Some grammarians say:

“It is called an ism (name or noun) because it rises above the one named, or because it rises above its two fellow categories: the verb and the particle.”

But this is not what is meant by “name.” Rather, it raises the one named and makes him manifest. Hence one says, sammaytuhu (“I named him”), meaning, “I raised him and made him manifest.” Thus, it is the one named who is raised and made manifest, and this is accomplished through the name.

Its morphological patterns are fu‘l and fi‘l, and its plural is asmā’, like qinw and aqnā’ (“date cluster” and “date clusters”), or ‘udw and a‘dā’ (“limb” and “limbs”). The forms summ and simm are also used, with the final root consonant omitted. The form sammā is also used, as in the verse:

“And Allah gave you a blessed name.”

Whatever has no name is neither mentioned nor made manifest, nor does its mention gain prominence. Rather, it is like something hidden and unknown. Hence it is said that a name points to the one named and serves as a distinguishing mark for him, and similar expressions.

Thus, the “people of Islam and the Sunnah,” who mention Allah’s names, know Him, worship Him, love Him, remember Him, and make His remembrance manifest. The “heretics,” by contrast, deny His names, and their hearts turn away from knowing Him, worshipping Him, loving Him, and remembering Him, until they forget to remember Him:

“They forgot Allah, so He forgot them.”

“And do not be like those who forgot Allah, so He made them forget themselves.”

“Remember your Lord within yourself, humbly and with fear, without raising your voice, in the mornings and evenings, and do not be among the heedless.”

A name encompasses both the utterance and the meaning conceived in the heart. It may refer to the utterance alone, or to the meaning alone, for it is part of speech. “Speech” denotes both the utterance and its meaning, and it may