Section Two:
Shaykh Ibn al-Sa‘dī’s Approach to the Most Beautiful Names—May Allah Have Mercy on Him

Through my reading and compilation of the most beautiful names discussed by al-Sa‘dī—may Allah have mercy on him—the following aspects of his approach became clear to me:

First: In his treatment of the most beautiful names, al-Sa‘dī—may Allah have mercy on him—did not confine himself to the works of earlier authors on the subject. I found that some names he included do not appear in those books: at times he includes additional names, while at other times he omits some of theirs.

Nor did he rely on the hadith of Abū Hurayrah when listing the most beautiful names. For example, he included among Allah’s names “al-Sattār” (the Concealer), although this name does not occur in Abū Hurayrah’s hadith or in any of its transmitted versions. Allah knows best.

He may therefore have relied on what appeared to him, from the texts of the Quran and Sunnah, to be names of Allah Most High. May Allah have mercy on him, and Allah knows best.

Second: Among the distinguishing features of this compilation is the care and attention that, as I understand his approach, the Shaykh—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—devoted to the principles governing Allah’s names and attributes. This is evident from his inclusion of such principles in this compilation, among them:

The first principle: All of Allah’s names are most beautiful1.

The second principle: Belief in Allah’s names, His attributes, and what those attributes entail2.

The third principle: The names signify Allah’s Essence and attributes through full correspondence, partial inclusion, and necessary implication3.