E. J. W. Gibb, lagre. Stadgon
with Kind regards from
-ards from his friend

I. M. Redhouse

London, 4th. Deby., 1880

الْأَسْمَاء الْحُسْنَى ",ON THE MOST COMELY NAMES

i.e. The Laudatory Epithets, or The Titles of Praise,
bestowed on God in the Qur'an or by Muslim Writers.

By J. W. REDHOUSE, M.R.A.S., Hon. Mem. R.S.L., etc.

ALL students of the facts and doctrines of Islam, that uncompromising and purely monotheistic faith promulgated by Muhammad to the pagan Arabians, his kinsmen or countrymen, as also to the Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians who dwelt in and about Madīna, or the three Arabias, thirteen hundred years ago, will have met with some mention of what European writers generally know as "The ninety-nine names of God," but which are denominated in chap. vii. v. 179, as also in chap. xx. v. 7, of the Qur'an itself, "The Most Comely Names,"

In the first of these passages it is . الأَسْمَاء الْحُسْنَى and unto God belong the وَلِلَّهِ الأَسْمَاءِ الْحُسْنَى فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا : said

,God is e اللَّهُ لا إلهَ إِلَّا هُوَ لَهُ الأَسْمَاء الْحُسْنَى : the second

most comely names; call ye, then, upon Him by them; and in

save whom there is no God; unto Him belong the most comely

names.

66

The European expression, "the ninety-nine names of God," is not, as we see, in accordance with the Qur'anic designation, the most comely names," which specifies no definite number whatever. Lane, however, informs us in his Lexicon, voce that the commentary on the Qur'ān

حسن .rad أَحْسَن

1

9

entitled, Exposition by the two (writers named) Jalal, adds to its mention of this expression: "the most comely names," the remark: "which are ninety and nine in number." The specific number "ninety-nine" is not, then, of European invention in this matter.

Meninski, again, voce, has: "the names of God, otherwise the names of the qualities, said to be ninety-nine in number, etc., are the divine attributes, repeated by pious Muslims as they tell their beads. Hottinger, in his Historia Orientalis, gives the list of them in alphabetical order." This last statement as to an "alphabetical order" does not appear, however, to be correct; for is said by Meninski to be Hottinger's 82nd attribute, and

to be the 94th, being the 23rd. I do not see any alphabetical order in these words and numbers, even in respect of the roots; and so of the rest.

At p. 203 of Vol. VI. New Series, of the Society's Journal, begins a chapter in the article, by Lord Stanley of Alderley, on the "Poetry of Mohamed Rabadan." This chapter is in Spanish verses of four lines each; and every verse is sur

ه يَا رَب !O God يَا الله ,mounted by an invocation in Arabic

Lord! etc., to the number of ninety-nine, as may be counted.

At p. 129 of the part of our Journal which has recently been distributed, being Part I. Vol. XI. New Series, begins an article by E. T. Rogers, Esq., M.R.A.S.: "On Arabic Amulets and Mottoes." On the next page-p. 123-and third paragraph, Mr. Rogers says: "I find in the square compartments the hundred' attributes of God." Here is a slight departure from the stereotyped expression "ninetynine names."

Through the kindness of the late Colonel Guthrie, I was some years ago enabled to take a copy of a list of the

The list has only ninety-nine names or titles when correctly counted.

J. W. R.