Nature, Function, and Effects of the Greatest Divine Name:A Rehearsal of its Reading and Typology

It is a widespread belief among Muslims that God has got a name which is unknown to almost everybody, hence only a very few and limited number of people might be aware of it. It is such that one who remembers God or calls on him through pronouncing His rarely known but miraculous name will soon find his desire fulfilled, hence miraculous jobs may be accomplished in the world of creation only through pronouncing it. Muslims have since called it the Greatest Divine Name (ism-e A`zam) and have written a lot on how to obtain it, and its various functions, coupled with many related anecdotes. The present work surveys an overview and presents a classification of such conjectures, with an outlook unto its nature, hence an attempt to take an initial step to formulate a conception of the Greatest Divine Name in Islamic culture and teachings. Without overlooking its nature or  historical process of identification, the present work attempts to piece together Muslims' attention to it, all drawing upon reliable anecdotes, exegetical comments, moral hints, and theological and philosophical views as scattered here and there in various works. It will then make a ground for reviewing various views of the phenomenon of the Greatest Divine Name, with the historical trends that fostered ahead any of them, together with their socio-cutural background.