The Most Beautiful Names of Allah reflect His perfection, majesty, and greatness in all His attributes. Some of these names come in complementary pairs, meaning each name has another that completes and balances its meaning. This allows a fuller understanding of Allah’s power and perfection when both names are mentioned together.
The concept of complementary names is based on the idea that mentioning one name without the other may give an incomplete or biased understanding of Allah. For example, saying “O Honourer” without saying “O Humiliator” may not fully highlight Allah’s perfection in justice and His power to punish the wrongdoers. Mentioning both gives a balanced perception of Allah’s perfection in giving honour and humiliation, in granting benefit and harm, and in raising and lowering.
The complementary names of Allah represent different dimensions of His divine attributes. They reflect His relationship with His creation on one hand and His absolute power over everything on the other. These pairs demonstrate Allah’s wisdom in balancing mercy and justice, strength and gentleness, giving and withholding. Each name complements the other to provide a complete picture of Allah’s absolute perfection.
Examples of these complementary names include:
Al-Khafid lowers and humiliates the arrogant, the deniers, and those in error, while elevating the ranks of faith, the believers and the righteous. For the servant, it means that the soul is uplifted and the ego humbled. Allah supports His servants and allies over their enemies through these attributes.
Al-Mu’izz honours His allies by protecting them from disbelief and ingratitude, forgiving them, admitting them to Paradise and honouring them with His presence. Al-Mudhill humiliates His enemies by depriving them of knowledge of Him, removing them from His mercy and sending them to Hell.
Al-Qabid takes back as He wills, including wealth or blessings, and instils fear of loss in His servant. Al-Basit expands and spreads His blessings and ensures the servant’s safety through His mercy. Allah’s withholding and expansion are evident in many matters, including sustenance – expansion is not extravagance and withholding is not stinginess. Regarding life, Al-Qabid takes life and Al-Basit grants it. In hearts, He subjects them to fear and fills them with hope. For the servant, Al-Qabid and Al-Basit fill his heart with hope and wisdom and subject it to the fear of Allah.
Al-Muqaddim elevates whomever He wills, bringing them closer to Him. Those whom He elevates include angels, prophets, saints and scholars. Al-Mu’akhkhir delays whomever He wills by distancing them. Promotion and delay here refer to rank, not physical location.
Al-Awwal is the first of all existences; nothing precedes Him. Al-Akhir is the one for whom everything has a final reference and outcome after the end of all creation.
He allows harm and evil to affect whom He wills and bestows goodness and benefit to whom He wills. No creature has the power to give or withhold good or harm independently; everything occurs by Allah’s command and will.
Al-Zahir makes everything appear small and insignificant compared to His greatness. Al-Batin is close, aware of inner thoughts and hidden matters; nothing is hidden from Him.
Al-Mu’ti grants His gifts, blessings and mercy to His creation. Al-Mani’ protects and defends His obedient servants and withholds or gives to whomever He wills.
Al-Muhyi revives bones and beings after decay. Al-Mumit takes souls from bodies, causing death.
