Is Al badi a name of Allah ?

Question

This verse in Quran بَدِيعُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ‌ۖ وَإِذَا قَضَىٰٓ أَمۡرً۬ا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ ۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ Al-Baqarah 2:117 saying "The Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it: "Be!" - and it is".Can we derive Al badi from this? But in a list of names of Allah Sheikh uthymeen didn't mentioned Al-badi

Answer 1

There is a difference of opinions on whether Al-Badee' (Arabic: البديع) is one of the names of Allah. The name generally means the Originator.

The majority of scholars do not consider Al-Badee' to be one of Allah's names, but rather the phrase بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ is considered to be an attribute, based on the verse you quoted:

بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَإِذَا قَضَى أَمْرًا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُ كُنْ فَيَكُونُ

Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, "Be," and it is.

_{— Qur'an 2:117}

in addition to this verse:

بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لَهُ وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ تَكُنْ لَهُ صَاحِبَةٌ وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

[He is] Originator of the heavens and the earth. How could He have a son when He does not have a companion and He created all things? And He is, of all things, Knowing.

_{— Qur'an 6:101}

There are, however, scholars (e.g., Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, and Al-Bayhaqi) who consider Al-Badee' to be one of Allah's names.

An authentic hadith in Sahih Al-Bukhari stipulates that Allah has ninety nine names, but the hadith does not mention the names:

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، قَالَ حَفِظْنَاهُ مِنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، رِوَايَةً قَالَ: لِلَّهِ تِسْعَةٌ وَتِسْعُونَ اسْمًا، مِائَةٌ إِلاَّ وَاحِدًا، لاَ يَحْفَظُهَا أَحَدٌ إِلاَّ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ، وَهْوَ وَتْرٌ يُحِبُّ الْوَتْرَ

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah has ninety-nine names, i.e., one hundred minus one, and whoever believes in their meanings and acts accordingly, will enter Paradise; and Allah is witr (one) and loves the witr (i.e., odd numbers).

_{— Sahih Al-Bukhari Book 80, Hadith 105}

A similar hadith is in Sahih Muslim, Book 48, Hadith 6, and another in Jami' at-Tirmidhi, Book 48, Hadith 139 convey the same meaning. There is, however, another hadith in Jami' at-Tirmidhi, Book 48, Hadith 138, which stipulates some of the names, including Al-Badee'. There is no authentic chain of narration with the addition of the names in this version; hence, the difference of opinions about this name (among some others).