The creed of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah in regard to Allaah’s Names and Attributes – Shaykh Uthaymeen
by AbdurRahman.org
June 19, 2011
Question:
What is the creed of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah in regard to Allaah’s Names and Attributes?
And what is the difference between a Name and an Attribute?
And does affirmation of a Name necessitate affirmation of an Attribute, and (likewise) does affrimation of an Attribute necessitate affirmation of a Name?
Response:
The creed of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah in regard to Allaah’s Names and His Attributes is affriming that which Allaah has affirmed for himself from the Names and Attributes, without;
1. Tahreef (changing/distorting a Name and/or Attribute of Allaah to other than its true meaning, i.e. from Allaah to al-Laat, and al-‘Azeez to al-‘Uzzah.
2. Ta’teel (denying some or all of Allaah’s Names and Attributes).
3. Takyeef (questioning as to “how” (Allaah’s Name or Attribute is), i.e. How does Allaah descend, etc.?).
4. Tamtheel (to imply a similarity between Allaah’s Names and Attributes and that of His creation).
And the difference between a Name and an Attribute is that a Name is that which Allaah has named Himself by; and an Attribute is that which Allaah has described Himself by. And between them is a clear difference.
So a Name is that which is considered a Name of Allaah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala), (and that) which incorporates an Attribute.And affirmation of a Name necessitates affirmation of an Attribute. For example: al-Ghafoor (the Most Forgiving) is a Name, and (its affirmation) necessitates the (affirmation of the) Attribute of Maghfirah (Forgiveness);
And ar-Raheem (the Most Merciful) is a Name and (its affirmation) necessitates the affirmation of ar-Rahmah (Mercy).
And the affirmation of an Attribute does not necessitate the affirmation of a Name. For example: al-Kalaam (Speech) does not necessitate the affirmation of the Name al-Mutakallim (the Speaker) for Allaah.
So, based upon this, the Names are more wider (in scope), since every Name encompasses an Attribute, however, every Attribute does not encompass a Name.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen
Fataawa Arkaan al-Is
laam – Page 73, Fatwa No.30
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