Among the beautiful names of Allah, there is one known as Ism al-A’zam (اسم الله الأعظم), the Greatest Name. It is said that when Allah is called upon by this name, He answers, and when He is asked by it, He gives.
Several authentic hadiths point to this. The Prophet (peace be upon him) heard a man supplicating and said:
“By the One in Whose hand is my soul, he has asked Allah by His Greatest Name, by which if He is invoked, He answers, and if He is asked, He gives.”
This was said in response to a man who called upon Allah using names such as Al-Ahad, Al-Samad, Al-Hayy, Al-Qayyum, Al-Hannan, Al-Mannan, and Badi’ al-Samawati wal-Ard.
So which name exactly is it?
Scholars have differed on this. Some held that it is not a single fixed name, but rather any name a person calls upon Allah with while being fully present in heart and devoted in worship. In that moment of sincerity, that name becomes the Greatest Name for him.
Others believed it is a specific name, and they mentioned many possibilities. The most frequently mentioned include:
- Allah (the name present in all the relevant narrations)
- Al-Hayy al-Qayyum (the Ever-Living, the Sustainer)
- Dhul Jalali wal Ikram (Possessor of Majesty and Honor)
The honest position is that Allah has kept the full certainty of this name hidden, perhaps so that believers remain devoted in calling upon Him by all of His beautiful names. A Muslim should make it a habit to include in his du’a the phrases and names that scholars have identified in the hadiths, hoping to coincide with the Greatest Name.