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     | Thursday, March 08, 2001 - 02:35 am Important Principles Concerning Allaah's Names and Attributes (part 2) Author: Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saalih Al-'Uthaimeen, rahimahullaah Source: Sharh Lum'atul-'Itiqaad (24-27) [Dar Al-Istiqamah Printing] Footnotes: From the Checking of Ashraf Ibn 'Abdil-Maqsood to the Shaikh's book Comments: This week's topic is on Allaah's Names and Attributes. Place your comments or questions at: http://www.al-manhaj.com/ubb/Forum14/HTML/000013.html The Third Principle: Concerning Allaah's Attributes There are also subdivisions included in this principle: The First Subdivision: All of Allaah's Attributes are of the highest degree of perfection and praise possible. There is no deficiency found in them in any way whatsoever. Some examples of these Attributes are: (His) living, knowledge, ability, hearing, seeing, wisdom, mercy, highness and other than these. This is based on His saying: "And to Allaah belongs the highest description." [1] It is also because the Lord is absolutely perfect; thus His Attributes must be perfect. If an attribute is deficient and imperfect, then it is restricted from Him, such as death, ignorance, inability, deafness, blindness, and other than that. This is because Allaah will punish those who describe Him with deficiencies and He has freed Himself from all the defects that they attribute to Him. Also, it is not possible for the Lord (Rabb) to have a defect due to the incompatibility of deficiency with the aspect of Lordship (Rububiyyah). If an attribute is perfect in one way and deficient in another way, then it is not affirmed for Allaah nor is it restricted from Him in the absolute sense. Rather, a distinction between the two cases must be made. Thus, it is affirmed for Allaah in the circumstances when it is perfect and it is not possible to affirm it for Him in the condition when it is deficient. Examples of this are planning (Makr), plotting (Kaid), deception (Khadaa') and so on. These three attributes are perfect when they are implemented as a response to their equals (being done by an opponent), since they indicate that the One who is doing it is not incapable of encountering His enemy with his same action. And it would be deficient in any other condition. So it is affirmed for Allaah in the first condition and not in the second. Allaah says: "They (disbelievers) were planning and Allaah too was planning (i.e. makr). And Allaah is the best of those who plan." [2] "Verily, they are but scheming a plot. And I too am scheming a plot (i.e. kaid)." [3] "Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allaah, but it is He who deceives (i.e. khadaa’) them." [4] So if for instance, it is said: "Has Allaah attributed plotting to Himself?" Then do not say yes, and do not say no. Instead say: "He is plotting against those who are deserving of that, and Allaah knows best.” The Second Subdivision: The Attributes of Allaah can be divided into two categories: Those that are affirmed (Thubootiyyah) and those that are negated (Salbiyyah). Thubootiyyah: consists of the attributes that Allaah has affirmed for Himself, such as living, knowledge and ability. Affirming these for Allaah in a manner befitting to Him is obligatory. This is because Allaah has affirmed them for Himself and He is the most knowledgeable concerning His Attributes. Salbiyyah: consists of the attributes that Allaah has negated for Himself, such as injustice. Negating these from Allaah is obligatory because Allaah has negated them from Himself. However, it is obligatory to believe in affirming their most perfect opposites, for Allaah, since a negation is not complete until it consists of an affirmation. An example of this is Allaah's statement: "And your Lord treats no one with injustice." [5] Thus, it is obligatory to negate injustice from Allaah, while affirming (the opposite) – which is justice - for Him, based on its most perfect perspective. The Third Subdivision: The Affirmed Attributes (Thubootiyyah) can further be divided into two categories: Dhaatiyyah (Attributes of His Being): They are the attributes that do not cease nor will ever cease to be descriptive of Him, such as hearing and seeing. Fi'aliyyah (Attributes of His Actions): They are the attributes that are connected to His Will (Mashee'ah). If He wills, He will do it and if He wills, He will not do it, such as rising over the Throne and (His) coming. It is possible that an attribute could be both Dhaatiyyah and Fi'aliyyah, according to each of the two, such as Speech. In regards to the origin of the attribute, it is an attribute of His Being (Dhaatiyyah) because Allaah never stopped nor will stop speaking. And in regards to the units of Speech that are put forth, it is an attribute of the action (Fi'aliyyah), since Speech is connected to His Will. He speaks as He wills, when he wills. The Fourth Subdivision: Each Attribute of Allaah should bring three questions to mind. The first question: Is it real (as opposed to figurative) and why? The second question: Is it permissible to say how it is and why? The third question: Is it comparable to the attributes of creation and why? The answer to the first question: Yes, it is real, because the foundation of speech concerning this subject is based on actuality (as opposed to symbolism). This may not be abandoned, unless there is authentic evidence that restricts it. The second answer: No, it is not permissible to describe how an attribute is, due to Allaah's statement: "But they will never encompass anything of His Knowledge."[6] Also, the intellects are not able to comprehend the nature of how Allaah's attributes are. The third answer: It cannot be compared to the creation's attributes, due to Allaah's saying: "There is nothing whatsoever like Him." [7] And also Allaah is worthy of the utmost perfection, therefore it is impossible for Him to be compared to the creation, since that is something deficient and imperfect. The difference between takyeef (saying how it is) and tamtheel (saying it is like such and such) is that tamtheel is to describe the manner of an attribute by restricting it to a certain example, whereas takyeef is describing the manner of an attribute without restricting it to a certain example. An example of tamtheel is if someone were to say the hand of Allaah is like the hand of a human being. An example of takyeef is to imagine that the Hand of Allaah has a specific nature that has no comparison found in the hands of created beings. This type of imagining is not permissible. The Fourth Principle: What may be used to refute those who commit ta'teel (rejection of Allaah’s Attributes). The Mu'tilah (those who commit ta'teel) are the ones who reject anything from the Names and Attributes of Allaah and distort the texts from their literal meanings. They are also known as the ones who commit ta'weel (distorted interpretation). The fundamental principle by which we may refute them is to say that their statements: 1. Are in contradiction to the literal apparentness of the texts 2. Are in contradiction to the understanding of the Salaf 3. Do not have any authentic proof (to support them) For some attributes, there may be a fourth perspective, or more than that. Footnotes: [1] Surat-un-Nahl (16): 60 [2] Surat-ul-Anfaal (8): 30 [3] Surat-ut-Taariq (86): 15-16 [4] Surat-un-Nisaa (4): 142 [5] Surat-ul-Kahf (18): 49 [6] Surah TaHa (20): 110 [7] Surat-ush-Shooraa (42): 11
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