on accuracy: this is the widely published enumeration based on the narration in Jami' al-Tirmidhi. Other narrations and scholarly compilations differ slightly in a handful of names, which is why you may occasionally see small variations between lists.

The Asma ul-Husna as a nasheed

Few devotional texts have been set to melody as often as the 99 names. Because the text is fixed, rhythmic, and beloved, munshids across generations and styles have sung it — from slow, meditative recitations to bright renditions that children sing along to. If you have searched for an "asma ul husna song" or "99 names of Allah songs", you have already met this tradition: the melody changes from artist to artist, but the words stay the same ninety-nine names, usually sung in the traditional order above.

This is a natural fit for the wider nasheed tradition, which has always carried sacred and poetic texts on the human voice. Singing the names is not a replacement for understanding them — it is one of the oldest ways communities have kept them alive in memory.

The 99 Names without music

Many listeners specifically search for the 99 names of Allah without music — versions carried by the human voice alone, or by voice with light percussion, with no melodic instruments. These exist, and they are among the most moving renditions: a vocals-only nasheed of the Asma ul-Husna lets the names themselves stand at the centre, with nothing competing for attention.

This voice-first approach matters to Muslims who avoid instrumental music for reasons of faith — a question we cover in are nasheeds halal. The short version: because an instrument-free nasheed uses no strings, keys, or wind instruments, listeners who avoid instruments are generally comfortable with it, which is exactly why vocals-only Asma ul-Husna renditions are so widely loved.

Learning the 99 names

Melody is one of the oldest memory aids there is, and the 99 names show why. A sung version gives the list a shape — a rhythm your memory can hold on to — so that names learned once as a melody tend to stay learned. A simple approach that works for adults and children alike:

  • Listen daily — play one rendition on repeat until the order feels familiar.
  • Learn in small groups — take ten names at a time, with their meanings, rather than all ninety-nine at once.
  • Say them aloud — singing or reciting along builds recall far faster than listening alone.
  • Return to the meanings — the goal of ihsa is to know God by His names, not only to recite the list.

For families, a sung Asma ul-Husna is one of the gentlest ways to introduce children to the names — we cover that wider topic in our guide to nasheed for kids content.

Hearing and using instrument-free vocals

If you want to hear what voice-first devotional audio sounds like, you can listen to sample tracks — vocals-only and voice-with-percussion, side by side.

And if you create content and want instrument-free vocals for your own videos, download eight free tracks — no payment, just an email. For the full collection, Aswati Studio gives you 90+ royalty-free, instrument-free background vocals and anasheed (voice and percussion only), with new drops monthly, for $9/month.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the 99 Names of Allah called in Arabic?

They are called al-Asma ul-Husna (الأسماء الحسنى), which means "the most beautiful names". The Qur'an uses this phrase itself, telling believers that the most beautiful names belong to Allah and to call on Him by them.

Is there a hadith about the 99 names?

Yes. In a hadith recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ said that Allah has ninety-nine names — one hundred less one — and that whoever preserves them will enter Paradise. The full listing most people know comes from a narration in Jami' al-Tirmidhi, and narrations vary slightly in exactly which names they enumerate.

Can the 99 names be sung?

Yes — the Asma ul-Husna is one of the most-sung devotional texts in the Muslim world. Renditions exist across many styles, and in most of them the "lyrics" are simply the ninety-nine names themselves, sung in the traditional order. Melody also makes the names far easier to memorise.

Is listening to an Asma ul-Husna nasheed without music okay?

Vocals-only renditions — human voice alone, or voice with light percussion, and no melodic instruments — are exactly what many Muslims who avoid instrumental music look for. Because nothing but the voice carries the names, listeners who avoid instruments are generally comfortable with them.

Where can I find one to use in videos?

For creator content you need a royalty-free version. Aswati Studio offers a library of 90+ royalty-free, instrument-free background vocals and anasheed — voice and percussion only — and a free pack of eight tracks to start with.

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