In the verse:
Al-Isra
قُلِ ادْعُوا اللَّهَ أَوِ ادْعُوا الرَّحْمَٰنَ أَيًّا مَا تَدْعُوا فَلَهُ الْأَسْمَاءُ الْحُسْنَىٰ وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا وَابْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًا (110)
Does this mean that there is no difference between the Divine Names—that it makes no difference whether we call upon God by the name Allah or al-Rahman, for example? Or does it implicitly point to some difference in rank among the Most Beautiful Names? Also, does it mean that God must be called upon exclusively through the Most Beautiful Names, rather than through some other means or without any intermediary?
Are the Divine Names Equal, or Do They Have Different Ranks?
The essence and first answer at a glance (60-word summary)
The Most Beautiful Names of God have distinct ranks and stations, and some are regarded as the source and root of others. Yet they all refer to one and the same Reality, and God may be invoked by any of them. Thus, although the Names differ in rank, they all lead back to the one divine Essence and may each serve as a means of calling upon Him.
Answer by Master Ali Saei (Abdullah Meshkat)
Teacher and researcher in the intellectual tradition of wisdom and the Ahl al-Bayt | Soroush Bamdadān Cultural CenterAlthough the Divine Names, the Most Beautiful, each have their own distinct ranks and stations—and some are regarded as the foundation, root, and chief of the others—they all refer back to a single source. We may call upon God by any one of them.