Chapter On the Coming into the Existence of the Names of Allah

“Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, created a name with letters that had no sound. He created it with the word that would not be spoken. He created it with a personality that had no body. It had a similarity that is not described. He created it with color that is colorless. Diameters were negated from it. Limitations were distanced away from it. The feel of all Mutawahhim (intuitive sense) is curtained from it. It is hidden but not covered. He placed it to be a perfect word consisting of four parts together. No one of them is before the other. From these He made public only three names because people desperately needed them. One of them is kept out of public sight. This is the protected and treasured name. The names that became public is Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High. He, the Most Glorious, for each of these made four subservient key elements that formed twelve key elements. Then for each key element He created thirty key elements to indicate an action ascribed to the four key elements. He, therefore, is Al-Rahman (The All compassionate); al-Rahim (The All merciful); al-Malik (The King); al-Quddus (The Holy); al-Khaliq (The Creator); al-Bari’ (The Maker); al-Musawwir (The Fashioner); al-Hayy (The Ever living); al-Qayyum (The Self-subsistent). Neither slumber nor sleep seizes Him. Al-’Alim (The All-knowing); al-Khabir (The All-aware); as-Sami‘ (The All-hearing); al-Basir (The All-seeing); al-Hakim (The All-wise); al-‘Aziz (The All-Majestic); al-Jabbar (The All-compeller); al-Mutakabbir (The All- sublime); al-‘Aliyy (The Most High); al-‘Azim (The All-Great); al-Muqtadir (The All-Dominant); al-Qadir (The All-capable); Al-Salam (The All peaceable); al-Mu’min (The All-protector); al-Muhaymin (The All-preserver); al-Munshi’ (The All-inventor) al-Badi‘ (The All-originator); al-Rafi‘ (The Exalter); al-Jalil (The Majestic); al-Karim (The Generous); al-Raziq (The All-provider); al-Muhyi (The Bestower of Life); al-Mumit (The Inflictor of death); al-Ba‘ith (The Resurrector); al-Warith (The Inheriter). These names in addition to the (Asma’ al-Husna) beautiful names make them three hundred sixty names. Such is the ratio of these three names. These three names are key element names. Only one name is kept out of public sight, protected and treasured with these three names. Thus, Allah has said, “Say, call Allah or al-Rahman. Call whichever you call. For Him there are beautiful names." (17:110)

“I asked abu al-Hassan al-Rida (a.s.), ‘Did Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, know Himself before He created the creation?’” The Imam (a.s.) replied, “Yes, He knew Himself.” I further asked, “Did He see and hear His Own Self?” The Imam replied, “Allah did not need such things because He did not ask or demand it. He is His Own self and His Own self is He. His power is dominant and He does not need to name His Own self. He chose His Own name for the sake of others so they can call Him. Until one is not called by means of his names he is not recognized. The fist name He chose for His Own self was al-‘Ali al-‘Azim (the Most High, the Great) because He is above all things. It then means that Allah and His name al-‘Ali al-‘Azim is His. The Most High, He is above all things.

“I asked the Imam, (perhaps abu al-Hassan al-Rida) about the name (of Allah), ‘What is it?’ The Imam replied, “It is an attribute of the attributes of (Allah).”

“The name of Allah is something other than Allah Himself. Every thing that is called a thing is created except Allah. Whatever is expressed by the tongue or is worked out by hands are all created. The word Allah is an intent amongst His intents, and the intended one is different from the intention. The purpose is describable, and every describable thing is made. The Maker of things is not describable by the limits of the fact behind the name. He did not become, so His becoming a being would have been recognized through the making of what is other than Him. He did not end up where there was another’s end. Do not ever move away from understanding this rule. This is the true and pure belief in the Oneness of Allah. Observe it, acknowledge it and understand it by the permission of Allah. Those who think they understand Allah by means of a barrier, form or examples they become polytheists because his barrier, form and example are not Him. He is only One and One alone. How can one form a belief in His Oneness by thinking that one may know Him through things other than Him. One comes to know Allah only by Allah His Own self. One who can not know Him by His Own self he has not known Him. He only comes to know some thing else. There is nothing between the Creator and the created. Allah is the Creator of things but not from a thing that was there already. Allah’s names are His names but He is different from His Own names and the names are other than Him.”