Does repeating certain names of Allah ward off misfortune?

Merely repeating a name wards nothing off. It becomes valuable when one reflects on the meaning of the name and sincerely calls on Allah by it, because protection comes from Allah Himself.

Some books recommend repeating certain names of Allah many times in order to ward off an evil or solve a problem. Behind this there is often the idea that the words themselves have a power that works once they are said often enough. This is not how Islam sees it.

A parrot can repeat a name a thousand times without understanding what it says. It gains nothing from it. In the same way a person gains nothing from reciting words without thought. A name of Allah is not a magic formula. It describes who Allah is.

Repetition becomes meaningful when one focuses on the meaning. If someone calls on Allah as the Merciful and reflects on what mercy really means, they discover something new each time. It is like a kaleidoscope. You turn it slightly and a new picture appears before your eyes. In the same way a single name keeps revealing new sides of Allah’s goodness and greatness, and the person draws closer to Him.

The verses above invite exactly this. Allah has the most beautiful names, and we are to call on Him by them. What is meant is living prayer, not mechanical counting. The hadith above also describes a conscious prayer. Whoever asks Allah for protection morning and evening entrusts himself to Him. The protection then comes from Allah, not from the number of words.

So anyone who is worried may call on Allah by His names as often as they wish. What matters is that the heart and the mind are present.