Editing Names of God in Islam (section)

== Sufi and Shia mysticism ==
There is a tradition in [[Sufism]] to the effect the 99 names of God point to a mystical "[[Al-Ism al-A'zam|Most Supreme and Superior Name]]" (''ismu l-ʾAʿẓam'' ({{lang|ar|الاسْمُ ٱلْأَعْظَم}}).<ref>{{cite book |last = Schimmel |first = Annemarie | author-link = Annemarie Schimmel |year = 1993 |title = The Mystery of Numbers |publisher = Oxford University Press |location = New York, US |isbn = 0-19-508919-7 | page = 271|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=lBIZ9PRZvPIC&pg=PA271}}</ref> This "Greatest Name of God" is said to be "the one which if He is called (prayed to) by it, He will answer."<ref>{{cite book|last=Momen|first=Moojan|author-link=Moojan Momen|title=Islam and the Bahá'í Faith|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gMAQAQAAIAAJ|year=2000|publisher=George Ronald|isbn=978-0-85398-446-7|page=241}} The endnote states: "[[Ibn Majah|Ibn Májah]], ''[[Sunan ibn Majah|Sunan]]'', 34. (Kitáb ad-Du'á), ch. 9, no. 3856, vol. 2, p. 1267. See also: Ad-Dárimí, ''[[Sunan al-Darimi|Sunan]]'', 23 (Fada'il al-Qur'án), ch. 15, no. 3296, vol. 2, pp. 324–325. Similar statements in [[Shia|Shi'i]] tradition include: [[Mohammad-Baqer Majlesi|Majlisí]], ''[[Bihar al-Anwar]]'', vol. 26. p. 7.</ref> More than 1000 names of God are listed in the [[Jawshan Kabir]] ({{lang|ar|جَوْشَنُ ٱلْكَبِير}}—literally "the Great [[Cuirass]]") invocations.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}} Sufi mystic [[Ibn Arabi]] surmised that the 99 names are "outward signs of the universe's inner mysteries".<ref name="morg10">{{cite book|last=Morgan|first=Diane|title=Essential Islam: A Comprehensive Guide to Belief and Practice|url=https://archive.org/details/essentialislamco0000morg|url-access=registration|year=2010|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-36025-1|page=[https://archive.org/details/essentialislamco0000morg/page/10 10]}}</ref>

[[Ibn Arabi]] (26 July 1165 – 16 November 1240) did not interpret the names of God as mere [[epithet]]s, but as actual attributes paring the universe both in created and possible forms. By these names, the divine traits disclose for humans, whose divine potential is hidden, can learn to become a reflection of such names. However, such reflections are limited; the divine traits do not equal the divine essence of the names.<ref>Bruce Lawrence ''The Qur'an: A Biography'' Atlantic Books Ltd, 02.10.2014 {{ISBN|9781782392187}} chapter 8</ref> Influenced by the metaphysical teachings of Ibn Arabi, [[Haydar Amuli]] assigned [[angels in Islam|angels]] to the different names of God. Accordingly, the good angels as a whole are a manifestation of God's Names of Beauty. [[Shaitan]] (''shayatin'') on the other hand are a manifestation of God's Names of majesty, such as "The Haughty".<ref>Ayman Shihadeh ''Sufism and Theology'' Edinburgh University Press, 21.11.2007 {{ISBN|9780748631346}} pp. 54–56</ref>