His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, Prof. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb said that the beautiful names of Allah revolve around attributes of beauty, as they inspire hope, love of the Creator, and desire for the rewards He has in store for His servants. Such names as Al-Lateef (The Most Gentle), Al-Wadud (The Most Loving), Al-Ra’uf (The Most Kind), Al-Raheem (The Bestower of Mercy). Other names revolve around attributes of Majesty, which are the attributes that inspire awe and fear of Allah, glory be to Him, in the heart, such as the attribute of strength, power, and subjugation, such as Al-Qahhar (The Subduer).

During the fifth episode of his Ramadan program “Imam at-Tayyeb,” the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar explained that “Al-Wadud” (The Most Loving) as one of Allah’s names has been mentioned with its derivatives in the Holy Quran in more than thirty places. It originally appears in two places, one of which is in Surat Hud: “So seek your Lord’s forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance. Surely my Lord is Most Merciful, All-Loving (Al-Wadud).” The other is in Surat Al-Buruj: “For He is certainly the One Who originates and resurrects all. And He is the All-Forgiving, All-Loving (Al-Wadud).” It also appears as a derivative in several places, such as in His saying: “Some of the People of the Book wished (wadat) to mislead you,” and His saying: “you wished (tawadun) to capture the unarmed party,” and His saying: “having affection (Yuwadun) for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger.”

His Eminence the Grand Imam revealed that the two Arabic words wud (affection) and hubb (love) are interchangeable. The Grand Imam explained that the Holy Quran has proven that Allah Almighty is described as the Loving, as the word (love) and its derivatives are mentioned in the Holy Quran in many verses. They are attributed to Allah Almighty, as in His saying: “Indeed, Allah loves the doers of good”. His Eminence emphasized that the name “Loving” (Muḥibb) is not one of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah, as these names are tawqīfiyyah (divinely prescribed); we adhere to what has been explicitly mentioned in the sacred texts, and what has not been mentioned—even if it appears suitable for Allah—cannot be considered among His Most Beautiful Names.