Allaah's Greatest Name

Some people believe that Allaah’s greatest name is a specific name is unknown except to those whom Allaah has specified with a Karaamah that is out of the ordinary. This is incorrect, for indeed Allaah the Elevated encouraged us to know His names and attributes and praised those who know them, understand them and supplicate to Allaah with them, whether it is a supplication of worship or a supplication of request. There is no doubt that Allaah’s greatest name is amongst them, rendered by Allaah for this reason. For Indeed He, the Lofty, is most generous without restriction, there is no limit to His generosity and graciousness, and He loves to be generous to His servants. Amongst His greatest generosity, is that he made Himself known to His servants with His beautiful names and lofty attributes.

It is correct that all His names are beautiful, and all of them are great, but His greatest name is:

-Every solitary name

-or every name that is combined with another

if they allude to all His Dhaatee attributes, Fi’lee attributes, or all the attributes.

For example; Allaah [solitary name], for it combines all the meanings of Uluheeyyah and all the attributes of perfection.

Al Hameed al Majeed [combined name], for al Hameed combines all the meanings of praiseworthiness and perfection for Allaah the Elevated. And al Majeed alludes to all the attributes of grandeur and majesty. Similar to it is; Al Jaleel al Hameed and al Ghanee al Kareem.

Likewise is; al Hayy al Qayoom, indeed al Hayy is one who has the perfect, grandest life which combines all the meaning of the Self. Al Qayoom is one who is self sufficient, not in need of all the creation, created all that is in existence, it is the name that combines all the attributes of action. Likewise is; al ‘Adheem al Kabeer, one who posses all the meanings of grandeur and loftiness, in His Self and names and attributes. He posses all the meanings of grandeur specified to him.

Similarly is your statement; yaa Dhal Jalaal wal Ikraam. For indeed al Jalaal are the attributes of magnificence, grandeur and perfection. And al Ikraam is His deveservance of love, humility and so on from His servants. So it is known by this that Allaah’s greatest name is a group noun [for lack of better translation: Ism Jins].

This is what the texts of the legislation and derivation signify, as is narrated in as Sunnan, that the Messenger of Allaah heard a man saying:

“O Alllah, I ask by that I bear witness that there is no deity worth of worship in truth other than You, al Ahad, as Samad, You beget not, nor were you begotten, and there is none co-equal or comparable to you…”
So the Messenger - صلى الله عليه وسلم - said:

“By the One whom my soul is in His hands, you have asked Allaah with His greatest name, the name in which is He is supplicated with, He responds, and if it is requested of Him, He gives.” [At Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah and others]

There is another Hadeeth where a man supplicated saying:

“O Allaah I ask you, with that all praise if for You, there is no deity worthy of worship in truth other than you, al Mannaan, Badee’ as Samaawaat wal Ard, Dhul Jalaal wal Ikraam, Yaa Hayy, Yaa Qayoom…”
So the Messenger - صلى الله عليه وسلم - said:

“By the One whom my soul is in His hands, you have asked Allaah with His greatest name.” [At Tirmidhee, an Nasaa-ee and others]