Teaching the 99 Names of Allah to Kids: A Gentle Plan

A child who has learned to recite ninety-nine Arabic names in a sing-song rhythm has done something impressive. A child who whispers “As-Sami’ heard me” after a quiet dua has done something even better: they’ve met Allah through one of His names.

This guide is for parents who’d like their children to know Allah’s names, not only recite them. It’s a slow, gentle plan: one name a week, everyday moments to notice it, and simple activities for ages three to ten.

Meaning before memory

The verse says to call on Him by His names. That’s a relationship, not a recital. For young children, a name only “lands” when it’s tied to something they can see or feel.

Memorising the full list is a lovely goal for later, especially for children seven and up who enjoy a challenge. If they already know what a dozen names mean, the list becomes a treasure, not a tongue-twister.

Ten names to start

These ten connect easily to a young child’s world. Each has a simple meaning and a moment you can use.

All of these come from the Qur’an. A few verses to share as you go:

One name a week

Here’s a simple weekly rhythm. It takes a few minutes a day.

1. Sunday: introduce it. Say the name, say what it means in one sentence, and ask: “Where do you think we’ll see this name this week?”
2. Every day: notice it. Find at least one moment to say it out loud. “Al-Khaliq made that rainbow.”
3. Midweek: make a dua with it. “Ya Razzaq, please give food to the people who are hungry.”
4. Friday or Saturday: share. At a meal, everyone says where they noticed the name. Write their answer on a card.
5. Keep the cards. After ten weeks, you have ten cards full of your child’s own moments with Allah.

Activities by age

Ages 3 to 5

• Name jar. Write ten names on folded paper. Each morning your child picks one: “Today is an As-Sami’ day.”
• Nature walk. Take a bag and collect things Al-Khaliq made: a conker, a feather, a pebble.
• Thank-you food. At dinner, go round the table: “Ar-Razzaq gave us…”
• Bedtime whisper. End the day by whispering a dua to As-Sami’ and talking about how He heard it.

Ages 6 to 8

• Name hunt in the Qur’an. Give them a short surah and a translation. How many names can they find? (Al-Hashr 59:22–24 has many in three verses.)
• Story match. Which name fits which prophet’s story? Yunus in the whale: As-Sami’. Musa’s mother: Al-Hafiz.
• Kindness challenge. “Ar-Rahman week”: each person does one secret kind thing a day.

Ages 9 to 10

• Mini-presentations. Each child picks a name, looks up where it appears in the Qur’an, and explains it to the family in two minutes.
• Learning the list. If they’re keen, now’s a good time to memorise the popular list in small chunks, ten at a time. Pair it with a dua using one name each night.

About the number 99

Sahih Muslim 2677 reports the same hadith (Sahih). Scholars explain “knows them” (in other wordings, “enumerates them”) as more than memorising: understanding the names, believing in them and calling on Allah by them.

What many parents don’t know is that the hadith with the actual list of 99 names is a different narration. It’s found in Jami’ at-Tirmidhi:

Many hadith specialists judged that the list was added by a narrator rather than said by the Prophet ﷺ. Al-Albani graded it weak, and others did too. Scholars have also noted that Allah’s names are not limited to ninety-nine. Since nearly all the names on the popular list are found in the Qur’an or authentic hadith, it is still a good learning tool. Just present it honestly: “This is a well-known list that helps us learn many of Allah’s names.” If you’d like to know more about how different scholars have compiled the names, ask a scholar you trust.

Context notes

In a Muslim-majority setting, many children’s names are built on these names: ‘Abd al-Rahman, ‘Abd al-Razzaq, ‘Abd al-Wadud. Point it out: “Your uncle’s name means servant of the Most Merciful.” In a Muslim-minority setting, your child may be the only one in their class who knows these words. Make them feel like a gift, not a strange vocabulary. Whatever your heritage, from Urdu-speaking homes saying “Ya Rahman” to Malay families singing Asmaul Husna, you’re passing on the same names.

To go further, try our guides to teaching kids to make their own dua, answering kids’ big questions about Islam, and more Islamic activities for preschoolers at home.