(280) Our Master Amir Almuminin—exalted be his glory—said in some of His precise speech: "I am the meaning of every 'He' (Huwa) in the Book of God the Almighty."
Among His names by which the nations in the Abode before humanity used to call Him—the Jinn, the Binn, the Tamm, the Ramm, and the Jann (who are the Jinn)—is: The Beneficent, the Merciful (al-Birr al-Rahim). They would say: "O Beneficent, O Merciful," supported by the word of the Almighty: {Indeed, we used to call upon Him before. Indeed, He is the Beneficent, the Merciful.}1 He—exalted be His praise—said: {And the Jann We created before from scorching fire.}2
And the word of the Mighty and Sublime: {And Joseph had already come to you before with clear proofs, but you remained in doubt of that which he brought to you, until when he perished, you said, "God will never send a messenger after him." Thus does God leave astray he who is a transgressor and skeptic.}3 This Joseph is Joseph ibn Ma-Kan, the Prophet whom God sent to the Jann. Our Master—exalted be His majesty—was called among them "the Beneficent, the Merciful," evidenced by this verse. These two names are among those by which the five worlds first mentioned used to call Him.
For God—exalted be His bounties—there are many names, uncounted, unnumbered, and unencompassed from the start of the world until our time. In the Quran, He has ninety-nine names, including: The Glorifier, the Sanctified, the Reciter, the Grateful, the Rememberer, the Praiser, the Prayer-performer, and their likes. These are well-known and famous, as God—exalted be His mention—said: {And to God belong the best names, so invoke Him by them. And leave [the company of] those who practice deviation concerning His names. They will be recompensed for what they have been doing.}4