وَلِلَّهِ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَى فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا وَذَرُوا الَّذِينَ يُلْحِدُونَ فِي أَسْمَائِهِ سَيُجْزَوْنَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿۱۸۰﴾ وَمِمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا أُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَبِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ ﴿۱۸۱﴾

﴾180﴿ Wa lillaahil Asmaaa 'ul Husnaa fad'oohu bihaa wa zarul lazeena yulhidoona feee Asmaaa'ih; sa yujzawna maa kaanoo ya'maloon
﴾181﴿ Wa mimman khalaqnaaa ummatuny yahdoona bilhaqqi wa bihee ya'diloon

﴾180﴿ And to Allah belong the true names (and attributes) of goodness, so ask Him by them And let those who deviate in the Names of Allah, the Exalted, soon they will be compensated for what they did
﴾181﴿ And among them We found a group who state the truth and decide by it

[180] This verse relates to the third central theme (da‘wā thālithah) of the Surah, which is: to seek all needs solely from Allah Most High and not to associate anyone with Him in supplication. This is also the third warning (zajr thālith).
The names of Allah are described as al-asmā’ al-ḥusnā (the Most Beautiful Names) because they point to His recognition, His oneness (tawḥīd), His existence, and His perfection.
Another reason is that these names are inherently His, self-derived—Allah does not need anyone to name Him; He named Himself.
(فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا) – This indicates that when making supplication, one should call upon Allah using His names and attributes as a means (wasīlah). This is seen in many Qur’anic and prophetic prayers, where Allah’s names are used in this manner.
In the tafsir of this verse, the jurists mention the statement of Imam Abu Hanifah, who said: It is not appropriate for anyone to make du‘ā to Allah except by using His names and attributes.
Another meaning of (فَادْعُوهُ بِهَا) is: Make remembrance (dhikr) of Allah using His names. Therefore, calling Allah by non-revealed or vague terms (e.g., just saying “God” without the proper context) is not preferred unless used in a way that aligns with the meanings of names like “Khāliq” (Creator) or “Mālik” (Owner).
(يُلْحِدُونَ فِي أَسْمَائِهِ) – Ilḥād (deviation) in Allah’s names occurs in several ways:
1. Associating partners by attributing His names or qualities to others.
2. Describing Allah with attributes that are not befitting His majesty, and not based on revelation (naql).
[181] This verse is evidence that until the Day of Judgment, there will always be individuals in this Ummah who call toward the truth and stand firm against the mulḥidīn (deviants).
A similar meaning is found in an authentic hadith, which Ibn Kathīr has narrated, stating that: “There will always remain a group from my Ummah, manifest upon the truth, unharmed by those who oppose them, until the command of Allah comes.”
This confirms the enduring presence of truth-bearers and defenders of the faith in every generation.