What is the benefit of the restriction in the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): “Indeed, Allah has ninety-nine names, whoever enumerates them will enter Paradise”?
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The questioner : You mentioned that one who looks into the Book and the Sunnah will find more than 99 names. So what is the benefit of the restriction in the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3508Sahih (Darussalam)?
The Shaykh : The benefit is that among His names are ninety-nine names, and whoever enumerates them will enter Paradise. If you enumerate ninety-nine names from these names, you will enter Paradise. It does not mean that you must enumerate all of them; if you enumerate ninety-nine of them, you will enter Paradise. However, these ninety-nine are unspecified within the total of Allah’s names, which exceed ninety-nine.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, correct. The letter *lam* is a preposition, just as I might say, for example, “Zayd has a property,” “Zayd has a house,” “Zayd has a book,” and the like.
The questioner : If someone were to say, for example, “I do not dispute that Allah’s names are not restricted as in the hadith of Ibn Mas’ud, but what is in the Book and the Sunnah does not exceed 99 names.”
The Shaykh : It does exceed; it exceeds by count. The meaning is that Allah has ninety-nine names.Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3508Sahih (Darussalam), it indicates that the names are more than that. But you choose ninety-nine from them and enumerate them. I may choose a name that you do not choose, or you may bring something in its place, and vice versa. Did you look for the translation?
Indeed, Allah has ninety-nine Names
إن لله تسعة وتسعين اسماThe Shaykh : The benefit is that among His names are ninety-nine names, and whoever enumerates them will enter Paradise. If you enumerate ninety-nine names from these names, you will enter Paradise. It does not mean that you must enumerate all of them; if you enumerate ninety-nine of them, you will enter Paradise. However, these ninety-nine are unspecified within the total of Allah’s names, which exceed ninety-nine.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, correct. The letter *lam* is a preposition, just as I might say, for example, “Zayd has a property,” “Zayd has a house,” “Zayd has a book,” and the like.
The questioner : If someone were to say, for example, “I do not dispute that Allah’s names are not restricted as in the hadith of Ibn Mas’ud, but what is in the Book and the Sunnah does not exceed 99 names.”
The Shaykh : It does exceed; it exceeds by count. The meaning is that Allah has ninety-nine names.