Blog

Islam is an Abrahamic religion, meaning it worships the single God worshipped by Abraham and his descendants. This monotheism is the cornerstone of the Islamic faith, with the oneness of Allah being stressed throughout the Quran and in the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. But while Muslims praise only one God, they refer to Him by many names. In fact, most Islamic scholars agree that the Quran uses a total of 99 names to refer to Allah. Each of these names refers to a different aspect of Allah's character, allowing us to better understand everything He is capable of. This article is the second in a series dedicated to compiling and discussing all 99 of Allah's names at length. In the first installment, we discussed numbers 1 to 25. Today, we'll be examining another 25 names the Quran utilizes to help us comprehend the extent of Allah's glory.

The 99 Names of Allah: 26 - 50  

Islam rests upon two key beliefs. The first of these is belief in a single God, Allah, whose power and authority is completely unparalleled. The second is belief in Muhammad as Allah's final and greatest messenger. In order to become a Muslim, one must recite the Shahada. This is a declaration of acceptance of the two beliefs discussed above. If somebody has an issue with either, they cannot make the Shahada, meaning they cannot become a Muslim. Much has been written about the existence (or lack thereof) of Allah. Hundreds upon thousands of words have been produced claiming to either prove or disprove His existence. Less attention has been given to Muhammad. Unlike with many earlier prophets, secular historians agree that Muhammad certainly existed. But was Muhammad truly a prophet or was he the trouble making charlatan his rivals made him out to be? We, of course, hold steadfastly to the belief that Muhammad was the ultimate Messenger of Allah and that the Quran was revealed to him from the Heavens. In this article, we're going to be discussing just why we believe what we believe. Here are ten proofs Muhammad was a prophet.  

At the time of this writing, Islam boasts 1.8 billion followers throughout the world. That number is rapidly increasing. In just a couple of years, it will likely be in excess of 2 billion. Recent studies estimate Islam will have surpassed Christianity as the leading world religion by 2070, although we can expect it to happen much sooner than that. Islam is indeed an empire of faith. It is an empire so vast that it can sometimes be difficult to believe that it was founded by a single man. But, of course, it was. That man was Muhammad. A simple caravan trader in 7th century Mecca, Muhammad was already 40 years of age when he received the first revelation of what would become the Quran. He seemed an unlikely candidate for prophethood, yet it was he who was tasked with introducing the people of Mecca to monotheism. It was he who was tasked with restoring the faith of Abraham. It was he who was tasked with changing the world as we know it. But why did Allah decide Muhammad was the right man for the job? That's what we're going to figure out in this article. Read on to find out why Allah chose Muhammad to bring forth the Quran and establish Islam among His people.

'Tasbeeh' is to say 'Subhan Allah' or any other word that gives the same meaning. With Tasbeeh, we affirm that Allah is completely free from any deficiency or defect, and it confirms His qualities of Perfection, Greatness, and Oneness.

In the Quran, numerous Surahs open with Tasbeeh. At the beginning of Surah Al-Hadid, Allah says: "Whatever is in the heavens and earth exalts Allah, and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise." (Quran 57:1), also Surah Al-Jumu'ah begins with: "Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth is exalting Allah, the Sovereign, the Pure, the Exalted in Might, the Wise."(Quran, 62:1)

Allah promises us in this verse that if we express shukr - gratitude, appreciation and thanks for what we have been given - He will most certainly increase us in blessings. Notice the use of lam al-qasam here, as well as nun at-tawkeed - both linguistic methods of emphasizing the certainty and absoluteness of the truth of a statement. Allah is assuring us that this increase will definitely happen, if only we are grateful.